And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2.

Lasting to eternity, Your word, YAHWEH, unchanging in the heavens: Your faithfulness lasts age after age; You founded the earth to endure. Creation is maintained by Your rulings, since all things are Your servants. Psalm 119:89-91 JB.

“The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the LORD. Isaiah 65:25.

And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 82: Suffered agony on Calvary. Psalm 22:14-15: I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and You lay me in the dust of death. And, Mark 15:34-37: At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying, “Behold, He is calling for Elijah.” Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last.

I can’t help but think about our wrong ideas. The people in the Scripture verse above thought Jesus would be rescued by Elijah. Even as He suffered all He did for us, they didn’t understand anything. On the news after the 4th celebrations, they showed a march of “white supremacists” on July 4th in Washington, D.C., marching proudly with most of their faces covered. What is it about people who do wrong covering, hiding, their faces? If they understood who Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, truly is, how could they in any way claim any “supremacy” of any kind, especially “supremacy” that seeks the hurt of others? How could any of us? Our world in shadow. I think it takes reading the Psalms to begin to understand just how deceived the human heart is without God. One day they will stand before our Creator as will each one of us. Until that much needed day, I pray for all of us to see evil for what it truly is, be sickened by it, repent of it, and turn to God for the healing only He will bring. Jesus, Creator God, understood completely. That’s why He came. And His prayer to our Father? Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. Luke 23:34. Thankfully, Creator God knows exactly what He is doing! And what He is doing is nothing this world in shadow of darkness does. This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:5-9.

***TO LOVE YOU MORE STRONGLY Give me Yourself, O my God, give Yourself to me. Behold, I love You, and if my love is too weak a thing, grant me to love You more strongly. I cannot measure my love to know how much it falls short of being sufficient, but let my soul hasten to Your embrace and never be turned away until it is hidden in the secret shelter of Your presence. This only do I know, that it is not good for me when You are not with me – when you are only outside me. I want You in my very self. All the abundance of the world – which is not my God – is utter poverty. Amen. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430). Adapted.***