Meat for the Hungry

  FLAG robert-linder-fcFEnjBmm14-unsplash Heavenly Father, You did it! You gave A m e r i c a 2 5 0 Y e a r s o f B l e s s i n g ! Thank You!   Thank You not only for the physical freedom of this land, but also for preappointing our time and the boundary of our dwelling, so we should seek You, [1] and celebrate this amazing country.   Holy, holy, holy, LORD, You alone deserve glory, honor, and power, but above all, our worship. [2]   LORD, when I think about the history of A m e r i c a , it wasn’t just deciding to break from Great Britain and signing our Declaration of Independence. It was these heroic men backing up that decision with action, a willingness to die to make men free, which became the Battle Hymn of OUR Republic . [3] And why? Because it was exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us. [4]   I know You, O God, placed that determination within the hearts of each founding father, each officer, and soldier who fought in t...

     www.dreamstime.com free stock photo    Do you ever think life is hard? Goodness, I do. There are days, even weeks, where everything goes well. I feel God’s presence, hear His voice, learn from His Word, and life flows along like a deep, smooth river. And then there are times I slip on a rug and crash to the floor blindsided by a situation so confusing I just throw up my hands and shout, “What in the world is going on?”   In those moments, I tend to focus on the situation. What did I do to cause this, and how can I fix it? But after a while, I get irritated. If I hurt someone’s feelings by giving my opinion, why am I not entitled to my opinion? And why am I always the one punished? Why can’t that person just shrug it off and forgive?   The Lord allowed me to wallow for a few minutes, and then He said, “Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.” [1]     “Yes, Lord, I’m listening.” ...

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God…. [1] You have set our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance. For all our days have passed away in Your wrath; We finish our years like a sigh… [2] So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Return, O Lord! How long? And have compassion on Your servants. Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us, the years in which we have seen evil. Let Your work appear to Your servants, and Your glory to their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands… [3] Oh Lord God, we look to You for healing, comfort, and wisdom. For it is in...

Consider all the scripture we so confidently stand on when we are healthy, job secure, and happy, does it hold true when we are sick, in need of financial aid, lonely and sad? If we are genuine believers, we know the answer is YES. Nevertheless, in the midst of trials, sometimes it’s hard to keep the faith and believe. I’m going through such a test right now. I have been diagnosed with Vertigo, a deep inner ear inflammation that causes dizziness and nausea. The ER Doc says it has to run its course. But when will that be? I’ve prayed for healing, yet I’m still waiting. I’m a busy, energetic, working woman reduced to lying flat in my bed and sleeping most of the time. I can’t serve the Lord this way and He knows it. I don’t know what to do and I don’t know when I will be better. I’m tempted to fear. But I know, deep down in my soul, God is good, no matter what. He has not given me a spirit of fear . No, He’s given me a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.  God loves me an...

Do you like mysteries?  I do to a point. As long as the mystery is solved with a happy ending, I enjoy the investigation, search, and resolution. But, without a happy ending, I’m disturbed. This is one reason why TV season finales sometimes make me crazy. The word mystery , according to the online dictionary, means something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain. It can also be a novel, play, or movie dealing with a puzzling crime, especially a murder. Obviously, television dramas are the latter. But, in just living we come upon mysteries – things we can’t explain. Some feel compelled to investigate because they need answers – to find each puzzle piece, assemble them, and solve the mystery . Then we are satisfied and settled. Still, because of this desire within us to know the complete story, doesn’t it intrigue you when God speaks in the New Testament about a m y s t e r y kept s e c r e t since the world began?

Once again, evil rears its ugly head and we ask why. Why would anyone rig such vicious bombs? The intent was clear. They did it first to slaughter and maim. Bombs exploding at the finish line of the Boston Marathon were sure to take lives and cause optimal damage. What the second reason was we can only hope to learn. But will discovering their motive prevent this type of evil? With citizens and survivors reeling from the bombing, two days later a fertilizer plant explosion blasted Waco, Texas, killing even more. Now in its deafening echo, we see destroyed homes, altered landscape, and people forever changed. As if these two were not enough, we also received reports of dangerous flooding in the Mid West. Tragedy, catastrophe, and natural disaster all in one week and this is only in our country. Daily devastating news from around the world pummels our heart. Pain, sadness and fear secure a stranglehold that only God can break.