“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15 Last week I learned of the passing of a dear sister-in-law, a great friend for many years. She has been in a nursing home but was very content there. The last time I saw her,…
“For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” Psalm 48:14
I love to travel and I am very thankful for Cruise Control when I am on the highway. I don’t like driving in the rain because I must turn the Cruise Control off. It is too dangerous to use it when the road is wet. Cruise Control can be dangerous also if we are driving when we are tired. If we are not careful we get too relaxed and before we know it, we are hitting the rumble strip.
How often in our spiritual walk, do we get in trouble because we are just drifting along, not really paying attention to what is happening. Maybe we neglect our Bible reading and prayer for a day or so, maybe we have missed a church service or so because we were tired or busy at something else. We are depending on our past experience with the Lord to keep us going.
Thank God, He places some rumble strips along the way, and gives a nudge to wake us up and make us pay attention to what is happening. Maybe it is the lyrics of a song we are listening to, or a message from our Pastor, or just a word from a good friend. What a relief it is, to call out to the Lord for help, spend some time with Him in prayer and get back on track.
He is our guide, and is always there to hear us when we call out to Him, but He wants us to stay alert all the time, and take time for Him every day.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us not just to cruise along, but to let you guide us every step of the way.
Devotion by: Anne Johnston
“Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3
Am I the only one who often finds myself wishing I had never opened my mouth and said things that would have been better left unsaid? I am sure it happens to all of us at one time or another.
Perhaps, it is something that a friend has told us in confidence, and in a conversation with others, we mention it, and too late, realize we were not supposed to tell. We can ask those who heard us to keep it quiet, but we know that they are going to do the same thing we did and tell someone else.
Perhaps, in a moment of frustration with someone, we lash out with unkind words. Even though we apologize, and they have said they forgive us, the situation will come back to haunt us when we are trying to get to sleep at night
Sometimes, it may be thoughts that we have let build up in your mind, and without intentionally wanting to, we blurt them out, knowing that we should not have done so.
This verse in Psalms is one I pray in the mornings, asking the Lord to guide my thoughts and my words for the day. For out of the abundance of our heart, our words come and they have power to hurt and to humiliate others. We will always make mistakes, but as we pray and seek God, He is able to give us victory over this problem.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, guard my every word and help me to only speak what gives honour and glory to you.
Devotion by: Anne Johnston
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28, KJV
Recently, I was reminiscing with some friends about our experiences at Harvey, NB, Camp Meeting when we were younger. There are so many memories: Bro. Dudley ringing the cowbell in the mornings to get us up for Prayer; gathering straw to make our beds in the dormitory over the dining hall; cleaning our teeth and washing our faces in the lake; meeting with friends that we only saw once a year; laughter and fun with other young people.
But the best memories are of the services, and the great men and women of God, who shared God’s Word with us. The missionary services were greatly appreciated, as those who had dedicated their lives to take the Gospel to other lands. They inspired us and helped us to make a decision to follow God’s call in our lives.
I especially remember Bro. Bill Drost, leading the singing and always singing “He Abides.” He would tell us that we belonged to the “We Know Club.” We know that we belong to Jesus, and that He abides in our hearts. We know that we have a hope of one day spending eternity in Heaven. I remember the year he was so sick, and it didn’t look like he and his family would be able to return to the Mission field. But God healed him and once again proved that all things work together for good, for those who put their trust in God.
I am so thankful that I know Jesus and I know that He is with me every step of the way, guiding my footsteps and meeting my needs.
Prayer: Jesus thank you that “we know” You and that You are always working all things together for our good.
Devotion by: Anne Johnston
“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.” Psalm 61:2-3
Last night in church we were singing that old song, “Jesus is a rock in a weary land, a shelter in the time of storm.”
My mind wandered a bit and I could picture a weary traveler plodding across a dusty plain. The sky grew dark, and a storm was fast approaching. He quickened his pace, searching all around for a place of shelter. Suddenly he saw a group of rocks, and hurried off the pathway towards them, and there he found a cleft in which to hide and wait out the storm, rejoicing for the shelter.
So many times, in our lives, we face dark clouds, and storms that threaten us. But when we lift our eyes toward heaven and cry out to the Lord, He leads us to a place of safety. He doesn’t always calm the storm but He gives us the strength to bear whatever it is, and soon the dark clouds lift, and the sun shines again. Even amid the storm we can praise the Lord and trust Him to bring us safely through. Truly, He is our rock in a weary land, a shelter in the time of storm.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank you for the storms you allow us to face in our lives to strengthen us, and we thank you for the shelter you provide to keep us safe from harm.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.” Matthew 9:30-31
Jesus had healed two blind men and He instructed them not to tell anyone about it. Can you imagine how happy these men were to have their sight given to them. Their whole life was changed, they could see the beauty around them. The things they had only known by touch, suddenly became visible. They could see the face of their loved ones and friends.
How would it be possible for them to keep quiet? It would be obvious to everyone they met that a miracle had taken place. Everyone would be questioning them as to what had happened. So, it was understandable that they began to tell everyone about Jesus and what He had done for them.
Jesus has done great things for us. The salvation He gives us is a greater miracle than receiving natural sight. Like the blind men, we should be telling our story to others, so that they too might know the joy we have.
Prayer: Thank you Jesus for giving us spiritual sight, help us to proclaim it to the world around us.
Devotion by Anne Johnston