The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him . . . —Psalm 25:14

What is the sign of a friend? Is it that he tells you his secret sorrows? No, it is that he tells you his secret joys. Many people will confide their secret sorrows to you, but the final mark of intimacy is when they share their secret joys with you. Have we ever let God tell us any of His joys? Or are we continually telling God our secrets, leaving Him no time to talk to us? At the beginning of our Christian life we are full of requests to God. But then we find that God wants to get us into an intimate relationship with Himself— to get us in touch with His purposes. Are we so intimately united to Jesus Christ’s idea of prayer— “Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10)— that we catch the secrets of God? What makes God so dear to us is not so much His big blessings to us, but the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us— He knows every detail of each of our individual lives.

“Him shall He teach in the way He chooses” (Psalm 25:12). At first, we want the awareness of being guided by God. But then as we grow spiritually, we live so fully aware of God that we do not even need to ask what His will is, because the thought of choosing another way will never occur to us. If we are saved and sanctified, God guides us by our everyday choices. And if we are about to choose what He does not want, He will give us a sense of doubt or restraint, which we must heed. Whenever there is doubt, stop at once. Never try to reason it out, saying, “I wonder why I shouldn’t do this?” God instructs us in what we choose; that is, He actually guides our common sense. And when we yield to His teachings and guidance, we no longer hinder His Spirit by continually asking, “Now, Lord, what is Your will?”

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June 3, 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, it has seldom occurred to me to think about Your joy; or what makes You happy. I seem to always be focused on how I can be a better Christian, or simply a better man, father, businessman,  brother, son or friend. Or how can I avail myself of Your provision and or blessings; how can I increase my faith and live a more fulfilled life?  I want to live in Your will Lord, but then it occurs to me that sometimes my giving up on my wants and needs with a “Whatever is in Your will” has simply been my way of giving up on being curious and expectant about how You will answer my prayers. Lord, please help me stay connected to You, Your joy and to remain curious about how you will guide me in all that I do this day.

And God says…”My joy is an intimate relationship with you. My joy is demonstrating my love for you. I am joyful when you trust and obey and I am joyful when you cannot trust and obey and must rely on my grace, love and the forgiveness provided by the sacrifice of Jesus. I am joyful when you expect Me to act on your behalf, when you are curious about how I will respond to your needs. “

“Nothing can separate you from My love; nothing. Trust in Me with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding or actions, and I will make your paths straight. Seek Me first, and I will provide all that you need to live this day. And focus on this day; this daily manna. Our connection, your surrender and curiosity about how and what I shall do to make all your paths straight. I find My joy in our relationship; our love and your surrender, trusting Me to be God while you let go of rational ideas about how and when I will choose to work in your life and the lives of those you love. “

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