Blessing? Or challenge?

Pentecost Sunday, May 15, 2016 (7:01 a.m.)

Blessed Lord Jesus,

I am here again this morning for You to guide and to teach. I love You. I want to know You more. And to learn how to love as You would have me love.

So far this morning, we've sung, remembered dreams, thought, wondered, pondered, looked in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 11:26-28; 30:19) and now I again turn to You asking that You would help me sort it all out.

You saved me from another hiccup last night. A few careless words. Some short tones. As I was setting myself to steel against them, I remembered, “Blessing? Or challenge?”

In very short order, I smiled. Sang in my soul. Stayed my mind on You. And stretched a little. These are my physical cues, reminding me that I am to “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.” And we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:29-30).

Thank You for every single time You change my thinking. Thank You for helping me remember that I must look to You. You are the One, the only One, who can truly change my thinking.

How I praise and thank You Jesus! Today is the day we celebrate the filling of the Holy Spirit into the lives of Your believers (Acts 2:1-4). Precious Jesus, continue Your work in teaching me exactly what this means to my everyday life.

As I turn from here to there in Your Word, Jesus I am asking You to guide me in my feelings, my being, my thoughts and my actions. Let me learn to love and represent You well.

Awesome God, Blessed Jesus, Comforting Spirit, do all You must that I would trust You with all my heart, not depending on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). I long to seek Your will in all I do, believing that You will direct my paths (v. 6).

Always before I have stopped at these two verses. Today I continue reading and asking You to guide me in not thinking that I am wise enough on my own, in respecting You and in turning my back on evil (v. 7). Thank You for my awareness of the promise found in this next verse, “If you do, it will be like good medicine, healing your wounds and easing your pains” (8.)

The word just jumped off the page at me! “Healing”. It's one of the words that came into our conversation very much earlier this morning. Thank You Jesus. Praise You.

As I prepare to go on into this day, let me pay close attention to all our blessings and turn all the challenges over to You. The Life Recovery Bible describes the PURPOSE of the book of Deuteronomy: “To assist God's people as they live in the present by reviewing what God has done in the past and considering what God has promised to do in the future.”

Live. Review. Consider. Yes! Bless me with the challenge of learning to live as You would have me live. I love You. Let my choices this day reveal that. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(533 words ~ 8:39 a.m.)