Dear God, as You know I have woken up feeling a bit ‘blue’, because I allowed myself to dwell on some neglect from someone close. I missed the feeling of gratitude and joy that I usually feel on a Sabbath morning, when I give my first thoughts to You, in appreciation for a new day, and another day of life, with anticipation for the blessings that will come from special time devoted to the You. After prayer asking for a change of thought, along with looking out on the beauty of nature, with some restful music playing on the DVD player, my thoughts lift to Your dwelling place, and now I can be in a position to reflect upon You and the scriptures. I am so thankful to be lifted up out of the ‘doldrums’ of my own unprofitable thinking. What a God of love and provision you really are!
I have noted that when we really love someone, we want to share ourselves, and good things with them. When we love Jesus, we automatically come close to His Father, because they are so closely aligned in love and purpose. John 14: 23, 24 “…….’If anyone loves Me. He will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.’” Amazingly we are invited to come into a close relationship with the ‘Twosome’ that is God the Father and God the Son, and then we will be in love with them (for we are already loved by Them) and be one in their purpose for us and how we act in the world, and eventually dwell with them, because we had become their spiritual children.
Jesus after His short life, taught and manifested divine love toward thousands of people, and then finished His rescue mission, by allowing Himself to be crucified in sacrifice for the sins of every human person. Jesus always attempted to teach and prepare His followers and disciples, about the purpose for coming to earth, and the events that were to take place around His final earthly days. When living on earth, Jesus had only been able to physically be with some of His disciples at a time, in one locale, but after His return to heaven, the Holy Spirit would come as a Helper, and He could be in all parts of the earth teaching, comforting and leading people to Jesus, the Saviour of the world. John 14: 26, 27 “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 things 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. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Death could not contain the Son of God, and He arose as predicted after 3 days, and after a month or so returned to His Father and the angels in heaven! Praise God the Holy Spirit is available to all who believe the words of Jesus, right now, at all times.
After Jesus returned to heaven, the disciples came together in unity, and in soul searching prayer, with repentance, putting away out of their hearts anything that was not of God, in preparation for the filling of the Holy Spirit. When this occurred they were totally converted and in love with Jesus, to the point that they could not keep quiet about Him; whether it was in prison or any place they lived or visited. Many of them wrote letters of encouragement and direction, which we today can read with benefit. Philippians 4: 4 – 7 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Father in heaven, I give thanks, that the Holy Spirit took me from a place of being down hearted, to rejoicing, able to receive the ‘peace of God, which surpasses all understanding’. I pray that I will allow Jesus to guard my heart and mind, today and in the coming weeks.
Amen