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Listen here to the devotional: http://bit.ly/3ovy1bn
1 You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you. (Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 NIV)
Happy Monday ConCafe Family! And may God richly bless you, dear Friend in ways too numerous to count; and may you bless God in a special way today! May we continue to pray for all who have Covid-19, among them our pastor, Rev. Matt Pennington. Matt is self-isolated away from his home, and let us pray for his healing, and for protection for Brooke, Drew, Nate, and Grace. Pray for healing and for the vaccination of all who seek them. Nellie and I received our first dose of the vaccine yesterday, and in February we receive dose number two. Some of you have asked about my cousin, Xavier Jimenez, and I learned he had to be intubated today due to breathing problems with Covid-19. Please pray for Xavier and his family that God heal him quickly. I thank you for your prayers.
Who knows you the best? Some may say, "My spouse." Others might say, "My mom." Some might say, "My dad." And the list could grow to incude longtime friends, children, grandchildren, or any other number of people. The correct answer is God. God knows us best, and this psalm is a testimony to that. Our photo for today is correlated to verse 13, where the psalmist writes, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." I believe there is no better wonderful artwork than the work of a knitter who spends countless hours of time, knitting together yarn into marvelous blankets, scarves, etc. The ones which have blessed me have been those prayer shawls that some churches make for people facing special challenges, and all the while as each knit is made, it is more marvelous because of the prayers that are lited up with each knit; thus the name, prayer shawls. To receive a prayer shawl is to receive a garment of spiritual blessing, a knit testimony of those who cared enough to pray and knit, thus sharing a true covering of oneself with prayer.
The psalmist reached a point where he realizes that God knows us best. He says that God knows our going and coming, our sitting and our rising; even before a word is formed on our tongue, the Lord knows it completely. And, as a more completing statement, the writer affirms that God's hand is upon him, for our God is, after all, the God of loving touch. This, he says, is "too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain." Then the passage from above about knitting, where the psalmist affirms that God is like a knitter, Who put us together with love and blessings. "I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
God's knowledge about us is, as the writer wrote, "too wonderul," and "too lofty" for us to fully understand, but our knowledge of God's love should be just as wonderful and lofty, and should serve to guide our lives in a path that glorifies God and inspires and invites others to come to that same knowledge. My eye doctor shares a daily devotional that features the borrowed items I share on Friday, and the one for today, helps illustrate faithfulness and fruitfulness, so my thanks to Dr. Richard Evans for this:
10 Little Christians.......
10 Little Christians standing in line 1 disliked the preacher, then there were 9 9 little Christians stayed up very late 1 overslept Sunday, then there were 8 8 little Christians on their way to Heaven 1 took the low road and then there were 7 7 little Christians chirping like chicks 1 disliked music, then there were 6 6 little Christians seemed very much alive but one lost his interest then there was 5 5 little Christians pulling for Heaven's Shore but one stopped to rest, then there were 4 4 little Christians each busy as a bee 1 got his feelings hurt, then there were 3 3 little Christians knew not what to do 1 joined the sporty crowd, then there were 2 2 little Christians, our rhyme is nearly done differed with each other, then there was 1 1 little Christian can't do much 'tis true brought his friend to bible study- - then there were 2 earnest Christians, each won one more That doubled the number, then there were 4 4 sincere Christians worked early and late Each won another then there were 8 8 splendid Christians if they doubled as before In just so many Sundays, we'd have 1,024 In this little jingle, there is a lesson true, You belong either to the building or to the wrecking crew!
--author unknown
May today's passage inspire us to live a life that comes a contagious agent of change for good in our lives and in the lives of those around us. You, and I, though sometimes we think we're outnumbered, or that because we are just one person, should know, that with God on our side, we can make a difference for the good, that maybe, with God's help, change the world.
PRAYER: Loving God, though we may not see You, You are with us; Your hand is upon us. Though others may not see them, an army of angels stands ready to fight the battle before us; and remind us that sight is not as important as faith, to do that which God intended us to do. Empower us, dear Father, with a faith that sees that all is possible for those who truly believe. Guide us, and bless; make us agents of love and agents of change in a world that seems devoid of basic human decency. Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory; forever and ever. In Christ's strong name we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Shine the light of love, for love can overcome even the darkness of evil.
Receive my blessings of peace and love,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
