Life - What's the Purpose?

Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Jeremiah 1:5

January is Sanctity of Life Month. We wanted to honor life in some way at our church, so the ladies decided to make these little bunny washcloths for the Mommy Store at the pregnancy crisis center in our area. We thought, brunch, devotion, begin the project, should take about an hour and a half to two hours. Well... lol.

A great time was had by all! And we will be doing this again!

I felt the most important thought was how God knows us before we are even conceived. He has a plan for us. Though we may go against that plan for years, He is always taking us into places and situations that will lead us to Him if we stop long enough to pay attention. The girls at the crisis pregnancy center have a child they did not intend, but God still has a plan for that child and that girl and the father too. Crisis pregnancy centers don't just take care of physical needs. They minister to the girl's and the boy's spiritual needs as well. The whole point is to save a life and help that family seek God's plan for them all. 

I wonder how many of us know God's plan for our own lives. We may have been a Christian for years, but don't know God's purpose for our lives. God is a trinity. He works in threes. Think about the sun. From the sun ball itself comes heat and light, three things. Many things in nature come in threes. So do families, father, mother, child. But how do we know our purpose?

Many people say pray about it. That's a start, but how do you know you are discerning the correct answer. Let's see, there's you, prayer and what would the third thing be? How about God's Word, the Bible. If the answers we think we get from God don't line up with His Word, then - wrong answer. 

Every teachable moment is multi-faceted. When a school teacher plans a lesson around just one standard she misses many standards and teachable moments. Part of the purpose of yesterday's Sanctity of Life project was mentoring our girls, in the Word and in deed.

Titus chapter 2 is a great mentoring chapter. Are you a more mature Christian? How are you mentoring younger Christians in honoring life, in knowing their purpose, in choosing God's purpose over their own will? 

Won't you share in the comment section below, ways you and your church are implementing mentoring? 

Blessings,

Gail

Hey Kids:

Have you ever taught someone younger than you how to play a game or build with legos? 

Never think you are too young to teach or too old to learn. 

Is mom trying to teach you to cook?

Is dad trying to teach you to build? 

Have you asked them to show you? 

God wants us to ask Him to show us the special purpose He has for each of us. If you will ask and then study His word, you'll find the answer. 

Mom reads the recipes and Dad looks at blueprints. Mom and Dad are our pictures of the way God's purposes work. 

 

Loving Others

Monday Readings:
      Exodus 21:22-25  God honors life. These verses indicate that if the mother or the child dies the punishment is life for life - capital punishment. The following verses show just how important people are to God. Even the loosing of a tooth was punishable. We are created in His image and He expects us to respect people. Even the very hairs of our head are numbered.

Dear Lord, Thank you for caring about me. Help me to care about others even as You do. In Jesus name. Amen.

Tuesday Readings:
      Exodus 22:21 The Israelites knew what it was like to be persecuted and enslaved. God commanded them to be kind to strangers, to treat others as you would want to be treated.

The Thanksgiving season is upon us. We think of all the reasons we have to be thankful. Why did we come here? Was it not because of religious persecution? Others came to escape burdensome taxes. Others for freedom to live and work as they saw fit. We were strangers in a strange land. Should we not show love and grace to others who come to us if they abide by our laws?

Father, help us be a merciful people, but for the grace of God we would be in their same condition. In Jesus name. Amen.

Wednesday Readings:
      Exodus 23:4,5; Matthew 5:44 God commands us to have pity on our enemy and his animals. Animals were money in Biblical times. We are to help in their time of trouble. Be a good neighbor.

      If we are kind to others, even our enemies, we may win them to the Lord. We may make peace. We will know we have done right, which is really all that matters.

Father, help me treat others like You treat me - with loving-kindness and forgiveness. In Jesus name. Amen.

Thursday Readings:
      Exodus 24:8 Moses sprinkled the blood of the sacrifices over the people. The Israelites  and all people have broken God's laws. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. ( Hebrews 9:22. ) This was the symbol of the blood of Christ upon their hearts. The blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin.

I wonder how the people felt when they were sprinkled with animal blood? Today we would see this as nasty. But, a bleeding wound cleanses the wound so it can heal without infection. The blood of Christ cleanses us so our lives can be healed of the corruption of sin.

Dear Father, thank you for the sacrifice of Your Son to cleanse us from all sin. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Friday Readings:
    Exodus 25:2 God asked Moses to speak to the people to give a freewill offering, an offering of love, not grudgingly nor of necessity. An offering of things needed to build the tabernacle.

What things are needed to build up the kingdom of God, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, love? Can we as Christians give these things

willingly? Is the increase of the Kingdom of God at the foremost of our daily lives?

Father help us willingly give our, time, money, and efforts to the upbuildment of Your kingdom.

Want you offer suggestions of ways to show the mercy of God to our neighbors and our enemies? May you be blessed for your work for God's kingdom.



Love in Jesus name,

Gail

The Sharp-shinned Hawk

 www.utahbirds.org

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. II Timothy 3:16,17

I heard the call the sharp-shinned hawk this morning. The kids ran out on the deck to look for it. They watched as the hawk called from the top of a tall poplar. Then they suddenly ran back into the house. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

“We heard something way off that sounded weird.”

“Maybe it was the mate calling.”

“No, it was different.”

“Well, sometimes the call of the female sounds a little different.” They went back outside. This time there were two hawks in the top of the tree, watching the open ground and woods around them. The kids watched until the hawks flew off together. Then they needed to know more. They searched their bird book to find when hawks nested. They wanted to know if they were just here for the winter or were they permanent residents. The more they learned the more they wanted to know.

Who would have thought that listening and watching hawks on a cold Saturday morning would have caused so much interest in learning? I don’t know how the knowledge the kids gained from researching hawks will help them, but if nothing else it helped research skills and it was fun. I often find that listening and watching for what God is doing will cause me to search the scriptures to find words of comfort, of peace and instruction.

Lord Jesus, may my eyes be open to the things You are doing in my life, my church, and my community. May it cause me to search the scriptures to know more about You and how I fit into Your plan. Help me to be obedient to those things You are willing to show me. In Your name I pray. Amen.