Good News - Day 72 Month 3-13 Week 11-2

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year)


Leviticus 12 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2012&version=NASB1995

Psalm 60 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2060&version=NASB1995

Isaiah 52 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2052&version=NASB1995

Mark 14:32-52 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2014%3A32-52&version=NASB1995


Good News


Think of a time when someone brought you good news.  We lived in a beautiful home in Hamilton Ontario.  Unfortunately that home was too expensive for us to be able to retire.  The property taxes alone would have been difficult to pay in retirement.  As long as I was working, we could carry it.  Towards the end of the pandemic, our friend and former neighbour Jess, called.  Jess was a real estate agent.  Without any sales pressure, she matter of factly said, “If by chance you are considering selling in the near future, now is the time.”  She elaborated that she was seeing high prices in the market place that were very unrealistically high and she felt the market was going to have a sudden correction and we would not see those kinds of prices for a very long time.  Sylvia and I considered it for a short while and we realized if we got the kind of money she was suggesting, I could retire early and we could achieve our goal of retiring in Nova Scotia.  Within a couple of weeks, the house was ready and we put it on the market.  In 4 days we had multiple people through our house and Jess called us to let us know we had 3 offers.  When she came to our home to present the offers, we both noticed she was carrying a bottle of wine.  Wine was not unusual for Jess because we had shared wine with her and her partner in the past.  She had brought us good news.  One of the offers she brought us was more than 2 times the price we had purchased the house for, 4 years earlier.  It’s interesting that homes in that area right now are selling at 35% less than what we sold our house for that day.


In Isaiah 52 we hear a poetic statement about good news.  “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, and says to Zion, “Your God reigns!””


Today, I’d say we could use some good news.  There are major wars and political unrest throughout the world.  We have some of the worlds’ greatest powers exerting what they see as authority to dictate how the world should work.  In local politics we see others trying to dictate how life should be and how money should be spent.  Here’s the thing!  I have bad news for all of them.  Those great powers only exist because God is allowing them to exist.  The local politicians only have their power because God is allowing them to have the power.  God placed the world in the hands of man but that is only for a time.  There is a course correction coming.  


The poetic statement from Isaiah to Israel towards the end of their exile is reminding them that “Your God reigns!”  However, what was true for them is also true for us today.  For those who worship the LORD, we need to remember that “Our God Reigns!!!!”  All of the turmoil of this current world is but a small blip in God’s radar.


Just like Jesus said to Peter in Mark 14:37,38 “Simon, are you asleep?  Could you not keep watch for one hour?  Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation;  the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  We need to keep watching and praying.  Good news is coming!  


The request for today?  Come, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20)


Once again, the invitation is open to you.  If you would like to know Jesus and follow him, I’d be thrilled to talk to you.  Eternity is free, Jesus is calling.  I’ll simply warn you, that life will not necessarily be easier and to some there is a great cost.  Your direction and motivation in life will be different and your reward will far outweigh the cost.


Have a great day!

Steve

steve.d.pauls@gmail.com


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