MONDAY, August 4 Think Positive
Matthew 12:34 GNT
For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Today's story tells of a girl recalling a visit to an amusement park with friends to her mom. She tells of all the fun activities that happened, none of the bad. When questioned by her friend, she says, "My Mom says to remember the good stuff!"
When we dwell on injustice done to us, world events, and the 'bad stuff', we fail to see God at work in all the beauty, the compassion, the wonder, and the joy that life can bring. Yes, if we can work to alleviate some of the 'bad', we should. But it cannot be the focus of our hearts. I liked this quote at the end of the story:
Believers’ hearts should be filled with truth, not lies. Peace, not fear. Love, not hatred. Forgiveness, not anger. Contentment, not envy. Joy, not sorrow. Hope, not despair. Faith, not doubt.
TUESDAY,
August 5 Heaven Theme Song
Psalm
92:1 NIV
It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High.
(NIV)
The composers of music scores for movies
do an incredible job of giving viewers a musical theme that we can identify
with particular characters over and over.
Think Star Wars and the music that accompanies Darth Vader whenever he
comes on screen. Other characters, often
villains, have distinctive themes.
What is God’s theme song? What musical score do we instantly associate
with God? My first reaction is Sandi
Patti and some of her incredible vocal tributes to the holy. So much of psalms lends itself to heavenly
tunes and praise. Have I ever written my
own song of praise to God? My personal praise song for God? It seems like no
one theme song can contain the Almighty.
God has too many distinct characteristics. God is too big for one theme song. Do I want to sing to my Father God? My Savior God? My Creator God? Hmmm….the latter might be where I would
start.
WEDNESDAY,
August 6 Fan Gifts Into Flame
2
Timothy 1:6 NIV
“Fan into flame the gift of God which is in you.”
1 Peter 4:10 NIV
“Each
of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others.”
I
love nothing better about camping than sitting around the campfire, mesmerized
by the flickering light of the flames. I
am not particularly good at building campfires, that slow process of tinder and
construction, designed to produce flames after a period of ignition and fanning
to allow the oxygen to fully envelop the fuel.
But I know people who are good at it.
And…God is good at building campfires!
There is a God-fire within each of us, waiting to be fanned into flames by the Holy Spirit. We all have a campfire of gifts to bring to flame, to fully achieve what God desires for you and from us Is my fire smouldering? Do I hold my gifts tight and fail to use them? How brightly is my fire burning? Who might help fan my flame? Who can I encourage to burn brighter by blowing life into their fire??
THURSDAY, August 7 God's Golf Bag
Romans 12:6 GNT
So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us.
1 Corinthians 12:4-5 NIV
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spiurit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
These are fairly common verses but today in the Adventure devotions I found a new comparison to the Body of Christ: Golfing!! God golfs!
OK, perhaps a little explanation is in order. We all have the same goal and purpose: to serve God. That's our golf game. But God's golf bag is composed of a variety of different clubs, each with a different use and purpose. Each club is like a gift of the Spirit. When a Preacher-Putter is needed, God pulls it out. Caught in the rough? Pull out the Compassion Chipper. Sometimes a driver, sometimes an iron. If we think of ourselves individually as golf clubs in God's golf bag, we can see that we each have a purpose in the overall plan. No club is more necessary than another, no club is more important.
What club am I? When I write and post on the internet, am I a Driver, propelling my golf ball of God-message the long distance down the fairway? When I build a Habitat home, what kind of club am I? More importantly, am I in the game?
What club am I? When I write and post on the internet, am I a Driver, propelling my golf ball of God-message the long distance down the fairway? When I build a Habitat home, what kind of club am I? More importantly, am I in the game?
James 2:23 MSG
It’s that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named “God’s friend.”
Exodus 33:11 GNT
The Lord would speak with Moses face-to-face, just as someone speaks with a friend.
Growing up, many of us had a Pen-Pal friend....a long distance friend that eventually we might get to meet face to face and in person. But for the moment, our relationship was built through the exchange of our letters. We shared details of our life with our pen pal, we shared our culture and more. Sometimes, if we have a good pen-pal, we will see their face in our minds when their country shows up on the news or we read about them in the newspaper.
Can't it be the same with God? Shouldn't we make God the most intimate Pen-Pal ever? Perhaps more like a Prayer-Pal! We share our life through prayer, we can 'see' our Prayer-Pal God in the faces of those around us, in Creation. Someday, face-to-face, but for now....we can build a relationship of friendship and love.
I like to think that my search for letters is one way that God and I are sending messages back and forth! When I draw a scribble or mandala, I am drawing a letter to God. What a wonderful prayer-friend God can be!
SATURDAY, August 9 TUG O' FAITH
Romans 4:20 GNT
His [Abraham's] faith did not leave him, and he did not doubt God's promise; his faith filled him with power, and he gave praise to God.
Matthew 21:21 VOICE
I tell you this: if you have faith and do not doubt, then you will be able to wither a fig tree with one glance.
Today's Adventure metaphor was a game of tug o'war, where the winning side really needs someone of side and power to 'anchor' the team. We live in a constant state of competition between faith and doubt, forgetting that we have the very best 'anchor' possible: the power of God, the power of our faith when placed in God. We were back on the road today - another drive to Bandon for the week to care for my mom. Special prayers for the family and friends of the young motorcyclist killed along the Mackenzie River. We were delayed for nearly an hour waiting for a lane to open. But my tug-o-war this week may be with my patience and hope that Mom WILL improve and doubts that it will happen. May I remember that God is anchoring the team of hope and faith!! May Mom remember this as well!
The Adventure devotions only appear to be posted monthly and they don't change from year to year....So, this is it - nothing else struck a chord with me! I'll move on to something else!
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