“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
May 14, 2023
Part of choosing life is presenting spiritual life. I have four children on Earth and a little boy in Heaven. My children are a long way from perfect, but they all love God. When my son, Steve, was a teenager, I watched him and noticed I didn’t see the beauty of Jesus in his life, though he’d walked down the aisle and made a profession of faith. I said, “Steve, get in the car with me. Let’s go for a ride. Let’s go out and walk in the woods.” During that day together I said to him, “Son, daddy has got to know that you know Jesus.”
We talked, and out there in the woods we kneeled and prayed. During our conversation, he assured me, “Daddy, I love Jesus.” From then on, I started to notice him showing it through his life. One day I prayed, “Lord, if any of my children are not saved, I don’t want to go to Heaven without all my children.” I didn’t say anything to my wife, Joyce, or the children about it. But the next Sunday when I gave the invitation, my oldest daughter, Gayle, came down the aisle and she said, “Daddy, I don’t believe I’ve ever really and truly been saved. I want to be saved.” I believe that was directly related to that prayer. Families need to choose spiritual life.
Pray for any family members who don’t seem to show fruit of the Spirit in their lives or who have wandered away from their faith.
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”