Indescribable
Father, I have to trust that You will accomplish what You desire with what I post each day. For whatever reason, the last couple of posts have gone up on Facebook without the picture that is on the blog. It is frustrating on my part because I realize sometimes people are drawn to read on that alone. But, Father, I would pray that whoever needs to read it will be drawn by Your Spirit to do so. May my offering to You be used however You see fit. Amen.
Revelation 4:1-6 (<<click the green)
What the Apostle John witnessed must have been absolutely, overwhelmingly stunning! Holy Spirit, You helped him write but I would imagine that his mind must have been reeling with images for which he felt there were no words. “Gemstones” and “lightning” and “a shiny sea of glass” communicated what he saw as clearly as he could. I am sure that when I see these indescribable things that I will be impressed that John could describe them at all!
Lord, as human beings we feel that we have to be able to understand and explain everything. We are frustrated when we can’t. I truly believe that that is why some will not believe in You, for You cannot be totally understood and explained. We cannot fit You into molds of our own making. You are greater and more powerful than our human minds can comprehend.
This malady is what holds so many back as well. We don’t impact the Your world as we should because we believe that we have forced You into our own molds and in so doing we have this concept of You that is limited. It is small and relatively powerless. How far from the truth!
Lord, may we not shy away from embracing You for who You are. Yes, You are too awesome for us to fully understand but may we let it all envelop us. May we be carried away by the immensity of it all, safe and secure in Your mighty arms – knowing that in spite of our lack of comprehension that You know us in spite of our smallness and frailty. May Your awesomeness inspire us to do great things for You – in Your time frame and in Your strength and wisdom. I pray that You would give us the words we need to describe the indescribable. Amen.
Aug 8th, Tues, 6:25 am
A Matter of Time
Father, as I sit with You this morning, the world is just flying by! Everyone is in so much of a hurry to get to who knows where. May my mind settle on You, Father. Quiet my spirit. At this moment there is nothing more important than You. Amen.
Revelation 4:1 (<<click the green)
Lord, once again I appreciate the tools You have placed within my hands. My study Bible* gives me an excellent overview as Your word transitions from the “churches” to the future of The Church as a whole.
Verse 1 is the beginning of what John witnessed in the “throne room of heaven.” My study Bible* goes on to say, “God is on the throne and orchestrating all the events that John will record. The world is not spinning out of control; the God of creation will carry out his plans as Christ initiates the final battle with the forces of evil. John shows us heaven before showing us earth so that we will not be frightened by future events.”
Lord, one of the biggest struggles we have, as we see the evil that is so prominent in our world, is the feeling that evil is winning. I have not watched a full news program on TV in years! For me, for the most part, it is a synopsis of evil. It is composed mainly of pain and loss and violence and hatred…I don’t need that filling my heart and mind. I realize that, to some degree, I need to be aware of what’s going on in the world (and to pray for those caught up in it all) but there is no reason to immerse myself in it, soaking up every tidbit that is thrown my way.
Evil is not winning! As the old Christian cliché goes, the war has already been won! You, Lord, are the victor! Battles may still be raging, skirmishes still abound but You are the King and everything will be brought under Your control, in Your time.
May I be faithful, Lord. May I keep everything in its proper perspective. You are on the throne and, again, there will come a day, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11 It’s just a matter of time.
Aug 7th, Mon, 6:41 am
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Share a Meal
Good morning, Father! Thank you so much for waking me up this morning. You know what needs to take place this day. May I follow Your direction from beginning to end. Amen.
Revelation 3:20-22 (<<click the green)
Lord, looking at the last of verse 20 and the conclusion of chapter 2, it is a glorious invitation! If we invite You into our lives, Your desire is to “share a meal together” and if we are “victorious” in fulfilling Your will in our lives here on earth, we will be able to “sit with [You] on [Your] throne”.
These things do not reflect a relationship between a mighty king and a lowly peasant in some remote village. They reflect a close relationship…an intimate relationship. You, who are so far and beyond us on every level, want to “share a meal” with us – that denotes rapport. The Encarta Dictionary defines rapport as “an emotional bond or friendly relationship between people based on mutual liking, trust, and a sense that they understand and share each other’s concerns.” …and that’s our relationship with You!
We are also included in Your future plans as well as present ones. The invitation to sit with You on Your throne says that we will rule with You if we are victorious –if we are faithful. I can only speculate as to what the ramifications of that invitation may be but looking at what Your mighty hand has accomplished that my limited vision can see in this world just sends my mind spinning as to what Your plans are for the next!
Lord, may I be found faithful! May I be victorious in fulfilling Your will “on earth as it is in heaven”! (Matthew 6:9-11) Amen.
Aug 6th, Sun, 6:22 am
At the Door
Father, You have brought me so far! I could not have done it without You. You deserve all the praise! You are surely a great and awesome God worthy of all of our praise! May this day and the life I live be a blessing to You! Amen!
Revelation 3:20 (<<click the green)
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”
This verse reminds me of an artist’s rendering. The artist is Warner Sallman and the picture is fairly well known, at least in Christian circles.
In doing a little researching I found some interesting details about the painting and its allegory. The barely concealed heart produced by the luminance of Christ and the frame of the doorway convey Christ’s call to the soul ensnared in thistles of sin and the darkness of ignorance and willfulness. Yet… “all is not hopeless, for there is an opening of grillwork in the door ‘revealing the darkness within,’ so that the individual may see who is at the door, and see that He is good and kind.” It is also noteworthy “because the absence of any outside knob or latch on the door indicates that one must open one’s heart to Christ from within — He will not force His way inside.” (from the Warner Sallman Collection)
So much imagery conveyed by Sallman and it is all inspired by truth – the truth from God’s word.
Lord, you wait patiently for our response –not one person is excluded. I am grateful that I answered that persistent knocking on my heart’s door. I am grateful that You have come into my life. I am grateful for Your companionship and direction. Lord, You have brought me so far! I could not have done it without You!
Aug 4th, Thurs, 6:08 am
“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us…”
This is a Throwback Thursday post from June 17, 2015. It is my very first blog post. Two people viewed it. Hey, you have to start somewhere!
Father, thank You for Your concern in regards to my spiritual well being and development. Increase my eagerness to join with You each day.
“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us…”
It’s wonderful to see this amazing statement, which I have often proclaimed, firmly set in Your Word. To know that You loved us from eternity past should fill us with great peace and eradicate any doubt as to whose we are.
Help this to be foundational in how I think of myself and how I think of all others, even those that “Christians”* tend to reject. Father, help me to see people through the lens of Your perspective.
April 19th, Sun, 6:45 am
*A little expounding on my use of this term in this way might be helpful. So called “followers of Christ” have gotten a nasty reputation in latter years. Far too often we are haters and that’s not just a label others have put on us – many who bear the name of Christ are haters. If “sinners” don’t agree with us and they take a stand for what they believe, we don’t love them, pray for them or try to live lives before them that draw them to Christ. Instead, we blast them, berate them and out-and-out condemn them! In the Old Testament and the New, we are told over and over again, “Love your neighbor as yourself…” Read the Gospels and you will not find one example of Christ condemning a “sinner”, he loves them, forgives them and commands them to “go and sin no more” but, in no way, shape or form, does he hate them. On the other hand, He does condemn the spiritual leaders of His day. They were two-faced (hypocrites) and self-serving. They had the Law and they knew the Law but chose not to obey. I for one am grateful that he does not condemn sinners for I wholeheartedly agree with Paul when he wrote in 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.” Father, help us all to see people through the lens of Your perspective.