OCTOBER 27, 2022

   “If you stay intent and your ability warrants it, you will eventually reach the top of the mountain.” 

― John Wooden

JEREMIAH 20-22

  3This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. (22:3)

2 TIMOTHY 1

 I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 

JOURNAL 

For years this has been my favorite verse...it reminds me that we have power and we can increase that power which comes from God by "fanning into flame".  Being someone who loves to build fires, I know exactly the benefit of doing this...fanning brings oxygen to the fire which can cause a few tiny embers to erupt into flames. Many times the fire will appear to be out, yet you add some wood and begin to blow and as if by magic, flames erupt. 

I love this visual and again it is the Bible that brings this reminder and it comes from the book of 2nd Timothy...often considered Paul's last letter, written from prison to Timothy, who had become like a son to him. These words were written to give him the keys to understanding the spirit and power of God. God plants the seeds of power, love and discipline in our lives, but we must tend to it and fan it into flame.  We can't expect to ignore it and just hope that it will erupt...we must focus on it and do all the things through obedience, prayer and action that will bring oxygen to the spirit in our lives. 

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

2 PETER 1:5-9