The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful” (Psalm 116:5).

Louise walked into an awkward situation at work. Helen and Margaret were sharing a bit of information that Louise had shared with them in confidentiality. It seemed that Louise was going through a particularly difficult time in her marriage, and she had told her two friends. It may have been unwise to have shared this information because now her friends were telling the other ladies in the lunch room all about the matter. The conversation came to an abrupt pause as Louise walked into the group. Helen gasped and was profoundly embarrassed. She and Margaret had betrayed their friend. Everyone waited to see what Louise would do. Accepting the apology of both Helen and Margaret, she extended mercy and grace. In a righteous manner she said, “You have hurt me deeply, but I accept your apology. The Lord Jesus has forgiven me many times in my life. In His mercy He has withheld what I have deserved on more than one occasion. I certainly forgive you. If you will excuse me, I think I would like to return to my desk.” Tears formed in her eyes as she turned away. It was in that moment that the Lord Jesus flooded her life with a deep joy in the midst of this deep hurt. Like the Lord, she responded graciously, righteously, and mercifully.

For today: In what ways today will you respond to people as the Lord has responded to you?

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).

My grandmother came from the Altoona, Pennsylvania area. She and her family moved to the Western New York area when she was a youngster. Of the many things I remember about my grandmother, her love for the Lord surely stands out as the greatest memory. But the other memory I have of her is her love for the mountains. I remember listening to my grandmother commenting on how flat everything was in our part of the state. She had a picture hung on the wall in her music room that, according to her, looked much like the mountains from which her family moved. I think of my grandmother often and share her love of the mountains. There could be times when winter weather made tricky traveling on those mountainside roads in the Binghamton New York area where I would serve as a pastor. However, most times the mountains reminded me of the rich blessing of belonging to God. The psalmist surely had many mountains that were part of his daily life. When times grew difficult, he would lift up his eyes and look beyond the mountains to the God Who made them as well as the God Who would sustain him. Even if you do not have a mountain nearby, you still have the Lord Who is the source of your help.

For today: With or without the mountains, I am so glad for the Lord’s help. How about you?

“Thou hast dealt well with Thy servant, O Lord, according unto thy Word” (Psalm 119:65).

Pastor Oakfield was very busy counseling four young couples who would be getting married later that year. It was a joyful time as they continued to work through the premarital counseling material he had ordered. Wanting to assure the young couples that the things he was sharing were not just his own imagination, Pastor invited Henry and his wife Marcia to share their testimonies with the young couples. “Uncle Hank,” as he was affectionately known, started his testimony with the verse that you have read for today’s Daily Prescription. His weather-worn hands trembled slightly as he read God’s Word, but his voice was steady and sure as he shared with the couples that God dealt well with this old servant. He shared many things about how to live for the Lord, how to walk with Him, and the importance of watching for the Lord to work in their lives each day. If your pastor should give you the opportunity to be a testimony to younger couples, think back on the many times and ways that God has dealt well with you as His servant. He honors His Word. He keeps His promises. He holds His child in a blessed security. Isn’t it great that God deals well with His servants?

For today: Be watching for the many ways that God will remind you of His Word. He will deal well with you today!

“For I am God, and not a man” (Hosea 11:9).

Many of us try to picture what God looks like. We have in our imaginations tried to liken Him to images that help us to understand Him. But frankly, our limited understanding and even the greatest imagination cannot begin to comprehend how awesome our God is. Hosea, the Old Testament prophet, needed to remember that God was not going to work in ways that men would work. Tragically Israel had turned to idolatry. God was now going to deal with Her in a way that would truly get Her attention–with discipline, for the unholy lifestyle within Her borders. God explained to Hosea that he may not understand exactly what He would be doing; however, it would be important for Hosea to remember that He is God and not a man. I have thought of that little phrase within the verse that we see used in our text today. I don’t know about you, but I rejoice in the fact that He is God and not a man. How awesome is our God! He moves in ways that I may not understand. He is gracious and faithful in situations where I would have been furious. He is holy and righteous in all that He does. Wherever you go today and whatever you face today, take strength and encouragement from this fact: He is God and not a man.

For today; Let’s be thrilled and give thanks that today our great God has reminded us that He is not a man. He is God!

“The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich. The fear of the Lord prolongs days. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright” (Proverbs 10:22, 27, 29).

It is a wonderful joy and privilege to belong to the Lord. The guys in the carpool were discussing their childhood and what it was like to grow up in the homes into which they were born and raised. When it was Stanley’s turn to share with the rest of the guys in the car, he told them about his hard-working mom and dad who raised seven children on the old farm. It was a very hard life. Everyone had to work and be committed to making the farm profitable. It was also a God-fearing home. Only were the cows fed and milked on Sunday, as that was the day set aside for worship and family time together. Stanley remembered the hay being ready to be baled and it going to rain on Monday. Dad refused to bale hay on Sunday. “That’s really dumb,” said Hank as he shook his head. “I’m sure God would understand that he had to get the hay in on Sunday, since it was going to rain on Monday,” he continued. The rest of the carpool seemed to agree with Hank. But Stanley said, “I can still remember dad pulling the family Bible down after lunch and reading from Proverbs chapter 10. It talked about the blessing of God and the way of God because of the fear of God. Dad said, ‘Though the Bible doesn’t actually say ‘thou shalt not bale hay on Sunday,’ I just don’t think the Lord would be pleased. We’re going to obey Him and trust Him.’ The next day storm clouds gathered, but a wonderful thing happened. Just as the rain approached our county, it suddenly, for no apparent reason, turned southerly and completely missed the farms in our county!” Stanley continued, “I know it doesn’t always work that way, but I’ve never forgotten that lesson learned. I’ve sought to try and put the Lord first in my life. I wouldn’t trade the blessing of the Lord for anything!”

For today: “There is nothing as precious as the blessing of the Lord as I fear Him and seek to walk in His way.