Psalm 55:22

"Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken."

Being away.....learning to pray

Having been out in Germany for almost two months now I thought any homesickness would have passed. Well, it hasn't. However being forced to pray about things rather than address them in person has been a tremendous encouragement in my relationship with Christ. I know it's a long lesson, that of prayer, to learn the true helplessness we hold in our flesh, yet in contrast seeing the true power of God at work in every area of our lives. Although so much is on my mind, to worry about, to stress over....I know that God has everything set in place for a reason and a beautiful reason at that, and the only thing I can do is pray, knowing that there is no better place for anything than in His hands.

If it weren't for God's peace in my life I would be a wreck. My emotions are so back and forth sometimes I think I'm bi-polar; it's only by the grace of Him that I can say I love my life. I say that not to point out that my life is miserable, only that I see no point in living for anything else and if our lives were void of the grace of God we'd simply be animals spending all our time hoarding food for the winter that will never come (and believe me on this, some of us live that why in spite of knowing the truth). No matter what happens, extremely good or terribly bad, there is only one place I have ever found peace, only one place I have ever been able to stand on solid ground....that place is in Jesus Christ! 

.....Jesus was reclining at the table.....

"Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, 'Why is your teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners'" (Matthew 9:10, 11).

Oh how the church has become filled with Pharisees, even more so than in the days of Christ. I dare not exclude myself from this group. Far too often have I looked upon what people call the "scum" of the world with the same harsh judgment and criticism. I think my relationship with Jesus is often based too much in my own comfort zones, my own ideas of what is good and right. What a staggering thing to look at the sins of others and then compare them simply with the thoughts of your own heart. To think it is the same as doing it, it just has different consequences. One may harden one's skin, but it's infinitely worse for one to have their heart hardened.

I exhort you brothers and sisters, examine you're self, pray for conviction of sin, love others for who Jesus says they are, and not for a moment wish for the world's eyes. When we've seen Love for who He truly is, love is all we can give.