A Good Reputation

Philemon vs. 1-7  ¹Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker—²also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home. ³Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, ⁵because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. ⁶I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. ⁷Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

It can be amusing when someone unknown to us is introduced and says, “Oh yes, I’ve heard a lot about you.”  Sometimes we sheepishly grin and reply, “I hope it’s all good!”  That moment reinforces the concept that true character is something you are when no one is watching.  Our reputations are built during times we are aware, but also during times we are unaware.  As Christians, we remember that others are watching our reactions and responses to life’s daily challenges.  Not only this, but others also watch to see how we interact with one another.

In today’s passage, Philemon is acknowledged as a person who “[has] refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.”  Can you think of a greater reputation to have than to be a person who refreshes the hearts of your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ?

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

Thank you for opportunities to love, encourage, and serve others. May we always be known as someone “who refreshes the hearts” of others.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotion A Good Reputation was originally written for Friday, May 21, 2010; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us   As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

ALIENS Part Three - Noble Character

Ruth 2:5-12; 3:1-11 ^2:5Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “who does that young woman belong to?” ⁶The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. ⁷She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.” ⁸So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. ⁹Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.” ¹⁰At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?” ¹¹Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. ¹²may the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” [and] ^3:1One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. ²Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. ³Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.” ⁵“I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. ⁶So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do. ⁷When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. ⁸In the middle of the night something started the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet! ⁹”who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.” ¹⁰“The LORD bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. ¹¹And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.”

Personal application is not always easy to put into practice. As we conclude this mini-series we realize; 1) God’s house is a house of prayer for all nations; 2) we are fellow citizens with God’s people and members of His household; 3) we are called to be both obedient and of noble character.

In today’s passage, the focus is being a person of noble character.  It has often been said that we do not have a choice in whether or not we will be a witness to others.  In fact it seems our only choice will be what type of witness we will be.  Will those who identify us as belonging to the family of God use phrases such as: “worked steadily,” “found favor,” “great kindness,” “obedient,” and “noble character” to describe us to others?

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

May our response to You ever be, “I will do whatever You say.”

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotion ALIENS Part Three - Noble Character was originally written for Sunday, March 28, 2010; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us   As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

ALIENS Part Two - Fellow Citizens

Ephesians 2:11-20 ¹¹Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—¹²remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. ¹⁹Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, ²⁰built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Many years ago, my family was part of a community-wide church membership exchange.  We were invited to a local Catholic church as guests for one Sunday, and a family from that congregation took our place in our church for that day.  We were given a cordial welcome; nevertheless, we still had the sensation of feeling like foreigners.  Although the service was vastly different in many respects, our common thread was to worship God and bring glory and honor to Him.

The focus of today’s text seems to be salvation for all on a local level.  In what ways do we welcome others to our church family?  Perhaps more importantly, do we actively seek out ways to bring others to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ so that they, too, might become part of God’s family?

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

Thank you that we who were once far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotion ALIENS Part Two - Fellow Citizens was originally written for Saturday, March 27, 2010; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us   As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.