WATCHWORD:
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:1-3
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. 25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:23-26
I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
Meditation:
Savior and Almighty God?
Do we limit God? Do we fail to understand the completeness of the Trinity? When we cry out “Help me Jesus”, do we realize we are calling on the Creator God of the universe? We would not hesitate to call for Jesus to be our comforter, to sympathize with us in times of difficulty, but would we hesitate to call upon Him or approach Him as Almighty God?
These are not little questions. In a recent My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers makes this statement: “Have you been limiting … the ministry of Jesus to the point that he is unable to work in your life? Suppose that you have a deep well of hurt and trouble inside your heart, and Jesus comes to you and says ‘let not your heart be troubled…’ how would you respond? Would you simply shrug your shoulders and say, “but Lord the well is too deep and even you can’t draw up quietness and comfort out of it.”
In our own minds do we limit God by the way we call upon Him in our time of trouble. Do we limit Him the moment that we forget the awesome fact that He is Almighty. That He is God who created us, and everything around us. Do we make God small in our minds when we think that our problem is too big, or perhaps too little, to both Him with it? By our actions we declare that we don’t trust Him, that we don’t think He can complete us, that we aren’t sure He can lift us out of this miry pool of trouble.
So, who do you think Jesus is? Do you see Him only as the gentle shepherd caring for you, his sheep? Or did you see Him, also, as Almighty God, who by his word created, and by his breath gave you life? Do you fully believe that He can do all things? The bigger question is: Do you believe what He has told you? He made it clear to you, that you can overcome this mountain of trouble through Him who gives you strength. Did you believe that? Can you rest on that promise?
So, how long do we struggle trying to resolve our own trouble before we reach out to the Almighty? Is it so hard to say, “Father, I start this day surrendering all of it to You. There is a mountain ahead that I don’t think I can climb unless I have my hand in Yours. So, I give it all to you, every moment, every breath, for I know that you love me and I am yours. And in that I find peace and comfort. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
I Worried, by Mary Oliver
I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers
flow in the right direction, will the earth turn
as it was taught, and if not how shall
I correct it?
Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven,
can I do better?
Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrows
can do it and I am, well, hopeless.
Is my eyesight fading or am I just imagining it,
am I going to get rheumatism,
lockjaw, dementia?
Finally I saw that worrying had come to nothing.
And gave it up. And took my old body
and went out into the morning,
and sang.
Thank you Roger, for bringing this poetry to our attention.
Closing Prayer:
I want to worship only You. Take me deeper in my prayer life and in intimacy with You. Help me to walk in Your light and holiness. I want to know You more. “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord”. Give me joy in Your presence and help me to bring joy into the lives of others. I want to dwell in Your house and gaze on Your beauty. I want to seek Your face. “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple… Hear my voice when I call, O LORD”
