Matthew 5:7 Blessed are those who have empathy.

Proverbs 11:17 

The merciful man does good for his own soul,

But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.

The violence that has permeated our nation has got to stop. It is a sad legacy that we are leaving for our children,  their children and generations to come. Violence is against everything that Jesus taught. Carla

Matthew 5:7-10 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

God rewards those who imitate His goodness and mercy. This beatitude has the same emphasis as the others: God’s kingdom is breaking in upon the world. When it does, God will show mercy to those who have been merciful to others. Faithlife Study Bible

The Beatitudes are comprised of three elements: a pronouncement of blessing, a quality of life, and a reason why the recipient should be considered blessed. The first element is found in the word Blessed (Psalm 1:1), which introduces each beatitude. The second element does not describe different groups of people, but a composite picture of the kind of person who will inherit Christ’s kingdom. The third element looks ahead to some aspect of the coming kingdom. The NKJV Study Bible

Matthew 18:33–35 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him…

Matthew 6:14–15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Psalm 41:1 

Blessed is he who considers the poor;

The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble

Love your neighbor. Serve others. Welcome the stranger. Care for the sick. Feed the hungry. Be a peacemaker.

You Matter.

“I can think of nothing more prophetic than to preach the gospel of Jesus. Nothing more radical, more countercultural, than to nurture and promote the values of the Spirit—love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness as well as self-control—in little ways and great.” (Cyprian Consiglio, Epiphanies)

Yes, the task to promote love and kindness can feel ominous. Which is why I love Clarissa Pinkola Estes' wisdom, "Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely." “SabbathMoments”

In Exodus 13:21-22, pillars of cloud and fire were powerful symbols of God's tangible presence as He guided the Israelites out of Egypt, protecting them from their enemies. Once the tabernacle, the Israelites' place of worship, was completed, a thick cloud also descended on the tent of meeting and signified the glory of the Lord residing with His people (Exodus 40:34-35).

Yet in time, God did even more than descend in a cloud: He wrapped Himself in human flesh and came to earth through Jesus to dwell among us (John 1:14). Today, through our faith in His finished work on the cross, we can also celebrate His Spirit dwelling in us (1 Corinthians 3:16)!

Even in the shadows of our wilderness, His nearness is discernible. And we can have complete confidence that one day we will dwell with Him forever (John 14:1-3). First5