Scripture

I will be like the dew to Israel.

~Hosea 14:5, NIV

Quote

There is no human need that Christ cannot met, nor will any spiritual blessing be given to us apart from HIM.

~Watchman Nee

I am 75 and I learn something new every day. On most days, I sit here in wonder and awe of these simple truths that have evaded my feeble mind. How important is the dew? Have you ever given the dew any serious thought or have you taken it for granted like myself. Dew is vital to the life of plants and without plants, we could not survive. Whereas it is true that dew alone cannot keep giant oaks alive, it is the dew that enables plants to survive in the desert and in our part of the country, dew keeps plants alive during times of drought. I saw some dead shrubs a couple of weeks ago and there are some not far from my building, but if not for the dew, practically every plant in the vicinity would have died. I have not cut our yard since the first of July {I did cut the ditches twice and the back yard once}.

Dew typically forms on grass and leaves overnight, often when days are warm and nights are cool. When the sun goes down, air and surfaces heated up by solar radiation during the day begin to cool. Cooler air can’t hold as much water vapor as warmer air; as the temperature drops, the rate of condensation exceeds the rate of evaporation and water droplets form. The dew formed a protective coating on the leaves and slows down evaporation. The dew is a stress reliever for plants during hot days and in droughts. Frost is a colder form of dew. What happens to your bathroom mirror when you take a hot shower? It fogs up, doesn’t it? This is created by warm air meeting colder air. When darkness comes the tempertures fall creating cooler air and when it comes in contact with the plants, it fogs them up so to speak. It is also interesting to note: we think of the dew as coming down just like the manna. Every good and perfect gift comes from above.

Israel is a unique country: some parts are tropical but most is semi-tropical. They have four seasons but they are not as distinct as ours. There summers are arid and dry. They catch rain water in the wet season so they can irrigate in the late spring, summer and early fall. In other words, they have a long hot summer and they depend on the dew. It makes me thankful for two things: [1] People who encourage us are refreshers like the dew, and [2]Jesus is our spiritual dew and we depend on HIM. He is literally a life-saver.

Extra

Oscar Tommy McCarthern passed away yesterday. This is Tracy Turrentine’s father. He is also Honi Smith’s uncle. Honi’s dad and Tracey’s mom {Helen} are brother and sister. I do not have the arrangements.

September is zooming by just like all the other months. High School football is at the mid-point. Our next 49er luncheon is September 27 and June and I leave for Michigan the next day.

I was hoping the heat was gone but it is warming back up. I will take 90 over 95 plus. I hope you have a great Thursday and thanks for reading the blog.