Today's Godly Reminder - Proverbs 12:18

 There are those who speak rashly, like the piercing of a sword. Some people like to make cutting remarks. Rash language cuts and maims. But the tongue of the wise brings healing. The words of the wise soothe and heal. There is healing in the words of the wise. Sharp words cut like a sword. But, words of wisdom heal. 

Speak with love. Guard your words. Let it be a blessing, not a stumbling block. But, always speak the truth with care.

The Daily Grace - Abba, Father

The scene belonged on a funny Father's Day card. As a dad muscled a lawn mower ahead of him with one hand, he expertly towed a child's wagon behind him with the other. In the wagon sat his three-year-old daughter, delighted at the noisy tour of their yard. This might not be the safest choice, but who says men can't multitask? If you had a good dad, a scene like that can invoke fantastic memories. But for many, "Dad" is an incomplete concept. Where are we to turn if our fathers are gone, or if they fail us, or even if they wound us?

King David certainly had his shortcomings as a father, but he understood the paternal nature of God. "A father to the fatherless", he wrote, "a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families" (Ps. 68:5-6). The apostle Paul expanded on that idea: "The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship". Then, using the Aramaic word for father - a term young children would use for their dad - Paul added, "By him, we cry, 'Abba Father' " (Rom. 8:15). This is the same word Jesus used when He prayed in anguish to His Father the night He was betrayed (Mark 14:36).

What a privilege to come to God using the same intimate term for "father" that Jesus used! Our Abba Father welcomes into His family anyone who will turn to Him. A good father reflects the love of the heavenly Father. Happy Father's day to all fathers out there!

Today We Pray

Dear Lord, open my eyes as I turn to Your word. I long to know You, to understand life, and to be changed. Examine me, Lord, by the floodlight of Your truth.

Our sins are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo. Forgive what our lips tremble to name, what our hearts can no longer bear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of judgment. Set us free from a past that we cannot change; open to us a future in which we can be changed; and grant us grace to grow more and more in Your likeness and image.

I pray that I and Your whole church, the body of all faithful people, will know Your peace, and live in harmony and unity, one with another, in accordance with your wishes. This I pray to You, who lives and reigns forever.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Romans 8:15

This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children.

And so we should not be like cringing, fearful slaves, but we should behave like God’s very own children, adopted into the bosom of his family, and calling to him, “Father, Father.” God’s Spirit doesn’t make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father. You received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.

The Daily Grace - Teaching by Example

While waiting for an eye examination, I was struck by a statement I saw in the optometrist's office: "Eighty percent of everything children learn in their first 12 years is through their eyes". I began thinking of all that children visually process through reading, television, film, events, surroundings, and observing the behavior of others, especially their families.

Fathers can have an especially powerful influence on their children. Paul urged fathers not to frustrate them to the point of anger, but to "bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4). Think of the powerful example of a dad whose behavior and consistency inspire admiration from his children. He's not perfect, but he's moving in the right direction. A great power for good is at work when our actions reflect the character of God, rather than distort it.

That's challenging for any parent, so it's no coincidence that Paul urges us to "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might" (Eph. 6:10). Only through His strength can we reflect the love and patience of our Heavenly Father. We teach our children far more from how we live than by what we say. We honor fathers who not only gave us life but who also show us how to live.

Today We Pray

Dear Lord, may my life be so pleasing to You that You are pleased to have Your face shine on me. And as You graciously smile on my life, may I find someone today with whom I can share Your love through a smile. Thank You for the promises in Your Word that assure us You’ve planned our path and remain with us and for us, no matter what comes.

Work another miracle, a prodigy of grace. Make my soul a beautiful, living Tabernacle where You will ever dwell. Let me never leave You alone, but remind me to return hundreds of times in the day and have a word with You.

All through this day, O Lord, by the power of Your quickening Spirit, let me touch the lives of others for good, whether through the word I speak, the prayer I speak, or the life I live. Let me be a channel of blessing to everyone today. This I pray, in Christ's Name.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - 1 Corinthians 11:1

"Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ."

This is Paul's words to the Corinth. Since Paul is a good and perfect example of a follower of Christ, he instructed them that they should imitate him like Paul imitated Jesus. We, Christians, should do godly things in this world. We should be the role models to the people of this world. 

Let our lives be a blessing to others. Let others see Jesus in you. Let us follow His ways and His examples on how He relate to the people. Be a blessing today by imitating Christ.