Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through
Christ has forgiven you.
Ephes. 4:32 (NLT)
Error is the inevitable consequence of living.
Mutual error is the inevitable consequence of living together.
Argument or faultfinding is the defensive mechanism to preserve an ego in trouble.
Confession is the sacrifice of ego on the altar of love.
Forgiveness is the balm of healing that soothes and heals the wounds of error.
Joy is the fresh new path, stretching out before the forgiver and the forgiven.
— V. Gilbert Beers in Joy Is ... Christianity Today, Vol. 40, no. 11.
Daily Meditations by Pat Nordman ©
October 11
"But let the brother of humble cir-cumstances glory in his high position..."
(James 1:9 NAS). Kneeling keeps us on an even keel of life, and it keeps us from keeling
over when the road gets rough. The har-dest thing in life is to come down grace-fully but,
if we can do that, then we can come back up grace-fully. With God's grace, we will.
Humility is not humiliation. One is full of grace and the other is a dis-grace. So let us
not worry about humble circum-stan-ces, for Jesus Himself had not a place to lay His
worthy head.
Pat Nordman ©
Excerpts from today's Spurgeon's Devotions With links to the entire devotion |
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Spurgeon's Morning for October 11 |
Spurgeon's Evening for October 11 |
| "Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens." - Lamentations 3:41 |
"Whom he did predestinate, them he also called." - Romans 8:30 |
The most healthy state of a Christian is to be always empty in self and constantly depending upon the Lord for supplies; to be always poor in self and rich in Jesus; weak as water personally, but mighty through God to do great exploits; and hence the use of prayer, because, while it adores God, it lays the creature where it should be, in the very dust. |
If you are living in sin, you are not called, but if you are truly Christ’s, you can say, "Nothing pains me so much as sin; I desire to be rid of it; Lord, help me to be holy." |
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October 11 Mt 25:1 - 26:75 |
Current Bible Question |
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But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.
Job 16:5 (NIV)
Perseption by Cathy Vinson
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Rarely do preacher or authors venture into expounding a biblical truth without an arsenal of analogies. Pastors' files are collected and stuffed full of them, waiting for the opportune moment when each will provide just the right nuance for the truth at hand. Is there a precedence for such use, or is this merely a way to hold people's attention? "And He spoke many things to them in parables..." (Mt 13:3). What is a parable? Parable denotes a placing beside (para-around or beside). It signifies a placing of one thing beside another with a view to comparison...earthly things with a spiritual meaning (Vine's Dict). Isn't this what analogies do for us? How often that very "placing beside" enhances the whole spiritual meaning! Bringing the 2 together...this must be the "Aha!" moment when understanding comes. (Understanding (suneimi) ironically means to bring or set together, of perceiving, uniting (sun-with) the perception with what is perceived) - Vine. But not all understand or perceive. "Hearing they hear, but do not understand..." (Matthew 13:13), "when anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand..." (Mt 13:19), "the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit..." (1 Cor 2:14). "...it is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 13:11), "we have received...the Spirit of God that we might know..." (1 Cor 2:12). Henry Blackaby writes in EXPERIENCING GOD that when understanding the spiritual meaning of a verse, God's Spirit has been at work...this does not lead to an encounter, but IS an encounter with God. We can't understand except by the Spirit. Let us humbly be thankful for perception that has united earthly examples to life-giving, spiritual truths. May we delight and find useful the inspired creation of pictures that surround our lives, ones that can propel us and others to the mysteries of heaven! Cathy Vinson© Send a note to Cathy Vinson , the writer of this devotion. |
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Other Whispers from the Wilderness Devotions are found HERE
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