Question for the day: What would you change if you thought someone was always watching you?
What can we pray for YOU about today?
Good morning,
This is just a reminder that every day, while we are studying God’s Word to add to our website, someone from our ministry, Dysmas Conduit, is holding you up before the Lord in prayer. May He greatly bless you today as you pursue His will and He is glorified through you.
God’s blessings, our love,
George & Sidney Granger
CURRENT PRAYER REQUESTS:
Please pray for Mike and Sandy Brommer as they spread the Lord’s Seed and witness to His glory while on the road today. Please pray also that the Lord will lead him to Kingdom-profitable loads to carry, and that He grants them safe passage today to
THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR PASTOR BOB ALLMANN
Pastor Bob is doing so well that he gave his testimony about his accident and road to recovery at St. Mark Lutheran Church in
Please continue to pray for Billy Hamburg, whose doctors found 5 tumors in his bladder. He had surgery June 29th and the biopsy results showed a cancerous condition. He will be undergoing chemo & radiation treatments and will need the Lord’s Hand to overcome his anxiety as well as the cancer.
From Messiah Kneemail
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 5:49 PM
Prayer requests from communication cards:
Jeff/Peg Gledhill: Jayden he has pattern macular dystrophy. More specific tests being done this week in Beaumont & Children’s Hospital. It is a disorder of the retina.
Wendy Kall: my uncle is in hospital- please pray for an accurate diagnosis.
CONFIDENTIAL: finances
Zemanek, Brian/Lauren: Heather and newborn, Caiden 7/21/09
Ann/Al Gay: Linda Alexander, Jon French – injured in Afghanistan
Dick/Sharon Kidder: thanking you for your prayers God is healing me from my cancer surgery. I have no cancer now! Please continue your prayer for Sandro, grand son cyst on brain. Pray for sister Nancy for her spiritually, emotionally and for her finances, she goes without food to pay her bills.
CONFIDENTIAL: my nephews died last week, the pain is unbearable for my sister
Elfords: pray for our family and health
Carol Greyerbiehl: continued prayers for my boss Judy she had chemo on Friday that this week will be good and for our office many changes in Sept.
Greg Beck: a bit negative on marriage. After divorce I appear to realize what’s up with the vows. Better/worse … Good/bad… Death do us part?
Bilows: The LaPierre family who lost a daughter on Friday.
Kristine Pratt: my husband, Vern while he is away for the next few weeks training with the National Guard.
Nancy Southworth: Brad Southworth having problems with his eyes.
Bev Dietzel: the family of Ethel Miller, she dies yesterday at 101 years old. She was my grandmother.
CONFIDENTIAL: our grandson and our daughter
Judy Seelhoff: selling of my house make my move God’s way.
Rathbuns: for Matt’s back and for Kelly to find a job.
Burkhards: continue to pray for healing for Michelle as she is recovering from her c-section.
Bonnie Brock: my mom, Cecile Landry she has just been diagnosed with colon cancer.
Ron Grift: our family as the divorce with Helen & I will be final on Aug 3. Pray for strength for my children, Katie & Tracy.
Maggerts: family
David/Traci Toner: Keegan’s heart condition
Diana Piegols: Gary Piegols ulcers on his foot.
Ken/Rhoda Culbertson: Rhonda has cancer
Tom/Cheryl Christensen: Becker Family
CONFIDENTIAL: our grandchildren
FREE FOOD
(Isa 55:1)
Today in God’s Word
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2009
Please join your brothers and sisters
studying and praying with us today…
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR TODAY
July 29, 2009
Nowhere to Hide
“God would surely have known it,
for he knows the secrets of every heart.”
Psalm 44:21 (NLT)
Devotion:
Recently my friend Amy was telling me that when her daughter Caroline was three years old, she believed that if she closed her eyes tightly, nobody could see her. This especially came in handy when she wanted to hide. For example, when she had to eat her peas at dinner. Since she did not like peas, she would sit very quietly at the table and squeeze her eyes tightly shut, assuming since she could no longer see her parents, they couldn’t see her and therefore didn’t know that she wasn’t eating her peas!
She tried to hide behind her eyelids, unaware that it was a completely futile effort!
While chuckling over this story, I thought about how we are often times so much like little Caroline. We think that we can keep our sins a secret, but the truth is, God sees all, and knows all.
There are certain sins in our lives that we may feel are justified and therefore we are not worried about who “sees” them - such as gossip, anger, revenge, jealousy, slander, envy, impatience. We know in our hearts those are not behaviors that please God, but they don’t seem to be the “big sins,” so we continue doing them.
On the other hand, there may be truly secret sins that we don’t want anyone to know about. Sins that if made public, could result in serious negative consequences, broken relationships, personal problems, or embarrassment. The only difference between secret sins and public sins is that they result in even more sinning as lies and deception take place to cover them up, giving Satan an even deeper stronghold on our hearts.
Regardless of whether we view our sins as big or small, public or secret - sin is sin, and God sees. Although we may be able to keep secrets from others, we cannot keep secrets from God. He is omnipotent, meaning “all knowing,” and there is nowhere to hide from God.
This acceptance that God knows everything can make us feel weak in the knees. Understanding that He sees all of our sinful thoughts and behaviors can even make us feel broken, worthless, ashamed and hopeless; however, that is not God’s desire, but instead, the enemy’s ultimate goal.
Satan wants us to feel broken and worthless because of our sin; God wants us to feel convicted to change. Satan wants us to feel ashamed; God wants us to feel redeemed. Satan wants us to feel hopeless; God wants us to see the grace and mercy that He offers. In fact, although God despises our sin, He takes great joy when we recognize our sin, and seek His cleansing forgiveness. He is pleased when we ask for His supernatural power to enter our hearts and help us overcome those private and public sins in our lives. He is proud of us when He sees that we tremble at His Word, and recognize our need for His omnipotence.
Yes we are sinners, but God loves us unconditionally, and His forgiveness is infinite and always available.
Trying to hide our sins from God is as futile of an effort as Caroline trying to hide behind closed eyelids. God desires that we open our eyes and see our sin through His eyes, repent in prayer, and thirst for healing forgiveness that only He can provide.
Dear Lord, I praise you for loving me despite my sin, and for forgiving me time and time again. Thank You for dying on the cross so that I could have eternal life, even when I don’t deserve it. Please fill me with hope and strength to overcome, and continue to bless me with Your grace and mercy. Help me to have a heart that longs to think and behave in ways that please You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Application Steps:
Have a heart to heart conversation with God today.
Reflections:
If I were to consider what God sees me doing and thinking, would He be pleased with me?
Are there any sins that I have yet to confess to God, that are keeping me from being who God wants me to be?
Power Verses:
Romans 3:23-24, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (NIV)
Jeremiah 23:24, “‘Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the LORD. ’Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the LORD.” (NIV)
Proverbs 15:3, “The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.” (NIV)
…and…
Did Jesus Really Rise From the Dead?
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
So Jesus rose from the dead.
But ever since, people have demanded proof and brushed aside the truth. Woodrow Kroll takes on this crucial question in today's study...
Series: John: Answers to Life's Questions (Week 8 of 8)
VIEW OR LISTEN AT
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