At The Corner Pennsylvania and Ohio

At the corner of Pennsylvania and Ohio
is where you could find me
if you walk by today,
it looks like everyday,
but today I took a deeper look

On a cold December morning,
I came with hot chocolate for all
on this corner sits a bus stop
on the surface its dirty
and filled with the homeless
filled chronic and broken dreams,
but on the corner of Pennsylvania and Ohio
life lies within,
below the surface
without conversations abrupt
without conversations ending in, "I'm well"

Here lies reality
lives hanging by a fraying thread
all grasping for a rock that won't sink
surrounded by the harshness of life
despite having no house to their name
this bus stop is a home

You can find acceptance
no flaws can outwit
greeted with a come as you are
holding to the words of Ezekiel and Jeremiah
to bring hope, to bring joy, to bring another day

No, its by no means perfect,
but its true family
carrying each others burdens
not once laying them down
dressing in love you can't recognize,
but love you can't escape

Don't stop at an easy hello
all people want to be heard
and are ignored
all people need love
and are forgotten
all people have been burned
and need to be rescued one day at a time

Yet here at the corner of Pennsylvania and Ohio
a cup of hot chocolate
brought joy and embrace
turned strangers into brothers
a cup of hot chocolate changed lives
just ask Bishop, DeAndre, Rusty, and Tony
they will be here
on the corner of Pennsylvania and Ohio
waiting for the bus
on a cold December morning
and they changed the life of me.

My Four Walls

Alone
trapped by four walls
I built them myself
in darkness abound
I can't see my own two feet
I have everything I don't need
I stumble over and over again
over obstacles I can't see
I reach out for anyone,
but its too dark to reach
the darkness drowns me
it repressed me deeper
and yet deeper still
it fills my lungs
and fills my brain
the darkness pumps in my heart
and runs through my veins
it consumes me
it becomes who I am
the darkness chains my two feet
right next to my grave
I close my eyes
now abandoned for good
deserted
alone
trapped by my four walls
I built them myself
in darkness abound
years later I hear a chipping
I hear a voice, a murmur
I hear chunks of drywall shatter on the ground
slowly I hear tiny crackles come from one wall
I begin to feel warm rays of light,
but my eyes sting and I shut them further
small rays of light must have slipped through the cracks
I have been in the dark so long
I resist and my eyes stay shut
yet someone is still chipping away
tearing down my walls
they start smashing holes into the wall
I hear their thunderous strikes breaking through
as light begins to flood
like water rushing through a dam
after years I finally hear the wall crumble and fall
I feel vulnerable and exposed
yet feel warmth and joy
for the first time since I was a little child
I can taste freedom
light touches my skin,
but they don't come to free me
they leave me in my shackles
they move to the next wall
and start hammering again

Psalm 16 (Remix)

Each day I wake I give thanks to my savior for he is love;
and his mercy and loving-kindness is always present
To him who drags me out of selfishness daily;
for is mercy and loving-kindness is always present
To him who gives me wisdom and joy,
for his mercy and loving-kindness is always present
To him who has shown me the mountains, the canyons, and the oceans,
for his mercy and loving-kindness is always present
To him who turns my darkest nights to day;
for his mercy and loving-kindness is always present
To him who takes control when I won't let him;
for his mercy and loving-kindness is always present
To him who shattered my sense of entitlement;
for his mercy and loving-kindness is always present
And who is my father when I don't feel like I have one;
for his mercy and loving-kindness is always present
With his unrivaled strength and power he makes me strong when I am weak;
for his mercy and loving-kindness is always present
To him who wants me to abandon my pathetic worldly desires and follow him;
for his mercy and loving-kindness is always present
He who carried me through the wilderness when I wouldn't let him;
for his mercy and loving-kindness is always present
To him who slays my desire to be self-sufficient;
for his mercy and loving-kindness is always present
And who brings me true joy and satisfaction when I search for it elsewhere;
for his mercy and loving-kindness is always present
To him who gave me freedom from the chains of my sin;
for his mercy and loving-kindness is always present
To him who has never abandoned me when I have abandoned him;
for his mercy and loving-kindness is always present
Thank you for relentlessly and wholly loving me when I don't;
thank you for your mercy and loving-kindness that is always with me

Never Be The Same

I see what he does
I have seen what he has done
heard his nasty words
that make me come undone
I pray to never be the same
to journey down an unbeaten path
to be fresh and genuine
to build relationships of substance
He sits among us everyday,
yet is always absent
I think my demands might be too grand,
yet is depth and warmth too much to ask
I try to accept it,
but I hate when the mark falls short
I pray to never be the same
to journey down an unbeaten path
to be present and near
to pursue matters of depth
He crawls back to his confines
and buries his burdens deeper and deeper
making him sicker and sicker
never wanting love or embrace
to reach his broken heart
that is buried beneath
all of the rubble and rubbish
I pray to never be the same
to journey down an unbeaten path
to be love and grace
to hold your heart higher than mine
I pray to never be the same
to journey down an unbeaten path
So I won't be the same

Let Us Go Over To The Other Side

Let us go over to the other side
come with kindness
come with an open heart
come to see people
instead of seeing through them
leave your comforts
leave loving that's easy
let us go over to the other side
where loving is hard but,
is true and real
where love transcends society
where love reaches the least of these
the oppressed, the forgotten, the transparent
let us go over to the other side
and leave our rusted chains behind
let Christ compel you soul
the other side where
dirty, weak, and sinful are loved
where all are seen
where none are forgotten
where all are part of one kingdom
let us go over to the other side
where we look at all people
where we serve all people
where we don't put ourselves first,
but Christ above all
are you truly following Jesus?
then let us go over to the other side
where we are all called
where we all belong
let us fall in love
with our first love again

I am Willing

I am unsure of it all
I don't know what I'm doing
I am in another predicament
not where I want to be
my mind jumbled and scrambled
my feet calloused and tangled
weakness creeps in
it drags me in
it entices me
I have lost all bearing,
yet the Lord uses me still
I am willing
even though I don't see it

I settle for the world to satisfy
I know I'm missing the target
and I still push on
filled with ignorance
my weakness blinds me
so I see through my own eyes
which misguide and mislead
my vision shackles my ankles and wrists
I believe I am vile
yet the Lord uses me still
I am willing
I shine His light
even though I don't see it

I have been placed
precisely and perfectly
to serve a purpose
to spread love
to draw His beloved out of darkness
I am broken,
but not destroyed
I am still of use
still a candle with a wick
so the Lord uses me
precisely and perfectly

Here Is Love

Love is not just words
it is not what you speak
Love does not just come from the mouth
it is hard to define for some,
but for those who are wise
Love is already defined
they search and search
some spend their whole life,
but the definition is clear
they buy what others are selling
they overpay for lies
lies that leave you stranded
lies that leave you with tears
lies that leave you devastated
you feel like a ghost
with no home or hope
with no purpose or passion
with no life or love
you've purchased an existence
no one would pay for,
but you buy it
before you know it
real Love has a price too
but it is paid for you
real Love is always here
it is constant
a rock that cannot be moved
Love is words that act but,
it is not just a single act
Love is everyday
Love is sacrifice
it is saying goodbye to yourself
and welcoming devotion to need
Love is persistent
when you are scared
it is holding you
when you fall down
it's grace picks you up
Love does not fail
it always desires you
Love is two hearts becoming one
so when you are weak,
then you are strong
Love is the savior,
that has shown us all this before
he is Love.
if the Love you find isn't his
you have overpaid for far less,
than you have already been given.

Surrender

I refuse to surrender
I believe in me,
yet what I believe in
doesn't know where to go

I refuse to surrender
I am strong enough
to carry all the weight,
yet I always fall

I refuse to surrender
I work hard
I am accomplished,
yet I am never enough

I refuse to surrender
I can go the distance alone
I am experienced and sharpened,
yet I stumble and collapse

I refuse to surrender
I am wise beyond my years
I know all that is right,
yet my mind is divided

I refuse to surrender
I deserve abundance
I am extraordinary,
yet I deserve absolutely nothing

Why don't I surrender?
surrender my pride
surrender my selfishness
surrender my false strength
surrender my entitlement

If I abandon it all
I will gain more than the world
if I succumb to the one
I will not be alone

If I abdicate my throne
I will gain liberty
if I relinquish my power
I will see clearly

I need to surrender
for I am too weak to crawl
and He is strong enough to move mountains
Give in, surrender

Gain freedom, gain love
gain wisdom, gain peace
gain grace, gain mercy
surrender to the one who loves you most.

For When I am Weak, then I am Strong

For when I am weak,
then I am strong
when I am weak
my barriers are destroyed
my true self fully exposed

You are able to see me
see the real me
the helplessness
the lack of judgement
my unguarded heart

You are able to see
my overwhelming need
the cavities of my soul
the pits of my heart

You are able to see
my brokenness
my makeshift heart
I am cracked and crumbling

For when I am weak,
then I am strong
I must rely on you
I have no where to go
I must retreat to your embrace
I must boast of my weaknesses
because I have no strength
all of my strength comes from you

When I am weak your light
shines through the holes in my life
when I am weak
they see I can fight on
because of you

When I am weak
you endure for me
when I am weak I cannot move
yet you move me further
further than I have ever gone

For when I am weak,
then I am strong.

(Inspired by 2 Corinthians 12)

Home

I go to the depths
I stray from home
once again I left
once again I'm alone
I go from home to home
where do I stay?
All are temporary,
but one remains the same
they are all built on sand
when the Earth shakes
they crumble
when it rains
they leak
when the wind blows
their foundation creaks
when the waters rise
they all flood
yet their is still one different
one built on a rock
when your Earth shakes
it reinforces
through winds and storms
it stands tall
it only grows stronger
even when I reject it
even when I try to destroy it
I take my axe and hammer
and try to tear it down
piece by piece,
but I can't remove the cornerstone
it is unbreakable
it is unmovable
when I tear it down
someone is building it back up
I am always welcome
the owner always inviting me in
each day I choose a new home
I ask, "Which shall I choose?"
the truth remains the same

Freedom

The world is savvy and dark
its sneaky and misleading
it puts us behind bars
it contains us
it enslaves us
it bottles us up
until we're breathless
it encages us
until we give up
it gives us an easy path
a wide path filled with obsession
filled with the estranged
it ties us down
so we don't move
it blindfolds us
so we don't see
it speaks to us
so we don't hear
it gives us what we don't need
how do we escape?
where is freedom?
its in the light
smothered by darkness
but the light breaks through
you choose to see the light
the light guides you
it ignites you
it delights you
you delight in it
the light is truth
the light is righteousness
the light is love
the light is life
the light overcomes the dark
the light is freedom
do you want to be free?
you must first choose the light

My Sins are Gone

Wilderness Day 5: We started an Alpine hike at 3 am to begin day 5 and this is a recap of my ascension to the top of the mountain.  We carried rocks with us to represent our sin then threw them off of the mountain to represent that we are forgiven and our sins are gone.

As I lay in my sleeping bag
my eyes awoke to a starlight sky
surrounded by only the darkness
surrounded by only the wilderness
in a hurry I grabbed my pack and began to hike
my only vision granted from my head and the stars above
all to catch the sun climbing into the sky
I hiked up steep inclines and slopes
covered in rocks and stones
on my ascension,
I grabbed the biggest rock I could bare
placed it in my hands
and carried its burdens over my head
the one who went before me did the same
so how could I rest?
how could I give in?
he carried everyone's rock
and I could hardly carry one
as I reached the mountain's peak
my arms quivering, strength dwindling
I took my rock to the edge
and sent it diving down the mountainside
when the rock landed it shattered into pieces
the work finished as I said,
"My sins are gone."

Our stories

Wilderness Day 5: I realized how freeing it was to share my life story with a huge group of people and how blessed we all are to have friendship filled with love and a God who is relentless.

My heart given the opportunity to pour out
to overflow, to destroy the dam repressing it
its story flows to others
in hope to encourage
in hope to strengthen
the stories of others grace my heart
one's of deceased parents
one's of uncertainty
one's of addiction
all seeking healing, love, and friendship
all desiring life to the full
all needing to feel most alive
all stories written by God
God has just authored the beginning
and will write until the ink leaves his pen.

A Perfect Portrait

Wilderness Day 4: Just wondering over the beautiful artistry of God.

I wake on an early July myorning
granted the opportunity of silence
to fill my soul with peace
my eyes are blessed
they see an unbelievable sight
graced with the intricate stokes of the Lord
they see creation carved by God's fingertips
a painting only God could master
perfect shades of green, brown, and white
he uses his sun to add shadows and depth
and uses his sky as the backdrop
to highlight the mountain skyline
a portrait only God could perfect

A Young Man's Heart

Wilderness Day 3: In the Early Afternoon after we had time to share life stories and discuss some of what God has placed in the Bible for us, I wrote this poem.

To unravel one's mind is a tricky bit
to unravel another's takes some wit
the mind is filled with the right answers,
but that's just the start
if you dig deeper you'll find a man's heart
raw, bare, and flawed,
but the heart is where truth sleeps
emotions buried deep down
they don't come out
you give them no sound
you lock them up and store them away
while your heart runs wild
and all you feel is dismay
one day you will use the key
pour out your heart and its doubts
expose your heart to the light
and share your deepest darkest plights
when the rubble and clout disappear
you will find love has come near

Finger Mesa

Wilderness Day 3: We peaked Finger Mesa and had some time to reflect and rest after our long hike. Here are my thoughts and my view from the mountain.

I sit atop Finger Mesa
at the pinnacle
on the highest rock
a bounty of rocks surrounded
with luscious green pastures
every direction I look
mountains upon mountains
as if God had huge blocks of Earth
and began carving with his bare hands
and carved for days and days
sculpting plateaus and peaks
ridges and slopes
decorated precisely
streams slithering through the valleys
patches of snow
and legions of trees
all born from God's hand in one day
the only explanation
God the creator of all

God's Hand

Wilderness Day 2: I woke up and grabbed a seat right by the lake in a valley surrounded by mountains and was blessed with this beautiful view and beautiful thoughts.

I rise on an early July morning
all I see is God's creation
the deep oranges and yellows rise with me
the vivid rays reflecting off the lake
as a foggy mist glides over its reflection
the sky an easy blue
with no clouds blocking my view
all I hear is God's creation
the squawking of his birds
the bellowing of his cows
the intentional moments of silence
to hear his precious whispers
all that are with me are God's creation
guides to show us the way of the trail
leaders to show the young Christ's way
and young men seeking and yearning for a way to live
all I am surrounded by is God's creation
the mountains of San Juan containing it all
its ridges and peaks
its dives and climbs
its overlaps and ranges
engulfing us into a valley
the size of God's hand
his hand holding only
majestic, raw, unrivaled beauty

Beautiful Disaster

Wilderness Day 1:  On the way to Wilderness I was thinking of my salvation and how Jesus has changed my life.


Every inch of me broke
on every word I choke
my heart ripped in two
my mind beaten black and blue
all by my choice
all done by my voice
my choice to please me
my voice says, "leave me be"
I run away, don't look back
I run down my own track
I am like a stray sheep
my price is not cheap,
but my shepherd buys me still
he wants my heart to be fulfilled
he buys me with his own blood
his love rushes over me like a flood
he take me to the river to drink
my sins are gone as I blink
my life starts brand new
my mind with a clear view
my shepherd saved my soul
as he paid my price and my toll

Knock.

I crawl to the door
I am weak
I am helpless
in search of hope
I knock
he does not ask, "Who is it?"
he knows
he does not look to see who it is
he knows
he answers, "Come and sit,
all are welcome, all are loved,
I am always here
I always turn an ear."

I sit
I question
I beg
I plead
I get on my knees
I expect change,
but how can I change
when the light is on me?

How can I hear
when I drown the silence
with selfishness?
How can I spread love,
if I don't listen to its source?
If I don't hear,
why knock?

Here I am

Here I am
at the peak
looking at the road behind
all I can do is,
stare and wonder
wonder and stare
the more I wonder
the more I realize
I am not at the peak
I am still in the valley
still at the beginning
peeking at the road ahead
a road split in two
a road filled with
uncertainty,
adventure,
and life
another filled with
certainty,
comfort,
and death
my past and future now converge
a decision I now face
in the midst of my race
Here I am

Along The River

I was floating along the river
I had never found my way
every stroke was a struggle
the water rushing over me
the rush growing louder and louder
my gasps growing shorter and shorter
the fall growing nearer and nearer
I knew how to save myself but,
let the struggle ensue
I knew how to swim upstream but,
let the rush carry me further still
all I cared to be was selfish
I let it take me over
I gave in to its will
my message chosen
my fate now sealed
it didn't happen once or twice
I made the choice all my life

Candle

There once was a candle
waiting to be lit
its wick ready to glimmer
its dreams ready to shimmer
dreams to light the world
dreams to expose the truth
dreams to expose the love
dreams to light the dark
"But how to be lit?
I have no arms
I have no fire
all I have is desire."
One day the candle was bought
The One paid for him to be free
The One gave him fire,
The One gave him a hill
The candle's dreams now fulfilled.

A Whisper

Whispers floats into my ear

the silence blinding

its loud roar I cannot hear

"Come here,

come there", I think it says

"Come where?

Where do I go?

Where do I stay?"

They sound so certain,

my mind so bare.

I ask again, "Come where?"

Is the answer rhetorical, 

is it something metaphorical? 

"Where do I go?

Where do I stay?", I say

I would sell all I have to hear this whisper

to hear it once, once more crisper

I sell it all

I give it all away

So I ask once more, 

"Where do I go?

Where do I stay?"

The whisper responds,

"Now you can hear

come near, come near

follow me, follow me."

Is it Light? Is it Dark?

There is something deep down
struggling to be found
it can hold life's treasures
it's worth cannot be measured,
but it is not worth a dime
its orders you must mime

it can speak
it can act
but you must do it,
on its behalf

it is a riddle waiting to be solved
it is a mystery that will evolve

it can love
it can hate
you choose which it creates

it is your heart.
is it light?
is it dark?

Sell Everything

A ruler asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life.  Jesus responded with telling the ruler he must follow God's commands.  The ruler said he had kept those since he was a boy.  Yet still Jesus said he was missing something.  Whether we have followed the commandments as closely as this ruler or not Jesus commands us all to, "Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me." (Luke 18:22)  Sell everything your wealth, sell your material possessions, sell your comfort, sell your food, sell everything that is not Jesus.  Give it to the poor.  Then after you have done this Jesus says "Come, follow me."  Are we willing to literally sell everything, to come follow Jesus?

Our purpose in this life is to love God and Jesus Christ our savior.  Love for God is defined in 1 John the word reads, "We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.  The man who says 'I know him', but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him.  This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." (2:3-6)  How much do we know God, do we love him, do we truly seek him if we do not follow his command to sell everything and give to the poor?  

I will continue to write on this topic of losing everything to gain life to the full with Christ, as God has really really convicted me with the greed, comfort, and selfishness of my life.  Jesus never told us to live comfortably, he never said life would be easy, lazy, full of sitting, full of entertaining yourself, or safe.  He tells us that a life following him and loving him is full of adventure, risk, it is uncomfortable, against the grain, dangerous, not culturally normal, it is hard, but this life with Christ will be freeing and will be revolutionary.  God is not always safe, but he is always good and he is always king! I pray that I not only write about this, but that I live it.  I challenge you to do the same.

"You do not believe a thing rightly until you act in accordance with it." - AW Tozer

The Route Home

We must repent
Our lives reinvent
He has given us grace
To the Lord we must face
Easy to wander, easy to stray
As Satan asks us to lay
But to the Lord we run
And to Satan we shun
Are you truly in His house,
where Satan hides quiet as a mouse?

A Life of Ease Or Him Well Pleased

Do I need this comfortable life,
or should I be living in strife?
Is this a blessing,
or is it a testing?
Do I live with those in need,
or do I embrace this life of greed?
Do I need material things,
or to the poor show the King?
To which a life of truth springs?
To which does death lose its sting?

If We Don't Have Love, We Are Nothing

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." - 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

We can possess everything we could ever imagine, we can achieve everything we ever wanted to, we can achieve unparalleled levels of success, we can do everything to bring us happiness.

or

We can have faith that can move mountains, we can give away all of these possessions, we can persevere through hardship, we can do works for God.

Either way if we do not have Love, we gain nothing. we do not make a sound. we are nothing.

The Power of Christ

This is an amazing redemption story of our need for Christ and his undeniable power to heal us.

Child-like

One of the greatest examples we can follow in this world today is the example of a child, the raw and uninhibited love of a child.  The softness of their heart is unbelievable.  I visited a Kindergarten on Monday and God opened my eyes to what faith, trust, and love looks like.  To feel comfortable and secure all children need is a loving look, a small conversation, or a gentle touch from someone who cares.  When I walked into that kindergarten class on Monday, I had never even seen any of these kids before, but I walked in and immediately started playing with four kids: Ashton, Dillon, Trinidy, and Sherobe.  They welcomed me right away, I sat down with them and asked them what they were building.  They responded by telling me they were building a zoo and sorting the animals into groups and never questioned who I was, but immediately let me join their group and play with them.  Just amazing, in a matter of seconds they were having animals run on my head and telling me about what they did during their snow days.  I have a hard time finding many people who are this loving, trusting, and inviting.  As we grow older we often let ourselves become warn down by the world and buy into holding grudges, being self sufficient, and believing that the world revolves around us.  We are consumed with our busy schedules, what we need to do, often don't realize how petty we can become, and how hardened our hearts have become.  The warm welcome I received from the kindergarten children I didn't even know, was the warmest welcome I had received in days, full of love.

As we progressed to story time Ashton already trusted me and was laying all over me as his teacher read, and shared his questions and ideas about the book with me, he had met me 10 minutes ago, that just blows my mind.  Adults are not as trusting as little Ashton.  Jesus calls us to be childlike, like Ashton, with a humble and sincere heart and not to be childish by arguing over ridiculous petty issues that really have no meaning.  We need to have a soft heart, that is loving and welcoming and trusting in Christ regardless of what anyone has even done to us.  Love everyone unconditionally, trust Christ ruthlessly.

Jesus said:
"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.  Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven." -Matthew 18:2

So put your pride and hardened heart aside and humble yourself like a child.

Paul

"The one passion of Paul's life was to proclaim the gospel of God.  He welcomed heartbreak, disillusionment, and tribulation for only one reason - these things kept him unmovable in his devotion to the gospel of God."

This quote from a Oswald Chambers devotional, has been blowing my mind all week, I still cannot fully comprehend how trusting Paul was that he would WELCOME 'heartbreak, disillusionment, and tribulation'.  To welcome someone means to kindly greet a person who you are happy to see. Paul welcomed disaster into his life, he welcomed the unknowing, the trying, the heartbreaking.  To welcome something means to gladly invite it in, when you welcome someone you give them a hug as they enter your house, Paul welcomed disaster into his life.  To be able to welcome struggle, you must have a ruthless trust in the Lord, an undivided devotion to Jesus Christ.  A trust that escapes my understanding, yet a trust I wish I had.  This trust is so unmovable and concrete, it reminds me of the faith of the Centurion (Matthew 8:5-13). Trust and obedience are key components of your relationship with Christ and that is why Paul was so passionate about preaching the gospel because by welcoming disaster into his life he learned that the only way for him to persevere was to trust and obey the Lord, our Saviour.  The more we obey the commands of our Creator and Saviour the more we show our love (John 14:21).  Remember when disaster enters your life, when you are heartbroken that the Lord placed this in your life for you to learn more of Him and for you to grow closer to Him until your devotion and trust in him are unmovable like Paul. Read (James 1:2-4,12)

Listening As Spiritual Hospitality

"To listen is very hard, because it asks of us so much interior stability that we no longer need to prove ourselves by speeches, arguments, statements, or declarations.  True listeners no longer have an inner need to make their presence known.  They are free to receive, to welcome, to accept.  Listening is much more than allowing another to talk while waiting for a chance to respond.  Listening is paring full attention to others and welcoming them into our very beings.  The beauty of listening is that those who are listened to start feeling accepted, start taking their words more seriously and discovering their true selves.  Listening is a form of spiritual hospitality by which you invite strangers to become friends, to get to know their inner selves more fully, and even to dare to be silent with you."

Satisfy The Lord

Jesus said to her, ’Give Me a drink’ ” (John 4:7). How many of us are expecting Jesus Christ to quench our thirst when we should be satisfying Him! We should be pouring out our lives, investing our total beings, not drawing on Him to satisfy us. “You shall be witnesses to Me . . .” (Acts 1:8). That means lives of pure, uncompromising, and unrestrained devotion to the Lord Jesus, which will be satisfying to Him wherever He may send us.

Beware of anything that competes with your loyalty to Jesus Christ. The greatest competitor of true devotion to Jesus is the service we do for Him. It is easier to serve than to pour out our lives completely for Him. The goal of the call of God is His satisfaction, not simply that we should do something for Him. We are not sent to do battle for God, but to be used by God in His battles. Are we more devoted to service than we are to Jesus Christ Himself?

-Oswald Chambers utmost.org

Hosea 6:1-6 Acknowledge the Lord

¹ “Come, let us return to the LORD. 
He has torn us to pieces 
   but he will heal us; 
he has injured us 
   but he will bind up our wounds. 
² After two days he will revive us; 
   on the third day he will restore us, 
   that we may live in his presence. 
³ Let us acknowledge the LORD; 
   let us press on to acknowledge him. 
As surely as the sun rises, 
   he will appear; 
he will come to us like the winter rains, 
   like the spring rains that water the earth.”

 ⁴ “What can I do with you, Ephraim?
   What can I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,
   like the early dew that disappears.
⁵ Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
   I killed you with the words of my mouth—
   then my judgments go forth like the sun.
⁶ For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
   and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."

All God wants is for us to acknowledge Him, spend time with Him, be with Him, let Him dwell in the innermost parts of our heart. Return to Him again and again for He will appear again and again and He will heal you, He will bind your wounds, and most of all he will love you relentlessly.