Which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it. Luke 14:28.

The Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child. Hebrews 12:6.

Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light. Micah 7:8-9 ESV.

And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 23: The blood of the Lamb saves from wrath. Exodus 12:13: The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. And, Romans 5:8: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Last night on the local news, in addition to all the talk of corruption, violence and killings, they showed video of young men in Deep Ellum running and fighting one another in a free-for-all of violent attacks. In thinking about the first Scripture verse cited above, I realized that Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, counted the cost of everything we call life He created – the wondrous, the beautiful, and the awful we choose in all its violence. And He reminded me in prayer there is no condemnation. He bore the cost to show us the way – sacrificial love. With God there is help and guiding to all that is needed and good. There is love and direction. There is teaching and encounter. There is hope He brings. There is goodness and healing. And how very blessed we are when we let His thoughts enter into our hearts and minds. It takes intention. It takes sitting in silence and letting our own chaotic thoughts recede. It takes letting the beauty He created be seen and heard above the noise of our distracted lives and in seeing and hearing, giving profound thanks to Him. This morning there was sunshine and birdsong as I read and then prayed. And my heart was lifted and I gave thanks. We each of us have so much in our lives we wish we could change, so much profound hurt in our past we wish had never been that seeps into our present like a heavy shadow we can’t shake. Last night we rewatched an episode of The Chosen, my favorite (Season 2, Episode 1), where the disciples and mother Mary are older and John is writing down their memories of Jesus from each of them who had gathered to mourn the death of James; memories we now have as Scripture. And one of them noted with sadness the people who had never heard Jesus’ voice in person as they had been so privileged to hear. They remembered and I can only imagine the joy and sadness as they remembered, missing Him so much, so many years later. A depiction only – but never forget, that was real then, that was lived then, that was remembered by all who heard Him speak. And today? Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20. That is so personal! Your door! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Revelation 22:13. His sacrificial love enabled every first breath we took to our final exhale with everything in between and to everything yet to be with Him…our beginning and our ending is in Him who counted the cost – who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2. He did that for us!