Devotion
You are my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased
David Jacobs
I spent a lot of my adult life trying to please my father. He is not the easiest man to please, or at least he says that he is not pleased much of the time. There have been moments when I really drove with all of the energy to please my father, only to receive little to no recognition for what I had done. Unfortunately, I lost my temper on one of these occasions, asking my father why he never could admit to being happy with what I had done. Fortunately, my father is a kind and patient person, giving me exactly what I needed. He told me that he thought that I knew he was pleased with him so much so that he didn't even need to say it. With that, my spirit was lifted, and I never felt this insecurity again.
Any son that has had a relationship with their father knows how much it means to be acceptable in good in the mind of your father. As a child, we look up to our parents so much, and although it may sound ridiculous considering Christ is God and God is Christ, I still believe that the human part of Christ looked up to his father the same way that I looked up to mine. He wanted His blessing; he wanted to be affirmed in his goodness; he wanted God to tell him that He loved him. That is exactly what God does.
Prayer
God doesn't just say it to Jesus; He says it so that the people that witnessed the baptism with John could hear it too. They would go from that place to tell the people about it, and the good news of Christ would begin to spread like a wildfire.
Night Prayer
Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.
Inspiration
We humble ourselves before the Lord when we come to Him with earthly burdens. We understand we do not have the power to control or fix our problems alone, so we lay our egos down and align our lives with the will of God. We are proud to be His servants and accept His help throughout our struggles. His love is unconditional, and His wisdom parallels none other.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we humble ourselves before You, seeking Your wisdom and guidance all the days of our lives. Thank You for Your presence and unfailing love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
You are a Temple of The Holy Spirit
Frances Taylor
This is a hard saying in today's world. Sexual immorality is so rampant and public that few people believe it to be immoral! People no longer think of sexual behavior outside of marriage as wrong and, in fact, have no problem with going from one person to another quite publicly, broadcasting their behavior on social media and if you're famous enough, on twitter, on TV, in magazines, etc. What happened to "Thou shalt not commit adultery?" I guess I'm old fashioned. I'm not about to condemn anyone who truly loves another and is faithful to them regardless of marriage, but I don't understand and cannot condone random sexual encounters that are not based on love but lust, have no desire for permanency but are literally just to satisfy a sexual itch.
Sorry if I offend anyone, but if we believe that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit to be kept holy, how can we treat them as what – toys, prizes? I'm aware that women have often ...
Morning Prayer
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Inspiration
Think of a grudge that you held on for a long time. Did you feel better from holding this grudge? Now think about this deeper: what if God held a grudge against us? Wow, how blessed we are that he forgives our sins! He leads by example, forgiving those of us that do exactly what he asks us not to do. We all should all be more forgiving, like God is to us.
Prayer
You sent your only son to the world to die so that we may be forgiven, merciful God. Forgive me, once again, for being too selfish and proud to not forgive those that trespass against me. I wish that I can sin less and ask for forgiveness and guidance when I need it. I thank you for sending your son to us, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
