Heavenly Father I praise You for creation as a whole. I praise You for your mercy and restraint You demonstrated in the garden, during the flood, and all the other times we have tried so hard to push YOU aside or complain about You.
Holy Spirit as I read Your words, some of the wisdom that is slowly coming to my attention is how different Christ was while He was here, more than every other human being who is, has or will walk this earth. Christ did not need affirmation from any of us, only from the Father. Christ did not let our petty rules dictate how He was going to live, act or be seen. Christ lead men to follow God, but he did not become a Pharisee or a Sadducee. Christ demonstrated love to the unlovable, to the failures, to the crude, to the sinners, to prisoners, to people who had sinned miserably and were in public shame. He respected women, people of other nationalities, and was not prideful. He respectfully talked to Romans on more than one account given and to women of all statures, just as he did men and children. Christ understood the importance of the limited time He had, yet He always found time to pray. He always made an effort to speak and listen to people, but not get bogged down in politics, religion or affairs of this world only.
Christ left a legacy for the apostles and others to follow and live by. We have to remember that there was 121 people in the upper room (men and women) when You the Spirit came upon them and filled them. We know Christ understood the environment around Him and acted accordingly. He understood, pain, suffering, and loss. Christ demonstrated boldness when necessary and meekness when needed. His faith was honored because of the sincerity of His heart to do the Father’s will, not His own. Relationships were the cornerstone of His ministry but not so binding he could not communicate to all around Him.
Christ made the claim that He was the truth and the way, and that no one could come to the Father but by going through Him. Do people see Jesus through us? Or is our truth clouded with doubt and fear. Help us to humble ourselves so like Jesus we can become part of the Way to establishing our position as an heir to the kingdom, and not part of the Hindrance that many religious people and other so called people of truth perpetuate. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 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, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1Peter 5:6-11