Meditation

Today’s Meditation is dedicated to Debbie Keithley and David her husband and to all the family and friends left behind. Debbie passed away on the afternoon of the 01/13/2021, from pneumonia due to Covid-19. She was a dear friend of my wife and mine for almost 50 years. She left us to early, but we take comfort in knowing when she passed from this world to the next, she no longer had any limitations and was welcome by many family and friends and was in the arms of our Lord. God bless you Debbie, you are missed already. All our love!

01/14/2021

“The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” (Proverbs4:18)

Relationship with God promises a clearer sense of the way to go in life as God promises light for that life.

The righteous person is one on God’s pathway of life, and exemplifies their mutual relationship in the way they live their life and interact with others in the normal course of life.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

O God of grace and glory, we remember before you this day our sister Debbie Keithley. We thank you for giving her to us, her family and friends, to know and to love as a companion on our earthly pilgrimage. In your boundless compassion, console us who mourn. Give us faith to see in death the gate of eternal life, so that in quiet confidence we may continue our course on earth, until, by your call, we are reunited with those who have gone before; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“When we stop loving, we stop living.”

KNOWING GOD:

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel12:3)

Many are those who promise to offer light to others, but few will deliver on their promise. It is the ones who promise and then live their life in the righteous light of our God, that shine brighter than others, for their relationship with Almighty God is an example for others, that will not be missed.

Leading by example of ones life, others will see it as real and seek to follow the example in their own lives. As has been said so eloquently; one cannot do everything, but one can do something. Throughout Debbie’s life, she has led as best she could do and she did was to glorify God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

I AM:

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Matthew25:46)

Those who have been made right with God through faith in Christ, and who reflect this as they live by God’s standards, will live forever with God in heaven.

Beloved eternal life begins her as we live out God’s quality of life among those for whom God cares especially. Debbie spoke loudly of her faith by living a righteous life for all to see. She influenced others in a myriad of ways, that spoke of her belief and her faith.

SECOND THOUGHT of the DAY:

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, ‘no one who has left home or brothers or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—-and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Mark10-29-31)

Seeking God’s eternal rewards is not wrong. It is a legitimate motive to evangelize. Serving Christ faithfully often involves sacrifices and self-denial. Our Lord promises that the abundance of the reward will outshine any sacrifice we make to win others to Christ (Romans 8:18),

Works are good, but no works get you into the kingdom beloved. Let me repeat this, “No works get you into the kingdom.” The works we do honor God for what He has already done for us. God wants a relationship with us, understand? Otherwise, we could stack up a bunch of works and then just sit back and enjoy life. When we accept God through Jesus Christ, then we have responded to a call to serve Him, so our works will do that. But the call by God is to serve our fellow human beings. I have witnessed this in a variety of ways, but the key is to do it with Him. Decide through prayer with Him, what it is He wants you to do and then get started with Him, and keep Him updated by your prayers to Him. Works are beneficial certainly, but it is the relationship we build with Him along the way, that has the biggest impact. Debbie was always the type of person to do things in the background, that would impact school children, community events, things for family and friends. She was a doer, in spite of physical limitations. She has left a legacy for many family and friends, to be inspired by, and to respond to God’s call in their own lives. So I would ask you, what are you doing to further the kingdom of God. Are you going to be a “first” or a “last”?