The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. But Thou, O LORD, art a shield for me” (Psalm 3:2-3).

Five years ago she was totally overwhelmed with her problems as she spoke to the pastor of her church. “It has been almost six months since I responded to the gospel. Do you remember? You directed me to the Lord. After I trusted Christ to be my Savior you warned me that I would have a new set of problems that would surely arise. I am happy to belong to the Lord” Nancy said. Softly she started to cry. “But it is hard to know what to say. My family has practically disowned me. My friends have called me awful names. I don’t want to go back Pastor but how do I handle such hurt?” she asked. Her wise pastor took her to Psalm 3 and read the verses we used for our Daily Prescription. Well, that was many years ago. Today she smiles and says with gracious conviction, “Oh how the Lord has helped me with everything that comes into my life. I am so glad that I placed my trust in Him. He is so good to me and has helped me over and over again.” How about you? Have you ever compiled a list of how many times and in how many ways the Lord Himself has helped you in your situations?

For today: Let the scoffers say what they want. You and I can be glad for the Lord’s help and blessing. He truly is our Shield!

“For Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with Thee” (Psalm 5:4).

Some today acknowledge that there is a God. But they ignore Him. Some today proclaim with arrogance that they do not believe in the existence of God. They reject Him. Others live in open defiance without any fear of God. If you ask me, these dear folks are acting mighty foolishly. There is an appointment waiting that they shall not escape. They will not be able to reschedule it, cancel it, nor postpone it. Personally, I love the fact that this infinitely holy Lord God would make an exclusive provision to remain awesomely holy and yet perfectly able to forgive sin. It is found through the sacrifice and resurrection of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Aren’t you glad today that God does not enjoy sin? How wonderful it is to belong to such a One as He! Do you know Him?

For today: I will live today enjoying the glorious security of being forgiven by the One who is glorious in everything!

“Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee” (Mark 5:19).

The demon-possessed man of Gadara was in a deplorable situation. Hopelessly lost, dreadfully wicked, and incredibly vile, people everywhere knew of him. Day and night he cried in the tombs, injured himself with stones, and could not be controlled even with chains. Then everything changed when the Lord Jesus came to Gadara. Mark describes his new condition in verse 15 as being, “Sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind.” What a change the Lord made in his life! Now he would know the joy of going home to his family and friends and telling them of the life-changing power of the Lord Jesus Christ. What about you, dear friend? Though you might not have experienced the characteristics of the man of Gadara, you and I both were hopelessly lost until we asked the Lord Jesus to be our Savior. Who today will you tell about the wonderful things the Lord Jesus has done for you?

For today: Think of the great things the Lord Jesus has done. Don’t keep them a secret!

“A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger” (Proverbs 15:1)

Two women stood at the end of the hallway. Obviously there was a problem. Over the course of several moments, their voices became louder and louder. As one screamed her opinion, the other shouted her opinion a little louder. Though standing less than a foot away from each other, their voices reached deafening levels. Have you ever been in such a situation? Too bad that at least one of these women didn’t think about the life principle that says, “A soft answer turns away wrath.” It is very difficult to shout during an argument with someone who remains very calm and quiet. Try it sometime and watch it work!

For today: Lord, please help me to guard my tongue, my tone, and even my volume!

“I, even I, am the LORD; and besides me there is no Savior” (Isaiah 43:11).

“It’s a one of a kind. You will never find another like it” the salesman barked with authority. Hank and her dear wife Rita were courteous and thanked him as they kept moving along at the local John and June’s Original Flea Market. Both giggled as they approached the salesman two booths down who was marketing the same product. Rita picked the little collectible up and looked at it. “Listen lady, I can tell you” the smiling salesman said. “At this price, it’s a steal. It is a one of a kind and you can have it today for $2.95. What a deal.” Putting it back down Rita cleverly said, “I don’t want to be in possession of stolen property!” Off they walked hardly able to contain their laughter. “We surely have seen lots of those one of a kind pieces of junk that seems to be all over the place” Hank said. “If they only knew the One Who is truly “One of a kind! What a wonderful Savior we have and love” he continued. You know friends, only the Lord is unique. He proclaimed to the ancient people His uniqueness. His message is still true today. There are not many roads to Heaven. There is only one. It is through the Lord Jesus and His sacrifice for our sins and His resurrection. Aren’t you grateful for the wonderful truth that He is the one and only Savior?

For today: Call me politically incorrect if you want, but I am glad I belong to the only Savior!