Arise from the dead . . .—Ephesians 5:14
Not all initiative, the willingness to take the first step, is inspired by God. Someone may say to you, “Get up and get going! Take your reluctance by the throat and throw it overboard—just do what needs to be done!” That is what we mean by ordinary human initiative. But when the Spirit of God comes to us and says, in effect, “Get up and get going,” suddenly we find that the initiative is inspired.
We all have many dreams and aspirations when we are young, but sooner or later we realize we have no power to accomplish them. We cannot do the things we long to do, so our tendency is to think of our dreams and aspirations as dead. But God comes and says to us, “Arise from the dead . . . .” When God sends His inspiration, it comes to us with such miraculous power that we are able to “arise from the dead” and do the impossible. The remarkable thing about spiritual initiative is that the life and power comes after we “get up and get going.” God does not give us overcoming life—He gives us life as we overcome. When the inspiration of God comes, and He says, “Arise from the dead . . . ,” we have to get ourselves up; God will not lift us up. Our Lord said to the man with the withered hand, “Stretch out your hand” (Matthew 12:13). As soon as the man did so, his hand was healed. But he had to take the initiative. If we will take the initiative to overcome, we will find that we have the inspiration of God, because He immediately gives us the power of life.
Journal 2 16 11 DJR
Good morning, Lord. I didn’t know Mike personally, but we’ve been praying for him. He passed from this life to the next yesterday. From what JD had shared, I knew a little of his life. Over the last weeks I learned of a man who served. Red, White & Blue. A decorated soldier with medals of bronze and silver and purple … medals of valor. But exposure to Agent Orange set up a sequence … that ended yesterday. Not really ended. Just began the next adventure. So here is for Mike, In Living Color.
The Colors Of Mike
Sadness today.
Mike went away.
He was my brother’s brother,
So I knew him that way.
A colorful life,
Red, White & Blue,
Bronze, Silver, Purple
& That damn Orange
Seemed to win at the end.
Except Mike had a Savior
Who turns death into life
So we soldier on
With shades of grey,
But now with his Captain,
It’s the whole
Rainbow for Mike
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February 16, 2011
Journal for Today-JDV
It somehow does not seem right that I feel a sense of relief at my brother’s passing, but that is the prevailing sense. Whether the relief comes from knowing he is no longer suffering, or it stems from the end to a family dynamic and controversy surrounding the hospice choices and location…..I am not certain. I just know that I feel loss and relief and while I will miss my brother for a time You reassured me Lord many times.
And God says….”Mike is with Me now I hold him in my arms even as we speak. There is much rejoicing here with his dad, uncles, aunts, grandfather, grandmothers and comrades. He is amazed at the weightlessness of this life, and you know he really did love to fly. He feels the prayers of his family and friends as do his friends and family there on earth. I have presented Him to the Father and he has been found perfect in Me. Rejoice.”
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