He Understands

Have you every been happy and sad at the same time?  My dad went home to be with Jesus last night.  I am so joyful that he is rid of his sick, broken down body.  But at the same time so thankful he is with Jesus and all the saints that went before him.  What joy there must be in heaven.  Even so I know Jesus is weeping and grieving with me now.  He knows my loss and my joy because of the cross.  I can have compassion and fellowship with Him because He understands.

Lonely Road

There is usually a time in our life when we feel all alone.  Maybe our friends have betrayed us.  Family doesn't understand.  It is just us alone walking a fearful path.  Then we remember or are reminded we are not alone.  The Fathers love is with us.  Jesus is interceding for us.  The Spirit never leaves us.  God may not remove our circumstances but He promises to walk with us through them.
We will make it.  In the end it will be all for His glory.  We will think I have just got to hold on to Jesus.  We find it is Jesus holding on to us!  He finally is center of our lives.  He is more important than anything or anyone.  We praise Him...

Peace

 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.  Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.

When read or study or hear Gods word.  The Spirit brings it to our minds and heart and we remember it.  The Spirit is our teacher. 

Jesus gives us peace.  It is not the kind of no conflict or trouble.  It is an inner peace.  The Peace that comes from fellowship with Jesus.  He is Peace Himself.

Seek God First

The Lord says to seek him first and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.  To seek God first and His righteousness: means His right, perfect life is ours.  For us not to try to build a righteousness of our own.  That is self righteousness.  Pride.  We want Christ to cover us with His robe of perfect life.  When God the Father looks at us He seeks the perfection of Jesus.  Then a life of joy, obedience and peace follows.  It is Jesus in and through us!

Christ lives through us.

 I pray that the eyes of your heart ^[b]may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the ^[c]saints, ¹⁹ and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.  Eph. 1:18-19

The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us.  There is a war raging inside us but our new heart, our desires are more for Christ and the Father than for ourselves.  We have everything we need for life and godliness.  Paul wanted the eyes of our heart melted to this truth. 

Christ lives in and through us.  Paul says it is no longer I who live.  It is Christ who lives in me.  We give up our demands and have the beautiful desires of Christ.  We have a new heart.  We have the mind of Christ.  We die to self that Christ might live through us.  We are not better we are new creatures in Christ.

The Vinedresser

American Standard Bible (NASB)

John 15

Jesus Is the Vine—Followers Are Branches

¹ “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He ^[a]prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already ^[b]clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. American Standard Bible (NASB)

Everyday is a day of worship.  Worship is a life style.   What has captured  your affections?  He wants to  be first in our heart.  The process is sometime painful but the fruit is oh so wonderful.

2 Samuel 22:32 "For who is God besides the Lord?"  And who is a rock besides our God.