At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they strung fig leaves together around their hips to cover themselves. Toward evening they heard the Lord God walking about in the garden, so they hid themselves among the trees.

Genesis 3:7-8 (NLT)

Painting Innocence And Guilt

A painter once wanted a picture of innocence. He found and painted a little child kneeling beside his mother at prayer. The palms of his hands were reverently folded, mild blue eyes upturned with an expression of devotion and peace. The painter prized this portrait of young Rupert above all else and hung it prominently in his study, calling it Innocence.

Years later when the artist was old, the portrait was still there. He had often thought of painting a counterpart—the picture of guilt. One day he purposely visited a neighboring prison. On the damp floor of the cell lay a wretched man, named Rupert, heavily ironed. His body was horribly wasted, his eyes hollow, vice sprouted all over his face. The old painter succeeded admirably, and the portraits hung side by side—Innocence and Guilt.

Daily Meditations by Pat Nordman Š

August 11

Indifference or involvement? "But a Samaritan...when he saw him he took pity on him...and bandaged his wounds..." (Luke 10:33,34). The others passed by, even the priest, but the one whose name was a byword of reproach, one regarded as alien and foreigner, this is the very one who bandaged his wounds and took him to the inn and paid for his care. Here, then, is genuine love, for the Samaritan didn't know the man, but perhaps because of his own position as an outcast, he understood his needs and ministered to the halfdead man.

O Father, help us to go and do likewise!

Pat Nordman Š

Excerpts from today's Spurgeon's Devotions
Spurgeon's Morning for August 11	Spurgeon's Evening for August 11
"Oh that I were as in months past." – Job 29:2	Everlasting consolation." — 2 Thessalonians 2:16
A jealous God will not be content with a divided heart; he must be loved first and best. He will withdraw the sunshine of his presence from a cold, wandering heart. .	"Everlasting consolation"--here is the cream of all, for the eternity of comfort is the crown and glory of it. What is this "everlasting consolation"? It includes a sense of pardoned sin.

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August 11 Isa 52:1 - 57:21

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Current Bible Question

Esther replace who as queen?

Previous question and Answer:

What was the name of the man who slept in the land of Nod?

Cain (Genesis 4:16)

Today's Devotion

But my mouth would encourage you;
comfort from my lips would bring you relief.
Job 16:5 (NIV)

Persistance that Afflicts

by Cathy Vinson

"Listen to what the unjust Judge says...."

(Luke 18:6)

Listening to what is said by this judge will teach us something Jesus wants us to learn. We see this judge in a state of chilling barrenness, "fearing neither God nor man" (vs 2). He neither trembles at God nor has compassion for the plight of his fellow man. Though he is void of affection, he can become irritated. He is feeling the strain upon himself of the persistent, persevering widow who continually calls on him to grant her justice.

"because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming" (vs 5). He doesn't want to be affected by anyone, including her. Because he IS being affected, he will move. He will grant her justice. Not out of love will he move, but in that she is becoming an affliction.

God is Judge; "God is love." When the true Judge is put into this same position, we begin to understand why Jesus told us to listen. We realize even more about our Heavenly Father's affliction towards persistent prayers. "Will not God bring justice for His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night?" (vs 7) If the unjust judge was bothered, the Judge over all is afflicted. If the earthly judge was wearied, our Judge is sorely moved to compassion.

Why this story? So "they (His beloved) should always pray and not give up" (vs 1). Does He move slowly as we preceive? "Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly" (vss 7-8). It seems He "cannot" put us off (see Rom 8:32).

If we remember the words of the unjust judge, we will realize that persistence is one of the endearing traits His child can employ to get the loving attention of a most gracious Father..

Cathy VinsonŠ

Send a note to Cathy Vinson , the writer of this devotion.

God is Judge; "God is love." When the true Judge is put into this same position, we begin to understand why Jesus told us to listen.

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~ Experiencing Joy ~

Men have pursued joy in every avenue imaginable. Some have successfully found it while others have not. Perhaps it would be easier to describe where joy cannot be found:

Not in Unbelief -- Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: "I wish I had never been born."
Not in Pleasure -- Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure if anyone did. He wrote: "The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone."
Not in Money -- Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said: "I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth."
Not in Position and Fame -- Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: "Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age a regret."
Not in Military Glory -- Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent, before he said, "There are no more worlds to conquer."

Where then is real joy found? -- the answer is simple, in Christ alone.

The Bible Friend, Turning Point, May, 1993