Gospel news

FEBRUARY 2009

Theme: He Careth for You

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time,

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you (1 Peter 5:6,7).

Does Jesus Care? —Frank Graeff (1860-1919)

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress and the way grows weary and long?

Does Jesus care when my way is dark with a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades, does He care enough to be near?

Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed to resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief, though my tears flow all the night long?

Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye” to the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks, is it aught to Him? Does He see?

Refrain

Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary, I know my Savior cares.

Did Jesus Care?—Earl Singleton

Nobody that ever lived cared for us as much as He cared for us. That same One cared for us all the way to the depths of Calvary’s cross. And He arose that He might go about in this world showing by infallible proofs for forty days and nights before He ascended that He cared. For example, “Look at my hands that’s a sign that I care for you.” It is evident that He cared for us.  We should be convinced, and it really should have a very strong dedicated and persuasive impact — not almost but altogether.

Yes, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ cared for all the children the Father gave to Him. But, notice we sing that He cares [that’s present tense]; not only did He care, but He does care and He always will care while we’re here long enough to bring us all to be with Him where He is, and not only that but we will be like Him and be satisfied.

Comments to Faith Church on 2-16-03

Oh, Yes , He Cares—LeRon Dean

When the Lord provides blessings to us, most of the time we fail to see the tribulations of life as blessings, but they are blessings especially if we learn what the Lord is teaching us from them. He is drawing us closer to Him. If we didn’t have these tribulations, I’m afraid, knowing myself, I would stray further and further from Him and must be brought back if we expect any of “the joys of thy salvation.”  Just as David, Jonah and others, we must be brought back to the condition of imploring the Lord to restore that joy once it is gone.  “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;  And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Rom. 5:3-5).

What we lose when we stray is that joy. When we hold fast and do not stray, we have the joy of His blessings: “...if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end” (Heb. 3:6). Here God is showing His salvation for us which can be described in no less terms than our Lord and Savior—Savior, yes, Savior of our salvation— none other than Jesus Christ. After having gone through some of these  tribulations, we come to the bright side. Many times it takes them to show us the bright side of our salvation from worldly woes while we are on this side of glory.

A tape I heard recounted two ministers discussing duties they  really enjoyed. One said I like to conduct weddings—the mutual bond of a man and woman united —two people giving themselves to become one—for life together hopefully unto the Lord. The other said he liked to conduct funerals. He considered them as a graduation exercise. One more of the bride, if that one is of those for  whom He died, is called home to be with the Lord awaiting that time when the body will be changed “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump” to be forever with the Lord.

Now when you hear things like that you must agree with the song that says, “Does Jesus Care? “ The answer is in the chorus: “Oh, yes He cares!”

Comments to Faith Church on 2-16-03

He Careth for You—John Newton (1715-1807)

Now I see whate’er betides, all is well if Christ be mine;

He hath promised to provide; may He teach me to resign.

When a sense of sin and thrall, forced me to the sinner’s Friend,

He engaged to manage all, by the way and to the end.

Cast, He said, on Me thy care; ‘tis enough that I am nigh;

I will all thy burdens bear; I will all thy wants supply.

Lord, I would indeed submit; gladly yield my all to Thee;

What Thy wisdom sees most fit, must be, surely, best for me.

Only, when the way is rough, and the coward flesh would start,

Let Thy promise and Thy love cheer and animate my heart.

Does Jesus Care? —Leonard Davis

The Lord Jesus left the portals of Glory, to come to this low land of sin and sorrow, taking upon Himself the likeness of man with flesh, blood and bones, knowing that as man He would encounter like passions: feelings of love and affection, temptation, humiliation, sorrow, being despised,  suffering the pangs of hunger, thirst, and even the wiles of Satan. Yes, He resisted the devil’s temptations directly and with the Scriptures rebuffed him sorely. He had to endure the ultimate of agony, being hanged upon the cross to bear our sins requiring His Father, the God of Heaven, to forsake Him. This was total separation, not only in body but also in spirit and knowledge, that He who knew no sin be made sin for us. (How Jesus Cared!)

When the covenant was established between the Father and the Son, before the foundation of the world existed, something was ever present: the love of God the Father and the love of the Son for the Father. This love was ultimately going to come to this land that knew not what truth and love really meant, much less have it displayed in the manner in which it was to come.

Jesus said that the Father, who was greater than all, gave Him a people, a nation of such, and that no one was able to remove it from His hands and control. Jesus made it known that He was the vine, and we were the branches and without Him, we could do nothing.  Paul reassures us when he says,

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39). (Jesus Cares!)

It is written that because Jesus hath suffered being tempted, He was then able to have compassion upon them that are tempted. He who has and who continues to comfort us in all our tribulations, has promised that He will never forsake us. Jesus said,

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (Jn. 16:33). (Jesus Cares!).

Jesus gave us an excellent example of how we are to care for one another in the parable of the good Samaritan, just like He cares for us.

And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee (Lk. 10:30-35).  

Do you think that Jesus would require you to do more for one another than He was willing to do for you? “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself” (2 Tm. 2:13). Yes, Jesus abideth faithful, because “we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit” (1 Jn. 4:13) (Jesus Cares!). The Lord will comfort us in all our tribulations and will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able to turn from, but will make a way to escape, that we may be able to bear it. We have record that Jesus was a very compassionate person.

Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children (Mt. 15:32-38).

And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, thelame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel. (Mt. 15:30-31)

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live (Jn. 5:25).

For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will” (Jn. 5:21).

Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people (Lk.7:12-16) (Jesus  Cares!)

All you have to do is read the many passages in the Bible that tell of the love and the compassion of our Lord. It tells of His healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, raising the dead, casting out of devils, giving sight to the blind, enabling the lame to walk again, giving hearing to the deaf, feeding the hungry, giving the gospel to the poor in spirit, ridding those of divers diseases and torments, clearing the mind of the lunatic and healing the palsy. What a Savior, what a Friend, that abideth with His own and never forsakes them. He careth in abundance that cannot be measured. Just as Jesus said,

My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19).

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39). (Jesus Cares!)

We have a High Priest, a Mediator, a Savior and a Lord that knows our every weakness but is willing to make intersession on our behalf before the Father. Why? Because His love for the brethren is immeasurable, deeper than the deepest ocean, higher than the highest cloud, and wider than the skies above, for He cares for His people.

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation (2 Cor. 1:3).

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Rom. 15:4).

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him (1 Cor. 2:9).

Just as Jesus saw Peter’s mother-in-law sick with fever, He had compassion on her and caused the fever to leave, and she ministered unto their needs. The Lord is able to do the same for His children today that He did then. When we set our affections on things above, looking unto the Lord, we will feel His healing hand upon us. Blessed be the Lord! Amen & Amen

Our Light Affliction—Joseph Hart ( 1712-1768)

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish,yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction,

which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (2 Cor. 4:16,17).

When pining sickness wastes the frame, acute disease, or tiring pain;

When life fast spends her feeble flame, and all the help of man proves vain.

Then, then to have recourse to God, to pour a prayer in time of need,

And feel the balm of Jesus’ blood, this is to find a friend indeed.

And this, O Christian, is thy lot,who cleavest to the Lord by faith;

He’ll never leave thee (doubt it not) in pain, in sickness, or in death.

Himself shall be thy helping Friend, thy good Physician and thy nurse;

To make thy bed shall condescend,and from affliction take the curse.

Shouldst thou a moment’s absence mourn; should some short darkness intervene;

He’ll give thee power, till light return, to trust Him, with the cloud between.

from Gleanings  —Adolph Monod (1802-1856)

Am I Ill?

Health is mine, strength is mine, well-being is mine, and the full enjoyment of all the good things of life is mine. For all these are Christ's, who is God's and who disposes of them as He pleases. To whom will He vouchsafe them, if not to me, His child? If, then, He refuses them to me today, for a fleeting moment which passes like a weaver's shuttle, He has His reasons for doing so; it is because, in this suffering and bitterness, He has hidden blessings which are worth more to me than health, which is so precious, and well-being, which is so sweet.

He never deprives me of any good thing, except to grant me something better, that is my consolation, all in His love. Do we need to be comforted in our suffering? We go to Jesus Christ, He suffered like us, more than us, infinitely more than we can suffer, infinitely more than we can conceive of anyone suffering. Therefore, it is to the Man of Sorrows that we go, to find consolation and peace, knowing that He knows what weakness is, knowing that in drawing near to Him we shall not only find relief for our pains, but we shall see in them a true blessing, and that our bitterest afflictions will in the end prove to be His most signal blessings.

Let all the illnesses, all the sudden deaths, all that takes place around us, remind us that for each one of us death can come at any moment.

Life is also good, because we can serve Jesus Christ, glorify Jesus Christ, imitate Jesus Christ. It is not worth living for anything else. All that we have of strength, breath, life and faculties must be consecrated, devoted, sanctified and sacrificed for the service of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

This crucified life of sacrifice is the happy life, even in the midst of the bitterest mortal sufferings; because in it we can taste for ourselves and spread all around us the most precious blessings.

Death to Be with Christ

For to me, to live is Christ  and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh,this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.(Philippians 1:21-22).

The apostle is asking which is most worthwhile for him, to live or to die. Often has that question presented itself to us, and perhaps, like the apostle, have answered that “we are in a strait.” But I fear we may have used the words in a sense far different from Paul’s. When we have wished for death, we meant to say,

I know not which alternative I ought most to dread, the afflictions of life,

from which death would release me, or the terrors of death, from which life protects me.

In other words, life and death look to us like two evils of which we know not which is the lesser. As for the apostle, they look to him like two immense blessings, of which he knows not which is better. Personally, he prefers death, in order to be with Christ. As regards the Church and the world, he prefers life, in order to serve Jesus Christ, to extend His kingdom and to convert souls for Him. What an admirable view of life and of death!—it is all governed, all sanctified, by love, and is akin to the Lord Jesus Christ's own view of life and death. Let us set ourselves to enter into this feeling. Life is good; death is good. Death is good, because it releases us from the miseries of this life, but above all because, even were life full for us of all the joys which earth can give, death bids us enter into a joy and a glory of which we can form no idea. We are then to consider death as a thing desirable in itself. Let us not shun what serves to remind us of it. Let all the illnesses, all the sudden deaths, all that passes round us, remind us that for each one of us death may come at any moment. But then life also is good, because in life we can serve, glorify, imitate, Jesus Christ. Life is not worth the trouble of living for any other object. All the strength we possess, all the breath, the life, the faculties, all is to be consecrated, devoted, sanctified, crucified, for the service of our Lord Jesus Christ. This crucified life is the happy life, even amidst earth's bitterest pains; it is the life in which we can both taste for ourselves and diffuse around us the most precious blessings. Let us love life, let us feel the value of life—but to fill it with Jesus Christ. In order to such a state of feeling, the Holy Spirit alone can transform us into new men...the Spirit of God must come to dwell in us...Jesus Christ Himself must dwell in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

May God open the heavens above our heads; revealing all to us, filling us with all wisdom, granting us to see that even here below we may attain to perfect joy, while looking forward to possess hereafter the plenitude of bliss and of victory. May He teach us how to gather up the blessings which the heavens love to pour upon the earth which opens to receive them. And so may He teach us to know that if earth is able to bear us down and trouble us, it is unable to quench the virtues of heaven, to annul the promises of God, or to throw a veil, be it even the lightest cloud, over the love with which God has loved us in Jesus Christ.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh

I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me (Gal. 2:20).

Adieux, pp. 10-12

Adolphe Monod, a French pastor, wrote with Paul's letter to the Philippians in hand while upon his bed of prolonged suffering from cancer. He wrote from the borderland of eternity, looking forward and backward, the words above.

Our Weakness and Christ our Strength—Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore

will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Cor. 12: 9).

Let me but hear my Saviour say,“Strength shall be equal to thy day;”

Then I rejoice in deep distress, leaning on all-sufficient grace.

I glory in infirmity, that Christ’s own power may rest on me;

When I am weak, then am I strong; grace is my shield, and Christ my song.

I can do all things, or can bear all sufferings, if my Lord be there;

Sweet pleasures mingle with the pains while his left hand my head sustains.

But if the Lord be once withdrawn, and we attempt the work alone,

When new temptations spring and rise, we find how great our weakness is.

Facing Death: How Can I Cope? — Jeff Winfrey

A Certainty of the Beyond

How can our fears about death be calmed? An understanding of the truth of a life beyond this world and a knowledge of the certain success of our Savior are two things that can quench our fears.

This world is not all there is. There is a world awaiting God’s children. It is beyond any imagination to comprehend the beauty and the glory of the eternity that lies ahead. Jesus called it ‘paradise’ when He talked to the thief. We are told that there are no sorrows, no tears, no pains, no crying and no death in that place that awaits us. We are told that we will be satisfied there. We are told that we will be in the likeness of Christ. What can exceed being in the likeness of Christ! Lord haste the day!

But how can we be sure that it is ready for us? My friend, it is ready for us by the preparations of Jesus Christ. He said He was going to prepare a place for us and come again and receive us to Himself that we might be where He is. He is the God who cannot lie and He will not let us down.

And how can we be sure that we will be ready for it? Jesus is our assurance of our salvation. “Thou shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from there sins.” Now that is a strong statement of certain assurance. And Jesus can and does guarantee the successful salvation of His children. For our salvation is not by our works; it is by His grace. Thankfully, from start to finish salvation is of the Lord. He paid for it on the cross. He applies it at the new birth. He assures it in the end. To Him be all the praise! To Him be all the glory!

The Fear of Death

Oh, just the thought of death is so overwhelming. The slightest consideration of death brings with it so many fearful imaginations. And we oftentimes respond to these fears by attempting to erase from our thinking any ideas concerning death. But our refusal to think on the issue is only temporary. For sooner than we may imagine, we are caught in the midst of the reality of death’s terror. And as we are compelled to actually face the monster, we again come to the awareness that staring into the face of the actual experience of death is more dreadful than words can describe.

In two ways we find ourselves facing death. As we grow older and our bodies weaken, we begin to face the looming reality of our own death. And in spite of attempts to put thoughts of death out of our mind, the closer we get to death the more we seem to think about it. As our lives pass by, we are inevitably reminded of the shortness of our days upon this earth and the reality of the death that awaits.

But perhaps worse than the impending death of our own bodies is being still alive at the death of a loved one. To experience this fearful event is even enough to make us yearn for our own death. What is felt at the loss of a dear loved one goes beyond hurt, beyond pain. It treads on the verge of the unbearable.

Is there any comfort as we face the horrible, ever-lurking, monstrous reality of death? Is there any relief for our suffering? Where can we turn to find help? Where can we go to find rest for our troubled souls?

Look To God

Dear child of God, this world holds no real answers to our questions and it has no real comfort for our fears. For instead of this world having our solution, the truth is that this world is our problem. This is a world of sin, sickness, tragedy, heartache and eventual death. Some may advise you to look here or there in this world for help, but our only real solution to the problem of death lies in something beyond this world. And if we find any true comfort, we must understand the truth of things that pertain to a reality that is beyond the reality of this present world.

And looking in the truth of God’s word, we find these words in Romans 6:23. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This statement surely sums up two aspects of truth concerning death and life.

First there is the discouraging teaching that we deserve the death we receive. It is our due payment, even our just wage, for our sinful works. We deserve death. We earn death. And we receive death. There surely is no comfort in this aspect of truth. But look at the flip side of the verse. By our works comes death, but by God’s amazing grace we have eternal life. Through the death of Jesus Christ, God gives us a gift. By Jesus’ death, we have life.

Now that is good news. The world may treat our symptoms, but God has the cure for the problem. The world may have a salve for the moment, but God has an eternal cure. Look to God. He is your hope. Think on Christ. He is your Savior.

Acknowledge Weakness

The truths in God’s word provide many comforting things concerning our outlook on death and dying. God’s word says that through death Jesus destroyed him that had the power of death, and delivered them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Yes, Jesus has destroyed death. And furthermore, the understanding that Jesus has destroyed death delivers us from the lifetime of bondage that accompanies the fear of death.

But beyond the peace in understanding that Jesus has conquered death, there is a direct comfort and rest that can come from God to His children in the midst of their sadness. God is the “Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” God has said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Jesus said, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” Jesus said, Come unto me and I will give rest.” These are only a few of God’s many promises of help. Yes, we have eternal life beyond this world, but we have in this world “a very present help in trouble.”

But oftentimes we do not find this present help because we do not ask. Those who in their exalted view of self try to tough it out by their own strength will find little real comfort. But those who fall humbly before their merciful God and acknowledge their weaknesses will find a strength and a comfort that only He can give.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you (1 Pt. 5:6-7)

Oh, child of the Father, fall before your God and He will give you rest.

Sharing Feelings

In addition to the comfort available in the knowledge of eternal life through a great Savior, and in addition to the comfort that can only come directly from our merciful God, there is another source of comfort available to the troubled child of God.

There is much help available through other children of God that surround you in this world. Though the world’s aid is of limited value, the help available through one equipped by God is of immeasurable value. The first step in being equipped to help another is to understand the truths from God’s word. And secondly, the Bible tells us that we who have been comforted by the God of all comfort are then enabled to give comfort to others. Thirdly, the Bible proclaims that God gives some in the church special gifts for helping and encouraging others. We all need each other. We all need the strength that can come from others. We all need a church. We all need a pastor. Christ’s church is not just another world system. A true church is built and led by Christ. The church is the Christ established means to help His children in this world.

As we need to acknowledge our weaknesses before our God, sometimes we need to acknowledge our weaknesses before our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to open up to one another and admit that we are struggling. We need to look to others for strength and encouragements.

There is hope in God. There is help from God and from His church. Soon you will forever be with your God. But until then, may He bless you to find peace.

No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus—Charles F. Weigle (1871-1966)

I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus,

Since I found in Him a friend so strong and true;

I would tell you how He changed my life completely,

He did something that no other friend could do.

Chorus:

No one ever cared for me like Jesus, there's no other friend so kind as He;

No one else could take the sin and darkness from me, O how much He cared for me.

All my life was full of sin when Jesus found me,

All my heart was full of misery and woe;

Jesus placed His strong and loving arms about me,

And He led me in the way I ought to go.

Ev'ry day He comes to me with new assurance,

More and more I understand His words of love;

But I'll never know just why He came to save me,

Till some day I see His blessed face above.

In Thee All is Well—Peggy Hood

O LORD, help; give me to see, whether I'm ill or in good health,

That I am safe within Thy keep, regardless of all else.

Whether this mortal live or die; if I be calm or frightened at gales;

Whether, losing a battle, I cry; let me see, in Thee—all is well.

 Whatever circumstances I face, Thou, alone, art my Hope.

Praises to Thee, merciful Lord! Thy Name be exalted to the uttermost!

 By the mercies of God, © [Peggy Hood, 11-12-2005]

Jesus Still Cares—Louis Culver

When it seems that all hope is lost, that no one cares, that everything is going wrong; when life seems  hopeless, love is gone, family and friends have forsaken; when life no longer seems worth living, when death appears to be greatly welcomed remember that Jesus still cares for us, that He is making intercessions for His children before the Heavenly Father. Remember that Jesus died upon the cross to pay the sin-debt we owed but could never pay. He gave His life in our place. Jesus redeemed us to the Father. Life is cruel, this world is cruel, people are cruel. Life is not easy, living right is difficult, being true to God is sometimes a burden. We must still remember that God is in charge. He has not abdicated His throne. He has not abandoned us to fend for ourselves.

When the night is darkest, the way is steepest, the burden is heaviest, we should remember that we are not traveling alone: God is with us to light the way, to level the road and to lighten the burden. We are never alone. We have a Friend who travels the road of life with us.  Let’s pray to Him:

Lord, bless us to see and to understand that no burden is more than we can bear when You are helping us to bear it. Walk with us through the darkness of night. Guide our footsteps that they may be easier and that they might follow the proper path. When the burdens of life seem their heaviest, let us know that we are not bearing them alone. Bless us and our loved ones and guide us all in the right way –Thy way–that we might travel the straight and narrow way. Protect all of us from harm and danger and show us that we do not travel alone. Amen.

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus  (Phil. 4:19).

Daily Devotion by  Louis Culver, 8-31-2000

Cause for Rejoicing—Unknown

“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

“He careth for you.”—What a cause to rejoice! for this is God's promise to you and to me.

If we will but trust Him with faith firm and full, the peace He has promised more constant will be.

His Word tells us over and over again and His Word we know is both steadfast and true

That He will direct us and keep us from harm, providing what's needful for me and for you.

With infinite wisdom and bountiful love, plus unfailing justice, great power and might,

Our Father's great plan of the ages moves on unknown to the world, deeply hidden from sight.

Preparing the “worthies” of old is complete; our Master's great sacrifice carried out, too;

And now God is working in us day by day—gath’ring His “whole bride” He continues to do.

While earth's woes and troubles do daily increase, to us they but herald the coming  glad day,

Then let us rejoice, as we patiently wait, well-knowing He's with us each step of the way.

In His Care and Keeping—Author Unknown

Mathematics of the Biggest Miracle in the World!

Moses and his people were in the desert, but what was he going to do with them? They had to be fed, and fed is what he did.

And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children  (Ex. 12:37).

According to the Quartermaster General in the Army:  Moses would have to have had 1500 tons of food  each day. Do you know that to bring that much food each day? Two freight trains, each a mile long, would be required! Besides you must remember, they were out in the desert, so they would have to have firewood to use in cooking the food. This would take 4000 tons of wood and a few more  freight trains, each a mile long, just for one day. And just think, they were forty years in transit.

And oh yes! They would have to have water. If they only had enough to drink  and wash a few dishes, it would take 11,000,000 gallons each day, and a freight train with tank cars, 1800 miles long, just to bring water! And then another thing! They had to get across the Red Sea at night. (Well, in a short time anyway) Now, if they went on a narrow path, double file, the line would be 800 miles long and would require 35 days and  nights to get through. So, there  had to be a space in the Red Sea, 3 miles  wide so that they could walk 5000 abreast to get over in one night.

But then, there is another problem. Each time they camped at the end of  the day, a campground two-thirds the size of the state of Rhode Island was required, or a total of 750 square miles long...think of  it! This space just for nightly camping. Do you think Moses had this all figured out before he left Egypt? I think not! You see, Moses believed in God. God took care of these things for him. Now do you think God has any problem taking care of all your needs?