A Bookmark

Ephesians 1:11

Sometimes it's a mere piece of paper, other times it's quite elaborate, but in the end it serves only one function, to help us keep and find our place in a book. Without it we would waste time trying to figure out where we were whenever we picked up a book to read. Another option would be to read the book straight through, but most of the time unless it's really short that's just not practical. In life many people loose their place as they go along and some may never even find the place to start. That's because we forget that, "It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. (Ephesians 1:11, The Message)" Christ has wonderful plans for everyone, yet few plug into him and many never know him. Many people are roaming through the darkness looking for the answers, looking for something beyond the mundane, looking for their place in this world and have no idea that "apart from Christ you can do nothing (John 15:5b)." Want to find your place, your purpose, your sweet spot, your destination? Look no further than God's word. Seek him first, he is the Shepherd, he will lead you, he will make clear the way and everything will happen according to his will. Save yourself a lot of heartache and pain by giving up your control of your life. He knows you best, better than you know yourself! Search deep within yourself and consider the level of contentment you have in each area of your life. Are you living the life of your dreams? If you feel lost, off track, or unhappy spend time this weekend in His arms. Allow his light to help you find your place in this world. For more guidance in this area check out the really awesome book by Max Lucado, shown above. An inspirational song for you today is a classic, Place In This World by Michael W. Smith. If you have never given your life to Christ and need help with that click the "Need Him" link in my recommended links section. I can tell you for sure that He is the way, the truth, and the life, don't go another day without him.

A Clock

Ecclesiastes 9 (v. 12)
The alarm goes off every morning and like a shot out of a gun we begin our fast-paced, rat-race. Most of us are always on the run finding it hard to get everything we have planned accomplished. It seems there aren't enough hours in the day, days in the week, and so on. My mom once had a "Calvin and Hobbes" cartoon on her bulletin board about this that always made me laugh. Calvin, with a scowl on his face, states that, "God put me on earth to accomplish a certain number of things and right now I'm so far behind, I may never die." He's not alone. Time is a commodity few of us have much of. Often our "to-do list" only gets longer the more we check off. In our hectic and busy world it is all to easy not to have the time for what matters most. It takes a conscious effort on my part to put in a good quiet time and meditate on spiritual things, in fact that is one reason I started this devotional blog. Not only is it hard for most of us to spend quality time with God, we often neglect our families as well. Despite how difficult it can be to make ends meet, it is important not to miss out on what really matters in life because we only have, "One Life to Love." (That's the title of a powerful song about this dilemma by the band 33 Miles.) Plan time into your day for those that you love and on occasion get away from it all with a vacation, retreat, a day at the park, or whatever. Jesus gives us that example to follow. He often got away from the crowds demanding of his time and energy and spent time with his friends and with his Father. Most of us when we're on our death bed won't be sad regretting that we didn't spend enough time at work. Unlike Jesus, we don't know how long we have under the sun. Ecclesiastes 9 is a sobering reminder that life is short, verse 12a states, "Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come." So today take some good advice from Ecclesiastes, "Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love...Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." Because, "You only get just one time around, you only get one shot at this..." ("One Life to Love", Clint Lagerberg and Jason Walker - 33Miles)

33 Miles Limited Edition Bonus CD