A WeakDay Devotion: Cart Before the Horse?

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The WeakDay Devotion originated as encouragement for a dear friend who was having difficulties with her job.

It is especially for my family, firends, business people, students, pastors, teachers and a myriad of pre-, new and long-serving Christians who want more Scripture with their devotion than many of the regular devotionals offer. it is also written to be short so you can get on with your day, but filled with a new idea from God's Word that is practical and applicable. You can also have it sent directly to your email box every day - just send me an email (DarleneRichard@gmail.com) and I will add you to the distribution.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Cart Before the Horse?

“For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we shall live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you. Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognise this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test.” II Corinthians 13:5

“And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” I John 3:24

“By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” I John 4:13

“If you have the Holy Spirit, you must be a Christian. It is not ‘being a Christian’ that gives you the right to have the Holy Spirit, it is having the Holy Spirit within you that gives you the right to be a Christian.”*

Most of us have met people who are conflicted about the authenticity of their relationship with Christ....perhaps it is because their assumptions are based on what others tell them about their life in Christ...the Bible, however, is our true source of truth. Spending time there does show us that we can get the cart before the horse and forget God’s purpose and His wise order for our lives.

Take care with love, especially His! Your servant and friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: ANY PRAYER UPDATES TODAY? Please send updates! For any of you who wonder if prayer is worth taking time for, just page back through previous entries and see the hand of our loving Father in action!

NEW PRAYER REQUESTS: For Daniel Craver (3-4 yrs old), in hospital and diagnosed with stage 1 or 2 liver failure – had surgery and it seems to be a success! Cucuawe’s daughter was buried last week...please pray for him and his family during this time. Pray for Hans a new hungry baby Christian --if you know any Christians near Essen Germany, please contact me as soon as possible as he needs fellowship. Pray for me for a project in Canberra I’m hoping to hear about this week. Pray for wisdom of my brother as he deals with an important matter.

Barbara’s (sister-in-law) and Hans’ (friend) projects have both ended and they need new work. (Hans especially needs paying work – he’s been volunteering to fill the time.)

PRAISE & THANKSGIVING: An angel has found Adrian and he’s just been moved into a new home. Thank you so much for praying for him. That the Lord loves and comforts us through challenges we could not face without Him.

PRAY FOR THOSE WITH HEALTH CONCERNS: Pray for Deborah’s husband. Paul NS. Adrian’s pain meds still not working well. Tim (my little brother), needs financial help, especially with no health insurance. Pray he secures a disability pension. For Michael C, with his own health concerns & for his wife, Diane, as his mother is fading away with Alzheimer’s and ill health. David still needs prayer for his health, but is doing better. Steve Barns for relief from great pain and depression.

For a solution for Audley and Beverly (she’s disabled from a stroke and needs a carer during the day so Audley can go out and work). Tim B with headaches, that his doctor will OK a new procedure for relief. For Carlton suffering from horrible infections in his bones.

Deb, special friend with multiple Myeloma (please see her blog at this LINK. (http://debdarley.blogspot.com/ ) Wisdom for doctors caring for so many, including Tim, Doris, David, Gary and Annette’s friend Sue.

ONGOING PRAYER REQUESTS: Pray the Lord’s hand is dramatically apparent in the lives of all who receive and read this devotion...that His mighty works would be worked out in each life for His purposes! Galdor recovering from the loss of his mother and his quest for a new job. For Yourri who lost a friend. Please pray for Deepak as he struggles through some challenges. For Reg and his ministry, that the Lord would bless him in unexpected ways. An unspoken request for help from mounting fear and financial failure.

For Roger as he considers options for a pledge of heart. Adam who is becoming involved with a cult that’s filling many unmet needs. Scott, for strength as he struggles and grows ( and for Donna as she encourages him). For David K, in his studies. Isaias (health, strength and family safety as he continues his mission work in Philippines); for Kevin (Godly wisdom with his son), Michael.

PRAY FOR THE WORLD: God’s grace on USA & REVIVAL for His children there and for the many nations suffering from global financial mis-management.

ONGOING JOB RELATED: That Tim and Blacky might find satisfying work. Paul K who resigned from his job and is setting up a consultancy.

*Christ For Real by Charles Price

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Background of WeakDay Devotions

Over eleven years ago a dear friend couldn't find a job. She's brilliant, skilled & experienced -- but simply couldn't find a position to suit her. After about eight months of struggling & searching, she was hired to work with the Sydney Olympics but six months later the role turned feral. She was discouraged as she pulled herself into work each morning.

Then it became apparent they were trying to "move" her out. She struggled. At least once a week she would be on the phone to me or be sitting on my balcony talking/crying her heart out. I found myself being a sort of Christian coach/mentor for her.

One morning after my quiet time, something I learned seemed relevent for her, so I shared it with her in an email. She wrote back that it indeed helped. Next morning the same thing happened. Again the Lord used it to encourage & strengthen her. The next morning nothing seemed good to send, but I searched till I found something I hoped would strengthen her. The Lord used it. Each week day morning from then on I would get up early & write her a note of encouragement.

A month went by & another friend sent me an e-mail expressing their own frustration with a work situation. I sent them a copy of the e-mail I'd sent my friend that very morning. They were encouraged & asked me to include them each morning. After a couple of weeks both wrote to me to say they'd been sending the email to others & would I just add theses new names each morning. They also suggested I ask others if they'd like to be included. I did & many asked to receive it. One day, I was asked to do a radio interview with Gordon Moyse ("An Ordinary Christian"). He had heard about the morning "WeakDay Devotions" & wanted his listeners to know more about them.

Almost every week day morning since that first e-mail, I've written a fresh word of encouragement for (by now) an untold number of people around the world. It was originally mostly business oriented, but has grown to be more general in nature with Christian business people knowing it is the little personal details of their walk that need a boost anyway.

Within the distribution list now are Christians or pre-Christians (Catholic & Protestant), some are Jewish, some have not made a decision about what they believe, yet. There are several pastors; a Catholic priest, a Jewish teacher and a Christian Web page creator (and pastor) who distributes select ones to his readership. There’s even a pastor in the USA who uses them as part of his daily radio program.

Many who receive them forward them to others & they ricochet around the world. They're used as morning devotions between friends at work in the USA, Argentina, the Philippines, New Guinea, Hong Kong & places I don't even know about yet.

The Lord is using these meek & meagre "presents to Him" for His own purposes in the lives of others & I'm constantly surprised & humbled at the encouragement I've found in my own personal time with the Lord because of their ministry to me!

If you'd like to have them emailed directly to you each day, just send me an email. I'm open to comments, suggestions & criticisms.

Again, it's almost always only one screen long, so you don't have to take too much time with them, they always come marked "Urgent" so they can be found more quickly. Finally, the distribution list is "blinded" so everyone's privacy is assured (although I pray for everyone I send to & know them all much better now).

Every day is different, some days are very short -- sometimes only one verse or two, but there's always a Bible verse (I always use the New American Standard Bible translation, unless otherwise indicated). There are also times when there is a suggestion for something special as an assignment. I've also written a variety of series, such as: The Ten Commandments, Forgiveness, How to Know God's Will, Fasting, Unmet Needs, etc.

Stay close to His Word.
Your servant and friend in Christ.... Darlene

The First Devotion

"And those who know Thy name will put their trust in Thee; for Thou, O Lord, hast not forsaken those who seek Thee." Psalm 9:10

From George Muller's Autobiography:

"I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how much I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished.

"The first thing I did, after having asked in a few words the Lord's blessing upon His precious Word, was to begin to meditate on the Word of God; searching, as it were, into every verse, to get blessing out of it; not for the sake of the public ministry of the Word; not for the sake of reaching on what I had meditated upon; but for the sake of obtaining food for my own soul. The result I have found to be almost invariably this...that after a very few minutes my soul has been led to confession, or to thanksgiving, or to intercession, or to supplication; so that though I did not, as it were, give myself to prayer, but to meditation, yet it turned almost immediately more or less into prayer."

Have a wonderful day resting in Him....love, your servant and friend in Christ...D

Another style: The Princess & the Pea

[Jesus teaching] "'And why do you look at the spec that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?'" Matthew 7:3

"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." James 2:10

"So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!" James 3:5

"Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.'" Matthew 13:31-32

Ever notice how it's the little things that get under your skin and grow out of perspective? Think of the time you spend looking for a misplaced file or phone number. What about when you're late and get a red light or someone pulls out in front of you in traffic. Or how about when you get a paper cut or have a hang nail? How about forgetting someone's birthday or when you lose your glasses or keys? Any of these things can make us "lose our cool". As Christians we must be ever vigilant to how the little things can stumble our walk and witness with Christ.

It reminds me of the fairy tale of the Princess and the Pea (where a prince looked for a gentle and delicate princess to help rule his kingdom. He arranged a test of all the fair maidens. He had a stack of mattresses placed one on top the other and each "princess candidate" was invited to spend the night in the castle. The Prince became discouraged because no one seemed to respond to the test until one morning a lovely woman complained she could not sleep, as the mattress was too lumpy. Unbeknownst to her (and all the other candidates) the Prince had placed a single pea under the bottom mattress. No one else had been sensitive to the little things. Of course they lived happily ever after. In our Christian walk we need to be that sensitive to the little things that stumble us! Take care, your servant and friend in Christ – Darlene

A WeakDay Devotion

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Monday, August 6, 2012

Cart Before the Horse?

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Background of WeakDay Devotions

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