Dear Daily Message Readers,
READ: Hebrews 11:1-7
Hebrews 11:5 (NIV) "By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God."
With the heat of the baseball playoffs upon us, I find it appropriate to look at one of the great players of all time. Cal Ripken Jr, the longtime baseball shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, retired at the end of the 2001 baseball season after 21 years at one of baseball's most demanding positions. Along the way he set the record for the most consecutive games played, 2,632! He twice won the award for the American League's Most Valuable Player, started 16 consecutive All-Star Games, and is one of only seven players with 3,000 or more career hits and 400 home runs. No wonder they call him Ripken the Iron Man!
The Bible also has its iron man, Enoch. Genesis 5:23-24 tells us that "...Enoch lived 365 years [and] walked with God, then he was no more, because God took him away." Did you catch how long Enoch walked with God? For three hundred and sixty five years, the Bible says, Enoch walked with God! Enoch was so close to God that I think Enoch walked 365 years in wonderment of God and His glory. He never lost the, "Wow, God, You do everything for me, You made everything in this world, You are everything to me, You are my Hope, my Savior, and my very reason for being here. It was as if Enoch's wonderment kept his relationship with God all those years.
Jesus needs iron men and iron women of faith in today's world. He needs people of all ages and backgrounds to start walking with Him at home, work, school, college, and church who will faithfully continue this trend throughout life. What are the qualifications of an iron man or woman of God? It takes dedication, for when dawn comes, a true iron man will begin the day with God in prayer, scripture reading, and worship. Yet the day doesn't end there! When night comes, these people are still trekking along, faithful to Him in every step. Granted, they will make errors and makes mistakesCal Ripken Jr. made plenty of errors in his long-winded baseball career. But they will stay true to Jesus until He calls them home. Faith Lesson: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."--Hebrews 11:6
In Christ,
Darin Smith
Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? If not, then learn to how make Jesus your Savior and Lord.
Check out the Daily Message Devotional's new and full-featured website at http://www.dailymessage.org To subscribe to the Daily Message Devotional mailing list, please send a blank email to UICDevotions-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
READ: Hebrews 11:1-7
Hebrews 11:5 (NIV) "By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God."
With the heat of the baseball playoffs upon us, I find it appropriate to look at one of the great players of all time. Cal Ripken Jr, the longtime baseball shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, retired at the end of the 2001 baseball season after 21 years at one of baseball's most demanding positions. Along the way he set the record for the most consecutive games played, 2,632! He twice won the award for the American League's Most Valuable Player, started 16 consecutive All-Star Games, and is one of only seven players with 3,000 or more career hits and 400 home runs. No wonder they call him Ripken the Iron Man!
The Bible also has its iron man, Enoch. Genesis 5:23-24 tells us that "...Enoch lived 365 years [and] walked with God, then he was no more, because God took him away." Did you catch how long Enoch walked with God? For three hundred and sixty five years, the Bible says, Enoch walked with God! Enoch was so close to God that I think Enoch walked 365 years in wonderment of God and His glory. He never lost the, "Wow, God, You do everything for me, You made everything in this world, You are everything to me, You are my Hope, my Savior, and my very reason for being here. It was as if Enoch's wonderment kept his relationship with God all those years.
Jesus needs iron men and iron women of faith in today's world. He needs people of all ages and backgrounds to start walking with Him at home, work, school, college, and church who will faithfully continue this trend throughout life. What are the qualifications of an iron man or woman of God? It takes dedication, for when dawn comes, a true iron man will begin the day with God in prayer, scripture reading, and worship. Yet the day doesn't end there! When night comes, these people are still trekking along, faithful to Him in every step. Granted, they will make errors and makes mistakesCal Ripken Jr. made plenty of errors in his long-winded baseball career. But they will stay true to Jesus until He calls them home. Faith Lesson: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."--Hebrews 11:6
In Christ,
Darin Smith
Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? If not, then learn to how make Jesus your Savior and Lord.
Check out the Daily Message Devotional's new and full-featured website at http://www.dailymessage.org To subscribe to the Daily Message Devotional mailing list, please send a blank email to UICDevotions-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
