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Good Things, Bad World
by Charles R. Swindoll

Psalm 1  

Paul certainly proved himself a prophet when he wrote: "But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Tim. 4:1).

And when he predicted: "But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these" (2 Tim. 3:1-5), he foresaw exactly what would transpire. Sounds like he was describing life in the twenty-first century.

Cynthia and I have a long-time friend who is fighting colon cancer. Following major surgery she is now undergoing extensive chemotherapy. The other day she and another woman went shopping at a mall in Fort Lauderdale. As they got out of the car, our friend was mugged. The attacker slammed her against the car, then brutally flung her to the pavement and began kicking her mercilessly—all in broad daylight. A stranger stepped in to rescue her, and the attacker punched him repeatedly, breaking several of his teeth. The motive? Rape? No. Robbery? No. Carjacking? No. The police said it's a new fad . . . randomly assaulting strangers for the sadistic excitement of bringing blood and causing another human being pain.

Ours is a bad, bad world, but does that mean nothing's good? Does it mean we have run out of things for which to be grateful? No, no, a thousand times, no!

Bob Green, a newspaper columnist, invited his readers to look on the bright side for a change and send him some of the good things about life in America. More than 50,000 things came pouring across his desk. Things like a newborn baby's cry of life, Mr. Rogers, literacy volunteers, Special Olympics, sweet corn in August, town meetings, state fairs, and fresh blackberry cobbler. There are thousands more. Let's deliberately take time to smell the flowers as we call to mind all the good things in a bad, bad world.

Make your own list of "good things." 

Excerpted from Day by Day with Charles Swindoll, Copyright © 2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. (Thomas Nelson Publishers). All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

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Engineered by God: Loving the Way God Made You

 

Each of us today are engineered by God; and as we open to Psalm 139, He wants us to understand His intentional design and reflect His glory, by loving the way He made all of the unchangeable features of our lives.

 

One of the greatest reminders of God's creative power is the reality that each of us humans who have ever lived are distinctly, uniquely, and wonderfully different. From our fingerprint, to our tongues, from our DNA to our lives—we are all spiritual snowflakes, truly one-of-a-kind.

 

The fingerprint of God upon us means that no two of us have ever been quite alike, in all the generations of humans, since Adam and Eve were created in the Garden of Eden.

 

We Uniquely Bear the

Fingerprints of God

 

Each of us are built to a perfect and intricate set of plans, engineered by God Himself. Part of the distinction that sets humans apart from all other living things is what God's Word describes as "the image of God". Within every cell of our physical body is a set of those Divine Fingerprints called our DNA. The Human Genome is a wonder of precise engineering that laid down everything about your physical body. And once regenerated by salvation, we have another unique set of plans made up of God's gifts and callings that exactly corresponds to how God designed our unchangeable features. Our response to the spiritual DNA God places within us at salvation, combined with the physical abilities and design of our bodies makes such a wonderful life for all who know God.

 

So each one of us was perfectly designed by God for His glory; and each aspect of our existence that we had no choice in, is a reflection of God's power: who we are, where we were born, how we look, all of our imperfections and weaknesses, and countless other details—are all part of God's marvelous design.

 

Each of us are like rare and precious jewels, no one is worthless or unimportant in God's plan.

 

Your intellect, your giftedness, your abilities, and most of all who you are as a man, woman, young man, or a young woman are the strategic resources God has given you to serve and please Him. Now comes the challenge.

 

  • Do each of us know what God's Word has clearly explained are the desires of God for us as individuals?
  • Then, as we enter into relationships, do we know what God has said are His expectations for every relationship in life? God's Word explains how to succeed in every relationship of life: dating and marriage, employers and employees, church members and ministry, citizens of countries and society, and so on.
  • Then as we train others by example and teaching, nurturers and parents, do you know what God wants from your sons as men and from your daughters as women? In some areas the Lord wants similar character for boys and girls, but in most areas, His plan for a young lady GREATLY DIFFERS from His plans for young men.

 

The Lord Almighty, God of the Universe has made men and women differently, with different qualities, different roles, and different purposes within His great plan. Today, God wants each of us to know what He designed us to be as men and women, as sons and daughters, as husbands and wives, and parents and children.

 

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March 1, 2010

 

Too Many Eyes

Christa Parrish, She Reads Featured Author

 

"But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body."

1 Corinthians 12:18-20 (NIV)

         

Devotion:

When I was twenty, my boyfriend said to me, "Christa, you're just not feminine enough," and he ended our relationship.  I was devastated, not only because I loved him, but because I had been bombarded with the not enough message for the past three years, since I had become a Christian. 

 

Those at the church I attended, while deeply committed to following God, had definite ideas about what a "good Christian woman" looked liked.  I wasn't it.  So I strove to throw off the "old" me. I read the right books and listened to the right speakers, and followed carefully constructed do and don't lists.  And finally I gained acceptance in the church, but had completely lost myself - any shred of individuality.

 

I was just another eye (1 Corinthians 12:17) in a crowd of eyes.

 

For all the proper clothes and activities and friends, I found myself heavy with shame because there were still huge pieces inside of me that wouldn't squish into the "good Christian" mold held out for me.  I prayed to be more like this woman or that woman, until one day I realized the only person I should be praying to be like was Jesus.  Once I turned my sight to Christ, I began to see how my differences could be of value to Him.  The more I became like Him, the more I became the person He made me to be.

 

My husband continually tells me, usually in response to some quirky idea I have, "I always want you to be who you are," and I hear the Lord's voice in those words.  God is glorified through His people, and trying to shake off the personality with which He created us is dishonoring to Him.  Each of our unique talents, idiosyncrasies, and abilities can and should be used for Him, and I've learned over and over again God will put us in situations that require just the skills and personality traits He has given us.

 

In my most recent novel, Watch Over Me, the main characters feel as if they are on the "fringe" of the church body, unable to fit in.  For Abbi, it's because of her personal convictions; for Benjamin, it's because of the pain he's carrying around inside him; and for Matthew, it's a physical disability.  But all three of them come to realize they are all necessary parts of the body of Christ.  They - we - are the eyes and ears and feet and noses.  Each of us fills a role in Christ's church, and in the lives of those around us, placed there by God to serve and love one another in our differences.

                                                                                                                                                                          

Dear Lord, You have created each of us in Your image, and also uniquely us.  Help us to embrace who You made us to be, to see clearly the strengths You've given us, and rejoice in them.  Use our individual weaknesses to turn us to You each and every day, giving us reason to cling to Your promises.  Allow us opportunities to use our talents for Your glory and the good of the people around us, both those who are part of Your body and those who do not yet know You.  Let our uniqueness be a light for You in the darkness.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

 

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

 

Watch Over Me by Christa Parrish

 

Visit P31's She Reads site to learn more about Christa and enter to win a copy of her latest novel Watch Over Me.  A grand prize winner will receive a copy of the novel along with a beautiful handmade vase from Arizona Pottery.  A runner up will receive a copy of the novel as well.

Youniquely Woman: Becoming Who God Designed You To Be by Kay Arthur, Emilie Barnes, Donna Otto

 

Application Steps: 

Reach out to someone in your church who may feel like she's on the "fringe" of things and doesn't fit in with the other women. Take time to encourage her uniqueness in Christ.

 

Take a few minutes to think about the talents God has given you.  If there are some you aren't using now, ask yourself why that is.  Go to the Lord in prayer and see if He reveals a way for you to serve Him with these abilities.

 

Reflections: 

Do you suppress certain parts of yourself because you're worried about what other people may think?  How can you overcome this "fear of man" that can prevent you from being all God made you to be?   

 

Have you ever wished you could be more like another woman you know, because she seems more Godly?  In what ways can you focus more on becoming "Christ-like" rather than "other-like"?    

 

Power Verses:

Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (NIV)

 

1 Corinthians 12:4-6, "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men." (NIV)

 

Jeremiah 1:5a, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." (NIV)

 

 

© 2010 by Christa Parrish. All rights reserved.

 

 

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

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Monday, March 1, 2010 Email Email   Facebook Facebook TwitterTwitter   Print Print

 

March 1
MORNING

The fruit of the Spint is love.

God is love: and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. -- The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. -- Unto you ... which believe he is precious. -- We love him, because he first loved us. -- The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

 Ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. -- This is my com-mandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. -- Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. -- Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.

GAL. 5:22.  I John 4:16. ‑Rom. 5:5. ‑I Pet. 2:7. ‑I John 4:19. ‑II Cor. 5:14,15. I Thes. 4:9. ‑John 15:12. -I Pet. 4:8. ‑Eph. 5:2.

EVENING

Jehovah‑nissi: The Lord my banner. 

If God be for us, who can be against us? -- The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

 Behold, God himself is with us for our captain. -- The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them.

 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. -- Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

EXO. 17:15.  Rom. 8:31. ‑Psa. 118:6. Psa. 60:4. Psa. 27:1,3. II Chr. 13:12. ‑Psa. 46:7. Rev. 17:14. Psa. 2:1,4. ‑Isa. 8:10.

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