"safe and kind"

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 (6:58 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You! You worked in and through me yesterday in my quest to keep two little boys “safe and kind”. That was my job as I described it repeatedly. My purpose if You will. Safety and kindness. Let's look at that together shall we?

(7:47 a.m.)

Talk about an answer to prayer. Wow! You are good. All the time.

Blessed Father, while looking in Your Word about kindness I went first to Lamentations 3:1-26. The title to the devotion there? “Hope”. Leave it to You to speak to me in the most unexpected ways.

“Perhaps we are brokenhearted because of bitter suffering in our family... Jeremiah watched this [being taken captive and destroyed] happen to his beloved nation, Israel ...Turning our life over to God includes giving Him our pain and suffering. In our times of grief and shame we can hope, knowing that God will help us overcome the problems we face. God is strong enough to lift our burdens and loving enough to mend our broken heart.”

And this is only where I started!

Getting to turn to Peter's first letter to Jewish Christians I am again shown “how to live well in a shattered and hopeless world”. Second chapter, first three verses in The Message, “So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You've had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God's pure kindness. Then you'll grow up mature and whole in God.”

The Life Recovery Bible comments on putting “the focus of recovery work not on improving outward behavior (which is the result) but on seeking to please God and experience more of His kindness. We come to Him with all our needs, and He will fill our heart with the love we crave.”

Mm, yes! How awesome is that! And then right back to where I was in Colossians yesterday. “PURPOSE: To show us that Christ is the only real source of power in our life.” Rereading my prayer from yesterday, I get to see how You answered my request to: 'use my head; make the most of every opportunity; be gracious in speech; bring out the best in others, not putting them down or cutting them out' (Colossians 4:5-6).

I got to do that ONLY because of Your great work on my behalf. Thank You Father.

This morning I ask You to bring more of Paul's words (Colossians 3:12-14) to fruition in me this day. “So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.”

Absolutely yes Dearest Dad! Make it so in my life this day. I love You so much and I truly want to wear You well. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(521 words ~ 8:44 a.m.)