"To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of skins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."
Acts 26:18
Modern technology has given us so many fascinating things. We have lights around our house which are motion detectors. When anyone comes near, the lights suddenly come on. There are radar detectors for those who persist in driving above the legal limit, but don't want to pay the price for their disobedience. Wouldn't it be great if we had a sin detector that would shout loud warnings and set off bells and flashing lights to warn us away?
In a way we do. We have the indwelling Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, too many times we allow Him to be smothered beneath a load of "want to" and we ignore His warning. Detectors of any kind are no good if we don't keep them in working order. With the Holy Spirit, that means letting Him guide us daily.
My prayer for today: Father, thank you for all the guides You give us to help us in this life, including the Bible and the Holy Spirit.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Zipper
"The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound."
Isaiah 61:1
Webster defines a zipper as a slide fastener. He defines bind as "to tie together; making firm or sure". So we see the two words are similar. If you look at a zipper, it consists of two strings of jagged pieces of metal. The slide part of the fastener reaches to those pieces and melds them together in a smooth line. That is one of the many things Christ does for us. He reaches out and picks up the broken, jagged pieces of our lives and blends them together to use for our good, if we only let Him. He "binds" up the "brokenhearted" with the zipper of the Holy Spirit.
My prayer for today: Father help me to always be willing to be used of the Holy Spirit to help heal the hurts of others.
Isaiah 61:1
Webster defines a zipper as a slide fastener. He defines bind as "to tie together; making firm or sure". So we see the two words are similar. If you look at a zipper, it consists of two strings of jagged pieces of metal. The slide part of the fastener reaches to those pieces and melds them together in a smooth line. That is one of the many things Christ does for us. He reaches out and picks up the broken, jagged pieces of our lives and blends them together to use for our good, if we only let Him. He "binds" up the "brokenhearted" with the zipper of the Holy Spirit.
My prayer for today: Father help me to always be willing to be used of the Holy Spirit to help heal the hurts of others.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Gray Hair
"Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;"
Colossians 3:9
Have you ever walked through the woods and come across a piece of dried snake skin? They shed these skins each year to make way for new growth. That is what Paul is telling the christians in his letter. He refers to the "old man" as being our pre-christian lives. He wants us to shed the skin or the ways of the unsaved life and give ourselves over to new life and new growth. Maybe we have habits we need to break, or books or movies we need to get rid of. But notice, God doesn't expect the snake to lose his skin and not receive a new one to replace it. In the same way, He does not ask us to get rid of old habits without replacing them with newer and better ones. He wants to fill our new life with happiness, joy, service, knowledge, and on and on the list goes. All we have to do is get rid of the "old man" and open ourselves to the newness God has for us.
My prayer for today: Father, guide me in all the new discoveries You have for me in my new life in Christ.
Colossians 3:9
Have you ever walked through the woods and come across a piece of dried snake skin? They shed these skins each year to make way for new growth. That is what Paul is telling the christians in his letter. He refers to the "old man" as being our pre-christian lives. He wants us to shed the skin or the ways of the unsaved life and give ourselves over to new life and new growth. Maybe we have habits we need to break, or books or movies we need to get rid of. But notice, God doesn't expect the snake to lose his skin and not receive a new one to replace it. In the same way, He does not ask us to get rid of old habits without replacing them with newer and better ones. He wants to fill our new life with happiness, joy, service, knowledge, and on and on the list goes. All we have to do is get rid of the "old man" and open ourselves to the newness God has for us.
My prayer for today: Father, guide me in all the new discoveries You have for me in my new life in Christ.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Lord/Maker of All
"The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all."
Proverbs 22:2
The world has always had its' haves and its' have-nots. That is the reason behind class distinction. Sometimes the rich think they are better than the poor. Sometimes the poor just think that the rich think they are better. Either way, it causes division between people. But according to this verse, God made them all... rich and poor. So what do any of us have to brag about? If we could really come to terms with this verse, there would be no class distinctions and no race distinctions. God made us all. None of us had a choice of which family or race we would be born into. The same is true of the sexes. None of us had a choice there either. So if God made you female, look for ways you can serve Him in that context. Whatever race you are, look for ways you can serve Him in that context. Remember, "The Lord is the maker of them all."
My prayer for today: Father, help us fight both pride and low self-esteem and be content to be the best at whatever You made us to be.
Proverbs 22:2
The world has always had its' haves and its' have-nots. That is the reason behind class distinction. Sometimes the rich think they are better than the poor. Sometimes the poor just think that the rich think they are better. Either way, it causes division between people. But according to this verse, God made them all... rich and poor. So what do any of us have to brag about? If we could really come to terms with this verse, there would be no class distinctions and no race distinctions. God made us all. None of us had a choice of which family or race we would be born into. The same is true of the sexes. None of us had a choice there either. So if God made you female, look for ways you can serve Him in that context. Whatever race you are, look for ways you can serve Him in that context. Remember, "The Lord is the maker of them all."
My prayer for today: Father, help us fight both pride and low self-esteem and be content to be the best at whatever You made us to be.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Oil spills June 19
"Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?"
I Corinthians 5:6
One of the great problems we have today is the frequency of oil spills on our waterways. When this happens the oil spreads quickly across the water and into marshes or onto beaches. It shuts off oxygen to sea life and coats the feathers of birds. It clings to the feet of people walking on the beaches. Only specially trained people can begin to bring this monster under control and shut down the spread of damage. Sin is like that. It is very pervasive. A little sin doesn't seem too bad. Then we try one just a little larger. And what we don't realize is that the sin is shutting off the oxygen to our spiritual life and growth. We have to bring it to the only one who can clean us up and this is Jesus. He alone, can wash our sins away and set us on clean foundations so we can live in victory.
My prayer for today: Father, we must work constantly to care for the earth You gave us to live on. But first, we must clean up our own lives and we can only do that with Your help.
Photo credit: "http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/waymjoh/oil-spill.jpg
I Corinthians 5:6
One of the great problems we have today is the frequency of oil spills on our waterways. When this happens the oil spreads quickly across the water and into marshes or onto beaches. It shuts off oxygen to sea life and coats the feathers of birds. It clings to the feet of people walking on the beaches. Only specially trained people can begin to bring this monster under control and shut down the spread of damage. Sin is like that. It is very pervasive. A little sin doesn't seem too bad. Then we try one just a little larger. And what we don't realize is that the sin is shutting off the oxygen to our spiritual life and growth. We have to bring it to the only one who can clean us up and this is Jesus. He alone, can wash our sins away and set us on clean foundations so we can live in victory.
My prayer for today: Father, we must work constantly to care for the earth You gave us to live on. But first, we must clean up our own lives and we can only do that with Your help.
Photo credit: "http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/waymjoh/oil-spill.jpg
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Pantry
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
James 2:10
We have a walk-in pantry which opens just off our kitchen. The other day, as soon as we opened the door, we knew we had a problem. A dead rat. I began to remove things from the pantry and it didn't take long to find him. But the surprising thing was how very small he was....small mouse....large stench. You know, many times we judge sin that way. We judge murder and rape as large sins. But we tend to think of breaking the speed limit, or cheating on our income tax, or offending a fellow Christian as small sins. I think the above verse warns us that even these so-called small sins bring a big stench to the nostrils of God.
My prayer for today: Father, help me to keep not only my pantry clean, but my life as well.
James 2:10
We have a walk-in pantry which opens just off our kitchen. The other day, as soon as we opened the door, we knew we had a problem. A dead rat. I began to remove things from the pantry and it didn't take long to find him. But the surprising thing was how very small he was....small mouse....large stench. You know, many times we judge sin that way. We judge murder and rape as large sins. But we tend to think of breaking the speed limit, or cheating on our income tax, or offending a fellow Christian as small sins. I think the above verse warns us that even these so-called small sins bring a big stench to the nostrils of God.
My prayer for today: Father, help me to keep not only my pantry clean, but my life as well.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Intercessory Prayer
"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word."
John 17:20
Intercessory prayer is one of the greatest gifts God has given to us. We have the privilege of praying for one another. When my husband had surgery for prostate cancer last year, two different churches had prayer chains in action for him and there were two waiting rooms filled with friends and family praying and offering moral support. It was a wonderful, freeing experience. But we have an even greater gift. According to the above verse, Christ, Himself, is praying for us. What greater gift, outside of salvation itself, could we possibly have from heaven? To be so greatly loved is beyond our comprehension. If He loves us that much, shouldn't we love one another in the same way? We should view intercessory prayer not only as a privilege, but also as a responsibility. Let's remember to pray for one another.
My prayer for today: Father, we are so grateful to know that You are always listening for our prayers and that Christ loves us so much He prays for us too.
John 17:20
Intercessory prayer is one of the greatest gifts God has given to us. We have the privilege of praying for one another. When my husband had surgery for prostate cancer last year, two different churches had prayer chains in action for him and there were two waiting rooms filled with friends and family praying and offering moral support. It was a wonderful, freeing experience. But we have an even greater gift. According to the above verse, Christ, Himself, is praying for us. What greater gift, outside of salvation itself, could we possibly have from heaven? To be so greatly loved is beyond our comprehension. If He loves us that much, shouldn't we love one another in the same way? We should view intercessory prayer not only as a privilege, but also as a responsibility. Let's remember to pray for one another.
My prayer for today: Father, we are so grateful to know that You are always listening for our prayers and that Christ loves us so much He prays for us too.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Message of Hell
"And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh."
Jude 22-23
There are as many different ways to witness as there are different ways to cook soup. Some people can be won with a message of love, leading them gently along until they understand the need of salvation and its' provision through Christ. But there are others who will never respond to gentleness and kindness. We read so much today about not preaching hell, fire, and brimstone; you might scare people. While I am not ad advocate of teaching fear, I realize that many people, mostly adults, will be won no other way. And today's scripture says to use fear if necessary. Being scared is better than being lost for all eternity. This is one of many reasons why witnessing is more effective if we allow time to get to know the person first. Then God can lead us to which method best fits that personality.
My prayer for today: Father, help me to always be willing to invest enough time in others than I can be most effective in sharing You with them.
Jude 22-23
There are as many different ways to witness as there are different ways to cook soup. Some people can be won with a message of love, leading them gently along until they understand the need of salvation and its' provision through Christ. But there are others who will never respond to gentleness and kindness. We read so much today about not preaching hell, fire, and brimstone; you might scare people. While I am not ad advocate of teaching fear, I realize that many people, mostly adults, will be won no other way. And today's scripture says to use fear if necessary. Being scared is better than being lost for all eternity. This is one of many reasons why witnessing is more effective if we allow time to get to know the person first. Then God can lead us to which method best fits that personality.
My prayer for today: Father, help me to always be willing to invest enough time in others than I can be most effective in sharing You with them.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Comfortable As Old Blue Jeans
"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."
What is it about old blue jeans that is so comfortable? It isn't the new ones. It is those that have been washed a zillion times and fit like they were made just for you. I think that is also true of bible verses. It is the ones we learned as small children and have heard thousands of times that bring us comfort in difficult times. The older we get, the harder it is to memorize. But the older the memory of verses we learned long ago, the more readily they come to mind just when we need them most. They bring us comfort. They fit our needs. And they seem to be there just for us.
My prayer for today: Father, thank you for the comfort of old bible verses and for growing knowledge as we try to store up new ones.
What is it about old blue jeans that is so comfortable? It isn't the new ones. It is those that have been washed a zillion times and fit like they were made just for you. I think that is also true of bible verses. It is the ones we learned as small children and have heard thousands of times that bring us comfort in difficult times. The older we get, the harder it is to memorize. But the older the memory of verses we learned long ago, the more readily they come to mind just when we need them most. They bring us comfort. They fit our needs. And they seem to be there just for us.
My prayer for today: Father, thank you for the comfort of old bible verses and for growing knowledge as we try to store up new ones.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Where Does The Time Go?
"Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."
Jameas 4:14
Do you often wonder where time goes? I received a letter from the Social Security Board this week, telling me what I might look forward to at retirement. I am not even quite fifty-nine yet. That made me really stop and look at my life. I quit work two years ago when my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer and my dad was battling lung cancer. Where did those two years go? I can't believe it's been two years. Inside, I am still the same person I was as a child. I love to watch butterflies. I love to surrender to a fit of giggles. Yet when I look in the mirror, there is this old person looking back at me. How wonderful to know that God numbers our days and it is that innocent, loving child inside that He will one day call home.
My prayer for today: Father, I don't know what heaven will be like, but I have a child-like curiosity about it. I look forward to spending eternity without growing old again.
Jameas 4:14
Do you often wonder where time goes? I received a letter from the Social Security Board this week, telling me what I might look forward to at retirement. I am not even quite fifty-nine yet. That made me really stop and look at my life. I quit work two years ago when my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer and my dad was battling lung cancer. Where did those two years go? I can't believe it's been two years. Inside, I am still the same person I was as a child. I love to watch butterflies. I love to surrender to a fit of giggles. Yet when I look in the mirror, there is this old person looking back at me. How wonderful to know that God numbers our days and it is that innocent, loving child inside that He will one day call home.
My prayer for today: Father, I don't know what heaven will be like, but I have a child-like curiosity about it. I look forward to spending eternity without growing old again.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Little Ones
"But who shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."
Matthew 18:6
I am proud to say that although I have passed the half-century mark in life, I have only received two traffic tickets in my entire life, and both of those before I was thirty. The reason this is important to me is my christian testimony. Too many times we try to separate our physical lives from our spiritual lives and Christ never meant it to be that way. We must remember that when someone first becomes a christian, they start out as a small child, regardless of their physical age. It is very important that we live lives that help them grow to be all that God desires them to be, and part of that growth is in learning that Christ wants to be Lord of every part of our lives.
My prayer for today: Father, help me not to offend any of Your "little ones" of any age by my words or actions.
Matthew 18:6
I am proud to say that although I have passed the half-century mark in life, I have only received two traffic tickets in my entire life, and both of those before I was thirty. The reason this is important to me is my christian testimony. Too many times we try to separate our physical lives from our spiritual lives and Christ never meant it to be that way. We must remember that when someone first becomes a christian, they start out as a small child, regardless of their physical age. It is very important that we live lives that help them grow to be all that God desires them to be, and part of that growth is in learning that Christ wants to be Lord of every part of our lives.
My prayer for today: Father, help me not to offend any of Your "little ones" of any age by my words or actions.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Life's Instructions
"Keep my decrees. Do not mate different kinds of animals. Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material."
Leviticus 19:19 (NIV)
The bible is so full of instructions about our everyday lives, but we often overlook much of it. For example, doctors are telling us we shouldn't eat pork - too much cholesterol. Ditto for shrimp. Well, Leviticus 11:7 tells us not to eat pork and since shrimp have no fins, verse 10 warns us about it. Now in the above scripture for today, God simply says don't mix your fabrics. But a few years ago man came up with polyester blends which need no ironing. Never mind that they make you swelter in the heat. Well, I'm glad we are back to cotton, a fabric which breathes. Don't misunderstand. I don't want to go back to the days of ironing. But you know what? I bet the children of Israel didn't pack their irons and ironing boards when they left Egypt. They didn't have long enough extension cords. God always knows best. If only we would listen.
My prayer for today: Show us the simple everyday truths of Your Word, Father. And help us learn from You.
Leviticus 19:19 (NIV)
The bible is so full of instructions about our everyday lives, but we often overlook much of it. For example, doctors are telling us we shouldn't eat pork - too much cholesterol. Ditto for shrimp. Well, Leviticus 11:7 tells us not to eat pork and since shrimp have no fins, verse 10 warns us about it. Now in the above scripture for today, God simply says don't mix your fabrics. But a few years ago man came up with polyester blends which need no ironing. Never mind that they make you swelter in the heat. Well, I'm glad we are back to cotton, a fabric which breathes. Don't misunderstand. I don't want to go back to the days of ironing. But you know what? I bet the children of Israel didn't pack their irons and ironing boards when they left Egypt. They didn't have long enough extension cords. God always knows best. If only we would listen.
My prayer for today: Show us the simple everyday truths of Your Word, Father. And help us learn from You.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)