Tuesday 7 January 2014

Tuesday

Snowmen developing and growing on the inside of our living room window. 

Prayer:   Dear Lord,  keep watch on us during this New Year.  Expand our thirst for You so that we seek You out each day.  Reveal to us the great gift of Your Son,  our Lord. Come let us bow down and fall down before the King our God.  Oh Come let us bow down and fall down before Christ the King.  Come let us bow down and fall down before our Lord and Saviour.   Amen.

Read  James  1: 13 - 15

As I recover from  surgery,  it is to tempting on cold days to not exercise.  Part of my recovery process is  to exercise (walk)  at least three times  a day.   When our temperatures got down to -50C windchill on Sunday and Monday,  it was so tempting to just stay inside with a cup of hot chocolate and sit all day in the rocking chair.     While that sounds wonderful,  what actually happens  is  my recovery slides back into ill health.  Mild gentle exercise is the key to recovery.

James  writes that  when we are tempted,  no one should say "God is tempting me".   God can not be tempted nor does God tempt anyone.  Yet  as humans,  we are tempted by our own desires.  If we "yield to our desires,  this gives birth to sin  and sin,  when it is full-grown, gives birth to death"  (James  1: 15  NIV  Zondervan, 1983).  

As our new year unfolds,  what things will tempt you?  What desires do we yield to when we are tempted?    

It is only in recognizing that God is love and joy  do we realize the great gift God has given to us --   that of  sound judgement,  responsibility,  and  fortitude.  
As our new year unfolds,  what  decision will you make so that you are not tempted?   

Prayer:  Great God,  we thank You that we can turn to You and lean on Your understanding.  We thank You that You help us  in making mature decisions.  For You are love and  we are Your people.   Reveal to us yet again the wonderful story of Your Great love for us in Your Son,  our Lord.  Amen.

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