kissing jesus

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to give you all of my attention and affection today. Remind me to “kiss the Son,” today and every day.  Amen.

Scripture: Luke 7:36-50

Journal: When was the last time you gave Jesus a kiss?  How might doing that daily affect your heart and soul?

Reflection: “You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet.” (Luke 7:47) This verse stopped me in my tracks this morning.  Years ago a very wise man told me that one of the best ways to practice loving your family was to give everyone a kiss whenever you leave and get home from work.  “It will help keep your hearts tender and connected to each other,” he said.  And although I haven’t been perfect, it was something I tried to incorporate into our lives as a family.  There was a lot of kissing in our house.

But today I was reminded that I also need to do the same with Jesus.  Giving and receiving kisses with him daily, does something really beautiful deep in our hearts and souls.

Lord Jesus, never let it be said that I failed to give you a kiss, today and every day.

Prayer

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, never let it be said that I failed to give you a kiss, today and every day.

 

 

his kiss

Opening Prayer: Kiss me with the kisses of your mouth, O Lord, for your love is more delightful than wine.

Scripture: Song of Songs 1:2-4

Journal: How would you describe your relationship with God these days?  How do you think he would want you to describe it?  How long has it been since you have experienced his kiss?  What keeps you from it?  How about experiencing it today?

Reflection: “It is not inertia alone that is responsible for relationships repeating themselves from case to case, indescribably monotonous and unrenewed: it is shyness before any sort of new, unforeseeable experience with which one does not think oneself able to cope. But only someone who is ready for everything, who excludes nothing, not even the most enigmatical will live the relation to another as something alive.” ~Rainer Maria Rilke

Prayer

Closing Prayer: Forgive me, O Lord, when I settle for a life of duty, chore, and obligation, rather than experiencing the passion and the desire and the affection that you have for me.  Help me to never settle for less than your kiss, your caress, your Divine embrace.  Help me to never just give you “a peck on the cheek for want of making love.”  Sometimes it’s just easier, but it’s not what I really want.  I want more.  I want you!  Kiss me with the kisses of your mouth—for your love is more delightful than anything.  Amen.

uncovering

Opening Prayer: Blessed is the man whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.  When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For night and day your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. (Psalm 32:1-4)

Scripture: Psalm 32:3-5

Journal: What are you trying to keep covered up these days?  What effect is it having on your soul?  How and when and to whom will you finally uncover?

Reflection:

     uncovering

living falsely comes

at such a high cost

ever since the garden

we have invested

so much time and energy

trying to stay covered up

hiding our shame behind

whatever fig leaves

we find at our disposal

and it is exhausting

for hiding requires a lot

secrets choke and stifle

leaving us drained

and sapped and dry

only when we

come out of hiding

acknowledge the truth

and uncover what

really lies within us

can there be any real hope

of living authentically

of life and breath

returning to our souls

may God give us

the courage and

the strength and

the grace to do so

Prayer

Closing Prayer: Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”—and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. (Psalm 32:5)

 

humble YOURSELF

Opening Prayer:  Lord Jesus, if we ever hope to become like you, we must consistently choose to humble ourselves.  Give us the grace and the strength and the courage to do so.  Amen.

Scripture: Luke 18:14

Journal: How are you consciously choosing to humble yourself these days?  Today, how will you choose to become smaller, choose to move lower, choose to become less?

Reflection: “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14)  It is one thing to be humbled by life’s situations and circumstances, but it is quite another to pursue a lifestyle of actively humbling yourself.  That takes a significant amount of courage and fortitude.  It is one thing to feel small and forgotten and invisible, but it is another thing altogether to choose to make yourself those things.  Yet that is what Jesus calls us to do. 

In the kingdom of God last is first, low is high, and the least is the greatest.  In the kingdom of God less is more, small is big, and poor is rich.  In the kingdom of God the one who is honored is the one who serves, you save your life by losing it, and you become full by emptying yourself.  All of which involves a conscious decision to move in the opposite direction of the culture around us.  But when we do, it produces some of the very best fruit possible, both within and among us.

Humbling yourself is definitely not for the faint of heart, but for those who truly want to follow Jesus, wherever it may lead.  Knowing that when they do, they become more and more like him.  Which is what this life is about in the first place, right?

Pray

Closing Prayer: God, have mercy on me, a sinner.  Amen.

 

trust and rest

Opening Prayer: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I said of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whim I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2)

Scripture: Psalm 91:1-2

Journal: Are you able to rest?  Why or why not?  How is that ability, or inability, connected to your trust (or lack thereof) in God’s love and care?

Reflection: The connection between rest and trust cannot be overstated.  In fact, without trust there can never be any real rest.  Rest requires security and safety of soul.  It requires peace of mind and heart.  It is an inner reality that allows us to not be dominated and ruled by our circumstances and surroundings.  It requires and unyielding belief in God’s infinite goodness and care.  Which comes about as a result of constantly dwelling in the shelter of the Most High. 

Prayer

Closing Prayer: O Lord, help me to trust in you.  For until I do, my soul will never be able to find rest.  Amen.

yoke

Opening Prayer: Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

Journal: What (or whose) yoke are you wearing these days?  How’s it fitting you?  What is the state of your soul, as a result?

Reflection:

     yoke

stop trying so hard

to be everything

and do everything

that is a yoke

you were never

meant to bear

instead

come unto me

take my yoke upon you

i made it just for you

and it fits you perfectly

it is who you really are

you won’t have

to try so hard to be

someone you are not

thus you will find

rest for your soul

Prayer

Closing Prayer: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30, MSG)

goodness

Opening Prayer: Thank you, O Lord, that your goodness and unfailing love pursue us all the days of our lives.  Help us to really believe that.

Scripture: Psalm 23:6

Journal: to what degree do you really believe that God is good?  How does that play out in your life when things aren’t going so well?  Is your belief in God’s goodness contingent on the goodness of your circumstances?  What does it look like to trust in God’s goodness, even when the times are hard?

Reflection: “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” (Ps. 23:6, NLT) It’s easy to acknowledge God’s goodness when times are good, but what about when times are not so good?  How much of our belief in God’s goodness is contingent upon our circumstances at the moment?  Either God is good or he’s not, our circumstances should have no bearing on that reality.  But as soon as things get hard, we tend to call him into question.  We begin to doubt his goodness.

That’s where Psalm 23:6 comes into play.  And it starts with the word surely.  Did you get that?  Surely!  It is a fact that his goodness and unfailing love will pursue us all the days of our lives, not just the best days of our lives.  Thus, every day, regardless of our circumstances, we can trust in God’s goodness, whether things are turning out the way we want them to or not.  God is good.  All the time.  Period.

Prayer

Closing Prayer: You are good, O Lord, all the time.  Help me to trust in your goodness and your unfailing love this day.  Amen.

 

 

motives

Opening Prayer:  Lord Jesus, give me the grace and the strength and the courage every day to get up, leave the house, go off to a solitary place, and pray.  For only then will I have any real hope of living the life you want me to live.  Amen.

Scripture: Mark 1:35-38

Journal: Applause or demands?  Which do you typically live for?  What is the result?  What would it look like to be motivated solely by the love of Jesus instead?

Reflection: “Everyone is looking for you!” (Mark 1:37) How would you respond to that statement?  Does it fill you with excitement and anticipation, or with dread and obligation?  The answer to these questions will tell you a lot about what really motivates you.

Some are motivated by applause.  They hear the statement as a reflection on their own popularity, desirability, and worth.  I mean, everyone wants to be wanted, right?  Everyone wants to be sought after, at least to some degree.

But others are motivated by demands and expectations.  They live life with a certain degree of pressure and responsibility.  Their greatest fear is that they would disappoint those around them.       

What do these two have in common?  They both have fear at their core.  Whether it is a fear of not being seen as valuable, or the fear of disappointing others, both are fear-based.  And fear—at least this kind of fear—as a motive doesn’t typically lead to healthy results.

But what about Jesus?  How did he respond?  He did not allow his direction to be controlled by applause or demands, but only by the voice of the One who loved him.  Because he got up (while it was still dark, mind you), left the house, went off to a solitary place, and prayed, he was rooted in God’s direction and agenda, rather than that of those around him.  In fact, he replied, “Let us go somewhere else so I can preach there also.  That is why I came.” 

There is simply no substitute for this.  It is the key to life with God.  Period.  If we ever hope to have any substance and depth and rootedness in our lives with God, we too must get up, leave the house, go off to a solitary place, and pray.  Every single day.  That is the only way that our motives will actually become God’s motives.

Prayer

Closing Prayer:  Not demand, nor applause, O Lord, but your voice alone.  Amen.

My newest book!

 

Coming out on Friday!  My newest book: Fall in Love with Me: Love Letters from Jesus

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