Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. James 1:21 NRSV.

“It is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:16.

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 130: All nations shall be blessed by Him. Psalm 72:17: May his name endure forever; may his name increase as long as the sun shines; and let men bless themselves by him; let all nations call him blessed. And, Galatians 3:8: The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.”

Can we look at each of the Scripture verses above and see just how beautiful is the way of Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit? We are so limited in what we can see and know but as we turn to Him, we find hope that is real and eternal. I love these excerpts from Psalm 85 and Psalm 86: I will hear what God the LORD will say; for He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear (reverence) Him, that glory may dwell in our land. Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. Indeed, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its produce. Righteousness will go before Him and will make His footsteps into a way. Make glad the soul of Your servant, for to You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. For You, LORD, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You. There is no one like You among the gods, O LORD, nor are there any works like Yours. All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O LORD, and they shall glorify Your name. For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.

Not only are there no gods like Creator God, but there are no people like Him either as we are experiencing in our own life and times. Who could have planned all of this and brought it into being? Would you trust us with creation after you lovingly created? And yet He did knowing all that would follow. But our story is not over and I long for that day when all nations whom He has made will come and worship before Him and glorify His name and not their own. When truly, lovingkindness and truth have met together and righteousness and peace have kissed each other. All of our experiences living on this beautiful planet are showing us how much we need Creator God. And when we awaken to our need and turn to Him, everything changes within where it must, in our own hearts and minds longing for all that is good and trustworthy and true, and He is here.

You know as I watch coverage of the fires raging in our state and in the west, as I watch coverage of the floods in Nepal and the Grand Canyon, or see the destruction from earthquakes, or see the destruction of two wars, it doesn’t seem real because I haven’t yet lived in those inescapable turns of events changing everything known. But those events are all too real for those living and dying in them now. This physical life we live and experience now for the years we are given, with events both good and of sorrow, is real and eventful, always changing everything known before. But take heart. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. The sorrows will be gone but the good will last forever because we have a faithful Creator God working always for our good with Him.

***YET I WILL REJOICE – O LORD, though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, and I will be joyful in God my Savior. The sovereign LORD is my strength. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. He enables me to tread on the heights. Habakkuk 3:17-19. Adapted.***