Jesus Calling

“And He (Jesus) went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach…”-Mark 3:13, 14

“Come to Me (Jesus), all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”-Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst…the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”-John 6:35, 37

David prayed, “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You.”-Psalm 16:11; Psalm 63:3

How often do we run to other things to try and satisfy the deep longings in our soul that can only be satisfied in fellowship with the Lord Jesus?! Often the Lord will allow heartache or some type of trial into our life to draw us into a deeper, closer walk with Him, as seen in the words of the following poem.

"I bare you on eagle's wings, and brought you unto myself" (Exod. 19:4).

Fearing to launch on "full surrender's" tide,
      I asked the Lord where would its waters glide
      My little bark, "To troubled seas I dread?"
      "Unto Myself," He said.

Weeping beside an open grave I stood,
      In bitterness of soul I cried to God:
      "Where leads this path of sorrow that I tread?"
      "Unto Myself," He said.

Striving for souls, I loved the work too well;
      Then disappointments came; I could not tell
      The reason, till He said, "I am thine all;
      Unto Myself I call."

Watching my heroes--those I loved the best--
      I saw them fail; they could not stand the test,
      Even by this the Lord, through tears not few,
      Unto Himself me drew.

Unto Himself! No earthly tongue can tell
      The bliss I find, since in His heart I dwell;
      The things that charmed me once seem all as naught;
      Unto Himself I'm brought.
      -selected

Upon recognizing the great love of our God, and His desire to lavish that love upon us as His children, may our hearts echo the words of the following Hymn writer.

HIMSELF
     by A. B. Simpson
Once it was the blessing, Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling, Now it is His Word.
Once His gifts I wanted, Now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing, Now Himself alone.

Once 'twas painful trying, Now 'tis perfect trust;
Once a half salvation, Now the uttermost.
Once 'twas ceaseless holding, Now He holds me fast;
Once 'twas constant drifting, Now my anchor's cast.

Once 'twas busy planning, Now 'tis trustful prayer;
Once 'twas anxious caring, Now He has the care.
Once 'twas what I wanted, Now what Jesus says;
Once 'twas constant asking, Now 'tis ceaseless praise.

Once it was my working, His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him, Now He uses me.
Once the power I wanted, Now the Mighty One;
Once for self I labored, Now for Him alone.

Once I hoped in Jesus, Now I know He's mine;
Once my lamps were dying, Now they brightly shine.
Once for death I waited, Now His coming hail;
And my hopes are anchored, Safe within the veil.

 

 

Whispers from God to a hungry heart

“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6b (NIV)

I heard the whisper of God in, of all places, a nail salon. I was a young aspiring actor who’d come to Los Angeles with a dream. I barely knew myself and certainly didn’t know God. To pay my bills I worked jobs I despised, hearing they might help me in the entertainment world. But I soon discovered it was far from satisfying. I was living alone and terribly lonely. There had to be something more in life — something better. In the absence of meaningful relationships, I craved food, having struggled with an eating disorder for years. I’d sit at home alone, watch TV and eat. I began to gain weight and then dove into reading hundreds of self-help books on health and wholeness, motivation, well-being and alternative medicine. Still, I felt empty. I craved something more than fun, diversion and health … more than celebrity. But what? Looking back, I see my inner hunger drove me to search for ways to fill myself, but none of them worked. Soul hunger or not, a girl can’t live in Los Angeles without getting her nails done — especially a wannabe actor. So I religiously took my place in a chair at the nail salon. As I sat there, I read a Ladies Home Journal article which outlined a healthy eating plan with a spiritual understanding of our bodies and innermost person. The program incorporated daily prayer, confession, and — of all things — Bible reading. Something stirred in me. The article pulled back the curtain to peer deep into my soul, where my hunger originated. I knew I was reading truth. Daily, I began to keep a journal, pray and read Bible verses — all completely new to me. As I did, I felt a deep awakening in my heart, and power was flowing into me. One day, I started to panic about my upcoming car payment. My first instinct kicked in — I bolted to grab something sweet. Suddenly, I stopped and prayed, “God, if this prayer stuff really works, then I’m coming to You first.” The urge to eat passed. Within a day, a check arrived for a small job I’d recently done. Car payment covered! Whoa. There really was something to this spiritual stuff. Through prayer and Bible reading, I began to understand how empty my heart felt for the first time. I was hungry to be filled. Eventually, I got up my nerve and showed up to a local church small group. Most of the women there knew a lot more about God and the Bible than I did, but to my amazement, they were kind and welcomed me; I knew I’d be back. I’d never sat in a circle and had people actually pray for me. Tears ran down my cheeks. Their prayers made me feel cared for and encouraged, as if I mattered personally to them and to God. Wanting to contribute to the group, I started to read my Bible more. From reading, I finally realized I was hearing the whispers of God. God was accomplishing His purposes in me and whispering His love through two powerful means: His Word and His people. God had begun “a good work” in me and I knew He would “carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6b). Today, I treasure those memories as major milestones on my faith journey. Far before I knew God, He knew me and loved me. He placed His word in my life at a nail salon and then sent me to the dear ladies at church to sow seeds of faith into my life — seeds that have grown into a vibrant personal friendship with God and that continue to grow ever-deeper roots. Dear Lord, thank You for beginning Your good work in our lives and using Your Word and Your people to complete it. Stir our hunger for Your Word and stir our thirst for fellowship with others who carry Your love into our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. -Andrea Logan White (Proverbs 31 Ministries)