Shirlee Abbott

It’s a Wedding!

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

We went to an outdoor wedding this weekend. Actually, I observed the wedding service from afar, as I wandered the hillside with the adorable flower girl, who was not at all interested in the ceremony. But even at a distance, everything was perfect.

A wedding–what’s your favorite part?

It makes me cry happy tears
Beautiful bride, handsome groom, everyone dressed up
Families coming together in celebration
The reception–it’s all about the party!

We look forward to a heavenly wedding (see Revelation 19). We’ll experience the joy, the glorious attire, reunion with loved ones and a heavenly celebration that beats the earthly ones all hollow.

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Devoted Time (Friday)

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

It takes special insight to write something that’s still relevant 130 years later. William Longstaff demonstrated that insight when he wrote:

“Take time to be holy,
the world rushes on;
spend much time in secret
with Jesus alone.”

Surely the world rushed more slowly in the 1880’s. And the need to spend secret time with Jesus is greater now than ever.

Used to be, I didn’t much like this hymn. I thought it was corny and boring. Actually, I was short-sighted and quick-tempered. It was (and is) Rock-solid advice.

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Devoted Time (Thursday)

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

Dear God, I thank you for the time you give me, a nice straight line. For you, the end is the same as the beginning. Past, present and future are the same to you. I have a time line; you have a time bubble–rolling, shimmering, eternal and glorious.

Today, Lord, may I make honorable use of my line of time. Amen.

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Devoted Time (Wednesday)

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

David Brainerd (1718-1747) is a remarkable example of a disciplined life. Physically unwell (likely TB), he had a well-exercised soul. His journal attests to the hours he devoted to prayer, Bible study and meditation. He said:

“When you cease from labour, fill up your time in reading, meditation, and prayer: and while your hands are labouring, let your heart be employed, as much as possible, in divine thoughts.”

Let your heart be employed in divine thoughts–what a way to spend one’s time!

David Brainerd’s ministry lasted only three years. The impact of his life is immeasurable. Remind you of Someone you know?

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Devoted Time (Tuesday)

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

Hosea 10:12 (ESV)
Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness.

I’m an impatient gardener. If I had my way, we could reap the harvest without ever preparing the ground. Alas, it doesn’t work that way.

And if I want reap God’s goodness, I have to devote time to the groundwork–weed out bad habits, cast away sin stones, break up clumps of hard-heartedness.

bless soul pic

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Devoted Time

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

Continuing on the theme of Time:

Do you have a daily quiet time with God?

I talk with God before I roll out of bed in the morning
Bible, journal, coffee–I’m ready!
I start my day with a quick devotional reading
Mornings don’t work for me–God and I are bedtime buddies

God wants to spend time with you. You were designed to spend time with God. The enemy puts time and effort into squelching your alone time with God.

If you say, “I don’t have time for a daily conversation with God,” you may be wasting time.

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Take Time (Friday)

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

Psalm 34:8 (NIV)
Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Make it a feast, not a drive-through encounter. Take your time. Carry away more than a happy-meal bag of blessing.

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Take Time (Thursday)

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

My Quiet Time confession: I don’t give God the time he deserves. But it is astonishing how often I take time to ask him for more time.

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Take Time (Wednesday)

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

Familiar Bible verses on time:

Genesis 1:1 (NKJV)
In the beginning . . .

Ecclesiastes 3:1
To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven.

Luke 2:1
It came to pass . . .

Galatians 4:4
. . . when the fullness of time had come . . .

We think of time as a diminishing resource, that we are running out of time. God sees it as an ever-flowing gift, filling up, overflowing.

Thank you, Lord, for this glorious gift.

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Take Time (Tuesday)

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Shirlee Abbott

A. W. Tozer, 1897-1963, was a preacher, an editor, a writer. He wrote some of his books on his knees; his writings were extensions of his prayers.

“I am often caused to wish that there were some way to bring modern Christians into a deeper spiritual life painlessly by short, easy lessons: but such wishes are vain. No shortcut exists. God has not bowed to our nervous haste nor embraced the methods of our machine age. It is well that we accept the hard truth now: The man who would know God must give time to Him.”

(from The Pursuit of Man)

Another as-you-sow principle—If you don’t sow the time, you won’t reap the spiritual maturity.

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