Colossians 4:2-6 (NIV) Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
How devoted are we?
Below is a wonderful human interest story. It was especially interesting to me for I have always love dogs and German Shepherds are one of my favorite breeds and we were blessed to have had one. His name was JD and it stood for “just dog” but he was much more than that to our family. I like many of you, hope there is a dog heaven and if so look forward to being reunited with him along with our other assorted pets we’ve had during our lives. This story speaks for itself but several thoughts came to my mind as I read it. Devotion is one of them. Love is another, not a surface type of love but the type that results in a deep bonding to one another that even in death, love continues to be demonstrated.
Here’s the story: Miguel Guzman, a family man from Argentina, passed away more than six years ago. To add to the family’s grief, the family dog, a German shepherd named Captain, disappeared just days later. The family frantically searched for him but to no avail.
Several days later they made a trip to the cemetery to visit Miguel’s grave. There, to their great surprise and delight, they found Captain sitting atop the freshly mounded burial plot. They mused how he could have ever found the cemetery on his own (he had never been taken there). Then they began the many attempts to take Captain home, only to have him run away time and again, doggedly (pun intended) determined to return to the cemetery.
Cemetery officials (who now feed and care for Captain) say the faithful dog has lived on the grounds for six years. "During the day he sometimes has a walk around the cemetery,” says cemetery director Hector Baccega, “but always rushes back to the grave. And every day, at six o'clock sharp, he lies down on top of the grave, [and] stays there all night."
Note: As we journey through life there will be times when we will be confronted with darkness and despair. Life may not always turn out the way we had hoped or envisioned. The greatest cause of these disappointments usually involves those who are closest to us, our family and friends. Regardless of the specific causes, darkness and despair is still darkness and despair.
Darkness is the absence of Light and the absence of light is the absence of God; darkness without God leads to despair; loss of hope. God speaks into this darkness and His Word penetrates it with the light of His abiding presence. How blessed we are to know that in our times of waiting we do not wait alone. God is with us.
Like the faithful Shepherd, Captain who waited for the return of his master, we too wait faithfully for the return of our Master, Jesus Christ or His summons to us to come home. As we do, we place our hope, our faith in Jesus Christ and His promises to us in the Word of God. My prayer is that we are willing to wait for our Master with the same devotion as Captain was waiting for his.
Word from the Lord: Beloved, I am blessed to be able to look within your heart and see the deep longing you have for My return. Don’t be influenced by those who mock My Word in an attempt to weaken your faith. They too eagerly await the things of this world and when they receive it they are no less satisfied than they were before. You on the other hand are presently enjoying the benefits of My blessings and know how completely they can satisfy your hunger. I am withholding nothing from you that you are capable of understanding. Some of My blessings may be partially fulfilled for now but ultimately all will be fulfilled and you will know the complete fullness of My love for you.
Did the Lord speak to you today? Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory.
Prayer: What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!
No comments:
Post a Comment