Devotion for 5/5/21 6 Minutes

Good evening everyone watching by video this evening,,, it's time for our weekly devotion.

I'm praying that all of you are having a wonderful week so far.

As I've said the last several weeks,,, we need to continue to remember those that are dealing with this virus.

Those that are sick,,, since there are many others dealing with this sickness as it continues to grow and,,, those that have lost loved ones,,, we need to continue to remember them as well.

Remember the medical teams that are dealing with this and any others that must work and take a chance of contacting this virus.

Also,,, continue to remember those on our prayer list,,, and our country and it’s leaders.

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Our devotion this evening comes from "David Jeremiah Morning and Evening Devotions".

Our scripture will be Ephesians 4:1 and I'll be reading from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.

Ephesians 4:1 (HCSB)

1 Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received,

God bless the reading and the hearing of your word this evening.

Let us pray:

Dear Lord,,, as we begin this evening,,, with all that are listening and watching by video,,, we ask that you open our ears to hear and our hearts and minds to receive the message that you have for us today,,, In Jesus' name I pray,,, Amen.

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Ephesians was a letter that Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus.

And in this verse,,, Paul strongly encouraged them to walk,,, or (live a life),,, worthy of their calling.

If you read this verse without really paying attention to the way that he chooses his words,,, you would get the impression that Paul was a prisoner.

But Paul is actually choosing to be a prisoner of the Lord since this is his only hope for salvation.

He makes this choice because he knows that he cannot make it on his own and needs God's help each and every day.

The first 3 chapters of Ephesians deal with a Christians calling.

In the last 3 chapters of Ephesians,,, beginning in chapter 4 verse 1 that I read at the beginning,,, the Christian is urged to walk worthy of his calling.

And that walk can only be accomplished with a connection to Jesus Christ,,, through the daily help of the Holy Spirit.

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David Jeremiah titled this devotion "IT TAKES TWO".

He tells a story about a mother and a young boy.

In it he says that one story in circulation claims that a mother and son were eager to attend a concert by a renowned Polish pianist.

They went to the concert hall,,, went inside,,, and found their seats.

But when the house lights dimmed,,, and the concert was fixing to start,,, the mother discovered that the child was missing.

As the curtain rose,,, the mother noticed in horror that her little boy was sitting at the keyboard,,, innocently picking out “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”

At that moment,,, the great piano master made his entrance,,, quickly moved to the piano,,, and whispered in the boy’s ear,,, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.”

Leaning over,,, he reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part.

Together,,, the old master and the young novice transformed a tense situation into a wonderfully creative experience.

David Jeremiah said that whether this story is true or not,,, it is a perfect example,,, or illustration,,, of the relationship we have,,, with our heavenly Father.

What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy.

But with the hand of the Master,,, our life’s work can be beautiful.

He said,,, the next time you set out to accomplish great feats,,, listen for the voice of the Master whispering in your ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.”

Feel His loving arms around you.

Know that His strong hands are there,,, turning your feeble attempts into true masterpieces.

He ended the devotion with these words,,, Remember,,, God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called.

Jeremiah, David . David Jeremiah Morning and Evening Devotions (p. 257). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.