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Glory Seed Devotional’s, 2017: Anticipating and Experiencing Jehovah-Jireh...
An open letter to grandchildren...
Shalom!
With 2017 under way there’s good chance it will put not only your understanding of life to the test but your faith in what you believe about God as well. Without trying to sound negative your taste of the bitterness life can bring is only beginning yet in the many years since I was your age I have discovered that with each test of faith the bitterness life gives us can become sweeter and sweeter.
When I think about my teenage years I recall my need for God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and church was almost nonexistent. I was raised going to church every Sunday but for some reason church never made it to my heart. However, after all these years I’ve discovered my need for church has taken on a new meaning. At the same time I have discovered a realtionship with the Holy Spirit, Jesus, and God is more important than any human institution, including the church.
Please don’t get the idea I am telling you church participation is unimportant because it is important yet I’ve read where many young adults just like you are finding the church doesn’t meet their needs and therefore are leaving the church. Quite frankly I believe some churches think it is their responsibility to meet the non spiritual needs forgetting their responsibility is help people in their relationship with the LORD. However, the bible says this about who will meet your needs, “Keep your eyes on the LORD! You will shine like the sun and never blush with shame. I was a nobody, but I prayed, and the LORD saved me from all my troubles. If you honor the LORD, his angel will protect you. Discover for yourself that the LORD is kind. Come to him for protection, and you will be glad. Honor the LORD! You are his special people. No one who honors the LORD will ever be in need.” (Psalms 34:5-9 CEV)
Your greatest need right now whether you realize it or not is spiritual and not physical. The bitter taste life may put in your life cannot be sweetened with physical things only your faith and trust in the LORD can do that “No one who honors the LORD will ever be in need,” that’s not about physical needs but about God filling you with the assurance that you are never alone. One way you can honor God is through church participation but the greatest way of honoring God is by keeping your focus on Jesus and try as best you can to learn about him and his way of life then live your life like him as best you can.
None of this happens overnight it has taken me a lot of years to come this far in my faith journey and a whole lot of bitter experiences too. There will always be conflict in your life but peace isn’t a conflict free life, peace is the acknowledgement of the ever present Jesus in your life.
You are special! You are loved! You are blessed! You are unique! Your name may never appear in the Who's Who List of the World most influential people but you name appears on the heart of those who love you. Your name is also engraved on the Who's Who list of those on Jesus' Heart!
One last thing remember, your Grandmother and I are here for you, while we can’t turn bitterness to sweetness ourselves but along with the Holy Spirit we can help. We love you!
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”**
Grace and PEACE,
Your Grandfather
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“Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.”
Scriptures marked CEV, “Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.”
**Romans 15:13, NLT