Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Daily Devotional Tuesday 27th September

“For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:30-31 NIV
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Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon

Morning

"The myrtle trees that were in the bottom."
Zechariah 1:8

The vision in this chapter describes the condition of Israel in Zechariah's day; but being interpreted in its aspect towards us, it describes the Church of God as we find it now in the world. The Church is compared to a myrtle grove flourishing in a valley. It is hidden, unobserved, secreted; courting no honour and attracting no observation from the careless gazer. The Church, like her head, has a glory, but it is concealed from carnal eyes, for the time of her breaking forth in all her splendour is not yet come. The idea of tranquil security is also suggested to us: for the myrtle grove in the valley is still and calm, while the storm sweeps over the mountain summits. Tempests spend their force upon the craggy peaks of the Alps, but down yonder where flows the stream which maketh glad the city of our God, the myrtles flourish by the still waters, all unshaken by the impetuous wind. How great is the inward tranquility of God's Church! Even when opposed and persecuted, she has a peace which the world gives not, and which, therefore, it cannot take away: the peace of God which passeth all understanding keeps the hearts and minds of God's people. Does not the metaphor forcibly picture the peaceful, perpetual growth of the saints? The myrtle sheds not her leaves, she is always green; and the Church in her worst time still hath a blessed verdure of grace about her; nay, she has sometimes exhibited most verdure when her winter has been sharpest. She has prospered most when her adversities have been most severe. Hence the text hints at victory. The myrtle is the emblem of peace, and a significant token of triumph. The brows of conquerors were bound with myrtle and with laurel; and is not the Church ever victorious? Is not every Christian more than a conqueror through him that loved him? Living in peace, do not the saints fall asleep in the arms of victory?

Evening

"Howl, fir tree, for the cedar is fallen."
Zechariah 11:2

When in the forest there is heard the crash of a falling oak, it is a sign that the woodman is abroad, and every tree in the whole company may tremble lest to-morrow the sharp edge of the axe should find it out. We are all like trees marked for the axe, and the fall of one should remind us that for every one, whether great as the cedar, or humble as the fir, the appointed hour is stealing on apace. I trust we do not, by often hearing of death, become callous to it. May we never be like the birds in the steeple, which build their nests when the bells are tolling, and sleep quietly when the solemn funeral peals are startling the air. May we regard death as the most weighty of all events, and be sobered by its approach. It ill behoves us to sport while our eternal destiny hangs on a thread. The sword is out of its scabbard--let us not trifle; it is furbished, and the edge is sharp--let us not play with it. He who does not prepare for death is more than an ordinary fool, he is a madman. When the voice of God is heard among the trees of the garden, let fig tree and sycamore, and elm and cedar, alike hear the sound thereof.

Be ready, servant of Christ, for thy Master comes on a sudden, when an ungodly world least expects him. See to it that thou be faithful in his work, for the grave shall soon be digged for thee. Be ready, parents, see that your children are brought up in the fear of God, for they must soon be orphans; be ready, men of business, take care that your affairs are correct, and that you serve God with all your hearts, for the days of your terrestrial service will soon be ended, and you will be called to give account for the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or whether they be evil. May we all prepare for the tribunal of the great King with a care which shall be rewarded with the gracious commendation, "Well done, good and faithful servant"

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Today's reading: Isaiah 1-2, Galatians 5 (NIV)

View today's reading on Bible Gateway

Today's Old Testament reading: Isaiah 1-2

1 The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

A Rebellious Nation

2 Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth!
For the LORD has spoken:
“I reared children and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows its master,
the donkey its owner’s manger,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.”

4 Woe to the sinful nation,
a people whose guilt is great,
a brood of evildoers,
children given to corruption!
They have forsaken the LORD;
they have spurned the Holy One of Israel
and turned their backs on him.

...read the rest on Bible Gateway

Today's New Testament reading: Galatians 5

Freedom in Christ

1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love....

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Bathsheba

The Woman Whose Beauty Resulted in Adultery and Murder

Scripture References - 2 Samuel 11:2, 3; 12:24; 1 Kings 1:11-31; 2:13-19; 1 Chronicles 3:5

Name Meaning - The Seventh Daughter, or The Daughter of an Oath. "Bath" means "daughter." A kindred name is Bath Shua, a Canaanite name which implies, "the daughter of opulence." The wife of Judah is referred to as "Shua's daughter" (Genesis 38:2;1 Chronicles 2:3). Bath Shua was also the name of the daughter of Ammiel and wife of David ( 1 Chronicles 3:5).

Family Connections - Bathsheba came of a God-fearing family. She was the daughter of Eliam or Ammiah, who was the son of Ahithophel. Eliam, whose name means "God is gracious," was one of David's gallant officers. Bathsheba became the wife of Uriah, the most loyal of David's men. After the murder of Uriah, she became the wife of David, and mother of five sons by him. The first died in infancy. The others were Solomon, Shimea, Shobub and Nathan. She is mentioned in our Lord's genealogy as "her that had been the wife of Uriah" ( Matthew 1:6).

The sacred record informs us that David's association with Bathsheba was the only stain upon the escutcheon of David. "David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah" (1 Kings 15:5). If this was the only blot on his page, it was a heavily engrained one, and one that could not be erased, as far as the effects of his treatment of Uriah was concerned. While God freely pardons a sinner, often the effects of committed sin remain. The tragic lapse in the life of the man after God's own heart is built up with consummate art, from David's first sight of Bathsheba to the climax of his unutterable remorse when realizing the enormity of his most grievous sin, he flung himself upon the mercy of God.

The sad story begins with the significant phrase, "But David tarried still at Jerusalem" ( 2 Samuel 11:1 ). The Israelites were at war with the Ammonites, and the king who had shown himself brave and victorious in battle should have been with his army. But now a mature man, and veteran of many wars, and ruler over Israel for some twelve years now David had become somewhat soft and self-indulgent. He had had his day of hard campaigning and war weariness. Now it was time to leave the rigors and risks of battle to his officers, and sit back and take things easy. But no longer fighting the battle of the Lord, David was open to attack and so found himself involved in the triangle drama of passion, intrigue and murder.

Lazing around on the flat roof of his palace, David saw a woman on the roof of a nearby house undressing and bathing herself, and his passions were excited. Bathsheba, the woman exposing herself nudely, was "very beautiful to look upon," and David, ever attracted by lovely women, coveted her, and became guilty of an outrageous disgrace. Although David was to confess that his foul sin was his, and his alone, one wonders how far Bathsheba was the accomplice in such a sin, as well as its provocation. Had she been a careful, modest woman, surely she would have looked around the easily seen adjacent roofs, and if others had been looking her way, she would have been more appropriately modest in bathing herself.

Further, when sent for by David, had she been a true wife and a woman of principle she should have refused to obey the king's summons. As she saw David feasting his eyes upon her, did she have a presentiment of what would happen? If not, then, when before the king, she should have bravely refused to yield to adultery. Later on in the sacred record, a heathen woman - a queen - brave Vashti, stoutly refused to expose herself before wine-in-flamed men, and was expelled from court. Had Bathsheba shown the same determination to preserve her dignity, David, the anointed of Israel, would never have sinned as he did. After the adulterous act in the king's bedchamber, Bathsheba manifested no sense of guilt, but after her husband's murder almost immediately went to the palace to supplement David's many wives.

Bathsheba only added insult to the injury by indulging in her illicit affair with another man, while her lawful husband was risking his life in the service of her seducer. Learning of Bathsheba's pregnant condition, David hurried Uriah home to allay suspicion, but returning, the devoted soldier, a man of highest principle, refused any physical contact with his wife. David's clever plan failed, and the plot thickens. Uriah must be gotten rid of, so he was sent back to the battlefield with a letter to Joab to put Uriah in a foremost place where he was bound to be killed. Godly, gallant Uriah had no ideas that that sealed letter carried his death warrant. Thus, for David lust, adultery, deceit, treachery and murder followed in quick succession.

After the accustomed period of mourning Bathsheba became the wife of David, and their child of an adulterous union was born without disgrace, only to die within a week of his birth. "The Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bare David." The deep grief of David over the sickness and death of the child, while not relieving the king of his murderous crime, gives us a glimpse of his better nature and of his faith in reunion beyond the grave. Perhaps no other passage of the Bible has been used to comfort sorrowing hearts in the hour of death as that in which David assures us of immortality. Mourning over his dead child he said, "Can I bring him back again?" No, he could not. Then came words binding up the cruel wound death causes, "I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." Both David and Bathsheba must have had much agony of soul as they became deeply conscious that the death of their son, conceived out of wedlock, was a divine judgment upon their dark sin.

Divinely instructed, Nathan the prophet brought David to a realization of his terrible evil, and sincere in his confession of his iniquity, he received from Nathan the assuring word, "The Lord also hath put away thy sin." Much has been written about David's repentance preserved for us in Psalm 51 - a Psalm saturated with penitential tears - and of Psalm 32, expressing David's gratitude to God for His pardoning grace and mercy. But graciously forgiven, even God could not avert the natural consequences of David's transgression, and he came to prove its inevitable subsequent sorrow. Evil rose up against him in his own house ( 2 Samuel 12:11). David found himself disgraced by one son (13:4), banished by another (15:19), revolted against by a third (1 Kings 2), bearded by his servant, betrayed by his friends, deserted by his people, bereaved of his children.

What about Bathsheba? With David, was she made conscious of her share in the iniquitous transaction of the past? Coresponsible in David's sin, did her tears of repentance mingle with those of her husband's? It would seem so, because God blessed them with another son whom they called Solomon, meaning, "Beloved of the Lord." Why was not such a son given to one of David's other wives? Given to David and Bathsheba was not Solomon an evidence and expression of God's pardoning love for both? Then, is not Bathsheba's inclusion in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1) another token that God had put her sins behind His back? Restored to divine favor, and now virtuous and wise as well as beautiful, Bathsheba brought up her son Solomon in all godly diligence and care. Solomon himself came to write, "Train up a child in the way he should go" (Proverbs 22:6), which counsel reflected his own godly upbringing. Tradition says that it was Bathsheba who composed Proverbs 31, as an admonition to Solomon on his marriage to Pharaoh's daughter. If this be so, we can understand all the warnings against the flatteries of strange women with which Proverbs abounds.

After her lapse, recovery and the birth of Solomon the rest of Bathsheba's life is veiled in silence. We can imagine how noble calmness, gentle dignity and queenly courage became hers. That she retained her influence over David until his death is proven by the way she reminded the king of his promise to make their son, Solomon, his successor. The veil of silence is lifted again when Solomon became king, and Bathsheba, whom Solomon revered, came into his presence to ask that Abishag, who cared for David in his last days, be given in marriage to Adonijah, the son of Haggith, one of David's other wives.

A lesson we can learn from Bathsheba is that being assured of God's forgiveness she did not let her one sin ruin her entire life. Repentant, she used her mistake as a guide to future, better conduct. When we brood over sins God has said He will remember no more against us, we actually doubt His mercy, and rob ourselves of spiritual power and progress. Read again Psalm 51 and then Psalm 32.

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Demetrius

[Dēmē'trĭŭs] - belonging to demeter. Demeter was the goddess of agriculture and rural life.

  1. The silversmith at Ephesuswho made silver models of the celebrated Temple of Diana, and who opposed Paul and incited the mob against him (Acts 19:24, 38).
  2. A believer, well-commended by the Apostle John (3 John 12 ). This man of God had the testimony of all men of the truth and of John also. It is one of the finest recommendations of the Gospel when a Christian impresses and attracts those around him by the reality of his or her life.
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P31Header
Luann Prater

September 26, 2011

The Valve
Luann Prater

"Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark." James 3:5 (NIV)

My husband needed some diesel fuel for the tractor so he asked me to pick up some on the way home. He had put the gas can in a box in the back of his truck. Now, I'm 5'2", so things that taller-than-me folks can do become a bit more of an issue for this vertically challenged gal. I pumped the gas into the can then tried to lift it, not only up to the bed of the truck, but over the top edge of the box. It was then I discovered the little valve cover was open.

At least a cup's worth of gas escaped through that tiny opening and strategically ran from the top of my t-shirt to the top of my pants. When I got home I scrubbed and scrubbed in the shower hoping to get rid of the smell, but the stench of gas remained in my nostrils.

My lips are like that little valve. It is such a small opening, yet the fuel that escapes can be unpleasant, caustic and even deadly. Loose lips have snapped at my family. Harsh tones have left friends feeling poisoned. Careless words have killed the spirit of a vulnerable child.

The book of James tells us that our tongue is like a restless evil full of deadly poison. Ouch! My husband didn't want me to spill that gas; we wanted to use it for good. God doesn't want our tongues to open unless they are going to encourage and spur one another on.

Several years ago I made a very small, but very life-changing decision. When a hurtful thought comes into my head, I tighten my lips and force a pause button to appear in my brain. When I allow myself to have just a second to think about the potential hazard that could come from 'speaking my mind' it gives the Holy Spirit time to check my heart and motives. In that pause moment I say, "Lord, take control of this tongue." And He does.

Do I get it right every time? No. But I can see fewer wrecks in my life, fewer wounds, fewer poison-tipped darts flying out of this mouth. And I no longer reek of gasoline I added to the fire.

Want to join me? Pause. Seal up the valve and allow the Holy Spirit to work for good through the words you speak.

Dear Lord, thank You for reminding us that our tongue can rip a heart apart, or seal it back together. Teach us to pause long enough to give Your Spirit time to work in and through us. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Chat more with Luann on her blog or hear her onEncouragement Café every Saturday!

All Things Wise and Wonderful: Applying God's Wisdom in Everyday Life (E-Book) by Wendy Blight

30 Days to Taming Your Tongue: What You Say (and Don't Say) Will Improve Your Relationships and accompanying Workbook by Deborah Smith Pegues

For more daily encouragement, follow us on Facebook!

Application Steps:
Before anything negative slips past your lips today, hit the pause button. Pray that the Holy Spirit take control. Ask God to make you a peacemaker.

Reflections:
Why do I say things I regret later?

When will I surrender my tongue to Jesus?

How can I allow my words to encourage instead of destroy?

Power Verses:
James 3:17, "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." (NIV)

Proverbs 27:15, "A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day." (NIV)

© 2011 by Luann Prater. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org

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September 26, 2011

Never Forget

Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth

"I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago" (Psalm 77:11 NIV).

Friend to Friend

Sometimes it is easy to read about Adam and Eve's failure in the garden and think to ourselves, How could they have been so disobedient? But in reality, this is not Adam and Eve's story alone. It is our story as well. We make decisions daily that dishonor God or honor God. We disobey, take charge of our own lives, and become Lord of our own ring. Then like Eve, we try to cover up our shame and even attempt to hide from God.

Do you know the first question God asked in the Bible? After Adam and Eve cowered in the bushes, hiding from God, He asked - Where are you? God knew exactly where they were, what they had done, and how the enemy had tricked them. However, He decided to remain in relationship with them and begin the process of restoration which was completed on Calvary's cross. He asks the same question of us today when we attempt to hide...Where are you?

I think "but God" are two of most beautiful words in Scripture. The Bible says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 ). When did we become sinners? The first time we sinned? No, we were born sinners and that sin is what separated us from God. While we were yet sinners, He became the perfect sacrifice for us, not to cover our sin, but to cleanse us forever - once and for all. Salvation Army Officer, John Allen once said, "I deserved to be damned in hell, but God interfered." God interfered, intervened, and intercepted our death sentence. He sent His Son, who paid the penalty for our sin and all we have to do to receive the pardon is to accept His wonderful gift.

How do we receive the gift? "If you confess with your mouth 'Jesus as Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). When you accept Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior, you are freed from the penalty of sin (spiritual death and eternal separation from God) and He gives you a new living spirit. Someone once said, "Salvation is moving from living death to deathless life."

"All this is from God who reconciled us [joined us back together] to himself through Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:18 AMP). Once there was a Christian group who sang a song with a line that said, "There's a bridge to cross the great divide." However, when they were recording, someone sang, "There's a cross to bridge the great divide." Suddenly, they realized that they had not made a mistake at all. We were separated from God because of sin, but He sent His Son to die on Calvary's cross to bridge the great divide.

Why did God do this for us? "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16 NIV). The Greeks had three words for life: bios (life of the body), psyche(life of the soul), and zoe (life of the spirit). Guess which word for life is in John 3:16 ? Zoe - life of the spirit! When you become a Christian, your spirit is reborn and you become a brand new creation. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV). We were crucified with Christ and now we no longer live, but Christ lives in us (Galatians 5:20 NIV).

What about those glaring needs that cropped up as a result of Adam and Eve's sin in the garden? What about feelings of inferiority, insecurity, and inadequacy that so many struggle with today? Here's what the Bible says: "So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so, through one act of righteousness, there resulted justification of life to all men" (Romans 5:18,19 NASB). All were condemned because of Adam's disobedience and all who accept Jesus are freed because of Christ's obedience. At the moment of your salvation, everything mankind lost when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden was returned to you in Jesus Christ. Once again you have:

Significance because of who you are in Christ.

Safety and Security because of what you have in Christ.

A sense of belonging because of where you are in Christ.

Your glaring needs have been fulfilled and transformed into your glowing attributes. The question is, why don't we act like our needs have been fulfilled? Why do we continue to struggle with feelings of shame, fear, loneliness, and rejection? Why do we continue to try to get our needs met by our own means? Because even though our spirits are changed in an instant, our minds must be renewed, our wills must come under the control of the Holy Spirit, and our emotions must be reprogrammed.

It's a process...and that's why Girlfriends in God even exists. We are learning, growing, and reprogramming our minds together. And as we do, we grow more and more spiritually beautiful every day.

Let's Pray

Dear LORD, all through the Old Testament, the patriarchs told the Israelites to "remember." Today I stop and remember all that You have done for me. I remember what I was like before I came to Christ and I remember all that You have done to bring me to Yourself. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Holy Spirit. May the remembrance of Your mercies be new every morning.

In Jesus' mame,

Amen.

Now It's Your Turn

Sometimes, when you have been a Christian for many years, you forget just how amazing the gift of salvation really is. Today, I'm not going to ask you any questions, but I do want you to go back and reflect on the verses in this devotion. Write out your own prayer of gratitude for all that God has done to bridge the great divide that separated you from Him.

As always, I love to hear from my Girlfriends in God. You can visit my blog (www.sharonjaynes.com/blog ) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes.com ) to share your comments.

More from the Girlfriends

Have you ever felt this way: "If I'm a new creation, then why don't I feel like one and why don't I act like one?" If so, then perhaps you need to read Sharon's book, Becoming Spiritually Beautiful - Seeing Yourself as God Sees You. In this book you'll discover the secrets to spiritual beauty and to becoming a radiant Christian woman. It also comes with a Bible Study guide for those who want to spend extra time at God's spa!

Seeking God?

Click here to find out more about

how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

P.O. Box 725

Matthews, NC 28106

info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com

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LeadershipBible-Header-550

Skills: Stress Management

Read 1 Samuel 18:6-11

In his book Shoulder to Shoulder, Dr. Rodney L. Cooper defines stress as "The response of the sympathetic nervous system to a perceived or actual threat." He adds, "This technical definition probably won't mean much to you. Basically it says that stress is the way our body responds to perceived or actual danger. Our blood pressure skyrockets and our muscle strength increases. We're ready to fight or fly. Stress isn't the cause but the effect"* In essence, stress is a reaction to danger real or imagined.

Dr. Cooper's definition of stress certainly describes what happened to King Saul after David had killed Goliath. Sensing that David was a threat to his position, the king's blood pressure skyrocketed, his heart rate increased, and his muscles tightened. Overcome with rage he hurled a spear at David, who barely escaped.

In that instance, Saul's response was to a perceived rather than an actual danger. David had no intention of overthrowing the king, nor would he have used his newfound popularity to ease Saul out of power. Unfortunately, one of Saul's shortcomings as a leader was his inability to deal constructively with his perceptions of danger. That weakness undermined his mental health as well as the stability of his throne. Effective leaders learn how to manage stress-both their own and that of the team which they lead.

What would have been a more constructive way for Saul to have dealt with the perceived danger? How do you deal with stress?

*Taken from Shoulder to Shoulder by Rodney L. Cooper. Copyright © 1997 by Rodney L. Cooper. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Stress Management and Who God Is

Through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, our God experienced stress on a firsthand basis. Our Lord faced stressful circumstances on numerous occasions, but all of these were minor in comparison to the stress he endured from Gethsemane to the cross. To what resources did Jesus turn during this ordeal? Turn to 1 Peter 2:21-24 and its accompanying study note to observe Christ's response to stress and suffering-truly a model for us to emulate!

This Week's Verse to Memorize

Passage to memorize this week: Phillipians 4:12-13

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.


Stress Management and Who I Am

Some people associate work with creativity, productivity, positive challenges, significance, pride of accomplishment, enjoyable relationships and stimulating challenges. Others associate it with dreary toil, futility, injustice and joyless malaise. Turn to Ecclesiastes 2:17-26 to reflect on the ambiguous nature of work.

Stress Management and How It Works

We all need techniques to manage stress. This need is intrinsic to the human condition. Hans Selye, the great stress researcher, differentiated between helpful, neutral and debilitating stress. In Philippians 4:4-9 Paul teaches us how to turn pressure to our advantage. This passage is essential reading for any leader under pressure; turn to it and its study note for today's reading.

Stress Management and What I Do

If you're a leader, you may assume that stress is simply an unavoidable component of your job. Fortunately, both King David in Psalm 23:1-6 and Fred Smith of fer some insights intended to help leaders manage their stress.


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NIV Devotions for Moms

Laughing Matters

This week's reading: Genesis 21:1-7

Sarah learned to laugh at the unexpected turns of her days. At first she laughed rather inappropriately at God when she heard she would bear a child in her nineties. She laughed with the pain of unbelief and doubt. Later she laughed with God out of pure joy when she held Isaac, whose name means, "he laughs." She laughed out of pure joy at God's power and provision.

There are so many heavy challenges in life! Will my toddler ever be potty-trained? How will I survive the years of puberty with an eye-rolling preteen? What about becoming a mom-again-at age forty-six? Try Sarah's approach. The next time you lack perspective on the chaos of your days, consider the lighter side of life. Find something to laugh about!

Additional Scripture Readings: Psalm 126:2; Proverbs 31:25

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Today's reading is from the
Mom's Devotional Bible
by Zondervan


Mom, you don't have to go it alone! The Mom's Devotional Bible is a trusted source of wisdom to help you along the path of mothering.


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