“And He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy,
When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions
Eclipsed by glory and I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me
And oh, How He loves us, oh
Oh, how He loves us, how He loves us all”
John Mark McMillan (from the song How He Loves by the David Crowder Band)
“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face to shine upon you; and be gracious to you; the LORD lift His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
Stoicism: “the endurance of pain or hardship without a display of feelings and without complaint” New Oxford American Dictionary
You should see my dog try to catch popcorn. I can throw a tennis ball as hard as I can from about 30 feet and Clyde can catch it. But gently toss a kernel of popcorn at him and he can’t do it. He wants it so badly he can’t wait the fraction of a second for it to get to his mouth, so he always misses, franticly trying to catch a piece of popcorn that isn’t yet there. And that’s how it is so commonly with us. Whether it be a car, a house, or even a new Bible, there are things we want so badly we can’t wait patiently. Ironically, our desire is often the very thing that prevents us from achieving some of those things, simply because it fosters impatience. For example, many of us have reached our debt limit from buying things we only kind of wanted in the first place and definitely don’t care about anymore. Meanwhile, what we really want is placed just out of reach by our obligations created by impatience. He says in Matthew 6:20, “Lay up for yourselves treasure in Heaven, where neither moss nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Patience by its very nature will not provide instant gratification. However, the gratification it provides is much fuller. There is no buyers remorse with patience. There is no guilt with patience. And there is no burdensome debt with patience. God loves us and wants to bless us. He says so! Sometimes we just need to be patient and wait for the popcorn.
Daily Journaling Questions:
How did I help someone today?
What act of kindness did I perform today?
What did I learn today?
Who did I love today?
What about today do I want to remember forever?
What are my goals for tomorrow?
Thank you for reading. You mean a lot to me.
Jake
YOU ARE READING
Daily Self Growth Journal Pt. III
Non-FictionThis is the third in a series of interactive journals designed to help people grow personally, spiritually, and possibly even professionally. There is a daily message that contains a motivational quote, a Bible verse, a vocabulary word, and a messa...
