We live in a strange day. Freedom seekers and protectors are portrayed and persecuted as human rights violators. A nation violates freedom while a president watches it’s baseball game. I know it’s not new, it’s all been beneath the sun before, but it’s here now, in our day. Our strange day, our call to preparedness and being a city on a hill, a light not hidden.

It could seem hopeless.
But I hope instead we’ll see the real spiritual hunger being produced by these things. The news can seem overwhelming, but I hope instead we’ll see with new eyes today the love that is never-ending. We are perfectly placed in our spheres of influence to be light in dark times. Our prayers and songs in the night are strong and effective. While good is called evil and evil good, let’s let truth dwell richly within us.

We have a LOT of reason to take confidence in God

Paul prayed:

…that according to the riches of (God’s) glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Messiah that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:16-19)

What does it mean to be rooted and grounded in love? He (Paul) spent a lot of time, a lot of writing, to be sure we can see this love that we, as non-Jews, have entered into is firmly based on His love for His people Israel. Romans 11:28 speaks of our family in this way, “…they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.”

In other words, this is an everlasting love, not based on how we perform but on whose we are. We are a branch grafted into the family tree, to quote Paul. Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) came and “linked” the way to joining the family.

In knowing we are beloved we will be grounded and rooted and able to offer love too. It is first in their story, the Jews, that we see God use the weak things of the earth, to display His glory and power over and over again. Today, our Jewish family specifically, still has many enemies and needs our willingness, our prayers. This is a very practical way that we can be rooted and grounded today. In drawing near to God’s heart, even to the difficult places, our own hearts expand.

We’re passionate about this idea repeated throughout the Bible: we all fall short, lack and have been dead in our sins, but He still comes and calls us Beloved. His power and purposes are shown through the weak and through the darkest and strangest of times. The truth that He has kept His covenant, heart and promises to the Jewish people, admittedly not perfect in God’s ways, can and should give us confidence and great hope.

Not because we are perfect, but because we are beloved, because He has given us Mercy and adopted us into the family. Let’s come boldly to His throne of grace today.

My Invitation To You
For the next few months I plan to share a weekly series exploring The Place Called, Prayer.
I have two options for you to join me in this. Check the boxes that suit you below:

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Grateful to be in the family with you today,
Raynna

Out of a love born from the Scriptures, my husband Jay and I, have designed a necklace we call The Beloved Pendant. Our hope is for it to be worn, like The Martyrs’ Cross, as a call to prayer and lovingkindness toward those very dear to God’s heart. Learn more here. 

The Martyrs’ Cross is a prayer tool, that we WEAR around our necks to remember persecuted followers of Jesus, and their persecutors—around the world—in prayer and loving action. Some people call it jewelry, and that’s alright, but to us—it’s more. To us, it’s a WAY. The Martyrs’ Cross is a message we wear around our hearts and minds. Worn in over 26 nations, the message is clear: we will not forget.