I’ve been
reading Jesus Calling this week and My Utmost for His Highest and (surprise ;)) God has known just what I need to be told right now.
“This is a
time in your life when you must learn to let go: of loved ones, of possessions,
of control. In order to let go of something that is precious to you, you need
to rest in My Presence, where you are complete. Take time to bask in the Light
of My Love…
You can feel
secure, even in the midst of cataclysmic changes, through awareness of My
continual Presence. The One who never leaves you is the same One who never
changes: I am the same yesterday, today,
and forever. As you release more and more things into My care, remember
that I never let go of your hand. Herein lies your security, which no one and
no circumstance can take from you.”
“Let
thankfulness temper all your thoughts. A thankful mind-set keeps you in touch
with Me. I hate it when My children grumble, casually despising My sovereignty.
Thankfulness is a safeguard against this deadly sin. Furthermore, a grateful
attitude becomes a grid through which you perceive life. Gratitude enables you
to see the Light of My Presence shining on all your circumstances. Cultivate a
thankful heart, for this glorifies Me and fills you with joy.”
“Waiting on
Me means directing your attention to Me in hopeful anticipation of what I will
do. It entails trusting Me with every fiber of your being, instead of trying to
figure things out yourself. Waiting on Me is the way I designed you to live;
all day, every day. I created you to stay conscious of Me as you go about your
day.
I have
promised many blessings to those who wait on me: renewed strength, living above one’s circumstances, resurgence of
hope, awareness of My continual Presence. Waiting on Me enables you to glorify
Me by living in deep dependence on Me; in
My Presence is fullness of joy.”
“Be still in
My Presence, even though countless tasks clamor for your attention. Nothing is
as important as spending time with Me. While you wait in My Presence, I do My
best work within you: transforming you by
the renewing of your mind. If you skimp on this time with Me, you may
plunge headlong into the wrong activities, missing the richness of what I have
planned for you.
Do not seek
Me primarily for what I can give you. Remember that I, the Giver, am infinitely
greater than any gift I might impart to you. Though I delight in blessing My
children, I am deeply grieved when My blessings become idols in their hearts.
Anything can be an idol if it distracts you from Me as your First Love. When I am the ultimate
Desire of your heart, you are safe from the danger of idolatry. As you wait in
My Presence, enjoy the greatest gift of all: Christ in you, the hope of glory!”
“Stop trying
to work things out before their times have come. Accept the limitations of
living one day at a time. When something comes to your attention, ask Me whether
or not it is part of today’s agenda. If it isn’t, release it into My care and
go on about today’s duties. When you follow this practice, there will be a
beautiful simplicity about your life: a
time for everything, and everything in its time.
A life lived
close to Me is not complicated or cluttered. When your focus is on My Presence,
many things that once troubled you lost their power over you. Though the world
around you is messy and confusing, remember that I have overcome the world. I have told you these things, so that in Me
you may have Peace.”
“Be ye therefore ready
also.”
Luke 12:40
“The great
need for the Christian worker is to be ready to face Jesus Christ at any and
every turn. This is not easy, no matter what our experience is. The battle is
not against sin or difficulties or circumstances, but against being so absorbed
in work that we are not ready to face Jesus Christ at every turn. That is the
one great need, not the facing of our belief, or our creed, or the question
whether we are of any use, but to face Him.
Jesus rarely
comes where we expect Him; He appears where we least expect Him, and always in
the most illogical connections. The only way a worker can keep true to God is
by being ready for the Lord’s surprise visits. It is not service that matters,
but intense spiritual reality, expecting Jesus Christ at every turn. This will
give our life the attitude of child-wonder which He wants it to have. If we are
going t be ready for Jesus Christ, we have to stop being religious (that is, using
religion as a higher kind of culture) and be spiritually real.
If you are ‘looking off unto Jesus,’ avoiding
the call of the religious age you live in, and setting your heart on what He
wants, on thinking on His line – you will be called unpractical and dreamy; but
when He appears in the burden and the heat of the day, you will be the only one
who is ready. Trust no one, not even the finest saint who ever walked this
earth, ignore him, if he hinders your sight of Jesus Christ.
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