IDOK DEVOTION FOR MONDAY, MAY 17, 2010
Praise Reports, Prayer Requests and Updates:
We added Ray Sanford to our list this weekend. A simple ankle injury has turned much serious with lots of pain and more surgery. He needs our prayers.
Truthfully, it’s Friday morning, the sun is shining, my beloved’s shirts need ironing, the carpet needs vacuuming, and the store is beckoning me to gather needed supplies for visits from grand-babies; but I’m here — ya’ll do feel special, don’t you? If I knew how to fit a big smile graphic in right here I would!!
Looking for inspiration just now I picked up a study book written by Mary Ann Froehlich, titled Living with Thorns. On page 16, Ms. Froehlich included a quote from Margaret Clarkson and it reads: “The thorns that seem to hem us in are in reality placed there to close us in to God Himself, to protect us from evil, to provide us with sanctuary in the midst of a troubled world.”
Would not that revolutionize our ‘feelings’ if we thought that way about unpleasant, ‘want it changed right now’ circumstances in our lives?
Looking for that familiar address in Scripture wherein Paul discusses his thorn in the flesh, I found others. But first here’s the passage in 2 Corinthians 12: 7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me–to keep me from exalting myself! And when you read on you know that Paul asked the LORD three times to remove the thorn and JESUS said in verse 8: . . . “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness “
If you would like to visit some Scripture addresses and read more about thorns, click here. I found the passage at Numbers 33:54-56 of interest. Some thorns are of our own doing.
Samuel Johnson, also included on page 16 of Ms. Froehlich’s book, said this: “Adversity is the state in which a man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free from admirers then.”
I’m not making light of this important concept but there are times we might say… I don’t want to know myself this well!
And one more also contained on the page by Helen Keller: “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved. ”
Some of us should be ‘real characters’ by now, huh?
Who likes ‘thorns’? Who wakes up saying, ‘oh I can’t wait to get to the office and be verbally abused by my cranky ole office partner?’ Or who says, ‘I am so looking forward to all the interruptions that may come my way today to keep me from getting this project finished on time?’ And yet such thorns come our way, often!
So what are we going to do about it? Chuck Swindoll says this: “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
And what better attitude adjustment can we have than believing thorns are gifts from God to shape us into the image of Christ and our attitude about each of them will determine how much like Him we look today?
So what’s my attitude about that? Feel free to ask yourself that question too.
To review the list of names for prayer, please click here.
Well, ABBA, You did it again! What would I do without this IDOK ministry?? Thank You so much for allowing me this privilege and responsibility. Holy Spirit, help me to not take it lightly; to embrace it not only as a word for others but first for me and help me walk them out I pray.
Thank You for loving us enough to wear the thorns and for loving us enough to apply thorns now where we need them. Guide us, manuever us through this weekend, position us to worship You and serve You with joy and gladness. Keep our IDOKs and Readers safe as well as our IDOK Troops and families. Hover over and blow fresh wind and fire on Your Churches, three in particular I pray. Please tend to our list of names, granting thorns and blessings as You see fit in JESUS name.
And as we gather at this screen on Monday morning or at whatever time and day it is opened to be read, I ask You to make the message here fresh and new and I pray , Holy Spirit, that You will anoint it and the Reader will be encouraged and will step a little closer to You for JESUS sake. Amen and amen.
