Verse:
“And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.”
Thought:
The color of the leaves are changing right now, especially for those in the Northeastern states.
It is a time in which the trees are beginning to move into a dormant state. Most of the crops in
the Midwest have completed their annual cycle of productivity. In the south, well, we get to see
a change in the greenery for about 2-3 weeks, then all of the leaves just fall to ground, meaning
a lot of work for those with large trees in their care. This is natural. Another natural
phenomenon is what has happened with the citrus growers along the coast. After a couple of
hurricanes, it seems the Florida and Southeastern citrus crop has taken quite a beating. Bad news
in the Southeast, however something else has happened. The Texas citrus crop is now showing up
across the U.S. Storms come and go throughout Christendom, however, The time for Harvest comes
with or without the storms.
Hear the Good News, storms come and go, but our faith is what emerges from those troubling times.
Like the consumer, the world still needs to hear the Good News, the Gospel, in
spite of and because
of troubling times. We cannot and must not give up because of storms. We cannot and must not
forget we are the crop of Christ, His word, being sown in our hearts, must be harvested. Paul
know this dynamic of the faith. Moreover, Paul realized this is not something we as humans can do
on our own. We Need Help! He prayed for the Church in Philippi. You need to know that prayers
are being offered for you, that "your love may overflow more and more...". The result is wisdom
and insight, things we cannot single handedly bring to ourselves, we need help. We Need Prayer!
This week, let it be your focus to pray for those around you. Pray that God will give you wisdom
and insight. Pray that God will let love lead you, not pettiness or self, but Grace. As the leaves
fall, we are reminded that the harvest of the ground is over. Our fruits are still coming forth
and each day brings another opportunity to share this taste of Grace with another. The Harvest of
the Faith still continues.
Prayer:
Gracious God, thank You for Your word. It brings both comfort and strength. Let Your Word inspire Love and Hope, not only in me, but in others around me. I know I am not in the world alone, but have You by me side. Let me use that knowledge and faith to guide me in all I do. I lift up my brothers and sister in hope that they too might know of Your transforming power in their life. Thank You for all You have done and all You continue to do. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Grace & Peace
David Banks
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