Quote from Forum Archives on June 22, 2001, 12:00 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

I've been through many things in my life. One of the saddest
things I have had to go through is the process of divorce. It
was not something I ever wanted or desired, but it happened to
me, just the same.

I consider divorce to be a sin. So, yes, I have sinned. There
are many other things that I have committed that are also
sinful. I am not proud of any of these things.

The one positive thing I can tell you about going through all of
this is that perhaps that is what it took for me to pay more
attention to my God. You see, it is not a question of whether I
knew of God, or even had a relationship with God (through His
Son, Jesus Christ). Both of those things were true.

But I did not always give my Lord first place in my life, though
I have long had a deep love for Him.

Having to grapple with loss, depression, anxiety, anger, and a
whole range of emotions forced me back to the place where I
earnestly sought God. I have to tell you, when I did so, I did
not find a "I told you so" kind of a response. I found someone
who really cared, who, of course, did not want me to continue
making those kind of repeated errors, but loved me, even in spite
of them.

Most of us know of people who will accept us, provided we perform
at some acceptable level, or if we look a certain way or do a
certain thing. But how many of us know of those who love and
care for us, even when we are wrong, even when we are ugly, even
when we are offensive?

Now I'm not recommending that we take on any of those character
traits, but isn't it nice to know that we were created by a
loving God, who loves us, no matter what we think or do, but also
desires us to do what is best for us and brings praise to Him?
Can we show any less to others? Let us love as Christ first loved us.

Dear Lord,

You are beautiful and altogether lovely in all of Your ways, and
I praise you with all of my heart today. I am mindful that You
are the very essence of love and grace, and that is what I seek.

I confess that I fall far short of who You are, and I approach
you with no merit of my own. I appeal to You for Your
forgiveness, for the ways I have hurt others, for the ways I have
turned away from You, for the ways I have failed to do all that
You ask and require of me. I desire to be made new and whole,
but that is a task that I am unable to accomplish alone. I need
You at the center of everything I think and do. Will You be my
constant companion and guide?

I am not alone in my need. There are people everywhere who need
Your loving touch. Some have never ever experienced Your love,
nor have they come from loving, caring environments. For these,
I especially pray.

For those who are struggling in their relationships, for those
with illness, I also pray for Your hand, that Your presence would
be known and felt, and that You would bring peace.

Speaking of peace, Lord, our world is in turmoil. Though our
country has had years free of military war, there are wars every
day in some homes, there are cruel things happening in many
places. In some countries, people go hungry while we have more
than enough. In some countries, wars and conflicts have ravaged
the people and the land.

You know all these things, O God, and You are able to do more
than I could ever ask or imagine. So I call upon You to work in
ways that I do not understand. I do know of Your awesome power,
and I know of Your love, so I trust in Your ways, Your timing,
and Your solution to all of these things. I rest in them, not
because of anything that I have done, but because of Jesus
Christ, my Lord, my Savior, and my eternal hope. Amen.

Brother Brian

Devotionals from Crosswalk.com >
devotionals.crosswalk.com/devo/display/1,8631,~15,00.htm

The Intersection of Faith and Life
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quiet Walk

Bible reading: John 13

Overview:

Christ washes His disciples' feet.

Insight: Love for one another is to be the mark of a
Christian. Jesus says, "By this all will know that you are My
disciples, if you have love for one another" (v. 35). Our songs
today are filled with words about love, and yet it is a very
self-centered kind of lovenot the kind of love Jesus
teaches. Divorce rates soar; child abuse is rampant; legal
conflicts run amuckall expressions of man's self-centered love.

But what of Christians' love? Christians, too, are divorcing each
other, taking each other to court. Have we stooped to accept the
world's standards for love? If we claim to be followers of
Christ, our "love" must live on a plane higher than that of the
world.

We must convince the world that we are Christ's disciples by
loving others as He loved!

Prayer:

Thank the Lord that He wants us to love and encourage people
through us: My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has
rejoiced in God my Savior... For behold, henceforth all
generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done
great things for me, And holy is His name. And His mercy is on
those who fear Him From generation to generation (Luke 1:46-50).

Now pray this confession to the Lord: Blessed are we whose
transgressions are forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed are
we to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit
there is no deceit (based on Psalm 32:1-2).

As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
We who overcome shall be clothed in white garments, and You will
not blot out our names from the Book of Life; but You will
confess our names before Your Father and before His angels (based
on Revelation 3:5).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for: greater
love for your family, the work of missions in Peru,
sensitivity toward the needs of your neighbors.

Offer this prayer of worship to God: Now to You who are able to
establish us according to Your gospel and the preaching of Jesus
Christ, ... to You, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ
forever. Amen (based on Romans 16:25,27).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/
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