Truth Takeaways of 1 John 1

Last night's family devotion was such a big improvement. E and F were more participative. In fact, they were the ones who shared their thoughts more and my husband and I.

Before we started our devotion, I wrote down some truths that were mentioned in 1 John 1, the chapter that we discussed on our first night. I thought, I can read it to everyone for a refresher of what we learned the night before. Instead of me just reading it, it became a conversation. Our girls shared what they thought of those truths. Both of them were kind of competing who goes first in sharing. My heart was full. We spent more that fifteen minutes talking and reading the chapter and Psalm for the day,

Right after our session, E told me that she felt like she's close to God again. It was like when she went to a three day church youth camp where she experienced and filled the presence and love of God. My heart is elated. She had been depressed lately, told her Dad one night with tears running down that she felt empty. I am so grateful that I listened and obeyed the Holy Spirit when He prompted me to this family Bible devotion. I already see the impact of it on her countenance.

Listed are the truths we gathered from the chapter (NLT):

• Jesus is the Word of life
• Jesus is life itself
• Jesus is eternal life
• God is Light, there is no darkness in Him
• We don't practice the truth if we continue living in spiritual darkness
• The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin
• Jesus is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanses us from it when we confess our sins to Him
• We call God a liar if we clain we have not sinned

Family Devotion: New Beginning

"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires."

Hebrews 4:12

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

Deuteronomy 6:49

These were the verses that occupied my mind while I was sitting by the dining table yesterday morning. All of a sudden, there was a sense of rush in my heart.  It was a command. It was propulsive. It was a strong urging that tells me, "We need to do it." I saw a vision of me, my husband and the girls coming together for a family Bible devotion. I knew it was God. 

Last night was the beginning of our spiritual journey as a family. We agreed to gather from Monday through Friday at 8 in the evening for 15 minutes. We don't know how to formally do it but Ryan and I decided that a parent and child will read a chapter, and the other parent and child will end the session by reading a Psalm. I handed them paper and pen to take notes as the person reads the passage so we can discuss about it after the reading. I decided for us to start the First Book of the Apostle John. I think it's because his books talks more about who God is as the absolute representation of love.

Ryan and F took turns reading the first chapter. When it came to the discussion part, it was mostly just Ryan and I sharing our thoughts on passages that we want to talk about. F got emotional in the middle of the discussion and handed me a note. She's going through something inside that made her heart felt heavy. I later talked to her more about what she felt in the bedroom and we included God in between the conversation. E was a little dismissive. She didn't have anything to say or want to clarify or talk about. And that is okay. We will get there as we progress. What's important is we impressed the Word of God in their (and our) hearts tonight. As what God says in Isaiah 55:10-12:

“My word is like the snow and the rain that come down from the sky to water the earth. They make the crops grow and provide seed for planting and food to eat. So also will be the word that I speak—  it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do. You will leave Babylon with joy;     you will be led out of the city in peace. The mountains and hills will burst into singing, and the trees will shout for joy."

I believe without a doubt that the seed we planted in our girls' mind and hearts last night goes to work and will accomplish it's purpose. God is Good. All the time.