SUNDAY
God Is With Me
I was somewhat nervous about this next surgery. It was scheduled for January 30th. A few weeks before that I had Covid, and maybe it didn’t fully go away because that week I got laryngitis and still had some congestion and cough. The surgery is on my neck and I didn’t want to be coughing so hard during recovery. When I called about my condition, my surgery was postponed. During the time of waiting God gave me sweet peace. I knew that God had altered my time of surgery, and that gave me wonderful peace that He was in control and would let the surgery take place in His time. I waited for the next scheduled day and found out that it was keyed incorrectly into the computer so my surgery was cancelled again. It has been two months since my oncologist told me that I needed the surgery. At first I was upset that it was postponed again, but the Lord reminded me that God was working it out in His time and I tried to be patient. Sometimes little things can cause my peace and faith to waver, and I need to be reminded that my God is still in control. My surgery is now scheduled for Monday morning at 8:00 and I am claiming Isaiah 41:10 as my blessing. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” I appreciate your prayers for me, and the surgeon, and his team. I would also appreciate prayers that the recovery will go well and that if it is the Lord’s will, that it is not cancer. I am thankful that I have the assurance that God is with me as I go into surgery in the morning.
MONDAY
I Am Blessed That God Knows The Way That I Take
I appreciate your prayers as I am scheduled to go through surgery this morning. Sometimes we don’t understand the path that God is leading us on. Sometimes we go through troubles and trials in this life. Have you ever tried to go one way in life and the Lord turned you around in another direction and later you could see how that made a difference? When I am driving and I miss my turn or I go down the wrong road I don’t get upset over it because I feel like the Lord may have changed my course for a reason. There are probably numerous times that God has kept us from harm, an accident, or trouble along the way that we never knew. It is a great blessing that the Lord leads us and guides us in the right way to go, and that He is always with us. I don’t know how people sleep at night just living their lives by chance, without God. We have His wonderful promise, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) We don’t always understand why God is leading us in a different way, but we can trust His Word. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) Job had to go through all kinds of troubles and trials, but he was able to say, “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10) I am so glad that the Lord knows the way that I take. That is a great blessing to me!
TUESDAY
The Blessings Of Psalm 23
We were not able to attend church during the storm and I really missed it. I missed the preaching. Pastor Rick Byerly preaches from God’s Word and it is encouraging and enlightening. I missed the worship, singing, and being together with my Christian family. Sunday just didn’t feel like Sunday since we weren’t in church. I was so glad when the ice and snow melted and we were able to go back to church. I was brought up in church and it has always been such a blessing to me! I was trying to think of a good verse to use about our blessing of our church and I remembered the last verse of the 23rd Psalm, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” I started reading the familiar Psalm and I saw so many blessings that David praised God for. As you read these sweet verses, think about all the blessings that God has given you. If you have a favorite verse or two about God’s blessings on your life I would love to hear from you, and maybe share them with our readers.
“1 <<A Psalm of David.>> The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” (Psalm 23)
WEDNESDAY
Blessed Hope
After church last week, my grandson Benjamin brought me a small magnet in the shape of a cross. He told me that someone put them on the table so people could take them and I could put it on my refrigerator at home. I asked him if he could read the word on the cross. He said, “Yes, it says Hope.” I saw more on the table before I left church and out of all the ones available, “Hope” was the perfect one for me. I have a blessed hope! “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” (Titus 2:13) My hope in the Lord is sure. “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;” (Hebrews 6:19) With the trusting hope I have in the Lord, He has also blessed me with resting hope, as I am waiting out the time of my recovery. I have planning hope, as I start planning a garden as I wait for spring. God gives me a prayerful and watchful hope as I wait for His coming. And He gives me a joyful hope as I give Him thanks for all He does for me.
THURSDAY
Blessings Of The Heart
In the introduction, I joked about how some people may tell someone “Bless your little heart” and not really mean it in the right way. I would not say that sarcastically as I joked, and I hope that I didn’t offend anyone. We do have blessings of our heart. We have two examples in the book of Psalms. “Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.” (Psalm 84:5) “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.” (Psalm 119:2) My favorite is found in the Beatitudes by Jesus in Matthew 5:8. “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” There are many more blessings found in these scriptures.
“3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3-10)
FRIDAY
God’s Blessing Of The Comforts Of Life
We had two little mishaps just before the storm came. We were leaving the house and I saw water in the driveway. This was before the rain and ice came so we went back up to the house and found a really huge water leak. I am so thankful that God showed us before the storm came and before the ground was frozen. If the plumbers had not been able to fix it before the storm we may have been without water a week or more. The next day we went out the door to cover something before the ice started falling and the door closed behind us, and locked us out. We had to walk two houses down to borrow a phone from our neighbor and call our moms. Their numbers were the only ones we could remember because we call from our phones by names and don’t call by number any more like we used to. We asked Betty to call one of our children and see if someone could bring us a key. We trudged through the freezing weather back to the house to wait in the car, hoping that she was able to get someone who could help us. I usually keep a blanket in the car during the winter, but all I had this time was a beach towel. It was so cold, but I was glad we were able to sit in the car. Both of these incidences remind me of God’s blessings of the comforts of life. I am thankful for running water. It is wonderful to have hot water for showers. We have water for cooking and drinking and washing clothes and dishes. Water is a great blessing! I am also thankful for God’s blessing of a comfortable home. We have a warm place to sleep when it is cold outside. We used our wood stove when the temperatures were the lowest and relied on the heating system once they rose a little higher. Some don’t have these comforts of home and I don’t take it for granted. I am so blessed! “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)
SATURDAY
Showers Of Blessing
When Daniel Webster Whittle went into the Civil War, his mother packed a New Testament into his haversack. He was wounded and as he was recovering he pulled out the Bible and read it all the way through, then started through again. Although he was convicted, he wouldn’t call on Jesus to save him. One night he was asked to pray for a dying soldier and he declined. Under conviction, he agreed to go. Here is his testimony about the incident in his own words, written in the book, “Twice Born Men.”
"I dropped on my knees and held the boy's hand in mine. In a few broken words I confessed my sins and asked Christ to forgive me. I believed right there that He did forgive me. I then prayed earnestly for the boy. He became quiet and pressed my hand as I prayed and pleaded God's promises. When I arose from my knees, he was dead. A look of peace had come over his troubled face, and I cannot but believe that God who used him to bring me to the Savior, used me to lead him to trust Christ's precious blood and find pardon. I hope to meet him in heaven."
Daniel Webster Whittle wrote songs under different pseudonyms. He wrote the great old song, “There Shall Be Showers Of Blessings”, in 1883. We find the promise of God’s “Showers of Blessing” in Ezekiel 34:26-27. “And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.” I am so thankful for God’s showers of blessings on my life!
“There Shall Be Showers Of Blessings”
1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.
Chorus
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
2. There shall be showers of blessing—
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
3. There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord!
Grant to us now a refreshing;
Come, and now honor Thy Word.
4. There shall be showers of blessing;
O that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!
5. There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.
