“The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.” Psalm 16:6
As I meditate upon the Lord this morning, my heart is filled with gratitude. There is food in my cupboard, clothing in my closet, and money in the bank to meet my monthly obligations. I have children who love me and keep in close touch. I have a great church to attend and a pastor who preaches God’s Word. Most important of all, I have assurance of salvation, and hope of eternity in heaven, when He calls me home.
I realize that I do not deserve all the blessing the Lord has bestowed upon me, it is only because of His mercy and care for me. Truly, like the Psalmist, I can say “my lines have fallen in pleasant places; and I have a godly heritage.”
I lift my voice in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord who daily provides my every need.
Prayer: Thank you Jesus for all you have provided, help me to be ever thankful for your love.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.” Psalm 106:15
Despite their miraculous delivery from the slavery in Egypt, the children of Israel spent a lot of time complaining about their lot. At one point the began to complain about the lack of meat. There were tired of eating manna every day and wished for a change. So, God sent quail, in such abundance that they over indulged their appetites and suffered sickness and death.
What they wanted, wasn’t what they needed. God knew what was best for them during their journey and He was providing, but they were not satisfied. Now He had given them their desire, but it didn’t make them happy, it just resulted in more problems.
I was thinking about this the other day, and remembering years ago when my husband and I discussed how nice it would be to have a boat, or a cottage somewhere on a lake where we could go like some of our friends did. We concluded that it was not the best idea because the only time we could use it would be on the weekends and that would mean missing church, which we knew was not right. So, we put it out of our minds. It was not worth having this pleasure and endangering our spiritual lives and that of our children.
Sometimes the things we want so badly are not God’s best for us. The children of Israel learned this the hard way. We need to listen to the voice of God, and let our desires be led by His will for us.
Prayer: Jesus, may our only desire be to find your perfect will for our lives, and let you lead us every day.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” II Kings 16:17
This month we have had a lot of rain, rivers have overflowed their banks, and many people had to evacuate their homes. In some areas, a state of emergency was declared, and a request was made for the army to send troops and equipment. It is great to know that they are available for situations like this.
Elisha and his servant were surrounded by the Syrian army, ready to take their lives. Elisha told his servant not to fear because they had more on their side than the enemy did. He asked the Lord to open his servant’s eyes, so that he could see the horses and the chariots of fire which surrounded them, greatly outnumbering the Syrian host.
The Commander of Heaven’s Armies has trained troops ready and waiting for a call for assistance from His people. Our God has not changed. Everything we need is ready and waiting for us to call. No matter what circumstances we face, all we have to do is ask, and the Lord will hear our cry, calm our fears, and give us the victory we need. All of Heaven’s great army is at our disposal.
Prayer: Lord, help us always to remember that you are ready to hear our call and send us the help we need.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” John 6:9
In the hands of Jesus a small boy’s lunch fed 5000 people, and they ended up with twelve baskets of leftovers. What a story the young lad must have had to tell when he returned home that day.
Jesus blesses small things. We may think our small donation to the Missionary Fund each month doesn’t accomplish much. But the Lord multiplies it over and over. Did you ever stop to think that every soul that is reached on the mission field is a result of your (and many others) faithful giving? We may never meet those people, but God blesses us for our part in their salvation.
What about our commitments to our local church week after week, month after month? We are making an investment in souls and can feel we have made a way for others to know Jesus Christ.
Giving births miracles. Let’s each do our small part.
Prayer: Jesus, thank you that you have provided us with all that we need and given us the ability to share with others.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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“When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her” (Ruth 1:18 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible.) The Book of Ruth is a small book (only 4 chapters) in the Old Testament. It is the story of a…
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