The Joys of Heaven

July 4 | Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness
If you develop a hunger and a thirst for righteousness, Jesus will satisfy your heart’s desires. Jesus taught that anyone who hungers and thirsts after righteousness will be filled. (Matthew 5:6) Hungering and thirsting after righteousness means having a single-minded devotion to God. It is constantly craving his presence, more of His love, continually studying and meditating on His Words, striving daily for perfection in Him, having a desire to be increasingly more like Him in character, to be transformed by His love, to know His will for your life, and to seek to fulfill it. It is an all-consuming desire for more of Jesus. You want to be continually in His presence, to feel His touch, to feel the fire of the Holy Spirit burning passionately within your heart, to be truly pure and holy, and to humbly serve Him each day.
To hunger and thirst after righteousness is to have a yearning desire, a deep longing to be filled with the righteousness of God and to please Him in everything you do. When you have this kind of desire to be filled with more of Jesus every day, His Holy Spirit will become rich in your heart. As your passionate desire for more of Jesus grows and as you meditate on His words and live in the Spirit, you will be filled continually with the Holy Spirit.
Today’s Meditation
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:4 (NKJV)


September 15 | Launch Out into The Deep

In a dream early in the morning on May 28, 2024, I was swimming effortlessly underwater, smiling happily. I was able to breathe easily without going up for air. I was swimming back and forth in a large body of water, like a large pool. The water was clear, and there were people sitting by the water. One person was speaking. The others were just observing. I can’t remember a word of what was said. While swimming, the idea came to me to go out into a larger body of water, such as the ocean, and swim there.

I cannot swim, but in this dream, not only was I able to swim effortlessly, but I was able to breathe underwater, very relaxed and smiling. I would like to believe that this represents the life of all those being led by the Holy Spirit. The things that were difficult before suddenly seem effortless when we are completely surrendered to the will of God and are being led by the Holy Spirit. We just need to relax and follow wherever He leads, trusting Him completely.

When we are fully aligned with God’s plans for our lives and have totally surrendered to His will, we start to flow effortlessly into our area of ministry under the leading of the Holy Spirit. On our own, we’re always striving, and no matter how hard we work, we seem to get nowhere. When we’re fully in God’s will, being led by the Holy Spirit, and doing the things He calls us to do, everything starts to fall into place supernaturally and flows smoothly. Let’s endeavor to seek God diligently for His will for each of our lives and to walk in it. Let’s launch out into the deep by faith and obey Him fully in everything.

Today’s Meditation
When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

Luke 5:4-7 (NKJV)


September 16 | In Love with Jesus, My Lord

As I wake up from sleep each morning, I am continually aware of You on my mind. Loving thoughts of You stay with me throughout each day. Every moment spent in Your presence is a special treasure. You fill me with a love so beautiful, a love so rich, so full, so pure, and so holy.
The first time I saw You in my night vision, You were standing in the clouds, larger than life, so beautiful and majestic. I recognized You by the giant nails protruding from Your feet and by the way You looked straight at me. You looked into my eyes and saw my heart and my soul. As You touched me with Your love, my heart overflowed with joy and burned passionately with love and adoration for You.
You didn’t say a word to me then, but You didn’t have to. Just being in Your presence was enough. It thrilled my soul with joy knowing that You loved me enough to reach out to me. To think that You, my Savior and Lord, love me, even me as an individual, compelled me to bow before You in worship with a heart full of love and gratitude.
My heart overflowed as I bowed my knees before You right there on the side of the road, and as I raised my hands in worship to You, my King, and shouted, “Hallelujah; thank You, Jesus,” over and over again in my night vision.
Today’s Meditation

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Psalm 84:2 (NIV)