It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? Hebrews 12:7.
The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. John 1:9-10.
Pray the LORD of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Matthew 9:38.
The LORD is my strength and shield, I trust Him with all my heart. Psalm 28:7.
And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 171: To be Emmanuel – God with us. Isaiah 7:14: Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. And, Matthew 1:18-23; 1 Timothy 3:16: Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the LORD appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the LORD through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
This morning in our Friday Zoom retreat, we shared in a Visio Divina, where we looked at a photograph and then shared what emotion it stirred, and what God was telling us as we experienced looking at it. It was a beautiful photo image of a place with vibrant green grass carpeting everything; and stones the color of blue where the sun struck their faces and some of the stones were in a circular pattern of well-worn ground, like a labyrinth, leading to the center where more rocks were grouped almost like a natural altar, its shape reminding me of our own spiral galaxy. In the distance between two elevated rock face openings, the morning sun shown vibrantly and the whole sky near the sun was of warm colors with the sky above blue and the clouds above white streaks turning toward the sun in the distance. It reminded me of creation itself awakening and that all of creation will rejoice and sing when Jesus, the Son, returns. It was like seeing creation itself as family. One of our group shared a photo of 2 donkeys and a black sheep, part of a group of animals with more sheep and 2 ponies, also a family, that comes to visit the farm when he is there! All of creation is a family, the family of Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. And the Creator, the true light that gives light – to every man – was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. Creation does! Creation knows its maker and sustainer. The world as a whole didn’t know then and the world as a whole doesn’t know yet, but one day, all creation will know and rejoice when our Creator comes to live with us. But you can know Him now. He is with us now as we turn to Him at any time. Being with Him is to know Him, and in knowing Him, something beautiful is imparted to us. His love. His peace. His Presence. His wisdom guiding us gently as we are able to receive. Awareness of His holiness and majesty and infinite beauty where no stain of the darkness of sin is or ever will be. We then begin to appreciate all we cannot know – because we are not God. And we can begin to trust Him for everything – because He IS Creator God and He understands the end of all darkness and suffering – and – the joy that will be lived fully with Him with us. The Kingdom of God!
***CONSISTENCY – Let nothing disturb me; let nothing frighten me. All things are passing. God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Nothing is wanting to him who possesses God. God alone suffices. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582).***
