January 20: God Knows The Plans

Affirmation: I am compassionate. I care about myself and others.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭34‬ ‭NIV‬‬https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.13.34.NIV
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Ponder: Read this verse over 5+ times and start  memorizing it. For a fuller understanding  & meditation read James 3:13-17.

James 3:17NIV

”But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.“

‭‭James‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/111/jas.3.17.NIV

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Catching Whimsy by Bob Goff

                          Jan 20

God Knows The Plan, Even If We Can’t See It Clearly 
For now we see in a mirror, my dimly, but then face-to-face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. One Corinthians 13:12KJV

I don’t know how many weddings I’ve gone to where someone read 1 Corinthians 13:“love is this, love is that.” You too? Don’t get me wrong, weddings are terrific, as are wedding cakes, and the familiar verse, too, but right after where the reading at the wedding usually stops is a verse that feels hopeful and insightful and relevant. It describes doing life with God as looking “in a mirror, dimly, but then face-to-face.” We usually get to the fuzzy outlines of our faith before we get to actual faith, yet sometimes there is a subtle pressure to declare we have clarity when things are still a little fuzzy for us. If you have ever picked up someone else’s prescription eyeglasses by mistake, you know what I mean.

I don’t know if you had a Polaroid camera when you were growing up, but if you did, you know that when you press the button and the thin cardboard film grinds out from the front of the camera, the emulsion is murky. It takes a little while before the image develops with clarity. A lot of us are tempted to take the photo by the corner and wave it in the air, thinking this will make the image develop faster. It might feel like you’re helping, but you’re not. The same as true of our faith and wanting to see things develop more quickly.

Is faith easy? Of course not. Will, we know all the moves to make and when to make them? 100 times, no. The reason is simple: we’re looking through the mirror dimly. Rather than faking it, and pretending that you have clarity on things, you are only guessing about, bring those things to Jesus and ask Him to help you work through them.

Remember, even though sometimes practicing our faith is like looking through a mirror, dimly, God‘s promise is that if we’ll stay at it, we will eventually get to see Him face-to-face.

Get your mirror out today.  What do you see and what is obscured from view? Don’t be impatient. Often times clarity takes a while to develop.
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Praying the Message of Jesus: A Year of Thoughts and Prayers

by Eugene Peterson

Herod Died 

Later, when Herod died, God's angel appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt: "Up, take the child and his mother and return to Israel. All those out to murder the child are dead." Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his mother, and reentered Israel. When he heard, though, that Archelaus had succeeded his father, Herod, as king in Judea, he was afraid to go there. But then Joseph was directed in a dream to go to the hills of Galilee. On arrival, he settled in the village of Nazareth. This move was a fulfillment of the prophetic words, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

MATTHEW 2:19-23 

Jesus' life began with men seeking to kill him; it ended in a similar atmo­sphere of conspiracy and violence. But the violence and plotting were as ineffective at the beginning as at the end. The holy family entered the holy land. Salvation gathered to full expression in a nuclear family in a provin­cial land. 

How many dreams has Joseph had? 

I trace out of my memory, 0 God, stories that have been fashioned on this old road between Egypt and Israel: stories of Abraham, and of Joseph and Moses; stories of faith and blessing and salvation. Thank you for including me in the stories. Amen.