the order of which

I long to rejoice.

I yearn for refreshment. 

I deeply desire to dwell among the wise. 

I hunger for intelligence. and wisdom. 

I crave honor. 

The longer I live the more I realize how similar humanity is. At the end of the day, we all desire to be recognized. We desire to be understood and to understand. We long to be loved and to have the opportunity to love in return. When all is said and done, I long to love Jesus more than I did when my feet hit the cold floor when the day was new. 

'The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,

and good news refreshes the bones. 

The ear that listens to life giving reproof will dwell among the wise.

Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,

but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. 

The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, 

and humlity comes before honor.'

Proverbs 15:28, 30-33 

Humanity is seeking and chasing feverishly the blessing and abundance of God and yet it fails to come under His protective covering. John 15:10, Jesus says pointedly with complete love, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love." This is not because Christ is a dictator. This is because there is safety and blessing within the loving boundaries and correction of our Creator. 

As I long for wisdom, it is critical that I listen to reproof...even when it exposes that which I wish desperately to hide. 

If I long to rejoice, I must dwell within light--The Light-- and fill my eyes with light. 

If I yearn for refreshment, I must saturate myself in the good news--the Good News. 

"Fear not, for behold I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!" ~Multitude of Angels to unworthy, uneducated and deeply loved and divinely chosen Shepherds (Luke 2:10,11) 

The truth, life, death and resurrection of Christ is MY GOOD NEWS!

I want wisdom? Fear God--understand my place and His glory--embrace it, find beauty and strength in my inadequacy and His sufficiency. Embrace the surrender and the fear. 

I desire honor? 

Take a look upon the life of Jesus Christ, the very definition of humilty and honor. 

'Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not consider equatlity with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in the likeness of men, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. 

Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above all names, so that at the name of Jesus Christ, every knee should bow and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." 

~Apostle Paul, Philippians 2:5-11

Can I get an AMEN?!

Editors side note: Can you imagine what that moment will be like? 

Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess! That includes all those that have spent their live's work trying to destroy Christianity, marriage as it is defined by God, killed babies mercilessly in the name of 'free choice', executed Christians, and profaned the cross of Christ. There will come a day when they will bow and they will confess that Christ is Lord--this does not mean they will be saved for at that time, it will be too late if they had not confessed during their time on earth--but they will stand face to face with the very God they spent their lives trying to deny--oh what a moment!!

The point is, we cannot have the blessing without the obedience. 

Obedience is hard. Doing the right thing is the hardest thing we could ever do. 

It will be the hardest thing to teach to our children and human nature promises to challenge it. 

However, it is within that obedience and that surrender and the brokeness that it brings, 

that we will find healing.

freedom.

refreshment.

wisdom. 

honor. 

But, to quote the words of Apostle Paul, 

Do not grow weary my friends in doing good, 

for in due time, you will reap a reward (Galatians 6).

We must obey in order to receive the blessing. 

I pray that obedience and blessing would be your companions on this sunny, spring day. 

humbled. 

tiffany