Knock And The Door Will Be Opened

And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 

                                                                                  (Luke 11:5-9 KJV)

Who would not answer their door to a friend in need? Sadly, there are many who would not. They may have many reasons. Maybe, they are in bed and don't feel like getting up. Maybe they are in the middle of a game or a television show and don't feel like interrupting it. Maybe they just don't feel like helping their friend because they don't view their relationship as close as the person who is on the otherside of the door knocking. 

My parents taught me to always be there to help anyone in need and it didn't have to be a friend. I recall their door being opened to many strangers. It is what they did. It is what we do for those who may be suffering or in any kind of need.

I had to actually look up the word "importunity" from the scripture this morning in order to be sure that I knew what it meant. Importunity is when someone has to beg for help and gets that help not out of friendship or kindness or love or anything as sweet as that; but, because the person being asked finally gets annoyed enough of the begging that they give in and help the person in need.

The world today is full of fear. There are definitely dangers around us and at times might even knock at our door. Prudence and caution is a good thing when opening the doors to strangers. But; know this, even if Jesus is a stranger to you, you can knock on his door and it will be opened. He will let you into the Kingdom. You do not have to beg or be afraid to ask for his help. He already gave it to you when he suffered and died on the cross to open the door to the Kingdom for you.

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (Luke 11:9) 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

In Communion With Him

4:30 a.m. Bayfield, WI and it is dawn!

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee. (Psalm 143:7 KJV)

As I get older, I find it harder to sit still. I find it more difficult to be indoors. I long to be outdoors with no walls confining me. My husband and I decided to take a road trip yesterday. So this morning, at 4 am I found myself wandering around the grounds at a resort near Bayfield, Wisconsin in wonder of the beauty of God's creation. It was already dawn! Imagine that the light shines even at 4 am in northern Wisconsin! It was quiet! It was peaceful! 

In the early mornings when I rise, I am more able to be aware of God's presence in the world around me and with me. That is; after all, what the kingdom of God that we say we hope for is: living in His presence. In the quiet hours of the dawn, when no one is stirring and when most of the sound made by humankind is either shut off or muffled, I am able to realize a closer communion with Him. When it is quiet, I am much more able to hear the whisper of His voice and feel the comfort of His presence.

We do not have to wait until death to know God; to know our savior Jesus Christ. He is with us now and with us always. Live life! Live life in communion with Him today and know the peace that surpasses all understanding!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Do You Want To See Jesus?

In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus!

And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.  (Luke 19:2-6 KJV)

In the morning, when I rise give me Jesus. The words to that song have been running through my head a lot lately. It may be because I have been rising early and sitting on the deck watching the sunrise. The beauty of the sunrise reminds how beautiful and glorious is our Lord. 

Zacchaeus "sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature." Zacchaeus was of little stature not only in physical height; but, in social stature as well. He was a tax collector and had made himself wealthy by cheating his own people. Therefore, he was not a popular fellow. No one in the crowd that day was going to move out of his way so that he could see Jesus so he climbed a tree to get a look from a distance. Jesus knew of his desire to see him and so he arranged to make it up front and personal. He told Zacchaeus: "Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house." 

Do you want to see Jesus? If you want to see Jesus, just climb down from whatever perch that you've chosen to watch Jesus from afar and welcome Him into your life. Let him in! Today, (and every day) Jesus wants to be welcomed into your home, into your life. 

In the Revelation of John, we hear Jesus' invitation to us: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Rev 3:20)

Open the door and let him in... He is there for you.

God's Peace - Pr. J