NSM Evotional 07/19/2012

A Glory Seed Devotional
Golden Nuggets from the Psalms…

“My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins. Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me. Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.” (Psalms 25:15-20 ESV)

“The troubles of my heart are enlarged…” It may hard to believe but those 7 words are Golden Nuggets this morning and every morning. How can troubles be positive you’re wondering? Because whether we believe, it or not troubles are among life’s greatest motivators. In many ways, troubles are roadmaps to the future. I am not suggesting that we are destined to live troublesome lives even though Jesus indicated that in life we will have troubles. What I am suggesting is with our “…eyes ever toward the LORD” and when we “…take refuge…” in the LORD, troubles become golden nuggets that will shape our lives.

The following is a quote from “Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan. “Recently I was asked, ‘Who is the most Spirit-filled person you know?’ My response: Joni Eareckson Tada. A 1967 diving accident left then-seventeen-year-old Joni a quadriplegic. Lying in a hospital bed, she was filled with an overwhelming desire to end her life. The thought of spending the rest of her years paralyzed from the neck down and relying on others to care for her basic needs was staggering. But Joni did not end her life that day. Instead, she chose to surrender it to God. Little did she know that the Spirit of God would transform her into one of the godliest women ever to grace this earth. God gave her a humility and a love that enables her to look beyond her own pain and to see others’ hurts. She is a person who consistently ‘in humility count[s] others more significant.’” (Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit p. 39. David C Cook. Kindle Edition.)

I suspect if you were to ask Joni if she wanted to be paralyzed she’d tell you NO! And I asked you if you wanted to be subjected to the troubles that plague your life you too would say, “NO!” But it from the voice of experience life doesn’t always turn out the way we’d like it to and when it doesn’t we need to get God involved in our troubles. And when we do get God involved in our troubles they go from being iron pyrite nuggets to 100% pure solid gold nuggets.

I have heard that the streets of heaven are paved with gold and if that is the case maybe God uses the gold nuggets we mine on our path through life to pave our golden paths in heaven?

Grace and PEACE!
Gary


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“Scriptures marked MSG have been taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.”

Scripture quotations marked ESV "Are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved."