Daily Devotional Based on The Spiritual Classic He And I

“When you ask, believe that I am good enough to answer you, otherwise you will deprive Me of giving. “Be crucified with Me. To be crucified is to be stretched against your desires, against the love of self . . . in poverty, obscurity, and obedience to the Father. “Remember that the crucifixion is the prelude to the resurrection, that is, to all joys.” (June 3, 1939)

24 Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:24).

20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20).

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Romans 6:5).

O Lord, the first part of what You are telling Gabrielle and us does not seem to go with the rest of the message, at least at first. Because You talk about us believing that You are good enough to give us what we ask. For most of us it’s likely good health, concerns for loved ones, enough resources- in a word, Your Providence. But are we seeking Your Heart or just Your Hand? Because You then remind us that to live in You is to live crucified. You are our crucified King- the One who knew no limits in pouring out Your Love for us. And You ask us to do the same especially for others- to allow ourselves to be stretched against our desires and love of self. And we don’t have to seek it- every illness, every humiliation at work, every misunderstanding in the family will do just that. And we realize how quickly we can come to the end of ourselves and our own poverty and we realize we have a choice. To fight against it all and to be stuck in bitterness or to surrender and trust in You offering all for Your Glory and the good of all souls! Because it is in the dying that we rise to the resurrection- to all joys! And that resurrected life can begin right here and right now, not just in Heaven, if it is truly You who lives in us! So let us always believe that no matter what we are asking for or not asking for You are always good enough to give us what we need always in the present moment! Fiat!