Jesus... did You ever wonder...? (a prayer)

Jesus... did You ever wonder... if You were heard...?
speaking to hundreds... thousands...
from a boat... on a mount...
children bounding... people sleeping... chatting...

Did You ever wonder if it made a difference...?
Did You ever doubt Your calling...?

I'd have to say... Yes... since You were tempted... tried... in all things...

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize

with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect

has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15 ESV

On the cross... did You think it all a waste...?

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, sayng,

"Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is "My God, My God,

why have you forsaken me?"

Matthew 27:46 ESV

I find comfort... encouragement... knowing You struggled with doubt...

I find the Way to resist discouragement... just as You did...

running to Your Father... daily...

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark,

he departed and went out to a desolate place,

and there he prayed.

Mark 1:35 ESV

Thank You for showing the Way...

remains...

On a day where He's seemed fairly quiet...
I find comfort in the fact... He remains...

Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,

and the heavens are the work of your hands.

They will perish, but you will remain;

they will wear out like a garment.

You will change them like a robe,

and they will pass away,

but you are the same,

and your years have no end.

Psalm 102:25-27 ESV

He remains... 

near...

forever...

unchanged...

Grateful... He... remains...

Wheat among weeds...

The hard living as wheat among weeds... is where Jesus lived too...

Some disciples grumbled at His Word... I am the Bread of Life...
He said...

"Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see

the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.

The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

But there are some of you who do not believe."

(For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were

who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)

John 6:61-64 ESV

Jesus let both Believers and unbelievers follow Him...
but eventually He said something offensive...
the offended... the weeds... stopped following...

Jesus dealt with rejection... just as we do...
those who try to follow His Word and His Way...

He knows how hard it is to be Wheat among weeds...
He knows the wheat from the weeds...

Find comfort and peace...
in the fact that He knows...

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.

I do not give to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled

and do not be afraid. ..." ---Jesus

John 14:27

finding comfort in His Word...

When the silence breaks...
the news... what you expected...
but not what you hoped...
seek Him... in His Word...
find comfort... for a hurting heart...

Remember your word to your servant,

in which you have made me hope.

This is my comfort in my affliction,

that your promise gives me life.

Psalm 119:49-50 ESV

Amen...

finding comfort in what He sees...

I read it this morning... in the reading through...

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said concerning him, See! Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor falsehood nor duplicity!

Nathanael said to Jesus, How do You know me? [How is it that You know these things about me?] Jesus answered him, Before [ever] Philip called you, when you were still under the fig tree, I saw you.

John 1:47-48 Amp

 ... Before [ever]... I saw you...

Jesus... He sees... before ever...
Before ever... we were created...
Before ever... we knew Him...
Before ever... He saw us... you... me...

And this word... saw...  it captured... so I dug...

...saw... translated from the Greek... eido... meaning... to see... i.e. to turn eyes, the mind, the attention to anything... to pay attention, observe... to experience... to know, i.e. get knowledge of, understand, perceive... to have regard for one, cherish, pay attention to...

Jesus sees in a way that looks deep... into the heart... and with love...

Jesus sees... and knows...

And I find this word... eido... in another place...

... your Father knows (eido) what you need before you ask him...

Mark 6:8

He sees... and He knows... but He doesn't look to judge... He looks for our needs... because He loves... and cherishes... those He's created...

He watches over... and here... I find comfort... 

my Creator...

my Heavenly Father...

He sees...

He knows... understands...

and loves...

eternal... comfort...

Today in prayer... praising Him as eternal...

The eternal God is your dwelling place,

and underneath are the everlasting arms.

Deuteronomy 33:27 ESV

Finding comfort... in a God who will not wear out... in the midst of my need...

Security found... in the truth...I will not outlive... His ability to rescue...

The humbling of yesterday still fresh...
living on the edge of forgetful... and out of control...
awed... by the eternal... everlasting... nature of God...
Who is never caught off guard...
never in over His head... or out of His league...
never surprised... never frazzled...
never at the end of His rope...

When I can't... He can...

I love this God... who has it all together...
perfectly... at all times...
whose strength... never... fails...

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

Isaiah 40:26

perfecting...

The verse from yesterday... the one He led me to in response to questions... arising from the quiet...

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;

Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever...

Psalm 138:8 Amp

The perfecting... of what concerns me... He will perfect that which concerns me... continues to echo...

So many concerns... things that... bear on... cares... troubles... engage... occupy... my mind... heart... will... emotions...

And the comfort and peace... that is found... in the truth... He will perfect... bring to completion... straighten out what's wrong... that which concerns me...

As only He can... He laid rest... to the questions... that arose... in the quiet...

His mercy... and loving-kindness... they come... through unexpected means... but He is always faithful... to encourage... in just the right way... at just the right time... 

For the word of the Lord is right and true;

he is faithful in all he does.

Psalm 33:4

continued thoughts... of Him... as Shield...

Continued thoughts... on the wonder of Him as Shield... a protective barrier... a cover...

...your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:3

Such a protective shield... only possible because... He shed His blood...

He died for our sin... that we might enter into His life eternal... by faith...

This truth makes the way steady... when things are rocky... whether internal... or external...

...[Lord Jesus] took the cup of wine after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant between God and his people --- an agreement confirmed with my blood. ..."

1Corinthians 11:25 NLT

(emphasis added)

His blood confirms... the new covenant... the promise... between... us and God... the barrier... that brings... peace...

He stands... at our defense...

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You give me your shield of victory,

and your right hand sustains me;

you stoop down to make me great.

Psalm 18:35

Do you know Him as your shield...?

I pray you do...

[Related fare:

seeking refuge...]

Immanuel...

Finding comfort in His name... Immanuel... God With Us...

Not just for me... but for those I love...

"...The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you;

he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Deuteronomy 31:8

an uncomfortable thought... from the summit...

As I continue to mull over all I heard at the Summit... there is one thought that makes me uncomfortable...

The theme of courage... connecting... offering compassion... are bound up in me... as if in a head-lock...

Being an introverted-perfectionist... it takes courage... for me to connect... step out... offer compassion... be seen...

The speaker who spoke about vulnerability... shared an excerpt from her book...

When we spend our lives waiting until we're perfect or bulletproof before we walk into the arena we ultimately sacrifice relationships and opportunities that may not be recoverable, we squander our precious time, and we turn our backs on our gifts, those unique contributions only we can make.

Perfect and bulletproof are seductive, but they don't exist in the human experience. We must walk into the arena, whatever it may be -- a new relationship, an important meeting, our creative process, or a difficult family conversation -- with courage and the willingness to engage. Rather than sitting on the sidelines and hurling judgment and advice, we must dare to show up and let ourselves be seen. This is vulnerability. This is daring greatly. 

---Dr. Brene Brown, Daring Greatly 

To climb into the arena of life... the one Jesus invites us to... the life abundant... is to dare greatly...

He calls us to a life of love... and as the speaker reminded us...

...love is messy, hard, tough...

She went on to say...

You can choose courage 

or you can choose comfort,

but you can't have both --- 

they are mutually exclusive...

Here is where it gets uncomfortable... I long to be courageous... AND... comfortable... but the reality is this combination does not exist... Remember... courage is only needed... in the face of danger... fear... or difficulty... Who needs courage if you're comfy...?

A challenge to step up to... one I pray I will not back down from...

A call to remember... Jesus Himself was not comfortable in His skin... He had no place to lay His head... He was led into temptation... His life was threatened multiple times... He was described as a man of sorrows... He sweat blood... He hung on a cross...

I choose the uncomfortable... I choose courage...

How knows... maybe one day... I'll become comfortable... with being... uncomfortable...

creation speaks...

Angst... the dominant feeling of the day...

An afternoon escape to the porch... seeking... asking...
Speak Lord... I'm listening...

Wind blows...
Birds sing...
Warmth of Spring surrounds...

Calm descends...
a nap overtakes...

A message received...
without a discernible word...

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities

--- his eternal power and divine nature --- 

have been clearly seen, 

being understood from what has been made...

Romans 1:20