Sunday, August 24, 2008

August 24th - Let's Play!

Theme of the Day
Reconciliation and love

Readings of the Day
John 6.1-24-When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified.
1 Chronicles 22.2-23.32-Now begin the work, and the LORD be with you.
Zechariah 9-Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Matthew 16.13-20-You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

God's Word of the Day
I, the Messiah, have come to you in love to save you. We have work to do!

Story of the Day
It was magical! I could leap into the air and fly hundreds of feet. I had to be careful on each leap that I didn't jump into the electrical wires. Each leap seemed to gain on the previous. If I moved my arms a little bit I could go even higher. It was magical and it was fun to soar above the world. To look down on all that God had created. To look into the clouds. To see hail and rain at the source. I could go wherever I wanted to go with pretty much little to no effort at all. It was magical!

I felt as if I had been set free from gravity. Gravity which held me down. Gravity a force that seemed to keep me in place and not permit me to move. How did I gain such power? Where did it come from? Why was I released from gravity just enough to leap freely but not completely released? All of these questions entered my mind. I was afraid something would happen that would take this magic away from me. But I surely didn't understand why I had this ability in the first place.

Then he came to me. He came from above. He came to my side. He told me that it was he that granted me this power. He told me that sin still had a hold on me. He told me that even in my sin, he had given me this power to use. Not to use to entertain myself. Not to use to gain anything for myself. But to use to point to him. He told me that one day I would be released from the gravity, and that he had already taken care of all that. He told me not to worry about the gravity anymore but to listen for his voice and follow his command. He told me he would always be with me, at the tops of the clouds and when I seemed to be nailed to the earth. I was afraid of him at first. As he came floating out of nowhere. He came to me with power way beyond my new found power in myself. I was so scared!

But somehow, while realizing all that I had experienced. Somehow with the new magical power freely given to me; I trusted him. I trusted him and believed him. Something he said or did or the way he acted, pulled me towards him in a much more magical way than the leaping and the flying could ever take on. He pulled me into him in a mysterious and magical way. And I will always follow him and he will always be with me. He told me we have work to do. He told me it was time to rise and act. Each and every day to rise and act and go with him into his kingdom. How happy this made me! How magical! How mysterious! How wonderful! Such deep love!

Prayer of the Day
Lord, You come ---You come each and every day---You come in all circumstances---How mysterious and magical and wonderful is this love of Your coming. I give You all the thanks and glory for coming to me. For releasing me from the weight of sin. For allowing me to soar with You day in and day out. I give You thanks for being by my side even when I'm nailed down in my sin, yet You still come to release me and set me free to serve You gladly and boldly in laughter and praise day after day in Your Kingdom. Come Lord Jesus, come! ---Amen

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