Exercise -Exhort
January 23
Rarely, when I wake up do I have a clue where God is leading me with the
devotional. Even when he places a word upon my heart, I am still stumped.
This morning when exercise and exhort came to mind, I was clueless. I've been struggling with menopause symptoms so I thought this was affirmation that exercise is the answer to this sluggish time of life! Hmm,
Not where He was headed...that was my head leading me, not the Spirit!
Looking up exhort I realized that is what I am to do with the blog each day...urge my fellow believers on!
Exhort-to incite by argument or advice : urge strongly.
Being early in the morning and overweight, I was comprehending exerciseonly as the means of physical activity! The definition below seems more fitting for where the Bible verses in The Message want to take us today.
Exercise-something performed or practiced in order to develop, improve, or display a specific capability or skill
As believers in Christ, who are filled with the Holy Spirit, we have been given the
capability to live life from a different perspective than the world. These verses
have challenged me today to take my government concerns and exercise my right to
pray to God for him to do great things! This past week as the process of passing
leadership from one man to another was unfolding, God placed on my heart that
President Bush was not only praying for President Obama, but with him! I also
sensed that God had equipped Bush to speak to Obama as the loving father who is
not present in his life right now. Check out this verse that was placed before me
this morning.
1 Peter 2:13 (The Message)
Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God's emissaries for keeping order. It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.
We are to stand strong and exercise the freedom we have in Christ!
1 Corinthians 10:30-32 (The Message)
But, except for these special cases, I'm not going to walk around on eggshells worrying about what small-minded people might say; I'm going to stride free and easy, knowing what our large-minded Master has already said. If I eat what is served to me, grateful to God for what is on the table, how can I worry about what someone will say? I thanked God for it and he blessed it!
So eat your meals heartily, not worrying about what others say about you—you're eating to God's glory, after all, not to please them. As a matter of fact, do everything that way, heartily and freely to God's glory. At the same time, don't be callous in your exercise of freedom, thoughtlessly stepping on the toes of those who aren't as free as you are. I try my best to be considerate of everyone's feelings in all these matters; I hope you will be, too.
Let's pray daily for government leaders to come to know the Lord!
1 Timothy 4:6
You've been raised on the Message of the faith and have followed sound teaching. Now pass on this counsel to the followers of Jesus there, and you'll be a good servant of Jesus. Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart. This is why we've thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We're banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers.
Let's Pray: Lord, we love You and are continually amazed by all You have to share with us. Forgive us when we get lazy and don't exercise the awesome powers available to us and don't exhort one another on in our faith. May the Words You send our way today penetrate our hearts and leave our lives changed in a way that makes you smile!
We love you! In Jesus Name, Amen
Rushing out the door, no time to proof, hope God makes some sense of it for you.
Rarely, when I wake up do I have a clue where God is leading me with the
devotional. Even when he places a word upon my heart, I am still stumped.
This morning when exercise and exhort came to mind, I was clueless. I've been struggling with menopause symptoms so I thought this was affirmation that exercise is the answer to this sluggish time of life! Hmm,
Not where He was headed...that was my head leading me, not the Spirit!
Looking up exhort I realized that is what I am to do with the blog each day...urge my fellow believers on!
Exhort-to incite by argument or advice : urge strongly.
Being early in the morning and overweight, I was comprehending exerciseonly as the means of physical activity! The definition below seems more fitting for where the Bible verses in The Message want to take us today.
Exercise-something performed or practiced in order to develop, improve, or display a specific capability or skill
As believers in Christ, who are filled with the Holy Spirit, we have been given the
capability to live life from a different perspective than the world. These verses
have challenged me today to take my government concerns and exercise my right to
pray to God for him to do great things! This past week as the process of passing
leadership from one man to another was unfolding, God placed on my heart that
President Bush was not only praying for President Obama, but with him! I also
sensed that God had equipped Bush to speak to Obama as the loving father who is
not present in his life right now. Check out this verse that was placed before me
this morning.
1 Peter 2:13 (The Message)
Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God's emissaries for keeping order. It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.
We are to stand strong and exercise the freedom we have in Christ!
1 Corinthians 10:30-32 (The Message)
But, except for these special cases, I'm not going to walk around on eggshells worrying about what small-minded people might say; I'm going to stride free and easy, knowing what our large-minded Master has already said. If I eat what is served to me, grateful to God for what is on the table, how can I worry about what someone will say? I thanked God for it and he blessed it!
So eat your meals heartily, not worrying about what others say about you—you're eating to God's glory, after all, not to please them. As a matter of fact, do everything that way, heartily and freely to God's glory. At the same time, don't be callous in your exercise of freedom, thoughtlessly stepping on the toes of those who aren't as free as you are. I try my best to be considerate of everyone's feelings in all these matters; I hope you will be, too.
Let's pray daily for government leaders to come to know the Lord!
1 Timothy 4:6
You've been raised on the Message of the faith and have followed sound teaching. Now pass on this counsel to the followers of Jesus there, and you'll be a good servant of Jesus. Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart. This is why we've thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We're banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers.
Let's Pray: Lord, we love You and are continually amazed by all You have to share with us. Forgive us when we get lazy and don't exercise the awesome powers available to us and don't exhort one another on in our faith. May the Words You send our way today penetrate our hearts and leave our lives changed in a way that makes you smile!
We love you! In Jesus Name, Amen
Rushing out the door, no time to proof, hope God makes some sense of it for you.
