|
Share a prayer request, your decision, seek counsel, or join our mailing list. |
"I meditate on all thy works."
|
In This IssueJuly, 2008, Volume 14.7 " Letter From The EditorIn a panic? Trust God for help.
|
by Linda Hull
|
Share a prayer request, your decision, seek counsel, or join our mailing list. |
"I meditate on all thy works."
|
In This IssueJuly, 2008, Volume 14.7 " Letter From The EditorIn a panic? Trust God for help.
|
Back to Words of Encouragement Home Page
|
"Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient; whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." 1 Peter 2:1-10
|
Letter from the Editor...
We all know what it's like to be in a panic. In fact many of us have experienced panic attacks or anxiety issues. Reading today's headlines is enough to send many straight under the covers until it all goes away! We live in scary times. With rising costs and rumors of more troubles ahead, and a Presidential election looming before us, we are realizing that we have no control over our circumstances. However, we know one who does, and that is our Lord. As followers of Jesus, we have the assurance of salvation, forgiveness of sin, grace and mercy and help in time of need. He is our advocate, interceding on our behalf before the Father. We need not fear for He is on our side. Let us put aside our pride and ask Him for help. Let us put aside our fear and trust Him to supply our need. His ways are best, so let us return to the Word and get understanding and encouragement to deal with life today.
IN THIS ISSUE
| The Consequences of Pride |
| Trust God |
| Musings: In Times of Trouble |
| Making Time for God by Nancy Twigg |
| Grandmother's Scrapbook: Strength for Today |
| Home School Tips |
| Thought Provokers |
| Recipe Corner |
Back to Words of Encouragement Home Page
Copyright © 2008 by Linda G. Hull
David was the greatest King of Israel, but he was a mere man. He made many mistakes and committed many sins against the Lord God Jehovah. Of all men, David should have known that without God he had no power and no might. He even wrote a song about God's deliverance in 2 Samuel 22:
"It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me and that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name. He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore." 2 Samuel 22:48-51
God soon reminded him that it is vain to trust in the works of men, even great ones. In greatness, pride is born. Left unchallenged, pride makes us think more highly of ourselves than we ought. It is a lie from Satan. For we should remember that our best efforts in God's eyes are as "filthy rags". We can take no credit for His works. David became prideful, and in his pride, he sinned a great sin that his people paid for with their lives.
David's Sin:
"And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, go, number Israel and Judah. For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people. And Joab said unto the king, now the Lord thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing? Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel." 2 Samuel 24:1-4
This same account is also found in 1 Chronicles 21 and mentions that Satan incited David to number the people. In 1 Chronicles, Joab reminds David that this action will be a trespass against God. For in Deuteronomy we read that Moses reminds the people that God has given them the land He promised and He has multiplied them as He promised. God does not go back on His word. We have seen that He has given David the kingdom and caused him to prevail against his enemies. God has done what David could not have done on his own. David's sin is that he sought to depend on the strength of his military might rather than trust God for deliverance.
David's Repentance:
"And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly." 2 Samuel 24:10-22
Our Lord always responds favorably when we humble ourselves and seek Him. He is willing to forgive and restore. David's greatness lies not in his victories, but in his willingness to humble himself and confess his sin. His admission of guilt paves the way for forgiveness. We too can be forgiven of our sin when we humble ourselves and confess. If we are sincere, then we will readily turn away from our sin.
The People's Consequence:
"...the word of the Lord came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, go and say unto David, thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me. And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man. So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand. And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, it is enough: stay now thine hand." 2 Samuel 24:11a-16a
Is there a time in your life where you have pled with the Lord to
"stay now thine hand?" When troubles have come, do we not say, "Lord, stay
thou hand? Have mercy upon us." We can learn a lesson from David
for it is better to place ourselves in His hands rather than the hands of men.
For our Lord is just, whereas men are cruel and vengeful. We will suffer
far less in the hands of our Lord for our misdeeds.
"And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house." 2 Samuel 24:17
Let us accept our Lord's consequences for sin with grace and mourning, as David did. When he realized his sin, he humbled himself and confessed it. In his repentance, he found favor again with God, and so can we.
If you are struggling to believe the truth and do not know Jesus as your Savior, then please go to Do you know for sure?
Back to #In This Issue
"Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies." Psalm 60:11-12
Hannah rejoices in the faithfulness of our Lord in a special prayer as we read in 1 Samuel 2:1-10:
"And Hannah prayed, and said, my heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
The bows of mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifted up.
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them.
He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed."
Hannah's prayer seems almost like a prophecy. She speaks of famine, of persecution, of poverty, of discouragement, of death. Her prayer is a testimony of our Lord's faithfulness to all who have need, not just to the barren woman. She recognizes that all of her needs were met in Him. With the birth of her son, her critic was silenced. The torment stopped. She who was set apart in her barrenness was now made rich and strong. Through her trials she continued to beseech the Lord for His deliverance. In His time, He brought rejoicing to her heart through His provision of a son.
Back to #In This Issue
"If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them." Jeremiah 18:8
MUSINGS... In times of
trouble
"...keep sound wisdom and discretion: so shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou salt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken." Proverbs 3:21b-26
"O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me." Psalm 139:1-5
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41:10
"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands." Psalm 138:7-8
"For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall." Isaiah 25:4
"For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not; I will help thee." Isaiah 41:13
CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD FOR HELP IN TIME OF NEED!
Back to #In This Issue
by Nancy Twigg
On a scale of one to ten, how’s your spiritual hunger level? Do you often find your spirit rumbling because your last spiritual nibble didn’t fill the bill? Does your relationship with God feel less like a hearty breakfast and more like a quick cup of coffee to go?
Unfortunately for many of us, spiritual snacking is the norm rather than the exception. We want to connect with God, but our schedules are so full that a quick prayer or an occasional glance at the Scriptures is all we can manage. We know we need a balanced diet for our spirits, yet we just can’t seem to find time to make it happen.
Is it possible to be too busy for God? Our adversary loves to make us think so. Keeping us too occupied to connect with God is one of his favorite tricks. It doesn’t matter to him what we busy ourselves with, but being the sly dog that he is, he particularly enjoys using things we think we’re doing for God to keep us from spending quality time with God. We can easily become so caught up in doing good things that seem important that we can’t find time to do the things that are vital. And the most necessary of those is staying in close contact with God.
"Don’t just stand there. Do something!" How many times have you heard that, or said that or even thought that to yourself? In our warp-speed world, we think that unless we are moving forward at a furious pace, we are not accomplishing anything of value. That is one of the reasons why it is so hard for many of us to spend time alone with God. Somehow it doesn’t feel right to be sitting still, reading the Bible, praying, or journaling quietly, when there’s so much around us to be done. But what we don’t realize is that those quiet moments of "doing nothing" have a great impact on the rest of the day.
Failing to make time for God complicates life by keeping us focused on our own abilities—what we can accomplish within any given day. We’re afraid that if we slow down, we’ll lose ground, but actually the opposite is true: by taking time to fuel up, we plug in to God. He has infinite ability to work wonders with our time, and when we give him the first portion of it, we put ourselves in a position to gain ground.
Being still doesn’t come naturally for most of us, but did you know that the Bible actually commands it? Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God." He is the One over everything. Nothing is beyond His abilities; nothing is headed your way that He doesn’t already know about. No matter what pressing needs or urgent demands are on your schedule, He wants to be included—not excluded because you think you cannot squeeze Him in.
What does God want you to do when the demands of life press in? Listen again to what Psalm 46:10 says. Got a big assignment due at work? Be still, and know that I am God. Are there children who constantly need your attention? Is housework piling up all around you? Be still, and know that I am God. Is your family in a financial hole or, worse, a financial crisis? Be still, and know that I am God. Whatever is going on in your life, He wants you to rest in the confidence that He is in control.
In our own strength we can’t deal with everything life throws our way. Connecting with God regularly clarifies life because it fills our tanks with the spiritual fuel we need.
.gif){kind=small}
"Inspired by great-grandmother's scrapbook, compiled before 1918."
Strength for Today
-Author Unknown
Strength for to-day is all that we need,
As there never will be a to-morrow;
For tomorrow will prove but another today,
With its measure of joy and sorrow.
Then why forecast the trials of life
With much sad and grave persistence,
And wait and watch for a crowd of ills
That as yet have no existence?
Strength for to-day, what a precious boon
For earnest souls who labor!
For the willing hands that minister
To the needy friend or neighbor!
Strength for to-day, that the weary hearts
In the battle of right may quail not,
And the eyes be dimmed by bitter tears,
In their search for light may fail not.
Strength for to-day on the down-hill track
For the travelers near the valley,
That up, far up, on the upper side,
Ere long they may safely rally.
Strength for to-day, that our precious youth
May happily shun temptation,
And build from the rise to the set of the sun
On a strong and sure foundation.
Strength for to-day, in house and home,
To practice forbearance sweetly;
To scatter kind words and loving deeds,
Still trusting in God completely.
Strength for to-day is all that we need,
As there never will be a to-morrow;
For tomorrow will prove but another to-day,
With its measure of joy and sorrow.
*Public Domain
Back to #In This Issue
"For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul." Jeremiah 31:25
HOME SCHOOL TIPS 
JULY IN HISTORY...
Did you also know?
On July 1, 1858, Darwin's Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection was presented in London.
On July 2, 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in employment or in the use of public facilities, was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
On July 4, 1776, Independence Day
On July 16, 1945, in Alamogordo, New Mexico, the first atomic bomb was tested.
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon's surface.
On July 22, 1933, Wiley Post completed the first solo flight around the world.
On July 30, 1956, "In God We Trust" was made the National Motto.
Each of these events can be used for younger students as a unit study or as research projects for older students.
Tips For a Successful Unit Study:
Read about the event.
Investigate why this event was significant at that time in history.
Discuss how this impacted the lives of Americans and how it continues to impact lives today.
Read and write a biography of principal historical figures.
Make a collage of pictures from online research, old magazines, etc. to tell the story.
Learn the definition and spelling of new words.
View a documentary about your event.
Calculate distances.
Make a fact notebook about your event.
Find event locations on a map.
Have fun studying your event. Spend as much time as you need from a week to a month depending on the age of your student. Expand your study as interest is generated.
To learn more about homeschooling please contact me!
CHECK OUT THESE HELPFUL RESOURCES>>>Just click on the logos.
|
|
Providing Christian Homeschool Curriculum and online courses for families who want to build a Biblical worldview.
A wonderful free downloadable program for all your record keeping needs!
Back to #In This Issue
"I the Lord search the heart, and I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." Jeremiah 17:10
THOUGHT
PROVOKERSIs Prayer in Conflict With the Laws of Nature?
Excerpt from the Weapon of Prayer by E. M. Bounds
"The question might arise just here in some overcritical minds who are not strong believers in prayer, as to the so-called "laws of nature," as if there was a conflict between what they call the "laws of nature" and the law of prayer. These people make nature a sort of imaginary god entirely separate of Almighty God. What is nature anyway? It is but the creation of God, the Maker of all things. And what are the "laws of nature" but the laws of God through which he governs the material world. As the law of prayer is also the law of God, there cannot possibly be any conflict between the two sets of laws, but all must work in perfect harmony. Prayer does not violate any natural law. God may set aside one law for the higher working of another law, and this he may do when he answers prayer. Or Almighty God may answer prayer working through the course of natural law. But whether or not we understand it, God is over and above all nature, and can and will answer prayer in a wise, intelligent, and just manner, even though man may not comprehend it."
Bounds, E. M. "The Weapon of Prayer." The Complete Works of E. M. Bounds on Prayer. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, Prince Press Edition. 2000. 382.
Back to #In This Issue
"And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." I Timothy 6:6
Click on links to go to the recipe or scroll down.
"Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." Matthew 15:10-11
* More recipes can be found at Free Recipes.
Back to #In This Issue
(1).gif){kind=small}
|
Marinade: 3 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon sugar 3 cups water, 1/3 cup soy sauce 1 teaspoons ginger. Mix well and pour over steak cut of choice, up to three pounds. Allow to marinate eight hours. Then grill to taste.
|
|
1 1/2 pounds chicken, cooked and de-boned 1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup vinegar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 green pepper, sliced 1 large onion, chopped Cut cooked and de-boned chicken into chunks. Drain pineapple, retaining juice. Combine pineapple juice, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, salt, and vinegar. Cook and stir until thickened. Pour over hot cooked chicken. Allow to set for 10 minutes. Add pineapple, green pepper, and onion. Heat thoroughly and serve over rice. Serves approximately 4-6. |
"In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:6
If a large garden is just too much, consider planting some vegetables in patio containers.
Tomatoes and marigolds compliment each other and look nice in a large container. Both prefer lots of sun, and marigolds ward off pests that love tomatoes.
Cucumbers and squash grow quickly with lots of leaves. Plant each in a large container, preferably one plant to a container so there is room for growth.
Lettuce can be quite decorative in a window box.
Back to In This Issue
The
Believer's
Mission...
.gif){kind=small}
