Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place..

Job 38:12

When I awoke this morning I went downstairs to go get the newspaper out of the driveway. I always like to pray early when I awake. As I stepped out into the cold air, I looked up and saw the moon in the sky at dawn. The words of the Lord to Job came to mind. Sometimes in the midst of the things we complain about (like snow storms in the spring) there are those moments of beauty and awe when the soul recognizes that it is not about us. God is still in control. And, he gives us those moments to "look up" and appreciate that even in the midst of lament, he provides great beauty if we only see with the eye of faith. May your day this day be about searching for the divine. We are made for eternity.

In the book of Hebrews we read that one cannot come to God unless one believes that God is, and that he rewards those who diligently seek Him. Believing in God is not just recognition of His existence...it is realizing He is the Creator and is absolute in knowledge, truth and power. Therefore, we are dependent upon Him for life and for everything which we have been given. He also invites us into his presence because he loves each and every one of us beyond our reason and understanding. When we pray we have the assurance that God always answers our prayers. This does not mean he answers them according to our will or wisdom; but, according tho His. He alone is absolute in knowledge and wisdom. He alone knows the things which are best for us. Let us continue to "pray without ceasing" and acknowledge the great I am.

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

- Isaiah 40:28 KJV

The message of the Bible is that the story is not about "us". The revelation is that it is about Him. Without the revelation we would have no clue. It starts at "In the beginning....." and it ends with this passage:

¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." ¹⁴ Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and every one who loves and practices falsehood. ¹⁶ "I Jesus have sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star." ¹⁷ The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let him who hears say, "Come." And let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the water of life without price. ¹⁸ I warn every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, ¹⁹ and if any one takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. ²⁰ He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! ²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.

In the end we understand that we cannot comprehend it all. It is a story about Paradise lost and Paradise restored. The one who saves us and gives us life forfeited His own as a ransom for many. The only way we come into contact with this new life is to be born again by water and by spirit in faith. This is a serious topic. Eternity is a long time to be wrong about what is important in life. Our God is just and full of grace and mercy. In the end it is all up to Him. But, if anyone wants some insight, his Word is available for those who wish to discover for themselves what it says. The narrow road is the one that is less well traveled; but, it offers life for those who wish to seek Him in spirit and in truth. The unexamined life is not worth the effort.

"Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land."

Hosea 4:1

The charge of the prophet Hosea against Israel sounds very familiar these days in our own culture and time. Biblical truth has diminished in our society over the past generation. There is no stigma associated with actions that the Bible calls "sin". While Jesus proclaimed that the "truth shall set you free" his revelation was that one had to live in accordance with the truth. This is contrasted to a society as in the days of Noah before the flood when evil ruled.

The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:5

Ephesians 6 tells us that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the " the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Our job is live in accordance with the truth, to show mercy and to be lights in a dark world that proclaims the truth of God's word. All of this is to be wrapped in love and fellowship within a spiritual community that embodies the power of God's Holy Spirit. Where do we find this? It is called the "church". If we want to be relevant and true to the proclamation of the Good News we need to do those things in each of lives that comports with good deeds and oppose evil.