This was my verse of the day.
"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." -Romans 12:12
It landed on my soul like manna in the desert. That 40 years held a lot about learning to be content in your circumstances. The desert years were about learning trust, obedience, and patience. I, like the Israelites, often flunk the patience test. Never fear. There is always a "retake" test so that we can grow.
In the morning worship we are currently studying Acts. That is a book I need to spend more time reading. It scared me as a kid. All I saw were the beatings and the hate for those who claimed victory through Jesus. I feared, as a child, that I could not withstand something so hard.
As an adult, I see the miracles and the power of the Holy Spirit moving in every chapter. I see the community that insured those who were in prison, hungry, orphaned, or widowed were never alone. There was always enough. Perhaps not ample and plentiful, but there was enough. When the huge, heavy temple curtain ripped from the top down... think about that... everything changed. God's Spirit set free!
"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split." -Matthew 27:50-51a
We get "to be" in the presence of the Almighty God. Not just knowing he is omnipotent and omnipresent, but experiencing the daily ordinary walk with Him, or simply being in His presence. Remember when Moses asked God his name, so that he would be able to tell the Pharaoh (his Grandpa by adoption) who sent him? God replied, "Tell them "I AM" sent you. I AM is part of the "be" verbs. They are the first conjunctions we learn in any new language we are seeking to learn.
The great "I AM" is living, moving, and present. Not past tense, but fully present. We get to celebrate in hope. We learn patience waiting on His direction. We can talk to Him constantly and he inhabits it. He left His Holy Spirit, so we would never BE alone.
Hard times, bad days, and troubles are real. We are not exempt, but He never leaves or forsakes His children.
Today, I am grateful for reminders "to be."
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