"No greater joy" 12-21-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn my eyes toward You, open my heart to the leading of Your Spirit, and entrust my soul into the arms of our Father. ... In his latter years, John said of his spiritual children, "I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth" (3 John 1:4). Paul said of those he was discipling in the ways of Your truth, "My little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you" (Galatians 4:19). We are all on this journey of growing up in to the maturity of knowing You and knowing Your truth. We learn from those who have gone before us and we pass it on to those who follow after us -- from generation to generation of the faith. Lord, help me be faithful to learn and to teach in my generation. Above all, I want to see Christ formed in me and Christ formed in those You have entrusted to my care. What is true of our spiritual children is true of our natural children as well. It's good to have the blessing of all my children with us in these few days before Christmas -- two daughters, two sons, and another son on the way, and remembering the three who have gone on before us through miscarriage in the sacred season of life before birth. Thank You for the gift of children. As You know, Father, children are not always easy to raise because You've given them minds and wills of their own. But there is no greater joy than to hear them call upon Your name in prayer and to see the moving of Your Spirit in their hearts. Give me the grace to embrace the times of pain and joy in this ministry of true fatherhood -- to see Christ formed in each of them. Along the way, may Christ be formed in me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com