JAKE ROBERTS: Well, I declare | Columnists
Like some of you, I can still hear Grandma declaring: “Well, I declare!”
Usually this is her reserved response for when you would walk in her front door (we never knocked or rang the doorbell) and go eyeball-to-eyeball with her to next hear a follow-up declaration of, “Look who’s here!”
D. Jake Roberts is the assistant pastor at Monument Bible Church in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Before semi-retiring in 2010 he served as the lead pastor at Monument Bible Church for nearly 20 years. He was a missionary in Wisconsin for 10 years, 3 years in Ohio before moving to western Nebraska. He has been a student and teacher of the Word of God for over 50 years. He has also worked as an elementary school principal, teacher, high school counselor, head basketball coach, athletic director, businessman and ski instructor. He and his wife, Sharry, have been married for over 50 years.
Often, in a treestand, my heart would ring out with some form of, “Well, I declare, Look what just showed up!” Occasionally it was an upside-down nuthatch clinging to the bottom of a gnarly-barked tree limb. Or, I declare! It’s a great horned owl with a fully extended wingspan accompanied by its pointy razor-tipped talons… with its wheels down and poised to land…on the woolen beanie I was wearing…creepy…I shouted and waved my arms “I ain’t no tree limb!!!!” Fortunately, it flared and flew to safety (mine, mainly).
Another moment was, “Well, I declare…wouldja look at that! Two orange-ish, white-spotted fawns stood comfortably at ease in the meadow below briskly pounding the mama doe’s wellspring of creamy, nutritional milk-flow system.
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God creates, provides, watches over and lovingly cares for every whit of His creation. Flocked and grounded geese are safely doing what geese do. Yet, there’s always at least one fully stretched neck scanning and prepped to screechingly honk and declare a warning when lurking danger is discovered nearby.
Whether it’s a flock or herd or some random soloist…it ALWAYS elicits our awe and our wowzers! From my heart there emotes another “Well, I declare!” LOOK at THAT. The kudos and praise goes to Creator GOD for what gathers beneath my suspended platform.
The Bible’s Old and New testaments have much to declare and to say about declarations. “Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. (1 Chronicles 16:24)
About Creation itself we read, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1)
King David is quoted declaring that “I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the great assembly.” (Psalm 40:10)
The Apostle Paul demonstrates great humility about his declarations, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except JESUS CHRIST and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)
As Americans our freedom and independence are the very object and subject being declared in the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. In part it reads, “the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation. We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”
I believe the emphasis of this grand declaration is not so much about rights but rather, upon the solemnity and subjection of our will to Creator God.
John 1 says, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. His name is IMMANUEL (God with us)…JESUS.
Well, I declare…JESUS IS LORD. Merry Christmas!
PRAYER NUGGET: Creator God, We love You, too. In JESUS precious name. Amen
(All Bible quotes are from the NKJV)
Please remember … You are deeply loved!
