The Daily Readings for MONDAY, October 22, 2018

The 144,000 of Israel Sealed
Revelation 7:1-8

The Daily Readings

MONDAY, October 22, 2018

Old Testament

Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 4:20-5:7
4:20 Watch for the opportune time, and beware of evil,
    and do not be ashamed to be yourself.
21 For there is a shame that leads to sin,
    and there is a shame that is glory and favor.
22 Do not show partiality, to your own harm,
    or deference, to your downfall.
23 Do not refrain from speaking at the proper moment,
    and do not hide your wisdom.
24 For wisdom becomes known through speech,
    and education through the words of the tongue.
25 Never speak against the truth,
    but be ashamed of your ignorance.
26 Do not be ashamed to confess your sins,
    and do not try to stop the current of a river.
27 Do not subject yourself to a fool,
    or show partiality to a ruler.
28 Fight to the death for truth,
    and the Lord God will fight for you.

29 Do not be reckless in your speech,
    or sluggish and remiss in your deeds.
30 Do not be like a lion in your home,
    or suspicious of your servants.
31 Do not let your hand be stretched out to receive
    and closed when it is time to give.

Precepts for Everyday Living
5:1 Do not rely on your wealth,
    or say, “I have enough.”
2 Do not follow your inclination and strength
    in pursuing the desires of your heart.
3 Do not say, “Who can have power over me?”
    for the Lord will surely punish you.

4 Do not say, “I sinned, yet what has happened to me?”
    for the Lord is slow to anger.
5 Do not be so confident of forgiveness
    that you add sin to sin.
6 Do not say, “His mercy is great,
    he will forgive the multitude of my sins,”
for both mercy and wrath are with him,
    and his anger will rest on sinners.
7 Do not delay to turn back to the Lord,
    and do not postpone it from day to day;
for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come upon you,
    and at the time of punishment you will perish.

The Epistle

Revelation 7:1-8
The 144,000 of Israel Sealed
7:1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2 I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to damage earth and sea, 3 saying, “Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.”

4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the people of Israel:

5 From the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,
6 from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,
7 from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,
8 from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand sealed.

The Gospel

Luke 9:51-62
A Samaritan Village Refuses to Receive Jesus
9:51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; 53 but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 Then they went on to another village.

Would-Be Followers of Jesus
57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth ...

The Morning Prayer for MONDAY, October 22, 2018

Monday morning prayer

You have gathered the solitary into families, O Lord. We thank You for the gift of earthly families and for the joys You have given us in and through our family. We thank You also for Your presence in the midst of the troubles that sometimes plague and disrupt the peace of family life. Grant us the ability to love family members both because of and in spite of what we do for and with each other. Give us insight to know how best to show them Your love and care to share with them the peace and joy You give. Keep us all ever in Your sight and hold us safely in Your hand, that we may belong to You and be joined in everlasting life through the merits of Jesus Christ.

Amen

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, October 22, 2018

Proverbs 15:23 (NIV) A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—and how good is a timely word!

Read all of Proverbs 15

Listen to Proverbs 15

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Un dia a la Vez - La sal de la tierra

La sal de la tierra

Ustedes son la sal de la tierra. Pero si la sal se vuelve insípida, ¿cómo recobrará su sabor? Ya no sirve para nada.

~ Mateo 5:13 (NVI)

La frase «la sal de la tierra» siempre me pareció un tanto extraña. Incluso, cuando llegué a los caminos de Dios, no entendía por qué en su Palabra se decía que somos la sal de la tierra. Más tarde, Dios mismo me dio la manera más sencilla y fácil de entenderla y practicarla.

La sal es un ingrediente clave para darle sabor a la comida, pero tiene un especial cuidado: Debe tener un término ideal para sazonar y no para salar. ¿Quién resiste la comida salada?

La Palabra dice que en los tiempos de Jesús la sal venía del Mar Muerto y estaba llena de impurezas, de modo que perdía algo de su sabor. Es posible que digas: «¿Qué tiene que ver esto con mi vida espiritual?».

Pues bien, Dios nos compara con la sal en la tierra porque tenemos esa preciosa labor de darles sabor con su Palabra a los que no conocen a Jesús. Por otro lado, a nosotros nos sucede lo mismo que a la sal con impurezas que se utilizaba en Israel. Por eso necesitamos ser puros para darles ejemplo a otros. Además, si nos enfriamos en la Palabra y nos volvemos insípidos, ¿cómo daremos sabor?

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
La frase «la sal de la tierra» siempre me pareció un tanto extraña.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - THE GLORY OF HEAVEN

THE GLORY OF HEAVEN

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

~ Romans 8:17-18 (NIV)

Suffering and persecution turn our hearts and minds to the glory that will be ours in heaven. Jesus promises a great reward in heaven to those who suffer (Matthew 5:12). Paul says above that the sufferings of the present are not worthy to be compared with the glory of the future, and Peter agreed (I Peter 1:6, 7; 4:13; 5:1-10). A Christian song when I was growing up says, “It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus.” Those that are living today as spiritual “refugees” look longingly toward the eternal home.

Hebrews chapter eleven helps us to understand the history of this. In the first part of the chapter which is the “hall of faith” we see faith examples of power, life and vitality. Then in verse thirty-five the list changes to those who lost their lives—some through horrendous persecution. Yet all were commended for their faith.

In his book The Barbarian Way, Erwin McManus comments about this:

All of them chose and walked the barbarian way, and they were blessed because they did not fall away on account of Jesus. They trusted Jesus with their lives, and they lost their lives on the journey. If you could interview any one of them, however, each would insist that even in the midst of suffering and hardship, he was most fully alive. They were not disappointed in God because they did not misunderstand who He was. They understood His call, and they chose it willingly. John the Baptist would join their number. Some barbarians survive the night in the lion’s den; others experience their darkest night and wake in eternity.[1]

RESPONSE: Today I will rejoice in the glory of heaven that awaits and makes my suffering insignificant.

PRAYER: Help me Lord to remember during the challenges I face here, that eternity with You is infinitely better.

1. Erwin McManus, The Barbarian Way (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2005), p. 41.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

Women of the Bible - Joanna

Joanna

Her name means: "The Lord Gives Graciously"

Her character: A woman of high rank in Herod's court, she experienced healing at Jesus' hands. She responded by giving herself totally, supporting his ministry, and following him wherever he went. The story of her healing may have been known to Herod himself.
Her joy: To find the tomb empty except for the angels who proclaimed Jesus alive.
Key Scriptures: Luke 8:1-3; 24:10 (and Matthew 14:1-12 and Luke 23:7-12 for background on Herod and his court)

Her Story

Joanna was a wealthy woman, accustomed to an atmosphere of worldliness. One didn't live in Herod Antipas's courts without learning to navigate the powerful currents of intrigue that swirled continuously around his throne. But nothing had so troubled and sickened her as the death of the prophet John. A holy man murdered for speaking the plain truth, his head was carried to Herodias on a platter, like a tantalizing dish to satisfy her appetite for revenge. How sad she had been as she watched Jesus grieving his cousin's murder.

Joanna's own life had been so altered by Christ that she may have hoped to influence Herod on his behalf. Married to Cuza, the manager of Herod's vast estates, she was well-positioned for the task. How intently Herod would have listened as she recounted the details of her miraculous healing. But after John's death, Joanna must have wondered what would become of Jesus should he ever have the misfortune of falling into Herod's hands. And what, for that matter, would become of his followers?

Though Joanna would have realized the escalating risks that faith required, there is not the slightest evidence she flinched from them. Unlike Nicodemus, she made no effort to hide her admiration for Jesus. Along with other women, she provided for his needs from her own purse. Perhaps her gifts made it just a little easier on this teacher who had no place to lay his head (Matthew 8:20).

All we really know of Joanna, in addition to her status as Cuza's wife, is that Jesus cured her of some spiritual or physical malady, that she was among a group of women who traveled with Jesus and his disciples, that she supported his ministry out of her own means, and that she was present at Jesus' resurrection along with Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James. Whether her faith cost her dearly or little in either her marriage or at court is a matter for speculation.

Joanna was probably among the women present at the crucifixion. And like the others who went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body, she must have fallen on her face in awe of the angels who greeted her with astonishing news: "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' "

She would have run with the others to tell the disciples of the incredible discovery. Though Peter and the other disciples discounted the story as the ravings of hysterical women, Joanna would hardly have doubted herself. For she was a woman who lived in an atmosphere of power, and she had just witnessed a far greater power than Herod's. She would have recognized it as the same power that had healed her.

It didn't matter that her husband served a man opposed to Christ; Joanna knew where her allegiance belonged. A woman of high rank, she became part of the intimate circle of Christ's followers, casting her lot with fishermen and poor people rather than with the rich and the powerful. God honored her by making her one of the first witnesses of the resurrection.

Her Promise

Joy comes in the morning. Joanna discovered this in a miraculous way on Jesus' resurrection day. She went to his tomb expecting to minister to his dead body and to grieve. Instead, her sorrow turned to tremendous joy. Our joy may not come this morning or tomorrow morning or even the morning after that. We face too many hardships, too many difficult situations, too much sorrow here on earth to think joy will arrive with each morning. But it will come. He has promised. At the end of the day, at the end of this life, there will be a joyful morning for all who trust in him.

This devotional is drawn from Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda. Used with permission.
Joanna was a wealthy woman, accustomed to an atmosphere of worldliness.

Girlfriends in God - When Forgiveness Feels Fleeting

When Forgiveness Feels Fleeting

Gwen Smith

Today’s Truth

Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ 

~ John 8:10 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

A four-year-old girl was overheard reciting the Lord’s Prayer, “and forgive us our trash baskets, as we forgive those who pass trash against us.” When I first heard that story, I smiled. Then I thought of a conversation I had had recently with a girlfriend.

She is a Christian friend. But though she has “emptied her trash basket” of sin before the Lord in sincere repentance, she has not emptied it of self-condemnation. Not completely. She holds the trash basket lid on tightly.

She is haunted by shame. Haunted by mistakes that are no longer remembered by a holy God.

Haunted by sins that have been cast as far as the east is from the west.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. (Psalm 103:11-13)

These memories haunt her regularly like a spine-chilling horror film monster. As much as she would like to move forward in forgiveness, she just can’t find the courage to scare the monster away.

In the New Testament book of John, chapter 8, we meet a woman caught in the act of adultery. The legalistic teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought her before Jesus. They publicly humiliated her in front of all the town’s people, saying to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” (John 8:4-5)

Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger as they continued to question him. Finally, “He straightened up and said to them, ‘“If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground” (John 8:7-8).

The crowd eventually thinned to nothing. The older, wiser men cleared first. Then the younger ones trickled away. When the adulterous woman and Jesus were the only ones remaining:

“Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:10-12).

My sister, do you see that our holy Lord delights to show us mercy? He does not condemn us as we deserve. The woman in this story was guilty when she was brought to face Jesus, but as she left His presence, her guilt was forgiven. Her trash basket was empty.

When we turn to face Jesus with repentant hearts, our guilt is forgiven as well.

TOSS YOUR TRASH

This account of the adulterous woman teaches us about forgiveness and about judging and condemning others. But what does this lesson teach us about judging ourselves?

While my friend's trash basket contained junk from other people, the lingering condemnation came from memories of decisions she'd made, things she'd done, and brokenness she has experienced because of her own choices. In her heart, she accepts the forgiveness of Jesus, but she can’t bear to forgive herself.

So many women won’t forgive themselves.

I know that self-loathing. I’ve lived it. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that forgiving yourself is easy. It’s hard—and, in a lot of ways, it should be! But I can testify that it wasn’t until I prayerfully allowed the stubborn, strong, and unconditional love of Jesus to pry my fingers off the lid of my trash basket and empty the condemning contents, that I experienced true freedom and complete forgiveness.

Is there something that you have not been able to forgive yourself for?

My friend, we need to stop beating ourselves up for sins of our past. 

It’s time to stop allowing guilt and shame to chain you to unproductive living.

Jesus humbled Himself by becoming human, endured an excruciating death, and then defied the grave in His resurrection so that we could be restored to a place of complete healing.

Complete healing.

Second Corinthians 5:21 states that “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” If you are in Christ, the Bible says that your guilt was paid for on the cross of Calvary. Jesus carried the sins of the world on His shoulders so that you would not have to carry them on yours.

If you are holding on to un-confessed sin, the time has come for you to release your grip. God’s Word promises that, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

None of us are perfect, just perfectly forgiven in Christ.

Take your hand off the lid and allow the Lord to empty your trash basket of every last condemning voice once and for all. Embrace the freedom that Jesus intends for you to live in.

Let’s Pray

Holy Father, Your mercy defies logic. I don’t deserve it, and I don’t understand how You could possibly forgive me for all that I have done. Please take my trash basket and empty it. Forgive me today and help me to forgive myself, and others, so I can live freely in Your amazing grace.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Recite, write, and memorize these verse:  “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

Prayerfully share this devotion with a friend who needs this message.

More from the Girlfriends

Today’s devotion is an excerpt from Gwen’s book Broken Into Beautiful. Every step of forgiveness begins with the heart of God. If you’d like to learn more about how your brokenness can be transformed into a picture of God’s beauty, get your copy today. To order the book go to Amazon or, for a signed copy, visit Gwen’s web store. 

SPECIAL OFFER: Gwen is offering a 20% OFF discount on the Broken into Beatuiful book from her site when you use the coupon code: 20OFF. Click here to get yours now.

Seeking God?

Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

www.girlfriendsingod.com

A four-year-old girl was overheard reciting the Lord’s Prayer, “and forgive us our trash baskets, as we forgive those who pass trash against us.”

LHM Daily Devotions - Standing Firm

"Standing Firm"

Oct. 22, 2018

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though it's waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. ... Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

~ Psalm 46:1-5, 10 (ESV)

I had the great privilege of being in Tohoku, Japan, on March 11, 2013. That was the two-year anniversary of what has become known as the Great East Japan Earthquake, the fourth largest earthquake recorded since technology enabled such measurements. Having spent years of my childhood in Tokyo, I was eager to return to my family's home and see with my own eyes, hug with my own arms, those who had been devastated, yet survived. So, emotion ran deep as I stood on the barren shoreline that breezy Monday morning.

Foundations of buildings were laid bare, exposing the massive destruction, demonstrating the immense clean-up from the previous two years. Ten-foot-tall cubes of compacted trash lined the side of the road on our way to this particular "beach." Two years after the storm raged, the solemn desolation in that place was still palpable. This was a place where land had quite literally trembled and been swallowed into the sea.

In the center of this barren landscape, a single cross had been erected on the crumbling foundation where a Christian church once stood. The closest building still standing was an elementary school some 500 meters inland. As I imagined the fear those children and teachers must have experienced, my sister, who was a local relief worker, told me the story of the church that had parted the waters. While children climbed to the school rooftop for safety, rising waters broke around the church building, giving precious time for the children to get to the school roof. The church then collapsed and floated away with the rest of the buildings awash in that powerful tsunami. Teachers reported it was the church building between them and the oncoming waters that gave them time to safely move the children from the lower floors before the force of the water began breaking through windows.

Is there shaking ground in your life? For many of us, there are times when whole chunks of our story can get washed away, and we must start over to make meaning, pick up the pieces, or begin a whole new story. It is then, like the comfort conveyed by that lone cross, that Jesus reminds us to come to Him, to seek Him in faith and repentance. He will carry our burdens, wipe away our tears, and establish us on solid ground, even when it seems all has been washed away.

THE PRAYER: Dear Jesus, when the world comes apart around us, help us rest in Your promises and abide in Your salvation -- won for all on Calvary. In Your Name we pray. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by AmyRuth Bartlett. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
I had the great privilege of being in Tohoku, Japan, on March 11, 2013.

Devocional del CPTLN de 22 de Octubre de 2018 - Repeticiones

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Repeticiones

22 de Octubre de 2018

Porque en cuanto a su muerte, murió al pecado de una vez y para siempre; pero en cuanto a su vida, vive para Dios. Así también ustedes, considérense muertos al pecado pero vivos para Dios en Cristo Jesús, nuestro Señor.

~ Romanos 6:10-11 (RVC)

Han pasado 209 años desde que nació y 169 años desde que se le encontró vagando sin rumbo en las calles de Baltimore. Visiblemente enfermo, se le llevó al hospital de la ciudad, donde murió unos días después.

Se arregló su funeral rápidamente, y el vagabundo fue enterrado. Siete personas fueron a despedirle.

Al cabo de los años, quienes gustan del horror y de lo macabro, pensaron que la forma en que el escritor Edgar Allan Poe había dejado este mundo no había sido honorable, por lo que el encargado del museo de Allan Poe en Baltimore decidió una repetición de su funeral.

Para el mismo, se puso en exhibición un modelo de tamaño real del cuerpo de Poe, al cual los visitantes podían dar sus respetos. El féretro fue montado en una carroza estilo antiguo, y conducido al cementerio de Westminster, donde los restos de Poe han estado sepultados por más de 150 años.

¿Una repetición del funeral? Conozco a muchas personas a quienes les encantaría repetir el funeral de Jesús.

Tanto gobernantes irreverentes como otras religiones y pensadores ateos y agnósticos, han expresado su deseo de colocar el cuerpo de Jesús de vuelta en la tumba.

En los primeros tiempos de la iglesia, el emperador Dioclesiano inscribió en una piedra su logro mayor: Haber exterminado el nombre de los cristianos de la faz de la tierra. Hoy no es muy diferente.

Por supuesto, todos los enemigos de la cruz se han enfrentado con el mismo problema: Jesús murió una vez... y para siempre. Él no va a regresar a la tumba. Eso fue lo que le dijo Pablo a la iglesia en Roma. Eso es lo que Dios le dice a este planeta agonizante.

El Señor envió a su Hijo para que diera su vida como rescate. Todos los que creen en él como Salvador son perdonados y redimidos. Los que no creen... tratan de devolver a Jesús al sepulcro... pero él no se queda allí.

ORACIÓN: Querido Salvador, siempre estaré agradecido porque tú viviste, moriste y resucitaste por mí, dándome vida eterna. Derrama tu Espíritu Santo sobre los que no creen. Abre sus ojos para que vean que, porque tú vives, ellos también pueden vivir. Te pido esto en el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

© Copyright 2018 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
Han pasado 209 años desde que nació y 169 años desde que se le encontró vagando sin rumbo en las calles de Baltimore.

Unser Täglich Brot - Der Schatz in einem Kürbis

Der Schatz in einem Kürbis

Lesung: 2. Korinther 4,7–18 | Die Bibel in einem Jahr: Jesaja 65–66; 1. Timotheus 2

MP3 herunterladen

Wir haben aber diesen Schatz in irdenen Gefäßen, auf dass die überschwängliche Kraft von Gott sei und nicht von uns. 2. Korinther 4,7

Als junge Mutter wollte ich das erste Lebensjahr meiner Tochter dokumentieren. Jeden Monat fotografierte ich sie, um zu zeigen, wie sie sich verändert hatte und gewachsen war. Auf einem meiner Lieblingsfotos sitzt sie fröhlich im Bauch eines ausgehöhlten Kürbisses, den ich von einem lokalen Bauern gekauft hatte. Da saß sie, die Freude meines Herzens, in einem übergroßen Kürbis. Der Kürbis verwelkte in den nächsten Wochen, aber meine Tochter wuchs und entwickelte sich weiter.

So, wie Paulus es beschreibt, die Wahrheit über Jesus zu kennen, erinnert mich dieses Foto. Er vergleicht das Wissen über Jesus in unserem Herzen mit einem Schatz in einem irdenen Gefäß. Wenn wir uns daran erinnern, was Jesus für uns getan hat, dann gibt uns das Mut und Kraft, um in Problemen durchzuhalten, auch wenn wir „von allen Seiten bedrängt werden“ (2. Korinther 4,8). Weil Gottes Kraft in unserem Leben ist, wenn wir „unterdrückt werden, aber nicht umkommen“, so offenbart es Jesu Leben (V. 9).

Wie der Kürbis, der verwelkte, spüren wir unserer Anfechtungen, die an uns zerren. Aber die Freude über Jesus in uns, lässt uns weiterwachsen, trotz dieser Herausforderungen. Unser Wissen über ihn — seine Macht, die in unserem Leben am Werk ist — ist der Schatz, der in unseren zerbrechlichen tönernen Körpern ist. Wir können aufblühen trotz Lasten, weil seine Macht in uns am Werk ist.

Lieber Vater, danke, dass du deine Wahrheit in mein Herz und Leben legst. Hilf mir, durchzuhalten unter den Herausforderungen, denen ich mich mit deiner Kraft stelle. Mögen andere dein Werk in meinem Leben sehen und dich ebenfalls kennenlernen.

Gottes Kraft ist am Werk in uns.

Von Kirsten Holmberg

© 2018 Unser Täglich Brot
Als junge Mutter wollte ich das erste Lebensjahr meiner Tochter dokumentieren.