Finding Real Freedom in the Truth of God
Finding real freedom is impossible without the protection and control of God’s law. We celebrate independence this weekend at a time when our freedom is threatened by lawlessness.
Finding Real Freedom in the Truth of God
2MefromHim Devotionals
“By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just; by me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth.” Proverbs 8:15, 16
Finding real freedom is impossible without the protection and control of God’s law. Proverbs reminds us that God, not elections, political parties, protestors, or presidents control our country. We celebrate independence this weekend at a time when our freedom is threatened by lawlessness.
However, the removal of God from government has also eradicated tolerance for differing ideas. We reap the consequences of a lax attitude toward freedoms that are envied by the entire world.
By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just; by me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth. Pro. 8:15, 16 #freedom #Godisgood #truth Share on XFinding Real Freedom When Anarchy Reigns
Jesus upheld human government. When the Pharisees asked Jesus if they should pay taxes to Caesar, He said, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Matthew 22:15-22) In Romans 13, Paul said, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” The United States has failed to give God the obedience and honor He is due. Disrespect for our elected leaders equals disrespect for God.
Freedom must be fought for and treasured. Peaceful protest is possible in the United States of America because our Constitution grants that right. In the same way, anarchy steals freedom from everyone and grants it to no one. Paul continues, “He who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”
Anarchy steals freedom from everyone and grants it to no one. #devotional #freedom #FourthofJuly Share on XFinding Real Freedom Through Truth
Edmund Burke said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” When we lack true freedom, it is due to a failure to uphold the truth of God’s word and honor Him through love for others. Jesus defined true freedom in John 8:32, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Freedom cannot be maintained without the truth of God set forth in the Bible. John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Therefore, those who resort to violence, condone brutality, and fail to speak out against wrong will fall under God’s judgment.
This Fourth of July, consider the meaning of “one nation under God.” Set your heart right with the Author of Freedom and stand for His truth. If we fail to stand for God’s truth, all freedom will be lost.
If we fail to stand for truth, all freedom will be lost. #truth #freedom #devotional Share on X© Norma Gail Holtman, June 29, 2020
About the author:
Norma Gail writes Fiction to Refresh Your Spirit. Her contemporary novels, Land of My Dreams, which won the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award, and Within Golden Bands (releasing May 19, 2020), explore the theme of women whose faith triumphs over trials. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, Inspire a Fire, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 44 years. They have two adult children. To connect with her, you can follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, or Amazon.
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Some Things Never Change, and God is One
Some things never change, and God is one of them. No matter how our world changes, God stays the same.
Some Things Never Change, and God is One
2MefromHim Devotional
But you are the same, and your years have no end. Psalm 102:27
Some things never change, and God is one of them. Our entertainment is one day politically correct and the next day not. Our vocabulary changes with the latest whims. Vacations are virtual due to a pandemic. But God is faithful. His word is applicable. No matter how our world changes, God stays the same.
But you are the same, and your years have no end. Psalm 102:27 #Godisfaithful #hope #confidence Share on XSome Things Change
For example, until a few months ago, we traveled wherever we chose, shopped in crowded stores, attended church, concerts, voted, and visited hospitals. No one gave a thought to who touched the door handle last. But with the advent of the coronavirus, the entire world changed. Time changes things.
We have become wary of words. Television shows and movies are banned. Some areas in our cities are no longer safe. We don’t know how to express our feelings to someone of another race. Time changes things.
Some Things Never Change
Our search for stability needs to take us no further than the word of God. He assures us that though the grass withers and flowers fade, His word never changes. It is firmly fixed in the heavens. He isn’t a man that he should lie or the son of man that He should change His mind. God does not change but He can change things.
The story of Lazarus, in John 11, reveals the slower pace of Jesus’ day. By the time Jesus traveled to Bethany, Lazarus had been in the tomb four days. Martha protested Jesus’ request to move the stone because there would be a bad odor. But when Jesus called him forth, he rose from the dead. God can change things.
Likewise, in Acts, Chapter 9, Saul obtained letters to the synagogues in Damascus so that he could take Christians prisoner. However, after a confrontation with God, he became the most prolific teacher, preacher, and writer in the Bible. The man who called himself a Hebrew of Hebrews became the man who said, “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.” God can change things.
God does not change but He can change things. #change #Godisgood #anxiety Share on XWhen We Don’t Know How to Respond
God says: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)
When changes frighten us, there is a standard. God gave us His word and it will never change. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
When the entire world seems to have tilted on its axis, God remains the same.
When the entire world seems to have tilted on its axis, God remains the same. #worldevents #security #Godisgood Share on X© Norma Gail Holtman, June 17, 2020
About the author:
Norma Gail writes Fiction to Refresh Your Spirit. Her contemporary novels, Land of My Dreams, which won the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award, and Within Golden Bands (releasing May 19, 2020), explore the theme of women whose faith triumphs over trials. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, Inspire a Fire, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 44 years. They have two adult children. To connect with her, you can follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, or Amazon.
Why I Read and Write Fiction – Confessions of a Bookworm
I read and write fiction because I am curious about the world. Fiction increases our awareness of the world around us and broadens our horizons beyond the confines of our daily life.
Fabulous Fridays
Why I Read and Write Fiction – Confessions of a Bookworm
I read and write fiction because I am curious about the world. Whether contemporary or historical, fiction transports the reader to another place and time. A well-written novel invites the reader to become part of the story. Fiction increases our awareness of the world around us and broadens our horizons beyond the confines of our daily life.
Fiction vs. Non-fiction
Non-fiction teaches facts. We learn about one topic in detail with little stimulus of our imagination. One problem in our world today is people’s desire to be heard above news media rhetoric. Talking heads with a set agenda tell us what to think.
A well-written novel invites the reader to become part of the story... #amwriting #amreading #fiction Share on XFiction, on the other hand, covers a broad range of experiences through the eyes of many different characters. One book enables us to enter the minds of a variety of people from different levels of society: rich and poor, educated and uneducated, management and employee, husband and wife. Points of view are expressed in a non-confrontational way. Readers experience what someone thinks, why they think that way, and develop empathy. Fiction opens us up to new ideas while stimulating pleasure areas in the brain.
Fiction and the Real World
For example, in my new romantic suspense, Within Golden Bands, the reader experiences the hurt and longing of a woman who craves motherhood but cannot become pregnant. I wrote from the heart about longings I experienced. My husband gave input on passages about the husband’s reactions. The story isn’t ours but we dealt with the emotions in real life.
In our world today, fearful of the COVID-19 pandemic, torn by protests over racial inequality, stress and anxiety run rampant. Fiction transports us away from the tension of non-stop news to a place where our brains can rest. Stimulating the imagination is therapeutic.
Fiction transports us to a place where our brains can rest... #anxiety #relaxation #bookworm Share on XWorks of fiction contain the truth about life, history, current events, and even faith. Christian fiction reveals how others might respond to personal crises, relationships, and world events from the standpoint of their faith. I watched my mother-in-law grow in her relationship to Christ through the fiction she read.
Benefits of Reading Fiction
All the best and worst of life is contained in fictional worlds. As we watch characters react to life events, we grow our minds with new possibilities. When based in fact and experience, the author’s imaginings can demonstrate scriptural truth.
Novels open our eyes to fresh perspectives by transporting us into an imaginary world... #amwriting #imagination #escape Share on XAll in all, fiction provides escape from stress and reveals new ways to respond to the world around us. Novels open our eyes to fresh perspectives by transporting us into an imaginary world. We escape everyday turmoil, satisfy our curiosity, expand our thinking, and rest our minds through the pages of a book.
© Copyright Norma Gail Holtman, June 16, 2020
Fiction transports the reader to another place and time... #booklover #novels #readingrocks Share on XAbout the author:
Norma Gail writes Fiction to Refresh Your Spirit. Her contemporary novels, Land of My Dreams, which won the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award, and Within Golden Bands (releasing May 19, 2020), explore the theme of women whose faith triumphs over trials. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, Inspire a Fire, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 44 years. They have two adult children. To connect with her, you can follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, or Amazon.
My Times Are in Your Hands, Therefore I Trust
“My times are in your hands…” All week, these words played through my mind to the tune of an old hymn. Peace comes with the knowledge that God is in control.
My Times Are in Your Hands, Therefore I Trust
2MefromHim Devotional
My times are in your hands… Psalm 31:15
“My times are in your hands…” All week, these words played through my mind to the tune of an old hymn by William F. Lloyd. Then I discovered a sermon by Charles Spurgeon by the same title. Peace comes with the knowledge that God is in control.
My faith sustains me when the world is filled with turmoil. COVID-19 and social unrest have our world in chaos. Natural disasters, fires, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes rob struggling people of all they possess. Where does your hope reside?
My faith sustains me when the world is filled with turmoil. #faith #hope #anxiety Share on XOur Times Cry for Hope
Psalm 31 reveals David crying out to God, his rock, refuge, and fortress, words that produce the sense of safety, a firm foundation in times of fear and distress. Spurgeon says, “If our lives were not appointed of heaven, we should wish they were. If there were no overruling Providence, we would crave for one.” I long for Jesus’ return because of promised peace.
Psalm 139:16 tells us, “all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” I face the unknown with courage because I understand that God has a plan and purpose. Moses prayer, recorded in Psalm 90 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” True wisdom offers hope.
When the downtrodden cry out for justice and disease or disaster threaten, I am comforted by my hope in God. In the words of Job 23:10, “He knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” This time of testing for the entire world provides new opportunities to share the source of our hope with those around us. Moreover, as Christians, we can thrive despite our circumstances because we understand God is in control.
I face the unknown with courage because I understand that God has a plan and purpose. #courage #purpose #Godisincontrol Share on XMy Times Are in God’s Hands
Corrie Ten Boom said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” I know peace because all my days rest in the hands of a loving God. Likewise, never have Jesus’ words in John 10:27-29 resounded with such promise. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” I am safe even when the world around me spins out of control.
Do you have the certainty that your life rests in God’s hands?
I am safe even when the world around me spins out of control. #safety #control #fear Share on XMy Times Are in Your Hands
My times are in Thy hand;
My God, I wish them there;
My life, my friends, my soul I leave
Entirely to Thy care.
My times are in Thy hand;
Whatever they may be;
Pleasing or painful, dark or bright,
As best may seem to Thee.
My times are in Thy hand;
Why should I doubt or fear?
My Father’s hand will never cause
His child a needless tear.
My times are in Thy hand,
Jesus, the crucified!
Those hands my cruel sins had pierced
Are now my guard and guide.
My times are in Thy hand,
I’ll always trust in Thee;
And, after death, at Thy right hand
I shall forever be.
Hymn by William F. Lloyd
© Devotional by Norma Gail Holtman, June 14, 2020
My times are in your hands… Psalm 31:15 #Godislove #trust #faith Share on XAbout the author:
Norma Gail writes Fiction to Refresh Your Spirit. Her contemporary novels, Land of My Dreams, which won the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award, and Within Golden Bands (releasing May 19, 2020), explore the theme of women whose faith triumphs over trials. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, Inspire a Fire, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 44 years. They have two adult children. To connect with her, you can follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, or Amazon.
Christmas Stroll – Within Golden Bands Out-takes Part Three
The Christmas Stroll in Albuquerque’s Old Town, there’s nothing quite like it! Christmas in June, anyone? This scene, cut from Within Golden Bands is typical New Mexico romance, the kind that makes me fall in love all over again.
Fabulous Fridays
Out-Takes from Within Golden Bands – Part Three
Christmas in June, anyone? For anyone who knows New Mexico, Old Town Albuquerque at Christmas conjures up essences of piñon smoke, glowing luminarias highlighting adobe walls, and red chili wreaths. This scene, cut from Within Golden Bands is typical New Mexico romance, the kind that makes me fall in love all over again. Join in as Bonny and Kieran experience all the beauty and wonder of Christmas in love.
Out-Takes comprise some of my favorite scenes from Within Golden Bands. The decision to remove them from the book was painful but necessary to move the action forward. I allude to these scenes in other ways but for me, they will always be part of the story. I see, smell, taste, and hear what my characters experience and they share it with me each year as I enjoy our home town at Christmas with my husband.
Christmas in June, anyone? Out-takes from Norma Gail's new book, Within Golden Bands #amwriting #authorlife #RomSus Share on XChapter One – Scene Three – The Old Town Christmas Stroll
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Anticipation
The evening was warm for December, even for Albuquerque.
Kieran scrunched sideways in the backseat of Dan’s Suburban so Bonny could lean against him as they headed to the Old Town Christmas Tree Lighting and Holiday Stroll. “Forty-five degrees in December. My parents would never believe it.”
“We could sightsee more if I wasn’t sick all the time.” Bonny burrowed deeper into his arms, a sure sign it wasn’t a complaint. “After the baby is born, we should come back so I can show you everything when I feel better. You’ll love Old Town. The Christmas Stroll is every bit as beautiful as on Christmas Eve.”
“New Mexico is the best place in the world at Christmas.” Kari turned in the front seat to face them. “You’ve only gone a few places, in spite of little hiking and no horseback riding. Did you enjoy Santa Fe, Kieran?”
“It was fun. The Shed has great food, though Bonny wasn’t hungry. The drive up North 14 is spectacular, and Madrid is one of the more unique towns I’ve ever seen.”
Dan laughed. “I think eclectic is the word you’re looking for.”
Kari thumped him on the shoulder. “What did Dr. Carson say about your nausea and weight loss, Bonny?”
“He had a name for it, hyperemesis gravidarum, meaning I lose my lunch so much I’m losing weight. More medication. Ugh. Some women end up hospitalized. But hopefully, I’ll improve. I hate to spend most of our honeymoon sick. The doctor’s concerned about the scar tissue and wants an ultrasound when we get home to assess any danger. Kieran called and set it up for right after New Year’s.”
The streetlights caught the gleam in his wife’s eyes and her slight smile begged for a kiss. Kieran drew her closer, but if he waited until they were home, he could do it right. They passed the hospital where he had once prayed for her to regain consciousness and live to marry him. The months, while she healed and decided between him and Adam, were a nightmare. Now, it all seemed insignificant.
The Christmas Tree
A thrill of excitement and anticipation throbbed in his heart, palpable in her jittering knees, turning head, and obvious eagerness to share this special time with him.
“You’ll love this, Kieran. The Christmas tree, the luminarias, dinner at La Placita, and a stroll around the plaza. There’s nothing better. Hurry, Dan. We don’t want to be late.”
“From the sound of it, I’ll be lucky to get you on a plane back to Scotland.” Kieran placed a finger under Bonny’s chin, turned her head, and searched her eyes for a response. Did she regret the permanence of her move to Scotland?
“I’m ready. It’s wonderful to have you all to myself, but I can’t wait to tell your parents about the baby. Besides, I need to learn to be a sheep farmer’s wife before I have to juggle farm duties with motherhood.” The quick response eased his concern a little.
Dan pulled into a parking space and stopped. Kieran stepped out first, offered Bonny his hand, and tucked her arm through his. “Lead the way, Mrs. MacDonell.”
“Hmm, smell the pinon smoke.” Dan and Kari fell in behind them. “Have you explained luminarias, carrot-top?” Dan teased.
“I’m a married lady, Danny-boy. Haven’t I outgrown my childhood nickname. And yes, I did.”
“Explained them?” Kieran looked back, laughing. “This determined woman made them in Beauly last Christmas at my parents’ house. I shoveled snow for her to set them out.” With her head against his arm, his heart expanded in gratitude. He sniffed the air, pungent with a plethora of unfamiliar odors. “People, lights, luminarias, music. I see why your eyes light up when you talk about it.”
“Honey, there’s the Christmas tree.” Bonny pointed and tugged on his arm. “Come on.” As Bonny dragged him through the crowd, the tree burst into brilliance as white lights revealed red and white ornaments of giant proportions.
It’s more than two stories tall. How many trees do they use? Within Golden Bands Out-takes #NewMexico #Christfic #amreading Share on X“It’s huge.” Kieran tilted his head back. “They really are entire trees put together to form one big tree. It’s more than two stories tall. How many trees do they use?”
“A hundred and fifty,” Bonny said proudly.
Kari smiled when she and Dan walked up. “You can close your mouth now, Kieran. Did she describe it well?”
“Yes, but I couldn’t imagine it.” His eyes flitted from one unfamiliar sight to another. The warm, golden radiance of the luminarias trailed along sidewalks, rooftops, and porch rails. The flickering lights bestowed a simple beauty on the ancient adobe buildings. “I’m amazed how something as simple as hundreds of small paper sacks with sand in the bottom and candles inside can produce such beauty.”
Bonny’s snaps hadn’t done justice to San Felipe de Neri, the old Catholic Church across the crowded street, so different from the stone cathedrals of his homeland. For more than 300 years, its majestic simplicity of adobe and white-painted wood had graced the north side of the plaza. In spite of throngs of people in the narrow blocked-off streets, the atmosphere was serene. Christmas songs emanated from the bandstand with a distinctive beat played on simple instruments, guitars, violins, and trumpets. “Tell me again what they call the music.”
“Mariachi.” She tugged him behind her, closer to the tree. “Take our picture, Dan. We need to send photos to Kieran’s parents. Isn’t it beautiful, honey?”
Reminiscence and Revelations
He nodded, filled with memories of last year when they performed “Silent Night” in Gaelic on Christmas Eve in Scotland. The unfamiliar Spanish was every bit as beautiful. Like tree lights illuminated with the flick of a switch, the answer to a question long agonized over became clear. Bonny refused his proposal and sent him home to Scotland because she craved the familiarity of home while she healed. Now, they stood amidst sights, sounds, and aromas as common to her as they were curious to him. The rugged mountains where she lived, chili, adobe, and the rustic wooden spires of the church meant to her what sheep, heathered hills, castles, and glacier-carved lochs were to him. Home. Given time, she had chosen to leave it all—for him.
The rugged mountains where she lived, chili, adobe, and the rustic wooden spires of the church—Home. #NEWRELEASE #BYNR #Christfic Share on XHis throat tightened and he pulled her into his arms despite the crowds. “You left all you’ve ever known to marry me. For the first time, I fathom your sacrifice—why you had to be so certain.”
With a soft moan, her arms slid around his neck and pulled him down to where her sweet, warm lips melded with his. “I gained much more than I gave up. You are my home now.”
Kari and Dan returned from the other side of the tree. Ever-sensitive Kari touched Bonny’s shoulder. “Dan and I will go on to La Placita. It looks as if you need a moment alone.”
Bonny’s eyes glimmered as bright as the lights on the tree. “Kieran just had a revelation. We’re fine.”
Arm in arm they strolled through the plaza, past the wooden bandstand festooned with white lights and red bows, where a group of carolers had replaced the mariachis. The culture surrounding them was as strange to him as Hogmanay and haggis were to her. Was he brave enough to do what this incredible woman had done?
The emotions surging through him were not the pride of victory over Adam, but humility because she chose him. He drew her out of the crowd, into the circle of light under an old-fashioned lamppost, gazing into eyes made greener by the dark forest hue of her coat.
“Kieran?” Cold fingers caressed his cheek. He caught her hand and massaged it. “What does that little smile mean?”
The crowds disappeared and he knelt, grasping the hand where his grandmother’s ruby sparkled amid the diamonds of her wedding band. “I’m the happiest man on earth. I will cherish and protect the gift of your love, mo chridhe, and never take it for granted.”
Only four more days until they boarded a plane for Scotland. Bonny had called it home, and her worries about the baby appeared to have given way to excitement. He almost skipped across the street to the luminaria-festooned restaurant.
Out-takes from novels live on in the heart of the author and provide backstory #amwriting #backstory #NEWRELEASE Share on X© Norma Gail Holtman
About the author:
Norma Gail writes Fiction to Refresh Your Spirit. Her contemporary novels, Land of My Dreams, which won the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award, and Within Golden Bands (releasing May 19, 2020), explore the theme of women whose faith triumphs over trials. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, Inspire a Fire, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 44 years. They have two adult children. To connect with her, you can follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, or Amazon.
Childlike Hearts Speak Truth: Love One Another
Childlike wisdom rings true in a world torn with racism, prejudice, and juxtaposed ideologies. Human-kind was created as one.
Childlike Hearts Speak Truth: Love One Another
2MefromHim Devotionals
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
Childlike Hearts Speak Truth
Skipping up and down the broad sidewalk hand in hand, little girl giggles rang across the parking lot as we waited for the field trip to begin. My daughter and her friends, black, white, Native American, and Hispanic, created a rainbow of ponytails, skinned knees, and laughter.
“Maybe someone will see us and think we’re sisters and your mom is our mom.” One said.
“That couldn’t happen.” Interjected another. “Susie is black, Ann is Indian, I’m blonde, and Amy has brown hair. We can’t be sisters.”
My adopted daughter, used to families of every kind, answered, “We could be sisters. We could all be adopted.”
Childlike Wisdom Echoes God’s Plan
Her childlike wisdom rings true in a world torn with racism, prejudice, and juxtaposed ideologies. Human-kind was created as one. However, Genesis tells us that God created them male and female. Scripture doesn’t mention color. Likewise, genetics and geography show that the first people carried the genes for every skin color and were probably of a darker tone like Middle Eastern people of today. Any couple could produce children of a variety of skin tones and eye colors. We were one in the beginning.
Childlike wisdom rings true in a world torn with racism, prejudice, and juxtaposed ideologies. #wisdom #truth #Godislove Share on XChildlike Eyes See Similarities Not Differences
The way my children chose friends mirrors God’s lesson to Samuel, “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) Though we perceive people as different due to sin, in the eyes of God, the heart is all that matters. How might our world be different if we looked at people through the eyes of our Creator?
The world pleads for the message and love of God. Unity comes through Christ alone.
The Message of Christ
Paul says it better than I: “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts….” (Colossians 3:11-15)
Childlike Obedience to Christ
As Christians, we must serve as examples in our torn and bleeding world. The call is simple. We are to walk humbly as Christ did, treating all we meet with justice, mercy, and love. What steps will you take today?
We are to walk humbly as Christ did, treating all we meet with justice, mercy, and love. #justice #mercy #love Share on X© Norma Gail Holtman, June 3, 2020
About the author:
Norma Gail writes Fiction to Refresh Your Spirit. Her contemporary novels, Land of My Dreams, which won the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award, and Within Golden Bands (releasing May 19, 2020), explore the theme of women whose faith triumphs over trials. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, Inspire a Fire, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 44 years. They have two adult children. To connect with her, you can follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, or Amazon.
