My Journey 7/30 -7/31/2010

God's insight to me:

I like this devotional by Charles Swindoll for it made me think of the opening line that I use for my blogs, "God's insight to me." I love his statement that "insight makes the simple profound and the difficult understandable!" I will whole hardily agree with the simple being profound for I have many times said, "Wow" after God making something open to my mind and heart. As I was reading about touch I thought of the Holy Spirit. When He is present in you this line from Charles Swindoll is so true,you experience Him, feel Him, are moved by Him, understands, is lost in Him! How true when stated we didn't "earn it or learn it or deserve it," nope it is a gift from God as Mr. Swindoll writes, "It pleased Him to make you like you are for His glory." Gifts from God. Thank You Jesus!

Gifts

Each breath I take
Each sunrise I see
Each sound I hear
Are gifts from Thee.

Everything I touch
Every step I take
More gifts for me
That my Lord did make.

A forgiving heart
A caring way
A truthful nature
Yes, more gifts each day.

Every smile I make
Every laugh in fun
Every hand I’d shake
Every friend I’ve won.

Food to eat
And water to drink
All gifts from You, Lord
Which makes me think.

The reason for all these gifts
Is now so plain to see
Because the greatest gift of all
Is just Your love for me…

E. P. Shagott

Max Lucado's devotional makes me think of a phrase I have said many times when sharing God's love or my personal testimony, "My bags are packed!" For once truthfully believe that this earthly place is not our home we then pursue in earnest what is waiting for us. If you believe in the Bible, which I do, then in the last chapter, the book of Revelation, chapter 21, verse 1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And the sea no longer is. My friends, I am ready when He is!

This last devotional made me think about the God's Love Outreach Ministry that will be starting up on August 2nd. I believe it is truly "God's Loving Outreach" that I am blessed to be chosen to be a part of. I have found this song on YouTube which is one of my favorites. It is called "There is a River" and had the privilege to sing it a couple times at City Mission with some other gentlemen. As Charles Stanley wrote. "When your soul is empty and the well runs dry, look for Jesus!" How true. Click here to listen to this song by the Gaither's.

From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott

*************************************************
July 30

Caught, Not Taught
by Charles R. Swindoll

1 Corinthians 4

"Some things are better felt than telt," say our Scottish friends. And that is so true. Take insight, for example—that elusive weave of intuition, perception, alertness, and sensitivity. You just can't teach it. You can, however, nurture it. You can even expand it. But there's no one-two-three process that suddenly makes one insightful. Yet insight is essential in things like teaching or counseling or writing. When insight is present, those skills literally come alive. Insight makes the simple profound and the difficult understandable. Those who have it were not taught it; they caught it. From God.

Another example? Touch. We refer to a gifted musician as having the right "touch"—that sixth sense that lifts sterile black notes off white pages and transforms them into the colorful and moving strains of a masterpiece. Give some pianists the score and you get harmony and rhythm played with proper timing. Place the same piece before one with touch—and there is no comparison. One plays music. The other experiences it, feels it, is moved by it, understands, is lost in it . . . and helps us do the same.

Touch is somehow caught from God, not taught by man. Either you got it or you ain't!

These two extremes pose a practical problem, however: Either we feel deprived . . . or we get stuffy because we got it and they ain't.

Hey, let's once and for all put this frustration to bed. If you've "got it," you caught it. You didn't earn it or learn it or deserve it, nor can you preserve it. God sovereignly marked you out and equipped you with that unique ingredient to reflect His glory. That's the reason. "What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?"
(1 Cor. 4:7).

And what if you're among the so-called have-nots? You're gifted, but it's not one of those abilities that seem so enviable. Your particular gift or ability or capability is just as significant, just as deliberately planned by God, as any other. It pleased Him to make you like you are for His glory.

And on top of the responsibility that's yours to contribute your part, you have the added joy of receiving the benefits from those individuals uniquely gifted with things like insight and touch. Those moments come to us on rare occasions in life, not to frustrate us but to refresh us . . . like the soft rush of wind from the flapping of angels' wings.

I don't know how else to describe it. Some things are better felt than telt.

Have you been envious or jealous of another's gift? Just stop and think of what the world would have missed had you not been in it.

*************************************************
July 31

In Transit
By Max Lucado

“Our homeland is in heaven, and we are waiting for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven.” Philippians 3:20

You’ve seen people treat this world like it was a permanent home. It’s not. You seen people pour time and energy into life like it will last forever. It won’t. You’ve seen people so proud of what they have done, that they hope they will never have to leave—they will.

We all will. We are in transit.

*************************************************
July 31

God's Loving Outreach
by Charles Stanley

John 4:1-42

This story of the Lord's encounter with a Samaritan woman is a wonderful example of His loving response to hurting individuals. Jesus is always reaching out in love, even when we do not recognize His extended hand.

Although this meeting may have appeared accidental, it was really a providential appointment with the Messiah. As the woman reached the well, Jesus initiated conversation by asking for a drink of water. His direct approach surprised her and opened the door for a dialogue that would change her life forever.

Throughout the exchange, Jesus' goal was to help the woman recognize her greatest need so He could supply her with the only gift that would meet that need: salvation and the forgiveness of her sins. She had spent her life trying to find love and acceptance in all the wrong places. Christ offered her the living water of the Holy Spirit—the only thing that would quench her spiritual and emotional thirst.

Like the Samaritan woman, we can at times be so intent on getting our immediate needs met that we fail to see God's hand reaching out to us in love, offering what will truly satisfy. Only Christ can fill our empty souls for eternity and provide for our essential emotional needs now.

This world is filled with wells that promise to provide love, acceptance, and self-worth but never fully satisfy. When your soul is empty and the well runs dry, look for Jesus. He has a divine appointment scheduled with you, and He will quench your thirst with His Spirit—if you let Him.