Category: Hope

Human Desire vs. Divine Desire

Only when we can overcome our natural human desire to hold on to what we have, and give in to the Divine desire to surrender our will, can we look forward to our bread coming back – in more abundance, in more desirable form.

Meditation Thought: “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1)

This is another way of learning to trust God – we deliberately give up what we have to Him – trusting Him to provide our needs. When we get brave enough to let go of what we have, and especially as we continue to trust God in the period that we see nothing for us in the water, God is able through our “faith being the substance of things hoped for” (Hebrews 11:1) to make those things as a tangible substance, our prayers answered, our blessings received.

Only when we can overcome our natural human desire to hold on to what we have, and give in to the Divine desire to surrender our will, can we look forward to our bread coming back – in more abundance, in more desirable form. And the period of doing without the bread being available to us intensifies our joy as we receive the transformed bread. We know excitement and awe we never would have realized had we kept the bread to ourselves.

“Give and it shall be given you, pressed down and running over.” (Luke 6:38)

Freedom From

But – oh, what a relief when that chain is removed! How wonderful it feels to be able to stretch, to move – how excited we are at the new freedom!

Meditation Thought: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

Each personality of the Trinity has truths to teach, and each truth releases a new area of freedom: There is:
– freedom from fear
– freedom from guilt
– freedom from discouragement
– freedom from pain
– freedom from lack of confidence
– freedom from indecision.

As we allow each Personality to get close to us, He reaches down and works loose another chain which has been binding us. We need to cooperate, need perhaps to even endure some pain in order that the chain may be worked into proper position for removal. But – oh, what a relief when that chain is removed! How wonderful it feels to be able to stretch, to move – how excited we are at the new freedom!

God intends for us to have all chains removed, but He cannot accomplish this if by our actions we restrict His actions. We must be very perceptive to His instructions and cooperate with His moments, or we will bind the chains tighter instead of helping with their removal.

Suggested Prayer:

Dear Father, Son, Holy Spirit: my friends, my Ones coming to my rescue – I welcome You into every area of my life – and I ask Your help in removing any chains in any area. I may be so accustomed to some of the chains that I am not even aware that they exist. Please make me aware that they are there and that we must remove them. I know now that I have only the tiniest glimpse of what You see me as being when the chains are removed – the that glimpse is enough to encourage me to say whole-heartedly: “Let’s get on with the job of removing the chains”.

Many Times Over

When I start the day with You, I am blessed to see you work miracles in timing and in extra strength which make up many times over the time spent in Bible reading and prayer first.

Meditation Thought: “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)

Aha. I see. No person having embraced the salvation of Jesus, having committed their whole life to God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter – can continue to rush into their duties in the world before meeting with their Guide, their Helper, their Companion: for otherwise they will not be fit for the kingdom [nor fit in the Kingdom, not being suited for it] – but will be fit for the world.

When I start the day with You, I am blessed to see you work miracles in timing and in extra strength which make up many times over the time spent in Bible reading and prayer first.

Always Gain, Never Loss

Our relationship must grow so that our time together is not even ‘second nature’ to you – but first nature.

Meditation Thought: “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom for the future.” (Proverbs 19:20)

“Take one step at a time: the crux is to take that step in the right direction. It will be easier for you if you decide each moment as if it were just one step. You know what direction one step should be to reach the goal already planned. Do not change goals on impulse, for you only go further away from My goal for you, and then I must turn you around to retrace your mistaken steps, and you have lost time which can never be replaced. Think of the time with Me as recharging your batteries. If you go on and on, you will lose power and be stopped completely even though it appeared you were gaining time by going on the your tasks.

Your time with Me will give you:
– assurance of going in the proper direction
– extra power
– extra wisdom in choices
– extra confidence
– extra peace
– extra joy.

Time with Me – devotion to Me – is always gain, never loss. It is when you are most harried, most pressed for time, that you need time with Me the most urgently. You know this now enough to do it frequently – but it is still a conflict for you – our relationship must grow so that our time together is not even ‘second nature’ to you – but first nature. Rely on Me, obey Me moment by moment with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength”

An Immunizing Agent

…the very sort of the life that every human searches for, longs for, is even desperate for.

Meditation Thought: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful …and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

Similar to Ephesians 6:17 “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God”. A sword, when wielded expertly and by a person quickly discerning where to thrust it, causes an immediate change in the place it enters. So the Word of God can cause an immediate, complete change wherever it is thrust. Evil is immobilized and God’s spirit for good is free to move in the situation. We must learn to enable God to thrust this sword into any evil in our lives by becoming immersed in His Word, keeping the sword available at all times. And the Word in us serves as an immunizing agent against evil thoughts and evil intentions getting a hold in us. We must be diligent in keeping a large dose of our immunizing agent in ourselves at all times, lest the disease of evil get a foothold in our minds and hearts and bodies.

The Word of God is able to penetrate into our subconscious whereas we can only deal with the conscious. We swallow the Word of God, trusting it to do its work, but not really understanding how it penetrates and works in us. We don’t understand the ‘how’ – but we can see the results of ingesting it as our lives are changed completely by it – healthier in every area (body, mind, spirit) – and happier, more alive and enthused and excited: the very sort of the life that every human searches for, longs for, is even desperate for.

Nourishment to Thrive

Prepare yourself for peak perfection.

Meditation Thought: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)

As a plant thrives and blooms in response to the nourishment provided, so you will thrive and bloom on the nourishment of the knowledge of your Lord. His strength will flow into you, being absorbed and used in whatever way is best for you to become at the peak of perfection in being a child of God.

Prepare yourself to absorb this knowledge, and drink it thirstily, knowing that this nourishment will change you for the better, both for your sake and for the sake of others to enjoy you more fully.

The Golden Rule Demonstrated

A bit of envy is exchanged for a bit of understanding, a bit of selfishness is exchanged for a bit of outreach, a bit of hate for…

Meditation Thought: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)

If you are, through Christ, doing good to everyone in your life, you are a tree producing good fruit. Subtly, little by little:
a bit of envy is exchanged for a bit of understanding,
a bit of selfishness is exchanged for a bit of outreach,
a bit of hate for a bit of love,
a bit of despair for a bit of hope,
a bit of judgment for a bit of forgiveness,
a bit of rebellion for a bit of righteousness,
a bit of ignorance for the revelation of Truth.

The miracle is that, through Christ, the exchange for the more desirable condition takes place simultaneously in you and in the person upon whom your attitude, concentration and resources are working.

Christ said “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” – but He said it only after He had become an example, only after He had embraced this concept to the point of sacrificing himself to the total commitment of His life to this principle.

Jolted

We do not understand His willingness to forgive and His desire to express mercy.

Meditation Thought: “and wen he saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you’ …and he rose… and went home glorifying God.” (Luke 5:20,25)

Believe – demonstrate your belief – and He whose word is true cannot deny or resist you, for He is true to His promises and true in His love.

We miss out on much healing and many blessings due to our inability to truly comprehend the depth of God’s love and the power of His Word and His Spirit. We do not understand His willingness to forgive and His desire to express mercy.

We make the mistake of attributing to God our own thoughts and feelings and manner of behavior.

Instead of seeking to become totally familiar with all that God is and patterning ourselves according to what we find, we lazily presume that the way we are must be an approximation of the way He is.

Only when we are jolted out of our long-held misconceptions can we have the revelation of the possibilities of a miracle taking place. Only when we believe enough in the possibility do we decide to seek to bring it about by requesting it in so much faith that it will take place that our Lord is so delighted with our confidence in His ability and desire to perform the miracle, can He match up our faith and His power to grant the request.

Ineptness to Effectiveness

To heed the advice of the word given to us by trusting in faith instead of relying on previous experience which has failed us is to change the pattern of our lives from…

Meditation Thought: ” ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’ …For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken … and they left everything and followed him.” (Luke 5: 5,9,11)

The difference between an empty net and a full net is ‘going it alone’ or doing it with Christ, which is automatically doing it according to the will of the Father and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

To heed the advice of the word given to us by trusting in faith instead of relying on previous experience which has failed us is to change the pattern of our lives from:
emptiness to fullness
weakness to strength
fear to courage
ineptness to effectiveness
dullness to excitement
joy in receiving to joy in giving
from our accomplishments being measured mathematically to geometrically.

Willingly

Do you believe that you are commanded to worship Me because I seek to honored as men seek to be honored – for vain glory? Oh, no – I seek to be first in your life because as your father, I place your welfare first in My heart. I love you!

Meditation Thought: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” (Luke 4:8, quoting Deuteronomy 6:13)

“First things first. ‘You shall have no other gods before me.’ Do you believe that you are commanded to worship Me because I seek to honored as men seek to be honored – for vain glory? Oh, no – I seek to be first in your life because as your father, I place your welfare first in My heart. I love you! I love you, spirit of My Spirit! And I seek your love that you may trust Me, heed Me and reap the benefits therefrom.

Who knows you better than I?
And who knows every child better than I?
Who knows what is Truth better than I?
Who knows the condition and circumstances of the world better than I?
And who knows how to bring all into peace, harmony, fulfillment better than I?

You know – but to hear Me you must tune out the clamor of other voices: Hear Me first, then can you judge which pleas to heed, and which to refute. You will be able to discern which will serve Me – and which will serve another.

Be strong in the strength of My might: by My Word shall My Spirit give you strength, wisdom, courage, and power.
To move mountains.
To feed the hungry.
To heal the sick.
To clothe the naked.
To take the good news to the poor.
To open the eyes of the blind.
To bring sinners to repentance.

Expressed in only one way: Love. Not with disappointment, judgment, condemnation, lectures. But with sharing love, sharing all that is good within you. Giving what is precious to you – that it may be multiplied back to you. Hoard no treasure; give it away that it may be enhanced and returned to you – to be given away again to be enhanced – ad infinitum.

The flowing river is the pure water, not the stagnant pool of collection. Build the temple of your life upon the Word of Truth, that it shall stand against the storms of strife. That the light from within shall dispel the darkness without. That all who come near may rejoice and be glad they took the path that brought them near to you, for in being near to you, can they find Me if you have built your temple to be My dwelling place.

I seek to dwell in hearts of unselfish love, of minds thinking upon the Word, of spirits seeking My Spirit.”

Suggested prayer: Father, please accept
my yielding of my will to you,
my yielding of my mind to you,
my yielding of my spirit to you,
my yielding of my body to you,
my yielding of my emotions to you,
my yielding of all I ‘posses’ to you:

I give them willingly, trustingly, joyfully, knowing that they shall but be enhanced by your possession of them. And as you return them to me, then shall I become the image of You. You place your mark upon them, that I may know, and others know, that I recognize You as having first place in my life.

I pray in Jesus’ name that I may understand precisely what this commitment means at every moment of my life. Amen.