Tuesday, August 29, 2017

LHM Daily Devotion - August 30, 2017 "Showing What You Are Made Of"

Once upon a time, a golfer played the sport with a few clubs and a ball.

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour



"Showing What You Are Made Of"

August 30, 2017

And being found in human form, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Once upon a time, a golfer played the sport with a few clubs and a ball.

Of course, that was then and this is now. Today, technology has given the golf community all kinds of "helps," which have transformed the game. Among those many helps is a device which measures distance from the golfer to the hole. That device is perfectly legal and just about every pro golfer uses a distance finder.

As I said, the distance finder is legal, but the distance finder with slope function is not. (For those of you who, like me, are not golfers, this slope function does some pretty serious calculations to make the golf game much easier.)

Now all of this information came into play at this year's United States Amateur Championship. The fellow in the lead was Christopher Crawford. It looked as if he was going to be a winner. That was when he noticed his caddy, a replacement for his normal assistant who had the flu, was using a distance finder with slope function. Nobody noticed except Crawford.

The devil whispered in his ear, "If you don't say anything, you will never be caught." In less time than it takes to write this devotion, Crawford came forward and made his confession. Instantaneously, he went from leader to disqualified.

My father used to say, "You can tell a lot about a man by what he does when he's sure nobody is looking." That certainly is true in regard to Christopher Crawford who has shown he is made out of special stuff, honest stuff -- the stuff which is admirable.

Oh, it's also true for your Savior.

Nobody knows how frustrating it must have been for Jesus to have disciples who never understood Him, a church which opposed Him, Pharisees who hated Him, a government which denied Him justice. How frightening it must have been to know, although You were innocent, You would carry the sins of the entire world. How depressing it must have been to know Your life would end up on a cross.

Nobody could be overly critical if Jesus had one day gone into the wilderness to pray and decided to keep on walking. Yes, Jesus could have done that, but He didn't.

Instead of running away, Scripture tells us our Savior "humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Jesus' obedience shows who He is: God's Son, our Savior and Redeemer.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant that I may rejoice in the Savior who was faithful unto death, even death on a cross. May I also show my faithfulness in the way I lead my life. May it glorify Jesus and be used by the Holy Spirit to touch others with the saving Gospel. This I ask in the Redeemer's Name. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin!  Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).

CPTLN Devocional de 30 de Agosto de 2017


Alimento Diario

El mayor logro

30 de Agosto 2017

La paz les dejo, mi paz les doy; yo no la doy como el mundo la da. No dejen que su corazón se turbe y tenga miedo.
~ Juan 14:27 (RVC)

La mayoría de nosotros, cuando piensa en lo vivido, puede recordar unos pocos momentos especiales... momentos que nos enorgullecen o que no nos avergüenzan tanto.

La CNN hizo una encuesta a personas en Berlín, Madrid, Roma, Bangkok, Tokio, Nueva Delhi y París, haciéndoles la siguiente pregunta: "¿Cuál es el logro mayor de la humanidad?" Como es de suponer, las respuestas fueron diversas.

Algunos dijeron cosas evidentes, como el descubrimiento del fuego; otros dijeron que fue la invención de la rueda, del aeroplano, de la imprenta, de la computadora, o la llegada del hombre a la luna. Pero también hubo otras respuestas menos obvias, como la arquitectura, la salubridad, o los videojuegos.

Quizás la más interesante de las respuestas fue la de un hombre que dijo: "La paz... la paz sería el mayor de todos los logros."

Pero la paz es una de las cosas más difíciles de lograr... e incluso conservar. Los estudiantes de historia dicen que son muy pocos los años en los cuales no se desató un conflicto entre naciones. Personalmente, creo que la mayoría de las personas parece estar descontentas con la forma en que sus vidas se desenvuelven. Verdaderamente, la paz es un beneficio muy raro.

Es precisamente por eso que necesitamos al Salvador. Porque la humanidad pecadora, por sí misma, no puede obtener la paz personal o pública. Sin Jesús, la paz sólo puede ser un sueño, una esperanza, un ideal.

Sí, necesitamos a Jesús. Necesitamos a Jesús, quien entregó su vida para que podamos tener vida. Necesitamos su sustitución perfecta que cumple con la ley y perdona nuestros pecados; necesitamos un Señor vivo porque, con él en nuestro corazón, estaremos en paz.

ORACIÓN: Señor Jesús, existen muchas cosas que nos atemorizan y que tratan de arruinar nuestras vidas. Como cristianos sabemos que el mundo no puede darnos algo que no tiene. Si nos será dada paz terrenal y eterna, sólo será a través de tu sacrificio, muerte y resurrección por nosotros. Ayúdanos a buscar y confiar sólo en tu paz. En tu nombre oramos. Amén.

© Copyright 2017 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. ¡Utilice estas devociones en sus boletines! Usado con permiso. Todos los derechos reservados por la Int'l LLL.

The Daily Readings for TUESDAY, August 29, 2017

The Necessity for Watchfulness - Mark 13:32-37
Opening Sentence
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
~ Psalm 19:14

Morning Prayer
Lord, give me the strength to greet the coming day in peace. Help me in all things to rely on Your holy will. Reveal Your will to me every hour of the day. Bless my dealings with all people. Teach me to treat all people who come to me throughout the day with peace of soul and with firm conviction that Your will governs all. In all my deeds and words guide my thoughts and feelings. In unexpected events, let me not forget that all are sent by you.

Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others. Give me the physical strength to bear the labors of this day. Direct my will, teach me to pray, pray in me. Amen.

Confession and Forgiveness
Almighty God, who does freely pardon all who repent and turn to Him, now fulfill in every contrite heart the promise of redeeming grace; forgiving all our sins, and cleansing us from an evil conscience; through the perfect sacrifice of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Today's Readings

The First Reading is taken from 1 Kings 1:38-2:4
So the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, went down and had Solomon ride on King David's mule, and led him to Gihon. There the priest Zadok took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, "Long live King Solomon!" And all the people went up following him, playing on pipes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth quaked at their noise. Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, "Why is the city in an uproar?" While he was still speaking, Jonathan son of the priest Abiathar arrived. Adonijah said, "Come in, for you are a worthy man and surely you bring good news." Jonathan answered Adonijah, "No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king; the king has sent with him the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and they had him ride on the king's mule; the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan have anointed him king at Gihon; and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you heard. Solomon now sits on the royal throne. Moreover the king's servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, 'May God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours, and make his throne greater than your throne.' The king bowed in worship on the bed and went on to pray thus, 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who today has granted one of my offspring to sit on my throne and permitted me to witness it.'" Then all the guests of Adonijah got up trembling and went their own ways. Adonijah, fearing Solomon, got up and went to grasp the horns of the altar. Solomon was informed, "Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon; see, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not kill his servant with the sword.'" So Solomon responded, "If he proves to be a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die." Then King Solomon sent to have him brought down from the altar. He came to do obeisance to King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, "Go home."

[David’s Instruction to Solomon] When David's time to die drew near, he charged his son Solomon, saying: "I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, be courageous, and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn. Then the LORD will establish his word that he spoke concerning me: 'If your heirs take heed to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you a successor on the throne of Israel.'

The Second Reading is taken from Acts 26:24-27:8
[Paul Appeals to Agrippa to Believe] While he was making this defense, Festus exclaimed, "You are out of your mind, Paul! Too much learning is driving you insane!" But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking the sober truth. Indeed the king knows about these things, and to him I speak freely; for I am certain that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe." Agrippa said to Paul, "Are you so quickly persuading me to become a Christian?" Paul replied, "Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that not only you but also all who are listening to me today might become such as I am-- except for these chains." Then the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and those who had been seated with them; and as they were leaving, they said to one another, "This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment." Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to the emperor."

[Paul Sails for Rome] When it was decided that we were to sail for Italy, they transferred Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort, named Julius. Embarking on a ship of Adramyttium that was about to set sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul kindly, and allowed him to go to his friends to be cared for. Putting out to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. After we had sailed across the sea that is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy and put us on board. We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind was against us, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. Sailing past it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

The Holy Gospel is written in Mark 13:28-37
[The Lesson of the Fig Tree] "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

[The Necessity for Watchfulness] "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake-- for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake."

Morning Psalms
Psalm 5 Verba mea auribus
1   Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my meditation.
2   Hearken to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I make my prayer to you.
3   In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; early in the morning I make my appeal and watch for you.
4   For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, and evil cannot dwell with you.
5   Braggarts cannot stand in your sight; you hate all those who work wickedness.
6   You destroy those who speak lies; the bloodthirsty and deceitful, O LORD, you abhor.
7   But as for me, through the greatness of your mercy I will go into your house; I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8   Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness, because of those who lie in wait for me; make your way straight before me.
9   For there is no truth in their mouth; there is destruction in their heart;
10   Their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.
11   Declare them guilty, O God; let them fall, because of their schemes.
12   Because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
13   But all who take refuge in you will be glad; they will sing out their joy for ever.
14   You will shelter them, so that those who love your Name may exult in you.
15   For you, O LORD, will bless the righteous; you will defend them with your favor as with a shield.


Psalm 6 Domine, ne in furore
1   LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger; do not punish me in your wrath.
2   Have pity on me, LORD, for I am weak; heal me, LORD, for my bones are racked.
3   My spirit shakes with terror; how long, O LORD, how long?
4   Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me for your mercy's sake.
5   For in death no one remembers you; and who will give you thanks in the grave?
6   I grow weary because of my groaning; every night I drench my bed and flood my couch with tears.
7   My eyes are wasted with grief and worn away because of all my enemies.
8   Depart from me, all evildoers, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.
9   The LORD has heard my supplication; the LORD accepts my prayer.
10   All my enemies shall be confounded and quake with fear; they shall turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

Evening Psalms
Psalm 10 Ut quid, Domine?
1   Why do you stand so far off, O LORD, and hide yourself in time of trouble?
2   The wicked arrogantly persecute the poor, but they are trapped in the schemes they have devised.
3   The wicked boast of their heart's desire; the covetous curse and revile the LORD.
4   The wicked are so proud that they care not for God; their only thought is, "God does not matter."
5   Their ways are devious at all times; your judgments are far above out of their sight; they defy all their enemies.
6   They say in their heart, "I shall not be shaken; no harm shall happen to me ever."
7   Their mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression; under their tongue are mischief and wrong.
8   They lurk in ambush in public squares and in secret places they murder the innocent; they spy out the helpless.
9   They lie in wait, like a lion in a covert; they lie in wait to seize upon the lowly; they seize the lowly and drag them away in their net.
10   The innocent are broken and humbled before them; the helpless fall before their power.
11   They say in their heart, "God has forgotten; he hides his face; he will never notice."
12   Rise up, O LORD; lift up your hand, O God; do not forget the afflicted.
13   Why should the wicked revile God? why should they say in their heart, "You do not care"?
14   Surely, you behold trouble and misery; you see it and take it into your own hand.
15   The helpless commit themselves to you, for you are the helper of orphans.
16   Break the power of the wicked and evil; search out their wickedness until you find none.
17   The LORD is King for ever and ever; the ungodly shall perish from his land.
18   The LORD will hear the desire of the humble; you will strengthen their heart and your ears shall hear;
19   To give justice to the orphan and oppressed, so that mere mortals may strike terror no more.


Psalm 11 In Domino confido
1   In the LORD have I taken refuge; how then can you say to me, "Fly away like a bird to the hilltop;
2   For see how the wicked bend the bow and fit their arrows to the string, to shoot from ambush at the true of heart.
3   When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?"
4   The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD'S throne is in heaven.
5   His eyes behold the inhabited world; his piercing eye weighs our worth.
6   The LORD weighs the righteous as well as the wicked, but those who delight in violence he abhors.
7   Upon the wicked he shall rain coals of fire and burning sulphur; a scorching wind shall be their lot.
8   For the LORD is righteous; he delights in righteous deeds; and the just shall see his face.

The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Prayer of the Day


Oh Lord and Master of my life, take away from me the spirit of laziness, cowardliness, lust for power, and malicious and idle speech. But rather give me, throughout the day to come, an ample spirit of vitality and force in your service, to the benefit of your glory and the good of my fellow man. Let me act in humility, patience, and decency at all times, seeing my own error and overlooking the faults of others; and let me always know the presence of your Holy Spirit, to remind me of what I have asked, in the name of my savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

For Strength and Peace
O Thou who art my quietness, my deep repose, My rest from strife of tongues, my holy hill, Fair is Thy pavilion, where I hold me still.

Back let them fall from me, my clamorous foes, Confusions multiplied; From crowding things of sense I flee, in Thee I hide. Until this tyranny be overpast, Thy hand will hold me fast;

What though the tumult of the storm increase, Grant to Thy servant strength, O Lord, and bless with peace. Amen.
~ based on Toward Jerusalem by Amy Carmichael

A Prayer for Mission
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.


One of the world's great gospel choirs
singing a (mostly) English hymn.
Holy City/Bayete
Soweto Gospel Choir

Alleluia! Christ has risen.
Christ has risen indeed. Alleluia!

Closing Prayer
May the God of peace, who declared victory over death by the resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ, make me perfect in every thought and act through His grace, that my life might be pleasing in His sight and that I might share the perfect peace that is only possible through Him, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.

Prayer of the Day for TUESDAY, August 29, 2017


Oh Lord and Master of my life, take away from me the spirit of laziness, cowardliness, lust for power, and malicious and idle speech. But rather give me, throughout the day to come, an ample spirit of vitality and force in your service, to the benefit of your glory and the good of my fellow man. Let me act in humility, patience, and decency at all times, seeing my own error and overlooking the faults of others; and let me always know the presence of your Holy Spirit, to remind me of what I have asked, in the name of my savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Verse of the Day for TUESDAY, August 29, 2017


Galatians 3:28 (NIV) There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Read all of Galatians 3

Listen to Galatians 3

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Morning Devotions with Cap'n Kenny - The Great Reconciler


For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?

Death is the great separator, but Jesus Christ is the great reconciler. Believers who have been separated by death will be brought back together by Jesus. In the rapture of the church, not only will Christians meet the Lord in the air, but we will be reunited with friends and loved ones who have already gone on to be with the Lord. Isn’t that wonderful to know?

If you have lost a loved one who was a believer, you will see him or her again. That is a great comfort for anyone who has ever lost someone they cherished in life. One moment you could be going about your life on earth, and the next moment you could be hurtled into the presence of Jesus Christ Himself and your departed loved ones.

In the second chapter of 1 Thessalonians, the apostle Paul reveals that we not only will be reunited with our Christian loved ones and friends, but we also will be reunited with the people who trusted in Jesus through our witness. He wrote, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19).

From this it would appear that each of us would have grouped around us in Heaven those whom we helped to believe in Jesus. Understand, God gives the increase in evangelism (see 1 Corinthians 3:7). By His grace, He allows us to participate in the wonderful process of seeing people come to faith. And when we get to Heaven, we’ll be able to see what kind of impact our lives have had.

Doesn’t that make you want to redouble your efforts in personal evangelism? Doesn’t that make you want to do something for Him?

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny


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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV® Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Devotion by Greg Laurie © 2017 Harvest Christian Fellowship; all rights reserved.
When we get to Heaven, we'll see what kind of impact our lives have had.

Un Dia a la Vez - Sanidad interior


Sáname, Señor, y seré sanado; sálvame y seré salvado, porque tú eres mi alabanza.

Cuando llegué a conocer de Dios, al poco tiempo alguien me habló de que necesitaba sanidad interior. Al principio, no entendía, pues no me consideraba enferma. Sin embargo, después comprendí que todos vamos enfermos del alma a encontrarnos con Jesucristo. Por supuesto, unos más que otros.

Muchos traemos heridas aún sin sanar y esto afecta a las personas que nos rodean. Si uno está mal en las emociones, no tenemos la capacidad para salir adelante como Dios quiere, ni podremos dar lo mejor de nosotros a otros.

Yo tenía enfermas mis emociones, pues unos días me sentía feliz y otros me sentía morir. Vivía en un constante cambio de ánimo lo cual daba inestabilidad a mis princesas. Estaba enferma del alma y en esa etapa de mi vida tomé las peores decisiones.

El Manual de Instrucciones habla de que no debemos ser personas de doble ánimo y por eso es que nos debemos dejar orientar y ayudar. Hoy en día, muchas de las iglesias cristianas cuentan con personas preparadas para aconsejarnos y, con la ayuda de Dios, lograremos obtener nuestra sanidad.

No nos creamos autosuficientes. «Todos» necesitamos sanar el alma. Necesitamos reconocer que solo con la ayuda de Dios obtenemos una verdadera sanidad interior.

Una vez sanados, podremos ayudar a otros, en especial a nuestros hijos y cónyuges. Si la mujer está bien, podrá ser ese motor esencial del hogar.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón

Standing Strong Through the Storm - THE WORK OF MINISTRY TO OTHERS


Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’
~ Acts 27:23-24 (NIV)

We’ve been learning personal lessons from prison from Pastor Okuk Ojulu in Ethiopia as he shared them with Jim Cunningham.

He says, “The third lesson I learned is that imprisonment is for ministry to people in need. The thirty-six people who were imprisoned with me from Gambella in the Addis Ababa prison–777 kilometers (483 miles) away from our families–had no strong faith in the Lord.

“I began to realize that the Lord put me there to minister to these people, to feed them with the Word of God in the prison. I ended up baptizing some of them in the prison although I was not an officially recognized pastor, for no pastor was allowed to do this work in the prison.”

I am always amazed at the positive lessons from reading prison memoirs of followers of Jesus. And so many times they come to this similar conclusion. They were there to serve others.

Mama Kwang of Project Pearl in China is a wonderful example. Carl Lawrence tells her story in his award-winning book, The Church in China: 

As she sat quietly in prison singing a hymn, the Lord gave her a message: “This is to be your ministry.”

“But,” she objected, “I am all alone. Whom can I minister to?” She continued to pray that her ministry would be fulfilled. Suddenly an idea came to her. She stood up and called for the guard.

“Sir, can I do some hard labor for you?” The guard looked at her with contempt, mingled with surprise. No one had ever made that kind of request before. “Look!” she exclaimed, “this prison is so dirty, there is human waste everywhere. Let me go into the cells and clean up this filthy place. All you have to do is give me some water and a brush.”

Not to her surprise, she soon found herself on her hands and knees cleaning and preaching. She was looking into the faces of people no longer recognizable as human beings. Through continuous torture, they had lost all hope of ever seeing another human being who did not come to beat them.

Oh, when they realized that they could have eternal life, they would get so excited. They would fall down on the dirty floor and repent of their sins, and do you know that very soon all the prisoners believed in Jesus Christ.”[1]

RESPONSE: Today I acknowledge that God can enable me to minister anywhere for Him—even prison.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord that even in a filthy prison dungeon you give ministry opportunities.

1. Carl Lawrence, The Church in China (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 1985), p.149.

Girlfriends in God - August 29, 2017


When You Don’t Like the Story God is Writing

Today’s Truth

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Friend to Friend

If it were up to me, I would have written some stories differently. My second child would not have died, and I would have a little girl who would be 21 years old this year. Carol’s son would not be in prison. Linda’s 20-year-old daughter would not be a quadriplegic. Barbara’s daughter would not be bipolar. Patty’s 21-year-old daughter would not have died in a car accident. Jennifer’s husband would not have died of a brain tumor. If I had been writing the story.

But I’m so glad I’m not the author of those stories. Each and every one of these friends has ministries that impact thousands upon thousands of women all over the world. God has turned their pain into purpose, the misery into ministry, and their devastation into anointed messages of hope and restoration. Sudden glories fill and spill from each of these women’s lives. Their love journeys of living and moving and having their being in Christ have led them through dark valleys and back out into the light on the other side. They practically glow with radiant wonder.

Difficult times are pregnant with glory moments just waiting to be birthed in the lives of those willing to labor through the pain. The key is to not allow bitterness and anger to make our hearts infertile to God’s gifts. One way to avoid the darkening of the soul is by constant communication seasoned with thanksgiving—a continual acknowledgement of His presence.

Glory moments in difficult times are not dependent on our circumstances, but on our focus. Focus on the difficulty and God is difficult to see. Focus on God and glory seeps through the broken places. Difficulties become the bass notes of our life’s song, adding a depth and beauty not found in a life that hovers around middle C.

After my husband and I got out of college, we moved to Charlotte so that my husband could go into practice with another doctor. But after we moved here, the doctor changed his mind.

“Sorry, Steve. Good luck,” the doctor said.

I was so upset. OK, I was angry. Flat out angry. Angry with the doctor and angry with God. We had no money. No job. And school debt.

Three months later a situation opened up that was far better than our original plan. It was Ephesians 3:20 in lab-coat white: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…”

Well, why didn’t God do that in the first place? Why didn’t He lead us to that second opportunity when we did all that praying and seeking? He could have. But He is far more interested in developing our character than doling out a life of comfort and ease. C.S. Lewis notes: “If you think of this world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable. Think of it as a place of training and correction and it’s not so bad.”

We are ever the students. He is the teacher still. Trials rip away the flimsy fabric of self-sufficiency and become the raw material for God’s miracles in our lives. And those miracles are a sudden glory.

Someone once said, “Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.” Oh that we would trust Him even if the twists and turns never make sense this side of heaven. That’s what trusting God is all about. As we live and move and have our being in Him, the dark places are simply opportunities to trust that He knows the way—and the perfect time to hold on tight.

Let’s Pray

Father, thank You for always knowing and doing what is best for me. Forgive me when I don’t trust You, but think that my way is best. I know that You have wonderful surprises in store for me when I simply trust You in all things. Thank You for being the Teacher. Help me to be a good student of Your Truth.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

We can easily fall into the trap of thinking that God has forgotten us during difficult time. How do we see that in David’s words of Psalm 77:1-9?

Now read the rest of the Psalm. What did David do to remind himself of the faithfulness of God?

How does trusting God change the way you look at difficult situations?

More from the Girlfriends

How do you trust God in tough times? It comes by having a consistent daily walk with God...as you live and move and have your being in Him. The more you know Him, the more you trust Him. If you would like to experience God in the midst of your difficulties as well as your victories, then A Sudden Glory: God’s Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More will help you get there. Click here to download a free chapter and watch a video book trailer.


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