... if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things.
Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
When we do think about the things of good report we shall be astonished to
realize where they are to be found; they are found where we only expected to
find the opposite. When our eyes are fixed on Jesus Christ we begin to see
qualities blossoming in the lives of others that we never saw there before.
Oswald Chambers
Daily Meditations by Pat Nordman ©
July 7
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within
me. Do not cast me from your presence..." (Psalm 51:10,11).
What a perfect prayer! The guilt of what he had done to Bathsheba and her
husband crushed David's heart and he realized only God could cleanse and release
him. David craved a new heart for he knew his old one was beyond mere repair. He
wanted a pure love and a new mental and moral nature that would renovate his
entire self and life.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart He will
not despise (Vs.17). O Father, we come to You for new hearts and minds!
July 8
"I can't do that." Edgar A. Guest wrote a delightful poem about this
problem:
"Some said, it couldn't be done
But he, with a chuckle, replied
That maybe it couldn't, but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he tried.
So he buckled right in with a bit of a grin
On his face. If he worried, he hid it.
He started to sing, as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done and he did it."
The high school senior was dying. He asked to receive his diploma earlier than
his classmates. When the principal brought it to him, the brave boy smiled and
said, "Well, I made the grade!" Are we brave enough to make God's
grade?
Pat Nordman ©
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Excerpts from today's Spurgeon's Devotions |
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Spurgeon's Morning for July 7 |
Spurgeon's Evening for July 7 |
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"Brethren, pray for us." - 1 Thessalonians 5:25
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"When I passed by thee, I said unto thee, Live." - Ezekiel 16:6 |
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As officers in Christ's army, we (ministers) are the especial mark of the enmity of men and devils; they watch for our halting, and labour to take us by the heels. |
When sinners are saved, it is only and solely because God will do it to magnify his free, unpurchased, unsought grace. Christians, see your position, debtors to grace; show your gratitude by earnest, Christlike lives, and as God has bidden you live ... |
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"Whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil." - Proverbs 1:33
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"How many are mine iniquities and sins?" - Job 13:23 |
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Divine love is rendered conspicuous when it I shines in the midst of judgments. Fair is that lone star which smiles through the rifts of the thunder clouds; bright is the oasis which blooms in the wilderness of sand; so fair and so bright is love in the midst of wrath. |
No human mind can adequately estimate the infinite value of the divine sacrifice, for great as is the sin of God's people, the atonement which takes it away is immeasurably greater. |
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Spurgeon's Morning for July 8 |
Spurgeon's Evening for July 8 |
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"Tell me I pray thee wherein thy great strength lieth." - Judges 16:6
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"Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day." - Psalm 25:5
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Where lies the secret strength of faith? It lies in the food it feeds on; for faith studies what the promise is--an emanation of divine grace, an overflowing of the great heart of God;... |
Patience is the fair handmaid and daughter of faith; we cheerfully wait when we are certain that we shall not wait in vain. It is our duty and our privilege to wait upon the Lord in service, in worship, in expectancy, in trust all the days of our life. |
July 7 Esther
4:1 - 7:10 |
Current Bible Question |
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Previous question and Answer:
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...and by his light I walked through darkness! JOB 29:3 NIV
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Cast Your Net by Pat Nordman
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A
pastor lamented to a fellow pastor that he was not getting the
converts he desired. His friend happened to think of this verse from
John 21, and he told the unfortunate shepherd of the stationary flock
that he should pull in the net if he wanted to catch his converts. We ordinary folk have nets, too: nets of kindness, letters that we should take time and love to write; many actions and reactions that pull in the net and catch a lamb for Christ. It may be a little child who Jesus wants us to bring to Him; indeed, it is the little ones – and those with the simplicity of the children – that He so desires. It certainly is those with whom we live and work and play and have our being. We are not islands unto ourselves, but aisles through which others may reach God and attain that Blessed Hope of a happiness which cannot be bought on this carnal earth. Jesus commands that we take action now: "Cast your net . . .and you will find something." But we dare not waste His and our precious time! Life is very inconvenient at times. Babies are born in the middle of the night; surgery interrupts our plans; a loved one is in dire need of our compassion; an accident takes a precious life; a grove freezes after we have already planned the budget; a beloved child is born with congenital heart disease; someone comes to the door just as we have settled in to read a good book. We cast many helpful nets a day if we are open to the Holy Spirit. We may become discouraged at our results for we seem to gather in so little fruit: a life changed here, a little victory over a temptation there. But Christ bids us to let down our net again, to continue our work, and to trust that He pulls in the net with us. "But because you say so, [Lord], I will let down the nets" (Luke 5:5).
Please drop a line to © Pat Nordman |
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