Day 56: Jesus, Your Hand Is Mighty

Have you discovered the “mighty hand” of the Lord today? Peter sensed the mighty hand of God most in the fiery trial. He gives direction about the mighty hand when you are suffering. He says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). I don’t know about you, but I have experienced those times when the Lord seemingly refuses to let go on one particular point. I can choose to walk away, not trust, and fall into despair. And the temptation is great to do exactly that—the mountain I must climb is too high, seemingly too steep and treacherous. And the mighty hand of God is waiting, pressing down on me, urging me to make the alternative, seemingly more difficult, “God choice” of drawing near, believing BIG with a HUGE trust empowered by the Holy Spirit and inspired by God’s Word, and ultimately walking with hope in my heart.

The Lord’s mighty hand will help you press through to a new and greater faith. I love how Oswald Chambers puts it in My Utmost For His Highest (November 1 reading): “The first thing God does with us is to get us based on rugged Reality until we do not care what becomes of us individually as long as He gets His way for the purpose of His redemption. Why shouldn’t we go through heartbreaks? Through those doorways God is opening up ways of fellowship with His Son. Most of us fall and collapse at the first grip of pain; we sit down on the threshold of God’s purpose and die away of self-pity, and all so-called Christian sympathy will aid us to our death bed. But God will not. He comes with the grip of the pierced hand of His Son, and says—Enter into fellowship with Me; arise and shine. If through a broken heart, God can bring His purposes to pass in the world, then thank Him for breaking your heart.”

Do you need to press through the pain and on to a higher place in your relationship with Christ? He will help you make this next step of faith into a deeper devotion and greater trust. Habakkuk discovered a new ability to believe God in loss—his crop had failed, the fields weren’t producing food, and there were no cattle in the stalls. Here’s the place that God enabled him to travel—he said, “…yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights” (Habakkuk 3:18-19). Jeremiah discovered this same joy and hope in his own temptation to despair in the trials: “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:21-23).

Do you see the secret? Grasp God’s mighty hand, hold on to Him, and press through the trial to the place where the Lord is leading you. You cannot see it now for the fog is heavy. But remember, the shadow of His hand on you has a bright side—He is present and you are not alone. And He is greater than any trial you face. So today, make that “God choice”. Refuse to give up, stand strong on His Word, and press through to a new joy and hope given to you through the power of the Holy Spirit. Here’s the promise to embrace, trust, and live out today: “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:10).

My Response: Lord Jesus, I find in myself a tendency toward self-pity and a readiness to give up at the first hint of pain and suffering. Will You strengthen me today with Your mighty hand, and help me press through to faith, trust, and hope in You? Thank You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Day 49: Jesus, You Awaken Me For Quiet Time

I love the early mornings with the Lord. Just yesterday, a friend asked me what time I arise for quiet time in the morning. I hesitate sharing my response because I don’t want anyone to think my time should be their time for quiet time. I have been an early morning person since I was born. What can I say? I awaken a short time before 4 am almost every day (sometimes 5 am:)). I’m so awake by 4 am most days that I must get up and get going.

In one of Isaiah’s Servant Songs about the Messiah, this early morning is seen: “Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught” (Isaiah 50:4). Jesus often arose early in the morning to talk with His Father alone, apart from others. We see Jesus’ early morning example in Mark 1:35, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”

So much happens in those early morning hours alone with the Lord. I love how it is still dark outside. I grab a steaming cup of coffee. If it’s cold outside, sometimes I turn on this virtual fireplace I have on DVD that even makes crackling sounds. Okay, you can stop laughing ☺. But I like the ambience of a wonderful fire and we don’t have a real fireplace and the virtual one is pretty cool! Then, I grab my devotionals, Bible, and Quiet Time Notebook and sit with the Lord preparing my heart for time alone with Him. I am loving Streams in the Desert right now. In fact, the whole topic of morning quiet time was the focus of Streams today. The verses were Exodus 34:2-3 where God is speaking to Moses: “Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain.” Then, I read this devotion today and just got SO excited about morning quiet time with the Lord:

“The morning watch is essential. You must not face the day until you have faced God, nor look into the face of others until you have looked into His. You cannot expect to be victorious, if the day begins only in your own strength. Face the work of every day with the influence of a few thoughtful, quiet moments with your hear and God. Do not meet other people, even those of your own home, until you have first met the great Guest and honored Companion of your life—Jesus Christ. Meet Him alone. Meet Him regularly. Meet Him with His open book of counsel before you; and face the regular and the irregular duties of each day with the influence of His personality definitely controlling your every act.”

Don’t those words encourage you to make the most of your time and draw near to your Lord! I must say – I DO love the morning hours with the Lord. So much has been accomplished over the years early in the morning with the Lord. I just finished writing my 21st book and I can truthfully say that the Lord has given and developed EVERY idea for each of those books early in the morning alone with Him. I can think clearly when I sit alone with Him. I love to think deeply about what He is saying in His Word and then write about it in my quiet time notebook. I remember the day He showed me that hope comes from the promises He gives in His Word (Lamentations 3:21-23). I remember the morning He showed me in Psalm 9:10 that trust comes from knowing His names (His character and attributes). One morning He took me from Luke 10:42 to a cross-reference in Psalm 27:4 and that verse became my life verse. Then, there was the morning deep in a dark night of the soul when He took me to Psalm 84:5 and I realized I needed to set my heart on pilgrimage. That verse altered the course of my life when I learned that I could not set my roots deep down in the things on earth and that true life, real life was found in God and God alone. Out of that verse came my very first book, Pilgrimage of the Heart. Then, there was the quiet time when the Lord took me through Psalm 119 and I saw a repeated word – revive. Through that word and subsequent study in my quiet time, I learned all about personal, spiritual revival. That led to my book of quiet times, Revive My Heart, and the 30 day journey, Set My Heart On Fire. I could go on and on. An unbelievable adventure of discovery, joy, and radical intimacy with the King of Kings awaits any who are willing to draw near and know Him.

I do indeed love the early morning hours. Some may need the quiet of the night. Whenever you choose to spend time with Him, you will never be disappointed. A feast awaits you! Oh, and I did a little math. Did you know that if you arise at 5 am instead of 7 am, those two extra hours a day give you an extra month of awake hours (quiet time with the Lord) a year! Yes, you heard me correctly – check it out for yourself. Take 2 hrs and multiply it by 365 days and you come up with 730 hrs. Then divide 730 by 24 (hrs in a day), and you will get 30.416 days. One solid month with Jesus a year! Now that’s what I call quiet time! God bless you as you continue on in this great adventure of knowing Him.

My Response: Lord Jesus, thank You for the incredible blessing of time alone with you in the early morning hours. I look forward to our next time together and my ears are open to hear You speak. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Day 48: Jesus, You Desire My Devotion

Are you a Martha or a Mary in your devotion to the Lord? Martha was distracted and Mary was devoted. Martha was worried and bothered about many things. Mary was sitting at the Lord’s feet, listening to His Word (Luke 10:38-42). Growing in my devotion as a “Mary”, sitting at the Lord’s feet, hearing Him speak in His Word, is absolutely vital especially when I am faced with pressing difficulties. Today I read in Streams In The Desert: “Often God seems to place His children in positions of profound difficulty, leading them into a wedge from which there is no escape…It is a platform for the display of His almighty grace and power. He will not only deliver you; but in doing so, He will give you a lesson that you will never forget.” When I am a “Mary”, then I can hear the Lord’s encouragement and find strength to face every new day. I can find promises in His Word that tether my soul to Him so I walk with hope and joy. David, the man after God’s own heart, knew this secret. He had developed the habit of pouring out his soul to the Lord and inquiring of God when faced with big decisions. He cried out to God when he was in trouble and relied on God’s strength and help for great tasks. Today, let’s be a Mary, or a David, and devote ourselves to our Lord.

My Response: Lord Jesus, You applauded Mary’s heart of devotion and said she had chosen what could never be taken from her. Today I choose to be a Mary, sit at Your feet and listen to Your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Day 47: Jesus, You Have Made Me For Yourself

Have you wondered about your purpose in life? My husband’s grandfather used to ask his family, “What’s it all about?”, to stimulate lively conversation at the dinner table. The Lord took me on a journey today in His Word to teach me a powerful truth about His desires and purposes for me. He took me first to Leviticus 22:31-33, part of my reading in the God Sightings version of the NLT One Year Bible. Here’s what I read:

“You must faithfully keep all my commands by putting them into practice, for I am the LORD. Do not bring shame on my holy name, for I will display my holiness among the people of Israel. I am the LORD who makes you holy. It was I who rescued you from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. I am the LORD.”

As I read those words, the NT verses, Colossians 1:13-14, immediately came to my mind. I firmly believe that when Scripture comes to our mind, the Holy Spirit is speaking to us and leading us there. So we MUST turn to those verses in our Bibles and read and think about what God is saying. In those verses I learn that God has “delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” God rescued the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt and took them to the promised land. He says in Leviticus that He accomplished that amazing rescue to be their God and to display His holiness among them. A much greater rescue has now taken place for us. God has rescued us from darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of Jesus. Peter elaborates in 1 Peter 2:9-10 where I learn that I am now the Lord’s possession – I’m chosen, royal, and holy – He has called me out of darkness into His marvelous light. And now, I am to proclaim my Lord’s excellencies. At one time I didn’t belong to Him, but now I’m His. At one time I had not received mercy, but now I have received mercy. Finally, the Lord took me to Isaiah 43:20-21 where God speaks about His “chosen people”. He calls them “the people I formed for Myself that they might declare My praise.”

I see through all of these passages that the Lord has made me for Himself. I exist for Him. That’s really what life is all about. It’s not about work or even ministry, but Him! Everything else is the result of and flows out of my intimate relationship with my Lord. And so, my focus must always be riveted on Him. I must let nothing pull my eyes away from Him.

The reading in Leviticus 22:17-23:44 in the New Living Translation was just amazing. I was underlining everything. What I saw was that the Lord rescued His people for Himself. And then He gave them official days and festivals to celebrate Him. These were times where they stepped away from “ordinary work” (Leviticus 23:8) to officially observe the Lord, give Him gifts, celebrate and worship Him, and display and declare their praise and holiness (set apart for God). The Lord encouraged me today that I need to officially celebrate Him every moment, hour, day, week, month and year. I spend time with Him not out of duty but out of delight and devotion. I’m going to say along with David, “I WILL celebrate the LORD” (2 Samuel 6:21).

So today, rejoice in the fact that you are made for Your Lord. And more than anything, He desires that you celebrate Him out of a heart of delight and devotion. As Peter said, you are “a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who call you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10). So may you step away from the ordinary, focus on your Lord, and proclaim His excellencies with your words and with your life.

My Response: Lord Jesus, I am officially thrilled today to belong to You. Thank You for designing me for Yourself that I might praise and celebrate and delight in You. Like David, I resolve to celebrate You today. In Jesus name, Amen.

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