Revelation Chapter 3

Revelation Chapter 3
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”
Revelation 3:20, NASB
 
A Prayer Over Our Children
     May my daughter’s work be found complete before You, oh God. Make her alive in You while You strengthen her from within. Keep her awake, oh Lord, reminding her of what she has received and heard, so that she may obey and repent. Make her victorious, oh God, that she may walk with You garbed in white and receive Your acknowledgement before angels.
    Oh Lord, help her to keep Your commands and endure patiently that she may keep Your Word and never forsake You.  Guard her against Your hour of trial and let her hold fast to Your crown. Oh God, give her victory that she may always remain with You as a pillar in Your house. Write Your Name upon her, oh God, and the name of Your new Jerusalem.
     Keep her from becoming lukewarm but refine her in the fire.  Open her eyes oh Lord, that she may repent of sin. Oh God, let her hear Your voice that she may open the door for You to come in. Meet and sup with her, oh God, that she may know You. Grant her victory, dear Lord, and give her ears to hear.

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Surrounded
 
    One of our favorite past times during this time of sheltering in place is bouncing on our trampoline. Sweet Pea and I blissfully jump, twirl, drop on our “bums”, and do splits in the air. Lately, we have been choreographing moves while we bounce to praise and worship songs. What giggles and fun we have figuring out our dance steps.
     Sweet Pea is energetic and full of life. So, it is no surprise that her favorite “go-to” dance move is the “bum-drop.” Jumping high, then crossing legs in mid-air, allows one to drop on one’s gluteus-maximus in such a way that it bounces one right back up to his or her feet again. For me, I love to jump high with my arms stretched above my head and my legs in a split. We are two peas in a pod as we shriek, laugh, sing, and bounce to our hearts content.
     This evening after dinner, Sweet Pea begged me to jump. Outside the wind gusted. Tree limbs bent and waved. Loose leaves collided and crashed. It was truly a Winnie the Pooh blustery day.
     “Please, Mommy, please,” she begged, leaning against my side. “Just one jump!” So sweet and endearing was her entreaty, that I could not resist. Out in the blowing wind we went.
     As we jumped, the wind encircled us. It blew through the mesh encasing the trampoline. Like arms reaching to grab, the webbed net hugged the small enclosure encompassing us. My cell phone blared out a song above the blustery gales.
     “Aaaaamennnn!” we sang at the top of our lungs, bum dropping to the beat. Wind blew our hair and filled our lungs.
     “Aaaammennn,” we chorused together. The trampoline shuddered with the weight of our landings and jumps. The leaves and branches of the nearby tree swayed and shook. Yet, our ears were filled with the heavenly song of gusting wind and the song that we sang proclaiming God’s blessings.
     *“May His favor, be upon you, and a thousand generations,” Kari Jobe’s voice rang out on my cell phone, “and your families, and your children, and their children, and their children.” Giant splits in the air and loud giggles filled the landscape of the music. High jumps straight into the air finished it out.
     We held hands as we jumped, her hand small in mine. We bounced as one, in sync with the music. Almost like a swinging ball and chain, we swung in a circle around the trampoline. I closed my eyes, feeling the wind through my hair and against my face. Great gusts encircled our little cocoon.
     Suddenly, in the whirling, twisting wind, I felt surrounded … surrounded by the wind which swirled in delightful revelry. Surrounded by the giggles and laughter of my little one. Surrounded by her love and my love for her. Surrounded.
     Yet, even as we leaped to our heart’s content and were encircled by the wind, our laughter, and love, I felt surrounded by something greater. It felt almost as if a host of invisible angels were gathered around our trampoline to enjoy our little offering of praise. I felt surrounded by the wings of angels who dare to behold men’s praises to God. Like family members who gather to watch with bemused excitement and love as their cherished little one takes her first steps, so it might be for angels flocking to witness a mom and daughter jump in gleeful praise to Jesus. Just like thousands of angels encircled Elisha and his servant when enemies enclosed around them, so too, do I believe legions of angels gather to surround God’s people who are praising the Lord.
     And as the wind blew against our clothes and sifted our hair, we twirled like leaves floating through air, cushioned by the breath of God, Himself. For beyond the legion of watching angels an even greater source of love surrounded us deeper still. God’s love. So great is His love that He sent His only Son to die on a cross in our place. So great is His love and faithfulness that it encompasses us all about even through the hands of creation. “Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountain, Your justice like the great deep (Psalm 36:5-6).”
     From the beginning to the end of time He has surrounded us with His righteousness and justice. As the Alpha and Omega, He has sought us with His love. As the Creator to creation, we are surrounded by His faithfulness. All we need to do is open the door on which He is knocking that we might sup with Him and know Him.
     This day, I pray that each one of you knows the sweet presence of God. May He surround you with His great, unfailing love. May He encompass you about with His hand of protection and His loving care over you. This day, I pray that You will know His peace and find rest in the shelter of the Most High God.
 
*lyrics from The Blessing by Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes
Kari Jobe & Cody Carnes - The Blessing
 
A Parent’s Prayer
Oh God, surround me this day with Your loving care. Help me to know that You are with me. Guard me about by Your heavenly hosts and guide my every step. Help me to know that You are near this day. Amen.
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