Isaiah 61:1-4

I want to end this week with the mission statement of Christ. He quotes part of this verse in Luke 4 and adds that today this scriptures is fulfilled in your hearing. Jesus came for the brokenhearted, the suffering, the poverty stricken. He came for you and me. May your suffering produce hope and may you draw closer to the One who loves you so.

Isaiah 61:1-4
The Year of the LORD's Favor
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
4 Sing to God, sing praise to his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds [a]—
his name is the LORD—
and rejoice before him.

Amen!!!!

Lori

Psalm 8:4-6

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” Psalm 8:4-6

God, the father to those who have lost or lack an earthly father. I love that God uses the relationship of father-child to represent one of the many things He is to us. Maybe today you are suffering from the pain of this type of relationship. Maybe you are still wanting the approval of your earthly father even years after he has been gone. Possibly you don’t know your father at all or have never known him. This type of relationship loss can create a vacuum in our hearts. However, we can find hope and comfort today that regardless of the relationship we have or don’t have with our earthly father, God is there to fill that void. You might be one of the fortunate people that have had a great relationship with your earthly father and don’t understand that lacking. I ask you today to just celebrate the fact the your earthly and heavenly father love you so. However, for those who don’t have a peace in this relationship I offer you the love and acceptance of the Creator of heaven and earth. I pray that today you find hope and comfort in the Father that sits on His throne and longs to love you.

Lori

Luke 9:57-59

“As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Luke 9:57-59

This verse took on a new meaning to me when I was going through my divorce. I had moved out of the house that I had lived in for over six years with my husband and moved into one room of my mother’s mobile home. It was quite a transition. During this time I would split my time between staying with my sister in her boyfriend’s apartment and my mom’s. I was thankful that both of them allowed me to stay. I ended up spending eight months of my life bouncing from place to place. Even though I was in a safe place and was happy just to have a place to sleep and shower I still had an unsettled feeling. I thought about the words Christ said in Luke 9. He talks about not having a home here on earth. He was in many ways unsettled. He was not complaining because He knew the work He was sent to do by the Father, but still I believe He longed for His real home. Again, Jesus can relate to the feeling of being unsettled. He understands being displaced and not in the familiar. I volunteer at a transitional home for abused women and children and I quote this verse to them often. I want them to know that Jesus understands not having a place to call home. You can have a bed to sleep in and a roof over your head, but it may not be home. I also think that as believers we also long for that place we will forever call home and be settled. The place Jesus told us that He was going ahead of us to prepare, heaven. My prayer for you today is that if you have that feeling of not being home that you will remember that Jesus understands and relates. Also, be reminded that earth is only a temporary stop on the way to your permanent settlement.

Lori

Isaiah 53:2-4

“He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.” Isaiah 53:2-4

Jesus was despised and rejected. He was a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Have you ever felt rejected or forgotten? Ever had any sorry or suffering in your life? If so, I want you to know that there is someone who understands what you have been through or what you are going through now. It is Jesus. Have you ever felt like you were the only one who understood your situation? Ever felt as if you had to face trials and tribulations on your own? Jesus understands and will stand with you as you face the ups and downs of life. My prayer for you today is that you will cast your cares on Jesus. He knows and He understands. Jesus stands at the door waiting for you to invite Him in.

Lori

Romans 5:3-4

In the past several weeks we have been bombarded with the devastation and destruction of hurricane Katrina. The images are everywhere. I know that many of us have cried, prayed and donated time and money or both to help the victims. At one point I was watching TV and it was the anniversary of 9/11 along with the images of the hurricane. It was overwhelming to take it all in. Even as I write this there is another storm approaching. The more images I watch the more I think about faith, how tragedy reminds us of the hope we have in Jesus Christ. This week what I want us to focus on is how Jesus understands suffering and tragedy. My verse for the day that I have emailed to me was Romans 5:3-4, “We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” We have all read that verse many times or are familiar with it in some way. Many times we cringe when we hear it because we know there is some sort of suffering involved. Today the verse struck me differently. The first word that is impacting in the verse is suffering and then it ends with hope. Maybe our suffering produces hope? That is what I have observed in the face of crisis and suffering. It brings forth hope. When you consider the refugees of the hurricane what else do they have? With homes destroyed, family missing and the familiar way of life gone what is left? Hope. I pray that today no matter what tragedy you are going thorough you will hang on to the hope in Jesus Christ.

Lori