Wellspring. Karen Moore

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СКАЧАТЬ card companies would have you believe that the kind of credit card you carry makes a difference. Perhaps! It's not always easy to recognize the seductive power of being able to spend money that isn't really yours. If your circumstances ever make it necessary for you to live on those credit cards, you start to discover what kind of hold they actually have over you.

      Perhaps you don't think you have money issues because you don't even use credit cards, but look again. It doesn't take much to become slaves to our money. We build a lot of our lives around it . . . saving, spending, planning, and dreaming. It sounds harsh, but the truth is in your wallet. What keeps you moving forward? Is it your prayer life, your commitment to the things God designed for you to accomplish, or is it something else? What seduces you into believing you can do it all on your own?

      There's nothing wrong with your credit card as long as you give credit where it's due. As long as you are diligent enough to recognize whether you own it or it owns you. You're the child of a King and everything in this world is open to you from your Father's hand. Go to him for anything you need. Serve him with your whole heart.

      In the Flow

       Lord, it's so easy to be seduced by the things of this world. Please help me see the truth in all I do. Amen.

      January 17

      Where Are the Wise?

       Where are the wise? Where are the legal experts? Where are today's debaters? Hasn't God made the wisdom of the world foolish? In God's wisdom, he determined that the world wouldn't come to know him through its wisdom. Instead, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of preaching.

      —1 Corinthians 1:20-21

      What suggests that a high IQ directly leads to wisdom? Where do we find those who are the real sages, the ones worthy of our listening ears? According to Paul, we are wise when we come to know God, and in that wisdom, we understand more of what makes us worthy in his sight. The things that stand out in this world, the beautiful people, the brilliant ones, the wealthy ones, may or may not have wisdom. Those who are not as inclined toward a kind of brilliance that sets them apart in worldly ways, may yet be the wiser.

      God sets his people apart and he has placed them in every arena of life. He has equipped his own with a kind of wisdom that will brilliantly lead others to his door. That's wisdom. That's what sets the wise at heart truly apart.

      Be wise and seek him in every way you can today.

      In the Flow

       Lord, I have glimpses of wisdom, moments of brilliance, but I know that I don't stay in those spaces unless you lead me there. Grant me greater wisdom in the things I do that please you. Amen.

      January 1 8

      Waters of Joy

       You will draw water with joy from the springs of salvation. And you will say on that day: "Thank the LORD; call on God's name; proclaim God's deeds among the peoples; declare that God's name is exalted.

      —Isaiah 12:3-4

      What makes you happy? Sometimes it's the special things, the holidays, the moments that are rare and treasured. Other times, it's simply being able to do the everyday, mundane things with ease. Drawing a glass of water from the well, more than likely your kitchen sink, may not seem like a reason to be happy, unless you have been without water for a few days.

      Sometimes we forget how happy we are about the little things that life brings. When we do remember, though, Isaiah offers us a way to let God know how pleased we really are. First of all, he tells us to thank God. Thank God for each and every moment that stirs our hearts with joy. Call him.

      God's phone is never unplugged or too busy. You can call him any time even when you're not in need. You can call him just to share your love. Now that's a good reason to be happy.

      In the Flow

       Lord, thank you for the things that make my life happy and secure. Thank you for loving me just as I am. Help me give all the credit to you for the things that are so good in my life. Amen.

      January 1 9

      Clinging to the Vine

       Now choose life—so that you and your descendants will live—by loving the LORD your God, by obeying his voice, and by clinging to him.

      —Deuteronomy 30:19-20

      Life is full of amusement to those who observe it philosophically. It is a reason to laugh out loud. For those who filter everything through the lens of the heart, through the things that touch every nerve in their being, it can be overwhelming, even tragic. Life is not easy for the sensitive of heart. Yet, for those who seek God first, who cling to the Vinedresser and press forward, it is indeed a victory.

      The Vinedresser presents you with daily choices, designed to help you experience more of what he has for you. He offers you an abundant journey as you listen to him and to voices that resonate with you and stay steadily on the path. Every day, perhaps even every hour, you are asked to choose. What will you cling to?

      Believers in Christ may differ in the degree, the practice, or the intensity of their system of belief, but they all have one thing in common. As believers, they all have the victory through Jesus. This is your day to proclaim the victory and to let others know your choice. Live today in the joy of the Lord.

      In the Flow

       Lord, you have opened your arms to me, ready to guide me on to the victory that comes from knowing you. Help me keep making the choices that will bring me safely home. Amen.

      January 20

      Your Inner Beauty

       You are the one who created my innermost parts; you knit me together while I was still in my mother's womb. I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart. Your works are wonderful—I know that very well.

      —Psalm 139:13-14

      You are wonderful! You are the divine craftsmanship of an expert. You are the best version of you that there could be. How is that possible? Because you were divinely inspired and God knew you before you were ever born.

      You're God's masterpiece and nothing can change that. You were and are marvelously set apart.

      What does that mean to you? It means turn up your light and let your inner self, your beautiful self, lead the way and live for him as though living is the only mission you have on earth. Live as though what you do is important to God because it is. What you do matters. What you think and believe and dream matters. God sees you and he loves you from the inside out.

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