January 21: In the Desert…

Affirmation: I am connected to God, myself and others.
~~~~~~~
Ponder, Personalize and Practice:Jot this verse down in your journal, on a note card or sticky note. Remind yourself as you go through the day about what wisdom from God looks like. Be deliberate about what wisdom you are looking for and listening to.
”But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.“‭‭James‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬https://bible.com/bible/116/jas.3.17.NLT
~~~~~~~
Praying the Message of Jesus: A Year of Thoughts and Prayers
by Eugene Peterson

                       Jan 21


In the Desert ... Preaching

While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called "the Baptizer," was preaching in the desert country of Judea. His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here." John and his message were authorized by Isaiah's prophecy: "Thunder in the desert! Prepare for God's arrival! Make the road smooth and straight!" 

MATTHEW 3:1-3 

The ancient Judean desert was the site ofJohn's Messiah-readiness preach­ing. Everything is stark in the desert: the life-and-death contrasts, the vividness of minute details, the absence of the superfluous, the emptiness. "Shall we never permit our hands to be empty so we may grasp what only empty hands can grasp?"


What does "at hand" mean? 


In this moment of silence and emptiness, 0 God, I wait and listen. Purge my spirit of sloth and train it in alert, messianic expectation. "In the deserts of the heart let the healing fountains start." Amen. 

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