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    Pure Devotion
    Pure Devotion
    Pure Devotion
    Ebook208 pages1 hour

    Pure Devotion

    By Rachel Windham

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    About this ebook

    By a pet lover, for pet lovers, Pure Devotion is a devotional that uses pet anecdotes to parallel the Christian's interaction with God. Each entry contains a scripture to further illustrate these biblical principles.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRachel Windham
    Release dateFeb 16, 2017
    ISBN9781370971060
    Pure Devotion
    Author

    Rachel Windham

    Rachel considers herself a multifaceted author whose writing purpose is to weave the thread of God’s love into each of her works. Ranging from children’s books and juvenile fiction to resource and devotional tools, Rachel’s books offer inspiration, education, and practical applications for spiritual growth. Rachel’s writing has been published in anthologies, magazines, and newsletters and has contributed to school curriculum and church projects. She posts a weekly blog, Tips & Tidbits, on her website, rachelwindham.com. As a member of Bayou Writers Group, SWLA Children’s Book Writer and Illustrator Guild, and American Christian Fiction Writers Group, Rachel seeks to expand her knowledge of the writing craft and hopes to write adult fiction in the future. Although Rachel loves stringing together words, her greater passion is family. For over 26 years, Rachel has shared her life with her true love, her husband, Eddie. Together, they are enjoying their two adult children, Gabriel and Autumn. Apart from family activities and writing, Rachel volunteers in the community and serves in her church. For down time, she can be found scrolling through social media, visiting with friends, traveling with her family, or reading a good book.

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      Book preview

      Pure Devotion - Rachel Windham

      "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you." James 4:8

      Pugzy followed me everywhere I went. He trudged along with me, taking each step that I did. When I sat down, he was there, getting in some snuggle time. If I was eating, well, he’d be handy for some scraps. Wherever I was, Pugzy was my shadow. Because of his choice to be close to me, I was automatically put in close proximity to him. He chose to follow me.

      God loves us to be near Him, but He has given us the ability to decide if we want to be close to Him. We can keep Him at arm’s length, or we can welcome His presence. When we choose to follow Jesus intimately, we automatically put Him near us. When He is near, we have everything we need. We have comfort and peace, strength and joy. We get our snuggle-time and the pleasure of unexpected treats. We are able to share in whatever He is doing because our proximity to Him involves us in it.

      We move toward God’s welcoming presence in many ways, and they each start with one step—one prayer, one Bible verse, one act of worship, one sacred thought. For certain, keeping the Master close is the best thing we can do for ourselves.

      If we look expectantly, we will receive.

      Ask and it shall be given you, seek, and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you." Matthew 7:7

      Pugzy knew where we kept the treats. He was a very treat-conscious dog. At the mere sound of paper crackling—sometimes rooms away from where he was—he came running. He understood that treats were for him. He knew that we gave them to him liberally; therefore, he expected them. As a result, he was quick to ask for them. He would run to the cabinet where they were kept every time we would say, Good boy. On those rare occasions in which he was allowed access to the kitchen, he would sit patiently during food preparation, awaiting a handout when the cooking was done. While we ate, he was at attention on the mat near the dining table because he was anticipating a scrap when we were finished with our meal. He never ceased to have the expectant look.

      The fact that God has faithfully blessed us should elevate our level of expectancy in Him. He’s been more than generous in His giving, and His promises declare His enthusiasm for blessing us, yet we draw back. We worry and fret and anxiously wring our hands. We glance away from His offering, too lazy to reach out and receive from Him and too willing to trust in faltering, failing humanity. We deem ourselves unworthy and shuffle along, feeling neglected. In essence, we act like we don’t expect God to follow through with His promises. It’s about time we tip our heads to the side, open our eyes wide, and run to the place where the treats are kept. The Master’s waiting to bless.

      Something within us can bless the Master.

      "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." 1 Corinthians 12:7

      When Pugzy was in his prime, we had a hurricane blow through our city. Many people evacuated without their pets, and many came home to devastated property and buildings. For whatever reason, in the aftermath of the storm, we had a female Beagle show up on our doorstep. No amount of coaxing could make her see that our house was not her home. She was frantic in her insistence that we belonged to her. We did everything humanly possible to find her owners, but no one ever came forward to claim her. Since it seemed we were a match made in Heaven, we took her to the vet to get her spayed. While scheduling the appointment, we were told about the Puggle mixed breed that was part Pug, part Beagle. We were hesitant to follow the vet’s suggestion for raising puppies because we didn’t know the background of this nervous little lady that had adopted our family. However, after much discussion with the vet and various online forums, we took the chance and let Pugzy have a wife. From their little relationship came several litters of puppies and an avenue of financial blessing that we really needed at the time. All along, Pugzy had the potential to bless our family, and when the opportunity presented itself, he did. In addition, many families were given puppies to cherish, and our own Jamby, Pugzy’s offspring that we kept, filled a void when her dearly loved mother passed away with cancer. We have within us seeds of potential, precious gifts that can bless people and exalt the Kingdom of God. God has given each of us talents that can build up others, skills that can be an asset to those we care about, and abilities that can be an outlet for His Spirit and enrichment for our well-being. It’s up to us to use what we’ve got when the opportunity arises. It’s how we can reach greater evolvement, and in a small way, multiply our best in the world around us. What a wonderful way to give back to the Master.

      It’s time to press our noses against the window.

      "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 10:32

      When our car pulled into the driveway, Pugzy was immediately on the game room window seat with his little smashed nose pressed to the window. From that vantage point, he’d give a few loud barks then bound toward the door. Even before we got out of the vehicle, he was wagging in anticipation of our entrance. Then, we could hardly get inside because of his enthusiastic greeting. His cold, wet nose would sniff our ankles, and he would work up a few good sneezes in his excitement to see us. He loved us, pure and simple. We made his day. Whether it was following us around, sitting at our feet, or barking frantically to protect or to announce us, he demonstrated that he was proud to be our pet, and he was happy to let anyone around know it.

      We belong to the Master. As such, we should be happy to follow Him, to obey His commands, and to identify proudly as His. We should be sitting, nose pressed against the window of time, eager for Christ’s return, and willing to boldly announce His soon coming. Meanwhile, God also sits in eager anticipation of our affection and the day when we will share complete unity with Him.

      The obedient are rewarded.

      "Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:" Deuteronomy 11: 26-27

      Our neighbor had dogs that loved to torment our aggressive, possessive, feisty, male Pug, Pugzy. When those dogs were in their yard, and Pugzy was in ours, there was a running, barking frenzy up and down the fencerow. It was as if each dog was in a contest to see who could out-race and out-yap the other. Most of the time, someone had to physically remove Pugzy from the yard to restrain his competitive urge. Seldom did he simply heed our call to come inside. However, when he did, it was a big deal. A treat awaited. He was lavished with praises and given his favorite bacon snacks.

      In actuality, he was doing what he was supposed to do anyway, but his obedience to our commands earned him a reward nonetheless. This scenario played out again for any other acts of obedience. Sit! Stay. Down. Come. Fetch. The rewards varied from head-pats,

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