TODAY'S REFLECTION
Yesterday we noted that Jesus is everything for us and so we must endeavour to prepare a dwelling place for him in our lives. In doing that, we are bound to face some challenges. Nonetheless, we must persevere in Christ; it would be unwise to look for other means of getting solutions when he is the supreme power. If you persevere in him, he will reward you with abundance. Sometimes it would seem that you have come to a dead end. Yet continue to thrive through faith in divine providence. Trust God today and carry on; he will never abandon you.
HOW TO MAKE A DWELLING PLACE FOR JESUS
Making a dwelling place for Jesus in our hearts and lives requires a conscious effort to cultivate a deep and intimate relationship with Him. Here are some ways to create a dwelling place for Jesus:
- Prayer and Meditation: Set aside time to pray, meditate, and listen to God's voice. This helps to quiet the mind, focus on God, and create a space for Him to dwell.
- Scripture Reading and Study: Regularly read and study the Bible to gain a deeper understanding of God's character, love, and plans. This helps to build faith, trust, and intimacy with Jesus.
- Worship and Praise: Engage in worship and praise through music, singing, or other forms of expression. This helps to create an atmosphere of reverence, gratitude, and adoration, inviting Jesus to dwell.
- Repentance and Forgiveness: Recognize and repent of sin, seeking forgiveness and cleansing through Jesus' blood. This helps to purify the heart, creating a clean and holy space for Jesus to dwell.
- Obedience and Surrender: Yield to God's will, obeying His commands and surrendering to His plans. This helps to create a posture of humility, trust, and submission, inviting Jesus to take control.
- Gratitude and Thanksgiving: Cultivate a heart of gratitude, thanking God for His blessings, provision, and love. This helps to create a positive and joyful atmosphere, attracting Jesus' presence.
- Community and Fellowship: Engage in community and fellowship with other believers, sharing love, support, and encouragement. This helps to create a sense of belonging, unity, and shared purpose, reflecting Jesus' heart.
- Service and Outreach: Serve others, demonstrating Jesus' love and compassion through practical acts of kindness and outreach. This helps to create a dwelling place for Jesus in the lives of those around us.
- Solitude and Silence: Regularly withdraw from the world, seeking solitude and silence to focus on Jesus. This helps to quiet the mind, calm the soul, and create a space for Jesus to speak and dwell.
- Invitation and Expectation: Invite Jesus to dwell in your heart and life, expecting His presence, guidance, and power. This helps to create a sense of anticipation, hope, and faith, welcoming Jesus to take residence.
By incorporating these practices into your daily life, you can create a dwelling place for Jesus, inviting Him to reside in your heart and life.
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| When you give bountifully you receive abundantly as well. |
THE MEASURE YOU GIVE IS MEASURE YOU RECEIVE!
This phrase, "the measure you give is the measure you receive," is a biblical principle found in Luke 6:38, which states:
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
This principle suggests that the way we treat others, the attitude we have, and the actions we take will ultimately determine how we are treated in return. In other words:
If we give generously, we will receive generously.
If we show kindness, we will receive kindness.
If we forgive others, we will be forgiven.
If we judge others harshly, we will be judged harshly.
This principle applies to various aspects of life, including:
Relationships: How we treat others will often determine how they treat us.
Attitude: Our attitude towards life, people, and circumstances will often attract similar attitudes from others.
Actions: The actions we take, whether good or bad, will often have consequences that reflect those actions.
Giving: How we give, whether it's time, resources, or energy, will often determine what we receive in return.
This principle encourages us to:
Be generous: Give freely, without expecting anything in return.
Show kindness: Treat others with compassion, empathy, and understanding.
Forgive: Let go of grudges and forgive others, just as we hope to be forgiven.
Be mindful: Be aware of our thoughts, words, and actions, and strive to be positive, uplifting, and supportive.
By applying this principle, we can create a more positive, supportive, and loving environment, where we receive the same measure of kindness, generosity, and compassion that we give to others.
"I may be able to speak the language of human beings and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell" - 1 Corinthians 13:1
- Help me to appreciate that all good gifts are sent from heaven above and that nothing I have that was not giving to me for the sake of my fellow brothers and sisters (neighbours).
- Give me the grace to be ever sensitive to the needs of those around me.
- Help me to realise that each time I do good to others, I do them to you.
Let Us Pray
O God of infinite love and mercy, help me to live the life full of sincere love for you and my neighbour. Amen.
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