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Hear devotional here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/Drudge-and-Trudge-e1oh7tg
1 Oh, oh, oh . . . How empty the city, once teeming with people. A widow, this city, once in the front rank of nations, once queen of the ball, she's now a drudge in the kitchen. 2 She cries herself to sleep each night, tears soaking her pillow. No one's left among her lovers to sit and hold her hand. Her friends have all dumped her. 3 After years of pain and hard labor, Judah has gone into exile. She camps out among the nations, never feels at home. Hunted by all, she's stuck between a rock and a hard place. 4 Zion's roads weep, empty of pilgrims headed to the feasts. All her city gates are deserted, her priests in despair. Her virgins are sad. How bitter her fate. 5 Her enemies have become her masters. Her foes are living it up because God laid her low, punishing her repeated rebellions. Her children, prisoners of the enemy, trudge into exile. 6 All beauty has drained from Daughter Zion's face. Her princes are like deer famished for food, chased to exhaustion by hunters. (Lamentations 1:1-6 The Message Bible)
A happy and blessed Thursday to you, dear Friend! My prayer is that God bless you with awesome opportunities to shine forth His love among those hurting and in pain. May we pray for Pastor Matt Pennington, for Mrs. Linda Barcus, for all who have asked prayers of us, and for the needs of the world. May we be known again as the people of prayer and faith. Pray for one another, and lift up your needs to the Lord. I just received these two prayer requests: Prayers for Mrs. Sara Reynolds, wife of The Rev. John Reynolds, a retired member of our conference now living in North Carolina. Sara is facing serious medical challenges. Our granddaughter, Eliana Garcia, is at the night clinic with high fever and a possible tonsillectomy. May God bless all with what they need! Thank you for your prayers!
In a previous church where I served, the story was told of a couple who parked their car in front of the church, and left their windows open. They had tried to have children but were unable, and this had been a sorrow buried deep in their souls. Yet, they did not lose faith in God and enjoyed singing in the choir, and so on that Wednesday night choir practice they entered in to enjoy the fellowship of the other choir members and the fun of singing praises to God in order to prepare for Sunday worship. The practice was a blessing and a joy. Imagine their surprise when after choir practice, they come to their car and hear a baby crying in their back seat. Someone had left a newborn baby boy in the back seat; a healthy, bouncy baby boy. The couple called it a blessing, and began the process of adopting him. The baby grew up to be a successful businessman, respected in the community, and a blessing to his wife and their family. They lived in one of the nicest homes in the town, and caused people to say God is good.
From the gospel lesson calling for us to super-size our faith, to the consequences of a weak faith in today's passage, we see what we should be doing in the face of evil's opposition to our faith. The story I shared is true and I dare not say more about the man, for he is well-known and he was a faithful member of our church. The story is a wonderful story of love and love in action. The mother of the baby thought that by leaving him in a car near the church that the owners of the car might prove to be good parents, which they were. They raised him right, and he was blessed by them, and later grew to bless others. The story could have easily gone the other way; dare we even imagine such a story? But the story of Lamentations is also real. The city now known as a faithless city, is Jerusalem. Historically, it has been known as a blessed city, filled with people, and more so at the height of Israel's faith, but as we talk about this cycle week after week, the people of God are like you and me. One week we're double-dating with God and the next we can't stand the thought of being in the same room with Him. It was the same with Israel. Now, she can't go to sleep in dry pillows, for her pillows are soaked with tears. Once married, she is now a widow. Once first in line, and as this version says, "Once queen of the ball," she's now a drudge in the kitchen, reduced to menial and arduous tasks. No one left to even hold her hand. She's now homeless, standing on street corners holding cardboard signs, hoping for the kindness of strangers; in a city with little to no traffic. The once cluttered freeways of pilgrims coming into the city for all the holy days and festivals, are now empty, ghost-like; hotels and motels empty; the priests have left their posts, and the evil people are living it up, lording over them their power and success, all because of Israel's lack of faith. And as a result, the once people of God are now on a "trudge" march into exile. This could have been avoided had Israel stayed faithful. Yesterday's passage had Paul telling Timothy to revive his faith, and now it's a message to us; we cannot let our faith be lulled to sleep, or worse.
Dear ones, It's time to pray again, "Lord, super-size my faith!" Let me grow in You and be a blessing to You.
PRAYER: Loving God, bless us with a stronger faith so that we can bless others. Lord, we pray again for those whom are counting on You, such as Pastor Matt, Linda Barcus, and so many more, who need Your loving and healing touch; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Show your strength in God as a blessing to those who need it around you.
Receive my blessings of joy and strength,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
