I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do…but what I hate, I do. Romans 7:15.

My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth, Your word is truth. John 16:15-16.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6.

I loved this today from Henri Nouwen in You Are the Beloved: “Our True Home…How can we live in the midst of a world marked by fear, hatred, and violence, and not be destroyed by it? When Jesus prays to His Father for His disciples He responds to this question by saying, “I am not asking You to remove them from the world but to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.” (John 17:15-16). To live in the world without belonging to the world summarizes the essence of the spiritual life. The spiritual life keeps us aware that our true house is not the house of fear, in which the powers of hatred and violence rule, but the house of love, where God resides. Behold the Beauty of the Lord.“

I read our chapter, Isaiah 20, and it struck me for the first time how odd that the dating of the years mentioned in the notes below went on a countdown. When did that begin? The king mentioned ruled from 722-705 B.C. In Google it said, “The use of AD and BC dates back to the sixth century, and they were introduced by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus.” And scrolling down more it shows the various historical and world calendars as of 1/1/24. There are 4. Chinese…4,721; Julian…2,777; Buddhist…2,564; Gregorian…2,024.

And back to our chapter, Isaiah was directed by God…“Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.” v. 2. Why? Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared – to Egypt’s shame. Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be dismayed and put to shame. In that day the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened to those we relied on, those we fled to for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?’” v. 3-6.

Before and After. One of the things I am learning in my walk with Creator God – Father…Son…Spirit, is to respect the lessons and experiences that are needed in me. I can embrace correction and encouragement because they are given by God in love. He is the One guiding me safely through the darkness of self that is holding me back. What do I mean by self? Self-righteousness, self-pity; everything in me that cares more for me than for God and for others. And I can remember how far He and I have come together in my journey and rejoice for the journey with Him yet to be. It is freeing to trust God. His truth and His love are the cleansing, restoring, redeeming clear light of life lived fully with Him. I read this verse yesterday and saved it in Notes: And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 1 John 5:11. We have so much to experience with God and we can begin by reading His word with His help in understanding how much He loves us. And this life…this Good Life…is in His Son. Not tomorrow…not in times past…now. Our before and after begins with a simple ask and willingness to choose life lived with Him. In choosing life we repent of life lived without Him. How can we not? Before…in darkness alone; After…with Him walking with us.