The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due season. Psalm 145:15.
A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. Deuteronomy 19:15.
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world.” John 18:36. “The kingdom of God does not come with observation…For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20-21.
The word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12.
And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 174: His ministry to begin in Galilee. Isaiah 9:1-2: But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them. And, Matthew 4:12-17: Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles – the people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light, and those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, upon them a light dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Each devotional I read this morning, with the Scripture verses above, I knew could benefit not just me but all of us. And before today, the sermon yesterday speaking about our need for leading a quiet life and seeing our lives in terms of eternity. Eternity opens a whole new perspective of being drawn to all that is true and good and holy – to all that is eternal. Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, lives in eternity. Our finite minds cannot understand infinite time. But while we live in the realm of this finite age of the kingdoms of men, we can be drawn into His infinite love and wisdom because the kingdom of heaven is at hand, within you, as you turn to Him in trust and hope. In Him we find truth and compassion and deep love. We begin to see with eyes opened the darkness of the land and shadow of death people walk in that Isaiah spoke of and that God knew needed a great light to dawn and not just then but in all the ages of men turned to darkness, including our age today. That’s why Jesus, the Son, came and why He came as He did then and why He sent the Holy Spirit, so needed for each of us, and why He will return.
***CHANGE MY HEART – O Son of God, perform a miracle for me: change my heart. You, whose crimson blood redeems mankind, whiten my heart. It is You who make the sun bright and the ice sparkle, You who make the rivers flow and the salmon leap. Your skilled hand makes the nut tree blossom and the corn turn golden; Your Spirit composes the song of the birds and the buzz of the bees. Your creation is a million wondrous miracles, beautiful to behold. I ask of You just one more miracle: beautify my soul. Amen. Celtic prayer (c. 450-700).***
