Beautiful Word: Your Daily Devotion

Daily Scriptural Insights, Curated by the Editors of CT | [View online]( [ChristianityToday.org]( [Donate]( [Beautiful Word Newsletter]( Monday, May 29, 2017 Your Own Soil [Lisa-Jo Baker]( Baker&db=true) Today’s Verse “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16–17 (NIV) Seven years ago I was commuting into work at a job that was a terrible fit; I was driving hours each way for daycare drop-offs that made me think amputating a limb might have been easier and more appealing. Meanwhile, friends around me were signing book deals and launching conferences. Me? I just tried to make it home in time for the last pickup at preschool. There was a day I arrived at work that is printed on my memory. I can remember exactly the clear thought that dropped into my mind: There’s enough work in the kingdom for everyone. What she’s doing, what they’re hosting, what your Instagram and Facebook friends are experiencing—that’s their piece of the kingdom. That’s their plot of land and they’re supposed to be working it faithfully. But you? You have your own spot in the kingdom garden. You have your own soil waiting for seeds and seasons and harvest. What God gives you, he gives you on purpose. This season in your life is not an accident. You haven’t missed the boat. As Paul wrote, “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Phil. 1:6 NLT). In the meantime, we have to get up on Mondays and get into our cars, take care of our responsibilities, change the laundry, show up for parent-teacher conferences and work evaluations, and figure out how to live without wishing we were living “like her.” All of that begins to make sense when we remember that no part of our lives is an accident. Reflect: Consider Colossians 1:16–17. What meaning can this verse lend to your responsibilities and daily tasks? What might it look like for you to more fully embrace this God-ordained season of your life? Pray: Think of “her”—whoever it is that comes to mind for you as a friend whom you envy. Spend time in focused prayer for her, asking God to bless and guide her. Invite God to give you his compassion and love for your friend. Lisa-Jo Baker is the bestselling author of [Never Unfriended]( and the community manager for [(in)courage](. Connect with her at [@lisajobaker](. Portions of these devotions have been excerpted or adapted from Never Unfriended: The Secret to Finding and Keeping Lasting Friendship © Lisa-Jo Baker (B&H Publishing Group, 2017). Used by permission, all rights reserved. [www.neverunfriended.com](. [Read devotions online]( | [Share with a friend](mailto:&subject=Christianity Today Women: Your Own Soil&body= More for Women [Six Ways Men Can Support Women's Discipleship]( [Six Ways Men Can Support Women's Discipleship]( Male clergy and laity who want to enable women's ministry often don't know how to get involved or what to do. Trillia Newbell [How Government Support Saved Me]( [How Government Support Saved Me]( Signing up for food stamps changed my view of poverty in America. D.L. Mayfield Follow Us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [RSS]( [Subscribe to this newsletter]( In the Current Issue [May]( [The Science of Sinning Less]( [What to Make of Donald Trump's Soul]([Subscriber access only] [Why Don't the Gospel Writers Tell the Same Story?]([Subscriber access only] [View Full Issue]( [Subscribe Now]( Christian Bible Studies [The Bond of Friendship]( ) In our modern day of mobility and instant gratification, what might lifelong dedication to a friend mean? by JoHannah Reardon [Beautiful Word]( Delivered via email to subscribers daily. [Subscribe]( | [Email Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Advertise]( | [Subscribe to CT]( You are currently subscribed as: {EMAIL} Copyright ©2017 [ChristianityToday.org]( Christianity Today, 465 Gundersen Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved.