Devotion: 2 John: Prayers ans Poetry

                Devotion

                Truthful Love 

                Abiding Love

                Graceful Love

                Merciful Love

                Peaceful Love

                Forever Love

                Wisdom Love

                Wrapped moment by moment by His presence.

                Wrapped in His life for eternity.

                Will we accept this costly gift He offers? 

Psalm 107: 30: "Then they were glad because then they were quiet; So He guided them to their desired haven."

Reflection: Beloved: 2 John: Prayers and Poetry

 Reflection Questions

        1. How often do you recognize the Lord's presence--just because? By truth? By love? By...?

        2. How do you feel wrapped up in His grace?

        3. How do you realize He has already filled you with His peace when in difficult situations?

Share: What are some words you would give others to understand the gift of following His path?

Beloved: 2 John: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: 2nd John:1-3: " The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth, for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love." 

Beloved

Too often we do not give thankfulness for Your ongoing presence guiding us in truth, wrapping us in Your grace.

Giving daily mercy and peace no matter what the circumstances  of our weakness or strength. 

Lord, please keep us filled with Your words and paths as You lead each of us with Your wisdom within us and through us to others too.

Your thoughts,

Reflection: Beloved: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

1.     Do you accept the name “beloved” for yourself from the Lord? Why or why not?

2.     Looking at the list in this passage of conditions we are to accept, which do you think is the most difficult in our culture today?

3.     Which is most difficult for you personally?

4.     How do you think that by doing right the “ignorance of the foolish” can be silenced?

Share: How have you entrusted yourself to God’s justice this week?

Beloved: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: 1 Peter 2: 11-25

“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. ……When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.”

“Beloved.” Is it harder to accept warnings or suggestions when we know they come from a heart of love, or does it make the decisions to agree or disagree more difficult?

These conditions do not change even if the actual methods change. And there are so many more added to this list as history produces more and more ways to exercise war: physically, emotionally, financially, politically, mentally and spiritually.

“Wage war against the soul.” A different perspective. We are asked to accept?

Accept the “authority of every human institution,” the “authority of your masters with deference…but also to those who are harsh.”  Honor everyone?

No retaliation—yet no compromise either. We are to live honorably, doing good deeds, respecting the aliens and exiles, sharing our lives, becoming a stark contrast to whatever strain of abuse and evil lives among us by using different methods. Methods that will not break souls.

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.”

Lord, please keep us bound to you, heart to heart, soul to soul, Your words to our walk. Build us into your foundation.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 27: 9

“Do not hide your face from me.

Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help.

Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,

O God of my salvation.”