Isaiah 57:18-19 I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him, creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace, to those far and near, says the Lord. "And I will heal them."
Since I've been healing from a surgery this week, the physical healing has been a great reminder of the spiritual healing I also need during this time of Lent. I am reminded of my spiritual poverty prior to Jesus and want to seek a particular healing in a spiritual manner throughout this journey. Jesus is preparing to make his way to Jerusalem. He is going there to heal me, to heal my spiritual brokenness. His healing will restore my connection to God and give me Spiritual wealth. Part of this Spiritual wealth produces fruit of the Spirit and more specifically, peace. Peace is the by-product of a comforted, healthy soul. Jesus' journey is going to make my healing possible and completely restore my holy relationship with God. How amazing when mercy and grace combine! "Lord, in what ways am I in need of healing today? Show me my need, my brokenness, and give me the humility to specifically surrender to You, the Great Healer. Use this Lent to bring healing in my soul. So be it."
Saturday, February 29, 2020
Friday, February 28, 2020
Journey of Mercy
Psalm 25:6 Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.
Ah, the mercy of God. We see it all over the Old Testament. God brings Israel back time and again after they've walked away. He shows His mercy through the individual lives of His people. The mercy of God has been written into the story of man from the very beginning, and Jesus was a part of it all. God's goal from the moment Adam and Eve sinned was to be merciful. He sent them from the garden in a show of His great mercy, not allowing them to eat from the Tree of Life in their broken state and remain so. He was moving from that very moment to return them to their original beauty, not stay in ruin. The journey of mercy begins in the garden and Jesus is going to put the final mark of mercy on the cross. Jesus' journey of mercy and love begins in Genesis and ends with Him sitting on the mercy seat in Heaven. I'm challenging myself to seek God's mercy differently by thanking Him for the work He has done, is doing, and will do in my life. It seems too simple, yet I've never said it. "Thank you, Lord, for your mercy." What do these words really mean for me?
Ah, the mercy of God. We see it all over the Old Testament. God brings Israel back time and again after they've walked away. He shows His mercy through the individual lives of His people. The mercy of God has been written into the story of man from the very beginning, and Jesus was a part of it all. God's goal from the moment Adam and Eve sinned was to be merciful. He sent them from the garden in a show of His great mercy, not allowing them to eat from the Tree of Life in their broken state and remain so. He was moving from that very moment to return them to their original beauty, not stay in ruin. The journey of mercy begins in the garden and Jesus is going to put the final mark of mercy on the cross. Jesus' journey of mercy and love begins in Genesis and ends with Him sitting on the mercy seat in Heaven. I'm challenging myself to seek God's mercy differently by thanking Him for the work He has done, is doing, and will do in my life. It seems too simple, yet I've never said it. "Thank you, Lord, for your mercy." What do these words really mean for me?
Thursday, February 27, 2020
For the Joy
Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
"For the joy set before him." That's me. I'm the "joy" of Jesus. As I start this journey with Jesus I am reminded immediately that I am the reason he set out for Jerusalem for the last time. I was on his mind. His love for me is what moved him forward. It wasn't a sense of duty or obligation. He knew his purpose and his purpose was to fight the battle on my behalf. Jesus begins his journey by gathering each of us in his mind. He is going to walk a path that we cannot grasp. He is going to revisit memories of things past and things to come. It's crazy to me to think that Jesus had thoughts of me as he made his way to the cross, but he did. He had each one of us on his mind. Wrap your brain around that!
"For the joy set before him." That's me. I'm the "joy" of Jesus. As I start this journey with Jesus I am reminded immediately that I am the reason he set out for Jerusalem for the last time. I was on his mind. His love for me is what moved him forward. It wasn't a sense of duty or obligation. He knew his purpose and his purpose was to fight the battle on my behalf. Jesus begins his journey by gathering each of us in his mind. He is going to walk a path that we cannot grasp. He is going to revisit memories of things past and things to come. It's crazy to me to think that Jesus had thoughts of me as he made his way to the cross, but he did. He had each one of us on his mind. Wrap your brain around that!
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
The Jericho Road
Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Welcome to the journey of "The Jericho Road." I invite you to walk this road with me for the next 40 days as I carefully consider the last journey Jesus took to Jerusalem. This is a time to reflect on the work of Christ on my behalf, and to spend time with the Spirit to experience my Lord on a personal level. I want to use these 40 days to bind myself to Christ anew with the hope that He will reveal more clearly the soul-changing power of His mercy and grace. I want to experience a transformation of my soul, learning to live free in the power of the Holy Spirit. I have been set free, and to experience the fullness of this freedom I want to walk with Jesus on his last climb of The Jericho Road. Join me!
Monday, February 24, 2020
New Blog Site!!!
Hey Everybody! Dad and I are doing a joint devotional for Lent based on his sermon series. I'm super excited and would love to have you follow with us for 40 days. First post begins this week on Ash Wednesday! Remember, you can sign up to get these in your inbox too! Thanks for following.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)