My apologies to Sarah Young, the author of “Jesus Calling.” Once again I am using an excerpt without her permission.
I constantly marvel at the insight of this woman. So often I will open this little book and it’s as if He is talking to me. It’s silly, of course. He IS talking to me If I stop and think that this book was written by Jesus himself and Sarah was blessed to be the vessel, then it all makes sense.
So often we think that we are the only ones in the universe that ever felt the way we are feeling. We keep foolishly believing that we are all alone in this! We – well, I am not one to point fingers so I will just speak of myself in this regard – I can be as myopic as those Israelites, who kept saying, “I know you did all this for me, but that was last week! Now I’m in trouble again and I need help and I’m worried I won’t get it!”
This is absolutely why repetition was invented. We humans need to be reminded daily – hourly – minutely – that God loves us and he wants the best for us and if we just give Him half a chance He will lead us in the right direction with untold blessings waiting just around the corner.
From “Jesus Calling” this morning:
When you are plagued by a persistent problem – one that goes on and on – view it as a rich opportunity. An ongoing problem is like a tutor who is always by your side. The learning possibilities are limited only by your willingness to be teachable. [yikes! Bulls eye!] In faith, thank Me for your problem. Ask Me to open your eyes and your heart to all I am accomplishing through this difficulty. Once you have become grateful for a problem, it loses its power to drag you down. On the contrary, your thankful attitude will lift you up into heavenly places with Me. From this perspective, your difficulty can be seen as a slight, temporary distress that is producing for you a transcendent Glory never to cease!
Isaiah 30 says:
he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.
20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:
21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Great words! What that says to me is: When I cry out for help, the Lord hears me and he will answer and even if I have adversity and affliction in my life (sickness, financial trouble, NO JOB, the list is endless…), if I listen, I will hear Jesus speak to me (not audibly but) I will know the right direction to go. I have a habit of praying that the Lord will give me wisdom and along with that to please give me enough wisdom to know when I receive it!
2 Corinthians Chapter 4 says:
but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
That says to me: even though I am getting older and my body breaks down and I will eventually die, if I concentrate on what is really important – the things that can’t be seen with human eyes — God continues to teach me and mold me and guide me and my mind and heart will be renewed each day and filled with peace and joy.
HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW
Written by C D Martin, Charles Hutchison Gabriel
Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
musingsbyevajean 