Verse of the Day 7/26

Titus 1:4To Titus, my true child in a common faith:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.  English Standard Version (ESV)

My wife Jean and I have had our two oldest grandchildren with us for the past 3 weeks, one week of vacation and another two weeks at home.  For the past years our grandson Tyler has left us with precious words that stick with us and will always remind us of him and these visits.

This week we were driving somewhere and he fell asleep in the car.  When we went to get him out and walk to where were going he looked up to "Gigi" and asked, "Gigi,can you carry me, I'm feeling all wiggly".  He wasn't ill or anything but he just woke up and felt a little unsteady, still waking up and wanted the security of loved one to carry him on the short journey to our destination, while  he fully woke up.

Paul here is encouraging  Titus as he also had done with Timothy.  He was encouraging them that not only he would be there when Titus felt "wiggly" over the situations in life but that God would be there and provide the grace and peace required for the journey.

This verse was the first that I read in my devotions this morning and brought it all to mind as our family faces some decisions in the coming weeks.  In another devotional I read the following paraphrase of Romans 15:13:

Hope through the Holy Spirit isn't like a well where we let down a bucket; it is a river that will carry us through anything. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. — Romans 15:13

They were words I needed to hear today, words of hope "to carry us through anything".  If you are feeling at all "wiggly" today, may you have this hope.  If you know someone who is feeling wiggly, may you be able to encourage them that the Lord can provide them the grace, hope and peace for the situation.  May we be able to "raise hopes by pointing the way to life without end".  (The Message)

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Titus 1:4The Message (MSG)

1 ^1-4 I, Paul, am God's slave and Christ's agent for promoting the faith among God's chosen people, getting out the accurate word on God and how to respond rightly to it. My aim is to raise hopes by pointing the way to life without end. This is the life God promised long ago—and he doesn't break promises! And then when the time was ripe, he went public with his truth. I've been entrusted to proclaim this Message by order of our Savior, God himself. Dear Titus, legitimate son in the faith: Receive everything God our Father and Jesus our Savior give you!