Devotional Snippets
Here are a few devotionals I've received over the last two weeks that have stuck with me.
From 411God:
I endeavor to be a Proverbs 31 mom, who is:
Proverbs 31:25-27 (New Living Translation)
25 ...clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.
and
Do you remember Leah from the Bible?
Genesis 29:31-35 (New Living Translation)
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children.... 32 So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "The Lord has noticed my misery...."
33 She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon...."
34 Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. She named him Levi...."
35 Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, "Now I will praise the Lord!" And then she stopped having children.
Do you recognize those names Levi and Judah? Well, you probably recognize the names of some of their distant ancestors: Moses, David, Jesus. When you think of Leah from now on, remember, you are never forgotten. And you, just like this tiny story in the Bible, paint a beautiful line to something bigger.
From my friend Amy, by David Jeremiah:
The Predictable: God's Love
"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." ~Romans 5:5
Our God is full of surprises. He tailor-makes every miracle; He individually designs every life. Every day is different, and His every deliverance is unique. Yet He is never capricious, changeable, erratic, or unstable. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amid the complexity of His manifold ways, there is the solid foundation of His love.
We can always count on that. The Bible longs for us to understand "what is the width and length and depth and height--to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge" (Ephesians 3:18-19). According to the apostle John, the more we understand the shoreless ocean of God's love, the less we'll fear the choppy waters of life, for "perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18).
If you feel your life is unpredictable and unstable right now, focus on His steady, unchanging love. Thank Him for "the love of God flooding through our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us" (Romans 5:5, Phillips). Resting in the predictable and perfect security of God's love will bring revival to our souls.
And finally, a passage I saw on FB:
Psalm 73:21-26
21 Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
and I was all torn up inside.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant—
I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
23 Yet I still belong to you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.
From 411God:
I endeavor to be a Proverbs 31 mom, who is:
Proverbs 31:25-27 (New Living Translation)
25 ...clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.
and
Do you remember Leah from the Bible?
Genesis 29:31-35 (New Living Translation)
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children.... 32 So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "The Lord has noticed my misery...."
33 She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon...."
34 Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. She named him Levi...."
35 Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, "Now I will praise the Lord!" And then she stopped having children.
Do you recognize those names Levi and Judah? Well, you probably recognize the names of some of their distant ancestors: Moses, David, Jesus. When you think of Leah from now on, remember, you are never forgotten. And you, just like this tiny story in the Bible, paint a beautiful line to something bigger.
From my friend Amy, by David Jeremiah:
The Predictable: God's Love
"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." ~Romans 5:5
Our God is full of surprises. He tailor-makes every miracle; He individually designs every life. Every day is different, and His every deliverance is unique. Yet He is never capricious, changeable, erratic, or unstable. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amid the complexity of His manifold ways, there is the solid foundation of His love.
We can always count on that. The Bible longs for us to understand "what is the width and length and depth and height--to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge" (Ephesians 3:18-19). According to the apostle John, the more we understand the shoreless ocean of God's love, the less we'll fear the choppy waters of life, for "perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18).
If you feel your life is unpredictable and unstable right now, focus on His steady, unchanging love. Thank Him for "the love of God flooding through our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us" (Romans 5:5, Phillips). Resting in the predictable and perfect security of God's love will bring revival to our souls.
And finally, a passage I saw on FB:
Psalm 73:21-26
21 Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
and I was all torn up inside.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant—
I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
23 Yet I still belong to you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.
Proverbs 31 about the wife is one of my favs of all time! I could use to read it hourly to remind myself of how I should be and how He wants me to be! Life would be so much easier if I just followed that passage! Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteOh, me, too!!! That's why I wanted to remember it - I need to read that over & over & over... Esp. the "she gives instructions with kindness" part - I'm a yeller. :-P
ReplyDelete