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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion Saturday, July 19, 2003 "Where's Jesus" |
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Frontline Devotion for Saturday, July 19, 2003 By Barbara Kessler Risen
In Romans we read, “But if Christ is in you, although your bodies are dead because of sin, your spirits are alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you.”
A four year old was at the pediatrician for a check up. As the doctor looked into her ears with an otoscope, he asked, “Do you think I’ll find Big Bird in here?” The little girl stayed silent. Next, the doctor took a tongue depressor and looked down her throat. He asked, “Do you think I’ll find the Cookie Monster down there?” Again the little girl was silent. Then the doctor put a stethoscope to her chest. As he listened to her heartbeat, he asked, “Do you think I’ll hear Barney in there?” “Oh, no,” the little girl exclaimed, “Jesus is in my heart! Barney’s on my underpants!”
Jesus is in my heart.
When was the last time we spoke those words? One of the songs I remember the most from childhood contains the words, “I have the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, down in my heart...down in my heart...down in my heart. I have the love of Jesus...love of Jesus...down in my heart…down in my heart to stay.”
The scripture lesson today reminds us that Jesus is, indeed, in our hearts. In fact, the spirit of the Lord fills our very beings.
That truth motivates many of our decisions. If we didn’t have the love of Jesus in our hearts would we even bother to worship on Sundays? Certainly it would be easier to stay in bed and catch up on some z-z-z’s after a hectic week. Would we bother to prepare a meal and deliver it to a family who is struggling if we didn’t have Jesus in our hearts? I doubt it. Because Jesus is in our hearts we DO worship on Sundays and we DO reach out to others.
Let us not hide the fact that Jesus is in our hearts, that the Spirit of the Lord dwells in our mortal bodies.
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for abiding IN us. Forgive us when we fail to recognize your presence in our very beings. Help us to share your presence in us so that others will recognize You in themselves as well. May we, together with others, bring your love to a hurting world. In your name we pray. Amen.
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry. Pastor Dave welcomes and appreciates feedback. pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org.