So be truly glad.  There is wonderful joy ahead,
even though you must endure many trials for a little while.
 1 Peter 1:6 NLT

For weeks, I have been sensing I am to live in the shadow of the Cross.  At first, I just allowed the Lord to take me there and asked the Holy Spirit to tell me what he wanted me to see.  As I started my time with the Lord there, I experienced his peace. I discovered true rest in that deep peace. No need to talk or think.

There is protection in the shadow of the Cross.  I sense his security, so important to me, as I rest there.   I am surrounded by his warrior angels.  The enemy dare not intrude.  The Lord is hiding me under his wings so the devil cannot find an opening to disturb us.

I am reminded that because of Christ’s suffering I am being renewed daily, growing into all that the Father created me to be.  I am a new person, the old is gone; the new has come.  So, I let go of the things of the past that are weighing me down and choose to trust the Lord with anything that may be burdening my heart.

In the shadow of the Cross I am reminded of God’s power.  Though gentle to me and reassuring, it is fierce when turned against our enemies.  There is power in the Father’s mighty love that he has for his beloved children like you and me. I can run into the arms of love and let him fill me up and be strengthened.  I belong there in the shadow of the Cross.

Sometimes there is wise discipline there, too.  Random thoughts come to mind, reminding me of things I should have done or said.  Since he loves me, I try to accept his gentle criticism, ask and receive his forgiveness, and seek his wisdom in that area of my life.
 
It becomes easier to trust the Lord with my day when I start it in the shadow of the Cross.  It always amazes me that I am welcome there.  You, too, are welcome.  Learn to love the Cross and its infinite meaning and be comforted there.
 
Dear friends, be blessed as you daily make time to start your day at the foot of the Cross, rejoicing in the shadow.  Just close your eyes and the Holy Spirit will take you there.  May all your days be overflowing with joy and peace no matter what you face.   Amen.

Mary Sumner ~ September 24, 2024

  I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you
 completely with joy and peace because you trust in him.
Then you will overflow with confident hope
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
 Romans 15:13 NLT

Are you looking for direction?  The world seems crazy right now.  What can we trust in?  We all need confident hope to get us through the day.  Romans 15:13 is a promise and a prayer.  Reading and meditating on it, gave me encouragement today.  May it encourage you.

Romans 15:13 tells us an important truth in a time when so many things are screaming at us to trust them for the answers. We need to hear that only God is worthy of our trust. He is the Source of all true, eternal hope.  Everything, everyone else is fleeting, unstable and untrustworthy.  The hope that God gives is life giving, unchanging, and everlasting. It empowers us to face tomorrow.

And according to this promise, God is the source of what our hearts yearn for, true joy and peace. Jesus has left us with the gift of peace (Jn.14:27), we just have to ask for it and receive it.  The Holy Spirit comes into our hearts offering us the fruit of joy. (Gal.5:22) That joy and peace become our strength, a weapon against all that is trying to destroy us. We don’t have to work for them.  They are given freely as we surrender to God’s authority in our lives.

The key is choosing to trust him.  He has given us many reasons to trust him.  However, we need to surrender our other “gods”, and receive the true God’s love and his will for our lives. That’s sometimes difficult when there are so many voices telling us otherwise.  So, to receive this beautiful promise, we must choose to turn off the noise, confusion and fear mongering that create roadblocks to enjoying God.  Make time daily, and ask the Spirit to train your spirit to listen to God.  It is miraculous!  God wants to show you the way to have confident hope that will open the door to overflowing joy and peace.

Enough with living a hopeless life, giving into the lies of discouragement and death of the enemy!  Let’s choose to trust God as our source of confident hope.  The power of the Holy Spirit will enable us to do it.

Dear friends, be blessed as you daily make time to train your heart to hear God and receive his truth and confident hope.  May the power of the Holy Spirit fill you and enable you to overcome the enemy and release your overflowing joy and peace in a thirsty world.  Amen.

Mary Sumner ~ September 12, 2024