Earth Is Crammed With Heaven-Live Barefoot!

In this grief journey the LORD has been speaking to me a great deal of His daily provision. The most memorable lesson at the moment has been the connection of the word " broken " from Psalm 34:18 "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted" to the Genesis narrative surrounding the seven years of plenty with the seven years of famine.  I wrote a few days ago : *broken in Hebrew is the word שָׁבַר shabar — "to break, shatter, burst" but this same word is used in the Genesis narrative surrounding the 7 years of plenty followed by the 7 years of famine. It's used whenever Jacob sends his sons to buy grain. This points us to the theological doctrine preached by Jesus in John 12:24 that breaking is a part of the multiplying, being fruitful, process. AND that brokenness draws us near to God because it brings us back to Him for His sustenance. With each first breath of the day, I acknowledge my dependence on Him to get through all of what threatens to deplete me. ...

Today my prayer journaling took me to Isaiah 43 and as is always my form of study has me looking into the original language and definitions.  Isaiah 43 :10 &12 the Lord says to Israel "You are my witnesses." In Hebrew thought a word's first occurrence carries that idea forward throughout the rest of Scripture. The first time we see the word for "witness" is in Gen 31:44 Jacob and Laban at Gilead: "Come now, let us cut a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness ('ed*) between me and you."* They erect a heap of stones — Gal'ed — and Jacob says (31:52), "This heap is a witness."  This made me immediately think of Jesus at the triumphal entry whenever we read in Luke 19 "But some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!” “I tell you,” He answered, “if they remain silent, the very stones will cry out.” And now you might have a deeper understanding of how it was these men faced persecution an...

 "In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul." Psalm 94:19 ERV "When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul." Psalm 94:19 ESV In the wake of Patrick's death, I've told Jared I feel like I have Niagara Falls inside of me and all the talking in the world can't let out all that's trapped inside. The memories, the ache I can't find words for, the questions of wondering which was the first misstep that led us here. How long, LORD? How long until I can be reunited? What now, LORD? Why are hearts so stubborn and hard? Why do the thorns, the barbs, like briars keep us trapped in old patterns? Why my son? What didn't he get to survive? In Hebrew the word translated as "multitude" is rob (רֹב). It's first used in Genesis 16:10 when the LORD tells Abraham his offspring will be too many to count . Accurate. The thoughts, the questions, the quick succession of emotions and memories that r...

  Abstract This article argues that the Book of Ruth intentionally echoes the ritual logic and symbolic vocabulary of the Sotah ordeal in Numbers 5. Through motifs of straying, bitterness, barrenness, testing, and public vindication, Naomi’s narrative functions as a literary transformation of the Sotah pattern. The move to Moab becomes a narrative analogue to satah (“to go astray”), Naomi’s self‑designation as Mara (“bitter”) parallels the “bitter water” of the ordeal, and the birth of Obed functions as a communal declaration of innocence and restored fertility. This intertextual reading illuminates the theological architecture of Ruth and reframes Naomi’s suffering as a ritual‑shaped journey from suspected deviation to covenantal restoration. 1. Introduction The Book of Ruth is often read as a pastoral narrative of loyalty and redemption. Yet beneath its gentle surface lies a sophisticated engagement with Israel’s legal and ritual traditions. This study proposes that Ruth delibe...