Today's Scripture

that you know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God

Luke 23:34

French philosopher, Blaise Pascal, alluded to a God-shaped hole inside of each one of us in his work, Pensées. Augustine, in his Confessions, declared that “our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you.”

We can find ourselves attempting to fill that aching void with the obligations, pleasures, and busyness of this life. We earn advanced degrees. We pursue careers with single-minded ambition. We devote ourselves to the health and welfare of our children. We aspire to achieve more and more, yet it never seems to arrive. We often are left exhausted and empty by the pursuit. We can become so full of ourselves that there is no room for the God we claim to serve.

Will we deny our own ambitions to serve Jesus? There is a place of surrender where our will is exchanged for His, where we submit to His purposes, where we are filled with the fullness of God. We may need to draw boundaries, to be stingier with our “yes” to lesser things. When we pour out our lives to Jesus, we find ourselves empowered and energized by the Holy Spirit. When we co-labor with Christ, His plan is brought to fruition in our lives. Along the way, we find love, joy, peace, and goodness. Let us be filled with the fullness of God Himself!

Blessing

Heavenly Father, come fill us to the brim with You. Come in to abide with us, to fill us with the fullness of Your power and love. We submit our lives, our wills, and our desires to You. Make us part of Your plan. In the name of Jesus… Amen.

Today's Bible Reading:

Old Testament

New Testament

Psalms & Proverbs