Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:4-5.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7.

This morning in our Prayer Group on Zoom, we focused on gratitude because notes of thanks and gratitude permeated our beginning prayers. What a difference when we give thanks to our Creator God for all He does and all He is. It lifts us out of the worry of the death throes of this world steeped in hate. Gratitude reminds us we are loved. God’s love is being poured out on those willing to receive it! What of those who have never known God’s Love? Pray! But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:44. Can you imagine living such a life that you are capable of killing children? What darkness lives in those hearts? Is that not the darkness we desperately need to come out of? Can we be grateful that our Creator God will redeem everything? Can we trust Him to know what He is doing in this world when evil is allowed to flourish?

Thwarting what God desires. We see it today in the hate of every heart. We see it in our chapter, Ezra 4. People living around Jerusalem who are watching the beginning of the rebuilding of the temple set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia. v. 4-5. Do we see those kinds of activities today? It noted in the notes below that it may have been ten years since the Israelites had worked on the temple before v. 24.

This morning I loved…Bidden or unbidden, God is Present. A gift to be so grateful for is the gift of God’s Presence.

A work may come to a standstill. Wars will be fought and children slaughtered. Hearts will grow cold and fearful. Nations will do their own thing apart from God. Nothing will separate you from God’s Love. Bidden or unbidden He is Present and working to redeem in His Love all the evil that we have done. Can you imagine what that will be like? I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed – I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, “that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?” Isaiah 43:11-13.

I am so grateful God has blessed me with the tools I need to draw near to Him. Those tools were shared with me from others whose hearts are seeking nearness with God and together we share the blessing of being His witnesses of His great, abiding Love. His love is being poured out on those of us willing to receive it. The greatest gift you will ever receive is God’s Presence working in your heart showing you the way to Life with Him and with others. There is joy. There is comfort. There is hope. There is forgiveness that heals us. This morning I couldn’t help but share – with the disclaimer first that I was not being disrespectful (!) – that God is cool! He does such amazing things! He gives the best gift of all – His Presence in great Love enlightening our hearts with His Peace and lifting us up to Life that is Good! This world’s darkness that is growing will be flushed out with the Fire of the Light of God’s Love…God speed that day that all will know and share in the blessing of Your great Love!