Today's reading from Our Daily Bread:
March 27, 2006
Strength & Support
Read:
Job 4:1-11
Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have strengthened the feeble knees. —Job 4:4
Bible In One Year: Judges 1-3; Luke 4:1-30
The local newspaper reported that a mother is devastated because her 21-year-old son, who had always seemed like an upright young man, had been arrested for dealing drugs.
Also in our community, the parents and siblings of a 15-year-old are grieving because he was killed in a gun accident.
An aged friend is heartbroken because her only daughter, the person she depended on more than all others, died from cancer.
People who are hurting have a common need: the comfort that comes from trusting God. They need to be assured that tragedy and grief are not a mark of God's disfavor but that He weeps with them, He loves them, and He will never leave those who are His.
Eliphaz said to Job: "Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have strengthened feeble knees" (Job 4:4). Job earned this tribute despite his own deep suffering. And when we offer comfort to sorrowing and suffering people, we not only emulate Job—we emulate Jesus.
In the midst of a host of hurting people, each one of us can reach out to become a comforter like Job. Let's ask God to make our hearts tender enough to support and strengthen those who are hurting. —Herb Vander Lugt
Reach out and give your love to the loveless,
Reach out and make a home for the homeless;
Reach out and shed God's light in the darkness—
Reach out and let the smile of God touch through you. —Brown
© 1971 Word, Inc
God doesn't comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters.
God knew I would need this today. He is in control.
God, please have mercy on Amy & Micah and all of the LP people. They need you to carry them for now.
Thank you God for allowing me to have known Mark and for allowing him to have touched so many lives in the short time he was on this earth.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Psalm 126:6, "He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." (NIV)
Devotion:
In yesterday's devotion, we learned about my friend, Monika, and the troubles she experienced within a short period of time - a move to a new state, the loss of her faithful dog, the death of her beloved husband. Unbelievably, yet another crisis lurked around the corner. Within a year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The destructive cancer dictated aggressive treatments: surgery, chemo and radiation.
She struggled with physical pain. However, in her heart she knew her God, Jehovah-Jireh, provided and cared for her. The pain in her body could not dampen the comfort in her soul. She no longer questioned God's trustworthiness in her life. Her heart now cried out to Him, "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold." (Job 23:10, NIV)
Even though she felt like Job in the Old Testament, who lost everything including her health, Monika also knew that in the end God blessed him. For Scriptures states, "The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys." (Job 42:12, NIV)
Now Monika didn't receive fourteen thousand sheep. (Of which she is very grateful!) But the Jehovah-Jireh did pour out a few surprise blessings.
She fully recovered physically. No trace of cancer lingers in her body after four years. She feels wonderful physically, mentally and spiritually. Monika bubbles enthusiasm for life and boasts in the trustworthy hand of Jehovah-Jireh.
But wait there is more. Her youngest son, unbeknownst to her, entered her name in a national horse food contest. Can you guess who won the grand prize of a two-week equestrian vacation to the countryside of France? Monika!
Then she wrote an essay about cancer survivors, which won her a three-day trip to an ultra exclusive spa in Arizona. (Oprah visits there.) The list goes on and on of God's faithfulness in her life. Sometimes with a grin across her face, she calls Him, Jehovah-Surpriso. For her life truly reflects our key verse, Psalm 126:6, "He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. (NIV)
You see, despite the trouble and crisis that hit Monika's life, God never left her. He stood beside her in the darkest of moments. Then He changed her tears of sorrow, to the joy of laughter.
And now, she wants to share that joyful knowledge with other people whose lives are hit with a tidal wave of despair. She is the living fulfillment of 2 Corinthians 1:3-5:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. (NIV)
Take heart my friend, Jehovah-Jireh, our God, is there to provide for you no matter how dark your days may be. Take heart joy will come again. Take heart and share with other's how God' provides for you.
My Prayer for Today:
Lord, I thank You that You are always by my side to comfort me. Allow me the privilege to share Your goodness with others. Give me the correct words to comfort the hurting people that I meet. Thank You for the joy that comes after the weeping. I love You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion:
In yesterday's devotion, we learned about my friend, Monika, and the troubles she experienced within a short period of time - a move to a new state, the loss of her faithful dog, the death of her beloved husband. Unbelievably, yet another crisis lurked around the corner. Within a year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The destructive cancer dictated aggressive treatments: surgery, chemo and radiation.
She struggled with physical pain. However, in her heart she knew her God, Jehovah-Jireh, provided and cared for her. The pain in her body could not dampen the comfort in her soul. She no longer questioned God's trustworthiness in her life. Her heart now cried out to Him, "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold." (Job 23:10, NIV)
Even though she felt like Job in the Old Testament, who lost everything including her health, Monika also knew that in the end God blessed him. For Scriptures states, "The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys." (Job 42:12, NIV)
Now Monika didn't receive fourteen thousand sheep. (Of which she is very grateful!) But the Jehovah-Jireh did pour out a few surprise blessings.
She fully recovered physically. No trace of cancer lingers in her body after four years. She feels wonderful physically, mentally and spiritually. Monika bubbles enthusiasm for life and boasts in the trustworthy hand of Jehovah-Jireh.
But wait there is more. Her youngest son, unbeknownst to her, entered her name in a national horse food contest. Can you guess who won the grand prize of a two-week equestrian vacation to the countryside of France? Monika!
Then she wrote an essay about cancer survivors, which won her a three-day trip to an ultra exclusive spa in Arizona. (Oprah visits there.) The list goes on and on of God's faithfulness in her life. Sometimes with a grin across her face, she calls Him, Jehovah-Surpriso. For her life truly reflects our key verse, Psalm 126:6, "He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. (NIV)
You see, despite the trouble and crisis that hit Monika's life, God never left her. He stood beside her in the darkest of moments. Then He changed her tears of sorrow, to the joy of laughter.
And now, she wants to share that joyful knowledge with other people whose lives are hit with a tidal wave of despair. She is the living fulfillment of 2 Corinthians 1:3-5:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. (NIV)
Take heart my friend, Jehovah-Jireh, our God, is there to provide for you no matter how dark your days may be. Take heart joy will come again. Take heart and share with other's how God' provides for you.
My Prayer for Today:
Lord, I thank You that You are always by my side to comfort me. Allow me the privilege to share Your goodness with others. Give me the correct words to comfort the hurting people that I meet. Thank You for the joy that comes after the weeping. I love You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
from one of my devotionals:
Death, doom and depression stalked my friend, Monika. She had just moved to Las Vegas. (Not many women really want to move here.) She knew no one. Her children were scattered across the United States. The desert landscape depressed her. The summer heat of 110 degrees moved her to tears. Her faithful dog died of cancer shortly after the move. It seemed like things couldn't get much worse.
Yet, they did. Her beloved husband of forty years developed terminal cancer. Monika felt like Job. Although, a Christian for most of her life, she felt completely abandoned by God. She questioned God's trustworthiness in her life. Her heart cried out to Him,
My face is red with weeping,
deep shadows ring my eyes. (Job 16:16, NIV)
Why do you hide your face
and
consider me your enemy? (Job 13:24, NIV)
Even as her faith stumbled, God heard her and the answers were on the way. Just as Scripture assures us, "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear (Isaiah 65:24, NIV)," the Lord responded.
Monika dropped by a Bible study I was teaching on the Names of God. The day's lesson happened to be on Jehovah-Jireh - God will provide. I read "And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen" (Genesis 22:13-14, KJV).
Although familiar with the Bible, Monika listened carefully as I taught on the Lord as our Provider. God whispered comfort to her aching heart, "Monika, I will be Jehovah-Jireh to you. I will provide for you."
After that, God confirmed His message to my friend. Within a week, Monika received a postcard from a local card store inviting her to come and select a gift. As she strolled over to the designated table, she could tell most of the offerings were junk. Left over broken candles, mismatched cups and saucers. Her eyes swept the table expecting to find nothing she would bother to take home and then her eyes landed on a small devotional book, titled Jehovah-Jireh. Ah ha! A token of love sent straight from heaven through a retailer's promotional event. On that day, Monika realized that although her troubles abounded God knew all the details and He cared for her. She acknowledged she needed to rest in His love and His plan for her life.
Indeed, sometimes it is hard to trust God, especially when everything seems to go wrong. But God is faithful even when we feel otherwise. Babbie Mason sings a beautiful song titled, "When You Can't Trust His Hand, Trust His Heart." The song explains even when we can't understand all the problems of life, we can trust in the goodness of God-our Jehovah-Jireh.
My dear friend, Monika, soon learned that God would not only provide for her every need, but would surpass her greatest expectation for provision with bountiful blessings. Tomorrow we'll see just how Jehovah-Jireh blessed her.
My Prayer for Today:
My Jehovah-Jireh, help me to trust Your heart when I do not understand my circumstances. Open my eyes to Your love and care even in the small details of life such as a store promotion. Reveal Yourself to me as my personal Jehovah-Jireh. In Jesus' Sweet Name, Amen.
Death, doom and depression stalked my friend, Monika. She had just moved to Las Vegas. (Not many women really want to move here.) She knew no one. Her children were scattered across the United States. The desert landscape depressed her. The summer heat of 110 degrees moved her to tears. Her faithful dog died of cancer shortly after the move. It seemed like things couldn't get much worse.
Yet, they did. Her beloved husband of forty years developed terminal cancer. Monika felt like Job. Although, a Christian for most of her life, she felt completely abandoned by God. She questioned God's trustworthiness in her life. Her heart cried out to Him,
My face is red with weeping,
deep shadows ring my eyes. (Job 16:16, NIV)
Why do you hide your face
and
consider me your enemy? (Job 13:24, NIV)
Even as her faith stumbled, God heard her and the answers were on the way. Just as Scripture assures us, "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear (Isaiah 65:24, NIV)," the Lord responded.
Monika dropped by a Bible study I was teaching on the Names of God. The day's lesson happened to be on Jehovah-Jireh - God will provide. I read "And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen" (Genesis 22:13-14, KJV).
Although familiar with the Bible, Monika listened carefully as I taught on the Lord as our Provider. God whispered comfort to her aching heart, "Monika, I will be Jehovah-Jireh to you. I will provide for you."
After that, God confirmed His message to my friend. Within a week, Monika received a postcard from a local card store inviting her to come and select a gift. As she strolled over to the designated table, she could tell most of the offerings were junk. Left over broken candles, mismatched cups and saucers. Her eyes swept the table expecting to find nothing she would bother to take home and then her eyes landed on a small devotional book, titled Jehovah-Jireh. Ah ha! A token of love sent straight from heaven through a retailer's promotional event. On that day, Monika realized that although her troubles abounded God knew all the details and He cared for her. She acknowledged she needed to rest in His love and His plan for her life.
Indeed, sometimes it is hard to trust God, especially when everything seems to go wrong. But God is faithful even when we feel otherwise. Babbie Mason sings a beautiful song titled, "When You Can't Trust His Hand, Trust His Heart." The song explains even when we can't understand all the problems of life, we can trust in the goodness of God-our Jehovah-Jireh.
My dear friend, Monika, soon learned that God would not only provide for her every need, but would surpass her greatest expectation for provision with bountiful blessings. Tomorrow we'll see just how Jehovah-Jireh blessed her.
My Prayer for Today:
My Jehovah-Jireh, help me to trust Your heart when I do not understand my circumstances. Open my eyes to Your love and care even in the small details of life such as a store promotion. Reveal Yourself to me as my personal Jehovah-Jireh. In Jesus' Sweet Name, Amen.
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