Exodus 3; Luke 6; Job 20; 1 Corinthians 7

 

All from Luke 6 and my heart today:

In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. ¹³ And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: ¹⁴ Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, ¹⁵ and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, ¹⁶ and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. ESV emphasis mine

Lord, you see into the deepest depths of hearts. You called your disciples and you chose the apostles. You gave Simon a new name. You gave him the name: Peter. You knew the traitor: Judas Iscariot. You knew him for who he was- to the uttermost. You know me. And my spirit quickens…- what is my new name in You? You know the name.

⁷ And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, ¹⁸ who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. ¹⁹ And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all. ESV

…for power came out from him and healed them all.

Lord, you heal to the uttermost. All. You healed them all. The surging crowd. The troubled throng. The power of God to heal. With a word, with a touch, just in Your very Presence. There is no formula. There is only You.

The Beatitudes

²⁰ And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

²¹ “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

²² “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!²³ Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. ESV

The comforts. The place to run to when troubled, when struggling, when hurting in heart and soul. Only by your grace can I be eternally minded, O Lord. Only through you will I be enabled to rejoice! Help me to be oriented rightly toward you. The world presses. It presses. There are cares and concerns.

²⁷ “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.²⁹ To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic^[b] either. ³⁰ Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. ³¹ And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. ESV

Lord, hard words, but good. So good. Help me apply this to the specific situation in my life it belongs unto. Help me to love my enemy and bless those who curse. Help me live generously.

Lord, I free my spirit when I choose Your kingdom way. I release Your power in my heart and life when I lay myself down.

My favorite:

 ³⁶ Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.³⁷ “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; ³⁸ give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” ESV

And there is so much more. But here, I will halt. Lord, let me live a generous, poured out life. I want that good measure, shaken together, running over, pouring into my lap. Let me love mercy- not just in my head and with my words- but with my life. Let me draw close to You because knowing You is not about a formula- it is about a relationship, a union with the Living God. I bow my face to the ground. You are holy. Forgive me. You name me. You heal me. You are Mighty. You are Mercy. I will give. And giving is about more than material goods. It is a giving of myself to Your ways and Your goodness and Your heart and Your kingdom. Praise be!

Rebecca (offeringsbecca)