“In everything, give thanks.” Do I give thanks for hard lessons? “For the Word of God is living and operating, and sharper than a double edged sword, penetrating to the division of soul and spirit.” Hebrews 4:12 As I read the Bible, does my soul feel His blade operating, piercing, penetrating, convicting, and discerning the intents of my heart? Are my stubborn ways challenged? Did the Word dissolve my pride? Did it expose my selfish motives?  The living Word is alive and active to do a refining work for God’s glory. It softens my rigid ways as the Word cracks my clay pot so that His Spirit can pour through. Light seeps out of my brokenness. Glory to God!

A day was recently spent to watch and be keenly aware of a wild ride. My noted roller coaster of emotions within just 12 hours was shocking. How did my itty bitty irritation morph into forgiveness? How did my sudden fear become a bygone that is remembered no more? What made my puffed pride deflate? Asking God for wisdom, divine insights replaced all questions of my inquiring soul. God is faithful in His Way of piercing wandering hearts by His lavish grace. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18 Not one emotion or motive of heart escapes the Holy Spirit and His perfect understanding of our moment by moment needs. We may think we are fully submitted to God, but the Spirit knows our fiercely held attachment to our ways. Our Father has been busy bestowing His grace upon us since the first day He chose us. He dispenses His grace through His Word, a song, a sermon, or the discipline of the Holy Spirit. “all things are naked and laid bare before His eyes.” The Holy Spirit gives us revelation. He alone will enable us to see in us what God sees in us. His grace humbles us to the ground.

Some folks could be given a field of roses and only see thorns. Others get a single rose and burst into tears. His grace is the key component of our joy “in Jesus.” Yes, we draw near to God as we read His Word.  With the Bible in one hand, and with our Teacher inside, we can choose to submit or resist His way. The greatest method of God’s grace is the ongoing discipline of the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit of God nudges us to do many things that we feel unqualified to do. We hesitate to obey because the action or word may cause us to be rejected, criticized, and misunderstood by others. But God persists. With eternity in our heart, we submit to God with the aha of His revelation and humbly we see in us what He sees. Ecclesiastes 3:11 affirms that God placed eternity in the hearts of mankind. This is what causes all to seek Him.  The paradise of eternity awakens us to let go of any pretense, and be submerged in His glory. Humbled by His grace, we do not expect this present world to supply what only eternity will. If My people will humble themselves and pray for clarity, they realize that this world is not home. God is moving, He is working His agenda, His perfect eternal plan.

I enjoy taking long drives alone to talk to Jesus about a variety of subjects and my feelings. Our Lord still talks with tax collectors and sinners. He always extends mercy to all who come to Him —  We are His children and He loves to Father us.  We have been given more time to spend seeking His counsel. It’s up to us to seize this moment! A getaway drive from distractions is wise!  We  need a heart check by the greatest Physician. Alone with God, we enjoy a haven of mercy, not a courtroom of judgment. When we feel lost, we find Jesus ready to listen.  All confusion ends by the clarity of silence in His presence. Come to Me, all who are heavy laden.  May His GRACE restore you.

Our Lord is our personal Advocate in the courts of heaven, and He intercedes in prayer for us. The Spirit of God continues to profit us  daily, at home, in bed, or in whatever circle we travel. He is there to convict, guide, discipline, and teach us. Prayer feeds our spirit, as His living Word acts to illuminate personal lessons. Our Hope is in He who abides in us, that He will complete the work in us. “Oh, Father, on my own, I am incapable of knowing my own attempted cover-up deceit. Only by the sword of truth that is at work to divide my spirit from my selfishness can I admit my deep deficit.” Our onboard Counselor corrects, restores, and admonishes us as we ask Him to reveal raw truth. Humbly, we welcome His power to change us.

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9 We remain in the will of our Father when we let go and trust His Ways over our own. Choose not to follow the crowd of grumblers. Follow Jesus. “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with WRONG MOTIVES, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that FRIENDSHIP with the WORLD means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an ENEMY of God.”–James 4 When you no longer trust your feelings, the Spirit has done it’s dividing work.

Be careful who you trust, salt and sugar look alike. After He shines a light on our sugar-coated motive, the salt of truth melts us.  Humbled, we agree with God, and His stunning revelation sticks. Amazed, we walk in blind faith, sightless; drunk in the Spirit of God, not from wine, we stagger in reverence. For many, the whole big picture written down is NOTHING, but WORDS sealed in a scroll.  In our blind faith, if we were to give the Bible to someone who can read, and ask, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I can’t; it is SEALED.”  The mystery is revealed only to those who trust God. The Lord says: These people come near to ME with their mouth and honor ME with their lips, but their hearts are far from ME. Their worship of ME is based on merely human rules they have been taught. Therefore, once more, I will ASTOUND these people with WONDER upon WONDER; the WISDOM of the WISE will PERISH, the INTELLIGENCE of the intelligent WILL VANISH.”

A light greater than a persons natural countenance dwells within. We must see that our Father’s grace and the life of Jesus and His Spirit are mightier than any man a million times. When you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, you are on God’s team for His purpose. You are brought into alignment with the mind of Christ. The quickening that moves your body and renews you, is in the Holy Spirit. We must assign our Lord Jesus Christ in the place of authority where He belongs. The Holy Spirit is always the revelation of Jesus. He is the Revealer of the mighty Christ who never left us. Greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world. He reveals mysteries that we may never know any weakness, but all limitations are gone. Glory to God! The Holy Spirit comes to abide, to reside, to teach, lead, convict, guide, and comfort those who surrender to Him. The Holy Spirit can only come into our bodies, His temples, when they are fully yielded to Him. “Shall what is formed say to the ONE who FORMED it, “YOU did not make me”? Can the pot say to the POTTER, “You know nothing”?” God knows all, so we simply pray for total peace, and to be reconciled to God by His mercy and lavish grace. Isaiah 29 reminds us that we are nothing but clay pots that hold immense power. As we crack, His grace pours out.

Moving into Spirit requires a decision to surrender all to He who is able, to He who is greater, to He who knows best, to He who is patiently waiting for us to lean on Him and not our best move, our own understanding. Relying on the Spirit to take over — we wait, we listen, we trust His tug, and follow. Our purpose is to use the gift of faith He gave us and walk on water with our eyes on Jesus. He calls us to hold onto the HOPE that HE is, and that He will always be. Our Provider tests our faith when we believe in the unseen hand that opens doors that no man can shut. By our faith, we are healed, we are encouraged, we are led, and we are blessed. We desperately need Jesus in every hour. His wisdom is available 24/7 in His living, working Word.  We BECOME who He wrote about in His Book when we let go of the limits we place on ourselves. As citizens of heaven, we are marked with His seal of approval. Our Father has us on a long leash. He tugs us back closer to Him when we quit trying to run the new life He gave us. A Word Fast

Jesus alone can fill our lamps with precious oil. He healed our soul with His sacrificial love. He alone is worthy of it all as He prepares our hearts. Sing His praise as you follow Him