Devotion
God’s gift
David Jacobs
Can you remember the best gift that you ever received? I have spent several minutes wracking my brain trying to think of a great gift that I have received, and honestly, I mostly think back to the great gifts that I have given to others. It sounds like a cliché, but it truly is better to give than to receive. The same can be said of the Lord our God, as these verses suggest.
All of the gifts that I have received come from God. All of the gifts that any of us have received come from God. Why would God do this for us? Like I said before, perhaps even God feels that it is better to give than to receive. He has created both heaven and earth, and given us the chance, through the teachings and life of his son, Jesus Christ, to be redeemed. We all have been gifted a gift that we can never possibly repay, and if we are slow to receive the message or refuse it, we will feel the wrath of God. In 1 Peter 4:10, it says:
10 As every man hath received the gift, even so, minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
All of us have been given a gift. We also have a responsibility to give back. We should read these verses from James, and reflect on it: we should aim to be slow to speak, swift to hear, and slow to wrath, for that is the path to wisdom. Following the path that God has laid out for us is the ultimate gift that we can use to pay him back. Unlike me, hopefully God can remember it.
Prayer
Generous and loving God, every moment that I have to grow closer to you is a gift. I shall use every moment as I said, for that is also my greatest gift that I can give to you. Lead me away from the sins and temptations that may fall in front of my feet as I walk with you, my Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Amen.
Night Prayer
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Inspiration
Anger is a natural emotion we will feel at one time or another. Anger can be dangerous if we allow it to control our lives; acting out of fury does not reflect the righteousness of God. In anger, we shout out hurtful words, and bitterness stirs up jealousy in our hearts. Anger pushes people away from us; they lack respect for us and begin to think poorly of our character. We understand this is not a reflection of God, and we must take our emotions to Him before we hurt people.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we become angry throughout our lifetime. Please forgive us for our outbursts and teach us to stop allowing anger to control our lives. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
Priorities, Priorities!
Frances Taylor
Does Jesus really want us to believe that our enemies are our parents, children, family or friends? Somehow, I don't think so! It is really about priorities. Have you ever chosen to watch a sports program when your child wanted to talk to you? What about not sitting at the table for meals because a special game is on? We are called on to make choices all the time. We can choose God, or we can choose other. Is that late night party worth missing church? We can talk all we want about being too busy, but the truth is that we find the time for what we want to do. I love to read, knit, spend time with my friends and I hate doing the laundry, dishes, vacuuming, but it all needs to be done. I would rather pick up a good book than exercise. I can say that I am "too busy" to do the things I don't enjoy doing, but the truth is, I choose to spend my time in other ways. The same is true about putting God first. A friend that is always put last doesn't ...
Night Prayer
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Inspiration
We often blame God for struggles in our lives. We feel that He does not care for us or isn't all-powerful. We ask why He isn't parting seas or moving mountains for us. Sometimes, it's tempting to blame God and stop trusting Him altogether. God does not tempt us to reject Him, and struggles occur because we live in an imperfect world. God uses our hardships to grow closer to us by strengthening our character and faith. We will not blame Him for our difficulties. Instead, we will continue to praise His name and rest peacefully in His loving arms.
Prayer
Dear God, we struggle daily in this imperfect world. You are our hope in the darkness, and we will continue to lean on Your everlasting arms in comfort and peace. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
