Notes to the Lord:Looking for the Edges But Avoiding Going the Dotted Line

Matthew 14

³⁴When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. ³⁵And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him ³⁶and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.

Lord Jesus--There is this reoccurring theme in your word of almost a kind of a stigmatism of the soul...being able to see the edges but missing the most important parts.

It happened with the healing ministry that you had with the people. They wanted to touch and be touched at the point of their need, but somehow not let that touch impact they rest of their lives. They focused on the edge of your cloak instead of the person who was in the cloak. They wanted to be healed and changed in one touch and yet not have to do the work of change in those areas in their lives where healing took work, attention and an approach that went right down the center of the road head on.

Matthew 15

Clean and Unclean

¹Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, ²"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"

Lord Jesus--This is really the same theme. The teachers of the law wanted to know why the externals of the law were not being taught in the middle of missing the essence of duty, honor and care to those who need it the most. It is wanting the edges and not the very point of what a relationship with You is all about.

So where are the places where the center needs to seep and sweep into my heart and life? Where is it that Living Springs is focusing on the edges and missing the whole picture of your grace?

Whenever I am more concerned with style then substance I am stuck in the edges and not looking at things head on. Whenever I would prefer to look at the effects of your grace and not into Your face Lord Jesus I am on the edges looking in. Whenever I am worshiping the gift and not the giver of the gift I am focusing on the edges.

Lord Jesus help these hard to focus eyes to see you coming at me head on down the dotted line.