Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Matthew 28:18 KJV.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him; yet the world did not know Him. He came to what was His own, and His people did not accept Him. John 1:10-11 NRSV.

Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. Hebrews 10:24-25.

All nations will come to Your light; mighty kings will come to see Your radiance. Isaiah 60:3. Then He said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’” says the LORD of hosts. Zechariah 4:6.

And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 83: He thirsted. Psalm 22:15: 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, John 19:28: After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.”

In our Friday Zoom retreat, we watched a video by John Ortberg about fear and that the antidote to fear is not courage but God. We talked about the things we fear for ourselves and for others. And sometimes in the midst of the very things we fear, as we trust God, our trusting in God spiritual muscles are strengthened. And because fear rears its head in so many ways, it helps to ask ourselves what exactly it is we fear happening and then follow that to where it leads so we can follow that to realizing we all have fears and we are not alone in that, and God is with us helping us. Naming it helps. I’m afraid of being wrong and misrepresenting God. Who am I to write a blog about taking God’s hand? And yet, in sharing that I join every other person also afraid and the verse Not by might nor by power – but by My Spirit says the LORD of hosts, comes to mind. We are none of us perfect and worried about messing up horribly. And we do mess up and realize no one stops loving us because we are human. We are all of us human and mess up and as we share our vulnerabilities, we grow together. In the 2nd Scripture verse cited above, He came to what was His own. That’s us! We are His own! We are His own. We are His. And in His love we can share all we are learning together about Him and His love for us and find blessing and comfort and encouragement spilling over to one another, imperfect people all. He came to His own because we mess up and need Him and the help He brings. Instead of judging ourselves and one another, let’s remember we are His and we are loved and He will bring the help, not us, because all power is given unto Him in heaven and in earth.

***THE SELFLESS GIVER Majestic Sovereign, timeless wisdom, Your kindness melts my hard, cold soul. The One who loves me, selfless giver, Your beauty fills my dull, sad eyes. I am Yours: You made me. I am Yours: You called me. I am Yours: You saved me. I am Yours: You loved me. I will never leave Your presence. Give me death or give me life. Give me sickness or give me health. Give me honor or give me shame. Give me weakness or give me strength. I will have whatever You give. Amen. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582). Adapted.***