Looking Unto Jesus

"When you love Jesus, you give God  your heart- yep, that's just what you do" was the wisdom verbalized by my little 4-year old grandson to his Daddy and Mommy a few nights ago. Thank you, Landon, for giving your MaMa the thought for her first blog. Jeff and Amy gave me a new computer for Christmas . He  set me up to share some of my thoughts from time to time. I read his quite regularly and wonder at his way with words, a gift he says he has had since he was Landon's age or younger. But, I realize, in these last days we are in, soldiers need not compare nor compete (God forgive us!) but simply report for duty so here we go...
     On the eve of a new year (pray tell, where did it go?), I have been seeing the ads now from the sports stores and health stores. Treadmills are on sale and retailers know that at this time of year, people all over America are making their new year's resolutions- losing weight, eating healthier, getting out of debt- all worthy goals. I believe resolutions get a bad rap at time, probably because most will be unfulfilled when 2010 has come and gone, but there is nothing wrong with having goals. In fact , in a believer's life, everything is right about having and attaining goals. The Apostle Paul says this in his letter to the Phillipians: 3:13-14 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this ONE THING I DO, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (stretching) unto those things which are before. I press (pursue, follow after) toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."   Now, if the Apostle Paul had not "arrived", I think it is pretty safe to say there are some heights and depths that we need to stretch for this coming year. Paul was focused- note the phrase I made all caps: ONE THING I DO! Paul was focused on the assignment. He was stretching himself to pursue the prize. Have you ever noticed the intensity on an Olympian runner as he nears the finish line?  Many of you know that I am a basketball fan; I played from about the age of 10 to graduation and I love the game. I am particularly a Lady Vol fan. I love Pat Summit's focus- her determination, her discipline, her direction, her dedication and many times in her post game interviews, she will mention that her team lost their focus and you can't do that on her team because she didn't show up to chit chat around the gym. Otherwise, she would not have more wins than any other coach. (1000 + and counting.)       Maybe, Christian brother and sister, we have lost our focus. Hebrews 12:2 "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."  Reminds me of the old song, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, Look Full in His Wonderful Face; And the Things of Earth Will Grow Strangely Dim in the Light of His Glorious Grace."  Let me try to tie my thoughts together now concerning my resolution for 2010, the year that Jesus may return, the year that you or I may see Him via death, the year that may hold tremendous blessings, or the year we may face something we never expected nor saw coming. God, I believe, is speaking to me through His Word, concerning what lies ahead and how I am to respond to it.  Ps. 105:4 says "Seek the LORD and His strength: seek His face evermore." 27:8 "When Thou saidst, seek ye My face, my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek." I, probably, like you, often try to figure out the who's, whens, wheres, hows, and whys ( the questions the lame-stream media are supposed to ask),and also like you, find myself frustrated because I cannot piece the story altogether and lately, I hear my Lord saying, "Seek My face, Deborah, I have the answers to the whys, hows, etc."  Isn't that what the familiar N.T. passage in Matt. 6:33 is saying? "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Focus, believers, focus!  So then, on this day, not this year which may or may not come, but this day which I have right now, I choose to seek His face. Not His hand, which is ok because He told us to ask but today, His face because my biggest problem is not trusting Him and if I will be diligent at seeking His face through His Word, I will know Him better and if we know Him, we will trust Him! He is our faithful, heavenly Father, - ALL POWERFUL, ALL WISE, ALL SUFFICIENT, ALL KNOWING, ALL LOVING!!!        I love Jesus so my resolution is to seek Him and give Him my heart- every bit of it. Danny and I enjoy a modest home in Dawsonville and are thankful to God for all His provisions to us. And there is not one room, closet, nor cupboard that we ask anyone's permission to go into. It's our earthly home and we have access to it. Well, I am reminded today, that I am not my own, I have been bought with a price, a precious price, the blood of Jesus, and He owns my heart and I willingly ask Him to search it and know it and OWN it for His glory.  That's what I want- I am sure that is what you want because "When You Love Jesus, you give God your heart- yep, that's what we do."  Out of the mouth of babes, Landon proclaimed a very simple yet profound truth that has affected this MaMa's life!!                        Happy and blessed New Year to you who read this. Pray for me- I wrestle with a debilitating disease, which on many days, renders me unable to minister but I also am growing thru this because I know our God is sovereign, including Lyme disease. My aim with this blog is to help and encourage His saints - I believe we may need it in the coming days as never before. Believe me, if any of you benefit, it will be firstly that I am seeking and He is filling me, and you all glean the overflow.   ALL PRAISE AND GLORY TO OUR SAVIOR AND LORD, JESUS CHRIST! HE IS WORTHY!!!                          Deborah