Psalm 90:17...

There's an overwhelming amount of ugliness going on in the world right now.

This is the church's hour to shine like a light in the darkness,

to shine with the beauty of Christ.

But instead of remaining focused on the fact that our enemy is the one who came to steal, kill, and destroy,

 the father of lies himself,

we get distracted by nitpicking among ourselves.

We bite and devour one another,

while the enemy goes merrily along his path of destruction,

laughing at our foolishness.

Why don't we link arms and come into agreement about who the real enemy is?

It's not our brothers or sisters in Christ,

even though they may not agree with us about everything

or see things the same way we do.

Our enemy is the one who salivates with delight when children are beaten and beheaded.

He is giddy with glee when he ignites hatred and animosity between black and white,

male and female, rich and poor, baptist and pentecostal.

He delights when depression robs a soul of every last flicker of hope,

and rejoices when they choose the path of self destruction.

He loves it when cancer, or aids, or ebola takes another life,

and smiles as innocence is snatched away from another child.

He inspires oppression and builds walls to try to keep the Word of God in check,

then rages when the Word cannot be bound.

So, he slithers and he separates and he spreads his slimy slander.

Then we focus on the specks in others' eyes,

swinging weapons at each other,

 blinding others with our blundering,

while our foe walks on unfettered.

These things ought not to be.

God, help us to be captivated by Your beauty

until we reflect that beauty ourselves.

Help us to shine bright with Your beauty in every tweet,

every post, every comment, every word.

Help us to speak truth uncompromisingly but seasoned with grace.

Help us to learn to handle conflict with compassion.

When confrontation is necessary help us to do so in humility.

You, O God, are the Only God of all the gods of this earth,

Who loves,

Who Self sacrifices,

Who is transcendent above all others and all creation,

yet bows low to pick up the weak and the weary and the wounded.

Make us more like You, Father God.

Let Your beauty be seen upon us.

In the Name of Your beautiful Son, Jesus.

Amen

still following,

Also happily linking up with the lovely Lisha Epperson.