The Paradox of Life & Joy

It is encased in the solid, protected container of love that we find courage to move into places we once feared.

Meditation Thought: “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)

The fullness of time brings the fullness of God: His Word fulfilled, His Will fulfilled, His Purposes fulfilled. The Creator must wait for the maturity of the created to fulfill the purposes of the creation – reflecting the meaning of life to both the creator and that created.

And so came the Word, the law, the grace, the truth all manifested in the flesh, that the meaning of life might be revealed fully to those who by choice and by faith, seek the light, seek the inner core as well as the outer surface, seek the unseen as well as the seen, seek the subtle as well as the obvious, seek to know with the heart as well as the mind, who seek God rather than be limited to being self-seeking.

For the paradox is true and to be understood: He who seeks to be last shall be first, he who gives of his life shall find his LIFE, and he whose purpose is to create happiness in the hearts of his fellow creatures, has happiness thrust into his own heart while his concentration is away from his heart.

JOY shall be his as he realizes the magnificence, the depth, the glory, the sweetness, the extent of the Father’s love for him – the lengths to which the Father will go to express that love with the show of the tiniest response to that love. The realization is awesome, fulfills the longing of the heart, bringing the ecstasy of long-awaited hopes and dreams being brought into reality; a confirmation of knowing what had only been sought.

It is encased in the solid, protected container of love that we find courage to move into places we once feared, where we once had no place, where we can now move effectively because we have the secret knowledge in our heart that whatever befalls us we are protected by love, insulated by it from undue hurt – we are equipped to do our task, and therefore confident as we move to do it: and this is the key to the task being brought to a successful conclusion (pleasing to the Father and the Son and the Spirit and the created).

Faith, hope and love responding to Love are the working of the Father’s will into all eternity; how can we refuse to be a part of that?!

Jackal, Ostrich or Chosen?

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.

Meditation Thought: “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.
 The wild beasts will honor me,
    the jackals and the ostriches,
for I give water in the wilderness,
    rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
     the people whom I formed for myself
that they might declare my praise.”

(Isaiah 43:19-21)

Jackals refers to deceitful people and ostriches to those who refuse to see the truth – but God’s righteousness and omnipotence will bring them to honor Him.

“Chosen people” – He would have all of His creation be His ‘chosen people’ – but some will not choose to be His chosen people and thus will forfeit that prerogative.

Repair and Remodel

Each needed replacement is an opportunity to upgrade the individual component and the value of the whole.

Meditation Thought: “ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“Take the aggravation of the wearing out of the various components of your house and make it a parable in your life. Each needed replacement is an opportunity to upgrade the individual component and the value of the whole house.

Let Me replace your old creature with all new components more suitable for a daughter of the Kingdom, for old habits and old desires and old methods are no longer suitable for the building which has been converted into a temple for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

You are learning the methods of remodeling: dealing with the “breakdowns” immediately – taking time to repair by prayer and meditation upon My Word, which is the step needed to get My restoring work in operation.”

Interpretation for Today

Think not that you were created in vain, but that you were created in love, to be loved, and to give love. 

Meditation Thought: “…he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27)

“He interpreted to them”… and He interprets to you through the Holy Spirit; thus is the necessity of making the Spirit welcome in your heart, in your intentions, and in your actions. For to be Christian is to live a life devoted to the Word and the Truth; only through the sure interpretation of the Spirit into the understanding of your mind can you be Christ’s apostle and image – a genuine jewel and not just an imitation which is similar, but lacking in true quality and value. You need to be Christian through and through – in attitude, in devotion, in accomplishments, and in accepting the consequences of being true to the God on whom you decided to commit every area of your life.

You know the end result will be glorious – move toward it by exercising your faith, your mind, your body, your emotions and your worldly gifts to that purpose. Your willingness and ability to develop stronger expressions of your spirit in each area will determine the effectiveness of your ministry as the Father’s daughter, the Son’s sister, the Helper’s worker.

Think not that you were created in vain, but that you were created in love, to be loved, and to give love. Concentrate on the feeling of being loved and cherished, that you may expand the reality of the miracles of love wherever your influence is felt.

The Spirit interprets truly and well the scripture for you this day, and every day of your life: God has not given you the spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of sound mind.

Move in power, move in love, move with a sound mind by the Word and the Spirit activated by your belief and your faith. Thus saith the Lord, who made heaven and earth and all the dwell therein, to His glory, to His power, to His love, to His own purposes and understanding.

3 Steps to Moving Mountains

Think before speaking and pray before thinking.

Meditation Thought: “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49)

“Treasure My knowledge in your heart until My Spirit prompts you to act upon it – for My timing quickly fulfills My purposes, but your timing, with your limited view, prevents all from working together.

Pray, listen – then act. Do not act then pray, for the effect is far less than My aspirations for you. When you do act in haste, ask for forgiveness and pray – but develop a better way: think before speaking and pray before thinking: this is the meaning of your little faith being able to move mountains: your little faith – used rightly – moves you to pray before thinking, thus enabling My Spirit to stir within you to direct your thoughts – thus directing your words and deeds as well.

It is My Spirit that moves mountains, for My Spirit is one with My Will and My Word, and only the omnipotent power which created can re-create!”

Pray – Think – Act

The Threshold of Your Tomorrows

Recognize that whomever you meet and whatever happens to you today is the threshold of your tomorrows.

Meditation Thought: “I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.” (Luke 20:13 – in context the parable is Luke 20:9-18 and The Owner refers to God.)

Recognize that whomever you meet and whatever happens to you today is the threshold of your tomorrows. Think clearly, seek wisdom and understanding that you may recognize the effects of your actions: take heart that you have been given what you need  to enable you to perceive that it is by the character of your greeting of the Son and your treatment of Him that you shall be judged when the Owner calls you to account for your stewardship.

The Owner desires to reward you for your stewardship, but you must seek to recognize that He is the owner and you are the steward, and there is no way you can usurp His right of ownership – be not deceived into believing that rejection of His actions as Owner can result in your receiving ownership.

Only by the acknowledging of Him as Owner, and accepting this fact graciously can you bring great benefits to yourself and your loved ones. Align yourself with the Owner and His loved ones, and you receive the rewards you seek, while at the time of waiting for the rewards you have the peace of righteous actions and clear conscience.

Have confidence that patience and right thinking and actions will bring your desired rewards, for it is in your confidence that you will find the strength and the power to assure the desired results.

Study, Research, Seek

What is accepted into you also flows out of you.

Meditation Thought: “everything that is written of the Son of man by the prophets will be accomplished.” (Luke 18:31)

“He who is closest to what he observes sees most clearly. Believe observations of those who have beheld My Presence within their hearts and minds, and have responded in obedience of love, and a desire to serve Me and My people.

Through study of righteous and self-sacrificing seekers of Truth through all time, you can learn what you need to know to enable you to do your own research in discerning Truth – and the whole pure Truth.

Use all the faculties with which I have blessed you to seek to understand the Truth in order that you may do My will and My works more effectively, and take pleasure in your involvement with them.

Fear not, for all wisdom and strength is yours for the asking: ask according to the Truth and you shall receive by the Truth, and not be the deceiver who imitates Truth.

Be knowledgeable that you may discern any counterfeit before you accept it in to your ownership. Accept only genuine spirits of Heaven, genuine thoughts of righteousness and purpose, genuine acts of unselfish love. For what is accepted into you also flows out of you.

Let the love of Myself and My obedient people rush into your spirit, your mind and your heart that it may be poured out in a healing stream.”

Joy in Constant Communication

Do you not see that it is the constant communicating that is My joy – and yours?

Meditation Thought: “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.” (Luke 15:31)

“Talk to Me, let Me know how you feel, what you think, the desires of your heart. Do you not see that it is the constant communicating that is My joy – and yours?

Do not be so engrossed in your work – even when it s the work I have given to you – that you neglect to seek My companionship.

For I desire to give you the things that will make you happy – not as if I were a clerk dispensing items impersonally – but as a loving daddy provides things he knows will bring delight to his child.

Ask for what you desire, let us think together on the merits of it, and the timing of receiving it – let us make our daily lives together precious in each other’s sight by constant sharing in all areas.

Do not be confused by the variety of choices I offer you, but rejoice in them, quickly singling out what is especially meaningful to you, and then those are the areas in which we will work closely together to bring mutual joy.”

Choose the Weight of Your Burden

The burden of sin is far heavier than the burden of the cross!

Meditation Thought: “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 4:27)

“To follow Me is to die to the self” – this is the cross to bear: the loss of “playing God” in your own life. At first the cross seems heavy – really unbearable – but as you persevere, the experiences serve as rough places which take off pieces of the cross, making it lighter and lighter.

The longer you follow Me, the more intimate we become, the dearer to each other, the more oblivious you become to the cross. You no longer are conscious of the cross, but you are conscious of Me and our relationship. You become so excited, enthused, fulfilled in our relationship and the activities we do together that you give no thought to the cross; it neither slows your movements nor occupies your thoughts. Your acceptance of the cross has actually resulted in a whole new dynamic, satisfying way of life.

Stand firm against any who would relieve you of the cross! If you relinquish the cross, you revert to your selfish, sin-burdened state, and the burden of sin is far heavier than the burden of the cross!

Gardening from Seed

The kingdom is available for the taking – and its very essence is to work good for many at one time.

Meditation Thought: “The kingdom of heaven… is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” (Luke 13: 18,19)

“A man took” – the man acted to take the seed given by God and place it where it would grow to his advantage and delight – fulfilling the purpose for which God had created the seed, fulfilling a need of the man, and fulfilling a need of the ‘birds’.

The kingdom is available for the taking – and its very essence is to work good for many at one time.

To live your life according to the laws of the kingdom is an assurance of growing good fruits for yourself and for others.

To the extent you know that a seed needs to be sown and cultivated to produce the best fruit, to the extent you make effort to provide what the seed needs, to the extent you thank your Father who provided the seed, your Brother who gave you the perfect instructions for its cultivation, and your Helper who enables you to carry out the instructions – to that extent will the tree thrive and provide the maximum for which it was created.

Seek knowledge, enjoy cultivation, anticipate the results, and the harvest shall be sure,  plentiful and pleasing.