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A One Minute Devotional for the week of August 19th

Communication, THE Problem in Marriage

If you were asked the question of what is the most commonly found and frequent problem in any relationship, what would you say?

The answer is poor, or nonexistent, communication. It takes time and effort to build a strong and vibrant relationship; and most, if not all, is best spent in building open and strong paths of communication. The only way for you to truly accomplish this is always be there and “plugged-in.”

But I’m always texting and communicating. Well, you may be passing information, but you are not communicating. You need to hear the other person’s voice and see his, or her, body language. You need to be present in the same space for the meaning of what is being said is not found just in the words alone

Just keep in mind that being present and “plugged-in” is how Jesus communicated. Don’t you think that the other party in your communication deserves the same?

 

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:1-12

Your thoughts?

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Weekly Devotional 11.05.2017

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. (1 John 3:1)

 
We live in a world in which titles are important and they carry weight; perhaps more than they truly deserve. They serve to define us, at least in part. And, they tend to stick with us, even when they may no longer be accurate. They are a “shorthand” of perceived value.

Like-it-or-not, even though most titles are positive there are some that are not. We may be known as a father or mother, sister or brother, or friend; however, we may also carry the title of dummy, or stupid, or ugly. All of these titles, positive or negative, however, are the work of men.

When we look beyond the titles that men can bestow there is one title that soars far above any of them. This title is bestowed by God for He knows us as Children of God. It is simple, direct, and is the measure of how He perceives us.

We know the meaning and intent of the titles of men, but what does it mean to be Children of God? On the surface, it means that we are His beloved creation but is there more to it?

The short answer is yes!

As a Child of God, you are loved when you are at your best but especially, when you are not. He knows that you will have “bad hair” days and as such are often in need of comfort and forgiveness – both of which He is willing and eager to provide because He loves you.

It also means that the world will not be kind to you because as His child it will not know you because it does not know Him. As His child, He will provide the strength to weather the storms that the world will send your way.

Finally, as His child, you will know true peace that comes from knowing that you are loved, cherished, valued, simply because you are His and that you will be with Him for eternity if you so choose.

 
Heavenly Father, I am blessed to be Your child. I am comforted by Your love and I wear the title Child of God with humility because You have bestowed upon me. Guide me as I share this title with others of Your children who may not know that they also wear it. Give me the strength to weather the storms of the world as I share Your blessings with those in it. I pray in the name of my Lord, Your Son, Christ Jesus. AMEN!

 
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Weekly Devotional 9.24.2017

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
There are situations in life where fear is a natural and appropriate emotion. We face an unknown and our anticipation of what could be there; a sense of danger only serving to heighten the anticipation.

Look back at David as he faced Goliath, nine feet tall and in full battle armor. David is significantly shorter and armed only with a sling and some stones from the river. While others may have been afraid, David trusted that God would protect him and enable him to defeat this seemingly undefeatable foe.

We see this same trust in God in Esther. She was tasked with carrying knowledge of a plan to destroy her people, God’s people, to her husband the King. She knew that if she entered the royal chamber to speak to him without his permission he could have her killed. Yet she, fearful, entered anyway.

What did David and Esther know that we at times forget?

They knew that as long as they were acting according to the will of God, He would give the strength to accomplish the task. They knew that neither one of them possessed the strength to succeed on their own.
Heavenly Father, there are those times when I am overcome with fear. Help me to remain calm when fear overtakes me. Remind me that I have no strength of my own but that You are the source of my strength as I face the unknown. Lead me to react with grace that honors You. In the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus, AMEN.

 

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Weekly Devotional 09.17.2017

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” (Matt. 18:21)

 
It would be interesting to know what had taken place to prompt Peter to ask this question. Had something happened that sorely tried Peter’s patience? Was he venting that frustration to his Rabbi? We’ll never know.

What we do know, however, is that Jesus tells him that there is no limit to the number of times that forgiveness should be offered. Probably not what Peter wanted to hear.

Buried just underneath the surface of this conversation is the key question that drives it – what is forgiveness, what does it mean to forgive (or be forgiven)? What is it about this act of forgiveness that dictates that it be limitless?

To forgive is to dismiss an offense as if it never happened. It implies that the offense will never be brought up again. It doesn’t mean that we tolerate the offense. Even though we forgive, the sin behind the offense must still be addressed.

We often wrestle with forgiveness because we want our “pound of flesh” before we are willing to forgive. That is not the model that God has given us. If God demanded His “pound of flesh” before He forgave us, how could we know when He had satisfied Himself and we are forgiven?

And what if God said that each person only has so many times that he, or she, can be forgiven before He just gives up on us and permanently separates Himself from us? Again, we could never know when we are forgiven.

So, the next time that you are in the position to forgive or not, ask yourself this question, “does what I want in this situation match what God wants for me, for the one who has offended me?”

 
Heavenly Father, so often I am in the situation where I’ve been hurt by the actions of another. Help me to see the path of forgiveness and choose it over that of revenge. Guide me by the Holy Spirit to forgive when it seems as if that is the last thing that should be done. Help me to heal from the offense committed against me so that I will remain on the path of righteousness. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.