Tag: encouragement

magnetism

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It’s been quite thrilling, actually, reading Mme. Guyon’s book, “Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ.” Thrilling and challenging because it just speaks directly to my soul who thirsts for more of Jesus and seems to enjoy challenges.

She writes, “…God has a magnetic attracting quality! Your God is like a magnet! The Lord naturally draws you more and more toward Himself…As you move toward the center, the Lord also purifies you of all the things that are not of Him.”

I began to meditate on those words and the illustration she used in the following paragraph. Observe the ocean and the water that begins to evaporate. Think of how the vapor begins moving toward the sun. As the vapor ascends, it becomes more refined and purified. Mme. Guyon writes, “The purifying took place as the vapor was drawn up into the heavens!” As I do a lot reading her book, I thought, “Okay…I can picture that, I guess. Sounds reasonable. Now what?” And as often happens as I read her book, the Holy Spirit takes over. I suddenly recalled an encouraging word I read earlier in the day and Ezekiel 36:25-27.

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”

The Holy Spirit and my new BFF, Jeanne Guyon, are an awesome combination! I got it! God was getting through to not only my heart of stone, but my head of stone. I began to picture myself being drawn to my loving God, who loves me enough to draw me to Himself like a magnet. Then I could see something that absolutely thrilled me, I could picture that as was drawn close to my God, He was purifying me! Filthiness being vaporized. Idolatry left behind. A hard heart (and God willing, a hard head) replaced with a soft heart (and head. Soft head? Hmmm, that doesn’t sound right. But you know what I mean.). Filthiness replaced by His Spirit, giving me the strength to walk in obedience to God and His ways. Amazing!

How different that is from the magnet of sin that keeps pulling me toward things and thoughts and actions and words and behavior and the filth that keeps me separated from the God who like a magnet, yearns to draw me to Himself.

Father, thank you for your amazing love that keeps drawing me to You like a magnet, Your love that purifies my filth and softens my heart, and my head. Thank you!

Thank you, Father!

and thanks again, Jeanne!

another step!

 

 

sun

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The start of a new year always comes with a sense of excitement and anticipation for me. It’s like I get to have a fresh start in some ways. My mind wonders what God will bring in the coming year. There’s always a sense of wonder with a new year.

This year, I have begun to read a book that is unlike most books I tend to read. One day while meeting with someone, this book came to mind and I decided to read it. Madame Guyon, who some would describe as a French mystic, lived from 1648-1717, wrote a book entitled, “Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ.” The title page says that it was formerly entitled, “Short and Very Easy Method of Prayer; which all can practice with the greatest facility, and arrive in a short time, by its means, at a high degree of perfection.”

Now with a title like that, who wouldn’t want to dive right in. And I dive right in I did! So far, it has been a wonderful adventure of drawing closer to God. Short and very easy? Not so much, at least for me. One of the ways she suggests coming to the Lord is “praying the Scripture.” Here’s what Madame Guyon suggests: “Turn to the Scripture; choose some passage that is simple and fairly practical. Next, come to the Lord. Come quietly and humbly. There, before Him, read a small portion of the passage of Scripture you have opened to. Be careful as you read. Take in fully, gently and carefully what you are reading. Taste it and digest it as you read.”

“Turn to the Scripture; choose some passage that is simple and fairly practical. Next, come to the Lord. Come quietly and humbly. There, before Him, read a small portion of the passage of Scripture you have opened to. Be careful as you read. Take in fully, gently and carefully what you are reading. Taste it and digest it as you read.”  Madame Guyon

I felt God’s leading to read Ps. 19. I started to read and landed on verse 4-5. This is what I took in fully, gently, and carefully, tasting and digesting as I read: “God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.” And here’s what my first sense was: “What the heck?” I was wondering what God could possibly want to tell me in these verses. But I quieted my heart, rested in God’s presence, and waited. And waited. And waited. As impatient as I usually am, I began to sense a real peace, just being in the presence of God. It was nice. And then it happened.

“God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding

As I rested in the Lord’s presence, this thought came to mind. “Were you a radiant bridegroom? Do you remember how joyful were you that day you got married? Do you remember how thrilled you were becoming one with My gift to you in Jo?” I began to remember! Remembering how happy I was. How thankful to God I was. I remembered not being hungry at all at the reception because I was so excited. I remembered the first dance with my bride, which is a miracle because I don’t like to dance. I remembered how happy I was on that day. It was wonderful remembering, over 36 years later, that amazing and special day.

Then I sensed God’s voice. “Remember. Appreciate. Think of that day. Think of Jo. Think of Me. And whenever you see or feel the warmth of the sun, let it be a reminder to you of that wonderful day and how radiant you felt.” I stopped to think of how kind God is. How He loved me enough to give such a wonderful bride, wife, and partner to go through all the ups and downs of life with. How good God is! And to have the sun as a constant reminder of how good God is and how much He loves me is so amazing.

I remember thanking God and getting up from my desk thinking, Jeanne (Madame Guyon’s first name. We are on first name basis now!), you are on to something! Thank you. I look forward every day now, to experience more of the depths of Jesus Christ. I look forward to looking outside my window every morning, seeing and feeling the warmth of the sun, reminding me of that special day when I was a radiant bridegroom. And that God is there. He’s always been there.

Thanks, Jeanne! Another step!

 

keep going!

I was at a bookstore the other day and my eyes were drawn to a very interesting quote on a card. It read: “When you are going through hell, keep going.”

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At first I smiled as I saw the card. Then I began to think about it, ponder it. Thoughts filled my mind. The quote is attributed to Winston Churchill. Now there is some question whether he actually said this but it doesn’t really matter to me because I can see why it is believed he said it. From the little I know about Churchill and all the challenges he faced as a leader, I could imagine the hell he went through.

Thinking about the quote, I thought, “Hmm, that’s true, if I’m going through hell, why would I want to stay there? Instead of wallowing in a hellish situation or trial, doesn’t it make sense to keep on going! That’s not a destination the that is not appealing at all to me.” Wasn’t the message of that quote the exhortation of Scripture? Didn’t Paul go through hell? What did he do? He pressed on. He kept going.

“I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Phil. 3:14

Wasn’t it a huge transition for the Jews to leave their traditions behind to follow Jesus?They experienced the challenges that sin presents just like we do. What was the exhortation to them, keep going? And Jesus went through hell, enduring the cross. He endured and kept going.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” Heb. 12:1-2

“When you are going through hell, keep going…” I thought about that all day. I thought about Winston Churchill. I wondered, “What was Churchill’s motivation? What would inspire him to keep going, despite all he encounters, all the weight on his shoulders?” As I pondered that, I found a book, “God and Churchill.” On a whim, I purchased it.  Reading the story of this interesting man, I found his motivation.

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Churchill had a very memorable conversation with a close friend at the age of 16, about destiny, more specifically, their own. His friend asked, “Will you go into the army?” Churchill replied, “I don’t know. It is probable; but I shall have great adventures soon after I leave here.” As the conversation continued, his friend said quizzically, “You do not seem at all clear about your intentions or desires.” Churchill being Churchill shot back, “That may be but I have a wonderful idea of where I shall be eventually. I have dreams about it.” Then he said something incredible. He shared what I believe became his motivation, what inspired him to keep going. He had a dream, which I would say, was a prophetic dream from the Lord. A dream that would, very soon, come to past.

At the young age of 16, Churchill said of that dream,

“Well, I can see vast changes coming over a now peaceful world; great upheavals, terrible struggles; wars such as one cannot imagine; and I tell you London will be attacked and I shall be very prominent in the defense of London…This country will be subjected somehow, to a tremendous invasion, by what means I do not know, but I tell you I shall be in command of the defenses of London, and I shall save London and England from disaster.”

“Will you be a general, then, in command of the troops?”asked his friend. Churchill continued,

“I don’t know. Dreams of the future are blurred, but the main objective is clear…I repeat–London will be in danger and in the high position I shall occupy, it will fall to me to save the Capitol and save the Empire.”

That was absolutely astounding to me! The incredible dream. Seeing from history the incredible fruition of that dream. The seemingly unsurmountable challenges Churchill faced. That is where that quote finds its origin. “When you are going through hell, keep going…” Winston Churchill went through hell and kept going. An author of another book about Churchill wrote, “Without Churchill the world today would be unrecognizable–dark, impoverished, tortured. … Above all, victory required one man without whom the fight would have been lost at the beginning. It required Winston Churchill.”

Abiding and following Jesus brings all kinds of challenges, sometimes hellish troubles and trials. What will be my motivation to keep going? It must be the same with Churchill, God’s call on my life. Heading into this new decade of my life, I asked God if this could be the most significant, most fruitful, decade of my life. A decade that would bring Him much glory. I sensed God’s affirmation and encouragement. I felt God say, “Yes, it will be. You have and are being prepared. Keep abiding in My Son. And watch what I will do.” That is my motivation. What specifically does that mean? Churchill’s words resonate with me. “I don’t know. Dreams of the future are blurred, but the main objective is clear.” I don’t know but may this next 10 years bring God much glory. May I be so focused and motivated that I can say, “When you are going through hell, keep going.”

another step..going to to keep going!