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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue #394 January 25, 2002 Joy Rings Tree rings are fascinating things. You can tell what kind of years the tree has been through by the thickness of its rings. A wide ring indicates the tree had a good year and grew lots, a thin ring meant a poor year. It’s too bad that people don’t have joy rings. Rings that showed how much joy a person had in any given year. I can image thick rings in the years of marriage or children being born. The thickest ring of all would be the year we accepted Jesus. Sometimes, after we’ve been Christians for a while, the rings get smaller. We become burdened with the things of this world. Sometimes we let our faith itself become a burden. Our faith walk becomes hollow, legalistic, or ritualistic. We forget that He loves us where we are at and we work hard on impressing Him. The joy and love go out the window as we try to earn more of His love. There is a lot to be done as Christians and there are many transformations that will happen. In the midst of it all we need to remember who we are and rejoice in the fact that He loves, forgives and accepts us despite our faults. As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:1-10 NIV Take some time today and remember that your salvation and His love are not because of who you are or what you have done. He loves you and forgives you simply because you have accepted His love. Let your joy pour out in remembrance of His grace. Until next time, may each year’s joy ring be thicker as you come to appreciate more and more the endless gift of His love, mercy and grace. God bless. Kevin Are you looking for love, peace, forgiveness and acceptance? Jesus will give it to you no matter what you have done if you just accept it. Email me and I’ll share a few Bible verses that explain why a relationship with Him is so important and a prayer that will make it possible. Don’t wait; be filled with the joy of His love today. To share your thoughts on this issue of Gleanings, or to share prayer concerns email us at corbin_writer@hotmail.com. or write us at : Gleanings From The Word 114 Oak Street Sherwood Park, AB Canada, T8A 0V8 At Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential. If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page on our website
© 2001 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin All Rights Reserved SUBSCRIBE TO GLEANINGS FOR FREE
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