How many days I've wandered.
Confused in my own thoughts.
Trying to reason, trying to understand.

If you've ever suffered times of hopelessness, uncertain of which way to turn, I totally get it. You think back on days when life seemed easier. The times when your routine was simple and ordered.

Maybe you've made a choice that has turned your world upside down. You can't take it back. You can't get a do-over. But it's so hard to move forward when you're beating yourself up, wishing you could just re-wind.

You are totally normal.
Everyone feels this way at times.

It's how disciples must have felt after they had been following Jesus for three years. They grew more and more dependent on His leading, believing t
all that Kingdom talk meant He was going to overthrow the Roman rule. They must have believed freedom was near.

Then He was crucified.
He was dead.
He was gone.

All their hopes and dreams died with Jesus. And they had no history book to make sense of it like we do.

So on that third day when He reappeared to Mary and the two on the road to Emmaus, the stories were just too much to believe.

But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women. Luke 24:11

How much like our life today.
Confusing, filled with nonsense, difficult to find our way.

Thankfully, we have hope knowing that Jesus left us the gift of His Spirit... the breath of life. How beautiful that He appeared to the disciples and He spoke a word of peace over them, then breathed on them.

But this was not just earthly oxygen and carbon dioxide exchanged. This was a holy breath, like that given at the creation of the first human.

Dust gathered together from earth, breathed into, life given... eternal life.

And we too can receive such.
The Holy Spirit, full of peace to take away the hopelessness.
The Holy Spirit, living within us daily to light the way in darkness.
The Holy Spirit, comforting us, even in the lonely times.

Breathe in, Christian...
RECEIVE the breath of Christ.
The Holy Spirit is yours for the taking.

He can help make sense of the confusion.
He can lead you even after a mistake.
He will love you no matter where you are, no matter what.

Breathe in, Christian...
RECEIVE Our Breath of Peace!

How infinite are the promises of God.

The sun and moon which He set into place at the Genesis of time, will one day be of no further use to Him. Such minor lights could never shine as brilliant as He, eliminating our reliance on the routine of such orbs.

How promising is our infinite God.

To consider that our days of sorrow will be over once we see Him face to face. The clarity with which our perspective will shift, away from the temporal, it's blurry edges ever shifting like shadows. But standing still in the warmth of His glory and grace surely will snap all edges into place, framing the focus of all creation on the one necessary and Everlasting Light.

Change.
It's the only part of life
that stays constant.

There are times in our lives
that we thrill for change...
to get a new car,

to watch our child
take their first steps,

to realize success after
much practice and hard work.

And then there are times
when we shrink from change
as it only brings grief...
to lose a job,

to watch a loved one suffer,

to realize tragedy
regardless of preparation.

Change.
We stand still sometimes,
holding on to nothing
but change.

Wondering where to go
and how to handle
what dangles by a thread.

We are not the first,
nor will we be the last,
to feel this change.

Now on the first
day of the week,
very early in the morning,
they, and certain other
women with them,
came to the tomb
bringing the spices
which they had prepared.

But they found the stone
rolled away from the tomb.
Then they went in and
did not find the body
of the Lord Jesus.
And it happened, as
they were greatly perplexed
about this, that behold,
two men stood by them
in shining garments.

Then, as they were afraid
and bowed their faces
to the earth,
they said to them,
“Why do you seek the living
among the dead?"
Luke 24:1-5 NKJV

This to be sure,
was a change
they hadn't expected.

He had come into
their lives, so vibrant,
so wise, so truthful.

They had laughed and cried
with Him... leading, loving, and
living while they listened
to everything He had to say.

He was different.
They had forgotten
how very much
He had changed their lives
up until that day...
that very dark and stormy day
that changed everything.

The whole world stood still
as they clung to that rocky place
beneath those three crosses.

Heads still spinning from
blurry days that passed too quickly,
they wondered how it all happened.
How was their friend,
their teacher, their leader
and companion, Jesus...
now this bloody mess of a man
hanging upon a cross...
a criminal gasping for air?

Change.
We stand still sometimes,
holding on to nothing
but change.

So these faithful women went,
early in the morning
with spices they prepared.

For even in times of change
that's what you do...
you return to what you know.

But they found the stone
rolled away from the tomb.
Then they went in
and did not find
the body of the Lord Jesus.
And it happened,
as they were greatly
perplexed about this.

These women did not know
what to do next...
this change had them
standing still in an empty place.

Have you been there?
I certainly have.

An unplanned event or
circumstance of life
will come along and knock me
off my feet and suddenly
I'm standing alone inside myself
in an empty place...
certain that no one else
really knows quite how I feel.

I mean, they say nice things,
they give me hugs and
are supportive and kind...
but they don't really KNOW,
not really.

To be honest...
I can't even tell you
quite how I feel.

I'm unsettled and changed.

But to be certain,
the advice these women received
was not quite the same
as that from our friends...
as kind and wise as they may be,
this was a different word.

...behold,
two men stood by them
in shining garments.

For these were messengers
And these angels, to be sure,
were given word from God as to
the whereabouts of Jesus,
saying...
Why do you seek the living
among the dead?

Clearly this to remind
these women of what Jesus
foretold...
"He is not here, but is risen!
Remember how He spoke to you
when He was still in Galilee, saying,
‘The Son of Man must be delivered
into the hands of sinful men,
and be crucified, and
the third day rise again.’”

And they remembered His words.
Then they returned
from the tomb and
told all these things to the eleven
​and to all the rest.
Luke 24:6-7

Now this to be certain was
a help to set these women
in the direction of the risen Savior.

But I don't want us to miss
an important message for our mess...
for our moments when we
are standing in the middle
of our unsettled change.

Why do you seek
the living
among the dead?

These are actually wise words
for us, having less to do
with tombs and dead bodies...

And much to do wiith
our mindset and moving past
those stand still moments
when we hold onto nothing
but change.

For what is it we are seeking?
We are looking to get to
the bottom of a matter...
to investigate, and to understand.

Do you really believe it will
always be possible to get to
the true and final facts...
the bottom of the matter of
why the change happened
in your life?

Because truthfully, even if you did,
how would it change
the current situation?

Maybe, just maybe, it would
give you insight as to how
to behave differently next time.
But it most likely would not change
your situation.

Could it be, that we
want to know why, more for
our own pride and satisfaction
than for how it would
change our situation?

Knowing the "why" behind
the change in our life, is honestly
unnecessary most of the time.

Because it will lead us back
into an empty grave...
a place for the dead
where we will just stand about
and talk about our problem.

But those angels with a message
from God said...
Why do you seek
the living
among the dead?

Meaning, why do we
stand about in the place
of our dead, empty past,
when we could be moving on
into our future?

Think about it...
Do we want life or death?
We cannot fully grasp life
while we hold onto pieces
that came before the change.
They are dead and should
be buried.

Other than memories, and maybe
lessons learned, it will not
do us any good to stand about
in an old tomb of regret.

I say, live life like the Mary's...
follow the advice of the angels
and step out of the tomb
to seek life among the living.

Let the past go
and move onto better things.

Let this word, change,
no longer be a limitation
but rather have new meaning.
For life lived outside the tomb
is actually OPPORTUNITY!

If we will trust God so show us
the next thing, rather than
holding onto the last thing,
we just may find our PURPOSE.

And how amazing it will be
as we became more fulfilled
with each change...
with each opportunity.

Word of God
train me today...
To trust You in the middle of this change.
​
To step into a new opportunity, even one
that stretches me and causes me to grow.

Today's post is written
from both sorrow and joy.

For it was the details of death
in which prideful men took pleasure,
finally having their way...

Now it was the third hour,
and they crucified Him.

And the inscription of
His accusation was written above:
THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Mark 15:25-26 NKJV

And our Savior hung there
exposed for all to see...
And those who passed by
blasphemed Him...
"Save Yourself, and
come down from the cross!”

Likewise the chief priests also,
mocking among themselves
with the scribes, said,
“He saved others;
Himself He cannot save.
Let the Christ, the King of Israel,
descend now from the cross,
that we may see and believe.”
Mark 15:29-32

​So now...
if He would come down,
they would believe?
I bet not.
These men could not be pleased.

But Jesus didn't come
to please the hearts of men.

Then Jesus said,
“Father, forgive them,
for they know not what they do.
Luke 23:34

But to be obedient;
as a vessel of forgiveness,
doing the will of His Father.
Even for these,
He drank the cup of suffering.
Even for me,
He bled and died.
Even for you,
He was beaten and spit upon.
Even for the ones indifferent,
He cried out His last breath...
“My God, My God,
​why have You forsaken Me?”

And this to be certain,
was the sound of...
Amazing Grace.

If you do not see the video below, click here.

Amazing Grace
how sweet the sound...
what a fascinating verse.

Have you wondered
what the sound of grace
might be?

For I have but a suggestion.
This verse, written just so,
in two of the four gospels...
And about the ninth hour
Jesus cried out with a loud voice,
saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”
that is, “My God, My God,
​why have You forsaken Me?
Matthew 27:46

Famous for being the last
words of Jesus, in human form,
it has been considered this,
to be His expression as He wrestled
with the powers of darkness
over the sins of man and the
separation from God the Father
for the first time in eternity.

If we trace His cry "with a loud voice,"
back to the original text,
we find that the word voice is
more accuratly defined as a sound...
this the SOUND of Amazing Grace.

Strong's Greek
5456 phóné: a voice, sound
the sound of uttered words;
those who begin to cry out,
or call to anyone, shouting...

For who of us,
even if able, to live a perfect life,
would give of ours, to suffer
so immeasurably, and then
give it over to these powers
of darkness and become separated
from God... this is ultimate death.

This, the reason for Jesus to cry out.
This the sound of Amazing Grace.
​
Word of God
train me today...
To spend a moment of silent praise today,
thanking You Lord, for the Amazing Grace
which You cried out for me.

To not get caught up in one moment of
complaint today over the tedium or this world's
troubles, but to remain joyful as an expression
of thanks for Your sacrifice on my behalf.

Prayer...
what is it exactly?

This illusive communication
with God that sometimes seems
as though we reach toward
the sky and wonder,
does He really hear us?

So here I bring to you
encouragement from One
who has been on the other side.
Jesus, who heard these prayers...
being spoken, stuttered,
whispered, cried, shouted,
doubted, and pleaded forth by us,
gave instruction to pray.

Not only that,
He, Himself was a man of prayer.
So He must have known,
even being the God-man,
the essential purpose and
life-altering need for it.

Even until His last days.
He was a man known for
His compassion and kindness,
yet, always able to be interrupted.
And still He never neglected
His routine and return
to familiar places to pray.

He went to the Mount of Olives,
as He was accustomed, and
His disciples also followed Him.
When He came to the place,
He said to them,
“Pray that you may not
​enter into temptation.”
Luke 22:39-40 NKJV

This, one of the last instructions
He would give them
before His death on the cross.

Did He ask them
to pray for Him?
Certainly He could have used it.

No. The only thing
He asked for Himself
was that they stay
alert and awake for Him.

But the prayer...
He said was for them.

So what exactly is prayer?
The Greek definition means
to interact with the Lord,
exchanging human wishes
and ideas for His desires toward
us as divine persuasion.
And during the prayer,
He imparts to us more faith.

So what specifically did
Jesus tell His disciples
to pray for at that time?

The instruction He gave
was to pray for themselves...
that you may not enter
into temptation.

Now we all have our
ideas about temptation.
But what Jesus was
referring to in this case,
was any distraction
internally or externally
which would divert
them from their divine purpose;
Anything which would
entice them to sin, causing
a lapse in faith or holiness.

While Jesus, Himself,
was praying
not to walk away from
taking on the cross...
bearing up under the burden
of the sin of the world.

And though He knew
His disciples would not
be able to stop this from
coming forth, He needed
them to see how prayer
girded us for such a divine
purpose and calling.

Jesus was leading
by experience.
He wanted His disciples
to watch His and pray.

He wanted His disciples
to watch and learn.

For He knew that after
His death and resurrection,
they too would be placed
under persecution and
would need to understand
how to handle the pressure.

Pray that you may not
​enter into temptation.

And this, not simply
a prayer for disciples
in the first century.

But clearly one for all of us
as we walk day to day,
seeking to live a full
and satisfying life in Christ.

Jesus set the example
in the Garden by
surrounding Himself
with those who would
love and support Him
in difficult times.

We should too.

Jesus set the example
in the Garden by
praying to God
when He felt weak and
in need of courage
to face the struggles
of an uphill battle.

We should too.

Jesus encouraged
His friends to pray because
life is not always easy
and will be filled with turmoil.
And He couldn't be
there with them physically,
but would be with them
in Spirit... nudging them,
like a friend, don't forget...
Pray that you may not
​enter into temptation.

We should too.

Look carefully then
how you walk!
Live purposefully, worthily
and accurately, not as
the unwise and witless,
but as wise, sensible,
intelligent people,
Making the very most of the time,
buying up each opportunity,
because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16 AMPC

Word of God
train me today...
To pray that I will not enter temptation,
walking into a traps set before me.

To look carefully how I walk,
to live purposefully, and
receive Your wisdom, freely given
to buy opportunities for my future.