What do you want?

This summer I co-led a women's Bible study with a good friend of mine and enjoyed, very much, the time of study and reflection with that group of ladies. It was Beth Moore's "Beloved Disciple", a 10 week study on the life of John and there was a verse in John 1:38 that has resonated with me over the past months. John 1:38 says "Turning around, Jesus saw them following him and asked, "what do you want?" The question struck me then and still strikes me even now as I type this. I have a list of things I'd like to ask Jesus and different hero's of the faith when I get to heaven, one question I'd like to ask John and the followers with him that day, is what was Jesus' tone when he turned around to ask that question? I really wish that I could hear the tone in Jesus' red letter words. I'm certain it was a genuine and sincere, "what do you want" not a sarcastic, impatient "WHAT.DO.YOU.WANT", like I so often struggle against feeling like.

The question has danced around in brain all summer long and often pops into my mind on any given day. It's a deep question when you really think about, its a simple four word sentence that packs quite a punch, if answered honestly and thoughtfully.

So, what do you want? Think about it. Let it sink in. (Jesus really wants to know---isn't that amazing? I think that's amazing that the God of the universe, who, mind you, already knows our deepest desires, but wants us to go as far as to tell him, to verbalize it and acknowledge to Him what our wants truly are, is A-MAZ-ING to me!)

Jesus, "turned around and asked", meaning, He engaged his followers, He desired to have them share their thoughts with him, to share their desires and hopes, their greatest longings.

So, what do I want?

After sitting through the first sermon in a new series that our church is doing called, "Under Pressure", which I highly recommend any and everyone take an hour or so and listen cause you will be encouraged. While sitting and listening, I was reminded of this small but deep question, "what do you want?"

So here goes: I want to be daily refreshed and encouraged as I was during that sermon as Brandon read through scriptures that I know but forget too often; I want to daily pray for my kids using scripture as I did on Monday at the Mom's prayer group; I want to have verses pop into my head when I need calm in the midst of chaos at my house or when my little boy cries at nap time cause I am leaving him upstairs alone in the dark. I want to be a woman of the Word. I desire for that to be my priority, my real initiative. I long to be filled with God's wisdom, with His words, actions and reactions.

In January I joined Beth Moore's Siesta Sister's Memory Team and to be quite honest, the past two months of memorizing verses have been extremely difficult for me, but I am thoroughly enjoying the challenge of memorizing 2 verses a month, 1 every 2 weeks. But staying on top of it has just been plain hard! Of course it is, because nothing makes Satan more mad, then to have people wielding their swords of the Spirit in his face! I should have expected the difficulty, I really should have.

But as I sat Sunday and had the Word of God poured out over me, I was filled with such peace, such calm and I WANT that, I NEED that today, and EVERYDAY! Brandon encouraged us to look at verses throughout scripture that have promises, and it is simply overwhelming, in a good way, to look at and read ALL the MANY promises God has made to us. I've highlighted a few of the promises that stuck out to me:

Philippians 4:6-7 "...present your requests to God and the peace of God...will guard your hearts and your mind..."
Joshua 1:9 "Do not be discouraged...for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go!
Genesis 28:15 "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go!"
Phil 1:6 "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion...
Matt. 7:7 "Ask...Seek...Knock...and the door will be open to you."
Psalm 3:3 "You are a shield around me...lift up my head..."
Hebrews 4:12-13 "The word of God is living and active..."
Romans 5:8 "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us!"
I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

I could go on and on with God's promises to us. But I'll end with one of my most recent memory verses, it's from I Chronicles 29:11 "O Lord, you are sovereign, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious and sovereign over all the sky and Earth. You have dominion and exalt yourself as the ruler of all!"

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord O my soul! I am loving how rich scripture is, and I'm thrilled with the fact that God's word is LIVING and ACTIVE! Thank you Lord for your Word, I want to lean into You more, I desire to have your scripture in my mind and on my tongue. Thank you for being sovereign and trust worthy!