
By Meagan Davis
“Are you ready to head back to school?” this has been the dreaded question that I have been asked for the last two weeks. My response with a laugh, “No, not really.” but inside my heart is screaming, “No, I don’t want to go!”
From the Rest Ministries
by Lisa Copen
“The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. . . He maketh (settles) the barren woman to keep house,and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord.” (Psalm 113:4,9)
Mother’s Day. It’s a mixed bag of emotions depending on your life experiences. Some people will think of their own mother and her precious role in their lives; others will grieve the mother that is no longer here on earth; and some of you will think of the mother you still have here on earth–but who never fulfilled the role of “mom” in the way you dreamed.
Many women will get precious handmade gifts from their little ones; others will sit along and wait for a phone call from their adult child that never comes.
And still, some women will grieve extra hard this day that they are not celebrating being a mom. Perhaps they have not conceived, or they have lost a child. Some will suffer even more silently as they grieve the abortion they had years ago and imagine how old that child would now be.
I celebrate today as a mother because a very special woman gave me her baby through adoption. She looked me in the eyes and said, “I trust you completely.”
God loves us more than we can even imagine. Ephesians 1:5 says, “Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” Whatever you are feeling today, be it joy or sorrow, know that you have been adopted by God. He loves us in a way that we cannot even fathom. His love is intense, extraordinary, possessive, and wondrous. We are His. You have done nothing so wrong that God will not claim you as His child.
And scripture tells us that “He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children.” As a woman who dealt with infertility issues, I can say that we are a pretty emotional bunch. To settle us is no easy task. To use the example of settling a barren woman, tells us that nothing is beyond the Lord’s power, and that He can bring comfort in any circumstances, even the hurting heart of one who longs to nurture a child.
By Philip Yancey
“The body of Christ” is a mysterious phrase used more than 30 times in the New Testament. The apostle Paul especially settled on that phrase as an image of the church. After Jesus ascended to heaven, He turned over His mission to flawed and bumbling men and women. He assumed the role of head of the church, leaving the tasks of arms, legs, ears, eyes, and voice to the erratic disciples—and to you and me.
Jesus’ decision to operate as the invisible head of a large body with many parts means that He often relies on us to help one another cope during times of suffering. The apostle Paul must have had something like that in mind when he wrote these words: “ Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” (2 Cor. 1:4–5). And all through his ministry Paul put that principle into practice, taking up collections for famine victims, dispatching assistants to go to troubled areas, acknowledging believers’ gifts as gifts from God Himself.
The phrase “the body of Christ” expresses well what we are called to do: to represent in flesh what Christ is like, especially to those in need.
Dear Lord, thank You for always being faithful to comfort me when I’m hurting. Show me who needs my encouragement today.
God’s presence brings us comfort;
our presence brings others comfort.
Psalm 100
1Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
We Thank You, Lord
We thank you, Lord, for being our real Saviour,
For blessing our life with loving grace & favor;
Man has religions with leaders who are dead,
Oh Lord, we choose to worship You instead!
We thank You, Lord, for being God’s only Son,
Perfect & holy, in all things You’ve ever done;
When it came time to die on Calvary’s cross,
You shed Your blood, for no one to be lost!
We thank You, Lord, for Your divine name,
By Your touch, we are never again the same;
You hear our supplications as our voice calls,
Supplying every need, both the great & small!
We thank You, Lord, for giving grace as we live,
For loving us, our shortcomings, You forgive;
You bless us with more than riches can afford,
Most of all, we thank You for being our Lord!
Psalm 145:1-5
When everything falls apart, how do you handle it? All of us face circumstances that challenge our peace—and some of these situations are very painful and prolonged. Unless we have purposeful focus, joy fades and hope seems unattainable.
King David experienced extreme hardships, including the profound grief of losing a child and a best friend. And King Saul, for selfish reasons, pursued him in an attempt to take his life. Later, David’s own son led a rebellion against him. As drastic as these trials are, they were just four of the many difficulties he endured. Yet even in times of deep suffering, David found hope and peace in God.
How was his soul sustained when others in similar situations would have drowned in despair? David knew how to meditate. He focused his mind and spirit on God—His character, ways, and will—in order to know the Lord better and to obey Him.
We should followDavid’s example. Our role during difficulty is to set our eyes on our heavenly Father and meditate on His Word. The Psalms document the depth and passion for which the shepherd and soon-to-be king delighted himself in God. By continually pondering the attributes and ways of the Lord, he found solace in the midst of turmoil.
What subjects do you spend most of your day thinking of? Do you have time set aside to dwell solely on the Lord? Perhaps you can remind yourself periodically to bring your attention back to your Creator—one way is to read several of the Psalms and notice how the author turns his heart back to God.
by Meagan Davis
Imagine a juicy, beautiful, crimson apple. It looks like the one that the teacher has sitting on her desk. In it’s very essence, it is perfection.
by Karen Icenhour
It Doesn’t Matter
It doesn’t matter what our government proclaims,
Passing horrendous laws, to make ungodliness okay;
Stating we’re no longer a Christian nation,
Does not make God run away from intimidation!
It doesn’t matter how often our nation might change,
Or the many times its morals get rearranged;
Though politicians fear these morals might offend,
We stand as Christians against the sickness of sin!
It doesn’t matter, God will be there forever,
He can’t be abolished, overturned, or severed;
But if our nation continues on its pathway to shame,
Ichabod will slowly become America’s new name!
It doesn’t matter how hard man may justify his ways,
God’s word stands true, & we still need His grace;
He teaches us to live against the vile nature of sin,
To every word God says, we’ll always say “Amen!”