Forever Changed, Not Chained 10-8-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your voice. ... "Then David rose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes. He went into the house of the Lord, and worshiped; he then went into his own house; and when he asked, they set food before him and he ate" (2 Samuel 12:20). David's son was ill and dying. With emotional, spiritual, and physical intensity, he fasted and prayed for the life of his child (v. 16). He often drew away to himself, not really wanting to be around other people in his grief (v. 17). But in the fullness of time, You gave him peace to release it all to You, with the wisdom to know the things he could not change. "Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me" (v. 23). It was time to rise and move on with his life and calling -- forever changed, but not forever chained to all that had happened. He turned his thoughts from himself to others. And as he comforted his wife, You bore them another son -- a son of promise and destiny, loved and blessed by the Lord, named Solomon (v. 24-25). I have found it surprisingly hard to come out of the emotional, spiritual, and physical intensity of my grandmother's illness, death, and resurrection. My father was their only child and preceded her in death long ago, so I have been both a son and grandson to her. With all the intensity of that relationship of love, I entered in to the intensity of this battle. I tend to become focused and intense in whatever I perceive to be the mission at hand. I was like that as a trial lawyer, and now I seem to be like that as a prayer minister -- pressing in and pressing through with tenacity and perseverance until the battle is over or the burden is lifted. It's often rewarding with a sense of faithfulness, purpose, and significance, but also exhausting. You've now lifted the burden in my grandmother's battle through this last stage of her life, and it's time to rise and move on -- forever changed but not forever chained to what has happened. Help me take my eyes off of myself and turn them to You, not ignoring what has happened, but allowing what has happened to shape me in the fulfillment of Your purposes and my destiny to come. As I begin to minister to others again, help me come out of isolation and into community, out of sorrow and into service -- morning by morning and step by step as You lead. Help me trust in Your wisdom and walk in Your ways. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com