i love how when the Lord has something He’s trying to impress upon us, we can count on Him to tell us over & over, in the language of our heart & our daily circumstances. a few days ago i was driving home from the appliance store, praying, intermittently in tongues. i was about to turn into the Mexican grocery store, waiting at the light, when i asked the Lord, “what’s something you like about me?” and He said, “you’re pretty!” this stunned me! not the answer i would have expected—quite honestly, not one of the first things to come to mind when i think of myself…but immediately my heart knew, i was expecting for Him to answer in a way that revealed my spiritual significance or functionality to serving His kingdom purposes, but really i’m just beautiful to Him, not for anything i can “do” for Him.
the next day i was reading Little Pilgrim’s Progress with the kids, in the chapter called “The Valley of Humiliation”. christiana and her siblings notice a joyful shepherd in the valley, the Good Prince’s favorite place, singing a merry little song, while the lambs frisked happily beside their mothers. “he is poor,” said great heart, “yet he is happy. he works faithfully and knows that His master is pleased with him.”
and i knew that shepherd was me! immediately i had that familiar image of myself as a simple, empty vessel—it’s always that rough red clay one or an old rustic wooden bowl. not elegant, but highly elevated when filled with beautiful flowers. simple but made for noble purposes when filled completely with the Holy Spirit.
yesterday on Pray-As-You-Go the passage was from john 3:31-36. “he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.” He showed me again that, simple though i am, my capacity for and through the Spirit is endless!
we read in Hurlbuts’ after that the story about mary and martha, and again I knew...i am mary, sitting at the Lord’s feet for much of my time on earth while everyone around is involved in much Christian “activity”. i often feel guilty or tempted to do something and yet He continues to tell me : you are simple, you are beautiful, you sit at my feet, you tend the sheep with a happy heart—you are an immense pleasure to me!”
and finally, PAYG a today was about gratitude, and Jesus’ prayer, thanking God the Father for hiding things from the wise and intelligent and revealing them to infants. that’s me! is this you, too? what a joy it is to walk daily with the Shepherd, to hear His voice to strengthen our days. may this encourage you today in your simple, beautiful life!