EXPAND TO READ: ACTS 2 (HCSB)
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verse 38): Although not directly related to this scripture, You tell us to repent quite clearly here. There is something I must repent of that is weighing heavy on my heart as of late. I have noticed that I am starting to slowly dig back into my irritability at times. Yes, it is FAR less than I once was, but I am upset at myself for going back to it at all. Please forgive me for my slight regression, Father. Forgive me for getting overly upset at my kids over even the smallest things lately. Help me to fully release this irritability to You so that I no longer regress, Father. Help me to truly be released of this heavy weight of irritability I’ve been carrying for so long in my life. Help me.
PROMISE (verses 32-33): I still love hearing and reading about this promise to this day, even though I have read it multiple times throughout scripture. The promise is that God resurrected Jesus and has been exalted to the right hand of God, receiving the full promise and blessings of the Holy Spirit. Thank You for this promise, Father. Even Jesus Himself received the Holy Spirit as a blessing and fulfillment of Your promise. I would think He was the first to receive and from there all followers of His have shared in that promise the amazing blessing of the Holy Spirit which dwells within me. Thank You for this promise and the fulfillment of this promise, Father. Thank You for staying faithful through all that You do, even though I have been immature and rebellious in my faith at times. I know I have not been faithful, but You have been and the way You have showered me with grace constantly just astounds me at times.
ATTITUDE (verse 46): Those spoken about here sold all of their belongings and simply relied on You fully to provide. As they broke bread each and every day with the support and contributions of Your followers around them, they remained in an attitude of joy and humility. Quite simply, they relied fully on You and were completely satisfied with anything You provided, no matter how small or large. They truly walked in joy and humility through these times. I do struggle with both of these attitudes at times. Although I am getting better as of late, I do not the struggle is still present here-and-there. Continue to help me with this, Father. Continue to flood my heart with Your joy, so that it may overflow to those around me. Continue to teach me what it truly means to live in humility, so that I may be a good example of Your kingdom to those around me.
COMMAND (verse 38a): Your command in this scripture is quite simple as it’s only a single word, yet it is something that I have struggled with my entire faith. Your command is quite simply for us to repent. Why do I struggle with repenting, Father? Why do I struggle so much with holding onto the mistakes of my past and present instead of truly releasing them to You for restoration and healing? It’s only a single word, which I would think would be an easy command to follow, yet I seem to struggle quite a bit with true repentance often. I know that the burdens I carry are heavy to me, but light to You. I know that true repentance will lift the weight of these burdens off my shoulders. For some reason, however, I find it difficult to truly release all of my mistakes and burdens to You. Is it because I am still holding onto my flesh? Is it because I am still holding onto the world’s influence over me? Help me to truly dig down into the root of my issues, Father, so that I can live in repentance in my faith, releasing this heavy burden I’ve been carrying my whole life to You fully.
EXAMPLE (verses 17-18, 37-40): I find the doubt, conviction, and struggle that the people in this scripture are facing kind of funny because it also applies to me in my spiritual journey. I too was once afraid of truly living a spiritual life. I too was heavily convicted in my heart when considering accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I too have felt doubts in my spiritual journey since coming to faith. At the same time, I too have experienced the blessings associated with following You. I too have experienced the blessing of the Holy Spirit within me. Although the voice of the Holy Spirit was practically non-existent for a long time since coming to faith due to my own reluctance and stubbornness in the flesh, I am beginning to release all of that slowly but surely in my life. This has produced such great fruits in my spiritual life and in my fleshly life and I am so grateful for You, Father. Thank You for the promises You’ve given in this example and thank You for all the great works You continue to do in me, Father. You have truly been a blessing to me, even though I have not always been a faithful servant to Your kingdom.
*DAILY NOTE: Doubt, worry, fear, conviction, joy, happiness, humility, grace. These are all topics that were discussed today in my quiet time with You, Father. These are also all things that I have experienced many times throughout my life since coming to faith. I do still live in doubt, worry, and fear at times, but those times are becoming less and less as I mature in my faith. I do still experience conviction, which I find to be a good thing because it means that I am slowly but surely beginning to release the burdens of the mistakes of my past to You! I love experiencing Your joy, happiness, humility, and grace in my life. Without it, I would truly be lost and miserable. Thank You for always being there for me, Father. Thank You for Your never-ending grace showered upon me. Thank You for all the things You have done, are doing, and will continue to do in my heart, my spirit, my mind, and my life.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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