Love is from God

 

My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.

My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love! 1 John 4: 7-12 The Message

Words from 2 Samuel

 

“The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!

    Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!

He is the God who avenges me,

    who puts the nations under me.

Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;

    I will sing the praises of your name.” 2 Samuel 22:47-48; 50

Be a Workman for Christ

Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:14-15    

In this passage, Paul is writing to Timothy, reflecting on setting a high standard for ministry. Paul is calling Timothy to diligence as a worker or laborer. As a laborer, Timothy was being called to handle the Scriptures carefully and correctly, as a workman would handle the tools of his trade. Paul’s message to us is to be diligent to use God’s Word carefully and well in your ministry; that you will not be ashamed when you one day stand before Him.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, please give us the strength and assurance we need every day in order to present your word in ways that please you. Give us the words we need to share with others so that we may help them in ways that we may not even know.  Amen.

Laurie Schlitt (reprinted from the Eastridge Daily Devotion book, 2008)                       

Quilts

For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well; my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. The eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. Psalms 139:13-16

My daughter and I get together for several hours each week to quilt. All our quilts are individualized and made especially for particular people. This week as I was quilting a wedding quilt for a family member, I thought about how far we had come on our quilting journey. I do not say these things to boast, but to show God’s guidance to us on the way.  We initially started with quilts for throws or for beds, but now we have ventured and learned to make much more. We make baby quilts, wedding quilts, quilted prayer shawls, fancy throws, children’s quilts, and quilts meant for wall hangings. Most recently, we have been asked to help those in mourning on the loss of loved ones, thus entering quilts and pillow tops made from the clothes of the person lost. We have made 4 quilts of valor for veterans we know, as well as patriotic prayer shawls for families of those in the military. Our creativity, bravery, and skills have been challenged all along the way. It seems that there is always a need we are told about or have seen in our daily interactions with those around us. We give away all our quilts with joy.

I am reminded that each quilt is uniquely different. It is like us. We are all special and unique. God had a plan for each of us before we were ever born. We look different, we act different, we think different, we each have special talents and gifts. We all have special places in our families, our homes, our work , and in our society.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us remember that we are all your children and are special in your sight. Thank you for the opportunities of sharing your love with others. Thank you for the peace that comes from knowing you are loved. Thank you for your guidance on our missions and journeys in life. Amen.

Nancy Hall

 

God Values You

If you had one hundred sheep, and one of them strayed away and was lost in the wilderness, wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine others to go and search for the lost one until you found it?  And then you would joyfully carry it home on your shoulders. When you arrived, you would call together your friends and neighbors to rejoice with you because your lost sheep was found. In the same way, heaven will be happier over one lost sinner who returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! Luke 15: 4-7.

I am fond of Jesus’ Parables. The Parables are wonderful stories for faith building, and especially for children. Most of the time, I view the world through children and their faith development. This is why I chose this Bible selection. This Parable tells about a shepherd who left his 99 sheep to search for a lost one (one who strayed away). He knew that the lost one was in danger. Each sheep is of high value, just as each of us is of high value and loved by God. When the shepherd found the sheep, he carried it home. In the same way, God rejoices when any of us are lost (strayed away) and we return to God. Each one of us is to be that shepherd and minister to those that have strayed and bring them back to God. This is a challenge for you to be a shepherd.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, give me the courage to be a shepherd and to share God’s love.   Amen.

Susan Taylor (reprinted from the Eastridge Daily Devotion book, 2008)

 

 

Switching On the Off Switch

Do not merely listen to the Word (planted in you, which can save you), and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it he will be blessed in what he does.  James 1:22-25

“After all, with God on our side, what could possibly be stronger? We can have the peace Jesus offers, IF we’re willing to accept it.” Lori Snyder included these words in a devotion and they got me thinking of how too often I switch on and switch off my acceptance of the peace that Jesus offers to all of us. Or, perhaps it’s not that I switch on and off my belief that Jesus the Christ is my Lord and Savior; maybe it’s that I don’t keep His peace at the forefront of everything that I do. I suspect that most people’s lives are similar to mine: Each weekday is segmented into pre-work time, work time, and post-work time. The pre-and post-work times are when I have the greatest amount of time to pray, read the Bible, reflect on all that God provides. But the eight hours of work time are often times chaotic enough that I lose focus of what’s truly important in my life: the peace that Jesus provides. Of course, I could logically argue that it’s not that Jesus’ peace isn’t still available to me during those eight hours, for surely it is; I’m just too busy to consciously reflect on that gift. But isn’t that the challenge that God puts before us? To make Christ a part of every minute of our lives, to have Him always at the forefront of our being; that’s the ultimate goal of being alive.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, hear my words of thanksgiving this day that you watch over me. Let me constantly find the peace attainable only through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. In His name I pray. Amen.

Greg Tubach (reprinted from the Eastridge Daily Devotion book, 2008)

Scripture with Earth Day in mind

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. John 1:3

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?  In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:7-10

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it.  Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Psalm 96:11-12

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth." Genesis 9:1

In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Psalm 95:4-5

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small. Psalm 104:24-25

(images shared by Donna Gustafson. Click on images to view larger)