2016-02-22 THRIVE

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Kent Ross

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Feb 22, 2016, 8:04:55 AM2/22/16

to THRIVE, Frigge, Doug, Outram, Chuck & Nellie (KI-Sp), Perkins, Dan, Ray, Ron & Thelma, Richard Umbaugh, Russ Stocke, Zook, Jack

THRIVE MINISTRIES
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February 22, 2016 – Monday Morning E-Devotional

"THRIVING with Sweetness" - By Jennifer Siderius (Maryland)

Though not a regular coffee drinker, I recently acquired a taste for iced coffee. For me, it’s not quite right unless it’s a Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee with cream and French vanilla swirl. Otherwise, it’s not quite the right treat for my sweet tooth. Mentally, I’ve even convinced myself that these treats will help me have energy and enthusiasm to face each day.

My addiction to this sweet treat developed rapidly due to the location of a Dunkin’ Donuts a few blocks from my school. Though I knew that I was a frequent visitor, it hit me last week just how frequently I was stopping by on the way to work. As I pushed open the door last Friday, the cashier greeted me with a smile and wave, saying, "Hey doll, how are you today?” Before my order could even leave my mouth, he was ringing it up at the register. I wanted to chalk it up to great customer service, but inside, I knew the truth.

My iced coffee is going to be a tough habit to scale back. However, there’s another sweet treat that should be in its place. How about I start each morning with a sip of God’s word instead? The psalmist wrote, “How sweet are your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103 NKJV)

To start each day by delving into a study of God’s word can set the tone for my entire day. I know that caffeine isn’t the answer; iced coffee does not provide me with strength and devotion to last through stressful, trying times. It gives me a short jolt of energy but lacks the staying power of God’s word. Only through a study of the Bible can I truly find the sweetness that I need to begin each day.

And just as I have developed personal connections to the baristas, I’d like to ensure that God knows me as a regular customer. It’s not enough to take a sip of His word every now and then; I need to study it with regularity and follow its commands. Prior to declaring the sweetness of God’s word, the Psalmist wrote, “I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.” (Psalm 119:101 NKJV) It is then that we can develop that closer relationship with God and Jesus to fulfill John 10:27 (NKJV). “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”