Good day dear friends.
Our thanks for prayers lifted up for Caitlin, whose surgery went well. She's in some pain early this morning, but in good spirits. Nothing like having all four wisdom teeth removed!
Thanks to all who attended our monthly prayer service last night. Kit did an awesome job of showing the importance of silence in our prayer life. Thank you, Kit!
Here is our study guide for today:
Thursday: 2 Chronicles 19, 20, 21How do you explain Jehoshaphat’s reign being “right in the sight of the Lord” when so many elements were still wrong (2 Chronicles 20:31-33)?
Overall, Jehoshaphat, and this is a most difficult name to type!, was a man of prayer and faith. He had his major weaknesses, but his major strength was to go to God when he faced severe challenges, such as the approaching armies that wanted to defeat his kingdom. He thought of praising God even in the midst of the coming fight and even required the choir to march first in the battle. Many a pastor wants to say, "My choir kills," and in the good sense of doing such a great job that people enjoy them (as they do the choir of FUMC!), but in this case, the faith of Jehosahphat and the choir served as a postive and strong reminder that God was present, God was being praised, and that God would do the actual fighting for them. I give all honor to those men willing to a) be first in the line of battle, b) to be armed only with, I'm guessing, sheet music, and c) singing at the top of the lungs as they march into certain danger! That's a choir! But as you will read in the reading below or in your Bible, God confused the armies coming to attack Judah and they ended up attacking their own allies, then themselves, and killed every one of the enemy soldiers. The only thing Judah had to do was to spend three days picking up weapons, gold and silver, and other "loot" as the armies had left.
Can you personally praise God while facing the challenges of your life? Can you sing at the top of your lungs the praises of God even when you feel overwhelmed and outnumbered? You might be surprised, as you probably have been in past experiences, that God was (and is) with you, and you worried about nothing. At the end all you had to do was to pick up the blessings that God had prepared for you.
Such should be our faith. Sing praises to God. Show others the confidence you have in our God of all power and might. Know and show that God is with you and that God is taking care of all that which seems out of control or so scary you feel that certain defeat is coming your way. Then get ready to pick up the blessings!
PRAYER: Loving God, I praise you right now and I will praise you later. Let me praise you all day long. May my words form a song of faith and praise and may it be an invitation to others to know how loving and awesome you are! Help me to see with eyes of faith beyond this valley of tears and fear, to the valley of coming blessings, I pray in Jesus' powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
Our thanks for prayers lifted up for Caitlin, whose surgery went well. She's in some pain early this morning, but in good spirits. Nothing like having all four wisdom teeth removed!
Thanks to all who attended our monthly prayer service last night. Kit did an awesome job of showing the importance of silence in our prayer life. Thank you, Kit!
Here is our study guide for today:
Thursday: 2 Chronicles 19, 20, 21How do you explain Jehoshaphat’s reign being “right in the sight of the Lord” when so many elements were still wrong (2 Chronicles 20:31-33)?
Overall, Jehoshaphat, and this is a most difficult name to type!, was a man of prayer and faith. He had his major weaknesses, but his major strength was to go to God when he faced severe challenges, such as the approaching armies that wanted to defeat his kingdom. He thought of praising God even in the midst of the coming fight and even required the choir to march first in the battle. Many a pastor wants to say, "My choir kills," and in the good sense of doing such a great job that people enjoy them (as they do the choir of FUMC!), but in this case, the faith of Jehosahphat and the choir served as a postive and strong reminder that God was present, God was being praised, and that God would do the actual fighting for them. I give all honor to those men willing to a) be first in the line of battle, b) to be armed only with, I'm guessing, sheet music, and c) singing at the top of the lungs as they march into certain danger! That's a choir! But as you will read in the reading below or in your Bible, God confused the armies coming to attack Judah and they ended up attacking their own allies, then themselves, and killed every one of the enemy soldiers. The only thing Judah had to do was to spend three days picking up weapons, gold and silver, and other "loot" as the armies had left.
Can you personally praise God while facing the challenges of your life? Can you sing at the top of your lungs the praises of God even when you feel overwhelmed and outnumbered? You might be surprised, as you probably have been in past experiences, that God was (and is) with you, and you worried about nothing. At the end all you had to do was to pick up the blessings that God had prepared for you.
Such should be our faith. Sing praises to God. Show others the confidence you have in our God of all power and might. Know and show that God is with you and that God is taking care of all that which seems out of control or so scary you feel that certain defeat is coming your way. Then get ready to pick up the blessings!
PRAYER: Loving God, I praise you right now and I will praise you later. Let me praise you all day long. May my words form a song of faith and praise and may it be an invitation to others to know how loving and awesome you are! Help me to see with eyes of faith beyond this valley of tears and fear, to the valley of coming blessings, I pray in Jesus' powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
