You Created Me to Love Me
Focus, focus on my Savior
Focus, focus on my Lord
It’s about our time together
As we delve into His Word.
Oh, my Father, thank You for waking me this morning! When You did it (5:23 am) and how You did it (my first thoughts were of You) enable me to realize how much You truly care for me. And with everything else clamoring for my attention, it shows me that, even from the dead of sleep, my heart’s desire is to be in the center of Your will with my life. Thank You for Your great love…
Thank You for Your palpable presence over the last several days…preparing for worship today, the funeral and all it entailed on Friday – along with all the meaningful interactions with so many people, that day, an enjoyable time with family yesterday, all the in between times with Karen – what a wonderful gift she is to me (thank You too for being with her through procedures and her evaluations with doctors). It is so reassuring to know that You are with us no matter what we do, no matter how mundane or special.
Thank You for Your guidance and protection. Quite often I think, “Why me? Why do I deserve Your attention?” But as You have reminded me in our time together this morning, I am dearly loved. I am Your child. You created me to love me. And Your heart’s desire is for me to love You back. May that be the driving force in my life – may my every word and action come out of my love for You, Your love for me and for Your love for all of Your children.
Jan 17th, Sun, 6:11 am
Pulse of Humanity
I truly need these times together, Father. I would ask that You would burden my heart with the need for consistently doing so. I know You are with me each day but I also realize that daily setting aside some alone time greatly impacts me for that day, as well as, long term. Our time together is crucial for myself and for Your kingdom.
Titus 1:5-9 (<<click here)
Lord, I like that my study Bible* points out that when it comes to leaders in the church that it is more than just skill and knowledge. Paul stresses that character is of utmost importance. “It is important to have leaders who can effectively preach God’s Word; it is even more important to have those who can live out God’s Word and be examples for others to follow.”
Lord, please help me to live out my faith. Help me to not just preach what You lay upon my heart but to truly live it out. You know that I would love to be a full-time pastor but – wisely so – You also know that living my life in the “real” world helps me to keep it real, too. Many important things can be accomplished in my study but real life application is beneficial as well. As I serve bi-vocationally help me to balance the important things. And, Lord, I would also pray for others who proclaim Your Word across this globe. Help them to keep it real. May they have regular opportunity to keep their fingers on the pulse of humanity.
Jan 16th, Sat, 8:35 am
*New Living Translation Life Application Study Bible
White as Snow
Good morning, Father! The fire is warm by my side though I can hear the cold wind blowing outside. And it is dark but I know the beautiful snow continues to fall.
Prior to the last couple of days, Ohio has experienced a “brown” winter season -lots of rain, which equals lots of mud. Most trees are bare, so much of the scenery is a brownish grey. But today… when the sun comes up today our eyes will behold a new and fresh landscape! Ohioans will wake to a carpet of shimmering white – snow has come! And it is beautiful!
Many live in a perpetual “brown” winter – not so much in the world around them but from a spiritual perspective. Life has rained upon our parade. Life is dreary. There is nothing vibrant, just a world of browns and greys. And that’s the way it is day after day after day. Life is a muddy mess and many are drowning in hopelessness.
Sin and all its repercussions overwhelm us. It is all that can be seen – seemingly a never ending panorama of gloom… and doom. And that doom is all too real. Without someone intervening it will lead to not just a temporary separation from God but an eternal one. In and of ourselves there is no light at the end of the tunnel – this is no hope.
But praise be to God, we have Christ! When Christ comes into the picture change and with it – hope – arrives . He covers over the browns and greys – the sin in our lives – with the pure snow of His love and forgiveness. And as long as we remain in relationship with Him the beauty of His presence remains in our lives.
Isaiah 1:18 reads,
“Come now let’s settle this, says the Lord,” Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow…”
The beauty and purity of newly fallen snow becomes a reality in our “brown” world – Thank You, Lord!
Jan 12th, Tues, 5:52 am
Keep On, Keeping On!
Some days, Father, it is difficult to sit and write – and this is one of them. My mind is distracted, going a multitude of directions. I’m a little off-kilter. I ask for Your forgiveness and that You help me to focus on the important not the trivial.
Titus 1:1-4 (<<click here)
I am still struggling and time is ticking away. I suppose I could compare myself to the island of Crete where Titus was sent to minister. The Good News had touched many lives but there was much to be done – to take numerous individuals all going different directions in life and attempting to bring them together as one body of believers would be the challenge.
Established mindsets are difficult to overcome. Even some who seemed solid in their determination to follow Christ would have issues with things that had long ago been laid to rest. As are we, the church is a living breathing organism. And as in any and every setting, the church continues to grow and decline, and mature and fall back. It is an ongoing endeavor both for the church and the individual to maintain their relationship with You, Lord, through all the many ups and downs. We kid ourselves if we think it doesn’t happen to us or that it only happens to us. All of us must continue to strive to keep our relationship with You alive and well. Jesus, You are there for us, You don’t give up on us, You forgive us when we fall but We are the ones who must decide to move forward – to not give up, but to advance.
Lord, help me to keep in line with You – to not throw in the towel but to keep on, keeping on!
Jan 11th, Mon, 6:34 am
That’s a Wrap
Father, today is Your day – and not just because it is the Sabbath. If I am to be victorious in living my life for You, every day must be Your day. I must keep my eyes focused on You. Help me, Father, to do so.
2 Timothy 4:19-22 (<<click here)
And for Paul, that’s a wrap. No more letters. No more missionary journeys. From his life-changing encounter with You, Lord, on the road to Damascus, his life in its entirety was devoted to You. As he writes the final lines in his final letter, he looks briefly back remembering some whom had traveled with him, and prayed with him and had supported and worked alongside him. He had diligently worked to spread the Gospel far and wide and had strived to assure that it would not die with him but through the lives of people, like Timothy, would continue to impact the world.
Lord, what an example! Paul held nothing back and due in part to his tenacity the Good News of the Gospel continues to effect lives today. You were able to use Paul during his lifetime and You continue to impact the world with the words inspirationally given to him.
I am no Paul, Lord, but I give myself to You to use as You will. Help me to listen and when I have heard, may I act. And when I act may I do so with wisdom and courage so that I, too, may proclaim Your word to a world that truly needs Your Good News!
Jan 10th, Sun, 6:32 am