Intently

Just had to share this! Don’t know how many times I’ve heard this passage taught, but the other day it just jumped off the pages at me…I never tire of God bringing new things to the forefront!

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

Mark 10:27

The disciples had just asked Jesus…”who in the world can be saved?” and the verse above is His answer. BUT before the answer, I can just imagine the hush. In that breath before His answer, He looked at them intently ~ Jesus did. He didn’t need to look intensely at their clothes, or dirt on their feet --- He looked at them.

“Search my heart, O God” kinda look. Jesus always looks at the me that matters. He sees past the clothes we wear, the appearances we put up and the “dirt” in our life ~ He sees our heart…intently. And He reminds us “all things are possible” with Him. He makes all things new, He restores our lives to be lived out for His purpose. So, “who can be saved?”, we ask? Those who have allowed God full access to their heart and soul to be gazed upon intently by His Grace and changed for forever. Because as Jesus said, “with God, everything is possible.”

There is so much to growing in our relationship with God, too! Many think they are doing something wrong if life doesn’t go along smoothly, or somehow we have to be perfect…but in Isaiah it says…

You, Lord, give perfect peace
    to those who keep their purpose firm
    and put their trust in You.

Isaiah 26:3

One of the many things I have learned in the whole process of our labyrinth is that Peace is not circumstantial. It is not found in people, or places (the labyrinth), or in plans. So, where to look? Where to find Peace, actual Peace: Only within. Looking within, truly seeking after the Lord. We need to put Him in charge of it all.

Lord, search within my heart. YOU reveal the things that I have placed before Your will, the circumstances that I have somehow defined as “revealing You”, that really aren’t You at all. All of those things, activities and interactions that become idols to my behaviour ~ reveal them, remove them from any pedestal I have created within and bring Peace to overflow to others. Infuse my purpose with Yours. May we be Your hands and feet to serve and to love others as Christ and in that offering, may they come to experience Your perfect Peace.