Jesus Calling - December 13th, 2024

Jesus Calling: December 13

Take time to be holy. The word holy does not mean goody-goody; it means set apart for sacred use. That is what these quiet moments in My Presence are accomplishing within you. As you focus your mind and heart on Me, you are being transformed: re-created into the one I designed you to be. This process requires blocks of time set aside for communion with Me.
     The benefits of this practice are limitless. Emotional and physical healing are enhanced by your soaking in the Light of My Presence. You experience a nearness to Me that strengthens your faith and fills you with Peace. You open yourself up to receive the many blessings that I have prepared for you. You become a cleaned temple of My Holy Spirit, who is able to do in and through you immeasurably more than you ask or imagine. These are just some of the benefits of being still in My Presence.


RELATED SCRIPTURE:

2nd Thessalonians 1:10 (NLT)
10 When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.

Psalm 27:4 (NLT)
4 The one thing I ask of the Lord—
    the thing I seek most—
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
    delighting in the Lord’s perfections
    and meditating in his Temple.

Additional insight regarding Psalm 27:4: By the "House of the Lord" and "his Temple," David could be referring to the Tabernacle in Gibeon, to the sanctuary he has built to house the Ark of the Covenant, or to the Temple that his son Solomon was to build. David probably had the Temple in mind because he had planned it in 1st Chronicles 22. David may also have used the word Temple to refer to the presence of the Lord. David's greatest desire was to live in God's presence each day of his life. Sadly, this is not the greatest desire of many who claim to be believers. What do you desire the most? Do you look forward to being in the presence of the Lord?

1st Corinthians 6:19 (NLT)
19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,

Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Additional insight regarding Ephesians 3:20-21: This doxology - prayer of praise to God - ends Part 1 of Ephesians. In the first section, Paul describes the timeless role of the church. In Part 2 (chapters 4-6), he will explain how church members should live to bring about the unity God wants. As in most of his books, Paul first lays a doctrinal foundation and then makes practical applications of the truths he has presented.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Dear Almighty God... Thank you for the eternal invitation to spend time with you. Thank you for all the countless benefits that come from spending time in your presence. The healing, the peace and comfort, and the strengthening of my faith are just a few of these blessings. I am so grateful for your grace that covers me and covers the need for me to do anything other than carve out the time to be with you - your presence does the rest. Please go before me today as I follow in your presence. In your son's name, Amen.