LENT 2016 Day 3 - An Invitation

"Are you ready"  Are you ready for Jesus to perform a miracle in your life?  Hmmm.  I have a particular miracle in mind, but i'm only speculating.  And no, regardless of what the miracle is, it's highly unlikely that I'm ready.  But then again, what things are we really every ready for.

Jesus Calling today says the following:
"Delight yourself in Me; let Me become the desire of your Heart."  Jesus wants to be our tour guide on this life journey, we just have to get into the passenger seat and listen to Him.  Every day we wake up is the invitation from Him to do that and BE that in our lives.

POINT TO PONDER:
It's time to stop everything, pause a little and consider God's invitation.

Think about it like we would a regular invitation to a party. I can promise you that the party in heaven after we accept God's invitation will be unlike any other experience we've ever had. But will we be truly ready for it?  Probably not. But like Nirvana said "Come as you are, as you were, as I want you to be,." Comforting part of that is God knows us, we were made like him remember? So he understands our desires just as much as he knows our faults.  He waits for us to enter the party of eternal life with Him with open arms.

That is what LENT is about.  I think we "give up" things for Lent because that's what we're taught when we're young.  It's showing God that we too can make "sacrifices."  But what is it really doing for our lives? for our relationships?  to help our journey to a closer relationship with God and Heaven?  God is not waiting for me to say "Gwen, that Dr. Pepper you had each day is what is keeping you out of heaven. You know have to wait in anxiety in purgatory for x amount of time." Um...No.  What that action is saying, is that instead of spending money on a small addiction, take the time to spend it with God.  Use the time to nourish the body with water and prayer.  "Fast" from the routine.  It's a way to show devotion to the Lord. It's a great way to "give up" extras in our lives that take away from our true purpose and journey to that relationship that we all desire with Christ Jesus. I am the prime example of the sinner who just keeps trying over and over again.  It almost makes for a boring story because it's just my routine life; it's me asking for forgiveness and starting all over again. Because I can.

VERSE TO LIVE:
"I came so that they may have life and have it more abundantly."
We can give up things and be without, or do more for others during this time so we can live more abundantly.  There is so much this life has to offer and if we're thankful everyday first and foremost and we pray to God, listing all that we're thankful for, we may never get to the true prayer/needs part of the conversation.  We come to realize that He's already given us so much, how can we not accept His invitation?  The devil keeps us from truly enjoying the life God has planned for each of us.  We just have to keep calling on the name of Jesus in everything we do and think and see.

Phil 4:6 "Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

QUESTION TO CONSIDER:
In what area of your life is God inviting you to experience a new beginning?
This is a really good question.

I think there are multiple areas of my life specifically that God invites me to experience a new beginning.  I think when we get complacent in our routines he "stirs up the pot" and asks us to start a new. He has to keep us awake and fresh. He wants to help us to continually see him and know that His invitation is always open.  That even when we come to Him and leave again we can ALWAYS go back. Even when continually turn down his invitation, he will keep asking.

Since God is in everything...I guess really He is asking us to experience a new beginning in EVERY aspect of our lives.

PRAYER:
Jesus, thank you for all the times you have invited me to rediscover you and your message.  Help me to squander this opportunity.

Makes me immediately start singing Meredith Andrews "You invite me in."  Crazy that I didn't know until just now the album is called the Invitation.  How appropriate.  She's an amazing artist.
You invite me in.  Doesn't matter where I've been.  Your arms are open wide, there's nothing left to hide."

She says we are all broken...but we can come as we are.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHkcGVlvOU4


Here are all the lyrics: 

I've been searching
Wandering and hurting
Ashamed of the shape I'm in
Afraid You'll see who I really am

But, You invite me in
Doesn't matter where I've been
Your arms are open wide
There's nothing left to hide

How can this be?
A love so unfailing
Reached down and lifted me
From ashes to beauty

And You invite me in
Doesn't matter where I've been
Your arms are open wide
There's nothing left to hide

For You invite me in
Doesn't matter who I've been
Your arms are open wide
Pulling me to Your side

And now I'm walking away
From the life I once knew
And running into Your grace
That covers my shame
Again and again, I find my life in You

You invite us in
Doesn't matter where we've been
Your arms are open wide
There's nothing left to hide

You invite us in
Doesn't matter who we've been
Your arms are open wide
Pulling us to Your side

Your arms are open wide