“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jer. 29: 11-13
Today’s Christian daily devotional
I flip past several channels on my T.V. searching for one that is not covering the death of Whitney Houston. I find no respite in the radio either. Her voice strongly bellows on many stations there as well. I stop tuning the radio and let the impact of her voice and the absence of her presence hit me. A single life can make leave such a legacy. Some, like Hitler, leave us with scars that run deeply through our family lineage. Others echo beautifully in our cars as we remember our own personal memories that we have weaved to the tune of their voice.
When a person who is greatly loved leaves this earth; it is a great tragedy when one is gone before their time. Nobody knows what transpired in that New York Hotel room the moment that Whitney’s soul left her body. But, one has to wonder if she was completely at peace and ready to meet her maker. God never expected her (or any of us) to be perfect. In fact, He loves all of us— regardless of all the choices we make–He loves the human sinner, not the sin.
God loves each person more than a parent could ever love any of us. He painfully waits and He suffers with us—He is waiting for us to ask for His help. I cannot help but wonder if Whitney cried out to God in her final hour. Nevertheless, another soul has moved on from this life into eternal life.
Where is she right now? Because you are alive today, you still have the time to make a choice. Where would you be right now if you passed into eternity? Ask yourself today, because you may not have a tomorrow.
“Dear Heavenly Father,
Life has gotten busy. So busy, that another day has passed and I have not given much thought to the crucial things that really matter. Whitney was rich and famous in this life–but you said in your word that the only riches we can take with us are the things that we do for others with a pure heart. That alone shows me how poor I really am.
Lord, there are so many mistakes and bad roads I have traveled. Somehow, I keep feeling I should “clean myself up” before I bow at your feet and ask for your mercy once again. I will not let this prideful thought stop me anymore. Here I am, Lord. Filthy, sinful and at times—I hate to admit–loving it. God, I know this is wrong, but sometimes I just don’t feel I have the power to stop myself. Please, God have mercy on me and change my heart. Help me to help myself. Strengthen me to lean on you, and if I never have before, I humbly say this from the bottom of my heart:
I accept the gift of sacrifice that Jesus gave for my sins. I accept that He died a horrible death so that I would not have to suffer eternal damnation. I repent of the sins that caused Him to suffer. I want to turn from them, help me.
Thank you for your forgiveness. I accept that, and I accept that there are no more feelings of guilt for things that I have already been forgiven and cleansed of. I thank you that Jesus rose again after three days signifying victory over death and satan. I know that I can have this same victory over my own sinful nature because Christ lives in me now. Thank you, In Jesus’ precious name, cove me in the blood of Him, and baptize me in your Holy Spirit Amen.”
Thank you for reading today’s daily devotional.
Please check back and see what we have for you tomorrow!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan