Greetings in the name of the “God of Glory” ( Acts 7:2 ) and in the name of Jesus Christ – THE Crucified and Risen Saviour of the world! Happy Saint Patrick’s Day…and a blustery one it is! I trust that you had a grand weekend and Monday…and that you experienced God’s presence in a multitude of personal ways. There seems to be so much sickness around at this time – so, today I am praying for you, asking Father to release healing power to you and yours. I pray, in faith believing that if you would stretch out your hand by faith…you will experience “contact” with the One who heals all of diseases!
Keeping in mind today’s significance, I am reminded of an old chorus that was sung to the tune of “When Irish eyes are smiling”: He found me with a burden and He lifted it from me – He found me full of sorrow, but He changed it into glee – When all around was darkness, He made the sun to shine – Do you wonder why I love Him and call him friend of mine? Okay, stop reading and try to sing it–you can even add a little Irish brogue to it.
I have finished reading a book that has caused me to ponder some concepts and words that, I think, we use without fully comprehending the significance. The book: The One Jesus Loves, by Robert Crosby is a difficult but easy read – ‘difficult’ because you need to stop and let what you just read wash over you heart/mind/soul…and ‘easy’ because it is simple and understandable and explores familiar passages with gentleness. One quote, which is left until the last chapter illuminates the teaching: “Following Jesus is just that. It is following him…the essence of following is the journey itself–being with Jesus.” Leonard Sweet. Stop for a minute or two and consider the simplicity and energy behind that quote.
However.a poignant story was told that created a moment of serendipity. The author, who was a pastor, was experiencing a physical problem with being able to speak. In a God-ordained moment, at a crucial point, his wife spoke these words to him: “That before you are a pastor, and before you are a husband, and before you are a dad, more than anything else you are a son he dearly loves, and he wants you to know how deeply and how very strongly he loves you and is with you through all of this.” …the author goes on to testify: “…that God often speaks loudest in the moments in which we are at a loss for words.”
Imagine…before you are a ministry leader or elder or Bible teacher, before you are a wife or husband, before you are a mother or father or sister or brother, before anything else you are a deeply and strongly loved son or daughter of God and He is with you all the time…keep following! I know that reading the Bible is necessary and important and a command…but we also need good devotional reading.
Be blessed!