[Membersandfriends] Monday, September 06, 2004

Sun Sep 5 22:02:13 PDT 2004

The Upper Room Daily Devotional -- E-mail Edition
Brought to You by Upper Room Ministries
Monday, September 06, 2004

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PERSISTENT TAPPING
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Revelation 3:14-22 (NRSV)

"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God's creation: "I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. For you say, 'I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.' You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen; and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches."

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"Listen!  I stand at the door and knock; if any hear my voice and open the door, I will come into their house and eat with them, and they will eat with me."
- Revelation 3:20 (TEV)
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A catbird has been tapping at our kitchen window several times a day for the past two weeks.  Sometimes it flies to the front of the house and taps on a living-room window.  One day it came to my upstairs study window and got my attention while I was reading.  It seems almost as though it follows us around the house trying to come in.  This bird is most persistent; it returns even though we chase it away.

As I think about this daily experience, I remember the words of Christ Jesus: "Listen!  I stand at the door and knock; if any hear my voice and open the door, I will come into their house and eat with them, and they will eat with me."  Christ, too, is persistent.  Day after day he taps at the door of our hearts, seeking admittance.  He loves us and desires to be with us.  Only our refusal to respond to his knocking will keep him out.  Christ will not force his way into our hearts.  It is our privilege to invite him in and then to share life together - life that is abundant, joyful, and filled with love.

Prayer:  O God, thank you for being the lover of our souls and for seeking us daily to offer us your companionship.  Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Every day, Christ seeks us to offer the gift of friendship.

-- Earl C. Carver (Pennsylvania, U.S.A.)

PRAYER FOCUS: Someone about to open the door to Christ

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RELATED READING ...

A perfect little booklet for people asking the question "How can I experience God?,"  A SEEKER'S GUIDE TO CHRISTIAN FAITH encourages readers to make sense of their inner longings and to recognize that God has always been present in their lives.
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?ep_id=30&item_id=12691

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The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible, copyright (c) 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.