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Meditating day and night.

6/29/2023

"Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, . . . but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law, they meditate day and night." Psalm 1: 1-2

I am a fairly big sports fan and have also read my fair share of sport stories and biographies. One of the common themes that has appeared is that the very best in any field, devotes a great amount of time in developing their abilities. A person cannot rely solely on their natural gifts, a great amount of hard work, practice, and mental preparation are also required. They have to meditate on their skills on a constant and consistent basis.

Likewise, if a person who proclaims that Jesus Christ is Lord of their life, and then wanted to develop a closer loving relationship with Jesus, it seems that they would also need to devote time in studying the Bible and in prayer and refection in order to develop this relationship. This verse mentions meditating day and night, which could be interpreted as this practice becoming part of the very fiber of one’s life. For those on this spiritual journey may you find the time, every day, to meditate, read, pray and reflect! Peace, Vernon T.

Copyright © 2023 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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God wants to dwell with us!

6/22/2023

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"I [the Lord God] dwell . . . with those who are contrite and humble in spirit." Isaiah 57:15b

When we think of dwelling with someone, we often think of people that are close to us, for the most part those who love us and want to be around us. Of course, there are other situations where we dwell with people that share a common goal or task, like those in the military or in a college dorm. They may not love us or want to be around us, but they do so for the sake of the common goal.

The dwelling that is referred to in this verse is more like those who love us and want to be around us. It is written countless times in the Bible that dwelling with and being with humankind is something God wants to do and in fact loves to do. Our part is to have a contrite, and humble heart and spirit to be able to receive this gift. May your spiritual pilgrimage prepare your heart and spirit to receive this indwelling of the Lord God, which can be a very comforting thought! Peace, Vernon T.

Copyright © 2023 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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Bearing Fruit

6/15/2023

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"I [Jesus] am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you." John 15: 1–3

I do not claim to know much about farming or growing gardens; however, I have known many people who were really good at it. One such person was my late wife’s father, Vito, who knew a lot about growing things. He had a huge lot on his property in Ashtabula, Ohio where he generally put in a very large garden, until his health slowed him down.

He loved seeing things grow and of course grew more then he could use, thus always gave much of it away. When we were able to visit him during the summer, we always came away with wonderful fruits and vegetables from his garden. Every morning, before the sun got too hot, he would get out into his garden to weed, clear out, prune, and water his garden. He knew in order to have a good harvest much work was needed, which he was willing to do.

What Vito and countless other gardeners and farmers have done, is what Jesus is saying about branches (in him) that require pruning. As followers of Jesus, we are like branches in need of pruning in order to bear more fruit. Jesus said that his disciples have already been cleansed (pruned) by his words. This removing of the unfruitful branches and the pruning or cleansing may at times be painful or cause us some discomfort, however, it is a necessary step for us to bear the fruit of God’s kingdom. We may not fully understand about this process when it is going on, but generally later on during our pilgrimage we can see why the removal or pruning was needed.

As you take part in the spiritual practices of prayer, Bible study, and reflection, may you be open to allowing God’s word and the Holy Spirit to remove, prune, and cleanse those parts of your inner being that will allow you to become the person that God wants you to be! Peace, Vernon T.

Copyright © 2023 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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Disciples being Strengthened and Encouraged

6/8/2023

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"There they [Paul and Barnabas] strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, ‘It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.’" Acts 14: 22

We have Paul and Barnabas traveling from city to city proclaiming the good news and causing many to become disciples of Jesus Christ, then they returned to Antioch and spoke these words. They wanted the disciples to be strengthened in their souls and to be encouraged in their faith. Think about the times when you have been strengthened and encouraged by some people around you, and when you were able to do the same for others.

This has happened many times in my life, and one of the major times was after my late wife’s second surgery to remove a brain tumor. After this operation she could not talk, walk, or move her right side. She spent twelve weeks in two different hospitals and a nursing home recovering from the effects of the procedure, having radiation, and relearning her life functions again.

Needless to say that was a very trying time for my family and me, for I was with her every day for some period of the day during that time, and thus grew extremely tired and became emotionally drained. Even though it was very demanding, we were nevertheless strengthened and encouraged by the many people who prayed for us, visited us, called us, sent us cards, gave us meals, and were there to support us and help us in any way that they could.

That experience certainly changed me and caused me to see so many things in life differently. I know that I am more empathic to others who go through something similar. I will always remember those who aided us and became God’s love for us. Without this love and compassion that time period would have been more challenging and lonelier. May you also be like Paul and Barnabas and our friends and family and strengthen the souls of others and offer encouragement in their faith, so that they can feel God’s love through you. Peace, Vernon T.

Copyright © 2023 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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Life’s Joys

6/1/2023

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Shirley and I have been very fortunate to have had grandchildren born over the past ten-thirteen years. We have been lucky to have Isabella and Dana, both thirteen, and Brody age ten in our lives. We did our best to around them after they were born and tried to stay connected in their young lives. Yes, they have grown up so fast and continue to move very quickly through their many life stages.

Being able to see how much the young ones enjoy so many aspects of life in such a jubilant manner bring joy to us. I always get joy in seeing a newborn or toddler in our church or around us. They and those of any age who are young in heart are a good example for all of us, about seeing the delight and pleasure in the very small and simple occurrences of life.

Of course, there are many things that we face and hear about that can most certainly drain joy from us. Things that we should be aware of, pray for, and do our part to correct or improve the situation.

However, looking for joy in the small things of life like our grandchildren, and those who are young in heart, help all of us handle the more challenging aspects of life. You may not be able to be around young people like our grandchildren or a newborn, but I pray that you are able to find joy in life’s little pleasures, in people, and situations around you and in God’s creation with all of its beauty and wonder.

Blessings on your life journey and in finding joy in the day-to-day events of your life. Peace, Vernon T.

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Meditating day and night.

God wants to dwell with us!

Bearing Fruit

Disciples being Strengthened and Encouraged

Life’s Joys

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Meditating day and night.

​God wants to dwell with us!

​Bearing Fruit

Disciples being Strengthened and Encouraged

​Life’s Joys

Author

Archives

Categories

God wants to dwell with us!

Bearing Fruit

Life’s Joys