This little flower still blooms in our window box outside the garage foggy window. We have been given a promise that into the darkest of hearts, the ugliest of circumstances, the dullest minds there can come a light that will flood the soul with hope.
I am reading the scripture in church today from the Old Testament Malachi 3 verses i-4. I love these scripture verses that remind us of the gift of prophecy. The gift of the Holy Spirit that promises the coming of Jesus as Emmanuel, God with us.
Israel suffered through many wars and periods of excile over the long years of waiting from the Old to the New Testament. These words of scripture kept their faith alive and nurtured their souls. Deprived of their temple they still lived by the spiritual and moral ideals given to them by the prophets of old. Did they face persecution and even divisions within ? Yes, there were then unbelievers as there will always be. Those who remained faithful would still keep the Sabbath and meet for prayer.
The story begins in Jerusalem during the days when a very wicked king, Herod the Great, was on the throne. He ruled as a tyrant who put fear into every heart that caused inner rebellion and hatred to flourish. Even his own family lived in fear.
Yes, he was a great builder and had even rebuilt the temple in order to gain favor with the religious Jews. He promised to allow them the freedom to worship. Only certain priests were allowed to enter what was called the Holy Place where incense was burnt and prayers offered following the smoke upward. One day Zacharias was chosen to fulfill this duty. He felt it was a great privilege to be chosen as this would happen only once a lifetime if at all.
An angel came to him in the holy place to inform him that he and his wife Elizabeth would now in their old age have a child. He was filled with fear and unbelief and could not speak.
Elizabeth had lived under the curse of childlessness for years. This promise would awaken a greater intimacy between them as expectation brought life to a dream all but forgotten. I am reminded that dreams can come alive in hearts that are willing to see beyond the natural into the super-natural.
I am comforted that God knows our deepest longings and dreams and that conversion can be a heart-wringing process that at times is exhausting but promises new life!
I am reading the scripture in church today from the Old Testament Malachi 3 verses i-4. I love these scripture verses that remind us of the gift of prophecy. The gift of the Holy Spirit that promises the coming of Jesus as Emmanuel, God with us.
Israel suffered through many wars and periods of excile over the long years of waiting from the Old to the New Testament. These words of scripture kept their faith alive and nurtured their souls. Deprived of their temple they still lived by the spiritual and moral ideals given to them by the prophets of old. Did they face persecution and even divisions within ? Yes, there were then unbelievers as there will always be. Those who remained faithful would still keep the Sabbath and meet for prayer.
The story begins in Jerusalem during the days when a very wicked king, Herod the Great, was on the throne. He ruled as a tyrant who put fear into every heart that caused inner rebellion and hatred to flourish. Even his own family lived in fear.
Yes, he was a great builder and had even rebuilt the temple in order to gain favor with the religious Jews. He promised to allow them the freedom to worship. Only certain priests were allowed to enter what was called the Holy Place where incense was burnt and prayers offered following the smoke upward. One day Zacharias was chosen to fulfill this duty. He felt it was a great privilege to be chosen as this would happen only once a lifetime if at all.
An angel came to him in the holy place to inform him that he and his wife Elizabeth would now in their old age have a child. He was filled with fear and unbelief and could not speak.
Elizabeth had lived under the curse of childlessness for years. This promise would awaken a greater intimacy between them as expectation brought life to a dream all but forgotten. I am reminded that dreams can come alive in hearts that are willing to see beyond the natural into the super-natural.
I am comforted that God knows our deepest longings and dreams and that conversion can be a heart-wringing process that at times is exhausting but promises new life!
1 comment:
After church stop by and see the new couch. Dont have much food in the house to feed you anything, grocery shopping has not been at the top of my to do list for a while, that and house work.
Sandra
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