It is not wrong for you to depend on your “Elijah” for as long as God gives him to you. But remember that the time will come when he must leave and will no longer be your guide and your leader, because God does not intend for him to stay. Even the thought of that causes you to say, “I cannot continue without my ’Elijah.’ ” Yet God says you must continue.

Alone at Your “Jordan” ( Kings 2:14 ). The Jordan River represents the type of separation where you have no fellowship with anyone else, and where no one else can take your responsibility from you. You now have to put to the test what you learned when you were with your “Elijah.” You have been to the Jordan over and over again with Elijah, but now you are facing it alone. There is no use in saying that you cannot go— the experience is here, and you must go. If you truly want to know whether or not God is the God your faith believes Him to be, then go through your “Jordan” alone.

Alone at Your “Jericho” ( 2 Kings 2:15 ). Jericho represents the place where you have seen your “Elijah” do great things. Yet when you come alone to your “Jericho,” you have a strong reluctance to take the initiative and trust in God, wanting, instead, for someone else to take it for you. But if you remain true to what you learned while with your “Elijah,” you will receive a sign, as Elisha did, that God is with you.

Alone at Your “Bethel” ( 2 Kings 2:23 ). At your “Bethel” you will find yourself at your wits’ end but at the beginning of God’s wisdom. When you come to your wits’ end and feel inclined to panic— don’t! Stand true to God and He will bring out His truth in a way that will make your life an expression of worship. Put into practice what you learned while with your “Elijah”— use his mantle and pray (see 2 Kings 2:13-14 ). Make a determination to trust in God, and do not even look for Elijah anymore.

August 11, 2010

I awake to immediate prayer. I seem to do this when I see a cloudy and mixed future. When the future is not clear or it is clear and I do not like the clarity I reach for Him more and more.

And God says….. “That is how growth occurs; you come to your needs and see no way through or around and…. you reach for Me. And I meet you in a different way each time. In need, you are in a place where I can shape you and your circumstances for My glory.

Trust, obey and focus on Me. That is what can occur in these trials. Seek me in the clouds, and wait for Me.

You will rise up with wings of eagles. And I will be glorified.

Choosing to suffer means that there must be something wrong with you, but choosing God’s will— even if it means you will suffer— is something very different. No normal, healthy saint ever chooses suffering; he simply chooses God’s will, just as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not. And no saint should ever dare to interfere with the lesson of suffering being taught in another saint’s life.

The saint who satisfies the heart of Jesus will make other saints strong and mature for God. But the people used to strengthen us are never those who sympathize with us; in fact, we are hindered by those who give us their sympathy, because sympathy only serves to weaken us. No one better understands a saint than the saint who is as close and as intimate with Jesus as possible. If we accept the sympathy of another saint, our spontaneous feeling is, “God is dealing too harshly with me and making my life too difficult.” That is why Jesus said that self-pity was of the devil (see Matthew 16:21-23 ). We must be merciful to God’s reputation. It is easy for us to tarnish God’s character because He never argues back; He never tries to defend or vindicate Himself. Beware of thinking that Jesus needed sympathy during His life on earth. He refused the sympathy of people because in His great wisdom He knew that no one on earth understood His purpose (see Matthew 16:23 ). He accepted only the sympathy of His Father and the angels (see Luke 15:10  ).

Look at God’s incredible waste of His saints, according to the world’s judgment. God seems to plant His saints in the most useless places. And then we say, “God intends for me to be here because I am so useful to Him.” Yet Jesus never measured His life by how or where He was of the greatest use. God places His saints where they will bring the most glory to Him, and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be.

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August 10, 2010

I woke up with the worry and anxiety of today and tomorrow on my mind and heart, praying for the strength to believe and hope and trust; all the while, watching myself “twist in the win” instead of trusting completely. I prayed for God to surround my heart and mind and give me the strength and courage to trust and believe. Like the man responding to Jesus when told all things are possible when we believe I cry out, I believe, but help me in my unbelief.

And God says….”You will have doubts about your levels of faith, courage and worthiness. You will doubt your own strength and courage. The enemy will tell you to keep your eyes on your mistakes, and past failures. But when I look at you, I only see Jesus and His sacrifice. Your faith and hope and courage will never be strong enough for you in this world. Your troubles can come day after day after hour after hour. However, when you take your eyes off the trials and circumstances, and put them back on Jesus, you will be operating with the faith and hope and courage of Jesus.”

No matter what occurs or you think might occur, look to Jesus and you will find the hope, faith and courage you need.

Jesus is sufficient. He will and does meet all your needs. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own strength and ideas, and He will make your paths straight. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

We too often think of the Cross of Christ as something we have to get through, yet we get through for the purpose of getting into it. The Cross represents only one thing for us— complete, entire, absolute identification with the Lord Jesus Christ— and there is nothing in which this identification is more real to us than in prayer.

“Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” ( Matthew 6:8  ). Then why should we ask? The point of prayer is not to get answers from God, but to have perfect and complete oneness with Him. If we pray only because we want answers, we will become irritated and angry with God. We receive an answer every time we pray, but it does not always come in the way we expect, and our spiritual irritation shows our refusal to identify ourselves truly with our Lord in prayer. We are not here to prove that God answers prayer, but to be living trophies of God’s grace.

“. . . I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you . . .” ( John 16:26-27  ). Have you reached such a level of intimacy with God that the only thing that can account for your prayer life is that it has become one with the prayer life of Jesus Christ? Has our Lord exchanged your life with His vital life? If so, then “in that day” you will be so closely identified with Jesus that there will be no distinction.

When prayer seems to be unanswered, beware of trying to place the blame on someone else. That is always a trap of Satan. When you seem to have no answer, there is always a reason— God uses these times to give you deep personal instruction, and it is not for anyone else but you.

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

August 6, 2010

I wonder about unanswered prayer and the implications. Intellectually I know that God cannot answer every request I bring to Him, and I know that there are circumstances and trials that I must simply go through if I am going to be transformed. And yet I yearn for the peace that passes understanding and the knowledge that all my trials are over.

And God says….” That yearning is for an everlasting unbroken relationship with me. When you join Me in heaven, all your trials will be over. Your spirit yearns for the place where there are no more trials or difficulties. I have prepared a place for you and you should rest in the knowledge that your place is secured in Christ Jesus.

It is natural for you to yearn for the perfect peace that is your eternal home. However, in this life you will have troubles and difficulties. In your everlasting life there are no trials or difficulties. Live your life knowing that nothing can touch you that has not first touched My hands and understand that the sacrifice of My Son is testimony of the magnitude of my love for you.

Experience the trials and difficulties of this life knowing I allow them; for it is inside them that you truly yearn for Me.

God called Jesus Christ to what seemed absolute disaster. And Jesus Christ called His disciples to see Him put to death, leading every one of them to the place where their hearts were broken. His life was an absolute failure from every standpoint except God’s. But what seemed to be failure from man’s standpoint was a triumph from God’s standpoint, because God’s purpose is never the same as man’s purpose.

This bewildering call of God comes into our lives as well. The call of God can never be understood absolutely or explained externally; it is a call that can only be perceived and understood internally by our true inner-nature. The call of God is like the call of the sea— no one hears it except the person who has the nature of the sea in him. What God calls us to cannot be definitely stated, because His call is simply to be His friend to accomplish His own purposes. Our real test is in truly believing that God knows what He desires. The things that happen do not happen by chance— they happen entirely by the decree of God. God is sovereignly working out His own purposes.

If we are in fellowship and oneness with God and recognize that He is taking us into His purposes, then we will no longer strive to find out what His purposes are. As we grow in the Christian life, it becomes simpler to us, because we are less inclined to say, “I wonder why God allowed this or that?” And we begin to see that the compelling purpose of God lies behind everything in life, and that God is divinely shaping us into oneness with that purpose. A Christian is someone who trusts in the knowledge and the wisdom of God, not in his own abilities. If we have a purpose of our own, it destroys the simplicity and the calm, relaxed pace which should be characteristic of the children of God.

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

August 5. 2010

It occurs to me that regardless of how simple it sounds the answer to all my questions reside in Jesus.

Whatever the circumstance, instead of trying to sort it all out and find the rhyme or reason I could save myself a lot of time and frustration by simply trusting God. God knows what He is doing and is not necessarily inclined to include me in His planning or organization for the world or my life.

 And God says…”Again I remind you that your ways are not My ways. My ways and means are beyond your comprehension. What looks like failure turns into victory. What looks like success becomes failure.

Trust Me and know that through the magnitude of My sacrifice, I love you more than you can ever imagine. I will allow nothing to hurt you or overwhelm you….remember…All things work for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according tom His purpose.

If I would not spare My own Son, how can I withhold any good thing from you?

Trust Me, stay connected to Me, and live in the peace that passes understanding. Come to Me just as you are, every day, in every way and regardless of your circumstances you will know MY peace and joy.

Oh, the bravery of God in trusting us! Do you say, “But He has been unwise to choose me, because there is nothing good in me and I have no value”? That is exactly why He chose you. As long as you think that you are of value to Him He cannot choose you, because you have purposes of your own to serve. But if you will allow Him to take you to the end of your own self-sufficiency, then He can choose you to go with Him “to Jerusalem” ( Luke 18:31 ). And that will mean the fulfillment of purposes which He does not discuss with you.

We tend to say that because a person has natural ability, he will make a good Christian. It is not a matter of our equipment, but a matter of our poverty; not of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us; not a matter of natural virtues, of strength of character, of knowledge, or of experience— all of that is of no avail in this concern. The only thing of value is being taken into the compelling purpose of God and being made His friends (see 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 ). God’s friendship is with people who know their poverty. He can accomplish nothing with the person who thinks that he is of use to God. As Christians we are not here for our own purpose at all— we are here for the purpose of God, and the two are not the same. We do not know what God’s compelling purpose is, but whatever happens, we must maintain our relationship with Him. We must never allow anything to damage our relationship with God, but if something does damage it, we must take the time to make it right again. The most important aspect of Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to give our attention to, and it is the one thing that is continually under attack.

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

August 4, 2010

So the day after I wallow around in self doubt and guilt about not measuring up to and for God, Oswald Chambers writes about how our natural poverty is essential for God to use us. What looks like triumph for the enemy turns into victory in Jesus. The cross was such a victory.

And God says…”My ways are not your ways. I do not ask for blind trust, but I cannot show you my ways because you cannot comprehend. I can show you and give you MY love, and grace and power and all the fruits of the Spirit that are not naturally yours. I can show you the natural wonder of the earth and universe. And I can change you from the inside out. But I cannot show you the reasons why or the next steps or even the works I will do through you. You will not comprehend.

I can leverage your failures and your successes, which are even more difficult to navigate. Trust and obey, stay connected and look back over the days, months and years and you will see the change.

Stay connected to Me through Jesus Christ and know that nothing can separate you from the love of God…….not even you.

The greatest thing for us to remember is that we go up to Jerusalem to fulfill God’s purpose, not our own. In the natural life our ambitions are our own, but in the Christian life we have no goals of our own. We talk so much today about our decisions for Christ, our determination to be Christians, and our decisions for this and that, but in the New Testament the only aspect that is brought out is the compelling purpose of God. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you . . .” ( John 15:16 ).

We are not taken into a conscious agreement with God’s purpose— we are taken into God’s purpose with no awareness of it at all. We have no idea what God’s goal may be; as we continue, His purpose becomes even more and more vague. God’s aim appears to have missed the mark, because we are too nearsighted to see the target at which He is aiming.At the beginning of the Christian life, we have our own ideas as to what God’s purpose is. We say, “God means for me to go over there,” and, “God has called me to do this special work.” We do what we think is right, and yet the compelling purpose of God remains upon us. The work we do is of no account when compared with the compelling purpose of God. It is simply the scaffolding surrounding His work and His plan. “He took the twelve aside . . .” ( Luke 18:31 ). God takes us aside all the time. We have not yet understood all there is to know of the compelling purpose of God.

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

August 3, 2010

And I wake up with the awareness that God may have chosen me, but I am not worthy of being chosen.  I do not “measure up”.

And God says…”Of course you do not “measure up.” Only Jesus measures up. Your failures are reminders that you are to allow Him to live through you. When you do this I can lead, guide and direct you. Allow Jesus to live through you and I can use you for My purposes.

Your role is not to understand MY purposes, and certainly NOT to try and anticipate them. Simply stay connected and I can…..and will use you.

The typical view of the Christian life is that it means being delivered from all adversity. But it actually means being delivered in adversity, which is something very different. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling . . .” ( Psalm 91:1,10 )— the place where you are at one with God.

If you are a child of God, you will certainly encounter adversities, but Jesus says you should not be surprised when they come. “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” He is saying, “There is nothing for you to fear.” The same people who refused to talk about their adversities before they were saved often complain and worry after being born again because they have the wrong idea of what it means to live the life of a saint.

God does not give us overcoming life— He gives us life as we overcome. The strain of life is what builds our strength. If there is no strain, there will be no strength. Are you asking God to give you life, liberty, and joy? He cannot, unless you are willing to accept the strain. And once you face the strain, you will immediately get the strength. Overcome your own timidity and take the first step. Then God will give you nourishment— “To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life . . .” (Revelation 2:7 ). If you completely give of yourself physically, you become exhausted. But when you give of yourself spiritually, you get more strength. God never gives us strength for tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the moment. Our temptation is to face adversities from the standpoint of our own common sense. But a saint can “be of good cheer” even when seemingly defeated by adversities, because victory is absurdly impossible to everyone, except God.

Journal Entry for today-JDV

August 2, 2010

When I look at my circumstances I am often overwhelmed and concerned. I fight through the anxiety and fear and realize I simply  need to trust God and allow Jesus to live through me. But try as I might, I still hold onto the fear and concern, all the while praying for God to take those fears and concerns from me. ..But then he shows me that He does not take them from me, He simply provides the courage to live through them.

In fact I now see that He does not provide me the courage, He is the courage and peace. I simply need to allow Him to live through me, all the while providing the courage and peace needed.

My pain and confusion are not gone….but the faith and trust Jesus provides overcomes the fear, confusion, and pain. Once I take His yoke, mine is gone.

And God says…” You will face trials and troubles in this world. Accept this. And accept the fact that I will always meet you at the very point of your need. Wherever you are, in trials and difficult times, look for me. For that is where we meet most often….at the point of your trials.

I will never leave or forsake you. I am your God. Acknowledge Me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight.

DJR Journal

Thank you Lord for all the good things and the times that I remember them and to be thankful.   I am amazed at your grace, and thankful for it.    My brother and I have different pains.   We see that our growth needs are different.    I am grateful for your blessings and grace.    Many things are just “no problem” for me.    But of course that leaves the ones that are.   Specifically the chronic ones that dont seem to change after 40 years of struggle.  What’s the best thing for me to do?

You could read about the heroes of the faith.   That’s the reason I put them in the book.   None of them had perfect lives, as you would define perfect.   Many had life long trials and seemingly untimely ends or certainly what the health, wealth and prosperity bunch would expect.     But I loved them and worked with them and they with me and now they are with me perfectly.    See how perfectly you can walk with me on your side of eternity.   It will bring your problems into context.   And they are more likely solved when you hold them that way than when you fret over them.

Good advice,   thanks.

Disillusionment means having no more misconceptions, false impressions, and false judgments in life; it means being free from these deceptions. However, though no longer deceived, our experience of disillusionment may actually leave us cynical and overly critical in our judgment of others. But the disillusionment that comes from God brings us to the point where we see people as they really are, yet without any cynicism or any stinging and bitter criticism. Many of the things in life that inflict the greatest injury, grief, or pain, stem from the fact that we suffer from illusions. We are not true to one another as facts, seeing each other as we really are; we are only true to our misconceived ideas of one another. According to our thinking, everything is either delightful and good, or it is evil, malicious, and cowardly.

Refusing to be disillusioned is the cause of much of the suffering of human life. And this is how that suffering happens— if we love someone, but do not love God, we demand total perfection and righteousness from that person, and when we do not get it we become cruel and vindictive; yet we are demanding of a human being something which he or she cannot possibly give. There is only one Being who can completely satisfy to the absolute depth of the hurting human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord is so obviously uncompromising with regard to every human relationship because He knows that every relationship that is not based on faithfulness to Himself will end in disaster. Our Lord trusted no one, and never placed His faith in people, yet He was never suspicious or bitter. Our Lord’s confidence in God, and in what God’s grace could do for anyone, was so perfect that He never despaired, never giving up hope for any person. If our trust is placed in human beings, we will end up despairing of everyone.

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

July 30, 2010

I am often disillusioned with others when they fail to meet my expectations. But then I am often disillusioned with myself as well. I suspect that if I fail over and over, and God has the love and grace to forgive me, then it is only right and proper that I understand others are going through the same kinds of trials. It also occurs to me that I can still love someone and be disappointed by their failure to meet my expectations. When people fail me I should not be surprised. I often fail them and I often fail God.

And God says….”I cannot look at your failure. I cannot look at unrighteousness. That is why Jesus came so we could be reconciled. Not in a single event, as when you first believed, but every day, every hour and every minute. When you let Jesus live through you, by letting go of your own sense of well being, and self righteousness, Jesus can live through you, and we can have an intimate day to day relationship.”

“When you hold onto your own ideas of what is right and wrong, who and what should be judged, Jesus cannot live through you, and we cannot have an intimate relationship. When you judge your brother, or even yourself, you are in effect saying that the sacrifice of Jesus cannot and does not cover everyone.”

“Let Jesus cover you and access the grace of Jesus to extend to others. When others disappoint you, remember the grace given you, and allow it to flow on through. Your capacity to love will be multiplied and will surround you.”

DJR Journal

Thanks Lord, I needed that.  I am so good at gaining this understanding and then losing it and taking things back… which included feeling disillusioned and like I am not getting my “rights”     Will I ever get to the place where I dont backslide into entitlement and feeling disillusioned.

You will get better but perfection is on this side.   Keep seeking me and set built in reminders in your schedule… to remind yourself to be grateful.  That is what the alters and monuments were for in the old days.

OK,  that’s what this is with JD right?

Right, this is good AND you need more.

What Kind? When? How?

As you know, cookie cutter recipes go only so far.    The main thing is stay in the context of gratefulness and expectation and I will lead you

It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials. Through every cloud He brings our way, He wants us to unlearn something. His purpose in using the cloud is to simplify our beliefs until our relationship with Him is exactly like that of a child— a relationship simply between God and our own souls, and where other people are but shadows. Until other people become shadows to us, clouds and darkness will be ours every once in a while. Is our relationship with God becoming more simple than it has ever been?

There is a connection between the strange providential circumstances allowed by God and what we know of Him, and we have to learn to interpret the mysteries of life in the light of our knowledge of God. Until we can come face to face with the deepest, darkest fact of life without damaging our view of God’s character, we do not yet know Him.

“. . . they were fearful as they entered the cloud” (Luke 9:34). Is there anyone except Jesus in your cloud? If so, it will only get darker until you get to the place where there is “no one anymore, but only Jesus . . .” (Mark 9:8 ; also see Mark 2-7  ).

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

July 29, 2010

I woke up this morning counting my blessings in an effort to fortify my faith. I was remembering all the times in my life that God showed up right when I needed Him. I recalled time after time when He met me right at the point and time of my need. I was worrying and concerned about the timing of promises when I recalled that the children of Israel were too concerned as they wandered in the desert. God had blessed them with the miracles of the plagues, He had parted the Red Sea and destroyed the Egyptian Army in pursuit, and He had provided daily manna, and water as well as a guiding light. God protected, provided and directed them and still they worried one day to the next.

I felt a little bit like one of those desert wanderers this morning as I recalled all that God has provided me. I asked God to help and forgive my unbelief. Like the father that responded to Jesus I said “I believe, help me in my unbelief.” Let Me see you in my clouds.

And God says…..”You will be plagued with clouds, doubts and unbelief; that is what a normal natural human will do. You can replace the doubt and worry when you let go of the responsibility and allow Jesus to live through you. Do not try to give Him the worry or anxiety, simply give up yourself. Give up your rights and expectations and trust Me. Once you take Jesus into your life, you have Jesus in all things. He came to give you life and life more abundantly and He accomplishes this by living through you. Your circumstances may change, they may not, but when you give up yourself, you are profoundly changed. You then view your cloudy circumstances as simply one more set of blessings from which to see Jesus  work in your life.

Seek first My kingdom, acknowledge Me in all your ways and lean not on your own ways of worry and I will make your paths straight. Delight yourself in Me and I will give you the desires of your heart.

Wait on Me, trust Jesus, and you will rise up with the wings of eagles. I am your God; I cannot abandon or forsake you. I will hold you up in my strong right hand. You are My child.

We tend to think that if Jesus Christ compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to great success. We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God’s purpose for us. In fact, His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end or a desired goal, but He is not. The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself.

What is my vision of God’s purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish— His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see “Him walking on the sea” with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see “Him walking on the sea” ( Mark 6:49  ). It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God.

God’s training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.

God’s purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realize that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious.

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July 28, 2010

I often think of the outcome instead of the process. In the past I might determine God in an effort or project by the outcome. If someone was converted, or if the mission or project or problem had a good outcome then God was in it. I am starting to understand that the outcome does not determine God’s involvement. Success or failure, it makes no difference; He simply wants me to trust and obey.

And God says…”Take the yolk and pressure of outcomes off of your shoulders. I am in control and it is My will that you simply trust Me. Let Jesus live through you, and trust Me to provide the outcome that is best for you and yours. Sometimes you will not understand the outcomes. Sometimes you will. It is not for you to understand always, it is simply for you to trust and obey. To know that if I would give My Son I will not withhold any good thing.

Wait on Me, trust in Me and believe. And when it seems difficult to believe, trust Me for the strength to believe. Be at peace and know I love you.”