DECEMBER 27, 2016

“For the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth - that Love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love.” 
― Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning

ZECHARIAH 4-6

 12Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord. 13It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he^e will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’ 14The crown will be given to Heldai,^f Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen^g son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the Lord. 15Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord, and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the Lord your God.”(6:12-15)

REVELATION 18

“ ‘Come out of her, my people,’^b

so that you will not share in her sins,

so that you will not receive any of her plagues;

5for her sins are piled up to heaven,

and God has remembered her crimes.

JOURNAL 

Obedience to God is our salvation...obedience to God is our road of safety, our way out of despair, our way out of destruction. It is in this obedience that we ultimately find beauty and life and are able to see the hand of God in all that is good.

Christmas Day we watched the movie Collateral Beauty. What struck me was the truth in the statement to look for collateral beauty in the midst of every tragedy. Time and time again within every chapter of the Bible you can find hope and "collateral beauty". God is love and the beauty of this bleeds through all circumstances every day of our lives.

13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

ROMANS 15:13