Thursday 30 January 2014

In the quiet...

Jesus got on his own.
"As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer." (Luke 5:16, The Message)
"While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed." Mark 1:35

He tells me who he is:

The GOOD shepherd, not the lazy one; the LIGHT to live by and see life clearly; the ROAD on which to walk on this journey; the BREAD, the most basic of foods which I need to satisfy my hunger. The VINE: organic, living, far-reaching, bursting with growth: living WATER, without which there IS no living.

I need him.
“I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing."

And he reminds me:
"God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what."

And so I can say, as David does in Psalm 63:

"God—you’re my God!
I can’t get enough of you!
I’ve worked up such hunger and thirst for God,
traveling across dry and weary deserts
.
So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open,
drinking in your strength and glory.
In your generous love I am really living at last!
My lips brim praises like fountains.
I bless you every time I take a breath;
My arms wave like banners of praise to you.

I eat my fill of prime rib and gravy;
I smack my lips. It’s time to shout praises!
If I’m sleepless at midnight,
I spend the hours in grateful reflection.
Because you’ve always stood up for me,
I’m free to run and play.
I hold on to you for dear life,
and you hold me steady as a post."

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