Oakwood Church Fresh Start Women's Devotional Encouragement for Today Hartland Delafield

Intimacy with the Lord brings Forth a Heart of Service
By Pamela Blattner

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Genesis 1:1

Last night, I began to meditate on the Lord’s goodness. There were moments sprinkled about my prayers last night when I felt such intimacy with God that I was overwhelmed with His presence and by the fact that His perfect love had found me. I looked out the window today and began to take in the magnificence of His creation. The sun crept over the tree line. The skies were washed in a clear transparent powder blue. And the needles on the pine trees glistened with the reflection of the light from the sun. I saw birds take flight, seeking their provisions as He had promised. I realized for one short moment that I was allowed to see the majesty of God clearly in everything that lived outside the four walls that surrounded me.

Instantly, I was back in my room confronted with the total inadequacy of man’s ability to build anything compared to God’s capacity to create. This time I didn’t miss it! God’s breath had fallen gently on my soul, and I was drenched in the glory of his presence.

Because of the intimacy and love I had just experienced with God, I began the day He made for me asking myself what I could do for Him today. I thought of the fact that God entrusts us with everything on this earth. He wants all of us to manage and use everything we do for His glory alone. As we love Him, we love the things He loves and we desire to join Him in the work He is doing. And as we serve Him, that love is shown to those around us.

Intimacy with the Lord brings forth a heart of service and blessings too great to count.

GOING DEEPER:
1. Take some time today to reflect on your God and the love He has for you. Then, look around your world. How can you serve Him?

FURTHER READING:
Psalm 24:1; Matthew 25:14

Pam and her husband Richard have two adult children and two grandchildren. She serves Oakwood through its Family Care and is Co-Coordinator of Touched Twice Ministries.