Jesus, thank you for revealing yourself to the World through your resurrection! You truly are alive just as you said you would be! I’m so thankful for your life, Lord! I know that it means I have life. You have utterly defeated the world, sin and death. They no longer have power. All authority has been given to You! And you have used that authority to empower us with Your Spirit and give us authority as well. We share in your rulership! How wonderful!
We are so broken, so foolish, so full of failure and yet you still chose to become like us, in the form of a man, with all the human flaws and failings at peak potential in your own body, but you overcame it all. Your resurrection proves it! The tomb is empty because you are alive.
Lord, thank you for teaching us all about who you are through the scriptures. Thank you that you walk with us and patiently show us the revelation of your identity through the prophets of the old testament so that we can fully consume and understand who you are and what you have done for us. It is incredible, God.
And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24:25-27
I worship you, Jesus! I worship you and love you for what you have done!
“O Lord, in the morning You hear my voice.” Psalms 5:3
Lord, you hear my prayers. When I call to you, you are quick to answer. You have made yourself known to me and I am yours. I love you, Jesus. You provide comfort when I am weak and tired and afraid. I cry a lot to you, God, because I know that you hear me and that You never grow weary of hearing what I have to say.
I get bogged down in the trials and tribulations of life sometimes. It seems like all around me the same groanings. The world is in a turmoil of sin and death and wickedness and everyone is suffering the same horrible fate. Death stalks us and longs to consume us, and your little ones are not immune. The innocent still suffer. The righteous still get hunted. I am maligned by my own thoughts. Even alone in my room I am confronted with it. Death and sin are dauntless enemies.
But you have conquered sin and death.
57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57
I will lean on your Holy Word. I will trust in your promises. I will wait on your deliverance and trust in your counsel. You protect me from the dangers of the world, even when I am overcome. You turn what the enemy intended to harm me into good lessons, into teachable moments, into patient endurance. One day the evil of this world will be destroyed forever. Until then I can trust you to use it for my good.
For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield. Psalms 5:12
I recognize and reiterate your promises, God. You will bless the righteous with favor and cover them with a shield. And I am your righteousness. I will not be afraid. I am yours.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
Disobedience brought death into the world. You’ve always told us that. From the very beginning you told us that if we listened to You and trusted that Your plans for us were full of good things, that we would be with you forever and never know death. All we ever had to do was trust you. But we got tricked into thinking we couldn’t trust you, didn’t we? And it brought us nothing but fear. Lord, you never wanted us to be afraid of you. It was only after we had been shown what disobedience looked and felt like in the Garden that we became afraid.
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Genesis 3:8-11
I don’t know why we’ve always tried to make it so complicated. You’ve kept it simple from the beginning God. From the time of Adam and Eve, you showed us that we had brought death to ourselves and to the world. When Adam and Eve became aware of their nakedness, they tried to cover themselves with leaves, but you took animals, killed them, and gave the skins to them to cover themselves. You showed them in an action that the knowledge of their nakedness as shameful to them brought to them death. Only death could cover it.
And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Genesis 3:21
With Moses things were no different. You met him on the mountain. You told him that you were trustworthy and that if he trusted you Moses could lead all the people into trusting Him in freedom. You gave him some rules to show him how righteous and good and fair you are, and how breaking those rules would only bring death. You showed him and he believed you.
And then you showed the people how to remember your promises and how to remember you are trustworthy. You gave them the plans for the tabernacle. And every inch of the tabernacle declared your promise that you are trustworthy and that your plans for people were to be clothed for “glory and for beauty” (Exodus 28:2). You laid out your grand design for humanity with the designs of the tabernacle, completed with mercy at the center where you met face to face with mankind.
34 You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place. Exodus 26:34
The mercy seat covered the arc of the testimony. The arc held the law, but the testimony of it was not the law, but Your desire to show us that disobedience brings death, but trusting You brings mercy. It was a physical representation of your desire for us to be together, for us to trust you. Your mercy covers the law. Your mercy has dominion over the law. Your mercy is the answer, but the sacrifice of blood is meant to show you that we understand what the knowledge of good and evil brings to us and to the world. It brings death. When we understand that we can receive your mercy.
I receive your mercy new today, Lord. Sin brings death, but you have brought mercy through your son, Jesus, who had victory over sin and death through his resurrection. I receive your mercy new today, Lord. Give me the grace to receive your mercy new each moment by your Spirit in me.
There is so much in my heart, God. So much longing, so much need. In the depth of my heart you hear me. You hear my tiny voice and rejoice over me with singing. You prepare a place for me. You lead me and hold me up. You keep me from drowning. You dry my tears. You release me from my shame and from my sorrow.
I know your justice will come quickly. Once it starts it will be quick. Your justice will come and our hearts will be glad. We will rejoice forever with you. We will never cry again. We will sing songs and be glad. We will dance. We will laugh. We will rejoice in the eternal glory of your presence and your love.
No more will there be suffering or pain.
No more will there be betrayal or heartache or weariness. Those days will pass away and be forgotten. Your justice will be swift and complete. How sad for those who don’t know you. How sad for those who will feel the brunt of your wrath because they chose to stand with the false idols.
You have made your glory and your salvation known.
But the people reject you for their own gain. They reject you for money, power, and fame. The fabricate glory and honor from the work of their own hands, and fail to see the majesty of your creation. They can’t see what you have given them and created for them. They have blinded themselves to your love because of their own desire and lust.
Lord, how free I feel to know that your love is even bigger than my own. How happy I am to know that when I looked beyond myself and my own desire for love and acceptance, I found deeper love and acceptance than I could have ever known apart from you! You offer to all people the things we long for most and yet the enemy has convinced the world that joy can come from their own power. But your joy is so much better!
Bring wisdom to your people, God.
Show the world your deep and powerful love through your redeemed children. Help the world to see that if they can look beyond themselves they can find and receive a love and mercy and peace that they could never know apart from you. Whatever they have found on their own is nothing compared to what you offer. Let them see that, God.
Let them know the full fruit of your living tree.
Bring life to the nations, God. Thank you for Jesus. Make him known!
Lord, I’ve been thinking about everything that has happened over the last couple of weeks. At one point I had both of my daughters in the hospital at the same time, and as I began to list off all the things in my brain that have happened just in the last two weeks, I started to really feel like Paul, bragging about all my afflictions to boast about my weakness. I know I’ve been talking to people a lot about my weakness lately, and all the joy you’ve given me, but God, I’m feeling the pressure, too. I’m feeling the weight of it all. My heart breaks to look at my girls and all the suffering they have endured just in the last two weeks. And I hate the enemy for what he has tried to do to our family! And here I am, boasting about all this trouble!
But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? 2 Corinthians 11: 21-28
I understand why you’ve let this happen. You have shown us so much grace and blessed us beyond measure through it all. Money, friendship, joy, peace, security, you’ve given it all! Every time I tried to fall into sorrow, you would bring your peace. When the desire to wallow in self-pity wanted to erupt from every pore of my body, you brought your joy. Miracles were happening, Jesus. So many miracles in my flesh, there are too many to count, as time and time again your faithfulness endured when my heart faltered.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:23-25
Yet, here I am Lord. I’m struggling. I’m irritable. I’m tired. And I find myself asking: where’s the miracle in my flesh right now? And I realize I haven’t had solid time in the Word over the last two weeks. I’ve managed a few minutes everyday, but I’m used to a few hours. I’m used to solid, deep, meditative time. That first night in the ER I had hours and hours of reading the Psalms. It sustained me in the pit of Hell that the enemy wanted me to see with all of the human suffering happening all around me. We were in a “bed” in a hallway next to a delirious homeless man, and in the bed beyond him, another man just like him. But your Word sustained us. I read it aloud. I prayed aloud. I prayed with those men. I brought them water. I held their hands and prayed for them. I shared your love and your promises, as my suffering daughter, between bouts of her own suffering, did the same! Because your Word sustained us and comforted us. And most importantly, it empowered us. That ER became our mission field.
I’ve missed your Word, God! The distractions have seduced me away from you and I’m struggling without it. The reading of your Word is a luxury whose denial has hurt me worse than the any of the other trials I’ve had to deal with. And it amazes me that so many of your kids struggle to give you five minutes a day. Don’t they know that Jesus is the Word made flesh? That his flesh made words is your scripture? That your promises, your love, your glory are all revealed in the Word? They are content with milk, not even ready for anything else, because they are caught up in the desires and demands of their flesh alone.
But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
And people think that a few sips of “milk” on a Sunday morning offered by some summary of someone else’s meditations on you is enough to nourish them? No wonder they’re still babies! No wonder they fall into despair over such minor things! You’ve seen all the well intentioned people asking us how we’re doing. You’ve seen the curiosity on their faces when we showed your strength, your joy, your peace! And now I know why they don’t understand. They’ve never experienced it before, God! These babies in the faith, drinking sips of milk once or twice a week, proud of how many times they’ve walked through the doors of the church in seven days time, and never once finding the rest of your Sabbath. Never once have they found the joy of your salvation. They work in the spirit of their own flesh, and fight battles with foam swords and paper shields.
I choose your sword, God. The sword of the Spirit that is the Word of God. I choose your shield. The shield of faith that extinguishes all the flaming darts of the evil one.
16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:16-20
God, I am your righteousness, made by the blood of Jesus.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
I will walk in that truth and in that promise. Though I float adrift a night and a day at sea, I will boast again and again in your power and strength and joy revealed in me. I will sound like a fool and boast in my weakness and boast in my suffering, and boast in my many, many struggles, Lord.
Because in my weakness you are strong.
Lord Jesus, show the world the power of your promises through my suffering. Show them what your peace looks like through me. I am so jealous for my time with you, God, and even this morning, I’ve had a million interruptions. Just now, writing about interruptions I was interrupted five times. Hashtag momlife. But God, I’m not going to stop. I’m not going to let this be another shipwreck if I can’t boast about it to the world and show them your power made perfect even in my interruptions. I choose you, God. I choose your peace. Even in the chaos.
Jesus, like Peter I want to follow you anywhere, even unto death. I want to pray with you in the garden of Gethsemane and hold you while you cry out to God, and guard you while you worship, and sing praises with you in trial. But, I fall asleep. I run away naked. I deny you. I weep and mourn and anguish. You said it yourself,
“The spirit is willing but the body is weak.”
I’m daily assailed by the torment of the world, but you are faithful, Jesus. You overcame the weakness of your body even unto death. And because of you, because of what you did on the cross, and because you left the tomb behind you, I am free. You had victory over sin and death. And that means you have defeated the very things that hold me hostage.
I refuse to continue to look at the past. I refuse to hate myself for falling short of your glory. I refuse to think differently of myself than you see me. I refuse to fall asleep or runaway naked. Because you are God, and your Spirit is in me. It empowers me to act in accordance with your Spirit instead of in my flesh. The spirit is willing. My body is weak. So I want to look to your example. You showed me what obedience in the Spirit looks like.
In Gethsemane you prayed. Even though your friends fell asleep, you prayed. You cried out to God. Even though you were alone. You worshiped Him. You sought Him with your whole heart and your whole mind. You sweat drops of blood, your anguish was so intense! You agonized over the road of suffering that awaited you on your journey to the cross. But you took it anyway. It wasn’t what you wanted in your body, you didn’t want pain and suffering and humiliation. But you wanted victory. And you knew God’s will for you and for me was victory. You knew that God’s will was better than your flesh. You knew that your flesh would be remade. You knew that your victory, though it would come at a hefty price in your flesh, would bring life forever to us all.
So you walked out of Gethsemane. You willingly took the road of suffering. The road of blood. The road of pain and scorn.
You took the cross.
Lord, help me walk out of the garden. As you walk with me on the road of suffering, bring people around me to offer me a drink, to help carry my cross, to stand at my side, amidst their own pain, to be with me and show me love, as you love me. And Lord, let me do the same for others.
“12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14
Lord, you are so pleased to reveal your wisdom to your children! What an honor and privilege to have the mind of God imparted within me to know your heart and your plans for me! So often I struggle and stumble around, blind to your wisdom, deaf to your voice. You hold my hand and yet I still stray, wobbling around from side to side, straying this way and that. I trip over rubble and cry and you kiss away my tears and bandage my bruised and bloodied knees. And your thoughts remain within me. In the book of James you show me why I’m always stumbling and falling away from you. I get doubtful. I lose faith.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
James 1:5-6
So, God, I’m asking for wisdom. I’m asking for faith. I’m asking you to remove the blinders that I’ve put over my own eyes. Remove the deafening roar of worldly longings and fears. Let me receive the generous and loving gift of your ample wisdom, freely offered. Let me take that wisdom with us much freedom as you offer it! I’m tired of trusting myself! No matter how smart I think I am, my wisdom is pure folly without the importation of Your thoughts and heart! I want to trust you! I don’t want to lean on my own ideas.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6
I want to walk with confidence along a straight path, with my fingers interlaced with yours, and my head held high with the pride that comes from standing with you in the righteousness you have made me. I want to walk in laughter, listening to your voice and seeing all the beautiful sites you have laid out before us. It’s not just a straight path, it’s a beautiful path. So, God, I’m asking you to renew my mind. Take away my focus on the world and the death that it brings to everything, and focus my whole being on You and the life that you offer!
9 But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—
10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:9-13
Thank you, God, that all this has been made possible to understand and digest because of your Spirit in me. Only your Spirit knows your heart. And you have given me your Spirit so that I can freely know the deepest thoughts you have about me and about the world around me. I can see what you intended with eyes that are no longer blinded by sin. I can see the incorruptible! I can see life as you always intended and hoped.
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
1 John 4:13
It’s so crazy to me God! You’ve given me eyes to see the world as you see it! To see the life you intended in all things. Satan is such a liar! He convinced Adam and Eve, the stewards of your creation, that they would be like you by receiving the “knowledge of good and evil”. But evil is not from you and its only job is to bring death and pain! To know you is to be brought back to the Garden in the Spirit, where we can walk with you and talk with you about the wisdom and beauty and light of all the things you have made. All good things. All life giving things. I no longer need to be ruled by the knowledge of evil. It will only bring death. While you are the bringer of life.
Thank you for being the Life Bringer, the Life Creator, the Light of the World, and thank you for being my friend. I love you, God. I love you so much!
Daddy, someone told me yesterday that the first 40 chapters of Isaiah were all about your wrath, and that it wasn’t until chapter 41 that we see your mercy. He seemed surprised when I answered him with my thoughts on the contrary. Because Lord, I’ve begun to truly see your compassion and mercy in everything. It’s like a mighty flood gate has opened and your love and mercy have poured out of it with POWER! I’m seeing your love in everything! Especially after hearing a sermon explaining how you define yourself from Exodus 34. God, your love really does endure forever.
You are “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” Exodus 34:6
So, when I was reading Isaiah this morning, and particularly reading in the early chapters that my friend had named chapters of your wrath, all I could see was your great mercy and love! Wow! In Isaiah Ch. 9-10 you pronounce the wrath that you will pour out on all things evil that have torn people away from the light and love of your faithfulness. You promise that you will destroy all the things that have stolen people away from the peace and joy that You provide. And you warn the people through Isaiah over and over and over:
“For all this anger had not turned away, and his hand is outstretched still.”
Every commentary I looked at said that your outstretched hand is the hand that will smite the people. But I just couldn’t make sense of that. It seemed wrong to me, God. And so I kept reading. And sure enough, you showed me the truth. After the warning of utter destruction you promise, comes your outstretched hand of MERCY. In chapter 11 you announce that your judgement has a protection clause, and that protection of judgement will come in the form of Messiah Jesus!
“In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remains of his people”
Isaiah 11:11
You extend your hand of mercy! You offer your hand for protection from selfishness and evil intent. You are offer your hand to any who will take it. Your judgement comes and
You will say in that day; “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. 2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. 6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
Isaiah 12
Your outstretched hand is the hand of mercy and love. Your hand is extended for all to find cover and protection from the destruction that awaits any who would rather stand on their own, apart from you. You keep telling us that we cannot save ourselves when the destruction comes. Only the one who made us can save us. So, Lord, help people to see that your way is salvation, not destruction. Your mercy and love will have their way and you will put an end to evil.
“He will raise a signal to the the nations”
You said that “He will raise a signal to the the nations” (Isaiah 11:12) so I’m asking you to burn that signal brighter, so that people will see your love and your offer of protection and be saved.
I keep hearing your laughter, King Jesus. It has brought me so much comfort and joy and peace. I can’t help but laugh along with you. Your laughter has turned my fear, my tears, my struggles into joy. This makes no sense in human terms. I can’t begin to understand it. I’ve tried. I don’t know how it works, except that your laughter is contagious. It is full and vibrant and rings out across the nations! All who have an ear to hear it rejoice and are glad! You have set us free! You made the day and saved the day! You saved me so we can laugh together!
What an incredible feeling! You laugh because you have won! You have brought the victory.
He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
Psalm 2:4-6
God, when the enemy tries to destroy me. When the enemy taunts me with shame and guilt and fear, you LAUGH! And when you laugh I laugh. You have made me glad.
Mankind walks through life tempted by the promises of the world. We are tempted to think that fame and glory and power and money will bring us joy, but we all know that it will all leave us feeling empty. Wars are fought across the world because of money and power and glory. The innocent are oppressed because of greed and power and lust. Bodies are ruined, hearts are broken, and yet greed is kindled and hatred kindled along with it. It is a fire of destruction that leaves the world in ruin.
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
Psalm 2:1
You have made a way in the desert.
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
Isaiah 43:19
In this cacophony of destruction you have made a way! And the lies that feed the hearts of humanity are broken beneath your great love and mercy. You have utterly destroyed the power of this world! But because of your great love for us, and because of your heart’s desire to make the nations your inheritance, you wait a little longer to reveal yourself in majesty completely and stop the power of this world once and for all.
I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
Psalm 2:7-9
Utter destruction awaits the things of this world that have destroyed the hearts, souls, and bodies of humanity. Famine, war, lust, greed, power, death…you name it, if it brings pain and torment in anyway it will be destroyed by the light of life offered by the King of Kings! It will all be dashed to pieces.
My heart is like yours, my Lord, my God. My heart longs for people to see that the only thing that can bring healing, hope, peace and joy is you. Lord let the people hear your laughter. Let them feel your joy and peace. Let your laughter infect their hearts so that they may find healing, even if they don’t know how. You will teach them. You will show them. You will give them all the beautiful things that the world has promised but lied about.
Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Psalm 2:10-12
Your final wrath against the enemy of this world that spews his lies to kill, steal and destroy, will come soon. May every soul see through the lies and fall into the laughter and love of your gentle mercy and forgiveness before it’s too late.
Dear Father, My heart is aching. As I read your Word I see the deep longing in your heart to see all people, all nations, be brought into the sheltering love of your presence and forgiveness. I think of Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem and how he wept for the people. He said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” (Mtt 23:37) You are so desperate for all the people to know you and find peace and rest and love in your arms, but people stubbornly seek after their own gain. And no matter how rich they become, no matter how much pleasure they find, no matter how many friends they have, no matter how much fame they have achieved, they are lost. None of these things will last! Over and over again you have said it, and called people to put their hope in the only thing that will last: YOU!
God, you are merciful and kind and full of love. It is your hope and desire that all would find you and choose to stand with you, but I thank you that your love is so gracious that you would never force anyone to love you. You won’t enslave people. You won’t subjugate people. You bring life and love and peace. You bring freedom from oppression and forgiveness from our sins. You bring restoration.
You say in your Word that if we turn to you, wash off the things that have seduced us and tormented us with lust and greed and cruel intentions, and simply allow you to robe us with your love and forgiveness then we will be together, filled with love and peace, and free of the bondage of all the things in life that have brought us into bondage.
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, 17 learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.
Isaiah 1:16-17
When we come to you, God, when we throw off evil deeds and pick up the cause of your heart, and when we submit to you and accept the free gift of forgiveness that you have offered from the beginning of time: that you would pay the price for our evil deeds and save us from the consequences of our own actions, only then will we find you and walk with you and reason with you. We will have forgiveness and find unity with you. Otherwise we will only find destruction.
18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 1:18-20
So, thank you God that you have offered me forgiveness and freedom. Thank you that in you I am complete and can find joy even in the midst of darkness. You are light and in you there is no darkness. (1 John 1:5)
Broken Alabaster Jar 