If you cannot express yourself well on each of your beliefs, work and study until you can. If you don’t, other people may miss out on the blessings that come from knowing the truth. Strive to re-express a truth of God to yourself clearly and understandably, and God will use that same explanation when you share it with someone else. But you must be willing to go through God’s winepress where the grapes are crushed. You must struggle, experiment, and rehearse your words to express God’s truth clearly. Then the time will come when that very expression will become God’s wine of strength to someone else. But if you are not diligent and say, “I’m not going to study and struggle to express this truth in my own words; I’ll just borrow my words from someone else,” then the words will be of no value to you or to others. Try to state to yourself what you believe to be the absolute truth of God, and you will be allowing God the opportunity to pass it on through you to someone else.Always make it a practice to stir your own mind thoroughly to think through what you have easily believed. Your position is not really yours until you make it yours through suffering and study. The author or speaker from whom you learn the most is not the one who teaches you something you didn’t know before, but the one who helps you take a truth with which you have quietly struggled, give it expression, and speak it clearly and boldly.

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December 15 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, when we are connected You are reminding me who I am to You, and I can share this in ways I could not otherwise, regardless of my preparation and study. And I know that when you see me you do not look on me with approval or disapproval, there is no judgment, because when you look at me you see Jesus. Thank You for reminding me that it is not a question of study or diligence, it is once again a question of connection and relationship; everything else follows.

And God says…”Acknowledge Me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight. When you read about the Prodigal Son, you recall that the son was not forced to prepare himself, or change his ways, in fact the father would not even give him time to confess his wrongdoing before he embraced him. Connection and relationship with you is what I desire from you. And when we are connected and in relationship, the Spirit of God will speak for you, Jesus living inside of you will be visible to others as you are being transformed. Never worry about being good enough or if I will approve of you or what you say and do. Simply be connected and in relationship with Me and let Me take care of everything else, including your diligence, study and preparation. Seek first the Kingdom of God and everything else you need will be provided. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”