A Limerick A Day to Keep You On Your Way©
There is a history that repeats every year.
The nagging sense of the cold coming days we must bear.
Dark winter
Won’t splinter
A mind that knows repeated history keeps things clear.
Steady. Consistent. Repetitious. That is what I count on as I live in the New England weather. I may not like certain things about each of the four seasons, however, I never doubt they won’t happen, and in the order they always do. There are other things I never doubt will happen too.
The phrase “Dark Winter” comes from a chilling scenario simulation in 2001 of a bioweapon used to destroy people. The weapon, a virus. The plan, figure out how to tell the public. The end result, get them all vaccinated. It is detailed and well worth your time to read. You will come across this telling quote, “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” Sun Tzu
Since the Garden of Eden mankind has steadily been infected with evil plans: Evil plans that consistently try to control others. Cain killed Abel because of offense. He believed it was Able’s fault God did not fully accept his offering. But that wasn’t the case. Abel gave to God the first fruits of his flock. Abel gave his sacrifice with the right heart and the right motive. Cain gave of his fruits, most likely not of his first harvest or a pure heart. God called Cain out on this so he could remedy his heart. Instead, his offense deepened. God warned him if he didn’t get control of it, it would lead to sin. Cain would not relent and eventually, he killed his brother. His offense turned to hate. God continued to help by giving him a chance to explain what happened. Cain retorted by saying he was not his brother’s keeper, lying to God’s face that he knew nothing. What should God do?
Of course, God knew exactly what happened. God is a God of justice as well as mercy. He could have destroyed Cain on the spot. Instead, He let him go, to wander in the wilderness. I believe God was giving Cain a lot of space to repent. God truly is merciful. Cain sealed his fate and grew more wicked as time went on. Even though God marked his head so no one could kill him, Cain lived a life of wandering and most likely with a constant nagging guilty conscience. He was always running from God. He built the city of Enoch, named after his first son. (Genesis 4:1-22) He multiplied his own family and lived by his own rules. God does not remove the creative gifts He gives to His children but when there is no glory given back to God eventually our sin of rebellion toward God bears fruit. Lamech followed in Cains’s footsteps when he too killed a man. He had no repentance either, just a belief he would be avenged more than his great-great-great-great-great grandfather Cain. No one in his family could offer him the hope of forgiveness. He lived in darkness also.
Without forgiveness, men do all sorts of evil sins to each other. Adultery, divorce, sexual perversion, greed, human trafficking, abortion, and the need to control the world are just some of them. The world beomes darker and darker.
If you have a clear mind you can see history repeating itself. If not let me help you out. Just as winter is coming again with the nagging truth of cold rainy and snowy days so is the hope and belief of Spring coming again. We bear winter days with warm blankets, hot soups, and holidays. Thanksgiving reminds us of our desire to be free of governmental tyranny. Christmas reminds us Jesus was born to redeem us from sin and establish the Government of the Kingdom of Heaven in our hearts and on earth. The New Year helps us reflect and move toward new goals. Valentine’s Day is for renewing love. Easter awakens us to the remembrance of the horrible death Jesus died so we could live free of condemnation.
And just like that Spring is here again. We made it through the long winter because of our hope of Spring. We make it through life because of hope in our Creator. Just as God created the seasons, He created a way of forgiveness.
Genesis 1:14 KJV And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.
Daniel 9:9-10 KJV To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him. 10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
Men and women whose hearts are darkened fall prey to the lie they can control the world. They make up scenarios like “The Dark Winter” to prove they can. They kill others for feeling offended, sometimes with words and sometimes with weapons. I can not say for certain this is true but I read that Cain was killed when his own house fell on him. I wonder if he had a nagging feeling cold days were coming but no hope of Spring. Perhaps that was his Dark Winter, made by his own unrepented heart trying to control the world he made without God.
As history will repeat itself, a house without God will be a dark winter. I hope God lives in your house.
Pray this prayer with me.
Lord, I want to live with hope. Let me not fear a manmade lie of a Dark Winter. In You, there is always light and hope for new seasons of life. I pray You keep my eyes, ears, and heart attentive to the seasons. Forgive me for wounding others or bringing You an unworthy offering. Today I give You my heart. No Dark Winter, only Light and Truth will I receive. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Genesis 1:14-15 (The Living Bible) Then God said, “Let bright lights appear in the sky to give light to the earth and to identify the day and the night; they shall bring about the seasons on the earth, and mark the days and years.” And so it was.
Genesis 4:1-22 (King James Version)
4 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.
2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7 0 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
9 And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?
10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.
11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;
12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
13 And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
15 And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
16 And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
Written by Paula Ann Kochanek
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