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Cathedral Caverns, June 26, 2012

A Scripture about Peace

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on You,
because he trusts in You.
In 1875, Edward H. Bickersteth, Jr., was on vacation.  He heard a sermon based on the verse Isaiah 26:3.  That very afternoon he visited a dying relative and read the Scripture to him.  He then composed the words to the following hymn and read them to his relative, perhaps the last words that the dying man heard.

May we all keep our minds "stayed" on God our Father and trust in Him each day to our last breath.

Peace, Perfect Peace

Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?
The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.


Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed?
To do the will of Jesus, this is rest.


Peace, perfect peace, with sorrow surging round?
In Jesus's presence nought but calm is found.


Peace, perfect peace, with loved ones far away?
In Jesus's keeping we are safe, and they.


Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown?
Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.


Peace, perfect peace, death shadowing us and ours?
Jesus has vanquished death and all its powers


It is enough: earth's struggles soon shall cease,
and Jesus call us to heaven's perfect peace.

Day 11: A Scripture about Family/Friends

^{Okay, I think I have chosen a rather strange odd passage to fulfill this prompt.  I have pondered what to choose for several days -- maybe someone noticed I haven't posted in awhile!  : )    This one struck me.  These verses come up in a conversation between Jesus and His followers about the temple and the prophecy that it would be destroyed.}



So here goes:


^{Luke 21:16-19
16} But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, ¹⁷ and you will be hated by all because of My name. ¹⁸ Yet not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹ By your endurance you will gain your lives.

Wow!  Hear those words of Jesus to His disciples.  He was not promising them a rose garden.  On the contrary, He tells them that the people who had loved them the most in their lives up to this point are going to turn against them, are going to hate them.  Some of them will die at the hands of their family members or friends!  (Now -- someone explain to me verse 18!  On the surface, it seems to contradict what Jesus has just said.  It must mean that they will gain salvation as in "to die is gain.")

But if I had been standing there, listening, I wonder what my reaction would be.

And I think today of the followers of Christ in Egypt who are suffering this week because of their beliefs.

If you find my thoughts about this scripture to be a little disjointed -- so do I!!  : )

Day 10: A scripture that makes you smile

Luke 15:17-24

17  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!   18  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19  And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

20  And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

21  And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

22  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:  23  And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:   24  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

As I contemplated which scriptures make me smile, I realized that I don't smile at too many passages!! 

But I have chosen this section of the story of the prodigal son.  And the smile comes in the sentence written in bold, in verse 20.  This wonderful picture of reunion and thanksgiving, of love and forgiveness -- who of us cannot smile at it? 

Those of us who are parents of teenagers and/or adults know what it is like to be watching and waiting for our children to make right choices.  I believe this is true for the lucky parents whose kids don't make any or many bad choices as well as the parents who have had greater struggles with their kids.  We get to a place in our lives when we do not have control of what they do.  We hope that we have taught the lessons that they needed and that they have learned them and incorporated them into their own lives.  And we have to figuratively stand back in what feels like "a great way off."   And we are ready, open-armed, to forgive any and all wrongs done.

And which of us has not been the prodigal son?  Only those of us who have been prodigal daughters!  When we have "come to ourselves,"  and see our sin, when we repent and obey, we can know that our loving Father has seen us from afar and has prepared a banquet for us.  The angels rejoice.  And we can "be merry."  And that makes me smile.