DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 9.12.20

God Honors Our Commitment to Him Daniel 1 Daniel and his friends faced the same dilemma we do--how to live a holy life in a godless culture. At one time, our society readily accepted Christian values and standards, but that era is quickly passing. Our challenge today is to live under God's authoritywhile remaining in submission to the law of the land. At times we are forced to choose between the two, but if we'll seek the Lord's guidance before marching defiantly forward, He may open an alternative approach for us. Had Daniel bluntly declared, "I won't eat this food!" he wouldn't have lasted long, and we wouldn't have the book of Daniel in the Bible. But the Lord gave him the wisdom to humbly seek permission from the person who was in a position of authority over him. God honored his commitment and provided a way for him to live righteously in a pagan world. We tend to hold up Daniel and his three friends as extraordinary people who lived amazing lives. But have you ever wondered what the Lord could do in the life of an ordinary person like you? The determining factor is not the greatness of the individual but,rather, his commitment to a God who can do remarkable things in a life fully devoted to Him. That's the kind of people our Lord is looking for. Although we don't know all that God could do in our lives if we'd radically commit ourselves to Him, the thought of missing out on His plans should be enough to motivate us to obey. You don't want to arrive in heaven and discover you forfeited blessingsbecause you weren't fully devoted to Him. God Values "Ordinary" People - by Greg Laurie- www.harvest.org So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD for help. -Judges 6:6 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/god-values-ordinary-people-2/ - Listen John Wesley said, "Give me a hundred men who love God with all their hearts and fear nothing but sin, and I will move the world." God effectively changed a culture through one man named Gideon who was willing to stand in the gap and make a difference. Gideon wasn't perfect, butGod saw potential in him. He made it into the exclusive list of courageous men and women in Hebrews 11 who put their faith into action. What I find interesting about Hebrews 11, the Heroes' Hall of Faith, is that God never mentions their sins. He tells us about their accomplishmentsthrough faith, but He never mentions their flaws or their shortcomings (although other verses do). Gideon's world was messed up. It had been two hundred years since Israel had seen the walls of Jericho fall by the power of God. Things had changedbecause they didn't finish the job. God told Israel to drive out the inhabitants of Canaan, and Israel obeyed partially. As a result, the Canaanites had come back and grown stronger. Ultimately they were ruling over them. The Israelites were devastated. They were hungry, hurting, and humiliated, and they started calling on God. He sent His answer in the form of Gideon.God goes out of His way to find ordinary people so that He gets the glory. When we look at someone like Gideon, it gives hope to those of us who are on the ordinary side. God often will use the unqualified to do the unexpected.The Lord can change the world with an ordinary person who will say, "Lord, I am willing to be that person." Will you step forward? God can do a lot with a little. God can do a lot with you. September 11 The Judge Acts 10:42-48 During our life on earth, Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. However, as our days here draw to a close, and especially at the end of time, He takes His seat as Judge and prepares to reward believers for the good things they did in His name. I think there is a widespread misconception that God the Father will be our judge. But it is Christ who gave us, His followers, the charge to go into the world and make disciples (Matt.28:19). Therefore, He has been given the right to determine which of our actions and thoughts furthered His goal (John 5:22). Christ is an impartial judge. He is not influenced by what others think or say, but rather, He determines what is right and good based on His honorable, just standard. We'll be stripped of our worthless works--in other words, the actions and words we usedfor selfish ambition or vain conceit. All that will remain are the worthwhile things we thought, said, and did to honor God. These are the valuable parts of our lives for which we will be rewarded. Reward is the whole point of placing believers before the judgment seat of Christ. Shame and guilt over past sin and mistaken motivation have no place there (Rom.8:1). Our loving Savior is eager to show us our heavenly treasure. Christ will expose the real you at the judgment seat by casting away the worthless things you've done. What remains will be the man or woman who endeavored to please the Lord. Let us determine to be powerful reflections of our Savior, both on earth and inheaven. To Be or Not to Be “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life whichI now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians2:20) The verb “to be,” in its various forms and tenses, enjoys wide usage throughout Scripture. Verses employing it, as it relates to us, contain many of the greatest and most precious truths. Consider the following sampling. Past tense: “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans5:8). “When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God” (v. 10). “You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians2:1). “You, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled” (Colossians1:21). Present tense: “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven” (Romans4:7). “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?” (1Corinthians 3:16). “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation” (1Peter 1:5). “By the grace of God I am what I am” (1Corinthians 15:10). “Beloved, now are we the sons of God” (1John 3:2). “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him” (Colossians2:9-10). Note also our text verse. Future tense: “It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1John 3:2). “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1Thessalonians 4:17). “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads....and they shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation22:3-5). JDM Your Kindness Quotient by Max Lucado How kind are you? What is your kindness quotient? When was the last time you did something kind for someone in your family—e.g., got a blanket, cleaned off the table, prepared the coffee—without being asked? Think about your school or workplace. Which person is the most overlooked or avoided? A shy student? A grumpy employee? Maybe he doesn't speak the language. Maybe she doesn't fit in. Are you kind to this person? Kind hearts are quietly kind. They let the car cut into traffic and the young mom with three kids move up in the checkout line. They pick up the neighbor's trash can that rolled into the street. And they are especially kind at church. They understand thatperhaps the neediest person they'll meet all week is the one standing in the foyer or sitting on the row behind them in worship. Paul writes: "When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those who arein the family of believers" (Galatians 6:10). And, here is a challenge—what about your enemies? With the boss who fired you or the wife who left you. Suppose you surprised them with kindness? Not easy? No, it's not. But mercy is the deepest gesture of kindness. Paul equates the two. "Be kind to oneanother, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" (Eph. 4:32 NKJV). Jesus said: Parents Responsibility Luke3:22 As we saw yesterday, words are but a small part of parental communication. Now let's look at two types of messages we should purposefully model for our kids. First, boys and girls need affirmation that they are loved, accepted, and competent. In today's passage, God the Father spoke those very things to His Son. It is essential that our children gain a sense of security and belonging at home so they won't seekacceptance elsewhere. And the way we care and provide for them will help them grasp the heavenly Father's love. He Can Do The Impossible by Max Lucado The kingdom of heaven. Its citizens are drunk on wonder. Consider the case of Sarai. She is in her golden years, but God promises her a son. She gets excited. She visits the maternity shop and buys a few dresses. She plans her shower and remodels her tent … but no son. She eats a few birthday cakes and blows outa lot of candles … still no son. She goes through a decade of wall calendars … still no son. So Sarai decides to take matters into her own hands. (“Maybe God needs me to take care of this one.”) Our Needs Philippians4:19 Jim saved for a long time to take an Alaskan cruise. At last he was on board with two carefully packed suitcases. The first evening, when he heard "Dinner is served" announced over the loudspeaker, he took peanut butter crackers from his suitcase and satat the table in his small cabin. Every day at mealtime, he repeated the ritual. It wasn't that Jim didn't like the ship's tasty banquets. He simply didn't know that his meals were included in the price of the ticket. For two weeks he enjoyed beautiful sceneryoff the decks but ate dry, stale food in his cabin. This sad story is a metaphor for how some believers live the Christian life. God has promised to meet every need of His children—His riches are included in the price Christ paid for their salvation (Eph.1:18). Yet many folks are trying to live out of their own resources. They don't know that the wealth of God's love, power, and provision is on their menu. Labor or Service? “Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work.” (Deuteronomy5:13) The term “labor” to many seems to connote drudgery or routine, repetitive, demeaning toil. As used here in the fourth of God’s Ten Commandments, however, the Hebrew word abad means rather to “serve” and is so translated 214 times in the King James. Only one other time is it translated “labor,” and that is in the first rendering of the commandments (Exodus20:9). Thus, the command could well be read: “Six days shalt thou serve....” Furthermore, the word for “work” (Hebrew melakah) does not denote servile labor but “deputyship” or “stewardship.” The one whom we are to serve or act as deputy for, of course, is God Himself when we do our work. In the ultimate and very real sense,the Lord is our employer, and we serve Him, not man. Therefore, “whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Colossians 3:23).Every honest occupation, if carried out for the Lord’s sake and to His glory, is “divine service,” and every Christian who holds this perspective on his or her work (be it preaching, or bookkeeping, or homemaking, or whatever) is in the Christian ministry—for “ministry” simply means “service.” Note also that God has ordained not a four-day or five-day workweek: “Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work,” He says, thus commemorating the six days in which He worked in the beginning, “for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth” (Exodus31:17). One day, Lord willing, we shall hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant:...enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:21). Then, throughoutthe ages to come, “his servants shall serve him” (Revelation 22:3) with everlasting joy. HMM Discover Your Language by Max Lucado Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2: 2-4) Oh to have heard this moment in Jerusalem. Andrew describing God's grace in Egyptian. Thomas explaining God's love to the Romans. Bartholomew quoting the Twenty-third Psalm to Cretans. John relating the resurrection story to the Cappadocians. Some in the crowd were cynical, accusing the disciples of early morning inebriation. But others were amazed and asked, "Whatever could this mean?" (v. 12). Looking for the Messiah, Part 2 by Max Lucado Some missed him. Some miss him still. We expect God to speak through peace, but sometimes he speaks through pain. We think God talks through the church, but he also talks through the lost. We look for the answer among the Protestants, but he's been known to speak through the Catholics. We listen for him among the Catholics but find him among the Quakers. We think we hear him in the sunrise, but he is also heard in the darkness. We listen for him in triumph, but he speaks even more distinctly through tragedy. Meditation “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Joshua1:8) This well-known verse contains the first use of the Hebrew verb for “meditate” (hagah) in the Bible and, significantly, it is a command to meditate on the Scriptures. Such meditation is not mere quietness or daydreaming but is thoughtfulness with apurpose—to obey “all that is written therein.” Meditation for its own sake, without being centered on God’s Word, is often useless or even harmful. Witness the Western proliferation of Eastern “meditation cults” (T.M., etc.), which lead their devotees into pantheism and occultism. Isaiah 8:19 warns against “wizards that peep, and that mutter [same word as ‘meditate’].” “Why do...the people imagine [same word] a vain thing?” (Psalm 2:1). The blessed man is the one whose “delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:2). That is, only if we arecontinually guided by the Holy Scriptures will we be happy and successful. In the New Testament, the Greek word for “meditate” (melatao) is used only twice. Once it is translated “imagine” (Acts 4:25) and is in a quotationof Psalm 2:1, as above. The last time it is used, however, its emphasis reverts back to the context of its first usage, as in our text above. Paul commands us: “Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine....Meditate upon these things; give thyselfwholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all” (1 Timothy 4:13, 15). Modern meditationists say that the goal of meditation is to clear our mindsof “things,” but God wants us to meditate on “these things”—the life-giving, life-directing doctrines of His Word. HMM The Messages Parents Send 1 Samuel 20:30-34 When someone asks, "What do you do?" the reply frequently includes a job title. But anyone who is raising or interacting with children has a role far more important than ordinary career duties. Parents are communicators. Yet unlike conference speakers, moms and dads don't get to preplan their entire message. Everything we do and say—especially that which happens "off the cuff"—teaches our kids. Think about your childhood days. What did your parentsdo that illustrated their priorities, beliefs, and passions? Even without speaking, we send messages by our body language, interests, kindnesses, absence or presence, silence . . . Add words to the mix, and we have a recipe for remarkable impact, whether positive or negative. Bounty from the Word “Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.” (Psalm119:17) Materialism is so prevelant that it is sometimes difficult to not associate words like “bounty” or “blessing” with earthly riches. This psalmist wasn’t concerned with physical prosperity but rather that God would reveal to him what his own heart sought—“thatI may live, and keep thy word.” He requested spiritual insight: “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (v. 18). Without hint of greed or self-centered aggrandizement, he only longed to understand the “wondrous” insights of the torah (law). We lack “bounty” if we neglect studying God’s inerrant Word. We often forget that we are “stranger[s] in the earth” (v. 19). Once adopted into God’s family (Ephesians1:5), our citizenship (Philippians3:20) is transferred from this earth to God’s “city” (Hebrews11:10). Thus, the psalmist begged for God not to “hide” the commandments from him because his “soul breaketh for the longing” (v. 20) he had, in every season, for the judgments of God’s Word. He remembered God’s swift justice against the “cursed” (v. 21) who “err” (wander, stray) from the Word, since the “princes” (chiefs, leaders) of the land resisted his effort to obey God (v. 23). Nontheless, he was determined to demonstrate his “delight” inthe “counselors” within God’s testimonies (v. 24). Many who claim to be evangelicals today boldly scorn those who trust that “every word of God is pure” (Proverbs30:5). May God keep us from “the fear of man” (Proverbs29:25) and embolden our resolve to “worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name” (Psalm138:2). HMM III The Evidence of Discipleship - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. -John 15:8 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-evidence-of-discipleship-2/- Listen Spiritual fruit doesn't grow overnight. You don't go into your backyard, pull up a chair in front of your peach tree, and then wait for the peaches to grow. (You could, but you wouldn't seeanything.) However, if you were to set up a camera with time-lapse photography, you would see dramatic growth over a period of time. Jesus said, "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples" (John 15:8 NKJV). If you are truly a disciple of Jesus, then you will have spiritual fruitin your life. That means results. It means evidence. One of the first things we do as Christians is produce what Jesus called "fruits worthy of repentance" (Matthew 3:8 NKJV). For example, maybe your friend says, "Let's go get a drink after work." "I don't do that anymore." "What? You don't do that anymore? What's wrong with you?" "It isn't what's wrong with me; it's what's right with me," you say. "Christ has come into my life." People know you by the fruit of your repentance. You stopped doing some things and started doing godly things instead. That intrigues them and also perplexes them. As disciples of Jesus, weshould be known by our repentance. A change in your conduct is spiritual fruit. Galatians 5:22-23 says, "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control"(NKJV). Giving praise and thanks to God is a way of bearing fruit. We are told in Hebrews 13:15, "By Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, givingthanks to His name" (NKJV). When we sing praises to God, that is bringing forth fruit. Can people see spiritual fruit in your life? Right Where You Are - by Greg Laurie - www.harevst.org Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this? -Esther 4:14 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/right-where-you-are-6/- Listen Have you ever found yourself in a place where you don't necessarily want to be? You thought, "Why did I end up in this neighborhood with these neighbors?" . . . "Why did I end up in this classroomwith that teacher?" . . . "Why did I end up in this workplace with this boss or this coworker?" Did it ever occur to you that God has put you right where you are for a reason? In ancient Persia, a beautiful young woman found herself as the queen at a strategic time in the history of the Jewish people. A plot had been hatched for all of them to be exterminated. Esther'suncle, Mordecai, sent word to her, "Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place,but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:13-14 NKJV). Henrietta Mears felt called by God to teach Sunday school at Hollywood First Presbyterian Church in 1928. Under her direction, the Sunday school grew from 450 to 4,200 in two years, eventuallyreaching 6,500. She also founded Gospel Light Publishing and a Christian conference center, Forest Home. More than 400 young people entered full-time Christian service through the impact of her life, including Bill Bright and Billy Graham. You may not be a Billy Graham, but you could be a Henrietta Mears. A little light goes a long way. One life can make a difference. Who knows that God has not placed you where you are for sucha time as this? Read Your Life Backward by Max Lucado God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 NCV What God said about Jeremiah, he said about you: "Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work" (Jer. 1:5 NCV). Set apart for a special work. God shaped you according to yours. How else can you explain yourself? Your ability to diagnose an engine problem by the noise it makes, to bake a cake without a recipe. You knew the Civil War better than your American history teacher. You know the name ofevery child in the orphanage. How do you explain such quirks of skill? Trust and Obey Joshua 6:1-5 One of my favorite songs is "Trust and Obey" because it sums up God's purpose for our lives. When we practice these two commands, a beautiful cycle begins. Trusting the Lord makes obedience easier, and obedience produces ever-increasing trust. Can you recallfacing a challenge that was difficult or perplexing? If so, you know how important these two commands are. When the Lord calls you to a task that seems unreasonable, you have two options. You can obey Him even though you don't understand what will happen, or you can become fearful and attempt to find a way out. Joshua chose the first option. Because he trustedthe Lord, he disregarded all his military experience and adopted God's bizarre battle plan. Over the years, he had learned that the Lord is trustworthy. The way we respond to God's challenging assignments reveals our level of commitment. We may feel as if we're right in step with Him--until He proposes a change of direction. That's when our resistance kicks in, and with it, the realization we aren't as closeto Him as we thought. At that point, our decision determines whether the Lord will be able to use us as He desires. Because Joshua never lost his commitment, he continued to serve the Lord for the remainder of his life. At times obedience is a struggle, as your mind runs through all the reasons God's path is illogical. Fear dominates and your will battles to comply when everything within is screaming to run the other way. But obedience is always the best choice, becausethe Lord is trustworthy and wise. The Imperatives of Redemption �From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffermany things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.� (Matthew 16:21) The little word �must� (Greek deon) conveys urgency and necessity and is frequently used in connection with the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ. When He was just a lad, He told His parents in the temple: �I must be about my Father�s business� (Luke 2:49). But then the first time this key auxiliary verb is found in the New Testament is in the comprehensive prophetic statement of His mission, as given to His disciples in our text. He must go to Jerusalem to suffer, and die, and be raised the third day. As He wasmoving toward that climactic event, �he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent� (Luke 4:43). Furthermore, �I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work� (John 9:4). He had much preaching and much work to do in that brief three-year interim in world history. But then He must die! And why must He die? Because �the scriptures must be fulfilled� (Mark14:49). �These are the words which I spake unto you... that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me� (Luke24:44). And how must He die? �As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up� (John 3:14). But then, ofcourse, �he must rise again from the dead� (John 20:9). To what purpose must He be lifted up on the cross to die and then be raised again? Why, because �there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved� (Acts4:12). HMM Walking Epistles - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tabletsof flesh, that is, of the heart. -2 Corinthians 3:3 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/walking-epistles-3/ - Listen Sammy Mason was a stunt pilot and a committed follower of Jesus Christ. He also was a flight instructor at the Santa Paula Airport in California. Oneday a man came to see him about some flight training, because he had recently purchased an antique Stearman biplane. The man's name was Steve McQueen. Having conquered auto racing and motocross, the world-famous actor wanted to learn how to fly. McQueen had been raised by an alcoholic mother who had little to no time for him, and he had spent time at the Boys Republic in Chino Hills. He hadascended to the top in Hollywood and was making millions of dollars, yet there was a big hole in his heart. McQueen spent hours in the cockpit with Sammy Mason, and he admired him. One day he asked his instructor what his secret was, and Mason told him abouthis faith in Jesus Christ. Then McQueen asked if he could attend church with him. They went to Ventura Missionary Church, where Pastor Leonard DeWitt preached the gospel and invited people to come to Christ at each service. After a few weeks passed, McQueenhad an extended conversation with the pastor, which resulted in McQueen's committing his life to Jesus Christ. We have heard of Steve McQueen, but we probably hadn't heard of Sammy Mason. One person can make all the difference. We all have something to do. Weall have a sphere of influence. We want to do what we can while we can. If you're a believer, then you are a representative of Christ. You may be the only Christian some people ever will know. It's been said that Christiansare walking epistles, written by God and read by men. You may be the only Bible that some people ever read. Understandingthe Times �And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israelought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.� (1Chronicles 12:32) This chapter lists the numbers of men from each of the tribes of Israel who cast their lot with David in his conflict with King Saul. All these numbers are given except those of Issachar, but of these it was said that all their brethren followed their 200 leadersin turning to David. The reason for their unanimity in this decision was that these leaders �had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.� It was time to �turn the kingdom� to David, �according to the word of the LORD� (1Chronicles 12:23). God had given them a Benjamite, Saul, as king for a time, but now David had been anointed, and it was the time to give �the sceptre� to Judah, according to the prophecy of their father, Jacob, given over 600 years before (Genesis49:10). How desperately we need leaders today who are spiritual �sons of Issachar,� understanding these times! Christ told the apostles: �It is not for you to know the times or the seasons� (Acts1:7); it was more urgent that they proceed to witness for Him �unto the uttermost part of the earth� (v. 8). Nevertheless, He would return to the earth in some generation, and that generation should be expected (when they would see all these things) to �know that it is near, even at the doors� (Matthew24:33). They could understand the signs, and even though they should never attempt to guess the date, they could �look up...for your redemption draweth nigh� (Luke21:28) when they would see �these things begin to come to pass.� The signs are everywhere, yet few of our leaders�even many Christian politicians�seem to understand the real meaning of these times. Christ is �even at the doors!� HMM Do It Again, Lord A Prayer for Troubled Times by Max Lucado DEAR LORD, We�re still hoping we�ll wake up. We�re still hoping we�ll open a sleepy eye and think, What a horrible dream. But we won�t, will we, Father? What we saw was not a dream. Planes did gouge towers. Flames did consume our fortress. People did perish. It was no dream, and, dear Father, we are sad. There is a ballet dancer who will no longer dance and a doctor who will no longer heal. A church has lost her priest; a classroom is minus a teacher. Cora ran a food pantry. Paige was a counselor, and Dana, dearest Father, Dana was only three years old.(Who held her in those final moments?) We are sad, Father. For as the innocent are buried, our innocence is buried as well. We thought we were safe. Perhaps we should have known better. But we didn�t. And so we come to you. We don�t ask you for help; we beg you for it. We don�t request; we implore. We know what you can do. We�ve read the accounts. We�ve pondered the stories, and now we plead, �Do it again, Lord. Do it again.� Remember Joseph? You rescued him from the pit. You can do the same for us. Do it again, Lord. Remember the Hebrews in Egypt? You protected their children from the angel of death. We have children too, Lord. Do it again. And Sarah? Remember her prayers? You heard them. Joshua? Remember his fears? You inspired him. The women at the tomb? You resurrected their hope. The doubts of Thomas? You took them away. Do it again, Lord. Do it again. You changed Daniel from a captive into a king�s counselor. You took Peter the fisherman and made him Peter an apostle. Because of you, David went from leading sheep to leading armies. Do it again, Lord, for we need counselors today. We need apostles. Weneed leaders. Do it again, dear Lord. Most of all, do again what you did at Calvary. What we saw here on that Tuesday, you saw there on that Friday. Innocence slaughtered. Goodness murdered. Mothers weeping. Evil dancing. Just as the ash fell on our children, the darkness fell on your Son. Justas our towers were shattered, the very Tower of Eternity was pierced. And by dusk, heaven�s sweetest song was silent, buried behind a rock. But you did not waver, O Lord. You did not waver. After your Son lay three days in a dark hole, you rolled the rock and rumbled the earth and turned the darkest Friday into the brightest Sunday. Do it again, Lord. Grant us a September Easter. We thank you, dear Father, for those hours of unity. Disaster did what discussions could not. Doctrinal fences fell. Republicans stood with Democrats. Skin colors were covered by the ash of burning buildings. We thank you for those hours of unity. And we thank you for these hours of prayer. The Enemy sought to bring us to our knees and succeeded. He had no idea, however, that we would kneel before you. And he has no idea what you can do. Let your mercy be upon our president, vice president, and their families. Grant to those who lead us wisdom beyond their years and experience. Have mercy upon the souls who have departed and the wounded who remain. Give us grace that we might forgive and faith that we might believe. And look kindly upon your church. For two thousand years you've used her to heal a hurting world. Do it again, Lord. Do it again. Through Christ, amen. Overwhelming Obstacles - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua: 'See! I have given Jerichointo your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.' -Joshua 6:1-2 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/overwhelming-obstacles-2/ - Listen Have you ever faced what seemed like an insurmountable obstacle, something that was so big and so overwhelming that you wished you just could turn and runaway? Maybe you're facing something like that right now: an incurable illness, a prodigal child, or a marriage that is unraveling. Maybe you think it will never get fixed. If you have ever faced something like this, you have a general idea of how the nation of Israel felt as they stood before the massive, ancient city of Jericho,the city God said they were supposed to conquer. His battle plan was one of the most unorthodox ever envisioned in human history. They were to march around the city once for six days, and on the seventh day, they were to march around it seven times, blow trumpets,and shout. It was a plan designed by God to show His power. Sometimes God will allow a Jericho in our lives, something big and scary. It might be a problem. It might be a challenge. It might even be an opportunity.But all you know is that it's massive, and there is no way you can deal with it in your own strength. For many, the greatest difficulty is getting to the place where they are willing to admit they need God. It's that place where they are willing to admit thething they're facing is too big for them and that if God doesn't come through, then they won't get through it. That is not a bad place to be. God has a plan for you, but He won't force His plan in your life. You can botch or sabotage the plan, or you can cooperate withthe plan. That is up to you. God will not force His purpose in your life. VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM