But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself. John 12:32.

When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment…and plunged into the sea! John 21:7.

Instead of the verse today in The One Year Devotions for Women by Ann Spangler about the immoral woman (Luke 7:37-38) who anointed Jesus’ feet with her tears and perfume, I want to share the last thought: “Soren Kierkegaard got the story exactly right when he said of this woman that “as she wept, she finally forgot what she had wept over at the beginning; the tears of repentance became the tears of adoration.” Today, may our own tears of repentance be transformed into tears of adoration.”

And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Jesus, we come to number 8: King of Peace and Righteousness. Genesis 14:18: And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. And, Hebrews 7:2: …to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace.

This morning in our Friday Zoom Retreat, we had the special joy of watching the video – Jacob Collier Improvises with Orchestra at San Francisco. I hope you can Google and watch it. This young British conductor, dressed in bright loose orange pants, a loose white shirt and striped socks – no shoes, showed the possible in bringing forth by invitation the different elements of that very gifted and exceptional orchestra so attuned to him, and we could be a part of it as they responded so beautifully to him; and from the individual groups of instruments the whole piece was brought together! And then the audience became a part of it as the notes unfolded to a song we all know…Look At the Stars…Look How They Shine For You…and by his invitation, they sang! And when the video was over we shared how that impacted us. How if, like a viola, we think we are not a different, better instrument, that beautiful sound is lost; how the conductor invited each section of instruments in the interplay of his perfect pitch and their responding notes also perfect; in the gifts each musician is given, gifts given by our Creator who created; in the joy shared together by every person there. And for awhile, we lost sight of all the problems in our own lives and in our world. God’s love is sacred and gentle and joyously given. He lifts us up out of the bounds of impossible…to be with Him is to embrace possible!