I HAVE AWAKENED IN YOUR HEART Strong desire to know Me. This longing originated in Me, though it now burns brightly in you.
Dear Jesus, Thank You for awakening our hearts! Before we knew You, we tried to find life in many different places. Often we would think we had found what we were searching for - only to be disappointed later. After we became thoroughly disillusioned, You reached down and took us into Your own family. Years later, we began thirsting for you: longing to know You at a deeper heart level. We set aside time to meet with You as our living God - vibrantly present with us.
Beloved, when you set out to know Me more intimately, I rejoiced but I wasn't surprised. I had been pursuing you long before you began your quest. I was working in our life experiences, as well as in your heart, mind and spirit. Your desire for a closer walk with Me grew out of My painstaking work in you. I initiated our longing for Me, and your response delights Me.
It is important for you to know Me as the Initiator in our relationship. If you think it is your spiritual disciplines that keep you close to Me, you are at risk. Some days you may skimp on your time with Me or not be able to concentrated well. If you are depending on your own efforts to stay near Me, you will feel distant from Me at such times. But if you are relying on Me - what I have done, am doing, will do - you know My Love for you is always assured. So you can rest in Me: trusting in My unfailing Love, flourishing in My abiding Presence.
- Jesus
(Dear Jesus / Sarah Young)
Scripture Insight: Proverbs 4:23; Psalm 42:2; John 15:5 and Psalm 52:8
Friday, September 25, 2015
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Human Weakness, Consecrated To Me, Is Like A ...
HUMAN WEAKNESS, CONSECRATED TO ME, IS LIKE A Magnet - drawing My Power into your weakness.
Dear Jesus, This is good news! We have plenty of weaknesses to bring to You. We have suspected for some time that our weaknesses are more useful to You than our strengths. Please teach us how to consecrate all of ourselves to You.
Beloved, this is a contagious request. Consecrating yourself to Me involves abandoning yourself to My service and worship. You relinquish to Me all rights of control over your life. When you consecrate weaknesses to Me, you are inviting Me to use them as I will - for My Glory and purposes. This requires vulnerability on your part: willingness to let lowly aspects of yourself be exposed to public scrutiny. Since this goes against the grain of human nature, you may need to dedicate yourself to Me day after day.
Though consecrating yourself to Me is costly, the benefits far outweigh the cost. As you release your weaknesses to Me for My purposes, you become a treasure in My kingdom. Making yourself fully available to Me guarantees that your life will not be wasted. I will use it for My Glory! When you offer your frailty to Me for My service, I receive it as a sacred act of worship. In response, I dispatch My Power to you. My strength is fulfilled and
completed - shows itself most effective - in your weakness. Moreover, as you abandon yourself to Me, My Power pitches a tent over you and dwells with you. (2 Corinthians 12:9/Amplified Version)
- Jesus
(Dear Jesus / Sarah Young)
Scripture Insight: Romans 12:1; Leviticus 20:7 and Revelation 4:11
Dear Jesus, This is good news! We have plenty of weaknesses to bring to You. We have suspected for some time that our weaknesses are more useful to You than our strengths. Please teach us how to consecrate all of ourselves to You.
Beloved, this is a contagious request. Consecrating yourself to Me involves abandoning yourself to My service and worship. You relinquish to Me all rights of control over your life. When you consecrate weaknesses to Me, you are inviting Me to use them as I will - for My Glory and purposes. This requires vulnerability on your part: willingness to let lowly aspects of yourself be exposed to public scrutiny. Since this goes against the grain of human nature, you may need to dedicate yourself to Me day after day.
Though consecrating yourself to Me is costly, the benefits far outweigh the cost. As you release your weaknesses to Me for My purposes, you become a treasure in My kingdom. Making yourself fully available to Me guarantees that your life will not be wasted. I will use it for My Glory! When you offer your frailty to Me for My service, I receive it as a sacred act of worship. In response, I dispatch My Power to you. My strength is fulfilled and
completed - shows itself most effective - in your weakness. Moreover, as you abandon yourself to Me, My Power pitches a tent over you and dwells with you. (2 Corinthians 12:9/Amplified Version)
- Jesus
(Dear Jesus / Sarah Young)
Scripture Insight: Romans 12:1; Leviticus 20:7 and Revelation 4:11
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
When You Walk Through A Day With ...
WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH A DAY WITH childlike delight, savoring every blessing, you proclaim your trust in Me, your ever-present Shepherd.
Dear Jesus, We would love to go through our days with childlike delight - enjoying every blessing You provide. However, we are rarely that lighthearted. Oh, we have our moments: times when we rejoice in You and with You. We long for those bright moments, which punctuate the timeline of our days, to spread out and cover increasingly more of our lives.
Beloved, this is a good desire, but you cannot achieve it through self-discipline or by trying harder. Your ability to rejoice in Me with childlike delight flows out of your relationship with Me. Think of all it means to have Me as your Shepherd. My full-time job is watching over you, taking care of you. Because I am infinite, I can care for you as if you were My only "sheep." Remember that I am the Good Shepherd. When danger threatens, I never abandon you. I have even gone so far as to lay down My Life for you. I, the Good Shepherd, know My sheep and My sheep know Me - just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. Chew on that awesome truth as you lie down and rest in green pastures.
To walk through a day with carefree delight, you must trust in My Love with childlike certainty. Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing Love for you will not be shaken. The more you trust in this unfailing Love, the more you can enjoy My Presence. Look trustingly to Me while we journey together, and I will point our delights along the way. As you savor these pleasures, your bright moments will multiply in the Light of My Presence.
- Jesus
(Dear Jesus / Sarah Young)
Scripture Insight: Psalm 23:1-2; John 10:14-15 and Isaiah 14:10
Dear Jesus, We would love to go through our days with childlike delight - enjoying every blessing You provide. However, we are rarely that lighthearted. Oh, we have our moments: times when we rejoice in You and with You. We long for those bright moments, which punctuate the timeline of our days, to spread out and cover increasingly more of our lives.
Beloved, this is a good desire, but you cannot achieve it through self-discipline or by trying harder. Your ability to rejoice in Me with childlike delight flows out of your relationship with Me. Think of all it means to have Me as your Shepherd. My full-time job is watching over you, taking care of you. Because I am infinite, I can care for you as if you were My only "sheep." Remember that I am the Good Shepherd. When danger threatens, I never abandon you. I have even gone so far as to lay down My Life for you. I, the Good Shepherd, know My sheep and My sheep know Me - just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. Chew on that awesome truth as you lie down and rest in green pastures.
To walk through a day with carefree delight, you must trust in My Love with childlike certainty. Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing Love for you will not be shaken. The more you trust in this unfailing Love, the more you can enjoy My Presence. Look trustingly to Me while we journey together, and I will point our delights along the way. As you savor these pleasures, your bright moments will multiply in the Light of My Presence.
- Jesus
(Dear Jesus / Sarah Young)
Scripture Insight: Psalm 23:1-2; John 10:14-15 and Isaiah 14:10
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
While You Wait In My ...
WHILE YOU WAIT IN MY Presence, I do My best work within you: transforming you by the renewing of your mind. Do not skimp on this vital time with Me.
Dear Jesus, When there is work staring us in the face, it is a challenge to wait in Your Presence. Our eager, active mind wants to plunge into the day's duties so that we can scratch them off our to-do list. We struggle to remember that Your work is more important than mine. We need to give You time to transform us.
Beloved, consider the work I am doing in you. Among other things, I am renovating your mind - a big job! As I shine the Light of My Presence into your mind, darkness flees and deception is unmasked. However, there are many crevices in your brain: places where old thought patterns tend to hide. My Spirit within you can search out and destroy those enemies, but He awaits your cooperation. Perhaps you consider waiting in My Presence a passive use of time, but it actually requires a lot of effort. Habitual ways of thinking do not die easily. When the Spirit shares His light on a hurtful thought pattern, you need to capture it by writing it down. Then bring it to Me, so we can examine it together. I will help you find the distortions and replace them with biblical truth.
The more you focus on Me and My Word, the more you can break free from distorted thoughts. Most of the distortions stem from childhood or from traumatic experiences you have endured. So the patterns are deeply etched into your brain. You may need to recapture the same thought many times before you gain mastery over it. But all that effort leads to a marvelous result: increased freedom to think My thoughts and commune deeply with Me. Wait with Me while I renovate you - from the inside out!
- Jesus
(Dear Jesus / Sarah Young)
Scripture Insight: Psalm 130:5; Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 10:5
Dear Jesus, When there is work staring us in the face, it is a challenge to wait in Your Presence. Our eager, active mind wants to plunge into the day's duties so that we can scratch them off our to-do list. We struggle to remember that Your work is more important than mine. We need to give You time to transform us.
Beloved, consider the work I am doing in you. Among other things, I am renovating your mind - a big job! As I shine the Light of My Presence into your mind, darkness flees and deception is unmasked. However, there are many crevices in your brain: places where old thought patterns tend to hide. My Spirit within you can search out and destroy those enemies, but He awaits your cooperation. Perhaps you consider waiting in My Presence a passive use of time, but it actually requires a lot of effort. Habitual ways of thinking do not die easily. When the Spirit shares His light on a hurtful thought pattern, you need to capture it by writing it down. Then bring it to Me, so we can examine it together. I will help you find the distortions and replace them with biblical truth.
The more you focus on Me and My Word, the more you can break free from distorted thoughts. Most of the distortions stem from childhood or from traumatic experiences you have endured. So the patterns are deeply etched into your brain. You may need to recapture the same thought many times before you gain mastery over it. But all that effort leads to a marvelous result: increased freedom to think My thoughts and commune deeply with Me. Wait with Me while I renovate you - from the inside out!
- Jesus
(Dear Jesus / Sarah Young)
Scripture Insight: Psalm 130:5; Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 10:5
Monday, September 21, 2015
Do Not Fear My ...
DO NOT FEAR MY Will, for through it I accomplish what is best for you. Take a deep breath, and dive into the depths of absolute trust in Me.
Dear Jesus, Although we often pray for Your will to be done, at times we are fearful of what this may involve. We know that Your will sometimes includes pain. When we are hurting - physically, emotionally, spiritually - we search for ways to relieve or escape our pain. This easily becomes our focus, as we obsess about how to solve our problems. Help us really believe that Your way is perfect.
Beloved, this is a good request, but the answer will not be easy. It is natural that you want to minimize pain. However, natural responses are often not the best. In My Word I continually call you to transcendent living - going beyond what is natural to what is supernatural. My will is far deeper than your understanding. Though My ways may entail sacrifice and pain. I accomplish through them not just what is good for you - but what is best.
Beneath the surface of this life - completely beyond your awareness - there are countless interconnections of people and events. Things that appear senseless to you make perfect sense when you can view the total picture. Occasionally I may give My followers glimpses of the big picture, to strengthen and encourage them. Generally, though, I call My people to live by faith not by sight. Sometimes that will be frightening, like diving into water so deep that it seems bottomless. You need utter trust in Me to push through your fear into those unknown depths. After diving in, though, your buoyant body will gradually rise to he surface. You keep swimming till you are exhausted. When you can go on no longer, you begin to sink. However, just before your head goes under, your feet touch something solid! You realize My hands are beneath your feet. I am your Refuge and dwelling place, underneath are the everlasting arms.
- Jesus
(Dear Jesus / Sarah Young)
Scripture Insight: 2 Samuel 22:31; 2 Corinthians 5:7 and Deuteronomy 33:27
Dear Jesus, Although we often pray for Your will to be done, at times we are fearful of what this may involve. We know that Your will sometimes includes pain. When we are hurting - physically, emotionally, spiritually - we search for ways to relieve or escape our pain. This easily becomes our focus, as we obsess about how to solve our problems. Help us really believe that Your way is perfect.
Beloved, this is a good request, but the answer will not be easy. It is natural that you want to minimize pain. However, natural responses are often not the best. In My Word I continually call you to transcendent living - going beyond what is natural to what is supernatural. My will is far deeper than your understanding. Though My ways may entail sacrifice and pain. I accomplish through them not just what is good for you - but what is best.
Beneath the surface of this life - completely beyond your awareness - there are countless interconnections of people and events. Things that appear senseless to you make perfect sense when you can view the total picture. Occasionally I may give My followers glimpses of the big picture, to strengthen and encourage them. Generally, though, I call My people to live by faith not by sight. Sometimes that will be frightening, like diving into water so deep that it seems bottomless. You need utter trust in Me to push through your fear into those unknown depths. After diving in, though, your buoyant body will gradually rise to he surface. You keep swimming till you are exhausted. When you can go on no longer, you begin to sink. However, just before your head goes under, your feet touch something solid! You realize My hands are beneath your feet. I am your Refuge and dwelling place, underneath are the everlasting arms.
- Jesus
(Dear Jesus / Sarah Young)
Scripture Insight: 2 Samuel 22:31; 2 Corinthians 5:7 and Deuteronomy 33:27
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Living Close To Me Is A ...
LIVING CLOSE TO ME IS A way of continual newness. I, the Creator of the universe, am more creative than you can imagine.
Dear Jesus, We love living close to You. It satisfies deep longings in us. We confess, though that we are a creature of habit. When we find a way of approaching You that works, we stick with that method - making it part of our routine. As we discover other means of drawing near to You, we add them to our routine as well. This approach helps us to be faithful in praying, but it is definitely not a way of continual newness. We would like to be more creative in our relationships with You, yet we don't want to abandon our old ways completely.
Beloved, your desire to live close to Me delights My heart. I'm also pleased that you are committed to praying for people and situations on a regular basis. I understand the tension you feel between being faithful in your prayers and being creative. Because your mind is both fallen and finite, you are not capable of continual creativity. Your routine prayers help you cover a wide range of praises and petitions without overtaxing your brain. But that very efficiency carries with it a danger. You can sleepwalk through your regular prayers. To avoid doing that , make use of the massive Power source within you - the Holy Spirit. He will help you stay alert, as you invite Him to empower your prayers with Life.
I'm not asking you to abandon your old ways of praying, but I am challenging you to seek new ways of communing with Me. You are capable of much more creativity than you realize, because I made you in My own image and put My Spirit within you. As you ponder ways to bring Me pleasure, I "tiptoe" closer to you. If you listen attentively, I will whisper some ideas in your mind. Seeking fresh ways to commune with Me will awaken your soul and enliven your relationship with Me.
- Jesus
(Dear Jesus / Sarah Young)
Scripture Insight: Genesis 1:1; Ephesians 6:18 and Psalm 57:10-11
Dear Jesus, We love living close to You. It satisfies deep longings in us. We confess, though that we are a creature of habit. When we find a way of approaching You that works, we stick with that method - making it part of our routine. As we discover other means of drawing near to You, we add them to our routine as well. This approach helps us to be faithful in praying, but it is definitely not a way of continual newness. We would like to be more creative in our relationships with You, yet we don't want to abandon our old ways completely.
Beloved, your desire to live close to Me delights My heart. I'm also pleased that you are committed to praying for people and situations on a regular basis. I understand the tension you feel between being faithful in your prayers and being creative. Because your mind is both fallen and finite, you are not capable of continual creativity. Your routine prayers help you cover a wide range of praises and petitions without overtaxing your brain. But that very efficiency carries with it a danger. You can sleepwalk through your regular prayers. To avoid doing that , make use of the massive Power source within you - the Holy Spirit. He will help you stay alert, as you invite Him to empower your prayers with Life.
I'm not asking you to abandon your old ways of praying, but I am challenging you to seek new ways of communing with Me. You are capable of much more creativity than you realize, because I made you in My own image and put My Spirit within you. As you ponder ways to bring Me pleasure, I "tiptoe" closer to you. If you listen attentively, I will whisper some ideas in your mind. Seeking fresh ways to commune with Me will awaken your soul and enliven your relationship with Me.
- Jesus
(Dear Jesus / Sarah Young)
Scripture Insight: Genesis 1:1; Ephesians 6:18 and Psalm 57:10-11
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Instead of Gazing Into The ...
INSTEAD OF GAZING INTO THE Unknown Future live each moment in joyful awareness of My Presence. I hold your future safely in My hands. It will unfurl before you as you go step by step through each day.
Dear Jesus, We love this imagery. It reminds us of seeing red carpet rolled out in front of an honored person. We are blessed by knowing that You hold our future safely in Your hands: releasing it to us moment by moment. Help us enjoy the wonder of Your Presence - accessible to us only in the present.
Beloved, I want to teach you how to spend more of your time in the present. The future, as most people conceptualize it, does not really exist. I hold it far beyond the reach of any person. When you or others gaze into the future, making predictions, you are simply exercising your imagination. I alone have access to what is "not yet," because My existence isn't limited by time. As you go step by step through each day, I unroll the future before you. While you walk forward on the red carpet of time, you never set foot on anything but the present moment. Recognizing the futility of future gazing can help set you free to live more fully in the present. The freer you become, the more you an enjoy the reality of My Presence.
Becoming free is a demanding process, because your mind is accustomed to wandering into the future at will. When you find yourself engaged in such thoughts, recognize that you are roaming in a fantasy land. As you awaken yourself with this truth, its as if the ground drops out from under whatever you were fantasizing. This helps you return to the present: the here and now. I eagerly await you, ready to enfold you in My unfailing Love.
- Jesus
(Dear Jesus / Sarah Young)
Scripture Insight: Ecclesiastes 8:7; Revelation 1:8 and Psalm 32:10
Dear Jesus, We love this imagery. It reminds us of seeing red carpet rolled out in front of an honored person. We are blessed by knowing that You hold our future safely in Your hands: releasing it to us moment by moment. Help us enjoy the wonder of Your Presence - accessible to us only in the present.
Beloved, I want to teach you how to spend more of your time in the present. The future, as most people conceptualize it, does not really exist. I hold it far beyond the reach of any person. When you or others gaze into the future, making predictions, you are simply exercising your imagination. I alone have access to what is "not yet," because My existence isn't limited by time. As you go step by step through each day, I unroll the future before you. While you walk forward on the red carpet of time, you never set foot on anything but the present moment. Recognizing the futility of future gazing can help set you free to live more fully in the present. The freer you become, the more you an enjoy the reality of My Presence.
Becoming free is a demanding process, because your mind is accustomed to wandering into the future at will. When you find yourself engaged in such thoughts, recognize that you are roaming in a fantasy land. As you awaken yourself with this truth, its as if the ground drops out from under whatever you were fantasizing. This helps you return to the present: the here and now. I eagerly await you, ready to enfold you in My unfailing Love.
- Jesus
(Dear Jesus / Sarah Young)
Scripture Insight: Ecclesiastes 8:7; Revelation 1:8 and Psalm 32:10
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