The Spirit dwells among us and leads us night and day. If His is our will, too, we’ll rightly walk the way.
Those who believe in Yeshua (Jesus) are living temples of the Spirit of God who dwells among us (1 Corinthians 3:16). I learned from Yehoshua B. Gordon’s fifth portion of Pekudei that our being the tabernacle (tent, residence, dwelling place, mishkan) of the Spirit of God is also mentioned by Hebraic Sages.
The Pekudei readings cover the last portion of Exodus ending with Moses setting up the tabernacle on the first day of the first month (Nisan 1, the Biblical New Year) of the second year after leaving Egypt. Then the glory of the Lord dwelt in it.
With freeze and thaw of wintry woes some fear the still-life’s gonna die. Why spin the news so fast that I can see the lies beneath fresh snows?
There is the Lamb that heaven shows, the One who can unseal the book. The losing side will try to hook the world with sorrows. Persevere. The sea of glass and fire comes here with victory and praising. Look!
Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “hook” to be used in a C-line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s challenge. Eugenia offers the theme “still-life” as her prompt this week. A commentary on Revelation by Michael Rood was on my mind especially verse 15:2 which he kept referring to.
Zaccheus claimed that the scribes and sinners – err, Pharisees – were better at fleecing the sheep than the average tax collector. He loved ticking people off so much that Yehováh wondered if He would ultimately have to scratch Zaccheus’ name out of the Book of Life.
To get a better view of Yeshua, Zaccheus climbed a tree. To get a better view of Zaccheus, Yeshua told him to get out of that tree so He could stay at his house.
When Zaccheus did, Yehováh was pleased. He watched His Son walk side by side with a tax collector, of all people, both of whom were ticking everyone of self-importance off along the way.
Elimelech, his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, went to Moab to escape the famine in Bethlehem. There Mahlon married Ruth (Ruth 4:10) and Chilion married Orpah. There also Elimelech died as well as his sons Mahlon and Chilion. Naomi told her daughters-in-law to stay with their families in Moab, but Ruth would not leave her.
16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
Ruth went with Naomi back to Bethlehem. She gleaned in the fields of Boaz, a kinsman of Naomi’s husband Elimelech (Ruth 2:1). He married Ruth and she bore Obed, an heir for Mahlon, the son of Elimelech. After Obed came Jesse the father of David in whose line was born Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus) of a virgin named Miriam (Mary) (Matthew 1).
17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
The care they take is on display as swallows from the rafters swoop. From nest to ground they make a loop to feed their young throughout the day.
Can evolution show a way that’s plausible when all I see is nature mocking endlessly? Chance has no chance to make sense here. There’s much to doubt. They no doubt fear we’ve lost our gullibility.
Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “swoop” to be used in a B-line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s challenge.
The painted wall was old with an open knot hole letting those passing by peek through should any care, but in this mundane setting no one bothered. All that was on the other side was the mystery of another family’s sense of home.
Was it Bert’s family where bankruptcy and divorce left the remaining member, Bert, wondering how to get even, wondering why, wondering and then resting from wondering? Was it Clara’s family whose husband was buried last month wondering when it would be her turn and wondering how she would be able to get by on her own until then?
Was it Bill’s family where Bill suggested repentance and reconciliation for Bert as Bill’s wife stopped by to see Clara to let her know she was not alone? Was it some other family of lovers and beloved perhaps even your own?
Denise offers the word “mundane” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories. Eugenia offers “lovers” as the theme for her prompt this week.
Dale offers the theme “when the wind blows” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge. These photos were taken some years ago. The evidence that the days in the photos were windy are in those parasails and the waves.
Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian slave, was the one who told us our God is the God who sees (Genesis 16). That may not seem like much, but the blind idols we construct to imitate God have no interest in us.
Those who think they can get by on their own might prefer blind gods, but it doesn’t matter what any of us prefer. All we have, given our experiences of bliss or despair in this wonderful universe, is whether we will choose to serve God or not. Those who are blessed to realize that they can’t get by on their own yearn for Him with repentance, praise and thanksgiving.
God sees you. God sees me. God sees.
I am grateful to Kathie Lee Gifford and Nicole C. Mullen whose oratorio The God Who Sees presented Hagar and to revivedwriter whose poemCall Me Hagar brought Hagar to mind.
Weekly Parashah Readings Parashah: Vayachel 25 Adar, 5782 – February 26, 2022 Torah:Exodus 35:1-38:20 Haftarah:Kings II 11:17 – 12:17 Brit Chadashah:2 Corinthians 9:6-11; 3:7-18 Resources:Chabad, Hebrew4Christians,Weekly Torah Readings, Calendar
Constricting envy cannot rest. It meditates throughout the night, turns dark the dawn of morning light. Our lungs can’t breathe. We’re python pressed.
We’d much prefer to be caressed without this dust. We don’t need more of what they’ve got. We’re looking for a way to make the python go, stop scheming, squeezing, wanting so. The Spirit breathes. We see the door.
Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “rest” to be used in a A-line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s challenge. Eugenia offers “envy” as the prompt for her challenge this week.
Poetry, Short Prose and Walking 