“Thy will be done” Matthew 6:10

Jesus said to a blind man in Mark 10:51, “what do you want me to do for you?” Jesus did not assume what the blind man’s choice would be, so he asked him. What would you say to Jesus if he asked you that question. What if your answer was,

Whatever You Desire, Lord. I’m Yours.

Can you imagine what such surrender might have lead to? So often we focus on our specific needs of the day, and do not look at the greater picture of what’s possible. The ultimate gift that we can give to ourselves is the exact same gift that we can give to God; our surrendered will. Lord God, let thy will be done.

“For the joy set before Him (Jesus), He endured the cross…” Hebrews 12:2

Have you ever thought about the joy we bring to Jesus? Do we bring joy to Jesus? Is that possible? You might be tempted to say, “maybe that’s only possible for some do-gooder out there”. Then again, you would be wrong, for you literally bring joy to Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 blows my mind every time I read it. The verse says, “for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross.” What is the “joy” set before Jesus? That joy is you, that joy is me.

We Are The Joy of Jesus!

With the simple act of living, you bring joy to Jesus. To him, you are worth it! “But what about all the times I screw up”, you might say. Why do you think He endured the cross? Because His joy over you is so profound that He was willing to pay for the screwups himself. Put a smile on your face today. Jesus has one while looking at you.

“My cup runs over” Psalm 23:4

We are an empty vessel, waiting to be filled. Along the way we develop filters to do our best to only let in those things that please us, and limit those things which cause us grief. Unfortunately we also have a pretty strong memory chip that works both for and against us, bringing things back to mind at most unwelcome times. Indeed, our cup does run over with our life experiences. So, when King David says in Psalm 23 that his cup runs over, what is he referring to?

David’s Cup Is Flooded With God’s Love.

David is saying that his cup, his life, have literally been dropped it into a very large pool of God’s love. So much so that everything that was inside his cup, his mistakes, his fears, his doubts, his insecurities have been overcome by everything that God is. Having such a cup overflowing is our choice. Have a little faith today. Prayer has a way of filling cups to overflowing very, very, quickly.

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1

As a child I remember watching the black funnel cloud of a tornado appear on the horizon and slowly tear across the cornfield as it headed toward our home. I was young enough that the cloud only held a fascination for me, and I would have lingered far too long if not for the iron grip of my mother on my shirt collar. With one strong tug down the stairs we went, heading quickly into the shelter of a cinderblock storm cellar. I remember the quiet calm of that space. Such powerful memories are not soon forgotten.

We All Need Shelter In A Storm

There is no way to accurately describe the sense of peace and rest that God provides until you experience it for yourself. David in Psalm 91 says that as we dwell in the shelter of the Almighty we will find rest simply by being in God’s shadow. In other words, the closer you get to God, it’s very much like being in that safe storm cellar. Let the winds blow in life, for blow they will. But for those who seek shelter with God there is peace that passes understanding. Your peace is only a prayer away.

“He who did not spare his own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32

Are you feeling a sense of lack in your life, over anything? And yes, I mean anything, like a relationship that’s not going as you’d like, or a financial need, or a physical need? God has a promise for you, for Jesus said in Matthew 7, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be open to you.” I don’t know about you but I take the Bible at face value. The bible says, “ask, seek, knock and the door will be open”. So,

Trust God’s Word.

That’s plain and simple enough for me. Stop worrying so much and trust in Him.

God said, “you have stayed long enough at this mountain.” Deuteronomy 1:6

Why is it that we give up on our dreams? Does the road become just too difficult? In 1879 Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb and it changed the world. Yet, along the way he failed, over, and over, and over again in trying to make that light bulb glow. He actually failed so many times that he famously quipped, “I did not fail, I just discovered 1,000 ways not to make a lightbulb.” However, once he succeeded, his next quote should inspire all of us to keep moving forward. “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

Indecision Is A Mountain That Will Keep You From Your Destiny.

In Deuteronomy 1:6, when God says, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain,” He was imploring the children of Israel to get up and start moving forward. “I have given you this land”, God says, “go and take possession”. Today, you have been camped out at the base of your mountain for far too long. God is saying to you, get up, your destiny awaits.

“Now to Him (Jesus) who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,” Ephesians 3:20

God is in the miracle business, but to Him they are not miracles, they are simply His provision and His grace passed along to us. Novelist Frederick Buechner famously said,

“A Miracle is When One Plus One Equals A Thousand”.

Ephesians 3 talks all about this miracle formula. For Jesus does do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine when He is at work within us. So, what’s our part in this equation? We simply have to be willing to say yes to Jesus, yes to His love, and yes to His leading. Be prepared when you do for you are about to see a parade of miracles unfold.

“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

Each day is a day that God has laid before us. The day may be filled with laughter or with tears, with heartache or with possibilities, but whatever comes does not really matter for it all pales in comparison to the glory of God. That is why David says in the second part of the verse,

“We WILL Rejoice And Be Glad In It!”

While not always easy, I do my best to live with this verse at the forefront of my mind. Growing up I often heard the saying, “God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.” Each day we rise from bed should be a day of rejoicing. Jesus himself said, “I have come that you would have life and have it abundantly.” With that kind of support from our Heavenly Father there is always a good reason to rejoice.  

“Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness or peril or sword…Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:35 and 37

What tries to separate us from God? The answer is summed up in a single word: LIFE. For just as Paul says in Romans, we will all face tribulation, distress, peril, persecution, famine, nakedness and sword. Thankfully,

“Jesus Is On The Throne”

This is why Paul also says, in all these things we are more than Conquerors through Him (Jesus) who loved us. For nothing can separate us from God’s love.