I have taken you by your right hand, I will give treasures hidden in darkness and stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am Yahweh, the God of Israel who calls you by your name.
Beloved, Your love for me is not impersonal. You take me by the hand, You know my name and You give me Your life giving word which sustains me and fills me with joy.
Hosea 14:5-10
5 I will heal their wavering
and love them with all my heart
for my anger has turned from them.
6 I shall be like dew to Israel
like the lily will he blossom.
Like a cedar he will send down his roots;
7 his young shoots will grow and spread.
His splendor will be like an olive tree,
his fragrance, like a Lebanon cedar.
8 They will dwell in my shade again,
they will flourish like the grain,
they will blossom like a vine,
and their fame will be like Lebanon wine.
9 What would Ephraim do with idols,
when it is I who hear and make him prosper?
I am like an ever-green cypress tree;
all your fruitfulness comes from me.
10 Who is wise enough to grasp all this?
Who is discerning and will understand?
Straight are the ways of Yahweh:
the just walk in them, but the sinners stumble.
Beloved, Your loved strengthens the weak, gives courage to the fearful, makes straight the crooked, gives wisdom to the foolish, gives light so we will not stumble, gives life so we can live. Thank You.
Psalm 51:8, 14, 17
8 I know you desire truth in the heart,
teach me wisdom in my inmost being.
14 Give me again the joy of your salvation
and sustain me with a willing spirit.
17 O Lord, open my lips,
and I will declare your praise.
Matthew 10:16-23
16 Look, I send you out like sheep among wolves. You must be clever as snakes and innocent as doves. 17Be on your guard with respect to people, for they will hand you over to their courts and they will flog you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought to trial before rulers and kings because of me, and so you may witness to them and the pagans. 19 But when you are arrested, do not worry about what you are to say and how you are to say it; when the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say. 20 For it is not you who will speak; but it will be the Spirit of your Father in you. 21 Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child; children will turn against parents and have them put to death. 22 Everyone will hate you because of me, but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. For sure, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
Beloved, from the very beginning You warned Your disciples what would be their lot for witnessing to You. You ask us to be wise to the ways of the world so that we will not be taken off guard. Although innocent, we must not be naive. We must be prepared to be ridiculed, persecuted, flogged, imprisoned and even lay down our lives if need be. Our witness will be the light that speaks of You. Your own Spirit will sustain us till the end and bring us to eternal life with You.
No comments:
Post a Comment