Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I seek to begin my day centered in You, grounded in Your Word and filled with Your Spirit, I look and listen with the eyes and ears of my spirit, waiting for Your leading--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...
While I was sitting and waiting, on the news they showed videos of the bus stop shooting in Jerusalem, the war in Palestine, the war in Ukraine, People on different sides of these events and issues were lashing out at each other with hate and hurtful words. Then this Word from Your Scripture immediately came to my mind:”
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2)
We’re living in a world deeply divided opinions, coming from deeply divided perspectives, that keeps deeply dividing us from one another. And not only that, also lashing out at one another--even among family and friends, even among spiritual families and “Facebook friends”--not to mention among religious divides, political divides, and cultural divides.
It's hard to hold your peace. It’s hard to know when to be silent, when to speak, when to pick your battles or when to just step back and walk away. It’s hard to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), hard to turn the other check (Matthew 5:39), hard to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21), and hard to trust that love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8), even as we fight the good fight of the faith (1 Timothy 6:12).
So You speak to our hearts to keep looking up. You remind us to keep seeking Your heart, letting You put Your thoughts in our minds and Your desires in our hearts. You encourage us to let Your Spirit put Your words in our mouths, to show us what to say and when to say it or what not to say and when not to say it (Luke 12:12)--not some organization’s talking points coming from the spirit of the world instead of the Spirit of God (James 3:15). “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17).
By the power of Your grace, keep my heart looking up to You, even if someone is lashing out at me or at the things I believe or at the One in whom I trust. By Your Spirit--not by my own power or might--I choose to keeping looking up and to keep from lashing out (Zechariah 4:6). “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you may keep looking up to the One you can trust, even in a world that's lashing out. Call or text someone today with kind words. They may be the only ones they hear today, in Jesus' name. God bless you, my friends!
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As the year draws to an end, PLEASE give and help Nancy and I help them!
My wife Nancy and I in our ministries are pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this season in our lives and that of our family and ODC. Please partner and support us and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation now for next year, or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You Thank You!
