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Posted on 01/01/2024 3:15:48 PM PST by luvie
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I hope you and he/she find each other.
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LOLOL... good afternoon Luvie. Now IF a stray dog shows up at my doorstep I am going to KNOW that God sent it straight to my house! lolol.....seriously I do too!
LOLOL... good afternoon Luvie. Now IF a stray dog shows up at my doorstep I am going to KNOW that God sent it straight to my house! lolol.....seriously I do too!
Good afternoon Mayor... Hope you have a great weekend. Thank you again for sharing these great devotionals.
Trying my best. Our electric bill from running the AC day and night will rival the national debt. LOL!
Thank you.
YIKES!
Bible in a Year :
Throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord.
The men in the Bible study group were nearly eighty years old, so I was surprised to learn they struggled with lust. A battle that had begun in their youth lingered still. Each day they pledged to follow Jesus in this area and asked forgiveness for the moments they failed.
It may surprise us that godly men still fight against base temptations at a late stage in life, but maybe it shouldn’t. An idol is anything that threatens to take the place of God in our lives, and such things can show up long after we assume they’re gone.
In the Bible, Jacob had been rescued from his uncle Laban and his brother Esau. He was returning to Bethel to worship God and celebrate His many blessings, yet his family still kept foreign gods that Jacob had to bury (Genesis 35:2-4). At the end of the book of Joshua, after Israel had defeated their enemies and settled in Canaan, Joshua still had to urge them to “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord” (Joshua 24:23). And King David’s wife Michal apparently kept idols, for she put one in his bed to deceive the soldiers who came to kill him (1 Samuel 19:11-16).
Idols are more common than we think, and God is more patient than we deserve. Temptations to turn to them will come, but God’s forgiveness is greater. May we be set apart for Jesus—turning from our sins and finding forgiveness in Him.
Reflect & Pray
What sin are you most tempted by? What steps might you take to destroy this idol?
Father, I confess my sin, and I gratefully receive Your forgiveness through Jesus.
That doggie would love you forever...that’s for sure!
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Well, the best I can say is that it was under 100. It was 99. LOL! It’s STILL 93 here at nearly 10pm. Ugh
Have a blessed Sunday.
Spent yesterday up north at my aunt’s funeral.
A lovely service and luncheon at the church and then to my cousin’s house for family visiting time. Was gone from my house for 12 hours! Had 5 hours of driving time. Was nice to see everyone again, after being there just 2 weeks ago to see my aunt. My cousin and his wife are wonderful hosts for family gatherings.
You have a Blessed Sunday too.
Looks like you might want to rest after all that!
Condolences to your family.
Bible in a Year :
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give.
At the after-school Bible club where my wife Sue serves once a week, the kids were asked to donate money to help children in the war-torn country of Ukraine. About a week after Sue told our eleven-year-old granddaughter Maggie about the project, we got an envelope in the mail from her. It contained $3.45, along with a note: “This is all I have for the kids in Ukraine. I’ll send more later.”
Sue hadn’t suggested to Maggie that she should help, but perhaps the Spirit prompted her. And Maggie, who loves Jesus and seeks to live for Him, responded.
We can learn a lot as we think of this small gift from a big heart. It mirrors some instructions about giving provided by Paul in 2 Corinthians 9. First, the apostle suggested that we should sow “generously” (v. 6). A gift of “all I have” is certainly a generous one. Paul also wrote that our gifts should be given cheerfully as God leads and as we’re able, not because we’re “under compulsion” (v. 7). And he mentioned the value of “gifts to the poor” (v. 9) by quoting Psalm 112:9.
When an opportunity to give presents itself, let’s ask how God wants us to respond. When we’re generous and cheerful in directing our gifts to those in need as He leads us, we give in a way that “will result in thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11). That’s big-hearted giving.
Reflect & Pray
What motivates you to generously give to others? How do you strive to meet their true needs?
Dear God, please guide me to be the kind of generous giver that You want me to be—reflecting Your generous heart. Â
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Bible in a Year :
Keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist.
During a meeting for survivors of the Titanic in Ontario, Canada, one man referred to himself as “the last convert of John Harper.” Having rejected Harper’s first invitation, the man received Christ when the preacher asked him again. He watched as Harper devoted the last moments of his life to sharing Jesus before succumbing to hypothermia and sinking below the surface of the icy water.
In his charge to Timothy, the apostle Paul encourages a similar urgency and dedication to selfless evangelism. Affirming God’s constant presence and the inevitable return of Jesus, Paul charges Timothy to preach with patience and precision (2 Timothy 4:1-2). The apostle reminds the young preacher to remain focused, though some people will reject Jesus (vv. 3-5).
Our days are limited, so every moment counts. We can be confident that our Father secured our spot in heaven as we proclaim, “Jesus saves!”
Reflect & Pray
How does knowing your days are limited increase your urgency to share the good news of Jesus’ love? How will you reach out to others today?
Jesus, please give me opportunities to share Your love with others.
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