Hello special ones,
I wanted to share something very personal, because it just happened and I hope it will help and encourage you too.
I was getting ready to go out and walk this morning, and I felt the Lord tugging on my heart to spend time with Him in the Bible. I didn't struggle about it this time (as I have sometimes because of all the things I wanted to do), but thought "Yes, that would be wonderful." I am reading in Isaiah and Matthew 5–7, the "Sermon On The Mount," because I am asking Him to teach me about His kingdom (which is another lesson). For the past two days I have been studying the "Lord's prayer." I saw a portion in my mind on forgiveness that I needed to review and began to turn there, when my eyes hit Matt. 5:43–44. The title of this section is LOVE. I began to underline words: 1) Love, 2) bless, 3) do good, 4) pray. In my Bible it has teaching tools in the back and one section is on how to forgive. So I turned there. I usually try to do these things, but we all need reminders.
As I began to ask God to forgive me and cleanse all bitterness, unforgiveness, and resentment toward those that had hurt me, it was like the Lord took a dentist's drill to my heart and I felt such heat and the Lord's joy returned. Then I began to bless those that had hurt me.
After my "session" with the Lord I raised my hands and praised Him, (tears streaming down my face,) for being such a "Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father." Is.9:6
As I bowed my head to pray the thought came to me that I could not take the yoke of Christ willingly unless I bowed my head, because we are yoked together with Jesus and He is with us each step of the way.
It is now afternoon and after the Wednesday Bible study. Today it was on suffering from Ps. 119:152. Very timely as long as the Lord is with us... Anyway, in thinking about all of this something just came to my mind: Bless, do good, pray. But do God's priorities. Haven't we been asking the Lord to teach us His ways and give us His priorities? But most of all, haven't we asked Him to teach us to love as He would? Praise God! Have a restful day in the Lord special ones. You are truly loved.
