Arms Wide Open

How could anyone resist it?

We had walked the mall together, my son and I, toward the store in which my wife worked. He'd had a hard day at his Grandmother and Granddaddy's, exploring, playing and he was just worn out. But he put on a burst of speed and swung in front of me.

He stood there in my way, a curly-haired little boy, with his arms stretched outward and upward toward me, looking at me expectantly and saying "carry me Daddy, carry me."

Could you resist that? Could any Father?

I know I couldn't, and that's why one of my sons didn't walk at the mall very often. He knew that if he got tired all he had to do was turn to his Father and say, "carry me."

That's been a long time ago now, but his trusting and expectant smile still warms my heart today. Sometimes now it's his Daddy that gets tired. Coupled with the joy of ministry is the responsibility. And there are days when it's as if my heart gets as heavy as that little boy's legs.

And I know that I can do just as my son did.

Jude 1:20-21 (Msg)
But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, [21] staying right at the center of God's love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life!

The act of praying to God out of the center of His will, expecting Him to refresh you with His grace is how relief, how rest... really comes.

Jesus Christ comes, in His love, in His mercy, and meets me right at the point of my need. Every single time I call. That's the real Christian life - living with your arms wide open, ready to receive God's love and mercy.

He'll meet you too - right now. Reach out to him with the faith of a child.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Seeing Jesus

John 1:15-18 (Msg)
John pointed him out and called, "This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word."

[16] We all live off his generous bounty,
gift after gift after gift.
[17] We got the basics from Moses,
and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
This endless knowing and understanding—
all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
[18] No one has ever seen God,
not so much as a glimpse.
This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
who exists at the very heart of the Father,
has made him plain as day.

It was Jesus Who showed us what God is like. Even now, His Holy Spirit guides the believer through the maze of life's choices. The Bible says above that Jesus made God "as plain as day."

So let me ask you a question.

What about your life? If people watch you live it (and they do) can they see what a Christian marriage is like, what Christian parents are like, what Christian employees are like?

For the Christian, we have our example in Jesus.

For those still seeking, there is only you and me.

Let's pray and ask God for more of His loving guidance, and encourage each other onto greater love for Him through our everyday lives. If we do that, people observing should see Jesus at the center of everything we do, as plain as day.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.