Devotion
Who Is My Neighbor?
Frances Taylor
Several years ago, I was in Copenhagen, Denmark on a remarkable vacation and heard a story that gives new meaning to the answer to this question. We have all heard of the atrocities of the holocaust and its tragedies, but I had never heard the remarkable story of this nation. There is a little fishing village which is a suburb of Copenhagen that opened its arms to the Danish Jews during this terrible time. The fishermen let it be known that if you showed up in the village at the appointed time you would be evacuated to safety. In this way, 95% of Danish Jews escaped deportation and execution. This in itself is enough to show their concern for their neighbors, but there was more.
After the war, when the people returned home to Denmark, they returned to their jobs, their homes, their properties which had been cared for and kept safe by their Christian neighbors. It made me consider how often I go out of my way for a friend, let alone others I may not know. It makes me ponder how well I live out the command to love my neighbor as myself. Would I have been as generous as the Danes under those extreme circumstances? Could I be that generous today? Do I know my neighbors well enough to tell when they might be in trouble? These are questions that I will ponder long after the pictures are looked at, the vacation stories have been told, the souvenirs given away. I hope that having the experiences I encountered on vacation will make me a better person, one who doesn't pass by, or look the other way, when a neighbor is in need.
Prayer
Lord, I confess that I have not always been a good neighbor to those around me. Too often, my priorities and preferences have kept me from sharing Your love. Give me eyes to see others through Your love, so that I may be prepared to offer help where it is needed. In Jesus name, amen.
Night Prayer
And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.
Inspiration
Delilah asks Samson what makes him strong so his enemies can attack him in his weakness. Satan is like a lion, constantly on the prowl, searching out our weakness and working diligently to distract us from the path of righteousness. We rely on the Holy Spirit to help us focus when the enemy tries to trick us. We are thankful for the Holy Spirit's presence and guidance every moment of our earthly lives.
Prayer
Dear Father, We praise You for the presence of Your Spirit in our daily lives. Please continue to encourage us to remain watchful as Satan plans his attack. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
The Law of Life
Frances Taylor
Freedom! Doesn't it sound great? We all want freedom, but what is true freedom? According to Paul it is freedom in the law of the Spirit of life in Christ. Unfortunately, most of us don't want freedom, they want license. Freedom does not mean that a person can do whatever he/she wants. We are given free will so that we can choose the GOOD. My freedom ends where yours begins and there are people who forget that.
When we follow Jesus law of love we are truly free. We don't even have to worry about the commandments because they are all based on love – love of God and love of others. Later in Romans, Paul talks about this in a question about the obligation of the Jewish people to follow the law as opposed to the Christians who are no longer subject to the law because they need to follow the way of love. We must follow civil laws, but first we must know them. For example, we must know the speed limit and follow it when we drive. We must know tax laws, ...
