Revelation 3:14,20 (English Standard Version) “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.

This is a good message for writing devotionals. Look what is missing!

Revelation 3:15-19 English Standard Version

15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Person attacks have no place in devotionals. They are meant to be uplifting. We have enough things going on around us to worry about and we need a break from pain and suffering. There are ways to help one another without making it a personal attack from writer to reader.

Perhaps that is the point of this verse of the day. It is a message to remind us of who is talking to us through the scriptures. What jumps out at me in reading the opening DV is how much it reminds me of John chapter 1.

 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

We could not remember without having read it and in truth we do not remind ourselves.

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

He is not an angel messenger, He is the third person of God, One who does not speak of Himself. He is the perfect example of humility.

Ephesians 2:10 (English Standard Version) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

This daily devotional falls right in line with the thoughts reported yesterday.

The question yesterday centered around our awareness of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. Today is about what He is doing in us. From the moment we are born again we become a piece of work. Crafted or molded it matters not which image we understand best, but awareness is essential.

Yesterday I spent a good portion of my thoughts about nature vs nurture.

Our DNA has been passed down to us from multiple sources. Each branch of a family tree is slightly different. Genetic markers carry more information than just appearances which are the obvious traits. In my own case there are unevenly spread DNA markers for baldness, macular degeneration, diabetes, heart disease and Asperger’s Syndrome. We have to live with all that.

We were all raised by the same parents. Three were born prior to WWII, I was born after. It was made known to all of us that if my father had not served in that war, I would not be here. I am sure that others share that condition as there are a large number of baby boomers. The difference in my case being my father was thirty-seven at the time.

One sibling resented my birth just days before his birthday, my sister was disappointed I wasn’t a girl, and my oldest brother didn’t care about anyone but himself. Those factors were a part of my nurture environment and had a larger influence in my early development, even more than my parents. My father suffered undiagnosed PTSD and my mother suffered undiagnosed  Asperger’s Syndrome.

When I was born again God the Father took over my nurturing but not my DNA. I am bald, have diabetes, heart disease and Asperger’s.

The life we live in Christ is not influenced by our DNA nor does it suffer the mistakes of our earthly parenting. We have a new nature now, we are a new creature.

As long as we do not try to relive the past, we are headed towards those good works waiting for us in our walk of faith.

Are we aware?