Within the Garden of my Heart

Sunday, October 19, 2014

1 Thessalonians 1:2-5 Chosen

Good afternoon Abba, Good afternoon Jesus, Good afternoon Holy Spirit,

We give thanks to God always for all of you,
remembering you in our prayers,
unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith
and labor of love
and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,
before our God and Father,
knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God,
how you were chosen.
For our gospel did not come to you in word alone,
but also in power and in the Holy Spirit
and with much conviction.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-5

Giving thanks to God always for all of you, is that not a beautiful image. An image that gently reminds you about all that you do for those you love, for those whom are in your life, for those who once were a part of your life, and for those who are of service in all the many places you go.

Knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen. Such a lovely caress... one of those "God shots." Those words that speak deeply to your heart, your memories, and your soul. Reminding us that we were chosen out of His love for us. Reminding us that He is faithful in His watch over us. That as we walk through this life, He will be our strength... our refuge... our defender.

The gospel did not come to us in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit. The blessing of the Holy Spirit.  The power of the conviction that the Holy Spirit is always with us. The Holy Spirit guides, comforts, protects, and takes our needs to our Lord. With much conviction the Holy Spirit will boldly stand for us, with us. We do not walk this path without the Holy Spirit. Such relief in knowing that I do not need to have all the answers.  In fact, I only need to rely on our Lord Jesus and the word of our Father (Abba), in order to have peace even in the midst of my storms. Don't get me wrong, I know... that I know... that it takes much work to proclaim our promises from the word of God.  Faith is not always easy, my trials can cause loneliness, heartache, anger, and a sense of being led astray... being betrayed.  Yet, He has never left me in the dark or abandoned me and not returned with His peace that surpasses all understanding.

There is so much in the world that wants me to get in a place of fear.  There are so many in the world that are trying to shame me into believing that our God, our savior Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are anything other than purified love.  I will not listen.  I will not watch.  I will not speak. I will believe... I will pray... I will praise with thanksgiving... for I belong to El Shadi my creator!

Today, if you are letting the world in to your life... right now take a moment to shut the door and windows and say... 
Lord, Jesus my faith is in you alone.
Here I am, take my life and do something good with it.
Let me bring a smile to Abba's face.
I belong to you.
Thank you for choosing me.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

James 1:27 Faultless

Good afternoon Abba, Good afternoon Jesus, Good afternoon Holy Spirit,

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans and widows in their distress 
and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1:27

Most of us know about tithing from our first fruits (the income from the works of our hands=10%). Many of us tithe back to Lord with donations, thru prayerful discernment we recognize an area that we are drawn to in order to help others. We even tithe with our "free" time by volunteering to help in so many ways. Since I learned that tithing is God's way of blessing us through our willingness to honor our abundance, I have had so many opportunities to give to others. Through that giving, I have been blessed beyond measure in my soul, within my heart, and with in my consciousness. It truly brings a spring to your step and joy that overflows in so many ways.

The area that is one of the hardest to accept and keep is in keeping oneself from being polluted by the world. Standing in faith is a merciful boldness. Being freed from our past is His gracious mercy for all our sins (not one is worse than the other). Yet, once we have made the decision to walk in His will... well that means we turn our back on all things that would not bring a smile to His face or honor to His name. What is of the world? With such wisdom He has given us the book of Proverbs. We are guided by the Holy Spirit to live righteous lives, to think only on that which He wants us to know, to guard our thoughts and our tongues in order to receive the fullness of His will for us.

With today's devotional time, I was so grateful for His reminder that once I take my focus off of my self and my desires... He will unveil the needs of the helpless. With a generous heart and loving willingness, I can be available for those in need. If the world's messages consume my "free" time, I will never be anything more than a loud gong to His ears.

Holidays are around the corner, what would Jesus us want us to be doing? The nations of the world are in desire straights making decisions about power and not lives. The press is all about political gain and "talking" out their wisdom. Our entertainment is dark, moody, and filled with slanderous discussions and lust-filled desires. Have we really become a generation that is easy to program?

Keeping ourselves from being polluted by the world... what does this mean to you?

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"Ask the Lord for rain in the Springtime; it iS the Lord Who SendS the thunderstorms.He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the fieLd to everyone." Zechariah 10:4