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Listen while you read: "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing"1 (Lyrics) |
When we were children, my older brother excelled at assembling and painting model kits, mostly of military aircraft and vehicles. The small boxes, with vivid photos on top, contained small grey plastic pieces, glue, paint, and instructions for assembly. That seemed impossible for me to imagine as the glorious machine streaking across the sky. Yet, as he assembled the pieces with infinite patience, painted the model, and mounted it on its stand, there was the finished product, just like on the box cover.
How often in life it is hard to imagine a finished product, with all the little pieces in a jumble around us! But God promises a glorious future where all the parts fit into place.
1 John 3:1-3 – What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it — we're called children of God! That's who we really are. But that's also why the world doesn't recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he's up to. But friends, that's exactly who we are: children of God. And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we'll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him — and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus' life as a model for our own. (MSG)
We are called God's children, but what does that mean? The apostle John changes the focus from us to God, Who loved us first, showing us extraordinary love. The world system rejects God, because it doesn't understand Him and is threatened by people who believe in Him. Just like all the little model fragments, which make no sense by themselves, so much in our lives seems confusing. Many things in our lives have not yet been revealed. Faith is hanging on to hope as we trust Him to do what He has promised. The promise is that we are going to be like Him, because we will see Him as He is. What will happen tomorrow is unsure, and life's events are temporary. Our hope is based on that secure foundation, for it is purifying and gives us strength to carry on.
Do your thoughts, temptations, self-interest, and fear make it hard to see the Lord clearly? Perhaps all that you can see are the little pieces, and you miss the instructions to put them together. See yourself as God's child, well-loved, looking forward to His appearing in love, joy, power, and the character that comes with it. We shall begin to see Him as He truly is.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us by Your grace to see You as You really are. The busyness of the day makes it hard for us to see the big picture. As we see You, may it change us more and more each day to be like You. Amen.
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Sunday, May 12, 2024 – In Czechia — We have, by faith and with trembling, set a target for launching off at the end of May. We are prayerfully working hard to be ready by then. God has been challenging us to ask for some "God-sized" gifts. Pray for God to prepare the team in the Czech Republic, to open the way to the hurting people, and to prepare us for His work.
Housing: "Update April 18, 2024: The judge granted the father 4 extra days of visitation per month. T is..." 
Thanks for the encouraging words, Shirley.
Thank you for your inspiring devotional today, Shirley!
Amen Shirley!
Happy New Year.
Thanks, Shirley, for your positive words today. Having the Lord in our lives and following His ways truly gives us the right model of daily living. Blessings for writing.
Hi Shirley,
Thank you so much for your words of comfort and joy.
As we start this new year, we need all of this, now and forever more.
(ON)
Hello Shirley
Thank you for this devotional today.
I used part of it for my little talk at church and then the Holy Spirit took over and all came together for the benefit of the one listening.
God bless.
What a great picture – the separate bits … the finished product, mounted! I love that. I read my Bible every morning and evening, and sometimes I study it in between. I’m convinced that by reading God’s Word, praying the verses, and becoming more familiar with what He says and what He actually means for us to follow His ways, that it has a transformative effect on me. It’s always encouraging to find others who have the same experience. Thank you for your analogy!
Oh Dear Shirley after reading your wonderful devotional today I couldn’t stop singing the chorus to Bill and Gloria Gaither’s song “I Am A Promise”.
And Shirley, also resounding in my heart are the wise and encouraging words you wrote today to “See yourself as God’s child, well-loved, looking forward to His appearing in love, joy, power, and the character that comes with it. We shall begin to see Him as He truly is.” Thank you for your devotional today!
Excellent thoughts for these times. When we lived in Montreal, we were members of the cburch where the rev Dr Jim Armour preached on the verse in Romans that all things work together in our lives for good forming in the end a tapestry of our lives. On the wrong side the tapestry can look pretty ugly – a mess of threads but at the end of our lives God will turn it over and it will be a beautiful picture. I think you are saying much the same thing. You have used another analogy, but the truth is the same. Thank you for this reminder as we begin a new year.
Thanks for sharing this encouraging devotional with us. Blessings.
Thank you, Shirley. I love this: See yourself as God’s child, well-loved, looking forward to His appearing in love, joy, power, and the character that comes with it. What peace!