No Better Place than Here
Father, after all these weeks I am still amazed and overwhelmingly blessed that You so gently wake me for our time together. Thank You, for You love. Thank You for the great privilege of spending one-on-one time with the Creator of all that is! It’s hard to wrap my brain around the concept that You really want to spend time with me! Praise Your Holy Name!!
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Lord, Jesus, this morning I feel compelled to save the next portion of scripture for the next time we come together. I feel the need to just write this morning. As I look back over my life, Lord, You have been there every step of the way. Through every heart ache and trial, through every victory and all the joy, You have been by my side. I have been obedient and I have rebelled but You have never given up on me. The word “grateful” doesn’t even begin to express how I feel.
As I wondrously proclaim, “Even before You made the world, You loved me and chose me in You to be holy and without fault in Your eyes.” (Ephesians 1:4) That’s like forever but I honestly cannot recall a time in my life when I didn’t know You or at least when I didn’t know of You. I was blessed to be born into family the loved and wholeheartedly strove to serve You. And it went beyond Mom and Dad, four of my grandparents and every one of my aunts and uncles were of the same heart and mind. What a heritage! What a foundation on which to build my life! All the building blocks under me were solidly, securely placed on You! (Ephesians 2:11-22)
Now clearly I did not pop out of the womb perfect and without fault (Lord, You know that is true!) but Your hand has guided me. You have aligned my heart with Yours. Over the course of my life, I have wandered, I have blatantly sinned, I have hurt You and dirtied Your name in the process but I could never go beyond Your reach. The pull of Your love has always brought me back.
After 50+ years of living, some may look at who I am and what I’ve accomplished and they may shake their heads and think that I really haven’t done a whole lot with my life. I don’t have a huge bank account, I live in a nice but modest home, I have not ascended the ladder of success (by human standards) in the business world or in any denomination I have served. But Lord… I am where You have placed me. I faithfully serve as Your child in my home, at my job and in the two churches with which You have blessed me.
No, I am definitely not perfect. I stumble. I fall. But I am not defeated. Lord, You patiently work with me each and every day. You encourage me. You direct me. You help me. You encourage me. I am blessed beyond measure!
I am full of joy! I am content – but not to the point of complacency. I would follow You anywhere You would lead me, but for now I am where You want me to be – in the center of Your will. Help me to listen. Help me to continue to expand my horizons in You – to draw closer to You, to more and more be able to hear Your direction and to have the courage and wisdom to do and be all that you desire for me to do and be. There is no better place than here!
Sept,20th, Sun, 6:41 am
Love Your “Family”
Ugh… it has been two days too many since I have sat here in Your presence. Sleep has been too alluring and once the day begins to roll it just doesn’t stop. But Father You are faithful! Thank You for once again waking me and encouraging me to be with You this morning.
1 Timothy 5:1-2 <<click here)
Our families play crucial roles in all our lives. And if they are to have the greatest beneficial impact then they must be families that are bent on living out Your call on their lives, Lord.
In this passage Paul calls upon Timothy to interact with people in his church as he would with his own family. Now when I think about this in my own life it is not difficult to do so. I grew up in a loving, supportive family. I still love and respect my mom and my dad and my sister. I would do anything within my power to help them and they would do the same for me. I feel the same way, as time has moved on, about my wife, my son and my niece. I have a loving and supportive family so it’s easy to parlay that wonderful blessing over to those in my churches.
But, Lord, I am well aware of the fact that not everyone shares this blessing. Sin has brought much hurt and pain into families across the globe. Many will forever carry scars of abuse for the rest of their lives, be it emotional or physical. And of course it is a multi-faceted problem involving relationships with parent to child and child to parent, husbands to wives and siblings to siblings.
Lord, a simple prayer seems too little too late to address this issue which is so deep and so wide, but I lift it up anyway. For You care about every child and man and woman who would do anything to be truly loved. I pray for them, Lord, but enable me… give me the wisdom and the power and the courage to be Your hands and feet… to love others as You have loved me… as You have inspired my family to love me and how I have loved my family. Help me, help us all, Lord to love You with “all of our heart, soul, mind and strength” and in so doing to love our neighbor (…our family) as ourselves.
Sept 18th, Fri, 6:57 am
Perfect Harmony
I am so grateful, Father, for Your felt presence in my daily life. As I shared last night at Bible Study, it is wonderful to hear You and to act upon Your direction…but those times seem few and far between. And Father I know it’s not that You don’t speak – it is that I don’t listen and I don’t feel that I am ignoring You for the most part but it’s the fact I am so caught up in the routines of life that I don’t hear You. Father, my heart’s desire is to hear You. Draw me closer to Your heart. Tune my heart strings so that when You speak they resonate with Your words.
1 Timothy 4:16 (<<click here)
What an admonition this is, O Lord!
“Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.”
Lord, I feel pretty strongly about what I believe to be true and it is important that I do so. But, Lord, I would plead with You that I would always be true to You. Help me to never move beyond correction. It is weighty enough to think how erroneous belief on my part could jeopardize our relationship, Lord, but if what I held to be true was wrong and I taught that to be truth, how many others could possibly be led astray. O Lord help me to stay true – do whatever it takes to bring me in line if I ever hold to a lie or for that matter even if I am treading on shaky ground. As a shepherd of Your flock help me to be ever attentive to You, the Great Shepherd of Your people.
And, Lord, it’s easy to just apply this to a pulpit mindset but it needs to encompass every part of my life. I have just as much responsibility to my family, friends and work associates as I do my churches.
In my prayer time a hymn came to mind and it keeps coming back to me. “Come, Thou fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing that grace…” Lord, please keep me in perfect harmony with You so I may truly and clearly proclaim Your grace to all!
Sept 15th, Tue, 6:24 am
Encouragement
Father, what a night! After 2:00, tossing and turning and nonsensical dreams were the norm! I don’t know what was going on but I give this day to You, Father. Use me as You will, help me attune to Your voice so I may be used of You. Impact the world through me!
1 Timothy 4:12-16
Lord, Barnabas was known as “the son of encouragement” but this was one of Paul’s gifts, too – no wonder they made such a great team for ministry! The notes in my study Bible* are very inspirational and are a great model to follow. When we love people this is what we should do!
“Apparently Timothy needed some encouragement. Most likely, so do many people around you. Each day we have many opportunities to support and inspire family members, fellow workers, and even total strangers. People need help and affirmation all along the way. Paul modeled six important principles to help us encourage others:
- Begin with encouragement. People who know we will encourage them will be happy to work with us.
- Expect others only what you expect of yourself. People will resist being held to unfair standards.
- Develop expectations of others with consideration for their skills, maturity, and experience. People will reject or fail to meet expectations that do not fit them. Be patient with distracted or slow learners.
- Monitor your expectation of others – changing circumstances sometimes require revised or reduced expectations.
- Clarify your expectations with others. People are not likely to hit a target that no one has identified.
- End with encouragement. People love to be thanked for a job well done.”
Loving others sometimes comes easily, other times – not so much. I love many of the people I work with at Kohl’s and serve with at church, it comes naturally. 🙂 But others, I really have to work at loving.
Lord, help me to love people. Help me to see them as You do. Help me to listen “between the words.” Help me to be an encourager for You!
Sept 14th, Mon, 6:43 am
*New Living Translation Life Application Study Bible
Right Reflection
Father, as the rain continues to come down it reminds me of one of its many benefits – it cleans the area of pollen and such that affect so many with allergies. With the naked-eye we can’t see it in the air but the rain saves so many from suffering. And remembering that makes me think of something so much greater – the sacrifice You made by giving Your one and only Son to save me! His blood raining down on me cleanses me from all sin when I repent and turn to You for forgiveness. I cannot see the act but I give You praise that the shedding of His blood saves so many from suffering eternal separation from You. All praise and Glory to You!
1 Timothy 4:11-13 (<<click here)
Lord, reading this passage affirms the fact that service in Your kingdom has nothing to do with age. Young or old, infants in the faith or seasoned saints we are called to “be an example to all believers in what [we] say, in the way [we] live, in [our] love, [our] faith, and [our] purity.” I realize Paul was encouraging Timothy here in his ministry but I think he would agree that loving this way is not just an example to believers but is a great example to everyone! Reflecting Christ’s example of living each day changes lives.
Lord, every day and in many varying situations I interaction with a very diverse group of people many ages, races, and creeds. Help me to live such a life of transparency that all they see is You! And not just their preconceived notions of who You are but the reality of who You are. I pray that I would always speak, live and love in such a way that You would shine forth!
Sept 12th, Sat, 7:36 am