The Small Branch

 There is a lot of emphasis in our culture on making a name for yourself or being recognized.  People act like the only ones doing any work of note are those who are famous for it, those who are out front and out spoken, those who are the most visible.  Today, jobs like being a stay-at-home mom or janitor or behind-the-scenes organizer are thought to be only for those not intelligent enough to do something else more visible.  Sometimes I struggle with this, as most everything I am gifted in is more "behind-the-scenes."  I am a stay-at-home mom and most of my volunteer work involves things people never really notice.  This morning, I got a "kiss from the King" concerning my worth in these endeavors.   Mark 15:40-41 says, "There were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome.  When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and there we...

 I was working on a lesson for the discipleship class I am taking at my church this morning.  The text was from Psalm 1:1-3 -  "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers." The question asked what it meant "his delight is in the law of the LORD."  I like to go back to original language when looking at definitions, so I used my Bible Hub App to look up this verse.  The note from Ellicott's Commentary said that the phrase could be rewritten "the law of Jehovah is his inclination" and that the Hebrew word literally means "to bend."  As I meditated on this, God gave me a beautiful picture.  When you are havin...