"people who rely on me in the midst of adversity may forget about me when life is flowing smoothly".
How true is that? I know that when I am at the end of my rope I have to grab God's hand. When things are so out of my control, trusting in God...that He isvthe master controller.. I lean on him for all that I need. Now... When everything is going so well... How big is my God. Does He get lost along the smooth road that I am walking? Do I acknowledge that it is " He" who gave me the smooth road? Do I thank God for His choice to bless me?
Oh how I never want to lose sight of my God. " Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? [14] When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future. (Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 ). When my road is crooked and bumpy I am to praise my lord. When my path is smooth and good I am to praise my lord... As all things are from Him. All he allows in my life is for my best..It is all about His will in my life. His name to be given the glory in all things.
" difficult times can jolt you into awareness of your need for me, whereas smooth sailing can lull you into the stupor of self-sufficiency."
I don't want to be lulled into that stupor of self-sufficiency. I have to make the daily choice... Second by second.. To acknowledge that God is the one who is blessing me.. Whether it is for my next breath, these legs that carry me' my fingers which are typing, this computer I have to type the words... For a cloudy and rainy day... Whether external or internal... Wherever God places me...God-awareness in all things. I don't want to wait for a crisis to acknowlegde the presence if my lord.
Oh lord give me a thankful heart, in all things...as your peace is present in all things.
"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. [4] Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal."Isaiah 26:3-4 (NIV)
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
O Come Let Us Adore Him
December 22
"Come to me and rest in My Presence. As I ponder the majestic mystery of the Incarnation..."
Jesus was the only one who was sired by the Holy Spirit.
He was born of the Spirit...a pure birth. Too amazing to fathom. It is way beyond comprehension. I could spend the rest of my life asking myself...How can that be? And you know what...I could never answer it with wordly words. How can it be...It is impossible by human terms...but "Nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37)
It is what it is...because it is all God. He did it. He just wanted to. He did the impossible to give us the possible.
I am to follow the leading of the three wise men...as they “FELL DOWN in humble worship when they FOUND Jesus”.
Do I fall down in humility when I experience the healing power of my Jesus? Do I fall down and worship Him when He forgives me? Do I fall down at His feet...just because He is Jesus?
Luke 1:35...”the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of th Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born wil be called the Son of God.”
Wow..the Son of God...why do tears fill my eyes right now about this? Jesus....the Son of God. What does that mean to me?
God sent His Son....to be born...
Why...would He do that? Why would He put Him through all of that....to live on this earth...to walk through life being ridiculed, questioned...doubted....all to just take that long walk to the cross...Our cross....to be crucified upon it....to go through all of that so I could live forever...so I could be allowed to walk through this life with free will to do whatever I want to do...to even choose to sin....yuck...but I do....even though I love Jesus so much. He did this so I could go to Him and say, “Sorry Jesus....for sinning again.” And then Jesus replies to me, “I forgive you Joni. Now pick up your mat and sin no more”. And then what does Joni do....she walks in His forgiveness, His grace...and oops..she slips and falls and chooses to sin...again. And she goes to Jesus...and He says, “Joni, I forgive you again. Now pick up your mat and sin no more.” He will forgive me over and over and over again...no matter how many times I may stumble and fall...That is why He came. That is why He was “sired” by the Holy Spirit. That is why He came. He wasn’t born so we could celebrate Christmas. He came so we could celebrate New Life....a New Beginning....a New Hope....a New Peace....beyond all comprehension.
Jesus....the true gift of Christmas. The night He was born in a smelly stable....His humbling beginnings to give me royalty treatment. Incomprenhensible.
“Look for A Star of guidance” in my life." It is always shining in my heart. The eternal flame in the depths of my soul....that will never die. I may cover it’s brightness when I allow my eyes to be focused on what is seen...on me.....on my circumstances....on my emotions....Yet the flame continues to burn...always. As I focus on this bright star in my heart....this star that God placed inside my soul...My whole being will shine because of what is inside of me...because of Him that lives in me...today, tomorrow...forever.
My Savior...My shining star....My eternal flame. May I always be aware of His presence all around me...no matter what my eyes may see.
He is all that I need. He is all that I want. He is all that I am not.
He is my Christ Child...born for me...
And I answer His call...in stillness....
“O Come let us adore Him....Christ the King”
"Come to me and rest in My Presence. As I ponder the majestic mystery of the Incarnation..."
Jesus was the only one who was sired by the Holy Spirit.
He was born of the Spirit...a pure birth. Too amazing to fathom. It is way beyond comprehension. I could spend the rest of my life asking myself...How can that be? And you know what...I could never answer it with wordly words. How can it be...It is impossible by human terms...but "Nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37)
It is what it is...because it is all God. He did it. He just wanted to. He did the impossible to give us the possible.
I am to follow the leading of the three wise men...as they “FELL DOWN in humble worship when they FOUND Jesus”.
Do I fall down in humility when I experience the healing power of my Jesus? Do I fall down and worship Him when He forgives me? Do I fall down at His feet...just because He is Jesus?
Luke 1:35...”the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of th Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born wil be called the Son of God.”
Wow..the Son of God...why do tears fill my eyes right now about this? Jesus....the Son of God. What does that mean to me?
God sent His Son....to be born...
Why...would He do that? Why would He put Him through all of that....to live on this earth...to walk through life being ridiculed, questioned...doubted....all to just take that long walk to the cross...Our cross....to be crucified upon it....to go through all of that so I could live forever...so I could be allowed to walk through this life with free will to do whatever I want to do...to even choose to sin....yuck...but I do....even though I love Jesus so much. He did this so I could go to Him and say, “Sorry Jesus....for sinning again.” And then Jesus replies to me, “I forgive you Joni. Now pick up your mat and sin no more”. And then what does Joni do....she walks in His forgiveness, His grace...and oops..she slips and falls and chooses to sin...again. And she goes to Jesus...and He says, “Joni, I forgive you again. Now pick up your mat and sin no more.” He will forgive me over and over and over again...no matter how many times I may stumble and fall...That is why He came. That is why He was “sired” by the Holy Spirit. That is why He came. He wasn’t born so we could celebrate Christmas. He came so we could celebrate New Life....a New Beginning....a New Hope....a New Peace....beyond all comprehension.
Jesus....the true gift of Christmas. The night He was born in a smelly stable....His humbling beginnings to give me royalty treatment. Incomprenhensible.
“Look for A Star of guidance” in my life." It is always shining in my heart. The eternal flame in the depths of my soul....that will never die. I may cover it’s brightness when I allow my eyes to be focused on what is seen...on me.....on my circumstances....on my emotions....Yet the flame continues to burn...always. As I focus on this bright star in my heart....this star that God placed inside my soul...My whole being will shine because of what is inside of me...because of Him that lives in me...today, tomorrow...forever.
My Savior...My shining star....My eternal flame. May I always be aware of His presence all around me...no matter what my eyes may see.
He is all that I need. He is all that I want. He is all that I am not.
He is my Christ Child...born for me...
And I answer His call...in stillness....
“O Come let us adore Him....Christ the King”
Monday, December 20, 2010
Jesus Calling
December 20
Thoughts to Ponder based on Jesus Calling
"Jesus was taunted and tempted to display more of His awesome power than God's plan permitted."
Jesus was tempted and taunted...to perform miracles...to prove that He was the Savior.
I love it how God is only going to allow the amount of power that is needed in my life, at just the right time.
God holds back so I hold onto Him.
How do I taunt and tempt Jesus and God to show me more of His power?
If I got all that I wanted right now..why would I even go to the Lord?
When Jesus was born, we needed Him. There was a need. God threw up his hands...and said to Jesus....”Go down there my boy....it is time. They are really messing up. Let's show them who we are and offer to them what they really need."
So off Jesus came...to be born, in a manager..to walk through life as "man"...all so we could live with Him in eternity. He gave us all that we needed on that cross. It is finished. His ultimate power revealed to us through His resurrection. How powerful is that? What more could I want.
Jesus could have got off that cross in a second..but He didn't...even when the people were "taunting and tempting" Him...as show in Luke 23...
" 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
There Jesus was on the cross....just waiting....to fulfill His purpose...He could have saved Himself and got off that cross...but instead He stayed....He hung onto God through the process because He knew what He was there to do.
Am I hanging on? Am I hanging on while I am waiting, resting on God’s promises? Am I getting off the cross too soon because I don’t see God...don’t feel God?
Do I believe that God is waiting for the perfect time to reveal Himself to me...so He can be glorified?
Was it worth it for Jesus to hang on for us?
Will it be worth it for me to continue to hang on?
God is always revealing His power, even when I don't feel like He is...when I don't visibly see it in my circumstances. There is so much power just in His name...just in my sitting at His feet....as Jesus is always calling me to "be still" and sit with Him..and enjoy just Him...because He already gave me all that I need. He already did the most powerful work in my heart...in the world. He died, He rose...and He will come again.
I will be thankful for His power...His miracles...as I am a miracle. I am a product of His power. I will live forever...what more could I want.
From the words of the Psalmist...in 92....
1 It is good to praise the LORD
and make music to your name, O Most High,
2 proclaiming your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,
3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
and the melody of the harp.
4 For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD;
I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
5 How great are your works, LORD,
how profound your thoughts!
I thank you my Lord for your patience with me, when I am so impatient. I thank you my Lord, for giving me everything, when I am crying out for more. I thank you my Lord, for your grace, when I turn from your ways and take my own path. I thank you my Lord, for your Son...who hung on that cross for me. I thank you my Lord, for hanging onto me...so I can hang onto you.
Thank you for giving me your all..so I can have it All...in you.
Thoughts to Ponder based on Jesus Calling
"Jesus was taunted and tempted to display more of His awesome power than God's plan permitted."
Jesus was tempted and taunted...to perform miracles...to prove that He was the Savior.
I love it how God is only going to allow the amount of power that is needed in my life, at just the right time.
God holds back so I hold onto Him.
How do I taunt and tempt Jesus and God to show me more of His power?
If I got all that I wanted right now..why would I even go to the Lord?
When Jesus was born, we needed Him. There was a need. God threw up his hands...and said to Jesus....”Go down there my boy....it is time. They are really messing up. Let's show them who we are and offer to them what they really need."
So off Jesus came...to be born, in a manager..to walk through life as "man"...all so we could live with Him in eternity. He gave us all that we needed on that cross. It is finished. His ultimate power revealed to us through His resurrection. How powerful is that? What more could I want.
Jesus could have got off that cross in a second..but He didn't...even when the people were "taunting and tempting" Him...as show in Luke 23...
" 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
There Jesus was on the cross....just waiting....to fulfill His purpose...He could have saved Himself and got off that cross...but instead He stayed....He hung onto God through the process because He knew what He was there to do.
Am I hanging on? Am I hanging on while I am waiting, resting on God’s promises? Am I getting off the cross too soon because I don’t see God...don’t feel God?
Do I believe that God is waiting for the perfect time to reveal Himself to me...so He can be glorified?
Was it worth it for Jesus to hang on for us?
Will it be worth it for me to continue to hang on?
God is always revealing His power, even when I don't feel like He is...when I don't visibly see it in my circumstances. There is so much power just in His name...just in my sitting at His feet....as Jesus is always calling me to "be still" and sit with Him..and enjoy just Him...because He already gave me all that I need. He already did the most powerful work in my heart...in the world. He died, He rose...and He will come again.
I will be thankful for His power...His miracles...as I am a miracle. I am a product of His power. I will live forever...what more could I want.
From the words of the Psalmist...in 92....
1 It is good to praise the LORD
and make music to your name, O Most High,
2 proclaiming your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,
3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
and the melody of the harp.
4 For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD;
I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
5 How great are your works, LORD,
how profound your thoughts!
I thank you my Lord for your patience with me, when I am so impatient. I thank you my Lord, for giving me everything, when I am crying out for more. I thank you my Lord, for your grace, when I turn from your ways and take my own path. I thank you my Lord, for your Son...who hung on that cross for me. I thank you my Lord, for hanging onto me...so I can hang onto you.
Thank you for giving me your all..so I can have it All...in you.
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