What More Can You Ask

God's love endures forever--

what a wonderful thing to know

When the tides of life run against you

and your spirit is downcast and low.

God's kindness is ever around you,

always ready to freely impart

Strength to your faltering spirit,

cheer to your lonely heart.

God's presence is ever beside you,

as near as the reach of your hand.

You have but tp tell Him your troubles --

there is nothing He won't understand.....

And knowing God's love is unfailing,

and His mercy unending and great,

You have but to trust in His promise --

God comes not too soon or too late.....

So wait with a heart that is patient

for the goodness of God to prevail,

For never do prayers go unanswered,

and His mercy and love never fail.

Marking Down

Mark it down, things do not "just happen."

 Ours is not a random, whistle-in-the-dar

universe. There is a God-arranged plan for this world of

ours, which includes a specific plan for you. And

through every ordinary day and every ordinary day

and every extraordinary

moment, there is a God who constantly seeks you.

The God who loves us and redeemed us..... is there,

and He is not silent.

Oh the depth of the riches

both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

Romans 11:33

The Old Tractor

God specializes in restoration.

My friend Gary restores tractors. He told me about an old John Deere that had been sitting in a farmer's firld for year's. It had served its owner faithfully for decades.

When Gary was finally able to start the tractor, the engine was in such bad shape that it couldn't have pulled a child's wagon, much less a plow. The belts were cracked, the wires were split, the plugs were rusted, and the carburetor was a way out of adjustments.

With loving hands, Gary went to work. He replaced the plugs and points and adjusted the carburetor. When he put it all back together and fired it up, its engine purred like a kitten. It can now pull a plow as strongly as it ever did. Under Gary's restorative skills, it will do it all it was designed to do.

In Psalm 51, David repented of his sin with Bathsheba and asked God to restore him to the place of fellowship he once enjoyed. He prayed; "Create in me a clean heart, O God.... Restore to me the joy of Your salvation."

Through neglect or sin, have you ended up by the wayside spiritually? Turn right now to the Lord. Place yourself in His tender hands. Confess your sin, repent, and ask His forgivenesss. He is waiting to restore you to Himself and make you a productive Christian again. -DCE

Lesson Of The 18-Wheeler

The power that drives us

comes from the spirit inside.

I was talking with a veteran truck-driver about his life on the road. We discussed interstates, cities, truck stops, engines, and tractors.

As he spoke about this huge rig, he referred several times to steering axles and drive axles. I asked him to explain the difference. He told me that the front axle of a truck is the steering axle. The drive axles, located under the rear of the cab, transfer the power that is generated by the diesel engine. It's the drive axles that enable the semi to climb steep grades, inch down dangerous slopes, and barrel down the highway to get the load in on time.

My discussion with the trucker gave me a new appreciation for those 18-wheelers, and it reminded me of a spiritual truth. Just as steering axles and drive axles are essential to a tractor-trailer, so also direction and power are vital to followers of Christ as we travel through life. The Holy Spirit provides us with both. He was sent to guide us into all truth. and teach us. We are empowered by the Spirit to witness, to pray, and to live a hope-filled life.

The next time one of those big semis blows by you on the highway, think about the lesson of the 18-wheeler. Call on the direction and power of the Holy Spirit. -DCE

Inspire Me

We continually remember before our God and

Father your work produced by faith, your labor

prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by

hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1:3

~~~

I pray for inspiration and encouragement to come my way. By staying distant from people and commitment, I have chosen to avoid the connections that could inspire me in my faith. This journey is one that requires the help of other people. why do I resist that so?

God, please make me aware of those people who act out of love, concern, and sincere hope in You. Let their actions be examples that allow me a visible path toward a deeper relationship with You. May I, in turn, take notice of the time when I, too, can be a source of inspiration to another.

Ready To Believe

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith

 and do not doubt, not only can you do what was

 done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this

 mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it

 will be done. If you believe, you will receive

 whatever you ask for in prayer."

Matthew 21:21-22

~~~

My prayers do not always reflect a faith of true believing, Lord. I find myself asking without faith in the outcome, without fully trusting that You are listening. Fill my heart with faith that leaves no room for doubt. Let my questions be those of a seeker desiring a deeper relationship with You, rather than those of a person who places obstacles between my life and the One who made it.

As I practice the discipline of prayer, may it make me ready to receive all that is good, holy, and of You. May my lips never release words that are not lifted up in faith.

A New Year Brings A New Beginning

As the New Year starts and the old year ends

There's no better time to make amends

For all the things we sincerely regret

And wish in our hearts we could somehow forget -

We all make mistakes, for it's human to err,

But no one need ever give up in despair,

For God gives us all a brand-new beginning,

A chance to start over and repent of our sinning -

And when God forgives us we, too, must forgive

And resolve to do better each day that we live

By constantly trying to be like Him more nearly

And to trust in His wisdom

and love Him more dearly -

Assured that we're never out of His care

Ande we're always welcome to seek Him in prayer.

by: HSR

A Strong Finish

People who think they don't need God

are in a no-win situation.

Long-distance runners know the importance of a strong finish. They know that many races are won or lost in the final steps.

Uzziah made a splendid start when he became king at age 16. Through his faithfulness to God, he restored his nation to honor and glory. Then he became proud and believed that the rules no longer applied to him.

Uzziah entered the temple to burn incense - a privilege restricted to the priests. Even when confronted about his sin, he arrogantly refused to listen - until leprosy broke out on his forehead. God had gotten his attention.

Uzziah stumbled before the finish line. He was disqualified. Instead of a record of great victories, he left his throne in disguise.

King Uzziah doesn't stand alone in history. Many men and women who once walked humbly with God become proud and walk away from Him. They persist in disobedience and refuse to hear the voice of God or the rebuke of friends. The way they finish spoils their race.

Have you wandered off course because you stopped following the Lord? You can get back on track and by God's grace get your "second wind." Humble yourself before God and you can still finish strong." -HWR

Something Has Changed

A changed life

is the result of a changed heart.

When some missionaries took the gospel to Vanino, a town in the far eastern part of Russia, they didn't know what effect their work would have.

A few years later, Gary Anderson of Baptist Mid-Missions, visited Vanino. He was met by the vice-mayor, who told him, "We have noticed that when people are associated with your church for a while, it makes a difference. It's as though they are reborn."

Anderson was then asked by the vice-mayor if his church would work with troubled families and directionless yound adults in Vanino.

Without knowing it, that city official had correctly described what had happened. People in Vanino had been "reborn" - born again by faith in Jesus, who died for their sins and rose from the grave. Each of them was "a new creation."

The question we need to be asking ourselves is whether people notice that we have been reborn. can anyone tell that there is a positive difference about our lives?

One of the greatest witnesses we can have as Christians is to leave a positive impression on others. The people of Vanino knows that something has changed the churchgoers. is it obvious to others that Soemone has changed you? -JDB

No Need Is Too Trivial

God bears the world's weight on His shoulder,

yet holds his children in the palm of His hand.

Several mothers of small children were sharing encouraging answers to prayer. One woman admitted that she felt selfish when she troubled God with her personal needs. "Compared with the huge global needs God faces," she explained, "my circumstances must seem trivial to Him."

Moments later, her little son pinched his fingers in a door and ran screaming to hi smother. She didn't say, "How selfish of you to bother me with your throbbing fingers when I'm busy!" No, she showed him great compassion and tenderness.

As Psalm 103:13 reminds us, this is the response of love, both human and divine. In Isaiah 49, God said that even though a mother may forget to have compassion on her child, the Lord never forgets! In picturesque language, God assured His people that He had inscribed them on the palms of His hands.

Such intimacy with God belongs to those who fear Him and rely on Him rather than on themselves. As that child with throbbing fingers ran freely to his mother, so may we run to God with our daily problems.

The almighty God never has to neglect others to respond to your concerns. He has limitless time and love for each of His children. No need is too trivial for Him. -JEY