One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple. Psalm 27:4.
I am Your servant; give me discernment that I may understand Your statutes. Psalm 119:125.
When Moses was grown…he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. Exodus 2:11.
Now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, and I don’t know what awaits me. Acts 20:22.
And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 168: Parables fall on deaf ears. Isaiah 6:9-10: He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; keep on looking, but do not understand.’ Render the hearts of this people insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed.” And, Matthew 13:13-15: “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear; nor do they understand. In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; you will keep on seeing but will not perceive; for the heart of this people has become dull, with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.’”
Yesterday I read in the book Anna of Bethsaida by Susanne Blumer, a fictional depicting of what it must have been like for those living when Jesus walked this earth with us; and the disciple Andrew marveling at the miracle of the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish multiplied by Jesus to feed over 5,000 people. Can we imagine what that would have been like? The author could and wrote these words: “When I saw the bread multiply in my hands today,” Andrew said finally, the words rumbling through his chest, “when I felt it as warm as if it had just come from the fire, though no fire had touched it -” His fingers stilled on my arm. “Creation happened in my hands, Anna. I felt it form from nothing. Like the beginning of all things.” A long pause came, filled only by rain and the lamp’s wavering flame. “I do not know what manner of man can speak and bread appears. I only know I held it, and it burned.”
We take the words written in Scripture but do we fathom the love of God, the I AM? Because once we allow our hearts to open to the wonder of Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, how can we not be changed within? I welcome writers who can inspire my own imagination and help me be there to wonder and be in awe. I welcome shows like The Chosen that remind me of just how normal the people living then were – and of how just like us they were in every way. Because then time is knit together and it is no longer thousands of years ago, but today as well. We are the disciples today and Scripture is still being written because – I AM IS! Can we fathom the love of God today in 2026? “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me – because I live – you will live also. In that day – you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me, and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” John 14:16-21. People living then were caught up in politics and power; and we are caught up in that still today, and are then rendered by choice unable to see and hear God’s love for all of us. There is Truth and we would do well to listen to Him and give up all the judging and condemning. Because then we would actually be able to be in awe for the love of God and let His love lead us closer to Him and to one another. His love is so beautiful and it is His Love that will bring healing to the nations and to all of us individually. Our anger and our judging cannot do that. That was proven over 2,000 years ago. Jesus was put to death for speaking Truth. But He rose again and Scripture is still being lived here. Are our hearts open to see and hear? Our choice. Always. And His good Will for us, His children dearly loved – stands. Always!
***DYING TO SELF – Govern everything by Your wisdom, O LORD, so that my soul may always be serving You in the way You will and not as I choose. Let me die to myself so that I may serve You; let me live to You who is life itself. Amen. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582).***
