“Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.’” John 14: 23
Keeping God’s word in our hearts can come out of our spiritual practices. When we refer to striving for the kingdom of God where we are today, we acknowledge that this spiritual pilgrimage isn’t a one-time event but an everyday one over a person’s lifetime. Jesus said that when we keep his word that we will be loved and that the Lord God and Jesus will make their home with us. Having them make their home with us can be a very comforting thought.
When my late wife, Judy, and I got married we really needed their presence with us. Beside the normal issues that confront young married couples we had several others thrown in. When we got married, I was still working full time in the steel mill and both of us were taking college courses. A significant challenge that we faced was that we were from different faith traditions and ethnic backgrounds. She was raised in a Roman Catholic home, and both her parents were from the Italian heritage. I grew up in an American Baptist Church and my heritage was mostly African-American. We got married at a time when this type of marriage wasn’t accepted as it is today.
Despite these differences, we both were very involved in our church traditions, and had an every growing faith as children of God. We had faith that God was with us and would dwell with us, and this helped us through many difficult periods in our married lives. Our life was far from perfect, but our faith in God helped us grow to have more faith in each other. Looking back with what we faced when we started out makes me realize that without the Lord dwelling with us, I am not sure we would have made it. When Judy passed away we had been married for more than twenty-eight years.
All of us have times in our lives when we aren’t sure if we can make it another day. Please be encouraged to keep the word of God in your heart through taking part in your spiritual practices. This may not keep you from all of the problems in your life, however knowing that you are loved and that you will not be alone, might help you make one day at a time!
Prayer, Lord of life, please help me to keep your word in my heart and soul and may that presence help me to see that you are making your home with me right now! Amen. Vernon T.
Copyright © 2014 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved
Keeping God’s word in our hearts can come out of our spiritual practices. When we refer to striving for the kingdom of God where we are today, we acknowledge that this spiritual pilgrimage isn’t a one-time event but an everyday one over a person’s lifetime. Jesus said that when we keep his word that we will be loved and that the Lord God and Jesus will make their home with us. Having them make their home with us can be a very comforting thought.
When my late wife, Judy, and I got married we really needed their presence with us. Beside the normal issues that confront young married couples we had several others thrown in. When we got married, I was still working full time in the steel mill and both of us were taking college courses. A significant challenge that we faced was that we were from different faith traditions and ethnic backgrounds. She was raised in a Roman Catholic home, and both her parents were from the Italian heritage. I grew up in an American Baptist Church and my heritage was mostly African-American. We got married at a time when this type of marriage wasn’t accepted as it is today.
Despite these differences, we both were very involved in our church traditions, and had an every growing faith as children of God. We had faith that God was with us and would dwell with us, and this helped us through many difficult periods in our married lives. Our life was far from perfect, but our faith in God helped us grow to have more faith in each other. Looking back with what we faced when we started out makes me realize that without the Lord dwelling with us, I am not sure we would have made it. When Judy passed away we had been married for more than twenty-eight years.
All of us have times in our lives when we aren’t sure if we can make it another day. Please be encouraged to keep the word of God in your heart through taking part in your spiritual practices. This may not keep you from all of the problems in your life, however knowing that you are loved and that you will not be alone, might help you make one day at a time!
Prayer, Lord of life, please help me to keep your word in my heart and soul and may that presence help me to see that you are making your home with me right now! Amen. Vernon T.
Copyright © 2014 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved
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