Looking back over the life I’ve lived so far, I find myself saddened by my personal struggle in giving ‘grace for grace’ as I have undeservedly received.

Thankfully, grace is gifted to me yet again as I strive to share ‘grace for grace’, starting anew today.

While reading the first chapter of the Gospel of John, God revealed to me how I can be “full of grace and truth”.

…and I already have access by being a Daughter of The King.

Scripture:

…(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

John 1:14b, 16-17

Observation: Jesus’ glory IS being full of grace and truth! His choice to leave heaven and come to earth provides us with the opportunity to be filled with the same grace and truth by choosing to fill our lives with Him. Without Him, we’d only have Old Testament law to follow and live by, leaving us without an eternal hope and future. We’d never be able to keep the whole law and thus fall short of heaven, being lost forever.

Application: To be filled with Jesus is to be filled with the same grace and truth that is His glory! Then to share grace for grace with others as Jesus does with/for me. While also sharing the truth that is Jesus through my life, words and prayer.

Kneeling: Lord Jesus, may You fill my life, that I might share grace for grace, to those in my life and You be seen in every part of me.

I've grown to love this quiet consistency in my otherwise unplanned life.

A couple of mornings, though, my soul has longed for something else. Not getting going with my day or skipping this quiet time between Jesus and me. But, a different sort of time with Him has been my soul’s longing.

Praise.

But is praise enough for my quiet time with Jesus?

Not reading the Bible. Not being ministered to by an amazing Christian author. Not praying specific prayers.

Just music. Praising Jesus through song.

I believe that it is enough. For a time.

If my soul stirs to only listen to and/or sing along to music praising my Savior, then that is what I am going to do.

No books. No pen in hand. Just praise.

I don’t believe that all of our alone time with Jesus should be centered around music.

We need to be in The Word, praying our hearts out and reading wisdom from authors gifted to share God’s message as well.

But, sometimes, praise is enough. After all, didn’t Jesus say that if we didn’t praise Him, the rocks would cry out?

And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;

Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.

And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. (Luke 19:37-40)

While it would be an amazing event to hear the rocks cry out, I’m not going to keep from praising my Jesus just to see if it happens.

He is worthy of all of my praise.

On the days when I’m in His Word and on the days when all I am to do is sing praise.

Each page contains a different type of prompt. Artwork, a Scripture, a phrase, and they always point back to a portion of Isaiah 61.

I purchased the journal originally because the author wrote a Christian fiction book based on Beauty and the Beast that touched me deeply and Isaiah 61 has deep meaning to me as well.

Thus, it’s not a surprise that this particular journal has me completing one page each morning as I sit with a cup of hot chai in hand.

According to Isaiah 61, we are called to…

…preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

…to comfort all that mourn;

…to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…that he might be glorified.

But what if the words we speak wound instead? Sometimes honesty is not the best policy.

While I believe speaking the truth is essential. The timing of some spoken truths must be impeccable.

How do we find that impeccable timing? Often, it requires something that most of us don’t want to do.

Wait.

We may see things or know things from personal experience that cause us concern for those we love.

But, truthful words spoken in even the most loving manner, for the most loving reasons, aren’t always the right answer for a situation or moment in time.

The older I get, the more honest and truthful I am regarding situations that resemble experiences from my past.

I am one of the people who haven’t mastered the skill of waiting. I love big and desire to protect those I love by “shouting” out the red flags I see.

Today, God showed me that sometimes that isn’t what I’m supposed to do, though. And that’s because I struggle the most with…

Waiting.

Seeing, recognizing and knowing the red flags exist and not speaking about them is heartbreakingly painful to me.

Yet, if I truly love and care deeply about that person, shouldn’t waiting to speak be easier for me?

Or is what I have to say more important than my loved one’s feelings and state of mind?

How can I share “good tidings”, “bind up the brokenhearted”, “comfort all who mourn”, give “beauty for ashes”, “oil of joy for mourning”, a “garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” — so THAT THE LORD BE GLORIFIED — if I can’t wait and only speak when the Lord has instructed me to do so?

When I rush and speak out of place in the midst of a difficult situation, I don’t “bind up” or "comfort”. I wound.

Because the truth is…

Waiting words heal. Rushed words wound.

I’ve spent most of my life dabbling in my faith. Commitment has had its seasons. All the while, the world has moved farther and farther from the truth.

The truth that I know. The truth that I haven’t always shared. The Truth that I know. The Truth that I desperately want to share with the world.

Jesus IS the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by Him.

Do you know my Jesus? If not, I’d love to share Him with you –> Please click here.

If you do know my Jesus, hallelujah! May you be blessed and, Lord willing, challenged to join me in living courageous faith in this little corner of the www.

You can learn a bit about me, my story and how I got where I am today by clicking here.