GOLDEN WORDS
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men...
It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:23,24 NIV
s not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why
he does it.
— Unknown
Daily Meditations by Pat Nordman
January 4
"...Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" Hebrews
12:1b.
A runner knows that he cannot run with weights that would pull him down or back. So it is
in our spiritual race, too. Not every-thing that hinders is a sin, either. Benjamin
Franklin, in his Poor Richard's Almanac, wrote: "When confronted with two courses of
action, I jot down on a piece of paper all the arguments in favor of each one. Then, by
weighing the arguments pro and con and canceling them out one against the other, I take
the course indicated by what remains." There are legitimate gray areas of life when
it is a good idea to do this. It's choosing the better of two goods when two options are
equally honorable.
As for a sin that easily entangles, all sin entangles us. We each have special temptations
that ensnare us in Satan's net and keep us from running God's race at all, if we don't
over-come them.
And what are the weights? They are different for each of us. They might be weights of too
many possessions; works of the flesh that inhibit the growth of the Fruits of the Holy
Spirit; certain habits that we haven't quite given up–the little foxes that spoil our
branch so it rots and falls from the Vine and thus bears no more fruit; the most terrible
weight of what we feel is unforgiven sin; the grievous weight of an anxious heart that
cannot trust its journey to the Captain; a human affection that seems so innocent–in
-deed, it may be–but it overrides our love for God; the weight of society's mores,
known as greed, versus God's mores, known as principles; and the constant need for
distraction and noise that kill noble motives and pursuits.
Our backs and hearts are breaking from the weight of the world. Jesus begs us, "Come
to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest...for my yoke is easy
and my burden is light" Matthew 11:28,30; "Be careful, or your hearts will be
weighed down with...the anxieties of life" Luke 21:34
Pat Nordman ©
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Excerpts from today's Spurgeon's Devotions |
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Spurgeon's Morning for January 4 |
Spurgeon's Evening January 4 |
| "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." -2 Peter 3:18
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"And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him." -Genesis 42:8
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"Grow in grace"–not in one grace only, but in all grace. Grow in that root-grace, faith. Believe the promises more firmly than you have done. Let faith increase in fulness, constancy, simplicity. Grow also in love. |
Before we had a being in the world we had a being in his heart. When we were enemies to him, he knew us, our misery, our madness, and our wickedness. When we wept bitterly in despairing repentance, and viewed him only as a judge and a ruler, he viewed us as his brethren well beloved, and his bowels yearned towards us. |
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Off
Her Rocker In the dim and distant past |
Today's' fact about Time and its measurement, a time quotation and a New Year Inspiration.
The Sacrifice Philip Vinson has given permission to copy and use poems as the need
arises. He only requests that you not amend or change them in any way. ... An
Invitation to Dine by Pat Nordman John
21:12 NKJ V
This is one of my favorite chapters in God's Word because here we can relate directly to
Jesus' humanity. Who would have expected Jesus Himself to cook breakfast and invite His
beloved friends! Imagine the understanding and love in this incredible act for these
cherished followers who fled when He so needed them! Here we find the familiar and
intimate relationship with One who does for us, in spite of what we do to Him. Oh, how we
need to know this when we have done something that grieves God and others! How comforting
and strengthening–and mending and amending–it is to our broken lives to have a
Friend!
... here we can relate directly to Jesus' humanity. Who would have expected Jesus Himself
to cook breakfast and invite His beloved friends! More Walking Through the Darkness Religion
News RealAudio format Happy
New Year Return to DM's HOME
January 4 Ge 10:1-12:20
Linked to Bible Gaitway TM
No other sacrifice would do.
God sent His son to die for me and you.
Let this cup pass from me, Jesus cried,
It wasn't enough though, until, He died.
On the cross again Jesus cried,
He had suffered enough so He died,
Now God was fully satisfied.
Never again, would He be tested and tried.
Now we come to God, in Jesus name,
The One that was and will always be the same.
How would I have ever known the way.
If Jesus had not come and died that day.
God thought His plan out very well,
Because He knew without His Son's death, I would go to hell.
Then the time came and He died for me that day.
Many years have come and gone,
And things are certain to go wrong,
Satan sees to it that it happens that way,
But sacrifice was sufficient for me on that day.
Now, no other sacrifice is needed,
My life according to His word I have heeded.
His word now always shows me His way,
All because He sacrificed His life for me that day.
So now the only sacrifice I ask of you.
Is to give your life to me and I will show you what to do.
And I will keep you as you go down life's pathway.
As I listened to my Father and died for you that day.
Philip C. Vinson 11/1/99
Today's Devotion
"Come and eat
breakfast."
In his book, The Road Less Traveled, author M. Scott Peck, in his section on The Miracle
of Serendipity (pp.253-260), tells us this is really grace: "...Grace, manifested in
part by `valuable or agreeable things not sought for,' is available to everyone, but that
while some take advantage of it, others do not... -Let me suggest that one of the reasons
we fail to take advantage of grace is that we are not fully aware of its
presence–that is, we don't find valuable things not sought for, because we fail to
appreciate the value of the gift when it is given us.'"
Surely Jesus' invitation to the weary disciples was an unexpected grace, a serendipity.
"Come, dine with Me!" He asks their companionship and is ready to provide their
needs. Here is the sacrament and the ultimate union. He did not demand that they come and
serve Him, nor did He tell them to go off to the side and eat; instead, He served them and
ate with them. What a glorious testament and truth—and treatment!
Many graces–serendipities–overflow in our daily life, but we won't find them
unless we are tuned in to God's love, and unless we are most grateful for His providence.
Perhaps providence is the gift of the awareness of His many gifts! We will have much more
joyful lives if we recognize and appreciate these countless graces.
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