Advent 2013 thoughts (Dec. 8)

Luke 17:1-10 (KJV)

Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!

² It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

³ Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

⁴ And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

⁵ And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

⁶ And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

⁷ But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?

⁸ And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?

⁹ Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.

¹⁰ So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

I am not going to an Advent worship service I had planned to attend.  I was thinking about church attendance (or lack thereof, since I had only streamed one ministry’s service today after watching another ministry’s service from last week online last night), and I sensed the Lord saying,  “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46 NIV) I was instantly convicted about my lack of follow-through regarding the blog entries for Advent. 

So now I have repented, ruing my tendency to habitually do things my way, grateful for God’s patient mercy, forgiveness and grace. I wrote a prayer in my journal, asking the Lord to help me really get the lesson this time.  After all, this is not the first time we’ve been around this particular mountain – me wanting to do something I think will honor Him, something I hope will please Him, something I feel might bring me closer to Him, when I’ve been negligent in doing what HE has said and designed in order to do all of the things I’m desiring.

Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Psalm 37:4 (KJV)

⁴ Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

As my PC was in the middle of a security scan, I decided to watch another ministry service while it was completing.  Then I would do some blogging.  Of course, part of the message during the service included a statement about people not learning the lessons God sets forth to teach us, and an exhortation that as we are convicted by the Holy Spirit, to pray that we want to learn the lesson and move on to the next stage of our spiritual development toward greater maturity.  Since I had written almost just that in my journal, what a confirmation and encouragement to continue on!

John 14:15, 21 (KJV)

¹⁵ If ye love me, keep my commandments.

²¹ He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Even though I knew what I was to have written earlier in the week for the blog, I didn’t take the time to get it done, I didn’t prioritize this assignment over the other things I was doing.  Therefore, just as explanation, wanted to say that I know the dates on the following blog entries will be out of order from this one, but I felt that this one had to be there first as a sort of full disclosure – an admission that without God’s grace and direction, they probably wouldn’t even be there at all.

Psalm 32:8-11 (KJV)

⁸ I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

⁹ Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

¹⁰ Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.

¹¹ Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”

… and my journey with my God continues …