To know the Heart of Christ intimately

"For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified."  (1 Corinthians 2:2)

Lord Jesus, I pray that I may know your Heart intimately; that I may love you passionately and follow you everywhere.  Amen.

Mary, the Model of Faith

"Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." (Luke 1: 45)

The promises of God are trustworthy.  They shall all be fulfilled come what may.

"Then the LORD answered me and said:
Write down the vision;
Make it plain upon tablets,
so that the one who reads it may run.

For the vision is a witness for the appointed time,
a testimony to the end; it will not disappoint.
If it delays, wait for it,
it will surely come, it will not be late."  Habakkuk 2: 2 - 4)

Even if the fulfillment is delayed, wait for it with confidence.

"For thus said the Lord GOD,
the Holy One of Israel:
By waiting and by calm you shall be saved,
in quiet and in trust shall be your strength."  (Isaiah 30: 15)

"Faith that is firm is also patient."  (Isaiah 28: 16)

Mary is the Midwife of Yes.  She believes deeply in the word of God.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray us that we also may believe in all the promises of your Son.

Lord, I want to see

"Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”  (Mark 10: 51)

Lord, I want to see myself as you see me.  I want to see my circumstances as you see them.  I want to see my purpose as you see it.  Lord, I believe and trust in you.  Help my unbelief.

I know what I am asking

"Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”

Lord, I think I know what I am asking for.  I am asking for the promise of the Father of which you say that whoever asks for it must receive.  I am asking that you fill me with your Holy Spirit.  I am praying too that you grant me the grace to surrender completely to the Holy Spirit. I want your Holy Spirit to lead me, guide me and use me to dust.

Can I drink the cup that you drank or be baptized with the baptism that you were baptized?  With the help of your Holy Spirit I can.

I know too these two comforting truths:

"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope." (Jeremiah 29: 11)

"We know that all things work for good for those who love God,* who are called according to his purpose."  (Romans 8: 28)

You are a faithful God who never forsakes anybody who trusts in you.

Compensation in Genuine Riches

Matthew 19:29
" And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life."

I share below part commentary of John Gills Exposition on the above :

" shall receive an hundred fold:
Mark adds, "now in this time"; and Luke likewise, "in this present time", in this world; which may be understood either in spiritual things, the love of God, the presence of Christ, the comforts of the Holy Ghost, the communion of saints, and the joys and pleasures felt in the enjoyment of these things, being an hundred times more and better to them, than all they have left or lost for Christ's sake; or in temporal things, so in Mark it seems to be explained, that such shall now receive an hundred fold"

The Lord has blessed me as He promised.  Thank you Jesus for your Holy Spirit that helps me to understand this.

All you need is Jesus

Mark 10:21

"21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

1 Chronicles 29:16

"16 O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own."

How sad it is to lose a great opportunity because the opportunity comes clothed as a problem?

"Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,

for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." 

(James 1: 2 - 4)

"Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom  - that I may not be attached to the perishable things of this world - but aspire only after the things - that are eternal."  (Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit:)

But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it."  (James 1: 5)

Faith gives us access to God's promises

Romans 5:1-5
Peace with God Through Faith

"5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

Through Faith we have full access to God's promises of Pardon, Peace, Power, Purpose, Presence, Provision and Protection.

James 1:2-4
Testing of Your Faith

"2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."