Joshua 3; Psalm126-128; Isaiah 63; Matthew 11

I am a morning person and it does not take much for me to get excited when leaders I admire do important activities first thing in the day.

The next morning Joshua and all the people of Israel got up early, left the camp at Acacia, and went to the Jordan, where they camped while waiting to cross it. – Joshua 3:1  GNT

Joshua had made it a habit to do things early. It is a form of structure that seems to matter in my life.

If I took three Psalms that all speak into my need for God’s blessing in my personal, corporate and family life they would be Psalm 126-128.

They speak to my joy that I find in my journey which includes times of renewal and those come when I pray and when I plan to give.

They speak to my dependence of God when I am working. Instead of worrying or even working too much overtime, I should be realizing that I am not the one that will bring blessing to my family, especially if this is my path. God is the one who will bless them and I need to be aware of that and give Him what is rightfully His.

There is a strong message that speaks to me about my family and how blessed I am to have a family that is being looked after by God. I pray every day that He will bless them.

Whenever I feel that God is not working in my life I look at these three Psalms and I also pray a prayer found in Isaiah 63:15-19. 

In fact, when times get desperate and I am not feeling His presence like I normally do, it is time to pray this prayer.

Desperate times require desperate prayers.

Even so, as I am in this very moment, I hear Jesus’ call to come and rest.

Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. – Matthew 11:28  GNT

Father, I come to you humbly and I know that You know I need You. I am looking for Your rest and I come to give You my heart and my mind so that I may be still before You. I choose to put all of my worries and things I think that matter on You. In this quiet space, can You once again speak to me and allow me to sense Your presence? Fill me with Your peace as I put my trust in You. Thank you. Amen.

Erwin (evanlaar1922)

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Isaiah 4-6; Matthew 23

I know the Lord is good and you may rightly respond – all the time.

So why is it that I step away from Him, try to find my own way, enjoy my own pleasures and even find spiritual words, tasks and behaviours to justify such behaviour?

Have I really stopped thinking about Him?

I am the Lord All-Powerful! Israel is the vineyard, and Judah is the garden I tended with  are. I had hoped for honesty and for justice, but dishonesty and cries for mercy were all I found. At your drinking parties you have the music of stringed instruments, tambourines, and flutes. But you never even think about all the Lord has done. – Isaiah 5:7,12  CEV

I have run into many followers of Christ who say they would never do what the Israelites did crossing the desert to the promised land.  I have said – how could they have forgotten and so quickly, what the Lord had just done one day before?

The words are hardly out of my mouth and I have done the very same thing on the very next day.

There is one secret though that I have found, and it is the most real I can get in my relationship with Jesus.  I fess up right away, I get clean right away, I set things straight and ask for forgiveness.  There is one thing I do not want, will not tolerate and will not accept in my life – the absence of the Holy Spirit.  A hard heart will turn Him away every time.  At some point I would be afraid that I actually might not let Jesus rule my life one day should I keep rejecting His love.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Your people have killed the prophets and have stoned the messengers who were sent to you. I have often wanted to gather your people, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you wouldn’t let me. – Matthew 23:37  CEV

Father, I know you care for me, You tend to my heart and whisper to me during the day.  You set up so many different ways to protect me in my walk.  Your love is felt as sweetly as the wind that blows around me when I walk and spend time in silent prayer with You.  I cannot believe though that I can, the very next day, not even think about You as I find myself busy, occupied, caught up in something so meaningless. But the beauty of it all is that I notice.  In noticing I can come and ask You to forgive me and You do.  Thank You for being so gentle and so present.  I love You.

Erwin (evanlaar1922)