Daily Devo- Luke 20: 9-18 "Remember Who the Owner Is"

Luke 20:9-18

9 And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. 10 When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” 17 But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?

18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” (ESV)

I see Jesus warning the people of that day about what they had done and what what they were about to do. Like the servants of the parable, the people had rejected the prophets of God over and over again. The prophets were killed, treated badly and their words from God not heeded.
 

Jesus knew His death was coming at the hands of the very same ones who had rejected the servants before Him. He let all know who were listening, killing the Son would not give you power. As the cornerstone, it would crush those who rejected Him.

I stand amazed, that Jesus could so calmly stand there and tell a story about His own impending death. Knowing that there were some standing right there in the crowd who would be the very ones shouting to crucify him shortly.

What kind of person does it take to be like that? What kind of God does it take to send His Son to be abused and killed by the very ones He created?

A loving, caring, all knowing God. One who knew how powerful sin was, how sin had so destroyed His creation, that He is willing to do whatever it takes to redeem the fruit of His vineyard.

However, there is a strong warning here.
Some today are under the mind set that if they reject Jesus, they can be the King of their own world. They become the owner of the vineyard. The Owner of ALL is coming back, and He has already sent His Son, and like the verse says, destruction will come to those who rejected the Son.
It is HIS vineyard. His world. He is the owner. If we choose to reject the Son, it will crush us, and there is nothing that can help us then.

Lord, I do not want to reject Your Son. I want to be found to be a good tenant of all You have entrusted me with in Your vineyard. May You find me a faithful servant when You return.

Today:
I will remember that I am just the tenant of all I have. God is the owner of my possessions, my family and my very life.
I will live with the thought that God is sending Jesus back, and it could be today, and I will be required to give an account of what I have done with what God has given me.

Chasing After Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

What I Can Learn From "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens

The Christmas season is officially here. I know because yesterday I watched "a Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. I always kick off the season that way.  I watched a 1955 black and white version. It was fabulous. Then as if that wasn't enough, I watched "A Muppet's Christmas Carol" on television as well. I know, I know. Hugh difference in the story telling between the two, but the same story and lesson for both.

As I watched Scrooge, and his sour, selfish ways, I saw some people I know. That's when I knew I was in trouble. When I see negative things about others, but fail to have a lesson taught to me, my heart is not in a good place. So I did an inventory of myself, in light of the three Christmas Spirits and Scrooge. This is what I found.

When I look at Christmas' of my past, I see some years where Jesus was NOT the focus. I see a child who got everything she asked for, but was never taught it wasn't about her. I was not told Christmas was truly about the Lord of the Universe.
As I grew older and met Jesus, married and started a family, my Christmas' of the past changed. Even though I taught my children all about the Lord of the Universe, I fell into the materialistic trap of making the day 90% about the kids and 10% about Jesus.
My heart changed and was convicted until the day really became all about loving people and pointing them to Jesus.

When I look at the Christmas of the present, I see a very large crowd. It gets bigger each year. We will have six children, two spouses, six grandchildren and one mother-in-love, besides my husband and myself on Christmas Day. We will worship, we will share a meal, we will fellowship, we will give gifts to one another. I am also looking beyond my family for someone who needs a special blessing. You see this year we will do something we call "the Twelve days of Christmas" for someone. For twelve days leading up to Christmas Eve, we will show up each day sing that day of the song and presenting a small gift of some kind. I choose to do this to make sure I keep the focus of Christmas on Jesus and the special gift of His life He chose to give.  It is easy to get wrapped up in our own "present" and not choose to be a gift to others. I have today to make a difference. Scrooge reminded me of that loud and clear.

Christmas Future? I really have no idea what next Christmas will hold. Except that I pray, I have set an example to my family of what it really should be about, and they choose to focus on Jesus. I don't even have a guarantee that there will be another Christmas.

I will choose to live in the present, forget about the mistakes of the past, and only concern myself with the One who holds my future.

The nice thing is, just like with Scrooge, everyday we have an opportunity to change our minds and do what is right. After all, that is the true story and meaning of Christmas. Jesus came so we could have a changed life in Him. He gives hope, the ability to live a new life and the assurance of eternity spent with Him.

You see, Jesus, and Jesus alone, is the Spirit of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future.

I will keep Chasing Their Hearts, even with jingle bells on!


Chasing After Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson

Daily Devo- Luke 20:1-8 "You Can't Lie To God"

Luke 20:1-8

 20:1 One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up 2 and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” 3 He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, 4 was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?” 5 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” (ESV)

Lord, I believe who you are. I trust what You say. I look at these chief priests, scribes and elders, and I think, they are ridiculous because they are trying to trap Jesus. Jesus knows their hearts and their motives. He knows what they are up to. He also knows just what to do. They cannot answer the simple question He asked them. To do so would either get them in trouble with God, or the people. They really did not want to please God, but themselves, and they did not want the people riled up against them. So they lied. They lied to the the Son of God. To God himself. To the King of Kings. As I read this, I think, 'That's crazy!".

But Lord, are there times I think I can lie to You and get away with it? By doing things with a wrong motive, thinking You can only see the act , not my heart? By thinking evil of someone and sharing that thought with others, all in the name of God, with a selfish motive? Lord you know every thought of my heart. You alone know me from the inside out. There is no telling You a lie and getting away with it.

In this passage today, there are only two sets of people to emulate.
Either I am like the men who had an ulterior motive of greed and power when they approached Jesus, or I am becoming like Jesus, and I submit myself to Him fully and honestly.

One group will lead to death, the other, right to the heart of God, and to life.

Today:

I will remember that each decision I make, my Lord knows my reason for doing it.

I will choose to acknowledge that Jesus alone holds the answers of life and He alone is to be submitted to for life.

I will not try to please man with the words I speak today, but God alone, in humility, praise and love.

I will point people to the giver of life, with the motive being that they are reconciled to God.

I will Chase After the Heart of God!

Chasing After Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Daily Devo- Luke 19: 28-40 "Obedience and Praise"

Luke 19: 28-40

28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (ESV)

 Lord as I read this passage this morning, I thank You and praise You for who YOU are! When You told the disciples to go get the donkey colt You needed, they did it. The owner of the colt gave it to You without arguing or wanting something in return. It was instant obedience. Oh Lord, I desire to obey You that way. What You ask me to do, may I listen and obey exactly. And immediately.

I also see that not only did Your disciples obey, but they loudly sang Your praises. They were singing and praising and testifying to what You had done and acknowledging You as the Messiah. They did this even though once again the Pharisees in the crowd stepped in to complain.
 I see You handling the Pharisees. You let them know that You were not going to rebuke Your disciples, that even if they were quiet, the very rocks on the ground would sing your praises.  Oh Lord, thank You for dealing with the Pharisees in my life. Let me remember to focus on You not on them!

Lord I see that I just need to obey, and sing Your praises that testify as to who You are, and You, oh Lord, will deal with the modern day Pharisees!

Today:
I will immediately obey the word of God as each choice is presented to me as I walk through this day.
I will sing praises and testify as to  who Jesus is, I will not be quiet, even when the Pharisees in my life are telling me I am wrong and to be quiet.
I will let Jesus deal with the Pharisees.  

Chasing After Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Daliy Devo- Luke19:1-10 Do You Need To Climb Up or Down A Tree?

Luke 19:1-10

19:1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (ESV)

Lord as I read this read this account of Zacchaeus in Your word, I read it today not as a children's story to be told to a Sunday school class, but as an adult who needs to hear what You want  heard today.

I feel like Zacchaeus in a way. I'm climbing high up here to look into your word because I feel very small compared to it. This is what I see. I see a man who had heard about you. A small, hated man. I know he is small because your  word says he is. I know he is hated because he is a tax collector. We don't even like our present day IRS agents so I know he wasn't liked. But I see a man who desperately wanted to see YOU.

Jesus knew Zacchaeus was looking for him. And Jesus knew this man's heart well enough to invite himself over to dinner. The small, hated, sinner, is the one out of that entire crowd that Jesus wants to spend time with. Zacchaeus didn't hesitate. He JOYFULLY received Jesus. And he immediately repented of the wrong doing he had done. And Jesus' response? He immediately forgave him.

Why oh Lord did You not execute justice for all the wrong he had done to people? Why did You not just cause him to fall out of the tree and die? Why did You not publicly rebuke and humiliate him? That's what those grumblers in the crowd were waiting for. They were not happy that You chose to forgive and spend time with that sinner.

Why?

Verse 10, in Your words Lord, tells it all.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

Help me to be like Zacchaeus. Seeking out You. Seeing You. Choosing to repent when You show me I have done wrong. Accepting Your forgiveness that is Your alone to give. And above all, let me never be a grumbler in the crowd when someone else does those as well. After all, You died and rose for this very thing.

Today:

I will climb whatever tree I need to,so I can see you. The tree of Your word.

I will climb down out of the tree I am in to joyfully receive You.

The tree of my sin.

The tree of my pride.

The tree of lies that You will not forgive.

I will climb, then I will chase after your heart!

Chasing After Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Daily Devo-Luke 18:31-43 " From Confusion To Praises"

Luke 18:31-43

31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 42 And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. (ESV)

Lord as read this part of your Word today I see many things. I see that even your disciples who were with you in your life did not understand all you said. They could not grasp the impending death and resurrection of their Lord. It has been laid out for me in your Word and their are times I still can't wrap my mind around the pain and suffering that You went through for me. I am ashamed to say, I sometimes forget that you conquered death as well. You said You would. You did. I need to keep that forefront in my mind as walk through this life. I have nothing to fear.
As Jesus and his guys continue on their way, they come upon a blind beggar man. The blind man asks what is going on, what all the commotion is about. He is told it is Jesus. This man does not hesitate. He cries out to Jesus. What I read next , Lord, is heart breaking. He is rebuked and told to shut up! Imagine that. He is crying out for the One who can heal him, and those around him, tell him to shut up. I learn two lessons in this today.
#1- never listen to those who are trying to silence you when you are reaching out for Jesus. No one can take away your voice and no one can keep Jesus from hearing it. You do not have to have the crowds approval to reach out for Jesus. It is a personal thing. It is between you and Him.
#2- I cannot even fathom what Jesus must have thought about those who tried to keep this man from him. I never want to be the one who tries to prevent someone from coming to Jesus. I need to either facilitate them reaching for their Lord or I need to get out of the way. Anything else is wrong.

The beautiful thing that I see is the result of this man's healing. It is not in the fact that he can now see. It is that he immediately followed Jesus and praised God. So did the crowd that was there. The same crowd that moments before wanted him to "shut up" is now singing the praises of God with him.

Lord let me remember who You are and what you have done. May my eyes and heart be opened so that I can see You and sing Your praises and help lead the earthly choir to do the same!

Today:
I will remember that Jesus has suffered a lot for me. He has conquered death. I have no reason to fear anything.
I will cry to Jesus regardless of what anyone around me might say.
I will not hinder anyone in coming to Christ.
I will sing the praises of Jesus as I follow Him. 

I will Chase After God's Heart!

Chasing After Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Daily Devo- Luke18:15-16 "A Childlike Faith"

Luke 18:15-16

15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

Lord may I never keep a child from You. With either my actions or my deeds. Really that is actually the easy part of obeying this verse. How do I receive the Kingdom like a child is a little tougher. We spend our entire adulthood trying to teach children how to grow up and love you, God. How to "properly" worship you God. How to act like someone who is walking with you God. And yet, that is not at all what this verse says. I need to look around me and see how the children view You. How they worship You. How they serve you.
This is what I see:
Children love God, simply because He is God.
Children worship with reckless abandon. The jump, sing, dance, spin with joy, and all because they are excited about singing and praising God.
Children love to serve other people simply because they love Jesus and because they accept the fact that it makes God happy.
Children will tell others everything they know about God without worrying about what they don't know, or of they will say something wrong.

God is simply who He is He in a Child's eyes. 

The difference I observe between a child and an adult is I have yet to ever see a child try to replace God with themselves. Only adults do that.
Please forgive me Lord for the times I have neglected to see the beauty of a child's faith.

Today :

I will observe the faith of the children around me.
I will watch and I will learn.
I will drop my pride so that I can see God through a child's eyes.
I will chase after their heart, so I can see His heart! 

Chasing After Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson

My Must Read of This Year- "Choosing To See" by Mary Beth Chapman

I am an avid reader. I read books voraciously with there never being a time that I am not reading at least two books, usually three at time. When I won the book "Choosing to See" by Mary Beth Chapman, by commenting on Ron Edmondson's Blog, http://www.ronedmondson.com, I was very thankful! After all, I was walking through a tough time, and maybe this book would be encouraging.

I assumed this book would be like all the rest, and I expected to read it while reading the other books I was working through at the same time. This book is different. At least it was for me.

I read through the "Forward", and put this book down until I finished the other one I was reading. I knew from just that much, I would need everything in me to be focused on what I reading as I read "Choosing To See".

This was a story that deserved singular attention.

I was not wrong. As I began the journey with Mary Beth Chapman, and that's what she does, she takes you on a journey, I was capitvated by her honesty, transparency and trust in God.

As a mother, there were times this was a very difficult book to read. "Difficult"  That seems to be a much too small, and much too inaccurate a word to describe the mother's walk who had to write this story, and must continue to live it out daily.

I found myself needing to put this book down and walk away just to compose myself enough to continue reading. The reason for this is Mary Beth Chapman takes you as close as you will ever get to living her story without being Mary Beth Chapman. I will never feel what she felt. To say I do would be an insult. Only SHE lived this particular story. This is HER life, HER grief, and HER walk. She just brings her readers as close to HER story as one can get, without being HER.

Mary Beth Chapman explains why. It is this explanation that truly changed the way I think about things.

"And so I have prayed that our journey through the shadows of loss might be of some help to those who have experienced similar pain...that our stewardship of this story would comfort many."  - Mary Beth Chapman, "Choosing to See"

It was the,"stewardship of this story" that changed my life. Stewardship. Of the God written story of her life. Mary Beth poignantly crafts this theme throughout her book.
.
I was now "SEEING" God has called me, and each one of His followers to steward the story He has given us. The one He is writing specifically for each of His children.

I can now "SEE" very clearly, this encompasses the messy parts of my life, thanks to Mary Beth Chapman.

Lest I leave you with the idea that this is a singular story of the death of a child, let me be clear. It is the story of hope, trust and the ever enduring faithfulness of God, stewarded beautifully by a woman of God who chooses to "SEE".

Chasing Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson


"Choosing To See" by Mary Beth Chapman w/ Ellen Vaughn
Published by Revell
a division of Baker Publishing Group
http://www.revellbooks.com
Copyright 2010

Daily Devo- Luke 18:9-14 "Self Righteous or Justified?"

Luke 18:9-14

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (ESV)

 Lord, I know I sin and fall short of what I should be. I am trying. I desire to serve you with a pure heart. Please let your Holy Spirit continue to mold me. I never want to be found to have the attitude of the Pharisee. I never want to think that I am more righteous than anyone else. All of my righteousness comes from you. All of anybody's righteousness come from You. To attack someone else, and to say how horrible a child of Yours is, would be attacking Your righteousness. Lord, I am nothing without You!

Today:
I will remember that You desire my humility. This means, not comparing my life with others, but looking at You, and knowing that You alone are God, and I am not!
 

Chasing After Hearts,
Glenda Johnson 

Daily Devo: Luke 18:1-8 -"Answers and Faith"

Luke 18:1-8

18:1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (ESV)

 

Lord I bring up this prayer before you as a prayer for hope, walking in a very uncertain time, knowing that YOU will answer! I also know that You answer perfectly because You are my heavenly Father and You desire what is best for me. Verse 8 is a very unsettling verse. I pray You will find me faithful when You return. I also pray that I will be used as a tool for You so that others might be found having faith when You return. Let my prayer today not so much be for justice, but for hearts to turn to You so that You will find faith when You return. 

Today:

I will pray without ceasing.
I will have faith that God will hear and answer those prayers according to His good and perfect will!
I will remember that You gave me grace, not justice and that is what I pray for for those around me.
I will Chase after His Heart!

Chasing After Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson

Daily Devo: Luke:20-37, Comfortable Where You Are, or Looking For Jesus?

Luke 17:20-37

20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building,29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife.33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” 37 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” (ESV)

Lord thank you for the reminder that today that you are coming back. It could be a day very much like today. As I ponder that thought, do I really have it forefront in my mind?

Am I doing what I should do? If you returned today, would I have regrets? In looking at this passage, I see that it is compared to two different times in history. One is the Noah and the flood. The other is Lot, his wife and the destruction of Sodom . In both of those, You warned people the time was coming, You also reached out to save Your people.The warning  " remember Lot's wife" is powerful. She so desired the rotten world she was comfortable in, that she would not accept the salvation you offered her.

I do not want to be found when You return as being someone who is chasing my own selfish desires. I want to be found serving You, loving those around me, and pointing them to You. Let me concentrate less on the unimportant and focus on Your return!

Even so Lord Jesus, come quickly! I am watching, and serving until then.

Chasing After Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Daily Devo: Luke 17:11-19, Thanksgiving is NOT Just a Day In November

Luke 17:11-19

11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” (ESV)

 Lord all too often I forget just how much You have done for me.All too often I have less than a thankful heart.  I am guilty of being one of the "9"!

As I list things today, let me remember that thanksgiving is not a day in November, but a lifelong attitude.
Today, I thank you for:

Cleansing my soul,
giving me your Holy Spirit to always walk and live in me,
for your Word that teaches me so much,
for the Church, the Body of Christ, that even when it is struggling, is still Your body, and I am thankful you allow me to be a part,
for grace, that indescribable gift that I live in each day,
for family that I can serve you with,
for friends, who are true friends, especially in the tough times,
for a home, so many don't have one,
for food, so many are hungry,
for clothing, so many will be cold this winter,
and although there are so many more,
thank you for your love, it is why all the rest are of the above things are possible. Teach me to love like you!
I want my faith, to be like that of the Samaritan, I want to be thankful, and I want a faith that leads me to You, to be made well.

Today I will choose to be thankful, love and have faith!

Chasing After His Heart,

Glenda  Johnson

Daily Devo- Luke 17:1-10 Temptations, Forgiveness and Servatude

17:1 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

7 “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” (ESV)

As I read this and meditate on it , my heart cries out to the Lord.

Lord please help me to remember who I am in relation to who You are. I never want to be the one who Satan uses to tempt someone to do wrong, especially the the little ones. Please keep my heart and my motives pure.
 

As I deal with people around me, Please let me 'Pay attention to myself". 

Let me always watch and be aware of what I do and what I say. And when someone sins against me, let me remember Your words, "You must forgive him'. If a person says they repent, I must take them at their word and forgive. There is nothing else that I can do. I must forgive. There are no other judgments I am to make. I forgive, it is then all turned over to You.

I find it interesting that in this passage right after the command to forgive, the disciples ask for their faith to be increased. I believe that it takes great faith to forgive people and then embrace and love them. If I forgive like you do God, then I must forgive and forget as you do. 

To say" I forgive you, but I will not forget what you did", is really just another way to say,"I don't really forgive you at all'. So please increase my faith so that I can learn to forgive like you.
 

The last part of this verse Lord is really the key. It is reminding me that I am just a servant. I am to serve you and expect nothing from anyone simply because I am doing what you have called me to do. I must be humble and my motives must be right. I pray that I never do anything to be seen of men, or for a reward or pat on the back. May all I do simply flow out of gratitude for who You are and what You have so graciously done for me.

From beginning to end, this passage is about my heart's motives and choosing to love like Jesus or not. It really is as simple or hard as that. Whether it is simple or hard, is my choice.

Today I will chase after your heart God, by how I love and forgive your children!

Chasing After Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

"Choosing to See" by Mary Beth Chapman-My Fall MUST Read

I am an avid reader. I read books voraciously with there never being a time that I am not reading at least two books, usually three at time. When I won the book "Choosing to See" by Mary Beth Chapman, by commenting on Ron Edmondson's Blog, http://www.ronedmondson.com, I was very thankful! After all, I was walking through a tough time, and maybe this book would be encouraging.

I assumed this book would be like all the rest, and I expected to read it while reading the other books I was working through at the same time. This book is different. At least it was for me.

I read through the "Forward", and put this book down until I finished the other one I was reading. I knew from just that much, I would need everything in me to be focused on what I reading as I read "Choosing To See".

This was a story that deserved singular attention.

I was not wrong. As I began the journey with Mary Beth Chapman, and that's what she does, she takes you on a journey, I was capitvated by her honesty, transparency and trust in God.

As a mother, there were times this was a very difficult book to read. "Difficult"  That seems to be a much too small, and much too inaccurate a word to describe the mother's walk who had to write this story, and must continue to live it out daily.

I found myself needing to put this book down and walk away just to compose myself enough to continue reading. The reason for this is Mary Beth Chapman takes you as close as you will ever get to living her story without being Mary Beth Chapman. I will never feel what she felt. To say I do would be an insult. Only SHE lived this particular story. This is HER life, HER grief, and HER walk. She just brings her readers as close to HER story as one can get, without being HER.

Mary Beth Chapman explains why. It is this explanation that truly changed the way I think about things.

"And so I have prayed that our journey through the shadows of loss might be of some help to those who have experienced similar pain...that our stewardship of this story would comfort many."  - Mary Beth Chapman, "Choosing to See"

It was the,"stewardship of this story" that changed my life. Stewardship. Of the God written story of her life. Mary Beth poignantly crafts this theme throughout her book.
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I was now "SEEING" God has called me, and each one of His followers to steward the story He has given us. The one He is writing specifically for each of His children.

I can now "SEE" very clearly, this encompasses the messy parts of my life, thanks to Mary Beth Chapman.

Lest I leave you with the idea that this is a singular story of the death of a child, let me be clear. It is the story of hope, trust and the ever enduring faithfulness of God, stewarded beautifully by a woman of God who chooses to "SEE".

Chasing Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson


"Choosing To See" by Mary Beth Chapman w/ Ellen Vaughn
Published by Revell
a division of Baker Publishing Group
http://www.revellbooks.com
Copyright 2010