When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground,  and a mistwas going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.  And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.  Genesis 2:5-8 ESV

Warrior;

We come from DIRT, we are from the dust.  Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust.  It is written, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return”. (Genesis 3:19)  The verse reminds us of our humble beginnings.  Adam was told by our Creator, Abba Daddy, that he will have to work hard to have food to eat until he returns to the ground from which he was made. This was part of the consequence of man wanting to follow his own will, instead of our Fathers will. As we gain more knowledge and understanding of science, we realize science always supports the Bible. Science tells us that there are 17 essential elements that both make up dirt and are crucial for human life. These elements are found not only in the earth’s crust but also in the cells that form our bodies, highlighting a deep link between nature and our existence. If we came from DIRT, then we must have the same components since that is our GENESIS.  The base element in the Universe is carbon, and from dust, to dust is our carbon based; Carbon is the most important element of life. We were but dust, until God gave us Divine CPR.  God breathed life into us, we have the breath of God in our lungs!

Leader, there are many commandments in the Bible.  There are also many things that God says multiple times, over and over.  They might not be a COMMANDMENT, as in the 10 laws given to Moses, but they are COMMANDS of God.  I believe the greatest commandment is to REMEMBER.  Hear the Word of the Lord, “Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments”. (Deuteronomy 8:2) One of the greatest prayers in all of Judaism, the Shema; Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) We are called to REMEMBER the RIGHT things, because we can remember all the wrong things too often.  We remember our shortcomings, our flaws, our mistakes.  And have an accuser of the brethren who is accusing us, reminding us of all the reasons why God couldn’t possibly love us.  The battle is in the mind.  It is written; I will [solemnly] remember the deeds of the LORD; Yes, I will [wholeheartedly] remember Your wonders of old. (Psalm 77:11)

Conduit, So God gave us things to remember, so that we can be successful in the battle of our minds. One of the most important things to remember is that we are NOT GOD.  That we are mere dirt apart from His will, His grace and His mercy.  We need to leave our pride at the door, as we approach the throne of God.  There are things that we remember by celebrations or acts.  Some call these, Holy days, days of celebration, of reverence of remembrance. Ash Wednesday is one of those acts of REMEMBRANCE. This holy day marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, repentance, and spiritual preparation leading up to Easter. Traditionally observed by Catholics and now embraced by several Protestant denominations, Ash Wednesday serves as a solemn reminder of human mortality and the need for repentance. Hear the Word of the Lord, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas” (Psalm 8:3–8). All glory and honor to God the Father, to the Holy Spirit, our helper and to Jesus Christ, the precious lamb of God.  The Holy One of Israel, the Great I AM, Jesus the Messiah. We ask His peace and blessings as we celebrate His first coming, and we crave His soon return for His second coming. Amen!