unexpected

Friday, September 16, 2011 (8:01 a.m.)

Loving Lord,

Saturday, September 17, 2011 (8:58 a.m.)

Primm, NV

Absolute. Wonderful. Loving Lord,

It was all so unexpected [by me J]. Initially drawn to Colossians 1:26 by the phrase “Christ in you” (v.27) I read along. Learning more of what Paul had to say to the people of Colosse. And again I became immediately aware of how often I am surprised by Your all-knowingness.

You knew the struggles Your people would endure throughout the eons. There has never been anything that was unexpected by You. You prepared far ahead to supply our every need. How I thank You Lord!

Without meaning to, I complicate things. I hide. I seek. I find. I get excited. And then I hide again. This is NOT the growth process of which Paul wrote in verses 9-14. A chart in The Illustrated Bible Handbook shows it thusly: we are to know what You have willed, grow in wisdom and understanding, live life worthy of You, bear fruit in every good work, and increase in knowing You. Try as I may, I continue following my own entirely different cycle!

And therein lies my error! I try. In my own strength and understanding. I still want things to make sense to me. I want to see so I may believe, instead of believing so I might see.

Lord. You know my every need. As well as all my foibles. I bring them to You Lord. Trusting. Believing. Every single hope I have for living a new life in You and building healthy relationships is addressed in this letter. We don’t have to ‘try harder’ to ‘be better’. When ‘our efforts look to our own strength as a way to success’ they take us further away ‘from the only adequate power source – God in Jesus Christ.’

While I was not expecting to find this strong truth in such a short phrase, I am grateful for Your reminder to ‘expected the unexpected’ with You! “And this is the secret: Christ in your hearts is your only hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27 TLB).

Lord God I truly ask You to ‘bless me and keep me, make Your face shine upon me and be gracious to me, lift Your countenance [facial expression] upon me and give me Your peace’ (Numbers 6:24-26) that I would live this day in You, with You, for You and through You. I love You so much Lord. I long desperately to praise and glorify You for every single unexpected thing that comes my way. But You knew that already, didn’t You! Thank You Lord. I love You. Amen.

(442 words ~ 10:06 a.m.)