Second Helpings

Matthew 6:27  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

Psalm 59:9-10, 16  You are my strength, I watch for you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely. … I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

            Believe it or not, Thanksgiving is right around the corner. And who doesn’t love second helpings? Turkey-dressing-pumpkin pie…second helpings are great.

            Dear Readers, that’s what I need today—no, not food, but a second helping of God’s reassurance. In stressful times (and our Nation is fueling plenty of those right now) we can always rely on God’s strength and compassion. Even in times of natural storms (and we also have plenty of those right now) we can always rely on God’s strength and compassion.

            You know I always write from my heart and I have written on this topic many times, even recently. But this morning my heart needed a second helping of God’s strength and compassion. I thought your heart might need a second helping, too.

 

Gracious Heavenly Father,

            Forgive us when we allow worry to dominate our thoughts. Thank you for the promise of strength and courage you provide because of your compassion for us. We are thankful and humbly grateful for your love.

            In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.

 

 

The devotional Second Helpings appeared first on Write From My Heart at  

https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

 

A Clear Focal Point

Romans 12:2a  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Colossians 3:2  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

            When using the verb form of the word focus, our eyes bring the intended object into view more clearly. Some of us need assistance with prescription lens glasses for this to happen accurately. The older I become it seems as if I need more and more assistance with stronger lenses.

            However, today I want to look at the noun form of the word. The noun form of the word focus is defined as any center of activity or attention, etc. Keeping this definition in mind, our focus (e.g., the center of all our activity or attention) is to be placed upon God, his Word, and his will for our lives. We are to be a people set apart from the whims and desires the world pursues. Everything in this world is temporary and will eventually cease to exist on the day when Christ returns. The only things of lasting value will be our salvation through Christ and those things we have done to live a godly life in a way that also draws others closer to Christ. Generally speaking, these are things we cannot even see, (e.g., love, compassion, kindness, honesty, etc.).

            If we live according to the world self becomes our focal point; this is not the direction our lives should take. As the old adage says, a person wrapped up in self makes a small package. However, if we live according to the example of Christ then God’s soon-coming Kingdom becomes our focal point, and everything we think, do, or say should lead us in that direction. According to our text we learn that this transformation begins by first renewing (e.g., uncluttering and clearing out) our minds so that we are able to focus on things of lasting value—life in Christ.

 

Gracious Heavenly Father,

            We come to you today asking for help in clearing our cluttered minds of self-centered or worldly pursuits. We thank you for the transformation of a renewed and Christ-centered mind. May all that we think, do, or say be those things of lasting value that honor and praise you.

            In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotional A Clear Focal Point appeared first on Write From My Heart at 

https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

 

 

Sitting with Jesus

Revelation 3:21  To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.

            This passage is part of the Revelation of John, and oddly it was sent to the most unlikely of the churches, the Laodicean church—the one about which Christ had nothing positive to say. The Laodiceans were lukewarm, apathetic worshipers. They fancied themselves to be rich and self-sufficient, not needing help from anyone for anything, and by the standards of the day they were. Yet because their focus was on things of earthly value, they were wretched and poor in the sight of the Lord. They produced a popular eye salve, one of the highly sought medical remedies of the day, yet they were blind to their own need for a loving, merciful, saving God.

            The condition of the Laodiceans—left unchecked—was hopeless. Yet even for the people about which nothing spiritually good could be said, there remained the offer of hope from Christ Jesus. He was the one standing and knocking at the door (v. 20), waiting for the door to open and for Him to be welcomed in.

            There is one more small but significantly important detail I see. Christ, who was both fully God and fully man, the perfect sacrifice who knew no sin, voluntarily took upon himself the sins of us all—your sins—my sins. And for the time he endured on the cross, he was in far worse condition than the Laodiceans because of the sins of others he bore. Yet Christ rose again and was victorious in the mission to provide salvation for all. Jesus Christ was restored to the position of sitting on his Father’s throne (historically most likely the term used for a double-seated sofa rather than a single ornate chair), beside his Father. And just as Jesus was restored from the weight and penalty of our sins and invited to sit beside his Father; we now have the same offer of hope given to the victorious—the  right to sit with Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. And what a glorious hope that will be on the day Christ returns.

 

Gracious Heavenly Father,

            How humbly grateful we are for salvation through your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for the promise that if we will invite Christ into our hearts, we will one day receive the invitation to sit with him in the Kingdom yet to come. Open our eyes to see our need for you.

            In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotional Sitting with Jesus appeared first on Write From My Heart at 

https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com