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God's Words For US
by Cecelia Lester
SHINE
It is God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NSRV)
We have often heard we are to show Jesus to those we meet. Also, we hear we are the only Bible some people read. What can we do when we try to incorporate these thoughts into our personas?
At my Tuesday morning prayer group, I shared a reading entitled “Shine”, from an Advent devotional book Pauses for Advent Words of Wonder by Trevor Howard. Our Sunday school class is studying it.
A dear friend of mine responded that she always tries to smile when she meets people in the stores and in passing. I discovered I am also trying to smile more than I have in the past.
I believe there is something else that would help us shine for Jesus. We can try to speak in well-modulated tones of voice when we answer someone else. (Here again, I point three fingers back at myself.)
One way we can do this is to think before we speak or act. Even taking a deep breath before we begin to speak might give us time to think about how we want to respond to what we hear and time to send up a sentence prayer to God to guide us in what He wants us to say and how He wants us to say it.
Lord God: Thank You for Your guidance and instruction as we learn Your ways to shine for You in this fallen world. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen
AWAKE
What I say to you, I say to all: Keep Awake. Mark 13:37 (NRSV)
Have you ever felt you have missed something when someone said or did something that ultimately affected you? Did you feel as if you had sleepwalked through the event?
During the season of Advent, we find ourselves having certain realizations about God. The morning I wrote this I had to sleep in and get some more rest before starting my day. Hubby had some business to take care of. He couldn’t find out information he needed over the phone. He believed he would have to drive all over town in order to find what he needed. As he departed our home, I said a short, simple prayer. Shortly, he returned and told me he discovered he could get what he needed at a neighborhood store. I automatically praised and thanked God. He asked me what I was doing and I told him. He relaxed a bit and smiled. God is present for us in times we don’t think about. Because of this experience, I am aware that God hears all our prayers and chooses to act on our requests as He sees fit, always in our best interests.
May we all try to be more awake to God during this season as we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth?
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Cecelia Lester has been serious about her writing for over two decades..
She composes Christian essays and posts them to her blog quietspirit-followingmyking.blogspot.com/
She has served in a faith-based organization, Grace In Action by writing two newsletters and searching for possible grants.
In July 2017, she published her first book, 'Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy.'
She and her husband of 54 years live in central Indiana. They have one grown son.
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