“Abba, Father,” He said, “everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.” Mark 14:36.

Come, follow Me. Luke 18:22.

All praise to God, the Father and our LORD Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 58: The Resurrection predicted. Job 19:23-27: Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! That with an iron stylus and lead they were engraved in the rock forever! As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God; whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me! And, John 5:24-29: Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Truly, truly I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

How did Job know? How can we? We, along with all of creation exist because the Creator created and brought into existence all we see. Science can explain the physical universe that can be measured and tested and verified. And knowledge of the physical universe is needed and important because we live in a physical universe governed by laws God put into place. And overarching everything is so much more than just this physical we live within. “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:22-24. Knowledge of God that is spiritual and that is truth brings within us a completeness without which only half of true selves is awake. And once we are awakened to that knowledge of Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, nothing less than being with Him will satisfy our deepest longing.

Last night on PBS, I watched Washington Week. Usually it’s on air for 30 minutes, but last night they talked for an hour in honor of this country’s 250th year. The moderator asked questions about our country and whether we have remained faithful to the ideas expressed by the founders for this experiment in a democracy of, by, and for the people. One of the panelists quoted Alexis de Tocqueville, the 19th-century French political thinker and historian on his insights into our democracy. I googled his quotes: “On America: Tocqueville highlighted American resilience, noting its strength lies in repairing faults, and emphasized the role of religion in its success. On Liberty and Equality: He famously differentiated democracy and socialism, stating the former seeks equality in freedom, while the latter in restraint. He also famously remarked that liberty is inseparable from morality and faith.” The panel also affirmed that the founders knew exactly what they were doing when they established the checks and balances of our government as well as the need for the separation of church and state. That the church leaders then also knew how important that was for their own flourishing apart from the power of the state. I loved that…repairing faults. The panel noted that as well in what Churchill stated: “Americans can always be trusted to do the right thing, once all other possibilities have been exhausted.” To form a more perfect union…

And then, overarching all imperfect unions in our very physical world, this hope for all of us from Ephesians: Blessed be the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our transpasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:3-14. It goes on so beautifully and is so worth reading. God loves His creation and He loves us – all of us from every imperfect union created by imperfect men. Our missing half will always be God’s Spirit of truth given in His Love and that makes all the difference we will one day awaken to fully in His Presence.