Heart Wide Open

This morning I read in Psalm 43:3, "Send forth Your light and Your truth, and let them guide me"... Of course I know that I so need His guidance, His truth, daily to make even an attempt at living in His truth.

Then I read Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 6:4-10, his description of his own life as a servant of God.  He served in "great endurance, in troubles, hardships and distress, in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience, and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God, with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good reports; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything."  This is how he lived for Jesus!  This describes situations that were so challenging and yet his heart was filled with patience, kindness and understanding.  In verse 11, he describes his heart as open wide.  He had nothing to fear, nothing to hide.  He lived in the Holy Spirit, in the power of God and in love.

This is humbling.  The things I stress over, get upset with are nothing compared to what is listed above and yet my heart closes right up in attitudes that are so bad.  God help me to live with my heart open wide, with integrity that shows a life of gratitude and peace, knowing that You  indeed send forth Your light and You do guide me.  O heavenly Father forgive my pettiness and my selfishness.  Thank you for Your love, Your Holy Spirit and righteousness that comes from Jesus Christ. Help me to love better day by day, moment by moment.

He Comes to Us

^{Mark 16:9 "}Now Jesus, having risen, from death, early on the first day of the week, appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had driven out seven demons. She went and reported it to those who had been with Him, as they grieved and wept."

Mary Magdalene never strayed from Jesus. She watched Him die, and followed His body to his grave. This woman was one who's life was touched and changed completely by Jesus Christ.  The difference He made in her life was night and day. She followed Him out of love and gratitude.  Her life was devoted to this Man who saved her. She knew there was nothing better than life with Him.  We can only imagine the devastation she felt when the light of his life was extinguished on the cross and darkness settled over the land, the weight of grief she felt as she saw Him die and then was laid to rest in that tomb.

He appeared to her, first thing, on that morning that brought joy and hope to the world. He went to her, personally. He knew of her grief and He went to show her the joy of his resurrection. The tenderness of that appearing is so sweet.  He wanted her to know that He had not abandoned her.  He had not left her.  He was alive and her Savior still.  The unbelievable joy she must have felt as she fell at his feet in awe.

This passage touches me deeply because He comes to me too.  He comes... to me...  How amazing is that?  He loves me. He cares for me.  He touches my life with his tenderness and concern.  He fills my heart with love and gratitude.  I can only say thank you Lord. Thank you for coming to me in spite of my failings, my faults, my pettiness.  Thank you for your love which means the world to me.  I love you Lord.

Home is His Love

John 15:9-12

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." 

Says Jesus, "Remain in Me..."
Dwell
Abide

He asks us to remain.  Where? In Him. In His love.  He wants us to dwell in His love. What does our heart's true home look like?  Love.   He does not want to leave us like orphans.  He sent us the Holy Spirit to live in/with us.  Not alone.  His love in/with us.  Never home alone. 

Such a mystery.  Mighty, magnificent, awe-inspiring, splendid, beautiful, wise, vast, holy God become a man who lived in time and space, in the flesh and then died and left us and then sent His Spirit to be with us always.  This is the plan, the good news of our home coming, our reconciliation with life and love. We can remain in Him.  He lives in us.  The relationship, the dance of the Trinity...home.

So what does love look like?  Obedience.  Obedience to His commands, His words.  That is the context of remaining.  Living His way.  His Kingdom rule guiding and directing us, from the inside out.  He is after all the King. It is in Him we live, move, have our being.  His rule is for our good and His glory. That is it. Pretty simple. Seriously not easy as we are so inherently selfish, bent to live rule ourselves.

Thank you for your love Lord, for your commands that protect me and keep me in your love.  Thank you for your invitation to come home, to You. Forgive me for stepping out and living out of my own personal, self promoting kingdom rules. Help me to live in this love you have sent, even when it is hard.  Help me to remain.  Thank you that it is You who will accomplish this, You who made it all possible.