My mug is overflowing with Door County Red Velvet Mocha Coffee and my heart is filled with joy.
The sun is shining and the air is cool and crisp. One last fire this spring morning to warm up both man and beast.
April Fools Day. Now there's a subject for a devotional/blog. Let's look at the origin.
The custom of setting aside a day for the playing of harmless pranks upon one's neighbor is recognized everywhere. Some precursors of April Fools' Day include the Roman festival of Hilaria
Bertha R. McDonald, in Harper's Weekly explicated an origin of April Fools' Day, stating that some "authorities gravely back with it to the time of Noah and the ark, and the London Public Advertiser of March 13, 1769, prints the following paragraph concerning this theory: 'The mistake of Noah sending the dove out of the ark before the water had abated, on the first day of April, and to perpetuate the memory of this deliverance it was thought proper, whoever forgot so remarkable a circumstance, to punish them by sending them upon some sleeveless errand similar to that ineffectual message upon which the bird was sent by the patriarch'."
We see that we have devoted one day where millions of people will spend some time and possibly money to play pranks on one another. I am all about a good joke now and then but to devote a day to it seems a bit absurd. What if we had a day in the world where all bloodshed stopped and everyone was at peace? Think of the some of the possibilities! More babies would live, there would be no tears in the streets. People wouldn't be afraid to venture into an arena or neighborhood. Kids could play without being bullied. Women would not be beaten. Some might share food and comfort to others.
You are saying to yourself. "This man is a dreamer. He is a fool". I truly am a dreamer, but this is a dream I know will come true. If we pulled it off for one day, maybe it would become contagious. As a dreamer this seems possible. As a realist it is the "Impossible Dream". But to God it is a promise. Some day it will happen. Jesus will come and rule the world. It is a promise. And it won't be for just one day.
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them… 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:1-9)
The believer in Christ has a physical hope – death defeated, wars vanquished, disease abolished, nature itself brought to peace and prosperity:
6 And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. 7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. 9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. (Isaiah 25:6-9)
As the famous Mr. T would say. "Who you calling a fool, fool?
Have a great day,
Marty
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