Warm Wind

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Good morning, Lord

Father in Heaven, I seek You first-Your peace-Your knowledge and discernment. Build my trust. I take up my cross and follow...In Jesus' name...

Verse of the Day: 1 Peter 2:15-16

15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

Memory verse: Psalm 42:2(New American Bible )

"My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When can I enter and see the face of God?"

Today's reading: Lamentations 3-5 Hebrews 10:19-39

Warm Wind

A warm wind through a strong tree top moves but little. Freezing wind is heavy and the big limbs bow and bend in a slight breeze.

No matter how strong we think we may be, a cold wind will hit us sooner or later in this life that will try to break us. How can we be ready?

Psalm 92:12 says, "12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree.

Palm trees grow where it is warm but God made them to bend in hurricane force winds. They will bend almost to the ground without breaking.

The last part of Proverbs 92:12 says, " ...they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon."

The cedars of Lebanon can grow to 150 feet in height and 8 feet in diameter. They grow on the mountains in the eastern Mediterranean basin. They can withstand a great amount of wind and temperature change.

In Christ, we are to endure it all-Ephesians 4:2

I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received: 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

The Lord wants us to know how to bend. Ephesians 4:32 – “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

Bending in love is essential but we must also stand like a mountain cedar. Ephesians 6:13 "13Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, ".

The Lord teaches us how to be strong so we can lift up. We must take care of ourselves, yes, or we can't take care of anyone else-but the point of God for us is being strong enough and wise enough to get out of ourselves and touch the lives of others.

We will find ourselves when we pour our lives out for others-not out of some shallow, moral 'feeling' but in the very depths of the Love of God.

Matthew 22:37-40 New International Version (NIV)

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The first 'norther' blows in and we pray for a warm wind...

Our God is a consuming fire.

(Hebrews 12:29)

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Forgive my complaining and selfishness. Help me to love with Your love and get out of myself and reach the hurting.

Great Father of tender mercies and unending strength.

In the name of Jesus,

Amen