[Membersandfriends] Saturday, September 18, 2004

Fri Sep 17 22:01:59 PDT 2004

The Upper Room Daily Devotional -- E-mail Edition
Brought to You by Upper Room Ministries
Saturday, September 18, 2004

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A RENEWED MIND
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Luke 15:11-32 (NRSV)

Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands."' So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe--the best one--and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate.

"Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'"

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Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will.
--Romans 12:2 (NRSV)
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AS creatures with minds, we humans can become accustomed to relying on rational thought to make the decisions that can lead us to happiness or to misery.  It is possible to live as if we are self-sufficient, not realizing that we need God.  I lived by logic for many years, holding God at a distance.  I didn't think that following God was logical.  But Christ kept nudging me, until I finally surrendered myself to him.

Before I knew Christ, I would use all my logical powers to try to find solutions to my problems.  After I met Christ, I brought my problems and placed them at his feet, believing he would give me answers.

I now seek to understand what God wants for my life.  As I try to obey Christ and walk with him, I see God's amazing strength and mercy and have come to understand God's goodness.  God wants only good for us.  As Romans 12:2 tells us, when we surrender ourselves to Christ, our minds are renewed.  It isn't logical, but Christ will put in us his mind and heart.  Only he can do it.

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, we realize you are our only sure guide.  Give us the ability to understand what you want for us and the will to obey.  Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
As we walk with Christ, we discover the wonderful life God wants for us.

-- Richard J. Simamora (North Sumatra, Indonesia)

PRAYER FOCUS: Those who run their lives by logic

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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.