A Father's Dream

“They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”  Jeremiah 17:8

Rooted deep within

A river streams;

of Father’s dreams-

For children well and fed.

The heat may come,

The blazing sun-

Still we in radiant gleam.

A time of drought,

No worry pout,

For fruit will

Sweetly green.

Threshold

I stand at the

Threshold and wait,

As one door opens,

One key breaks.

I step inside and

light flickers on.

Just enough light for

The step I’m on.

Then you enter in

And my garden-

Full in bloom.

The scent is sweeter

Than the rarest

Perfume.

The light now

beckons me

to turn.

Even in darkness

I feel its burn.

Being His bride

And beloved friend-

I find I’m alive

And safe within.

Friendship

“Jesus, you are like an open book with pages yet to be written…” Cathy

There is a song I’ve been singing for years, “Knowing You” by Graham Kendrick.  

All I once held dear
Built my life upon
All this world reveres
And wants to own
All I once thought gain
I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now
Compared to this

Knowing You Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing
You're my all, You're the best
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love You

I was thinking about friendship. It takes years to build a good friendship.  It takes trials, set-backs, tests, and trust.  It takes investment.  Then over time we truly get to know each other and value each other.  We can sit in silence and enjoy the power of just being together.  There is so much to be gained through friendship.  In friendship we find true connection, meaning, energy, peace, and joy.  In friendship we connect to our true selves.

And how much more inspiring is the friendship of the Lord which builds us up over time in being faithful, in being present, in showing up on our behalf for so many years and in so many ways..

Nothing in all the earth compares to the power and simplicity of Knowing Him!

Jesus says, “I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”  John 15:15

Splendor

But I trust in your unfailing love;
    my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
    for he has been good to me. Psalm 13:5-6

When Peter is reinstated by the Lord after his denial, the Lord asks him three times, “Peter, Do you love me?” John 21:15-19

I think the question, “Do you love me?”  could be interchangeable with the question, “Do you trust me?”  I think many followers of Jesus would respond positively when asked if they loved the Lord.  But what if they were asked, “Do you trust him?”  I wonder if the response would be so favorable.

Trust is a difficult pill to take; especially when we consider the uncertainty of our future and we are called to step out into the unknown.  Trust is difficult when we have known failure and heartache.  But through it all, the question remains does God have our best interest at heart?

There are people all around us that can trigger painful memories, but can God turn those painful memories around for us in that they become healing agents for others, and become a launching pad to more trust in a Faithful God?

Someone once said, “Fear is the greatest enemy to faith.”  I would add, “Lack of Trust is, too.”

I don’t know which question will hold more weight in Glory, “Did you love me?  or Did you trust me?”  I think Love and Trust are divinely interrelated.

Brennan Manning, Author of “The Ragamuffin Gospel” once said, “How glorious the splendor of a human heart that trusts that it is loved!”

Life Abundantly

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…”  John 14:6

Jesus came that He might show us the Way of Love…

Jesus came that He might speak the Truth and bring light…

Jesus came that we “Might Have Life and that Life Abundantly.”

I am the Way-

Love is the right attitude in action.  1^st Corinthians Chapter 13 says, “Love is patient, Love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth.  Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.  Love never fails.”

I am the Truth-

Jesus always spoke the truth in love and the truth is like light shining in the night.  It’s penetrating, it’s piercing, and it’s brilliant.  “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light!” Isaiah 9:2

I am the Life-

Jesus came to conquer death once and for all and grant us life eternally.  So much of the Abundant life comes from being connected and filled with His Holy Presence, and to be able to experience the fruit of the Spirit which is, “love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

Jesus is the way, the truth and the Life!

“Come follow me, Jesus says, and I will send you out to fish for people.”  Matthew 4:19

A King

“I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in Spirit, to revive the Spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”  Isaiah 57:15

Can you imagine a King who left His throne and palace to go and live with His People?

Well, that’s what Jesus did.  There are many reasons why Jesus came to earth, but I believe one of those reasons is He was so attracted to humble and repentant hearts that he had to come closer.

He couldn’t let them go unnoticed.  He had to restore the crushed Spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.  These were His followers.

He wanted to be near them, to bless them, to affirm them-to bridge the gap between them.

So, this King didn’t just stop there-He said, I have to do one more thing.  I need to save my people.

I will ransom my life for theirs.  This is the highest and holiest act of love ever written.

And that’s the kind of King we serve, but the truth is He’s really the one who serves us….

"For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves?  Is it not the one who is at the table?  But I am among you as one who serves.”-Jesus (Luke 22:27)

Jesus Reigns!

The Holy City

I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. Revelation 21:2

The New Jerusalem is symbolic of many things but also of God’s fulfillment of His promises to His people.  Like the great, Consummation.

Consider brides, and all the preparing and planning it takes for their wedding day; hoping not one detail is missed.

This, concerning the New Jerusalem John prophesies, “The wall was made of jasper, and the city itself was made of pure gold, as pure as glass.  The foundations of the city walls were adorned with every kind of precious stone:  The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third, chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.”  Revelations 21:18-20

The New Jerusalem is a beautiful promise over time taking place, just like a bride waiting and preparing for the day she will be wed.

The parable of the 10 virgins is a beautiful parable of brides who kept their lamps burning for the bridegroom to appear.

And isn’t that the challenge for us all, will our hearts still be burning with the flame of love for the bridegroom when He returns?

Hold on to the promise-Fan into flame the Gift of God! (2Tim 1:6)