Scripture
When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing.
~Luke 9:11
Quote
Fallen human beings enter into Christ joy only through the door of despair.
~Dana Ortland
“Trust in Jesus completely, and do not rely on your own perception or understanding. With all your heart rely on Jesus to guide you, and He will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with Jesus in whatever you do, and He will lead you wherever you go. Don’t think for a moment that you know it all, for wisdom comes when you adore Him with undivided devotion and avoid everything that’s wrong. Then you will find the healing refreshment your body and spirit long for.” Some would be shocked with the reference to the above quote. Who in the world said this? We think Solomon wrote it and it is certainly inspired whoever the author might be. We took the liberty to translate LORD {Yahweh} as Jesus. Jesus is LORD. Other than this, it is word for word from the Passion Translation and Proverbs chapter three. When I give the Passion Bibles away, I tell everyone, “Start in Proverbs.” I want to order another case but I hadn’t paid for the first case yet. It is a great tool for your quiet time.
I don’t expect everyone to understand today’s quote but those who have suffered a deep emotional cut will probably get it. Isaiah said of Jesus, He {Jesus} was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; He endured punishment that made us well; because of His wounds we have been healed. Paul said in Romans 6, For if we have become united with Him {Jesus} in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of His resurrection. We know that our old man {self} was crucified with Him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. Pain, sorrow, and deep disappointment shrink the self life and at the same time enlarges our hearts. We begin to live on a higher plain. We lose interest in the things of this world and take a greater interest in the spiritual. We lone to spend time with our Heavenly Father and our love for others increases. We see things we have never seen, feel things we have never felt, and this enables us to show true compassion to those who are hurting.
I am listening to Dostoevsky’s THE IDIOT. The central character {the idiot} is Prince Myshkins. He is an outsider, a foreigner visiting the Petersburg area of Russia. He is different and everyone picks up on this uniqueness right away. He is kind to everyone. His manners and deportment are so exceptional that people envy him. Basically, he is despised for his goodness. The thing I want to highlight is that he lives on a higher plain. He looks into people eyes as if he can see their heart. He is not judgmental but super sympathetic. He cares deeply for people and wants to help everyone. While everyone else is self seeking, the Prince is consumed with helping others. This attitude sets him apart. He is so very different from the rest that they label him the ‘idiot’. He was not the idiot; to the contrary, he was the only one that understood his purpose and was living it out. Live to give, love and serve: this is the essence of the Christ life.
Extra
Something refreshing happened at the Terrace yesterday. I got there late and the group was doing nothing so I mention the game that I like Rummikub and so Bob quickly set it up. I was playing next to Mrs. Leona who I help from time to time. They came in to draw blood and she had to back away for a moment so I played her cubes from a couple of rounds than she got turned back around and she had only one cube left, when it came her time, she drew exactly the number she needed and went out. Every one clapped. Then began to talk about how lucky she was. I said, you should have know her husband, he had the Midas touch, he good sale a cripple mule. They all laughed. I told them I loved Mrs. Leona and they began sharing their affection. Bob said, “I haven’t know her that long but she has enriched my life, even at my age, I would have felt cheated if I had not got to know Leona. I am a better person for knowing her.” I can’t remember his exact words but it was a moving speech. I wish I had recorded it.
LORD willing I am going fishing today with Keith and Thomas. I have not been since May 2022. I will be out of cell phone range PTL.
I hope you have a great day and thanks for reading the blog. Thank you for your positive comments; they keep me going.