God’s Thoughts to Me
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence. (Psalm 16:11, NLT)
Yet, you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. (Psalm 22:3, NLT)
Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10, NIV)
These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. (Isaiah 29:3, NLT)
Empty Hands
The world is wrapped in a blanket of expectancy. The atmosphere is preganant with desire … a desire to capture joy, hope and love in the festivities of Christmas. Too many people are starving from a spiritual hunger …. a hunger that can only be satisfied by the Bread of Life, our Lord Jesus.
I am perplexed by the inability of so many of our Pappa’s children to receive, accept and understand the extent of His invitation to attend the feast He has prepared for them …. His wedding feast of love and joy. It cannot be for a lack of trying, because they are busy … very busy, trying to earn the food their hearts earnestly crave. Everywhere the glitzy glamour of Christmas is shining around us.
Solomon wisely remarked, “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9, NLT). Yet, this hunger is all consuming and I feel so much sorrow in my heart for those who never seem to be filled …. spiritually filled and satisfied.
Until our Pappa revealed to my heart the reason for this humungous predicament the human race finds itself in. He took my thoughts back to a certain young man. This rich young man also experienced a severe, spiritual hunger …. the hunger for eternal life. He went to the right Person to ask for this gift, our Lord Jesus, offering Him a long list of his impeccable law-observance …. an impressive inventory of all his good deeds.
Yet, he had a big problem …. his hands were filled with worldly things. He was convinced that he had kept the whole law from birth. But our loving Lord looked at him with so much love, seeing a little boy trying to earn his Pappa’s affection.
In the past I used to arrogantly critisize this greedy man for not loving our Lord Jesus enough to sell all his possesions and to give the money to the poor. But we are all aware that our feeble hearts can never change itself and we are dependent on the Lord to live His life in and through us.
Could it be that our Lord wanted him to rid himself of all his futile efforts, to empty his hands by showing him how utterly deceitful the human heart truly is? I realise that the Narrow Gate is so narrow that only as we come with empty hands and a heart filled with need, can we enter into our Pappa’s Kingdom of Light …. into our Lord Jesus.
It makes me wonder about what I might still be harbouring in my heart, my deceitful heart, as a bartering commodity for His love, joy and acceptance. May He bless us by giving us spiritual insight to perceive and understand the beauty of His Gift. May He enable us to empty our hands and hearts of anything that may hinder us from receiving the fullness of His Life …. the fullness of Himself. Only in His presence there is fullness of joy …. only in His presence can we experience true worship and praise, for He delights in the heartfelt praises of His people.
Much love XX
Mia
I am linking up with dear Barbie at My Freshly Brewed Life where we prepare our hearts to receive our Lord Jesus. Please join us at http://myfreshlybrewedlife.com/
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His Loving Embrace 
I realize I am going to quote the same passage as Tanya đŸ™‚ : “It makes me wonder about what I might still be harbouring in my heart, my deceitful heart, as a bartering commodity for His love, joy and acceptance.” Yes, this. Continually looking to what we harbor, so we can lay it all down for him. It certainly is a moment by moment decision to receive what he has — the beauty in exchange for filthy rags, the light in exchange for darkness, the life in exchange for death. All he has is so much greater than what we could ask, think or imagine! Thank you for your beautiful words today, friend.
Hi dear Ashley
Yes, my friend, we exchange our ashes for His beauty, our weakness for His strength, our darkness for His light, our spiritual death for His eternal life. That is the way of our wonderful God …. the denying of ourselves … our efforts to receive the wonder of His grace.
Hugs and much love XX
Mia
Yes, Mia, I agree that our world is pregnant with desire for joy, and it really does come by letting go of the world, coming with empty hands to Jesus. Such great thoughts here and humility. Glad to meet you. Many blessings! đŸ™‚
Hi dear Jacqui
So nice to meet you to and thank you for encouraging me. Yes, empty hands is the answer to our need, but this seems so difficult to understand. May our Pappa open our hearts and minds to come to Him with needy hearts.
Much love to you XX
Mia
“It makes me wonder about what I might still be harbouring in my heart, my deceitful heart, as a bartering commodity for His love, joy and acceptance. ” yes – that temptation to barter, to contribute, to earn is so strong. I love that ’empty hands’ picture – it sums up so much of what it means to be a Christian. Thanks for linking up!
Hi dear Tanya
In a way Fm/ME has emptied my hands! It made me completely dependant on our Pappa God. But still I need to often check my motifs for we can easily get sidetracked. Thanks for your visit.
Hugs XX
Mia
Beautiful post, Mia!! I want to be empty of myself so I may be full of HIM!!
Thank you for sharing…
Hi Stefanie
Thanks for understanding what I wanted to capture. I have come to realize that even that desire to be emptied of ourselves and filled with Him, is a mighty work of grace straight fom our Pappa’s hands and heart.
Much love to you, sweet Friend
Mia
Thank you for reminding us of the need to empty our hands…and our desperate need for Jesus’ help to empty them…
Oh yes, it is so true!! Our lord Jesus needs to show us what we are still holding onto for dear life. And only He can save us from them as well! Thanks for visiting my blog.
Hugs XX
Mia
Beautiful my friend. I so want to be emptied, so that I can receive Him in His fullness!
Hi dear Barbie
This link up means a lot to me. Thank you again. Yes, dear friend, it is good to take inventory of all those things that illegally squat in the dark corners of our hearts and taking up the place that belongs only to our Beloved Lord Jesus.
Much love to you XX
Mia
Dear Mia,
Yes, only hearts and hands emptied can fully receive him, and that young man’s hands and heart were too full of his accomplishments and wealth…I am learning that God in His mercy has emptied me at times so He can fill me with more of Himself…the emptying can be painful but the filling of Himself is so gracious đŸ™‚ hugs to you đŸ™‚
Hi Dolly friend
Yes, that emptying process usually is delightfully painful, but as He promises us … joy does come in the morning. And at times it is good too just let the healing waters of tears wash away many of those trinkets that fill our hands. Thank you, dear one, your visits always encourage me.
Much love XX
Mia