The rich young ruler went away from Jesus speechless with sorrow, having nothing to say in response to Jesus’ words. He had no doubt about what Jesus had said or what it meant, and it produced in him a sorrow with no words with which to respond. Have you ever been there? Has God’s Word ever come to you, pointing out an area of your life, requiring you to yield it to Him? Maybe He has pointed out certain personal qualities, desires, and interests, or possibly relationships of your heart and mind. If so, then you have often been speechless with sorrow. The Lord will not go after you, and He will not plead with you. But every time He meets you at the place where He has pointed, He will simply repeat His words, saying, “If you really mean what you say, these are the conditions.”

“Sell all that you have . . .” ( Luke 18:22 ). In other words, rid yourself before God of everything that might be considered a possession until you are a mere conscious human being standing before Him, and then give God that. That is where the battle is truly fought— in the realm of your will before God. Are you more devoted to your idea of what Jesus wants than to Jesus Himself? If so, you are likely to hear one of His harsh and unyielding statements that will produce sorrow in you. What Jesus says is difficult— it is only easy when it is heard by those who have His nature in them. Beware of allowing anything to soften the hard words of Jesus Christ.

I can be so rich in my own poverty, or in the awareness of the fact that I am nobody, that I will never be a disciple of Jesus. Or I can be so rich in the awareness that I am somebody that I will never be a disciple. Am I willing to be destitute and poor even in my sense of awareness of my destitution and poverty? If not, that is why I become discouraged. Discouragement is disillusioned self-love, and self-love may be love for my devotion to Jesus— not love for Jesus Himself.

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August 18, 2010

And so I wondered if I would ever “get it” and truly measure up?

And God said………..”No, you can never measure up, not in this life. That is why the sacrifice for you was so great. But you can allow Jesus to live through you, and always measure up. My grace and mercy follows you and covers you because of Jesus. Whenever you feel less than is expected or you fall and feel as if you cannot measure up…..remember Jesus always covers you, and He always measures up.

As you go through your day, stay connected to Jesus and look to Him for not only the spiritual strength to carry you, but look to Him for the wisdom, knowledge, energy and discipline to carry you through your work and relationships.”

“He came so you could have life and life more abundantly. Have it, receive it in Jesus.”

Have you ever heard the Master say something very difficult to you? If you haven’t, I question whether you have ever heard Him say anything at all.Jesus says a tremendous amount to us that we listen to, but do not actually hear. And once we do hear Him, His words are harsh and unyielding.

Jesus did not show the least concern that this rich young ruler should do what He told him, nor did Jesus make any attempt to keep this man with Him. He simply said to him, “Sell all that you have . . . and come, follow Me.” Our Lord never pleaded with him; He never tried to lure him— He simply spoke the strictest words that human ears have ever heard, and then left him alone.

Have I ever heard Jesus say something difficult and unyielding to me? Has He said something personally to me to which I have deliberately listened— not something I can explain for the sake of others, but something I have heard Him say directly to me? This man understood what Jesus said. He heard it clearly, realizing the full impact of its meaning, and it broke his heart. He did not go away as a defiant person, but as one who was sorrowful and discouraged.He had come to Jesus on fire with zeal and determination, but the words of Jesus simply froze him. Instead of producing enthusiastic devotion to Jesus, they produced heartbreaking discouragement. And Jesus did not go after him, but let him go. Our Lord knows perfectly well that once His word is truly heard, it will bear fruit sooner or later. What is so terrible is that some of us prevent His words from bearing fruit in our present life.I wonder what we will say when we finally make up our minds to be devoted to Him on that particular point? One thing is certain— He will never throw our past failures back in our faces.

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

August 17, 2010

I think I understand a bit more about taking life and trusting God one day at a time. It just occurred to me that I may only have the capacity for enough faith to carry me one day at a time.

And God says…”I carry you with My love every day. I give you the faith and hope and courage in the form of the Holy Spirit, to live one day at a time. You find the love, faith, hope, trust, courage and connection in prayer, the word and fellowship. And I give you the capacity to capture these daily strengths one day at a time. Like manna from heaven you cannot store them up. Begin to pray without ceasing every morning; seek Me in the word and in fellowship and look for me in everything and every place of your day.

Knock and the doors will open, ask and you shall receive. You will receive all you need, one day at a time.

DJR Journal

Good morning Lord,   Thanks for the reminder today that we chose our name because Manna only lasts one day and we’ll need another daily dose tomorrow.   As JD said, we “might as well use up the fuel for today cause it ain’t going to keep”    I see that you  spoke to people matter of factly about their sin and their needs as to the rich young ruler.  Kind of like, here’s the deal,  it is what it is, take it or leave it, but it is what it is.   You didn’t beg people nor did you scream at them to stop.   (except maybe a few religeous leaders)   So thank you for that and your longsuffering and patience with me.   I have a question.  What if I didn’t obey on  a nudge from a long time ago and it’s not possible to go back and do it now?  Sometimes I think that.  But then I think that the adversary is at least happy if I’m all wound up in a guilt trip…..

You are right.  Dont let him win.   There is no condemnation.  And it is good to live like there is only today.   It is what it is and you get to choose to make the best of the situation.   Grieving over spilt milk will not bring the milk back and it damages MY reputation , (as well as yours) So get up, dry your eyes and choose.   Choose you this day….   Joshua

When we are afraid, the least we can do is pray to God. But our Lord has a right to expect that those who name His name have an underlying confidence in Him. God expects His children to be so confident in Him that in any crisis they are the ones who are reliable. Yet our trust is only in God up to a certain point, then we turn back to the elementary panic-stricken prayers of those people who do not even know God. We come to our wits’ end, showing that we don’t have even the slightest amount of confidence in Him or in His sovereign control of the world. To us He seems to be asleep, and we can see nothing but giant, breaking waves on the sea ahead of us.

“. . . O you of little faith!” What a stinging pain must have shot through the disciples as they surely thought to themselves, “We missed the mark again!” And what a sharp pain will go through us when we suddenly realize that we could have produced complete and utter joy in the heart of Jesus by remaining absolutely confident in Him, in spite of what we were facing.

There are times when there is no storm or crisis in our lives, and we do all that is humanly possible. But it is when a crisis arises that we instantly reveal upon whom we rely. If we have been learning to worship God and to place our trust in Him, the crisis will reveal that we can go to the point of breaking, yet without breaking our confidence in Him.

We have been talking quite a lot about sanctification, but what will be the result in our lives? It will be expressed in our lives as a peaceful resting in God, which means a total oneness with Him. And this oneness will make us not only blameless in His sight, but also a profound joy to Him.

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

August 12, 2010

I am facing some  trials and as a matter of course, I find myself counting my blessings, and recalling all the times that God has met me right at the point and time of my need. I can recall time after time when He was right there exactly when I needed Him, not a minute early, nor a minute late, He has always been right on time.

I can also recall my prayers becoming more and more intense as the crisis seemed to grow with time and pending events. And He was always there…..never early, but right on time.

And God says……”You see difficult circumstances as trials and tests while I see your trials as opportunities for you to bring Me glory. Your natural inclination is to want to avoid pain and seek peace in pleasant times absent worry and strife. You believe in the plans and preparations you have made for this life and you trust that your plans and preparations will provide for you. If that were true, then you would receive the glory. Many look to live in this fashion.

But My children trust in Me in all things…..”Trust in the Lord in all your ways and do not relay on your own devices and I will make your paths straight”. They seek Me first and trust me to lead them into peace regardless of circumstances. You will experience trials and storms you cannot prepare for, that is the way of this life, and  I came to give you life and life more abundantly,

Stay connected to Me and find the joy and peace of abundant living regardless of your circumstances…AND know that I will always meet you at the point of your needs and at the precise and perfect moment of my choosing. I am the God I am.

It is not wrong for you to depend on your “Elijah” for as long as God gives him to you. But remember that the time will come when he must leave and will no longer be your guide and your leader, because God does not intend for him to stay. Even the thought of that causes you to say, “I cannot continue without my ’Elijah.’ ” Yet God says you must continue.

Alone at Your “Jordan” ( Kings 2:14 ). The Jordan River represents the type of separation where you have no fellowship with anyone else, and where no one else can take your responsibility from you. You now have to put to the test what you learned when you were with your “Elijah.” You have been to the Jordan over and over again with Elijah, but now you are facing it alone. There is no use in saying that you cannot go— the experience is here, and you must go. If you truly want to know whether or not God is the God your faith believes Him to be, then go through your “Jordan” alone.

Alone at Your “Jericho” ( 2 Kings 2:15 ). Jericho represents the place where you have seen your “Elijah” do great things. Yet when you come alone to your “Jericho,” you have a strong reluctance to take the initiative and trust in God, wanting, instead, for someone else to take it for you. But if you remain true to what you learned while with your “Elijah,” you will receive a sign, as Elisha did, that God is with you.

Alone at Your “Bethel” ( 2 Kings 2:23 ). At your “Bethel” you will find yourself at your wits’ end but at the beginning of God’s wisdom. When you come to your wits’ end and feel inclined to panic— don’t! Stand true to God and He will bring out His truth in a way that will make your life an expression of worship. Put into practice what you learned while with your “Elijah”— use his mantle and pray (see 2 Kings 2:13-14 ). Make a determination to trust in God, and do not even look for Elijah anymore.

August 11, 2010

I awake to immediate prayer. I seem to do this when I see a cloudy and mixed future. When the future is not clear or it is clear and I do not like the clarity I reach for Him more and more.

And God says….. “That is how growth occurs; you come to your needs and see no way through or around and…. you reach for Me. And I meet you in a different way each time. In need, you are in a place where I can shape you and your circumstances for My glory.

Trust, obey and focus on Me. That is what can occur in these trials. Seek me in the clouds, and wait for Me.

You will rise up with wings of eagles. And I will be glorified.

Choosing to suffer means that there must be something wrong with you, but choosing God’s will— even if it means you will suffer— is something very different. No normal, healthy saint ever chooses suffering; he simply chooses God’s will, just as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not. And no saint should ever dare to interfere with the lesson of suffering being taught in another saint’s life.

The saint who satisfies the heart of Jesus will make other saints strong and mature for God. But the people used to strengthen us are never those who sympathize with us; in fact, we are hindered by those who give us their sympathy, because sympathy only serves to weaken us. No one better understands a saint than the saint who is as close and as intimate with Jesus as possible. If we accept the sympathy of another saint, our spontaneous feeling is, “God is dealing too harshly with me and making my life too difficult.” That is why Jesus said that self-pity was of the devil (see Matthew 16:21-23 ). We must be merciful to God’s reputation. It is easy for us to tarnish God’s character because He never argues back; He never tries to defend or vindicate Himself. Beware of thinking that Jesus needed sympathy during His life on earth. He refused the sympathy of people because in His great wisdom He knew that no one on earth understood His purpose (see Matthew 16:23 ). He accepted only the sympathy of His Father and the angels (see Luke 15:10  ).

Look at God’s incredible waste of His saints, according to the world’s judgment. God seems to plant His saints in the most useless places. And then we say, “God intends for me to be here because I am so useful to Him.” Yet Jesus never measured His life by how or where He was of the greatest use. God places His saints where they will bring the most glory to Him, and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be.

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August 10, 2010

I woke up with the worry and anxiety of today and tomorrow on my mind and heart, praying for the strength to believe and hope and trust; all the while, watching myself “twist in the win” instead of trusting completely. I prayed for God to surround my heart and mind and give me the strength and courage to trust and believe. Like the man responding to Jesus when told all things are possible when we believe I cry out, I believe, but help me in my unbelief.

And God says….”You will have doubts about your levels of faith, courage and worthiness. You will doubt your own strength and courage. The enemy will tell you to keep your eyes on your mistakes, and past failures. But when I look at you, I only see Jesus and His sacrifice. Your faith and hope and courage will never be strong enough for you in this world. Your troubles can come day after day after hour after hour. However, when you take your eyes off the trials and circumstances, and put them back on Jesus, you will be operating with the faith and hope and courage of Jesus.”

No matter what occurs or you think might occur, look to Jesus and you will find the hope, faith and courage you need.

Jesus is sufficient. He will and does meet all your needs. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own strength and ideas, and He will make your paths straight. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

We too often think of the Cross of Christ as something we have to get through, yet we get through for the purpose of getting into it. The Cross represents only one thing for us— complete, entire, absolute identification with the Lord Jesus Christ— and there is nothing in which this identification is more real to us than in prayer.

“Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” ( Matthew 6:8  ). Then why should we ask? The point of prayer is not to get answers from God, but to have perfect and complete oneness with Him. If we pray only because we want answers, we will become irritated and angry with God. We receive an answer every time we pray, but it does not always come in the way we expect, and our spiritual irritation shows our refusal to identify ourselves truly with our Lord in prayer. We are not here to prove that God answers prayer, but to be living trophies of God’s grace.

“. . . I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you . . .” ( John 16:26-27  ). Have you reached such a level of intimacy with God that the only thing that can account for your prayer life is that it has become one with the prayer life of Jesus Christ? Has our Lord exchanged your life with His vital life? If so, then “in that day” you will be so closely identified with Jesus that there will be no distinction.

When prayer seems to be unanswered, beware of trying to place the blame on someone else. That is always a trap of Satan. When you seem to have no answer, there is always a reason— God uses these times to give you deep personal instruction, and it is not for anyone else but you.

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

August 6, 2010

I wonder about unanswered prayer and the implications. Intellectually I know that God cannot answer every request I bring to Him, and I know that there are circumstances and trials that I must simply go through if I am going to be transformed. And yet I yearn for the peace that passes understanding and the knowledge that all my trials are over.

And God says….” That yearning is for an everlasting unbroken relationship with me. When you join Me in heaven, all your trials will be over. Your spirit yearns for the place where there are no more trials or difficulties. I have prepared a place for you and you should rest in the knowledge that your place is secured in Christ Jesus.

It is natural for you to yearn for the perfect peace that is your eternal home. However, in this life you will have troubles and difficulties. In your everlasting life there are no trials or difficulties. Live your life knowing that nothing can touch you that has not first touched My hands and understand that the sacrifice of My Son is testimony of the magnitude of my love for you.

Experience the trials and difficulties of this life knowing I allow them; for it is inside them that you truly yearn for Me.

God called Jesus Christ to what seemed absolute disaster. And Jesus Christ called His disciples to see Him put to death, leading every one of them to the place where their hearts were broken. His life was an absolute failure from every standpoint except God’s. But what seemed to be failure from man’s standpoint was a triumph from God’s standpoint, because God’s purpose is never the same as man’s purpose.

This bewildering call of God comes into our lives as well. The call of God can never be understood absolutely or explained externally; it is a call that can only be perceived and understood internally by our true inner-nature. The call of God is like the call of the sea— no one hears it except the person who has the nature of the sea in him. What God calls us to cannot be definitely stated, because His call is simply to be His friend to accomplish His own purposes. Our real test is in truly believing that God knows what He desires. The things that happen do not happen by chance— they happen entirely by the decree of God. God is sovereignly working out His own purposes.

If we are in fellowship and oneness with God and recognize that He is taking us into His purposes, then we will no longer strive to find out what His purposes are. As we grow in the Christian life, it becomes simpler to us, because we are less inclined to say, “I wonder why God allowed this or that?” And we begin to see that the compelling purpose of God lies behind everything in life, and that God is divinely shaping us into oneness with that purpose. A Christian is someone who trusts in the knowledge and the wisdom of God, not in his own abilities. If we have a purpose of our own, it destroys the simplicity and the calm, relaxed pace which should be characteristic of the children of God.

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

August 5. 2010

It occurs to me that regardless of how simple it sounds the answer to all my questions reside in Jesus.

Whatever the circumstance, instead of trying to sort it all out and find the rhyme or reason I could save myself a lot of time and frustration by simply trusting God. God knows what He is doing and is not necessarily inclined to include me in His planning or organization for the world or my life.

 And God says…”Again I remind you that your ways are not My ways. My ways and means are beyond your comprehension. What looks like failure turns into victory. What looks like success becomes failure.

Trust Me and know that through the magnitude of My sacrifice, I love you more than you can ever imagine. I will allow nothing to hurt you or overwhelm you….remember…All things work for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according tom His purpose.

If I would not spare My own Son, how can I withhold any good thing from you?

Trust Me, stay connected to Me, and live in the peace that passes understanding. Come to Me just as you are, every day, in every way and regardless of your circumstances you will know MY peace and joy.