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  Today's Soul Food — March 9
 

 

GOLDEN WORDS



Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground; yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

Job 5:6-7 KJV


"For affliction does not come from the dust, Neither does trouble sprout from the ground,
For man is born for trouble, As sparks fly upward.

Job 5:6-7  NASB


For hardship does not spring from the soil,
nor does trouble sprout from the ground.

Yet man is born to trouble
as surely as sparks fly upward.

 Job 5:6-7 NIV

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By affliction God is spoiling us of what of what otherwise might have spoiled us. –When he makes the world too hot for us to hold, we let it go.

Sir John Powell

 

Daily Meditations by  Pat Nordman ©

 


March 9

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ..." James 1:1; "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus..." Romans 1:1; "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ" Ephesians 5:21.

In a speech on May 30, 1919, Woodrow Wilson said, "There is something better, if possible, that a man can give than his life. That is his living spirit to a service that is not easy, to resist counsels that are hard to resist, to stand against purposes that are difficult to stand against." Jesus gave His life but few of us are required to do that; it is our life in service that He asks.

To be a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ means to be a servant to mankind. It is more than "I'll do you a favor if you do me a favor." It is seeking the happiness and welfare of others in spite of how they feel about us–even if they are hostile and ungrateful-–"because he [the Lord Jesus Christ] is kind to the ungrateful and wicked" Luke 6:35c.

James was a bond-servant to Christ, bound in freedom because he had made a loving surrender of his will to God's will. James found this service to be his true freedom. Perhaps James is telling his readers that he wishes his very character to be known as that of servant. The word "servant" is in disrepute today, but it simply means one who gives service. There is nothing disgraceful or demeaning about helping others.

"We are his,
To serve him nobly in the common cause,
True to the death, but not to be his slaves." Cowper.

It is a disservice to serve--to nourish and sustain--with an inhospitable heart.

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus...-[He] made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant" Philippians 2:5,7. This is an eternal mystery, that God became a servant! And the servant is not better than the master.

Pat Nordman ©

 


Today's Bible Question ?



 What is one chief characteristic of a "fool"?    

Previous question and Answer:

At what age were the Hebrew boys to be circumcised?

Answer - At eight days old. (Leviticus 12:3)
On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised.

 

 

Excerpts from today's Spurgeon's Devotions

Spurgeon's Morning for March 9

Spurgeon's Evening for March 9

 

"Abide in me."

-   John 15:4

 

 

"Yea, he is altogether lovely."

- Song of Solomon 5:16

 

Communion with Christ is a certain cure for every ill. Whether it be the wormwood of woe, or the cloying surfeit of earthly delight, close fellowship with the Lord Jesus will take bitterness from the one, and satiety from the other 

The superlative beauty of Jesus is all-attracting; it is not so much to be admired as to be loved. He is more than pleasant and fair, he is lovely.


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March 9  Deuteronomy 3:1 - 4:49         

365 days of Bible Readings Linked to Bible Gaitway TM 



 

 As yet I do not have enough pages finished for each day of this wonderful season of lent. Pages will appear here sporadically through the Lenten season. 

Easter 1 | Easter 2 | Easter 3  



  


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Life is a Miracle
Life is a miracle, don't let it slip away,

Open your heart to others; give of yourself each day.

See the beauty in everyone regardless of where they've been, Some have a difficult journey and really need a friend.

Share your gifts and talents; listen with your heart.
Do the things you dream about but don't have time to start.

Pick a bouquet of flowers; show someone that you care, 

Be gracious and forgiving; life is never fair.
Hold on to your courage, you may need it down the road, 

We all have a cross to bear; it could be a heavy load.

If you practice all these things no matter where you roam, 

You may find both sun and rain, but you'll never feel alone!

 

 

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Today's  Devotion
 

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NOBILITY

 

"But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands" 

Isaiah 32:8

"If a man cleanses himself. . .he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work"

2 Timothy 2:21


Every noble life leaves its fiber interwoven forever in the work of the world." Ruskin. We all know that certain person who has enriched our lives beyond any human measurement; that extraordinary person who has elevated our existence into his or her serene sphere and inspired us to be and to do our best. Years later, when confronted with a crisis, we think of the person and the trustworthy advice given in love, and it enables us to go on. If we are so fortunate to have been granted such a gift, let us thank God every day for that person.

Nobility is all about making the abrasions of life into sterling metal. "Noble metal" is a metal made of chemical elements that have outstanding resistance to oxidation, even at high temperatures. 

"Noble souls, though dust and heat,
Rise from disaster and defeat
The stronger;
And conscious still of the divine 
Within them, lie on earth supine
No longer."    Longfellow. 

The fires of life temper the true steel of the noble soul.

True nobility presupposes riches of everlasting quality such as virtue, tolerance, high standards and motivations, integrity, generosity, and graciousness. "But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop" Luke 8:15. 

"My heart is stirred by a noble theme. . ." Psalm 45:1. What more noble theme can we have than Christ? We become what we behold and, by beholding Christ, we become gracious and lovely and noble, fit for earth and then heaven. 

© Pat Nordman

 
True nobility presupposes riches of everlasting quality such as virtue, tolerance, high standards and motivations, integrity, generosity, and graciousness.

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