May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
May he send you help from the sanctuary,
and give you support from Zion!
Psalm 20:1-2 ESV
One day when our seven-year-old son was walking home from school, a group of three older boys began pushing him, throwing his books in the snow and giving him a hard time. Unfortunately for them, my wife, Nancy, happened to be watching out our apartment window, and immediately went into action. In seconds she flew down the stairs and out the door. You never saw three kids runs so fast once they had caught sight of their victim’s angry mom bearing down on them. Fortunately for everyone involved she never quite caught them, but it was the last time that they picked on Chris that year! In the same way God is looking out the window and watching for us as we are on the way home to Him. But you might think that asking God for help when we have problems is a spiritual no-no or even a bit selfish. But nothing could be further from the truth. God loves to answer our cry. Just as Nancy was not annoyed to immediately come Chris’ defense, the Lord eagerly runs to our aid. Today’s verse also tells us that the name of the Lord is our protection. When we call for help in Jesus’ name, our enemies are terrified and scurry for cover, not because of us but because they see Him angrily chasing them down! Finally, the Psalm tells us that God sends help from His sanctuary. Now this sanctuary is not some place that God goes to hide, instead it is the holiest place in Heaven. It is where the Father sits on His throne, surrounded by millions of angels and saints falling down in worship. Its floor is pure gold, and its support columns shake at the sound of His voice. Yet surrounded by all this eternal splendor, God is not irritated when He hears our cry. He does not mind putting down what He is doing to get involved in our life. No! God rushes to our rescue because we are His. He cares about us and we are precious and loved. So, if you are facing trouble, grief or even life-threatening circumstances today, remember that your Heavenly Father is watching over you. He is listening for your cry and will eagerly answer our prayers when we cry to Him in the day of our trouble!
If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:3 ESV
This past Saturday we had a special speaker at our monthly prayer and praise meeting at Sunshine Village. Our friend Sandy had just returned from the Generations Christian church trip to Kenya. There the team visited the work of Mission of Hope International (MOHI) and this past week she came to speak twice at senior communities where I visit. After the first meeting I discovered that the video recording didn’t come out, but the second time around I was thankfully able to capture her message. The exciting heart of the lesson that Sandy shared is a great one for all of us. “You don’t have to give everything away….and you don’t have to join a monastery, to do God’s work.” The core of the matter is whether we are living in and sharing God’s love. Has His love made a difference in our lives, and are we allowing His love to flow out of us to others. I pray you will be touched by Sandy’s testimony and that you will be motivated to ask God how you can serve Him right where you are. But, strangely enough we all must begin serving by being served. Has Jesus Christ served as your Savior, and washed your heart clean from your sins? Only i you can honestly say yes to those questions will you be able to seek how He would have you pour that love out to others, whether it is on the mission field, in your neighborhood or in nursing home ministry. Have a blessed week everyone and my prayer is that this week’s video will touch your heart and draw you closer to Christ.
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