Jesus Calling: June 21

     Wait patiently with Me while I bless you. Don't rush into My Presence with time-consciousness gnawing at your mind. I dwell in timelessness: I am, I was, I will always be. For you, time is a protection, you're a frail creature who can handle only twenty-four-hour segments of life. Time can also be a tyrant, ticking away relentlessly in your mind. Learn to master time, or it will be your master.
     Though you are time-bound creature, seek to meet Me in timelessness. As you focus on My Presence, the demands of time and tasks will diminish. I will bless you and keep you, making My Face shine upon you graciously, giving  you Peace. 

Micah 7:7
English Standard Version 

But as for me, I will look to the Lord;
    I will wait for the God of my salvation;
    my God will hear me.

Revelations 1:8

English Standard Version

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Numbers 6:24-26
English Standard Version

²⁴ The Lord bless you and keep you;
²⁵ the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

My Prayer (2019) 
Lord, teach me to be patient. I'm in a rush to get rewards and what I want. Help me to wait for You and as I do continue to look to You. You aren't going anywhere. You are near. You will hear me. You will bless me and keep me and shine on me. You have been O so gracious to me. You have given me peace now for all eternity. Lord, I need more of a thankful heart each day. In this world that tells me I need more all the time and must be satisfied at every moment, I need to be more thankful of all that You have already given me.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: June 20

     I speak to you continually. My nature is to communicate, though not always in words. I fling glorious sunsets across the sky, day after day after day. I speak in the faces and voices of loved ones. I caress you with a gentle breeze that refreshes and delights you. I speak softly in the depths of your spirit, where I have taken up residence.
     You can find Me in each moment, when you have eyes that see and ears that hear. Ask My Spirit to sharpen your spiritual eyesight and hearing. I rejoice each time you discover My Presence. Practice looking and listening for Me during quiet intervals. Gradually you will find Me in more and more of your moments. You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me above all else.

Psalm 8:1-4
English Standard Version

¹ O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
²     Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
    to still the enemy and the avenger.

³ When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
⁴ what is man that you are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that you care for him?

Psalm 19:1-2
English Standard Version

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
² Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.

I Corinthians 6:19
English Standard Version

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own .

Jeremiah 29:13
English Standard Version 

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

My Prayer (2019)
Good morning Lord. Thank you for a new day. How majestic is Your name in all the earth. Your creation testifies continually to who You are. The sky above declares the glory of God as it covers us here on this earth you have created. Then I see me, in the mirror, and realize I am a temple. Lord, I want to extol You as My God and proclaim You above all else, not simply when I walk into church in the company of believers, but as I walk out into this world. I need you in me Lord giving me the courage to proclaim You in the midst of this world that continually finds goodness in each person and doesn't dare take the time to consider the Fall and our sins that we still commit. I don't want to be like that Lord. Remind me Lord that the most important thing in my life is falling into Your presence and not simply making sure my life right now is free of challenges. Lord, you show me in Your word how You take care of the birds and feed them, providing them what they need. Lord, I'm not so sure I trust You with that. When push comes to shove Lord, too often it is I that wants to be in control. Help me to rediscover You today and see You Lord. To be satisfied with You. Lord, I am embarrassed as to how easy it is for trials or challenges to derail me. I'm like a kid on the floor having a temper tantrum before You Lord because I am not getting what I want. I want to reflect You Lord. Teach me to seek you with all of my heart. Too often my seeking You is all about bringing my laundry list before You so that You meet all of MY needs and wants. Forgive me Lord. Lord, let You be sufficient.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: June 19

     I am the firm foundation on which you can dance and sing and celebrate My Presence. This is My high and holy calling for you; receive it as a precious gift. Glorifying and enjoying Me is a higher priority than maintaining a tidy, structured life. Give up your striving to keep everything under control--an impossible task and a waste of precious energy.
     My guidance for each of My children is unique. That's why listening to Me is so vital for your well-being. Let me prepare you for the day that awaits you and point you in the right direction. I am with you continually, so don't be intimidated by fear. Thought it stalks you, it cannot harm you, as long as you cling to My hand. Keep your eyes on Me, enjoying Peace in My Presence. 

Psalm 5:11
English Standard Version

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
    let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may exult in you.

Ephesians 3:20-21
English Standard Version

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Jude 24-25
English Standard Version

²⁴ Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, ²⁵ to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Joshua 1:5
English Standard Version

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

My Prayer

Lord, you protect me. Lord, you want to do a great work in me by Your power. Lord, you want me to walk before you blameless. You provide us with Your Word and instructions on how to live. You want to keep me from stumbling. You are glory, majesty, dominion and authority always and along with that is for me to be presented before you with great joy. Lord, you never give up on me. Lord, I get distracted by circumstances, by so many different responsibilities throughout my day that I often forget the work that You are doing through Me. Thank you for this reminder that You are with me every step of the way. You will never leave me or forsake me. Help me Lord to believe in these truths and escape from the way of this world that tells me the opposite and that I must be self-sufficient. My sufficiency is in You God. 

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author. 

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: June 18

     You are My beloved child. I chose you before the foundation of the world, to walk with Me along paths designed uniquely for you. Concentrate on keeping in step with Me, instead of trying to anticipate My plans for you. If you trust that My plans are to prosper you and not to harm you, you can relax and enjoy the present moment.
     Your hope and your future are rooted in heaven, where eternal ecstasy awaits you. Nothing can rob you of your inheritance of unimaginable riches and well-being. Sometimes I grant you glimpses of your glorious future, to encourage you and spur you on. But your main focus should be staying close to Me. I set the pace in keeping with your needs and My purposes.

Ephesians 1:4
New American Standard

just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him

Proverbs 16:9
English Standard Version

The heart of man plans his way,
    but the Lord establishes his steps.
 
Jeremiah 29:11
English Standard Version

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
 
Ephesians 1:13-14
English Standard Version

¹³ In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Romans 14:20-21 - Protecting the Work of God

Romans 14:20-21 - ²⁰ Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. ²¹ It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.

Message: Protecting the Work of God

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome

What the Lord is Saying:

It is amazing how much the issue of food has overridden this chapter. 

Verse 2 - eats all things versus vegetables only; the focus here was comparing the weak in faith to those with faith (mature) -- we are to accept one another irregardless, not regard with contempt or judge a person God has accepted (verse 3). 
Verse 6 - a person eats or does not eat does so for the Lord, giving thanks to the Lord. 
Verse 14 - in the Lord Jesus nothing is unclean, but if something thinks something is unclean, then it is to him. So be it. 
Verse 17 - the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking; that is not the goal; do not make a minor thing a major thing. 

In verse 19, it is clear that my purpose toward my brother is to pursue peace and it is to build that brother up. It is to be concerned about his growth in Christ. My focus is on him, not on myself. I am not living life in order to make myself happy or please myself, but for the purpose of my brother and building him up. 

I spoke to a man at the mall last night and he mentioned that he was happy with his life because he had a girl in his life that made him happy. There isn't anything wrong with that, but even that focus and our words are subtle, in that, life is thought to be good because, "I am happy." And yet what Paul is showing us here in these verses is the focus of our lives is not on ourselves, but on others. Even in Romans 12, verse 1 and 2, that began this treatise on living righteousness, our focus is presenting our bodies living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God. It is about renewing my mind. 12:3 says, "not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think" and in verse 10, "be devoted to one another in brotherly love." 

This is a hard message because I am a selfish creature. I tend to do things in life that are best for me. 

Tearing down the work of God
And so, now in verse 20, Paul repeats an idea that he mentioned in verse 17. He says, "do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food." In verse 17 it was, "the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking." Don't nullify God working in a persons life because of the food he is eating or not eating. 

I was talking to a friend last night, sharing a book I was reading, and in that book, it mentions speaking in tongues. In Christianity today there are people that believe that gift is still relevant and those that believe it is not a gift that is still in practice today. There are differences. I think what Paul is saying here is don't make those issues larger than life. We can have those differences but don't divide with your brother because of them. I need to make sure my brother believes in the complete substitution of Christ for man by dying and being resurrected, imputing His righteousness to man, believing that one is saved by grace, not works and it is Christ that is working through us to sanctify us. Those are foundational, so why are we dividing then over an issue of speaking in tongues? I think that is what this verse may be saying that I do not want to "tear down the work of God" over food or over tongues. 

It is true that all things (food) is unclean. But or however, they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. My friend said something interesting last night. He said that people have a thirst to be right. That is true. But, we must be careful that in that thirst we are not hurting the faith of another. 

Do not do anything to make your brother to stumble
In order to not tear down the work of God in a person's life, we therefore do not do anything to make our brother stumble. It is like I think we need to agree that before we discuss an issue of disagreement that there is agreement that we are not going to divide over this issue. Can we agree that we can discuss and have differences and still be brother and sister in Christ? 

The problem people often have is taking indifferent matters and making it the standard for all people.

Promise: Respect people's difference. Don't make them bigger than they are. Focus not on the difference, but Christ working in the person's life.

Jesus Calling: June 17

     Learn to laugh at yourself more freely. Don't take yourself or your circumstances so seriously. Relax and know that I am God with you. When you desire My will above all else, life becomes much less threatening. Stop trying to monitor My responsibilities--things that are beyond your control. Find freedom by accepting the boundaries of your domain.
     Laughter lightens your load and lifts your heart into heavenly places. Your laughter rises to heaven and blends with angelic melodies of praise. Just as parents delight in the laughter of their children, so I delight in hearing My children laugh. I rejoice when you trust Me enough to enjoy your life lightheartedly.
     Do not miss the Joy of My Presence by carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Rather, take My yoke upon you and learn from Me. My yoke is comfortable and pleasant; My burden is light and easily borne. 

Proverbs 17:22
English Standard Version

A joyful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 31:25
English Standard Version

Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the time to come.

Matthew 1:23
English Standard Version

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel”

Matthew 11:28-30
Amplified

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.
30 For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.

My Prayer
Help me to laugh at life more. Help me to not be so serious. Help me to accept your providence in my life. I worry too much Lord. I am too consumed with present situations and events, to the point that I don't see clearly.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Romans 14:19 - Peace and Mutual Upbuilding

Romans 14:19 - So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

Message: Building others up

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome

What the Lord is Saying:

So let us then definitely aim for and eagerly pursue what makes for harmony and for mutual upbuilding of one another. - Amplified

So then we must always aim at those things that bring peace and that helps strengthen one another. - Living Bible

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. - New King James Version

For me, the overriding theme I see from this text is having a concern for others. It is a willingness to put aside my own momentary desires or wants in order to build up another person.

The beginning of verse 19 has the same thought in mind in each translation with the phrases, "let us pursue" or "we must always aim" or "let us definitely aim or eagerly pursue". Thus, this isn't a statement of, oh by the way. The overriding thought of the believer in his relations to one another is to seek peace. This is something that is definitive and means I must make a special effort.

Philippians 2:3 says, "do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than ourselves."

I do not think that this means we cannot disagree. I also do not think that this context means unity in thought. Right now, in my life, I am in in a state of personal sacrifice as I raise my children. Their needs are greater than mine own. However, This does not mean I give them everything they want. But I am the parent, the authority, often the strong person, and I need to behave in such a way that I am aiming for eagerly pursuing peace in our relationship. This presents a challenge. It is a daily struggle. I have a need to provide for my family and do those things that are best for them and it is hard to navigate between what they want and what I think is best. I tend to err on the side of giving them what they want which is often at the expense of my own desires. I hope that I am making the right decision but I also think I get too focused on thinking there is only one right decision. I guess I just hope that by giving them what they want I am not harming them.

Well, back to the passage.

I think it is somewhat of a given that I am going to do what's best for myself. And so it is necessary to be reminded that I am to build up others. One of my favorite verses is Ephesians 4:29, which to me says we are to not tear down others with our words, but edify them, or bring them up. 

Warren Wiersbe says that our desire is not to get everyone to agree with us, but to pursue peace. Don't cause others to stumble, but help them to grow and mature in Christ. 

One of the things I liked about attending a small church was the building up that takes place among different age groups. And yet small churches don't always yield this. I attended a small church and people lived in a rural area and were accustomed to being to themselves and not opening up or sharing much. So, the small church didn't guarantee community. 

I've noticed that some churches have two different services, catering to different likes of worship styles. The problem is this manufactures separation rather than community. It may not be the intent, but it is tragic that we cannot compromise.
 
Promise: If I desire to focus on others and everyone does this, then each person's needs will be met.