See with Your Heart
Father, though I didn’t sit and write yesterday, I am so glad we spent the entire day together. As You directed me on my sermon preparation and with other components for Sundays service, I was truly blessed. May Your Holy Spirit guide me throughout today, as well. Amen.
1 Peter 1:8-12 (<<click here)
Lord Jesus, I am so blessed that though I have never seen You in the flesh I can love You. You have made Yourself available to me. I may not see You with my eyes but I surely see You with my heart because You first loved me, I can now love You.
Through the presence of Your Spirit, I can know You intimately. I hear You speak. I learn from Your word – You enlighten my heart and mind with its inspiration. I’m able to avoid the pitfalls of temptation as You guide me to sidestep potential snares. Even when I come face to face with the enticements of evil, You are my strength to stand and not yield – or to turn and distance myself from what could pull me down.
I am not alone, nor will I ever be. As my physical body declines with age, as the trials of this world continue to press in upon me, I will be able to “rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy” for You are my salvation!
Lord, You know me to the uttermost both inside and out. Give me an unquenchable desire to know You more deeply every day. Amen.
Oct 21st, Fri. 6:20 am
Refined
Father, it seems like everything else but what needs to be passing through my mind keeps crashing in. Help my focus to be on You and Your word. Amen.
1 Peter 1:6-7 (<<click here)
Being a Jewelry Supervisor for several years at Kohl’s has given me a fair amount of experience with gold. One thing I have learned is that there are many women who have allergic reactions if the gold is not pure enough. Just about everyone I have worked with that has this sensitivity is OK with 14kt gold. Kt refers to the gold’s purity. 14kt gold is good, too, because it is blended with other harder metals making it stronger. 24kt gold is the most pure but is too soft by itself to be practical.
I suppose someone could wear a chunk of gold right out of the ground but for it to be most usable it has to be refined. It is placed over intense heat and as it heats up impurities float to the top and are skimmed off. For gold to be most useful it has to be refined.
First of all, Lord, in Your sight I am way more valuable than any amount of gold. But for me to be useful to You I must be refined, as well. No one enjoys trials, myself included, but that is how we are refined. Peter says, “There is wonderful joy ahead” but we must go through trials for trials “will show that our faith is genuine.”
I must be made pure but by myself, I am too soft. I must be blended with You, Lord, for the strength to accomplish what You have for me to do. And in this life that means I must spend time with You daily.
Lord, I know trials are ahead – that’s life. Use them to make me more like You. May their fire bring out the impurities in me. Enable me to continue having the burning desire to be with You, to spend time with You so that I will be strong in You. You know what is best. Amen
Oct 19th, Wed, 7:11 am
Do Not Worry About Tomorrow
There are many things weighing on my mind, Father. I ould humbly ask for your wisdom and direction. There is no better source than You. Fill me with Your Spirit that I may do Your will. Amen.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
“Therefore do no worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34
So, Lord, things are entering my life that are giving me reason to fear and be troubled. None of us knows what tomorrow will bring. But as I hear it, it makes me want to circle the wagons, to bring my loved ones in and to prepare for the worst. The worst may very well come, but does being consumed with readiness on a physical front really accomplish anything? Is it unwise to not prepare?
Lord, we talk daily and I don’t think that I am avoiding truth. I just don’t feel that You are directing me to stockpile and prepare for the end. Is it coming? …yes. When? I surely have no idea whatsoever – but You do. I place my trust in You. If You called me to prepare in other ways I would but You are calling me to daily live my life out in You, through You, because of You! How does taking care of my needs, or even encouraging others to do so further Your kingdom? You are the proclaimer of peace – not fear! I choose to place myself in Your hands. I will not “worry about tomorrow” for tomorrow is in Your hands as well. Amen
Oct 18th, Tue, 6:21 am
Dribble Down the Front
Father, I am so grateful that You are here with me. I struggle sometimes to get here, to think, to pray, to write, to stay awake even. But You? You are rock solid. You never give up on me. You are my biggest cheerleader. You want me to succeed. Plain and simple – You love me! Thank You…
1 Peter 1:4-5 (<<click here)
Sometimes, Lord, it feels like we make a mess of everything we touch. And then that voice (not Your voice but another) pops in our head and says, “See this is why you can’t have nice things!” It’s like getting a nice, special shirt from a loved one and the first time we wear it we dribble spaghetti sauce down the front of it.
Now of course, before we even really know what we’re doing our lives are soiled by sin. But we learn of Your love for us and the forgiveness that is extended and when we embrace it we are clean…really clean – only because of You… And what a glorious time that is! But at some point, sin makes itself available and before we know it we bite off a chunk and it dribbles down our freshly cleaned soul. We may fail but You, Lord, are always at the ready to clean us up again. Talk about a stain buster! Lord, thank You for Your “indescribable gift”! 2 Corinthians 9:15
I am so grateful that my opening prayer is true but Peter’s writing brings a new thought to mind. For those who choose to embrace You,
“…we have a priceless inheritance…that is kept in heaven…pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through Your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.”
Lord, we may struggle. The very nature of our lives is a constant battle against getting down and dirty… and sometimes it feels we are dirty more than we are clean. But those who love You, have an inheritance, kept in heaven “pure and undefiled.” All praise to You, Lord and Savior. Jesus, thank You for my inheritance! Enable me to stay the course. Strengthen me to live for You every moment. Amen.
Oct 17th, Mon, 6:12 am
Extraordinary!
What a wonderful day yesterday was, Father! Some time at Kohl’s, and the rest of the day with my sweetie doing yard work – beautiful day and company! I am truly blessed!
1 Peter 1:3 (<<click here)
Lord, my thoughts are drawn to the last few words of the verse, “Now we live with great expectation…” In the Father’s great mercy we can now be made right (be born again) in our relationship with You. Because You conquered sin and death we can live victoriously for You! So regardless of where this journey of life takes us, we can be conquerors as well.
But the question I must ask myself is, “Do I live my life with ‘great expectation’”? Life can become pretty routine. I get up and do my thing, get ready and go to work, come home, work on whatever for a couple of hours, go to bed and then start it all over again the next day. Some days are more exciting than others but many are pretty much the same old, same old.
Now if that was all there was then monotone would sure be an applicable word…that is not all that there is. Lord, when we factor You into our lives, it changes everything! You take the ordinary and make it extraordinary! We are no longer globs of primordial goo that somehow managed to crawl out onto dry land. We are beings of purpose, placed here with great thought and love – and sacrifice, too! – for a reason. When we embrace our relationship with You – life has meaning. Our mundane now has motive.
Because of You, Lord, “Now we can live with great expectation!” As I live my life for You, Your will is fulfilled in and through me. With You at the helm, I can go places and do things I never thought possible! I can be a conqueror over things that would have taken me down!
Lord, take my ordinary and make it extraordinary, fill me with Your presence. Use me as You will. Amen.
Oct 16th, Sun, 6:34 am