Tag Archives: Abiding

Fearless

The Cake Maker’s Blunder

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The bride had waited for this moment since she was a little girl. She’d be marrying the man of her dreams. And she had the perfect verse for her wedding cake, There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear (I John 4:18 NASB).

She struggled with fear and wanted God’s perfect love to cast it out.

The week of the wedding came, and the final preparations were being made when she got a call from the cake maker. “Are you absolutely sure you want I John 4:18 on your wedding cake?” he asked.

“Very sure. It’s one of my favorites.”

“Okay,” the baker responded. “It’s your wedding.”

The bride didn’t have the brain space to give the call much thought, but later she wished she’d followed up.

 The cake maker wasn’t familiar with the Bible. He thought 1 John meant the first book of John he came across. So, the surprised bride got John 4:18 on her cake instead, “for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.”

The bride was mortified. But over time, as the pain of embarrassment wore off, the cake maker’s blunder became a story of laughter for the couple. And they  continued to ask the Lord to show them how perfect love casts out fear.

How Does Perfect Love Cast Out Fear?

Perfect Love

The Greek word John used for “perfect” means completed, finished, lacking nothing.

God’s love is perfect, like a swaddled child, safe and warm in its mother’s embrace.  God’s presence yields a transcendent peace which surpasses all comprehension in the face of any fear [1].

Paul describes the quality of God’s perfect love, in Ephesians 3:14-19. He prays we might comprehend it, though it surpasses our knowledge.

For this reason I bend my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.

When I read Paul’s description of God’s love, I picture a love as deep and long and wide as the ocean and as high as the sky.

God’s perfect love truly surpasses our knowledge. Paul prays that what won’t fit in our heads will come alive in our hearts, our love receptor. [2]

Disagreeing with Lies

God’s love grounds us. So, it’s no wonder our enemy uses doubt and feat to try and block our awareness of it.

As much as God is love, Satan is fear. He’s a defeated foe and his tactics don’t change. He relentlessly uses deception and empty fear to try and lure us away from resting in God’s great love for us.

But our weapons of truth and prayer are divinely powerful to demolish these fortified strongholds, destroying his work in our lives and casting out his fear.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (II Corinthians 10:3-5 NASB).

Our job is to take every thought captive. Soaking in the truth of God’s perfect love, we learn to disagree with Satan’s lies and cast away his fear.

Remaining in Perfect Love

In addition to praying for our hearts to be enlightened with God’s perfect love, and disagreeing with Satan’s lies, Jesus gives us clear instruction as to how we can continually live in His perfect love.

 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:9-12 NIV)

In these vital words, Jesus helps us understand the depth of His perfect love toward us. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  How could love be any more perfect than this?

Then He tells us how to remain or live in His love. To remain in His perfect love, which dispels fear, we’re to love others as He’s loved us. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

And the love we’re to love with, comes from Him. “We love, because He first loved us” (I John 4:19 NASB).  (The verse after the bride’s verse).

The great cadence of our lives, which dispels every fear, is to receive God’s perfect love and give it away.

 Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank You that You’ve provided a way for me to live in Your perfect love.

Please empower me to quickly disagree with any lie about Your complete love for me. When fear rises from the evil one, may I quickly give it to You. I don’t want to give the enemy a seat at my table. (From the title of a book by Louie Giglio) [3]

Please give me a love first mentality throughout each day.  I don’t want to get so tangled up in the duties that I miss the people you bring me to love. May I yield to You to love through me.

I depend upon You to work these in me. I can’t do them without You.

Come what may, fear has absolutely no place in my life.

Amen.

[1] Philippians 4:6-7

[2] Ephesians 1:18-20

[3] Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table, Louie Giglio, Passion Publishing 2021

Other Posts in our Rhythms of Joy Series:

Joy is Important Because it’s an Experience of God

The Amazing Connection Between Grace and Joy

Moving from Discouraged to Encouraged

Coming to Terms with Hard Things

What About Me?

Pleasing Pop

In the Shadow of Emmanuel

Please Check out the  Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Rob Buck

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

 

Being Poured Out, Loving like Jesus, The Joy of Serving

Rhythms: IN (The Joy of Putting Others First)

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Story

A while back, a grey cloud settled over my heart. It blew in suddenly and lingered for a while. My wife confirmed my outward mood matched my inward discouragement. She said it seemed as if someone had thrown a wet blanket on my heart to try and steal my joy.  As I shuffled around, what she said resonated, but I had nothing inside to fight it.

Frankly, the last thing I wanted to do was read scripture, but I knew I needed truth. I asked God to guide me and looked at some verses on joy.

As I read, I was struck by how much Paul cared about the joy of others.

He wrote to the Corinthians that he was working for their joy.

But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth.  Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm (II Corinthians 1:23-24 NASB).

And to the Philippians, Paul wrote that he’d continue in the fight for their progress and joy in the faith.

 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again (Philippians 1:25-26 NASB).

What struck me was how committed Paul was to being sure the believers at Corinth and Philippi had a growing joy. He seemed to be equating joy with their progress in the faith. And he was willing to fight for them to have it. 

Continuing, I read what Paul wrote in Philippians 2 about considering other’s interest above our own. As these words settled in, a spark of joy flickered in my heart. Clarity grew and I began to understand some of what had killed my joy.

Looking back, I can’t even remember exactly what I was going through, but I had fixated on me and how I was doing. Unaware of the shift in my heart, I had taken up the familiar position of focusing on my own desires for ease of circumstances and comfort. My intense concern for me had zapped my joy.

Being Poured Out

But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.  You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me (Philippians 2:17-18 NASB).

In light of what I learned in my “me focused” funk, what Paul wrote in the above verse is the exact opposite of where my heart was. Paul was selflessly willing to have his life blood poured out for the sake of others. 

To get a better understanding of what Paul meant by a drink offering, Old Testament passages mention them, along with other offerings, as sacrifices to the Lord.[2]

Paul was consumed with his relationship with Christ and sharing it with others. He had no fear of death because dying meant more of Jesus.

In the meantime, while God delayed calling him home, his life was characterized by a joy which flowed from his faith.

And here’s the interesting fact, which is undeniable when we study Paul’s life. His joy grew, and seemed to overflow, when he served others.

 Paul held loosely to his life for the sake of building others up. This kind of sacrificial love was not burdensome to him. It filled his heart with a contagious joy.

I ask myself if I’m willing to sacrifice what I want, and even my own life for the sake of God’s kingdom and the spreading of His love?

This seems to be the call for us all. I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1 NASB).

But this sacrificial attitude of putting others didn’t originate with Paul. Following are the verses which sparked joy in my heart from the story above.  Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-9 NASB).

Jesus’ example

On the night before He was crucified, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (including Judas’ and Peter’s, whom He knew would betray and deny Him).

Afterwards, He told them, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 NASB)

He later promised that if we follow His example, of pouring ourselves out for others, His love and His joy would be ours in abundance.

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you” (John 15:9-12 NASB)

As we abide in the love of Jesus, His love overflows from our lives to those around us. This yielding and depending on the Holy Spirit keeps us in the experience of His love and gives us His complete joy.

But following Jesus’ example of being poured out for the sake of others can never happen in our own strength. Loving like Jesus is totally dependent upon His Spirit at work in us to produce fruit designed for loving others.

Conclusion

Kill Joy – The fastest way to kill your own joy is to focus on you. True joy flows as we delight in the Lord’s nearness and work on behalf of others.

As we lay aside our own interests, we’re invited to join the Holy Spirit in a dance of love and joy. Rejoicing in our relationship with Jesus, and the overflowing of His love for others, frees us from the need to produce our own happiness. In His strength and guidance, we ask, “Lord, who do You want to love through me today?”

Prayer

Lord, receiving Your love and giving it away can never happen without the work of Your Spirit within me. Apart from You, I can do nothing. I don’t want to get in the way anymore. I desire to pour myself out for the spreading of Your love and joy. Please keep me from focusing on me, my duties, my circumstances, my happiness. May the people You bring my way be my highest priority. May I love them with Your love and share the joy of faith in You. Amen.

Personal Study

Highlight John 12:1-8

Explain it in your own words

Apply it to your life

Respond to God in prayer 

[1] Philippians 1:25

[2] Exodus 29:41, Numbers 6:17

Previous posts in our Discipleship Rhythms Series:

UP:  God’s Amazing Love

UP: God’s Essential Love

UP: What Hides God’s Love

UP: Christ Lives in Me

UP: Raised up with Christ

UP: Who’s your Treasure?

UP: Obtaining the Joy of Jesus 

UP: Orienting Life from Above

UP: When Things Get Hard

UP: Communing with God

IN: Receiving God’s Love to Give it Away

IN: Having a Love First Mentality 

Please Check out the new Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child with the gospel.

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Rob Buck

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

 

Loving like Jesus, The Joy of Serving

Our Highest Joy (The Joy of Being Poured Out)

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But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.  You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me (Philippians 2:17-18 NASB).

The above verse is shocking. But, considering Paul’s longing to be with Jesus, it’s understandable. Paul was consumed with his relationship with Christ and sharing it with others. He had no fear of death because dying meant more of Jesus. In the meantime, while God delayed calling him home, he wrote to the Philippians, “I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith.”[1] Joy flowing from faith, and from serving others, characterized Paul’s life. As followers of Jesus, our lives can have the same markings.

Being Poured Out

In the verse quoted above, Paul mentions being poured out like a drink offering. In the Old Testament, drink was poured out, along with other offerings, as sacrifice to the Lord.[2]  Paul held loosely to his life for the sake of building others up. This kind of sacrificial love was not burdensome to him, but filled his heart with a contagious joy.

To follow, we too must be willing to sacrifice our lives for the sake of God’s kingdom and the spreading of His love.

To the Roman disciples, Paul wrote, I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1 NASB).

To become a disciple of Jesus, we’re to follow His example of presenting our lives for God’s purposes. Jesus put aside His rights and reputation for our sakes. He obeyed even to the point of death, pouring out His life for us.

 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-9 NASB).

Jesus’ example

On the night before He was crucified, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (including Judas’ and Peter’s, whom He knew would betray and deny Him). Afterwards, He told them, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 NASB)

He later promised that if we follow His example of pouring ourselves out for others, His love and His joy would be ours in abundance.

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you” (John 15:9-12 NASB)

As we abide in the love of Jesus, His love overflows from our lives to those around us. This yielding and depending on His Spirit keeps us in the experience of His love and gives us His complete joy.

But following Jesus’ example of being poured out for the sake of others can never happen in our own strength. Loving like Jesus is totally dependent upon His Spirit at work in us to produce fruit designed for loving others.

Conclusion

As we lay aside our own interests, were invited to join the Holy Spirit in a dance of love and joy. Rejoicing in our relationship with Jesus and the overflowing of His love for others, frees us from the need to produce our own happiness. In His strength and guidance we ask, “Lord, who do You want to love through me now?”

Prayer

Lord, receiving Your love and giving it away can never happen without the work of Your Spirit within me. Apart from You, I can do nothing. I don’t want to get in the way anymore. I desire to pour myself out for the spreading of Your love and joy. Please keep me from focusing on my duties. May the people You bring my way be my highest priority. May I love them with Your love and share the joy of faith in You. Amen.

[1] Philippians 1:25

[2] Exodus 29:41, Numbers 6:17

Previous posts in the series – Our Highest Joy:

Unmasking the Lie

Dealing with sadness and disappointment

Eternal Thanksgiving

Fueled by the Joy of Jesus

God with Us

Fixing Our Hope

Remaining Cheerful

Not My Will

Mustering our Faith

.Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Trusting, Resting, Enjoying, Loving

In the Moments(As Sea Gulls Fly)

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Martha had enough. Her sister Mary did it again, left her to do all the work while she just sat there. Martha was distracted by all the preparations. And though the very source of Joy was with her, she was focused on what she had to do.

Sound familiar?

“But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42

But how can life really be about one thing? Without Martha, no food would have been served.

On a slow morning, sitting on a dock facing the intracoastal waterway in Wilmington, NC, I’m once again pondering how to rest as Mary did without neglecting my responsibilities.

The mid-morning sun warms the steady breeze as it whips across my face. I look across the gray blue waterway and see white caps ushering the tide to my right. The rhythmic waves lap upon the shore only interrupted by the rubbing of the floating docks along the pile driven wooden poles and the distant sound of a dog’s bark.

I have sought my own answers to this quandary for years, but this morning it all seems clear. No profound answers are given, only His strong hand outstretched; inviting me to give Him my cares. He’s much more concerned about us being together than what I’ll accomplish. Together, He will show me how to live a Mary life in a Martha world.

My worries are safely sealed, waiting for His commands to be revealed.

Two light yellow butterflies dart across the rolling tide. Above the water flow, there is a lime green strip of land below a line of emerald trees, couching white, multi-storied buildings in the distance. Above the tree line, a cloudless sky rises in deeper shades of pastel blue towards the heavens.

Wow! Is this joy, this trusting, this resting, this enjoying His presence? Is this abiding? Is this what Jesus means when He tells me to remain in His love?

A convergence. Totally unplanned. Unscripted. A gift.

A sea gull effortlessly glides above me. Out stretched wings riding on unseen strength. Lord, is this like us resting in Your strength as we journey? Positioning in the wind of Your presence, relying on You to empower and guide.

So, what now? I could regret millions of distracted moments in my past when I labored without a thought of His nearness. Flapping against the wind.

But I won’t.

I ‘ll go forth with a deeper understanding of what Jesus means when he tells me not to worry, but to seek His Will, His Kingdom, His supremacy in my life.

All that other stuff, the things I seem to focus on, what I’ll eat and what I’ll wear and what I’ll drink – He’s got that. He and I  have more important things to do, like resting in His presence enjoying our time together.

And by the way, when I am doing that (Enjoying moments of life with Him) I will naturally love the people I meet along the way. When, like Mary, I’m in tune with my Lord’s nearness, when I’m yielding to His Indwelling Spirit, His love flows through me to others. My number one concern now is to love others as He has loved me. This  starts with resting in His love.

Jesus said, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.”

“Love is the overflow of joy in God that gladly meets the needs of others.”  John Piper

Trusting, Resting, Enjoying, Loving

Prayer

Lord, truly these moments cannot be scripted. However, like the sea gull, I can spread the wings of my life out to You. I can trust that as I rest in your Indwelling presence, You will carry me. You in me will accomplish what needs to be done. You in me will love those who need to be loved. You in me will guide along this path of life until you receive me into Your glory. May I always have my wings ready to catch the wind of Your Holy Spirit and glide where You want me to go. Amen.

“Nevertheless I am continually with You. You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterwards receive me to glory.” Asaph from Psalm 73:23-24

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Rob Buck

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Surrender and Dependence, Union with Christ

Seeing Weaknesses as Invitations to God

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Weakness is not popular. In fact, if you do an internet search on common weaknesses, you find pages of ways to spin the classic interview question, “What are your weakness?” I understand. Until recently, I’ve been exuberant in my efforts to hide my weaknesses or to overcome them by excessive striving. Exhausting.

But this is changing. I’m learning weaknesses are actually beneficial. Two extraordinary truths are moving from mere facts to experiential realties. One detaches weaknesses from having anything to do with my worth. The other flips weakness upside down, completely reversing the outcome.

Christ is Our Identity

As believers in Jesus Christ, our lives have been hidden in Him.[1] Because Jesus has redeemed us with His life, we’re clothed in His righteousness.[2] When God sees us, He sees Christ. Spiritually, we’ve been raised up in Christ and are seated with Him in heavenly places.[3]

Being in Christ, God values us as His Beloved Son. This trumps all human opinions about us, even our own. Though we strive to forge out our identity by what we do and how we think we’re perceived, God’s thoughts about us define who we are. Since Christ doesn’t change, our identity is sealed.

Weakness never defines who I am.

In Christ, Weakness = Power

The Apostle Paul had a weakness. He called it his “thorn in the flesh.”[4] We don’t know exactly what it was, but it tormented him so much that he pleaded with the Lord to take it away.

The Lord’s answer, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NASB)

Power perfected in weakness sounds strange. But to the extent we think we’re strong, we won’t depend on the Lord. Our work is wasted. Detached from the Source of True Life, we may be exalted, but He is not.

Embracing our weakness and drawing on God’s strength fills us with His resurrection power. As Christ is formed in us, God gets he glory. We must decrease, while Christ increases.[5]

Paul put it this way, Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9b-10 NASB)

Our weaknesses highlight our need to abide in Christ, our inner Source of Life and Strength.

Lord, I’m sorry for how I’ve tried to cover up and overcome my weaknesses without You. Weakness leads me to You. Thank You that my weaknesses have no effect on my worth because You value me. The most important thing about me is being loved by You. I want to embrace my weaknesses and stop trying to fix things on my own. You never intended to make a better version of me. I died and my life is hidden in You. When I know I’m weak, in You I am strong. Teach me to yield always to Your life within. Be glorified in me.  Amen.

 

[1] Colossians 3:3

[2] 2nd Corinthians 5:21

[3] Ephesians 2:6

[4] 2nd Corinthians 12:7

[5] John 3:30

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Walking in the Spirit

Only by the Spirit

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Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? (Galatians 3:3 NIV)

It’s taken me decades, but I think I’m beginning to get it. As believers in Jesus Christ, the only way we’re to live is in the flow of the Holy Spirit. We’ve been indwelt by the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ and our life is to be a life of continuing to recognize our spiritual death and depending on Christ’s life within.[1] Any other way of living is a dam against the flow of the Rivers of Living Water within us.

Abiding, walking in the Spirit, depending on Jesus are not just nice suggestions, not just good ideas, but vital to living life the way God intends. After all, Jesus tells us that apart from a life of remaining in Him as our nourishing vine, what we do is worth nothing. I’ve grown tired of wearying myself out doing things to please God in my own strength. It’s a sobering thought to hear what Paul says about our attempts to please God by our own feeble efforts:

 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. (Galatians 2:21 NASB)It’s a cool spring morning. The trees are blanketed in leaves and the birds are chirping. The breeze is crisp. As I look down toward the barn, where the hens are scratching, the winter rye is still emerald green.

I recognize the Lord’s nearness. This is not necessarily a feeling, but an acknowledgement of the truth. The Lord Jesus indwells me by His Holy Spirit. He wants me to abide in the flow of His Spirit. This means being about what He wants and not what I want.

He’s all I need. He’s my Great Reward, my One Thing, my Pearl of Great Price. I declare these things because I know they are true, even when I don’t feel them. I also recognize that in spite of the way others might treat me and regardless of what I do or don’t do, the Creator of the universe wants to be with me. He delights in me and was willing to die to be with me forever.

These truths are stunning. Allow them to wash over you and settle into the deep parts of your heart. The eternal truths are greater than our thoughts feelings.

As I walk forward, believing these truths, yielding to Christ in me, longing for what He desires, isn’t this walking in His Spirit?

A humming bird hovers at the feeder a few feet away on the other side of the back-porch screen. Several birds begin to sing melodious songs back and forth. An impatient hen squawks for a nesting box down in the coop.

Lord, guard me from discouragement. I want to focus on you and not on circumstances, but times are hard. A good friend has brain surgery in a couple of hours. They found cancer on Wednesday.

Yesterday, another friend lost a nephew suddenly of a heart attack. He was a young man with a wife and six children. Members of my own family are going through deep emotional pain.

Lord, how do we make sense of it all? I call You near for the comfort of Your presence. You bring joy to my heart.

It’s raining now. Freshly laid zoysia sod soak up the drops. A red headed woodpecker pecker is so long it has to hang under the feeder as it pecks some seeds.

Lord, how do I stay in the flow when I leave this serenity and turn my attention to tasks? Love must lead in the midst of duties. Please keep me from doing anything apart from your leading. I wait upon you as a waiter attends a table. Please teach me how to be attentive to your nearness and your desires.

I’m called away to do something. As a work, I remain conscious of the Lord’s nearness. May every word and deed bring glory to my Savior.

Eating strawberries now. I praise you, Lord, for taste buds and for a wife who cut them up for me and poured on cream. You’ve given me so many things to enjoy! May I rejoice in Your nearness as appreciate life’s moments.

It’s raining harder now. My bride brings me extremely fresh eggs and oatmeal with cinnamon.

 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law (Galatians 5:16-18 NASB)

Lord, as I seek to walk only by your Spirit, I ask you to show me quickly when self rises up. I know when I insert my-self in any situation the flow of your Spirit in my life is blocked. My flesh is opposite to your Spirit. I never want to hamper what you want to do, so please guide me in bringing self desire, self dependence, self achievements, self glorification, self defense, self whatever to your cross where self was crucified with you.[2]

[1] Galatians 2:20

[2] Romans 6:4-11

Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains