25 May 2014
Thoughts#3206
Put on
therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness,
humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering; forbearing one another, and
forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ
forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is
the bond of perfectness.
Colossians 3:12-14
Behold, I
send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as
serpents, and harmless as doves.
Matthew 10:16
Thoughts on Today's
Verse...
The dove has been a symbol of Christianity
since its early stages, and has several representations. It depicts the
presence of the Holy Spirit, who descended upon Jesus, as described in the
Gospels. But the dove is also a symbol of peace and forgiveness, as it relates
to the story of Noah near the end of the flood: "When the dove returned to
him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf!" (Genesis 8:11 )
This peaceful dove, the Holy Spirit, gentle but
no less powerful, is able to produce the qualities mentioned in today's
Scripture, if we will yield our lives to Him. Through the Spirit's power, we
may be wise yet harmless.
We are to be clothed not only with the garment
of salvation but also with the garments of love and Christian service, as Jesus
commands us: "Be dressed ready for service."(Luke 12:35) Then, we may be a light sent forth to
shine in this lost and dark world.
3206