Day 21 (Friday) Morning Meditations at Marina's Kitchen Table; A devotional memoir

Morning Prayer
Good morning, God. Thank You for the rest You have given me. Please allow it to sustain me through this day. Help me to use my moments wisely, and help me to be focused on You right now. You are my Rock and my Salvation. I wait in Your presence and trust in You. Amen.

Focus Verse
Philippians 4:7 NLT
Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

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Sometimes His peace eludes me; sometimes it shows up in unexpected places.

I desire His peace, long for it to be as present as the air I breathe. Sometimes I pray for it to be right here, in an uncomfortable or painful place, and I can't feel it. It's then I pray for His will to be done, and find it's been here all along. I just could not find it in my requests. My ways are not always His ways. 

I want others to know His peace, too. To be able to rest in the knowledge of His presence, His place, His priorities. To walk with Him in the valleys and not fear, because His peace is made known. To be assured it's safe to struggle with faith questions, to know He is patient, and that His love for us endures forever.

To know the benefit of the quiet in the midst of the crazy. To feel His stillness in the middle of the frenzy. To rest in His arms in the center of all life's chaos. 

But there's a caveat as we live in Him.

It's only when we choose to live in Him that He can make His peace guard our hearts and minds. Of course, He can make it happen no matter where we are in our faith journey, but we will best recognize His Peace at work in us, around us, through us, when we are residing in Him. His Holy Spirit will permeate us, we will feel His place within us, and we will desire His will over our own.

In many ways, when we choose to live in Him is when we allow Him to reside in us.

Many people know about God. They know who Jesus is. They may have heard about the Holy Spirit, but not understand how, or if, they are all connected. Or perhaps they are clear about who each of these three are. they may be able to discuss the part that each of them play in faith. 

But knowing about them is not the same as knowing them personally. 

When you know them personally, you allow Christ to live in your heart, and He takes up residence there. He instills a part of Himself, and as you spend time with Him in His Word, the Bible, He imparts bits of wisdom. As those seeds take hold, our relationship with Him changes.

As we begin to understand the character of God, the person of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit, then we can more fully understand how He is dwelling in us, just as we are dwelling in Him. Just as we are together.

A Prayer
Father, I long to know You better. Please reveal Yourself to me more. I pray my love for Your Son, Jesus, will continue to grow, and that I will recognize the power of the Holy Spirit at work in my, for me, and through me. God, please undo any confusion, and help me to be sure of my relationship with You. I don't want to know about You, I want to know You personally. Break down barriers and continue to reveal Yourself to me. Amen.

Table Talk
Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Colossians 3:10, Ephesians 3:20, 1 John 3:24

Do you know about God, or do you know Him? Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and have you decided to model your life after His? Do you feel the Holy Spirit leading you and guiding you?

If you have never made a statement of faith and would like to know more about becoming a believer in Jesus Christ, please contact a Christian friend or pastor. I'm certain they would be happy to speak with you about what it means to be a Christian and connect you with other believers who can disciple you.

If you are a Christian already, yay! I believe it's important to continue to grow in our relationship with God, our Heavenly Father, Jesus, His only Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

If your heart has grown cold, or distant from God, or if you have always gone to church but have never had a relationship with Him, perhaps today is the day to make a change. Connect with your pastor or contact a friend. I'm sure that another believer would love to help you find a church where you can grow as a Christian and deepen your relationship with God.

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©2020 Marina J Bromley, Marina's Kitchen Table, all rights reserved.