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Glory Seed Devotionals, 2015: Year of Promise
You belong to God! (And don't forget it!)
In his first letter to Timothy the apostle Paul cautions him on what it will cost him if the focus of his life were to change from God to money and the things money will buy. Then Paul went with life changing words of advice/blessing. They are so personal, powerful, and poignant I have decided to omit Timothy's name (I hope Paul don't mind) so you can enter your own name.
“_________________, you belong to God, so keep away from all these evil things. Try your best to please God and to be like him. Be faithful, loving, dependable, and gentle. Fight a good fight for the faith and claim eternal life. God offered it to you when you clearly told about your faith, while so many people listened.” (1 Timothy 6:11–12, CEV)
Basically Paul is telling us to keep the focus of our lives on God (for me that's easier said than done but I am working very hard at it) author John D. Barry writes. “When I shift my attention to God and His goodness, many of my previous concerns fade. Before I even begin to pray, gratitude reminds me of God’s care and provision for me, allowing me to move from what I think matters to what matters to God.”
Paul is not only telling us to focus our lives on God he is also giving us a foundation of Hope upon which we can live our lives on. Author James Ryle writes, “It is true that Faith reaches into the future and brings into the present a borrowed power that enables us to live today in the strength of tomorrow; to posses this earth with heaven in mind; to live in the presence of the “not yet.” But Hope differs in this regard: it knows what is promised, even though it cannot see it, and though it will never lay hold of it until the day it actually arrives — Hope nevertheless holds firm without wavering. Faith is for this world; Hope is for the next.”
_________________, you belong to God, “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (Romans 8:31 NLT)
Believe! Anticipate! Experience! Be transformed!
Grace and PEACE, Amen!
Gary
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“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NLT)
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Scriptures marked CEV, “Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“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.”