The Realignment

Friday, May 4, 2018
Listen to this devotional:
Listen while you read: "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus"1 (Lyrics)

James 4:8 – Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (NIV)

Agnes, my goat, was limping along over the icy path. I decided that this called for investigation. After a thorough look, I opted to call the veterinarian for some advice. "Keep an eye on it, give her some medication you have on hand, and call me Saturday with an update" was her wisdom.

Saturday came, and Agnes was worse, which meant loading her up and driving two hours to the vet's office. Once there, she was diagnosed with a torn ligament, most likely due to slipping on the ice. The vet provided a solid brace which aligned the leg back into the correct position. Agnes will wear the brace for eight to ten weeks and will hopefully experience a full recovery.

Today, our world is out of alignment with the will of God. It has slipped upon the icy path of immorality, greed, idolatry, lust for power, and so much more. God is denied in many public places, and Christianity is coming more and more under attack. It is a discouraging and seemingly hopeless thought that things can turn around and begin progressing in a more positive manner. Yet, where there is God, there is always hope, and God abides within His people through the power of His Holy Spirit.

John 16:13 – But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (NIV)

So, let us not be discouraged. Let us not hide our heads in the sand. Let us not be quiet and hope for the best. Rather, day by day, let us have open hearts to be guided into all truth by the Spirit, that we might act like a brace within our world, each in our own small way, helping to realign, where necessary, the thoughts and actions of those with whom we work and live, by and through our own godly thoughts and actions.

It may not seem like much. It may not be a lot. Most likely, it will take a very long time. But in God's hands, all things are possible, and that's a truth that will not let us down.

Are you ready today to begin the realignment of the world that you live in?

Prayer: Father God, what a mess this world is in. Your creation has become so misaligned as to seem untreatable. But where You are, there is always hope. We thank You that You are in Your people — us. Strengthen and encourage us to stay aligned with You through the power of Your Holy Spirit, that we, in turn, might act as a brace within our world, realigning it with Your will. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Lynne Phipps <lynnephippsatlin@gmail.com>
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada

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1 Comment

  • PresbyCan Feedback says:

    Thank you for today’s uplifting message!


    Amen, Lynn. Good illustration. I was thinking about this, this morning.


    Thank you, Lynne, for this great analogy and for helping us to realign very powerful devotion.


    Thanks for this encouraging message today, Lynne. Blessings on your weekend and I hope Agnes makes a full recovery.


    Thanks Lynne for sharing this devotional with us. May we pray, “Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done.” Blessings.


    Amen! Thank you, Lynne.
    May Agnes heal well… and especially, with our prayers and actions, may our world heal in all ways also.


    Good afternoon, Lynne,
    Well, you can’t help love a goat named Agnes!! Hope she is getting better!!
    And, we certainly all need a continual realignment of our spiritual thinking!!


    Thank you for this devotional, Lynne. “That we might act as a brace” – that’s a very evocative image, and one that I think I will find useful in my daily life. Thank you!
    Blessings.


    Lynne,
    So timely.
    Great writing again to NOT be defeated.
    AMEN.


    Hi Lynn
    Hope your goat is doing well. I like the comparison, of the alignment and the world. I think showing the love of Jesus speaks volumes for sure and then when the door opens conversation takes place.
    God bless.


    Hi Lynne, I never cease to be amazed at how you can take the happenings of your animals and relate the incidents to our world. I very much look forward to your writings, as they are always meaningful and
    easy to understand. It is also my prayer that our world can be ‘realigned’ and soon!
    (ON)


    Your words are very meaningful, as I’m laid up with a sprained ankle right now. Believing prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you’ve sinned, you’ll be forgiven – healed inside and out. (James 5:15 MSG) This world needs to beg forgiveness; we’ve gone soooo out of alignment with God’s Word.
    Thanks, Lynne.


    This is so true. We have accepted the way of the world. Even Christian churches don’t seem to have meaningful congruence concerning Christ – what kind of base is that for outreach?
    “They will know we are Christians by our love.”
    I’m praying with you!
    (BC)


    Poor Agnes
    2 aspirin and call me in the morning!
    I can just imagine it.
    Thanks for your words on a very discouraging day working on my provincial election issue! It is shaping up as a very nasty campaign.


    Good Morning, Lynn!
    Just what I needed to hear, today! It is hard though, knowing the truth and no one wanting to hear it! I had to get off Facebook just because of this!
    I have lost hope for the future, as our government is going through with this Agenda 2030 whether we want it or not! Scary for sure, but am trying to stay sane and moving on is spite of it!


    Good morning Lynne,
    Another excellent devotional. I enjoyed the comparison you made in regard to “misalignment”. How true about the state of our world today and how it must sadden our Lord watching the actions of some people and governing bodies. I pray your goat Agnes had a good recovery from her mishap.
    Blessings,
    (B.C.)


    Dear Lynn,
    Your devotionals are always a blessing to me, but this one in particular spoke to a current need in my life.
    I am a professional writer in education, but I also write plays, stories, and inspirational articles in hopes of doing just what your piece says: realign the world to God’s truth. Lately I have spent a lot of time and effort on projects which got very little response. Each time discouraged me a little more until I was questioning whether I should write at all. As I prayed this morning, I asked God for guidance. Your devotional gave it to me. The world needs every tiny bit of “realignment” it can get. It doesn’t matter whether I see the results or not, I must keep using my abilities for the Lord.
    Thank you. Keep up the good work!


    Dear Lynne,
    I say Amen, to the whole devotional.
    I pray that God will keep you writing… for his glory.


    Lynne – Good morning. I am getting ready to begin my homeward journey next week. I loved this devotional. It seems like you have been inside my head! This paragraph is so apt.
    So, let us not be discouraged. Let us not hide our heads in the sand. Let us not be quiet and hope for the best. Rather, day by day, let us have open hearts to be guided into all truth by the Spirit, that we might act like a brace within our world, each in our own small way, helping to realign, where necessary, the thoughts and actions of those with whom we work and live, by and through our own godly thoughts and actions.
    Dear God, help me not to be quiet and hope for the best. I hope all is well with you. May God continue to bless you, your animals, and your writing.
    (AZ)

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