May My Heart See...

Two more weeks of Lent – that’s all.    Next Sunday is the Triumphant Entry and the next, the Celebration of the Resurrection – Easter.     Besides getting your Easter baskets filled, are you preparing for these celebrations?   Preparing your heart, that is? In reflecting upon Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday, I marvel at how one day, the people worshipped and praised Him and the next day, His authority was questioned.   One day, they loved, the next, they hated.   What happened?   What changed their minds?   Matthew 21 says: The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple and He healed them.   But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things He did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.   “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked Him.   “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, ‘from the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?”

In order to stand still, you must be strong.    “Standing” requires strength.   Now sitting or lying down - that’s easy.   But standing isn’t.   And especially standing still . It takes power and action to “stand”.   Standing is not wimpy.   Its firm.   And standing still requires me to go beyond what I normally do – it requires faith.    God’s Word tells us that we are to stand firm in the faith.   I Peter says Be self-controlled and alert.   Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.   Resist him, STANDing firm in the faith. Self-control?   Now THAT’s a hard one!   Alert, I can be alert maybe, but self-control?   Websters defines “self-control” as “control of one’s feelings, desires or actions by one’s own will.”   (I hate when they use the word to define the word!)    So I looked up, “control” and Websters said “to exercise authority or influence over” or “direct”.   To sum up the definition then - authority over our

How’s that inner reflecting coming along?   I was thinking about that this week (while inner reflecting) (!), and these thoughts came to my mind:     Stand Still You tell me to be still To wait and listen Yet I wait and nothing happens The quiet leaves me defeated. So I start over I wait and listen My mind wanders . . . Was that You? I don’t know, it sounds like me. I pray and ask for guidance Looking for a sign Nothing happens In the silence, I hear “nothing”. I empty my mind, I dwell on You.   I remember Your works How wondrous they are! This time, my heart is pounding You are near, I just know it My walk seems stagnant My talk is excessive I forget about all that And dwell on my Savior His love is never-ending His power unyielding His voice a whisper His will my desire. Stand still, He says Do everything,