Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 12:12 (NIV)

You give me so much hope, Lord, that I can't help but be joyful. You are the focus of my hope and the source of my delight. Whatever I face today, may I face it with the attitude of Romans 12:12.

— Joni Eareckson Tada

Daily Meditations by Pat Nordman ©

July 23

"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me faithful, appointing me to His service..." (1 Timothy 1:12). What an extraordinary idea this verse presents: our Lord encourages us because He considers us faithful. He puts us into His service so we might be ministers, teachers, comforters, helpers: whatever He has chosen for us to do. We need not force ourselves into His service, for He has chosen us for His appointment. We need not worry about results, either, as long as we remain steadfast to His principles.

Yes, we thank Christ Jesus who has already strengthened us for whatever this day brings.

Pat Nordman ©

Excerpts from today's Spurgeon's Devotions
Spurgeon's Morning for July 23	Spurgeon's Evening for July 23
"Even thou wast as one of them." – Obadiah 1:11	"The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" - 1 John 1:7
A few minutes of confession may be beneficial to thee, gentle reader, this morning. Hast thou never been as the wicked? At an evening party certain men laughed at uncleanness, and the joke was not altogether offensive to thine ear, even thou wast as one of them.	There are multitudes who think that as a dying hope they may look forward to pardon. Oh! how infinitely better to have cleansing now than to depend on the bare possibility of forgiveness when I come to die.

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July 23 Proverbs 12:1 - 15:33

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Today's Devotion

.. ...and by his light I walked through darkness! JOB ...and by his light I walked through darkness! JOB 29:3 NIV

Gossip

by Pat Nordman

"We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies"

(2 Thessalonians 3:11)

Martin Luther had much to say about gossip and its terrible by-products. Luther pointed out that when we gossip we are doing Satan's chores for him. He related an incident of a couple so happily married that it was the talk of the town. The devil couldn't cause disharmony between them, but he finally hit upon the trick: he sent an old hag to the wife to tell her that her husband was having an affair with another woman and he planned to kill her. The hag told her that she would find a knife under her husband's pillow. She then hurriedly went to the husband with the same terrible tale. Unfortunately for the wife, the husband found her knife first, and that was the end of the town's happiest marriage. There are several vital lessons here: malicious tongues kill; Satan is behind the vicious tongue; trust your partner; and, above all, check your sources.

Gossip is verbal interest in the failings of others rather than their feelings. Our own faults should keep us busy enough praying to a forgiving and forgetting Father and offering prayers of thanksgiving that He so willingly overlooks our own many mal- practices of tongue.

"I take it as a matter not to be disputed, that if all knew what each said of the other, there would not be four friends in the world. This seems proved by the quarrels and disputes caused by the disclosures which are occasionally made." Pascal. Busybodies are parasites who go about stinging the innocent with veiled but spiteful venom. Let us beware of the one who is busy with everyone else's business. Paul gives excellent advice to Timothy: "Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge. . ." 1 Timothy 6:20. We have an overabundance of knowledge these days but precious little wisdom!

Send a note to © Pat Nordman, the writer of this devotion..

Gossip is verbal interest in the failings of others rather than their feelings.

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