Contents

  Devotional
1.  Not A Care In The World
2.  40 Years of Purpose
3.  A Right Judgment
4.  Let Down
5.  Recreational Bible Reading
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  Short Story
1.  Not In My Footsteps
2.  Protected
3.  Low Expectations
4.  Do You Hear The Music?
5.  Granddad's Hands
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  Poetry
1.  Storms.
2.  Cup of Tea
3.  Remember Poor Humpty
4.  Fading Wealth
5.  Quiet Place of Rest
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  Article
1.  Did You See?
2.  Bring Us Joy in the Morning
3.  Bananas
4.  Raising Abel
5.  Fatherly Feedings
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  Essay
1.  Parting Weighs
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  Book
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  Just For Fun
1.  The Raven
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Bible Reflection

08-08-2008

Daily Scripture from Bible Gateway
Bible Gateway provides excellent Bible study resources.
 

Devotional Reflection

08-08-2008

Let Down

Galatians 6:1, NIV: Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

It hurts in a strange and different way. It feels like betrayal, yet that may be a bit strong. A person you admire, respect, or even love, lets you down. But it’s not that he or she let specifically you down, but that he or she did something to disillusion you. This person you admire behaved or said something inappropriate, or uncharacteristic. And suddenly—your world is shattered. It happens all the time. People are placed upon pedestals and expected to live up to being the person we see him or her as in our minds. But even the best examples we have here are stained with humanity and struggle with sin. And it is often those lifted up the most in the eyes of others that may crash the hardest. So, what do you do when that good Christian you have admired fails? “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” We will all fail at one time or another. It is not our place to judge, but to restore. It is our place to pick that person up, and help him or her regain footing on the path of God.
Written for FaithWriters.com
FaithWriters is an online Christian Writer's group.
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Day By Day Devotionals

08-08-2008

Church, Choice & God's Direction

In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
(Acts 13:1-3).

In returning to a city that I and my family had previously lived, we began to seek God's direction concerning a church home. There was one church that we had attended before, and that was the first one we visited. We loved the members of that church and had fond memories of many of them. They were a good group of people, and we could have very easily rejoined that church and it would not have bothered any one of my family to do so, with the exception of one--God; and therewith, us as well. As Christ is the Head of the head of the house, He is the family member who has the final say. And we were certain that although we would not have minded rejoining that particular church, it was not where God wanted us to be, and so we continued to seek.
But to so many this was quite out of the ordinary. Some who were dear friends from the church seemed very puzzled by the news that we would not be coming back. They had difficulty understanding how we could look anywhere else and possibly questioned our motives and our reasoning for doing so. Some were hurt by our decision, feeling as though it was something that was done or said to us by someone in the church that caused us not to come back. We were approached by some who asked us what was wrong, how they could help, and if someone did something to offend us. It was just too much out of the ordinary to them, and no one really knew what to make of it.
We assured them that no one did anything. We told them that we just knew that God was wanting us to serve Him at a different church, for whatever reason He alone knew. It may have been a mystery to us and a puzzlement to the church, but there was nothing of it that surprised or bewildered God. He had a specific place for us to serve Him and it was not with the church to which we previously belonged.
Now this could have been any church, and it is indicative of most. Someone leaves and the questions arise, "What's wrong?" they ask. Everyone begins to wonder and to speculate why the person or family left. The first thing that is thought is often that something must have upset them, for "why else would they leave?" Then many people begin to ask others if they knew what happened to so and so, and if they know why they left. Why do they ask that? Perhaps they have seen several occasions just like that; in which someone got mad and left or in which someone did not come back because someone offended them. Perhaps that is the normal thing; while what is out of the ordinary is someone who honestly goes to another church because God has led them that way. Even with that, many would still question the validity of such an occurance.
But what is truly puzzling is this: why does it seem odd to us for someone to say that they are simply trying to follow God's direction? We are a church that is called to send out servants--not retain family members. We know that God has a plan for each of our lives and that the plan varies for each of us. Even as that plan brings us to a local church family, it may also lead us away. Grant it our motives are not always pure in our choice of churches. For all too often people join churches for what's in it for them, or for how comfortable they feel in a particular church. But as a church we should be encouraging people to serve wherever God tells them, and we should be sending them out with our blessings when God calls them away. For it should not be our choice that leads us to one church or another, but only the Lord that leads us to a church in which He has called us to serve.

http://www.daybyday.org
I started Day by Day in 1998 in response to what I believe was God's leading. It is my primary devotional site. Reflections was added later, simply as a site to place more of my work.