I Search My Soul

 

 The many roads I’ve traveled,

Days and nights thinking of you,

My restless mind was unsettled,

From the pain I put you through,

 There’s one thing I want you to know,

There’s a feeling deep inside me,

That keeps me from losing control,

When I’m down on bended knees,

 I search my soul for answers,

When questions fill up my heart,

Away from all life’s romancers,

That’ve caused us to drift apart,

 At times I need to gather my senses,

To live out the truth inside of me,

Cast away all my defenses,

So I’ll be free, with eyes to see,

 I search my soul for answers,

Looking deep within my heart,

Away from all life’s romancers,

Nothing could ever keep us apart,

 I search my soul and find you,

From selfish ambitions I’m set free,

 Nothing is impossible to get through,

With you in my soul… am I… truly free!

Walking on the Sea

After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. "It is a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter said to him in reply, "Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, "Truly, you are the Son of God."

Consideration: When the storms of life cast us to and fro, do we panic, lose faith and trust in the Lord? Or do we call upon the name of the Lord, to come to our aid and assist us in our time of need? The Lord is the true Shepherd; never will he abandon us when we are in need or have lost our way. Amen.

A Mustard Seed

A man came up to Jesus, knelt down before him, and said, "Lord, have pity on my son, who is a lunatic and suffers severely; often he falls into fire, and often into water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him." Jesus said in reply, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring the boy here to me." Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him, and from that hour the boy was cured. Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said, "Why could we not drive it out?" He said to them, "Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Consideration: Jesus explains to his disciples that their lack faith prohibited them from healing a severely ill boy. 

Do we possess the faith the size of a mustard seed? When we are confronted with a situation that will require us to put our trust totally with the Lord; will we have the faith to do so? 

Lord Jesus, we pray that you will bless us beyond the earthly limitations that bind our faith and trust. That even with our limited faith, the size of a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible for us to achieve. Amen.

Coming in His Kingdom

Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and to forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and there he will repay each according to his conduct. Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom."

Consideration: This remarkable scripture passage is one of great hope and trust in the Lord. Jesus tells his disciples that there were some among him that would not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom. It takes deep faith to enter into what Jesus is telling his disciples. Will some be given to the grace to fall asleep in Jesus, and awake to see his glory without experiencing death? Will we also be given this grace as well? We shall see! Amen.

I Will Forgive Their Evildoing

The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers: the day I took them by the hand to lead them forth from the land of Egypt; for they broke my covenant, and I had to show myself their master, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer will they need to teach their friends and relatives how to know the Lord. All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the Lord, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31:31-34

The Remnant of Israel

At that time, says the Lord, I will be the God of all the tribes of Israel, and they shall be my people. Thus says the Lord: the people that escaped the sword have found favor in the desert. As Israel comes forward to be given its rest, the Lord appears to him from afar: With age-old love have I loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you. Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel; Carrying your festive tambourines, you will go forth dancing with the merrymakers. Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; those who plant them shall enjoy the fruits. Yes, a day will come when the watchmen will call out on Mount Ephraim: "Rise up, let us go to Zion, to the Lord, our God." For thus says the Lord: Shout with joy for Jacob, exult at the head of the nations; proclaim your praise and say: The Lord has delivered his people, the remnant of Israel. Jeremiah 31:1-7

Vessels to Truth

Some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands when they eat a meal." He summoned the crowd and said to them, "Hear and understand. It is not what enters one's mouth that defiles the man; but what comes out that defiles one," Then his disciples approached and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?" He said in reply, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."  

Consideration: At times we are advised to conduct our lives in a certain way by people in the public eye. Then we are ridiculed when we decide on our own to move in a different direction. When we base our decisions on sound doctrine and wisdom, we need not second guess ourselves but rejoice that God is with us. A heart beating in rhythm with the word of the Lord opens the vessels to truth. Amen.