Invitations from JESUS

One of my favorite secular songs is Josh Groban’s, You Raise Me Up. At this time of year as we celebrate the Easter season, that song so reminds me of the special relationship  Jesus and I have together. Not just when I’m thinking about His crucifixion and resurrection – but all year – I want to enjoy, be mindful of, and celebrate this close, personal relationship that Jesus came to give each of us.  What a friend we have in Jesus!  I love this chorus:

You raise me up so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas
I am strong when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be

I’ve really been pondering this one line from the song: You raise me up to more than I can be.  That is exactly what Jesus does in my life….He makes me more than I can possibly be on my own.   When I take to heart, Hebrews 12:2 (NJB)
 Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection, I keep my power source - my fuel for flying… by my side. Fixed eyes are focused eyes; Fixed eyes recognize that Jesus IS THE ONE THING THAT MATTERS FIRST OF ALL. When I keep my eyes on Jesus – I am raised up – I am filled with His Spirit, Who gives me hope, confidence, courage, and a sense of possibility!  Again I say, thank you Jesus!

Thank you dear Savior for Your Words of INVITATION that call out to me…

• Matthew 11:28 (NLT)  Then Jesus said, Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
• John 1:43 (ESV)  “Follow me.”
• Revelation 3:20 (NLT)  “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
• John 1:39 (NLT) “Come and see,” he said. …
• Luke 9:23 (NLT) Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

The Invitations of Jesus to me – to us – Let us understand and accept such personal calls:

Come to me… What an invitation from Jesus!  Jesus is saying to me, come – draw nearer – move toward – advance – go forward – rise in rank!  I hear His voice saying, “Let me raise you up!”

Follow me… Jesus is calling each of us - to be his own - to be in a close, personal relationship with Him.  I truly believe that here Jesus is calling us to have a higher purpose – to become a part of His mission – His plan.  He is inviting us to join Him in ministry.  Raising us up, up, and away!

Open the door… When Jesus spoke these words, he was talking to believers. He reminded them …and us… that it is easy to get distracted and lose our focus – our sense of priority so, Jesus knocks on the door of our heart. He knocks each and every day.

Come and see…Jesus was being questioned – people wanted to know more about Him…so he extended this invitation, COME AND SEE. We will know Jesus better and better as long as we walk closer and closer with Him; as long as we keep our lines of communication open. If we want to live in the heights , we have to turn the door knob!

Take up your cross daily… This is not the beautiful gold jewelry cross that you often wear around your neck!  This means to be identified with Him in surrender, suffering, and sacrifice. Jesus is inviting us to obey Him in daily discipline: we follow Jesus one step at a time, one day at a time.  Jesus is inviting us to participate in a daily relationship with Him. Taking up your cross means to ask Him DAILY what he wants you to do and DOING IT.  Jesus is inviting us to surrender our self-centered, self-run lives and SURRENDER to His will, His plan for us…whatever it is. Note all those “DAILY” words…We can’t fly, can’t be raised up if we only touch base with our pilot sporadically.

Answering YES to Jesus’ invitations is the way we soar through life – the way to live in the mountain tops – the way to be raised up by Jesus’ love!

Habakkuk 3:18-19 (NLT)  yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! ¹⁹ The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.

Joyfully,

Yvonne