bluidkiti
02-27-2014, 11:50 AM
"If God says 'Jump through the wall', it is my job to jump and God's job to provide the hole." - Jim Sylvester
"Remember the times when you didn't know what to do, and God came through for you. Remember when your own springs were dried up, and God stepped up and punched a hole through solid rock for you, so you could drink. Remember when you felt lonely and abandoned, and God comforted you with the sweetness of His presence. Bring to your mind the times when there was no hope, and God gently breathed hope into your soul. Remember when you felt misunderstood, and God said, 'I understand.' Remember when you felt that no one cared, and God spoke, 'I love you.'" - Rocky Henriques
"Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace!"
When you get to your wits end, you'll find God lives there.
Sometimes, we cannot see God purpose in why things happen the way they do for people, for ourselves, as well as those we love and care about. But there is always God's higher purpose.
"When you are "Down" to nothing ... God is "Up" to something"
Be alone with your Heavenly Father who loves you so. He is the most important Father we will ever have. Worship and Praise Him this day to the fullest . . . enjoy basking in His Love. He will be there waiting for you . . . give Him time during your busy schedule . . . always putting Him first.
Our commitment to Christ, however genuine and whole-hearted it may be today, must be renewed tomorrow . . . and the day after that . . . and the day after that . . . until the path comes at last to the river. --Louis Cassels
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Peace for Anxious Days From Great Day Every Day: Navigating Life’s Challenges with Promise and Purpose
When my daughters were single-digit ages—two, five, and seven—I wowed them with a miracle. I told them the story of Moses and the manna and invited them to follow me on a wilderness trek through the house.
“Who knows,” I suggested, “manna may fall from the sky again.”
We dressed in sheets and sandals and did our best Bedouin hike through the bedrooms. The girls, on my instruction, complained to me, Moses, of hunger and demanded I take them back to Egypt, or at least to the kitchen. When we entered the den, I urged them to play up their parts: groan, moan, and beg for food.
“Look up,” I urged. “Manna might fall any minute.”
Two-year-old Sara obliged with no questions, but Jenna and Andrea had their doubts. How can manna fall from a ceiling?
Just like the Hebrews. “How can God feed us in the wilderness?”
Just like you? You look at tomorrow’s demands, next week’s bills, next month’s silent calendar. Your future looks as barren as the Sinai Desert. “How can I face my future?” God tells you what I told my daughters: “Look up.”
When my daughters did, manna fell! Well, not manna, but vanilla wafers dropped from the ceiling and landed on the carpet. Sara squealed with delight and started munching. Jenna and Andrea were old enough to request an explanation.
My answer was simple. I knew the itinerary. I knew we would enter this room. Vanilla wafers fit safely on the topside of the ceiling-fan blades. I had placed them there in advance. When they groaned and moaned, I turned on the switch.
God’s answer to the Hebrews was similar. Did he know their itinerary? Did he know they would grow hungry? Yes and yes. And at the right time, he tilted the manna basket toward earth.
And what about you? God knows what you need and where you’ll be. Any chance he has some vanilla wafers on tomorrow’s ceiling fans? Trust him. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (Matthew 6:33-34).
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"Just in Time" Author Unknown
Do you ever worry about what might happen in the future? Or do you find yourself anxious about things over which you have no control? If so, then a teaching from author and lecturer, Corrie ten Boom may help.
She learned a powerful lesson as a little girl. Having encountered the cold, lifeless body of a baby, she realized that the reality of death would someday strike her family, too. Perhaps her father or mother or sister Betsy, would soon die.
She anxiously worried about these possibilities until her father came in one night to tuck her into bed. Corrie burst into tears and sobbed, "I need you. You can't die. You can't!"
Her father sat on the edge of the narrow bed and spoke tenderly to his daughter. "Corrie," he said gently, "when you and I go to Amsterdam, when do I give you your ticket?"
She sniffed a few times and considered the question. "Why, just before I get on the train," she answered.
"Exactly," he continued. Then he gave her assurance that was to last a lifetime. He told her that a wise God knows when she will need things, too. "Don't run out ahead of God," he cautioned her. "When the time comes that some of us have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need . . . just in time."
Corrie and her family were sent to concentration camps where she suffered greatly during World War II. She, indeed, was to experience the deaths of her parents and sister, as well as numerous friends. She was to endure hardships which she could never have imagined as a young child. But the words of her father stayed with her and proved to be true. "You will look into your heart and find the strength you need . . . just in time."
Regardless of the suffering or hardship she encountered, when she looked inside her heart she found the strength she needed . . . just in time.
God provides for His children and He gives the grace we need when we need it. Not before we need it, but when we need it. We sometimes can work ourselves all up in fearing the future and not believing that we could go forward, but the reality is that God gives us what we need each day with Him and He is able to do what we can't even fathom. . . just in time.
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Eternal Investments by Pastor Smith
Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Are we living for this present world or for the world to come? Are we investing in things that are temporal, or in those that are eternal? Jesus tells us that we are either laying up "treasures upon earth" or "treasures in heaven." One day, we all will depart this life. Thank God, through our faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death for our sins, we are promised an eternal home in Heaven. What will be there in Heaven when we arrive? According to the Bible, we can make investments in Heaven while we are living here below. The Scripture encourages believers to live mindful of the world that awaits us. We are not to be like those in the world who live only for the temporal pleasures and rewards of this brief life. The Bible tells us that our lives are like a vapor that appears for a short time and then vanishes away. In fact, everything in this world will one day be destroyed.
One promise we have concerning eternal investments is the permanence of those treasures, compared to the fleeting life of earthly investments. Another benefit of investing in eternal things is the immediate return in our lives. Although investing in Heaven will bring rewards for eternity, we are also promised that having our treasures in Heaven makes our hearts more heavenly minded. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Most of us can relate to this principle, having found ourselves mindful of things in which we have personally invested our time or treasure. This matter of eternal investments is something that relates directly to our life of faith. We make daily decisions based on our priority of serving the present or future world.
How is it that we can make investments in Heaven? We do so by giving of our resources, our money and time, for the cause of the Gospel and the salvation of the lost. These investments will last forever. As we invest our treasures in eternal things, we are learning to live for that which will never pass away. In turn, we find our hearts will be there also.
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Get On (Not Off) My Back Author Unknown
When was the last time you told someone, "Get off my back," meaning "leave me alone!"? Have you ever told someone, "Get on my back"?
A little lady in Korea heard that there was going to be a Christian rally in a town several miles from where she lived. Though she was not a Christian, she was interested in learning more about Christ and decided to attend. Because of the scarcity of cars, she had to walk to the meeting. That night, after hearing the message of the Gospel, she gave her life to Jesus. As she walked home she thought of her husband, who was not a Christian and had been crippled for several years. When she entered the door to their home, her husband immediately knew that something was different about her. She excitedly told him how she had given her life to Christ. Upon hearing her story, he was anxious to go to the meeting the following night so he, too, could hear the Gospel. The wife could not find a ride for her husband, so she carried him on her back. That night when the invitation was given, she carried him to the altar, where he gave his life to the Lord. In the course of the next year, she carried her husband on her back throughout the surrounding area, so they could share with people about Christ. They led over 200 people to a relationship with the Lord Jesus.
Mark 2:1-5 (ESV) says: And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
This man's friends literally carried him to Jesus. There are many ways you can meet a need in a friend's life without literally hauling him on your back. Through those acts of service, however, many of your friends can be "brought" to Christ. Who do you need to "carry" to Jesus today?
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Enjoying Jesus by Aletha Hinthorn
Our personal time with Jesus should begin before we sit down with an open Bible. The more we strive to consciously live with an awareness that we are "in Him," the more we anticipate being alone with Him.
Recently my friend Linda called, and we began to share promises the Lord had given us--some recently and then some remembered from years gone by. What a joy to review words that He had encouraged us with at various points in our lives!
Then we prayed and thanked God for His great and precious promises through which we participate in His divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4) Throughout the day, I kept thinking, "I am participating in His divine nature!" The wonder of such a thought brought joy each time my mind was free to dwell on it.
Years ago the Spirit said to me, "When you awaken in the morning, don't think 'I have this and this and this to do,' but think 'Another day to commune with God.'" It is easy to forget God. I think it is possible to dwell upon our problems rather than upon Jesus even when we're praying.
One of the things that has brought an awareness of His Presence again and again has been to conclude my prayer times with minutes of being still and saying, "God, I want Your Spirit to commune with my spirit."
He responds to my simple invitation. Often I leave prayer time feeling strengthened in my spirit and aware that the Holy Spirit does indeed live IN me!
It's keeping Him in our thoughts and enjoying His Presence throughout our day that makes our times alone with Him times we eagerly anticipate!
"...In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11b ESV)
Dear Holy Spirit, I want to enjoy Your fellowship today!
"The grace...the Presence and fellowship (the communion and sharing together and participation) in the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Corinthians 13:14 AMP).
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Being His Hands and Feet by Marji "Mike" Kruger
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matthew 9:36-38
Jesus saw that the people were helpless. . . His heart went out to them. . . and as a result, He took action! Hundreds of thousands of people needed to know the Savior, so He sent His followers to go out to the people and share about the Kingdom of God. Jesus' disciples were "His feet" going out to share the Good News, "His hands" ministering and healing the people, and "His mouth" telling others about Him. They may have been few in number, but they had a radical impact on the world!
Today, we are called to be "Jesus' feet" going out into the world to share the Good News that God loves men, women, and children. . . and He wants to have a relationship with them. We are called to be "Jesus hands" ministering, serving and spiritually healing those who are hurting. And we are called to be "Jesus' mouth", having a ready answer on the tip of our tongue as to why we have hope for the future.
Who around you needs a relationship with God? Are you being God's feet and going to them? Are you being His hands and reaching out, listening, empathizing with them, and developing a relationship? And are you being Jesus' mouth, sharing the most important message of all time. . . that Jesus Christ died to pay the price for the sins of all men and women?
We may be few in number, but we can have a radical impact now and in eternity!
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Prayer to Walk With God All Day Long by Gail Rodgers
“Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.” Psalm 25:4 & 5
prayer to action this in my life:
Father in Heaven, Thank you for the promise and hope of Your word. Thank you that You can be counted on to guide me through my day. Today I need to walk in the hope that only You can give. My way is unclear, my path sometimes feels like it twists and turns in confusing and busy ways as I wind my way along my journey.
Show me Your ways, Lord. Show me how You would walk in these places. Teach me Your paths of grace and mercy and integrity and love. Help me to grasp Your ways so I can walk securely in them even in insecure places. I need Your perspective today.
Guide me in Your truth, Lord. With out Your Word active in my heart and mind I cannot know Your truth. Help me to make time to read my Bible. Help me to take time to think on it and let it penetrate my heart. Lord, Your Word will guide me as a beacon and a light. I need Your word to guide me. Forgive me when I have left it on the shelf or have simply grabbed a verse and run off for the day, quickly forgetting what I read.
Thank you that You promise to guide me and teach me as I let Your truth impact my heart and my mind.
Oh Lord, You are my Savior, my rescuer and my redeemer. You alone are the One who restores and renews my spirit and brings meaning to my life. You bless me. May my heart overflow with thanksgiving to You for Your hand in my life.
I will put my hope in you today, all day long. Remind me by Your Holy Spirit to look to You to guide me. Call me into Your quiet presence to think on Your truths and may I not be distracted. This is the oxygen of my soul. Thank you that You give the hope and help and peace I need today. Thank you that You never cease to call me to Yourself. Help me to respond afresh to Your presence in my life. In Jesus’ strong name I pray, amen.
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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
If you will allow it, I will lift you up out of places of despair and confusion. And, you will know that I have done a great work in you and accomplished through you things that you could not do of your own volition. But, you must yield yourself completely and let go of the darkness that has kept you from My presence, says the Lord. If you will do your part, I will do Mine. Let Me bring you out of the depths and into the light. John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
I heard the word "practicum" in the Spirit, and the Lord said: You have studied My Word and learned a lot about what to do and what not to do in order to develop spiritually and make life work naturally. But, unless you put what you've learned to work in practical experience, you have gained nothing. Don't be just a hearer of the word, but be a doer also. Practice what you know to do. 2 Timothy 3:6-7 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Keep your eyes wide open and watch as I expose corruption on every level. But I speak to your hearts, My people, to never take advantage of anyone for your personal gain. Treat each other with high regard and respect and without prejudice. Your love for Me is proven in how yu treat others, says the Lord. Be kind and generous in your attitudes. Matthew 7:12a "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them."
Submit yourself to Me completely, and yield to the moving of My Spirit in and around you. You must do this before you can walk fully in My purposes. Offer up your own desires that they may be sanctified or set apart for My will to be fulfilled in your life. Allow spiritual purification to be your pathway, says the Lord. Re-examine your decisions when you feel hindered and things become too difficult, and let Me show you the way to clarity and victory. Psalms 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
I hear the words "malleable" and "pliable" in my spirit, and the Lord says: I want to be able to mold you and shape you like clay in the hands of a potter. In order for Me to do this, you must make a quality decision to live a surrendered life, which requires your complete trust and realization that I can and will do supernatural and extraordinary things with you. You are not beyond My reach or awareness, but you must develop an unshakeable faith in the fact that I know you and see you; that I am for you and not against you. Psalm 139:7-10 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
You are indeed children of light. So, walk in the light. Walk in the power of the light, and darkness will not overcome you. Walk in such a way that you see the glorious light of My presence and allow it to become your light that will illuminate the path before you. And, then you can walk on that path with great comfort, joy and peace because you know that it is a path of victory. It will bring you into the fullness of My purpose and My blessings, says the Lord. Be children of the light.
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Remember, I Love You by Joan Clifton Costner
In the storms of life,
Remember, I Love You.
When you’re suffering,
Remember, I’m there, too.
When you think you’re all alone
And you feel you can’t go on ~
Oh, beloved child remember,
I Love You!
When the sunrise comes
In glory, I love you.
When the stars fall
In surrender, I love you.
When the dusk is red in splendor
And the evening breeze is tender,
Oh, my dear beloved, remember,
I love you!
I can speak in a million ways
To any human heart.
All you need is that tenderness
That sets your soul apart.
I’ve a million ways to tell you,
If you open up the door,
And I’m longing so
To always tell you more.
When you hear the music swelling,
I love you ~ don’t you know?
With each bird call you are saying,
"I love you. Yes, love you, so!"
And, when evening shadows fall,
Then, I love you most of all.
Precious child, you must remember,
I Love You!
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Stepping Stones to God by Helen Steiner Rice
An aching heart is but a steppingstone
To greater joy than you've ever known,
For things that cause the heart to ache
Until you think that it must break,
Become the strength by which we climb
To higher heights that are sublime,
And feel the radiance of God's smiles
When we have soared above life's trials.
So when you're overwhelmed with fears
And all your hopes are drenched in tears,
Think not that life has been unfair
And given you too much to bear.
For God has chosen you because,
With all your weaknesses and flaws,
He feels that you are worthy of
The greatness of His wondrous love.
So welcome every stumbling block
And every thorn and jagged rock;
For each one is a steppingstone
To God, who wants you for His own.
For discipline in daily duty
Will shape your life for deeper beauty;
And as you grow in strength and grace,
The clearer you can see God's face;
And on the steppingstones of strife,
You reach at last eternal life.
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But now thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, and He Who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you. Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and because I love you. Isaiah 43:1-2;4
I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip--he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you--the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm--he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18
We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let Israel say: "His love endures forever." Let the house of Aaron say: "His love endures forever." Let those who fear the LORD say: "His love endures forever." In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 118:1-6, 8, 14, 28-29
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Always Available Author Unknown
A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had with him his box of cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a shiny, red plastic shovel. In the process of creating roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in the middle of the sandbox. The lad dug round the rock, managing to dislodge it from the dirt. With no little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the rock across the sandbox by using his feet. (He was a very small boy and the rock was huge.)
When the boy got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, however, he found that he couldn't roll it up and over the little wall. Determined, the little boy shoved, pushed, and pried, but every time he thought he had made some progress, the rock tipped and then fell back into the sandbox.
The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed, shoved -- but his only reward was to have the rock roll back, smashing his chubby fingers. Finally he burst into tears of frustration.
All this time the boy's father watched from his living room window as the drama unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow fell across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy's father. Gently but firmly he said, "Son, why didn't you use all the strength that you had available?"
Defeated, the boy sobbed back, "But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had!"
"No, son," corrected the father kindly. "You didn't use all the strength you had. You didn't ask me."
With that the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it from the sandbox.
Do you have "rocks" in your life that need to be removed? Are you discovering that you don't have what it takes to lift them? There is One who is always available to us and willing to give us the strength we need. When we are broken in spirit and our strength is spent, we can turn to our Savior, Jesus.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me" Philippians 4:13
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Thank you, Lord, for your compassion and for those who demonstrate it to us. Make us as responsive to those in pain as you are. Amen.
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Read Through The Bible
2 Chronicles 11
1 Now when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled from the house of Judah and Benjamin one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. 2 But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4 ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up or fight against your brethren! Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.”’” Therefore they obeyed the words of the Lord, and turned back from attacking Jeroboam.
Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities
5 So Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. 6 And he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Sochoh, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin, fortified cities. 11 And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine. 12 Also in every city he put shields and spears, and made them very strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.
Priests and Levites Move to Judah
13 And from all their territories the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him. 14 For the Levites left their common-lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to the Lord. 15 Then he appointed for himself priests for the high places, for the demons, and the calf idols which he had made. 16 And after the Levites left, those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers. 17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
The Family of Rehoboam
18 Then Rehoboam took for himself as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliah the son of Jesse. 19 And she bore him children: Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham. 20 After her he took Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 Now Rehoboam loved Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom more than all his wives and his concubines; for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 22 And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maachah as chief, to be leader among his brothers; for he intended to make him king. 23 He dealt wisely, and dispersed some of his sons throughout all the territories of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city; and he gave them provisions in abundance. He also sought many wives for them.
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Dear God, help us to understand that change can bring gifts from you that we might not otherwise recognize. Amen
Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. If you do not have Jesus in your life and wish to ask Jesus into your life please go to this link now to do so: http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.
"Remember the times when you didn't know what to do, and God came through for you. Remember when your own springs were dried up, and God stepped up and punched a hole through solid rock for you, so you could drink. Remember when you felt lonely and abandoned, and God comforted you with the sweetness of His presence. Bring to your mind the times when there was no hope, and God gently breathed hope into your soul. Remember when you felt misunderstood, and God said, 'I understand.' Remember when you felt that no one cared, and God spoke, 'I love you.'" - Rocky Henriques
"Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace!"
When you get to your wits end, you'll find God lives there.
Sometimes, we cannot see God purpose in why things happen the way they do for people, for ourselves, as well as those we love and care about. But there is always God's higher purpose.
"When you are "Down" to nothing ... God is "Up" to something"
Be alone with your Heavenly Father who loves you so. He is the most important Father we will ever have. Worship and Praise Him this day to the fullest . . . enjoy basking in His Love. He will be there waiting for you . . . give Him time during your busy schedule . . . always putting Him first.
Our commitment to Christ, however genuine and whole-hearted it may be today, must be renewed tomorrow . . . and the day after that . . . and the day after that . . . until the path comes at last to the river. --Louis Cassels
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Peace for Anxious Days From Great Day Every Day: Navigating Life’s Challenges with Promise and Purpose
When my daughters were single-digit ages—two, five, and seven—I wowed them with a miracle. I told them the story of Moses and the manna and invited them to follow me on a wilderness trek through the house.
“Who knows,” I suggested, “manna may fall from the sky again.”
We dressed in sheets and sandals and did our best Bedouin hike through the bedrooms. The girls, on my instruction, complained to me, Moses, of hunger and demanded I take them back to Egypt, or at least to the kitchen. When we entered the den, I urged them to play up their parts: groan, moan, and beg for food.
“Look up,” I urged. “Manna might fall any minute.”
Two-year-old Sara obliged with no questions, but Jenna and Andrea had their doubts. How can manna fall from a ceiling?
Just like the Hebrews. “How can God feed us in the wilderness?”
Just like you? You look at tomorrow’s demands, next week’s bills, next month’s silent calendar. Your future looks as barren as the Sinai Desert. “How can I face my future?” God tells you what I told my daughters: “Look up.”
When my daughters did, manna fell! Well, not manna, but vanilla wafers dropped from the ceiling and landed on the carpet. Sara squealed with delight and started munching. Jenna and Andrea were old enough to request an explanation.
My answer was simple. I knew the itinerary. I knew we would enter this room. Vanilla wafers fit safely on the topside of the ceiling-fan blades. I had placed them there in advance. When they groaned and moaned, I turned on the switch.
God’s answer to the Hebrews was similar. Did he know their itinerary? Did he know they would grow hungry? Yes and yes. And at the right time, he tilted the manna basket toward earth.
And what about you? God knows what you need and where you’ll be. Any chance he has some vanilla wafers on tomorrow’s ceiling fans? Trust him. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (Matthew 6:33-34).
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"Just in Time" Author Unknown
Do you ever worry about what might happen in the future? Or do you find yourself anxious about things over which you have no control? If so, then a teaching from author and lecturer, Corrie ten Boom may help.
She learned a powerful lesson as a little girl. Having encountered the cold, lifeless body of a baby, she realized that the reality of death would someday strike her family, too. Perhaps her father or mother or sister Betsy, would soon die.
She anxiously worried about these possibilities until her father came in one night to tuck her into bed. Corrie burst into tears and sobbed, "I need you. You can't die. You can't!"
Her father sat on the edge of the narrow bed and spoke tenderly to his daughter. "Corrie," he said gently, "when you and I go to Amsterdam, when do I give you your ticket?"
She sniffed a few times and considered the question. "Why, just before I get on the train," she answered.
"Exactly," he continued. Then he gave her assurance that was to last a lifetime. He told her that a wise God knows when she will need things, too. "Don't run out ahead of God," he cautioned her. "When the time comes that some of us have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need . . . just in time."
Corrie and her family were sent to concentration camps where she suffered greatly during World War II. She, indeed, was to experience the deaths of her parents and sister, as well as numerous friends. She was to endure hardships which she could never have imagined as a young child. But the words of her father stayed with her and proved to be true. "You will look into your heart and find the strength you need . . . just in time."
Regardless of the suffering or hardship she encountered, when she looked inside her heart she found the strength she needed . . . just in time.
God provides for His children and He gives the grace we need when we need it. Not before we need it, but when we need it. We sometimes can work ourselves all up in fearing the future and not believing that we could go forward, but the reality is that God gives us what we need each day with Him and He is able to do what we can't even fathom. . . just in time.
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Eternal Investments by Pastor Smith
Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Are we living for this present world or for the world to come? Are we investing in things that are temporal, or in those that are eternal? Jesus tells us that we are either laying up "treasures upon earth" or "treasures in heaven." One day, we all will depart this life. Thank God, through our faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death for our sins, we are promised an eternal home in Heaven. What will be there in Heaven when we arrive? According to the Bible, we can make investments in Heaven while we are living here below. The Scripture encourages believers to live mindful of the world that awaits us. We are not to be like those in the world who live only for the temporal pleasures and rewards of this brief life. The Bible tells us that our lives are like a vapor that appears for a short time and then vanishes away. In fact, everything in this world will one day be destroyed.
One promise we have concerning eternal investments is the permanence of those treasures, compared to the fleeting life of earthly investments. Another benefit of investing in eternal things is the immediate return in our lives. Although investing in Heaven will bring rewards for eternity, we are also promised that having our treasures in Heaven makes our hearts more heavenly minded. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Most of us can relate to this principle, having found ourselves mindful of things in which we have personally invested our time or treasure. This matter of eternal investments is something that relates directly to our life of faith. We make daily decisions based on our priority of serving the present or future world.
How is it that we can make investments in Heaven? We do so by giving of our resources, our money and time, for the cause of the Gospel and the salvation of the lost. These investments will last forever. As we invest our treasures in eternal things, we are learning to live for that which will never pass away. In turn, we find our hearts will be there also.
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Get On (Not Off) My Back Author Unknown
When was the last time you told someone, "Get off my back," meaning "leave me alone!"? Have you ever told someone, "Get on my back"?
A little lady in Korea heard that there was going to be a Christian rally in a town several miles from where she lived. Though she was not a Christian, she was interested in learning more about Christ and decided to attend. Because of the scarcity of cars, she had to walk to the meeting. That night, after hearing the message of the Gospel, she gave her life to Jesus. As she walked home she thought of her husband, who was not a Christian and had been crippled for several years. When she entered the door to their home, her husband immediately knew that something was different about her. She excitedly told him how she had given her life to Christ. Upon hearing her story, he was anxious to go to the meeting the following night so he, too, could hear the Gospel. The wife could not find a ride for her husband, so she carried him on her back. That night when the invitation was given, she carried him to the altar, where he gave his life to the Lord. In the course of the next year, she carried her husband on her back throughout the surrounding area, so they could share with people about Christ. They led over 200 people to a relationship with the Lord Jesus.
Mark 2:1-5 (ESV) says: And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
This man's friends literally carried him to Jesus. There are many ways you can meet a need in a friend's life without literally hauling him on your back. Through those acts of service, however, many of your friends can be "brought" to Christ. Who do you need to "carry" to Jesus today?
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Enjoying Jesus by Aletha Hinthorn
Our personal time with Jesus should begin before we sit down with an open Bible. The more we strive to consciously live with an awareness that we are "in Him," the more we anticipate being alone with Him.
Recently my friend Linda called, and we began to share promises the Lord had given us--some recently and then some remembered from years gone by. What a joy to review words that He had encouraged us with at various points in our lives!
Then we prayed and thanked God for His great and precious promises through which we participate in His divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4) Throughout the day, I kept thinking, "I am participating in His divine nature!" The wonder of such a thought brought joy each time my mind was free to dwell on it.
Years ago the Spirit said to me, "When you awaken in the morning, don't think 'I have this and this and this to do,' but think 'Another day to commune with God.'" It is easy to forget God. I think it is possible to dwell upon our problems rather than upon Jesus even when we're praying.
One of the things that has brought an awareness of His Presence again and again has been to conclude my prayer times with minutes of being still and saying, "God, I want Your Spirit to commune with my spirit."
He responds to my simple invitation. Often I leave prayer time feeling strengthened in my spirit and aware that the Holy Spirit does indeed live IN me!
It's keeping Him in our thoughts and enjoying His Presence throughout our day that makes our times alone with Him times we eagerly anticipate!
"...In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11b ESV)
Dear Holy Spirit, I want to enjoy Your fellowship today!
"The grace...the Presence and fellowship (the communion and sharing together and participation) in the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Corinthians 13:14 AMP).
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Being His Hands and Feet by Marji "Mike" Kruger
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matthew 9:36-38
Jesus saw that the people were helpless. . . His heart went out to them. . . and as a result, He took action! Hundreds of thousands of people needed to know the Savior, so He sent His followers to go out to the people and share about the Kingdom of God. Jesus' disciples were "His feet" going out to share the Good News, "His hands" ministering and healing the people, and "His mouth" telling others about Him. They may have been few in number, but they had a radical impact on the world!
Today, we are called to be "Jesus' feet" going out into the world to share the Good News that God loves men, women, and children. . . and He wants to have a relationship with them. We are called to be "Jesus hands" ministering, serving and spiritually healing those who are hurting. And we are called to be "Jesus' mouth", having a ready answer on the tip of our tongue as to why we have hope for the future.
Who around you needs a relationship with God? Are you being God's feet and going to them? Are you being His hands and reaching out, listening, empathizing with them, and developing a relationship? And are you being Jesus' mouth, sharing the most important message of all time. . . that Jesus Christ died to pay the price for the sins of all men and women?
We may be few in number, but we can have a radical impact now and in eternity!
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Prayer to Walk With God All Day Long by Gail Rodgers
“Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.” Psalm 25:4 & 5
prayer to action this in my life:
Father in Heaven, Thank you for the promise and hope of Your word. Thank you that You can be counted on to guide me through my day. Today I need to walk in the hope that only You can give. My way is unclear, my path sometimes feels like it twists and turns in confusing and busy ways as I wind my way along my journey.
Show me Your ways, Lord. Show me how You would walk in these places. Teach me Your paths of grace and mercy and integrity and love. Help me to grasp Your ways so I can walk securely in them even in insecure places. I need Your perspective today.
Guide me in Your truth, Lord. With out Your Word active in my heart and mind I cannot know Your truth. Help me to make time to read my Bible. Help me to take time to think on it and let it penetrate my heart. Lord, Your Word will guide me as a beacon and a light. I need Your word to guide me. Forgive me when I have left it on the shelf or have simply grabbed a verse and run off for the day, quickly forgetting what I read.
Thank you that You promise to guide me and teach me as I let Your truth impact my heart and my mind.
Oh Lord, You are my Savior, my rescuer and my redeemer. You alone are the One who restores and renews my spirit and brings meaning to my life. You bless me. May my heart overflow with thanksgiving to You for Your hand in my life.
I will put my hope in you today, all day long. Remind me by Your Holy Spirit to look to You to guide me. Call me into Your quiet presence to think on Your truths and may I not be distracted. This is the oxygen of my soul. Thank you that You give the hope and help and peace I need today. Thank you that You never cease to call me to Yourself. Help me to respond afresh to Your presence in my life. In Jesus’ strong name I pray, amen.
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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
If you will allow it, I will lift you up out of places of despair and confusion. And, you will know that I have done a great work in you and accomplished through you things that you could not do of your own volition. But, you must yield yourself completely and let go of the darkness that has kept you from My presence, says the Lord. If you will do your part, I will do Mine. Let Me bring you out of the depths and into the light. John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
I heard the word "practicum" in the Spirit, and the Lord said: You have studied My Word and learned a lot about what to do and what not to do in order to develop spiritually and make life work naturally. But, unless you put what you've learned to work in practical experience, you have gained nothing. Don't be just a hearer of the word, but be a doer also. Practice what you know to do. 2 Timothy 3:6-7 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Keep your eyes wide open and watch as I expose corruption on every level. But I speak to your hearts, My people, to never take advantage of anyone for your personal gain. Treat each other with high regard and respect and without prejudice. Your love for Me is proven in how yu treat others, says the Lord. Be kind and generous in your attitudes. Matthew 7:12a "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them."
Submit yourself to Me completely, and yield to the moving of My Spirit in and around you. You must do this before you can walk fully in My purposes. Offer up your own desires that they may be sanctified or set apart for My will to be fulfilled in your life. Allow spiritual purification to be your pathway, says the Lord. Re-examine your decisions when you feel hindered and things become too difficult, and let Me show you the way to clarity and victory. Psalms 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
I hear the words "malleable" and "pliable" in my spirit, and the Lord says: I want to be able to mold you and shape you like clay in the hands of a potter. In order for Me to do this, you must make a quality decision to live a surrendered life, which requires your complete trust and realization that I can and will do supernatural and extraordinary things with you. You are not beyond My reach or awareness, but you must develop an unshakeable faith in the fact that I know you and see you; that I am for you and not against you. Psalm 139:7-10 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
You are indeed children of light. So, walk in the light. Walk in the power of the light, and darkness will not overcome you. Walk in such a way that you see the glorious light of My presence and allow it to become your light that will illuminate the path before you. And, then you can walk on that path with great comfort, joy and peace because you know that it is a path of victory. It will bring you into the fullness of My purpose and My blessings, says the Lord. Be children of the light.
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Remember, I Love You by Joan Clifton Costner
In the storms of life,
Remember, I Love You.
When you’re suffering,
Remember, I’m there, too.
When you think you’re all alone
And you feel you can’t go on ~
Oh, beloved child remember,
I Love You!
When the sunrise comes
In glory, I love you.
When the stars fall
In surrender, I love you.
When the dusk is red in splendor
And the evening breeze is tender,
Oh, my dear beloved, remember,
I love you!
I can speak in a million ways
To any human heart.
All you need is that tenderness
That sets your soul apart.
I’ve a million ways to tell you,
If you open up the door,
And I’m longing so
To always tell you more.
When you hear the music swelling,
I love you ~ don’t you know?
With each bird call you are saying,
"I love you. Yes, love you, so!"
And, when evening shadows fall,
Then, I love you most of all.
Precious child, you must remember,
I Love You!
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Stepping Stones to God by Helen Steiner Rice
An aching heart is but a steppingstone
To greater joy than you've ever known,
For things that cause the heart to ache
Until you think that it must break,
Become the strength by which we climb
To higher heights that are sublime,
And feel the radiance of God's smiles
When we have soared above life's trials.
So when you're overwhelmed with fears
And all your hopes are drenched in tears,
Think not that life has been unfair
And given you too much to bear.
For God has chosen you because,
With all your weaknesses and flaws,
He feels that you are worthy of
The greatness of His wondrous love.
So welcome every stumbling block
And every thorn and jagged rock;
For each one is a steppingstone
To God, who wants you for His own.
For discipline in daily duty
Will shape your life for deeper beauty;
And as you grow in strength and grace,
The clearer you can see God's face;
And on the steppingstones of strife,
You reach at last eternal life.
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But now thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, and He Who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you. Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and because I love you. Isaiah 43:1-2;4
I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip--he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you--the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm--he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18
We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let Israel say: "His love endures forever." Let the house of Aaron say: "His love endures forever." Let those who fear the LORD say: "His love endures forever." In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 118:1-6, 8, 14, 28-29
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Always Available Author Unknown
A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had with him his box of cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a shiny, red plastic shovel. In the process of creating roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in the middle of the sandbox. The lad dug round the rock, managing to dislodge it from the dirt. With no little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the rock across the sandbox by using his feet. (He was a very small boy and the rock was huge.)
When the boy got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, however, he found that he couldn't roll it up and over the little wall. Determined, the little boy shoved, pushed, and pried, but every time he thought he had made some progress, the rock tipped and then fell back into the sandbox.
The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed, shoved -- but his only reward was to have the rock roll back, smashing his chubby fingers. Finally he burst into tears of frustration.
All this time the boy's father watched from his living room window as the drama unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow fell across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy's father. Gently but firmly he said, "Son, why didn't you use all the strength that you had available?"
Defeated, the boy sobbed back, "But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had!"
"No, son," corrected the father kindly. "You didn't use all the strength you had. You didn't ask me."
With that the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it from the sandbox.
Do you have "rocks" in your life that need to be removed? Are you discovering that you don't have what it takes to lift them? There is One who is always available to us and willing to give us the strength we need. When we are broken in spirit and our strength is spent, we can turn to our Savior, Jesus.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me" Philippians 4:13
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Thank you, Lord, for your compassion and for those who demonstrate it to us. Make us as responsive to those in pain as you are. Amen.
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Read Through The Bible
2 Chronicles 11
1 Now when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled from the house of Judah and Benjamin one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. 2 But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4 ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up or fight against your brethren! Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.”’” Therefore they obeyed the words of the Lord, and turned back from attacking Jeroboam.
Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities
5 So Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. 6 And he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Sochoh, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin, fortified cities. 11 And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine. 12 Also in every city he put shields and spears, and made them very strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.
Priests and Levites Move to Judah
13 And from all their territories the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him. 14 For the Levites left their common-lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to the Lord. 15 Then he appointed for himself priests for the high places, for the demons, and the calf idols which he had made. 16 And after the Levites left, those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers. 17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
The Family of Rehoboam
18 Then Rehoboam took for himself as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliah the son of Jesse. 19 And she bore him children: Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham. 20 After her he took Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 Now Rehoboam loved Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom more than all his wives and his concubines; for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 22 And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maachah as chief, to be leader among his brothers; for he intended to make him king. 23 He dealt wisely, and dispersed some of his sons throughout all the territories of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city; and he gave them provisions in abundance. He also sought many wives for them.
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Dear God, help us to understand that change can bring gifts from you that we might not otherwise recognize. Amen
Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. If you do not have Jesus in your life and wish to ask Jesus into your life please go to this link now to do so: http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.