Devotionals

My experience reminds me of how we should protect the people in our churches who have been damaged by life. John told us to love one another (1 Jn. 3:14,17-18). In fact, this is an important way we demonstrate that we belong to the Lord (v.19). If we sense the presence of people who need our love and care, we can't just ignore them and risk losing them. If we don't protect them with Christian love, the next time they get hurt they may turn elsewhere for help.

Labels: Daily Devotional, Hurt, Love, Relationship

2 Chronicles 21:4-20

Jehoram King of Judah

4 When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father's kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the princes of Israel. 5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 6 He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD. 7 Nevertheless, because of the covenant the LORD had made with David, the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David. He had promised to maintain a lamp for him and his descendants forever.

8 In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king. 9 So Jehoram went there with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night. 10 To this day Edom has been in rebellion against Judah.
Libnah revolted at the same time, because Jehoram had forsaken the LORD, the God of his fathers. 11 He had also built high places on the hills of Judah and had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.

12 Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said:
"This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: 'You have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah. 13 But you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and you have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab did. You have also murdered your own brothers, members of your father's house, men who were better than you. 14 So now the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow. 15 You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.' "

16 The LORD aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs who lived near the Cushites. 17 They attacked Judah, invaded it and carried off all the goods found in the king's palace, together with his sons and wives. Not a son was left to him except Ahaziah, ^[a] the youngest.

18 After all this, the LORD afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. 19 In the course of time, at the end of the second year, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great pain. His people made no fire in his honor, as they had for his fathers.

20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one's regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

"HE PASSED AWAY, TO NO ONE'S REGRET" 2Chronicles 21:20

Do you ever wonder how people will feel when you die? Will they be sorry? Will they mourn? Will they even notice?

Don't laugh! It has happened.

Jehoram, a king of Judah, had a righteous father, Jehoshaphat. But Jehoram was the opposite. It was only because God had promised David that H would preserve his kingdom that Jehoram and his entire family were not destroyed.

Even so, Jehoram himself was punished, through a disease that we won't go into detail to describe.

Did you notice that Jehoram's subjects weren't too keen on him either? Verse 19 says the people "made passing of a king. And they didn't even respect Jehoram enough to bury him in the tombs of the kings.

Indeed, as the Bible says, Jehoram, "passed away, to no one's regret" (v.20)

Granted, few people in the world are that disagreeable. But the story of Jehoram is a reminder that our Christian lives are lived out in the ocntext of social relationships. How we treat others demonstrates the depth of our faith. And how people feel when we die indicates how they felt about us when we were alive.

How do you brighten up a room - by entering it or by leaving it? God's Holy Spirit creates in us the kind of personality that attracts others.

Iknow, talk about death is a little morbid and -- I hope -- alot premature. But it's a way to get us to look at life. The love that Jesus creates within our hearts shines out and brings us into strong realtionships. It will produce friends, and they will be the kind of people who will carry us through any situation.


REFLECTION:
* How do I want to be remembered?
Which qualities am I praying that the Holy Spirity will develop in my life, so that I can radiate Christ's loe to others?

Labels: Attitude, Daily Devotional, Relationship

A Personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of Marriage

Behold I lay in zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him shall not be Dissappointed. 1 Peter 2:6

Marriage involves a blending of lives, not merely a "joining". Many Marriages flunder because the individuals in them keep looking back over their shoulders at freedoms and relationships they had in the past. When a couple invites Jesus Christ to be the cornerstone of their marriage as the true point of strength on which they build their relationship -- they are inviting Him to "walk out front" before them. Then He is free to lead them forward into the unique purpose He has for them as a married couple.

We are unique as individuals. But each marriage is also unique. It is a "individual" and one-of-a-kind as the two people involved. Just as God created us as completely original individuals, so we need to invite Him to create our marriages as completely original relationships. This can only happen when each person in the realtionship yields his or her individuality to God's Higher purpose.

As C.S. Lewis said, "Self exists to be abdicated. In self giving we touch a rhythm, not only of all creation, but of all being, for the Eternal Word also gives Himself in sacrifice".

Labels: Devotional for Couples, Relationship

The Family Begins in a Commitment of Love

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. Ephesians 5:31 AMP

If you were to hold a lump of dark green clay in one hand, and a lump of light green clay in the other, you could clearly identify the two shades of color. However if you were to mold the two lumps together, kneading them thoroughly until they were truly blended, you would see just one lump green clay... at least at first glance. Upon closer inspection, you could see the distinct and separate lines of dark and light green clay, yet it would be virtually impossible to separate the clay intow two pure colors again.

That is an image of what it means for a husband and wife to become "one flesh" -- love binds the couple together, especially as they knead out some of their differences and develop a life of mutual goals, activities, and relationship.

A grandma once told her young granddaughter that Jim and June were coming for a visit. With eager anticipation, they baked a special treats and cleaned the house thoroughly in expectation of their overnight stay. With wide-eyed wonder the little girl exclaimed upon their arrival, "Nanna, there are two people. Someone came with Jim-and-June!" When the name of one is so readily associated with the other... the clay truly has been blended.

Labels: Devotional for Couples, Love, Relationship