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Subject: Daily Devotional
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:30:46 -0700
From: "Bea Chun" <pastorchun@cgslc.org>
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From: "Bea Chun" <pastorchun@cgslc.org>
To: <scvlp@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Daily Devotional
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:30:46 -0700
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*Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 2:11-12*
*"Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with
him; if we endure, we will also reign with him."*
Billy Graham tells the story of a friend of his, who, during the depression,
lost his job, his fortune, his wife, and his home. But through it all he
tenaciously held to his faith - the only thing he had left. One day he
stopped to watch some men doing stonework on a church.
One of them was chiseling a triangular piece of stone.
"What are you going to do with that piece of stone?" his friend asked.
The workman replied, "See that little opening up there near the spire?
Well, I'm shaping it down here, so it will fit in up there."
Tears filled the eyes of Billy Graham's friend as he walked away, for it
seemed as though God had spoken through the workman to help him understand
the things he was facing in this life. "I'm shaping you down here, so you
will fit in up there."
We cannot always be certain how God is working and what He is seeking to
accomplish. We can be certain that He is at work and that He is
accomplishing great things for His kingdom. Sometimes the events of our
lives make little sense. Often times we are unable to see how and why they
could possibly fit together. But God promises that they will. Even when life
makes no sense to us, God is at work to makes sense of our lives in ways we
cannot always see.
Don't ever forget that this life is a prelude. It is just the beginning.
It is nothing more than a start. God is shaping you down here, so you will
fit in up there.
****************************************************************************
**
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus, we cannot always see how you are working in our lives, but we
know you are. And we cannot always make sense out of the things that happen,
even though you are working to make sense out of everything we do.
Help us (help me) to trust this day to you. Take my life. Use my gifts.
Mold me into your fashion. Especially in those things that are difficult in
my life, use them to shape me here so that I will be a good fit eternally in
heaven. For I pray this in your name. Amen.
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<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>*Bible <st1:City w:st=
=3D"on"><st1:place
w:st=3D"on">Reading</st1:place></st1:City>: 2 Timothy 2:11-12*<o:p></o:p><=
/span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></spa=
n></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>*“Here is a
trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we
endure, we will also reign with him.”*<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></spa=
n></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Billy Graham tells the=
story
of a friend of his, who, during the depression, lost his job, his fortune, =
his
wife, and his home. But through it all he tenaciously held to his faith </s=
pan></font><font
size=3D2 face=3DTahoma><span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>=
–</span></font><font
size=3D2 face=3D"Courier New"><span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"=
Courier New"'>
the only thing he had left. One day he stopped to watch some men doing
stonework on a church. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>One of them was chisel=
ing a
triangular piece of stone.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></spa=
n></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>“What are you go=
ing to
do with that piece of stone?” his friend asked. <o:p></o:p></span></f=
ont></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>The workman replied,
“See that little opening up there near the spire? <o:p></o:p></span><=
/font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Well, I’m shapin=
g it down
here, so it will fit in up there.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></spa=
n></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Tears filled the eyes =
of
Billy Graham’s friend as he walked away, for it seemed as though God =
had
spoken through the workman to help him understand the things he was facing =
in
this life. “I’m shaping you down here, so you will fit in up
there.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></spa=
n></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>We cannot always be ce=
rtain
how God is working and what He is seeking to accomplish. We can be certain =
that
He is at work and that He is accomplishing great things for His kingdom.
Sometimes the events of our lives make little sense. Often times we are una=
ble
to see how and why they could possibly fit together. But God promises that =
they
will. Even when life makes no sense to us, God is at work to makes sense of=
our
lives in ways we cannot always see.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></spa=
n></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Don’t ever forge=
t that
this life is a prelude. It is just the beginning. <o:p></o:p></span></font>=
</p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>It is nothing more tha=
n a
start. God is shaping you down here, so you will fit in up there.<o:p></o:p=
></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></spa=
n></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>**********************=
********************************************************<o:p></o:p></span><=
/font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></spa=
n></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Let us pray.<o:p></o:p=
></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></spa=
n></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Lord Jesus, we cannot =
always
see how you are working in our lives, but we know you are. And we cannot al=
ways
make sense out of the things that happen, even though you are working to ma=
ke
sense out of everything we do.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></spa=
n></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Help us (help me) to t=
rust
this day to you. Take my life. Use my gifts. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Mold me into your fash=
ion.
Especially in those things that are difficult in my life, use them to shape=
me
here so that I will be a good fit eternally in heaven. For I pray this in y=
our
name. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-autospace:none'><font size=3D2 face=3D"C=
ourier New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></spa=
n></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span style=3D'font-size:1=
0.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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