Devotionals

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I’ve been thinking about love a lot lately!

There is a definition for “Soul Sleep” in Wikipedia. It’s not surprising that it speaks to sleep after the body dies and then being violently awakened to the wrath of judgment! Oh my goodness, that seems horrifying to me, yet there are some who truly find comfort in an interim rest. Imagine a life lived without coming to know the love & salvation of Christ, death of the body; then soul sentenced into a coma! Not my definition of rest.

I have an attorney friend who often, but with laughter says of herself, "I am going to burn in hell." She is one who finds comfort in a delay of time. Her salvation is something I pray for daily. Because I love her. Because it’s not God’s will that anyone would perish and because I love her! Because my Savior paid the ransom for her soul with His precious blood, but sadly, she can’t see past “herself” or her influence to recognize how much He loves her!! Ironically, she refuses to believe that the lover of her soul could see beyond her past. O how i pray "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Eph 5:14 Still, tonight she’ll take another Ambien in hope of finding rest. Tomorrow her “hope” will need a refill and I’ll get another call from my empty friend.

I have many people I love, who just seem content to live this earthly life without Christ and take their chances with what ever happens in eternity. You too? It grieves my heart deeply. My words about Jesus fall on deaf ears. I can “see” the sound of my voice being “turned off” as my mouth moves in motion. On purpose, my eyes remain locked to theirs so I can look deep into the windows of their soul. There is no sound so beautiful than the unspoken being sent forth...sometimes dear ones, the Lord will use our eyes as His mouthpiece. Those closest to me know i speak more with my eyes than my mouth. Every time i think of Jesus the first thing to thought is His eyes, and then I am lovesick all over again! Its true - it gets me every time. You want to know why?

I discovered a precious thing about Jesus in a scripture that most everyone overlooks, but not me, for I am all about the eyes. In Mark 10:21 the story about the rich young ruler...that scripture begins like this, Jesus looked at Him, and Loved Him". Isn't that marvelous? Jesus looking me in the eyes and loving me thrills me!! I long for the day to lock eyes with Jesus. My mind marvels when i think about Jesus looking and loving the woman at the well; the adulteress caught in the act; Mary of Bethany as she poured her perfume on His feet; Lazarus; the woman with the issue of blood when Jesus swung around and looked..oh that one really gets me! Think about the gaze He had with John and Peter, and His other disciples and Yes, even Judas.

So, one of my favorite things to do is to look and love while praying "without words" to the ones who shut my voice about the Lord. The spirit of God in me will speak to the spirit in them, because my Lord says, “ no one comes lest The Spirit draw them". I cry O Lord please don’t turn your face away. I want them to know that death occurs before the body ever dies. It’s the people who are living, yet remain dead to Christ that are soul sleepers. The only rest available to anyone is through Jesus. That rest is right now! The author of Hebrews says since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. Heb 4:1

For those who rest in Him say, "When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet." Proverbs 3:24

Sweet dreams dear ones.

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