SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

  “Spirituality is not to be learned by flight from the world, or by running away from things, or by turning solitary and going apart from the world. Rather, we must learn an inner solitude wherever or with whomsoever we may be. We must learn to penetrate things and find God there.” 

― Meister Eckhart

ISAIAH 10-12

 “I will praise you, Lord.

Although you were angry with me,

your anger has turned away

and you have comforted me.

2Surely God is my salvation;

I will trust and not be afraid.

The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense^a ;

he has become my salvation.”

3With joy you will draw water

from the wells of salvation.(12:1-3)

GALATIANS 5

 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love...22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

JOURNAL 

My mind, my emotions and my habits are such a product of my past and my environment. They are a product of what I continually feed them. The amazing thing about the spirit is that it actually allows me to separate myself from my thoughts, emotions and habits. It allows me to pause and consider God. It allows me to see that many times my initial thoughts and emotions do not reflect truth or reality. To be able to pause...seek God and actually choose a different way is essentially what makes me human. That necessity is also what allows me to be filled with God's spirit. 

These are the truths that fill the whole of scripture. God's spirit gives us the power to step outside of all of the power of habits, hurts, fears and emotions. It allows me to realize that beyond the storm, clouds, wind and rain is a blue peaceful sky. It is this constant that is most symbolic of God and his spirit. The storms are never constant but the blue sky peace of God is...so regardless of the circumstances I can have peace, I can have joy, I can act in love and I can live out the fruits of God's spirit.

 7For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

2 TIMOTHY 1:7