Intentional Faith

Psalm 63:5-6 (GW)
⁵ You satisfy my soul with the richest foods. My mouth will sing {your} praise with joyful lips.
⁶ As I lie on my bed, I remember you. Through the long hours of the night, I think about you.

Psalm 139:17-18 (GW)
¹⁷ How precious are your thoughts concerning me, O God! How vast in number they are!
¹⁸ If I try to count them, there would be more of them than there are grains of sand. When I wake up, I am still with you.

Song of Songs 1:2 (GW)
² Your expressions of love are better than wine,

Psalm 73:25 (GW)
²⁵ As long as I have you, I don’t need anyone else in heaven or on earth.

The first and chief need of our Christian life is, Fellowship with God. The Divine life within us comes from God, and is entirely dependent upon Him. As I need every moment afresh the air to breathe, as the sun every moment afresh sends down its light, so it is only in direct living communication with God that my soul can be strong.

Begin each day by tarrying before God, and letting Him touch you. Take time to meet God.

To this end, let your first act in your devotion be a setting yourself still before God.  In prayer, or worship, everything depends upon God taking the chief place. I must bow quietly before Him in humble faith and adoration, speaking in my heart: “God is. God is near. God is love, longing to communicate Himself to me. God the Almighty One, Who works all in all, is even now waiting to work in me, and make Himself known.”

Take time, till you know God is very near.

Then accept and value your place in Christ Jesus. God delights in His beloved Son and can be satisfied with nothing else in those who draw nigh to Him. Enter deep into God’s holy presence in the boldness which the blood gives, and in the assurance that in Christ you are most well pleasing.

In Christ you are within the veil. You have access into the very heart and love of the Father. This is the great object of fellowship with God, that I may have more of God in my life, and that God may see Christ formed in me.

Be silent before God and let Him bless you.  Then go and have a wonderful day.  Michael

Lord Jesus, I thank you that a new day affords another opportunity for service and devotion. You have turned a fresh page in my life’s story. It comes from you without blemish or stain; help me to keep it so. Forgive the past blotted with my failures and sins, and help me to walk in the light.  In Jesus Name.

O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the ever living Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!

Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.

The Littlest Warrior

The Spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon. (Judges 6:34)

Imagine that it’s the last quarter of the last football game of the year. Your team is beaten and battered beyond hope, and all you can think about is sneaking away to the showers before the other guys have a chance to score another point. Suddenly, out of the locker room comes the legendary Coach “Bear” Bryant. He glances at the playbook and gathers your team into a huddle. “This ain’t over yet, men,” he says with a glint in his eye. “Trust me. We can still win this thing.” The huddle breaks. He glares across the field at the other team, then turns to survey his wide-eyed players. What’s he going to do next? you wonder. Who’s he going to send in? Then just as your hopes soar, he does something that dashes them once again. He turns to your friend Mike. Little Mikey, you call him. The smallest guy on the team. The kid who couldn’t catch a pass if his life depended on it. “It’s all up to you, kid,” the coach says as he sends him to the field.

That’s how the Israelites must have felt when God sent an angel to Gideon. At the time they were so defeated by the Midianites that they lived in mountain caves and ate what little they could find on the ground. Every time they planted a crop their enemies raided the harvest. Their herds of sheep and cattle were stolen or killed. It was a dark hour in Israel’s history, and time seemed to be running out quickly. And who does God call to save the people? Who does the Coach of coaches send in to turn the game around? Gideon. Little-bitty Gideon.

The smallest man in the weakest tribe of all of Israel. The man who jumped at his own shadow is now expected to jump at the chance to bring victory to Israel. Imagine how that news might have lit the team up with excitement.  Gideon isn’t easily convinced that he’s the man for the job, but God doesn’t give up easily. In spite of his doubt, Gideon slips on his helmet and goes to work. The enemy brings their forces together and camps just across the river, and suddenly Gideon starts to shine. “Then the Spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon. He blew a ram’s horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him” (Judges 6:34). To put an even finer point on his lesson, God dwindles his army down to three hundred, yet the enemy is still no match for his men. When the final play is over, Gideon’s team is triumphant.

Do you think you’re too unimportant to do mighty things for God? Do you wonder how he could ever use someone so small and insignificant? Then the story of Gideon could be yours. When God calls you to battle, just put on your helmet and go. Let him worry about the details.

Proverbs 3:9 (GW)
⁹ Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first and best part of all your income.

2 Corinthians 9:6 (GW)
⁶ Remember this: The farmer who plants a few seeds will have a very small harvest. But the farmer who plants because he has received God’s blessings will receive a harvest of God’s blessings in return.

Hebrews 6:10 (GW)
¹⁰ God is fair. He won’t forget what you’ve done or the love you’ve shown for him. You helped his holy people, and you continue to help them.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (GW)
³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything to the glory of God.

Let me not dwell on the past, my Father, as though it held the best. May I dare to believe that the best is yet to be, and that though you may fill my life with challenges let me see them also as opportunities for your power and glory.  Use this day Lord.  Amen.

All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, because you were raised from the dead on Easter!
All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, because your death was not in vain!
All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, because you have broken the shackles of death, giving us new life!
All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, because you are the “first fruits” of the bountiful harvest yet to come!
All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, because your resurrection assures me of my future resurrection into eternal life!
All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, because you are the Savior of the world . . . and my Savior too!
Hallelujah! Amen.

Way of the Cross – 20th Century
Society of the Divine Word Generalate Archives – Rome

From the Gospel according to Mark 15: 46

Joseph of Arimathea bought a linen shroud, and taking the body of Jesus down from the Cross, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.

MEDITATION

Jesus chose not to come down alive from the Cross, but to rise from the tomb. True death, true silence, the Word of Life will be silent for three days.

Let us imagine the shock experienced by our first parents upon seeing the lifeless body of Abel, the first victim of death.

Let us think of Mary’s sorrow as she embraces the body of Jesus, now reduced to a heap of wounds, more a worm than a man, no longer capable of returning his Mother’s loving gaze. Now she must consign him to the cold stones of the tomb, after hastily washing him and laying him out. It only remains now to wait. How interminable that wait seems, until the third day.

PRAYER

Lord, the three days seem so long to us. Our stronger brethren grow weary, our weaker brethren gradually sink lower and lower, while the arrogant hold their heads high. Give perseverance to the strong, Lord, rouse the weak, and lead the hearts of all to conversion.

Are we right to be in a hurry, to want to see the victory of the Church straight away? Does our victory not consist rather in our eagerness to see it? Lord, grant us the perseverance to stand alongside the Church of silence and to accept that we will disappear and die like the grain of wheat.

Help us always to be mindful of your words, Lord: "Do not be afraid! I have overcome the world. I shall never fail you. I am with you always, until the end of the world".

Lord, increase our faith!

May tomorrow morning find you ready to receive His life.  Michael

WHEN the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.  Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 

And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.  And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. 

Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.  Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. 

Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.  So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.