My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1.
Those who are in connection with God are channels for the power of the Holy Spirit. If one who daily communes with God errs from the path, if he turns a moment from looking steadfastly unto Jesus, it is not because he sins willfully; for when he sees his mistake, he turns again, and fastens his eyes upon Jesus, and the fact that he has erred does not make him less dear to the heart of God. He knows that he has communion with the Saviour; and when reproved for his mistake in some matter of judgment, he does not walk sullenly, and complain of God, but turns the mistake into a victory. He learns a lesson from the words of the Master, and takes heed that he be not again deceived.
Those who truly love God have internal evidence that they are beloved of God, that they have communion with Christ, that their hearts are warmed with fervent love toward Him. The truth for this time is believed with sound confidence. They can say with all assurance, “We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty…. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:16-19).
The inner life of the soul will reveal itself in the outward conduct. Let the Word of God bear its testimony in behalf of the messenger whom God hath sent with a message in these last days to prepare a people to stand in the day of the Lord. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” (Isaiah 52:7).
The wisdom of so-called intellectual men cannot be relied upon, unless they have learned and are daily learning lessons in the school of Christ. Men, in their supposed wisdom, may plan and devise theories and systems of philosophy, but the Lord calls them vain and foolish. The Lord says, “The foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25).—The Review and Herald, May 12, 1896.
Ye Shall Receive Power p. 134
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Prayer Requests
—-I have a friend from a previous line of work whose daughter was admitted to the hospital with an idiopathic infection in her ear that has spread to other parts of her body and it sounds pretty serious. Please pray for both the family’s physical and spiritual well-being. David
—-PLease continue to pray for E and children. R
—-A friend of mine named Stephanie had to have a hysterectomy recently for cancer, and now she has sepsis and has had her lower legs and finger parts amputated. Please keep her in prayers. Ann
—-Please pray for coworker Jennifer that she turns to Christ in her current time of need and desperation. Nathan
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Dear Friends,
Before I was five, my aunt Joyce still lived with my grandparents. So did I as they had adopted me when I was a baby. My aunt loved all children, but I was especially dear to her. So, for those first five years, she used quite a bit of her paycheck to shower me with expensive gifts. Imagine her disappointment when as a very little girl, I played with the box instead of the toy.
As I got older, her gifts were enjoyed, but I did not appreciate the hours of work that she put in at the factory in order to buy these expensive gifts. Gilmore’s Department Store was the fanciest and most expensive store in Kalamazoo; and because Auntie Joyce loved me, she bought my presents there. One time when I was very little, she saw a portable doll house with very expensive and realistic miniature furnishings. Each week she would buy a piece of furniture, so that by the time I was old enough to enjoy playing with it, I had the complete set. How I loved that doll house! It was one of the few things that I really enjoyed playing with.
I can never remember really thanking Auntie Joyce for all the lovely things she bought me. Oh, when I was old enough to talk, I said “thank you,” because I had been taught to be polite; but I took her gifts for granted as though they were just a part of life.
How often do we do the same with our Great Creator’s gifts. How often we enjoy His wonderful blessings with scarcely a thought of the Giver. We might even thank Him politely for something special, but our heart is not filled with gratefulness. We are as He sadly described His followers of old, “this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.” Isa 29:13 How often we forget that, “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17
How little we appreciate His Greatest Gift of all and take His Great Sacrifice for granted. Because of His great love for us, He sent Jesus, His only Begotten Son, to suffer and die for us. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:16,17 Yet, how often we live our life as though we deserved such a sacrifice! We can never be worth the sacrifice He made, “but God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom 5:8
Do we daily thank Him for the great sacrifice that He made for us? Do we have love for Him welling up within our hearts? Do we respond to Him by loving obedience? Can others see His character shining through us? Are His praises continually upon our lips? “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” Ps 107:8 Paul advises, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thes 5:18 May He open our eyes to His blessings each day that we will praise Him from a heart filled with love and gratitude for His marvelous grace is my prayer.
Rose
Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/still-loved-though-we-err.html
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