Yielding

March 14th, 2012 by JDVaughn No comments »

. . . you are that one’s slaves whom you obey . . . —Romans 6:16


The first thing I must be willing to admit when I begin to examine what controls and dominates me is that I am the one responsible for having yielded myself to whatever it may be. If I am a slave to myself, I am to blame because somewhere in the past I yielded to myself. Likewise, if I obey God I do so because at some point in my life I yielded myself to Him.If a child gives in to selfishness, he will find it to be the most enslaving tyranny on earth. There is no power within the human soul itself that is capable of breaking the bondage of the nature created by yielding. For example, yield for one second to anything in the nature of lust, and although you may hate yourself for having yielded, you become enslaved to that thing. (Remember what lust is— “I must have it now,” whether it is the lust of the flesh or the lust of the mind.) No release or escape from it will ever come from any human power, but only through the power of redemption. You must yield yourself in utter humiliation to the only One who can break the dominating power in your life, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. “. . . He has anointed Me . . . to proclaim liberty to the captives . . .” (Luke 4:18 and Isaiah 61:1).When you yield to something, you will soon realize the tremendous control it has over you. Even though you say, “Oh, I can give up that habit whenever I like,” you will know you can’t. You will find that the habit absolutely dominates you because you willingly yielded to it. It is easy to sing, “He will break every fetter,” while at the same time living a life of obvious slavery to yourself. But yielding to Jesus will break every kind of slavery in any person’s life.__________________________________________

 

March 14, 2012

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, I once believed that if I gave You my trials and tribulations that you could and would make them all go away.  Then You taught me (and are still helping me   understand) that while you can (and very often do) take away the difficult circumstances; Jesus has the power to leave me inside my difficult circumstances, and transform Me so that I experience peace, happiness and joy.  And I have this peace, happiness and joy, regardless of the circumstance. Thank you Jesus.

And God says…”Seek first the kingdom of God; acknowledge the Lord in all your ways, and I will give you all that you need to live life and life more abundantly. I will make all your paths straight.When you come to Jesus and yield yourself completely to Him, you discover that He keeps you complete regardless of your circumstance. “

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God’s Total Surrender to Us

March 13th, 2012 by Dave No comments »

For God so loved the world that He gave . . . —John 3:16

Salvation does not mean merely deliverance from sin or the experience of personal holiness. The salvation which comes from God means being completely delivered from myself, and being placed into perfect union with Him. When I think of my salvation experience, I think of being delivered from sin and gaining personal holiness. But salvation is so much more! It means that the Spirit of God has brought me into intimate contact with the true Person of God Himself. And as I am caught up into total surrender to God, I become thrilled with something infinitely greater than myself.

To say that we are called to preach holiness or sanctification is to miss the main point. We are called to proclaim Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 2:2). The fact that He saves from sin and makes us holy is actually part of the effect of His wonderful and total surrender to us.

If we are truly surrendered, we will never be aware of our own efforts to remain surrendered. Our entire life will be consumed with the One to whom we surrender. Beware of talking about surrender if you know nothing about it. In fact, you will never know anything about it until you understand that John 3:16 means that God completely and absolutely gave Himself to us. In our surrender, we must give ourselves to God in the same way He gave Himself for us— totally, unconditionally, and without reservation. The consequences and circumstances resulting from our surrender will never even enter our mind, because our life will be totally consumed with Him.

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Journal DJR
Good morning, Lord
Oswald mentions, “as I am caught up into total surrender to God, I become thrilled with something infinitely greater than myself.” Becoming thrilled with surrender or at least the results of surrender may be a good indicator of the totality of my surrender. When I get to that point, Surrender is no longer a burden, but an exciting adventure. It causes me to paraphrase the man who said to Jesus, “Lord, I surrender, Help my un-surrenderedness”

Living excitingly surrendered is a process and getting to the point where you don’t even think about it or analyze it … just live it … that will take some time and some practice and less than perfect attempts. But keep on the trail. I walked it first. And I will walk with you. I am always with you, will never leave you or forsake you. When you feel abandoned and forsaken, just stop and look around. I’ll be right there. You may think I just showed up, but I’ve been there all along. You were just too busy struggling to notice.

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Total Surrender

March 12th, 2012 by JDVaughn No comments »

Peter began to say to Him, ’See, we have left all and followed You’ —Mark 10:28


Our Lord replies to this statement of Peter by saying that this surrender is “for My sake and the gospel’s” (10:29). It was not for the purpose of what the disciples themselves would get out of it. Beware of surrender that is motivated by personal benefits that may result. For example, “I’m going to give myself to God because I want to be delivered from sin, because I want to be made holy.” Being delivered from sin and being made holy are the result of being right with God, but surrender resulting from this kind of thinking is certainly not the true nature of Christianity. Our motive for surrender should not be forany personal gain at all. We have become so self-centered that we go to God only for something from Him, and not for God Himself. It is like saying, “No, Lord, I don’t want you; I want myself. But I do want You to clean me and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I want to be on display in Your showcase so I can say, ’This is what God has done for me.’ ” Gaining heaven, being delivered from sin, and being made useful to God are things that should never even be a consideration in real surrender. Genuine total surrender is a personal sovereign preference for Jesus Christ Himself.Where does Jesus Christ figure in when we have a concern about our natural relationships? Most of us will desert Him with this excuse—”Yes, Lord, I heard you call me, but my family needs me and I have my own interests. I just can’t go any further” (see Luke 9:57-62). “Then,” Jesus says, “you ’cannot be My disciple’ ” (see Luke 14:26-33).True surrender will always go beyond natural devotion. If we will only give up, God will surrender Himself to embrace all those around us and will meet their needs, which were created by our surrender. Beware of stopping anywhere short of total surrender to God. Most of us have only a vision of what this really means, but have never truly experienced it.
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March 12, 2012

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, we spoke about this last week; how total surrender is  a concept foreign to our nature and culture. We spoke about how your promises turn  everything upside down. We receive by giving, we live by dying and we are  victorious when we surrender. But Lord is so hard to let go entirely….until we  have nothing to hold onto, this side of You. That is where most of us  surrender, inside the roaring sea of turmoil and trials. We hold onto the pier  as long as we can, until we must let go and be swallowed up by your love, mercy  and grace.

And God says…”I loved  My own Son beyond anything you can conceive, and surrendered Him up for you. I  allowed the pain and suffering to engulf Him and then…just when the enemy and  everyone on earth thought He was overcome by His most pain filled surrender, He  arose; just like you arise from your sea of turmoil and pain, when you totally  surrender. I gave My only Son to the pain of the cross, so He could be  victorious, so I give you up to your pain and suffering so you too can totally surrender….and find victory like you could never imagine.”

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Turning Back or Walking with Jesus?

March 9th, 2012 by JDVaughn No comments »

Do you also want to go away? —John 6:67

 


What a penetrating question! Our Lord’s words often hit home for us when He speaks in the simplest way. In spite of the fact that we know who Jesus is, He asks, “Do you also want to go away?” We must continually maintain an adventurous attitude toward Him, despite any potential personal risk.“From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (John 6:66). They turned back from walking with Jesus; not into sin, but away from Him. Many people today are pouring their lives out and working for Jesus Christ, but are not really walking with Him. One thing God constantly requires of us is a oneness with Jesus Christ. After being set apart through sanctification, we should discipline our lives spiritually to maintain this intimate oneness. When God gives you a clear determination of His will for you, all your striving to maintain that relationship by some particular method is completely unnecessary. All that is required is to live a natural life of absolute dependence on Jesus Christ. Never try to live your life with God in any other way than His way. And His way means absolute devotion to Him. Showing no concern for the uncertainties that lie ahead is the secret of walking with Jesus.Peter saw in Jesus only someone who could minister salvation to him and to the world. But our Lord wants us to be fellow laborers with Him.In John 6:70Jesus lovingly reminded Peter that he was chosen to go with Him. And each of us must answer this question for ourselves and no one else: “Do you also want to go away?”_______________________________________________March 9, 2012

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, I do not want to go away, but had I known it would be this hard sometimes….well, I just don’t know. Like the song says, it is not an easy road. And I grasp the notion that this is the road that brings me closer to You and keeps me striving for our “constant connection”. However, sometimes I wish the road was a bit easier and You would “take this cup from me”, and from those I love.

And Jesus says…”Nothing can separate you or those you love, that love Him, from His Love. In Me you will find all the hope, love, grace, mercy and power you need to live an abundant life, even when you are walking very difficult roads. Isn’t it amazing to discover that difficult roads simply make our bond stronger? You now know that the Father will allow nothing to touch you that has not first been touched by His hands, and that nothing can separate you from His love.

Romans 8:35 &37-39 (NIV)

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor
anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God
that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

James 1:1-8 (MSG)

 Hello! Faith Under Pressure

2-4Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its
work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

5-8If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll
get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly,
believingly, without a second thought.

 

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The Surrendered Life

March 8th, 2012 by JDVaughn No comments »

I have been crucified with Christ . . . —Galatians 2:20


To become one with Jesus Christ, a person must be willing not only to give up sin, but also to surrender his whole way of looking at things. Being born again by the Spirit of God means that we must first be willing to let go before we can grasp something else. The first thing we must surrender is all of our pretense or deceit. What our Lord wants us to present to Him is not our goodness, honesty, or our efforts to do better, but real solid sin. Actually, that is all He can take from us. And what He gives us in exchange for our sin is real solid righteousness. But we must surrender all pretense that we are anything, and give up all our claims of even being worthy of God’s consideration.Once we have done that, the Spirit of God will show us what we need to surrender next. Along each step of this process, we will have to give up our claims to our rights to ourselves. Are we willing to surrender our grasp on all that we possess, our desires, and everything else in our lives? Are we ready to be identified with the death of Jesus Christ?We will suffer a sharp painful disillusionment before we fully surrender. When people really see themselves as the Lord sees them, it is not the terribly offensive sins of the flesh that shock them, but the awful nature of the pride of their own hearts opposing Jesus Christ. When they see themselves in the light of the Lord, the shame, horror, and desperate conviction hit home for them.If you are faced with the question of whether or not to surrender, make a determination to go on through the crisis, surrendering all that you have and all that you are to Him. And God will then equip you to do all that He requires of you.____________________________________________________

 

March 8, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, the notion of surrender is difficult for a man in our  culture. We revere soldiers in our history that chose to die rather than  surrender. We have told and retold the story of the Alamo with awe and wonder.  Our sportscasters remind us of great teams that did not quit; picked themselves up off the floor and rose to victory.  We  train young men and (now) young women in our culture to never give up or give  in; that if they never give up, they will persevere.  So Lord, it is not easy to consider the  notion of surrender to You, even though I understand (that is to say I have the  head knowledge) how essential surrender is for me to live a connected life.

And God says…”Your culture’s notion of surrender is not the same as surrendering to Me. In your culture, to surrender to something is to declare defeat. When you surrender to  me you can declare victory. In your culture when you “give up”, you quit trying because you believe you cannot win. When you surrender to the cross, you win,  and can claim victory. “

“This lesson is like most of life’s lessons that you have learned from Me and find in the scriptures. They are turned upside down. My ways are not your ways; they are
higher than your ways. The world says to get you must accumulate and save. I
say to receive you must give.  The world, your culture, says to “never give up” and you will find victory.  I say, give yourself up to Me, surrender to Me  and I will give you victory over everything…always and forever. “

 

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The Source of Abundant Joy

March 7th, 2012 by JDVaughn No comments »

In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us —Romans 8:37

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Oswald Chambers writes…
Paul was speaking here of the things that might seem likely to separate a saint from the love of God. But the remarkable thing is that nothing can come between the love of God and a saint. The things Paul mentioned in this passage can and do disrupt the close fellowship of our soul with God and separate our natural life from Him. But none of them is able to come between the love of God and the soul of a saint on the spiritual level. The underlying foundation of the Christian faith is the undeserved, limitless miracle of the love of God that was exhibited on the Cross of Calvary; a love that is not earned and can never be. Paul said this is the reason that “in all these things we are more than conquerors.” We are super-victors with a joy that comes from experiencing the very things which look as if they are going to overwhelm us.Huge waves that would frighten an ordinary swimmer produce a tremendous thrill for the surfer who has ridden them. Let’s apply that to our own circumstances. The things we try to avoid and fight against— tribulation, suffering, and persecution— are the very things that produce abundant joy in us. “We are more than conquerors through Him” “in all these things”; not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. A saint doesn’t know the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it. Paul said, “I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation” (2 Corinthians 7:4).

The undiminished radiance, which is the result of abundant joy, is not built on anything passing, but on the love of God that nothing can change. And the experiences of life, whether they are everyday events or terrifying ones, are powerless to “separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).

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March 7, 2012

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, I can remember over the years reading and hearing these kinds of scriptures all my life: scriptures that told me that I am victorious, even though living in the middle of very difficult times. I can recall reading scriptures that told me I should rejoice while going through trials, and not to try and get out of them too early. And I just read that we are more than conquerors even when facing trials, troubles, hardships, and even death.

Lord, I must admit, that over the years, when I would read these scriptures, and they all sound wonderful, high and noble, try as I might, I could not truly comprehend the real meaning until I lived them.

And God says…”Your very human nature is to seek pleasure, and avoid pain. Your first inclination, when confronted with a trial or difficulty, or failure to find the pleasure and peace you sought on your own terms, is to seek an immediate solution. It is not a part of your makeup to simply look at your circumstance and say to yourself…”I wonder how God will use this trial…..and victory (whatever shape it takes) for others and myself?”….”I wonder how this will be used by God for my ultimate benefit and His honor and glory?”

“However, you have learned and are learning that over time, as you stay connected to Me, you do not need freedom from trials, and wonderful worldly circumstances to find true happiness, and peace that passes understanding. You are learning that you do not need to control all your circumstances (or any of them) in order to find
life and life more abundantly.”

“You are being taught this, by the Holy Spirit, as you live right in the middle of difficult times and stay focused on Me. As you live this way, (not in spite of your trials but because of them) your life and the lives of others are being transformed, and you are discovering  super natural victory and peace that is lived.”

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Taking the Next Step

March 6th, 2012 by JDVaughn No comments »

. . . in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses —2 Corinthians 6:4

 


When you have no vision from God, no enthusiasm left in your life, and no one watching and encouraging you, it requires the grace of Almighty God to take the next step in your devotion to Him, in the reading and studying of His Word, in your family life, or in your duty to Him. It takes much more of the grace of God, and a much greater awareness of drawing upon Him, to take that next step, than it does to preach the gospel.Every Christian must experience the essence of the incarnation by bringing the next step down into flesh-and-blood reality and by working it out with his hands. We lose interest and give up when we have no vision, no encouragement, and no improvement, but only experience our everyday life with its trivial tasks. The thing that really testifies for God and for the people of God in the long run is steady perseverance, even when the work cannot be seen by others. And the only way to live an undefeated life is to live looking to God. Ask God to keep the eyes of your spirit open to the risen Christ, and it will be impossible for drudgery to discourage you. Never allow yourself to think that some tasks are beneath your dignity or too insignificant for you to do, and remind yourself of the example of Christ inJohn 13:1-17.
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March 6, 2012

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, these words from Chambers’ devotional today speak to the very heart of the lesson you have been teaching us for a very long time…………the only way to live an undefeated life is to live looking to God. Ask God to keep the eyes of your spirit open to the risen Christ, and it will be impossible for drudgery to discourage you. It is now, over time, beginning to sink in; that daily intimate contact and communication    with You, (as Chambers says, “….. live looking to God”) is essential to living  a life encouraged. And it is becoming clear that my intimate connection with you determines my wellbeing, not my circumstances.

 

And God says…”Seek first the kingdom of God…God knows your needs, and is prepared to meet all your needs, as you trust Him. And your trust levels increase substantially as you draw near. When you draw near to Me, and reflect my Son, Jesus, you become transformed by faith, and the power of your faith is strengthened and transformed as well. Over time, our intimacy becomes natural to the point that you cannot and will not tolerate anything that will sever it.”

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Is He Really My Lord?

March 5th, 2012 by JDVaughn No comments »

. . . so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus . . . —Acts 20:24

 


From the song…..
I gave into a God I didn’t know
And now everything is falling into place
A brand new life is calling and I owe it all to grace
It’s So much brighter living in your world
Savior what you did for me
You gave me something I want everyone, and I mean everyone to see
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Chambers writes….
Joy comes from seeing the complete fulfillment of the specific purpose for which I was created and born again, not from successfully doing something of my own choosing. The joy our Lord experienced came from doing what the Father sent Him to do. And He says to us, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21). Have you received a ministry from the Lord? If so, you must be faithful to it— to consider your life valuable only for the purpose of fulfilling that ministry. Knowing that you have done what Jesus sent you to do, think how satisfying it will be to hear Him say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21). We each have to find a niche in life, and spiritually we find it when we receive a ministry from the Lord. To do this we must have close fellowship with Jesus and must know Him as more than our personal Savior. And we must be willing to experience the full impact of Acts 9:16 — “I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”“Do you love Me?” Then, “Feed My sheep” (John 21:17). He is not offering us a choice of how we can serve Him; He is asking for absolute loyalty to His commission, a faithfulness to what we discern when we are in the closest possible fellowship with God. If you have received a ministry from the Lord Jesus, you will know that the need is not the same as the call— the need is the opportunity to exercise the call. The call is to be faithful to the ministry you received when you were in true fellowship with Him. This does not imply that there is a whole series of differing ministries marked out for you. It does mean that you must be sensitive to what God has called you to do, and this may sometimes require ignoring demands for service in other areas.
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March 5, 2012

Journal for Today-JDV

Lord, this song reminds me that I am learning to be the light, and my ability to learn to be the light comes from my connection with You. It has nothing to do with my abilities, gifts or even opportunities. All those follow my connection and relationship with You.

And God says…”I will equip and provide all that you need when you walk in My will for your life. And you know My will for your life includes my commandments; love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul, and love your neighbor just as you would yourself. As you pursue My will and commandments from Jesus, you are transformed, equipped, and given opportunities. And as you seek Me everything else you need will be provided. You are then free from every worry and care to learn to be the light.”

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3-5-12 Journal DJR
Good morning, Lord
Today I have so many things to get done. Or things that could get done. I know they wont all happen. Help me choose the best and forget the rest. I dont know if that is your will or just good time management for a non-multi-tasker like me.
You will notice from reading the gospels that I avoided overload and stress by staying in the moment and focusing 100% on the task at hand … and that I knew what that was from spending time with Dad.
John 5:19-20 “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing.
That is my prayer, that as I spend time in prayer that I can get laser clear on what you would have me do and help me gracefully decline and off-load the rest … without guilt.

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Have You Felt the Pain Inflicted by the Lord?

March 2nd, 2012 by JDVaughn No comments »

He said to him the third time, ’. . . do you love Me?’ —John 21:17

 


Have you ever felt the pain, inflicted by the Lord, at the very center of your being, deep down in the most sensitive area of your life? The devil never inflicts pain there, and neither can sin nor human emotions. Nothing can cut through to that part of our being but the Word of God. “Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ’Do you love Me?’ ” Yet he was awakened to the fact that at the center of his personal life he was devoted to Jesus. And then he began to see what Jesus’ patient questioning meant. There was not the slightest bit of doubt left in Peter’s mind; he could never be deceived again. And there was no need for an impassioned response; no need for immediate action or an emotional display. It was a revelation to him to realize how much he did love the Lord, and with amazement he simply said, “Lord, You know all things . . . .” Peter began to see how very much he did love Jesus, and there was no need to say, “Look at this or that as proof of my love.” Peter was beginning to discover within himself just how much he really did love the Lord. He discovered that his eyes were so fixed on Jesus Christ that he saw no one else in heaven above or on the earth below. But he did not know it until the probing, hurting questions of the Lord were asked. The Lord’s questions always reveal the true me to myself.Oh, the wonder of the patient directness and skill of Jesus Christ with Peter! Our Lord never asks questions until the perfect time. Rarely, but probably once in each of our lives, He will back us into a corner where He will hurt us with His piercing questions. Then we will realize that we do love Him far more deeply than our words can ever say.
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March 2, 2012

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, I have felt the pain of your piercing questions. I have felt the pain of being separated from You right when I need you the most; then I realize that You did not move… I did. I would also like to avoid the pain of your piercing conditional question…”if you love Me then feed my sheep.” And while I want to avoid the pain and heartache of this life I have also come to understand that you will not allow anything to touch me that does not come from your overwhelming love for me. I may not understand it all, and I may not know the rhyme or reasons…but as the song reminds me…You love like a hurricane, and I am a tree…bending beneath your wind and mercy.

And God says…”Trust in Me with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding…and I will make your paths straight…means that you are not to interpret your circumstances or situations as issues related to how much I love you. I love you against the backdrop of eternity and My omnipotence. I absolutely know what is the very best for you in that context, and provide and protect for you with full knowledge of your future that includes eternity with Me. My love for you in this life is not intended as an opportunity for you to get what you want. It is for you to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus. And that transformation often demands the shaping that can only come from your trials.”

James 1:2-4 (NIV)
Trials and Temptations

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

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The Piercing Question

March 1st, 2012 by Dave No comments »

Do you love Me? —John 21:17

Peter’s response to this piercing question is considerably different from the bold defiance he exhibited only a few days before when he declared, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” (Matthew 26:35 ; also see Matthew 26:33-34). Our natural individuality, or our natural self, boldly speaks out and declares its feelings. But the true love within our inner spiritual self can be discovered only by experiencing the hurt of this question of Jesus Christ. Peter loved Jesus in the way any natural man loves a good person. Yet that is nothing but emotional love. It may reach deeply into our natural self, but it never penetrates to the spirit of a person. True love never simply declares itself. Jesus said, “Whoever confesses Me before men [that is, confesses his love by everything he does, not merely by his words], him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8).
Unless we are experiencing the hurt of facing every deception about ourselves, we have hindered the work of the Word of God in our lives. The Word of God inflicts hurt on us more than sin ever could, because sin dulls our senses. But this question of the Lord intensifies our sensitivities to the point that this hurt produced by Jesus is the most exquisite pain conceivable. It hurts not only on the natural level, but also on the deeper spiritual level. “For the Word of God is living and powerful . . . , piercing even to the division of soul and spirit . . .”— to the point that no deception can remain (Hebrews 4:12). When the Lord asks us this question, it is impossible to think and respond properly, because when the Lord speaks directly to us, the pain is too intense. It causes such a tremendous hurt that any part of our life which may be out of line with His will can feel the pain. There is never any mistaking the pain of the Lord’s Word by His children, but the moment that pain is felt is the very moment at which God reveals His truth to us.

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Journal DJR
Good Morning, Lord,
Exquisite Pain, Are you kidding me? I can see that I really need to be in the right frame of mind to see that as a good thing. Kind of like Peter change of context from a few days earlier with his loud denial to the more humbled response to this question. Can we get to that place earlier? Shorten the time of the pain?

Yes, of course. But you can’t eliminate it altogether. Not if you want to grow in my love and the things I have for you. You can minimize it by coming quickly to me and staying tightly connected to me.

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