LHM Daily Devotion - October 3, 2017 "Forgotten? Not Likely"

Lukas Cavar is a 19-year-old freshman at Indiana University. Cavar is...

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour

"Forgotten? Not Likely"

October 3, 2017

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

~ 2 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV)

Lukas Cavar is a 19-year-old freshman at Indiana University.

Cavar is also a spelunker, which is just a big-word way of saying he enjoys stalagmites and stalactites and the myriad wonders of exploring caves. Most recently, he and 12 other members of the school's Caving Club did some underground work at Sullivan Cave, which is located just a few miles away from the University.

At the end of the day, everyone agreed that it had been a fun time.

Everyone agreed it had been a grand time -- everyone that is -- except for Cavar. You see, somehow, someway, he became separated from the rest of the group. Somehow, someway, he wasn't missed when the others got into their vehicles to return to the school.

Nobody noticed that Cavar wasn't around on Sunday night and Monday morning and Monday afternoon and evening. Finally, someone did notice he wasn't around. No, it wasn't the school or his fellow spelunkers. It was Cavar's parents who filed a missing person's report with the school, and news of the report eventually reached the Caving Club's leaders.

Quick as a shot, they were out to Sullivan Cave where they found their missing pal. During the 60-plus hours he had been missing, Cavar had stayed hydrated by licking water off the cave's walls. He had unsuccessfully tried to pick the cave's padlocked gate and, after he had beaten back some panic attacks, used his cell phone to text a farewell to those people whom he held dear. Knowing the signal would never get out of the cave, it was his hope that when his lifeless corpse was found, some forensic expert would have the wisdom to charge his phone and share his last thoughts.

The aftermath of all this is Cavar's parents are happy, and the Caving Club is not because they had ignored some of the safety rules, which are at the heart of cave exploration. As for Cavar, he returned to class on Thursday with a new attitude. He said, "I'm really glad to be alive. It feels like I've been given a second chance."

When I first heard the story of Cavar, it seemed proper to spend some time pointing out how much his story and ours are similar. You know,

1. like Lukas we were in darkness and unable to help ourselves; 
2. like him we should be glad for a Savior who came to give us a second chance.

The only problem with that approach was this: while Cavar had been forgotten by his fellow club members, we sinners have always been remembered. Read through Scripture and you will see that while humanity regularly forgets the Lord, the Lord never forgets humanity.

When our first ancestors walked away from God in the Garden of Eden, it was the Triune Deity who came looking for us, and it was the Father who promised to send His Son as the suffering Sacrifice who would carry our transgressions, receive our punishment, forgive, and save our souls.

No, the Lord never forgot us, and because of that we can be glad to be alive.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, may I always remember -- and never forget -- the love You have given me in the Savior, Jesus Christ. It is in His Name we pray. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin!  Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).

CPTLN Devocional de 03 de Octubre de 2017

Alimento Diario

Renovados por amor

03 de Octubre 2017

El Señor está en medio de ti, y te salvará con su poder; por ti se regocijará y se alegrará; por amor guardará silencio, y con cánticos se regocijará por ti.

~ Sofonías 3:17, RVC

La historia que voy a contar es TOTALMENTE inventada. Juan estaba pasando por una muy mala racha. El negocio no andaba bien, la esposa le había dicho que lo dejaba y no tenía suficiente dinero para pagar la hipoteca de su casa.

Como si todo eso fuera poco, cuando estaba en camino al trabajo tuvo un accidente. Si bien no fue su culpa, su auto se dañó totalmente. Y, mientras esperaba por la grúa, el causante del accidente le dijo que no tenía seguro.

Fue en ese momento en que Juan, mirando al cielo, preguntó: "Señor, ¿por qué yo?" En respuesta, retumbó una voz fuerte que dijo: "La verdad Juan, es que no me caes muy simpático."

La razón por la que esta historia me hace sonreír es porque es absolutamente imposible. Nada así podría suceder jamás, dado que el Señor nos ama a todos por igual.

Sé que esto debería ser obvio, pero lo cierto es que la mayoría de nosotros hemos tenido momentos en los que nos hemos sentido como Juan.

Desde que nos levantamos hasta que nos acostamos, nos vemos acechados por dificultades y problemas de todo tamaño que nos hacen pensar que a Dios no le caemos bien.

Cuando eso nos ocurre, debemos recordar que el amor del Señor es constante. Porque el Señor amó a los primeros pecadores, Adán y Eva, prometió enviar a su Hijo para ser nuestro Salvador.

Sin importar lo que las circunstancias de estos días nos indiquen, sin importar lo difícil que pueda ser la vida, usted puede estar seguro que el Señor desea lo mejor para usted.

El pesebre, la cruz y la tumba vacía le dicen a la humanidad que Dios desea perdonar, salvar, ayudar, restaurar y dar esperanza.

ORACIÓN: Amado Señor, concédenos fe para creer que es el pecado del mundo, y no tu desaprobación, lo que causa las penas en esta vida. Danos tu Espíritu Santo, para que podamos confiar plenamente en ti y en tu constante amor. En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

© Copyright 2017 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. ¡Utilice estas devociones en sus boletines! Usado con permiso. Todos los derechos reservados por la Int'l LLL.

What to do when you're worried

God is not only interested in the big things that concern you; He is interested in the little things too.

Sometimes we may think, This problem is too small to bother God with. God is only interested in big things. But God really is interested in the little things that trouble us. The Bible says that He knows about the little sparrow that falls to the ground (see Matthew 10:29). He knows how many hairs we have on our heads.

A verse I love from the Book of Psalms is: “You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?” (Psalm 56:8). This verse is saying that God knows every tear you shed. God knows what is troubling you right now.

The next time you are gripped by fear and worry, do what 1 Peter 5:7 instructs, “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

We all have times of worry, stress, and fear. It’s important that we deal with those worries the way God wants us to—by acknowledging that He is in control and we can trust Him.

May God bless you this week as you cast your cares on Him.

In Christ,
Cap'n Kenny

Seeking God?

Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV® Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Daily Readings for MONDAY, October 2, 2017

2 Kings 17:24-41

The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria in place of the people of Israel; they took possession of Samaria, and settled in its cities. When they first settled there, they did not worship the LORD; therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them. So the king of Assyria was told, "The nations that you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the law of the god of the land; therefore he has sent lions among them; they are killing them, because they do not know the law of the god of the land." Then the king of Assyria commanded, "Send there one of the priests whom you carried away from there; let him go and live there, and teach them the law of the god of the land." So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in Bethel; he taught them how they should worship the LORD. But every nation still made gods of its own and put them in the shrines of the high places that the people of Samaria had made, every nation in the cities in which they lived; the people of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the people of Cuth made Nergal, the people of Hamath made Ashima; the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. They also worshiped the LORD and appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. So they worshiped the LORD but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away. To this day they continue to practice their former customs. They do not worship the LORD and they do not follow the statutes or the ordinances or the law or the commandment that the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel. The LORD had made a covenant with them and commanded them, "You shall not worship other gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them, but you shall worship the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm; you shall bow yourselves to him, and to him you shall sacrifice. The statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment that he wrote for you, you shall always be careful to observe. You shall not worship other gods; you shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not worship other gods, but you shall worship the LORD your God; he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies." They would not listen, however, but they continued to practice their former custom. So these nations worshiped the LORD, but also served their carved images; to this day their children and their children's children continue to do as their ancestors did.

1 Corinthians 7:25-31

Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. I think that, in view of the impending crisis, it is well for you to remain as you are. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you marry, you do not sin, and if a virgin marries, she does not sin. Yet those who marry will experience distress in this life, and I would spare you that. I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

Matthew 6:25-34

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you-- you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.

Morning Psalms

Psalm 89: Part I Misericordias Domini
1   Your love, O LORD, for ever will I sing; from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
2   For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever; you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.
3   I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
4   'I will establish your line for ever, and preserve your throne for all generations.'"
5   The heavens bear witness to your wonders, O LORD, and to your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones;
6   For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? who is like the LORD among the gods?
7   God is much to be feared in the council of the holy ones, great and terrible to all those round about him.
8   Who is like you, LORD God of hosts? O mighty LORD, your faithfulness is all around you.
9   You rule the raging of the sea and still the surging of its waves.
10   You have crushed Rahab of the deep with a deadly wound; you have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11   Yours are the heavens; the earth also is yours; you laid the foundations of the world and all that is in it.
12   You have made the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your Name.
13   You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand and high is your right hand.
14   Righteousness and justice are the foundations of your throne; love and truth go before your face.
15   Happy are the people who know the festal shout! they walk, O LORD, in the light of your presence.
16   They rejoice daily in your Name; they are jubilant in your righteousness.
17   For you are the glory of their strength, and by your favor our might is exalted.
18   Truly, the LORD is our ruler; The Holy One of Israel is our King.

Evening Psalms

Psalm 89: Part II Tunc locutus es
19   You spoke once in vision and said to your faithful people: "I have set the crown upon a warrior and have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20   I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him.
21   My hand will hold him fast and my arm will make him strong.
22   No enemy shall deceive him, nor any wicked man bring him down.
23   I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.
24   My faithfulness and love shall be with him, and he shall be victorious through my Name.
25   I shall make his dominion extend from the Great Sea to the River.
26   He will say to me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.'
27   I will make him my firstborn and higher than the kings of the earth.
28   I will keep my love for him for ever, and my covenant will stand firm for him.
29   I will establish his line for ever and his throne as the days of heaven."
30   If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my judgments;
31   If they break my statutes and do not keep my commandments;
32   I will punish their transgressions with a rod and their iniquities with the lash;
33   But I will not take my love from him, nor let my faithfulness prove false.
34   I will not break my covenant, nor change what has gone out of my lips.
35   Once for all I have sworn by my holiness: 'I will not lie to David.
36   His line shall endure for ever and his throne as the sun before me;
37   It shall stand fast for evermore like the moon, the abiding witness in the sky.'"
38   But you have cast off and rejected your anointed; you have become enraged at him.
39   You have broken your covenant with your servant, defiled his crown, and hurled it to the ground.
40   You have breached all his walls and laid his strongholds in ruins.
41   All who pass by despoil him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
42   You have exalted the right hand of his foes and made all his enemies rejoice.
43   You have turned back the edge of his sword and have not sustained him in battle.
44   You have put an end to his splendor and cast his throne to the ground.
45   You have cut short the days of his youth and have covered him with shame.
46   How long will you hide yourself, O LORD? will you hide yourself for ever? how long will your anger burn like fire?
47   Remember, LORD, how short life is, how frail you have made all flesh.
48   Who can live and not see death? who can save himself from the power of the grave?
49   Where, Lord, are your loving-kindnesses of old, which you promised David in your faithfulness?
50   Remember, Lord, how your servant is mocked, how I carry in my bosom the taunts of many peoples,
51   The taunts your enemies have hurled, O LORD, which they hurled at the heels of your anointed.
52   Blessed be the LORD for evermore! Amen, I say, Amen.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.

Prayer of the Day for MONDAY, October 2, 2017

Heavenly Lord, no matter what I do or which way I turn, my pride raises its ugly head to damage my life. It tells me that my opinions are correct, no matter how ill-informed I might be. I fail to appreciate my stupidity, my weakness, my self-deception and rationalization for my many errors and shortcomings. Help me, O Holy Spirit, to see my fault. Instruct me in my error and support me in my efforts to follow your commandments; for I truly love you, Lord God, and want to grow in service and faith. In the name of Christ, forgive me and bring me closer.

Amen.

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, October 2, 2017

Proverbs 29:25 (NIV) Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

Read all of Proverbs 29

Listen to Proverbs 29

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Morning Devotions with Cap'n Kenny - Live Quietly

Live Quietly

Aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, . . . so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

~ 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (ESV)

Like most of what the New Testament tells us to do — 1 Thess. 4:11 is counter-intuitive. It teaches us the opposite of the lessons that society, the world, and our innate desires for success in the world teach us.

First: “Live quietly.”

Life teaches us to “live noisily,” to complain loudly, to argue vehemently about the things of the world. It teaches us that those who make the greatest public stir also get the most power, money, and prestige. We admire celebrities, political and social leaders, larger-than-life public figures — in other words, we most admire those who live “noisily.”

Shouting about political issues is a lesson that the world teaches us. It is not a lesson that the Bible teaches us. In fact, if we read any of the Gospels with an open mind, Christ’s rejection of politics as a path to salvation (of ourselves or others) is clear and marked.

Most people understand, at least in an academic sense, the message of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. Ironically, much of the crowd thought that He was the messiah who would overthrow Rome, clean house in the Sanhedrin, and restore Israel to the glory of King David. How disappointed they must have been when He just allowed Himself to be executed without a fight!

Nor would he allow his disciples to lash out in His defense. He markedly rebuked Peter for raising a sword at the time of his arrest.

And concerning His verbal teachings, His only comments on political action were such statements as “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s” and (through the voices of Paul and Peter) “be subject to the governing authorities.” His harsh words were reserved for hypocritical religious doctrine and for those who would not accept Him as Christ.

So, “Live quietly.” Paul really should not have to say this, since the enormous emphasis on humility, in the teachings of Jesus Christ, should lead us to it. But it is a lesson that people do not want to hear and one widely ignored by many Christians.

“Mind you own affairs.” No real explication of this phrase is necessary. Living it, when our natural instincts tell us to voice our opinions about all kinds of affairs not our own, is another matter.

I will skip over “work with your hands,” in the interest of time. We should make our living, as best we are able, by productive work. There is surely no sin in accepting charity, for those who need help. But the phrase does raise knotty issues concerning career choices.

The telling phrase is “that you may walk properly before outsiders,” for it gives us the reason that we aspire to live quietly. What is the Christian’s primary duty to the non-Christian? Our commission from Christ is to spread the Gospel. Is it so hard to see that we injure the Great Commission when we equate politics, or any other exercise of coercive worldly power, with Christianity?

Lord, grant that I may always seek to live quietly and mind my own affairs. Amen.

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny


Seeking God?
Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ.

Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Devotion shared by Mason Barge, Editor, Daily Prayer
Life teaches us to “live noisily,” to complain loudly, to argue vehemently about the things of the world.

A Word with You - God All Over Your Day

God All Over Your Day

When I'm on the road and staying in a motel, I'm often leaving pretty early that day for the responsibilities I have. But by the time I return late that night, something amazing has happened. The bed is made and I didn't make it! I've got new, clean towels! I didn't find them. Everything's straightened and neat. I even get these cool little soaps now that are in the bathroom! The Room Fairy has been there! Now, I know that not because I've seen the maid (actually I haven't), but because I can see the results of her work all over the place.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "God All Over Your Day."

He is, you know. It's not unlike that maid scenario. You may not see the one who made the difference, but you can sure see the difference that He made, if you're looking for it.

If you've ever been to one of those church meetings where they ask people to share their favorite verses, you've probably heard somebody mention our word for today from the Word of God. It's a lot of people's favorite verse. Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Notice what's the opposite of trusting in the Lord with all your heart: trying to figure it out for yourself, doing what you think is best - leaning on your own understanding.

Now comes a formula for finding out what God wants you to do in any given situation. Well, we need that. Verse 6 says, "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." Now, God says, "If you want to know My heart for you, acknowledge Me in every situation you're in." You know what acknowledge means. Have you ever been in a new place or a roomful of people and you've gone totally un-greeted, un-noticed? Well, you were saying to yourself, "Hey, I wish someone would acknowledge me. I wish someone would notice I'm here." See, God knows that feeling. He shows up all through our day, and we often never notice Him. We don't acknowledge Him.

The other day I was really blessed in a place not normally associated with blessing-the dentist's office. I was in the waiting room and I saw an old friend with his wife-they're both in their 90's. He's working very hard to care for his wife because her health is deteriorating. Because it had been raining when they came in, my friend asked the dentist if he could help him get his wife out to the car. My dentist came back in, really touched by what had happened in those two minutes-so touched that he brought it up two more times. He said, "When I went out with George and his wife, it wasn't raining. And George said, 'Isn't it great that the Lord stopped the rain long enough for us to get out to the car?' Then he just looked heavenward and said, 'Thanks, Father.'"

Now that's acknowledging Him. That's noticing God's working in the details of your day. And that's where praise comes from, where joy comes from, where a victorious attitude comes from in the toughest of times. But you have to go into your day looking for God at work. If you don't, you'll miss God and you'll miss the joy. But if you do train your heart to go on a daily God-hunt (God-sightings, you know), you'll experience what the great preacher Charles Spurgeon talked about when he said, "He who looks for providences (or God-actions) will never lack a providence to observe."

If you haven't been seeing God a lot lately, it's because you haven't been looking. You may have been focused on your circumstances, or other people, or yourself or what's stressing you out. You've missed the fingerprints of God all over your day. The little mercies, the small miracles, the interventions, the protection, the encouraging surprises, the bad things that didn't happen. I know there's never a day where He doesn't show up because the Bible says His "mercies are new every morning!"

In those transformed motel rooms, I seldom see the maid, but I see the results of her work. In the little and big moments of your day, you may not see God, but you can see the results of His work on your behalf because you're His much-loved child. You'll see God all over your day if you're looking for Him.

Un Dia a la Vez - Dominio propio

Dominio propio

Porque no nos ha dado Dios espíritu de cobardía, sino de poder, de amor y de dominio propio.

~ 2 Timoteo 1:7, RV-60

Creo que lo más difícil para cualquier ser humano es el dominio propio. Es decir, controlar los deseos, las cosas nocivas y las que más nos gustan. Por diferentes razones, y debido a que somos débiles, no tenemos una razón por la cual renunciar a algo que no es bueno para nosotros.

También es posible que el problema esté en que no tengamos motivación para hacer cambios. Sin embargo, cuando tenemos temor de Dios, esa lucha se hace aun más difícil porque queremos cumplirle. Entonces, si le fallamos, nos sentimos muy mal con Él.

Déjame aclararte que el domino propio no necesariamente es útil para abandonar una falta grave. Puede ayudarnos en otras cosas como trabajar en exceso, comer sin control, fumar, beber y descuidar a la familia. Asimismo, es conveniente para la gente que va al gimnasio, pero no por salud ni por deporte, sino porque idolatra su cuerpo. En fin, el dominio propio les resulta provechoso también a los compradores compulsivos y los malos administradores del dinero.

Todos estos ejemplos que menciono quizá te identifiquen y no es que seas una mala persona, ni que te desprecie Dios. Todo lo contrario. Dios es tu Padre y te ama. A Él le interesa que seas feliz y una persona equilibrada en todo lo que haces.

Así que ahora quiero hacerte la pregunta del millón: «¿Cómo lo logras?». Depende de ti, pues si quieres ver un cambio, la oración es más que suficiente para respaldar tu decisión.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón

Standing Strong Through the Storm - October 02, 2017

FORGIVE YOUR ENEMIES

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

~ Mark 11:25 (NIV)

Hatred of her enemies is something Takoosh Hovsepian, the wife of an Iranian pastor murdered in 1994 no longer has. She says: “I’ve learned a lesson at God’s University about how to love your enemies.”

As a teenager, Takoosh prayed that she might be allowed to marry a pastor, so that she could spend her life in the service of God. Her wish was fulfilled, but the way would not be easy.

Her husband, Pastor Haik Hovsepian, was forty-eight years old when one day he did not come home. After twelve days, it became apparent that he had been killed at the behest of the Iranian government. About that time, four other Iranian pastors were also murdered in a cowardly way. They refused to sign an official declaration that they would not evangelize among Muslims.

In Iran, ninety-eight percent of the population is Muslim. After the Islamic Revolution of 1979 in particular, the problems for Christians became increasingly great.

Takoosh says, “During the revolution, hundreds of people threatened to set fire to the churches, which fortunately did not happen. The Islamic government does not want Muslims to go to church and evangelism among them is forbidden.”

Pastor Hovsepian held important positions in the Iranian Church. On various occasions, he stated that he was willing to go to the utmost for his faith and for the church. His wife reflects, “Haik repeatedly said, ‘We don’t have to be afraid. We must trust in God.’ But in my heart, I was afraid. Haik was full of love for people, even for his Muslim neighbours. They were welcome at the church; they knew that he would help them even in times of difficulty.”

The day that Haik left to collect a friend from the airport and never came back is deeply engraved on the memory of the widow and her children. At the police station, the eldest son, Joseph, was only shown a photo of his father. According to the police, the body of Pastor Hovsepian had been found in an alleyway in Teheran.

Takoosh says, “I only had hatred in my heart, hatred for my enemies who had murdered Haik. I was not able to forgive them. I prayed with my lips, ‘God, give me the strength to forgive,’ but before I prayed, in my imagination I saw myself throwing mud at them. But one day a miracle happened. God taught me how I could forgive my enemies. I was asking for something which on the deepest level I did not want to ask for. But gradually, in a process of ups and downs which took months, God gave me the strength to pray more and more with my heart for those who had murdered my husband. God answered this prayer.

“Then I was no longer praying only with my lips, but from the depths of my heart. I had learned not only to trust in God and to lean on Him, but also how I can forgive my enemies.”

RESPONSE: Today I will forgive offences against me so God will forgive my sins.

PRAYER: Pray for many Christian brothers and sisters of the persecuted church who have difficulty forgiving those who hurt them or their family.

Women of the Bible - October 02, 2017

The Woman with the Issue of Blood

Her character: So desperate for healing, she ignored the conventions of the day for the chance to touch Jesus.
Her sorrow: To have suffered a chronic illness that isolated her from others.
Her joy: That after long years of suffering, she finally found peace and freedom.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48

Her Story

The woman hovered at the edge of the crowd. Nobody watched as she melted into the throng of bodies—just one more bee entering the hive. Her shame faded, replaced by a rush of relief. No one had prevented her from joining in. No one had recoiled at her touch.

She pressed closer, but a noisy swarm of men still blocked her view. She could hear Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, raising his voice above the others, pleading with Jesus to come and heal his daughter before it was too late.

Suddenly the group in front of her shifted, parting like the waters of the Jordan before the children of promise. It was all she needed. Her arm darted through the opening, fingers brushing the hem of his garment. Instantly, she felt a warmth spread through her, flushing out the pain, clearing out the decay. Her skin prickled and shivered. She felt strong and able, like a young girl coming into her own—so glad and giddy, in fact, that her feet wanted to rush her away before she created a spectacle by laughing out loud at her quiet miracle.

But Jesus blocked her escape and silenced the crowd with a curious question: "Who touched me?"

"Who touched him? He must be joking!" voices murmured. "People are pushing and shoving just to get near him!"

Shaking now, the woman fell at his feet: "For twelve years, I have been hemorrhaging and have spent all my money on doctors but only grown worse. Today, I knew that if I could just touch your garment, I would be healed." But touching, she knew, meant spreading her defilement—even to the rabbi.

Twelve years of loneliness. Twelve years in which physicians had bled her of all her money. Her private affliction becoming a matter of public record. Every cup she handled, every chair she sat on could transmit defilement to others. Even though her impurity was considered a ritual matter rather than an ethical one, it had rendered her an outcast, making it impossible for her to live with a husband, bear a child, or enjoy the intimacy of friends and family. Surely the rabbi would censure her.

But instead of scolding and shaming her, Jesus praised her: "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

His words must have been like water breaching a dam, breaking through her isolation and setting her free. He had addressed her not harshly, but tenderly—not as "woman" or "sinner," but rather as "daughter." She was no longer alone, but part of his family by virtue of her faith.

That day, countless men and women had brushed against Jesus, but only one had truly touched him. And instead of being defiled by contact with her, his own touch had proven the more contagious, rendering her pure and whole again.

Her Promise

God promises to heal us. That statement may seem to fly in the face of the many who have suffered from illness and disability for years on end, but we need to remember that our concept of healing is not necessarily the same as God's. For some, healing may not take place here on earth. True healing—the healing that will cure even those who don't suffer from any particular physical ailment here on earth—will take place not here but in heaven. There, God promises the ultimate healing from our sickness, our disabilities, our inclination to sin.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.

Girlfriends in God - October 02, 2017

When It Never Feels Like Enough

Kathi Lipp

Today’s Truth

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

~ John 14:27 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

As I stand in the middle of Sur La Table, my favorite kitchen store, I pass over the cookware and utensils that beckon me (I’m a sucker for kitchen gadgets.) and head straight for the cookbook I came to get. It’s my stepson’s birthday. Jeremy is a talented chef and I know that the new Alton Brown cookbook will be exactly what he wants.

But then, right there in the middle of the store, I start to panic. Will it be enough?

Will it be enough to show Jeremy how much we love him? Step-relationships can be tricky, and I want to make sure that Jeremy knows he is a priority for me. Will this cookbook, along with the party and the other gift, be enough for him? I start to doubt myself and the book I hold in my hand. So, I start marching around the store, throwing utensils and towels into my basket so that I can make sure the gift looks like enough.

This has been a common theme throughout my life—feeling like not enough. And when I’m feeling like I’m not enough, I hustle by doing more, buying more and trying to be more than I am to make up for my lack of “enough.”

But hustle is the world’s answer to fear: work harder, do more, buy more and you will feel okay.

God’s answer to fear is dramatically different: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2 NIV) God wants us to reject what the world thinks—that hustle is what will get us peace—and instead renew our minds. God knows that the world’s pattern will never lead to peace, only the radical, counter-cultural act of replacing our worldly thoughts with His thoughts.

So, when the ugly, broken thoughts of being not enough start to invade my thinking (and my shopping cart) I need to break those patterns of thinking and replace them with these truths:

• The goal of giving gifts is celebrating the person, not building the relationship.
• It is presence, not presents, that builds relationships.
• I will never become more by buying more.
• God has promised He will provide everything I need. I don’t have to hustle when I’m in God’s perfect plan.

God says we are already enough, not because of who we are but because of who He is.

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, thank you for being more than enough for me, in my life, in my day and in my relationships. Let me always look to You when I am feeling less than enough.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Are there areas of your life where you overspend or overdo because you feel less than enough? What is one step of faith that you could take (A week-long spending fast? Taking two to-dos off your calendar?) to trust in God more when fear rises up?

More from the Girlfriends

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