Hola Mi Amor!

Buenos dias mi amor! Como estas?Hallelujah God is so good and so very faithful! God we thank You for who You are! There is none above You. There is none like you!

God I thank You today for speaking to me during my time of worship.

You may or may not follow faith leaders and entertainers, but lately like no other time that I have personally witnessed, people are dragging, “exposing” and trying to make an example of folks for what they are seeing- the fruit, or lack there of good fruit. None of it seems to be happening in LOVE or like Jesus would do if in fact this is something He would even do.

Have you ever felt pain in your hand and come to find out you have a splinter?! MY Lord!!! A tiny little splinter can be so very painful and you may not even be able to see it but you can definitely feel it! I recall plenty of times growing up when I somehow got a splinter in my hand. My Mami would carefully try to get that tiny little sliver of wood out of my hand with a pair of tweezers. Her efforts may have been painful, but I know she loves me and wasn’t intentionally trying to hurt me.

Why in the Lord’s name was it so difficult and painful?! Often I would try to “do surgery” on myself. And my crazy tail would be so determined to dig out the sliver that I would literally be tearing up all of the area anywhere close to the site smh! I was almost obsessed with getting the thing out. At times when I couldn’t get it out my Mami or even I had to tell myself to just let it go for now. I’d have to deal with the pain that would kindly remind me anytime I or someone else accidentally hit it that the splinter was still there somewhere under the surface out of site and out of mind.

I am naturally such a Mami and nurturing with a servant’s heart that I need to be intentional about not inserting myself into the needs of others without first asking if they even desire my assistance. If I see a friend with something on their eye, nose, mouth, tooth, booty- I’m going to tell/help them. I know I want people to do the same for me so that’s a major reason behind me looking out for others.

Holy Spirit brought me to Matthew 7:1-5 this morning where Jesus says-

[1] “Judge not, that you be not judged. [2] For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. [3] Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? [4] Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? [5] You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:1-5 ESV

Last year I was talking to my Pastor and he referenced those first 2 verses. It resonated with me like never before and has stuck with me to this day.

Today as we journey through this Speck Check I want to encourage you to keep your eyes focused on all God is doing in and speaking to you first. Yesterday in prayer Pastor Jordan shared this very principle pertaining to what God is speaking to us through His Word. We must first examine and apply it to ourselves before looking toward others that “we know need it.”

We are NOT going to ignore the log in our own eye. Let us be reminded each time that we start to judge another for the speck in their eye that we must examine ourselves! We are not supposed to judge, yet we can hold one another accountable and bring an account to someone AFTER we have gone to God and only then presenting it in love like Jesus would do.

As you go to God I have complete faith that Holy Spirit will help and guide you in the right way to walk in love in every situation you face. Today I want to encourage you not to gossip or continue backbiting. When you notice something or maybe become offended by someone be sure that your hands and heart are clean and your spirit right before addressing it when/if God grants you permission to do so. Lastly, I encourage you also to go to them with possible solutions and support- not just what you saw, heard or experienced.

So today I pray for your log and mine my friend. May we purposely, intentionally and continually cut away at it as we fall into God’s Word being careful of the splinters that we may be creating along the way. I will leave you with these words from Jesus in John 13:35-

[35] By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35 ESV

Have a blessed day- On Purpose!

Love & Blessings,

Jana M. Gamble

#Love #BeAReflectionOfJesus #SpeckCheck #Jesus #God #HolaMiAmor #Bible #Faith #Disciple #Splinter