"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Hebrews 13:20-21

To be like Jesus, To be like Jesus.

All I ask, to be like Him.

This chorus has been running through my mind as I prayed and studied for these devotions over the past week. I know I have a long way to go to be like Jesus. But I am thankful that He is patient and long-suffering with me. He is still working on me, making me what He wants me to be.

When we read the story of Paul, we think of him as a fitting example of a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. And yet, he struggled and wrote of how he fell short of what he felt the Lord wanted. Philippians chapter three records his feelings. I like how it appears in the J.B. Phillips New Testament:

Philippians 3:12-14 "Yet, my brothers, I do not consider myself to have "arrived", spiritually, nor do I consider myself already perfect. But I keep going on, grasping ever more firmly that purpose for which Christ grasped me. My brothers, I do not consider myself to have fully grasped it even now. But I do concentrate on this: I leave the past behind and with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead I go straight for the goal - my reward the honour of being called by God in Christ."

None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes. We cannot change our past. But we can learn from our failures and ask the Lord to help us not to repeat them. Paul gave us some great instructions:

Philippians 4:6-7"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Thought For Today: I cannot change my past, but today I choose to do my best to live so that others will see Jesus in me.

Devotion by: Anne Johnston