The Daily Readings for FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

Paul’s First Missionary Journey through Perga and Pisidian Antioch
Acts 13:13-25

The Daily Readings

FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

Old Testament

Job 19:1-7, 14-27
Job Replies: I Know That My Redeemer Lives
19:1 Then Job answered:

2 “How long will you torment me,
    and break me in pieces with words?
3 These ten times you have cast reproach upon me;
    are you not ashamed to wrong me?
4 And even if it is true that I have erred,
    my error remains with me.
5 If indeed you magnify yourselves against me,
    and make my humiliation an argument against me,
6 know then that God has put me in the wrong,
    and closed his net around me.
7 Even when I cry out, ‘Violence!’ I am not answered;
    I call aloud, but there is no justice.

14 My relatives and my close friends have failed me;
15     the guests in my house have forgotten me;
my serving girls count me as a stranger;
    I have become an alien in their eyes.
16 I call to my servant, but he gives me no answer;
    I must myself plead with him.
17 My breath is repulsive to my wife;
    I am loathsome to my own family.
18 Even young children despise me;
    when I rise, they talk against me.
19 All my intimate friends abhor me,
    and those whom I loved have turned against me.
20 My bones cling to my skin and to my flesh,
    and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.
21 Have pity on me, have pity on me, O you my friends,
    for the hand of God has touched me!
22 Why do you, like God, pursue me,
    never satisfied with my flesh?

23 “O that my words were written down!
    O that they were inscribed in a book!
24 O that with an iron pen and with lead
    they were engraved on a rock forever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
    and that at the last he will stand upon the earth;
26 and after my skin has been thus destroyed,
    then in my flesh I shall see God,
27 whom I shall see on my side,
    and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
    My heart faints within me!

The Epistle

Acts 13:13-25
Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pisidia
13:13 Then Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem; 14 but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading of the law and the prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent them a message, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, give it.” 16 So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak:

“You Israelites, and others who fear God, listen. 17 The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. 18 For about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. 19 After he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance 20 for about four hundred fifty years. After that he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel. 21 Then they asked for a king; and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years. 22 When he had removed him, he made David their king. In his testimony about him he said, ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man after my heart, who will carry out all my wishes.’ 23 Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised; 24 before his coming John had already proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John was finishing his work, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but one is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of the sandals on his feet.’

The Gospel

John 9:18-41
9:18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28 Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.

Spiritual Blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
Then Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia.

The Morning Prayer for FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

Friday morning prayer

Lord on this day I am aware of the troubles and darkness in our world. Please come and lead me in prayers for my community, my nation and the world. You are the light that shines in the bleakest times, let your Kingdom be built on earth. May those who suffer be comforted, may those who are at war search for peace, and may those who are in pain find healing.

May Friday be a thoughtful day when Your Spirit leads my prayer. I trust each trouble small and wide, with faith into Your care. Let Friday always prompt my heart to stand upon the truth. Darkness has been overcome the Earth belongs to You.

Amen

Verse of the Day for FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV) Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Read all of Matthew 28

Listen to Matthew 28

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

Un dia a la Vez - Una nueva oportunidad: Testimonio de sanidad (primera parte)

Una nueva oportunidad: Testimonio de sanidad

(primera parte)

En mi angustia invoqué al Señor; clamé a mi Dios, y él me escuchó desde su templo; ¡mi clamor llegó a sus oídos!

~ Salmo 18:6 (NVI)

El mes de septiembre quedó marcado para siempre en mí, pues en un mes como este Dios me sanó de una grave enfermedad. Durante esa prueba, mi vida estuvo al borde de la muerte y pude comprender muchas cosas que vivo ahora: Disfrutar mi familia día a día, ser consciente que mi vida está en manos de Dios, que todo puede cambiar en un abrir y cerrar de ojos y que hoy estoy bien y mañana quizá no lo esté.

Esto nunca pasó por mi mente. Ni siquiera consideré que estaría casi cinco meses fuera de mi trabajo. Mis princesas tampoco se imaginaron jamás que una operación de colon se convirtiera en una pesadilla al ver a su mamá en una condición tan crítica por un mes y medio en el hospital, con ocho recaídas que significaron ocho veces más en el hospital y dos años de recuperación.

Hoy agradezco a mi Dios por sus cuidados. Mis hijas también valoran más a su mami y testifican que, a pesar de lo traumático que vivieron, saben que Dios me sanó y cuidó de ellas en esos días sombríos.

Además, pude experimentar el poder de la oración. Así que, debido a la oportunidad que tengo de escribir este libro, puedo agradecerles a cada uno de mis oyentes y familiares que alzaron una voz de clamor… ¡Gracias!

Cada prueba que vivas te hace crecer como persona. Maduras y aprendes una lección de vida. Por eso quiero repetirte la frase que aprendí de mi cuñado, el pastor Fernando García: «Dios es bueno todo el tiempo, todo el tiempo bueno es Dios».

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
El mes de septiembre quedó marcado para siempre en mí, pues en un mes como este Dios me sanó de una grave enfermedad.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - FORGIVENESS IS NOT AN OPTION

FORGIVENESS IS NOT AN OPTION

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)

Our founder, Brother Andrew, says, “Forgiveness is the very core of the gospel message. I am a Christian only because God forgave me everything. There is no other ground on which to stand…not my repentance, not my praying the sinner’s prayer. Nothing made me a child of God except God forgave. And He did it two thousand years ago through Jesus on the cross. Jesus took all that sin and nailed it to the cross and He says, ‘Now, go, and put it into practice.’”

Poso, Indonesia is a beautiful place on a central island of the country. There we meet an elderly, physically weak, Christian mother who shares through her tears the tragedy that befell her seventeen-year-old daughter Alfita in 2005.

“My daughter Alfita was so beautiful. She loved Jesus, and she loved to sing. She loved spending time with her friends. One day, Alfita and three of her friends were walking to school. They always took a path that went deep into the jungle, far away from our village. Along the path grew beautiful flowers and my daughter loved flowers. That day, she and her friends, Theresia, Yarni, and Noviana stopped to pick flowers for their hair…”

The girls were all from Christian families. Three young Muslim men were waiting on the jungle path and savagely beheaded three of the girls including Alfita. The fourth girl, Noviana, survived her machete wounds.

The three men were tried for murder in the capital, Jakarta. Noviana and the families in question had to make witness statements. However, they first shook the hands of the murderers as a sign of forgiveness. Two years later, the suspects were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment.

The request for forgiveness came from one of the murderers. “It was very difficult to comply with this request,” said the older brother of Noviana. “But we wanted to keep to Jesus’ teaching and because of this, we are able to forgive. We hope that our step will also restore the peace in our town of Poso in Central Sulawesi.”

The family members prefer not to talk about the day itself. During the hearing, Noviana again had to see pictures of her beheaded friends and answer questions by the prosecutors and lawyers.

Alfita’s mother was severely traumatized by the murder of her daughter. She concludes, “All I could do was ask God for His peace, the peace that cannot be explained, that comes from trusting in Him. At the funeral He gave me that peace. Even though Alfita was brutally killed, I knew that she was safe in God’s arms in heaven…After that, when I knew God’s comfort in my heart, I was finally able to do as God commanded…so I let go of my right for revenge. I’m not bitter. I’ve forgiven the murderers and asked God to forgive them. I’ve prayed that they will realize what they’ve done.”

RESPONSE: Today I will confront my own trials and forgive those against whom I am holding anything.

PRAYER: Pray for complete healing of the trauma in the lives of these four families in Indonesia.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

Men of the Bible - Jonah

Jonah

His name means: "A Dove"

His work: He was a northern kingdom prophet.
His character: Jonah must have been a gifted communicator. Why else would God choose him to preach repentance and grace to the pagan city of Nineveh? But Jonah was a proud man, a rebellious prophet, and a sulker.
His sorrow: Jonah was sad that the Ninevites had repented and that God had granted them mercy. Jonah would have preferred seeing these pagans punished for their sinfulness.
His triumph: That God had spared his life from the belly of the fish.
Key Scriptures: The book of Jonah; Matthew 12:38-41

A Look at the Man

Prophets often scandalized God's people, ill-prepared as they were to hear the unvarnished truth about their spiritual condition. But in Jonah's case it was the prophet who was scandalized, not by another prophet, but by God himself. For one day he heard God issue an incredible command: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."

Could God possibly mean it? It was one thing to endure mockery and ridicule from your own people whenever you preached repentance, but going to the capital city of Assyria was dangerous, perhaps deadly. The Ninevites, after all, were a violent and ruthless people who had already brutalized many Israelites. What's more, Jonah despised them. So, like a rebellious teenager, he ran away, except that he wasn't fleeing his parents, he was running from the Creator of the universe.

But, as Jonah soon discovered, you can't outrun God. Instead, he found himself surrounded by the entrails of a great fish. There in the darkness, Jonah was ready to pray.

"In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help and you listened to my cry…. You brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God…. Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good."

From inside the fish, Jonah was calling his fear, his defiance, his pride, and his willful disobedience by a new name: "idols." And he was identifying the ship, the storm, and the fish as something they had never been called before: "grace." And once Jonah acknowledged these truths, God gave him another chance to obey, and the great fish vomited Jonah onto dry land. Even though Nineveh was probably more than five hundred miles away, Jonah headed for the city.

In the same way he had prepared the fish to swallow the prophet, God prepared the people for Jonah's message. "The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth to show their sorrow for their sin."

But now, instead of rejoicing at the way God had used him, Jonah acted like a spoiled child. Although he had taken God's message to the Assyrian capital city, he had no mercy for the people himself. He would have much rather watched Nineveh burn than have seen its people repent and avert God's judgment. He believed God's gift of grace belonged exclusively to his own countrymen.

How little did Jonah perceive the nature and intentions of the living God for whom he spoke. His running and his sulking demonstrate how little he understood about God's great compassion and his desire to forgive anyone who repents of his or her sins.

Reflect On: Jonah 2
Praise God: For his grace—in its many forms.
Offer Thanks: For God’s call on your life and his willingness to make certain that you hear his voice.
Confess: Your own foolishness and rebellion, remembering that nothing escapes his watchful eye.
Ask God: To fill you with a renewed gratitude for his presence and love for the lost.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (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.
Jonah must have been a gifted communicator.

Girlfriends in God - When You Don’t Feel Jesus’ Presence

When You Don’t Feel Jesus’ Presence

Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth

“I will never fail you. I will never abandon you,” 

~ Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)

Friend to Friend

Have you ever felt like Jesus was on vacation or lost your address? Have you ever cried out, “God, where are you?”

A crisis of belief occurs for most of us during difficult situations. We know that God is all-powerful and could rescue, heal, or save us at any time. So we tend to feel abandoned or duped when He doesn’t.

And you can bet your bottom dollar, Satan is going to be waiting in the wings to whisper doubts in your ear. He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for just the right moment to discourage the wounded believer (1 Peter 5:8). He looks for the opportune time to trip you up and bring you down (Luke 4:13).

But even if you don’t feel Jesus’ presence in your life, He is still there.

The same day that Peter and John discovered the empty tomb, two of the disciples were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As the sacred city lay behind them, so did their hopes and dreams. While discussing the tragic events of the past weekend, another man appeared and began to walk alongside them.

“What are you talking about?” the man asked.

“Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know about what happened over the past few days?”

“What things?” the man asked.

Then the two disciples gave the traveler a blow-by-blow account of Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, burial, and disappearance from the tomb. Their eyes were blinded by despair and they didn’t realize that their hope was walking right alongside them. All they saw was the tragedy, but they missed seeing Jesus walking on the dusty road with them.

Perhaps you’ve traveled down your own dusty road to Emmaus with circumstances leaving you confused, troubled, and depressed. Perhaps you have been discouraged and wondered: Where in the world is Jesus anyway?

If so, remember this my friend, just because we cannot see Jesus or sense His presence, that does not mean He is absent. Just because we can’t see Him working does not mean that He isn’t.

He is walking the path with you (Matthew 28:20).

He is praying for you (Hebrews 7:25).

He is working on your behalf (John 5:17).

Jesus assures us with these words: “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 NLT).

He gave His word. He gave His life.

Let’s Pray

Jesus, thank You for always being with me, for praying for me, and for working on my behalf. Help me to not lose heart when times get tough and the road gets rough. Thank You for never leaving me…no matter what.
In Your Name I pray,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

When is one time you truly felt God’s presence?

Read and record the three verses about Jesus’ presence with you in today’s devotion. Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 7:25, John 5:17

More From the Girlfriends

There is so much power in your story! If you would like to learn more about how to turn your pain into purpose, your messes into your message, and your hurt into hope, check out my book, Your Scars are Beautiful to God: Finding Peace and Purpose in the Hurts of Your Past.True freedom comes when you use what you have gone through to minister to someone else. Also, if you have a wound that is yet to heal and become a scar, this resource will help you in that area as well.

Seeking God?

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

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

www.girlfriendsingod.com

Have you ever felt like Jesus was on vacation or lost your address?

LHM Daily Devotions - Be Realistic!

"Be Realistic!"

Sep. 7, 2018

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

~ 1 Peter 2:9-10 (ESV)

A ragged poster thumb-tacked behind the cash register in a variety store near my home shows a bedraggled cartoon character complaining, "I've been yelled at cheated, swindled, cussed, and beaten up. The only reason I stick around is to see what will happen next."

Probably all of us have felt a little like this at times. Sadly though, for some people such cynicism has become a way of life. Satan, salesman that he is, convinces even some of God's people to adopt such a negative life-view.

"Be realistic," the devil coos smoothly. "This situation is impossible. No one could have peace in such circumstances. No one could feel joyful now. No one could claim to live victoriously under these conditions."

How do we counter the devil's offensives? How do we answer his challenges? How do we beat his powerful temptations to negativism, fear, depression, and defeat? Strangely enough, the answer lies precisely in being realistic.

We need to look realistically at who and what we are by faith in Christ Jesus. We're not the weak, rejected, unloved wretches Satan would have us believe. We're sons and daughters of the King of kings. We're chosen, precious, gifted by His grace. The same Holy Spirit who empowered our Lord Jesus Himself when our Savior walked upon the earth lives right inside us! Jesus defeated death, hell, sin, and Satan -- and He shares His victory with us.

Try reading 1 Peter 2:9-10 four or five times every morning and evening for a week. Think realistically about what our Lord tells us concerning our relationship with Him, our standing before Him.

Next, be realistic about God's willingness to act on your behalf as His child. As Christians we need not allow our feelings to be blown back and forth in the changing winds of outside circumstances. Someone has counted over 32,000 promises God makes to His people in His Word. Find one or more that apply to the difficulties you face. Then read them often each day. Turn them over in your mind. Talk to God about them. Remind Him of what He has promised to do for you.

Worry is nothing less than meditating on Satan's lies about what might happen or what could happen or what looks likely to happen. We need to fill our minds with the truth of God's promises to His children. We need to praise Him for the realistic hope that is ours because He does indeed keep every one of His great and precious promises.

At times we may not feel like focusing on God's Word; we may not feel like praising Him or speaking to Him in prayer. But with the Spirit's power, we can respond in obedience to His prompting. Feelings will follow actions. And when we fill our hearts with His Word, God promises that His peace will guard, watch over, and protect our hearts and minds, our thoughts and emotions. We can look at things realistically -- truly, realistically.

THE PRAYER: Lord, remind us to be realistic to Your Word. You have given us strength and power through Your Holy Spirit to overcome our flesh and keep our mind stayed on You. Thank You for Your great promises. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.


In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus

From The Lutheran Layman, January 1983 issue, "Be Realistic" by Jane L. Fryer.
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
I've been yelled at cheated, swindled, cussed, and beaten up. The only reason I stick around is to see what will happen next.

Devocional del CPTLN del 07 de septiembre de 2018 - ¿En quién confía?

ALIMENTO DIARIO

¿En quién confía?

07 de Setiembre de 2018

El que atiende a la palabra, halla el bien; ¡dichoso aquél que confía en el Señor!

~ Proverbios 16:20 (RVC)

¿Alguna vez se ha preguntado: "¿Quién soy? ¿Para qué nací? ¿Qué estoy haciendo aquí? ¿Hacia dónde voy?"

La vida puede estar llena de esa clase de preguntas. Es más, a veces esos cuestionamientos pueden llegar a ser abrumadores. Quizás haya momentos en los que usted se sienta impotente, inútil, o se pregunte qué sentido tiene su vida. Para todas estas preguntas el mundo tiene docenas de respuestas... respuestas que, al mismo tiempo, no son respuesta.

Por ejemplo, la sociedad dice que lo que más importa es hacer dinero, o ser famoso, o tener los electrónicos más avanzados, en fin, todo ese tipo de cosas.

Pero, por más que tengamos todas esas cosas, nuestras preguntas quedan sin contestar. Porque, en definitiva, lo único que importa es el amor. Y Dios tiene más amor del que nos podemos imaginar.

El amor de Dios por usted comenzó cuando creó al mundo, continúa hoy en su vida y va a seguir existiendo hasta que lo reciba en su brazos celestiales. "Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que ha dado a su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que en él cree no se pierda, sino que tenga vida eterna" (Juan 3:16).

Ponga su vida en manos de Jesús. Sólo él es la respuesta a los deseos de su corazón.

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, ayúdame a depositar mi confianza en ti. Crea en mi la fe que me recuerde cada mañana la promesa de la salvación que me has dado a través de tu hijo Jesucristo, mi Señor y Salvador. Amén.

Biografía del autor: Esta devoción fue escrita por un miembro del equipo voluntario de Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones en China. A través del Consejo Cristiano de China (CCC) CPTLN comparte el Evangelio en ese país primeramente a través de materiales impresos y en audio.

© Copyright 2018 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Alguna vez se ha preguntado: "¿Quién soy? ¿Para qué nací? ¿Qué estoy haciendo aquí? ¿Hacia dónde voy?"

Хліб Наш Насущній - Незмінна любов

Незмінна любов

Читати: Псалом 103:13-22 | Біблія за рік: Приповістей 1−2 ; 1 Коринтян 16

Завантажити MP3

Минається і світ, і його пожадливість, а хто Божу волю виконує, той повік пробуває! — 1 Івана 2:17

Під час навчання у середній школі я грав в університетській тенісній команді. Щоб покращувати свої гральні навички, я дуже багато часу проводив на двох бетонних майданчиках, розташованих за два квартали від мого дому.

Коли я останнього разу відвідав це місто, то перше, що зробив, – поїхав до цих тенісних майданчиків, щоб подивитись на гравців і на хвилинку поринути у спогади. Але ніде не було видно старих, до болю знайомих майданчиків. На тому місці був лише пустир, на якому подекуди мовчазно хиталась від вітру травичка.

Той день залишився у моїй пам’яті як суворе нагадування про короткочасність нашого життя. Одне з тих місць, де я колись виявляв найбільшу молодецьку силу, просто перестало існувати! Коли я пізніше розважав над цим сумним досвідом, то згадав одну істину, що її висловив цар Давид: “Чоловік − як трава дні його, немов цвіт польовий − так цвіте він, та вітер перейде над ним − і немає його, і вже місце його не пізнає його… А милість Господня від віку й до віку на тих, хто боїться Його, і правда Його – над синами синів” (Пс. 103:15-17).

Ми старішаємо. Змінюється і світ навколо. Але Божа любов до нас залишається незмінною. Тому можемо завжди вірити, що Господь попіклується про тих, хто звертаються до Нього.

Небесний Отче, дякую за Твою любов, яка ніколи не змінюється! Допоможи сьогодні відповісти на Твою любов вірним служінням Тобі.

В мінливому світі ми завжди можемо покладатися на незмінного Бога.

Автор Джеймс Бенкс

© 2018 Хліб Наш Насущній

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