Good morning...
Today I met mt friend Jody for breakfast. I almost missed that happy event, because I did not see a text she sent me. With no answer she thought we were not meeting. What she did was so good to me. She put some speed on and was only ten minutes late. She had been in Europe for 20 days, and it was so interesting to her about her exploits there. What an amazing trip she and her husband had. On the way home I was thinking about the morning and what a special time it was, I thanked God for the women He has placed in my life who are so strong and spiritual. They are such a blessing to me.
Have a wonderful whirlwind of a Wednesday!
God bless from
Corinne
The Devotional component of the Wednesday Writings in Women's Focus Ministries was written by Sandy Billingham. The title of her writing is "The Past Is The Past." Here is a quote from Sandy.s writing, "God's word tells us to reach forward to those things which are ahead. We need to constantly and fervently fix our eyes on the King. We should never lose sight of the finish line, for Christ is our ultimate goal."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Devotional
"The Past Is The Past"
written by
Sandy Billingham
In Philippians 3:13-14 it says,
"Brethren,
I do not count myself to have apprehended;
but one thing I do, forgetting those things
which are behind and reaching forward
to those things which are ahead," I press toward the goal
for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
God clearly tells us to forget our past and to press forward onto Him. Until our final breath here on this earth, we should continually have our hearts and eyes fixed on Him. If we keep dwelling on the past and clinging to our regrets, we lose our zeal and love for Christ. When we choose to live in the past, it will only hold us back and be a snare to us. It will drag us down and keep us stagnant and ineffective in our walk with Christ.
Instead, God's word tells us to reach forward to those things which are ahead. We need to constantly and fervently fix our eyes on the King. We should never lose sight of the finish line, for Christ is our ultimate goal.
Pressing toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of Christ will be my forever goal as long as I am living in this world. Christ is worth it all as I reach forward onto Him!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Snippets of Spiritual Insights from Beverley
🎋 I learned a long time ago that my life is the training ground for that which the Lord wants to teach me. So here I am. Again. Spilling out the contents of my heart by sharing what I wrote. It's who I am and its what I do.
"And sometime later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land." 1 Kings 17:7
This verse reminds me that sometimes it's time to leave. I think we can all accept that. But what if that which we're having to leave. Is a freindship. What if the time comes when that freindship is no longer what it used to be. What happens when there is a "drought" so to speak. In that friendship. When there is a growing lack of ability. To nourish one another. To help each other grow. Or to embrace each other. As closely. And as naturally. As before. What happens when words become difficult to speak. And hearts become silent. Seemingly grieving the loss. Of what once was.
Those times remind me. Of this story. Of Elijah. It seems that after a very hard time in his life, the Lord had brought him to a place of shelter. For there was a famine in the land. The Lord took Elijah to a special place. A place of His own design. He took him to a divine place. A place of rest. And intervention. A place where Elijah would find nourishment and rescue. It was a place of provision. And favor.
But. After awhile the brook dried up. For Elijah was never meant to stay there. The Lord had blessed him there, yes. But only for an appointed amount of time. Then the Lord made it quite clear. That his time there. Was over. There was somewhere else the Lord was now instructing Elijah to go. So. Elijah arose. And went.
Our friendships can be like this. At times after a very hard period in our lives, the Lord will bring us into a special place of friendship with another. It will be an appointed place. And for an appointed amount of time. It will be for a specific purpose. We will find rest. In this place. And provision. And we will know. That we are not alone. This place will help strengthen. And prepare us. For the rest of our journey.
I must admit, however. That I am not always like Elijah. Sometimes I want to stay. Sometimes I try to stay. In these special places. Even when "the brook dries up" and I no longer find the nourishment. That I need. I stay. Anyways. For a time. Because I want what I want. Even when the Lord is directing me. Elsewhere. I sit. And wait. For Him to refresh what once was. While He waits patiently. For me to get up. And move on.
Forgive me Lord. For not moving. To follow You. Quickly. Forgive me. For insisting. On my own way. For my stubbornness. And pride. For my arrogance. In thinking that somehow. My way is better. Even after all of you're goodness. And grace towards me.
Help me. To trust in your understanding. In your ways. In your timing. And purpose. For not only. My own life. But for that Friend. Who will stay. Always close. In my heart. Thank you. That you have plans. For her life. And for mine. Good plans. And thank you that your ways are now. And always will be. So much higher than mine.
Today. I will trust you. Enough. To let go. Of what once was. In order to receive. What next will be.
(c) Beverley Napier
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Christian Humor for a Laugh Today
There was a preacher who fell in the ocean and he couldn't swim. When a boat came by, the captain yelled, "Do you need help, sir?" The preacher calmly said "No, God will save me." A little later, another boat came by and a fisherman asked, "Hey, do you need help?" The preacher replied again, "No God will save me." Eventually the preacher drowned & went to heaven. The preacher asked God, "Why didn't you save me?" God replied, "I sent you two boats!"
A man is talking to God. "God, how long is a million years?" God answers, "To me, it's about a minute." "God, how much is a million dollars?" "To me, it's a penny." "God, may I have a penny?" "Wait a minute."
A bus full of ugly people had a head on collision with a truck. When they died, God granted all of them one wish. The first person said, "I want to be gorgeous." God snapped his fingers and it happened. The second person said the same thing and God did the same thing. This want on and on throughout the group. God noticed the last man in line was laughing hysterically. By the time God got to the last ten people, the last man was laughing and rolling on the ground. When the man's turn came, he laughed and said, "I wish they were all ugly again."
Jesus, Moses, and an old man go golfing. The first one to tee off is Moses. He smashes the ball and it is heading right for the water hazard before the green. Moses raises his club, the water parts, and the ball makes it to the green. Jesus gets up to swing, cranks it out, and it is headed for the water hazard. Jesus closes his eyes and prays. The ball skips across the water and lands on the green two feet from the hole. The old man's turn comes and he drives the ball. The ball looks like it is going to drop directly into the water. A fish jumps from the water hazard swallowing the ball, as an eagle drops from the sky, grabbing the fish. As the eagle flies over the green, a bolt of lightning strikes the eagle, making it drop the fish. As the fish hits the green, it spits out the ball and the ball falls into the hole, making a hole in one. Jesus looks at Moses and says, "I really think I'm leaving Dad at home next time!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Inspiring Graphic
What will you do to make Wednesday count...
...to turn mediocrity into excellence?
...to turn mediocrity into excellence?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayers are lifted up daily for
you by the Devotional Writers
and the Monthly Writing Staff
of Women's Focus Ministries.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No comments:
Post a Comment