Michael Harrison's e-devotion

On Sunday we started a new series at The Community Fellowship.   It is called MARGIN.   Lets define the term: margin is the amount available beyond what is necessary.   Thus, margin could be money, time, energy, rest, emotions and countless more things.   Fact is, we could all use more margin in our lives. Luke 10:38-42 NASB 38  Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39  She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. 40  But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." 41  But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42   but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part , which shall not be taken away from her."

Grace is not an easy word to understand and to live out.   I’ve met some ladies named grace, but that is not what I am talking about.   I’ve met many people who talk about the grace of God and offering people grace, yet their lives seem to miss what grace really is. Maybe the issue or reality of grace is one that eludes us and is hard to find.   The church talks it up, praises God for His grace and spreads the wonders of it all the time.   But do we really live by grace?   That is, do we receive and give grace freely to others that we encounter each day?   This would include people in our home, the workplace, our school and the people we meet on the street. It is hard to be full of grace and give grace when we are full of self.   It is hard to give grace to others when we don’t have grace for ourselves or forgive ourselves for our own mistakes. "Never forget that grace takes guts, risk and a dash of crazy." Mike Foster Giving 2nd chances is wha

Proverbs 8:33 NLT Listen to my instruction and be wise. Don’t ignore it. I began this week talking about prayer, and I am going to end the week on the same note.   Two opportunities presented the last few days to pray with groups of people, and they were incredible times where God spoke.   Several phone calls, emails and more came with prayer needs.   I love praying with people. Yet part of prayer is listening to God.   We hear in Psalms about “being still” and “listening” to God.   Unless we hear from God, we are on a journey that has us alone and in trouble.   God intends for this to be a shared journey.   Shared with him and with others.   Listening to God makes us be on his path. I challenge us to take extra time this weekend to listen to God.   Stop for extra minutes.   Go somewhere that is quiet or somewhere that God has spoken to you in the past.   Maybe this is a place at your home or somewhere that provides the beauty of nature.   Spend a few minutes

Exodus 14:31 NLT When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the LORD had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the LORD and in his servant Moses. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to have crossed the Jordan River on dry land.   The people of God had so much on their side.   We have much to learn from them. They had the promises of God.   When the people left Egypt, nothing seemed easy, yet God led them and continued to give His promises.   Each day the promises were seen.   But 40 years of believing promises is tough.   We as humans and too often give up or give in and just walk away.   Following God and believing His promises has great reward. They had the provision of God.   I read this morning about God providing the food they needed while they were in the desert.   Some people complained and didn’t listen to what God said.   After a while they learned to trust God.   Daily God w