Greetings everyone and thank the Lord for this day He has laid out before us. What we do with it is another story. What will you do with it? The meal today is something special to me because just 2 days ago we celebrated my sons 42nd birthday and I came to the realization that I’m still very protective of him even with him being a grown man. Keep reading and it will make even more sense to you.
Today’s Prayer
Father, Today I want to pray for all ministry spouses, whether man or woman. What a privilege and awesome responsibility they have! I pray that you will help them continue to be the help-mate their spouses need. I pray that You will show them and lead them to be ministry partners in prayer, thought, and action. I pray for their safety, encouragement, patience, and for knowledge and enlightenment. I pray that Your Holy Spirit will control and guide every ministry partner, and ministry worker, for Your glory and the work of the kingdom. I pray for Your blessings upon all Your anointed ones and their families and for Your hand of protection upon their lives. I pray for good health for them. May Your name be lifted up and Your Word proclaimed in this wicked and dying world. I thank You and pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Let’s eat.
The Butterfly Principle
The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. – Exodus 14:8
As I was doing my daily study, I was reminded of the way we deal with our circumstances in this day and age. I thought about how we as overprotective parents do our children a great injustice. I was reminded of a story one of my spiritual mentors passed along to me about the infant life of the butterfly. The caterpillar that lies inside the cocoon will never become the beautiful butterfly if someone cuts open the cocoon prematurely. It is the struggle itself that allows the butterfly to emerge as a strong, new creature of nature.
God understands how necessary this process is. That is why we are allowed to experience difficult, often life-changing events. He even orchestrates them-all for our benefit. What the Israelites thought was a cruel joke when Pharaoh sent troops to pursue them after they had been freed and penned against the shore of the Red Sea became the stage for the most publicized miracle of all time-the parting of the Red Sea. Generation after generation has heard this incredible story of deliverance. God puts us against the “Red Seas” in order to show His power in and through us. If we don’t know God can deliver, then we can never learn to trust Him. Circumstances that go beyond our capabilities of solving them place us at God’s complete mercy. This is how He likes it.
Don’t fear the calamity that comes your way. If you are faithful to Him in the test, you will see God’s power manifested like never before. Just as the Israelites were able to sing a song of deliverance, you too will have your own testimony of the Lord’s faithfulness; and you will be able to recall it for others to build your faith and theirs.
Quote of the Day
Character is not made in a crisis – it is only exhibited. ~Anonymous~