It’s my honor to introduce you to my friend and guest blogger today-

David JB Miller.

David is the visionary and prolific contributor behind

Life Notes–

the blog with daily encouragement at www.lifelettercafe.com.

Life Notes is an oasis in the internet desert,

especially designed to encourage, equip, empower

treasure hunters just like you-who are are seeking to

“add to your faith” (2 Peter 1:5-8)

                                        Learning to Lean on God…..for Life-

                                                                                  by David JB Miller

“Gentleness, to be sure, is a fruit of meekness.

But the main point about the meek is not their

gentleness but their quiet faith and trust in God.

The meek turn again and again to God for help,

for direction,and for the sheer joy of it.”

                                   – John W. Miller –

Hi Friends:

Brokenness – physical brokenness – financial brokenness – relational brokenness – emotional brokenness – spiritual brokenness – we all have a natural bent to live our lives in a way that covers even a sniff of being flawed and fractured. Instead we are tempted to live in a way that gives off the appearance of “being in gear” or “having it together”

Weakness, after all, is not being able to stand on your own two feet – and with that level of vulnerability comes the almost sure to be realized social realities of ostracism and judgment.

Then we are introduced to a King and a kingdom where the table is completely reset. The very thing we dread and seek to avoid at all cost (if only in appearances) is actually the only path to God’s greatest blessings in our lives. Jesus foretold of His crucifixion and death by the authorities. Peter naturally responded “Never on my watch!” during his futile attempt to rebuke the Son of God. The Son of God responded by rebuking Peter and the Devil who had lulled him into thinking that “might makes everything right”.

[Tweet “In God’s #kingdom, #victory is won through surrender – #life is purchased through death.”]’

In God’s kingdom, greatness is irreversibly tied to meekness . . victory is won through surrender . . life is purchased through death. When Jesus taught “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3), He might as well have proclaimed that anyone who is willing to admit they can never stand on their own two feet . . they are the ones who will stand tallest . . for they will be saved from self and prideful self-reliance.

If the disciples had any doubts about this upside-down paradigm lasting, Jesus chose to speak the following during a special meal that was reserved for offering gratitude to God . .’

“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying,

‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me’.”

– Luke 22:19 –

[Tweet “Jesus’ most daring promise is our greatest forever #blessing- and it comes through His #brokenness.”]

Jesus’ most daring promise to lives both then and now was that our greatest forever blessing will come through His hour of most gruesome and tortuous brokenness. It is indeed God’s grace that allows seasons to come into our lives where we are virtually forced to admit we can’t stand on our own.

Surprising Treasure:  2 Corinthians 12:9The Message (MSG)

^7-10 Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,