Letting go of anger and frustration

Take delight in Yahweh, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Be still before Yahweh and wait patiently for him ...  Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.

Psalms 37:4, 7‭-‬8 NIV

I had a sozo prayer time with John and Celia that was very impactful for me.  One of the breakthroughs was beginning to let go of perfectionism and being critical.  

Over the past several months, I have been realizing that I need to continue this breakthrough by letting go of anger and being frustrated with inefficient/inconvenient circumstances.

I am resolving to be a happier and more joyful person.  I want the words that I speak, especially to my wife and children, as well as my tone and facial expressions, to be evidently abundant with the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) and completely devoid of the fruit of the flesh.

Father, you are good and kind.  Thank you for giving me the fruit of the Spirit, and thank you for infusing my words and manner of speaking with your character.  I love you.

Seek His Face

Psalms 27:4‭, ‬8‭-‬9‭, ‬13‭-‬14 NIV

One thing I ask from Yahweh, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of Yahweh and to seek him in his temple.  ... My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, Yahweh, I will seek.  Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. ... I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living.  Wait for Yahweh; be strong and take heart and wait for Yahweh.

There are so many distractions in this world; the enchanter either tempts us with immediate gratification of interior substitutes for the goodness of the presence of God or the enchanter threatens us with the fear of pain or loss. 

But the one thing that matters more than all of the rest is fellowship with God.  It is way more than believing that He exists, knowing His name, or even receiving His forgiveness.  Fellowship is about intimate relationship with Him.

Father, I want to seek your face.  I love you, and I know that you are good, but I want to know you so much better than I do now.  I want to be someone you share your heart with, like you do with Jesus. Holy Spirit, lead me to that place.  I love you.

Sometimes His answer is in the resurrection

Psalms 22:1‭, ‬24 NIV

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?  

...

For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

Jesus quoted verse 1 on the cross.  But the Father did not actually forsake His Son.  Verse 24 was fulfilled not in the avoidance of suffering and death but in conquering death by resurrecting Jesus to life.

Perhaps sometimes the Father let's us endure more than what we think we can handle and allows us to experience what we might perceive to be defeat or death because the Father sees beyond that to the point where He answers our prayers in the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:54‭-‬58 NIV

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."  "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Father, thank you for faithfully answering my prayers, even when I feel like you aren't.  You are good, and you give victory to the King.  Thank you for making me a king with Christ.  May your sovereignty over my heart be evident by an increase in the fruit of the Spirit today.  I love you.

Fear the Lord

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

Acts 9:31 NIV

I'm reading Paths to power: living in the Spirit's fullness by A.W. Tozer, and one of his introductory points is that faith begins with basic obedience of Jesus's commands.  As I was discussing with Beau and Jude this morning this concept of fearing the Lord, I made the connection that one of the main ways that we show our honor and fear of the Lord is by being careful to obey His teachings. Love God, love others.  Sacrificially.

Father, I want to humble myself and show that I fear you by being so very careful to love selflessly.  Jesus, thank you for your example.  Holy Spirit,  please help me listen to you today as you show me how to take up my cross and follow Jesus today.  I love you. 

Watered by the Word

Blessed is the one ... but whose delight is in the law of [Yahweh], and who meditates on his law day and night.  That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

Psalms 1:1‭-‬3 NIV

It's not enough to read the Word. I need to soak on it, let it soak into my soul.  Day and night.  Let Holy Spirit saturate my character and thoughts with the Father's character and thoughts.

Father, thank you for sharing yourself with me through your Word, through the Holy Spirit,  and through this time with you.  Please help me spend more and more time each day in conscious awareness of your presence, power, and love.  I love you, and I want to be more like you.

Diffusion of grace

Ruth 2:10 NIV

At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?"

Fick's First Law of Diffusion (|J| = D × dC/dx) is the basic principle that the net rate of transport by diffusion (J) is the product of a diffusivity coefficient (D) and the gradient (slope) in concentration (dC/dx ≈ ∆C/∆x).  So, the rate of transport increases as the diffusivity increases and as the distance of separation (∆x) decreases between two different concentrations (∆C). 

Let's consider the diffusive transport of grace. God's grace is multi-spectral, including forgiveness of sin, spiritual power, physical healing, material provision, etc.  With respect to material provision, perhaps God allows us to determine the magnitude of the diffusivity coefficient by our own generosity, while He determines the magnitude of the concentration gradient.  So, when He brings someone of need into close proximity, and I have a generous attitude of freely giving away what I have freely received, grace flows rapidly.  And perhaps one of the greatest tangible demonstrations of God's grace is when we give to foreigners, strangers, and "enemies", because the Father gave Jesus while we were enemies of God.

Leviticus 25:35 NIV

If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you.

Deuteronomy 15:10‭-‬11 NIV

Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this [Yahweh] your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

Father, your grace flows so abundantly to me! I want to honor you by generously passing it along.  You are so rich, and it is such a privilege to share the treasure of Jesus with those around me.  May my material generosity honor you and be a sign of your generosity with multi-spectral grace.  Holy Spirit, I want to be attentive to you today to see who you want me to bless.  I love you.