Daily Thought for Wedneday, July 27th

July 27, 2011

Bridges

Today’s Thought:

“If you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I  [God] will ease your mind.” – Paul Simon (lyrics from ‘Bridge Over Troubles Waters’)

Today’s Quotes:

“Bridges become frames for looking at the world around us.” – Bruce Jackson

Today’s Question

“Love can build a bridge
Between your heart and mine
Love can build a bridge
Don't you think it's time?” – Naomi Judd, John Jarvis and Paul Overstreet (lyrics from ‘Love Can Build A Bridge’)

Today’s Bible Verses:                  1 Corinthians 13:3-13 (LB)

If I gave everything I have to poor people, and if I were burned alive for preaching the Gospel but didn't love others, it would be of no value whatever.  Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong.  It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out.  If you love someone you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him. All the special gifts and powers from God will someday come to an end, but love goes on forever. Someday prophecy, and speaking in unknown languages, and special knowledge--these gifts will disappear.  Now we know so little, even with our special gifts, and the preaching of those most gifted is still so poor.  But when we have been made perfect and complete, then the need for these inadequate special gifts will come to an end, and they will disappear. It's like this: when I was a child I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I became a man my thoughts grew far beyond those of my childhood, and now I have put away the childish things.  In the same way, we can see and understand only a little about God now, as if we were peering at his reflection in a poor mirror; but someday we are going to see him in his completeness, face to face. Now all that I know is hazy and blurred, but then I will see everything clearly, just as clearly as God sees into my heart right now. There are three things that remain--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love.

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

According to Noah Webster, “A bridge makes a passage over or through to facilitate getting across from one point to another.”

We have all crossed a bridge at some point in time and physically speaking we understand the purpose and reason for having bridges.  However, from a spiritual perspective bridges are often more difficult to construct maintain and facilitate.  The full extent of building effective bridges in terms of our spiritual lives comes down to being able to “love God and love our neighbor.” – The Bible

To be successful at building bridges that will please God; we must be willing do the following.

” I'd gladly walk across the desert
With no shoes upon my feet
To share with you the last bite
Of bread I had to eat
I would swim out to save you
In your sea of broken dreams
When all your hopes are sinkin'
Let me show you what love means.

I would whisper love so loudly
Every heart could understand
That love and only love
Can join the tribes of man
I would give my heart's desire
So that you might see
The first step is to realize
That it all begins with you and me.” – Naomi Judd, John Jarvis and Paul Overstreet (lyrics from ‘Love Can Build A Bridge’)

Spiritual bridges connect hearts:  Our heart to Gods and our hearts through God to each other.   In order to be effective in accomplishing His will we need each other and we need to be connected to one another.

 “Looking for the common ground in every human heart
It all comes down to the two of us
Yeah this is where we start
We are building the bridge
One small stone at a time
With a lot of love
And some help from above
From your heart to mine.” – REO Speedwagon (Lyrics from ‘Building The Bridge’)

Some bridges need repairing and others still need to be built – “Don’t you think it’s time?’ – Naomi Judd, John Jarvis and Paul Overstreet (lyrics from ‘Love Can Build A Bridge’)

Today’s Prayer:

Father, help me to build solid bridges with love that will last the tests of time.