. . . seek, and you will find . . . —Luke 11:9

Seek if you have not found. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss . . .” (James 4:3). If you ask for things from life instead of from God, “you ask amiss”; that is, you ask out of your desire for self-fulfillment. The more you fulfill yourself the less you will seek God. “. . . seek, and you will find . . . .” Get to work— narrow your focus and interests to this one thing. Have you ever sought God with your whole heart, or have you simply given Him a feeble cry after some emotionally painful experience? “. . . seek, [focus,] and you will find . . . .”

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. . .” (Isaiah 55:1). Are you thirsty, or complacent and indifferent— so satisfied with your own experience that you want nothing more of God? Experience is a doorway, not a final goal. Beware of building your faith on experience, or your life will not ring true and will only sound the note of a critical spirit. Remember that you can never give another person what you have found, but you can cause him to have a desire for it.

“. . . knock, and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9). “Draw near to God . . .” (James 4:8). Knock— the door is closed, and your heartbeat races as you knock. “Cleanse your hands . . .” (James 4:8). Knock a bit louder— you begin to find that you are dirty. “. . . purify your hearts . . .” (James 4:8). It is becoming even more personal— you are desperate and serious now— you will do anything. “Lament . . . ” (James 4:9). Have you ever lamented, expressing your sorrow before God for the condition of your inner life? There is no thread of self-pity left, only the heart-rending difficulty and amazement which comes from seeing what kind of person you really are. “Humble yourselves . . . ” (James 4:10). It is a humbling experience to knock at God’s door— you have to knock with the crucified thief. “. . . to him who knocks it will be opened” (Luke 11:10).

In place of todays journal, here is the testimony of Lecrae, the author of today’s music.

. . . work out your own salvation . . . for it is God who works in you . . . —Philippians 2:12-13

The will is the essential element in God’s creation of human beings— sin is a perverse nature which entered into people. In someone who has been born again, the source of the will is Almighty God. “. . . for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” With focused attention and great care, you have to “work out” what God “works in” you— not work to accomplish or earn “your own salvation,” but work it out so you will exhibit the evidence of a life based with determined, unshakable faith on the complete and perfect redemption of the Lord. As you do this, you do not bring an opposing will up against God’s will— God’s will is your will. Your natural choices will be in accordance with God’s will, and living this life will be as natural as breathing. Stubbornness is an unintelligent barrier, refusing enlightenment and blocking its flow. The only thing to do with this barrier of stubbornness is to blow it up with “dynamite,” and the “dynamite” is obedience to the Holy Spirit.

Do I believe that Almighty God is the Source of my will? God not only expects me to do His will, but He is in me to do it.

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June 6, 2013

The devotional and your scripture says I am to work out my own salvation, but could it be that the actual “working out” is for me to simply surrender to You? Can it be that I cannot “work out” anything except my own inability to be the man I want to be?

And God says…”Come to me and I will give you rest. How can a transformation that began as a wonderful gift of love, mercy and grace, require work?  The “working out” I am speaking of here, is the actual day to day living, being connected to Me. The every morning devotionals you do, your daily prayers, and the other tools you use to stay connected. You cannot add anything, but you can figure out how to stay connected to Me. You can work out how to stay surrendered.”

He Himself has said . . . . So we may boldly say . . . —Hebrews 13:5-6

My assurance is to be built upon God’s assurance to me. God says, “I will never leave you,” so that then I “may boldly say, ’The Lord is my helper; I will not fear’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6). In other words, I will not be obsessed with apprehension. This does not mean that I will not be tempted to fear, but I will remember God’s words of assurance. I will be full of courage, like a child who strives to reach the standard his father has set for him. The faith of many people begins to falter when apprehensions enter their thinking, and they forget the meaning of God’s assurance— they forget to take a deep spiritual breath. The only way to remove the fear from our lives is to listen to God’s assurance to us.

What are you fearing? Whatever it may be, you are not a coward about it— you are determined to face it, yet you still have a feeling of fear. When it seems that there is nothing and no one to help you, say to yourself, “But ’The Lord is my helper’ this very moment, even in my present circumstance.” Are you learning to listen to God before you speak, or are you saying things and then trying to make God’s Word fit what you have said? Take hold of the Father’s assurance, and then say with strong courage, “I will not fear.” It does not matter what evil or wrong may be in our way, because “He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you . . . .’ ”

Human frailty is another thing that gets between God’s words of assurance and our own words and thoughts. When we realize how feeble we are in facing difficulties, the difficulties become like giants, we become like grasshoppers, and God seems to be nonexistent. But remember God’s assurance to us— “I will never. . . forsake you.” Have we learned to sing after hearing God’s keynote? Are we continually filled with enough courage to say, “The Lord is my helper,” or are we yielding to fear?

Journal DJR

Good Morning Lord,
Not that Spiritual Life is a game, or just a game … but there are some similarities between my life with you and a close basketball game. First one team is ahead, then the other. There are times of momentum when one team seems uncatchable, then they seem to run out of gas and the other team catches them. Sometimes there are surprises, and cliff-hangers as the ball bounces back and forth across the rim … will it go in, will it go out? My life is kind of like all of that. Sometimes I seem invincible. I’m walking with you and it’s all good. The good guys are winning. Then the momentum changes (it’s probably that invincible feeling… dangerous to humans on a mission) and doubts creep in and I start stressing out. Sometimes the other team get’s way ahead and I really run amuck. But after a time-out and your pep talk, the good team (you and me) comes from behind to re-gain the lead.
Well, since my experience is like a game anyway, why dont I look for more parallels from sports and use them to get competitive and see if I can start winning more. Kicking in the competitive nature that you created me with.
I have no problem with that. I did make you that way. Remember what Paul said comparing life to an athletic competition. Also a military battle. Remember Jonathan who was feeling competitive …

And of course remember that We win in the end. That’s always the last line in my pep talks. And if you carry that in your heart and your head you will win more and more of the encounters brought by the circumstances of life. You can think of yourself as an athlete in a competition or a soldier in a war. Walk with me and remember my pep talks and win.

He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you’ —Hebrews 13:5

What line of thinking do my thoughts take? Do I turn to what God says or to my own fears? Am I simply repeating what God says, or am I learning to truly hear Him and then to respond after I have heard what He says? “For He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ’The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6).

“I will never leave you . . .”— not for any reason; not my sin, selfishness, stubbornness, nor waywardness. Have I really let God say to me that He will never leave me? If I have not truly heard this assurance of God, then let me listen again.

“I will never . . . forsake you.” Sometimes it is not the difficulty of life but the drudgery of it that makes me think God will forsake me. When there is no major difficulty to overcome, no vision from God, nothing wonderful or beautiful— just the everyday activities of life— do I hear God’s assurance even in these?

We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing— that He is preparing and equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future. But as we grow in His grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment. If we have God’s assurance behind us, the most amazing strength becomes ours, and we learn to sing, glorifying Him even in the ordinary days and ways of life.

Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
This is so good to hear, “I will never leave you . . .”— not for any reason; not my sin, selfishness, stubbornness, nor waywardness. ….If I have not truly heard this assurance of God, then let me listen again.” Not that we haven’t heard it before, but we need to hear it and hear it and hear it until we really get it down deep inside. And it becomes an integral part of who we are … unshakeable by the circumstances.
Lord, help us to stay close and hear these words today. As we hear these words over and over, we’ll be better able to hear your other words. Then help us obey quickly.

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.

Jesus did not commit Himself to them . . .for He knew what was in man —John 2:24-25

Put God’s Will First. “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God” (Hebrews 10:9).

A person’s obedience is to what he sees to be a need— our Lord’s obedience was to the will of His Father. The rallying cry today is, “We must get to work! The heathen are dying without God. We must go and tell them about Him.” But we must first make sure that God’s “needs” and His will in us personally are being met. Jesus said, “. . . tarry . . . until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). The purpose of our Christian training is to get us into the right relationship to the “needs” of God and His will. Once God’s “needs” in us have been met, He will open the way for us to accomplish His will, meeting His “needs” elsewhere.

Put God’s Son First. “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me” (Matthew 18:5).

God came as a baby, giving and entrusting Himself to me. He expects my personal life to be a “Bethlehem.” Am I allowing my natural life to be slowly transformed by the indwelling life of the Son of God? God’s ultimate purpose is that His Son might be exhibited in me.

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May 31, 2013

Lord, thank you once again for the reminder and reassurance. The reminder that You have answered all my questions and uncertainties. And if I will only trust You instead of myself, and other imperfect people just like me,  I can live a life of hope, truth and fullness. Help me trust You completely this day. And Lord, You know my weaknesses. You know how I can go off chasing my own ideas of what I want and need. Help me to surrender my will and myself to You and let You lead.

And God says…”Remember  when I look at you My child, I can only see Jesus. I can only see your perfection. I knew your strengths and weaknesses before I even breathed life into you. Why do you think my plan for our reconciliation is wrapped in love, trust, faith and grace? Did you think I would leave our reconciliation to humans to complete? Do you think I did not know of your ongoing imperfection? However; your perfection is complete in Jesus.  I trust Jesus to live through you; you do the same this day. Live this day in eager anticipation; waiting on Jesus to lead you into life and life more abundantly.”

Lord, I will follow You, but . . . —Luke 9:61

Jesus Christ demands the same unrestrained, adventurous spirit in those who have placed their trust in Him that the natural man exhibits. If a person is ever going to do anything worthwhile, there will be times when he must risk everything by his leap in the dark. In the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold on to or believe through common sense, and leap by faith into what He says. Once you obey, you will immediately find that what He says is as solidly consistent as common sense.

By the test of common sense, Jesus Christ’s statements may seem mad, but when you test them by the trial of faith, your findings will fill your spirit with the awesome fact that they are the very words of God. Trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, offering it to you, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis— only one out of an entire crowd is daring enough to invest his faith in the character of God.

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May 30, 2013

Lord I would like to believe that when and if I am certain it is You speaking to me, giving me direction, that I will listen and obey. In fact I am certain I will follow you when I know it is You speaking to me. The difficulty I have is not knowing if it is You speaking to me or am I hearing something else entirely.

And God says…”When you are closely connected to me and walking with Me, you can hear my voice as clear as a bell. When you are in pain and find that you must trust Me, you hear Me as if I am speaking through a megaphone. If you say you do not hear Me clearly it is because you are not listening closely. I am speaking to you all the time. The Holy Spirit within you communicates with Me all the time. If you are uncertain that it is My voice it is because we are not tightly connected and you are not surrendered to Me. Simply be still; close your eyes and listen for me right now….tell me you are surrendered or want to be surrendered…and then listen for Me.”