Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
All we ask would have been enough, Lord. Thank you for blessings we never thought to ask for.
How do you count your blessings?
There’s a Jewish tradition, part of the Passover celebration, that thanks God twice. Dayenu means “it would have been enough.”
If you fed us in the desert for 40 years,
and never brought us to the promised land,
it would have been enough. Dayenu.
This Thanksgiving, try a little dayenu for yourself.
There have always been homeless men in America. My mother tells how hobos would stop by their Wisconsin farm, and my grandmother would give them a cup of soup.
Many cities have rescue missions that offer homeless men temporary food and shelter—like the Market Street Mission in Morristown, NJ. Since 1889 the Market Street Mission has served the needs of homeless, hopeless and often addicted men. The mission offers “a ‘hand-up’ rather than a ‘hand-out.’”
“As members of His body, the Church, we present the saving power of Jesus Christ to rescue men from the consequences and ultimate penalty of sin and disciple them for victorious Christian living.”
Lord, provide Market Street Mission, and others like it around the world, with the resources they need: workers, space, food, finances and the wisdom that comes only through your Holy Spirit.
Amen.
John 14:26 (TLB)
But when the Father sends the Comforter instead of me—and by the Comforter I mean the Holy Spirit—he will teach you much, as well as remind you of everything I myself have told you.
We mourn, and the Comforter blesses us with godly wisdom and treasured memories.
Think of the disciples, daily walking and talking with Jesus, and then . . . he was gone. Surely they mourned, as Jesus knew they would. He promised them comfort:
John 14:26 (AMP)
. . . the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit . . .
We have the same promise, the same Comforter.
“The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church, grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church.”
Leonard Ravenhill (1907-1994 )
Blessed are those who mourn over sin.
Matthew 5:4 (NIV)
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed because they are comforted.
How sad to forever mourn and never be comforted (maybe that’s what hell is like).
Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn.
Do you agree?
What if you lived without grief?
That means that you never loved enough to grieve when someone dies, never held enough hope to be crushed when things don’t work out, never owned enough to miss it when it was gone.
Truly, you are blessed to have goals, possessions and loved ones worth mourning.
A good hospital is a safe shelter for people in need of healing. And a good hospital requires resources—things that are hard to find in some places. Mercy Ships has found a way:
“A ship is the most efficient platform to deliver a state-of-the-art hospital to regions where clean water, electricity, medical facilities and personnel is limited or nonexistent. And, because more than 50% of the world’s population lives within 100 miles of the coast, we can reach more people who need care.”
Since their beginning in 1978, Mercy Ships has performed more than 84,000 surgeries in almost 600 ports. “Healing continues long after the ship departs.” Mercy Ships tries to leave the host nation better than they found it: with better training, tools, and infrastructure .
Oh Lord, may we all leave the places and people we visit better than we found them! Bless Mercy Ships crew and organizers as they bring healing to hurting people and places.
Proverbs 9:10 (ERV)
Wisdom begins with fear and respect for the Lord.
Your attitude sets you on the path to wisdom. Not your reading skills.
