Matthew 6:33 - But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (NIV)
Recently, I went to a women's retreat. One of the
exercises was to take a particular seven-verse Scripture passage and to meditate
on those verses. The valuable lesson that I learned, and will never forget, was
not about what the verses actually said. I was under time pressure to come up
with something meaningful. The problem was that I couldn't see past the original
words. "They're just words, they say what they say. I mean, it's a pretty
strange verse to meditate on!" This went on for about five minutes. I was
thinking really hard, but not coming up with anything. I was feeling kind of
panicky as the clock was ticking. I saw other people writing, and that annoyed
me, because I couldn't come up with anything.
Finally as a last resort, I talked to God! "Show me
what it is You want me to see, because on my own, I can't come up with anything
at all." All of a sudden, like light shining down from heaven, the words came
pouring forth, and I could "see" the meaning of the words. I wrote and wrote and
wrote. I was elated that I had asked and then received. I felt that I'd had a
special moment with God. Helloooooo! Isn't that what spending time with God is
supposed to be all about? Suddenly I got it! It was not just a moment to
remember, but also something to put into action for devotional time. I also
learned that I really couldn't rely on my own self to get the job done. I need
God to help me in everything that I do.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that You are there for us
when we ask for help. Help us to get past our pride, and keep us humble, so that
we can ask for Your help first. Thank You that You do come through for us when
we ask. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Karen Knuff
karen-knuff@telus.net
Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada
Thanks to http://daily.presbycan.ca
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.