{"id":6040,"date":"2012-01-12T06:19:59","date_gmt":"2012-01-12T14:19:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/wordpress\/?p=6040"},"modified":"2012-01-12T08:00:54","modified_gmt":"2012-01-12T16:00:54","slug":"have-you-ever-been-alone-with-god-1-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=6040","title":{"rendered":"Have You Ever Been Alone with God? (1)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-0gLxhiY_cg\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"570\" height=\"315\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div><em><strong>When they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples \u2014Mark 4:34<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n<p><strong>Our Solitude with Him.<\/strong>\u00a0Jesus doesn\u2019t take us aside and explain things to us all the time; He explains things to us as we are able to understand them. The lives of others are examples for us, but God requires us to examine our own souls. It is slow work\u2014 so slow that it takes God all of time and eternity to make a man or woman conform to His purpose. We can only be used by God after we allow Him to show us the deep, hidden areas of our own character. It is astounding how ignorant we are about ourselves! We don\u2019t even recognize the envy, laziness, or pride within us when we see it. But Jesus will reveal to us everything we have held within ourselves before His grace began to work. How many of us have learned to look inwardly with courage?<\/p>\n<p>We have to get rid of the idea that we understand ourselves. That is always the last bit of pride to go. The only One who understands us is God. The greatest curse in our spiritual life is pride. If we have ever had a glimpse of what we are like in the sight of God, we will never say, \u201cOh, I\u2019m so unworthy.\u201d We will understand that this goes without saying. But as long as there is any doubt that we are unworthy, God will continue to close us in until He gets us alone. Whenever there is any element of pride or conceit remaining, Jesus can\u2019t teach us anything. He will allow us to experience heartbreak or the disappointment we feel when our intellectual pride is wounded. He will reveal numerous misplaced affections or desires\u2014 things over which we never thought He would have to get us alone. Many things are shown to us, often without effect. But when God gets us alone over them, they will be clear.<\/p>\n<p>_____________________________________________<\/p>\n<p>Journal DJR<\/p>\n<p>Good morning Lord,<\/p>\n<p>I am overwhelmed by the tragedy that has happened to my friend who just lost his son to suicide. \u00a0 The fact that just last year, he lost his daughter to a freak blood clot embolism makes it doubly hard. \u00a0 I dont know how to think or feel or respond. \u00a0 I want to help and I will reach out today &#8230; but what to say? \u00a0Cant say, been there, done that. \u00a0Almost no one in this country could say that&#8230;.<\/p>\n<p><em>Well, I can say that I&#8217;ve been there, done that. \u00a0 Even more so. \u00a0 I gave up my son &#8230; and knew it was coming &#8230; even planned it. \u00a0 For you. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Wow. \u00a0Yes of course, that&#8217;s right. \u00a0But still it leaves the question of what to say and how to be in this time. \u00a0I dont want to be like &#8220;Job&#8217;s Comforters&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><em>Keep the emphasis on &#8220;be&#8221; \u00a0 Job&#8217;s friends ran amuck when they opened their mouths. \u00a0 So be his friend. \u00a0Be there. \u00a0 Dont offer platitudes or cliches. \u00a0 You know how to be &#8230; and I will guide you on the few things to &#8220;do and say&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m reminded of the Laura Story song, Blessings &#8230; that grew out of her husbands life threatening illness. \u00a0 \u00a0There are so many things in life that start out bad and turn out good &#8230; if we keep our hands off and make things worse. \u00a0 I&#8217;m reminded of Romans 8:28. \u00a0 \u00a0It still doesn&#8217;t seem time to send my friend a link &#8230; so let me know when.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve also noticed that there are very few songs about the part of our relationship with you that the lesson today brings. \u00a0 Even the one I \u00a0chose is more about the warm and fuzzy side.<\/p>\n<p><em>So why dont you write one?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>OK, if you give me the material and the push &#8230; I carry a little notebook in my pocket. \u00a0BTW, I&#8217;m not asking to go thru anything like my friend has on his plate, just so I can write a song.<\/p>\n<p><em>Dont worry, everyone&#8217;s path is different. \u00a0 But everyone&#8217;s formula is the same. \u00a0 Walk close with me. \u00a0Focus on our relationship and our love and I will pour the power thru you to get through victoriously.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>You have been teaching us that. \u00a0Thank You. \u00a0I love you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples \u2014Mark 4:34 Our Solitude with Him.\u00a0Jesus doesn\u2019t take us aside and explain things to us all the time; He explains things to us as we are able to understand them. The lives of others are examples for us, but God requires us to examine [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6040"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6040"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6040\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6050,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6040\/revisions\/6050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}