GOLDEN WORDS
"You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to
destroy men's lives, but to save them."
Luke 9:55-56
Perhaps the deepest mystery of redemption and divine love is precisely that we can be
redeemed not only from our squalors but in a sense in our squalors.
Gerald Vann
Daily Meditations by Pat Nordman ©
May 9
"...You ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by
excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him." 2
Corinthians 2:7.
Sorrow can make one look through a dark glass when he or she is swallowed up in anguish.
One struggling with somber thoughts is unable to "behold as in a glass the glory of
the Lord" 2 Corinthians 3:18. This particular passage deals with a backslider, but
this wise advice to realize and reassure our love for a troubled one is true for any who
need mercy and solace and restoration to the family or community. We all need
reaffirmation at times.
Love is encouragement: "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love
and good deeds" Hebrews 10:24. It is possible to look beyond what people are and have
done, and love them for what they can be. Love then becomes redemptive and rejuvenating.
It is said that Michelangelo found a piece of rough marble that had been cast aside as
useless. He was told that no good thing could come from it, but Michelangelo said,
"It is not useless. Send it to my studio. There is an angel imprisoned within it, and
I must set it free." We can help release the distressed caught in the hard marble of
life through showing them God's forgiveness and love.
Jesus went about freeing angels from within seemingly useless or sinful human beings
finally released by His love: Zacchaeus the tax collector, Mary Magdalene, Saul to become
Paul, the thief on the cross, the woman of Samaria and us! Jesus sees what we can be and He
treats us accordingly. And He asks that we do the same for others: treat them as they can
be, through His transforming grace.
Pat Nordman ©
Excerpts from today's Spurgeon's Devotions |
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| "Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings." - Ephesians 1:3 |
"Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field ... let us see if the vine flourish." - -Song of Solomon 7:11,12 |
In the everlasting settlements of predestinating wisdom and omnipotent decree, the eye of the Lord Jesus was ever fixed on us; and we may rest assured that in the whole roll of destiny there is not a line which militates against the interests of his redeemed. |
Mary was not praised for sitting still; but for her sitting at Jesus' feet. Even so, Christians are not to be praised for neglecting duties under the pretence of having secret fellowship with Jesus: it is not sitting, but sitting at Jesus' feet which is commendable. |
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Current Bible Question ?
What Phoenician city was home to Hiram, who helped construct Solomon's temple?
Previous question and Answer:
Who did the Lord strike down because he touched the Ark?
Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:6-7)
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What Thanks...?! by Cathy Vinson
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Interesting way to need empowerment and ability...finding adequate inner resources to give back to God! Such a lavish spillage of joy, joy so tight and extensive within Paul, Silas and Timothy, that they were helpless unto it. "What thanks...?"; where can they find the type of thanks that can repay? All they know is that they MUST!! With such a fullness of joy regarding this beloved people at Thessalonica, they had to do something! "CAN we render..." (from dunamis - to be able, to have power)...did they have the ability to repay in thanks? It's one thing to find ability towards God when in need of joy, quite another thing altogether to find adequate resources towards Him when so filled with it. It's one thing to cast cares off from upon us, a perplexing one indeed to cast worthy thanks from upon us. All we know is our souls require that we MUST get it back to its Blessed Source! Drenched with such joy, and while we are swimming in something so vast and wonderful and not of ourselves, we wonder how we are swimming. How can we deal and also "deal back" with it? "What thanks...?" Have we found it, you and I? the type that actually gives back to God? How do we get such heaps of explosive joy off of ourselves to where all Glory rightly and desirably belongs? Can we? Oh, God, help us with this helpless pursuit...to adequately give back, to render, to repay, to return to You. May it ever give You great glory as we endeavor to find the answer to our unanswerable dilemma: "what thanks...?" © Send a note to Cathy Vinson
, the writer of this devotion. |
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More Whispers from the Wilderness
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