Psalm 74:16 The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon.

While the sun shines, everything casts a shadow. The hotter the sun, the blacker the shadow. The shadow may vary in size and hue and whereabouts. But inevitably it will be there.

Men are like that too. When they are in the light of God they cast shadows that follow them around. Some small ones, some big ones. A shadow is a place, where the light is blocked out because some object comes inbetween the sun and the ground.

Man's ego can very easily cast such a shadow on his neighbors. Where because of his size the next will stand in the dark. There are people, who make huge shadows in which nearly nothing grows. There are others who make tiny shadows and some even reflect the light to give it to others.

Instead of drinking up all available strength, they reflect it for others to grow. To flourish. Maybe the seem to just a shadow themselves, for they have become like a fleeting shadow themselves for fear to block the light in someone elses life.

May God be praised for all true light is his.

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

It is a terrible condition man is in. It is terrible, what man will do to man. It is terrible, what we are capable of in the bad sense of the word. One man killing so many. Terrible. There seems to be no comfort, no words to be found. No way to express the feelings stuffed up.

And there is greater danger. Danger is in scorn, in anger, in judgement. Who will comfort us then? Who can we look up to then? 

Maybe we should be thankful instead. Thankful this doesn't happen more often. Thankful to know there is a peaceful place waiting for the faithful. Thankful to be kept out of touch with what festers in the soul.  Thankful to be in the hand of a God, who has the all rights on our lives. Even to take them as he pleases. The comfort lies in humbly bowing to God.

I so wish I could give thoughts of comfort, figuring my own horror if it was my friend or son, hurt or killed. Please bow with me in prayer. Let this not be a temptation to sin on our part. Please. Resist the temptation to hurl all your anger, hurt, brokenness on this one act of open lostness. Pray. I will pray too.

1 Corinthians 8:3 But whoever loves God is known by God.

Sometimes I feel like that. Shattered. Floating, falling. But I know, God knows me, he sees me and he holds me in his hand. I can never fall out of it. That is quite a comfort. But quite terrifying as well. For He who sees all, knows all, having a hold on my tiny bit of being is frightening. Like contact with powerful people often is. Why would he do that? Hold me? And what for? Will that potter make me a thing I can agree with? Not that he has to... .

So God created mankind.... Gen. 1:27

So God created mankind.... Gen. 1:27

I created this picture using a program new to me. So this is the first very basic image, my first creation of a "man". In case you wonder, the head is towards the sky, the highest part is an arm. Or should be.
Of course, God is almighty, but did he think on how to do this? I wondered while trying so hard and yet failing again and again. Would God love to try and find new forms and give them new names? Enjoying his creation, knowing it is perfect for what it is at that point?
Is that a very disrespectful train of thought? It is not to me, I assure you.

On the other hand this picture reminds me of the fall. When man fell, he didn't even know what falling was and when he found out, it was unpleasant, it was too late. Many good things get lost that way. Falling is a very nasty feeling. At least if there is no parachute to stop the fall. How many things we do, whose consequences we cannot understand, maybe until it is way too late?

And - another shocking thought - after God had created man, even though he knew all that would be, was it hard on him when man turned his back and said: I don't want you, I don't need you? That temptation is so typically mankind. So God created mankind.... Gen. 1:27

 Do you think he ever regretted having done so? It cost him a high price. Do you ever regret something, whose consequences were a deep fall?

Proverbs 20:15 Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.

Jewels are talked about in two ways mainly in the bible: The one is very positive, where the bride will adorn herself with jewels to please her bridegroom. 


The other is more sinister:They will also strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry. Ezekiel spoke that to the people of Israel after it had abandonned the Lord. He predicted complete ruin for those, who had found grace but rejected it.


Many have lusted for fine jewels, for possessions, for gold. They made riches their idol and paid a high price for it. Riches again have mainly two meanings: The (by Jesus despised) riches of this world, and the riches of God's world. Of his kingdom. 


How many today have found jewels of wisdom? Or spend a lot of time searching for the jewels knowledge, for the riches of God? Or have so many, that they are able to give away some?


I think it is, what makes someone like Indiana Jones so popular. We all crave riches. But there is little time. Just whose? Which ones are you searching for? Which ones seem more desirable to you? 

Song of Songs 4:16 Awake, north wind. Come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread everywhere.

 My garden has often helped me remember God's word. I made this a preface to one of the little videos I make. I am quite proud of it. (This is the avatar of my farm, Mara's Prayer Garden. Come and visit sometime.)

 And I wish I was much like the garden, Solomon is talking of. Have the sweet scent of God's presence be all about. Blown by the Spirit of God. I never know whether I truly make it thus far, but I keep working as much as I keep working my virtual farm to make it a nice place.

May the sweet scent of God's presence be with you always.

Lamentations 3:5 He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.

3 ^[a]I am the man who has seen affliction 
    by the rod of the Lord’s wrath. 
² He has driven me away and made me walk
    in darkness rather than light;
³ indeed, he has turned his hand against me 
    again and again, all day long.

⁴ He has made my skin and my flesh grow old
    and has broken my bones. 
⁵ He has besieged me and surrounded me
    with bitterness and hardship.

Jeremiah complains bitterly to the Lord. Everything seems to be so wrong. If he is a righteous man, why is everybody trying to make him fall?

I have wondered when in pain: Where is God? Why would he let that happen. Sometimes it is my pain, sometimes somebody elses pain. Is God watching me, us, fall, fail, cry, die?

Jeremiah thinks so. He thinks it is God who is sending those things to teach him a lesson. Like Paul said much later: I am the clay in the potters hand. Who am I to complain or even to judge? 

The clay needs to be prepared. It needs to be beaten and kneaded to be useful.

So do we. We need the pain to come back from our sinful ways. To cry out to the Lord.