Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God. 1 Corinthians 8:1-3.
“If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Mark 9:22.
Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. Proverbs 3:13.
And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 160: The earthly ministry of Christ described. Psalm 147:3-6: He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them. Great is our LORD and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite. The LORD supports the afflicted; He brings down the wicked to the ground. And, Luke 4:18: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed.”
This morning in our Friday Zoom retreat, we read another chapter from the book Luke by the author Erica DeWaard. She talked about what it was like in Bethlehem for the ordinary people living their lives not knowing that just down the street prophecy begun from the beginning was about to take place. So few knew the import of what was about to happen. Their lives continued unaware and oblivious. How true that is today. God is continuing His great work and we are for the most part unaware and oblivious. I also shared from N. T. Wright’s book The Resurrection of the Son of God, that the story of Jesus born in Bethlehem continued to the morning of the eighth day of the week, the Sunday that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and found it empty of Jesus’ body. 7 days of creation. And on the eighth day – the beginning of the new creation still in the time of not yet before Jesus returns in glory here to make all things new – all creation including us. Everything is about the creation and the Creator. Everything. We also talked about humility and how different is God’s way of being. Humility is a word we talked about yesterday in our Ladies Bible Study. Jesus exemplified humility and He was the Son, Creator God! One of our group this morning talked about what Jesus said was the greatest commandment, to love the LORD our God with all our hearts, minds and strength and to love others as ourselves. That to do that is the Law. To love only ourselves, the opposite of humility, is breaking that Law of God’s love.
As I sat in prayer this morning, He reminded me that to be with Him – breathe! Let everything settle into quiet peace with Him. In peaceful moments with Him I enter into eternity. Worries and sorrows fade and evil is not. Here in the peaceful quiet with Him I trust He is Sovereign. This rest is needed. Remember by being with Him. I AM is here always, but with Him – I know!
When you are ready to experience being with Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, breathe! And be still. He is here always.
***You must pray with all your might. That does not mean saying your prayers, or sitting gazing about in church or chapel with eyes wide open while someone else says them for you. It means fervent, effectual, untiring wrestling with God. You can be sure that this kind of prayer the devil and the world and your own indolent, unbelieving nature will oppose. They will pour water on this flame. William Booth (1829-1912).***
