Good morning sweet ladies! It's JUNE! Wow! Every time we begin a new month, I have that feeling of, "where did the last month go?" Do you know what I mean? Even with this current situation of the health crisis, which can at times make things seem as if they are dragging, there is also a sense that time is flying. I really don't know how that works, haha! Anyway, we are in my favorite season of summer now, or close enough, and the sunshine, birds, and beautiful greenery bring me joy. How was your weekend? The biggest highlight for us was hearing about a need through our former church, and seeking to help. There is a middle school in Minneapolis, right in the heart of the protest area, that has families who needed food. During the pandemic, kids are obviously not attending school, which meant that they weren't receiving the government sponsored breakfasts and lunches. Because of this, the schools were sending buses to bring food to these families. That all changed, however, when the rioting and very dangerous conditions started. No buses could go in there, so again, their need for food surfaced. A plea for help was given from the church, and we immediately said that we were going to help. What they needed was very specific: a brown grocery bag containing the following items: one box of cereal, a loaf of bread, a bag of rice, a package of tortillas, a bag of apples, a bag of baby carrots, two cans of soup, and two cans of beans. We felt God telling us to do five bags, so we headed to the store and got the things we needed. On Saturday morning, my husband drove down to the area, leaving a little bit early, and when he arrived, there was already a line of cars about a half mile long! He waited for a bit, and eventually they asked people to carry their bags to a designated spot. Originally, they were planning to just take the bags as people drove by, but it became apparent very quickly that the crowd was much bigger than they had anticipated. It was such a joy to see the community come together in this way! He took some pictures, which I will share at the end. Another huge encouragement that we saw on some media posts, is the help coming every single morning to clean up the streets from the night before. So many people, once again, that they had to send some home! I mean, it's incredible, and it reminds me that, even with all the "bad" there is still so much "good" out there too. We keep praying, of course, as I'm sure you do too.
Devotion
God is always present, always with us. We NEED to keep these words in the front of our minds and hearts ALWAYS! Have a MAGNIFICENT MONDAY ladies!
"God Is with Us in this Pandemic"
CBN Ministries, Anne Ferrell Tate
“All right then, the Lord Himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’)." Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)
We live in troubling times. We are facing a worldwide health crisis. The novel coronavirus has invaded almost every country in the world, and while scientists and politicians are trying to sound positive, no one knows the outcome. The future appears bleak. What do we do? How do we respond?
Times such as these are a great motivator to look back and remember how God always comes through! The celebrated verse above, from Isaiah, is a steadfast reminder of the love of God for His people everywhere. At the time the prophecy was made, King Ahaz of Judah faced a terrifying situation with another type of invasion. King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel set out to invade Jerusalem, the capital of Judah. The two kings were mad because they wanted King Ahaz to join forces with them to fight the Assyrians. The Prophet Isaiah counseled King Ahaz to trust God and not align himself with foreign allies.
The Bible says when King Ahaz heard the news of the invasion,
“the hearts of the king and his people trembled with fear, like trees shaking in a storm." Isaiah 7:2b (NLT)
The Lord instructed Isaiah to tell King Ahaz to stop worrying because he had nothing to fear.
But this is what the Sovereign Lord says: This invasion will never happen; it will never take place…." Isaiah 7:7 (NLT)
And then through Isaiah, the Lord gave the King a sign to confirm His word.
“…Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel which means ‘God is with us.,'" Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)
A child was born. The invasion never occurred.
The Old Testament prophetic sign was given as an immediate assurance of God’s presence, protection and provision. Centuries later, it had a messianic fulfillment. In the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew clearly views Isaiah’s prophecy fulfilled in the birth of Jesus by the Virgin Mary.
“All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: ‘Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’" Matthew 1:22-23 (NLT)
When Isaiah announces, “Look!” He is saying something wonderful is about to happen! Something extraordinary! ‘God with us’ is a declaration of His presence.
The declaration is as much for us today as it was for King Ahaz and as it was for the early Christians. While we are prone to worry, let us try not to. When we are tempted to be afraid, let us remember the promise: Jesus is Immanuel: God with us! He is our hope in the midst of adversity. He is our comforter. He is our Shalom. He loves us. He forgives us. He guides us. He is our rock and our shield.
Immanuel, God With Us, is the best gift ever! With His presence, we are never alone.
During this time of fear and uncertainty, let us refuse to worry or be afraid, and instead, ponder the greatest gift ever given and rejoice!
Digging Deeper:
Devotion
God is always present, always with us. We NEED to keep these words in the front of our minds and hearts ALWAYS! Have a MAGNIFICENT MONDAY ladies!
"God Is with Us in this Pandemic"
CBN Ministries, Anne Ferrell Tate
“All right then, the Lord Himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’)." Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)
We live in troubling times. We are facing a worldwide health crisis. The novel coronavirus has invaded almost every country in the world, and while scientists and politicians are trying to sound positive, no one knows the outcome. The future appears bleak. What do we do? How do we respond?
Times such as these are a great motivator to look back and remember how God always comes through! The celebrated verse above, from Isaiah, is a steadfast reminder of the love of God for His people everywhere. At the time the prophecy was made, King Ahaz of Judah faced a terrifying situation with another type of invasion. King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel set out to invade Jerusalem, the capital of Judah. The two kings were mad because they wanted King Ahaz to join forces with them to fight the Assyrians. The Prophet Isaiah counseled King Ahaz to trust God and not align himself with foreign allies.
The Bible says when King Ahaz heard the news of the invasion,
“the hearts of the king and his people trembled with fear, like trees shaking in a storm." Isaiah 7:2b (NLT)
The Lord instructed Isaiah to tell King Ahaz to stop worrying because he had nothing to fear.
But this is what the Sovereign Lord says: This invasion will never happen; it will never take place…." Isaiah 7:7 (NLT)
And then through Isaiah, the Lord gave the King a sign to confirm His word.
“…Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel which means ‘God is with us.,'" Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)
A child was born. The invasion never occurred.
The Old Testament prophetic sign was given as an immediate assurance of God’s presence, protection and provision. Centuries later, it had a messianic fulfillment. In the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew clearly views Isaiah’s prophecy fulfilled in the birth of Jesus by the Virgin Mary.
“All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: ‘Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’" Matthew 1:22-23 (NLT)
When Isaiah announces, “Look!” He is saying something wonderful is about to happen! Something extraordinary! ‘God with us’ is a declaration of His presence.
The declaration is as much for us today as it was for King Ahaz and as it was for the early Christians. While we are prone to worry, let us try not to. When we are tempted to be afraid, let us remember the promise: Jesus is Immanuel: God with us! He is our hope in the midst of adversity. He is our comforter. He is our Shalom. He loves us. He forgives us. He guides us. He is our rock and our shield.
Immanuel, God With Us, is the best gift ever! With His presence, we are never alone.
During this time of fear and uncertainty, let us refuse to worry or be afraid, and instead, ponder the greatest gift ever given and rejoice!
Digging Deeper:
- How has God’s presence helped you to overcome fear and worry? Have you been able to experience the peace of God, the kind which exceeds anything you can understand?
- How has your family responded to the current health crisis?
- Can you describe your emotions and how your family is coping?
 |  |
RSS Feed
