IDOK DEVOTION FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2008
I did something this morning that I don’t usually do early in the morning. However, I am thinking that I should make it a practice. This morning I opened the front door and stepped out onto the balcony. The birds were softly singing and the water in the fountain was quietly flowing and the air had Father God in it! Oh, it was beautiful! I did not want to come back in the house but raspberry and cream coffee and YOU were waiting for me… So I did. Step outside first chance you get and hear the “quiet”; just breathe in His Holiness.
I have read so much good stuff this morning I cannot get it all in but this one phrase from Our Daily Bread just shouts!! God always knocks loud enough for the seeking soul to hear. And there is more it says God is also a persistent lover. It says He is the Lover of your soul. Wow! And then we read:
Luke 19
41 And as He approached, He saw the city, and He wept [audibly] over it,
42 Exclaiming, Would that you had known personally, even at least in this your day, the things that make for peace (for freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin and upon which your peace–your security, safety, prosperity, and happiness–depends)! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
43 For a time is coming upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank [with pointed stakes] about you and surround you and shut you in on every side.
44 And they will dash you down to the ground, you [Jerusalem] and your children within you; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, [all] because you did not come progressively to recognize and know and understand [from observation and experience] the time of your visitation [that is, when God was visiting you, the time in which God showed Himself gracious toward you and offered you salvation through Christ].
45 Then He went into the temple [enclosure] and began to drive out those who were selling.
46 Telling them, It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer; but you have made it a cave of robbers.
47 And He continued to teach day after day in the temple [porches and courts]. The chief priests and scribes and the leading men of the people were seeking to put Him to death,
48 But they did not discover anything they could do, for all the people hung upon His words and stuck by Him.
Did you read that? Oh, what a Saviour we have!! Look at verse 19 our Saviour cried out loud! He cried, He wept because the people, His people, did not have what He wanted for them – PEACE! Same thing He wants for you and me – PEACE. Peace with God, Peace of God! Can we imagine this. Our Saviour was so moved, He is such a Lover of our Souls – their souls – that He, GOD, cried for them, cried because they did not know, because they REFUSED to know HIM. We can do that you know; we can refuse to KNOW God. We can refuse to KNOW the Lover of our souls…. A mistake so HUGE that GOD CRIES over it. Not because He NEEDS us; He is completely God even without us; question is — WHAT ARE WE WITHOUT HIM? I can tell you what I am without Him … A BIG, FAT ZERO!! But back to the text. Verse 42, He exclaims He wanted them to know Him personally! Look at that! HE WANTS US TO KNOW HIM PERSONALLY! Have you heard of the “rule of first mention”? A Bible teacher that I so loved; he has been with the Lord now since 1985; he first introduced me to the “rule of first mention” and it simply means when you see something in Scripture look back to when it was “first mentioned” and that will help you understand it. Well, following that rule I think we see here that KNOWING GOD is a very, very personal act; it is an intimate relationship – akin to the “marriage relationship”. Yes, Father God is indeed the LOVER of our Soul! And He weeps when we are at odds with Him; because for us to be at odds with Him means we have NO PEACE. Verse 44 – this is a process — so don’t get discouraged –we progressively come to KNOW Him; we progressively come to recognize, and know, and hear, and understand. Sometimes it is as quiet as a softly singing bird or a gently flowing river — however is His Voice — IT IS LOUD ENOUGH FOR THE SEEKING SOUL TO HEAR. The Lover of our Soul is pursuing us — stop running! Lets be captured by the Lover of our Soul and sit in the quiet of HIS PEACE.
I have read so much good stuff this morning I cannot get it all in but this one phrase from Our Daily Bread just shouts!! God always knocks loud enough for the seeking soul to hear. And there is more it says God is also a persistent lover. It says He is the Lover of your soul. Wow! And then we read:
Luke 19
41 And as He approached, He saw the city, and He wept [audibly] over it,
42 Exclaiming, Would that you had known personally, even at least in this your day, the things that make for peace (for freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin and upon which your peace–your security, safety, prosperity, and happiness–depends)! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
43 For a time is coming upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank [with pointed stakes] about you and surround you and shut you in on every side.
44 And they will dash you down to the ground, you [Jerusalem] and your children within you; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, [all] because you did not come progressively to recognize and know and understand [from observation and experience] the time of your visitation [that is, when God was visiting you, the time in which God showed Himself gracious toward you and offered you salvation through Christ].
45 Then He went into the temple [enclosure] and began to drive out those who were selling.
46 Telling them, It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer; but you have made it a cave of robbers.
47 And He continued to teach day after day in the temple [porches and courts]. The chief priests and scribes and the leading men of the people were seeking to put Him to death,
48 But they did not discover anything they could do, for all the people hung upon His words and stuck by Him.
Did you read that? Oh, what a Saviour we have!! Look at verse 19 our Saviour cried out loud! He cried, He wept because the people, His people, did not have what He wanted for them – PEACE! Same thing He wants for you and me – PEACE. Peace with God, Peace of God! Can we imagine this. Our Saviour was so moved, He is such a Lover of our Souls – their souls – that He, GOD, cried for them, cried because they did not know, because they REFUSED to know HIM. We can do that you know; we can refuse to KNOW God. We can refuse to KNOW the Lover of our souls…. A mistake so HUGE that GOD CRIES over it. Not because He NEEDS us; He is completely God even without us; question is — WHAT ARE WE WITHOUT HIM? I can tell you what I am without Him … A BIG, FAT ZERO!! But back to the text. Verse 42, He exclaims He wanted them to know Him personally! Look at that! HE WANTS US TO KNOW HIM PERSONALLY! Have you heard of the “rule of first mention”? A Bible teacher that I so loved; he has been with the Lord now since 1985; he first introduced me to the “rule of first mention” and it simply means when you see something in Scripture look back to when it was “first mentioned” and that will help you understand it. Well, following that rule I think we see here that KNOWING GOD is a very, very personal act; it is an intimate relationship – akin to the “marriage relationship”. Yes, Father God is indeed the LOVER of our Soul! And He weeps when we are at odds with Him; because for us to be at odds with Him means we have NO PEACE. Verse 44 – this is a process — so don’t get discouraged –we progressively come to KNOW Him; we progressively come to recognize, and know, and hear, and understand. Sometimes it is as quiet as a softly singing bird or a gently flowing river — however is His Voice — IT IS LOUD ENOUGH FOR THE SEEKING SOUL TO HEAR. The Lover of our Soul is pursuing us — stop running! Lets be captured by the Lover of our Soul and sit in the quiet of HIS PEACE.
Oh, Father, is that anywhere near as beautiful on paper as it needs to be for my people, Your people, my sisters and brothers, to just bask in Your Loveliness. Oh, I hope so! Oh, Jesus — I love you, I love you, I love you and my heart follows wholly after you — that song is still playing — may it play for ever. Thank You for Your Peace to us; thank You that You weep over us but help us love You so much that You don’t weep anymore. Father, You know the hurts, the fears, the doubts and the cries of my family, Your family. I thank You for your interventions into our needs; help us see and embrace You in everyone of them and help us share Your Peace with our hurting world for Jesus sake. amen and amen.
Father, thank You for such a sweet reminder this morning. I see You are still the Quiet Lover of my soul today and I know You shall be forever. As we prayed four years ago we pray today for these listed here and for our IDOK Troops, may they KNOW today that You are the Quiet Lover of their souls and they can trust You today and we can trust You today with them. We come on behalf of America; again we ask that You forgive her and give her space and grace to repent and we offer ourselves in service to You to minister to our fellow Americans. We are continuing to think of the Presidential Election and we confess we are weary with it and we pray for new hope. More and more we think of the things an Judaism, we love Your People Lord and we want them to love You and find their Peace in You; if we can help, we are trusting You to position us for that helping. Thank You for the day that is before us; help us use it well for Jesus sake. Maggie and Family. Josh. Donnie S. Smith and family. Renee’. Cathy’s friend and son. Jeremy H. Pastor’s Widow and four children. Martin Family. Odessa H. Margie & Duncan. Kearley Family. Kathy S. Glen Beck. Bev and family. Tonya and family. Rick Burgess and family. Dall T. Dylan. Marsha’s grand-baby. Kathy N. Kyle A. Joseph Toomey and Family. DeLois. Terri. Patsy B. Kim T. Kevin and the children. Lisa’s Mother. Katelyn (B). Janie B. Vickie. Lisa W. J Lloyd and family. Janet and Steve. Cathy. Toy and family. Caleb and family. Bay and family. Jennifer B. John and Carolyn. Larry and Claudia and family. Taylor & family. Jeanette and Earl and family. Libby and family. Callie. Madie. Ruth. Cynthia. Martha F and Bob. Allyson and Glen and family. Brittney and Kersten and family. Sharron and family. Sheila and Andy. Carrie and Rachel and Jacob and family. Billy and Gina and boys. Lance and family. Grace and family. Tressa. Brad, Lindsay, Karah and Haley. Chuck. Windy and Jared and families. Helen and Dan and family. Jen and Larry and family. Chad and Brittany and family. Mollie and family. Julia. Bobbie. Tj. Zack. Phillip. Jessica. Larry. Kayla. Trey. Jacob. Ashely. Lance. Candance. Laura and family. John and Sandy. Bill and Judy. Adam & Family. Andrew. Cindy, Sharron and Tonya’s houses to sell. Every IDOK and every IDOK son and daughter and grandchild. Every IDOK Pastor and Family. Every IDOK church. The Peace of Israel Revival in America. IDOKs Military Families.
IDOKs Troops (foreign soil) – Ethan. Christopher. Raul. Robert. Billy. Josh. Buddy. Mark. Josh W. James. Bryan. Nick. Hawk. Brant W. Lyndon A. Christopher R. Travis N. Joshua M. Brent. Drew. Justin G.
IDOK Troops leaving shortly for foreign soil: Albert R III. Bay N.
Serving Stateside: Jonathan. Jasmine B. Tommy T. Shaun. Bay. Danny. Tim. Lee. George.
Injured and brought State side: Anthony. Hector
Injured Stateside:
Hospitalized outside USA: Corpl. Light. Bradley T.
Military at home adjusting – Mack. The 226. Troy. Brad. Tommy. Desi. Edward J.
Civilian in Country – Lee.
As I post this it is 73°F and haze in Al Asad, IQ & the time there is 4:28 PM ADT – on April 2, 2008
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