Oh, the bravery of God in trusting us! Do you say, “But He has been unwise to choose me, because there is nothing good in me and I have no value”? That is exactly why He chose you. As long as you think that you are of value to Him He cannot choose you, because you have purposes of your own to serve. But if you will allow Him to take you to the end of your own self-sufficiency, then He can choose you to go with Him “to Jerusalem” (Luke 18:31). And that will mean the fulfillment of purposes which He does not discuss with you.We tend to say that because a person has natural ability, he will make a good Christian. It is not a matter of our equipment, but a matter of our poverty; not of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us; not a matter of natural virtues, of strength of character, of knowledge, or of experience— all of that is of no avail in this concern. The only thing of value is being taken into the compelling purpose of God and being made His friends (see 1 Corinthians 1:26-31). God’s friendship is with people who know their poverty. He can accomplish nothing with the person who thinks that he is of use to God. As Christians we are not here for our own purpose at all— we are here for the purpose of God, and the two are not the same. We do not know what God’s compelling purpose is, but whatever happens, we must maintain our relationship with Him. We must never allow anything to damage our relationship with God, but if something does damage it, we must take the time to make it right again. The most important aspect of Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to give our attention to, and it is the one thing that is continually under attack._________________________________________________________________ 

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

August 4, 2014

Lord, thank you for this devotional that is both challenging and reassuring today; challenging because it reminds me to step out into Jesus in faith and because I am always interpreting Your grace, goodness and mercy based on my senses and my performance and conformance. I interpret your grace based on my own ability to “follow the rules” and  what I can see, touch, and understand. The devotional is reassuring because You have promised and demonstrated your love over and over and all I need do is surrender, and let You live through me.  You continue to show me that my  role is to simply give my life to You….But Lord, after many years of training and conditioning to be independent and “pull myself up by my own bootstraps”, it is not so easy to simply surrender. How can I remember to surrender, all the time?

And God says…”Listen for Me in every way you can, every day. In the songs that you hear, in the sky and stars that you walk under every day.  Seek Me in your prayers and the words of others; in the messages that bombard you all day everyday. Seek Me and you will find Me. And when you do not measure up, when you are traveling down the wrong roads, do not run from Me, because I will never let you go. There is no road or wrong that will cause Me to abandon you. Trust in Me with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding or knowledge, and I will make your paths straight. Delight yourself in the Lord and I will give you the desires of your changed heart. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus and I will supply everything else you require in this life and the next.”

“When you operate on your own desires, notions and senses, you will feel the burden, the heavy weight of this life on your shoulders. When you allow me to live through you, you begin to live the abundant life, simply knowing that I have a wonderful plan for you to live abundantly. Seek Me in all you do this day. Stay connected, curious and expectant, and notice how life can be lived without the weight.”