God my Father, twice in The Chosen (Season 4 Episode 6, 1 hour mark; Season 5, I need to pin it down) Mary Magdalene is told by Jesus that she hurts inside "because you have been listening." I think I have been listening, too, and I hurt inside. (John also "listens" in Season 5; I will find that one also.)
In addition, as I listen to TLC on TBR, something said in commentary about the Scriptures of the day strikes my heart chords. I think that I am seeing more as I mature that Scripture is indeed timeless, and the times in which we are living are as evil as any of those evil times in the Bible.
*Evil kings got to reign in their evilness for many years.
*The discernment of the righteous people can be, and usually is, both obvious and subtle. This ambiguity makes it difficult at times to choose rightly and scares me about failing to discern Your ways and to choose them rightly in my life.
*The religious leaders in The Chosen, and Judas, and many of my own beloveds and acquaintances seem to be missing the point. How is that? How is it that I feel so confident that I am NOT missing the point? (Our recent teaching series at church is helping quite a bit with discerning the point, and yet the sneakiness of so-called good lies is convincing much of the time.)
*"The word of the LORD to ________ was fulfilled." The sometimes-future fulfillment of Your word is certain; the waiting for it is harder than I expected it to be.
*Tue's confession, or confrontation, to me last week took my breath away and at the same time seemed courageous and truth-filled. "Intent vs. impact." How is it that an "unbeliever" has so much wisdom? Is he an unbeliever in You or in the (possibly) false religion currently promoted by many who claim to be Your followers?
Prayer: Abba, my "yerno" is in not a little danger from the insane deportation policies of the current presidential administration. Your people are not strangers to such dangers; David comes to mind, and most of Your apostles died the deaths of martyrs. History itself is replete with examples of what we mere humans would consider Divine injustice, and we often blame You. (Today's news about flooding in Texas at the cost of many lives, including little girls from a Christian summer camp....)
But Jesus's example in Gethsemane inspires me to ask: If it is Your will, spare us all the trauma of having him detained and deported, please.
And heal his shoulder--although I wonder if it is serving a purpose right now.
I have a beagle begging right now. I love You,
