JANUARY 27, 2020

Having just returned from a week in London and a long eleven-hour flight,

early this morning my body struggled to get out of bed. However, my spirit was active with the sad news that Kobe, the Black Mamba and his daughter had passed on.

As lay in my bed, an image of a cell phone flashed across my mind, with the message, “talk to me” and a simultaneous voice in my head saying, “come to your secret place, be intimate with me and read my word”.

The first word I read was ‘ivri” which is the Hebrew word whose meaning is to “transverse” or “to pass over”. It helped me realize that Kobe had just left this world and passed over to a better place. As I watched the many tributes to Kobe on TV last night, I recalled one video clip where he made the sign of the cross and pointed up to where he lives today.

My key messages in this morning readings were: 

1-In this world we are slaves to many persons and things. 

2-We have a fullness only in Christ and through his power and grace 

3-We also can point up and see God’s plan for our salvation.

I was born a slave with sin in my heart

A slave to many persons and things

Yet You created me to be connected with you alone

You designed my life to be bigger than my desires and goals

Carefully built with a plan for my life crafted by you

A wonderful, heart-satisfying, life-changing, hope filled plan

Help me overcome my wandering eyes and often disloyal heart

May your grace protect the life you have planned for me

May I live in the fullness of Christ

The righteousness of His life

His victory over death

His resurrection and triumph of ascension

Your pardoning grace and in comfort with my afflictions

Your guidance with prosperity and wisdom

Your promises to meet all my needs’

You call us to “ask big” in order to “receive big”

Thank you for my salvation that comes from your Spirit and Power

May I also point up and see your glory and my future home