I have great news (at least it appears to be at this moment), computer disfigurement has been resolved and I am excited and grateful!! It’s also 7:00 AM and nothing on the screen yet. SO lets revisit an old IDOK Devotion. I did not archive this one with a date, not sure why; but have noticed there are a lot of them with no date. Hopefully, this one will seem FRESH anyway.

Baggage? We know the common definition for it, don’t we? Those bags we carry our stuff in when we go from home on vacation. But even Webster gives the definition of baggage that many of us have come to understand: things (as objects, circumstances, or beliefs) that get in the way. Okay. Now let us read today’s Scripture text. I Samuel 17: 22 Then David left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered in order to greet his brothers.
Oh my goodness!!! What a lesson! Look again at the definition of baggage. Things that get in the way.
If we are going to be enabled to wage war in God’s army, if we are going to see victory in our lives, if we are going to greet and bless and give the message of Love and Grace from our Father to our brothers and sisters, friends and family and strangers who are yet to be friends, we are going to have to do in the Spirit as David did in the physical here in today’s text. Put down the baggage! Set down those old hurts that keep us from trying again; walk away from those behaviors that are devouring our well being; give up those unrealistic expectations we place on other people. We can name it. We each can name our own baggage. We know the “brand” of baggage we are waking up with and carrying, dragging daily into our lives. (And perchance, we are not really sure.. Pray! He knows! ) LEAVE it! Leave the BAGGAGE with THE Baggage Keeper. And I dare say, none of us are asking who is the Baggage Keeper? We all know, don’t we? We all know there is ONE who can handle ALL our baggage. We all know He is JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS! He is the ONLY one who knows how to handle our baggage and use it for His Glory and our good. The baggage we bring to HIM, He will sort through, categorize and store and when the time is right He will restore that baggage to us in such a way that it becomes a blessing to not only us but we can use it to advance His Kingdom and grow and give strength and comfort to others. Oh, my goodness! What a God – Baggage Keeper – He is!!
Job 14: 17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And You wrap up my iniquity.
Micah 7: 18 Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love.
19 He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea.
20 You will give truth to Jacob And unchanging love to Abraham, Which You swore to our forefathers From the days of old.
Romans 8: 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. Even ALL our Baggage — all that SOILED stuff.
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  source
Not even our BAGGAGE!
Father, thank You. Thank You that You have taken our baggage and will take more if we will set it down at the Cross of Jesus. Thank You. I ask You to take Your Word here at place it in the heart of each IDOK in perfect order of each need. Thank You for all that You are doing in the hearts and lives of those we love so dearly and thank You for what You will yet accomplish when our baggage is delivered to You for safe keeping and sorting. And Father as soon as Your Work in Iraq is accomplished bring our IDOK Troops home but until then protect and guide them for Jesus sake.
And ABBA we continue to pray for the Peace of Israel and the Repentance of America. And we come with each one listed here, each soul and each circumstance and we accept Your Will and Your Touch for each. Amen and amen.
As I post this it is 62°F and haze in Al Asad, IQ & the time there is 4:26 PM AST – on November 20, 2008
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