The Great Compassion

Posted on March 17, 2021 by billtonnis
Image by David Mark from Pixabay

“A saint is not someone who is good but who experiences the goodness of God.” – Brennan Manning

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Listen to my song “How Magnificent, Wondrous and Glorious” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

Support my ministry by purchasing my songs and books at the links following the reflection. Thank you!

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Isaiah 49:13

Sing out, heavens, and rejoice, earth, break forth into song, you mountains, for the LORD comforts his people and shows mercy to his afflicted.

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When we speak of God, we can only speak in metaphors.

How do we describe the ineffable?

What configuration of letters will be even remotely adequate in capturing the concept of God?

The bible says that when Moses asked for God’s name, the reply was, “I AM” (Exodus 3:14).

God is the “Is-ness” of all things, the very Creative Flow in which all things exist.

This is Love itself (1 John 4:8).

All of creation gives glory to the Love that sustains it by being what it is.

When God speaks through the Prophet Isaiah in today’s scripture verse, it appears that creation is singing in praise.

This is true whether in the hope of spring or the sorrow of winter.

Because the dead of winter always turns to the new life of spring.

For us humans who are conscious of the apparent bleakness of winter, we are counseled to hold onto the hope of a returning spring.

Be comforted in knowing that this Creative Process is always unfolding, a Love-in-motion reminding us that each of us is a part of this Love-Story in progress.

Let us rejoice in union with all creation!

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Listen to the song of the day “How Magnificent, Wondrous and Glorious” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my new book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Be Present

Posted on March 16, 2021 by billtonnis
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” – Buddha

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Listen to my song “I Will Give You Rest” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

Support my ministry by purchasing my songs and books at the links following the scripture reflection. Thank you!

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Psalm 46:2

God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress.

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This is a difficult verse to take to heart if you believe God is “somewhere out there” in some distant heaven.

But for those who believe God is the very Ground of Being, as St. Paul put it, in whom “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28), or as God self-identified to Moses as “I AM” (Exodus 3:14), this verse is much easier to believe.

God cannot not be with you.

God, who is love (1 John 4:8), is animating all that is.

Without this creative, life-giving Flow, everything would dissolve into nothingness.

God, or Love, or the Holy One, is always Present.

It is we who often aren’t.

Take a moment to sit quietly.

Breathe deeply inward, and then slowly exhale.

Do this several times.

Let go.

Just be in the silence.

Just be.

(A regular meditation practice like Centering Prayer is ideal.)

Feel the peace.

This is the Peace beyond all understanding (Philippians 4:7) that is always available right now.

No storm in life can shake this Peace.

Rest in this awareness.

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Listen to the song of the day “I Will Give You Rest” on the Live to Love album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my new book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Rise

Posted on March 15, 2021 by billtonnis
Image by Avi Chomotovski from Pixabay

“Make ready for the Christ, Whose smile, like lightning, sets free the song of everlasting glory that now sleeps, in your paper flesh, like dynamite.” – Thomas Merton, “The Victory,” the Collected Poems of Thomas Merton

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Listen to my song “Make Your Way” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

Support my ministry by purchasing my songs and books at the links following the scripture reflection. Thank you!

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Psalm 30:12-13

You changed my mourning into dancing; you took off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness. So that my glory may praise you and not be silent. O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.

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If you are in pain now, or suffering in some way, I feel for you.

I know that life sometimes hands us experiences that are very difficult.

But I have faith that no matter how difficult, there will be something positive gained when we make our way through the difficulty.

Jesus showed us that the self-emptying path leads to new life, now and always.

I have faith that God, the Ultimate Mystery, the Benevolent Beingness in which, as St. Paul put it, we “live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28), will accompany us as we make our way to new life.

Finding God in all things is at the core of what is known as Ignatian Spirituality.

The Great “I AM” (Exodus 3:14) cannot not be with you!

Today’s scripture verses remind me of a personal experience.

(It would be many years later before I discovered the name for it: “Spiritually Transformative Experience.”)

In November of 1998, following surgery for a ruptured appendix, I was hospitalized for nearly nine days.

After several days of being very sick with an NG Tube down my nose to my stomach and IV’s in both arms, I found myself utterly helpless and scared.

It was in the middle of the night, when suddenly I was overwhelmed with the most wondrous Wave of Love that I had ever experienced!

It washed over me.

I have no words to describe this experience, except to say I felt utterly accepted and cherished just as I was.

There was complete Oneness with all things.

You might say that my mourning was changed to dancing, my sackcloth was exchanged for gladness.

This experience transformed my life.

I left the hospital determined to immediately purchase a new guitar to replace my childhood one, and to pursue a recently sparked desire to write and sing songs.

As of today, I have four albums of original songs all about my spiritual journey and God’s unconditional love.

I share my songs as part of a full-time ministry.

“So that my glory may praise you and not be silent. O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.”

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Listen to the song of the day “Make Your Way” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my new book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Love Connection

Posted on March 12, 2021 by billtonnis
Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

“To follow Jesus is to be a wholemaker, essentially to love the world into new being and life.” – Ilia Delio, Making All Things New

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Listen to my song “Make Me a Channel” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

Support my ministry by purchasing my songs and books at the links following the scripture reflection. Thank you!

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Mark 12:28-31

One of the scribes, when he came forward and heard them disputing and saw how well Jesus had answered them, asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

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Here we have a foundational statement from Jesus.

It’s a quote that sums up everything for a person who claims to be a Christian.

But in the name of religion, we have taken what was very simple and turned it into a complex and enormous compilation of rules, doctrines, dogmas and rituals.

Not that all of those things are bad as they are sometimes necessary in order to operate a human-made institution without chaos.

But we have to see the obvious irony between how simple Jesus made the whole matter and how complicated humans made it!

As I often quote, “God is love” (1 John 4:8).

And Jesus states that love is the bottom line.

When we love, we pour ourselves out in the service of others and all creation.

Jesus demonstrated this in his life and death, speaking truth to power but non-violently and always with love and mercy in mind.

What would happen if all followers of Jesus actually loved God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and loved our neighbor (meaning everyone) as if they were our very selves?

We would be very close to experiencing the kingdom of God in the here and now (Mark 12:34).

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Listen to the song of the day “Make Me a Channel” on the Listen to Your Heart album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my new book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Contemplation

Posted on March 11, 2021 by billtonnis
Image by Media Design and Media Publishing from Pixabay

“Silence is God’s first language; everything else is a poor translation.” – Thomas Keating

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Listen to my song “Turn Off the Noise” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

Support my ministry by purchasing my songs and books at the links following the scripture reflection. Thank you!

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Jeremiah 7:23

This is what I commanded them: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people.

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If I had to pick the one thing in my spiritual practice that changed my life for the better and continues to do so, it would be contemplative prayer.

Growing up, there was virtually no mention of such prayer.

All praying was reciting words that were written by others.

Not that that type of prayer is bad, it just leaves out a whole other dimension.

It also seems to completely miss what Jesus specifically taught his followers on this matter: “When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:6-8).

Since there really wasn’t such a thing as an “inner room” in most of the homes of his day, one can readily realize that Jesus was talking about the interior room of your soul.

He gives us the important insight that God already knows what you need.

How many times do we think we know exactly what he need only to later be thankful it didn’t happen that way?

I’m reminded of these lyrics to an old Garth Brooks’ song: “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.”

Our prayers may shed light on our image of God.

Do we need to twist God’s arm, so to speak, to get something we want?

Or does God, like a loving parent, know what’s best for us?

Jesus instructs us to listen, the same instruction that God gives through the prophet Jeremiah in today’s verse.

For me, making listening a regular prayer practice over 20 years ago coincided with the turnaround in my life that redirected me to a much more joyous and fulfilling existence.

Centering Prayer, in particular, remains my twice-a-day practice.

It’s a way of literally letting go and letting God.

It’s a way of practicing Jesus’ words to God, “Not my will but Yours be done.”

It’s a way of practicing dying in order to experience new life in this time and place.

As Jesus put it: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, in produces much fruit” (John 12:24).

Set aside some time in your day to let go of your mind’s addictive pattern of non-stop thoughts.

Let go and listen.

Just be.

New life is beginning!

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Listen to the song of the day “Turn Off the Noise” on the Listen to Your Heart album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my new book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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You Are Glorious

Posted on March 10, 2021 by billtonnis
Image by RegalShave from Pixabay

“Life is not a matter of creating a special name for ourselves, but of uncovering the name we have always had.” – Richard Rohr, Immortal Diamond

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Listen to my song “Glorify You with Me” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

Support my ministry by purchasing my songs and books at the links following the scripture reflection. Thank you!

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Psalm 147:12

Glorify the LORD, Jerusalem; Praise your God, Zion.

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When we say the word God, what do we mean?

There are probably as many different meanings as there are human brains interpreting the word.

Basically, I think many would agree that the word “God” depicts a Great Love from which we and all creation have been spawned.

As one of my favorite scripture verses states: “God is love” (1 John 4:8).

And what is love?

Well, we could go on and on about this!

The Love I am referring to is an all-encompassing, all-inclusive, creative, unconditional out-pouring of compassion and mercy.

All words fail to define this concept of God.

Some say God is the Ground of Being (theologian Paul Tillich), which seems to be what St. Paul was getting at when he said, In God we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).

Famous monk, Thomas Merton, said: “A tree gives glory to God by being a tree. For in being what God means it to be it is obeying God” (New Seeds of Contemplation).

When we are simply being ourselves, simply being the unique creation that each of us is, living from the foundation of the grace of Unconditional Love, we are giving praise to our Creator.

This is being present to the Divine Presence.

This takes a lot of letting go, letting go of mind-made constructs and narratives about who I am.

Meditation or Centering Prayer is a great practice in letting go.

Jesus gave us the perfect example of letting go as a path to life.

It is through letting go, that we truly live.

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Listen to the song of the day “Glorify You with Me” on the Give Praise and Thanks album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my new book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Sweet Surrender

Posted on March 9, 2021 by billtonnis
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

“Like when you sit in front of a fire in winter – you are just there in front of the fire. You don’t have to be smart or anything. The fire warms you.” – Desmond Tutu

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Listen to my song “I Stand in the Light” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

Support my ministry by purchasing my songs and books at the links following the scripture reflection. Thank you!

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Daniel 3:39-40

But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received; As though it were burnt offerings of rams and bulls, or tens of thousands of fat lambs. So let our sacrifice be in your presence today and find favor before you.

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The people at the time of the Book of Daniel believed that you needed to sacrifice animals to gain favor with God.

It’s likely due to the unfortunate things that befell people in life and how they tried to make sense of it all.

They thought that when bad things happened, God must be mad at them.

So they had to appease God some way.

When Jesus came along, he ended this sacrificial practice.

He said, “Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’” (Matthew 9:13).

Jesus was referring to a similar statement by God through the prophet Hosea (6:6).

God does not want us to kill other things to make God happy.

It seems bizarre that this statement even has to be made.

But we still adhere to this practice when we kill people whom we deem evil.

Or when we expel or cast-out people from groups when we disagree with their beliefs or actions.

Our egos believe, since we are in the right and they are in the wrong (determined by us of course), then God is on our side.

So, why not just get rid of them?

But God is on everyone’s side.

All are equally loved.

All are we!

That’s why Jesus commanded us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

Jesus actually became the one rejected in the most horrendous manner to show us how wrong it is to do this!

The fact is, the first line in today’s scripture verse gets it: “With contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received.”

God wants your heart.

Let go of your ego’s self-centeredness.

Sacrifice that.

Then humbly allow your spirit to act with the same unconditional love that God bestows on you.

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Listen to the song of the day “I Stand in the Light” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my new book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Awaken

Posted on March 5, 2021 by billtonnis
Image by alohamalakhov from Pixabay

“Never does love’s compassionate eye turn from us.” – Julian of Norwich

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Listen to my song “The Way You Are” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

Support my ministry by purchasing my songs and books at the links following the scripture reflection. Thank you!

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Matthew 21:43

“Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to people that will produce its fruit.”

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Jesus told a parable about a landowner who leased his vineyard to his tenants.

When the landowner sent servants to collect the produce, the tenants turned on them, beating and even killing the landowner’s son.

Jesus was in fact criticizing the Pharisees, likening them to the tenants.

The religious leaders were meant to be tenants to the kingdom of God, tending the produce.

They were meant to tend to the people of God, nurturing them, calling out the best in them, building them up to share their talents in building the kingdom of God in the here and now.

But instead, the Pharisees laid heavy burdens on the people emphasizing the letter of the law, thereby stifling their growth and ability to recognize and share their gifts.

I see many people today who appear to be shell-shocked.

I feel that they are suffering from the trauma of being told over and over about an angry God who is watching their every misstep so as to punish them.

This is so sad because God is not angry at you!

God loves you!

God looks on you as a beloved child.

Say this to yourself: “I am God’s beloved child with whom God is well pleased!”

It’s true.

Allow those words to speak to your heart.

You are God’s beloved and are cherished by the Love that created you!

And so is everyone else!

So is all of creation!

Live from that understanding and the kingdom of God will come alive and you will produce much fruit.

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Listen to the song of the day “The Way You Are” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my new book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Sacred Roots

Posted on March 4, 2021 by billtonnis
Image by Jörg Buntrock from Pixabay

“God is ever newness in love. Transcendence, therefore, is the future beyond that draws us in the present movement toward greater wholeness and unity.” – Ilia Delio, The Emergent Christ

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Listen to my song “I Stand in the Light” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

Support my ministry by purchasing my songs and books at the links following the scripture reflection. Thank you!

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Jeremiah 17:5-6

Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a barren bush in the wasteland that enjoys no change of season, but stands in lava beds in the wilderness, a land, salty and uninhabited.

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As Jesuit priest and scientist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said, “We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

Our physical existence in this realm will not last.

Our bodies come with an expiration date.

While we do at times have to put our trust in other human beings, the lesson here is to not put your ultimate trust in them.

Your ultimate trust needs to be placed in the Ultimate Mystery, the Holy One.

Our Loving Source is the One who created our essence, our soul, who gives us life and to whom we will return.

This requires an openness to God in all things and all circumstances.

God is not the thing or the circumstance but God can be found in the thing and circumstance.

As Paula D’Arcy said, “God comes to you disguised as your life.”

Our trust needs to be in the very Flow of Goodness that is always at work throughout the universe, always ready to direct us in times of joy and times of sorrow.

Putting your trust in human-made structures is like being a “barren bush in the wasteland that enjoys no change of season, but stands in lava beds in the wilderness…salty and uninhabited.”

Those who trust in a Higher Power, Love itself (1 John 4:8), “They are like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: It does not fear heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; In the year of drought it shows no distress, but still produces fruit” (Jeremiah 17:8).

Set aside time to simply be present to the Divine Presence.

Meditation or Centering Prayer is helpful.

Cultivate this deep interior connection with your Source.

Then in times of trouble, you will discover a deep, abiding strength nourishing you, leading you through your struggles to new life.

Always!

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Listen to the song of the day “I Stand in the Light” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my new book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Transformative Path

Posted on March 3, 2021 by billtonnis
Image by David Mark from Pixabay

“For the person who has learned to let go and let be, nothing can ever get in the way again.” – Meister Eckhart

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Listen to my song “Love Will Always Lead You Home” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

Support my ministry by purchasing my songs and books at the links following the scripture reflection. Thank you!

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Psalm 31:6

Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, LORD, God of truth.

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Jesus recites these words from the psalm as he dies on the cross in the Gospel of Luke (23:46).

But as much of what Jesus does and says, it is meant for us to ponder and take to heart in our daily lives.

This is a wonderful line to say to yourself throughout each day, addressing it to God, our Source of Life, the Holy One.

How do I enter into each moment of the day, the joys as well as the sorrows, by turning over my way to God’s way?

How do I let go of my ego’s self-centered desires and trust in a Higher Power, a Greater Good, to lead me and guide me?

There is a Spirit in action throughout all of creation drawing all things to wholeness and completion.

Practicing this “letting go” is a way to allow it to become part of your unconscious daily behavior.

Some form of meditation or Centering Prayer is an effective practice.

It’s a way of literally turning over each unfolding moment to God and saying as Jesus did: “Not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen my own intended plan redirected when I was open to allowing the circumstances that unfolded to guide me.

It was then that something truly amazing and transforming happened – not only for someone else but for me as well.

Always be open for the Spirit of Love to nudge you.

The more you’ve practiced letting go, the more you will be better able to hear the Spirit’s gentle voice.

It will never lead you astray because love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).

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Listen to the song of the day “Love Will Always Lead You Home” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my new book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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