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Springtime ... A Newness of Heart . . Devotional: . . "Therefore,
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation."
2 Corinthians 5:17-18.
. . Commentary: . Several
years ago I heard a song entitled "Bring Back the Springtime". It spoke to my heart and reminded me that no
matter where we are in life, no matter what we are going through, if we trust in God and lean on Him, He will restore our
hearts, bring back the newness and we will once again enjoy the Springtime of our faith in Him. . Bring Back the Springtime Words and Music by Kurt Kaiser, 1970 . . When
in the spring, the flowers are blooming bright and fair, After the grey of
winter's gone. Once again the lark begins his tuning, Back in the meadows of my heart. . Chorus Lord to my heart bring back the
springtime Take away the cold and dark of sin. And, Oh refill me now, sweet Holy Spirit May I warm and tender be
again. . Lord, make me like that stream that flows so cool and clear Down from the mountains high above; I will tell the world the wondrous story Of the precious stream filled with your Love. . .
I remember listening to the words of "Bring Back The Springtime" and being touched by the spirit Kurt Kaiser must have felt as he wrote the lyrics. Even now, as I play the song, the same emotion rings clear. I think back to the moment I first accepted Christ as my Saviour, and the light-hearted feeling that filled me from inside out. The only thing I can compare it to is when winter finally draws it's last breath, and spring fills the earth with color. In that moment, it was like all the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders, and I was brand new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that when we accept Christ, we become a new creature in Him, and that old things are passed away. . But just as spring turns into summer, summer into fall, and fall back into winter, we experience change in our lives and things don't stay the same. Things happen, some good, some bad, and it's not always easy to stay on track. We lose sight of God and become slaves to the bondage that is all around us. We become haunted by the things in our lives, burdened by self-pity and unwilling or unable to forgive ourselves or others for our hurts and disappointments. We do not give God full reign and are held captive by our need to control our own lives. We limit ourselves by not trusting Him, and instead of living "large", the way God wants us to, we live small lives of our own making. Instead of living boldly in Christ, we timidly go through life, afraid to step out in faith, and do not experience all the good things He has for us. It's as though our lives are in "winter" and the cold of sin has overtaken us just as surely as heavy snow and ice befall the season. . This is not the life God intends for us, and we need to look at our lives, assess the way things are going and give our lives totally to God. Only He can take away the cold and dark of sin, refill us with His sweet Holy Spirit, and make us new again. And only He can bring back the springtime, renewing our hearts to the warm and tender state they were when we first accepted Him. . If you are experiencing the cold of winter in your life, I challenge you to give it totally, completely to Him, and let Him perform the miracle of springtime in you. ~ Pam Powers Moore ; . Meditation: . Father, we thank you for your goodness, your love, and most of
all for the gift of salvation that is free through your Son Jesus. Lord we ask you to renew our hearts, fill us with
your Holy Spirit, and make us new creatures in You. May we always look to you for guidance, trusting and believing
in You to make our lives what You want them to be and may we always be found in the springtime of your love.
In Jesus Name, Amen. . .
Stories to Touch the Heart and Warm the Soul:
. . Interview With God .
I dreamed I had an interview with God. .
. "If you have the time," I said. . God smiled and said: "My time is eternity and is enough to do everything; What questions do you have in mind to ask me?" . "What surprises you most about mankind?" . God answered: . "That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again. . "That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health. . "That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future. . "That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they had never lived." . God's hands took mine and we were silent for awhile and then I asked... . "As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?" , God replied with a smile: . "To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved. . "To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives. . "To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. All will be judged individually on their own merits, not as a group on a comparison basis! . "To learn that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least. . "To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and that it takes many years to heal them. . "To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness. . "To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings. . "To learn that money can buy everything but happiness. . "To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it totally different. . "To learn that a true friend is someone who knows everything about them...and likes them anyway. . "To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves." . I sat there for awhile enjoying the moment. I thanked Him for his time and for all that He has done for me and my family, and He replied, "Anytime. I'm here 24 hours a day. All you have to do is ask for me, and I'll answer." . ~ Author Unknown
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