Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
Jn.16:22
Jesus tells his followers sorrow does not have the final word. Their sorrow at his death will turn into joy at his resurrection.
This lies at the heart of my Christian faith. Yes we experience sorrow, but we don't stay there. The joy that awaits on the other side of sorrow is a joy no one can take from us.
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 1Cor.15:5.
You did not choose me:
no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit,
fruit that will last;
Jn.15:16
I am chosen and commissioned, for what? To bear fruit that will last.
Sometimes I forget who did the choosing. I think my friendship with Jesus is from my initiative. That he first chose me is mind blowing. I am a tiny speck of a seed from which a mighty tree will grow bearing eternal fruit.
Jesus sees something in me that he will use. I just need to be available and trust him. Faith makes me fertile.
Jesus, thank you for choosing me. I step out in faith today trusting that you are with me.
Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Acts.16:30
The gaoler asks Paul and Silas the most important question of his life. The answer? "Believe in the Lord Jesus."
The gaoler's vital question is my vital question. What must I do to be saved? My answer affects not only me but my household.
Yes Jesus, I believe. I place my trust in you.
We lost no time in arranging a passage to Macedonia, convinced that God had called us to bring them the Good News.
Acts.16:10
Paul and his companions had been stopped from entering various countries by the Holy Spirit. Now they were given the green light. "Go to Macedonia!"
"Convinced by God". What a great place to be in. Being sure of being in the centre of God's plans gives fervour and zeal.
Lord, speak to me in visions. Guide me by your Holy Spirit so I may have fervour and zeal for the Gospel. Saint Paul, please pray for me.
I call you friends...
Jn15:15
Friendship is elevated to its highest meaning when modeled by Jesus. I am called to be nothing less to those around me.
I am blessed to have four men with whom I regularly pray. I call them my 3 :00 am friends. If I had a great need at 3:00 am in the morning, I know these men would respond if I called them.
Life is made sweeter when travelling alongside friends. Friendship is something I need to intentionally cultivate, not in a forced way but in an inviting, open way. It starts by spending time with someone.
Of course, the greatest friend I have is Jesus. I love responding to his friendship by spending time with him.
What a friend I have in Jesus,
all my sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
In fact God, who can read everyone’s heart, showed his approval of them by giving the Holy Spirit to them just as he had to us. God made no distinction between them and us, since he purified their hearts by faith.
Acts.15:8,9
God makes no distinction. Once anyone's faith is exercised, the Holy Spirit leaps in.
The Jerusalem Council stopped the Church becoming an exclusive club. The temptation is still with us to issue membership tickets to those deemed acceptable. God makes no distinction, neither should we, or more close to home, nether should I.
Faith, no matter how fragile, is the only ticket required. The beauty of this transaction is that it is purely between the recipient and God. My role is to simply fan the flickering flame.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.
You are pruned already, by means of the word that I have spoken to you.
Jn.15:3
The branch is always cut, either from producing no fruit or from the desire to produce fruit more abundantly. Either way it gets cut.
Pruning or cutting, it's all the same. To become more like Jesus there has to be less of me. When people say, "be the best version of yourself" what they mean is become more like Jesus. He is the best version of me.
Saint Therese of Avila underscored this by saying, "Be the best God intends you to be and then set the world on fire!"
Jesus, let there be less of me and more of you in my life.
