A Glory Seed Devotional
An examined life...

After thirty minutes of tossing and turning Jeb unable to sleep slowly threw back the covers quietly climbed out of bed hoping he’d not awaken Janet, his wife of twelve years. Then he quietly tip-toed toward the patio doors that opened to their bedroom deck after slowly closing them he turned and was suddenly startled by a stranger sitting in one of the deck chairs, “Who are you?” Jeb asked.

“I’m no stranger, Jeb,” the man answered.

For some reason Jeb wasn’t afraid in fact he seemed overly calm considering a strange man was a few feet from his bedroom, “I’ll only ask once more then I’ll call the authorities,” Jeb sternly replied.

“I’m no stranger, Jeb in fact I am you,” came the surprise answer.

“What do you mean you’re me?”

“I’m your life. I’m all the mistakes you’ve ever made, and you’ve made a lot of them. I’m all the sins you’ve ever committed, and boy did we have fun committing them. I’m all your weaknesses. I’m all your strengths. I’m all your hopes. I’m all your dreams. I’m all your fears. I’m all your conflicts, and boy at this point in your life your conflicts sure have you messed up. That’s what I want to talk to you about. If you don’t resolve them they’ll eat you alive.”

Jeb seemingly undaunted by the intrusion of what appeared to be the impossible paused and put his mind in rewind and began considering his life. Whoever this stranger was he was right Jeb was caught in a web of conflict but it wasn’t really a matter of a lot of conflicts it was only one. In fact it wasn’t really a conflict at all it was simply a burning question that would not go away. Suddenly it was the stranger who spoke next, “Jeb do you really and truly know Jesus or do you simply know of him?”

All of a sudden Jeb realized that the total sum of his life conflicts, brokenness, weaknesses, strengths, hope, hopelessness, helplessness, forgiveness, healing, faith, sins, anger, compassion, discouragement all depended on what his answer was.

By this time Jeb had seated himself in front of the stranger then looked him straight in the eyes, “When the nails were driven in Jesus hands he felt my pain, when he died I died, when he was carried to the tomb the Holy Spirit carried me to a place occupied only by God, when God breathed life into Jesus I became a living spiritual being occupying what you see now. Do I truly know Jesus you ask. I know Jesus just like I know you to be my life and if you want to know how I know you’re my life I’ll tell you. Because we are one, just as Jesus is one with me.”

Suddenly Jeb felt someone shaking him, “Jeb, are you alright? You must have been dreaming or talking in your sleep to yourself.”

Jeb turned over still half asleep, “Go back to sleep Jan, I’ll tell you in the morning.”

Could Jeb’s dream be your reality? Do you really know Jesus or do you know of him? If you are honest with yourself the answer may surprise you!


It is the Spirit who gives life!
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.*


Grace and SHALOM (PEACE),
Gary

*Galatians 5:25 KJV