“Dedication”
Written by: Scripture Sparrow
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Am I dedicated to Christ? Is my life a living sacrifice to serve and worship him? I know that I could definitely do better. I’m a work in progress. Here is a look at my study on Matthew chapter 10 and how we can find hope in God’s promises if we dedicate our lives to Him. I invite you to read Matthew Chapter 10 along with this devotion.
This chapter is full of examples of how dedicated we need to be in our walk and relationship with God. Putting the Lord first in my life is key. To do that, I have to remember that he comes before all else. Before my spouse, before my family, before my needs and wants. God promises that I am of more value to him and the sparrows. If I believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God, I must believe all of it. Every verse has meaning and every verse is important. Just as every creature is important to God. If He has so much care for the sparrows, imagine how much more he must care for us, His children.
So, if I am truly of more value than a sparrow, I must remember to keep my focus on this promise and not let my fears and doubts tempt me to believe a lie instead. When my life isn’t going well and I feel abandoned, I can remember God has promised that I have value, not in the eyes of the world, but in His eyes. I am precious in His sight even when I feel like muck and my emotions are telling me that I am worthless.
We all have moments in our lives where we feel we have been left behind. Alone, to deal with stress and problems that we can’t seem to handle on our own. In those times, those moments, when you feel that God isn’t listening or doesn’t care, remember His promises.
“Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matt 10:31)
God knows us very well. He even knows the exact number of hairs on your head. He knows our struggles. He knows our desires. He knows our temptations. He also knows what we can handle and what we can’t. More than once, I’ve tried to tell God what my limitations are, and He always proves to me that with His help, I can go much farther than I thought.
Are you thinking of a situation in your life where you feel God isn’t helping you? Financially? In a relationship? In a health situation? have you been praying for a long time and still have no answers or no progress? When God doesn’t answer, sometimes it doesn’t mean no, sometimes it just means wait. In order to grow our faith and trust in him, we must experience trials. Wisdom is gained through experience, so unless I have experienced many things, how can I learn important lessons like; patience, love, forgiveness, and hope. God knows our needs before and better than we do. Putting your faith in Him, means trusting that He knows what you need when you need it and He will provide those things for you when the time comes.
Dedicate your life to Him by putting Him first and seeking His will for you and your path daily. Remember that He is in control and while we cannot see what our future holds for us, God is already there working it out. Stay steadfast in your faith and focus your eyes on Him.
To help serve as a reminder of how much God loves and values us, I decided to use a sparrow as the main cut out for this craft. I have included pictures of my first attempt at the sparrow card (please excuse the spelling error. I didn’t catch it until the end) and my second sparrow card, which I was quite pleased with, that I sent to a friend as an encouragement gift. On the reverse side of the card, I chose to write out a section of my blog post so it can be referred to when the owner wants or needs a reminder. However, you may decide to personalize this portion of your card and keep it or give it to a friend as I did, so it has been left blank and is subject to your imagination.
I hope you spread your wings on this craft and I wish you happy crafting. Good luck making your sparrow cards and don’t forget to share pictures with me. I would love to hear from you.
Making a sparrow...
What you need:
1. 3 different color/prints of paper.
(Suggested: at least one page without print for the banner and one double sided or plain back page for personalized messages.)
2. 1 or 2 pieces of ribbon (8-10 inches each)
3. Double sided tape
4. Double sided foam tape
5. Cricut black 0.4 fine point marker (if using a cricut)
6. Cricut Fine point blade
7. Hole punch (if not using a Cricut)
For Cricut pattern click here (please note that some of the items in the cricut pattern must be purchased before use. I do not own the rights to the fonts or patterns used in this project and will not receive any compensation for purchases made through Cricut.com in order complete it) https://design.cricut.com/landing/project-detail/5fb5bb5a92e5eb03a8eac3cb
If using the cricut pattern: choose desired paper for each piece and follow instructions on cricut pattern page.
For your FREE printable DIY cut pattern .pdf
PRINT THE FILE BELOW ...
If you are using a printer, print the pattern page on plain white printer paper first.
Then, cut out your pattern, leaving a bit of space around the lines of each piece. Print your patterns onto the desired paper(s). Cut each printed piece on the lines and you are ready to start assembly.
The puff or foam tape goes on the back side of your sparrow. Be sure to use plenty.
The double-sided tape is for your banner. Tape it to the center of your sparrow and then arrange them on the card as desired.
Hint: if you plan to write out a personalized message on the back of your card, do so before attaching your sparrow. ;) add ribbons and voila! You are done.
Warning: Please be careful while using scissors, and/or any cutting device for crafting and beware of possible paper cuts while crafting. :) Happy Crafting Everyone!
-ScriptureSparrow