Matthew 18:2-3
2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
A song for you that reminds me of the poem The Hound of Heaven, “running after me.”
Bethel Music••• The Goodness of God
If you are struggling with life as it currently is rolling out, feel free to join me as a “madman,” and learn how not to worry. It is in the synoptic gospels seven times in NKJV as “do not worry.” It is in the above Ezekiel 42 passage. And it is in the book below you might want to consider. The link is in case you wanted to buy it. But don’t be in a big hurry. It comes from Israel and may take a month to arrive.
I have encouraged many friends and family members to read this book. It is worded from an orthodox Jewish perspective so there are terms you may have to learn, such as “the heavenly courts,” but know that they are well-founded terms, just perhaps new to teaching for you. Emuna is explained in the book, and I can only say it is best translated in current English Scriptures as Faith, deep, abiding trust in the One who is in control. In Luke 12 and Matthew 10 there are brief passages about having “No Fear.”
As Ezekiel notes, everything is happening “according to plan;” God is in control and there is not one thing our fretting can change, but make our own life and the lives of our loved ones miserable.
Oh, my goodness! I guess I didn’t spell out completely – משפט is the justice, the judgment of God. But also if you look at the root שמה, it is HaShem in a different order, The Name (יהוה), and the family of words for טפ – all of those roots speak to God’s definition of “good,” which does not fit with our definition of good. God likes us tottering a bit, not so self-assured, off balance. We like everything “just so.” God wants us to consider God in all our steps, and wants us to consider him in all we do. The flow is to be from within.
What? Me worry? Good old Alfred E.
I feel certain my unusual juxtapositions will offend some. Maybe I will touch a nerve that needs to be touched.
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