[I show] love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. - Exodus 20:6
Have you ever been disappointed by the actions of people you love and depend on, and for whom you have the highest hopes and expectations? It hurts ... when a friend whispers about you or a "friend" lies about you ... or a spouse breaks a promise ... or fellow Christian(s) come against you unjustly and without cause... and vent hatred towards you!
But consider the life of David. Today's passage is filled with his disappointments from family, associates, and friends. God told David He would punish him for his sin in the matter of Uriah by raising up evil against him out of his own household.
Immorality and murder were David's sins and, although forgiven, those sins occurred among his children years later when Amnon defiled his sister Tamar and Absalom murdered Amnon in revenge.
These were the beginnings of David's punishment at the hand of God. And I'm sure he suffered deeply from the thought that his own bad example had brought his children to this wickedness. But in the midst of it all, David learned there was one who would never fail him -- his God.
Listen to David's words: "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken... My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge" (Psalm 62:1-2,7-8).
Christian, have you learned that lesson? What are your disappointments today? They hurt, I know, but now is the time to follow David's example. Respond to God with thanksgiving and joy! Remember, God is the final judge, and judge He will ... He will also punish those who break His laws and Covenants.... those who disobey His Word, the Bible! He will make your enemies your "footstool"...
NO EVIL ACT escapes the wrath of our Righteous God!
Prayer
"Lord, I often rely on people, things, and systems that are unreliable. Today I renew my total dependence on You... I TRUST in YOU and YOU alone! Amen. "
Your worst circumstances may be God's best opportunity to bring new meaning to your life.
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty
1. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
2. Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
3. Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
perfect in power, in love and purity.
4. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity.
Daily Smile:
A man lying on his deathbed called to him, his lawyer, his doctor, and his pastor. "I am going to die tonight," and I want to prove that when you go to heaven you can take it all with you. So to my three most trusted friends, you three of course, I am leaving 50,000 dollars in these envelopes. When I die you must come to my funeral and put the envelopes in my coffin with me." The man handed the three men identical envelopes.
A day later they each received news that, that night the old man had died . So each knew they must go to his funeral and fulfill his death wish.
Standing over the coffin one week later the pastor confessed, " I can't hide what I've done. I took 10,000 dollars from the envelope because the church needed to be painted."
Then as he did so the doctor also started to fidget then finally confessed “I took 30,000 dollars from my envelope because the hospital needed a new wing."
Then the lawyer said plainly “You bunch of crooks! I wrote him a check for the full amount!"
In The News:
Pastor Saeed, Family Allowed Visit as World Pressure Mounts
After a public hearing and a petition with more than half a million names, pressure is mounting on Iran to release an American pastor sentenced to eight years in one of the country's most notorious prisons, CBN News reports. According to the American Center for Law and Justice, Pastor Saeed Abedini met with his family in Iran for an extended two-hour visitation Monday. The visit was allowed in commemoration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. After the visitation, more information about Abedini's medical condition has come to light. The ACLJ -- which represents Abedini, his wife and their two children -- says he has been examined for internal bleeding and will be taken to a hospital to receive medical care. "With his medical condition worsening each day, such medical attention is needed immediately," the ACLJ said.
China: 336 Million Abortions in Barely Four Decades
China has aborted 336 million unborn children, many of them forcibly, during slightly more than four decades, the government has announced. The staggering number of abortions should prompt mourning for the victims, but it should not be shocking, said pro-life observers of China's policy, because the Communist government has enforced a coercive "one-child" policy for more than 30 years. On March 14, the Chinese Health Ministry reported the following statistics for its family planning practices since 1971, according to the Financial Times: 336 million abortions performed, 196 sterilizations conducted and 403 million intrauterine devices inserted. China, the world's most populous country, first instituted limits on population growth in 1971 and established its "one-child" population control program in 1979. The policy has resulted not only in many reports of authorities carrying out forced abortions and sterilizations, but also in accounts of infanticide. The 336 million abortions surpass the current U.S. population of about 315 million, and also dwarfs the number of abortions -- 55 million -- reported in the U.S. during the last 40 years.
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