DRIVE-TIME DEVOTION
ON CREAKY KNEES
Read: Psalm 116
Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. --Psalm 116:2
Meet Margaret the battler. More than 90 years of memories and faith are
her legacy, but she's not ready to surrender. Her life is full of the
physical pain that often accompanies old age, and even though she's too
weak to walk anymore, Margaret is not done with her ministry.
Despite her increasing feebleness, and despite her near deafness and
inability to move around, Margaret has a ministry that reaches far
beyond the walls of the nursing home where she lives. Every day--often
for hours at a time--she sits in her chair with a stack of prayer cards
and prays diligently for missionaries. And sometimes, when she can push
her frail body to do so, she kneels beside her bed on creaky knees to
talk with God.
Margaret doesn't have much more than prayer to offer her Lord. She is
the essence of the answer to the question in Psalm 116:12, "What shall I
render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?" Verse 13 answers,
"I will . . . call upon the name of the Lord."
A lifetime of being sustained by God's love, grace, and mercy is just
about over for Margaret. In the face of mounting physical weakness, she
is staying spiritually strong to the end. O to have her courage and
dedication--at any age!
(From Campus Journal)
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Monday, September 15, 2012
DRIVE-TIME DEVOTION
NO MORE EXCUSES
Read: Ezekiel 18:1-18
The soul who sins shall die. —Ezekiel 18:4
When salmon travel hundreds of miles up rivers and streams to spawn, they are acting on instinct. They are in a sense being driven by an uncontrollable force.
I read about a young convict who thinks that human conduct is similar to that of the salmon. Referring to the murders he committed and to his own fate, he said, "Things just happen." He thinks some kind of force was responsible for his pulling the trigger and killing two people. But he is wrong. Man is free and cannot blame his sinful actions on an uncontrollable force such as instinct.
More than 2,500 years ago, some Israelites were using a similar excuse for their sin. They quoted a well-known proverb that placed the blame for their sins on their ancestors (Ezekiel 18:2). But God told them they were wrong. He said that a good man will not be punished for the sins of a wicked son. Nor will a godly son be punished for the sins of his evil father.
Make no mistake. No matter what your situation, you are responsible for what you do. Stop offering excuses for your sins. Instead, acknowledge your guilt to God and accept the forgiveness He offers (Psalm 32:5). That's the first step in exercising your individual responsibility. —Herb Vander Lugt
NO MORE EXCUSES
Read: Ezekiel 18:1-18
The soul who sins shall die. —Ezekiel 18:4
When salmon travel hundreds of miles up rivers and streams to spawn, they are acting on instinct. They are in a sense being driven by an uncontrollable force.
I read about a young convict who thinks that human conduct is similar to that of the salmon. Referring to the murders he committed and to his own fate, he said, "Things just happen." He thinks some kind of force was responsible for his pulling the trigger and killing two people. But he is wrong. Man is free and cannot blame his sinful actions on an uncontrollable force such as instinct.
More than 2,500 years ago, some Israelites were using a similar excuse for their sin. They quoted a well-known proverb that placed the blame for their sins on their ancestors (Ezekiel 18:2). But God told them they were wrong. He said that a good man will not be punished for the sins of a wicked son. Nor will a godly son be punished for the sins of his evil father.
Make no mistake. No matter what your situation, you are responsible for what you do. Stop offering excuses for your sins. Instead, acknowledge your guilt to God and accept the forgiveness He offers (Psalm 32:5). That's the first step in exercising your individual responsibility. —Herb Vander Lugt
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