Thursday, March 10, 2016

“What is hell? I maintain that it is the suffering of being unable to love.” 
~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky

DEUTERONOMY 11-13

1Love the Lord your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always... therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 9and so that you may live long in the land the Lord swore to your ancestors to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey.

MARK 13:1-13

9“You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.11Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

12“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

JOURNAL

These are hard words from Jesus.  He lovingly gives the disciples the sobering news of their future.  I am sure this is not the words they were longing to hear...persecution, death...families torn apart.  It is awful.  Yet I also know that it is reality and truth.  It goes on in the world now.  It again is a reminder to not put my trust in a certain outcome.  I am to love and trust God.  There and there only is where my hope is to be.