Do you know the peace of Jesus Christ? When your life is being torn apart by calamity do you find rest and peace in Him? In Christ we find a peace unlike any other; not the carefree blue sky feeling of the trouble free, but the deep and abiding peace given in the midst of chaos. A peace that defies all understanding.
Today I celebrate my wife's birthday. I have lived with her longer than any other human being on earth, and in that time I have loved her without reservation. My love for her forms one of the foundation stones of my life, and like my love for Jesus Christ, it rests firmly upon God himself.
Are you prepared to pray? By that I mean, are you prepared to pray and receive the blessing of which you speak with God? So often we come to the Lord unprepared; living one life and praying as if we lived another.
Do you have a secret garden? You know, a secret place that you retreat to when you need to do some serious thinking? How about a quiet place where you go to be alone with God? Is it a place you can get to quickly and often? Is it away from all distractions? Do you begin your day there?
Do you have an inkling of worthiness? Do you feel that you are owed forgiveness or that in some way you deserve to receive Jesus? If so then you are not prepared for His coming or the arrival of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist knew what it felt to be unworthy.
The strongest people I know are poor in spirit. This life was not chosen for them, but they chose it for themselves. Do you know such people? Are you one of them? Perhaps you are wondering what I mean by this.
We say we are Christians but continue to live our lives of faith like suits of clothes; we treat our belief in Christ lightly and only let it brush up against our skin, when we should actually be taking Jesus into our very being, our hearts, making our faith like the communion meal reveals... part of us.
Are there things in your life that distract you from focusing on Jesus Christ? You know the ones... an unresolved argument that worries and distracts you during prayer, a problem with your home or automobile that nags at you when you sit to read and study scripture, or perhaps too many planned activities in your day that tempt you to place them before worship. Is this your life?
Are you sad today? I am referring to the sadness that occurs when we realize that Jesus is asking us to let something go that we believe we are unable to give up or that is impossible for us. Perhaps it is our wealth, but just maybe it is our poverty.
Would you recognize the voice of Jesus if you heard it? If He called your name would you know it was Him that called you? Probably not, but if, in an instant, He revealed all the moments in which He came to you in your life you would realize it was Him.
We all need to have a personal relationship with God, not just be casually aquatinted, but to know each other intimately. Is your faith the product of listening to others or do you have personal experience with God?
Have you ever stopped to consider that not every misfortune that you face in life is put upon you by Satan? Some are just natural occurrences of living, through which we exercise the lessons of faith we have been taught, but others are the correction of the Father as he chastises us.
Does God speak to you every day? If your answer is no, are you certain of that? It is my experience that God seldom shouts at us; His voice is gentle and requires a certain stillness of spirit if we are to converse with Him. Still yourself and listen.
Two individuals enter into a wedding ceremony, but one flesh emerges from a life together. This is a beautiful mystery, and it is fraught with hardship and challenge. Are we ready for the flame that purifies a marriage? Are we prepared to endure the fire and become one ash in the palm of God?
Are you ready to step forward in faith into a new role of servitude? Our inclination is to go only so far and then fall dutifully in behind our spiritual mentors, allowing them to lead us from there. However, God would have use step through that moment and cross into a larger life with Him. This is an inevitable event.