Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me . . . —Matthew 11:29

Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory? —Luke 24:26

He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead —Mark 9:9

If you had known . . . in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes —Luke 19:42

Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly and the city was stirred to its very foundations, but a strange god was there-the pride of the Pharisees. It was a god that seemed religious and upright, but Jesus compared it to “whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27).

What is it that blinds you to the peace of God “in this your day”? Do you have a strange god-not a disgusting monster but perhaps an unholy nature that controls your life? More than once God has brought me face to face with a strange god in my life, and I knew that I should have given it up, but I didn’t do it. I got through the crisis “by the skin of my teeth,” only to find myself still under the control of that strange god. I am blind to the very things that make for my own peace. It is a shocking thing that we can be in the exact place where the Spirit of God should be having His completely unhindered way with us, and yet we only make matters worse, increasing our blame in God’s eyes.

“If you had known . . . .” God’s words here cut directly to the heart, with the tears of Jesus behind them. These words imply responsibility for our own faults. God holds us accountable for what we refuse to see or are unable to see because of our sin. And “now they are hidden from your eyes” because you have never completely yielded your nature to Him. Oh, the deep, unending sadness for what might have been! God never again opens the doors that have been closed. He opens other doors, but He reminds us that there are doors which we have shut-doors which had no need to be shut. Never be afraid when God brings back your past. Let your memory have its way with you. It is a minister of God bringing its rebuke and sorrow to you. God will turn what might have been into a wonderful lesson of growth for the future.

Journal DJR
Good morning Lord
The beginning and middle of this message caused me to feel bad … guilty that I had missed all those opportunities while catering to “another god” But then, as he usually does, Oswald Chambers, the author, brings redemption at the end. He brings the concept of “good guilt” … that is can bring “a wonderful lesson of growth for the future.” It seems to me, however, that most of the guilt that I feel is all negative. What’s the difference and what’s the lesson?

I’m glad you asked, because I’ve noticed you carrying more of that than is healthy for my kids. You are not designed to carry guilt, sadness at what might have been, or sorrow. It has its value in the spectrum of human emotions but dont dwell there. It is recorded how I wept over Jerusalem, over Lazarus, and other issues. But I didn’t live in those places long term. I wept because I was seeing the Father’s heart. I was “moved by compassion.” You are designed the same way. Look at this verse. It has the the framework you can use to evaluate your emotions.

For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime!
Weeping may last through the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

It all depends on what you choose to focus on. Lines 1&3 or lines 2&4. If you are living in lines 1&3 (anger and weeping) for more than a day or two, you can suspect that it’s not me. My desire is that you learn whatever is to be learned and move ahead, empowered with lines 2&4 (favor and joy)

. . . the Lord Jesus . . . has sent me that you may receive your sight . . . —Acts 9:17

When Paul received his sight, he also received spiritual insight into the Person of Jesus Christ. His entire life and preaching from that point on were totally consumed with nothing but Jesus Christ— “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Paul never again allowed anything to attract and hold the attention of his mind and soul except the face of Jesus Christ.

We must learn to maintain a strong degree of character in our lives, even to the level that has been revealed in our vision of Jesus Christ.

The lasting characteristic of a spiritual man is the ability to understand correctly the meaning of the Lord Jesus Christ in his life, and the ability to explain the purposes of God to others. The overruling passion of his life is Jesus Christ. Whenever you see this quality in a person, you get the feeling that he is truly a man after God’s own heart (see Acts 13:22).

Never allow anything to divert you from your insight into Jesus Christ. It is the true test of whether you are spiritual or not. To be unspiritual means that other things have a growing fascination for you.

……… “Since mine eyes have looked on Jesus, I’ve lost sight of all beside, So enchained my spirit’s vision, Gazing on the Crucified.”

Journal DJR
Good morning Lord, There are so many things that I’m interested in. All of which are going to burn. I dont try to be interested in them … it just happens. Energy Efficient Inventions, World Events, Peak Oil, my businesses, Real Estate, hobbies, farming, permaculture, computers, cars, tractors, all kinds of things … there are not enough hours in the day. After I’ve been thinking about those things for a while, I feel guilty that I haven’t been conscious of you all these last hours. Wrenching my mind into prayer mode seems like a good idea for a good Christian … but it doesn’t work very well for me. My thoughts just wander back to the “secular” thing I was thinking about. It seems I’m stuck in unspiritual mode. At least compared to Paul, Lord, You made me. A little help here please.

You are right, I made you. And I made all my kids … all different. You I made to not only have ideas but to bring some of them to life and be a blessing in the world. The secular – sacred divide causes problems. Forget that. Invite me into all your thinking. I’m the source of it all anyway. Just invite me in. I like working together with you. And dont you think partnering with the creator of the universe could have some benefits. Remember, there’s nothing new under the sun … but I know all those ideas before they enter your mind. Ask me and I will send you more.

Yes, You just did earlier today. I can see it will be a blessing in Haiti. But I’m already overloaded with good ideas.

Ask me and I’ll help you focus and prioritize. I know you can’t do every good idea. I only give you 24 hours, like everyone else. In my own ministry, with its earthly constraints, I had these same challenges. I looked to Father and got my daily priorities and just did those. You can too. Come to me daily and I will help you focus your efforts and your thinking. If I’m in it, even the most mundane and secular seeming things will be sacred. If it’s not on My list for you for now …… it doesn’t need to get done. Let some things go. I’ll show you what to pick up and what to let go.

It is Christ . . . who also makes intercession for us. . . . the Spirit . . . makes intercession for the saints . . . —Romans 8:34, 27

Do we need any more arguments than these to become intercessors-that Christ “always lives to make intercession” (Hebrews 7:25), and that the Holy Spirit “makes intercession for the saints”? Are we living in such a relationship with others that we do the work of intercession as a result of being the children of God who are taught by His Spirit? We should take a look at our current circumstances. Do crises which affect us or others in our home, business, country, or elsewhere, seem to be crushing in on us? Are we being pushed out of the presence of God and left with no time for worship? If so, we must put a stop to such distractions and get into such a living relationship with God that our relationship with others is maintained through the work of intercession, where God works His miracles.

Beware of getting ahead of God by your very desire to do His will. We run ahead of Him in a thousand and one activities, becoming so burdened with people and problems that we don’t worship God, and we fail to intercede. If a burden and its resulting pressure come upon us while we are not in an attitude of worship, it will only produce a hardness toward God and despair in our own souls. God continually introduces us to people in whom we have no interest, and unless we are worshiping God the natural tendency is to be heartless toward them. We give them a quick verse of Scripture, like jabbing them with a spear, or leave them with a hurried, uncaring word of counsel before we go. A heartless Christian must be a terrible grief to our Lord.

Are our lives in the proper place so that we may participate in the intercession of our Lord and the Holy Spirit?

______________________________________________________

Journal DJR
Good morning Lord, To that last question, the answer is, Sometimes yes, sometimes not so much. The first thing that came to mind was a case from yesterday where I felt a nudge to go see a friend who needs some encouragement … and I was “too busy” and dismissed it. Actually I said, “I’ll do it later,” I felt bad at the time and today’s reading amplified that. Then I remembered being an encouragement to four other friends in another venue last night … and felt better. So yesterday, some targets I hit, some I missed. I suppose it will always be like that??? Depending on how tight I am walking with you and hearing and seeing what Father wants (John 5:19)

It is true that you will “hit your targets” as you say, more and more as you walk closer and closer with me, more and more continuously during your days. It is also true that as that happens, you will see more and more things that you are missing. But guilt won’t weigh you down because you will get clearer and clearer that I love you and have ransomed you from all your misses and running amuck. Adventure with me. Let’s go adventuring into town today. You have a lunch scheduled … Let’s go there together and have an adventure. You have other appointments. Don’t let them be stressors. Let them be adventures. I really do like you and you are the only one that can reach into some of those places that I send you.