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Listen while you read: "This Is My Father's World"1
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My kitchen was a catastrophe. Christmas baking had left detritus on every visible surface. The sink was full of dirty dishes, and every countertop was covered with cookie sheets, flour siftings, eggshells, butter wrappers, and dirty mixing bowls and utensils. Just as I had taken each of these items out one by one, I had to clear them away — one by one. I filled the dishwasher, disposed of the garbage, put away my cookbook and other baking items, and wiped down the countertops. It wasn't long until order was restored, and all that remained was a plateful of warm cookies — my reward for an afternoon of hard but pleasurable work.
Life is like this sometimes, isn't it! A difficult life experience can also start in a small way, but little by little, incidents are added until things seem to be out of control, and we have a problem on our hands. James reminds us that words can create difficulties, just as a spark can start a conflagration.
James 3:5 – In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. (NLT)
It then becomes necessary to take steps to deal with the problem. Just as the problem grew from a tiny spark, the problem can be resolved, step by step. A wise piece of advice is to go back to the point where things began to go wrong. By retracing our steps, we can gradually clear away the clutter and confusion and return to a peaceful resolution.
How can this be done? The starting point is to confess any known sin and ask God to forgive us and give discernment in righting any wrongs. This may mean making amends with someone or rectifying an error. When we've done our part to resolve the problem, we can accept God's forgiveness and direction in moving forward.
Let's ask God to make us aware of the messes in life that must be cleared up before they grow out of control. Let's aim to keep our lives clean and clear of the clutter of unresolved sin. Let's clean up the mess.
Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, You know the problems that we create by our carelessness and reluctance to face the truth. May we be willing to face up to our shortcomings honestly and to trust You for forgiveness and guidance in keeping our lives clear of unresolved sin. Amen.
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About the author:
Gail Lundquist <gail10833@gmail.com>
Beaverton, Oregon, USA
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Thanks, Gail, for the good word.
Another good one Gail. Thank you so much.
Thanks Gail, blessings to you and your family.
Through daily prayer we find direction from the Holy Spirit.
Oh, my, Gail, do I know about this! Thanks for your good words.
Amen and amen! Praying you weren’t impacted by those nasty wildfires awhile ago. Talk about a conflagration! Blessings.
Thanks Gail,
Our pastor is forever reminding us to keep short accounts with God.
Gail, Nice reflection on how we can make messes, but then face the mess, reconciliation, and forgiveness and healing.
Don’t stop writing these good words!
Gail,
Definitely it is important to have God in our lives to help us recognize the messes we causes and to forgive us and guide us in the future. Thanks for sharing from your experience. Blessings.
Detritus
Life
Good morning, it’s a very nice day.
Thank you for writing this devotional.
Wow, ain’t it the truth.
God is good.
Thanks again.
I appreciate your sharing.
Blessings.
Greetings Gail and thank you for your wise words in your devotional today.
So true we can easily get ourselves in a messy situation, but if we take time to stop and seek our loving Jesus we can “clean up the mess” easily. We always need be thankful that the Lord is ever at our side to give us guidance and keep us on the right track. When we foul up in our ways and then come to Him with our woes, he is ever willing to hear our pleas and forgive us. Blessings for your encouraging writing.
Hi, I read your morning devotional. I am embarrassed to admit it but I am over 70 years of age and I am not good at extended vocabulary. In the beginning of the devotional you use the word “detritus”. I looked it up and there seems not be a listing of it in the dictionary. I would love to know the definition please. I love reading the devotionals and admire those of you who post your personal stories. When a word is used that I don’t recognize, I look it up. Some of the testimonies hit home occasionally. God uses them sometimes to sleep to us about something going on in our own lives. Thank you. God bless you.