Today's Scripture [1-31-13]

   And the LORD appeared unto him [Abraham]
in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door
in the heat of the day;
   And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo,
three men stood by him: and when he saw them,
he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bow-
ed himself toward the ground, . . .
   And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy
wife? and he said, Behold, in the tent.
   And He said, I will certainly return unto thee
according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy
wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the
tent door, which was behind him.
   Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well
stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah
after the manner of women.
   Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, say-
ing, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure,
my lord being old also?
   And the LORD said unto Abraham, Where-
fore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety
bear a child, which am old?
   Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the
time appointed I will return unto thee, according
to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
   Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for
she was afraid. And He said, Nay; but thou didst
laugh.

                   ~ Genesis 18:1,2, 9-15 KJV

Summer Heart

There's frost upon the windowpanes,
The trees are grey and bare,
And icy winds play hide-and-seek
With winter everywhere.
Crisp brown leaves move restlessly,
In ever-changing heaps,
But safe and warm within my heart,
The summer gently sleeps.
And so it is within our lives,
Whose years are like the seasons,
Sometimes sunny . . . sometimes bleak,
The dear Lord has His reasons.
But if we learn to set aside
A little seed or two,
Of happiness, then it will bloom
Long after summer's through.
And if we gather to ourselves
What time cannot destroy,
Every single day we live,
Will hold a bit of joy.
Not in getting, but in giving,
Lies the secret of it all,
Not in wishing or in wanting
What is far beyond recall.
But in using to the fullest,
Every grace that God bestows,
And in trusting to His judgment,
. . . Turns a thorn into a rose.
So no matter what the season,
Or whatever skies above,
It's always summer in the heart,
With room enough for love.
           
                 ~ Grace E. Easley

Today's Scripture [1-30-13]

   And when Abram was ninety years old and
nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said
unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before
me, and be thou perfect.
   And I will make my covenant between me and
thee, and will  multiply thee exceedingly.
   And Abram fell on his face: and God talked
with him, saying,
   As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee,
and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
   Neither shall thy name any more be called
Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a
father of many nations have I made thee.
   And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and
I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come
out of thee.
   And I will establish my covenant between me
and thee and thy seed after thee in their genera-
tions for an everlasting covenant, to be a God
unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
   And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after
thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the
land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession;
and I will be their God.
   And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep
my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after
thee in their generations.
   This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, be-
tween me and you and thy seed after thee; Every
man child among you shall be circumcised. . .
   And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy
wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but
Sarah shall her name be.
   And I will bless her, and give thee a son also
of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a
mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
   Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed,
and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto
him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah,
that is ninety years old, bear?
   And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael
might live before thee!
   And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a
son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac:
and I will establish my covenant with him for an
everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
   And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold,
I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful,
and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes
shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
   But my covenant will I establish with Isaac,
which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time
in the next year.

                   ~ Genesis 17:1-10, 15-21 KJV
  

Barter

Life has loveliness to sell,
    All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
    Soaring fire that sways and sings
And children's faces looking up
Holding wonder like a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell,
    Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
    Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit's still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.

Spend all you have for loveliness,
    Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
    Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstasy
Give all you have been, or could be.

                    ~ Sara Teasdale

Today's Scripture [1-29-13]

   Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bare him no child-
ren: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian,
whose name was Hagar.
   And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the
LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray
thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may
obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened
to the voice of Sarai.
   And Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her
maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten
years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her
husband Abram to be his wife.
   And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived:
and when she saw that she had conceived, her
mistress was despised in her eyes.
   And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be up-
on thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom;
and when she saw that she had conceived, I was
despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between
me and thee.
   But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid
is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And
when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from
her face.
   And the angel of the LORD found her by a
fountain of water in the wilderness, . . .
   And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence
camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And
she said, I flee from the face of my mistress
Sarai.
   And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Re-
turn to thy mistress, and submit thyself under
her hands.
   And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I
will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall
not be numbered for multitude.
   And the angel of the LORD said unto her,
Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a
son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because
the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
   And he will be a wild man; his hand will be
against every man, and every man's hand a-
gainst him; and he shall dwell in the presence
of all his brethren. . .
   And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram
called his son's name, which Hagar bare,
Ishmael.
   And Abram was fourscore and six years old,
when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.
  
              ~ Genesis 16:1-12, 15,16 KJV
  
  

Friendship

Friendship is a mighty ship
That weathers many gales,
And leaves a blessing to the world
In every place it sails.

It helps the dreary, cheers the sad,
And drives dark clouds away.
It gives a helping hand to those
Who've fallen by the way.

Friendship is a blessed ship
That's full of peace and love,
And carries sunshine everywhere,
From God's own home above.

It makes the world a better place,
Even more like heaven sweet--
And helps to smooth the pathways out,
For weary pilgrims' feet.

                 ~ Karen Mutsch

Today's Scripture [1-28-13]

   After these things the word of the LORD came
unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram:
I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
   And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt Thou
give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward
of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
   And Abram said, Behold, to me Thou hast giv-
en no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine
heir.
   And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto
him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he
that shall come forth out of thine own bowels
shall be thine heir.
   And He brought him forth abroad, and said,
Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if
thou be able to number them: and He said unto
him, So shall thy seed be.
   And he believed in the LORD; and He counted
it to him for righteousness.
   And He said unto him, I am the LORD that
brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give
thee this land to inherit it...
   And when the sun was going down, a deep
sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great
darkness fell upon him.
   And He said unto Abram, Know of a surety
that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is
not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall
afflict them four hundred years;
   And also that nation, whom they shall serve,
will I judge: and afterward shall they come out
with great substance.
   And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou
shalt be buried in a good old age...
   In the same day the LORD made a covenant
with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given
this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great
river, the river Euphrates: . . .

         ~ Genesis 15:1-7, 12-15, 18 KJV
  

Look to the Dawn

Look to the dawn, not the sunset,
For there's much to be done today;
Arise while the sun's in the eastern sky,
Wait not till the day ebbs away.
For many a soul is steering his ship
Toward the shoals on life's perilous sea,
And we must endeavor to veer his course
While there's still time for him to heed.

Look to the dawn, not the sunset,
For there's much to be said today.
We have been chosen to witness for Christ,
So turn not from others away.
For many a soul is tempest-tossed,
Seeking words of hope and of cheer;
O, list to the call of the one in distress,
Speak to him while there's yet time to hear!

Look to the dawn, not the sunset;
While not a moment away;
Offer your hand to somebody in need
As he struggles along life's way.
For now is the day of salvation,
The day to tell others of Christ,
So look to the dawn, ever praying
That many might come to The Light.

                ~ Loise Pinkerton Fritz

Pack Away Your Toubles

Face your day with a happy heart
   And end it with a song--
You'll find the hours in between
   Can't go far from wrong.

A smile is more contagious
   Than a dreary frown,
And nicer to remember
   When the sun goes down.

Don't miss out on happiness
   By looking toward the ground--
But keep looking skyward,
   That's where the rainbow's found.

Just pack away your troubles
   For some other day
And before you know it,
   They'll have slipped away.

      ~Catherine Janssen Irwin

Three Lessons

There are three lessons I would write--
   Three words as with a burning pen,
In tracings of eternal light,
   Upon the hearts of men.

Have Hope. Though clouds environ now,
   And gladness hides her face in scorn,
Put thou the shadow from thy brow--
   No night but hath its morn.

Have Faith. Where'er thy bark is driven--
   The calm's disport, the tempest's mirth--
Know this: God rules the host of heaven,
   The inhabitants of earth.

Have Love. Not love alone for one,
   But man as man thy brother call;
And scatter like the circling sun
   Thy charities on all.

Thus grave these lessons on thy soul--
   Faith, Hope, and Love--and thou shalt
      find
Strength when life's surges rudest roll,
   Light when thou else wert blind.

~Johann Christopher Friedrich von Schiller

God of the Earth, the Sky, the Sea

God of the earth, the sky, the sea,
   Maker of all above, below,
Creation lives and moves in Thee;
   Thy present life through all doth flow.

Thy love is in the sun-shine's glow,
   Thy life is in the quickening air;
When lightnings flash and storm winds blow,
   There is Thy power, Thy law is there.

We feel Thy calm at evening's hour,
   Thy grandeur in the march of night,
And when the morning breaks in power,
   We hear Thy word, "Let there be light."

But higher far, and far more clear,
   Thee in man's spirit we behold,
Thine image and Thyself are there,--
   Th'in-dwelling God, proclaimed of old.

                    ~ Samuel Longfellow

Today's Scripture [1-24-13]

   And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his
wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into
the south.
   And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver,
and in gold.
   And he went on his journeys from the south e-
ven to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had
been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;
   Unto the place of the altar, which he had made
there at the first: and there Abram called on the
name of the LORD.
   And Lot also, which went with Abram, had
flocks, and herds, and tents.
   And the land was not able to bear them, that
they dwell together: for their substance was great,
so that they could not dwell together.
   And there was a strife between the herdmen of
Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle:
and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then
in the land.
   And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no
strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and be-
tween my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be
brethren.
   Is not the whole land before thee? Separate
thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the
left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou de-
part to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
   And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the
plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every
where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and
Gomorrah. . .
   Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and
Lot journeyed east: and they separated them-
selves the one from the other.
   Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot
dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his
tent toward Sodom.
   But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners
before the LORD exceedingly.
   And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot
was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes,
and look from the place where thou art northward,
and southward, and eastward, and westward:
   For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I
give it, and to thy seed for ever.
   And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth:
so that if a man can number the dust of the earth,
then shall thy seed also be numbered.
   Arise, walk through the land in the length of it
and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
   Then Abram removed his tent, and came and
dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron,
and built there an altar unto the LORD.

                         ~ Genesis 13:1-10a, 11-18

Unity Is Strength

One little prayer ascending
   From a man bowed low in prayer
Can pierce the highest heavens
   And bring down blessings rare.

Where two or three are gathered
   (We have it on God's word)
There God is in the midst of them,
   Their prayer is surely heard.

Then let us pray together
   The greatest prayer, God's own--
Father, who art in heaven,
   We cry in suppliant tone.

Forgive us all our trespasses,
   Thy holy will be done,
Thy name we'll spread in every clime
   Till all the fold is one.

Give us this day our daily bread,
   Temptations keep at bay--
And strength will come with unity,
   When all together pray.

               ~ Rev. Thomas Foy

Today's Scripture [1-23-13]

   Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee
out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and
from thy father's house, unto a land that I will
show thee:
   And I will make of thee a great nation, and I
will bless thee, and make thy name great; and
thou shalt be a blessing:
   And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse
him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all fam-
ilies of the earth be blessed.
   So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken
unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram
was seventy and five years old when he depart-
ed out of Haran.
   And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his
brother's son, and all their substance that they
had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten
in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land
of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they
came.
   And Abram passed through the land unto the
place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh.  And
the Canaanite was then in the land.
   And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and
said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and
there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who
appeared unto him.
   And he removed from thence unto a mountain
on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, hav-
ing Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and
there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and
called upon the name of the LORD.
   And Abram journeyed, going on still toward
the south.
                       ~ Genesis 12:1-9 KJV
  

The Mystery of Life

We walk in a world that is strange and unknown
And in the midst of the crowd we still feel alone,

We question our purpose, our part and our place
In this vast land of mystery suspended in space,

We probe and explore and try hard to explain
The tumult of thoughts that our minds entertain . . .

But all of our probings and complex explanations
Of man's inner feelings and fears and frustrations

Still leaves us engulfed in the "mystery of life"
With all of its struggles and suffering and strife,

Unable to fathom what tomorrow will bring--
But there is one truth to which we can cling,

For while life's a mystery we can't understand
The "great giver of life" is holding our hand

And safe in His care there is no need for seeing
For "in Him we live and move and have our being."

                             ~ Helen Steiner Rice

Today's Scripture [1-22-13]

   And the whole earth was of one language, and
of one speech.
   And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the
east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar;
and they dwelt there.
   And they said one to another, Go to, let us make
brick and burn them throughly. and they had
brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
   And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and
a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and
let us make us a name, lest we be scattered a-
broad upon the face of the whole earth.
   And the LORD came down to see the city and
the tower, which the children of men builded.
   And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one,
and they have all one language; and this they be-
gin to do; and now nothing will be restrained
from them, which they have imagined to do.
   Go to, let us go down, and there confound their
language, that they may not understand one a-
nother's speech.
   So the LORD scattered them abroad from
thence upon the face of all the earth: and they
left off to build the city.
   Therefore is the name of it called Babel; be-
cause the LORD did there confound the language
of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD
scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

                          ~ Genesis 11:1-9 KJV

Directions

Jesus, take me by the hand.
Guide me through this troubled land.
When, by storms, I'm tossed about
Calm the waves; erase the doubt.

Dearest Savior, light my way
'Lest in darkness, I might stray.
Though a detour cause concern
May it be a chance to learn.

Oh, Lord, shield me with Your grace.
Hold me in Your sweet embrace.
As a beacon, shining far
Stay my constant, guiding star.

God, without You, I'm afraid
I'd face too many barricades
Wrought with doubts and dead-end streets
Ending in despair, defeats.

Though the path become too steep . . .
And my step a little slow . . .
I know You'll take me in Your keep
When I have nowhere else to go.

                     ~ Polly Thornton

The Challenge

Do you think that your tomorrow
   Will be different than today?
Do you think the things you hoped for
   Will come true in any way?

By the thoughts you put in action,
By the dreams you strive to reach--
   You can shape or form the future
   By some hard-sought fact they teach.

Choose the good you want to happen--
   It surrounds you in the "now".
You can make or change the present . . .
Let God's wisdom show you how!

   Take the path that seems to open:
For you're walking it today!
You can even change tomorrow
If you let God show the way!

                    ~ Roxie Lusk Smith

Today's Scripture [1-19-13]

   And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons
with him, saying,
   And I, behold, I establish my covenant with
you, and with your seed after you;
   And with every living creature that is with
you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every
beast of the earth with you; from all that go
out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.
   And I will establish my covenant with you;
neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by
the waters of a flood; neither shall there any
more be a flood to destroy the earth.
   And God said, This is the token of the cov-
enant which I make between me and you and
every living creature that is with you, for per-
petual generations:
   I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be
for a token of a covenant between me and the
earth.
   And it shall come to pass, when I bring a
cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen
in the cloud:
   And I will remember my covenant, which is
between me and you and every living creature
of all flesh; and the waters shall no more be-
come a flood to destroy all flesh.
   And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will
look upon it, that I may remember the everlast-
ing covenant between God and every living
creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
   And God said unto Noah, This is the token
of the covenant, which I have established be-
tween me and all flesh that is upon the earth.
      
                     ~ Genesis 9:8-17 KJV

Mission

Oh, for a heart to know Thy will,
A mind to walk Thy ways,
That I may all Thy wants fulfill,
And thrill to sing Thy praise.

Increase my talents, Lord, I pray
That I may prove to be
A help to others on the way
To Thine Eternity.

Without Thy guidance I am lost,
And dumb, but that I speak
Thy words to those who's paths I've crossed
A light to those who seek.

I wish to hear no other voice
Than the words that set me free,
For, when I made Thy will my choice,
I thrilled to walk with Thee.

I want to seek and find a few,
Now groping in the dark,
Who've never heard, or ever knew
The words to fan that inner spark

That they have glowing feebly there,
That, when Thy Spirit hovers near, and sweet,
Then they will know Thy loving care,
That spark a flame, and life complete.

                     ~ W.R. Goodman

Today's Scripture [1-18-13]

   And God spake unto Noah, saying,
   Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy
sons, and thy sons' wives with thee.
   Bring forth with thee every living thing that is
with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cat-
tle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth
upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly
in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon
the earth.
   And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his
wife, and his sons' wives with him:
   Every beast, every creeping thing, and every
fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth,
after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.
   And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD;
and took of every clean beast, and of every
clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the
altar.
   And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and
the LORD said in His heart, I will not again
curse the ground any more for man's sake; for
[though] the imagination of man's heart is evil
from his youth; neither will I again smite any
more every thing living, as I have done.
   While the earth remaineth, seedtime and har-
vest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter,
and day and night shall not cease.

                    ~ Genesis 8:15-22 KJV

Lord, Speak to Me, That I May Speak

Lord, speak to me, that I may speak
   In living echoes of Thy tone;
As Thou hast sought, so let me seek
   Thy erring children lost and lone.

O teach me, Lord, that I may teach
   The precious things Thou dost impart;
And wing my words, that they may reach
   The hidden depths of many a heart.

O fill me with Thy fullness, Lord,
   Until my very heart o'erflow
In kindling thought and glowing word,
   Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show.

O use me, Lord, use even me,
   Just as Thou wilt, and when and where;
Until Thy blessed face I see,
   Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share.

           ~ Frances Ridley Havergal

Today's Scripture [1-17-13]

   And God remembered Noah, and every liv-
ing thing, and all the cattle that was with him
in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over
the earth, and the waters asswaged...
   And the waters returned from off the earth
continually: and after the end of the hundred
and fifty days the waters were abated.
   And the ark rested in the seventh month, on
the seventeenth day of the month, upon the
mountains of Ararat.
   And the waters decreased continually until
the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the
first day of the month, were the tops of the
mountains seen.
   And it came to pass at the end of forty days,
that Noah opened the window of the ark which
he had made:
   And he sent forth a raven, which went forth
to and fro, until the waters were dried up from
off the earth.
   Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if
the waters were abated from off the face of the
ground;
   But the dove found no rest for the sole of her
foot, and she returned unto him into the ark,
for the waters were on the face of the whole
earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her,
and pulled her in unto him into the ark.
   And he stayed yet other seven days; and
again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;
   And the dove came in to him in the evening;
and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt
off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated
from off the earth.
   And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent
forth the dove; which returned not again unto
him any more.
   And it came to pass in the six hundredth and
first year, in the first month, the first day of the
month, the waters were dried up from off the
earth: and Noah removed the covering of the
ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the
ground was dry.

                  ~ Genesis 8:1, 3-13 KJV
  

Philippians 4:7

It can't be bought for money
    or sold like precious gold
And all who have possessed it
    have found it hard to hold.

It's source is everlasting
    like moonlight in the soul . . .
It generates a power
    to comfort and console.

Unseen it seems to blossom
    upon the human vine
Like roses in a garden
    so fragile, yet divine.

We need not understand it
    for it's a sacred thing.
Rejoice if you have found it--
    the soul's eternal spring!

                 ~  Clay Harrison

"And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus."

Today's Scripture [1-16-13]

   And the flood was forty days upon the earth;
and the waters increased, and bare up the ark,
and it was lift up above the earth.
   And the waters prevailed, and were increased
greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon
the face of the waters.
   And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon
the earth; and all the high hills, that were under
the whole heaven, were covered.
   Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail;
and the mountains were covered.
   And all flesh died that moved upon the earth,
both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of
every creeping thing that creepeth upon the
earth, and every man:
   All in whose nostrils was the breath of life,
of all that was in the dry land, died.
   And every living substance was destroyed
which was upon the face of the ground, both
man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and
the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed
from the earth: and Noah only remained alive,
and they that were with him in the ark.
   And the waters prevailed upon the earth an
hundred and fifty days.

                       --Genesis 7:17-24 KJV

After the Storm

Whenever the storm clouds overhead
Loom threatening all around
And darkness hides the sun away
And light cannot be found

Remember that after the darkness,
We treasure more the light
And after the storm is over
The sun comes out more bright.

For that which we lose for a little while
We someday shall regain,
And the gift will be far greater
Than the price we paid in pain.

For God in His great wisdom
May have plans we cannot see
Which for a time are hidden
Away from you and me.

So wait till the storm is over
No matter how dreary and gray
For behind the clouds He's waiting,
To send wonderful things your way.

              --Jean V. Russell

A Steadfast Heart

               Give me, O Lord, a steadfast heart,
 which no unworthy affection may drag downwards;
                 give me an unconquered heart,
              which no tribulation can wear out;
                      give me an upright heart,
      which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside.
             Bestow on me also, O Lord my God,
                    understanding to know you,
                         diligence to seek you,
                          wisdom to find you,
    and a faithfulness that may finally embrace you,
            through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

                ~ Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Today's Scripture [1-15-13]

  Thus did Noah; according to all that God com-
manded him, so did he.
  And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou
and thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen
righteous before Me in this generation...
  For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain
upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and
every living substance that I have made will I
destroy from off the face of the earth.
  And Noah did according unto all that the
LORD commanded him.
  And Noah was six hundred years old when the
flood of waters was upon the earth.
  And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife,
and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, be-
cause of the waters of the flood...
  There went in two and two unto Noah into the
ark, the male and the female, as God had com-
manded Noah.
  And it came to pass after seven days, that the
waters of the flood were upon the earth.
  In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the
second month, the seventeenth day of the month,
the same day were all the fountains of the great
deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were
opened.
  And the rain was upon the earth forty days and
forty nights.

        --Genesis 6:22; 7:1, 4-7, 9-12 KJV

Extra Things

We thank Thee, God, for extra things
   You send along our way
Both when our days are sunny bright
   And when our skies are gray.

The little planned surprises dropped
   From Thy great, loving hand,
Like unexpected showers on
   A parched and desert land.

The meeting of an old-time friend,
   The lifting of a care,
And sunlight breaking through the clouds
   To tell us You are there.

Just why You do these extra things
   Our finite minds don't know;
It must be You delight in them
   Because You love us so!

    --Alice Hansche Mortenson

A Call to Meditation

                Come now, little man,
            turn aside for a while from
               your daily employment,
             escape for a moment from
            the tumult of your thoughts.
           Put aside your weighty cares,
     let your burdensome distractions wait,
             free yourself awhile for God
                 and rest awhile in Him.
      Enter the inner chamber of your soul,
            shut out everything except God
and that which can help you in seeking Him,
and when you have shut the door, seek Him.
        Now, my whole heart, say to God,
                      'I seek your face,
             Lord, it is your face I seek.'

             ~ St. Anselm, (1033-1109)

Today's Scripture [1-14-13]

   And GOD saw that the wickedness of man
was great in the earth, and that every imagina-
tion of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually.
   And it repented the LORD that He had made
man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His
heart.
   And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom
I have created from the face of the earth; both
man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the
fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have
made them.
   But Noah found grace in the eyes of the
LORD.
   These are the generations of Noah: Noah was
a just man and perfect in his generations, and
Noah walked with God.
   And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and
Japheth.
   The earth also was corrupt before God, and the
earth was filled with violence.
   And God looked upon the earth, and, behold,
it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his
way upon the earth.
   And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh
is come before me; for the earth is filled with
violence through them; and, behold, I will de-
stroy them with the earth...
   And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of
waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh,
wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven;
and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
   But with thee will I establish my covenant;
and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy
sons, and thy sons' wives with thee.

             --Genesis 6:5-13, 17,18 KJV

In the Light of His Love

Let me walk in the light
   of His love;
Let me bask in the glow
   from above.
   Through sunshine and rain,
   in gladness and pain,
Let me walk in the light
   of His love.

Let me live in the light
   of His Word;
Let me lean on the truth
   I have heard.
   When dark shadows roll,
   Let Light flood my soul.
Let me live in the light
   of His Word.

   --Roxie Lusk Smith

"But he that doeth truth
   cometh to the light."
~John 3:21

An Evening Hope

I sat in the quiet evening hour
   As the lengthening shadows grew,
And my gaze was fixed on parting sun
  In a change of the gentlest hue.

And I could not help but contemplate
  On the close of another day,
That the end of the day has a beauty, too,
  As the morning light's first ray.

And so it is in the life we live,
  Though moments be weary or long,
At end of the day, the sun's parting ray
  Brings the gentle evening song.

I have lived my day on earth below,
  And now with the evening's rays,
I can know no fear but expectant hope,
  For my trust is in Christ, the Way.

And though lengthening shadows round me twine,
  I will never fear the night;
To the golden hues of my Heavenly home,
  I am guided by Christ, my Light.

                 --Charles G. Ramsey

Today's Scripture [1-12-13]

  And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she con-
ceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a
man from the LORD.
  And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel
was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of
the ground.
  And in process of time it came to pass, that
Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offer-
ing unto the LORD.
  And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of
his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD
had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
  But unto Cain and to his offering He had not
respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his
countenance fell...
  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and
it came to pass, when they were in the field, that
Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew
him.
  And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel
thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my
brother's keeper?
  And He said, What hast thou done? the voice
of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the
ground.
  And now art thou cursed from the earth, which
hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's
blood from thy hand;
  When thou tillest the ground, it shall not hence-
forth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and
a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
  And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment
is greater than I can bear...
  And Cain went out from the presence of the
LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east
of Eden.
                    --Genesis 4:1-5, 8-13, 16 KJV

God Is Always There

At times you reach the bottom
  Of sorrow and despair,
And know not where to turn for aid
  To help your burdens bear.

There's always One who's standing by
  At any hour of day,
To be your closest friend and guide
  And help your fears allay.

One who will comfort and sustain
  And always understand,
And give you faith and inner strength
  And lend a helping hand.

Look forward to each new born day
  With courage born anew.
And bear in mind God's always there
  To help you see it through.

               --Harold F. Mohn




 

Today's Scripture [1-11-13]

  Unto the woman He said, I will greatly multi-
ply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow
thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire
shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over
thee.
  And unto Adam He said, Because thou hast
hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast
eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee,
saying, thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the
ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat
of it all the days of thy life;
  Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to
thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,
till thou return unto the ground; for out of it
wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto
dust shalt thou return.
  And Adam called his wife's name Eve; be-
cause she was the mother of all living.
  Unto Adam also and to his wife did the
LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed
them...
  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from
the garden of Eden, to till the ground from
whence he was taken.
  So He drove out the man; and He placed at
the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and
a flaming sword which turned every way, to
keep the way of the tree of life.

            --Genesis 3:16-21, 23, 24 KJV

One's Prerogative

Everything is nothing
Til you make it something more . . .
Why--if you're pessimistic
Everything will be a chore . . .
And if you're apathetic
Why--you will surely see
In all the things you say and do--
Mediocrity.
But with enthusiasm
Things take on a brighter glow . . .
For everything is special
If you only make it so!

   --Beverly Enderby Kimzey

Today's Scripture [1-10-13]

  And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said
unto him, Where art thou?
  And he said, I heard Thy voice in the garden, and
I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid my-
self.
  And He said, Who told thee that thou was naked?
Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded
thee that thou shouldest not eat?
  And the man said, The woman whom Thou gavest
to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did
eat.
  And the LORD God said unto the woman, What
is this that thou hast done? And the woman said,
The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Be-
cause thou hast done this, thou art cursed above
all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon
thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all
the days of thy life:
  And I will put enmity between thee and the wo-
man, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall
bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.

                        --Genesis 3:9-15 KJV

I Asked God "Why"?

I asked God "Why did you send this cross,
The hurt and the pain and the bitter loss"?
And I found it hard not to complain,
As I sought for peace of soul again.
I asked God "Why did you destine me
For such a special misery"?
And it seemed somehow that I heard Him say,
"Man does not walk an easy way.

"It's the ones I love the most that I
Send crosses to and sorely try,
Remember this and know that there
Will come no grief you cannot bear.
Behold, I stand beside you in
Each sorrow 'till the very end,
Dear little lamb stay close beside
Your Shepherd 'till the eventide".

What blessed joy it was to find
His footprints ever close to mine.
He made the sadness disappear,
With words of comfort in my ear.
The pain of which I was afraid,
Was lifted from me as I prayed,
Leaving such a light that I
Need never doubt or question why.

               --Grace E. Easley

Today's Scripture [1-9-13]

  Now the serpent was more subtil than any
beast of the field which the LORD God had
made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath
God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the
garden?
  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may
eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst
of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of
it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall
not surely die:
  For God doth know that in the day ye eat there-
of, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall
be as gods, knowing good and evil.
  And when the woman saw that the tree was
good for food, and that it was pleasant to the
eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise,
she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and
gave also unto her husband with her; and he did
eat.
  And the eyes of them both were opened, and
they knew that they were naked; and they sewed
fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
  And they heard the voice of the LORD God
walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and
Adam and his wife hid themselves from the
presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of
the garden.
                     --Genesis 3:1-8 KJV

Talk It Over With God

You're worried and troubled
   about everything,
Wondering and fearing
   what tomorrow will bring--
You long to tell someone
   for you feel so alone,
But your friends are all burdened
   with cares of their own--
There is only one place
   and only one friend
Who is never too busy
   and you can always depend
That He will be waiting
   with arms open wide
To hear all your troubles
   that you came to confide--
For the heavenly Father
   will always be there
When you seek Him and find Him
   at the Altar of Prayer.

        --Helen Steiner Rice

Today's Scripture [1-8-13]

  And the LORD God formed man of the dust
of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life; and man became a living
soul.
  And the LORD God planted a garden east-
ward in Eden; and there He put the man whom
He had formed.
  And out of the ground made the LORD God
to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight,
and good for food; the tree of life also in the
midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge
of good and evil.
  And the LORD God commanded the man,
saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest
freely eat:
  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that
thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
  And the LORD God said, It is not good that
the man should be alone; I will make him an
help meet for him.
  And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to
fall upon Adam, and he slept: and He took one
of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead
thereof;
  And the rib, which the LORD God had taken
from man, made He a woman, and brought her
unto the man.
  And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones,
and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.
  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his
mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they
shall be one flesh.
  And they were both naked, the man and his wife,
and were not ashamed.

               ~ Genesis 2:7-9,16-18,21-25 KJV

Just for Today

Thy strength, oh Lord, just for this day
I pray You will impart.
For me again renew my faith
As this new day I start.

Reach out to me and keep Thy hand
On everything I do.
Direct my path to things undone
And guide to paths anew.

Give me the patience that I need
To do for others now
The things that You would have me do
And kindly show me how.

Through doubts and fears, and heavy loads
I struggle on my way,
Yet through the rugged path I know
That You are near today.

You steer my feet and lift my heart
And make the light to shine.
Then all my troubles, aches and pains
I gladly leave behind.

          --Annie May Schrimsher

Today's Scripture Reading

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly
the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may
fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

And God created great whales, and every living crea-
ture that moveth, which the waters brought forth a-
bundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl
after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multi-
ply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multi-
ply in the earth.

And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living
creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and
beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so...and
God saw that it was good.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after
our likeness: and let them have dominion over the
fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over
the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creepeth apon the earth.

So God created man in His own image, in the image
of God created He him; male and female created He
them.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
subdue it:and have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over every living
thing that moveth upon the earth...

And God saw every thing that He had made, and,
behold, it was very good. And the evening and the
morning were the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all
the host of them.

And on the seventh day God ended His work which
He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from
all His work which He had made.

And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it:
because that in it He had rested from all His work
which God created and made.

             --Genesis 1:20-28,31; 2:1-3 KJV

Precious Moments

    The moments I spend with You, God,
are more precious than gold to me,
    for it's You who keeps my ship afloat
on life's ever turbulent sea.

    When the waters are dark and foreboding,
and storm clouds loom ahead--
    if I turn to You, the waters are blue,
with bright, sunny skies instead.

    Without You, God, I am nothing,
a ship without a sail,
    a life without a purpose,
my efforts--of no avail!

    You are the light that guides me
across life's turbulent sea,
    and each moment I spend with You--
is more precious than gold to me!

                     --Doris A. Orth

Always a Way

There's always a way, but we have to try,
Though life is a gift to you and I,
We can't expect to merely sit,
With never an effort to merit it.
There's always a way, though the going's rough,
And only our best is good enough,
We haven't the time to count each loss,
If the bridge is out, we swim across.

There's always a way, life's not in vain,
Though joy may be the twin of pain,
Whichever way we chance to go,
The Master walked it first, you know.
He simply wouldn't put us here,
And then withdraw His tender care,
Whatever His dear Love may ask,
He makes us equal to the task.

For it is true He walks beside
Us through each dawn and eventide,
Though bones may bend and sight grow dim,
No thing's impossible for Him.
And so whenever walls may rise,
To block the sunlight from our eyes,
That is the time for us to say,
"Dear Lord, please help me find the way."

                   --Grace E. Easley

Resolve

Build on resolve, and not upon regret,
  the structure of thy future.
Do not grope among the shadows of old sins,
  but let thine own soul's light
  shine on the path of hope
  and dissipate the darkness.

Waste no tears upon the blotted record of lost years,
  but turn the leaf and smile, oh, smile,
  to see the fair white pages that remain for thee.

Prate not of thy repentance, but believe the
  spark divine dwells in thee: let it grow.

That which the upreaching spirit can achieve
  the grand and all-creative forces know;
  they will assist and strengthen as the light
  lifts up the acorn to the oak tree's height.

Thou hast but to resolve, and lo! God's whole
  great universe shall fortify thy soul.

                                 --Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Love Divine, All Love Excelling

In a myriad of miraculous ways
God shapes our lives and changes our days,
Beyond our will or even knowing
God keeps our spirit ever growing. . .
For lights and shadows, sun and rain,
Sadness and gladness, joy and pain,
Combine to make our lives complete
And give us victory through defeat. . .
"Oh, Love Divine, All Love Excelling,"
In troubled hearts You just keep dwelling,
Patiently waiting for a "prodigal son"
To say at last, "Thy will be done."
                              --Helen Steiner Rice

Today

With words that speak in deepest praise,
  I thank God for His loving ways;
For strength of body, limb, and mind,
  The joy in doing what I find.
I thank God for my home and friends,
  And other blessings that He sends.
I may not see with perfect eyes,
  But each new day holds glad surprise!
I thank God for what comes to me,
  And trust Him more--what is to be.
                   --Roxie Lusk Smith