Devotion Pyes in Longing

Luke 6:35
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.
Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful
and wicked.”

Our Father in heaven is so kind to us everyday,
we can`t escape His kindness..

I`ve learned that it is good to pause during the day and think about all the things I am thankful for.

Free air to breathe everyday,
people around me who care,
birds that sing a pretty tune..

All of these were created by our wonderful God.

When someone is kind to me, I’m thankful to that person but I’m also thankful to God..
Why?
Because kindness is an attribute of God, and He put kindness in us.

Thank you Father, for all Your goodness to us..

I usually tend to go to classics for my spiritual readings, but there are also some wonderful
people today with brilliant thoughts.

Richard Foster:
“In our day heaven and earth are on tiptoe waiting for the emerging of a Spirit-led, Spirit-intoxicated,
Spirit-empowered people. All of creation watches expectantly for the springing up of a disciplined,
freely gathered martyr people who know in this life the  life and power of the kingdom of God.
It has happened before. It can happen again.”  (Celebration of Discipline)

Thomas A. Smail:
“The whole experience of these years makes us ask with new urgency, `How are God`s promises fulfilled?`
Is it by working through a catalogue of conditions and performing human works that comply with them,
or is it that God in his grace leads us step by step towards the receiving of his promises at
ways and times of his own choosing, so that there is no question of forcing his hand from our side?
If the latter, our business in ministering to people is not to prescribe a method, but in each case to see
what my Father is doing, as Jesus did, whether it be healing or waiting, bringing about a crisis or continuing
a process, renewing inwardly or healing outwardly-and when we have seen what he is doing to follow him in the
sovereign way he is taking.” (The Forgotten Father)

I love these mystics who combined their great learning with their beautiful sanctity.
For those of you who haven`t read any of the works of the 33 Doctors of the Church, you should check them out
Here’s a sample from some of these mystics..

Teresa of Avila:
“Never pay heed to such matters of popular opinion. This is no time for believing
everyone; believe only those whom you see modeling their lives on the life of Christ.”

Catherine of Siena:
“Why must you have such care for yourselves? Let God`s providence watch over you. His
eyes are on you continually in your fears. Not a moment passes but He is thinking of your welfare.”

Bonaventure:
“A saint`s life must be pure, that is, everything must be done out of love for God.”

Psalm 29:4
“The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic”

A few years ago, I started to seriously try to listen to the Lord`s voice.
It says in scripture that “my sheep hear my voice” and slowly but surely, I was starting to recognize that still small voice.
But even after years of hearing God,
there are times where I am not quite exactly sure if its Him or not.
But I’m resting assured that the Lord is my good shepherd guiding me beyond my ability to hear perfectly all the time.
If you are someone sincerely asking Him to be “Your shepherd” everyday,
you are probably led more than you realize.
And as I look back to my childhood,
I realize how many times the Lord guided me without  me even realizing it.
 

Blessed be the Lord, King of the Universe,
who guides us in His ways..

I was pondering earlier about a friend who constantly defends himself in front of me.
Sometimes I don’t know why he is defending himself.
But as I thought about it today, I thought “oh.. maybe he thinks I’m judging him.. But I’m not quite sure what he thinks I’m judging him of.”

As humans, we need to be careful of not judging how others judge us.

If he had only asked what I thought of him, I would have poured out affection and love.

I think we judge the Father in a harsh way..
But we need to spend time with Him and ask Him what He thinks of us.

I spend a lot of time with the Father,
and I know He really really likes me.

I love to feast on His “well done.” His praises mean more to me than anything.

And with ministry, I live out that “well-done.”

It`s like the Father reveals to me His wonderful plan,
and I set about and do it.
So I do the ministry after I`ve received His approval.
I do it IN His approval.

It`s a great life .

You are more loved than you realize.

Spend time and ask Him what He thinks of you.

This morning I woke up and as I washed my face,
I looked at my reflection and thought to the Lord

“Your instrument, Your song.”

Wow! I love how I think. haha.
Throughout the years, I`ve come to realize God as the Divine Artist and each person as God`s noble work of art.

I’m His instrument releasing His song in the greater scheme of His symphony.

Each person is an imago dei(the image of God) and we are birthed to uniquely and marvelously image forth God to the world.

The more I learn about our supremely good God, the more I want to be like Him.

I am learning, as St. Bonaventure declared, that Jesus is “gentlest Bridegroom, Lord Jesus.”

I`ve been ministering prophetically for years but with each person, I want to treat them as a unique work of art.

“This is His masterpiece” I think to myself as I carefully pray/give advice.

What I notice sometimes is that our “image” of God is slightly off(not consistent with theology through the ages).

God is supremely good..

This is how the prophecy can help people… It helps people reform their vision of God so it is more accurate..

St. Irenaeus said that man is God`s noble work of art.

Let us continue to image-forth supreme goodness.

One of the best lines I heard in seminary was this:

“There are two things to be careful with in Christianity. 
The over-simplifications and the either/ors”

That line is just so amazingly brilliant.

We need to maintain tension.

I spend a lot of time in nature and nature teaches me a lot about our Creator-God. A few weeks ago, I saw this adorable bird skipping about and I thought to myself “O bird.. you are so cute. Yet no human thought of creating you and I doubt no human has specifically been praying  that you will live.” And I thought to myself “hmm.. I recently saw a photo of a bird somewhere. Where did I see it…” And I remembered watching a documentary with a picture of a mangled bird. The essence of the documentary was “Look at the evil humans are releasing!!!”

I think humans think ourselves a bit too powerful. In a sense, it is true. We do release a lot of havoc.

But is anyone in tune with the unseen forces of good? Is anyone aware of how much of creation is thriving?

Sometimes I look at nature and I’m in wonder.. “Wow” I think, “no human thought of you in existence.. only the good Lord knows of you..And He has given you instinct to know where to find the food.. Wow”

Our Creator-God is so caring and tender.

Jesus came to reveal a Father who deeply cares about His creation..

Sometimes before we enter into fervent prayer,
we need to step back a bit, look up at our marvelous and powerful Creator and say “Thank you Father for knowing what I need before I say it.”
 
He cares.

1 Kings 19:12
“After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.
And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”

Isaiah 40:11
“He tends his flock like a a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them
close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.”

It seems to me that the more I walk with the Lord,
the gentler His voice seems to be.
Sometimes His voice is so subtle and gentle, it`s but a whisper in the breeze..

The other day, the Lord asked me to go jogging..
and so I did.
It was raining just a bit and it was cold, but I went out anyways..

Halfway through the jog, the rain lifted and there was a huge full scenic rainbow..

At that moment, I knew He brought me out because He wanted to show me this splendid rainbow..

Ah, the Lord fills me with such delight!

I don`t want to ignore His whispers..

So today I walked into PIHOP during a soaking session and I was touched by the music in the background. It was calming and the words were beautiful.. And I thought to myself “I love how there’s beautiful music in Christianity..” I feel like many protestant churches are starting to embrace the arts once more. Hooray!

How about beautiful thinkers? Our intellectual capacity is a gift from God. And as Christians, we need to be a people who think well.

Our thought life should be consecrated to the Lord.. Can our thoughts be so well-ordered and specific that the Shekinah glory can rest in our thought life as well? I think so. May all our thoughts be on bended knee towards our God. I love people like G.K. Chesterton and Dallas Willard who cut away through subtle fallacies of the day through their profound thoughts. Heed the words of G.K. Chesterton and Dallas Willard:

“To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.”
(G.K. Chesterton)

“No one need worry about our getting the best of God in some bargain with him, or that we might somehow succeed in using him for our purposes. Anyone who thinks this is a problem has seriously underestimated the intelligence and agility of our Father in the heavens. He will not be tricked or cheated.”
(Dallas Willard)