A WeakDay Devotion: CRUCIBLE

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Recently finished a new Kindle entitled “Genesis & Discrimination”. It is a very powerful collection to challenge your thinking. Also, consider: Secrets of a Deeper Life in Christ , A Missing Psalm, Forgiveness. I hope putting these together in this new format will be a blessing to many more & will help support this ministry.

By Email Too

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.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

CRUCIBLE

“Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, a people is coming from the northland, and a great nation will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth. They seize bow and spear; they are cruel and have no mercy; their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, arrayed as a man for the battle against you, O daughter of Zion!’

“’ … I have made you an assayer and a tester among My people, that you may know and assay their way.’ All of them are stubbornly rebellious, going about as a talebearer. They are bronze and iron; they, all of them, are corrupt. The bellows blow fiercely, the lead is consumed by the fire; in vain the refining goes on, but the wicked are not separated. They call them rejected silver, because the Lord has rejected them.” Jeremiah 6:22-30

When gold or silver nuggets are discovered, to get the precious metal purified, the nuggets are placed in a ceramic crucible - a little bowl. Extreme heat is applied to the outside of the vessel until the metal melts. Once it is melted, the heat continues to be applied.

Slowly a ‘scum’ of impurities begins to rise to the surface. These are carefully poured off. It is a slow and hot process that is repeated and does not end until the metallurgist can see their reflection clearly and without interruption in the surface of the metal.

This is an illustration that can be applied to each of us as His children. When you feel the ‘heat of conviction’ of behaviours you would prefer to hide from your loving Father God, these are what He is starting to bring to the surface, so they can be skimmed off until He can see His reflection in our faces! Isn’t that neat!

Take care with love, especially His! Your servant and friend in Christ, who still prays for you each morning. Darlene

PS: Please pray for this ministry. This is the 20^th year of endeavouring to serve others in His name to offer a smattering of Scripture daily. Find my statement of faith by clicking (or cut and paste this link into your Web browser): https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com You can find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google search for “WeakDay Devotion” (Also, there is a “Google Blogger” App you can download to read them on your phone.)

NEW PRAYER REQUESTS

· Gary McQ – goes in for a heart catherization soon before the final decision about quadruple valve replacement. Pray he is surrounded by family and friends as he goes through this journey. Pray for his strength, courage and for his heart to be at peace, as he holds the hand of his Saviour. Pray the Lord guides the hands of the surgeons and other health carers to repair his physical heart.
· Yalawe – diagnosed with lymphoma and who has been under various and vigorous treatment for nearly a year now, returns to the hospital 15 October. Please pray for his full recovery and that his health providers and family would be extra gentle with him.
· Jen – my sweet friend in the UK— is still needing prayer as she recovers septicaemia, a blood clot, a cyst and gall stones. She needs rest and skilful, wise health care providers. Pray for her neighbour, Pat and the continuing good health of her precious companion dog, Honey.
· SJ – as he struggles with circumstances he did not anticipate. Pray for his willingness, for wisdom of his counsellors as he wanders through this dark time, pray for his ability to rest.
· Michael – his interview went well. No decision was made yet. Much to consider. Pray the Lord guides him to the choice best for his family and future.
· Fred – has returned home safely from his trek across the USA with new insights and determinations.
· New Life Art Show – Please pray for this event (from October 9-12) hosted by the Jesus Club to support God’s work in people with intellectual disabilities.
· Terri – her relationship of 13 years has just broken and she needs prayers to travel through this journey.
· Tracey – after nearly three years of helping to lead a project, this will be Tracey’s last week. Please pray for her continued grace and that she decides well on her next step.
· Ray’s Dad - (Ray Sr.) struggling through the aftermath of cancer treatment. Pray the Lord will touch Ray Sr.’s heart so he reaches out for the only hand that can save him -- the compassionate Lord Jesus.
· USA – that the Lord would demonstrate His power in unexpected and uniting way during these times of unrest and confusion. Help hearts settle and rest in Him alone. And let the truth of God’s Word and ways overcome the drive to destroy our founding Bible-based values.

PRAY FOR THOSE IN FULL-TIME SERVICE

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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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