John #55 in the series.
I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
–Jesus Christ
podcast:
The following thoughts lead me to my center:
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet
and a light unto my path. -the Psalmist
It is a guidebook for my behavior
A compass that points to my purpose
And a treasure trove of daily wisdom . . .
God’s Word has transformative power,
as it tells me
Why I am here,
How to live,
and how the story will end.
It describes the character of my loving God,
the faces and interaction of the Trinity,
and the fulfillment of a life well lived.
The Scriptures tell the love story
of a Savior come to earth
to love, to teach, to heal, to die-
showing me the way to live . . .
a better way, to be sure.
Life in 2020 is challenging to say the least... who could have thought we would be going into Fall with things so upside down? Our souls are oft weary, and right when we need them, we find so many of our places of worship shuttered. How to find succor for our souls? By starting our days in the foundational Word of God.
These Morning Briefings are an aid; in the 13th year now, the five-day-a-week e-mail format is spreading globally every week. In the last few days, five new subscribers: one from Botswana, another from Nigeria, a woman from Texas, and two from California. Folks can read or listen to a podcast. (I am oft told that people forward these to others which is so great, but you could also send me their email addresses as I would love to add them to my distribution!)
Right now we are in the middle of John’s gospel, ready to start chapter 11 actually. But if you are just joining Morning Briefings, you can access briefings from John chapters 1 – 10, (and hundreds of other studies), on the PastorWoman website: https://www.pastorwoman.net/blog, from the most recent back to the first John study on June 30, 2020. Before that was a 50-day series called THRIVE, encouragement for the early days of the pandemic as we were trying to make sense of each day. [The name ‘PastorWoman’, where did it originate? Check back tomorrow]
Friend, if you are a God follower, then you want to center yourself on him daily, for in him you will find your strength. There is no better way than to partake of his word—every day--and spend time talking with him as well. Fact is, prayer and Bible meditation are as fundamental to your heart, mind and soul as food and water are to your body.
And if you want to get the most of these e-mailed studies, look up the Scriptures referenced; read them—feast on God’s Word! There is no equivalent to it in all of earth.
The other day, after praying with a young couple, I inquired, 'do you ever memorize Scripture to help you through your day?' 'Well, we try . . . yes, we do.' 'Oh, this verse that Paul wrote has meant the world to me during this season:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace
as you trust in him, so that you may over flow with hope
through the power of the Holy Spirit.' Romans 15.13
The key to hope - making God my center, the one in whom I trust. Amen.
Christine
Comentários