WEDNESDAYS DEVOTION :)

[Guest guest]

SAM - NOW WHY HAVEN'T I EVER THOUGHT OF THAT? I REALLY GET JITTERY WHEN I

HAVE TO WAIT FOR THINGS ESPECIALLY IN THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE. HOW SIMPLY

WONDERFUL TO NOW TURN THAT INTO AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

ALSO, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW - I'VE BEEN SHARING THESE DEVOTIONS WITH MY

SISTER IN LAW WHO LIVES OUT OF TOWN. SHE TELL'S ME THEY MEAN THE WORLD TO

HER!

MUCH LOVE,

MARCY

WEDNESDAYS DEVOTION

>

>

> FROM: 365 DAYS WITH

> E. STANLEY JONES

>

>

> THE DUNGEON MAKES OR BREAKS US

>

>

>

> . . . THIS IS EVIDENCE OF THEIR

> DESTRUCTION, BUT OF YOUR

> SALVATION. AND THIS IS GOD'S

> DOING.

> ___________________PHILIPPIANS 1:28

>

>

>

> THE DUNGEON EXPERIENCE CAN MAKE US OR BREAK US. SOME IT CRUSHES;

> OTHERS IT SOLIDIFIES. . . .

>

> IT WAS SAID OF JESUS THAT HE WENT INTO THE WILDERNESS " FULL OF THE

> HOLY SPIRIT, " AND CAME OUT " FILLED WITH THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT " (LUKE

> 4:1, 14)---MERE FULLNESS TURNED TO POWER UNDER THE STRESS OF TEMPTATION.

> THE DUNGEON OF TEMPTATION RESULTED ONLY IN HIS BEING STRENGTHENED. . . .

>

> A GRACIOUS CHRISTIAN LADY SAID TO ANOTHER: " I KNOW YOU DISLIKE BEING

> ILL. BUT I FIND THE ONLY THING TO DO IS TO GET SOMETHING OUT OF EVERY

> EXPERIENCE THAT COMES TO ME. SO MAKE YOUR ILLNESS GIVE YOU SOMETHING. "

>

> I FIND IT HARD TO WAIT FOR PEOPLE, BUT I'VE LEARNED TO MAKE WAITING

> CONTRIBUTE BY FORMING THE HABIT OF IMMEDIATELY TURNING TO PRAYER

> WHENEVER I HAVE TO WAIT. I FIND THAT PRAYING KEEPS MY TEMPER FROM

> GETTING RUFFLED AND THAT I AM ALSO NOT WASTING MY TIME. IT ALWAYS LEAVES

> ME AN OPEN DOOR OUT OF EVERY DUNGEON.

>

>

>

> THE POSSIBILITY OF PRAYER IS ALWAYS OPEN,

> ANYWHERE,

> AT ANY TIME.

>

>

>

> GRACIOUS FATHER, IF I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO, HELP ME TO TURN

> NATURALLY TO PRAYER. SO LIFE WILL BE HELD TOGETHER BY POISE AND CALM AND

> VICTORY, AND I CAN ALWAYS FIND GRACE IN EVERY DUNGEON.

>

>

> AFFIRMATION:

> I WILL LET NO MOMENT BE EMPTY AND FRUITLESS BUT WILL FILL IT WITH

> PRAYER.

>

>

> FOR FURTHER READING:

>

> 2 CORINTHIANS 1:1-11

> PHILIPPIANS 1:12-20

>

>

> GENTLEHUGS AND PRAYERS

> SAM

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

FROM: 365 DAYS WITH

E. STANLEY JONES

THE RETREAT AWAY FROM PEOPLE

I APPEAL TO YOU . . . BY THE

NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS

CHRIST, THAT ALL OF YOU BE IN

AGREEMENT. . . UNITED IN THE

SAME MIND AND THE SAME

PURPOSE.

________________1 CORINTHIANS 1:10

( 2) [THE SECOND WAY WE TRY TO GET ALONG WITH OTHERS IS TO] TRY TO

LIVE ALOOF FROM OTHERS. THIS IS THE OPPOSITE [OF TRYING TO DOMINATE

THEM.] . . .

CAN WE CUT ALL HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS, RETREAT INTO A SHELL, AND NOT BE

AFFECTED IN OUR OWN BEING? NOT AT ALL. WE WILL DETERIORATE. IF WE CANNOT

HAVE A WORLD OF REAL HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS, WE BUILD UP A WORLD OF FALSE

RELATIONSHIPS. WE FILL OUR MINDS WITH FANTASIES AND DAYDREAMS OF

SUPERIOR PERSONAL GRANDEUR. . . AND SO WE REMAIN ALOOF FROM THE COMMON

HERD. INTO RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS. IN EITHER CASE WE ARE RECESSIVE

AND WE HURT OUR OWN MENTAL AND MORAL NATURE. HUMANS ARE MADE INHERENTLY

FOR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS, AND ANY ATTEMPT TO LIVE APART BRINGS

INHERENT PENALTIES.

TO TRY TO RECEDE FROM PEOPLE IN ORDER TO PROTECT ONESELF MORALLY AND

SPIRITUALLY FROM TEMPTATION IS ALSO FALSE STRATEGY. I FIND MORE

TEMPTATIONS WHEN I AM ALONE THAN WHEN I AM WITH PEOPLE. PEOPLE CAN HELP

US TO BE AT OUR BEST BY THEIR EXPECTANCY.

HAVE YOU TAKEN YOUR PLACE IN GOD'S KINGDOM?

GRACIOUS FATHER, YOU HAVE SET US WITHIN YOUR FAMILY. TEACH US NOT TO RUN

AWAY FROM OTHERS BUT TO ENTER INTO LOVING RELATIONSHIPS WITH ONE

ANOTHER.

AFFIRMATION:

GOD MEETS ME IN OTHERS. I WILL SEE GOD IN THEM.

FOR FURTHER READING:

GALATIANS 2:11-13

1 CORINTHIANS 1:10-13

GENTLEHUGS AND PRAYERS

SAM