Happy Sabbath!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Seeds

Image
SEEDS By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly Spring is fading and summer is nearly here.  The skies are alive with the songs of birds and the landscape is full of life. Just about every living thing comes from seeds—plants, animals, and even people, started out that way.  And once fertilized and planted, they take root.  From a little seed as small as a grain of sand, a huge mustard plant grows, and a giant oak rises up from a tiny acorn. Planting and harvesting are mentioned throughout scripture, not simply as a lovely aside, but because they are principles inextricably woven into the tapestry of life on this planet. We reap what we sow. I may not have a green thumb, but I still plant every day.  So do you.  We have a variety of seeds from which to choose—seeds of compassion, love, generosity and kindness.  We also can plant selfishness, hate, greed and cruelty. We may not see them, but once seeds disappear beneath the soil, they aren’t gon...
Read more

When Silence Is Golden

Image
WHEN SILENCE IS GOLDEN By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.” – Matthew‬ ‭27:13-14‬ ‭NIV Have you every wondered why Jesus was silent when He went before Pilate and the charges were read against Him?‬‬ For the longest time it perplexed me why the sinless Son of God wouldn’t stand up for Himself, call down His angels and put these puny humans in their places.  But He didn’t.   The silence of Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy: “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” – Isaiah‬ ‭53:7‬ ‭NIV It wasn’t weakness that kept Jesus silent.  On the contrary, His silence displayed meekness —a powerful display of controlled strength.  We make a great mistake to confuse...
Read more

The Enemy & The Pawns

Image
Good morning, my friend!  Good morning, Father! “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” - Ephesians 6:12 Father, our tendency is to label the person who lied about us, stepped on us on their way up the corporate ladder, has a divergent opinion, or has become our proverbial “thorn in the flesh,” as our “enemy”.  Your Word reminds us that those people are merely pawns for our true enemy who hides behind the pawns, hoping we won’t recognize him, and will attack them instead. When we do, he remains unscathed and can continue to kill, steal and destroy.  Our enemy isn’t the guy who humiliated us in a meeting or who makes snarky comments behind our back - it isn’t our uncaring spouse, the intrusive in-laws, annoying relative or lazy co-worker.  Our enemy is the devil and the powers of darkness.  The sooner we recogni...
Read more