Encouragement for Today - July 24, 2008

July 24, 2008

The Kindred Spirit

“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

Proverbs 18:24 (NIV)

Devotion:

For twenty years people have found the “Kindred Spirit” nestled between the dunes and the pampus grass on Bird Island. The “Kindred Spirit” is a plain, rural mailbox containing an assortment of notebooks and pens. Visitors to the small coastal island - people from every place imaginable and all walks of life – put pen to paper and share their words, thoughts and prayers here.

I’ve visited the Kindred Spirit for years and each time I open the door to the unassuming mailbox and remove a journal, I’m amazed at what people have written. Funny stories, poetry, and heart wrenching confessions fill the pages. People pour out their deepest and darkest secrets and write prayers of desperation, just to replace the journal in the mailbox, close the door and return to their everyday lives. I find this fascinating!

Everyday people with everyday lives are willing to put down on paper the very things they would never share with family or friends and place them in an ordinary mailbox on a secluded island. I think these writings are an indication of everyone’s need to be heard in a safe environment; a place to get things off our chest without interruption or condemnation.

As a child of God we have a true Kindred Spirit available to us so we can pour out our hearts. He truly listens and hears us whenever we call; a Kindred Spirit that offers real menaing and value for our lives. His name is Jesus. He is readily accessable to everyone; you only need to call out His name to experience His presence. He is waiting to listen to your inner fears and most private thoughts without interruption or condemnation.

Perhaps you have things you’re longing to share; things you’ve kept secret far too long. If you’re longing to have a Kindred Spirit experience of you own, I have great news for you! It is possible to experience the freedom these mailbox writers enjoy, and visiting Bird Island is not a requirement. Simply call on the name of Jesus, invite Him to enter Your heart. Acknowledge Your sins and ask the Lord to fill you with his Holy Spirit. Enjoy the freedom of expression. Experience His presence. Just like the Kindred Spirit on Bird Island invites visitors to say what they wish to say, Jesus invites us to pour out our hearts with confident abandon because He is present and listening.

Dear Lord, Thank you for being our “Kindred Spirit,” I’m grateful You are always available to hear the cries of my heart and I am comforted knowing I can expereince Your presence simply by uttering Your name. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

Intimacy with God prayer journal by Tara Furman

Visit Zoe Elmore’s blog

God’s Purpose for Every Woman: A P31 Devotional Gen Eds. Lysa TerKeurst & Rachel Olsen

Application Steps:

Begin to journal your thoughts and prayers.

Ask the Lord to fill you with His Holy Spirit.

Reflections:

Are you ready to share the secrets you’ve been hiding?

Power Verses:

Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” (NIV)

Romans 10:9, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (NIV)

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105