Two years ago, in April 2018, a troubled young man drove a van erratically
down Yonge Street in Toronto, Canada. He veered on and off the sidewalk,
killing ten people and seriously injuring fourteen others. It was a terrible
occurrence that I observed from my balcony in the residence where I live.
One of our residents, who has been a close friend ever since she and her
husband moved here, had just left the pharmacy near our abode. If her timing
had been just a few minutes different, she would have been the dead body
lying on the sidewalk in front of the pharmacy.
Recalling the terrible incident with Lil, I posed the question, "Why are you
still here?" Her reply was, "I guess I haven't yet completed all the work
that God has for me to do."
Lil is a very spiritual person with a strong faith. She is one of the most
helpful residents, always encouraging others and truly being a blessing to
our home.
It immediately made me think of this verse:
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which
God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. " (Ephesians 2:10 KJV)
Some months ago, I was feeling sorry for myself and missing my wife, with
whom I shared everything for more than six decades before she passed to her
heavenly reward. A member of the staff was in my room and I expressed to her
my desire to pack it in and join my wife.
Virgie quickly responded, "Mr. Walter, you can't. You must keep writing
those devotionals. I have a little study group, and we use them for
discussion."
When I mentioned this to our resident hairdresser, Rosa said that she, too,
had a little prayer group where they periodically use some of my devotional
material.
This led me to recall why I started writing these devotionals. While I had
previously been receiving these daily devotionals for many years, in
response to a comment I sent in, the editor e-mailed me in 2017 and
encouraged me to write one myself. I accepted the challenge, and in December
2017, he published the first one. Since then, Robin has published more than
fifty.
What do Lil, Virgie, Rosa, and Robin have in common? They are all
encouragers. They have certainly encouraged me to keep going, and I have
observed them encouraging many others.
The challenge for me, and probably for you also, is to share God's love with
others and to encourage them.
"We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer
to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal
to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we
must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may
receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good
or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:7-10 NIV)
We don't know how long we will be here, but while we are still here, we
should do His good works.
Prayer: Dear Father, thank You for allowing us to still be
here. Help us to realize that we are here to do Your good works by
encouraging others. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Vincent Walter
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.