Devotional 2-21-14

Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.

I don't think I spend a lot of time thinking about how God created me in his image. That's probably a good thing, because it's after Christmas and there is more of me than I'm happy with.  That's something I have to work o , and it's certainly not God's fault.

On Wednesday I was invited to see my next grandchild.  What a wonderful experience.  You can actually see the bones in the hands, arms, feet and legs.  You can watch and hear the heartbeat. You can tell if you need to buy pink or blue; it's blue for this one.  It is such a miracle to be able to see all of these wonders right in front of me.

One of my favorite new Christmas songs is "Mary Did You Know?".  It is so beautiful and a little sad, but one of my favorite lines is "when you kiss your little baby, you kiss the Face of God." What a wonderful thought.  I don't think I'd really thought that before, I've just enjoyed kissing the sweet faces of the innocents.

The next time you kiss someone, partner, child, parent, friend, remember that you are kissing the Face of God.  Remember that how you treat this person or any other person you meet during the day is a reflection of how you treat God.

Think about this with every person you deal with and see if how you treat others doesn't improve your day, week, and your year.

I can't wait to kiss the face of our little grandson when he gets here.  He will be so fresh from God that I'm sure some of that grace will rub off on us.

May your days be blessed.

Debbie McGinnis

Devotional 2-14-14

What if?
"Our attitude towards others reflects our relationship with God."  1 John 4:20 (NRS)
 

When I was a little girl, my mother’s mantra was always, “Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing, worry about what you are doing.” The implication was that that that would give me more than enough to do. In John 21:22 (NRS) when Peter asks about John, Jesus tells him, ”If I want him to stay alive until I return, what is it to you? You must follow me.” We aren’t supposed to compare our lives to others. We are to use the talents that we have been given to live the best life that we possibly can. We are to follow Him.

 

Jesus taught us to forgive others and not to judge them. Most of all he taught us to love. It doesn’t seem very hard when you first think about it. The devil (literally in this case) is in the details. Forgiving can be very hard. Sometimes it is an on going process that we struggle with for years. And we aren’t just to forgive, we are supposed to ‘turn the other cheek’ and pray for them. It seems to be human nature to judge others. It makes us feel better about ourselves. But Jesus (and my mother) said that we were not to compare ourselves to others. We are not to judge. Why do people behave the way they do? Only God knows, and that’s the point! Loving is Jesus’s greatest command. We are to love God--above all else. We are to love our neighbors--as we love ourselves. We are to love our enemies--and pray for them. Oh those pesky details!

 

What if we actually managed to live a life where love, forgiveness, and compassion are more important than judging and revenge? How would we be different? How would the world be different? What if everyone lived this way?

 

Margaret WIlliams

Devotional 2-8-14

A Good Man
Read Psalm 112:1-10

A good man is hard to find these days. At least that’s the impression you might get from a society that is having a tough time finding heroes.

Too often, though, we look in the wrong places when we’re searching for role models. We look for someone who is a good athlete or who makes a lot of money or who commands respect because of leadership skills.

When we look only in these situations for good men, we fail to see that most of the godly men are not in the spotlight. They are just quietly and faithfully serving their families, their friends, and God.

In Psalm 112 we see a clear set of guidelines for what makes a man good. According to the psalmist, a good man fears the Lord (v.1), delights in God’s commands (v.1), and is gracious, compassionate, and righteous (v.4). He is generous and exercises discretion (v.5). He is unshakable in his faith, and he has no fear because his trust is in God (vv.6-8).

Looking for a good man? In a society where so many are anything but godly, how can we set the right example? Look at Psalm 112. It’s a pattern (All Christian Men and Women) need to follow if they want to make a difference in their world.

The model of a man is he
Whose life is strong and true,
Who loves the Lord with all his heart
And seeks His will to do. —DJD

To make a difference in the world, let Jesus make a difference in you.

Yours In Christ Jesus:
Jim Perry