Flourish in Faith

This poem is inspired from 2 Timothy 4 from the Bible. Paul is nearing the end of his life on earth and gives Timothy instructions in planting seeds to grow the faith throughout the world. This day with God, let us plant seeds of the Gospel through our acts of kindness and concern for our neighbors. Let us set out to acquire specific virtues and discover that it’s not always what you get but what you grow to be that is rewarding.

Mark Shields's avatarStep Ahead

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. – Psalm 100:4

God’ Spirit is with you
So experience
His power today
To be victorious.

Desire for all
To receive the same
As eternal rewards
Are the ultimate aim.

Continue to plant
Seeds of the Gospel
Through your kindness
And Being thoughtful.

Put in the work
To become very wise
And apply your faith
To receive the prize.

By Cultivating
Fruits of the Spirit
Impressively growing
In beauty explicit.

Poem by Mark Shields – © 01-02-2020
Inspired by “This Day with God Devotional – 2 Timothy 4

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Desire the Power of the Spirit

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. – Philippians 2:13

In the post “Overcome with Desire and Enthusiasm”, the picture is my dog Marlee. She is ready each day to get up early for her food. The picture demonstrates how she was telling us she was ready to be fed as she hopped up on the chair next to the dinner table.

Just like the song Come to the Table by Sidewalk Prophets, we can be ready each day to come to the table and receive food for the soul.

Here is a poem as we step ahead to freedom today.

Let us receive the power
Of the Holy Spirit;
God with us today;
Together every hour.
Our strength; providing power,
Our hope; filled with delight.
Our fullness; of unlimited might.
Our unity; together as one.
Bringing victory; having fun. 



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Overcome with Desire and Enthusiasm

We were all born with a lethal disease called original sin. Ever since Adam and Eve, humanity has faced this terminal disease and the results are all around us. The consequences are hate, divorce, lying, stealing, murder, etc. but because of Jesus who became our high priest, God is with us and for us offering a cure for this lethal disease.

Explained in Hebrews 4:14 through 5:1-14 is that a priest is selected to represent the people in matters related to God. As the great high priest, Jesus interceded for us and suffered on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. Those who accept Him as the Son of God receive mercy, find grace, and gain eternal life.

Before Jesus, a person could not come directly into God’s presence but the qualifications of Jesus enable us to go boldly and ask for God’s assistance. Jesus knew about having to suffer on the cross but continued with His desire to maintain obedience to the purpose for which God had given Him and finish the mission.  If you desire this unmerited favor, simply accept Christ as the author of eternal salvation. 

The Hebrews basic problem as explained in today’s passage is that they were not willing to put in the effort to understand the truth of God’s word. They remained immature in the Way and constantly faced difficulty because they could not distinguish between what was good and what was evil. In many ways, we face the same problem in current times. There is a lack of enthusiasm towards the goodness, sweetness, and excellence found in the gospel message.

What can we do about this problem? One small thing can lead to something big. Simply saying grace before dinner can lead to bigger things. We can change today and make it a priority. We can be thankful and look forward to taking in not only food for our physical bodies but also food for the soul. We can take in what is good for us with ease, readiness, and cheerfulness so that it ultimately begins to overflow in our daily actions.

The picture below is my dog Marlee. She is ready each day to get up early for her food. This picture taken was her way to tell us she was ready to be fed as she hopped up on the chair next to the dinner table. We should be ready each day just like Marlee to come to the table and receive our food for the soul.

Lord, each day is an adventure because we have a mission or purpose. Like excitement of planning a vacation destination, reading the Bible also provides excitement as we daily read Your word and journey through life. A thought or idea you give us can lead to something big. An activity may seem like something small like daily saying a prayer before dinner but the activity can lead to something big because of Your power. Amen.

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The Best News Ever

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12

We live in the information age but as explained in the post “The Great Physician” some information is negative and some is positive. That’s why taking in the positive information from God’s Word is so important for a healthy mind, body, and soul.

Fortunately, there is Good News for you today because as the song Best News Ever by MercyMe points out, the work has already been done. Celebrate today the victory … the best news ever!

 

 
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The Great Physician

Our soul is in a constant battle with negative thoughts and attitudes of this world but the Word of God penetrates our soul like a surgical knife to cut out the bad to allow the good to flourish.

The human mind is amazing but with multi-media nowadays, we can get overloaded with false, misleading, and just too much negative information. Just like too much junk food for our physical body, our mental/spiritual well-being depends on feeding our minds positive information. That is why I like Christian music, Bible study, and inspirational writings.

Today, let us take in the positive information of Hebrews 4:1-13. Let us respond with the Good News by receiving rest for the soul. Allow enough time for the Word to soak into the heart and soul so there is peace instead of fear or worry. The Word of God feeds the soul so the intangibles of faith can begin to overflow into tangible acts that benefit those around us.

Enter God’s rest with a daily devotional time, prayer time, and planning time with the aim to follow the Way each day. The Word of God is absolute truth that is flawless, powerful, and coaches us toward holiness. On Sundays, celebrate the day with rest and with worship. Show appreciation to God for all He has done for us. Slow down and enjoy the day so the soul is soaked in the purifying qualities of the Good News.

We can’t fool God about our attitude toward Him because He sees everything we do and knows about everything we have done. Fortunately, we have someone who has been tempted just like we have been and can intercede for us to pick us up after our earthly downfalls. Because of grace, we can confidently ask for help when we are down.

This day with You Lord, we are allowing Your Word to flow from our eyes and ears into our heart. We are planting the seeds of Your principles into our soul, adding the clear water of the Spirit, and letting theses seeds grow into fruit for ourselves and our friends. This will provide positive food for our soul so that an overflow results with acts of kindness, compassion, and encouragement to others. We are steadily flourishing like a constantly watered garden. Amen.

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