Day 24

One of my favorite passages to dwell in is from John 17 as Jesus is praying for His followers the night of His betrayal. To think He knew what was about to happen and He denies Himself and prays for us. We truly were on His mind and in His heart from beginning to end. Meditating on this prayer gives my soul rest. Knowing that God in the flesh prays His will for me...praise You Father...let this seed take root and bear Your image as You prayed...

"I'm not asking You to take them out of the world,

but to keep them safe from the evil one.

They are not part of this world any more than I am.

Make them pure and holy by teaching them Your words of truth.

As you sent Me into the world, I am sending them into the world.

And I give myself entirely to You so they also might be

entirely yours." (John 17:15-19)

Listen to the ONE-ness of us with Jesus. He gave all of Himself to make us all His. No wonder He said we can't be in the middle. He didn't half-way die. Oh Lord, we need your grace to help us live in the reality of our new identity everyday. Thank You for Your patience. May we go into the world today clothed in You.

John 17:22 "I have given them the glory You gave me, so that they may be one, as we are---"

Day 23

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 

No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us,
and His love is brought

to full expression in us.

And God has given us His Spirit as proof that we live in Him and He in us.

(1 John 4:11-13)

One obvious symptom of a weary soul is inability to love others as God loves us...freely, generously, without judgment or envy...patiently, kindly, gently etc. When I neglect my time in the garden with my Shepherd, this stream of love dries up in me, and I know it. I can't love others as Jesus loves me unless and until I am completely surrendered to Him and satisfied in Him alone. Lord Jesus, may my love for others prove the life of your Spirit in me. I need You.

Day 22

I am home sick today on a day when I need to be at work for an important event I am planning. But, I can't even talk, so I can't go. My body needs rest, nourishment and to be alone; my voice needs to remain silent. Obviously, there are spiritual metaphors that work the same way, so I can't help but go there. How many times have I tried to keep pouring out, keep serving, keep going when my soul was sick and in need of rest? Did I infect others more than I helped them? 

How can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?

How can you say God refuses to hear your case?

Have you never heard or understood?

Don't you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth?

He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

He gives power to those who are tired and worn out;

He offers strength to the weak.

Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up.

But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. 

They will fly high on wings like eagles. 

They will run and not grow weary. 

They will walk and not faint. 

Isaiah 40:27-31

Day 21

They say it takes three weeks to make a new habit. We have hit the three week mark! How are you doing?Of course, this isn't about what we do on the outside, but what God's grace is doing on the inside. Going through the motions out of duty is simply hypocrisy and God hates it. Honestly giving our hearts to God, no matter what it looks like on the outside, is what counts. Listen to Jesus' clear mandate on this from Luke 11;

"Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you 

are full of greed and wickedness. You fools!

Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?

But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything

is clean for you."

Only the washing of the Word can cleanse us from the inside so we honor God with all that we are. Our giving our 'alms' means we give up our greed and wicked, selfish hearts, out of love for our generous, holy Father. What's on the inside of your cup? 

Day 20

How sweet Your words taste to me;

they are sweeter than honey.

Your commandments give me understanding;

no wonder I hate every false way of life.

Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet,

and a light for my path.

I've promised it once, and I'll promise it again:

I will obey your righteous regulations. Psalm 119:103-106

It's amazing to me how 'off' I can feel; confused, frustrated, unsure, worried...really in a level of darkness, and then how quickly God's Word can lift me out of that pit as I humbly bow down and submit to His tender Voice. I waste so much time trying to 'figure things out' when what I really need is to have my path lit so I can walk in the right (righteous) way. Life is so much more about our state of mind (soul) and our responses to what we cannot control than it is about us making life work. I truly come to a place of rest when I surrender those thoughts through silence in God's presence. Allowing His Word to guide me. How sweet is that!

Day 19

"Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body.

When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light.

But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness.

Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. 

If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant,

as though a floodlight were filling you with light." Luke 11:34-36

I don't want to comment on this teaching of Jesus as we come and learn from Him. I want you to sit still with it and listen for what He says to you. Meditate on it, don't rush. Chew it, digest it, and then post a short comment about what it is saying to you. Don't be afraid, I can't wait to hear!

Day 18

Do you ever stop and ask yourself a question like..."what would my life look like if________?" At dinner, Steve and I were talking with our engaged son and fiance about marriage. They told us that in the marriage book they are reading, the author says to never criticize your mate. Quite often I am lead by my Shepherd to Ephesians 4:29-30:

"Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who listen. And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. 

Remember, He has identified you as His own."

Can you imagine living in this identity? How would the power of this truth change the way I think? The way I speak? And the way I feel about those around me? What if criticism was not an option--- period? This is the deep work that takes place as we quiet ourselves in the Presence of God and allow His Spirit to transform our souls. God would not give us this instruction if He didn't intend to equip us to obey Him. Isn't that amazing? How would our marriages, our friendships, our workplaces, our churches, our families look different IF we lived out this verse in obedience to Christ? Are you brave enough, in silence, to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the ways is which you are grieving Him? Will you sit still and listen for the answer? Then, will you resolve to obey Him? Jesus said in so doing we will experience full joy, the very opposite of sorrow! dear Lord Jesus, help me to remember I am yours and You want me to experience Your joy and to not bring sorrow upon You. Help me Lord to live in a way that makes your spirit glad and my soul joyful.