WATCHWORD:
“…teaching them to observe all I have commanded you. And remember! I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:10
Meditation:
He Is Here
She started to dash across the street without looking and the car missed her by inches. The vaccine could take two to five years to develop, yet, here we are. You stand in line at the funeral struggling to find the right words, offer a prayer, and God-inspired words flow, and your friend is comforted. You paused at the intersection of a county road and a busy state highway. Limited visibility in both directions. You start to pull out and suddenly braked, the semi zooms by, missing your car by less than a foot.
You are in a remote part of the Gunnison National Forest of Colorado following one of the many trout streams. You hear sobbing, and there is a child, 10-years-old or so, lost from his family. You lead him back to a joyous family reunion. You learn there were over 300 searchers trying to find the boy, but you were there. You are the mother or the grandmother of young children, therefore, you are witness to God’s great love in your everyday life. Those moments of loneliness and uncertainty, that somehow dissolve into peace. The wee small voice deep in your mind, providing guidance in the eye of the storm. Can you hear it? Do you see it? Do you feel it?
Interventions by God? Most assuredly. Is He always there? Again, most assuredly. In 2 Chronicles, we read “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth…” Yes, He is there in the big headline moments, and the tiny blinks of the eye that makes a difference in our lives. We are loved and protected far beyond our limited understanding or our vision. Are we distracted or unfocused and therefore blind to all the graces that fall around us? Sometimes those graces take us where we would rather not go. Blessings that feel like adversity. Still, God is in all of these, and we thank Jesus.
In Genesis 3:15 we read that God promised that He would send a Savior to crush the devil. Do you believe and trust Him? And Jesus tells us, “And remember! I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Do you believe and trust Him? In your faith and belief, the Holy Spirit is there on the city street. The Holy Spirit there in the research labs. The Holy Spirit there in the funeral home, the county road, in a remote forest and in the ebb and flow of parenting. The Holy Spirit, the essence of God within and around us. Listen carefully and you will hear, “Fear not, for I am with you.” So be it.
Bulletin Board:
Five points of Spring:
- “Spring adds new life and new beauty to all that is.” — Jessica Harrelson
- “In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.” — Mark Twain
- “April hath put a spirit of youth in everything. (Sonnet XCVIII)” —
- Which crime-fighter likes spring the most? Robin
- Which month can’t make a decision? MAYbe.
Closing Prayer:
- Heavenly Father, help me through all of my days. Teach me not to worry. Remind me to not be anxious. As it says in Philippians ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.’ I am making my requests known to you right now. I need help. I need you. Precious Lord, I come before you. I am laying my fear and anxiety at your feet. I ask that you help me get through all of the doubts and fears when I feel as if I am being crushed. Remind me that you are a powerful God. Remind me that I can trust in you. I know I can’t do this on my own. I need you. In the matchless name of Jesus I pray. Amen
