God IS Good, and He will draw us to Him

Journal entry of 25 August 2014

So, I've been saying all day today that I'm going to write this. So, I'm writing it. (Happy, God? . . . Good. lol)

Last night, I attended the first night of the Kingdom Culture event at Hidden Valley Worship Center. HVWC is the laboratory where the Lord taught me who He truly is . . . the things I've read so far in the first four Lectures on Faith are all familiar to me because of what I've heard preached in this place. This is the church where I received the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, when a visiting pastor laid hands on me, prayed over me (including putting into words some things I was experiencing at that very time that I hadn't yet been able to put into words) and then said, "Be filled!" This church has been the place where I can come before the Lord and pray and worship without thought for what anyone will think, where I have been prayed over and healed, where I have been snatched from severe depression through the prayer of three incredible prayer warrior women. I've had experience after experience that has shown me that they operate in the Holy Spirit, according to the mind and will of God.

The worship portion of their services has always been super powerful in my life. From the very first service I attended, coming up on three years now, I have been filled with the Holy Ghost over and over as I've worshipped with them, in music, prayer and shouting praise. (Psalm 100)

Just over a week ago, I mentioned to some friends online I was feeling heavy-hearted. Well, you could definitely call it that. I had been brought down to absolute desperation, feeling so overwhelmed and powerless, so distant from my Lord. The love of my husband couldn't pull me out of it. During two of the days at the end of week before last, I cried out in desperation over and over, "Jesus, where is Your comfort? Where is the comfort You said You would send? Jesus . . . please . . . "

And I heard no answer.

Nothing.

So I held on, because that's all I could do . . . just hold on through the incredible darkness of that time. Too many little people depend on me for me to do anything else. I KNEW Jesus heard me. I had so much evidence, such an overwhelming preponderance of experience that He hears me. Always. I just didn't know why I was feeling the way I was, why the depression had come back with such a vicious vengeance, and why He wasn't banishing it when I cried out for relief, why I couldn't hear His answer.

A week ago yesterday (which was two Sundays ago), I went to the morning service at HVWC. It was the first time I had seen any of that part of my church family in more than two months, between my own LDS leadership calling me in, family visiting, our trip to Utah and further south for Denver's talks, etc., and oh, how I had missed the strengthening, the invigoration, the refreshing in the spirit I receive when I'm able to go and worship there. I got there late, missing every last bit of worship. But the sermon was like it was designed wholly for me--even down to one point where Pastor Chris really got his preach on, leaving his notes, preaching according to the spirit for a few minutes, detailing exactly what I had been struggling with over the last few days, what had been running through my mind as recently as the early morning hours that very day as I struggled and journaled and wept.

After the service was over, I said hello to a couple of people, chatted for a minute, gathered my things up, and as I made my way down the aisle, I stopped to say hello to Sharlene, who has been such a blessing and good friend to me. Then Naomi walked over and said hello. We were joined by Donna, and as we stood there, Naomi looked at me and said,

"Would you like to pray with us for our county?"

I said, "Sure."

Then the four of us, Naomi on my right, Donna across from me, and Sharlene on my left, began to pray.

Naomi led, praying first. Then Sharlene. Then Donna. I knew I was there to add my faith and agreement to what they said, but wasn't moved to pray at all. It was beautiful prayer, and I felt so grateful to be part of it. When Donna finished, there was a pause, and then Naomi began praying again. For me. Totally unexpected. As Naomi began her prayer, she said "God, I just pray protection over Annalea," and I felt incredible heat on the crown of my head, as if a high-wattage heat lamp had been turned onto me, as though Jesus came and laid His hands on my head, the strength of His presence radiating steadily down throughout me as the praying continued.

Naomi reached out and put her hand on my right shoulder, continuing to pray. She declared peace and healing and strength, and so many other things. The Holy Spirit grew and grew, and the love of Christ filled me and overflowed. I began to tremble, first my throat, then my hands, then my legs, as Naomi continued to pray healing and restoration over things that I had been struggling with, things she had absolutely no way of knowing anything about. (I hadn't seen or talked to her in two months--nor with with Sharlene and Donna.) Sharlene reached out and put her hand on my left shoulder, praying next. She prayed over different aspects of my struggle, releasing in my heart healing and forgiveness and so much more that the Spirit placed on her heart to pray for me. And the love of the Lord grew and grew within me and my own gratitude grew exponentially. My bff LeAnne came up behind me and put both hands on my back. Donna reached out and put her hand on the top of my bowed head as she then prayed in turn, again, praying words that she had no way of knowing I needed, but that addressed yet more aspects of my struggle, and that ushered in yet more of the healing and comfort for which I had cried out in the depth of my despair.

The desire to fall to my knees, and then upon my face, was nearly overwhelming. I was kept standing only because I was circled about by these women, whose hands supported and steadied me. I was so full . . . and I was healed. The darkness, gone. I was once again filled with the presence of my Jesus, and I knew that He answered my cries as soon as He could; that for whatever reason, my body and spirit had been weakened to the point where I couldn't receive on my own what He needed to give me, and so He gathered these women together to do the work I needed mortals to do, to bridge the gap I was too weak to cross, to be His hands and His mouth for me. And I broke down completely, sobbing at the incomprehensible mercy and grace and love that Jesus extends to us . . . that He extends to me. That He would save me, who am so miserably error-prone. Who would let my own devotions slide, amongst the busyness and demands of life, to the point where the enemy could isolate me, and, like a circling lion, prepare to devour me. I had been encircled about with the chains of hell--of separation from God--and I was set free, covered instead in His loving presence.

Yesterday evening, a week later, I worshipped in that same sanctuary. I was having a wonderful worship experience, full of so much joy and rejoicing. Then they began to sing "I'm a Lover of Your Presence," and LeAnne (who was on the worship team) began to sing. (If you can, go start that playing while you read the rest of this.)

"Let this be a sacrifice
let me dedicate my life
to worship You

Let this be a sacrifice
let me dedicate my life
to worship You"

Suddenly something broke open in my chest, and I started to sob. The song went on:

"I'm a lover of Your presence
I'm a lover of Your presence
I'm a lover of Your presence"

The feelings of gratitude, humility, of utter helplessness in the face of my situation, and then being snatched from it by the Lord's own good pleasure came rushing back, and I could finally fall to my knees for that, and pray. And the song continued:

"A passion's stirring deep inside,
You're all that really satisfies;
we worship You"

"We're lovers of Your presence
We're lovers of Your presence
We're lovers of Your presence
And it's all we want to be,
it's all we want to be"

And then kneeling wasn't enough. The enormity of what Jesus had done for me, of the price He paid to gain the victory He had won, the sweetness of fruit of it in my life, a sweetness above all that is sweet, sent me to my face, once again crying out, but this time in love and praise and utter amazement at the extravagant riches of His love poured out for me.

"I was made for love,
I was made for love,
I was made for loving You
I know that I was made for love,
I was made for love,
and I was made for
Loving You"

I don't think I've ever been more vulnerable, or more safe, than I was in those minutes, as I sobbed out my gratitude and my love for Yeshua, my Jesus, my Beloved God. It wasn't a performance, a demonstration for anyone to see. I wasn't doing anything that isn't well-known in that place during worship. That sanctuary truly IS a sanctuary, where the Holy Spirit directs all things.

Today, I now know just a little of what Denver feels like when he says, "I'd really rather NOT be doing this." I'd never consider sharing something like this in a forum as public as this. One-on-one, when prompted, no problem. But this honestly makes me (the written word over-sharer) a little antsy. I'm sharing these things with the desire in my heart that it will touch someone, and open a heart to be touched by the Living God more than ever before. The things that happen in the scriptures when the presence of an omnipotent God collides with mortal flesh are accurate. It's not an overly dramatic culture, or a different cultural expression of spiritual experiences. The Lamanites weren't a more sensitive genetic strain, prone to to fainting spells.

When God shows up, people fall down.

They pass out.

They speak in tongues and prophesy.

Injuries--physical and spiritual--are healed.

People fall to their knees, or upon their faces, and rise up new creatures.

Our bodies are marvelous instruments. When we use them in our worship, it allows the Lord to reach us in ways He simply cannot if we're sitting passively, just listening, or singing half-heartedly, or singing to anyone else besides Him. Our bodies are not only megaphones for the Holy Ghost, but they amplify our own ability to express ourselves before Jesus and reach out for Him.

God bless you all, as He has blessed me, a stubborn and prideful, lazy and foolish girl.

Feeling Worn?

I can't tell you the number of times I've listened to people talk about the ideas and thoughts that pop into their heads, and that are wonderful things, or beautiful promises, that apply directly to their circumstance, to their recent prayers . . . but they dismiss it as their own thoughts, even while their hearts are breaking because they don't feel they ever hear God.

That is unbelief.

I lived there for a long, long time (like two decades), so I feel like I can speak with some authority. ;o)

If it's GOOD, it is of God. Jesus said so (through Mormon), and I believe Him.

Moroni, recording what his father Mormon preached, wrote:

Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.
But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. ~Moroni 7:12-13

This song came on Spotify today as I was listening, and it became my prayer . . . it was my heart's cry yesterday, and today, as I took these words for my own and sent them heavenward, Jesus answered. With an outpouring of love and warmth and the familiar wonder of His presence, I heard in my mind and heart, infused with the unmistakable feel of His smile: "That's what I'm for, beloved. That's why I AM."

Out of Babylon

And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her. (Revelation 18:4-8 NKJV)

Babylon has reaped the reward of her avarice. She took unto herself that which The Lord bestows upon them that love Him with all their hearts. She ignored the marriage covenant, committing all manner of sin with other nations. She amassed wealth and substance to the exclusion of others. She broke the bonds of Divine Love that set us free, and stands in her own power, and under heavy condemnation of the Most High. 

I want good things in my life. Comfort. Satisfying food. Health. Safety. Love. Fulfillment. I can rise up to wrest these things from the earth through my own intelligence and strength, or I can arise to them through utter devotion and love for my God. 

Babylon stole all that she gained--wealth, favor, power, the counterfeit of love--and as a result, she reaps the precise and utter opposite as recompense of her selfishness. Those who repent and follow Christ do the exact opposite of Babylon as they give and submit and serve and follow, and as a result the justice and equity of God fills them with all good things as a result. What "all good things" looks like might differ for each one....but God keeps His promises. He is faithful.

Most High Father, I praise You for the Goodness of Your Ways, for the justice and equity I can rest securely in, and I will praise Your Holy Name forever! In Jesus' glorious name, Amen. :-)

Comprehending the opposites.

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-34 NLT

“But when the Son of Man  comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne.    All the nations  will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.    He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.

It struck me, today, that the unspeakable joy that will come at the moment of salvation will be laced with a level of understanding of the equally unspeakable anguish that would be the denial of that salvation. And, far from ruining that joy, it will complete and enrich it . . . the way that coming through rocky wastelands in my own life have given me a depth of empathy and love that I simply could not have had otherwise. We humans just don't appreciate the relief of coolness until a truly heated day. Or the pleasure of nourishment until we have been truly hungered.

Father, lead me to You. Please. I'm ready for a little rest, for more of You in my life.  Show me better how to lean on You, how to accept Your love, and how to shower it on everyone I meet.  I just want others to know even the same tiny taste of the joy of salvation that I have tasted, and to give them vision towards which to walk, so they might not perish.  And I long for more of You. In Jesus' name, amen.

You've Got the Wrong Guy!

Scripture: Ezekiel 9:9, 10 NLT

Then he said to me, “The sins of the people of Israel and Judah are very, very great. The entire land is full of murder; the city is filled with injustice. They are saying, ‘The Lord doesn’t see it! The Lord has abandoned the land!’ So I will not spare them or have any pity on them. I will fully repay them for all they have done.”

Observation:

Oh, the irony.  The injustice, indeed.  Just prior to this in Ezekiel's vision, the Lord shows him the idolatrous sins of the people, and how they've defiled the temple.  And then, with the temple filed with "detestable sin", they complain that the Lord isn't hanging around like a kicked dog, waiting for a chance to make up.

Application:

Is there anywhere in my life that I'm doing that? Attributing to God faults or shortcomings that are my own? Or that belong to my heritage or culture?

Yesterday, God led me carefully through a simple, everyday experience, so I could learn one very important thing . . . He really IS a jealous God, and he doesn't want me to be better friends with anyone else than I am with Him. ;o)  He taught me gently; just whispered a gentle check through the Holy Spirit when I wanted to turn to a mortal (and a pretty darn awesome one at that) for an answer to a dilemma.  I mulled over that for a bit, because even though I listened to the Holy Spirit, I still did a teensy bit of mental foot stomping.  And then, it hit me.  God was jealous! He didn't want me to be better friends with anyone else than I am with Him. :o)  I laughed long and loud at that . . . not derisively, but because it tickled my sense of humor to realize that the Lord God of Hosts sees me just as He sees the Israelites and Judah.  He doesn't want anyone to come before Him.  And that's pretty cool--definitely worthy of joyful laughter.

Prayer:

Father of mine, I glorify You for Your incredible, patient, endless love.  For Your faithfulness to me, while I'm learning to be faithful to You.  For Your awesome sense of humor, and the way You make me laugh as You show me more and more relationship all around me--between people, between Your people and Yourself, and best of all, between You and me.  And I love how it feels like You show me these things, in part, to see me laugh. :o)  Keep it up, my God, please!  I just want more of You, and to sing and laugh and walk with You all the day long.  Because You are Good.  So, so good! In Jesus' name, Amen. :o)

To the Point

Scripture: Ezekiel 3:22 NLT

Then the Lord  took hold of me and said, “Get up and go out into the valley, and I will speak to you there.”

Observation: God often tells His followers to seek a quiet place to listen to Him.

Application: God has told me, numerous times, to seek him in solitude.  But still, I try to read the word during the day. I don't go outside in the early morning as He has told me to do.

Prayer: Father, please bear with me. I will follow Your instructions, because I want to be near You.  In Jesus' name, so be it. Amen.

Let go of everything but Jesus.

Scripture: Jeremiah 4:1-2 NLT

“O Israel,” says the Lord , “if you wanted to return to me, you could. You could throw away your detestable idols and stray away no more. Then when you swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord  lives,’ you could do so with truth, justice, and righteousness. Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world, and all people would come and praise my name.”

Observation:

Israel clung to idolatry, when they could have trusted God, let go of their adulterous idolatry, and been made whole and holy in the sight of God.  It seems so easy to me, from where I stand, to do that.  And yet, it was so pervasive, so persistent, then.  There must have been a powerful draw to it, for some reason.

Application:

What do I cling to? What, out of fear, have I been unwilling to abandon for my God?  I don't have to know WHY I cling to these things . . . only recognize that I do.  Anything I'm meant to have, to possess, will be given me of God, and will stay, whether or not I employ a death grip.  And if it's not meant to stay, white knuckles will only damn me.

Prayer:

Father in Heaven, reveal to me the things I can let go of.  The things I can free myself of so Your Glory can flow unrestricted and unobstructed in my life.  In Jesus' name, amen.

The dead have no answers for the Living.

Scripture: Isaiah 8:18-22, 9:1

   As for me and the children the Lord has given me, we shall be signs and portents in Israel from the Lord of Hosts, who dwells in Mount Zion.
   When men tell you to inquire of mediums and spiritists who huddle together and mutter, say to them, Should not a people inquire of their God? Should one inquire of the dead in behalf of the living for doctrine and for a testimony? Surely, while they utter such words devoid of light, they roam about embittered by hunger; and when they are hungry, they become enrages and, gazing upward, curse their king and their God.  They will look to the land, but there shall be a depressing scene of anguish and gloom; and thus are they banished into outer darkness.

But it shall not be gloomy to those who have been in anguish for her. (Her = Israel.) 

Observation: Here, Isaiah is told that the dead--those mediums & spiritists not alive in Christ Jesus--cannot have answers for the Living--those reborn and alive in Him.  And he is taught the oh-so-obvious difference between the dead and living.  The dead are depressed and see only defeat and destruction, while the living see hope, love, and the complete Victory of Christ. :o)

Application:  Have I looked to the worldly, the wise-in-their-own-eyes, the learned & acclaimed expert, the spiritually dead, for answers to my problems?  I most definitely have.  I've spent countless hours, precious and huge chunks of my life reading up on all kinds of things . . . most notably parenting.  I still believe that learning is an important part of this life--and it has brought me a great deal of joy--but I haven't turned to Jesus first in my dilemmas.  I've Googled.  (Ouch.)

But . . . for the last while, about since I began investing significant time in the word . . . I've been finding answers to every last problem I have from the living.  Whether through scripture directly, or in gathering together with other members in the very much alive body of Christ, I've been taught deeper and more effective truths about parenting than I ever learned from any wisdom produced by man.  (Funny, isn't it? ;o)

And, in that same time frame, my outlook has changed drastically.  I've gone from being utterly overwhelmed by the clutter and cleaning that needs doing in my home to feeling hopeful and joyous.  (Much of the time, lest any wrongly assume I've been perfected. lol) Instead of seeing around me "a depressing scene of anguish and gloom", I see hope.  I see love.  I see Jesus' hand moving in my life, sheltering and protecting me, leading and teaching me.

Prayer: Father, keep on teaching me.  Keep on pouring it out so I can be totally immersed in You.  Lend me strength when I weary in this physical world.  Lend me grace so I can do Your will.  Lend me words, so I can speak Your Love into those around me.  And most of all, send Your presence to engulf and shelter me in this day when sanctuary is so desperately sought, and so often not found.  I want to live in the center of Your will for me, and to love others into doing the same.  In Jesus' holy and sacred name, amen.

Pursuit and Sacrifice

Scripture: Jonah 2:8-9, 2 Timothy 2:9, 20-22 AMP

"Those who pay regard to false, useless, and worthless idols forsake their own [Source of] mercy and loving-kindness. But as for me, I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation and deliverance belong to the Lord!"

"For that [Gospel] I am suffering affliction and even wearing chains like a criminal. But the Word of God is not chained or imprisoned!"

"But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also [utensils] of wood and earthenware, and some for honorable and noble [use] and some for menial and ignoble [use]. So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work. Shun youthful lusts and flee from them, and aim at and pursue righteousness (all that is virtuous and good, right living, conformity to the will of God in thought, word and deed); [and aim at and pursue] faith, love, [and] peace (harmony and concord with others) in fellowship with all [Christians], who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart.

Observation: God is freedom. God is deliverance.  God is abundance and love and an endless future bright and shining. And He offers it to us, no matter how soiled our past, or humble our beginnings.

Application: Before I was saved, I gave my time and energy to stuff.  Temporal, mortal, physical, stuff.  I was a Hobby Queen.  And I hoarded all of my supplies and goodies so I could do whichever one I chose, whenever I chose.  And I compulsively shopped and watched sales flyers and emails so I could garner yet more against some unforseeable day ahead.  I was one who paid regard to fales, useless and worthless idols.  Mine were just fabric, beads, paper, and yarn.

And then everything changed.  God blasted into vapor the carefully and long-constructed fortress I had built 

And now, when God asks something of me, I rejoice! I sacrifice with a voice of thanksgiving both audible and in my heart, and count it as no sacrifice at all, for God's ROI is off the charts. ;o)  Not only do I have His sweet assurance that He has already made all provision for me for the rest of my life, (including crafting beautiful things) but His generous blessings continue to flow more and more as I open my heart and submit to the Holy Spirit.  This freedom in Christ fills the gaping hole I had been trying to fill with lovely colors & texture, shining beautiful things, with crafting and hoarding.  The dark corners are filling with light, and the love and joy that comes from that satisfies and motivates me more than anything else.  Who would have EVER guessed that something as intangible in nature as freedom could fill such a void?

And that brings me to the last bit . . . Paul's urging to pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace so I can be a vessel set apart and useful for God's own purposes--a vessel overflowing with freedom, yet still empty and waiting for God to fill it. The knowledge that God is working in me, and both using me every moment I let Him as well as preparing me for future purposes He has for me, is more exciting than I can ever say. :o)  And how do I know this? By the fruits of the Spirit in my life.  They are sweet; so, so sweet.

Prayer: Father in Heaven, I praise and glorify You and the high and holy purposes You have for Your children, and that I get to step into the walk You have prepared for me.  I'm ready to burst with excitement as soon as I really stop and think about that . . . so please, remind me and help me to stop and think about it often!  You have taken such good care of me--and I can see Your hand in even the darkest times of my life, now that I look back . . . and I pray I'll NEVER be blind to it again.  Take the rest of this life, Father; take this heart; take the fruit of Your teachings and word and love and keep on using them up for Your glorious purposes.  There is nothing that brings joy and love and happiness and laughter into my heart (and my home!!!!) the way You do when I give everything to You.  Please, don't stop.  Don't let me stop.  I don't ever want to forget the contrast between the night of the life of my own making and the brilliance of the light of Your life for me. Show me where I can sacrifice.  Show me where I can give.  And let me continue to learn of You, and walk in the meekness of Your Spirit, so Your love might pour out of my life and into the lives of those around me, that others might feel this same miracle, this same mind-blowing freedom, this same joy.  In the name of Him whom I praise daily for His miraculous intercession, even Jesus Christ. Amen. 

On Escape

Scripture: Proverbs 23:31-35 NLT:

Don't gaze at the wine, seing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down. For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake; it stings like a viper. You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things. You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast. And you will say, "They hit me, but I didn't feel it. I didn't even know when they beat me up. When will I wake up so I can look for another drink?"

Observation: 

We, as creations of the God of all, desperately crave freedom. It's a deep longing for escape. Escape from my daily grind, from the things that seem to bind me down. Surrender. Fun. Rest. Joy. And the enemy has provided innumerable ways to seek it. So, so many . . . and ALL of them wrong because they'll never truly satisfy the need I have. They soothe for a time, but leave me more empty and hungry at the end, because they push me away from Yahweh. I want to really BE, in the same way that He exists--in incredible freedom and pulsing vital reality. God REVELS in His existence, and in every tiny little thing we do that pleases Him. He laughs, dances and claps and rejoices in our good efforts, and can't wait to pour out His approbation on us. That's what I crave, really. I want Him. And He is the only thing that will fill that craving.

Application: 

I don't ever want to seek an escape in anything but the LORD. He is SO much better than anything else. I've tried my share of ways to fill that hole . . . and all they do is deepen and widen it. I lose myself in darkness when I don't seek the light. But the fruit of surrendering myself to Him, of worshipping with abandon, are so, so good. I want to sing and dance and shout out loud. :o) I wish there was a way to do that without waking the kids in the early mornings . . . lol Maybe God will show me how. :o)

Prayer: 

Oh Lord, don't ever let me forget how Good you Are! Show me how to worship You in every step, every thought. Help me find greater freedom in Your Grace, and learn to live and breathe only You. I've never found such freedom anywhere else--and nothing can compare to You! In Jesus' name, Amen.

(Update: He did show me how: I went running. lol It was great!)

What We Need

Scripture: Proverbs 10:3 -- The Lord will not let the righteous go hungry, but He denies the wicked what they desire.

Observation: God gives us what we need. When our desires are righteous, what He gives fills them. When they're not, nothing we can give ourselves will satisfy. Ever.

Application: How many thousands of mornings have I disobeyed what I knew was God's will, in order to satisfy (however abusmally ineffectually) the idol of "a good night's sleep"? But He has better plans for me, and will make good on His promises.

Prayer: Oh, Lord, ever remind me to hunger & thirst ONLY for You! In Jesus' name!