Saturday, March 24, 2018

MARCH 24, 2018

“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” 
― Jalaluddin Rumi

JOSHUA 11-13

23So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.(11:23)

LUKE 4:1-32

14Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”f
20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
22All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

JOURNAL 

Jesus is well on his way...he is making a good name for his family and people are amazed at his intellect and teaching. Well it's all about to turn...in a few verses they are ready to push him off a cliff.  What a clear picture of our lives...one day all is well and the next it seems on the brink of disaster. What can I learn from this? That the only truly safe place is in obedience to God. That may mean good favor from the world or it may mean scorn, ridicule and death. What I receive from the world should not be my motivation. The world is tangible but it's still where I live and where I am commanded to act and make a difference. 

Obviously this can be tough.Yet Jesus gives comfort that the fruit of a life lived this way will be good. Again I think it goes back to living in the moment and yet at the same time not using the moment as a barometer of success. If I am being obedient and not succumbing to fear, shame and worry. Then I will produce good fruit. We are specifically told what that fruit looks like. This is the joy that I can have...this is the Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 
GALATIANS 5:22-26

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