Choices
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Remember the rhythm of being with Me. Remember the rhythm of rest as well as work. I’ve said this before: I am with you now, but living this life purely, resolutely, does take effort. It takes commitment and focus and resolve to stand fast with Me. It takes a heart stripped away of all burdens, all distractions. Everything in this world attempts to distract you from Me. But I give you what you need so you can do the things I’ve prepared for you to do. But you have to believe Me. And you have to live believing Me, with every action you take.
But maybe I am not what you are pursuing. What is it you are pursuing? What is it you are chasing? What is it you desire? What is it you spend most of your days thinking about, longing for? What is it you worry about, wonder about? What are you working toward, leaning toward? What do you hope to accomplish? What do you hope, more than anything, this life brings you?
Be intentional, my love, about the choices you make. You are designed to make choices alongside Me, with my guidance, so you are never alone. But the times you do feel alone are opportunities to probe your heart, considering what drives it, what consumes it, what drains it. You are meant to have a pure heart, and anything in it distracting you from living purely, with intention and good purpose toward my good plans for you, needs to be laid down. Give Me your heart again, my love. Don’t wrestle with that burden on your own.
So ask for more faith, and I will give it. So ask for more courage, and you will feel Me close. But that isn’t enough. Try it out now, the faith and courage I give you. Try out the presence of Me within you being enough for you, and do the things I’ve created you to do. I will purify your heart. I will keep you and strengthen you and carry you. But you won’t know I’m doing this unless you take some risks, trusting Me more than anything, anything, else.
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Will you join me in consecrating my mind and body and emotions to God today? Lord, I consecrate to You this time with You. I give You my heart—all my emotions, my joys, and my sorrows. I give You my mind—my thoughts and ideas, my intentions and expectations. I give You my body—the tension I carry, the weariness I feel. I give You my fears—the worries that keep me from rest. I give You my relationships—the connections that bring life and the ones that bring struggle. Come, Holy Spirit. I need You. I invite You in. Then dive into this Loop Encounter for a deeper experience with Him.
When our lives are bombarded with chaos, uncertainty, trauma, or pain, we long for peace. We might even pray for it, asking God to deal with the situation in our lives that’s going terribly, terribly wrong. And while our heavenly Father does love to rescue us and move on our behalf, we can still have peace even if our situations don’t change. Because, as this writer points out, true peace isn’t the absence of strife or the taking away of what is hurting us. “It is better understood as being whole, complete, and immovable in Christ Jesus. True peace isn’t found in perfect circumstances, but can be experienced amidst life’s troubles and trials. Perfect peace is ultimately found in a perfect Person.” → Read more.
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