Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)
I’ve read these verses so many times over the years, but there were four little words Jesus spoke deeper into my heart this week. Read what He said.
“Let Me teach you.”
Jesus – Matthew 11:29 (NLT)
Doesn’t that tug at your heart? I don’t know why I never noticed it before, but I felt like I could actually hear Him imploring me to LET HIM TEACH ME.
I’ve spent some time confessing those times I’ve purposely resisted learning from Him – lessons I knew would require a change I didn’t want to make, so I skipped them. Yes, I know how awful that sounds (I almost deleted it).
I truly believe Jesus has only my best interest at heart, so…
I’ve asked Him to make me willing to learn what He wants to teach me.
LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. John 3:16-18 (NLT)
I know, it’s Christmas Eve and you have things to do!
Thank you taking the time to spend a few minutes with me.
This is a wonderful season of celebration for all Jesus-followers. Why?
Jesus is THE Christ of Christmas!
He’s the Messiah, the Christ, promised long ago.
The ONE by whom all mankind can be saved.
He saves us from eternal separation from God, our Creator.
Jesus is Immanuel.
He’s God with us in the flesh!
God came to earth as a baby, lived his life without ever committing a sin, willingly died a gruesome death, was buried in a borrowed tomb, and was resurrected to life again on the third day.
He did all of this because He loves us.
FYI: We sin because we’re sinners, and our sin separates us from the Holy God who created us. But He loves us so much, He chose to make the first move toward reconciliation. That just means He made a way for our relationship with Him to be restored.
Jesus is living in heaven right now! He’s preparing a place for everyone who chooses to believe in Him and become Jesus-followers.
It sounds too simple, right?!
Just choose to believe and follow Jesus and your eternity is forever changed.
Or maybe you’re thinking it sounds too hard to give up your own way of living and follow Jesus.
Well, there’s more Good News!
The moment we choose to believe in Jesus, His Holy Spirit comes to live in us. He is our Helper! He helps us understand what we read in our Bibles about who God is and who we are as Jesus-followers. He opens our eyes to the choices we didn’t see we could make before; choices that seemed unavailable before we were Jesus-followers.
How many times have you said, “I didn’t have a choice.”?
Jesus-followers have choices!
It’s one of the many benefits of being a follower.
It’s part of our freedom in Jesus.
We’re freed from living a life of conformity. We’re freed from following our own emotions or the ways of this world when we become Jesus-followers.
Yes, it takes practice to live in freedom. I’m learning it’s best to pause and pray every time I find myself thinking there’s only one choice. In fact, I’m learning I must practice the pause and pray way of living in every circumstance. Why?
Even good things are not always God’s best thing for me to have or do or be.
Wait! We’ll save that truth for another time. For now, I’ll just say…
Merry Christmas!
May your celebration of Christ overflow with all the joy that comes with belonging to Jesus!
Here’s a link to Mary Did You Know sung by Pentatonix. It was one of my Daddy’s favorite Christmas songs. Enjoy! pentatonix mary did you know – Bing
Not all members of Pentatonix are Jesus-followers, but they sing a lot of Christmas songs. Would you join me in praying for them to come to know, trust, and follow the Christ of Christmas they sing about in their songs?
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT)
We’ve all experienced that moment when we first turned off the light and we couldn’t see. That moment when we must give our eyes time to adjust to the darkness. How does that happen? Our pupils expand to allow more light to enter our eyes.
Our pupils are designed to regulate the amount of light entering our eyes.
What happens when we go from darkness to light? Our expanded pupils allow too much light into our eyes and creates a glare. Glare blocks our ability to see clearly.
This is the same thing that happens to us, and others, when the light of Jesus first shines into the dark places of our lives.
Sad truth? The brighter the light of Jesus is in us, the greater the possibility those who don’t know Him will either avoid us or lash out against His light in us.
Even worse, this also happens among those of us who are Jesus-followers. I’m talking about those times when our thought processes lead to words and choices that don’t fully align with what God’s word says is right. I can be offended by the light of Jesus in others when it challenges the way I think, speak, and act. I’ve even caught myself trying to defend those choices!
Moses wore a veil after he spent time in the presence of the LORD. Wearing the veil was for the benefit of the people. Moses didn’t totally cover the LORD’s light; he just exposed them to a gentler dose of light!
Okay, we’re back to where we started. It was Moses’ exposure to the Light of the LORD that caused his countenance to shine so brightly. The same is true for us.
Our continual exposure to the Light of Jesus makes our lives shine brightly.
Walking by Holy Spirit and living our lives according to God’s word exposes the dark places in our lives to His light.
Time spent in God’s word transforms the way we think about God, others, and ourselves, and transforms our choices.
Transformed by the saving love of Jesus and His word, we become lights whose actions help others see and praise our heavenly Father.
LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!
“If you love me, obey my commandments. John 14:15 (NLT)
And here we are at Step Three: Loving God and loving others.
Let me just say right off the bat, I don’t love well. I want to. It’s a great desire of mine and something I’ve prayed for the ability to do well for the better part of my adult life.
As a child, I found it easy to love the people in my life. They loved me and we lived our lives thinking the same things were right or wrong, etc..
It was only as I grew up and encountered people who thought differently, lived differently, and criticized my choices that I began to realize love is about more than a feeling.
Loving God means living my life choosing to do what He says is right.
I can’t love others apart from God.
I can’t even love God without His help.
God is love. Period. There is no qualifier here. Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:7-8 (NLT)
If we want to love well…
we must grasp the truth that God is love and our ability to love comes from Him.
Jesus told us how to love: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:12-13 (NLT)
Yes, He literally died to save our souls from eternal separation from God, but I don’t think this is the only way to lay down one’s life for another.
The minutes of our days add up to our life. How we spend those minutes reflects who it is we’re living to please.
Now, before you spiral headlong down a rabbit hole of panic, let’s look at Jesus’ life choices to gain a deeper understanding of how to know the way to love others. Not loving them from a formula but as individuals.
Jesus didn’t do for the people what they wanted Him to do.
He did what the Father told Him to do.
Only the Father knows what people really need… When we choose to do what He says is right, we love both God and others well.
Everyone, including the disciples, thought Jesus was there to conquer Rome. Nope! He did something even better. He conquered Sin and Death. Woot! Woot!
So, how do we know what God’s next right thing is for us to do?
He gave us two gifts for that very purpose.
Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures.
Jesus living in us and God’s written word.
Holy Spirit helps us understand what we read in God’s word.
Holy Spirit helps us remember what we read so we can choose God’s way for us.
Misunderstanding what we read will cause us to apply God’s word from our own perspective.
Forgetting what we’ve read in God’s word will leave us following our own way instead of God’s.
God’s word transforms the way we think.
God’s word makes it possible for us to know what He wants, and agree what He wants is good, satisfying and able to succeed.
When we truly agree with God, we choose to do what He says is right and good. That’s when we are living each moment of our lives loving well!
LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!
Digging Deeper:
John 15:30-16:17, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:15 & Hebrews 12:2-4
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:6-8 (NLT)
Last week we looked at Step One of The Joy Challenge: Thanksgiving and Praise.
Today we’re going to dig deeper into Step Two of the Joy Challenge: Cast all your cares on Jesus.
God’s word is filled with warnings about worry, anxiety, fretting, burdens, troubles, and the cares of this world. Why?
He knows those things not only weigh us down, but they will gradually consume our every thought. They grow bigger and bigger, and heavier and heavier, until they conceal His presence and goodness in our lives.
In today’s Scripture, Peter reminds us to
(1) be humble,
(2) give God all our worries and cares, and
(3) stay alert.
The order of these verses is important!
We may tell God about our troubles, but we won’t give them to Him unless we’re humble. My Grandma used to say, “Take it to the LORD and leave it there.” It takes humility to leave our worries and care with Jesus. It takes trust.
We have to believe God cares about us before we’ll give our worries and cares to Him.
Worries and cares endanger us because they distract us. We have an enemy. He wants to destroy our lives. He wants to rob us of anything good God has for us. We need to get rid of the distractions and stay alert!
Our enemy cannot take our salvation, but we can lose the joy of our salvation. We lose our joy when we allow the cares of this world to consume our lives. I’ve experienced that loss of joy, and like King David in Psalm 51, I had to ask the LORD to restore to me the joy of His salvation. He retored my joy; He’ll restore yours too! All you have to do is ask.
LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!
Digging Deeper:
Nahum 1:7, Matthew 6:31-34, Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 13:18-23, Ephesians 6:10-18, Philippians 4:6-7
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. Psalm 100:4-5 (NLT)
Last week I included a Joy Challenge at the end of the post.
While working on Step One of The Joy Challenge, I gained a deeper understanding of just how important it is to return to the foundation of my faith on a continuous loop.
Continuously returning to a place of being filled up with the joy that comes from pausing to delight in who God is. Purposely remembering all He has already done for me. Looking for evidence of the good things He is currently doing in my life. An intentional refocusing of my attention from all other relationships and every circumstance. Stilling in His presence and letting go of everything swirling through my mind and smothering my soul. Returning to a place of wonder and delight in the One who has saved me. Remembering the attributes and benefits which first caught my attention.
I get it! This is not new information. But somewhere along the way, I’ve unintentionally allowed myself to skim through the thanksgiving and praise portion of my time with the LORD. Yes, I was reading my Bible. Yes, I was seeking a word of direction from Him. But, if I’m honest, both of those are more about me. I was there to receive. Neither was about being there just to enjoy the together time. I was slowly allowing the cares of this world to dim my delight in HIM and just being in His presence.
Today’s verses are great reminders of how we’re to ENTER into His presence. ENTER is an action word. It requires intention.
Today’s verses also remind us we’re not to go into His presence empty handed. We’re to enter with THANKSGIVING and PRAISE. How appropriate it is the LORD has brought us to this place of remembering these truths today – Thanksgiving Day 2020!
It’s important for us to remember those things He has done for us, to call them by name, and carry our thanks with us when we ENTER His presence. There are so many things to be thankful for, if we’ll just turn our eyes from the cares of this world to see them.
Genuine thanksgiving leads to praise. Everything the LORD does for us and everything He gives to us reveals more of who He is. His gifts reveal His attributes. And the more we see of Him, the easier it is to recognize His gifts. His presence becomes tangible and His love evident. We can then ENTER His presence with praises for who He is. Igniting our love for Him and finding our joy restored as we ENTER His presence with THANKSGIVING and PRAISE.
LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!
As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. Psalm 119:143 (NLT)
I prefer the loop trails over the out and back trails. I like encountering something different all the way around instead of the same thing from the opposite direction.
In life, I sometimes find myself returning to some of the same places from a different direction. Places where pressure and stress are bearing down on me.
I scramble through my days trying to stay ahead of them (pressure and stress). I stay busy in hopes of distracting myself from their presence.
I ignore them or pretend they’re not there. I fret and stew and hold onto emotions in fear of shattering into a million pieces.
I wrestle with situations beyond my control and struggle over how any of what’s going on in the world around me can be good and right when it feels so wrong and hurts so bad.
I brace against the passive agressive inuendos others serve on the self-righteous platters of their own understanding.
What I know and what I feel are in conflict and create unbearable pressure and stress. They build and hover around the periphery of my consciousness. Ever encroaching on and pushing against the force field of my faith.
I didn’t even know I had returned to a place of pressure and stress until I recently received Psalm 119:143 as my verse of the day. Wow! There it was! Like a sign post on the side of the trail reminding me there’s no camping beyond this elevation.
PRESSURE:
1. continuous physical force exerted on or against an object by something in contact with it.
2. the use of persuasion, influence, or intimidation to make someone do something.
Bing Definition
Stress:
pressure or tension exerted on a material object.
Bing Definition
Ezra wrote Psalm 119 for the people of Israel. Not to encourage them to pretend pressure and stress weren’t bearing down on them. Nope! He was acknowledging the pressure and stress WHILE reminding them how to find joy right there in the middle of it.
The first half of the verse caught my attention and helped me see where I was. The second half of the verse brought renewed hope. It was like the promise of fresh, sweet water after a long, hot hike.
Right there in that moment, I told the LORD I wanted to exchange the joy of His commands for the pressure and stress bearing down on me.
If you’re like me, it’s helpful to read and remember the LORD’s commands, so here they are…
And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Deuteronomy 6:5-6 (NLT)
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40 (NLT)
These commands are consistent in both the Old and New Testatment. Commands given for the purpose of bringing joy to every Jesus-follower.
I’m so thankful the LORD grabbed my attention with His word. Thankful for the reminder that loving Him and others is where we find joy!
Wondering how it’s possible to love God and love people without pressure and stress bearing down on you? Jesus has given every Jesus-follower our own personal Helper. His name is Holy Spirit, and He comes bearing an amazing fruit. This fruit has nine characteristics, and each characteristic makes it possible for us to love God and others well.
LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!
Joy Challenge: This does not have to take a lot of time, but it needs to be time spent without distractions; time spent giving the LORD our full and undivided attention.
1-Be still with the LORD. Spend time reading His word (the Bible) and talking to Him (praying). Learn of Him and from Him. Tell Him what you love about Him, and thank Him for the good things He has done for you and given to you.
2-Cast all your cares on Jesus. (Imagine standing on the seashore throwing shells into the ocean. Each shell represents a person or situation you’ve been carrying around. Now imagine the ocean is the LORD’s arms.)
3-Prayerfully and intentionally practice sharing Holy Spirit fruit with others. Be sure to take notice which characteristic you struggle to share with which person. Expect Holy Spirit to help you learn to love well.
I’d love you to commit to joining me in this challenge. Leave your name in the comments section as a way of letting me know. Or share this post with someone and invite them to join you in the challenge.
Digging Deeper:
Psalm 46:10, John 14: 15-21, Galatians 5:22-25, James 1:17 & 1 Peter 5:7
Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.
Psalm 25:4-5 (NLT)
Today is the seven month anniversary of Daddy’s death. Yesterday was his birthday. Two days ago, George’s brother lost his battle with Covid-19, and his wife is still in the hospital fighting the same battle.
But death is not the only way we experience loss and grief. In fact, every person in the world has experienced varying degrees of loss and grief this year. We’ve all experienced the loss of “normal” living in some way or another.
Loss of jobs, homes, lifestyles.
Loss of health, plans, dreams, traditions, the familiar.
Loss of the basic ability to come and go without possibly endangering ourselves or those around us.
Every loss hurts.
I cannot measure your pain by my pain, nor can you measure my pain by yours. It doesn’t matter how similar our loss may be. No two of us are alike, and we experience grief as uniquely as we are created. We all respond to loss, pain, and grief differently and in varying amounts of time.
Grief will not go away just because we want it to or because others tell us it’s time.
Nor is grief diminished just because we expect the loss.
I’ve heard of the “fog of grief” after a loss, but I’ve actually come to appreciate the fog. It created a blessed narrowing of my vision. An obscuring of all but the next step I needed to take. A blurring of everything outside of the immediate. Leaving me to live in the moment. Allowing me to see and savor what is precious in the present.
That’s why I chose today’s verse. That’s why George and I raced over to Long Park a couple of weeks ago after we woke to a foggy neighborhood. I wanted pictures. I wanted to capture and share a tiny glimpse of the hope and love I’ve discovered during my fog of grief. Fog has become a picture of the all encompassing comfort the LORD gives His children during our days of grief.
One other thing…
Just as fog muffles sound, the fog of grief will muffle the noise of the often well-meaning yet carelessly spoken words of others.
Everyone enjoys a fitting reply;
it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!
The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking;
Proverbs 15:23 & 28a (NLT)
Whatever loss you’re walking through right now. Whatever the pain you’re experiencing. May you find your hope in Jesus. May you feel His presence and love for you in a tangible way today. May His light penetrate the fog of grief surrounding you and help you see each next step. May His blessing of fog protect and comfort you until the light of His love burns it off and reveals all the beauty of living He still has in store for you.
Taken by George at Tunnel Parking Overlook on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park – October 2, 2020
Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Matthew 16:23 (NLT)
George and I were enjoying a ride on one of our neighborhood’s bike paths when I spied what I decided to call Tree Coral. I insisted we stop so George could take pictures.
I’ve since learned they are “Chicken of the Woods” mushrooms. Yes, they’re mushrooms. And yes, they supposedly taste like chicken. If you’d like to learn more about them, there’s a link in the Fun Facts section at the bottom.
George didn’t have his camera, but he took these with his phone.
I was so delighted with the beauty of my “Tree Coral” I could hardly wait to share it. I sent a message and a pic to my mom and a friend as soon as we got home. I was totally surprised by their replies.
“I know this is probably a fungus, but it is beautiful! For some reason it made me think of sin.”
Momma
“It looks much better in your pic than on the front of my log house!! I will deem it house barnacle in TN, lol.”
Kim
Wow! Talk about different perspectives!
No, I haven’t changed my mind about the beauty of what we saw that day, but those mushrooms sure have given me food for thought. No pun intended!
In today’s Scriptures passage, the same Peter who says, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God” is the one who tells Jesus He’s wrong about His coming death and resurrection. Peter actually says to Jesus, “This would never happen to you.”
Look at what Jesus said in response. “You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.“
God has used His word and mushrooms to help me understand something very simple and profound…
My perspective will impact my ability to see, trust, and follow Jesus.
We see mushrooms on every hike! They come in a multitude of shapes, sizes, colors, and locations. They’re beautiful and fascinating! And now, they’re reminders to check my perspective.
LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)
Something I’ve discovered while hiking is how impossible it is to take pictures and enjoy the beauty around me WHILE watching where I walk.
One example, Fern Hollow Loop Trail was riddled with rocks and roots hidden under layers of leaves.
We had to keep our eyes on the trail or risk a fall.
BUT
We had to stop to see all the opportunities surrounding us.
The pictures below give you a tiny glimpse of all we would’ve missed if we didn’t pause along the way. We experienced beauty and history and people. There was so much more we experienced together, but there’s not enough space or time to share it all here.
Watching a squirrel eat his acorn.
Observing textures and colors and differences.
Taking time to interact with others along the way. (Yes, they’re already walking away.)
Stopping to stack rocks is something done in Iceland as a way to mark your path. Each one who passes by adds a rock. We found these and added our own.
Enjoying a bench left to memorialize a loved one.
Pausing to hear and see the sights and sounds around us.
Seeing the unique hidden in plain sight.
Looking for the brilliance of the leaves as they change into their fall colors.
Being amazed by the size of this tree!
All these pictures are from our hike on Fern Hollow Loop in the Bull Run Mountain Area Preserve – Oct 9, 2020
Our hikes have all taken longer than the trail guides tell us they will. Why? Because we do so much stopping along the way. We take hundreds of pictures on every hike. There is so much to see and enjoy. There are so many people to speak to along the way.
Every trail finds us caught between the need to keep moving forward and our ability to experience each opportunity we encounter along the way.
I’ve mulled this over a lot. I’ve struggled with the contradiction of it.
I will never get anywhere if I just stop moving, but I will miss so much if I don’t ever stop.
I’m coming to realize there’s a life altering lesson here. A lesson I suspect will transform my understanding of the daily application of what it means to follow Jesus.
His word is very clear about our need to keep our eyes on Him. But He’s also clear about us being aware of our surroundings. How do we do both?
Jesus never went off mission. He came to seek and save the lost, but He was always willing to be interrupted along the way. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and take note of all the times He stopped what He was doing or where He was going and interacted with people on a personal basis. There was nothing distracted or generic about those interactions!
I must learn from the LORD by reading and studying His word, the Bible. I must spend time communicating with Him in prayer. But, I must also act on what I learn from Him and of Him. I must allow Him to renew my mind and transform the way I think. I must also practice living what I learn.
So, as scary as it feels, I’m asking the LORD to point out any misconceptions I have about what it means to follow Jesus and walk by His Spirit. I have no idea what this request is going to bring, but I do know…I’m desperate for Jesus to help me unlearn my own ways of thinking and doing, so I can learn to live my life according to His ways of thinking and doing.
I want to keep my eyes on Jesus and follow Him closely. I also want to grab with both hands every opportunity He has for me. To live alert to Him and others. To live with and love Him and others well.
I know following Jesus requires me to move when He moves and stay when He stays. Easy to say (or write). I’m wondering where I’m holding back. I’m wondering what I’m missing because of my own understanding of what it looks like to live my life following Jesus. Living free of any preconceived ideas of what it means to follow Him.
I’m convinced Jesus is wooing me to a place of deeper understanding. I’m equally convinced He’s prepared opportunities of unspeakable joy for me (and you) if we’re brave enough to follow Him into new, uncharted, and unknown places.
Doing one without neglecting the other. Pausing and moving. Being still long enough to hear His instructions, but also acting on them immediately. Learning and living with diligence and discipline. Staying close and going out into the world all at once.
LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!
Word’s I’ve been hearing the LORD whisper as I’ve struggled to learn this lesson, “Trust I’m able to teach you, Barbara. Be humble. Be moldable. Learn from me. Allow me to take the lead. I’ll show you My way for you, give you joy in the relationships I’ve given you, and use the opportunities I have for you to bring blessing to you and others.”
