I must confess that each morning as I’ve been processing through this assignment of reflecting on Jesus’ life from birth to ministry, I find myself lost. As my journaling begins I seem to having little if anything to write. So, I begin by writing how little I understand. Then, as I allow myself to think about what I know Christ did from what the bible tells us, I begin to see what He did that I don’t do. Often in scripture we’re told that Christ spent ample time with His Father. We also know that The Holy Spirit was with Him and guiding Him. I’m quite sure too that The Holy Spirit was growing in Him because of this process. Christ was learning to rely on this time to know just what His Father wanted from Him. I do start everyday this way. However, when I’m done with this, Earnie takes over. I then do what I think I’m to do the rest of the day. That’s not to say that what I’m doing is wrong, I just don’t very often check in with God to know I’m on track with Him throughout the day as Christ so often did.

This morning’s bible reading in Galatians 3, Paul is getting after the Galatians for their living patterns. It is as though they are me. They are trying to live for Jesus their own way and by their own thinking and actions. Joyce Meyer also has something to add to this. She says she lived a long time trying to please Jesus by doing for Him. She would get quite frustrated when the outcomes of her “work” were not sufficient. She goes on to say that frustration in christian living primarily is from us trying to complete our work for Jesus rather than His work for Him. We take the lead rather than waiting for His insights/nudges to lead us. With His insights come the power of The Holy Spirit to complete His work. This is where faith, trust and believing come into play.

This I’m now realizing is what God was teaching Christ during these growing up years of His. Jesus had to get this well anchored in His lifestyle or else He wouldn’t have had the faith, trust, belief to go to the Cross and die for our sins knowing He’d rise again! Talk about a huge amount of FAITH and leaning on The Holy Spirit’s strength which He provides at just the right time. This same process of learning to trust and believe is what our same God is wanting to teach us/me. The faith Christ had in His DAD is what God our DAD is wanting us to have in Him today. I’m feeling like I’m a slow learner in this, but nonetheless, I’m glad to have this Light for today.