Michael Harrison's e-devotion

Proverbs 27:19  NLT   As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person. What are we reflecting or showing that matters in our lives?  Often we begin to look like the people who we are around.  This verse reminds us that what we do and who or what we look like matters. Guard the places you go. Guard the relationships you have. Guard your mouth and feet as you talk and walk. God knows what is going on inside us all the time. Matthew 23:28  NLT   Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. Choose what comes out of your life so that it literally reflects what you care about.  That is a big deal.  Or it ought to be. Luke 6:45  NLT   A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. Be a reflection of God for good! P...

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and I shared a message at church yesterday about how we can help our marriages and relationships stronger and lasting.  I believe that God gives us so much encouragement to be people who love others and are committed to the people we love. In this message from Ephesians 5 we talked about the essentials of living a life of submission to each other, a life of sacrifice and that we are to choose each other.  I will get to a couple of those later this week in the e-devotions. Today I accept the challenge to love as Jesus loves.  The reason why we love and the way we are to love was defined by God! 1 John 4:19  NLT   We love each other because he loved us first. It is easier to love when we know that we are loved. We were created in His image and living out the character and example God gave us we literally become an image bearer of God because we do what He does. A person who loves well will think and do for his or her spouse.  Serv...

Romans 15:32   NLT Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other.   All those people who walk through the door do so for a reason.  They are not just thinking about themselves.  They went out of their way to show others the goodness of God.   Each and everyone of the text messages, phone calls and facebook messages are reminders that we are not alone.  They are intended to be “pick-me-ups” and reminders of the connections God has given us.   It is important to encourage others.  I am reminded over and over that I am not alone in the struggle.  People continue to be ill, but there are so many people around you and me that need a word of encouragement.  We make a difference in the lives of the people we step toward.   Matthew Barnett said, “whoever shows up most in a person’s life wins the battle of influence.”  I have used that quote forever.  And ...

1 John 4:18   NLT Such love has no fear , because perfect love expels all fear . If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have no t fully experienced his perfect love . “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”   That is an old saying packet with truth.   I would equate the word ‘care’ with the word ‘love’.   I have also been told and learned that when you really love, authentically love, people will be drawn to you, and their lives will be changed. But the love thing is difficult because the world and the leader of this world, our enemy Satan, has perverted and twisted the meaning of love.   It has been cheapened and lost it’s impact, but when we realize what unconditional love is, things change. Young people think they know what love is.   Often called puppy love and said to be untested, that love is the fluffy here today and gone tomorrow kind of thing.   I have heard...