Every morning I begin my day
with a cup of coffee and a climb
up the stairs to my sanctuary
where I spend time with my Bible,
devotionals, prayers, and Jesus.
One of my devotionals is “These Days,”
a daily devotion for living by faith,
published by the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation.
Its format is scripture, devotional, prayer.
Today’s scripture was:
Isaiah 40:11
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep.”
In the devotional, the author, Hope Douglas Harle-Mould,
wrote about the comfort Jesus provides.
She included a poem she wrote to
Our God of all Faithfulness:
“We pray for a cure; God sends us healing.
We pray for continued life; God gives us new life.
We pray death will not come; God overcomes death.
We pray in anguish; God weeps with us.
We pray in fear; God teaches us to laugh.
We pray for ourselves; God gives us each other.
We pray for miracles; God fills us with love.
We pray for the future; God showers us with blessedness.
God, help me trust the voices heralding your hope.”
I am assured
as I read and pray
and study God’s word,
that just as he
carries the lamb
in his arms,
he will be faithful
to carry me.
As I descend the twelve stairs
at the end of my devotional time,
I recite my personal
TWELVE STEP PROGRAM
Thank You, Jesus, for the:
- Love,
- Joy, and
- Peace (that are mine). Help me with
- Patience,
- Kindness
- Goodness, and
- Faithfulness (which brings blessings),
- Gentleness, and
- Self-control.
- Help me live humbly with an attitude of gratitude, and
- A response of generosity, forgiveness,
- Obedience, and integrity.
In Jesus name,
Amen!
When I get to the 7th step,
I see the metal sculpture
that says, “Blessings” above my door.
It was a gift from our dear friends,
Jim & Terry, so I pause to thank God
for their faithful friendship.
When I get to the bottom of the stairs,
I see this cross on the wall:
It was made by Native Americans.
I pause to pray for them
and their peace and prosperity.
I send occasional gifts to
schools for Native American children –
– places like St. Labre’ and St. Joseph’s –
and they faithfully write back
acknowledging my small donation.
for Native American children
Faithfulness is a two-way street.
We pray to God faithfully; God answers.
We give to people who touch our hearts;
they give back with gratitude & smiles.
We read God’s Word faithfully each day;
He gives us wisdom and discernment,
understanding and blessings.
Check out this different version of that old song, The B-I-B-L-E… I love it! What a way to learn to names of the books of the Bible, huh?
How do you begin your day, my friends?
What does FAITHFULNESS mean to you?
Thanks for visiting today.
I hope your Friday is blessed, indeed!
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Love,
JanBeek
Comments on: "Embrace Faithfulness" (11)
I have every faith dear Jan….. Love and Blessings <3
Every faith… what a wonderful thing to have! Bless you, {{{Sue}}} <3
<3
With an attitude of gratitude, I thank you for being a faith-full friend! 💞
Bless you!! ❤️👍🏽
For me, prayer is essentially about thanks – so I am pleased you highlight that X
Yes, my heart is full of gratitude, too. We are so blessed, aren’t we?
We are
Jan, this is simply beautiful. I love my mornings with Christ and coffee. And I admire the 12 steps and beauty of the promises that surround you. I will stand in faith with you and others. If I miss you between now and Christmas–Merry Christmas! Love and hugs of faith from SW MO from Finn and me. Karla💚🤍
Jan, thanks so much for sharing these blessed 12 steps. Beginning with Love and ending with Obedience and Integrity . . . God’s grace flows with each step.
Yes, {{{Richard}}} I feel it! Thanks for your response. Have a beautiful week!🥰