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Listen while you read: "Softly And Tenderly Jesus Is Calling"1 (Lyrics) |
John 3:3 – Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." (ESV)
It was early one morning when the four kittens — two black and two calico — made their presence known to us.
I was peeking outside the window that overlooks our side yard when I saw them. They were following a larger grey cat out from under our house. Stray cats! I shook my head.
My mom — not a cat person — said, "Oh no, what do we do?"
A text message was sent out to a large group of local friends asking for help. Replies were declines or filled with stories of friends with their own stray-cat-and-kitten challenges.
In rural Georgia, USA, apparently, there are a lot of stories of stray animals being dropped off on the side of the road or just showing up in someone's yard.
The question that my mom asked came back to my mind, "What do we do?" Everyone had their own opinion.
I was reminded that we had been looking for some way to get rid of mice, a problem that we had during certain times of the year. "You've got five solutions right here. Just don't let them in the house and feed them once a day."
My friend was right. I just had to look at the problem from a different perspective. Zig Ziglar once said, "Attitude, not aptitude, determines your altitude."
The following verses detail valuable lessons that we Christians need to remember, involving listening and seeing the way that God does.
John 3:17 – For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (ESV)
1 Samuel 16:7b – For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. (ESV)
Psalm 139:13 – For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. (ESV)
Proverbs 15:3 – The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. (ESV)
If we look at life the way that God does, we will see the good. Instead of trash, He sees treasure. What we see as unlovable, God sees as lovable, and so can we, in the power of His Spirit.
Prayer: Dear Lord, open our eyes and open our hearts so that we can see and love and serve as You would, and as You want us to. Amen.
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Amen, Becky.
I TOTALLY agree! Thanks for the story.
Hi Becky, such truth in your words and scripture. Bless you for sharing!
WELL, here in Central Texas we share the “stray” problem…now I shall look at it differently thanks to your devotional!
Dear Becky,
Thank you for a good kitty story and wonderful scriptures and prayer. I hope that you will keep writing.
I’m not a cat person either, but think the solution was right there. Hope it works out for you…and the cars too!
Bless you for living out your faith,
(BC)
Dear Becky, your desire to seek God’s direction and solution for the cat situation you were faced with truly came from your heart and I pray everything worked out well. Thank you for demonstrating to us what God’s love, compassion, sacrifice, and care looks like when put into action. Thank you for writing.
Thank you, Becky, for your positive words today and your closing prayer says it all. The way things are these days it is necessary that more people need to take heed of the Lord’s words and ways, so there will be more love and peace everywhere.
Blessings for your very mindful writing.
Thank you for sharing this encouraging devotional with us today. My neighbor is a cat person. He leaves access to his enclosed front porch and the warmth it provides. He also leaves food out there for the neighborhood cats. Even the wildest ones rub up against his legs purring! He’s a cat whisperer. Blessings.
Becky,
I love your title for the devotional. It is so true that if we “reframe the picture” or “look at the positive” we feel encouraged. I know even if I just force a smile on to my face, my attitude and feelings change. Thanks for sharing your experience and good passages from the Bible to encourage all of us. I think, for us in Toronto when it is cold and grey, we need to encourage each other and remember that God will help us if we ask. Blessings.
Thank you, Becky. If only we all could act this way: If we look at life the way that God does, we will see the good. Instead of trash, He sees treasure. What we see as unlovable, God sees as lovable, and so can we, in the power of His Spirit.