Isaiah 40:8, Ecclesiastes 3:1-11, Luke 9:18-22, Psalm 144:1-4

Isaiah 40:8

8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will forever stand.”

He is Invincible, He is Victorious, He is Emmanuel which is God with us!!!!!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

• 1 There is a given time for everything and a time for every happening under heaven:
2 A time for giving birth, a time for dying; a time for plant­ing, a time for uprooting.
3 A time for killing, a time for healing; a time for knocking down, a time for building.
4 A time for tears, a time for laugh­­ter; a time for mourning, a time for dancing.
5 A time for throwing stones, a time for gathering stones; a time for embracing, a time to refrain from em­bracing.
6 A time for searching, a time for losing; a time for keeping, a time for throwing away.
7 A time for tearing, a time for sewing; a time to be silent and a time to speak.
8 A time for loving, a time for hating; a time for war, a time for peace.
9 What profit is there for a man from all his toils?
10 Finally I considered the task God gave to the humans. 11 He made everything fitting in its time,

but he also set eternity in their hearts, although man is not able to embrace the work of God from the beginning to the end.

Beloved, because our souls are immortal, there is a constant hunger, a yearning, a reaching out, a restlessness. Saint Augustine put it best when he said, Our hearts are restless O Lord until they rest in you." It will be so until we find You and having You my Lord, we will be like a weaned child on its mother's breast.

Luke 9:18-22

One day when Jesus was pray­ing alone, not far from his disciples, he asked them, “What do peo­ple say about me?” 19 And they answered, “Some say that you are John the Baptist; others say that you are Elijah, and still others that you are one of the former prophets risen from the dead.” Again Jesus asked them, 20 “Who then do you say I am?” Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.” 21 Then Jesus spoke to them, giving them strict orders not to tell this to anyone.
• 22 And he added, “The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the elders and chief priests and teachers of the Law, and put to death. Then after three days he will be raised to life.”

The Prophets died and they had to wait until they were released for they were ment. When You died, the Son of God, the Messiah, You opened the gates of heaven in order to let in all whom You redeemed. Here too there is a sequence of events - You had to suffer so You could identify with our suffering, You tasted rejection just like us who so often have to face rejection ourselves. You died as all men must die the wonderful difference being, that You rose gloriously again after three days. You were raised to life and we too have a sure hope that we too will be raised to life again. Alleluia!!!

Psalm 144:1-4

1 Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle – 2 my loving God, my fortress; my protector and deliverer, my shield where I take refuge, who conquers nations and subjects them to my rule.
3 O Lord, what are humans that you should be mindful of them, the race of Adam, that you should care for them?
4 They are like a breath, their days pass like a shadow on earth.

In You alone I trust. I know I can count on You always for You have made me for Yourself. Having made me for You, I know You will be my protector, my shield, my help in times of trouble, my consolation and comfort. You will wipe away my tears and when my I breathe my last breath on earth, I shall begin to take my first breath in heaven.