Devotion for August 04, 2011 – Sitting On Your Resources?
Photo by Paul Hartig
Today's Scripture Reading
Psalm 85:8-13
8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
but let them not turn back to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
that glory may dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from the sky.
12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him
and make his footsteps a way.
Today's Devotion
You have heard of the person reported to have frozen to death while sitting on a lump of coal? Will you be one of God's frozen people? Or one of God's chosen people? God's chosen people are those who elect to do something with what they have.
A cross may not be part of your resources. For Jesus it was. As George Bernard Shaw observed, "somehow he got hold of the right end of it." Our master is our model.
Get in touch with your resources....your interests, abilities, skills, weaknesses, strengths; Your world, your learning opportunities, your life attitude and how it gets acted out in life style, life work, and life play.
Don't get caught dead sitting on your resources. Think of what you can do with what you have. Think of what God can do with what you have!
Prayer: Gracious God, help me to see within me the resources that I have to work with, rather than keeping my focus upon what I lack or once had and have no more. Help me to see the gifts I have today, and trustingly put these into your hands for the work of bringing your light and your love to the world.
Loving God, this world can be a place of fear, of struggle, of anger, vindictiveness, of pain. Sometimes it seems like there is no hope for anything better. At such times it is so tempting to sit idly by in worry and despair at the world---or simply at my own problems.
At times such as this, O great and loving God, send me reminders that not only have you equipped me with a way to make a diference, but that you have called me to get off my resting place and get busy living for you.
As your disciple, working and connecting with your people, you give me power to change the world in ways that I may never realize, just set into motion. Help me to be faithful to your purpose, O God, and delight in the opportunity to serve in the manner of your son Jesus the Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Today's devotion was shared by
Rev. L. Eugene Brown
Today's devotion was written by Rev. L. Eugene Brown, a much-loved Disciples of Christ pastor and pastor leader with a long list of service to local congregations and the general church. He now lives in retirement in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, and is a member of Downey Avenue Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). This prayer, used by permission, is from A Memoried People, Remembering, Made Whole (Author House Publishing, 1984), page 55. p 136.
Prayer is by Deborah Phelps, Senior Minister, DisciplesNet Church.