Saturday, September 22, 2012

Wait Quietly in My Presence

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him..." Psalm 37:7
 
"Wait quietly in My Presence while My thoughts form silently in the depths of your being."
(taken from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young)

photo courtesy mokra, rgbstock.com
I read these words this morning and they really struck a chord in my heart. How often do I get quiet enough, still long enough to discern the voice of the Lord? To let his thoughts be formed in the depths of my being? Not often enough, I can tell you! So, I took some time this morning to just sit quietly in His Presence. Did I receive any earth-shattering messages from God? No, but I did experience a deep sense of peace that has stayed with me throughout this day. I will definitely be developing this new habit from now on! How about you? Do you sit quietly with God on a regular basis? If so, we would love to hear about your experience. If not, will you be giving this a try?
 
Blessings,
Jan  
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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

This World is Unraveling

photo credit:kevin dooley
via photo pin cc
"You inhabit a fallen, disjoined world, where things are constantly unraveling around the edges. Only a vibrant relationship with Me can keep you from coming unraveled too." ~Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

I seldom listen to the evening news anymore. Why? Because when I do, within a few minutes I hear about murders, break-ins, abuse, abductions, bank robberies, disease and which celebrity/politician stole/lied/cheated on his wife.  Talk about a world that is constantly unraveling around the edges!

I know that in this vast world there has to be some good things happening. Someone helped someone, a child was adopted, a disease was cured, the hungry were fed, someone found a job...good things happen, but they are seldom seen in the media. Why?

When I read the sentences above from my Jesus Calling devotional this morning, it just confirmed how critical it is to cultivate (work on, plow, nurture, improve, prepare) a vibrant (energized, enthusiastic, fresh) relationship with Jesus. It's important to note that a vibrant relationship with Jesus doesn't just happen. You must cultivate it - that takes time, dedication and consistancy. It takes faith and trust. It takes getting His word into you and getting into agreement with His word. It takes obedience and submission. But for those willing to put in the time, the benefits of a rich relationship with Jesus are never-ending...joy, peace, love, comfort, guidance, wisdom,hope, fulfillment, satisfaction, contentment....and the perfect antidote to the crazy, mixed-up, unraveling world.

 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 

We can't stop the world from unraveling, but we can make sure that we're not coming unraveled with it.

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(Copyright© 2012 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Dual Realities?

As some of you know (because I’ve posted it on Facebook), I am loving a new devotional book I got about a month ago – Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, and here is why.
 
This morning I read this...
Living in God's Presence means living in two realms simultaneously; the visible world and unseen, eternal reality. God has equipped us to stay conscious of Him while walking along dusty, earthbound paths.
Doesn’t that just make you stop and think about the reality that we are in this world, but not of it? That what we cannot see is far more real than what we can see?
Prayer is a vital part of this equation. We whisper a prayer here and may think that not much is happening, but in the spiritual realm prayer is the catalyst that initiates miracles!
All heaven springs into action and all hell cowers at the power unleashed by prayer. Let’s hit our knees and shake things up a little!

Pick one thing that you really want to see God do in your life or the life of someone you love. Spend this week in concentrated prayer for that one thing and let's see what happens. Feel free to post here what you're praying for and we'll pray with you about it.
 
And do yourself a favor - pick up a copy of Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace in His Presence 
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If you enjoyed this post, please feel free to share it with your friends using the Facebook, Twitter and other share buttons below. Thanks! (Copyright© 2012 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)