5/30/2018

LOVING the Things The LORD LOVES


Loving the things The LORD Loves

What "things" could Our LORD possibly love ? 

HE+ loves those things which bring us closer to HIM+. 

HE+ loves those things which make us more like HIMSELF+.  

This is a repost from a Lenten Meditation . . .  


Lenten Meditations
. . .  Setting our Face Toward Jerusalem . . .
Preparing our Hearts in Remembrance of the Paschal Passion
of The LAMB+ of GOD,
The LORD JESUS CHRIST
2018

" And now, O LORD, we present unto THEE+ our selves, our souls, and our bodies to be a holy and Living Sacrifice unto THEE+ . . . which is our reasonable service."
+  +  +

Loving the things The LORD Loves
. . .

What "things" could Our LORD possibly love ? 

HE+ loves those things which bring us closer to HIM+. 

HE+ loves those things which make us more like HIMSELF+. 

Thus, The LORD loves TRAINING, that is, our discipline in the SPIRIT, by the SPIRIT. HE+ loves it when HE+ sees us training ourselves to follow HIM+ more closely. 

If we quiet ourselves enough, HE+ will show us how to go about doing it, in the confines of our daily schedule.

HE+ knows our duties and responsibilities. HE+ knows the baby must be cared for, the job must be worked at, the labor assigned to us must be completed and completed well.  HE+ knows the family needs must be attended to daily.

HE+ also knows
that HE+ will help us carry our load
 if we deliberately and in a disciplined manner
put HIM+ first.

How does HE+ do this ? 

When we embrace a daily discipline --- no matter how small --- to train ourselves to attend to HIM+ first, HE+ makes things go smoother. HE+ settles problems before they start. HE+ improves our judgment and our skills, to our own great amazement.  

HE+ gives us the extra energy and needed thinking power to help us complete our tasks:  the baby will be content, mistakes will NOT occur on the job, the customers will be satisfied with a job well done.

Every duty will be easier, will go faster, and be better done. 

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE  is NOT an additional "burden" to our already demanding day.  Indeed, it provides the very energy and strength we NEED to work successfully through our temporal duties and responsibilities.

Why ?  
 Because it draws us closer to His+ Side. 

We become more and more aware of His+ Presence throughout our day. HE+ guides us even in the little things we need to do in our chores.  We find ourselves "talking" to HIM+ as we do our necessary duties.

We need His+ Presence, and we rejoice over it.

Furthermore, 
HE+ delights to be included !

During this Lenten Season then, let us embark on this FIRST SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE:

Let us quiet ourselves
for a little time every day
to ask HIM+: 

How do YOU+ want me to do my training, LORD?
 
How do I draw closer to YOU+ in my daily routine?

If we are sincere in this request, HE+ will show us . . . each one of us . . . exactly what to do to train ourselves in the Way HE+ wants us to go.  Exactly as each one of us , individually, may need. Exactly suited to fit into our personal schedule of duties and responsibilities.

So . . . let us take a little time to sit STILL ...

just sit STILL with The LORD.

No reading, no intercessions, no study at this time. Just a stillness before HIM+, quieting ourselves like a weaned child , waiting in HOLY SILENCE before His+ Presence. 

LET US PRAY

O LORD JESUS, teach me to love what YOU+ love.

O LORD, I have not meant to neglect YOU+. 

I have not meant to give you the crumbs of my day, the meager left-overs of my energy, a random thought here and there as I busy myself with the cares of this life. 
Even with out-reach. 

I love YOU+, LORD, and I know there is nothing more important to me than YOU+, O SAVIOR+ of my Soul.  

LORD JESUS, YOU+ are my Life and my stay, my hope and my Rock. Show me what pleases YOU+.

I WILL sit quietly with YOU+ now, LORD JESUS, a little every day, until it pleases YOU+ to show me what else I should do simply to please YOU+.

I lift up these my imperfect prayers
to YOU+, O LORD JESUS CHRIST,
and commit to YOU+ my obedience.

Amen
 

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