Lovely Little Visits

I wonder how many God visits I miss a day.  Our Lord is always at work and involved in each aspect of our lives and days. 

I've been in Luke lately and last night I was reading Luke 22:7-13  7 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”  9 “Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.  10 He replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, 11 say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ 12 He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” 13 They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.

Look at the detail.  Jesus had this meal all planned out.  He was in all the details.  In Matthew 10:30 we are told, "And the very hairs on your head are all numbered."  Nothing, no matter how small escapes His touch.  

I've definitely had a couple of stand out visits this past week or so that have made me laugh and brought encouragement.  

The first was at the middle of last week.  The back story on this is that I had told God that this was the year I stopped complaining.  Whether it's out loud, in my head or with eye rolls and annoyed sighs....I want this sin out of my life.  

Well, He's definitely taking me seriously.  I am constantly reminded every time I go down the "complaining road" that I am to be grateful and worshipful.  Thank You Holy Spirit.  But this time it got serious.  

My husband and I had done some cleaning around the house.  And my husband, being himself, left the cleaner out, behind the door, in the laundry room.  I found this the next day when I went to sweep up in there.  So of course, the sighs came.  And the critical attitude in my heart.   I picked up the container and put it on top of the dryer and started to sweep up the flood, grumbling in my head the whole tiime.  Well, I'm guessing the Lord really want to get my attention here, so as I was kneeling before the dryer sweeping into the dustpan, the container slip off the dryer and hit me right in the head.  LOL  Oh my!  Talk about a direct correction.  The Holy Spirit could not have been any clearer.  "Knock it off!"  I just had to sit there and laugh.  And repent.  (Embarressed face here!)

The next visit was this morning.  I'm still in Luke and I was listening to J. Vernon McGee's teaching on chapter 24.  We were at the end in verses 50-53.  50 Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. 52 So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. 53 And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.

I noticed something about this today that I had never seen before.  The people standing before Jesus had failed Him.  Some denied, some deserted, some didn't believe...all of them, had failed our Lord in some way.  They were just like me.  I often fail my Lord.  I don't believe, I question and deny His sovereignty, trustworthiness and love.  I'm disobedient and self willed.  

But here's the thing.  As Jesus was leaving He blessed them.  He lifted His hands and spoke good over them.  He didn't look at them as failures, as sinners unworthy of His love and goodness.  He saw them as those He loved and died for, those forgiven and adopted, those who He called friends.  And....that includes you and me.  He sees us this way as well, and He desires blessing for us.  His blessing.  Wow.  What amazing revelation.  I am in awe of His loving goodness.  

Lord, thank You.  For correction, for blessing, for Your unvavering patience, care and love us.  We truly are the most blessed people to be called Your children.