Psalm 27:1-6 | Genesis 46:28-47:31 | Matthew 16:21-28
Do not fear or be dismayed! Joshua 8:1
Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living one.
Revelation 1:17-18
Father God, when disappointment arises and fear is all we can see ahead
of us, let us hold on to our Sa-vior, the Alpha and the Omega, the one
who lives forever and ever. Amen.
Good Shepherd! 
Matthew 16:25 . . . “whoever loses their life for me will find it”. Ponderous – there is so much meaning in so few words. I think of life in population versus life in seclusion. Then I think of Jesus life in population and seclusion. In briefly researching a life of seclusion, the example of God’s people wandering in the desert forty years was meant to bring about change of heart, or perhaps searching for God’s heart. Losing our life, then, may be brought about by searching for God’s heart in private, then acting on His intentions as revealed in private, within population. Acting with God’s hand on our lives may or may not change the direction of our lives, but is fully realized in the small communication exchanges that occur every day.