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 2/17/99 Good Morning.... +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ The cry of our souls can be satisfied only
with God......Let us seek Him. <>@<><JE§U§><<>@<><JE§U§><<>@<><JE§U§><<>@<><JE§U§>< Hey Dear Friends!! Hope this finds you well! Did you have a "hearty" Valentine's Day? ( Oh, wasn't that bad? Please hold the tomatoes! ) Before we begin, I'd like to ask you to do something, if it is possible. If you have a Bible handy, turn to Psalm 63 and slowly digest that chapter. Look at it as an "appetizer" before the main course. When Jimmy and I go out to eat, we sometimes order cheese sticks as an appetizer. You know, the ones with the mozzarella cheese, and when you bite 'em they stretch real far? Look at Psalm 63 as a good ole stretchy cheese stick before the actual meal. Chew it slowly!! See ya for dessert! I'll get the forks! ( smile ) You were created in the image and likeness of God. You were made for God's fellowship and your heart can never be satisfied without His communion. Just as iron is attracted to a magnet, the soul in its state of hunger is drawn to God. Though you, like thousands of others, may feel in the state of sin that the world is more alluring and more to your liking, some day--perhaps even now as you read these words--you will acknowledge that there is something deep down inside you which cannot be satisfied by the alloy of earth. Then with David, the Psalmist who had sampled the delicacies of sin and had found them unsatisfying, you will say, "Oh God, you are my God; early will I seek you: my soul thirsteth for you, my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land, where there is no water." -From: Day to Day with Billy Graham- <>@<><JE§U§><<>@<><JE§U§><<>@<><JE§U§><<>@<> "When they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples" (Mark 4:34). Our Solitude with Him. Jesus doesn't take us aside and explain things to us all the time; He explains things to us as we are able to understand them. The lives of others are examples for us, but God requires us to examine our own souls. It is slow work -- so slow that it takes God all of time and eternity to make a man or woman conform to His purpose. We can only be used by God after we allow Him to show us the deep, hidden areas of our own character. It is astounding how ignorant we are about ourselves! We don't even recognize the envy, laziness, or pride within us when we see it. But Jesus will reveal to us everything we have held within ourselves before His grace began to work. How many of us have learned to look inwardly with courage? -Oswald Chambers- <>@<><JE§U§><<>@<><JE§U§><<>@<><JE§U§><<>@<> Lord I'll Give You My Heart
Me again! Have you ever noticed how the message never changes? You can read loads of books, and attend thousands of seminars, but the message stays the same. SEEK GOD. Seek Him. It is so simple...yet, there are times when we make a well worn circle around that one issue. We yearn for spiritual growth, yet tiptoe around the one thing that yields it. Why? Why do we find it so hard to seek Him? To wait on Him? To listen for His voice? I'd like to offer a few possibilities if I may. First, let me tell you about a diet. Someone emailed me this neat diet, that allows you to lop off a few pounds in a hurry. You have to do exactly as it says, according to the instructions. No substitutions or variations on this baby. The way it is supposed to work, is there is a chemical thing going on, with this combination of foods. At least that's the best way a down home laywoman can explain it. After truckloads of collard greens and grits, this Southern Belle ( whose name I won't mention, but she is sitting in my chair ) could stand to shed a few chunks off her ringer. So, I thought I would try it. But, the analogy here, is not so much what lies within this diet, but the principle, or motive behind using it. Who wouldn't wanna knock off a few lbs. in just as many days? Here's my point: I think one reason we have so much trouble seeking God, is because the world is constantly bombarding our thought life with "a quicker fix." We are living in a time period, where convenience stores are on every corner. Why seek God, when we can pop in a tape, or scarf a banana split? Let's face it..we want to FEEL better. If we are in hard situations, we want all of the negatives to just "go away." The irony of all this, is the most obscure avenue is the one that is the most beneficial to our spiritual well being. Is the road to seeking God the one with the most resistance? Well, believe it or not, that is the one that will lead us in the right direction.
"The Way" is not a formula. It's a Person. One that we can relate to, talk to, listen to...and abide in. The battle we are waging is between flesh and spirit. The draw to the world is enticing to the flesh. The draw to the Holy of Holies is enticing to our spirit. Ever feel a restlessness, even after you've pigged out and gave the flesh everything it wanted? The restlessness is in your spirit. It needs to be fed. And the only way it can be satisfied is when it is in total communion with God. Incessant pampering of the flesh will never satisfy the inner man, no matter what "new thing" erupts, and no matter how hard we try. I obtained two more analogies from a couple of dear friends that I would like to share. The first one, is simple. It involves two dogs. You are the owner of these dogs. One represents the flesh and the other represents the spirit. The one that you care for and feed, is the one that will grow strong and healthy. Which dog are we feeding? The second analogy came to my other friend while she was walking in the park. She came across a landmark plaque that was written in Braille. She thought this was unusual, or in her own words, "stupid" because, she reasoned, "How can a blind person find their way out here and locate this plaque?" Then she realized, as long as they held on to the rail, it would guide them down the path, and allow them the same privileges of reading the plaques as their seeing kinsmen. So, she and I came up with the motto, "Hang onto the rail, so you can read the Braille!" These two analogies are targeting the most important area of our spiritual walk. Seeking God as an act of our will.
Let us be mindful to walk in the Spirit and "hang onto the rail" that leads us down the short and narrow path, so that we can "gather information," and gain spiritual insight. We have the option of choosing to feed the right dog, so that we can grow spiritually, and not react as the natural man.
I don't know how to read Braille, but for a blind person, it is a lifeline that allows the discerning of writings that bring great understanding. By the same token, the natural man ( you know, the one who has the healthy "flesh dog" ) cannot understand the things of the Spirit, but to those who are seeking Christ, it is a lifeline that allows us to discern the mysteries that only God Himself can reveal. Let us put our restlessness to rest, and feed the dog that will be at our side and bring great peace and security when the one that "steals, kills, and destroys" attempts to show his teeth. ( John 10:10 ) My canine critter eats Bibles and hangs out in closets. How bout yers? God Bless You Sweet People..! In Christ!!
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