Devotion Loss or GainFrances Taylor Paul is telling us and the Philippians that whatever he has suffered, whatever he has lost, it is nothing compared to what he has gained in Christ. Whenever we make changes in our lives, we lose as well as gain. When we move on from high school to the work force or to college, we will gain friends and lose friends. If we change jobs, we may even lose the ability to see our families as often as we had been able to do. If we change our religion or our religious habits, we also may lose friends or even connections with our family members. Christianity requires changes in our lifestyle if we are to be faithful to God's will. Doing the right thing becomes more important than hanging out with friends who can lead you in a different direction. Attitudes can change and your behavior with them. You're no longer the fun person who likes the dirty jokes who doesn't complain about foul language, who won't go to the x-rated movies, or engage in other activities contrary to Jesus' law of love. What is lost, however, is so much greater, as Paul tells us. Faith gives us trust in God's promises, freedom from fear of the future. We have been made acceptable to the Father through Christ.Prayer Lord, we have gained so much because of Christ. May we like Paul consider all we have lost as nothing and look only to what we have now through faith. Amen.
Night Prayer
For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Inspiration
God commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves, which is easier said than done. God loves us although we are challenging to love, and He extends mercy to us for actions that seem impossible to forgive. His love is available to everyone, and we must make our lives a reflection of His character. We trust the Holy Spirit to guide our hearts and teach us to act as commanded.
Prayer
Dear God, we trust Your Spirit to help us love each other as You love us. We desire to be a reflection of Your character to everyone we meet. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
Do We See and Hear?
Frances Taylor
Jesus spoke in parables to the people of his time as well as to us. Do we hear and understand what he is trying to tell us? We have heard and read the parable of the sower and the seed many times, and we have read the meaning of the parable as well so we understand what Jesus was saying. However, there are other parables such as the Workers in the Vineyard where everyone gets the same pay for very different amounts of work that sometimes make us shake our heads and wonder. The parables often speak of things we just don't have any experience with such as sowing seed, taking care of sheep, pruning vines, etc. Yes, those who live on farms understand, but those of us who are city-dwellers don't. However, we are meant to pay attention to the underlining truths. We learn from the sower, that we need to prepare our hearts to welcome God's word and continue to nurture it if we are to grow in our faith. From the workers, God is generous and sometimes we ...
