safeandsecureinthepalmofhishand

Those squirrels were like pets. They scampered about eating and storing away food, trusting me as I watched and learned from them. They taught me patience and gave me the opportunity to watch another of God's creatures busy storing up treasures for the winter days that lay ahead.

It was as a lonely little girl that I soon learned: if God took care of the squirrels, He would surely take care of me. That is when I began to realize God watches over all of His creation, and holds those who love Him Safe and Secure in the Palm of His Hands.

Scriptural Nuggets - Commitment

Paul said to the elders in Ephesus , "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." Acts 20: 32 (NIV) Just think of the inheritance we have if we commit our lives to Christ, God and His Word. Salvation and eternal life is our guarantee. Just think what lives our children will have if we commit them to God, as we raise them in God's ways. We need to commit our lives, those of our children, our jobs and our talents to Him who wants us completely.

There are those who commit their lives, their bodies and their wills to the wrong cause, the wrong person. The devil himself has possession of too many people and their causes. Many have handed themselves over willingly to Satan. I am sure he gloats as the numbers increase.

God Had Me on a Mission

Scripture, 1 Samuel 15: 20 (NIV)

"But I did obey the Lord Saul said. I went on the mission the Lord assigned me..."

God had me on a mission. I have learned when He calls you had better be ready to go.

I used to always think of missions as something God called someone else to do, a duty performed by other people in foreign lands, a ministering to others. Oh, as a young girl, I like many, dreamed of going to Africa to save the world; that was a far-fetched dream of mine, not a calling from God.

First, God took me to another state, mind you, not another country. At fifty-nine I packed up our belongings, sold a good many of them, and headed across the United States . My husband, our dog and I, became residents in Phoenix , Arizona . Illinois had been "home" for most of our lives. My husband was to help our son in his new business. I, having Multiple Sclerosis, had gone along for the ride - of life that is, on a three-wheel motorized scooter at that! It wasn't easy at times, the moving, the MS, the motorized scooter - not even life!

Scriptural Nuggets - Wealth

"...Its almost impossible for the rich to get into the kingdom of God!" Mark 10: 23 (TLB)

God does not wish us to be destitute. He desires that we work and be paid a fair wage. But He also knew man could be enticed by riches. He knew the stronghold that wealth could have on man. The Bible tells us that Gods Word is the bread we should seek, the riches that will delight our soul. It is not wealth that God desires our souls to feed on, but His Word.

God knew, too, that man's head tends to swell with pride when his pocketbook is bulging. Pride has been the downfall of many a lost soul. Man tends to see his wealth as an accumulation of his own skill, knowledge or abilities. Man relishes those who praise him because he prospers. When he stands on the mountaintop, man tends to forget who truly put him there.

The Stranger at Our Door

Scripture, Proverbs 1: 8 - 9 (NIV)

"Listen, my son, to your fathers instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck."

She taught me to do unto others, as I would have them do unto me. She taught me to be thankful for the things that I had. She taught me how to share what we had with others, those less fortunate, and people who are down-on-their-luck, those who knock at your door and are hungry. I was taught, while still yet a little girl, some things they teach you at Sunday School and church sink in better if you are taught them at home. I'm glad Mom reinforced what the Bible taught. I'm glad all my learning didnt come from books in a schoolhouse. Some things are better learned from a knock at the door - or at the heart.

Scriptural Nuggets -Wisdom

Everyone would like to be wise. But wisdom is often sought in places it can't be found. All the books in the library will not make one wise. All the experiences over a lifetime will not make a man wise. The Bible tells us, "How can men be wise? The only way to begin is by reverence for God. For growth in wisdom comes from obeying his laws." Psalms 111: 10 (TLB) His laws are found in the Bible. So it is that we must study His Word.

Solomon was known to be wiser than other men. In I King 3: 9, Solomon asked for a discerning heart. God was pleased with him that he had asked for discernment instead of a long life or wealth, so He blessed Solomon. God gave him wisdom, knowledge and a discerning heart. Moreover, He gave him what he had not asked for, and that was riches and honor; this is told in 2 Chronicles 1: 11-12. Often if we ask God for the right things, He blesses us above and beyond that which we seek.

In the Bible it tells us: "For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding." Proverbs 2: 6 (NIV)