With…or Against the Grain
Father, what a busy day this has been. Driving today to be with family during my nieces bridal shower made for a lot of driving but it was well worth the effort to spend time together. Those times are too few and far apart. Thank You for the blessing of family.
Hebrews 5:1-10 (<<click here)
Obedience – it is sort of like sanding wood. I don’t have a lot of experience with sanding wood but I do know that sanding with the grain of the wood gives you a much better, more beautiful result. I suppose You could get rid of some of the rough spots going against the grain but it is more difficult and you don’t end up with the best results
Lord, You know that I am Yours to sand. Rough spots need to be eliminated and who better to do that than the Master Carpenter! What I pray for is that I would be obedient even if it is difficult – when I do so I let You “sand with the grain” of my life. The end result is beautiful. So I need You to help me listen and act when You direct me.
Disobedience causes unnecessary scuffing. In the end it causes me much more discomfort, when You have to “sand against the grain”, and quite often it interferes with Your work – things don’t get done as smoothly as when I cooperate. Lord, I truly want You to do with me as You will for You know best. Thank You for Your love and patience.
Mar 12th, Sat, 9:11 pm
Fidelity
Father, the next several days are going to be a challenge. We are so excited that Massey is home for a few days! But because we want to stay up and talk and do things together it makes getting up more of a challenge. My time with You is of the utmost importance to me so I am determined to be here. Please help me to be wise in what I do when awake so that I will sleep well. Help me to be safe in my travels and to do my best at Kohl’s and in getting ready for worship. Thank You for Your active presence in my life.
I don’t know if the tacos from supper were a contributing factor, Lord, but I sure dreamed last night. I know many times You used dreams in the Bible to communicate messages. My dream was surely disturbing and it may just be a wild, taco induced thing in my brain but I do want to use it as means of staying true to You and the ones I love.
It’s disturbing in that it was sexual in nature. It was not sordid and there are no graphic details to pass along. In my dream I was not married but even then it was like I was looking at myself doing and thinking things and feeling mortified because I am married. For the most part the dream was flirtatious in nature and though I was tempted to pursue things best left alone, I did not yield. The only physical contact was I rubbed the young woman’s back. It was in a group setting and that’s all I did but just that simple contact evoked “feelings.” Later she was in the shower and a clear but subtle invitation had been extended to me but I saw nothing and did nothing for I did not yield. I didn’t even go near her location.
Yuck! I don’t even like writing it down but, Lord, I want it to be an anchor point in our relationship that will shore up another extremely important relationship in my life – my marriage!
The world is replete with sexual promiscuity. Our culture’s mentality is to meet our own needs regardless of how it impacts others. And no matter how much our society glamourizes it, it always impacts others – and many times in hurtful, scarring ways.
I am wholly committed to Karen! Jesus, You are very clear on this topic.
“You have heard the commandment that says, “You must not commit adultery! But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:27-28
I pray every day for the strength and wisdom to abide by Your words, Lord. I do my best to not even linger on pictures of women I see. I strive to avert my eyes while interacting with the public when on many occasions low cut tops and skin tight bottoms want to lure me in.
Lord, help me! Only in You can I stand strong. I am totally dependent on You to get me through and want nothing else than to be utterly faithful to my wife. Amen – so be it!
Mar 11th, Fri, 5:37 am
Saturate My Soul
As I look out this morning, Father, I see the gently falling rain. We have not had so much precipitation lately that I know it is softly saturating the ground. Already crocuses are blooming and the warmth and rain have already encouraged our daffodils, tulips and peonies to begin their ascent from their winters rest. You have made it as such that life has an insatiable desire for water – it sustains, it refreshes, it brings life and without it life comes to end.
Lord, You are water to me. Psalm 42:1-2 says,
“As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, O God. I thirst for God, the living God.”
Being in Your presence Lord, You softly saturate my soul. You have created me with an insatiable desire for the “living water” that only You can provide – You sustain me, You refresh me. You bring me life – without You I will surely die.
Jeremiah spoke truly when he stated that we “have abandoned” You, Lord, “the fountain of living water” and we have dug for ourselves “cracked cisterns.” (Jeremiah 2:13) We have traded good for bad – that which causes us to grow for that which leads to death.
Lord, as the old hymn says,
“There shall be showers of blessing
If we but trust and obey.
There shall be showers of blessing
If we let God have his way.”
Have Your way with me, Lord, help me to trust and obey for I need for Your Showers of blessing.
Mar 10th, Thurs, 8:38 am
Flux
Father, so many things in life are in a constant state flux. A common statement in many places is “If you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes.” Not that long ago (last week?) we had snow on the ground and yesterday it was sunny and in the 70’s. When I got home late last night the sky was clear with every star shining in its radiance, today clouds are here and rain isn’t too far behind. Flux rules the day. Situations that we feel are secure can change in the blink of an eye. That’s just the way it is, and we can’t do a thing about it. If we really think about it, the only consistent aspect of life is inconsistency!
But, Lord, You do not fit into this mold. It clearly states in Hebrews 13:8 that, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” You are constant. We can build our lives upon You because You are rock-solid. Nothing can move You. Nothing can displace You. But mankind surely works hard enough trying to!
From the very beginning we have tried to displace You but the only place we have been successful is in our own hearts. Many have usurped the throne of our own lives but every single one of us, will have no choice but to abdicate that throne when we bow before You on that inevitable Judgment Day.
Why is it that we strive so diligently for stability in our lives yet we refuse to yield to the one Person who could give it to us? We would rather control our own lives with all of our inconsistencies and holes and heartaches and missed opportunities and dissatisfaction than give ourselves over to the One who would give us fulfillment beyond our wildest dreams, One who sees the big picture and is able to sustain and guide us through all of life’s ups and downs.
Jesus, I will continue to acknowledge Your Lordship over my life. Life is fuller, richer, sweeter with You on the throne. I have direction. I have stability. And no matter what life throws at me I know You are with me consistent and flux free!
Mar 9th, Wed, 5:15 am
Rotten Apple
Stayed in bed a little longer than usual this morning and, oh my, that was not a good choice for me. The extra sleep was not a fair trade for my scrambled thoughts, and heavier traffic whizzing by. Father, in spite of my foolishness, help me to redeem our time together.
Hebrews 4:16 (<<click here)
“…come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.”
I do believe, Lord, that coming boldly to Your throne speaks more of confidence with a healthy dose of reverence. I don’t want anything to hinder me from coming to You. Even when I have sinned, I need to come before You as quickly as possible to take care of my sin. I don’t want it to be the rotten apple in the barrel that starts to affect the other apples in my barrel. You don’t want me to be fearful of coming to You. I know You are gracious and will be merciful to me. This is most assuredly not a license to flagrantly disobey You but it does not throw up an impenetrable wall between us – You want those kinds of things taken care of ASAP. Your desire is for our relationship to always be moving forward, onward and upward!
My goal must be to keep our communication line clear of all that would block it. I am so grateful that I could come to You yesterday when Massey was struggling with school. I felt totally free to bring it before You. You love me. You want what is best for me. Thank You, Lord, for Your availability to even me.
Mar 8th, Tues, 6:58 am