wowlife journal | calvarysc.org | state college, pa » Kim

check your thirst!

Kim — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:41:32 +0000

S – John 7:37-39 Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.
My Bible references Isaiah 58:11 as the verse being pointed to by the phrase “as the Scripture has said” That verse says “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

O – If I believe Jesus is who he says he is my life, my heart will be a spring out of which the Holy Spirit will flow – keeping life around me healthy and fruitful (like a well watered garden).

A – I love the picture here of the Spirit being the water to a garden of life, love, and many kinds of fruit. BUT – I need to check my thirst. How many other things do I long for in my life that compete with a thirst for Christ? Fleeting things, wishful things, self-centered things, some may even be worthwhile things – but none that can compare with HIM who will guide me always! I need to check my thirst!

P – Jesus, I pray that you would daily renew in me a thirst for you – for your Spirit – your living water. When I feel like I’m missing out on something or lacking something in my life would you remind me – in those moments – that YOU are the only thing worth thirsting for – the only one who truly satisfies!

HIdden Treasure

Kim — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:32 +0000

Scripture: Matthew 6:21
• “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (NIV)
• “It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.” (MSG)
• “Your heart will always be where your treasure is.” (CEV)

Observation:
The place where we store up the most stuff, attention, memories, money, etc. is where our hearts will want to spend the most time. Be it a home, a job, a relationship or set of relationships, a church or God’s Kingdom.

Application:
I was thinking about how I have felt after returning from a mission trip and how my heart longs, aches to be back in the place I just left – the place with all the little hands and feet, grubby smiles, the place with great amounts of both laughter and need. The place with little possessions and big hearts.
I’m not sure why my mind went here – I’ve never thought about this scripture in these terms before but there is something about the great TREASURE that is deposited in the hearts we leave behind at the end of a mission trip and the longing to return and be in that place – I guess it’s my heart wanting to be where I have stored treasure and a mission trip is one of the best “hands-on” examples in my life of storing up the right kind of treasure.
During this season when I have the opportunity to store up earthly treasure in terms of Christmas shopping vs. the opportunity to direct similar amounts of my finances to places that will serve the poor and needy of the world – I want the Kingdom to win in my heart – in my life!

Prayer:
Jesus, please stretch the places in my heart that have become numb to the life that you call us to. Re-awaken the places in me that have become far too satisfied with “good enough” and have stopped pursuing your HIGHEST.

A Pleasing Fragrance

Kim — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:39:18 +0000

Scripture: Mark 14:3 – “While he was at Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.”

Observation: This woman gave Jesus a very extravagant offering of her worship. The scripture says that the perfume she poured over him was worth a year’s wages – that’s EXTRAVAGANT. It took some sense of stewardship simply to be able to own that perfume to offer – and it required a sense of FREEDOM in her heart to offer it selflessly and without reservation.

Application: I must constantly and consistently work towards being a better steward of my possessions, my finances and my heart so that when opportunities arise to worship in extravagant ways – I have the freedom to worship my guts out. Whether it’s financial freedom to pour into something or someone because HE leads me to do – that or the freedom of a pure heart to worship in ways that I have yet to experience. I don’t want to miss it!

Prayer: My prayer today comes in the form of the lyrics of a song by Rita Springer…
“I bring to You a fragrant offering
I pour out my love and I wash Your feet
I offer up to You, Lord, this brokenness
What You can see in me shall be my confidence

I bring to You a humble sacrifice
I pour out my heart and I give You my life
I offer up to You, oh Lord, this costly gift
With absolute abandon now my love I confess

May it be a pleasing fragrance that I bring to You, oh Lord
I am so in need of Your presence and I bow before You now
I pour my vial of worship over You.”

May it be a pleasing fragrance that I bring to You, oh Lord!

his mercy reigns!

Kim — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:34:50 +0000

Scripture: “Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.” – Acts 12:7

Observation: Reading the account of Peter’s “Miraculous Escape From Prison” is always exciting to me but today it leads me to a new place. The words of verse 7 brought to mind song lyrics (imagine that! ) . The lyrics added to Amazing Grace by Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio are running through my head:
“My chains are gone. I’ve been set free.
My God, my Savior has ransomed me.
And like a flood HIS MERCY REIGNS.
Unending love… amazing grace.”

Application: While Peter’s chains were literal mine are spiritual, emotional, mental… sin, pride, fear, lies I’ve believed, self-focus, self-sufficiency, sin! His blood ransomed ME. His love for me breaks the chains in my life as fantastically and miraculously as the angel broke away the chains on Peter’s wrists. I need to be reminded DAILY to walk in his love and the freedom it has bought for me. I don’t deserve any of this – BUT GOD! But… HIS MERCY REIGNS!!!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for your ridiculous love for me. Thank you for your blood that paid my ransom. Thank you for purchasing FREEDOM for me. I want so desperately to walk in that freedom – fully – daily. Your mercy overwhelms me and leaves me speechless. I don’t understand it – not even for a second – but I am so grateful for it! May I walk in the light of your life and live under the waterfall of your mercy! Your mercy reigns!