WEDNESDAY, August 31

The Word of God is applicable today as It was in the beginning of creation. We feed on God's word, share It with others, and live our lives accordingly. Praise be to God for giving us His Word!

Actually, Solomon was glorifying God when the Queen of Sheba visited. His riches were attributed to the God of Israel. His wisdom was a gift from God. It was not until later, that Solomon displeased God,falling short of God's commands (sin) and intentionally disobeyed God (iniquity) (specifically in his marrying of women of other nations resulting in idol worship).

It is important to get the truth of the Word, including the ordering of knowledge such that Wisdom is found.

Sharon, to quote Jesus, "What is truth?" And are you sure that your interpretation of God's word is the truth, and that the meditation writer's was not?

Words convey all of our human emotions. This meditation shows me that the absence of words can open a path for God. In particular with dealing with powerful people.

I remember when I first learned that people have less power over you if you do not respond. I was able to ride over the hurts and derision.

I was at the drugstore last evening and there was a man waiting for a prescription. I could feel his annoyance with the staff at the counter. When they asked who was next I told them this gentleman. When asked if there were any questtions he kept asking questions and then rolled his eyes to me as if to say "they aren't worthy to wait on me." I shifted my eyes away from his glance and stepped away from his anger.

I learned today that Jesus wordless response opened the doors for God to come and the phrophesy continue.

Words are powerful, silence is powerful.Words do not fully describe God , he is beyond words.

Psalm 19 is one of my favorites. As a physics teacher (and pastor) I love its proclamation that the "heavens are telling the glory of God." Then in the next breath it says "no speech is heard." In other words, the heavens are silent, yet their "voice goes out throughout the entire universe." I recently got into a short debate with a fellow pastor about evangelism and the "Great Commission." He claimed that the church had abandoned this commission because it put service before proclaiming the gospel. I've thought about this a great deal, from both sides of the coin. I believe that we need to speak truthfully (in love) about what we believe but we also need to listen, as one person commented above. Listening is as much a part of evangelism as speaking.

“As we reflect on the word of God in scripture, may the Word and Wisdom of God, the very presence of God, penetrate our hearts and lives.”
The August meditations have opened new doors to living each day in the presence of God. Every day the writer has given us new ways to hear the Word and to appreciate its historical context as well as its timelessness. Day after day I have copied the concluding sentence or paragraph into my journal so that I may always be reminded of the purity of what is written in today’s meditation’s final words. Thank you.

Disciples as TAUGHT will be academic (to a variance) about JESUS -our relationship with HIM -and Existence. He leads us to HIS reveal to John THE Baptizer "... to all Fulfillment " ; 300 minorprophecies and 60 major, -of TheCornerstone, Messiah, Prince of Peace, Immanuel .* ^^^
From g of Eden to Gethsemane, The "Parable of The Vineyard Owner" illustrated the foretold failure to accept The Cornerstone. Isaiah related the Obedient / Not obedient ratio (with a deviance in a dynamic-- how else could the 10% believers fill with The HOLY SPIRIT? INCLUSIVE with we "Parable of The Vineyard Workers" IN-HIS-NAME?
FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (OT: GOD'S SPIRIT-THE LOV SPIRIT-SPIRIT OF TRUTH + ) yielding The THEME of "FRUITFUL with THE WORD"; NOT 'FLESH IN OPPOSITION to The SPIRIT" (MARK 4; GA 5). PRE-Supposing the contrast with Abraham/Solomon/David. Before any specieshuman there was CREATORLOV(Gen;John1). The ROAD TO EMMAUS (Luke 24) is The TEACHERS ENLIGHTENMENT OF HIS "REDEMPTION" MISSION PRE-EARTH,
PRE-TIME . " It Is FINISHED " on/from The CROSS-tree AND HIS TEARS of JOY for the millions/BILLIONS Salv-Saved-REDEEMED. COMMUNIcation? If ALL LOV expressions within^^^without LOVERS(JESUS) were collected
" Earth's Libraries couldnot-wouldnot be adequate." We are "more Than Conquerors" --how much more than JESUSTrinity is speculation ( those who impersonate LOV are not conquerors ).

* ^^^ McDowell,Josh; _Evidence That Demands A Verdict_;vol 1;
esp ch 9;T Nelson Publishers...

Thanks for your comments and further reflections and for helping open up these scripture passages further. It was a challenge to write the original meditations, writing 210 words a day to be printed and uploaded and read by people I didn't know. Your comments have helped close the loop, and let me glimpse some of the readers out there. Keep on reading and praying and reflecting. I'm now at our Society of St Francis triennial chapter with representatives of both First and Third Orders gathered from around the world, meeting this year in New York.

Wishing you all God's peace and good.