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The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to the broken-hearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous,but the Lord rescues them from them all. He keeps all their bones; not one of them will be broken. Evil brings death to the wicked,and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. (Psalm 34:15-21 NRSV)
God keeps an eye on his friends, his ears pick up every moan and groan. God won't put up with rebels; he'll cull them from the pack. Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you. If your heart is broken, you'll find God right there; if you're kicked in the gut, he'll help you catch your breath. Disciples so often get into trouble; still, God is there every time. He's your bodyguard, shielding every bone; not even a finger gets broken. The wicked commit slow suicide; they waste their lives hating the good. God pays for each slave's freedom; no one who runs to him loses out. (Psalm 34:15-21 The Message)
Good day dear Friend! Praying this is a day of special blessings, unexpected prayers answered, and new opportunities presenting themselves for you to enjoy! Lord, hear our prayers! Dear one, our prayer requests and updates are after the devotional.
I remember as it were yesterday, the day our firstborn started crawling. It was a marvelous thing. She found mobility and she enjoyed it. And one evening we had her on a baby blanket on the floor near our sofa and she crawled to the very edge of that blanket and stopped. She turned her head towards Mom and Dad, looked at us, laughed, and then put one hand on the floor off the blanket. She looked again. Yep, Mom and Dad were still watching her, so she put weight on her hand and crawled off the blanket onto the floor. And as if the next day, we dropped her off at Southwestern University as she started her university career. Our eyes on her, filled with tears of course, as she walked into the dorm. There's a special feeling knowing that when we needed watching our parents were there. And when our parents were not there, God was. Such was the faith of David as he wrote this psalm. He knew that God watches out for those who love Him and follow Him. The ancient version says God watches the righteous; the newer one says, "His friends." And God is listening to us; hearing our moans and our cries. Paul took it farther and said that God even hears and understands our sighs which are too deep for words. God is right there with you; right here with me. That should guide and also shape our behavior. Many a time, many have said, "Lord, please don't watch this!" as we embarked on something we knew we should not have been doing.
God's love and care for us is so profound we should live a life that responds to that care, knowing that God will respond to our needs. Yesterday in our noon Bible study class, we studied Acts 10, the story of Peter and Cornelius and it touched me yet again. Cornelius, a well-respected and beloved centurion, lived a life of faith. We pondered how he, a Gentile, Roman citizen, came to faith in the living God. His job was among Jews and it may have been an exposure to their prayers and beliefs that got him interested and then he himself became a believer. Yet, as he prayed, and he prayed faithfully, he may have been asking for "What's next?" That was an incredible prayer answered in an incredible way. Peter, chief of the Disciples himself, comes to visit him and to offer him the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. Cornelius was ready for he had invited all his family and friends to be with him as Peter arrived, and all were baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Dear one, if you're praying and wondering what is next, ask God. God will answer you with "what's next," if you're ready to respond and receive it. It may involved coming out of your comfort zone and into the "I trust God" zone for next steps; but you will be blessed richly! God is right there with you, and will be with you as you move even closer to Him.
PRAYER: Loving Father, I pray a special blessing on this dear reader and their situation. I pray they have received and believed that You are right there with them. And, if their prayer is a prayer about what could be next for them, answer it in a mighty way; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen!
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Live a life that says, "God is right here with me!" In fact, tell someone that today - It might just be what they've been waiting to hear!
Eradio Valverde
PRAYER REQUESTS AND UPDATES: Please continue in prayer for Ms. Charlotte Wilson, who is in rehabilitation after her open-heart surgery in San Antonio. She's in a facility across the street from Methodist Metropolitan Hospital. Prayers for Ms. Belle Witt, who is in the Texan also receiving needed care for her rehabilitation. Thank you all for prayers for Nellie, who saw her orthopedic surgeon yesterday and her wrist is healing well. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves.
