St. Patrick's Prayer

SAINT PATRICK FULFILLS A NEED
Luke 19:34

“Christ be with me. Christ be before me. Christ be after me. Christ within me. Christ beneath me. Christ above me. Christ at my right hand. Christ at my left. “ Naomh Padraig

Christ has need of you. You may not think that you’re perfect for the job, but you are. Everyone has imperfections., but God still needs us. God wants you just as you are, for He shapes you into someone who can fill His needs.

As the addendum says at the end of this devotion, St. Patrick was needed for the Lord’s work. He said, “Yes” to God’s calling, serving the people by whom he’d been held captive—on their very island.

When Jesus went into Jerusalem the last time before His death, He had a need for a colt. As two of His disciples went in search of a man with a water jug, they untied his colt. When the man asked what they were doing, they replied, “The Lord has need of him.” The man let them go.

When the Lord has a need, He pursues the one who can supply it. When He lays a burden on your heart, He’s calling you. Perhaps His service will be brief—like He needed this colt for one day. He may require from you a task that consumes your entire life. Either way, when your Master calls you Home, you’ll hear these words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

How will you answer your Lord? Will being surrounded by Christ make a difference in your answer?

Take Home Nugget

There will always be something for us to do for our Lord. Our job is to be ready when He summons us. We’re to prepare ourselves to be ready when He calls. When we stay in His Word by faithfully reading the Bible, we commit ourselves to His Way every day. He shapes kids and adults alike into Christ likenesses.

Without knowing what your job will be for me
Lord, I stand ready to answer your request.
With Christ surrounding me, I know I’ll be
Perfect for the job while at my best.

ADDENDUM

Naomh Padraig was sixteen years old when he was captured by Irish raiders in the second half of the fifth century. (Around 450 A.D.) After six years of being a slave in Ireland, he escaped. Fleeing home to his family in Britain, he served God by entering the church. The men in his family began this tradition, and he followed in their footsteps. In time, he became a deacon, then a bishop. Then he chose the missionary field. He returned to Ireland and served the people on the North and West side of the island.

J.D. Griffith

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Heart Protection

HEART PROTECTION
Proverbs 4:23, John 14:1

“Bless your heart.” My Aunt said when thanking me for bringing a condiment up from the basement to the dinner table. “You’re welcome” I said with a smile. What’s this big deal about my heart?

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23.)

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.” Jesus said to His disciples after telling them of His upcoming death. Even Jesus talks about hearts.

Throughout the Bible we hear lots of stuff about the heart: faithful heart, forgiving heart, thankful heart, clean heart, hard heart. What is this organ that is at the heart of life? (Pun intended.)

Everyone can identify with a sorrowful heart. Sadness envelopes us when someone discovers some sin that we’re responsible for. God wants His children happy and free. What does it mean to guard our heart?

The most obvious way to guard one’s heart is to walk blameless through life. Then we never sin, never make someone cry, never get caught lying, cheating or stealing. Oh wait! We DO sin. No one is perfect, no one is blameless. Except Jesus.

Some people are good at making fun of others. Some people are always angry. Some people are always looking for trouble. Believers should not seek these people as friends. They bring others down, cause heartache, or pick fights. They are not easy to love, as Christ commands us. We can love them without joining them. We can speak lovingly to them without following them, agreeing with everything they do and say. We can keep our distance from them, so to not be associated with their crowd.

Parents may advise kids, “Don’t hang around with him. He’s not your friend.” They are warning, protecting hearts from breaking when someone has wrong intentions for us. It’s good to trust older people when being advised, especially if they are loved ones. Parents, older siblings, and Aunts and Uncles have seen more and lived through hurt. They recognize signs that harm, and they warn us of danger. It’s wise to listen to advice instead of thinking we know best.

Take Home Nugget

Not protecting one’s heart is as careless as not loving self. Just as self love teaches us to approach God as Abba, Father, protecting one’s heart shows others that we are worthy of God’s love. Don’t allow confidence to let down your guard. This will throw you off balance, and your heart becomes the open vulnerable target of the evil one. Remain vigilant, watching out for others as well as yourself.

Holy Father we find it hard to choose between friends.
Teach us discernment to avoid involvement
With people who don’t regard us highly.
Good people are the ones to whom our heart bends.

J.D. Griffith

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Self Worth

SELF WORTH
Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:34-40, Galatians 5:13-14

“She’s so stuck up.” “Yeah, and he thinks he is God’s gift to girls.” Kids often hear and speak words like these. Adults remember them, too. People try acting like they think they’re not better than others—specifically to avoid such labels. But how should we view ourselves, really?

The Bible is clear, but two different passages seem to conflict. Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me and not hate his father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26). Don’t take this passage out of context.

Jesus was saying that allegiance to Him must be absolute—even when that loyalty is costly to us or to those whom we love. He wants first place in our lives, and He deserves that; He paid a high price for us. He willingly went to the cross to save us from eternal death.

Now that we understand, we can agree to put God first in our lives. So what about others, what about ourselves?

Every person has value to God. Jesus also said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Here’s the conflict. God is first, who is next in our lives?

Love your neighbor as yourself makes “yourself” a high priority. God first. Self next. Everyone else same as self. Matthew 22:37-39 is clear. The greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul and mind. AND love your neighbor AS YOURSELF. God, you and all others next.

Don’t allow self-appreciation be mislabeled as egotism, conceit or pride. Reverencing self is different from selfishness or self-centeredness. We’re to care for our own body mind and spirit as treasured possessions. Honoring ourselves is honoring Christ, who died for us. No one can love others without first loving himself.

A believer’s self worth stems from our relationship to our creator. As a child of God, we’re to protect ourselves for all that has been given to us: salvation, indwelt Holy Spirit, unique talents. Love of self is essential to God’s plan for every believer.

Take Home Nugget
God cannot set us on the path of achieving His goals for our lives until we recognize our worth and love the person He created us to be. Our Father has a special plan for each of us. We’re to use our God-given abilities to the fullest extent in reaching these goals. Our goals and God’s goals for us mesh as one.

In humility we seek other’s needs before our own.
That does not mean we’re not to hold our head up high.
Loving others like self maintains a level zone
Where we all work towards our goals in the sky.

J.D. Griffith

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I Love You

I LOVE YOU
1 Peter 3:8, 1 John 4:18, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 Corinthians 12:25-26

Sometimes embarrassing, sometimes sweet to hear, the words “I love you” stir up different emotions in people. Depending on the ages of the speaker and listener, these three little words evoke pleasure or anxiety.

Love begins with the author of life. It begins with God. “For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place.” (Psalm 139:13-16).

God loves us so much that He personally formed each of us in our mother’s womb.

He numbers every hair on our heads, knows every day of our lives. He planted skills and talents in our being. He has a unique plan for each of us. Is this news to you? This sure makes us humble, doesn’t it? This tells us that our Father cares so much that He wants a personal relationship with each one of us.

How many friends do you have?

But love doesn’t stop there. Jesus commanded that we love one another. Gulp!

“All of you should be of one mind, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds.” (1Peter 3:8). We’re to support each other so completely that each person feels safe inside our group. (1John 4:18). This safety means we can show our humanity in the open; our joy, our ups and downs, our victories, defeats and our pain.

God challenges us to create a Christ-community where we love like our lives depend on it. (1Peter 1:22). We’re to give each other the same uncommon safety Christ gives us—to be sad, messed up, confused and yet loved.

We’re to weep together, celebrate together, and care for each other equally. (1Corinthians 12:25-26). Can you say that you love your friends unconditionally?

Take Home Nugget
We show tender hearts when we allow each other to:

Have a bad day.
Be Tired.
Admit mistakes.
Confess being scared.
Grieve a loss.
Doubt, be confused, cry.

We exhibit humility when we can:

Be happy when another gets a great new bike.
Be cool when someone has more money.
Celebrate when someone wins the starting place on our sports team.
Admire how someone looks in a new outfit.
Shout “Hallelujah” because God’s presence in your life makes you feel blessed.
It’s OK for these things to happen because our joy is sincere for another’s blessings. Life becomes a celebration, shared by all.

J.D. Griffith

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Jesus Launches His Ministry

JESUS LAUNCHES HIS MINISTRY
Matthew 3:13-4:23

Around age thirty, when all the other males’ parents had secured them wives, Jesus had another plan. He sought to fulfill prophecy and all the things that had been written about Him. His entire life on this earth was spent in obedience to the Father

Jesus found John at the Jordan River and asked to be baptized. John was amazed that the Son of the Living God would come to be baptized by him, a lowly peasant wearing camel’s hair tied with a belt. (Matthew 3:4).

John protested, but Jesus said, “Let it be so now, it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented to baptize his cousin, the one for whom he felt unworthy to carry sandals. (Matthew 3:11).

When Jesus came up out of the water, the Spirit of God descended like a dove and landed on Him. The heavens were opened and a voice said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with whom I am well pleased.” Ahhhh. Jesus must have smiled broadly at this.

This was Jesus’ public demonstration of “whose He is” to the world. He belongs to His Father. The same is true for us, and our baptism declares the same. Wouldn’t it be great if we were as obedience as Jesus showed us how to be?

Not only that, but after His baptism, Jesus followed the Spirit’s lead into the wilderness. He knew this was going to be a harrowing forty days. Weeks of fasting and being tempted by the devil showed Him to be without sin. This is another lesson to us—to endure what is required without complaining, but with integrity of purpose.

After this experience, Jesus began His ministry, calling the Disciples to follow Him. He knew the path that had already been preordained for Him, and He followed that path—without sin.

Take Home Nugget

We are blessed with free will to choose obedience or disobedience. Jesus could have chosen to disobey His Father.

Our Father—because He chose to give His life for us on the cross. Jesus did not rebel against His path. Thank you, Jesus, for willingly laying down Your life for us! If we knew the hardships that are in our future, would we be tempted to rebel?

Leap day comes once every four years. What will you do with this “extra” day?

Thank you for showing how to be in perfect obedience, Lord.
Never easy, our lives can be pleasing to our Father, we sigh with relief.
It’s good that no one can see into our futures; who would dare to ford
Life through times of uncertainty, doubt and disbelief?

J.D. Griffith

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Plan For Victory--Dependence Upon God Part 12/12

PLAN FOR VICTORY
Part 12/12 Dependence Upon God
1 Samuel 17:47, Psalm 31:2

Psalm 32:8: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”

Hear these words that David spoke to Goliath: “This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands.” (1Samuel 17:46). Now that’s confidence! Do you wonder if Goliath hesitated before making a move towards David after hearing those words? Can you hear David shouting them? This showdown between the giant and shepherd boy captivated both armies. The Israeli and Philistine armies were fascinated. Talk about front row seats!

Great victories are often made up of little accomplishments. David’s heart was set on exalting and honoring God with his life. When this is our motive, our decisions and actions will not only accomplish our personal goals but will also achieve great things for the kingdom of God.

WOW!

What bold goals has God planted into your heart? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., had one audacious goal—that of racial reconciliation among the Whites and Blacks in America. His words opened doors, eyes, and hearts. (Our nation continues healing today, after our Civil War in the 1860’s.) We haven’t arrived at perfection yet, even after having elected our first African-American President, in 2008.

Even Dr. Martin Luther King, a great preacher and auditor, felt stymied. He prayed, “I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But, Lord, I confess that I am weak now. I am faltering. I am losing my courage, and am afraid…I am at the end of my powers…I cannot do this alone.”

At that moment, Dr. King was awash in the presence of the Divine. As never before, he felt God’s strength and power. He heard an inner voice saying, “Stand up for righteous, stand up for truth; and God will be at your side forever.” At once Dr. King’s fears left, his uncertainty disappeared, and he was ready to face anything.

We can expect to face opposition when we’re trying to do what’s right. We too, must cry out to the Lord. He alone, is our rock of refuge, a fortress of defense. He is our source of strength and protection—only a prayer away. Hallelujah!

Take Home Nugget

Memory work enables us to speak God’s Word to Him and fills us with confidence during trouble. Here’s one that works for me when I’m weak and unstable. Maybe it’ll work to get your feet back onto solid ground.

J. D. Griffith

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Plan For Victory--Courage Part 11/12

PLAN FOR VICTORY—Courage Part 11/12
1 Samuel 17:46, Luke 14:29-32

We’ve talked much about David facing Goliath and, against all odds, killing him. He was ridiculed by his own brothers and dared the king to allow him to slay this giant. That’s pretty gutsy, wouldn’t you say? What would you say to one of your friends who faces a similar challenge? Would you urge him or her to stop before losing everything—to appreciate being ahead of the game? David had a chance to pause, but he didn’t even hesitate for a moment.

We also talked about gaining control of emotions and not allow the deceiver to stop you from moving forward towards your goal. We talked about not quitting, or even stopping your forward progress in achieving your goals. Consider what David said when facing this giant head on. “Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.”

Now that’s courage! That’s not false bravado or arrogance, because David KNEW God. If we allow fear to grip our heart, we will never have the courage to complete the task. The “what ifs” will haunt you at every turn throughout your entire life. The Lord Himself accepts and honors your goal when it meshes with His will. So, go out on the limb, and do what it takes to reach it. Just make sure you remain in His will every step of the way.

Take Home Nugget

It is Biblical to take time to evaluate the cost involved in reaching your goal. When you consider this factor: calculate your measurements against the Lord’s desires , standards, and will for your life—rather than by your own limited sight. The cost is not money; it’s your growth and maturity in faith. God sees the big picture, and knows exactly what lies ahead. He knows the importance of your developing trust in Him. Won’t you take that plunge and choose to trust in your God?

The goal that has gripped my heart
Is so far in the future, Lord.
The cost too high to even start.
Place Angels before me with drawn sword.

J.D. Griffith

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