This Day With God – A Spiritual Journey | Share The Word

Listening and Asking Questions

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Mark Shields

Mary and Joseph raised Jesus in a Godly home and went to the Passover Festival each year. In Luke 2:40-52, we read that Jesus would sit among the teachers in the temple courts at a young age; listening and asking questions (v. 46). In this particular instance, at the age of twelve, He took such an interest that no one knew that He was still there when Mary, Joseph, and their relatives started back home to Nazareth.

Jesus had seized the opportunity to learn from the teachers at the Temple; to develop His ministry and wisdom of the Lord. We should also seize every opportunity to learn from teachers and grow in our faith. If on our journey, we realize that Jesus is not with us, we should seek Him in the Word and prayer. This day with God will be amazing because He’s given us a plan for life and it is a treasure. The more we lose ourselves in this plan, the more passion we will have.

While reading this passage, it brought up memories in youth. We lived about 100 miles away from my grandparent’s house and we would visit often on Holidays; staying a few days. I can remember one time carrying our little dog named Gus with us.

On our return trip, we suddenly realized that Gus was not with us. We had left him back at my grandparent’s house. Gus was probably pre-occupied with a squirrel and didn’t notice we were loading everything up for our return trip back home.

You see: my old dog Gus would study squirrels from a young age and wanted to be the greatest squirrel dog ever. He was just born that way. I believe there is a lot to be learned from my old dog Gus. We should all want to be the best we can be at what we do; studying and learning so that we can be who we are meant to be.

I entered my dog Gus in a pet show at the Washington County Fair when I was around 10 years old

Posted in Desire, Luke | Tagged Desire, Dogs, Faith, Jesus, Joseph, Law of the Lord, Mary, Nazareth, Passion, Passover, Wisdom | Leave a comment

Listening to God

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Mark Shields

This week, I continued a study in the book of Luke. A question brought out was do you listen to God as you go about your daily work? Here are a few ideas you might want to try:

See God at work through the people around you
In what you read, summarize how you might apply what is written
Listen to music and view art so it inspires you to step ahead in faith

They say a picture is like a thousand words, in this picture the idea is that the future might be unknown but it’s important to take the first step in faith knowing the Spirit will build around us the resources needed.

Image Source

I’ll be continuing the study on Monday. Each of the studies are designed to help apply our faith in the work place, at school, or at home. Have a wonderful weekend my friends!

Posted in Applied Faith, Focus | Tagged Faith, God, Ideas, Inspiration, Music, People, Pictures, Reading, Thoughts, Videos | Leave a comment

Moved by the Spirit

Posted on September 25, 2014 by Mark Shields

In the post Submitting to His Will, we noted that the Holy Spirit was upon both Simeon and Anna. This day with God, let us also learn to wait and at the prompting of the Spirit take the first step in faith knowing that God will build around us the resources needed.

In a sermon at the church I attend, Pastor Steve illustrated this concept of living in God’s Spirit and Truth with this example: A breach baby was being born and a Doctor thought about letting the baby die because it would have a difficult life. The lack of oxygen to the brain of the new born made it unlikely that the baby would survive and if it did, its future would be limited by health challenges throughout life. But at the prompting of the Spirit, the doctor took every measure to keep the baby alive.

Fast forward twenty years later. The doctor went to a concert and was amazed at the musician who played a piece with a harp. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard and he looked on the program list of musicians and recognized the name immediately; the person playing the harp was the baby he let live 20 years before.

As the doctor did and this video talks about, be prompted by the Spirit this day: Speak Life – Toby Mac.

Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you. – Psalm 86:11

Posted in Applied Faith, Luke | Tagged Faith, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Joseph, Learning, Mary, Savior, Simeon | 1 Comment

Submitting to His Will

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Mark Shields

Reading in Luke 2:21-39, Joseph and Mary comply with the Law of Moses. Every male is circumcised on the eighth day after birth. Then there is a time to wait for purification (v. 22-24). After another 33 days, they went to the Temple in Jerusalem to present Jesus for consecration. Since a pair of doves was offered as a sacrifice, we can surmise that Mary and Joseph lacked the financial resources to offer a lamb. Those who couldn’t afford to offer a lamb could offer a pair of doves.

We are then told about Simeon who was directed by the Holy Spirit to go to the Temple. We are also told about the 84 year old widow named Anna who was at the Temple day and night praying and fasting. Both were older, more experienced people and now at the right place at the right time to prophesy about Jesus. When they saw the baby Jesus, they explained that He would be the Savior.

Image Source

Like Simeon and Anna, each day with God is amazing when we let the Holy Spirit guide us so we are in the right place at the right time to speak about life with Jesus Christ. Lord, this day we submit to Your will and put You first in our life. We arise today through a mighty strength, the blessing of the Trinity; Your strength to pilot us, Your might to uphold us, and Your wisdom to guide us.

Posted in Applied Faith, Luke | Tagged God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Joseph, Mary, Moses, Savior, Simeon, Temple | 2 Comments

Slow Down and Listen

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Mark Shields

In the post Following His Guidance, I wrote about how frustrating and inconvenient it must have been for Mary and Joseph to travel so far to Bethlehem. It was a physically demanding and inconvenient trip of approximately 100 miles to Bethlehem so they could register for the census. Here’s an article about the long trip: Hiking the Nativity Trail from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

Think of how frustrating it must have been to travel that distance and once you finally get there, you find out that there is no vacancy at the one and only motel. Mary then has to give birth to Jesus in a stable. Life can be frustrating and inconvenient.

There are also distractions as we go about our daily work. At these times, one idea is to listen to God as we go about our daily work. Tune in to others and see God at work through them. During breaks, pay attention by reading, listening to music, and viewing art with a positive purpose of focusing on the things of God.

Here is one song that relates to this idea: Stop the World – Matthew West.