I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. John 17:20-21

I ask. . . that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us. John 17:20-21 NRSV.

Both translations of the Scripture verse above were in Hearing God, by Dallas Willard and I love how he included this thought: “In the communion of the believer with God, their two beings are unified and inhabit each other, just as Jesus prayed, “I ask. . . that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us” (John 17:20-21 NRSV). As this union grows, God’s laws increasingly form the foundation of our hearts; his love is our love, his faith our faith.”

In our area we have been experiencing weeks of rain and storms with power outages and flooding for some. We experienced a power outage yesterday and it left me feeling tense and worried. We have come to depend upon what is only temporary. These storms are reminding us that life is eventful and not in our control. My prayer this morning was that our Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, would help me turn back to Him for the spacious place of His peace when I am stressed and tense and worried. We talked about that last night in our Group Home meeting as we read Hosea and how God longs for us to turn back to Him and stop being unfaithful. He is our foundation for true understanding and He is not temporary! It takes experiencing disruptions in what we take for granted for us to remember Who our true anchor is in every storm and into eternity only He can provide.

As I was grateful for the power on this morning, I began to read our psalm, Psalm 118. The Theme was so appropriate for all I was grateful for: “Confidence in God’s eternal love. God’s love is unchanging in the midst of changing situations. This gives us security.” Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever…When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place…The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid…It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans…It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes…The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation…v. 1, 5, 6, 8, 9, 14. When we begin to experience God’s provision and love for us, we begin to understand what the writers of the psalms were so exuberant about…Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!” The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!” I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done. The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death. Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. v. 15-21. When you come to know our God you begin to understand that nothing can separate us from His love for us, not even death. He has never turned away from us. And we can go on to understand…The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. v. 22-24. Only God builds a foundation that is solid…Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Psalm 127:1. I don’t want to labor in vain. I want to trust our God who knows. Jesus said to them, “‘Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” Matthew 21:42-44. And what do we learn in this psalm? The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever. v. 27-29.

The Lord is our Cornerstone and He has done this and we can be with Him. He will guide you to the foundation that is our anchor and hope…His love and faithfulness.