You love us anyway

Tuesday, May 31, 2016 (6:17 a.m.)

Jesus,

Our Perfect One Who never changes. Yes. That's who You are. Perfect. Unchanging. Thank You that You are.

I am experiencing technological confusion again this morning. Thank You for reminding me that I don't want to waste precious time fussing over something I don't currently understand.

Thank You Jesus for Your Word. Thank You for Your Truth. Thank You for Your promises. Thank You that I get to come before You exactly as I am and You work in and with me.

How I thank You for the way You worked to change my heart and attitude yesterday. I seemed bent on behaving badly. Surly. Ill-mannered. Thank You for taking the one tiny fragment of willingness I offered You and changing my entire attitude.

Thank You for being all that You are and doing all that You do. For us. Thank You Jesus. Thank You Father. Thank You Holy Spirit.

Thank You for taking an ill-tempered, often spoiled brat and reminding her who she is in You. “Better than” my actions. You came to deliver us from ourselves. How grateful I am.

Thank You for the reminder just now of Joseph's response (Genesis 50:20) to the brothers who had sold him into slavery (37:18-36). “... You tried to harm me, but God made it turn out for the best...” You do that for us.

You know our hearts. Our souls. Our minds and our strength. You know every single thing we may try desperately to hide from others. And You love us anyway. Mm, yes. You love us anyway.

Thank You Holy Three-in-One. Thank You for all You are and all You do. Thank You that You are able to use all things for Your best for us. Thank You. Use me this day. Make me willing. I love You. Amen.

(308 words ~ 7:52 a.m.)

being clear

Memorial Day Monday, May 30, 2016 (6:35 a.m.)

Blessed Jesus,

I'm here. Confused. Stuck. Struggling. Wondering. Asking. Once again, technology boggles my mind. In wanting to correct one thing, ten others seem to have been affected. Anything to take my focus off of praising and worshiping You.

Jesus, forgive me. I've been trapped inside myself because of outside pressures. I'm confessing right now to not being able to communicate clearly. Yeah, that's it. I am asking You to empower me in learning to simply be clear.

With all the years I've spent side stepping and juggling to manage my words just so, help me in the fine art of being clear. Communicating well. Yeah. That's it.

My feelings got hurt yesterday. I felt blindsided. What was said didn't match what was meant. I haven't bounced back from it. I feel stalled. Trying to regroup. Resolution needs to happen. And I feel afraid. Another shoe might drop. A bigger issue may develop.

With all this said, I turn to You desperately seeking Your grace, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14). Yes please. As I read Paul's Final Greetings to the church at Corinth in The Life Recovery Bible I read up to verse 11 and am again encouraged.

“Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words. Rejoice. Change your ways. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.” Mm, yes.

Again I sing to You asking, ♫Holy Spirit You are welcome here Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere Your glory God is what our hearts long for, To be overcome by Your presence, Lord♫ Yes. Your presence Lord.

Help me learn to be clear in Your presence Lord. I love You. I want You. I need You. And I thank You. Use me as You wish this day. There's much to do and time is getting short. Thank You for Your love. Your Word. Your Truth. And Your promises. Align me with them. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(350 words ~ 7:12 a.m.)

"Happy Sunday"

Sunday, May 29, 2016 (6:45 a.m.)

Blessed Jesus,

Today is the anniversary of my parents' marriage. And yesterday we celebrated the retirement of a much loved one. You have blessed us. Repeatedly. Profoundly. Often. I know this. Believe it.

Mm. I just heard it said, “Happy Sunday”. And I remembered having said the very same thing almost two months ago.

“Happy Sunday” followed immediately by a news report of heartbreaking destruction of armed forces memorials. Jesus, I turn to You. Trust in You. Depend on You. Asking that Your goodness would be made manifest through such profoundly hate-filled acts.

To have my emotional state go so quickly from joy in the one moment to heartache in the next reminds me that my heart is completely unguarded right now. Rather than redouble any of my own fruitless efforts to deal with thoughts of such vandalism, I look to You.

The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi encouraging them to “not worry about anything: instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done” (Philippians 4:6). Yes. Yes!

“If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (v. 7).

It was the dear husband that reminded me of the need to pray for the vandals. Something I never would have thought to do on my own.

Use this sad occurrence to Your good and to Your glory. Let Your goodness shine through. Bless those who are so hurt that they would go about intentionally hurting others.

Jesus, I love You. I need You. I trust You. And I ask You to truly bless the hurters and the haters. Allow them to experience what it is to know and love You. Make this a “Happy Sunday” like no other.

Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(328 words ~ 7:58 a.m.)

intimately involved

Friday, May 27, 2016 (5:58 a.m.)

Good morning,

Hi. Hello. Thank You. Yes. Thank You.

There was fun yesterday. Lots and lots of fun. Easy traffic. Good attitudes. Short wait lines. And did I mention fun?

Jesus, thank You for being so intimately involved in our lives. Mm. Yes. It's when we seek to know You that we are blessed in the most unexpected ways. Thank You Jesus.

Thank You for the opportunity of coming before You, searching Your Word. You provide us the desire to want what You want for us. Thank You. This morning as I consider Proverbs 20:27 I ask You to guide and direct my thinking and understanding.

There is a lot for us to accomplish around here in the next few days and I absolutely want You to be intimately involved with every single step we take. Leading us. Guiding us. Helping us make the decisions that will ultimately bring You our praise and thanksgiving.

Jesus, You are good. You know everything there is to know about each of us. As I look to You, read Your Word, breathe in deeply again I ask. Be here with us. Direct us in making the choices You would have us make.

There are so very many exciting ways of translating Your Truth. This morning I ask You to lead me in a greater understanding of this magnificent poetry.

Teach us to recognize You in our hearts, our souls, our minds and our strength. Whenever something seems next to impossible and somehow it is fully achieved, remind us that it is You Dearest Jesus that “works all things together for our good” (Romans 8:28).

Thank You for the honor and privilege of searching Your Word. Continue reminding me that “The lamp of the Eternal illuminates the human spirit, searching our most intimate thoughts” (The Voice Proverbs 20:27).

You know our motives. “A person's soul is the LORD'S lamp. It searches his entire innermost being” (God's Word).

Other versions mention lanterns, candles, lights searching and examining all our innermost parts. Our hearts. Thoughts. Bellies. Even bowels. Now that's intimate! And You are put off by none of it.

Thank You Jesus for knowing us intimately and loving us exactly as we are. Continue Your work in each of us. Making us into the people You would have us be.

We love You. We long to serve You. Exactly as You would have us. We ask this all in Your precious name. Thank You. We love You. Amen.

(417 words ~ 7:10 a.m.)

 

"the body armor of faith and love"

Thursday, May 26, 2016 (5:15 a.m.)

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You Jesus,

Sleep finally happened. It was long in coming and gone pretty quickly. But it was here nonetheless. Thank You.

Thank You that I get time to sit here with You. Reading in Your Word. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12. Live to Please God. Now there's some wonderful advice.

I admit, I came to this section because of the mention of sleep in verse 5:7. The portion that follows calls us “who live in the light” to “think clearly, protected by the body armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation” (v.8).

“For God decided to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out His anger on us (9). He died for us so that we can live with Him forever, whether we are dead our alive at the time of His return (10). So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing (11).”

Yes Jesus, keep teaching me what it is to truly live to please God, “protected by the body armor of faith and love.” I long to have people see You in me.

The Life Recovery Bible comment (5:1-11), “...Those of us who belong to God will give evidence of our faith by acting in ways that testify to God's work in our life.” Yes, please!

Continuing, “If we entrust our life to God and seek to follow His will, we have nothing to fear...” Mm, yes. How I ask that I would wholly entrust my life to our Father, seeking to follow His will, living to please Him.

Be with me this day, fully protected by the body armor that comes only from trusting and loving You. Use me as You wish. I love You. I thank You. Even for sleep. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(321 words ~ 6:27 a.m.)

in Christ

Wednesday, May 25, 2016 (7:01 a.m.)

Mm, Jesus,

Mm, yes. Mm. It's that kind of morning so far. Sluggish. Later getting started than I had planned. Yet here I sit. Content. Yes, Jesus, teach me this morning of what it is to be content in You.

Thank You that I get to read Your Word.

(8:02 a.m.)

And about Your Word.

Mm. As I seek to learn more this morning I am eager. Excited. Agog! Yes. Thank You for all You have to teach.

Oftentimes I come before You with my own plan. How awesome it is when I just come.

Thank You for filling my soul with calming musical strains as I was awakening this morning. A song from church that I didn't immediately recognize. As I continued waking, the louder and more intense it seemed to become.

Thank You that once I became aware of the song itself, the words were easy to find. ♫You call me out upon the waters The great unknown where feet may fail And I find You in the mystery In oceans deep My faith will stand And I will call upon Your name♫

Mm, yes. Thank You that I get to call upon Your name. And turn to Your Word. Colossians 2:9 (Contemporary English Version), “God lives fully in Christ.” New International Version for verse 10, “and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.”

The Life Recovery Bible comment speaks of us trying to effect change through our own efforts. It's when we realize how powerless we really are that we more fully experience “the truth found in Paul's statement – that everything we need is found not in ourself, or even in other people, but in Jesus Christ.”

Donald S. Whitney wrote in Simplify Your Spiritual Life (2003) Learn to Be Content with Christ. “The essence of contentment is being satisfied with the incomparable and limitless treasures found in Jesus Christ. Contentment is your soul saying, 'I have Jesus, and Jesus is enough.'”

In hearing the strains of ♫Oceans♫ before even being fully awake this morning, my soul was claiming exactly that. Thank You Jesus. Thank You for Your work in making me complete in You.

I love You and I ask You to use me to Your good and Your glory this day. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(398 words ~ 8:50 a.m.)

Lord of all

Tuesday, May 24, 2016 (6:27 a.m.)

Challenge Meeting Jesus,

This morning I am reading [and singing] songs of You being Lord of all. I didn't expect it. Nor plan it. But here we are. You, the Lord of all and me, one who desperately wants to live as though I truly believe that.

Blessed Jesus, there are challenges. Little, itty, bitty ones all the way to huge, life changing burdens. And You are Lord of them all. Nothing gets by You unnoticed.

I look at irritants of this earth and begin to become unnerved. Small things start to set me off. And then You remind me that You make all things work together for my good (Romans 8:28). I accept Your challenge! The challenge of believing, trusting and depending on You to prevail.

Mm. I get to sit here and sing of desiring Your presence. ♫There's nothing worth more that will ever come close No thing can compare, You're our living hope Your presence, Lord♫ I believe this. Truly! I do.

♫I've tasted and seen of the sweetest of loves Where my heart becomes free and my shame is undone Your presence, Lord♫ Again, I have experienced Your presence. I have!

Yet... irritants, hiccups, challenges, struggles, burdens often get the upper hand on my demeanor. Teach me Blessed Lord of all to readily sing out ♫Holy Spirit, You are welcome here Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for To be overcome by Your presence, Lord♫

Amazing God, Blessed Jesus, Holy Spirit, You truly are Lord of all. Remind me to release the negative things and breathe in deeply Your forgiving power.

Colossians 2:9-10, “For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body, and you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe.” The Life Recovery Bible comment, “... the truth found in Paul's statement – that everything we need is found not in ourself, or even in other people, but in Jesus Christ...”

Mm, yes! Thank You that You are Lord of all!

♫You are Lord, You are Lord You are risen from the dead And You are Lord Every knee shall bow Every tongue confess That Jesus Christ is Lord♫

Full exhale. Breathing out fear and doubt. Deep breath. Inhaling trust and hope. Live in me this day. Fully. Deeply. Rooted. Planted. Lord of all.

I love You. I thank You. I ask You. Amen.

(422 words ~ 8:21 a.m.)