Meditation — April 24, 2018
Posted on Tuesday, April 24th, 2018
Scripture: Jesus replied: “I have told you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name are my witness; but you do not believe, because you are no sheep of mine. The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from my hand.” John 10:25-28
Prayer: I viewed a beautiful sunrise from my window, by the time I went out for my walk to the beach, it was drizzling, cloudy, and deserted—though I was not lost.
Response: Wherever you find yourself, it seems, you have listened and listen to His voice. Though your hearing must have deteriorated with age, your hearing within has improved in contrast. Perhaps, that is the explanation for your devotion—you can’t claim a loss of hearing.
In your youth and later, you tried mightily to claim that in the bustle and chaos of life, you could not hear or decipher His call. Hah! But now in the peace of ages past, you hear with the enthusiasm of youth being summoned to join friends. Take a moment and reflect—is not your enthusiasm fired by the knowledge that you are being called to join friends and loved ones—past and present—who are beckoning to you in the grace of the Lord?
You will never be lost—Take these words into your heart and repeat them in silence. What a promise! What a blessing! Now share that blessing with someone who might be distracted. Be surprised to see how close that person is to you. Praise God!
All for this morning.
Meditation — April 23, 2018
Posted on Monday, April 23rd, 2018
Scripture: My dear friends, we are already God’s children, but what we shall be in the future has not yet been revealed. We are well aware that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is. 1 John 3:2
Prayer: I reflected upon this scripture verse quite early overlooking a garden of a azaleas in full bloom as a distant freight train’s haunting whistle sounded in the distance, warning motorists of its approach. I too paused in my thoughts and for some reason thought of my childhood on vacation with my parents in upstate New York. I too am a child of God, even in my years, expectant to see Him as He is.
Response: Indeed, you can not yet comprehend the depth of John’s words—“. . . when it is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”
“Be like Him,” don’t struggle or labor over the meaning of John’s words which he is passing to you from over two thousand years ago in this anointed inspiration. They are a gift for the nourishment of your soul which you are encouraged to unwrap with care and retain with you as a prize possession on your journey to eternity as His promise is fulfilled.
This time that surrounds you now is rushing forward. Endeavor to devote your prayers for loved ones who have not yet caught the promise and blessing that today’s words convey of the Lord’s love for you all. Praise God!
All for today.
Meditation — April 21, 2018
Posted on Saturday, April 21st, 2018
Quote: In the middle of the journey of our life I found myself astray in a dark wood where the straight road had been lost sight of. How hard it is to say what it was like in the thick of thickets, in a wood so dense and gnarled the very thought of it renews my panic. It is bitter almost as death itself is bitter. But to rehearse the good it also brought me I will speak about the other things I saw there. From Dante’s Inferno, Canto One
Prayer: My prayer most times is unconventional some would say. I came upon this familiar quote in the re-reading of The Heart Aroused by David Whyte. At my first re-reading after so many years following the sudden death of my spouse I was stunned into silence as the words captured who I was at the time living atop a mountain in West Virginia. However, in the passing years, the last line held even a deeper meaning than I can recall earlier. Thank you, Lord, for your presence in my life.
Response: One thing to keep utmost in your heart is that the Lord is present, His grace endures forever, that is, into eternity. You witnessed this truth this morning. The good that it also brought you—is a sentiment that you would have been hard-pressed to anticipate. Yet, you experience each day.
Do you understand that in that dark wood of Dante your heart was released from bondage and you can now see through the darkness into a light that you had not experienced earlier?
Celebrate the Lord’s grace in your life each day as you set out on your journey—though not the middle of your life. Continue to speak about and share those other things that you experience, especially on this morning as you prepare to leave for a few days. Praise God!
All for this morning.
Meditation — April 19, 2018
Posted on Thursday, April 19th, 2018
Scripture: May the words of my mouth always find favor, and the whispering of my heart, in your presence, Yahweh, my rock, my redeemer. Psalm 19 (Of David):14
Prayer: I spent some time reviewing the scripture for the day, and even scanned my bible to see if a verse or two caught my attention. I guess I am weary because no scripture caught my attention until David’s verse did, and I think hearing the whispering of my heart reflected where I am today. Be with me.
Response: As you know, heading out from the inn some mornings is more difficult that you would have expected. Your walk to the beach was similar to previous mornings, except—it just came to you—you did not devote time in prayer for those who surround your heart.
So, as you are reminded, prayer is not a routine to be followed in order to make a check mark next to some words in a journal, but rather a deliberate pause in time—in fact, the experience is the rapture of eternity—to witness in your heart the Lord’s presence.
So today, may a special effort to remember diligently those for whom you pray daily and make the effort to expand the list as your surroundings and the world surely require this devotion. Pray—Come Lord Jesus into my heart and grant me the grace, perseverance, and strength to pursue this path all the days of my life. Praise God!
All for this morning.
Meditation — April 18, 2018
Posted on Wednesday, April 18th, 2018
Scripture: Always be joyful; pray constantly; and for all things give thanks; this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Prayer: Scripture is sometimes a travel guide for places for me to visit—as Thessalonica is in Greece, or also becomes a whisper for the Lord to get moving! I was drawn to this scripture after viewing a message from “Food for the Poor” with a young boy of color looking beyond the camera lens, some food before him. What was he thinking, or dreaming, or hearing?
Response: Are you joyful most of the time? Do you pray constantly, that is, throughout the day and before retiring in sleep? Do you knowingly give thanks for all things—the break in the weather and the canal spread before you, the pleasure you experience with friends, the excitement of a project concluding upon which you have been working for some time, and most of all the sense of His being within you?
How can you not be joyful when your senses, your being, your purpose are all conscious of the Lord’s presence in all—yes all—seasons of your life. Is it the flow of the water outside on the canal that became motionless in this reflection, as you wonder where did the time go in voiceless prayer of thanks?
Yes, you must be a witness and encouragement for those who worry – worry why the water in the canal became still, why the years have slowed your gait. Why? So that you can slip away from the crowd and chaos to give thanks for all the things that cause you to be reflective and thankful. Praise God!
All for this morning.
