WATCHWORD:
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
Be still and know that I Am God. Psalm 46:10a
Meditation:
Do Not Be Afraid
In a Jesus Calling recently, He tells us ‘do not be afraid, for I am with you’. He goes on to tell us that no matter what happens ‘I will never leave you or forsake you’. This is his assurance to us that we need to take in, let it soak into our minds and hearts and feel that sense of God’s peace flowing through us.
In Psalm 46 we read ‘though the earth giveaway and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, you need not fear’. That’s a big thing, not something to be minimized. Turn away from the bad news of the day that food will sicken us. Instead, focus on those things that the world may think of as unimportant or fickle. Let scripture saturate into your mind and your heart and ponder that, asking the Lord to provide you with the commentary. Even though we don’t know what will happen today as it unfolds, one thing we can be absolutely sure of is His promise to hold you by your right-hand, and in the end, he will take you into glory.
‘Peace, be still, do not be afraid, for I am with you’. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
Graham — As walls are closing in all around me, I look out at the sun pouring its warmth on creation. Already tree buds and blossoms are showing, the grass now is a brighter green and mowing in on the oft. Flowers are adding their vibrant colors to brighten not just what we see but what we feel. God’s Easter promise all will be made anew is there before us and all around us.
This poem from a booklet “Reflections”, prompted this note you:
Something of God pours into me.
From the blue of the sky above,
From the song of a bird,
from the red of a rose
to the touch of the hand I love,
Something of God pours into me,
From the ocean’s tidal roar,
as I stand alone on the wind-swept sand
and watch the seagulls soar.
Something of God pours into me,
from mountains capped with snow,
from the pine trees swaying gently,
as the summer breezes blow.
There’s something of God in everything
and in everyone we see,
I pray for the grace,
to see Him in others,
and hope they see Him in me!
Stan — That is so beautiful! Thank you, Graham. That poem does make me realize that we are an empty vessel that God fills with his Grace and Love. Our part is to pour that fullness, that Love, out onto others, with the conviction that we are not diminished in our pouring, but others are filled. Then, they, in turn…
Funny –
Father O’Malley answers the phone.
“Hello, is this Father O’Malley?”
“It is”
“This is the IRS. Can you help us?”
“I can”
“Do you know a Ted Houlihan?”
“I do”
“Is he a member of your congregation?”
“He is”
“Did he donate $10,000 to the church?”
“He will”
Amen!
Readers — God is with us. Share how He is blessing you. Let the Spirit in, don’t worry about spelling, grammar, etc., just get those thoughts to me and let me edit, and post them in your name, here.
Closing Prayer:
O, Heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, you have brought it safely to the beginning of this day; defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin or run into any danger, and that guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight. Throughout this day, help us to keep our minds on you, following your Will for our lives. Open our inner eyes to the power of this isolation gift that you have given to us. We offer all of these prayers in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
