"Through and Through"

"That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people." (Psalms 113:8)

 There is an obvious connection between those of us that are saved that are considered Gentiles, and those that are considered Jews. Why anyone would think that God has abandoned the Jewish people, it is totally and completely ridiculous to even think that; God never goes back on His word, it is not part of His character, nor can it be; He knows everything, way before it even happens, so why would He make a promise and then change His mind? It is impossible for it to happen, so we can take comfort in knowing that, that is the connection! As for the fires, as with any other disaster or circumstance, everything has a purpose, and God's purposes are always good! If we are going to trust Him and put all of our faith in His word, then that trust must continue through every circumstance and every disaster that comes along. It is in these times that we get to practice using our faith, that we get to actually see what our faith stands for, if we keep standing! I think Paul was trying to make that point, more than anything else, as he described putting of the "whole armor of God" in Ephesians 6:10-18, which he also mentions in Galatians. It is all about standing and being able to stand; to not get knocked down by circumstance and disaster, and to have what it takes to stand, even though you are in a condition that would otherwise knock you down and take away all of your strength...

"As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died. It doesn't matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God's peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God." (Galatians 6:14-16) NLT