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God’s Innumerable Bounties

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Jesus … said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” John 4:10.

The gifts of God are on every hand, and all His gifts come to us through the merit of Jesus, whom He gave to the world. The apostle Paul breaks forth in an exclamation of gratitude, saying, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” And with Christ God has given us all things. The opening bud, the blooming flowers in their variety and loveliness, delightful to the senses, are the work of the Master Artist’s expressions of His love toward us…. The Lord has taken great care that everything should be grateful and pleasant to us, and yet how much greater effort He has made to provide us with that gift whereby we may perfect a Christian character, after the pattern of Christ.

Through the flowers of the field God would call our attention to the loveliness of Christlike character…. God is a lover of the beautiful. He desires that we shall consider the lovely flowers of the valley, and learn lessons of trust in Him. They are to be our teachers…. The Lord takes care of the flowers of the field, and clothes them with loveliness, and yet He has made it evident that He looks upon humanity as of greater value than the flowers for which He cares….

Suppose that our benevolent Father should grow weary with our ingratitude, and for a few weeks should withhold His innumerable bounties. Suppose He should become discouraged in seeing His treasures applied to selfish ends, in hearing no response of praise and gratitude for His unmerited mercies, and should forbid the sun to shine, the dew to fall, the earth to yield her increase. What a sensation would be created! What dismay would fall upon the world! What a cry would be raised as to what we should do to supply our tables with food and our bodies with clothing! …

God has not only supplied us with temporal benefits, but has provided for our eternal welfare; “for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” … Oh, if we did but know the gift of God, if we did but appreciate what this gift of God means to us, we would have been earnestly seeking for it with unwavering perseverance.—Signs of the Times, June 19, 1893.
From the Heart p. 91
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for my daughter, Rose. She and her husband are considering buying a house out in Montana, and I would like to request prayer for them, that if it is the Lord’s will for them that they purchase this house, that He will work it out that their offer will be accepted. The Lord knows what is best. My daughter is not a Christian but I feel like she wants me to pray about this. anonymous
—-Would you say a prayer for my husband right now? He is being attacked by the enemy. anonymous
—-Please pray for Justin and Savannah. Their 4-month-old baby girl, Stella, passed away unexpectedly from SIDS. Kathy
—-Please pray for Rita who is waiting for a heart cath and kidney stone surgery. Rose
—-A friend who had spinal surgery in January and is still trying to recover, fell and broke his right hip. Please pray for him. Aleta
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Dear Friends,

I thought that I would share a very familiar song with you that I shared some years ago. It should be the sentiment of our heart.

I’d Rather Have Jesus

Words by Rhea F. Miller

Music by George Beverly Shea

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold,

I’d rather be His than have riches untold;

I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands,

I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.

Than to be the king of a vast domain

Or be held in sin’s dread sway;

I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause,

I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;

I’d rather have Jesus than world-wide fame,

I’d rather be true to His holy name.

Than to be the king of a vast domain

Or be held in sin’s dread sway;

I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom,

He’s sweeter than honey from out the comb;

He’s all that my hungering spirit needs,

I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead.

Than to be the king of a vast domain

Or be held in sin’s dread sway;

I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

When Jesus walked this earth, “one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, ….if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” Matt 19:16-22

This rich young man’s possessions were more important to him than was the One Who was giving His life that he might live eternally. Jesus tells us, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” vs 24-26 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” 6:24

So it is with us. Throughout each day, we are making decisions for or against our Dear Saviour. Each day we have the opportunity to do His. Yet, how often we go through the day with scarcely a thought heavenward. How often our desires, our wishes, our plans are first and foremost in our mind. May we lay aside our plans and follow Jesus’ plan for our life, serving Him with our whole heart is my prayer.

Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/gods-innumerable-bounties.html

In Christ’s Steps

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Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, … who made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:5-7.
The Son of God … left His riches and honor and glory, and clothed His divinity with humanity, that humanity might take hold of divinity and become a partaker of the divine nature. He came not to live in the palaces of kings, to live without care and labor and be supplied with all the conveniences which human nature naturally craves. The world never saw its Lord wealthy. In the council of heaven He had chosen to stand in the ranks of the poor and the oppressed, … to learn the trade of His earthly parent. He came to the world to be a reconstructor of character, and He brought into all His work the perfection which He desired to bring into the character He was transforming by His divine power.
Nor did He shun the social life of His countrymen. That all might become acquainted with God manifest in the flesh, He mingled with every class of society, and was called the friend of sinners. In Himself Christ possessed an absolute right to all things, but He gave Himself to a life of poverty that we might be rich in heavenly treasure. Commander in the heavenly courts, He took the lowest place on earth. Rich, yet for our sake He became poor….
For a little time the Lord allows His people to be His stewards, that He may test their character. In that time they decide their eternal destiny. If they work in opposition to the will of God, they cannot belong to the royal family….
Evidence of the work of grace in the heart is given when we do good to everyone as we have opportunity. The proof of our love is given in a Christlike spirit, a willingness to impart the good things God has given us, a readiness to practice self-denial and self-sacrifice in order to help advance the cause of God and suffering humanity. Never should we pass by the object that calls for our liberality….
The Lord will use all who will give themselves to be used. But He requires heart service…. When the heart is given to God, our talents, our energy, our possessions, all we have and are, will be devoted to His service.—The Review and Herald, May 15, 1900.
From the Heart p. 86
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for my good friend Vicki. She is back in the hospital getting her lungs drained again. She has been suffering from throat cancer for a very long time. M
—-My cousin Norm has pancreatic cancer. Please pray for him. Mike
—-Ron’s blood pressure is better but still quite high. Please pray that it will get back to normal soon. Rose
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Dear Friends,
Many years ago, I worked in the physical therapy department in an army hospital. It was very easy and interesting work. Often the soldiers would come in for treatment when they just wanted a day off. They would complain of a stiff neck or a sore back, but when giving them the treatments, it seemed that they were perfectly fine. The captain that was the head of the department didn’t care whether the soldiers had a legitimate complaint or not, he was more interested in having a good time. He made working there a lot of fun. –
After I had worked there about a year, Captain Meyer was transferred to another base and we got a major in there as head of the department. He was much different. He was tall, very quiet, stern, and quite unapproachable. The fun stopped. He had the opinion that all of the people who came through that office were there because they just didn’t want to work that day. He gave them painful examinations and hard exercises.
One day a young soldier walked into our department. He had some rather unusual complaints about pain and weakness. The major felt that he was only there to get out of work and treated him very harshly. The young man took it all in a gentle and smiling way. I felt sorry for him because I knew that even if he were exaggerating his condition, the major’s treatment was painful.
Several times a week the young man came back. Each time he told of more symptoms. Each time he seemed to get worse. Finally, the young man was transferred to a different hospital by his doctor.
A few weeks later, Major W. came into the department with a more solemn look on his face than usual. He asked me if I remembered that young man. I said that I did. He told me that he had been talking with the young man’s doctor and that the other hospital had tested him and they had found a tumor on that soldier’s upper spine. Major Wheeler had been giving him exercises and treatment the were contrary to what that young man needed. He was now very sorry that he had done so, but it was too late.
How easy it is to misjudge another. How easy to be sure that we know someone’s motives and yet be so wrong. Jesus says, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Matt 7:1-5 “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” John 7:24
How can we judge righteously? He gives the answer, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Matt 7:20 We cannot judge another person’s motives, but we can know them by their fruits. Does the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance Gal 5:22) show forth in the life? Yet even then, we must be very careful. We must remember that “we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” Rom 14:10
Let us hide God’s word in our hearts that we may be able to have that discernment we must have in these last days that we will not be deceived. Let us pray for, rather than gossip about, those we feel have wrong motives. Let us determine to be so close to our Loving Saviour that we keep our eyes only on Him.
Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/in-christs-steps.html

Liberality and Love for God’s Work

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“Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.” And the people were restrained from bringing. Exodus 36:6.
Under the Jewish system, the people were required to cherish a spirit of liberality, both in sustaining the cause of God and in supplying the wants of the needy. At the harvest and the vintage, the firstfruits of the fields—corn, wine, and oil—were to be consecrated as an offering to the Lord. The gleanings and the corners of the fields were reserved for the poor. The firstfruits of the wool when the sheep were shorn, of the grain when the wheat was threshed, were to be offered to the Lord; and at the feast it was commanded that the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the strangers should be invited. At the close of every year all were required to make solemn oath whether or not they had done according to the command of God.
This arrangement was made by the Lord to impress upon the people that in every matter He must be first. They were, by this system of benevolence, reminded that their gracious Master was the true proprietor of their fields, their flocks, and their herds, that the God of heaven sent them sunshine and rain for their seed-time and harvest, and that everything which they possessed was of His creation. All was the Lord’s, and He had made them stewards of His goods.
The liberality of the Jews in the construction of the tabernacle evinced a spirit of benevolence which has not been equaled by the people of God at any later date. The Hebrews had just been freed from their long bondage in Egypt, they were wanderers in the wilderness; yet scarcely were they delivered from the armies of the Egyptians who pursued them in their hasty journey, when the word of the Lord came to Moses, “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.” …
All gave with a willing hand, not a certain amount of their increase, but a large portion of their actual possessions. They devoted it gladly and heartily to the Lord. They honored Him by so doing. Was it not all His? Had He not given them all that they possessed? If He called for it, was it not their duty to give back to the lender His own? No urging was needed. The people brought even more than was required; and they were told to desist, for there was already more than could be appropriated.—The Review and Herald, October 17, 1882.
From the Heart p. 76
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Prayer Requests
—-Praise—Ron got out of the hospital today! Please pray for him that his blood pressure will be under control from now on. Rose
—-Please pray for the grandmother of a lady I met in the ICU waiting room. Also a man was there whose wife is in end-stage kidney disease. The man has cancer and also needs prayer. I didn’t think to get names. Rose
—-A mission team from Alaska is in a difficult situation, and needs to return home. Please pray for this team’s safety and flight home. Jeanie
—-I need prayer for healing. Lucyanne
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Dear Friends,
Not too many years ago, the man who sent out news of happenings in our highschool class. He sent out an obituary for one of the girls I had gone to school with in second grade. (We had a very large senior class, so she and I did not have any classes together.) As I looked at Lonnie’s picture and read her obituary, it reminded me of an incident many years before high school that made my seven-year-old heart break.
It was the first day of school after the Thanksgiving vacation in 1952. I was proudly wearing my new coat that my mother had bought me. It was a grayish-green wool and very warm—just what I needed for the cold winters of Michigan. I entered the second grade cloakroom and hung my coat on a hook alongside about 30 other coats, went to my desk, and sat down. Soon all thoughts of my coat vanished as Miss Kramer began teaching our lessons.
Soon it was time to go home for lunch. Some children had quite a way to get home, but not me. All I had to do was walk across the street to my house. We all walked quietly to the cloakroom to get our coats. When I got there, however, I had a hard time finding my coat. It was the first time I had worn it, and I could not remember exactly what it looked like. After searching a bit, I found it. To my surprise there was a beautiful Christmas corsage pinned to it. I looked at that corsage and wondered how it had gotten there. In my seven-year-old imaginings, I thought that maybe my mother had tiptoed into the cloakroom while no one was looking and had pinned it on my coat to surprise me. It was such a wonderful thought that I felt like crying for joy!
Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain on my arm. To my horror, I saw someone’s fingernails making deep scratches on my forearm: one was so deep that it actually bled and left a scar which I had for many years. There stood Lonnie. (I was always a little afraid of this girl because she was so mean.) Now here she was looking very angry and screaming at me about stealing her coat. Gradually, I realized that she and I must have the same color coat. I looked around. There on another hook not far away was my new coat. I told her that I was sorry and reached for my coat. Then she saw that we had matching coats and her anger melted a little. She grabbed her coat and ran off, while I stood there with a bleeding arm and a breaking heart.
How easy it is for us to become just as confused as I was that day. We may think that we know what is right, but we are so wrong. Solomon observed, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Prov 14:12 Jesus urges us, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Mat 7:13 ,14

The evil one is a master at deception. Peter warns, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 He, Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life warns, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Matt 7:15
Isaiah give us the way to tell the genuine from the false, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isa 8:20
How carefully we must test everything we hear, everything we see by the Word of God. How important it is to compare what is told us that the Bible says. The Great Author of the Bible desires for us to gather all of the texts dealing with a certain subject in order to get the whole picture. “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” 28:9,10
May we pray for the Holy Spirit, Who guided those who wrote the Scriptures, to guide us in understanding them. (2 Peter 1:21) May we “study to show [ourselves] approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim 2:15
Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/liberality-and-love-for-gods-work.html

Truth Conquers Evil

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Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. Matthew 10:34.

The question has been asked, How can there be agreement between the statement, “I came not to send peace, but a sword,” and the song sung by the angels when Christ was born in the manger at Bethlehem, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”? The song of the angels is in harmony with the words of the prophet Isaiah, who, when he predicted the birth of Christ, declared Him to be the Prince of peace. The gospel is a glorious message of peace and goodwill to men; the blessing that Christ came to bring was that of harmony and peace. He left His throne of glory, and clothed His divinity with humanity, that He might bring back from apostasy to loyalty to God the children of men, and bind their hearts together and to the heart of Infinite Love. He came to present to a fallen world the remedy for sin, so that whosoever should believe on Him should not perish, but by becoming one with Him and the Father should have everlasting life….

The condition of the world at the time when Christ came into the walks of humanity was no exceptional condition. At that time the Scriptures had been buried beneath human traditions, and Christ declared that those who professed to interpret the Word of God were ignorant both of the Scriptures and of the power of God….

Christ presented to His countrymen and to the world brightness, beauty, and holiness, the divine nature, by which they might be bound close to the heart of Infinite Love. He brought light into the world to dispel spiritual darkness and to reveal truth…. The truth, which was to restore and renew, is a destroyer of evil; and when evil is persistently cherished, it becomes a destroyer of the sinner also….

Sinners’ perversity, their resistance of the truth, makes the mission of Christ appear to be what He announced to His disciples—the sending of a sword upon the earth; but the strife is not the effect of Christianity, but the result of opposition in the hearts of those who will not receive its blessings.

From the first presentation of Christianity to the world, there has been a deadly warfare instituted against it…. Those who suffer for the truth know the value of a pure gospel, a free Bible, and liberty of conscience.—Bible Echo (Australia), March 12, 1894.
From the Heart p. 71
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Prayer Requests
—-We are going through various trials right now. Please pray for us. Rose
—-Gordon needs prayer. A few days ago he had surgery for A-fib. Alexandra
—-Please pray for the family of a child who died because of a car accident. Kim
—-Please pray for Bob who is in the hospital with a brain bleed. Please pray for him. Karey
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Dear Friends,

When Esther was six, we moved to Washington state. For a few weeks, while I was looking for a place to live, we lived in a hotel. While there, Eileen, who is ten years older than her sister, took Esther down to the hotel’s Jacuzzi. They really liked the warm bubbly water. Being so tiny, the force of the water caused Esther to slip under the water. Eileen quickly grabbed her little sister, and all seemed to be well. However, later all was not well. Esther got meningitis. I always wondered if it was because of swallowing some of the Jacuzzi’s water.

I was very thankful when my little girl eventually recovered and seemed to suffer no ill effects from her illness. How happy she was when she and her brother could play in the fields behind the house that we had rented. There were lots of tall weeds in the field and they pretended they were in a jungle. There was only one trouble. Esther was always getting prickers from those weeds in her eyes. At the time we did not realize that the meningitis had left her very far-sighted, so the natural inclination to blink when something gets close to the eye was not there.

Many times I had to remove those tiny specks from her eyes. One time I could not get one of those nearly microscopic prickers out. It had stuck into her eyeball. I immediately took her to the emergency room and by using a strong magnifying glass, the doctor was able to remove the offending object. Then he gave me some ointment to put into her eye. How she hated that ointment! She did not really understand why she needed it. All she knew was that it stung. She would run away from me and hide when it was time to put it into her eye. It was quite a challenge to find her. She was very good at hiding. She could curl up into a tiny ball in some out-of-sight place, hold very still, and be very quiet; but eventually I would find her and put the stuff in.

Just as that eye salve was necessary for Esther’s recovery, so our Great Physician counsels us to receive Heavenly eye salve from Him. He pleads, “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” Rev 3:18 The eye salve that He offers sometimes hurts and stings as we see our true condition—“wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Rev 3:17 This eye salve He longs for us to have gives us the discernment we need to detect the devises of the enemy of souls. It helps us to see the snares he lays for our feet.

How much we need the Heavenly eye salve to see the true path. The devil uses many ways to counterfeit the genuine. He has his agents to lead people into the wrong paths. Our Dear Saviour warns us, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Matt 7:15 He explained that in the last days there would be many deceivers, many deceptions. “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” 24:24 How much we need the spiritual eye salve that the True Witness offers, that we might not be taken in by one of these deceivers.

May we ask our Great Redeemer for the eye salve that He so freely offers, that we may obey His Holy Word is my prayer.

Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/truth-conquers-evil.html

Becoming a Child of God

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But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. John 1:12.

If we could appreciate this great blessing, what an advantage it would be to us! We are given the privilege of being laborers together with God in the saving of our souls. Receiving and believing is our part of the contract. We are to receive Christ as our personal Savior, and are to continue to believe in Him. This means abiding in Christ, showing in Him, at all times and under all circumstances, a faith that is a representation of His character—a faith that works by love, and purifies the soul from all defilement….

We must each obtain an experience for ourselves. No one can depend for salvation on the experience or practice of any other individual. We must each become acquainted with Christ in order properly to represent Him to the world…. None of us need to excuse our hasty temper, our misshapen character, our selfishness, envy, jealousy, or any impurity of soul, body, or spirit. God has called us to glory and virtue. We are to obey the call….

How can we escape the power of one who was once an exalted angel in the heavenly courts? He was a being full of beauty and personal charm, blessed with a powerful intellect. Because of his exaltation he thought himself equal with God…. How can we discern his false theories and resist his temptations? Only through the individual experience gained by receiving a knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord. Without divine aid we could not possibly escape the temptations and snares that Satan has prepared to deceive human minds….

We are to walk as He walked, following closely in His footsteps, manifesting His meekness and lowliness…. The service of Christ is pure and elevated. The path He traveled is not one of self-pleasing, self-gratification. He speaks to His children, saying, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” The price of heaven is submission to Christ. The way to heaven is obedience to the command, Deny thyself, take up thy cross, and follow Me. As Jesus journeyed, so we must journey. The path He followed, we must follow; for that path leads to the mansions He is preparing for us.—The Review and Herald, April 24, 1900.
From the Heart p. 64
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Prayer Request
—-Please pray for my brother-in-law who is in the hospital with colon cancer. J
—-Please pray for Rosalie whose husband died seven years ago that God will give her comfort and peace. BH
—-My sister is severely depressed and is in a very difficult situation. Please pray for her get help for her depression and for God to help her through this situation. Kathy
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Dear Friends,

As a teenager Esther wrote a piece entitled “A Mother’s Love.” I don’t remember if she had put this to music or not.

“A mother’s arms holding her child. Her tender voice warmed by her smile. A mother’s eyes brightened with her tears. She gives her wants and hopes and all her fears to God.
A mother’s strength is found in our God. He gives her hope and faith to lead her children on. She holds her child’s hands gently in her own. She shows the tiny feet the long pathway home to God.
A mother’s love is sent from our God. He gives her strength and peace to carry on. With a gentle smile and arms open wide She welcomes love from her child, then gives it back to God.”

Shortly after Solomon became king, he used a mother’s love to make a decision that would affect that mother’s child forever. “Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it. And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear. And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king. Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.” 1 Kings 3:16-27

That mother’s heart yearned over her little one. All her hopes and dreams were wrapped up in him. Yet, she was willing to give her child to the other woman than to see harm come to her little one. Truly a mother’s love is strong. A mother would rather suffer than to see her child suffer. Indeed, when her child suffers (no matter what the age or what kind of suffering) the mother suffers as much or more.

We have Someone Whose Great Heart of Love yearns over us. Indeed, He loves us even more than we could ever love our children. Beyond this, He gave His Life for us that we might live with Him throughout all eternity. He assures us, “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Isa 49:15, 16; Jer 31:3 The psalmist reminds us, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.” Ps 103:13

May our heart respond with love, trust, and praise to the One Who loves us so is my prayer.

Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/becoming-a-child-of-god.html

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Intercer is a website with biblical materials in Romanian, English, Hungarian and other languages. We want to bring the light from God's Word to peoples homes. Intercer provides quality Christian resources...[Read More]

Lucian Web Service


Intercer is proudly sponsored by Lucian Web Service - Professional Web Services, Wordpress Websites, Marketing and Affiliate Info. Lucian worked as a subcontractor with Simpleupdates, being one of the programmers for the Adventist Church Connect software. He also presented ACC/ASC workshops... [read more]

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