A Heart of Wisdom

Last night I was reading Proverbs 8 (NIV) subtitled, “Wisdom’s Call.” Here are the first eleven verses in that chapter:

Does not wisdom call out?
    Does not understanding raise her voice?
At the highest point along the way,
    where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
beside the gate leading into the city,
    at the entrance, she cries aloud:
“To you, O people, I call out;
    I raise my voice to all mankind.
You who are simple, gain prudence;
    you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.
Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
    I open my lips to speak what is right.
My mouth speaks what is true,
    for my lips detest wickedness.
All the words of my mouth are just;
    none of them is crooked or perverse.
To the discerning all of them are right;
    they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
Choose my instruction instead of silver,
    knowledge rather than choice gold,
for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
    and nothing you desire can compare with her.

Wisdom is sometimes described as a feminine character in various passages in the Bible. In an article titled, “Lady Wisdom: The Personification of God’s Wisdom as a Woman,” published on CBE International, the article states:

In the Old Testament book of Proverbs, God’s infinite wisdom is personified as a woman. The association of divine wisdom with the feminine is not accidental. Social relationships in Israel reflected spiritual relationships between Israel and Yahweh. As a result of this basic analogy between the earthly realm and the heavenly realm, one can look to the feminine images of Hebrew scriptures to better understand personified wisdom. The Law and the Prophets provided the writer(s) of Proverbs with many feminine images (including home-maker, counselor and wise woman, and lover) that influenced their use of female imagery for divine wisdom. By better understanding the images of women portrayed in the Old Testament, one can gain insight into the nature of God’s wisdom. (Quote source here.)

In an article titled, “Eight Characteristics of Godly Wisdom,” by Michael Youssef, Ph.D., Founding Rector at The Church of the Apostles, and founder of Leading the Way Ministries, he provides the following eight characteristics:

How do we know if we are following Biblical wisdom? In chapter 3 of his epistle, James sets the standard with eight qualities of godly wisdom:

First, godly wisdom is pure. False wisdom is characterized by bitter envy and selfish ambition; godly wisdom is characterized by purity of motive.

Second, it is peace-loving. Selfish ambition can start a war, but God’s wisdom can bring Truth and clarity where there is chaos.

Third, it is considerate. You have strength and power, but you have them under control so that when you have the opportunity to hurt somebody, you won’t do it.

Fourth, it is submissive. Being submissive means being willing to listen and willing to learn. To be submissive is to be humble and teachable, not a doormat to be walked over, but meek, so that your strength is guided and submitted to God, making you gentle and kind.

Fifth, it is full of mercy. The word used here actually has a double meaning: forgiving those who wrong us and then being willing in our hearts to help them.

Sixth, it is full of good fruit. You cannot manufacture the fruit of the Spirit. True spiritual maturity happens from the inside out for those who are indwelt by the Spirit of God and are seeking His wisdom moment by moment.

Seventh, it is impartial. Those who live by worldly wisdom cannot be impartial because they are always trying to please someone, but those who live by God’s wisdom are consistent, single-minded, and authentic.

Eighth, it’s sincere. A sincere person is genuine, without hypocrisy, and wears no mask.

Godly wisdom is the kind of wisdom that comes from the very heart of God, who is all-wise. As you read and pray through the Word of God continually, you will find that your life is producing purity, peace, gentleness, willingness, mercy, good fruit, impartiality, and sincerity—and that’s how you’ll know the Word of God is taking root. (Quote source here.)

In an article titled, “How to Gain a Heart of Wisdom,” written by the Executive Vice President of Field Ministries at East-West Ministries International, he writes:

I have been counting down my remaining days—based on a life expectancy of 80 years—for some time. On each new day I subtract one day from yesterday and write the new number in my calendar.

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” –Psalm 90:12

I know that keeping track of my possible remaining days is not the core creator of wisdom in my heart and mind. The more high leverage creators of wisdom are the Word [Bible], prayer, wise counsel, confession, reflection and reading stuff by brilliant people.

But, low leverage as it may be, counting down my days has taught me some things.

I have learned how fast the days are going.

I have actually known this already, but the daily “minus one” habit is severely reinforcing this reality. I have no idea how I got to be in my 60s! It seems to me that days are very long but decades are very short.

I remember when I was a preteen and my oldest cousin turned 20. I remember the deep sadness I felt, thinking that he was so bitterly old and his life was going away rapidly. I remember being profoundly grateful that I was young and not old like him.

But here I am in my 60s numbering my days because they are short and fast and I want to make them every one of them count.

I have learned that it is easy to lose count.

When this happens, I have to recalculate the remaining days and go through the whole “how many leap years” thing again. Even though I am religious about this countdown I occasionally miss a day and forget to write down the new number.

Every day is a fight for diligence in all the areas, including, but not limited to the following:

• • Did I get into the Word?
  • Did I encourage my wife today?
  • Have I been praying today?
  • Did I have some fun today?
  • Did I relax?
  • Did I read something helpful?
  • Did I pay the bills?
  • Did I floss my teeth?
  • Did I get to work on time?

As the proverb says,“it takes very little neglect to let anything fall into deep disrepair” (Proverbs 24:30-34). We must remain diligent in our disciplines to find true wisdom.

I have learned that this stage of life is a kick.

Granted, my health problems have been minor in the great kindness of God! I can still walk, backpack, and lift semi-heavy objects. My pains are minimal and my loss of speed and strength, while noticeable, are not yet alarming.

Truthfully I am looking at today and the years ahead, if God gives them to me, as very enjoyable and high impact years. One writer even says that our decade of greatest impact is our 60s. I have no idea if he is right, but for me, it feels right.

I am gradually moving into the “sage stage” of life where I have the fun of helping, encouraging and motivating others and not being “the buck stops here” guy any longer. Hallelujah! I look forward to passing the baton and cheering on my predecessors.

There is wisdom in empowering others to operate without me. And not to mention, it’s a kick!

I have learned that some people think it’s ridiculous that I count my remaining days.

And they may be right. But the real learning for me is that I find this exercise spiritually helpful because it helps me keep my sights on the right things.

The Father says it is wise to number our days, so I—quite literally—want to follow His instructions.

I believe that when each of us do so in whatever way best fits us, we are encouraged to invest our lives in what truly matters—like our relationship to the Father, our families, our jobs, our ministries and the lost world.

So how are you counting your days to gain a heart of wisdom? (Quote source here.)

That should give us some food-for-thought no matter where our own age is right now in our life cycle. I’ll end this post with the following words found in James 1:1-5: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who give generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you…”

So believe it . . .

And receive it . . .

And don’t doubt . . . .

YouTube Video: “Me On Your Mind” by Matthew West and Anne Wilson:

Photo #1 credit here
Photo #2 credit here

Friends and Allies

With all the activities going on in our world today (e.g., two wars overseas, and the turmoil currently taking place on some of our college campuses here in America regarding one of those wars), I got to thinking about the distinction between “friends” and “allies.” Dictionary.com defines “friend” as follows:

1. a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.
   Synonyms: confidant, crony, chum, comrade
   Antonyms: foe, enemy
2. a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter. Synonyms: advocate, backer
3. a person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile.
4. a member of the same nation, party, etc.
   Synonyms: compatriot, confrere, associate, ally
   Antonyms: foe, enemy
5. a person associated with another as a contact on a social media website: (We’ve never met, but we’re Facebook friends).

Dictionary.com defines “ally” as follows:

1. a person, group, or nation that is associated with another or others for some common cause or purpose:
   Synonyms: confederate, partner
   Antonyms: adversary, foe, enemy
2. a person who associates or cooperates with another; supporter.
3. a person who advocates for or supports a marginalized or politicized group but is not a member of the group.
   Synonyms: helper, assistant, auxiliary, coadjutor, colleague, abettor, accessory, accomplice, aide, friend
   Antonyms: adversary, foe, enemy

Personally, I tend to not think of social media “friends” as being actual close-knit, personal friends (and often they are not even acquaintances except only online). No doubt some of our social media friends are close knit friends and/or family, but most social media friends (especially if they number in the hundreds, thousands, or millions if one is in the category of those who are famous) have no clue who we are (nor do we know who they are), let alone actually being a genuine friend of ours or theirs.

In an article published on PeopleCare Health Services titled, “Adversary, Ally, Foe or Friend?”, this article provides the following information that describes the distinctions between these two categories mentioned above along with two other categories (e.g., adversary and foe):

Have you wondered what classifies someone as an adversary, ally, foe or friend? Are your relationships with others conditional or unconditional? Do you have realistic expectations of those in your family, social circles and work groups that you encounter?

Adversaries are always against you and your best interest. Although it can feel that we have more adversaries than friends some days, the truth is that if we really look at who we perceive to be our adversaries, they are not always against us. Adversaries are truly rare and are unconditional relationships. Nothing you will do or not do will change the adversaries view of you or the outcome of their actions. A true enemy is always an enemy.

Allies and foes are virtually one in the same. Allies, while they might appear as friends, are not. They will work hard toward another person’s interest as long as it also serves their own, giving the appearance of being a trusted confidant. Once these shared goals are out of alignment, it can often seem that a close ally is now an adversary or a once trusted friend is now an adversary. Foes while once viewed as our adversaries, simply had other goals and therefore were working against us in a common struggle but are not an adversary, meaning they are not always against us. Once the struggle is resolved, they can very quickly change into an ally. Allies and foes are conditional relationships and they change based upon the circumstances. Both of these relationships are often misleading in that they have a heightened emotional component to them which can cause them to become intense and more powerful than they should.

Friends, like adversaries, are rare. Friends always have your best interest at heart regardless of their own well-being or circumstances. This relationship, just like adversaries, are unconditional and almost nothing you do will change the relationship.

If you look at your relationships, you might be surprised that the vast majority of them will fall into conditional relationships made up of allies and foes not adversaries and friends. By reconsidering the categories you have placed your relationships in, as well as analyzing yourself and how you are perceived and received by others, expectations and communication can grow without the intense emotion that can arise out of the misalignment.

People are genuinely good, but they may not have the same motivations or intentions that you have. Communication is never easy and life and people can get messy. Take the time to listen, understand, and contemplate others instead of being reactionary. Kind words are too often replaced by criticism and anger. At the end of the day when you are alone and look over your thoughts, words, actions, and deeds–do they make you proud or should you have handled them another way? The good news is that each day is a new start, so make tomorrow count. (Quote source here.)

Of the categories listed above, “friends” is the hardest to define as there are actually several different subcategories that fit under the definition of “friend.” In an article titled “The 7 Types of Friends,” by Draven Jackson, blogger, teacher and contributor on MomsChoiceAwards.com, she lists the following seven types of friendships (complete definitions for each type listed are available in her article at this link). The definitions listed below contain the first paragraph of each description in her article:

1. Acquaintances: Acquaintances are people you don’t know very well, but that you meet frequently enough that they are more than strangers to you. Maybe they’re a friend-of-a-friend that you meet at parties, or maybe a stranger who goes to the same Wednesday dance class that you do and you talk to on occasion. (See article for complete description at this link.)
2. Work friends: Work friends are people who are more than acquaintances, but not yet casual friends. Work friends are people you see regularly–possibly more than you see even your family or best friends–and they know everything about you. You tell them about how your weekend went, whether that one aunt of yours is still causing drama on Facebook, and when you aren’t happy. (Complete description here.)
3. Casual friends: Casual friends are probably the type of friends we are all the most familiar with. These are people we hang out with semi-regularly for movie nights, drinks, or just a fun chill night at home. They message us to see if we’re busy, like our Instagram posts, and we have at least a few pictures with them from the fun things we’ve done together. (Complete description here.)
4. Close friends: Close friends are a step up from casual friends because there is a certain level of depth in that relationship. These are the friends that we know we can call at any time and they’ll be there. There’s a strength and trust built into the relationship that makes it easy to talk to them about any problems that may have occurred between the two of you or any ways you may have been hurt by their actions. (Complete description here.)
5. The One You Take Care Of: Of all the types of friends, “The One You Take Care Of” is definitely the most complicated. This friend is someone you once cared about deeply–maybe as a best friend or even a lifetime friend–but due to life experience, they’ve become someone you barely seem to know. Not to mention, they always call you to ask for help with their troubles but rarely ask you how you are or listen to your problems. In the end, it feels more like you’re their therapist than their friend. (Complete description here.)
6. Best friends: Everyone needs a best friend, and therefore of the types of friends, I would say that this is the most important. Best friends are the ones you think about first when you need a partner in crime. They’re the ones you call immediately when something good (or bad) happens, and they always know exactly what to say. (Complete description here.)
7. Lifetime friends: Finally, lifetime friends are by far one of the most special friendships on this list because they are the best friends you’ve carried with you longer than even you thought was possible. Maybe you aren’t together physically because of life and jobs and responsibilities, but they are always in your heart and on your mind. (See the complete description and the rest of her article here.)

As you can see, the definition for “friend” can be complicated (as are friendships in general). Next is the category of “ally,” and like the “friend” category listed above, there several subcategories listed under “ally”, too.

In an article titled, “The 7 Types of Allies: Which One Are You?”, by Charlotte Hughes, MS, CDP, SHRBP, who is the CEO and Principal Consultant of Inclusive Leaders Group, LLC, she lists the following seven types of allies (brief descriptions are listed below with complete descriptions available at this link). These definitions come from a work environment, but they can translate across the board into other types of social settings:

What is an Ally?

An ally is someone who is not a member of an underrepresented group, who is active and purposeful in supporting, promoting, and advancing real change to a marginalized group through a focus on inclusion, equity, and diversity….

Notably, being an effective ally does not mean one understands what it feels like to be a part of an underrepresented group, only that the ally is willing to support those individuals and provide opportunities for meaningful change.

Based on Karen Catlin’s “Better Allies” process, the tool sets out seven types of allies–Sponsor, Champion, Advocate, Amplifier, Scholar, Upstander, and Confidant.

1. The Sponsor–A sponsor is an ally that vocally supports a person from a minority group and their work with the aim of helping boost the credibility and reputation of the person, especially in situations where the sponsor notices that the contributions of the underrepresented colleague are being dismissed or ignored. (See complete description here.)
2. The Champion–A champion is an ally who champions for the inclusion of underrepresented groups in public avenues–such as conferences and industry-wide events, traditional media events, social media, etc.–with the aim of giving them greater visibility and sending a message to large audiences about the need for equity and inclusivity. (See complete description here.)
3. The Amplifier–When an ally takes on the role of the Amplifier, that ally works to ensure that marginalized voices are both heard and respected. This type of allyship can take many forms, but is focused on representation within communication. (See complete description here.)
4. The Advocate—When an ally takes on the role of the Advocate, that ally uses their power and influence to bring peers from underrepresented groups into highly exclusive circles. The Advocate recognizes and addresses unjust omissions, holding their peers accountable for including qualified colleagues of all genders, races and ethnicities, abilities, ages, body shapes or sizes, religions, and sexual orientations. (See complete description here.)
5. The Scholar—When an ally takes on the role of the Scholar, that ally seeks to learn as much as possible about the challenges and prejudices faced by colleagues from marginalized groups. It’s important to note that Scholars never insert their own opinions, experiences, or ideas, but instead simply listen and learn. They also don’t expect marginalized people to provide links to research proving that bias exists or summaries of best practices. Scholars do their own research to seek out the relevant information. (See complete description here.)
6. The Upstander—An upstander is an ally who chooses not to sit back and watch as someone from a marginalized group gets harassed or disrespected.  When they see action that they deem to be wrong, they take action against the wrongdoing. When someone makes jokes or comments that are offensive to people from a minority group, an upstander will speak out against such comments.  When they see someone from a marginalized group being treated unfairly, upstanders are not afraid to speak up and fight for the rights of this person. (See complete description here.)
7. The Confidant—A confidant is an ally who creates an environment that makes people from minority groups comfortable enough to express their needs, frustrations, fears, and challenges. Confidants provide a listening ear without being judgmental, believing that the people from minority groups are being truthful with their stories. To be a confidant, you need to be ready to believe the experiences of others. Avoid the temptation to assume that such things do not happen simply because they have not happened to you, and avoid the temptation to be judgmental about the experiences of these people. (See complete description and the rest of her article here.)

The one thought that kept coming to my mind while I was putting this blog post together was how we should first think about what kind of a friend or ally we are to others before we start thinking about those we consider to be our friends and allies (or those who might be our foes and adversaries). It reminds me of what Paul wrote in Romans 12 (NIV). I’ll end this post with these words from Paul starting with verse 9:

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone….

Do not be overcome by evil . . .

But overcome evil . . .

With good . . . .

YouTube Video: “Bleed the Same” by Mandisa ft. TobyMac & Kirk Franklin:

I’m posting this YouTube video below in memory of Mandisa who died at home on April 18, 2024, at the age of 47. No foul play was suspected in her death. The following YouTube video titled, “Mandisa’s Father Tells What Led To Her Death During Her Celebration of Life | April 27, 2024,” is provided in her memory:

Photo #1 credit here
Photo #2 credit here
Photo #3 credit here

Passover–Celebrating Freedom

The Jewish holiday of Passover (Pesach) begins this year on Monday evening, April 22 and continues until nightfall, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. It is the second most important Jewish holy day on their calendar (the first most holy day is Yom Kippur).

It is significant because it is when God delivered the Jewish people from 400 years of slavery.

The following information on Passover is taken from GotQuestions.org:

Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is a Jewish festival celebrating the exodus from Egypt and the Israelites’ freedom from slavery to the Egyptians. The Feast of Passover, along with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, was the first of the festivals to be commanded by God for Israel to observe (see Exodus 12). Commemorations today involve a special meal called the Seder, featuring unleavened bread and other food items symbolic of various aspects of the exodus….

The Book of Exodus tells of the origin of Passover. God promised His people to redeem them from the bondage of Pharaoh (Exodus 6:6). God sent Moses to the Egyptian king with the command that Pharaoh “let my people go” (Exodus 8:1). When Pharaoh refused, God brought ten plagues on the land of Egypt. The tenth and worst of the plagues was the death of all the firstborn in Egypt.

The night of the first Passover was the night of the tenth plague. On that fateful night, God told the Israelites to sacrifice a spotless lamb and mark their doorposts and lintels with its blood (Exodus 12:21–22). Then, when the Lord passed through the nation, He would “pass over” the households that showed the blood (verse 23). In a very real way, the blood of the lamb saved the Israelites from death, as it kept the destroyer from entering their homes. The Israelites were saved from the plague, and their firstborn children stayed alive. From then on, every firstborn son of the Israelites belonged to the Lord and had to be redeemed with a sacrifice (Exodus 13:1–2, 12; cf. Luke 2:22–24).

The children of Israel in Egypt followed God’s command and kept the first Passover. However, none of the Egyptians did so. All through Egypt, behind the unmarked, bloodless doorways of the Egyptians, the firstborn children died at midnight (Exodus 12:21–29). “There was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead” (verse 30). This dire judgment finally changed the Egyptian king’s heart, and he released the Israelite slaves (verses 31–32).

Along with the instruction to apply the Passover lamb’s blood to their doorposts and lintels, God instituted a commemorative meal: fire-roasted lamb, bitter herbs, and unleavened bread (Exodus 12:8). The Lord told the Israelites to “observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever” (Exodus 12:24, ESV), even when in a foreign land.

To this day, Jews all over the world celebrate the Passover in obedience to this command. Passover and the story of the exodus have great significance for Christians also, as Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law, including the symbolism of the Passover (Matthew 5:17). Jesus is our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7; Revelation 5:12). He was killed at Passover time, and the Last Supper was a Passover meal (Luke 22:7–8). By (spiritually) applying His blood to our lives by faith, we trust Christ to save us from death. The Israelites who, in faith, applied the blood of the Paschal lamb to their homes become a model for us. It was not the Israelites’ ancestry or good standing or amiable nature that saved them; it was only the blood of the lamb that made them exempt from death (see John 1:29 and Revelation 5:9–10). (Quote source here.)

The connection between the Old Testament Passover and the New Testament celebration of Easter (which we celebrated this year on March 31, 2024) is Jesus Christ, who became the Passover lamb. GotQuestions.org provides the following information on the Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ:

The New Testament establishes a relationship between this prototypical Passover lamb and the consummate Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 5:7). The prophet John the Baptist recognized Jesus as “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29), and the apostle Peter links the lamb without defect (Exodus 12:5) with Christ, whom he calls a “lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19). Jesus is qualified to be called One “without blemish” because His life was completely free from sin (Hebrews 4:15). In Revelation, John the apostle sees Jesus as “a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain” (Revelation 5:6). Jesus was crucified during the time that the Passover was observed (Mark 14:12).

The Bible says believers have symbolically applied the sacrificial blood of Christ to their hearts and thus have escaped eternal death (Hebrews 9:12, 14). Just as the Passover lamb’s applied blood caused the “destroyer” to pass over each household, Christ’s applied blood causes God’s judgment to pass over sinners and gives life to believers (Romans 6:23).

As the first Passover marked the Hebrews’ release from Egyptian slavery, so the death of Christ marks our release from the slavery of sin (Romans 8:2). As the first Passover was to be held in remembrance as an annual feast, so Christians are to memorialize the Lord’s death in communion until He returns (1 Corinthians 11:26).

The Old Testament Passover lamb, although a reality in that time, was a mere foreshadowing of the better and final Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ. Through His sinless life and sacrificial death, Jesus became the only One capable of giving people a way to escape death and a sure hope of eternal life (1 Peter 1:20-21). (Quote source here).

In an article published on April 1, 2024, titled, “Easter and Passover Usually Overlap, But Not This Year,” by Clemente Lisi, journalist, professor, and Executive Editor at Religion Unplugged, he writes:

Passover and Easter sometimes overlap because they are both based on lunar calendars–albeit different ones.

Since 2000, the two festivities have overlapped every year but four—in 2005, 2008, 2016 and this spring (2024).

Easter is calculated based on the Christian liturgical calendar tied to the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Passover, on the other hand, is determined by the Jewish calendar, which is also lunar-based.

That’s where the similarities end.

In fact, they don’t always overlap due to differences in the specific rules and calculations used in each tradition. For example, while Easter always falls on a Sunday, Passover can begin on any day of the week.

In addition, variations in the length of lunar months and different methods of intercalation (adding extra months to synchronize with solar years) contribute to the occasional misalignment of the two holidays.

Here are other areas where Easter and Passover overlap:

The Last Supper

The Last Supper, as described in the New Testament, is traditionally understood to have been a Passover seder.

According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus and his disciples gathered to celebrate the Passover together in Jerusalem. During this meal, Jesus instituted the sacrament of Communion or the Eucharist, using bread and wine to symbolize his body and blood.

The Gospel of Luke explicitly mentions that the Last Supper took place during the time of the Passover feast (Luke 22:7-8).

However, there is some scholarly debate about the exact timing and nature of the meal, with some interpretations suggesting it may have occurred on the day before Passover or during the Passover preparations. Nonetheless, the traditional understanding within Christianity is that the Last Supper was indeed a Passover meal.

Freedom from bondage

Indeed, both Easter and Passover have themes of liberation central to their celebrations.

Passover commemorates the freedom of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt, as recounted in the Hebrew Bible (Exodus 12-13). The Passover story revolves around the 10 plagues sent by God to persuade the pharaoh to release the Israelites — culminating in the Passover event itself, where the Israelites were spared from the final plague, the death of the firstborn, by marking their doorposts with the blood of a sacrificial lamb.

Similarly, Easter for Christians celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is understood as liberation from sin and death. Christians believe that through Jesus’ death and resurrection, believers are freed from the power of sin and offered eternal life. The resurrection is seen as a victory over sin and death, offering hope and liberation to humanity.

Both holidays, in fact, share the theme of liberation, although they commemorate different historical events and have distinct theological interpretations.

Beyond celebrating a single day

Both Easter and Passover are observed over a span of time, encompassing various rituals, observances and traditions beyond a single day.

Passover is an eight-day festival (seven days in Israel) that commemorates the Exodus story and the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in Egypt. The first two days (or the first and last two days in Israel) and the seventh day (eighth day in Israel) are typically considered major holidays with special prayers and rituals.

Throughout the entire festival, Jews engage in various practices such as removing chametz (leavened bread) from their homes, conducting a Seder meal on the first two nights, and refraining from consuming chametz for the duration of Passover.

Easter, meanwhile, is preceded by the season of Lent, which lasts for 40 days (excluding Sundays) and is a time of fasting, prayer and penance in preparation for Easter Sunday. The week leading up to Easter Sunday is called Holy Week and includes significant events such as Palm Sunday (commemorating Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem), Maundy Thursday (commemorating the Last Supper), Good Friday (commemorating the day Jesus was crucified) and Holy Saturday.

Easter Sunday marks the culmination of Holy Week and the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. (Quote source here.)

I’ll end this post with one of the Psalms known as the Hallel Psalms (hallel means “praise,” and they are Psalm 113 – 118) that are often associated with Passover. It is also the shortest psalm and the shortest chapter in the Bible with only 2 verses (source here). Here is Psalm 117 (NIV): Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us…

And the faithfulness . . .

Of the Lord . . .

Endures forever . . . .

YouTube Video: “Passover Song: We Will Remember” posted by Sarah Jackson:

Photo #1 credit here
Photo #2 credit here

Time Marches On

I started this blog, “Sara’s Musings,” back in July 2010 when I was in the middle of a massive job hunt that started in April 2009 when I was 56 that eventually produced no job after years of looking for it, and now I have close to 1,000 blog posts combined on this blog and on my the second blog, “Sara’s Reflections,” that I started in April 2018.

What got me to thinking about it today was that I happened to stumble upon a post I published back on September 5, 2018, on my second blog titled, “If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time.” The YouTube video I posted at the bottom of that post was a song that came out in 1970 that was the second major hit for Tyrone Davis (1937-2005) titled, “If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time.” (Click here for YouTube video.)

1970 was the year I graduated from high school, and I remember thinking back then that the turn of the century was still 30 years away, and I would be 48 during that year. That sounded so old to me back then as an 18-year-old, and it seemed like it was a million years away. Like most young women in my age range, I figured I’d marry at some point in my 20’s and have kids, and, hopefully, not end up divorced like my parents did when I was 12.

LIVE: Time stands still for no one; LAUGH: It’s food for the soul; LOVE: It holds the key to happiness. This picture/plaque is hanging on my bathroom wall (sans the reflection at the bottom, of course).

Fast forward to today, and the turn of the century (2000) happened 24 years ago. I’m still shocked sometimes at how fast time has passed. I remember my maternal grandmother being “old” (she died at 86 when I was 25); and my own mother died at 54 from health issues when I was 30. She never even made it into her “senior” years nor did she live long enough to see this new century.

As the years passed, I never did marry and have kids, but I didn’t plan it that way. I just never fell in love with any guy I dated, and I wasn’t going to marry just any guy because he asked me to marry him (which I almost did in 1983, but I backed out of the wedding a few weeks before it was to take place). I didn’t realize then that as the years passed, I would not get another offer to marry, but even if I could go back in time I would not marry that guy I almost married. He was divorced and a few years older than me, and he entered my life briefly at the same time my mother was sick and dying, and he asked me to marry him three weeks after her death in March 1983. We were not in love, and he was just looking for another wife (his first wife divorced him and they had two small daughters–his wife had custody of them).

A couple of months after Mom’s death, I called off the wedding which was scheduled to take place in July 1983, and I applied to the state university for the fall semester in 1983 to finish a bachelor’s degree. I had earned an A.A. (Associates) degree in 1979 at a local college while working full time at a hospital on their 3-11 shift, and once I finished the A.A. degree at that same hospital I switched to a secretarial position working 8-5 until 1983 when I enrolled at the state university to finish a bachelor’s degree. The state university was in a different city, and I found a job as an editorial secretary for a professional journal at the state university that allowed me to work hours around my class schedule.

I received my Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) from that state university in May 1985, and I eventually earned a Master of Science degree (M.S.) from that same university in August 1991. After I received my M.S. degree, I applied for a doctoral fellowship in early 1992 at a private university in another state, and I was awarded one of two one-year doctoral fellowships for the 1992-93 academic year. That led to working in the area of Student Affairs/Student Services at colleges and universities for the next almost two decades until I lost a job in 2009 when I was 56 (as noted at the start of this post). For some reason I have yet to figure out 15 years later, I never did find another job in my career field.

For the next five years after losing that job in 2009, I was in a massive search for another job. I stopped counting the number of jobs I applied for when it reached 500 in early 2011, but I kept applying for jobs clear up through 2014 (and beyond). I traveled a lot by car looking for another job, too, and I traveled to several cities within 1000 miles of where I was living at the time. It was then that I discovered how much I loved taking road trips. Finances were very tight (I slept at rest stops in my car while traveling but stayed in a hotel room once I reached my destinations). I guess I thought I’d eventually find another job, but as my 60’s slipped by, I knew a job was never going to show up.

My last long road trip was taken in July 2019 when I drove back to my home state (2000 miles round trip) to attend my father’s funeral (he was 95). My dad remarried in 1979 to my stepmother who died in 2011 (she was 86). They were married almost 32 years at the time of her death.

Since 2014, I have also been searching for affordable income-based senior housing and, other than being put on waiting lists that I never heard back from, I have not found it yet. I can’t imagine most seniors looking for affordable senior housing have had this hard of a time finding it (I’ve been looking for it for a decade now), but it seems to resemble my years-long search for another job that I never found.

I’ve been living in an all-ages apartment complex for the past 3 1/2 years, and my lease was up for renewal again this past week, and yesterday I signed off on another lease. I like the apartment and the location I’m living in, but I was hoping that by now I would have secured an apartment in a senior complex that I could afford long term. Looking back over my life since 2009, I have learned over these past 15 years to take life one day at a time. I do know that God doesn’t make mistakes and that He is sovereign, and He has allowed me to have some very interesting experiences over these past 15 years. It reminds me of two verses found in Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV):

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Romans 8:28 (ESV) comes to mind, too. That verse states, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

I don’t have any regrets looking back on my life as I’ve learned a lot about things going on in our society today, and I know that marriage isn’t necessarily the answer when I look at my own parents’ marriage that failed. I also consider my mother’s life after their divorce (she was 36 at the time) until she died 18 years later at the age of 54. I grieve for her that she didn’t have a better life after their divorce. She worked at minimum wage jobs from the time of the divorce until two years before her death when her health got so bad she could not work anymore, but she was not one to complain even with all of her health issues. And she kept her sense of humor right up until she died.

Life is what it is for all of us. While we do often make our own choices and decisions, sometime things happen that we have no control over. That is where faith comes into play (for those who believe in God and Jesus Christ). Actually, faith comes into play in everything we do as Christians every second of every day. I’m not trying to negate those who might be reading this post who do not believe or who have other beliefs, but I mention this for those who do believe. Faith in God and in Jesus Christ keeps me going through all of my life’s experiences, and especially during these past 15 years, even though I never found another job, and I still have not found affordable senior housing after years of looking for it.

I’ll end this post with several verses of encouragement from an article published in 2017 titled, “Ten Bible Verses to Remind Us of God’s Faithfulness in Times of Trouble,” by Leah Marieann Klett, reporter at The Gospel Herald:

Here are twelve Bible verses to remind us of God’s goodness, faithfulness, and protection–even in the darkest of situations. Will you worry about matters out of your control, or will you trust God to be your ever-present help?

Psalm 46:1-2: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the Earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea …”

Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Colossians 3:15: “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.”

Psalm 27:1: “The LORD is my light and my salvation–whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life–of whom shall I be afraid?”

Deuteronomy 31:8: “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Hebrews 12:28-29: “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.”

Psalm 28:7: “The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him.”

Psalm 31:19: “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.”

2 Corinthians 4:15: “All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.”

Psalm 100:4: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” (Quote source here.)

Also, here are two verses from Proverbs that have been the anchor of my life–Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV): Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways…

Acknowledge Him . . .

And He shall direct . . .

Your paths . . . .

YouTube Video: “Hallelujah Feeling” by Caleb and John:

Photo #1 credit here
Photo #2 credit is my photo altered using Lunapic.com
Photo #3 credit here

A Walk Through Holy Week

Holy Week, also known as Passion Week, is the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, also known as Resurrection Sunday. GotQuestions.org gives us a description of Holy Week as follows:

Passion Week (also known as Holy Week) is the time from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday (Resurrection Sunday). Also included within Passion Week are Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Spy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Passion Week is so named because of the passion with which Jesus willingly went to the cross in order to pay for the sins of His people. Passion Week is described in Matthew chapters 21-27; Mark chapters 11-15; Luke chapters 19-23; and John chapters 12-19. Passion Week begins with the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday on the back of a colt as prophesied in Zechariah 9:9.

Passion Week contained several memorable events. Jesus cleansed the Temple for the second time (Luke 19:45-46), then disputed with the Pharisees regarding His authority. Then He gave His Olivet Discourse on the end times and taught many things, including the signs of His second coming. Jesus ate His Last Supper with His disciples in the upper room (Luke 22:7-38), then went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray as He waited for His hour to come. It was here that Jesus, having been betrayed by Judas, was arrested and taken to several sham trials before the chief priests, Pontius Pilate, and Herod (Luke 22:54-23:25).

Following the trials, Jesus was scourged at the hands of the Roman soldiers, then was forced to carry His own instrument of execution (the Cross) through the streets of Jerusalem along what is known as the Via Dolorosa (way of sorrows). Jesus was then crucified at Golgotha on the day before the Sabbath, was buried and remained in the tomb until Sunday, the day after the Sabbath, and then gloriously resurrected.

It is referred to as Passion Week because in that time, Jesus Christ truly revealed His passion for us in the suffering He willingly went through on our behalf. What should our attitude be during Passion Week? We should be passionate in our worship of Jesus and in our proclamation of His Gospel! As He suffered for us, so should we be willing to suffer for the cause of following Him and proclaiming the message of His death and resurrection. (Quote source here.)

An article with a description of each day during Holy Week (including Scripture references) titled, “What is Easter: A Timeline of Holy Week,” by Grace Church Plano is provided below:

Day 1: Palm Sunday

On the first day of Holy Week, Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey while crowds welcomed Him by waving branches and shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

By saying this, the crowds are calling Jesus the Son of God. Jesus rides on a donkey, fulfilling a Jewish prophesy. This dramatic entry and growing crowds heighten the existing tensions between Jesus and the Jewish leaders.

You can read about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem in Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19.

Day 2: Monday, Jesus Clears the Temple

On Monday, Jesus curses a fig tree for not bearing fruit. The curse may have been a metaphor for God’s judgment on the spiritually dead religious leaders or a warning for all believers against a life that looks religious on the outside but isn’t genuine on the inside.

Jesus goes on to visit the main temple in the city and finds the courts full of corrupt people. He flips tables and clears out the Temple, saying, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves” (Luke 19:46).

You can read Monday’s events in Matthew 21:12–22, Mark 11:15–19, Luke 19:45-48, and John 2:13-17.

Day 3: Tuesday, Jesus Goes to The Mount of Olives

The religious leaders feel increasingly threatened by the way that mass crowds are recognizing Jesus as a spiritual authority and even as the Son of God.

Jesus leaves the city to a place called the Mount of Olives. He delivers a famous speech called the Olivet Discourse, a prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem and the “end of the age.” He speaks in parables, which are stories or metaphors that have hidden meanings.

It is also believed that on Tuesday, Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples, negotiated with the Jewish leaders a price and plan to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:14-16).

The rising tensions on Tuesday and the Olivet Discourse are recorded in Matthew 21:23–24:51, Mark 11:20–13:37, Luke 20:1–21:36, and John 12:20–38.

Day 4: Holy Wednesday

There are no records of what Jesus did on the Wednesday of Holy Week. It is expected that they rested after two exhausting days in Jerusalem.

At this point, tensions are reaching a boiling point, where the religious leaders want to avoid causing an uproar in the city during the festival, but Jesus knows He’ll be killed on Passover, taking His place as the sacrificial lamb and God’s provided rescue for mankind.

Day 5: Passover and Maundy Thursday

As tensions mount between Jesus and the religious leaders, Jesus and His disciples prepare to share in the Passover meal, celebrating God bringing them out of Egypt. At this dinner, Jesus washes the feet of His disciples, an act of selflessness and foreshadowing of what He would do on Friday.

Jesus changes the conversation at the Passover meal, telling the disciples that He is going to suffer.

He takes items from this important Jewish meal and gives them new meaning, saying of the bread, “this is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” He says of the wine, “this cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

In doing this, He sets up the new Christian tradition of Communion, which is when Christians remember this Passover meal and the sacrifice Jesus made.

After the meal, the group goes to a garden called Gethsemane, where His disciple Judas betrays Him, hands Him over to the Jewish leaders, and He is arrested and taken to the High Priest for trial.

Thursday’s events are recorded in Matthew 26:17–75, Mark 14:12-72, Luke 22:7-62, and John 13:1-38.

Day 6: Good Friday

On Friday morning, Jesus went to trial for the accusations from the Jews. But He did not defend Himself. Instead He outrages the religious leaders by calling Himself the Son of God.

Jesus was given a crown of thorns and made to carry a massive cross through the city and up the mountain called Calvary, where He was nailed to the cross alongside two criminals.

Then, at the ninth hour, on the day of the most sacred Jewish festival, Jesus breathed His last breath.

Friday evening, two men took the body and placed it in a tomb and rolled a stone over it.

Friday’s events are recorded in Matthew 27:1-62, Mark 15:1-47, Luke 22:63-23:56, and John 18:28-19:37.

Day 7: Saturday

Saturday was the Sabbath, a day when Jewish people are commanded to do no work. After the Sabbath ended at 6 p.m., people went to the tomb to do the ceremonial preparation for burial.

Knowing that Jesus said He was going to rise again after 3 days, the Jewish leaders went to the Roman governors and requested that the tomb be guarded so that no one would steal the body and lie about His resurrection.

The Governor put a seal on the stone and a guard at the tomb.

Saturday’s events are recorded in Matthew 27:62-66, Mark 16:1, Luke 23:56, and John 19:40.

Day 8: Resurrection Sunday

On Sunday, or Easter, we see the culmination of the entire week and the most important event of the Christian faith.

Early Sunday morning, several women that were close to Jesus go to the tomb and find the stone rolled away and an angel who announces, “Don’t be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen” (Matthew 28:5-6, NLT).

On Sunday, the Bible reports that Jesus appeared to at least five people. There is considerable evidence from secular scholars that many people genuinely believed that they saw the Risen Jesus.

Today, on Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate this foundation of their faith, the belief that Jesus was risen on the third day after His death, fulfilling prophecies found throughout the Old Testament. In conquering sin and death itself, He offered forgiveness and redemption for our lives and the world.

Sunday’s events are recorded in Matthew 28:1-13, Mark 16:1-14, Luke 24:1-49, and John 20:1-23. (Quote source here.)

In an article titled, “What is Holy Week? 8 Days of Easter You Need to Know,” by Meg Bucher, author and contributor on Crosswalk.com, she reminds us of how Holy Week leads us to Easter Sunday by stating:

Though Jesus didn’t walk the earth incarnate until He was born in Bethlehem to Mary and Joseph, He exists and works throughout the entirety of the Bible. Scripture assures us that He was present at Creation with the Father, that He is the Word, and many prophecies were fulfilled explicitly during this final, holy week of Jesus’ life on earth. Each Gospel has a narrative of the last week of Jesus’ life (Matthew 21-28; Mark 11-16; Luke 19-24; John 12-21). (Quote source here.)

A list of the Old Testament prophecies that Jesus fulfilled during Holy Week is available in an article titled, “Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled During the Passion Week” at this link. And a “Chart of Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Jesus” is available at this link.

As we go through this last week in Jesus’ life on earth leading up to the Last Supper with his disciples, his crucifixion on Friday, and his resurrection on Easter Sunday, let us remember that “this is the basis of Christianity; His sacrifice launched the New Covenant God promised and many had prophesied throughout the Old Testament” (quote source here).

I’ll end this post with the words found in Isaiah 53:5-6: But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord…

Has laid on him . . .

The iniquity . . .

Of us all . . . .

YouTube Video: “Passion Song–The Story Of Holy Week” by Sean Carter:

Photo #1 credit here
Photo #2 credit here

Prisoners of Hope

This morning while listening to an online sermon, I heard a phrase that I was not familiar with, and that phrase is “prisoners of hope.” On the surface, it seems like an oxymoron. One might be captivated by hope, but it seems like an odd phrase to say “prisoners of hope.” A verse found in Zechariah 9:12 was the topic of the sermon, and that verse states (ESV):

“Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.”

In an article published in The Reformation Messenger titled, “Prisoners of Hope,” by Wendy Eaton, she writes:

This verse [Zach. 9:12] was written by Zechariah to the Jews who had just returned from Babylonian captivity [which lasted 70 years]. Since they had just returned, were they not free? From the world’s point of view the situation the Jews faced at that time was pretty hopeless, since their city was in ruins. They were an impoverished people, yet God calls them “prisoners of hope”.

The returned exiles thought themselves to be the prisoners of circumstance, but God gave them something to hope for. He promised deliverance from their seemingly hopeless situation if they would diligently obey His voice. They seemed hopeless and helpless from the world’s point of view, but they were “prisoners of hope” from God’s perspective. They were promised double if they would hold on with hope to the promise that God had given them.

Hope means: a confident and eager expectation of something good, while prisoner means: a person that is deprived of liberty. They seem so opposite. No freedom, but confident, expecting something good from something that does not appear so good. How can we be a prisoner of something good? People like hope; the word has a positive connotation. However, the word prisoner has a negative connotation. How can we reconcile the two ideas?…(Quote source and full article at this link. The author provides extensive details in her article.)

In another article published in 2017 titled, “Prisoners of Hope,” by Renee Groff, she writes:

“Prison” can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Most of us will never actually experience time in jail, but we can be held captive by many things. Situations. People. Debt. Sin. Our past. In all of this, we can certainly be prisoners WITH hope, which is how some versions translate this verse. But I prefer to be a prisoner OF hope.

Sometimes when I am in a situation that causes me to feel trapped, and my emotions are spiraling out of control, and my thoughts are chasing right after them like an umbrella on a windy day, and I think to myself, “I cannot bear this one more minute,” somehow a supernatural Hope reaches down and grabs hold of my heart and says to me sternly, “Nope, you are mine, and I am not letting go.”….

Because we are prisoners OF hope. Hope itself holds us captive, tethers us to Jesus, and ties us down to a solid place when otherwise we would take flight like a helium balloon. Hope says, “I will not let you go, no matter how hard you beg, no matter how feeble your fight, no matter how loose your grip. You are stuck with me. I am your constant companion for this journey.” (Quote source and complete article at this link.)

How often have we found ourselves in circumstances or situations where we think, “I cannot bear this for one more minute,” as the author states above. Sometimes those circumstances can last days, weeks, months, years, and even decades–with no end in sight. “Hanging in there” for one more day, one more week, and sometimes year after year after year, can bring about a sense of hopelessness. Is God there? Does He care? Is there a point to all of this? The questions can seem endless.

In answer to the question, “What does the Bible say about hope?” GotQuestions.org states:

The Bible has quite a lot to say about hope. Biblical hope has as its foundation faith in God. The word hope in English often conveys doubt. For instance, “I hope it will not rain tomorrow.” In addition, the word hope is often followed by the word so. This is the answer that some may give when asked if they think that they will go to heaven when they die. They say, “I hope so.” However, that is not the meaning of the words usually translated “hope” in the Bible.

In the Old Testament the Hebrew word “batah” and its cognates has the meaning of confidence, security, and being without care; therefore, the concept of doubt is not part of this word. We find that meaning in Job 6:20; Psalm 16:9; Psalm 22:9; and Ecclesiastes 9:4. In most instances in the New Testament, the word hope is the Greek “elpis/elpizo.” Again, there is no doubt attached to this word. Therefore, biblical hope is a confident expectation or assurance based upon a sure foundation for which we wait with joy and full confidence. In other words, “There is no doubt about it!”

One of the verses in which we find the word hope is Hebrews 11:1. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” This verse at the beginning of the faith chapter (Hebrews 11) carries with it all of the confidence that comes with knowing for sure, with no question, what we have been promised by God in His Word. Our faith is confident assurance, for it is founded upon the Rock of our salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ. All of the actions of the heroes of the faith recorded in Hebrews 11 were made possible because they had this faith based in their confident assurance or hope in God. As believers, we are also called to give an answer for the hope that is within us to any who would ask (1 Peter 3:15).

Therefore, biblical hope is a reality and not a feeling. Biblical hope carries no doubt. Biblical hope is a sure foundation upon which we base our lives, believing that God always keeps His promises. Hope or confident assurance can be ours when we trust the words, “He who believes on Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47, NKJV). Accepting that gift of eternal life means our hope is no longer filled with doubt but, rather, has at its sure foundation the whole of God’s Word, the entirety of God’s character, and the finished work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (Quote source here.)

I found this post titled, “How to Trust God When Your Situation Feels Hopeless,” by Tiffanie Butts, and if you are feeling hopeless about something that you think will never change, I encourage you to read her entire post at this link. She opens her post with the following:

If you don’t get the thing you desire most, will you still believe God is good?  Will you continue to believe He is faithful if His timeline never matches yours or His will for your life is completely different than the one you dreamed up years ago?

There may come a time when your faith is challenged. You’ll feel that you did all the right things. You were faithful and trusted God yet you’ll find yourself in a place you don’t want to be (and maybe never thought you’d be). I found myself there a couple of times. There are promises I waited years for, and promises I’m still waiting on. The wait can begin to feel like a weight–a burden. In those times, I’ve not always had perfect faith. I said I trusted God but in reality, I was filled with doubt. I knew God could, but I doubted if He would. In all honesty, my hope had died.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. —Proverbs 3:5-6

When your faith is dry and your hope is waning, it’s not time to quit. On the contrary, this is where your roots have to grow deep. A friend of mine equated it to a well. There are times when wells run dry. The water source is no longer available at the current state. The water is there, but in order to find it, you have to dig deeper… (Quote source and complete post at this link.)

When things seems hopeless, we need to turn to, or return to, our stronghold who is Jesus, and never let go. I’ll end this post with these words from Jesus found in Matthew 28:20…

And surely I am with you always . . . 

To the very end . . .

Of the age . . . .

YouTube Video: “You Keep Hope Alive” by Mandisa and Jon Reddick:

Photo #1 credit here
Photo #2 credit here

Believe It or Not

Ever heard of “Ripley’s Believe It or Not”? It has been around since 1918, and they have many amazing stories to tell. And speaking of amazing stories, you do know that Easter is only a little over two weeks away, right? And that is an amazing story.

Last night I was looking for a movie to watch on one of my free TV movie apps, and I came across the movie, “Risen” (2016), which is currently showing for free on Pluto TV (a trailer of the movie is available on YouTube). Since Easter is a little over two weeks away, I decided to watch it again (I’ve watched it previously). For those unfamiliar with the movie, here is a brief description from MovieGuide.org:

RISEN is about a Roman soldier and non-believer, Clavius, who leads the soldiers who crucified Jesus and guarded His tomb. When the soldiers guarding the tomb fall asleep and Christ’s body goes missing, Pontius Pilate orders Clavius to investigate. Clavius and his aide try to bribe one man into giving them information about the whereabouts of the disciples, but he refuses. They then interrogate Mary Magdalene, who tells them they can’t find the body because Jesus has risen from the dead. After more and more of Christ’s followers come to them, Clavius wonders if the Christian message could be true. Will Clavius literally see the truth?

RISEN is a dramatic, epic movie about Jesus Christ rising from the dead. The movie is well done, with excellent suspense, great acting and superb production values. RISEN has a strong Christian, biblical worldview promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ, including the Resurrection. It tells a powerful story with a realistic portrayal of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. RISEN is a really good movie to show non-believers and skeptics who mistakenly don’t believe that Christianity is true. (Quote source here.)

In a review of the movie titled, “Risen Movie Upholds Scripture,” by Dr. Tim Chaffey, content manager for the Attractions Division of Answers in Genesis, he writes:

“Risen” is a breath of fresh air for moviegoers who have longed for a quality, biblical-themed movie that upholds the truth of Scripture rather than attacking it. Due to its unique approach, viewers get to experience the truth of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ through the eyes of an unbeliever.

Having first read and reviewed the novel, I had the opportunity to watch the film twice before its release, in preparation for this review. It is difficult to write this evaluation without providing a spoiler, so allow me to get this obvious one out of the way at the beginning. The movie absolutely, positively affirms the bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians do not need to worry about the film attacking the core of our faith.

Starring Joseph Fiennes (Martin Luther in the 2003 film Luther) and Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series), “Risen” is a work of historical fiction, meaning it places fictional characters in the midst of a historical setting. It follows a Roman tribune named Clavius (Fiennes) who is stationed in Jerusalem during Christ’s Crucifixion and Resurrection. (Quote source and full review available at this link.)

His review is lengthy and it clears up questions Christians might have regarding the film. It provides the setting and storyline, and the story is taken from Clavius’ experiences and point of view as a Roman soldier who Pilate orders to search for the body of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion.

Dr. Carey also states the following in his review:

Some Christians may wonder why the movie doesn’t show every detail about these events found in the Gospels. For example, Risen does not show the trials or beatings of Jesus, and it does not show all of the post-Resurrection appearances. While many of these things are discussed, they aren’t shown because the movie is shown through the perspective of Clavius. If he didn’t see these things, then they are not included. This does not mean that the filmmakers deny these events; it only means that they were not part of Clavius’ story.

A great strength of this film is that Clavius is forced to investigate the evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus. He cannot simply ignore the evidence, pretending it doesn’t exist as so many skeptics do today. “Jesus Mythers” ignorantly proclaim that Jesus was not even a real person, and that the ideas about Him were copied from pagan deities—despite the fact that no fewer than 17 ancient non-Christian sources (Jewish, Roman, and Gnostic) discuss Jesus as a real person in Israel in the first century AD. When we add the Holy-Spirit-inspired writings of the New Testament authors, we have at least 25 ancient sources for the life of Jesus, including the infallible Word of God. (Quote source here.)

Again, much more is written in Dr. Carey’s review of this movie at this link.

I found the movie compelling and thought provoking regarding what was involved regarding a non-believer (Clavius) and his experience going from unbelief to belief. I have been a Christian since I was a very young girl, and I have always viewed life through the lens of a Christian perspective, so it is hard for me to imagine what it is like to not believe in Jesus Christ. I’ve run across my share of those who don’t believe over my lifetime, and I have never been one to force my beliefs on anyone else. I recall an experience in my high school science class (my high school years were 1967-1970) when the teacher mocked me in front of the entire class when the topic of evolution came up. He asked me what I believed, and when I told him I believed in Creation (the Genesis account of creation–see Genesis 1:1-31; 2:1-4 and Hebrews 11:3, 6), he ridiculed me in front of the entire class which was met with gales of laughter from several of the other students. I did not understand why he felt the need to mock me like that in front of the entire class.

I find it impossible to think like a non-believer, but I would never mock anyone for whatever their beliefs might happen to be (or whether or not they believe there is a God). And I have never been one to force my beliefs on anyone else.

When I was young and entering the workforce, I remember my dad clearly telling me to not bring up two subjects–religion and politics–in the work setting or even most social settings, and other then when I worked at a couple of Christian universities, I never did bring up those two subjects in all the years I worked as I knew they could cause divisions. Just look at the political climate today if you don’t think they can cause divisions right down to dividing even family members. So… nope, I don’t talk about them (my blog is an exception but one can read it or not read it, and I don’t personally identify myself on my blog other then some basic bio background). But still, one can get into trouble if someone wants to force the issue with you about what you do or don’t believe politically or spiritually, and especially by those who want to make you feel guilty for what you believe politically or spiritually. Sheesh… 

It reminds me of that quote attributed to “poet John Lydgate, later adapted by President Abraham Lincoln (16th President of the United States of America)–and appearing in various permutations: ‘You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.’” (Quote source here.)

And in today’s world, it’s almost impossible to know who “some of the people” are, and certainly who “all of the people” are (because is it never all of them), so it just doesn’t pay to say anything, and not saying anything can get you into trouble, too. Sheesh, again… 

Some people are just plain never happy no matter what. Believe it… or not!

And speaking of believing it or not, I read a devotion this morning in “The Upper Room” devotional titled, “God Sees Us.” Now that might be a scary thought to some people, or a ridiculous thought to those like my high school science teacher (I seriously doubt he’s still alive after all these years), and it might be a very pleasant thought depending on how you feel about God and the reality of who he is. The author of the devotion starts off with a scripture reading found in Mark 5:35-43) and then she wrote the following:

In Mark 5, Jesus exorcised a demon, healed a woman of her hemorrhage, and raised a little girl from the dead. I would have guessed that after all that, Jesus would have rubbed his hands together and called it a day. Or maybe he would have sat back among a crowd to recount all that he had done. That is what I would have done. But that was not Jesus’ way.

Jesus was more concerned about the risen girl’s needs. She was not a project to him; she was not a means to make himself look better. Jesus saw the young girl as a person with needs and fears. While everyone else was ecstatic and shocked, Jesus saw that the girl was hungry and told her mother and father to give her some food.

In God’s eyes we are not means to an end. We are not just one of many pieces in the puzzle. To God, each one of us is a person with our own needs and fears. God is interested in even the tiniest details of our lives. In every moment, remember that there is nothing too trivial to bring to God.

TODAY’S PRAYER:
Dear God, may we always remember that you are aware of our struggles every moment of our lives. As your people, we thank you for always caring about us. Amen. (Quote source here.)

Now that is the Jesus I have always believe in! And if you’re not even sure if he exists, why not take the time to watch that movie, “Risen,” on the Pluto TV app while it is showing for free right now. Clavius was a skeptic, too, until he wasn’t a skeptic anymore.

I’ll end this post with the invitation from Jesus found in Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV): Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls…

For my yoke is easy . . .

And my burden . . .

Is light . . . .

YouTube Video: “I Believe It (The Life of Jesus)” by Jon Reddick:

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With All Your Heart

This morning I read a devotion that reminded me of a post I published back on October 15, 2012, titled, “Invitation to the Thirsty,” and in that post I quoted Isaiah 55 (MSG) (see post at this link). The devotion I read for today was published in The Upper Room titled, “It’s the Beginning.” The Scripture reading for that devotion is taken from Isaiah 55 and focuses on Isaiah 55:6-9 (NIV) which states:

Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    Call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord,
and he will have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts…”

The author of that devotion describes an incident involving her nine-year-old son, and she started the devotion by stating:

“Why do you think the path ends here?” the tour guide asked while we wandered the carefully curated grounds surrounding the castle. My nine-year-old son volunteered, “Maybe it isn’t the end; maybe it’s the beginning.” We all smiled at his insightful perspective. (Quote source here.)

She ended her devotion by stating:

Life is full of roadblocks, and we can become discouraged thinking we have reached the end. Isaiah reminds us that God’s ways are different than ours. God’s perspective on our situation is much different than our limited view. My son’s observation on the path that day reminds me to trust God’s perspective no matter the circumstances and have hope that what seems like an ending might also be a beginning. (Quote source here.)

Life is full of roadblocks, and it can be discouraging when the next roadblock seems to follow right on the heels of the last roadblock. This has been the case in my life over the past 15 years. I spent many years looking for another job after losing my last job at the age of 56 back in 2009, and it never did show up; and then following on the heels of that roadblock came my years-long search for income-based senior housing that started in 2014 and, to date, it has never shown up either. Life can seem like a conundrum. However, as the author’s young son stated in the devotion above regarding the path that came to an end–“Maybe it isn’t the end; maybe it’s the beginning.”

As I was reflecting on Isaiah 55 this morning, specifically verse 9 which contrasts “our ways” with “God’s ways,” and “our thoughts” with “God’s thoughts,” I came across the following information found on GotQuestions.org related to both issues (e.g., “ways” and “thoughts”).

In answer to the question, “What does God mean when He says, “my ways are higher than your ways” in Isaiah 55:9?” GotQuestions.org states:

Isaiah 55:8–9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. . . . As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God’s infinite thoughts are far greater than our limited ability to comprehend them. The psalmist exclaimed, “How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!” (Psalm 139:17). God’s thoughts and His ways don’t always make sense to us, but we can rest in the knowledge that He is always good, and, therefore, everything He does is good (Psalm 13:6; 100:5).

The human heart is filled with questions for God: “Why?” “When?” “How?” We often wrestle with faith because of those questions. How can we fully trust a God we don’t understand? How can we have faith when God’s ways seem even cruel at times? When we try to comprehend God’s ways, we can become frustrated. His ways are higher than our ways, and His actions often do not make sense to our earth-bound minds. We question God’s ways when young people die, when tragedies strike righteous people, when the wicked prosper (see Psalm 73). So we beat on heaven’s door with our demand for answers, and no answer comes but this one: “My ways are higher than your ways.”

The key to finding peace with ways that we don’t understand is in Psalm 131: “My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content” (verses 1–2). A just-weaned child does not understand everything his mother does. She may correct him, take him to the doctor for vaccinations, and tell him “no” when he wants something very much. But he trusts her and loves her because he knows she loves him. He rests on his mother in complete humility and trust in her superior wisdom and provision. That’s what we must do with God when His ways are beyond our comprehension.

If we try to understand God’s ways from earth looking up, we won’t find many answers. Instead, God left us a clue in the word higher. His ways are not merely different from ours, they are higher. Better. Superior. They exist on a grander scale. He parted the Red Sea because it fit His plan for Israel (Exodus 14:21; Psalm 66:6). He made the sun stand still so Joshua’s army could defeat their enemies (Joshua 10:12–13). He sent an angel to let Peter out of jail (Acts 12:6–10), but He allowed James to be executed (Acts 12:2). God has allowed some of His faithful servants to suffer terrible fates, even though He could have delivered them if He chose (Hebrews 11:32–40). When we try to make sense of these events with our natural minds, we won’t get anywhere. Instead, God invites us to come up higher and learn to see life from His perspective.

From earth looking up, we see only confusion. But from heaven looking down, we see a plan unfolding. In Isaiah 46:9–11, the Lord lays out His sovereign plan to use the Persian king Cyrus: “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.” We may not know why God needs a “bird from the east” or why He would want to use a man like Cyrus. The man “from a far-off land” may not himself understand why he is moving across the world. But those who trust the Lord can rest in the confidence that God is at work. The Bible gives little room for the idea of coincidence (Proverbs 16:33; Psalm 37:23). In God’s “higher ways,” everything happens for a reason and will be woven into the fabric of God’s good plan for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

God’s ways are higher than our ways because His ways are always part of a bigger plan. We see only our small piece of the puzzle; God sees the finished work. We see a portion of the jumbled back of the tapestry; God is the Weaver at the loom. When our desire is to live in step with His plan, we can have confidence that, even when bad things happen, God is still in control. He often takes what Satan meant for evil and turns it into good for the salvation of many (see Genesis 50:20). God’s priorities are the magnification of His glory and the expansion of His kingdom (Psalm 97:6; Luke 8:1). When God’s glory and God’s kingdom are our priorities, too, we learn to rejoice that His ways are higher than our ways (1 Corinthians 10:31). (Quote source here.)

In answer to the question, “What does God mean when He says, “my thoughts are higher than your thoughts” in Isaiah 55:9?” GotQuestion.org states:

In a beautiful passage in Isaiah 55, the Lord cries out to Israel to return to Him and reminds them that only He can supply what they need. He then says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. . . . As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (verses 8–9). A loving parent does things for a child that the child doesn’t understand. Likewise, the Lord loves, guides, protects, and provides for us in ways we don’t understand. His thoughts are higher than ours. As an infinite Being with infinite wisdom, God knows and understands things we cannot comprehend. We are wise when we bow to that knowledge rather than demand that He do things our way.

We live in a material world, so our natural focus is primarily on our physical needs. But when our thoughts are centered on mundane matters, we miss what God wants to show us. He is beyond time and space. His thoughts are always on the big picture. Our thoughts are earthly; His are heavenly. Our thoughts are limited; His are unlimited and unsearchable.

When God promises that “all things work together for the good to them who love God and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28), His definition of good may not match ours. We may not see our struggles as leading to anything good because we can’t see into the future. We cannot know how God’s work in our lives will impact ourselves and countless others. He sees the whole picture; we see only the frame. Lost in our lowly thoughts, we cannot fathom the higher plan of God. That’s why we have to trust His character when we don’t understand.

In Jeremiah 29:11 God expresses some of His higher thoughts toward Israel: “For I know the plans I have for you, . . . plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” In this verse, God promised that the Israelites, exiled in Babylon, would one day return to their homeland. He encouraged them not to give up or think that the Lord had abandoned them. His thoughts toward them were higher than they could imagine, and they had to put their faith in His promises, even while enduring His discipline (2 Kings 21:14; Jeremiah 29:14). God was reminding His children that He can see around corners and into a future that they could not see. As God’s children today, we can also claim this verse, knowing that God’s thoughts toward each of us are on a higher plane than our own.

When God allows sorrow and pain to enter the lives of His beloved children, it is because His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He intends to use our difficulties to produce the character of Christ in us (Romans 8:29). He comforts us in our troubles so that we can learn to comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:4). His goals for us are higher than our goals for ourselves because His thoughts always have an eternal dimension. Our experiences are small pieces in a giant puzzle that stretches across human history from beginning to end. We may not understand our part in the puzzle, but we can trust that God does. As we surrender to His plan, we set aside our earth-bound thoughts and allow His higher thoughts to direct our paths (see Proverbs 3:5–6). (Quote source here.)

As I reflect back on these past 15 years, I have learn far more then I ever could have learned if I had found another job and kept on with my life as I knew it back then. I could tell story after story after story of how God has met my needs in ways I never could have understood if I had tried to meet them on my own. But even greater then that is the fact that I have learned just how much my ways and my thoughts are not even close to God’s way and God’s thoughts, and His ways and thoughts are infinitesimally greater, and He sees far beyond anything that we think we see and understand, or how we think our lives should unfold.

Throughout the Bible God has led His people through circumstances they never thought they’d ever face, and, in fact, they had no clue how to face them on their own. He leads His children as they trust Him in all circumstances. That’s not to say that we always get it right, but when we make ourselves 100% available to Him, He works through us even in the midst of our frustrations.

I’ll end this post with the words found in Proverbs 3-5-6 (NKJV): Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him…

And He . . .

Shall direct . . . 

Your paths . . . .

YouTube Video: “The Lord’s Prayer (It’s Yours)” by Matt Maher:

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Photo #3 credit here

Love and Ashes

Two days ago on February 14, 2024, we celebrated both Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday on the same day. In an article titled, “Ash Wednesday, Valentine’s Day in rare meeting,” published back on Feb. 6, 2018 in The Fayetteville Observer (which was the last year that Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday were both on the same day until now–2024), the meeting of the two events on the same day is not common. The article states:

The date of Ash Wednesday changes based on the date of Easter. Each year, Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox.

Live Wire’s research, through timeanddate.com, indicates Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day are sharing the same date for the first time [back in 2018 when this article was published] since 1945. It happened two other times in the last century—1923 and 1934. It will happen again in 2024 [which is this year] and 2029, but that will be it for this century. (Quote source here.)

While we tend to think that they are opposing types of celebrations–one focused on love, chocolates, and flowers, and the other focused on lament and ashes–the actual history behind Valentine’s Day is quite different from what we think about when celebrating Valentine’s Day today. In an article published in EWTN–Great Britain titled, “Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday Collide: When Cupid Meets Lent,” there is a quote in the article that states:

Valentine’s Day is not, as you may be pardoned for thinking, a Hallmark holiday aimed at consumers with disposable incomes and romantic hearts. It’s a holy day, in which we remember Bishop Valentine, martyred by Emperor Claudius in the third century for marrying young lovers in secret. You see, the emperor needed soldiers for his army and had banned marriages to keep the young men single and available for cannon fodder. St. Valentine gave his head for young lovers. And this year, you may see a couple in Miami both wearing their ash crosses and sipping at a tiny glass of wine in some quiet corner. That will be my husband and I, celebrating our love and also being heartily sorry for our sins. —Grazie Christie, host of TCA’s Conversations With Consequences on EWTN Radio (quote source here).

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the season of Lent leading up to Easter. In an article titled, “Understanding Lent,” published on Reasons.org, the author (name is not mentioned in the article) states:

When you think about it historically, Easter resides at the heart of all branches of Christendom; Lent is this period between Ash Wednesday and Easter. It commemorates Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness and serves as a time of anticipation and preparation. It’s a time to think about the investment God made in salvation, the weightiness of it all. We think also about our sins and the need for repentance as well as the luxuries we have and what we can do without. Lent is especially highlighted during Holy Week—from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.

Ash Wednesday is a time to recognize that we are more sinful than we really know and to anticipate the forgiveness in Christ that came through His death and resurrection. Palm Sunday marks Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem where, less than a week later, he would be crucified. Maundy Thursday recalls the last supper and Christ’s agony. Good Friday is the most solemn day, the day Christ died for our sins. And then we have the great celebration of Easter.

They’re powerful days to think about the Gospel. I see them as having a real biblical basis. As for verses we might point to in support of Ash Wednesday, I think there’s a strong emphasis on a time of repentance. But specific verses? That might be doubtful. It might be more general than specific, such as with the lighting of the candles and special Scripture readings and hymns during the Advent season. (Quote source here.)

In another article titled “What Is Lent About, and Why Is It Important?” published on Cru.org (author’s name is not mentioned), it states:

Have you ever wondered what people are talking about when they say they’re giving something up for Lent? Do you want to understand what Lent is and how it relates to Easter?

Lent is the 40 days (not including Sundays) from Ash Wednesday to the Saturday before Easter. Lent is often described as a time of preparation and an opportunity to go deeper with God. This means that it’s a time for personal reflection that prepares people’s hearts and minds for Good Friday and Easter.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. You may have noticed people with a smudged, black cross on their foreheads. Those are ashes from the Ash Wednesday service. The ashes symbolize our grief for the things we’ve done wrong and the resulting division of imperfect people from a perfect God….

The three main things people focus on during Lent are prayer, fasting (abstaining from something to reduce distractions and focus more on God), and giving, or charity.

Prayer during Lent focuses on our need for God’s forgiveness. It’s also about repenting (turning away from our sins) and receiving God’s mercy and love.

Fasting, or giving something up, is a very common practice during Lent. The idea is that giving up something that’s a regular part of life, like eating dessert or scrolling through Facebook, can be a reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice. That time can also be replaced with more time connecting with God.

Giving money or doing something good for others is a way to respond to God’s grace, generosity and love. For example, some people spend time volunteering or donate money they would normally use to buy something, like their morning coffee.

It’s important to note that doing these things can never make us earn or deserve Jesus’ sacrifice or a relationship with God. People are flawed and will never be good enough for a perfect God. Only Jesus has the power to rescue us from ourselves.

Jesus sacrificed Himself on Good Friday to bear the punishment for all our wrongdoings and offer us forgiveness. He was raised from the dead on Easter Sunday to give us an opportunity to have a relationship with God for eternity.

Spending time during Lent praying, fasting and giving can make Jesus’ sacrifice on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter even more meaningful.

Interested in learning more about Lent? Do you want to observe it but need guidance? Check out Cru’s free Lent devotional. Each day of Lent, the devotional will help you reflect and pray as you look forward to Easter. (Quote source here.)

While searching for information on the meaning of Lent on Microsoft Edge, Bing provided the following information:

When I think about Lent, several thoughts come to mind:

1. Spiritual Preparation: Lent is a solemn Christian observance that spans 40 days, symbolizing the period Jesus spent fasting in the desert, resisting temptation by Satan before beginning his public ministry¹. It’s a time of spiritual preparation leading up to the joyous celebration of Easter.
2. Fasting and Abstinence: During Lent, believers often engage in practices such as fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. Many choose to give up certain luxuries or indulgences as a form of self-discipline and reflection.
3. Ash Wednesday: Lent commences on Ash Wednesday, marked by the imposition of ashes on the foreheads of the faithful. This ritual serves as a reminder of human mortality and the need for repentance.
4. Lengthening Days: The word “Lent” itself comes from the Old English term “lencten,” which means “lengthen”. It’s observed during spring when the days gradually grow longer²³.
5. Bright Sadness: In Eastern Orthodox circles, Lent is often referred to as the season of “bright sadness” (Greek: χαρμολύπη, charmolypê). It combines penitence with hope, recognizing that the sorrow of Lent ultimately leads to the joy of Christ’s resurrection¹.

In summary, Lent invites believers to reflect, repent, and draw closer to their faith, anticipating the renewal and hope of Easter. (Quote source: Bing Chat. Microsoft; 2024. Accessed February 16, 2024.)

The next time Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday will arrive on the same day will be in 2029, and that will also be the last time for them to arrive on the same day for this century. Valentine’s Day is celebrated as a day of love, and the greatest love is God’s love for us. And God gave us Jesus, and as it is stated in John 3:16—For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son [Jesus Christ]…

That whoever believes in him . . .

Shall not perish . . .

But have eternal life . . . .

YouTube Video: “Lead Me To The Cross” (with lyrics) by Hillsong UNITED:

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How Do I Love Thee?

“February is notably a month used to communicate love. Specifically, millions around the globe take part in Valentine’s Day on February 14th to show their significant others how much they care.” So states the opening line of an article titled, “Ways to Express Love Through February” on Impact Community Action.

Yes, love is in the air….

The title of this post comes from a poem titled, “How Do I Love Thee?” composed by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861), an English poet whose reputation rests chiefly upon her love poems, Sonnets from the Portuguese. Her husband, Robert Browning (1812-1889), was also a major English poet of the Victorian age. Here is that poem:

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, – I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! – and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
(Quote source here.)

An article published on March 4, 2016, titled “Elizabeth Browning: A Leader, A Love Story, A Life,” published by Baylor University‘s Media and Public Relations, provides a brief description of the how the love story between Elizabeth and Robert Browning began:

It began with Robert reading her poems and falling in love with her work, and then her. He sent Elizabeth a letter and, more than 500 letters later, they got married [in 1846] and moved to Italy. Elizabeth’s poetry has had a lasting impact in the world of literature and influenced poets such as Emily Dickinson. (Quote source here.)

A side note: Baylor University‘s Armstrong Browning Library has the biggest collection of Browning memorabilia in the world. Though the collection began as an assortment of only the work of Elizabeth’s husband, Robert Browning, it has expanded to include the work of Elizabeth, their son, Pen, and many other 19th-century Victorian writers. The library is a result of the work by Dr. A. J. Armstrong, whose personal collection created the base upon which the existing collection has been built. (Quote source here.)

An article published on May 17, 2023, titled, “Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett: A Romantic Correspondence,” by Nava Atlas, a contributor on Ladies Literary Guide, gives us more information on their romance, and it opens with the following:

In 1844, Elizabeth Barrett’s second major collection of poems (A Drama of Exile) was published and warmly received. The work included lines that praised fellow poet Robert Browning.

Presented here are the two letters that started the correspondence and ignited the romantic literary love story of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett (who soon became Elizabeth Barrett Browning).

After reading the poems, Robert wrote a letter of thanks to Elizabeth on January 10, 1845, with the tantalizing line, “I love your verses with all my heart… and I love you, too.”

Their correspondence ensued until they met for the first time in the summer of 1845. Over the next several months, they became ever closer. Elizabeth remarked that she and Robert were “growing to be the truest of friends.”

Their courtship went on for twenty months, during which time they exchanged five hundred seventy-five letters [575!], many of which are collected in “The Letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett, 1845 – 1846,” and published much later (1900) by Smith, Elder & Co. in London.

On September 12, 1846, Elizabeth and Robert were secretly married at Marylebone Church (her father didn’t approve). Not long after, the couple moved to Pisa, Italy to begin their life together…. (Quote source and the rest of the story is available at this link.)

I love a good love story; however, there are other sides to love that we should also consider during this “love month” of February. A few days ago I read a devotion on the topic of love and forgiveness that fits in well with the theme of love. It is found in a devotional book titled, “31 Days of Encouragement as We Grow Older,” by Ruth Myers (1928-2010), who was a missionary with Navigators along with her husband, Warren, who died in 2001, and they authored many books together. The devotion I read in her book mentioned above is found on “Day 28” (pp.134-137) and it is titled, “Now Is The Time: Love and Forgive”:

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” —Matthew 22:39

In our later years, we need as urgently as ever to look on the bright side, not the dull side, in our attitudes towards the people in our life–and to offer them that smile, that word of admiration or appreciation or kindness they need. Perhaps this is more urgent, more important to our own sanity and joy than it was when we were younger.

We need to maintain this growing edge in various ways, especially in loving God and other people. All through life the Lord’s first and second greatest commands to us are to love Him with all our being and to love others as we love ourselves (see Matthew 22:37-39). So our most earnest and constant prayer should be that we will love as He desires. And our most urgent need is to know Him better and to experience more deeply his love, His power, His sufficiency. Regardless of our age, He’s so eager to assist us as we seek to reveal His love and favor to others.

Our loved ones may care deeply, but they may be limited in time and energy to give all they’d like to give to everyone God has put in their lives. Or they may lack the true, expendable love that gladly gives and serves. How often we should praise God that His love is limitless and that He’s available for loving fellowship at any time, day or night.

So we have a special, challenging task–to daily become more like Jesus in His most important attributes! Let’s make it our goal to send our roots deeper into God’s love and to love others as He loves us.

It’s a love that should lead us to forgiveness. We’ve all had years in this fallen world to experience love and joy–but also to experience hurts, injustices, rejection. We may have a few negative memories or a large collection of them–memories that eat at us when we allow them to rise up within us. Let’s be mature.

Let’s choose, by God’s grace, to forgive.

You may find it helpful to list each negative memory and emotion on a memo pad–each thing you feel hurt or angry about. You may find hurts that you’ve already let God into, and He has healed them, freeing you from negative inner reactions. Or you may need His fuller working. Perhaps you’ve never freely brought these negative emotions and experiences to God. Instead you’ve denied or hushed them. Or nursed them. I pray that you will detect each hurt and angry response that hasn’t yet been healed by God. In no way does He condemn you for these responses. Instead He longs to free you into greater growth and joy.

So bring each memory to God, choosing to forgive the person or people involved, and asking Him to heal your heart as you put the memory into His hand. And ask Him to meet the needs of the person involved.

If your old negative emotions return, put them back into God’s hands and reaffirm your choice to forgive. And thank Him for all the times He had forgiven you.

Prayer: Thank You Lord, that in Christ Jesus I am “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Thank You that Your mercies toward me “are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Teach me more and more how to extend this fresh mercy to others around me. (Quote source: “31 Days of Encouragement as We Grow Older,” pp. 134-137.)

As this new year of 2024 began, I made a promise to myself that this year (early on) I was going to finally let go of the things that have caused the deepest hurts and trials in my life along with forgiving those who have been involved in them. The list is not long but the hurts are deep. And the first thing I have done is to stop those memories cold in their tracks when they come to mind by not ruminating on them any longer. The second thing I have done is to replace those thoughts with praise and thanksgiving to God for all He has done and brought me through, too. He truly is amazing in all that He does for us. One of the psalms that comes to my mind is composed by David, and it is Psalm 139:1-18, 23-24 (ESV) which states:

¹ O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
² You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
³ You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
⁵ You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.

⁷ Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
¹² even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.

¹³ For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
   Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you,
    when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
    in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
    I awake, and I am still with you.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!
²⁴ And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting!

So as we go through this “month of love,” let us dwell on the greatest love of all–God’s great love for us. I’ll end this post with the words from Psalm 103:1-5 (ESV): Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good…

So that your youth . . .

Is renewed . . .

Like the eagle’s . . . .

YouTube Video: “Alive and Breathing” by Matt Maher ft. Elle Limebear:

Photo #1 credit here
Photo #2 credit here