Sue O'Donnell. 24.11.20
“Seek out Yaweh while He is still found, call to Him while He is still near.” (Isaiah 55 v 6 TNJB)
Where do you find the Lord Jesus?
In those who are faithful to God,
Who seek to offer His goodness to us,
As the heritage of all peoples.
Jesus lives in every loving act of kindness
As a person becomes motivated by His Spirit.
Motivated to share time, skill and resources.
Wanting to share their experience of the gospel
In learning to trust and believe,
Becoming blessed to receive of the Lord Jesus’ directing.
You find Jesus in all acts of self-sacrifice,
In the church liturgy and sacramental celebration.
Notable here in the Sacramental Mystery
Of the Body and Blood of Christ Jesus,
Graciously given to all believers who repent of sinfulness.
We meet with Jesus as the Divine Healer,
The power of holy love making Him Lord and Saviour.
Jesus is in all holy wisdom and truth,
Spelled out to us in both word and deed,
Completed or spoken in true love’s action.
Our Saviour is hidden within all goodness,
In family life, in religious communities big and small.
They have set themselves apart from worldliness,
That they can serve in all holiness, the fullness of Jesus.
“In Him there is wisdom, and power too, and good counsel no less than discretion.” (Job 12 v 13 TNJB)
Jesus is there in every prayer we share,
In all attempts at renunciation of self
To make better room for the Lord Jesus to live within us.
Jesus comes to us each time we call on the Holy Spirit,
He who teaches us to work and pray for holiness.
The Spirit shows us how our Father always through Jesus,
Works for the good of His people becoming His family,
Receiving countless blessings and benefits.
All of these emanate from the forgiveness offered at Jesus’ †,
That we can pray, seek and find mercy.
The Holy Spirit helps us to create a clean heart,
As we compare our life with that of the Lord Jesus,
And see how sadly lacking in holiness we actually are.
Jesus loving concern for us, shared with our Father
And made evident to us by the purifying Spirit,
This results in a renewed, steadfast spirit developing within us.
The Spirit of truth convicts us of sin for our own good.
He prompts us to daily seek to find and focus on Jesus.
Jesus is there in community if we but carefully look to find.
Jesus is the Freedom Giver, releasing us from satan.
He is always but always found in the reverence of obedience.
“Is not your reverence your confidence: And the integrity of Your ways your hope?” (Job 4 v 6 TNJB)
“Believe me, God neither spurns anyone of integrity, nor lends His aid to the evil. Once again, laughter may fill your mouth and cries of joy break from your lips.” (Job 8 v 20, 21 TNJB)
“To the LORD I say, ‘You are my Lord, my happiness is in none of the sacred spirits of the earth.’
They only take advantage of all who love them...” (Psalm 16 v 2 TNJB) and satan will always lead us astray. I will have none of this.
I will seek the Lord Jesus, praying day and night and inbetween, as the Holy Spirit prompts me. “My birthright, my cup is the LORD; You, You alone, hold my lot secure.” (v 5)
Thank You for keeping me safe. “The measuring line marks out for me a delightful place, my birthright in all I could wish.” (v 6) Thank You so much dearest Father, for making the Lord Jesus my Saviour, the One living, dying and rising again to share His holiness with me.
“I bless Yaweh who is my counsellor, even at night my heart instructs me. I keep Yaweh before me always, for with Him at my right hand, nothing can shame me.” (v 8)
I am so grateful to the risen, ascended and glorified Christ Jesus, who sends the Holy Spirit of faith to teach me to pray, to trust, to depend and to strive daily after holiness. I hope I will never disappoint You, Lord
God.
“So my heart rejoices, my soul delights, my body too will last secure, for You will not abandon me to Sheol, You cannot allow Your faithful servant to see the abyss.” (v 10)
Our new, purified, sanctified, profoundly blessed life, a life to be consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, has been promised and is fulfilled by our Saviour. Jesus is our forever Saviour, our delight!
“You will teach me the path of life, unbounded joy in Your presence, at Your right hand delight for ever,” (v 11) in the final happiness of Your heavenly company, Almighty Trinity.
“I in my uprightness” the blessing of belonging to the Lord Jesus, my new life placed prayerfully in His hands daily, I “Will see Your face, and when I awake I shall be filled with the vision of You.” (Psalm 17
v 15)
Of this I am confident, all thanks to Person and Presence of my Saviour Lord, the living Word of truth.
Nothing whatsoever, apart from our sins, “Will be able to come between us and the love of God, known to us in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8 v 38 TNJB)
Father God, You have called us to pray to seek and find the Lord Jesus, our Saviour, searching and finding by means of the Holy Spirit, so we will never be disappointed in Your call to share in holy glory.
As You are for us, who can be against us? As You did not spare Your Son, but gave Him up to the punishment for our sin at the †, how then can we not expect an abundance of Your merciful love providing for us, protecting us and directing us?
Nobody can successfully accuse us of sins blighting us eternally. “Let the wicked abandon his (her) way and the evil one his (her) thoughts.” (Isaiah 55 v 7 TNJB) Let him or her turn back to You Father God, through the Lord Jesus, by means of the Spirit.
Let all of us who stray and disobey turn back to You, prayerfully expecting. For You will take pity on us as You are “Rich in forgiveness,” (Isaiah 55 v 7 TNJB) ever merciful. “Yes, You will go out in joy and be
led away in safety.” (v 12)
The call is for us to share in holy glory, for we are made a family whose sins are forgiven at the Lord Jesus’ †, “This will be fame for You, Lord God, an eternal moment never to be effaced.” (based on v 13)
“I love You, LORD, my strength (my Saviour, You have saved me from violence), the Lord is my rock and my fortress, my deliverer is my God, I take refuge in Him, my rock, my shield, my saving strength, my stronghold, my place of refuge.” (Psalm 18 v 1, 2 TNJB)
“I call to the LORD who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from any foes...” (v 3)
Knowing the Lord Jesus as Saviour and being filled by His and Your Spirit, Lord God, enables us to experience rapturous joy which is unsurpassed. For Jesus is the living joy bringing heaven down to earth, that which we all long to experience even if we do not consciously recognise this.
It is as Saint Augustine said, our hearts are restless until we find You, dearest Father, seeking and finding You in the Lord Jesus, when blessed by the Holy Spirit of prayer, ready to repair all the faults and failings.
Thus all lovingly, most mercifully You deal with our insecurity. Jesus is new life to us in all the fullness of promised holiness, that we be consecrated to You.
Thank You so much for gifting us the gospel message of love and mercy, our faith developed by the Holy Spirit as we get to know, love, obey and follow the Lord Jesus as Your Word of life, the One we trust and hand
over control to.
We are learning to trust in Jesus’ overwhelming power of love, His Spirit’s, Your Spirit’s impact and influence, the absolute certainty of Your mercy. All the blessings of our life of faith are due to Jesus.
For when we respond in sincerity to the call to share in holy glory, made by our Saviour Brother, speaking to us through the Spirit, according to Your will, wishes, plan and purpose, then we receive heaven’s blessings.
Oh how glorious life can be! Amen.
Images by Artist Christine Garwood
http://www.christinegarwoodartist.co.uk/
Season
Key Themes
MERCY
GLORY
