Author: SmoothStones

Follower of Jesus. Husband to Amy. Dad to Isaac, Philip and Gabriel. On the way in life, grateful, for the Light has come.

Free indeed

“So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table, and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived.” 2 Kings 25:29-30

Jehoiachin was one of the many kings of Judah. King Nebuchadnezzar had taken him, his family, and his nation captive in 567 AD. But about 38 years later, Nebuchadezzar’s son and successor, Evil-merodach, freed Jehoiachin from prison, and a daily provision was made for him by the king for the rest of his life. He was 64 years old.

And he was now “free.” Continue reading “Free indeed” →

Resting is trusting

“Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places.” Leviticus 23:3

Growing up surrounded by the dense woods and rolling cornfields of Knox County, Illinois, I learned to rest on the seventh day of our family’s week, Sunday.

The morning on this day, of course, was always all about going to church. This meant shining shoes the night before, baths, and ironing clean shirts. We were getting ready for the next day where, after the drive into town, my brothers and I would pour through the crowded church hallways of friends and neighbors to sit in not-so solemn rooms. If we were in the right spot, the sunlight would spill through the stained glass windows and burn into our necks to remind us of what we were missing outside. It was an intense start to the day.

But after church, we rested. Continue reading “Resting is trusting” →

He drew near

“While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” Luke 24: 15-16

This is a small part in a great story about two of Jesus’ followers walking together on the road that leads to the village of Emmaus, near Jerusalem in about 30 AD. They have lost their leader and good friend who has been brutally beaten and murdered by the Roman Empire. And, that very morning, they have heard stories that His body is now missing and that He has returned to life. They are lost and absorbed in questions and real doubts. They are so involved with their own thinking and conversation that they don’t realize another One has begun to walk with them on the road.  They don’t recognize him, either. Mystery. Continue reading “He drew near” →