And so, I gave my time over to Jesus. And, the following passages spoke to me. Later as I came home, I tried to understand the "why" of how can I fit this into my life? But then, his voice quickly responded to me with: "don't try to understand the "why" all of the time. Just let me speak to you."
So, I encourage you to try and do the same. Go find a quiet spot and let these verses speak into your life. Read over them slowly, meditate on them, take pauses, insert yourself into the passages, and let them grow on you.
Reflection questions that helped me are at the bottom of this post for you to reflect on yourself.
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Ecclesiastes 11:9-10
"Be happy young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart, and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things, God will bring you to judgment. So then, banish anxiety from your heart, and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless."
Zephaniah 3:17
"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
Matthew 13:31-32
He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."
Matthew 9:37-38
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
Luke 21: 1-4
"As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. I tell you the truth, he said, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
John 15: 1-17
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off ever branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself: it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. This is my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his masters business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other."
Matthew 18:8-9
"If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell."
John 15:7
"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you."
Deuteronomy 3:22
"Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you."
Psalm 46: 10
"Be still and know that I am God."
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*What is my offering that I am putting into the treasury?
*Where are the places in my life that I need to put in all that I have to live on?
*Who are the widows in my life? How can I reach out to them?
*Where do I need to be joyful in God?
*Go to a playground. Watch some kids. How is "youth" important in his plan for my life?
*What places in my life need to be pruned?
*Where am I open to the pruning? Where am I resistant? What is holding me back from experiencing all that the gardener has to offer me?
*Identify the places of sin and brokenness in your life. Sit in that reality for a bit. Based on the verses above, why do you think it is important to give these specific things up to God?
*How do I feel about being a mustard seed?
*Where has God called me to be a mustard seed in my world, life, and community?
*God says that "he will fight for me." Does this bring me comfort or confusion? Why?
*What would it take for me to understand this truth and apply it to my life today?
(copyright june 6, 2011 by alex puleo)
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