I wonder sometimes why I am sheltered in life and sometimes able to sit quiet. I do think we (me included) have ignorance of going out to see and work on the world’s worse problems. We put up fences and defenses from seeing the gory details of those struggling with real life. We are cushioned to enjoy looking at the rocks but not hurt by the rocks. We hesitate to leave our comfort zones. Very likely I de-stress in avoiding distress. And many fail to realize that their own distancing, thinking it is for safety, leads them vulnerable to attack mentally, including selfishness, self-righteousness and self-pity. (I include myself in this too)…  I honestly believe that seeing others circumstances is not for us to gloat in our good fortune but (while we help) for us to realize where to count our blessings. And when we actively count blessings, everyday, the sheer hugeness of our portion of blessings becomes clear, they are from the active shielding from harm by God. 100% YES. 

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I’ve tried much to read His Word, so when I sit and ponder (especially in this past year of pandemic) and compare our lot to that of the ages, we are blessed in wealth and provisions but even more so it is God’s shield that stands out to me. Especially as our mental health shield and warrior. 

“Do not be afraid, Abram.   I am your SHIELD,    your very great REWARD.” 

The Lord speaking to Abram/Abraham in Genesis 15

YES. If anything this covid year, or any year, I pray we give credit where credit is due for God pulling us thru. Mentally, Spiritually. We will never regret to always make an active acknowledgement of God’s Hand in our lives. It is good that we have what we have, all good things are from God, so if we complain about anything this past year, perhaps it is that we didn’t trust God enough. (Me included). We should remember the provisions and we should remember the comfort.  Many prayers did we pray and they were answered.  The sheer fact that we have time and peace to sit and read is a blessing in itself.

The Lord made a covenant with Abram/Abraham we should remember if we read backwards. But read even further forwards, especially in Easter week, read to acknowledge our good fortune for the Word itself saves us. The Word makes a rescue of us. The Word is Jesus. We do have the Lord, we should not forget. He did suffer and still does for the lost. How much joy He has when we realize that we are found. Our job is to remind people to look. Look to be found. 

Sometimes we need to ponder what to believe about our relationship with God. Time and time again we read not about of the permissiveness of God, He has no blind spot for us to hide, but we read about and see and experience the Mercy and Forgiveness of God. Too many people are told God doesn’t love you the way you are. Don’t believe that untruth. Don’t let the devil put up false barriers that Jesus already defeated. Love is God and God loves. God loves you. God loves you. TRUTH

I believe in Jesus. However I sometimes wonder if the gate which is narrow will be too narrow for us to pass. And yet the narrowness we try to envision which may be allowing only One person in width WILL be SUFFICIENT because our Gatekeeper Jesus is already there ready to ask and accept our devotion. If we believe in Him, and FOLLOW, He will pull us thru. All we need is HIM – and all He wants is YOU.

We do have the Lord, we should not forget. Don’t wander away thinking you are not worthy, because no one is born worth, Jesus is who makes us worthy. Jesus is the Only Way to Worthy. Follow the Way. 

Maybe we wonder if the narrow gate is hard to find? Wide is the path to destruction, so how can we best follow Jesus in this world? Perhaps the tipping and wobbling of the world over and over will allow Jesus to shift and sift us until we reach into and thru to His gate. Maybe He is the equivalent of visually folding a flat gate into a V shape as a funnel and shaking us all up in it until we hit the walls enough times to reach the bottom to come to Him. His pull will always be stronger than gravity, Jesus unclogs the gate by pulling us thru, one lost sheep at a time. We should look forward to seeing Him so we know Whose Arm to grab.

Yesterday I wanted to walk thru the waterfall gorge, but the path was still blocked by old ice and new warning signs. I didn’t go because I am not ignorant of the dangers and because I was OK knowing that I had a previous memory mental picture of the scene and sounds. It was OK. That is what Jesus wants us to know. To feel and see and know Him in our darkness, when danger abounds, when we feel blocked, and when we do have to travel into danger. We can remember Him ALWAYS, because He IS with us. 

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God established a covenant with Abram/Abraham and a NEW COVENANT for us,… JESUS is the NEW COVENANT. We are to rely on HIM for Salvation.

We are called to be not ignorant of our blessings because we do see His peace and plan. Our work IS to share the knowledge of His path. With work in the world we can counter act the ignorance in the world and be the fruitful descendants God promised Abraham. 

Let us ponder and not be ignorant of all these promises kept by God. Let us work fruitfully. God promised to be our God.  Jesus promised God that He would save us.  Let us BE HIS. Let us count Him as our Biggest Blessing. 

Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.  I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. Genesis 15:3-7

AMEN