Thursday, June 30, 2011 -That's What They Say

"Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, 'Don't be afraid; just believe.' 

He did not let anyone follow Him except Peter, James and John the brother of James." 

Mark 5:36

     If Jesus had acted on what "they said," Jairus' daughter would have died at twelve, but Jesus ignored what "they said" and told Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe." When He arrived to resuscitate the child, "they laughed at Him" (Mark 5:40). "He put them all out," but "took in only the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with Him, and went in to where the child was." When Jesus told the little girl to get up, "Immediately she stood up and walked around" (Mark 5:40-42).

     Why did Jesus take only the five people in with Him to restore Jairus' daughter to life? He surrounded Himself with the five people available who believed in Him and put the nay-sayers out so "they" could mutter and mock outside the door. 

    Maybe, like me, you've looked at life from both sides of faith. I've been guilty of gathering with the "they-nay" head-shaking side and said, "It can't be done;" "We've never done it that way before;" "It's too hard;" "It's impossible;" "It's too much trouble, too easy, too new, too old, too costly," etc., ad nausea. I've missed a lot of miracles and blessings standing outside that door. 

    However, I've also held hands with others behind the shield of faith, praying in the "God-yea" group for the fulfillment of His will and pooling my mustard seed of faith with others to open the way for His work. On these occasions He graciously draws me in to see Him clothe dry bones, unite the unlikely, rekindle revival, restore the prodigal, rebuild trust, speak through a tongue-tied witness, send personal messages of hope through chaos, and transform a heart or mind.   

     "They" can only defeat what God wants to do through us if we take what "they" say to heart and let them determine on which side of faith we stand. We have no business letting what "they" say intimidate us into missing out on what God is doing among those who "just believe."  

Father, it's what You say that matters. Open the ears of our spirits to hear Your Word clearly. Enlighten our minds to know Your Will. Fill us with courage to ignore what "they" say when it conflicts with what You're doing.  May we experience the Truth of Your promises and be strengthened by them. May we never allow any other person, believer or not, to stop us from entering the place where You're working miracles. 

In the Name of Jesus Who conquered Satan and temptation with You said in Your Word      

"The LORD is my Strength and my Shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. 

My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." 

Psalm 28:7

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. 

He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. 

It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. 

It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." 

Jeremiah 17:7-8

"Who among you fears he LORD and obeys the word of His servant? 

Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, 

trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God." 

Isaiah 50:10

Inspired by Live Loved by Max Lucado

photo from my Italy 2010 album

Wednesday, June 29, 2011 - "The End Is Near!!"

"The end of all things is near. 

Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." 

1 Peter 4:7 

     Night before last, we read 1 Peter 4 as our family Bible reading and one part of verse seven (above) reached off the page, took me by the chin and said, "Read it again!"  Now you would think it would be the first part, "The end of all things is near," since you and I have both wondered lately if the end is just around the corner, but it's the second part of the verse that grabbed my undivided attention for two reasons: "Therefore (since the end is near) be clear headed and self-controlled so that you can pray." 

     First: Isn't that a bit like saying "Your house in on fire and your family is sleeping inside, but don't worry, stay calm and think clearly."  The smoke (the nearing tornado, the negative diagnosis, the words "We have to let you go") singes our senses and clouds our logic so we stop, drop and roll into a moaning ball or run screaming into the house unprotected and without a plan. It's ironic that spontaneous Peter related prayer to our minds rather than to our emotions. Too often I pour out my heart to God in a burst of anger or hurt only to be glad later He didn't do what I asked. In addition, always praying from our problems is paramount to using God instead of knowing God. He hears and He answers, but we can pray more effectively without the spurs digging into us. 

"Devote  yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Colossians 4:2

     Second: If I knew the end was near, what would I tell people to do? I'm not sure praying would have come to mind which says a lot about me. I'm afraid my instructions would have included a to-do list because I still don't fully grasp the power of prayer.  

     In the movie "Home Alone in New York City," ten-year-old Kevin is lost in the city. His frantic mom can't sit in the police station waiting for them to find him so she scours the streets of Manhattan in her designer shoes. It's a magical Christmas movie so, miraculously,  she finds him among the 2,000,000 people. In real life I would have passed Nick 2,000,000 times and both our phones would be dead. You know this to be true.

     Like Kevin's mom, our emotions drive us to act in microscopic ways when prayer moves the God of the cosmos to make the impossible happen. As trusting children, our daily immersion in focused, clear-minded and self-controlled prayer should replace the incoherent babbling and the frantic movement of our hands and feet. 

"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. 

On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds."

2 Corinthians 10:4

     Action-packed Peter learned to practice what he preached in 1 Peter 4:7. He discovered firsthand that God works miracles through people devoted to purposeful prayer (see Acts 1-3). He also learned that the self-control to pray first pays off more than taking matters into our own hands by reaching for the sword (John 18:10) or spewing out the first thing that comes to our muddled heads when we're blinded by emotion (Matt. 26:69-75). 

"For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, 

but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." 

1 Peter 3:12

"If My people, who are called by My Name, 
will humble themselves and pray and seek My Face and turn from their wicked ways, 
then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
 2 Chronicles 7:14
Father, help our unbelief and stop us from dancing all around prayer to kneel and pray. You gave us this 
     weapon against evil, 
tool to build Your church, 
     cleanser for guilty hearts,
power to move mountains,
     communication line with You,
outlet of praise,
     way to find what we need,
open door to know You, 
     companionship for every moment,
means of thanking You,
     complaint department,
counseling center,
     school for our souls,
hospital for our hurts,
     and hope for our spheres of influence.
Teach us to immerse ourselves in purposeful prayer and show us what You can do through us,
In the Name of Jesus, Man of Prayer, God Who Answers
Inspired by Live Loved by Max Lucado

Tuesday, June 28, 2011 - Fear Factor

"The LORD is my Light and my Salvation -- whom shall I fear?

 The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?" 

Psalm 27:1

     The first time I saw the early Star Wars trilogy on the big screen, the villain, Darth Vader seemed pretty intimidating, tall, dark, and invincible. I didn't want Luke to remove Daddy Darth's hard helmet for fear of what hideous creature must surely lay beneath the mask (I was 16).  But, there lay Darth exposed in the sickly, white face of a dying man under that hard, heavy helmet. A man? No alien or monster? Just a man, but man, he had me fooled.

    One day a couple of weeks ago, Dr. Phil counseled a woman about my age who confessed her paralyzing fear of being in her home alone. This poor woman was especially afraid to take a shower when she was alone in the house due to hearing about the movie Psycho as a child (She was too frightened to ever actually see it.).  She had "psyched" herself into fearing what's not there.   

     Your haunting issues and mine may be light-years apart, but fear, no matter what mask it wears,  can own us if we don't learn to de-mask it for what it is.  Most often we find behind the mask someone more frightened than we are but who has learned to breathe heavily in an intimidating way, to growl and gripe, puff out feathers, strut confidently, bluff, bluster and bully to use our fears and insecurities against us. Sometimes there's nothing at all behind the mask (or on the other side of the shower curtain) but we've psyched ourselves into fearing what we imagine is there.

     God knows how fearful our hearts can grow over the least suggestion. We're vulnerable to every imagination without Him but evil can't touch us when we fix our eyes on Him.  

      "Those who know Your Name will trust in You, 

for You, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek You." 

Psalm 9:10

Haunted or shamed by past regrets and costly mistakes? Unmask the fear for what it is:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, 

who have been called according to His purpose." 

Romans 8:28

Afraid to face the masked villains and Goliaths in our lives today? Stand them next to God and shrink them down to size: 

"What, then shall we say in response to this? 

If God is for us, who can be against us?"

 Romans 8:31

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. 

For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 

2 Corinthians 4:18

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? 

Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . 

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us." 

Romans 8:37

Fearful about the future? Picture God, our Mighty Warrior, covering us with His shield as He slays the enemies who try to come between us and Him: 

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me." 

John 14:1

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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."

Romans 8:38-39

Dear Father, fear is a thief who holds for ransom all the good You give us. Our quality of life and our testimonies suffer when fear controls us. Free us, Lord, from harmful imaginations. Free us to picture You with us as we face the masked giants who keep us from enjoying abundant life. May we fall to our knees before You instead of buckling to fear. Fill us with Your Power and Grace under fire. Guard our spirits and guide the eyes of our hearts to lock in on You, the only Ally we need, for every pitched battle against our unseen enemy. We seek You; we trust You; we love You. Conquer through us and keep us from being our own worst nightmares! 

In the Name of Jesus, Courageous yet Humble Savior

Inspired by Live Loved by Max Lucado

photo from the family album (no, wait - it's compliments of photobucket.com)

Monday, June 27, 2011 - That Rock Won't Roll But We Can Roll With That Rock

     The group Restless Heart sings a song about a beautiful yet unreachable woman. For her own unrevealed reasons she's resisted every effort men have made to win her love and she's earned the reputation of having a heart of stone. The singer croons, 

"I'll give her everything I've got, 

I'm gonna change her point of view. 

I'll keep tryin' and I won't stop 

Until the love in her eyes shines through 

. . . Then we'll see if that rock won't roll." 

Good luck (and why would you want to win the heart of someone with a heart of stone??)

     Our images of stones and rocks and the modern machinery we have to alter and move them may diminish our understanding of our Eternal Rock. 

*God our Rock doesn't have a heart of stone because He can be moved by prayers that harmonize with His Character and Eternal Good Will. 

Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal." 

Isaiah 33:11

*God our Rock never changes and cannot be altered. Our opinion of Him and regard (or disregard) for Him don't chip away at His Power or erode His Spirit. Our many needs can't weaken His Love for us or His Goodness toward us.  

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, 

coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, 

Who does not change like shifting shadows." 

James 1:17

*God's plans stand rock-solid regardless of how many times we try to go around Him or how often we join Him in His work. We can't stop Him from working and we can't force His Hand. His plans are perfect and were formed in perfect knowledge of past, present and future details. He never guesses because He knows what's best. 

"But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, 

the purposes of His heart through all generations." 

Psalm 33:11

     We can roll with the Eternal Rock, allowing Him to fulfill His purposes in us and through us or we can bang our heads against our Eternal Rock. We can enjoy victory anchored to Him or rot on a self-directed path, overrun and unable to predict or accommodate changing times and circumstances. 
Father, who can explain why we choose to bang our heads and hearts against Your Will? Our own rebellion and repentance have proved that settling into You as our Foundation brings the sweet peace of unity and obedience, yet we're determined to have our way, to shout our cause, to work things out to our best interest that we repeatedly stray and then pay. We're too short-sighted to know what our best interest is. We're babies; You're eternal. We're immature; You're Perfect. We're wishy-washy and affected by our culture; You're unchanging and all-knowing. Forgive us our puny pride and help us bow before You, Solid Rock of Ages, Hiding Place, Sure Salvation, Firm Foundation, Fortress, and  Mountain from where our Help comes, 
In the Name of Jesus Who is the same yesterday and today and forever!
Inspired by Live Loved by Max Lucado
photo from photobucket.com

Sunday, June 26, 2011 - Forgetfulness

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. 

But one thing I do: 

     Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

I press on toward the goal to win the prize 

for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." 

Philippians 3:13-14

What will happen if we approach today with a godly form of forgetfulness?
What if:
*We forget our former failures, insecurities and self-consciousness
     to praise God openly and honestly with our brothers and sisters today? 
*We forget who has hurt us and where the negative vibes originate
     to be people who encourage others and spread the love of Jesus? 
*We forget the bad we've seen 
     to see the good that can be? 
*We close our ears to gossip 
     to listen for the good thing God wants us to say? 
*We forget divisive agendas and whose side we're on 
     to focus on what draws us closer to the One who calls us heavenward? 
*We forget our personal hurts and grievances 
     to reach out to someone new or needy? 
*We forget we're part of a clique 
     to open the creaky door of our society and welcome another person to join us?
*We forget revival didn't break out last week 
     but expect it to today?   
Father, ruts are the easiest and most common traps because it takes energy to rise above them. Strengthen us to forget the past to strain toward fulfilling what You've planned for us. God, we're bad to dig our ruts and peep out of them waiting for everything else to change first. May we be the first. Fill us with Your Spirit of revival and unity. May we fall in love with You all over again and reach out to one another as if the past can't touch us today.
In the Name of Jesus, Author of the Second Birth and Newness of Life


Inspired by Living Loved by Max Lucado
photo from photobucket.com

Saturday, June 25, 2011 - No Mileage, Low Mileage

"If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 

Give to the one who asks you, 

 and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." 

Matthew 5:41-42

     Beth Moore said something at this spring's  Living Proof Seminar in Little Rock that touched a sensitive core in this minister's wife's heart. She noted that with all the recent talk and teachings about setting healthy boundaries in our lives, many of us use the idea of boundaries as an excuse to be selfish, ungiving, and to do what we want to do instead of fulfilling Jesus' command to "Go ye therefore."  Many believers build impenetrable fortresses around their lives under the sanction of keeping their priorities (God, Spouse/Children/Extended Family, Work and Church) in order.  

     Jesus took an extended trip to give us what no one else could. He poured out every bit of Love and Life He could and taught us to witness and minister in His Name "as we go" about the business of life.  Today we're to stop and minister to people who ask - or demand -  with one boundary in place:  "Go the extra mile and give more than you're asked to give." He didn't command us to solve everyone's problems or to be their savior, but He did say forgive, bless, give, and go farther than asked or expected to honor and please God the Father. 

"Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right."

Psalm 106:3

"Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."

James 3:18

"Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD."

Psalm 16:20

Lord, I love to hide. I love to reach out only as far as my arms can reach through this privacy fence I've constructed around my heart and life. I love controlling to whom, when, how and how much I give. I'm nothing like Jesus and I ask Your forgiveness and help in this area now. There was a time I went too far in helping - so far, in fact, that I lost sight of Who the real Help is and sacrificed some of the priorities You've given me. Now, maybe due to burnout, fear, hurt, or sheer laziness, many of Your children have "holed up" in the safe confines of self and cliques. Do what You need to do to lay that two extra miles road before me and part of someone else's burden on my shoulders. Don't let me get away with a self-absorbed, disobedient life. 

In the Name of Jesus Who gave all He had for me when I didn't know I needed Him to give
Inspired by Living Loved by Max Lucado
photo from photobucket.com

Friday, June 24, 2011 - Putting My Foot Down

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king.  

But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, 

that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
Daniel 3:17 

    Before me stands a 90-foot golden statue and in the distance I see the flickering light of the fiery furnace. Unlike the three biblical boy heroes, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, my heart hasn't quite made up its mind whether to trust God completely in this crisis or to hit the deck and pay for it later. I stand precariously on the one foot I've planted in faith while the other foot is still hovering in la-la land, indecisive. My head knows that half-heartedness and standing on one foot for too long lead to apathy and a painful fall. 

     These young men stood clearly and firmly planted on the Lord's side, live or die. Their decision and commitment to Him plowed through their circumstances. Their God and their faith in Him meant more than life itself. And when I think about it, what joy is there in a life lived half-heartedly or standing on one foot? 

"A righteous man may have many troubles, 

but the LORD delivers him from them all;"

Psalm 34:19

"Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed;

 every one was fulfilled." 

Joshua 21:45

Lord, forgive me for allowing circumstances and fiery furnaces to lift even a toe out of my faith in You and Your faithful promises. Father, help my unbelief. Guide my heart and mind to let You seep through the whole, to be the blood that pumps in and out, the Spirit guiding me and strengthening me to make one righteous choice at a time and trusting You to honor Yourself through it. I mean to be strong, but lately it takes so little to knock me down.  I need You every second so keep Your Face before me, blocking out the furnaces and the 90 foot idols.

In the Name of Jesus Who fought off every direct and indirect threat to His faith in You

"-- and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me." 

Psalm 50:15

Inspired by Live Loved by Max Lucado

photo from photobucket.com

Thursday, June 23, 2011 - Never Try Quitting, Never Quit Trying

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; 

they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness." 

Lamentations 3:22-23

"No one is like You, O LORD; You are great, and Your Name is mighty in power."

Jeremiah 10:6 

"God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." 
1 Corinthians 1:9

I saw a billboard on my way to Atlanta that had a cigarette on it with this caption:

"Never quit trying to quit."

My friend and co-choir member Alton told me the story of how he quit a two-and-a-half pack a day habit. He had a heart attack and had to have a quadruple by-pass. He tossed the cigarettes and never put another in his mouth. His doctor has commended him for being a model patient who helped him do his job. That was about 25 years ago and the fact that Alton quit smoking saved his life. Don't think today's choice doesn't affect tomorrow or the next decade or two.

     It's a new day: the first day of the rest of my life and yours. We have options and choices. We can call the glass half empty or half full, see the love in the dog's eyes or the mess he made on the floor, focus on the one gnawing flaw in someone or choose to let love cover that one and the flaws we see in the mirror. We can give up and go back or take one more step forward. We can lie on the ground where we were knocked down or get up and try again; focus on the obstacles or on the Omnipotent King Who's faithful to us and never quits instructing and loving us. He says to us, "Help me do My job by making one right choice at a time today." He's Faithful and True; may we be faithful and true to Him today.

Faithful Father, Enduring Friend - You're not only still with us each day, You're tireless in how You pour out new mercies and fresh ways to show Your amazing love. Thank You. Help us make one faithful choice at a time today. Guard our hearts and strengthen our devotion to You. Fill us with the Power of Your Spirit and satisfy us with Your Love.

In the Name of Jesus, Your Son Who made one difficult but always righteous choice at a time

Inspired by Live Loved by Max Lucado

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - Long Overdue Thank You Note

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all.

 The Lord is near. 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, 

with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." 

Philippians 4:4-6

Dear Father,

Thank You for my problems. 

     They bow my head and bend my knees, keeping me fit and flexible.

Thank You for troubling thoughts. 

     They drive me to Your wise counsel.

Thank You for obstacles. 

     They provide opportunities to see You as the Overcomer Who moves mountains.

Thank You for critical people. 

     They stir my gratitude for Your unconditional love, reminding me to please only You. 

Thank You for sickness. 

     It reminds me I'm limited and frail while You're Almighty and Omnipotent.

Thank You for a broken heart. 

     It keeps me close to You, my Comforter and Healer.

Thank You for unmet needs. 

     They compel me to stick with You as Loving Father and Provider.

Thank You for an unclear future.

     It keeps me reaching out through the fog for Your Guiding Hand. 

Thank You for my past failures.

     They keep me humble and compassionate toward others.

Thank You for putting me among people who fail.

     They remind me to depend only on You. 

Thank You that I'm not Wonder Woman or the Proverbs 31 gal.

     My weaknesses open the door for Your Strength. 

Thank You that I can't add a single day to my life by worrying.

     That fact releases me to trust You in and for everything.

Thank You God that I'm 50 today.

     It reminds me of Your Timeless Presence and Faithfulness to me.

In the Name of Jesus, 

     Who knew me and died for me as the needy and helpless person I am!

Inspired by Jesus Calling

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - Crock Pot Christians

I'm watching the clock as I write this because we leave to take Nick to band camp at 7:30 this morning. I woke up planning, scheduling, listing and, you know, preoccupied with a deadline. Then I read the opening words of Jesus Calling for today:

"Wait patiently with Me while I bless you. Don't rush into My Presence 

with time-consciousness gnawing at your mind. I dwell in timelessness:

I am, I was, I will always be."

While many people say they work well or even best under pressure, spiritual growth happens when we invest a quantity of quality time. It would be more convenient if we could stick ourselves in a spiritual microwave, hit a pre-set button and bing! present ourselves armed and prepared for anything the day presents. However, my life disproves the rush technique and I've found God works more like a crock pot: the longer I simmer in Him the more tender I become toward Him, and the more He does to change me through and through, where I most need changing. 

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, 

I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." 

Micah 7:7

"'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 

'who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.'" 

Revelation 1:8

"'The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.'" 

Numbers 6:24-26

Dear Father, forgive us for putting in our orders, waiting impatiently, complaining about what You give us and then giving nothing in return. Any relationship deserves quality time. Forgive us when we try to rush Your masterpieces. Increase our willingness to wait for what You have that's better than what we're willing to accept just because it's ready. Work in us today - wherever we are, help us simmer in Your Presence, Your Love, Your Changing Power.

In the Name of Jesus Who went out to pray while it was still dark

Monday, June 20, 2011 - Dropping All Pretense

Addy's dedication where she's praising the Lord.

"O LORD, our LORD, 

how majestic is Your Name in all the earth!

You have set Your glory above the heavens.

From the lips of children and infants You have ordained praise because of Your enemies, 

to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, 

which You have set in place, 

what is man that You are mindful of him, 

the son of man that You care for him?"

Psalm 8:1-4

From the tiny lips and fingernails of a newborn to the infinity of galaxy upon galaxy, God speaks daily through nature. He speaks in deafening silence and in sudden bolts of lightning and rolling thunder. He covers three fourths of the earth with watery mysteries and one fourth with a myriad of landscapes to impress on us His Power, Love, and Presence. Yet, we've forsaken the natural classroom to fixate on gadgets and fawn over the temporary and artificial beauty of celebrities. We care more about the speculations of  talk show hosts and news commentators than the Truth God's creation reveals about Him.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of His hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech;

 night after night they display knowledge." 

Psalm 19:1-2

I felt the rumblings of revival in our church last night because a group of youth sought and listened to God. They discovered, or re-discovered, He's interested in the details of their lives and saw themselves as the "temple of the Holy Spirit" so they cleaned house.  They removed masks and any artificial spirituality to become natural, open and vulnerable with God their Father and with their brothers and sisters in the Lord.  

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, 

who is in you, whom you have received from God? 

You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  

Therefore honor God with your body." 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Revival comes when we take our eyes off people and gadgets and open our eyes and ears to learn what God's has to say. We can step outside and look up and around or sit still and listen for His still small Voice or find His Wisdom in His Word (which, by the way, points us back to His creation). Even better, we can do all three at once, with all our hearts and those rumblings of revival could become a full-blown eruption of God's Spirit in His temple. 

"You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." 

Jeremiah 29:13

Father, You've made Yourself available to us by creating a universe-sized classroom to teach us your nature and Power. Thank You for revealing Yourself to us when we seek openly, honestly and maskless. You're real and natural: help us relax and be the same with You so we can grow in You.  Take away all the artificial entertainment that distracts us from Your Presence.  My heart needs revival and I thank You for the hope You gave me through Your children last night. Let me be next, Lord.  Clean this temple and use me as another way You reveal Yourself in a world enamored with gadgets and masks.  

In the Name of Jesus,  Who never pretended He was anyone but Himself

Inspired by Jesus Calling and Pure Energy 

photo from the family album