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At this they were seized with astonishment. Full of awe, they gave praise to God, saying,
`We have seen incredible things today!
Luke 5:26
What awesome things we have not seen and heard because we take so much for granted. When
one of my sons called me long-distance and told me he had been in an accident, it was at
that moment I realized how much I cherish him. But why does it take such gut-tearing news
for us to realize this? Can't we praise our God and treasure our loved ones now, at this
very moment?
The miracle is already here. We see and hear stirring things every day. Nature is filled
with visual and auditory delights, and our homes are havens of delight and security. We
hear sobs, too, for these are the compensations of life, strange as that sounds. Our lives
report wonders already, while we wonder why we are filled with wanderlust and a constant
search for the Incredibles of life.
In this verse these people saw Jesus tell a lame man to get up and go on with life, and
they were amazed. Is it any less amazing that he tells us to get up and go about our daily
duties--and while doing so, to see and hear his daily miracles?
Lk 5:17-26 Is 35:1-10 1 Thes 5:18 Jb 9:10 Mk 6:5,6 - Pat Nordman
January 22
"The Lord called me before my birth. From within the womb he called me by
my name...He said to me, `You are my servant'..." Isaiah 49:1,3 TLB; "For you
created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb" Psalm 139:13.
Before we were born God knew we were to be. Certainly God never meant for us to be
accidents of a momentary passion; that is man's sin. Every life is significant to Him for
He died for that life. What a pity that we are to the place where we find babies in trash
bins! This verse alone should tell us how very important we are in His plans. We were
called, we were named and we were claimedeven before we were born! That's a wondrous
thought and an awesome responsibility. "God created [us] in his own image...male and
female he created [us]" Genesis 1:27. We didn't come swinging into this world, with
no purpose for being.
He has a job for us to do that no one else can do on this earth. "Who knows but that
you have come...for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14; "There came a man who was
sent from God" John 1:6; First things first: recognize the Creator and Redeemer, and
then life becomes liveable and likeable. Otherwise, if we don't credit God with the
miracle of what and why and who we are, then the miracle is that we can live a worthwhile
life at all.
We treasure independence but, in the mania to be our own person, we have turned liberty
into license. It is God who has the license to grant us liberty. Our rights are based on
His rights. There is a natural infrastructure in the spiritual sphere and, without a sound
foundation, it all crumbles. "God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this
inscription: `The Lord knows those who are his...'" 2 Timothy 2:19.
Pat Nordman ©
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Excerpts from today's Spurgeon's Devotions |
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Spurgeon's Morning for January 22 |
Spurgeon's Evening January 22 |
"Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?" - Ezekiel 15:2 |
"Doth Job fear God for nought?" - Job 1:9
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These words are for the humbling of God's people; they are called God's vine, but what are they by nature more than others? They, by God's goodness, have become fruitful, having been planted in a good soil; the Lord hath trained them upon the walls of the sanctuary, and they bring forth fruit to his glory; but what are they without their God? |
This was the wicked question of Satan concerning that upright man of old,
but there are many in the present day concerning whom it might be asked with justice, for
they love God after a fashion because he prospers them; but if things went ill with them,
they would give up all their boasted faith in God. |
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... by Pat Nordman 2 Corinthians 10:18 Religion
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January 22 Exodus
14:1 - 16:36
Linked to Bible Gaitway TM
Today's Devotion
Gentleness
"By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you"
Others had leveled some serious charges against Paul and Paul wanted above all else to answer the charges in a Christ-like spirit of quietness, patience and compassion, mindful not so much of his own honor as that of Christ's. He wanted to be the Gentle Man's gentleman in dealing with those who would make Paul less than he knew he should be.
"When they hurled their insults at [Jesus], he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats" 1 Peter 2:23; ". . .Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart. . ." Matthew 11:29. Gentleness is active and exhibited in the temperament we tender to others; meekness is passive and within our inner spirit; it is the temper of spirit in which we accept God's dealings with us without challenging His purposes or impugning wrong motives to others. Had Jesus been Judge and Jury while on this imperfect earth and had He exacted His pound of flesh from those who misjudged His actions and motives, then we could extract our ounce of judgment from those who wound our pride. As it is, Jesus wants us to leave the sentencing to Him. The bonus for us is good mental and physical health, for "Gentle words cause life and health. . ." Proverbs 15:4 TLB.
Society is not always kind to the gentle people. Sometimes the soft answer invites ridicule, but it is kindness that finally wins. It is the destructive forces that howl for our attention: the earthquake, the tornado, the angry voices that foretell of disaster. But it is the gentle shower, quiet and unassuming, that makes fruitful the land, and it is the peaceful and tender people of the earth who forge constructive relationships and worthwhile lives.
Sometimes the soft answer invites ridicule, but it is kindness that finally wins.Today's Religion News
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