They’re so much higher than earth. I stop to think for a moment; so are Your thoughts.
I can’t imagine living my life apart from the revelation of Your Son and the cross. The greatest gift I could ever possibly seek, the peaceful union and communion of ‘us’.
Thank You, Jesus, for coming to find me. Thank You, Father, for speaking so kindly. Thank You for touching and healing and restoring me. Thank You for the indescribable joy that is found in the freedom to simply come like a child to seek and explore, to follow Your lead. We’ve certainly come a long, long way; done and faced many different types of things.
“The LORD did all that for you, but now He says, ‘Forget those things that happened a long time ago. Do not think about past events. Look! I will do something that is new! It is already beginning to happen! Surely, you can recognize it!
Yes, I will make a road thru the desert. I will make streams in the wilderness.” Isaiah 43:18-19 EASY
The road You’ve constructed keeps connecting one thing to another; streams, the glorious gift of rivers of living waters.
“Then on the most important day of the feast, the last day, Jesus stood and shouted out to the crowds —
‘All you thirsty ones, come to Me! Come to Me and drink! Believe in Me so that rivers of living waters will burst out from within you, flowing from your innermost being, just like the Scripture says!’
Jesus was prophesying about the Holy Spirit that believers were being prepared to receive. But the Holy Spirit had not yet been poured out upon them, because Jesus had not been unveiled in His full splendor.”
John 7:37-39 NLT
My mind simply can’t comprehend the power of You living inside me. I’ve often pondered what this might mean as I continue to pursue and grow in my relationship with You. You’re the expert at reverse engineering! All I can account for is the option to choose, and the power of each choice takes a step. It’s less overwhelming and helpful to me to narrow things down to doing the right things: seek Your way above all else, choose peace, do things to encourage and help, and turn and run away from any sort of evil.
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the LORD, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the LORD who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV
Holy Spirit continually translates between You and me and abundantly provides wisdom, strength, boldness, vision, inspiration and refreshment, too! I’ve lost count of the times Your supernatural abilities have carried me and remembering them causes me to forget that I often walk thru a dry and weary land. What a blessing to soak in Heavenly thoughts! I can’t thank you enough for the benefits I wear!
Ah, the excellence of Promises made and then kept! They WAY FAR surpass any teeny, tiny thoughts I might have!
You bled thru the streets
as You carried Your ‘would’
to a hill far away
called the place of the skull.
Almighty God, beyond
time and space and rationalism,
You chose this humble, selfless way
to pay for and wash away my sins and rebellion.
The power of Your Blood pierces
my limited understanding!
Might I radically accept and embrace
Your unconventional style?
I’m banking on Your declarations!
Life’s become all about
Something really quite different!
I’m at the receiving end of the ‘in’ and ‘with’
and walking out the ‘through’ most humbly.
“I will honor the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations — the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am Yahweh — the declaration of the LORD GOD — when I demonstrate My holiness through you in their sight. For I will take you from the nations and gather you into your own land. I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances. Then you will live in the land that I gave your fathers; you will be My people, and I will be your GOD. I will save you from all your uncleanness.” Ezekiel 36:23-29 HCSB
I’d hear the words, ‘the battle is the LORD’s’, ‘cease striving’, ‘be still and know I am GOD’. What didn’t occur to me in my limited understanding was the need to stop trying to figure it all out and simply hang tight with Him — make sure to talk about everything, take Him at His word. He’s absolutely worked it all out and finalized every last detail!
His word never returns to Him empty! It’ll accomplish the purpose for which He sent it! Exercise patience! His words own the power to change everything!
“The words I have spoken over you have already cleansed you.” John 15:3 TPT
Now isn’t that an amazing thing?!
“For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would fail before Me, and the souls which I have made. For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid and was angry, and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal him, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips: ‘Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,’ says the LORD. ‘And I will heal him.’” Isaiah 57:15-19 NKJV
The day He showed up and spoke the word into my mind, was the day my heart started changing and my life began turning around! Little things, big things, single steps and great big bounds! What an adventure it has been and continues to be! I’m excited to see what He’s going to do today! I’ve no doubt He’s inviting you and me along!
“We make our plans; the LORD determines our steps.” Proverbs 16:9 NLT
All the careful attention He’s put into teaching His Kingdom’s worth! Let’s appreciate our access to the expansion of its terms!
Determines – completes, regulates, resolves, rules (as defined by Dictionary.com)
LORD,
You have said and so very kindly remind us that, “If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My Face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. For I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever. My eyes and My heart will be there for all time.” (2 Chronicles 7:14-16 ESV)
May our offerings this day be sincere and not half-hearted. May we choose You to be The One we and our families will serve. May our hearts be open and receptive to You. May we behold Your glory as it lovingly fills its space. May we offer to You our very utmost because You are worthy. To You belongs all the glory…because it all comes from You in the first place!
In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.