Day 38: Jesus, You Gave Me Peace

Today was a travel day and just got back home not long ago. But I wanted to share part of my experience this week with Jesus. When I prayed throughout this last week for those things that were weighing me down, I experienced the peace of Jesus. He promises when we choose to pray instead of worry, He will give us His peace. Sometimes I know certain truths theologically but when I apply them by faith in my own life, and act on them, I experience the powerful application of them through the Holy Spirit. Philippians 4:6-7 was my experience this last week.

My Response: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your peace in the midst of any storm. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Day 37: Jesus, You Help Me Say Yes To You

This is a short one today because I’m out of town with family. It may be short, but I promise I will continue my thoughts on this in future days. It’s probably one of the most profound for us in our pilgrimage of the heart. Jesus helps me say yes to Him in our relationship. Yes to salvation, yes to following Him, yes to surrender, yes to forgiving others, and yes to so much more. Paul says, “With regard to his own promises, God did not vacillate between “Yes” and “No”; rather, his assured “Yes” has taken effect in Christ. For however many promises God may have made, they all find their corresponding “Yes” in Christ who fulfills them. This is why our “Yes” of concurrence and commitment, our answering “Amen,” goes up to God through Christ and brings God glory through us. And it is none other than this God who causes us, along with you, to be firmly established in our relationship to Christ, the Anointed One, and who consecrated us all for his service. This same God sealed us as his own protected possession when he placed his Spirit in our hearts as the deposit and guarantee of our full inheritance” (2 Corinthians 1:19-22 NI Grk Com).

In this passage I see that the Lord’s promises and His indwelling Spirit help me say yes to Him. I wonder what the Lord is asking of us today. May we say yes to Jesus.

My Response: Lord Jesus, today I say yes to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Day 36: Jesus, You Are The Relentless Romancer

Today I spent some time with Jesus at the well in Samaria. Every person is like that woman at the well in Samaria at different moments in their lives. Walking along, needing the supreme embrace of God who loves them unconditionally, we don’t realize He is waiting just for us. I love that Jesus “had to pass through Samaria” (John 4:4). Why did He absolutely have to go there when Jews never associated with Samaritans and avoided going that way by taking a completely different route? He had to go because He had an appointment scheduled in eternity to reach out to a hungry, thirsty woman who was going to be at Jacob’s Well that day. I sense the passion and love of Jesus today for us. He is the relentless romancer who will have us as His very own. He loves us unconditionally and walks rough roads at times to reach us. I am thankful today for His tenacity. I may, at times, feel like giving up. But He never will. He overcomes even in the impossible situation. So today, wherever you are, get ready for a new touch from your Lord who loves you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).

My Response: Lord Jesus, thank You for reaching out to me even when I feel unreachable. Thank You for embracing me even when I am unlovable. Thank You for being the relentless Romancer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Day 35: Jesus, Your Glory Is Awesome

When we stop and behold the glory of Jesus, we will worship with awe and reverence. One of John’s first statements about Jesus was that “…the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). He was with us. We’ve seen His glory! He’s awesome and magnificent, full of grace and truth. The Message says it this way:
“The Word became flesh and blood,
And moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
The one-of-a-kind glory,
Like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
True from start to finish.”
It must have been amazing to be one of those first disciples, an eyewitness to the glory of Jesus. But we, too, have the privilege of beholding His glory because of the indwelling Spirit. “We all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). The Lord shines in our heart, according to Paul, and gives the “light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Seeing Jesus and being with Him will, at times, bring us to our knees in humble adoration and worship. And sometimes we will tremble with an overwhelming fear at the blinding light and infinite majesty. Jesus’ glorious presence is true and real—a fact that goes beyond feelings or senses. Sometimes the weight of the present circumstance burdens me in a way that blinds me to the fact of Jesus’ glorious presence. But my feelings don’t lessen the truth. That’s why we walk by faith in what we know is true. The disciples saw Jesus’ glory there on the mount of transfiguration. John saw His glory when he turned to hear the voice of the One standing among the lampstands at the beginning of the Revelation. John saw Jesus clothed with a long robe and a golden sash. “The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters” (Revelation 1:12-16).

Today, let’s remember the glory. Let’s turn and look into the light of His Presence for a moment and become blinded to the burdens of our days. Let’s take some time to “tremble” at the Word of God. The Lord says: “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My Word” (Isaiah 66:2). John Henry Jowett, in his book Thirsting For The Springs, says that when we come upon the “whiteness of the Eternal, the unsullied sovereignty, the holiness that would not be trifled with,” our careless walk is sharply arrested. Our levity is changed into trembling and our indifference is broken up in awe. Jowett goes on to point out that in the current culture “we have not got a Jesus before Whom we frequently ‘stand in awe’”. Then Jowett says, “When a man has contemplated the dazzling holiness of God, and in self-communion has discovered his own dark appalling need, and, full of trembling, turns again to the Father, he has only one resource…Christ Jesus is our Righteousness. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. We have no hope but in His death. In His offering we re-discover our completeness. In His sacrifice we find our life and security. This is no beautiful theory detached from the hard facts of burdensome life. A million souls can set their testimony and seal it to be true. When they had ransacked their own heart and found it to be a nest of defilement, and they were filled with fear, they turned to the love of Calvary and found provision for both fear and defilement, and in the crucified Christ found purity and rest.” Jowett closes his chapter by saying that “awe and trembling converge in fruitful trust” and finally result in the discovery of rest. “Trust keeps open the line of communication between the soul and God. Along that line convoys of blessedness are brought into the heart; manifold gifts of grace for the weak and defenseless spirit. When I trust I keep open the ‘highways of the Lord,’ and along that road there come to me from the Eternal my bread, my water, my instructions, my powers of defense.”

So remember the glory, dear friends. Tremble at His word, stand in awe, hope in Christ, and trust at all times in your Lord.

My Response: Lord Jesus, thank You for the blinding glory of Your presence. Someday I will see You face to face and look into Your eyes. The thought of that moment brings me to a place of awe and wonder. May I live in the light of it today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Day 34: Jesus, You Lead Me To Eternal Glory

No suffering lasts forever. The wilderness is not our final destination. Sometimes a trial may seem to extend well beyond our own level of endurance. Even so, we can take heart that the difficulties have time limits attached to them by God Himself. He promises in 1 Peter 5:10 “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:10 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. Of course, I have a lot of favorites. Those in my classes or those who’ve read my books often tell me, “Catherine, EVERY verse is your favorite!” Yes, I guess that’s true. But there are probably some in Leviticus that have not caused my heart to leap for joy. But 1 Peter is such a great book for those whose hearts are in trouble because of the difficulties in their lives. I have titled 1 Peter “How To Suffer.” And Peter’s letter on suffering is filled with all kinds of encouraging verses. 1 Peter 5:10 is like the icing on the cake!!

I want to share some encouragement from one of my favorite commentators, Kenneth Wuest. Wuest opens up the meanings of words in a way that no one else does in many passages in the New Testament. But this is especially true in 1 Peter. So here’s what he says about some of the phrases in this amazing verse, 1 Peter 5:10.

A little while – These words mean, literally, “a little while” in regard to our suffering.
The God of all grace – God is the source of spiritual comfort and help for every occasion.
Call you to his eternal glory in Christ - God calls us into salvation in order that He may derive glory for Himself by virtue of our being saved. He who has called us in His grace will supply all needed grace until we are ushered into Glory.

And here’s where it REALLY gets good. I love this. To me, this is a taste of the “eternal glory.” He says that He will Himself “restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (ESV). The NASB translates: He will “perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” Here’s what those words really mean. That word “perfect” (or restore) does NOT mean to make spiritually mature and complete as in other places in the NT. Here it means, “to fit or join together”. The idea is adjustment, the putting of parts into right relationship and connection with one another. Wuest says it “refers to God mending the lives of Christians, thus equipping them for usefulness in His service.” He says that it’s the “work of the Holy Spirit in rounding out the spiritual life of the saint so that he is equipped for both the living of the Christian life and the service of the Lord Jesus.” Then, the word “establish” means that God puts you on a solid foundational position so that nothing may shake you. He strengthens you so that you may overcome every adversity.

Take comfort, dear hearts, in these words today. For when you are suffering, especially in the dark night of the soul, nothing seems “right”. Everything is out of sorts, and it’s as though you are in a strange land. Here the encouragement is, first of all, that the Lord KNOWS. And He is saying, hang on beloved, for the time of suffering is only for a “little while.” And then, He goes on to promise that He’s going to put it all back together, mending everything, and equipping you for what He is going to call you to do for the sake of His kingdom. He is making you stronger than you can possibly imagine, regardless of how weak you feel that you are right now. And be encouraged – He IS the God of ALL grace and will pour out His comfort and help for every need. And the destination is sure – eternal glory. Eternal means forever and that’s the comfort of His promise – we have hope of everlasting glory. And that’s a hope that no one can touch.

My Response: Lord Jesus, thank You that no suffering I endure lasts forever. Thank You for the words “a little while” for they encourage me to know that every trouble has an ending date on it. And thank You for the promise of mending my life and putting everything that seems out of sorts back in its place, only better, equipping me for Your service. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Chapter 1 Will You Dance

Will you dance with Him? That’s the question before us as we engage in this study of A Woman’s Heart That Dances. If you have begun the journey, you can already tell that this book is more personal and takes you into the drama of the biblical accounts during the life of Jesus. And then, using the study guide, we all have an opportunity to spend time in God’s Word studying more in-depth the biblical accounts and the biblical principles of the dance. I loved reading through chapter 1 and then doing the companion quiet time in the study guide. In my letter to the Lord that I wrote in the front of the study guide, I asked Him to open the eyes of my heart and teach me the steps He desires me to take. I am ready for dance lessons :). I hope you are also. So everyone, get ready, and let’s all dance!

Day 33: Jesus, You Lead Me To A Feast In The Wilderness

“Where is the Lord leading us”, we wonder, when He takes us to the desert places. He is bringing us to a greater view of Himself, and our time with Him becomes a feast. We take in His immense beauty, made clearer to our eyes when earthly distractions fade. We feast on His Word, made rich to our souls when nothing else satisfies. When Moses and Aaron went up to Pharaoh to give them God’s word, they said, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” (Exodus 5:1). David discovered that the Lord prepared a table before him in the presence of his enemies (Psalm 23:5). Jesus Himself invites us to this feast: “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). Those last four words are rich with meaning: “…and he with Me”. Life becomes a feast with Jesus wherever we are, even in the wilderness. In Him, our hearts and souls experience deep satisfaction and real, true fulfillment. In His presence, there are “times of refreshing” (Acts 3:19). When we are with Him, out of our hearts flow “rivers of living water” (John 7:38). He is the bread of life, and when we come to Him, we will not hunger or thirst (John 6:35). Even Jeremiah discovered the rich feast of His Word: “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart…” (Jeremiah 15:16). Our rich relationship with Jesus cannot be touched by the outward desolation of the circumstance. In fact, if anything, the relationship with Him becomes deeper and more meaningful. So today, if you are in the wilderness, perhaps you can take some time, get alone with your Lord, grab your Bible, your notebook, a few good devotional books, and enjoy a feast.

My Response: Lord Jesus, I love the rich times together that we have, especially in the wilderness places. I confess I don’t like the pain and desolation in the heat of a trial. But I do love knowing You more intimately and the refreshing, healing rain of Your presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Day 32: Jesus, You Have A Plan In The Wilderness

Jesus has a plan for us EVEN in the wilderness. You see this truth most clearly in Moses’ life. Just think about Moses for a moment. He spent his first 40 years in Egypt enjoying the finer things in the courts of Pharaoh. After killing an Egyptian in defense of one of the Hebrews, Moses fled for his life to the land of Midian. According to Acts 7:29-30, we know that he spent another 40 years there in the wilderness with Jethro, priest of Midian and his family. Moses married Jethro’s daughter Zipporah and they had a son, Gershom. Exodus 2:21 says that Moses was “content to dwell with” Jethro and his family there in the wilderness. However, Moses felt the effects of the wilderness for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.” And how true are those words! When I am in the wilderness experience, I realize my pilgrim status most acutely and know that I am not at home. And yet, what I need to remember is that the Lord is working out His plan and the wilderness sojourns are part of that plan. He has led me there. Exodus 3 marks the beginning of the next 40 years for 80-year-old Moses, proof positive that age has no bearing on God’s call or His intended ministry for you or me. I always love thinking about Corrie ten Boom who taught and traveled into her 80’s. She was released from Ravensbruck concentration camp at the age of 52 and didn’t begin her public ministry of speaking and writing until after that. So when you read Exodus 3 and see how the Lord worked with Moses there in the wilderness, you can’t help but experience hope and encouragement. No matter whether you are 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or 100, the Lord has a plan for your life.

So what can encourage us when we’re in the wilderness? First, know that you are not there by accident, but by design. God says, “I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together, that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it” (Isaiah 41:19-20). In Matthew 4:1 we see that “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness…” You can know that God has something for you there in the wilderness. He will meet you there Himself, just as He met Moses. Moses (in Exodus 3) was all alone tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, in the west side of the wilderness. In other words, he was out in the middle of nowhere, completely unknown and unseen. And that’s how it is in the wilderness—you are in the middle of nowhere, unknown and unseen. Remember, you are never alone. And you just never know when the Lord is going to give you a magnificent vision of His glory and speak profoundly to your heart. Often the greatest lessons come in the school of the desert. You can thrive in the desert for the Lord sends springs in the valleys and makes the wilderness a pool of water (Isaiah 41:18).

Today, I want to include the February 1 reading from Streams In The Desert – it was one of the Lord’s presents to me today on my birthday – I loved it and thought others might enjoy it also. So I’ll close with these great words from Mrs. Charles Cowman’s classic devotional, Streams In The Desert – Enjoy!

“This thing is from me.” (1 Kings 12:24)

“Life’s disappointments are veiled love’s appointments.” Rev. C.A. Fox

“My child, I have a message for you today; let me whisper it in your ear, that it may gild with glory any storm clouds which may arise, and smooth the rough places upon which you may have to tread. It is short, only five words, but let them sink into your inmost soul; use them as a pillow upon which to rest your wear head. This thing is from ME.

Have you ever thought of it, that all that concerns you concerns Me too? For, ‘he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye’ (Zech 2:8). You are very precious in My sight. (Isaiah 43:4). Therefore, it is My special delight to educate you.

I would have you learn when temptations assail you, and the ‘enemy comes in like a flood,’ that this thing is from Me, that your weakness needs My might, and your safety lies in letting Me fight for you.

Are you in difficult circumstances, surrounded by people who do not understand you, who never consult your taste, who put you in the background? This thing is from Me. I am the God of circumstances. Thou camest not to thy place by accident, it is the very place God meant for thee.

Have you not asked to be made humble? See then, I have placed you in the very school where this lesson is taught; your surroundings and companions are only working out My will.

Are you in money difficulties? Is it hard to make both ends meet? This thing is from Me, for I am your purse-bearer and would have you draw from and depend upon Me. My supplies are limitless (Philippians 4:19). I would have you prove My promises. Let it not be said of you, ‘In this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God’ (Deuteronomy 1:32).

Are you passing through a night of sorrow? This thing is from Me. I am the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. I have let earthly comforters fail you, that by turning to Me you may obtain everlasting consolation (2 Thess. 2:16-17). Have you longed to do some great work for Me and instead have been laid aside on a bed of pain and weakness? This things if from Me. I could not get your attention in your busy days and I want to teach you some of my deepest lessons. ‘They also serve who only stand and wait.’ Some of My greatest workers are those shut out from active service, that they may learn to wield the weapon of all-prayer.

This day I place in your hand this pot of holy oil. Make use of it free, my child. Let every circumstance that arises, every word that pains you, every interruption that would make you impatient, every revelation of your weakness be anointed with it. The sting will go as you learn to see Me in all things.”
(Laura A. Barter Snow in Streams In The Desert)

“This is from Me,” the Saviour said,
As bending low He kissed my brow,
“For One who loves you thus has led.
Just rest in Me, be patient now,
Your Father knows you have need of this,
Tho, why perchance you cannot see—
Grieve not for things you’ve seemed to miss.
The thing I send is best for thee.”

Then, looking through my tears, I plead,
“Dear Lord, forgive, I did not not know,
Twill not be hard since Thou dost tread
Each path before me here below.
And for my good this things must be,
His grace sufficient for each test.
So still I’ll sing, ‘Whatever be
God’s way for me is always best.’”

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