Day 55: Jesus, One Day I Will See Your Face

I wonder today how many are weighed down with soul suffering and are becoming weary of the fight of faith? Oswald Chambers says that walking by faith is “a fight always, not sometimes.” The road-weary faith traveler finds new strength in a big dose of God’s Word. Nothing so fuels your faith as the great promises of God. And the bright hope of eternity will bring a new sparkle to the eyes of your heart. Guaranteed, my dear friends.

Yesterday, I attended a memorial of a friend who suddenly died of a heart attack at the age of 49. His graduation to heaven was a shock to all of us. Barry was a sharp guy and the chief of staff for a California state assemblyman. I knew him because we served together at our church and he was my student in some of the Biola classes I taught. I’ve been thinking about him so much. And while I was sitting at the memorial, my mind entertained the fact that Barry is now looking into the face of Jesus—he sees His face! This reality of faith becoming sight is just mind-blowing to me. My friend, Kris, stated it well as we were walking in to the sanctuary, “Don’t you envy him? Don’t you just wish we could all be in his place?” I looked at her in wonder and thought, “Did she really say what I think she said?” And then I nodded in agreement, “Yes, nothing is comparable or better than face to face with Jesus.”

Some of the best words you will ever find in Scripture are in Luke 24. The women arrived at the tomb of Jesus with prepared spices and fragrant oils. They found the stone rolled away and the body of Jesus gone. They were greatly perplexed. Then, two angels appeared and said, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen” (Luke 24:5). Jesus forever confirmed our hope of eternity and heaven when he said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26). Jesus’ words here are HUGE – if we die, we shall live and if we live and believe in Jesus we shall never die. I read these words in my Bible during the memorial of my friend – that’s when the BIG thought came to me – he is alive and he sees Jesus face to face! When you turn to the promises of eternity in God’s Word, you are going to have amazing aha God moments where you realize eternal truths in a new and deeper way. You knew it before, but now you really know it! You will find your faith set on fire and your heart renewed and restored.

God promises those who suffer that “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). Therefore, as Paul says, “we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:16). He continues, “…Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” All sufferers can find comfort in knowing that even great and painful suffering is considered “light affliction” and momentary WHEN COMPARED to your future in eternity. You will experience “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” Think on that amazing hope for a few minutes. What glories will you know in heaven? Just turn to Revelation 21 and 22 and you will find the tide turn in your own heart with the “weight of glory” to come—God Himself will be with you and will be your God, He will wipe away every tear from your eyes, and there will be no more death, sorry, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:3-4). You will serve the Lord, you will see His face, and His name will be on your forehead—you are His, basking in the light of His glory, and reigning forever and ever (Revelation 22:3-5). These are the things we look at and see when we open the pages of God’s Word (2 Corinthians 4:18). So my friends and fellow journeyers, take a long look at God’s eternal truths in His Word, and find a new strength to fight the good fight of faith.

My Response: Lord Jesus, today I am thinking about the hope of seeing Your face and living with You forever. Thank You for dying on the cross for me and giving me the hope of heaven and eternity where I will serve and reign with You forever and ever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Day 54: Jesus, You Know All Things

There are days when the cloud of the unknown weighs heavy on the soul. When those times come, take comfort in knowing that Jesus knows. He knows your heart. He knows the future. He knows your journey. He knows your challenges. He knows your accomplishments. He knows His plan for you. Jesus knows. Peter found comfort in realizing that Jesus knew his heart when he said, “Lord, You know all things” (John 21:17). Jesus knows where we are going and what lies ahead for us. The disciples were able to minister effectively when they “found everything just as He had told them” (Luke 22:13). The seven churches of western Asia Minor received a knowing message from Jesus when He said to them, “I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance” (Revelation 2:2), “I know your tribulation and your poverty” (Revelation 2:9), “I know where you dwell…” (Revelation 2:13), “I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance” (Revelation 2:19), and “I know your deeds…” (Revelation 3:1, 8, 15).

Knowing that Jesus knows gives me a more intimate, ongoing sense of the Lord’s presence. He is, as Scripture says, “intimately acquainted with all my ways” (Psalm 139:3). I am comforted that in this impersonal world there is One who is hands-on and personally gets involved with every aspect of my life. He will never leave us or forsake us and is always with us. You can count on Him today more surely than the sunrise or the sunset. And so today, in whatever you are experiencing on life’s journey, find comfort in the fact that He knows.

My Response: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your constant, all-knowing presence, and Your compassionate caring and comfort. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Day 53: Jesus, You Lift Up My Head

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were misjudged and misunderstood? How can you smile in those dark days? Find comfort, as David did, in the Lord Himself. He is the One who lifts up your head. David found himself in the midst of one of life’s low points when his son, Absalom, literally tried to steal his own father’s kingdom away from him. Absalom deceptively stood at the city’s gates and attempted to win the favor of the people, stealing their hearts one by one away from loyalty to his father, the king. But Absalom was like a fish trying to swim upstream, fighting an overwhelming power greater than himself—the power of Almighty God. David relied on God’s power and presence in the midst of his adversity. “But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head” (Psalm 3:3).

Something we must never forget when everything seems to come against us is the favor of our Lord. Paul knew this bright hope when he said, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). And Paul, of course, experienced the strength of Christ in his own dark days. He said, “At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it” (2 Timothy 4:16-17).

And so, in those situations, where you might sink in despair, you can still smile for He has taken His hand and turned your face toward His. Look into His face, and find comfort in His loving presence and gracious favor.

The Lord took me to Psalm 3 today and prompted these thoughts through one of my favorite authors, John Henry Jowett. In Jowett’s book, Thirsting For The Springs, he says: “The failures of men, the many obstacles they have to encounter, and especially the malice and contempt of their fellows, might humiliate them, and cause them to hang their heads in the confusion of face. The man whose external life passes from defeat to defeat, and who never sits down at the festival of success, is apt to acquire the attitude of severe depression. But Thou, O Lord, art the lifter up of mine head. The Lord’s companionship is my pride and my boast. The sublimity of man’s surroundings often gives a loftiness to his bearing. A man who companions much with kings may unconsciously gain the kingly carriage. How then, must it be with men who companion with the Almighty, and who find in Him their shield and their glory? It is a simple fact, that the intimate companions of the Lord are characterized by a certain, stately dignity, which is never so manifest as when they are in the minority, and are compelled to stand alone. God is the lifter up of their head. Is it any wonder that these wealthy conceptions of God should be accompanied by glad and ceaseless communion? Men were unfriendly; circumstances were unsympathetic; this man cried unto the Lord, and He heard him. There was a constant festival of fellowship, a fruitful responsiveness between man and his God.

Have you learned this great secret? Have you run into the presence of your Lord and become a “companion with the Almighty”, thus discovering Him as your shield and your glory? David enjoyed intimacy with God and we can also know Him in depth and detail, experiencing the intricacies and delights of His Person, His works and His words. Draw near in your desperate hours, and allow Him to lift your head. And then, dear friend, no matter what happens, hold your head high in the light of your Lord’s love for you (Romans 5:11 Phillips Translation).

My Response: Lord Jesus, thank You for always lifting my head, and surrounding me with Your everlasting love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Meet Jean Tan

I am so excited to introduce you to Jean Tan, who has just released a CD entitled Dance. I received an email from her a few days ago. Her email to me began this way: Hello Catherine! I’m Jean, a girl in her twenties in the little isle of Singapore halfway round the globe from where you are. Well, you can just imagine how blessed I was to hear from her. She wrote a song called “Dance” and has included it on this album. In December, her boyfriend found my book, A Woman’s Heart That Dances, in a bookstore, and gave it to Jean. Jean was thrilled to find that the dance I wrote about was the same dance in her song. How amazing that she and I, sisters in the Lord, were both led to share about the dance and encourage others to lean in to His embrace, follow His lead, and then dance. So everyone, I’m encouraging you to listen to some of Jean’s music below. You can also find her at Jean Tan Oops Asia Singapore.

Jesus, Your Timing Is Perfect

Have you been impatiently tapping your foot, wishing that certain things you hoped for would finally happen? Grab your Bible, your notebook, a cup of coffee, and sit down with the Lord for a few moments. Here’s why. In our frustrating “hurry up Lord” moments, we’ve got to get our perspective adjusted to His and our timing back on course to match His timetable. Know this from Isaiah 55:9. God’s ways are higher than our ways. We learn here that our ideas of what could and should happen are sometimes different than God’s plans for us. And that includes timing of events. Jesus says, “Follow Me.” And that is exactly what He is asking of us: Follow Him. Not lead Him, but follow Him! And I’ve discovered that Jesus is never in a hurry. And He is never early or late, but perfect in His timing. If what you hoped for hasn’t happened – at least not yet – then there is a reason for the Lord’s ways. He sees the end from the beginning and He knows you better than you know yourself. John Henry Jowett says that sometimes there are long waits in preparation for a great mission. He goes on to say: “When God delays, He is not inactive. He is getting ready His instruments, He is ripening our powers; and at the appointed moment we shall arise equal to our task. Even Jesus of Nazareth was thirty years in privacy, growing in wisdom before He began His work.”

Mrs. Charles Cowman speaks to this very idea of timing in Streams In The Desert today: “The hardest ingredient in suffering is often time. A short, sharp pang is easily borne, but when a sorrow drags its weary way through long, monotonous years, and day after day returns with the same dull routine of hopeless agony, the heart loses its strength, and without the grace of God, is sure to sink into the very sullenness of despair…We may not see now the outcome of the beautiful plan which God is hiding in the shadow of His hand; it yet may be long concealed; but faith may be sure that He is sitting on the throne, calmly waiting the hour when, with adoring rapture, we shall say, All things have worked together for good. Like Joseph, let us be more careful to learn all the lessons in the school of sorrow than we are anxious for the hour of deliverance. There is a need-be for every lesson, and when we are ready, our deliverance will surely come, and we shall find that we could not have stood in our place of higher service without the very things that were taught us in the ordeal. God is educating us for the future, for higher service and nobler blessings; and if we have the qualities that fit us for the throne, nothing can keep us from it when God’s time has come. Don’t steal tomorrow out of God’s hands. Give God time to speak to you and reveal His will. He is never too late; learn to wait.”

I am learning to fix my eyes on Jesus and focus on Him as He leads me in what I call the dance. He is making my heart into a heart that dances. He is showing me how to follow Him. Sometimes the dance is slow and sometimes fast. He is teaching me to focus not on the tempo or on the dance itself, but on Him. With my eyes fixed on Him, my heart fills up with His joy and His peace. His beauty and His very Person are better than any earthly endeavor. Focused on Jesus, the time no longer matters for in touching Him and knowing Him, our thoughts are planted in eternity, and our life is filled with eternal things (see 2 Corinthians 4:18). And so, today, let us keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25), as He leads us and guides us into the Lord’s plans and purposes. And then, while you dance, look into the face of your Lord, and experience the unparalleled wonder of His smile today.

My Response: Lord Jesus, thank You that You are not in a hurry and know where You are leading me today. Help me keep in step with the Spirit, and follow You as You lead me in our dance together. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Read Chapter 1 of A Woman’s Walk In Grace

Here it is! I promised to give everyone the opportunity to read Chapter 1 of A Woman’s Walk In Grace. This new book on grace is hot off the press - just arrived a few weeks ago at Quiet Time Ministries and is only just now available at Amazon. I believe that God’s grace is one of the least understood truths in the lives of Christians today. Your life will never be the same when you truly swim in and immerse yourself in the magnificent, extravagant grace of God. This book is available at Amazon, Christian bookstores, and at the Quiet Time Ministries Bookstore. God bless you as you enjoy this first chapter online here!

Read Chapter 1 A Woman’s Heart That Dances

Here’s a chance for you to read Chapter 1 in A Woman’s Heart That Dances. The cover art is by my friend, Kathleen Rousar and you can see more of her art at Kathleen’s website. Then, you can order A Woman’s Heart That Dances on Amazon or at the Quiet Time Ministries Online Bookstore. There is also a companion Study Guide & Journal for both individual use and small groups. I think you will have fun reading this first chapter online - you can even enable the full screen option. I found this great way to put together chapters digitally for you to read - advance each page with the arrows - very cool - enjoy! I’ll post the first chapter of A Woman’s Walk In Grace in the next few days.

Day 51: Jesus, I Live In Your Shadow

Have you learned to live in the shadow of your Lord? Life in His shadow is amazing and wondrous. The psalmist said in Psalm 91:1 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” That name of God – Almighty – is El Shaddai, the One who is enough for you, no matter what you may face today. He is all-sufficient and can meet your deepest needs, no matter what they may be. So what does it mean to live in the shadow of El Shaddai? Living in His shadow means we have made our home in the Lord, we live near Him, and we commune with Him. We are like the psalmist who said, “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:10-11) You can say along with Asaph, “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the LORD God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works” (Psalm 73:28). Life “in the shadow” is the humble place where Christ is exalted and glorified and we are in the background. He is front and center (see Isaiah 25:4, 32:2). When we are “in His shadow”, it is as though we are in the shade of “a great rock in a weary land” (Isaiah 32:2). I learned the following about the place of His shadow:

He hides me there (Psalm 17:8)
He keeps me as the apple of His eye (Psalm 17:8)
He gives me refuge (Psalm 36:7)
He gives me drink from the river of His delights (Psalm 36:7)
He gives me mercy (Psalm 57:1)
He helps me there in His shadow (Psalm 63:7)
And He causes me to sing for joy (Psalm 63:7).

The best place we can ever be is “in the shadow” of El Shaddai. And to stay in His shadow, we must stay close to Him. So my dear friend, may you experience the rich blessing and comfort of El Shaddai today.

My Response: Lord Jesus, thank You that Your presence is so great, You cast a protective shade over me – You are a rock for me in a weary land – a great refuge and comfort in times of trouble. I choose to live in Your shadow today. May others see Your grace and glory, and Your majesty and magnificence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Chapter 7 Embrace and Surrender

Today I talked all about surrender. And interestingly, there were a lot of surrenders in John 11 - we looked at all of them in great detail. I think it’s valuable to take some time and live with a passage of scripture for awhile and see what there is to learn from the Lord. I loved thinking about the surrenders of Lazarus in illness, death, and experiencing a miracle. And then there was the small surrender of Thomas and the disciples - there we learned that surrender is a journey. And Martha was an inspiration - her surrender was incredible - she leaned in to the Lord’s embrace quickly and experienced a BIG discovery - “I am the resurrection and the life”. Her faith was rewarded with a new vision of Jesus. Then Mary entered in to the dance of tears with her Lord. He is indeed near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. It was a powerful day of discussion in our dance with the Lord.

Finally, I wanted to share a quote that Shirley Peters sent. I just love it. Take these words with you today: “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” Amen and amen!! May we all surrender to the Lord today and then dance, even in the rain!

Day 50: Jesus, You Make Me Sing In The Storm

Are you in a storm right now in your life? Be encouraged - you can sing even in the storm. Jesus gives you joy and peace not “because of” the circumstances, but “in spite of” the circumstances. David knew the dark storms of life, as is evidenced in Psalm 13. But at the end of the psalm, he was able to say “”I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:6). Here is a quote from my book Pilgrimage Of The Heart:

“The winds can rage, the sky can be dark, and yet a bird can sit in the hollow of a tree and sing the most beautiful song. The bird is created to sing and God has given it the song. The bird does not sing because of the storm but in spite of the storm. In the same way, there is a point in the trial where finally you are able to turn from despair to trust in the love of God. At long last, you see truths that stand firm, no matter the darkness. Those truths give you a reason to rejoice. They become the words of the song that God gives you in the dark night of the soul. And then, you can finally sing.”

God bless you, dear friend, and whatever is going on, lean in to the embrace of Jesus, and sing.

My Response: Lord Jesus, thank You for being the reason I sing today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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