Let all the faithful pray to you,

WHile you may be found.

Psalm 32:6

You whispered 3 words into my heart after I read that scripture:

“instead of me.”

Yes, Lord. May my selfishness, my shame, my lust,

and my fear find You instead of me as I abide in the cleft of Your Rock.

May my victories, my compliments, my praises, and my

desire for them find You instead of me as well.

Oh Lord, when pride comes looking for me, may it find You

instead of me and be rebuked and crucified.

Like nature points to You, let my life point to You.

The flowers dressed in all of their splendor don’t

keep the praises they receive for themselves.

All goes to You.

But I put my hand in the money bag of

your praises and keep some for myself.

Instead of keeping Your praises, I want to collect them

and pour them out on Your feet mingled with tears of worship.

My flesh wants to be like Judas…

but my soul yearns to be like Mary Magdalene.

When I are tempted to keep coins, let me pour out every drop.

What a beautiful picture you paint of this in Charlotte’s Web.

Instead of using her web to feed her flesh, she used it to save her friend.

It didn’t attract cravings for her; it drew crowds for him.

Her web wasn’t laden with prey; it was lightened by praise.

“Humble.”

“Radiant.”

Praise freely and fully given.

She valued companionship, not credit.

We are to be like Charlotte toward those on this earth…

And like Wilbur toward the One who’s not.

Wilbur knew intimately that he could not save himself.

He knew the praises he received were not because of anything he did,

but because of everything that was done for him.

May this keep us humble.

May this keep us radiant.

May this keep us in awe of You.

Lord, make this “web site” like Charlotte’s.

Instead of collecting compliments for me, let it captivate souls for You.

You tell us that unless one kernel dies, the harvest cannot come forth.

You are that kernel, and all of us are to be like You.

To love our neighbor like You love us.

To lay down our life for a friend.

What a friend we have in You, Jesus.

Yes. I lay down my life for You.

That doesn’t only mean I want to die for You,

it also means I want to live for You.

And living for You means living for others.

Charlotte did not sign her work.

She let her sacrifice be her signature.

Lord, I simply sacrifice to You what was never mine to begin with.

Let me die to my selfish desire to be known by others,

and raise up the deeper desire to be known by You.

I confess what You are convicting me of:

I’m selfish with Your gifts.

Selfish thoughts are distracting thoughts.

Kill my selfish and distracting fear that people

will steal “my” writings and “my” songs,

and turn it into a longing.

A longing that people will freely take and share what You have freely given.

Nothing here is mine.

Let this kernel of coveted acclaim die here at Your feet…

And raise a mighty harvest from its death.

Salutations…