Lord, You amaze me! You delight me! You answer me… personally! Just the other day I wrote to You about being Absentminded. I was so discouraged over not being able to keep my focus on You continuously. Yet this morning I awakened to a devotional that was absolutely from You to me… word for word… and You helped me to pay attention!

11.1.17 Wednesday devotional

“DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED by the difficulty of keeping your focus on Me. I know that your heart’s desire is to be aware of My Presence continually. This is a lofty goal; you aim toward it but never fully achieve it in this life. Don’t let feelings of failure weigh you down. Instead, try to see yourself as I see you. First of all, I am delighted by your deep desire to walk closely with Me through your life. I am pleased each time you initiate communication with Me. In addition, I notice the progress you have made since you first resolved to live in My Presence.
When you realize that your mind has wandered away from Me, don’t be alarmed or surprised. You live in a world that has been rigged to distract you. Each time you plow your way through the massive distractions to communicate with Me, you achieve a victory. Rejoice in these tiny triumphs, and they will increasingly light up your days.
– Jesus Is Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sara Young, November 1

The verses that went with the devotional were these:

“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Romans 8:33-34 KJV

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” – Hebrews 14-16 KJV

Word for word, Lord! You heard every word and replied from Your heart!
“Don’t be discouraged in this life. See yourself as I see you. I am delighted by your deepest desire. I am pleased each time you initiate. I notice the progress you have made. Don’t be alarmed or surprised. You achieve a victory. Rejoice in these tiny triumphs. Light up! (I highlighted the words You emphasized for me.)

Even the scriptures are to remind me… who am I to charge God’s elect (myself) when You have justified me? Who am I to condemn myself when it is Christ who hath died for me, rather risen for me, and sits at Your right hand praying for me? Seeing I have a great High Priest (Your Son Jesus) that is passed into the heavens, I am to hold onto my profession (my resolve) to live in Your presence because I have a High Priest who has been personally touched by His own dread of the future, who was discouraged by the lack of His own friends being there when He needed them most, and who asked His own Father (You, Oh Lord) to take away the unpleasant challenge He was facing but willing to trust You with even the unpleasant, and even struggled in the human flesh He had taken on in remembering that His Father had NOT forsaken Him, regardless of what the human mind thinks when in agony.

After reading, listening, and hearing You, these hymns are placed on my heart today.

In The Garden lyrics by C. Austin Miles
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

I Must Tell Jesus lyrics by Elisha A. Hoffman
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
I cannot bear my burdens alone;
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.

Victory In Jesus lyrics by Eugene M. Bartlett, 1939
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him,
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.

I’m to follow the example of my Savior Jesus Christ by coming In The Garden alone to spend time with you. I am to come boldly before the throne of grace no matter what is going on with me because I Must Tell Jesus. He has been there and done that. He has experienced the fear, the distractions of the world, the dread of things, along with a desire to change things but willing to trust You with exactly the way things are, and the panic of a mind to feel like You have forsaken us while in reality You are right by our side.

When I cry to You that I cannot see You, hear You, feel You, and am so certain You must not be with me, You so loving remind me that when I gave my heart and soul to Jesus, I became Yours forever. You let me know that what I feel deceives me, what I think deceives me. I am a child of the King! When I come to You no matter my lot, that is a victory. I am to rejoice even in the tiny triumphs as You give me victory after victory because through the blood I have Victory in Jesus… every day of my life! In every moment of my life! This victory lights my way and lights my spirit. And while I may not be able to fully achieve a lofty goal of never failing you “in this life,” praise Your Holy name I WILL finally achieve that goal and worship You every day of my eternal life! ❤