Devotion
Closer than a Brother
Chipo Biti
There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother and his name is Jesus Christ. Jesus loved you way before you were born and he will continue to love you when you leave this earth. His love is not seasonal and it is not conditional. He loved you way before you knew of him or even chose to receive him into your love. He values you so much he counted it worthy to die on the cross for your sins. There is no one on the face of this earth who will ever be able to match the love that Jesus has for you. When friends come and go, you can be assured that there is someone you can rely on without fail. He will never leave you and he will never turn his back on you. He is for you and He desires for you to walk in the freedom that he has given you.
There are also people on earth that God uses to be close to us in the good and the bad times. These friends are not many but when they come into your life, they have no intention of leaving. These are the friends you can call on at any time and they will gladly help you. These are the friends that you can trust, no matter what. They are gifts.
You should also desire to be the kind of friend who people can rely on. Good friends may be hard to find but you should strive to be someone a person can consider a friend who sticks closer than a brother. The love of God should compel you to be someone who can be trusted and someone who can encourage, exhort, and comfort others when they are in need of it.
Prayer
God's love should be your guide when it comes to how you treat your friends. While we may live in a world where it is hard to find people to trust, you should be one of those people who can be trusted. Your friends should have comfort in knowing that you will always be there, no matter what.
Jesus led the way so that we could follow his example on how to love and how to be friends who are always willing to give.
Devotion
The Barrier is Removed
Frances Taylor
Moses had brought the Israelites out of Egypt and now they were wondering if they were any better off! They had reached the Red Sea, and couldn't see any way around this barrier that had been placed before them. But God knew what he was doing and Moses followed his instructions and the sea parted so that the Israelites could pass through on dry ground. A question sometimes asked at a job interview is, "What do you do when you face an obstacle?" How would you answer? Would you try to go around it, through it, or perhaps over it? Moses could not go around his obstacle and knew that without help, he could never bring all the people, animals and supplies through it. So, he asked God for help. Was that the first thing you thought of? There is a saying, "If God brings you to it, he will bring you through it." The key here is to ask God to bring us through it.
We often face challenges in our lives, especially when we are trying to live as Jesus wants...
Morning Prayer
Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
Inspiration
What is grace? It is the free and unmerited favor of God, his gifts to us. One such example was the salvation brought to us by Christ. It is state of being favored and of being the chosen people. One such further example would be the Israelites, who God led to their promised land. We today, have inherited this grace. We today, are simultaneously unworthy of him, yet we are his chosen. Rejoice, rejoice in his grace.
Prayer
To my Lord God almighty, who art in Heaven, I thank you for your divine light and grace, given to me every day. I may not be worthy, I may not be pure and perfect, but I beg you to be merciful. For in your grace, in your faith, I may go on to improve each day. In your grace, I will strive to be a better servant, here as in Heaven. Amen.
