The Introverted Evangelist

Sabbath Sunday Surrender: "One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple." (Psalms 27:4) Another week draws to its conclusion. A new week is just around the corner. Lord, we come into Your Presence this day, and we devote our hearts to seek You. We come to the Well, we're thirsty for more. We come to Your throne, bowed down we adore. "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God." (Revelation 21:3) Be with us, so closely and intimately, yet again, O God. See our desperation, and come with compassion to care for Your people. Unhinge the gates that contain Your Living Waters, and let Your righteousness rain down on us. Oh come closer, Lord, and lead us in the Light of Your glory and goodness. "I will turn the darkness i...

I Cannot Please People: "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10) My efforts to please people have quietly eroded genuineness and joy away from the shores of my personality for years and years now. I've been so inwardly paralysed by the fear of letting people down, hurting someone's feelings, and upsetting people, that at times, I lose sight of the reality that I'm made for so much more than enslaving myself to the master of human whims. "The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe." (Proverbs 29:25) When I trust in the Lord, I am shielded, favoured, and blessed. On the other hand, when I trust in man, I am suppressed, fearful, and burdened. God doesn't want us to live shackled with the task of living up to human expectations. God has taken the law of expectation and replaced it with ...

He Will Revive Me: "After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence." (Hosea 6:2) God, You are powerfully able to revive all of me that's unstable. You strengthen my feeble knees, You give sight and vision to my blinded eyes, and You put wisdom and understanding in the places where confusion and delusion once prevailed. I know You'll never leave me in desperation and ruin, but You'll come to me. You're coming to drench my desperate soul. "As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." (Hosea 6:3) O Lord Almighty One, come! Come and rejuvenate me in the rays of Your golden, healing Light. You are the Light I crave. You are the bright joy that my dulled and somber spirit needs so intensely. Come and cleanse me with Your purifying love light. "He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. He counts the ...

Waiting For the Lord: "Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!" (Psalms 27:14) Life is full of ups and downs. Sometimes we're running the race at our fastest pace. However, at other times, we need a little refreshment and rejuvenation. This is not to applaud the faster times and degrade the seasons of rest. Rather, each season has its own set of unique benefits and lessons to teach. "To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1) When planting a garden, the gardener must take into account many different aspects of the ever-changing environment. First, the soil must be tender and nutritious for the developing plant roots. Then, the gardener must take extra care to water and tend to the growing sprout, making certain the leaves receive enough sunlight and fresh air. Lastly, when harvest time comes, the gardener must determine what is best to keep the plant thriv...

New Day New Mercies: "Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!" (Lamentations 3:22-23) His mercies never end. I rattle my soul within me, as though trying to awaken it, exhorting, "It's a new day, and the Lord's mercies have been refreshed for you yet again! His favour rises upon you with the rising sun. Awake O soul, rise from yesterday's ashes into the glorious goodness He has planned for THIS day!" "But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God." (Nehemiah 9:31) Gracious and merciful You are O Lord! I praise Thee alone! For none can compare to the vastness of Your glory and splendour. None can compare to the glory and wonder of the Lord. "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full o...

Streams of Mercy Never Ceasing: "For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring" (Isaiah 44:3) I know Your promise to me. I know You're a personal Lord, who specifically speaks to each one of His children. I know what You've told me, "Honour Me, and I'll bless you." I know that if I'll obey and surrender to Your way, You're going to bless me abundantly with abundance and mercy and blessings. If I'll step back from white-knuckling my life into the cool and refreshing stream of Your unending mercy, I'll begin to see many blessings manifest. "But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”" (Luke 11:28) "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." (James 1:17) You're not ...

Wholly His Own - A Monday Morning Prayer: "Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David." (Isaiah 55:3) Quiet my soul, O Lord. Provide peace for this shaken spirit, and caress me with Your care. I know You're here with me; I know Your goodness won't leave me. I know Your goodness never fails me. "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." (Isaiah 55:12) Let the jubilance of this day ensue without hesitation, for Your children await the joyfulness of Your Spirit to fall upon them, Lord. You are our God, and You are the everlasting hope we desire. You're the only One we need. You're the Lord who leads His people, and never leaves them. So lead us this day, God. I can faithfully declare that You lovingly care; I shall never despair, for Your g...

All Things New: "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (Romans 6:4) New life. Our Lord has promised new life in Christ. What a promise to be given by the One who cannot lie. Transforming from glory to glory - we shall never die. In Christ alone, we forever abide. The past is a hurtful memory, but to You, Lord, we release it. We can't keep hold of the ties to our former life, or we live in continual, laborious strife. We accept that what was has come and has gone. We may not know why it happened, but we know that You have perfect purpose for our pain. So we turn to You, expectant for what's next. We know that in You, it's always the best. "See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you." (Isaiah 42:9) We place our aches and regrets at the feet of...

Rise Up and Take Courage: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9) Weakness, fear, anxiety, and stress are results of thinking that God is too far away. When I fear God isn't near, every other worry comes toppling down on top of me. That's because God is my Rock; He is the foundation on which I can boldly stand. "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." (Psalms 18:2) A stronghold for me, that's You, O Lord my God. You have been here with me from the start of this journey, so why do I fear You'll leave me now? You've given me signs, confirmations, guidance, and abundantly above all I can even imagine. Why do I fear You won't achieve the seemingly impossible on my behalf? "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly a...

Rejoice Always: "But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favour as with a shield." (Psalms 5:11-12) It's been a long and tiresome week, and Friday is now here. Weariness has almost overtaken you, but then, you hear a call. You begin to hear the voice of the Lord, saying, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29) God invites us into His arms with a warm smile and a gentle heart. He doesn't call us as slaves with the strike of a bell and a tyrannical demand to work ourselves into the ground. God calls us His very own children. He sees all the effort we've exerted this week, and now He says, "Come ...

I Loved You at Your Darkest: "While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don't be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus." (Matthew 17:5-8) In the first few verses of Matthew chapter seventeen, Jesus led Peter, James, and John up to a mountain top. It was just the four of them, or so the disciples thought. Whilst they were walking Jesus was "transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light." (Matthew 17:2) Today, this passage is really speaking to me. I feel like the Lord is using this passage as a reminder that sometimes we must fall "facedown on the ground" in complete awe of His glory and surrender to His mysterious yet miraculous ways. A...

Do Not Fear for I AM With You: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, through the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though it's waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah" (Psalms 46:1-3) Fear is our enemy. Fear restricts, constrains, and kills. Fear kills the hope of joy, and extinguishes the flame of faith. Fear is not welcome. After all, God hasn't given us a spirit of fear. He gives us His Holy Spirit full of love to cast out every fear. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7) "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18) Our Father desires for us to live lives of freedom, joy, and abundance. It breaks His heart to look upon His beloved children and see the...

Do Everything in Love: "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love." (1 Corinthians 16:13-14) Today I choose to focus on Ἐμμανουήλ (Emmanuel), God with me. I choose to see Him present in all areas of my life. I choose to yield eyes to Holy Spirit healing, that my eyes may be opened to see. Now I can see. I can see how the God over all creation desires me. He desires me, and He wants fellowship with me. I'm amazed and in awe that the Lord would take the time to care about me. The heart is tugged hard and the eyes suddenly move upwards away from the trap of self-sufficiency. Now my unprofitable works and efforts to "earn grace" are divinely dispatched. I can see Him with me now. He cares about all that I care about and more. Then I turn out and look upon all the empty sullen faces of the people around me, and my heart weighs heavily as though the heart of God were grieving in congruous mournful groans with mine. How ...

Hope Anchors the Soul: "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." (Hebrews 6:19) This world in which we reside today is much like an ocean with its changing tides and fragile features. The world is quickly distraught and disorganised, and this perilous propensity can easily cause loosely tied souls to fall overboard. In short, the world is very quick-tempered, so it's imperative to understand "The Certainty of God's Promise" as this passage of Hebrews chapter six is titled. "Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged." (Hebrews 6:17-18) God has made His marvellous promise perfectly perspicuous. We are to reach out and firmly grasp onto this hope He has made so re...

Even the Smallest Faith Moves Mountains: "So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20) Faith without a firm foundation is futile, and self reliance is a form of defiance. Unfortunately, these two scenarios are all too common in our modern day world. The truth is, there is only One Foundation, Christ the Lord, and apart from Him there is nothing. "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 3:11) "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) Faith is more than just a skill that we must practice. The concept of faith is more like that of a bank. Many people put their money into the bank, but not all bank acco...

Awake My Soul: "My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples." (Psalms 57:7-9) The morning sun peeks through the bustling tree leaves as they sway in the rushing late summer's breeze. All is still and quiet. The most sprightly ones of creation only begin to make the most of the day. Birds commence their singing praise, flowers bursting wide open - petals stretched as far towards the sun as can be. "For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth." (Psalms 57:10-11) We're all searching, as though missing a piece. This is because we all desperately desire more of You God! All of creation hungers and thirsts. We start each day hungrier for You than ever. Our heart's...