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| Volume 19 Number 6 June 2017 | Page 13 |
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| Volume 19 Number 6 June 2017 | Page 13 |
Dean Kelly
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24 ESV).
Today, I have been blessed with another day. I know that Psalm 118 is talking specifically about Jesus’ day, but I still believe it not to be a misuse to apply it to every day with which God blesses us, for indeed, every day is a day the Lord has made!
Today, I cannot relive yesterday, and tomorrow is yet to come. However, I can give my new day back to God by serving Him, praying to Him, loving Him and never forgetting that I am His throughout this precious gift of a day.
Today, I am going to put aside all anger, malice, hatred and discontent. I purpose to use every moment of this God-given day the best way that it is humanly possible to use.
Today, I am going to be the example of what love is. I am going to love my family in deed and action, not just in words. I am going to love those who do not love me, just for today, because today is all that I can control. I am going to show the world, today, that I know what the love of Jesus is, and it is in my life.
Today, I am going to live my life and use my tongue as a light reflecting Jesus. I will stand for His truth, without compromise, in sincere love and concern for others. When today ends, I will not have driven anyone away from God by my actions, but I hope to have led them closer to Him by what they see in me.
This is my prayer for today.
The Wrong Way
Derek Broome
It is amazing to me how we as people act sometimes. Even when the evidence is looking us right in the face and every bit of knowledge and reason points us in the right direction, we still choose to go the wrong way. This problem is not something new to this generation, but it is something with which we must deal here in the present.
In Jonah 1, Jonah was given the task by Almighty God to go to Nineveh and to speak out against the wickedness of that great people. Upon receiving this command, Jonah attempted to flee from the presence of the Lord and go by boat to the city of Tarshish. A storm came upon the water and ultimately Jonah was cast overboard and swallowed by the great fish. Jonah spent three days in the belly of this fish before being spat out on dry ground.
Now, if you were to continue the story of Jonah, you would see how after being spat out that he went to Nineveh, preached to the people, the people of Nineveh repented and God spared them. Yet, here is the odd thing that I want to point out. In Jonah 4, we read how Jonah recognized the graciousness of God and had not wanted to come to Nineveh because he knew that God would forgive the people if they repented. This same man that could clearly see some of the characteristics of God forgot something truly important. He overlooked that he was a servant of Almighty God. The same God was in control of that storm, prepared the great fish, kept Jonah alive and has the ability to forgive sin. That was the God that Jonah served, and that is the God that we serve today.
Sometimes, we as Christians are just like Jonah. We try to run from what we have been called to do. We make excuses, waste our time and in some ways try to hide from God. Like Jonah, we forget who we are serving, what He has done for us and what all He continues to do. The God who we serve is everywhere. He is all-knowing. He is all-powerful. This same God is the one who sent His only Son to die for our sins because He loves us so much and desires us to be with Him.
As we live our lives, let us all live in service to Almighty God. Let us keep His ways at the forefront of our minds and let Him direct our paths from day to day.