With a Subtitle: This verse highlights prayer, quiet service, and God’s purpose for His children.
A brief Excerpt: Acts 12:12 points to the beauty of hidden faithfulness, fervent prayer, and a life shaped by God’s design. This devotional reminds us to seek our true calling in Christ instead of being consumed by self.
Scripture
Our verse for today comes from Acts 12:12, “When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.”
Background
Today is another day in the life of my wife. She is the mother of our daughters and sons. Further, she is the daughter of Charlie and Trish and the sister of Karen. Like so many of us, she has lived out most of her time in relative obscurity. She works some as a nurse assistant instructor, leads or has led different ministries at church, and manages a house full of people and clothes and bills and schedules and activities. She has homeschooled our kids for over twenty years, changed thousands of diapers, and loved every minute of all of it. She has prayed. Prayed for wisdom, safety, peace, direction, and comfort – for God’s will. And she is proud. Proud of her husband and proud of her children. And she will be perfectly content to go on as the wife of Rich and the mom of our six kids. If there was ever a person made to be a helper to her husband and a loving mother to her children, she is the one. She has no desire to leave her stamp on anything; rather, her greatest joy is to see her kids flourish and be known as the mother of each of them.
Application
What struck me following our church’s discussion recently about transgenderism is the lack of meaningful purpose evident in those who cling to this lifestyle. Rather than acknowledging God has a plan and intention for them much bigger than their fascination with their identity and sexuality, so many are consumed with what they think they are or should be. It is of no consequence to them what God intended them for. That’s why telling such a person that what they are doing is wrong is like trying to explain calculus to a squirrel. First there must be some sort of common ground established. And for me, what’s established is yet another mirror to show me how heinous and ugly my own sin is. Changing one’s gender identification is not a sin I wrestle with, but the pages are full of the ones I do. So, where God shows me I’ve fallen short of His glory, of being the right kind of husband to my wife and dad to my kids, that is where I shut up and listen.
Charge
As we seek Him today, let God unveil for you your higher calling as His child.
Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words
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