The First Thursday of Lent

Inheritance

A word we assiciate with far off distant relatives we never knew we had leaving things behind in their Will... Or children bickering about what family heirlooms they're entitled to keep... Or who is next in line to the throne.

A word much less likely to be assiciated with a period of prayer and fasting like Lent. And yet in today's Scripture, we read all about the reminders of our Inhertiance in the Kingdom - regardless of the trials that take place here.

- Read Isaiah 51

I love this chapter best in the Amplified Bible, but you can read it in any translation!

- Devotional Thought

The idea of inheritance began when I read about Abraham and Sarah. We are reminded that our family line is not a mistake. God gave Abraham a Word that He continues to fulfil. We read of comfort and deserts, of justice and righteousness, of weariness and death.... But there is the Hope. There is talk of the confident expectation.

The story line is a reminder of what has happened and also what is to come. It's not all smooth sailing and pretty roses, it's real and difficult.

But of a God who saves.

A God who HAS saved and continues to SAVE and will be SAVING until the very last day.

But what strikes me is one verse "Everlasting joy will be on their heads."

Everlasting joy doesn't begin in eternity when all this worldy trials have passed.

Everlasting Joy is everlasting... always has been and always will be.

Everlasting joy with gladness, sorrows and sighing that are wiped away won't only come in eternity. Why? because the one who comforts us came in fulnenss with His Spirit and He is the reason we celebrate this time of Lent.

Lent with it's depravation and long periods of waiting is a celebration because it's a time to withdraw from world and draw into Worship. A time to retreat from lies and press into truth. A time to be full out grateful that the one who sustains you is not found in food or clothes or money or things, but in the depths of your surrendered heart.

Lift your eyes to the heavens, awake and put on your strength.

Your life here and the eternity to come is not benefits based, it's not works based... it's inheritance based.

So lift up your crown of joy and claim the fullness of life now.

Becuase if He has everlasting Joy for then, there is everlasting Joy for now.

Look back on His fulfilled promises like Abraham and Sarah looked back on theirs.

He is in the midst of today ~ whatever that holds ~ so don't miss Him!

- Passage to focus on 

"For the Lord will comfort Zion [in her captivity];

He will comfort all her ruins.

And He will make her wilderness like Eden,

And her desert like the garden of the Lord;

Joy and gladness will be found in her,

Thanksgiving and the voice of a melody."

"So the redeemed of the Lord will return

And come with joyful shouting to Zion;

Everlasting joy will be on their heads.

They will obtain gladness and joy,

And sorrow and sighing will flee away."

Isaiah 51vs3 and 11 AMP

These verses ring joy and gladness and they remind us of trials. Easter Sunday is not separate from Good Friday, you can have joy in the suffering. Why? Because He always rises on Easter Sunday!

- Image for today 

Today's image is a waterfall of music notes. When thinking of inheritance and family lines and the ongoing blessing of being a child of the Kingdom, I thought of a bubbling brook. A stream that keeps running because the source is deep in the heart of the earth.

That's us! We can keep running, keep flowing, keep providing fresh nutrients to the environment around us as long as we are drawing from the deep, inner and hidden source.... our Jesus!

- Prayer 

Father God

You have never let us down and you never will. Thank you for your persistent kindness, love and reaching out to us. Thank you for never backing down and never giving up. As we continue in the first days of Lent, remind us of how faithful you have been in our lives and remind us to keep returning to you.

Our source

Our everlasting Joy!

We praise you and we are filled with thanks for you!

- Active idea

Today if you can. Ind a body of water and sit by it for a while. A stream, a river, an ocean or even water like music. Listen to the ongoing life that the water holds. And tune into your heart. Ask yourself where the current of your life is going... are you connected to the source to keep flowing and keep moving through the channel of your day... or are you stagnant and loosing hope.

Remember, everlasting Joy starts today!

Thank you for joining me today! Hope to see you again soon!

Have a blessed Lent

~ X ~