Stay By the Stuff
In I Samuel 30, David and his army returned to their camp to find that the Amalekites had raided and carried away all their wives and children. The men were understandably distraught, and David enquired of the Lord whether he should go after the enemy. When God said, “Yes,” David wasted no time. Let’s pick up the story there.
Is the Fruit of the Spirit M.I.A.?
Some days, I honestly struggle to find the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, and so on. They have to be there because I know I’m saved. The Spirit of God lives within me; therefore, the fruit of the Spirit must also be there. But most days, I just don’t see it.
When the calendar is overbooked and the bills are overdue, peace is the last thing on my mind. When my body is tired and my back is aching, I struggle to muscle up any joy. And when that person has gotten on your last nerve for the fifth time in a day, love and patience are nowhere to be found.
Keep Holding On
For a long time, every time I read this passage, I felt Jacob was being presumptuous. If you follow his life story, he wasn’t exactly a model believer. He lied and cheated on more than one occasion. His very name means “supplanter” or “deceiver.” Knowing that, doesn’t it seem rather bold to declare to God, “I won’t let go until you bless me”?
But, as I’ve grown in the faith, I’ve come to realize we should follow Jacob’s example. No, I don’t mean we should lie and cheat, but we should come to God boldly, determined we won’t let go until we receive that for which we came.
Why Is Waiting So Hard?
After having Tess for a couple of weeks and giving her time to get acclimated to her new environment, we began some basic training with her. The first step was to teach her to sit. It took a few days, but now, she has that one down pat to the point she does it before we ask her to.
The second step hasn’t been quite as successful. She’s getting there, but like me, the girl has a hard time waiting. We’re teaching her to sit and wait until we give her the okay before rushing after her food, kong, or toys. She’ll sit, but the waiting is still a work in progress.
Don’t Let the World Define You
I'll be honest with you, I fought against writing this devotion today. Not that there's anything wrong with it, mind you. It's just very similar to a few other posts I've done lately. But obviously, God is trying to teach me (and maybe you) something, and repetition aids learning, so here we go.
Yesterday, as a close to our date day, Jason and I watched a movie called Rescued by Ruby. It was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. I laughed and cried and just felt good all over. If you're a fan of dogs, feel-good movies, or rooting for the underdog, this movie is a must-see.