JULY 4
“Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel.” - Genesis 28:18
I was reading an article written by Joni Eareckson Tada about Jacob's stone of remembrance and realised. we all have something that acts as a marker, a reminder of important events in our lives, or perhaps stages in our lives – how far we have come and how far we still have to go. When a loved one dies we mark their resting place with a stone. For some a well kept photograph album records a treasury
of precious events and memories. For me, it is a willow tree dedicated to the love and devotion of Christian parents. In the winter the tree dies back depicting the marking-time periods in my life, then in Spring the tree flourishes under a covering of catkins as I walk more closely with the Lord. Once the catkins fade new growth continues, reminding me of how far I still have to go. Like Jacob's pillar, this willow tree is my stone of remembrance, a concrete reminder that God has touched my life. What is the stone of remembrance that God uses to let you know He has touched your life?
Theophan the Recluse wrote: “When remembrance of God lives in the heart and there remains the fear of Him, then all goes well, but when this remembrance grows weak or is kept only in the head, then all goes astray.”
Once again Bryn has chosen the song for today. Today's selection is "Mercy Walked In" by Selah.
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Housekeeping details for you
The point of this short blog will become clear if you decide to use this reading in the way we intend it. Netherfield Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in healthy churches. You can see what that means if you head to the relevant Healthy Churches page of the website. We also want other churches to be healthy. That means you can join in our campaign to create healthy churches, with healthy people serving the people in those churches.
A healthy church is one where Jesus comes first. A healthy church is one where the people work together to put Jesus first. One thing we are doing is to join people together to spread that news. I would like you to look at our prayer partners page. This will explain how we want you to use this short devotional. Very basically we want you to find a like-minded Christian friend who you will join with to : choose to pray together every day, decide together on a way to serve other people together, to help them grow as Christians - and to invite the Holy Spirit into your life every day. This blog that you will receive every day simply gives a common spiritual purpose. If you are a newcomer and want to join the blog with this object in mind click here
