And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God (Revelation 21:3).
With all the wars and rumors of wars, the infighting among politicians, the personal pains and the hurts, the grouchy neighbor across the street, and the struggles to make ends meet – if you are a believer, know that God is saying to you, “I am your God and you are My people, and I will dwell with you. Don’t look at the crumbling and uncivil world surrounding you and the disappointments and catastrophes that sweep over you. For you are My child and will be spending eternity with me. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Keep your eyes on the prize.”
… if we are untethered from Christ, if Jesus is an afterthought, an ally standing far off to help us in trouble. Oh, let us go to Him now, with hat in hand and head bowed and say, “Take me now, Lord, and do with me as You will.”
For I am His servant, and my home is far away. I do always, only, that which pleased Him. Where He goes I go. What He directs me to do, I do.
The apostles were with Jesus for three year, following Him wherever He went, a relatively unremarkable lot who did not do much but who learned and were being prepared for what they would do later.
When Jesus was crucified and rose again, they were no longerwith Him and hid in an inner room, frightened and shaking in their sandals.
Then at Pentecost, Jesus came to live in them, and they did remarkable things, unafraid.
Do I live in Your Kingdom all the time, or do I walk in the world too often? Is mine a spiritual life or a worldly life for the most part? Does Your will direct me every minute of every day, or do I go my own way here and there, doing what I want to do when I want to do it?
“You try to keep Me in your mind, but there’s too much of you and the world in there. I am Somebody in you, not something in your mind. There is Me, you, and the world within you – all real entities. I must become greater. You and the world must become lesser.”
“Visualize it, Jack. God is watching you watching the Mississippi River and wondering when you’ll immerse yourself in His life and experience His peace. He’s a patient God who’s inviting you to lean back on Jesus’ breast, like the Apostle John did at the Last Supper. That’s the safest place you can be—so close to Jesus that your spirit intersects with His Spirit.”
Jack had needed a precise description of the faulty way he looked at the world and his life. Manny had given it to him straight out.
All Jack could do was bow his head and say, “I think I have it, Manny. I need to see everything the way God sees it. That’s the new filter.”
From Finding the Safest Place on Earth, my upcoming novel
“There was a book written years back called God is My Co-Pilot. That’s a terrible concept. If God is your co-pilot, you’re sitting in the wrong seat. You need to let God be your pilot. He’s the one who flies the airplane.
“That’s the meaning of our discussion. You’ve been living your life upside-down. You’ve been asking Jesus to be along for your ride, which is why you’ve had so many failures. Jesus must be the King in your life, and you’re along for His ride.”
From Finding the Safest Place on Earth, my upcoming novel
Oh my Father, I confess that I was not pure in heart today regarding my relationship with You, nor was I poor in spirit. I did not search for You with all my heart and with all my soul. I did not listen to You through all the watches of the day.
Instill in me a pure heart tomorrow that I may follow You without hesitation or deflection and that I may trust in You with all my heart and all my soul and with all my spirit, as I look forward to that glorious day when I will see You face to face for all eternity.
