OMTL Daily Devotions Day Eight – Fourteen
DAY EIGHT
“It’s never too late to be what you might have been”
George Eliot
“A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.” Proverbs 28:13 TLB
When we admit our failures, mistakes, and short comings, God gives us the power to start fresh.
What is the hardest lesson you have learned from life’s mistakes? How has that lesson strengthened your character? Your faith?
What is your greatest fear about trusting God completely with your life? What is the basis for this fear?
DAY NINE
Corrie Ten Boom once said, “The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation.”
When all is said and done, relationships are all that matter. Not how much wealth we have, where we live, or how many toys we have collected. Our investment in the people we care about is the only legacy that has to power to endure beyond our lifetime.
If you only had one month to live, who would you want to spend the time with?
Think through your schedule for the next couple of days. Find time to surprise someone you love. Take a friend to a favorite restaurant. Pickup the kids early from school and go to the park. Kidnap your spouse from the office and go have coffee.
DAY TEN
Having lived in San Diego, CA just a short distance from the coast I noticed how many people flock to the beach but never get in the water. The deepest part of the ocean is over 36,000 feet deep – almost 7 miles. Scuba gear allows a diver to only go 130 feet deep. Even in submersibles most of the ocean is too deep and vast to be explored. God’s love is the same. Usually we splash around on the surface and sometimes explore greater depths but there is a depth unyet experienced.
Today – find a memento that represents the ocean (Photo, seashell, etc.) and place it in a prominent place as a reminder to you of the depths of God’s love and forgiveness to you and those around you.
DAY ELEVEN
Remember today that we were created for relationships – Relationship with God and relationship with others. Ask yourself the question, how satisfied am I with the state of my most important relationships? How would you describe each one?
Excellent (We’ve never been closer)
Okay (We get along, but there’s some tension)
Pretty Rough (We’re in conflict and floundering)
Terrible (We’re not going to make it)
What’s keeping you from moving toward where you want to be in each one?
Write down what you think each important relationship in your life needs in order to be healthier and begin to make that change this week.
DAY TWELVE
I can remember when the first Rocky movie came out. What a great inspirational movie. It inspired me to join the local boxing gym. My goal was to get in the ring and fight, the trainers idea however seemed to be to inflict as much pain as he could on me conditioning my body before I ever got into the ring!
Relationships always involve some manner of conflict and fighting. The number one key to conflict resolution in relationships is this: Don’t attack one another, attack the problem!
Today, think about your last major conflict in one of your important relationships. How do you tend to approach conflict?
If you only had one month to live, who would you apologize to and whom would you ask forgiveness? Consider approaching that individual(s) and reconciling that relationship.
DAY THIRTEEN
Read Matthew 7:3-5
Sandpaper can be very useful when it comes to woodworking of finishing furniture. But if you take sandpaper and rub it against your skin, it doesn’t feel good. It’s abrasive and painful! Often times, there are people in our lives that are the same way. They are abrasive and painful. They irritate us. They rub us the wrong way.
Identify the “sandpaper” people in your life. How often do you interact with them? How do you usually relate to them? How often are you tempted to point out the problems in their life? If you had 30 days to live, what would you want to tell these people? What’s keeping you from speaking up today?
DAY FOURTEEN
Read Luke 17:11-19
Only one out of the ten who were healed returned to give thanks. Gratitude has the power to change us completely. On that day ten men received an incredible gift but only one realized it to the fullest. Gratitude opens our hearts to God so that we can experience life to the fullest.
My favorite line in the Dr Seuss story How the Grinch Stole Christmas is right after the Grinch discovers the true meaning of Christmas: “And some say the Grinch’s heart grew 3 sizes that day”. Gratitude expands our hearts the same way. Gratitude expands our capacity to enjoy life.
Do you tend to hurry through life or stop and savor the memorable moments? On most days are you like the one who returned to thank Jesus or the nine who went their own way? How often do you thank those around you for what they contribute to your life? If you only had one month to live, who would you want to thank today? What are you waiting for?
