Is God Enough?

Today’s Bible Verse: Psalm 55:14

“We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.”

Words of Devotion

The church has the sweetest fellowship this side of heaven. There are brothers and sisters who are loving, encouraging, and exhorting us as we serve alongside each other to the glory of God.

But suppose God took you out of that precious fellowship. What if you became so ill you had to be hospitalized with no visitors for days on end? What if you were transferred to Siberia and there wasn’t a Christian around for 250 miles? Or what if you decide not to smoke pot when all your friends are doing it? Or decide to abstain from premarital sex? Or choose to not go drinking with your college buddies?

Is God enough when your dearest friend on earth forsakes or fails you? Is He enough of a friend that you can stand with Him alone?

God is enough, but you will not realize it until you have begun to cultivate sweet fellowship with Him. How? Someone once said the best way to spell “relationship” is T-I-M-E.

Spend time with your Savior in prayer and meditating on His Word daily, So when the storms of live come, you will see that God is enough!

God Speaks Still

Today’s Bible Verse: 2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

Words of Devotion

Have you ever felt like God has quit speaking? Maybe sermons are losing their impact, times of genuine worship in life are growing more scarce, and overall, you’re coasting on spiritual memories and past times? Whatever the reason, there are times in life in which we feel disconnected from God and alone.

But have you considered that Book you’ve been neglecting? The Bible is called God’s Word because that’s exactly what it is! It was faithfully recorded by inspired men from all walks of life, who lived across three continents, and compiled the texts over a period of fifteen hundred years without ever contradicting one another. God spoke then through Scripture and is still speaking through it now.

When we neglect to meet Him in the words He preserved for us we lose our bearing in life, and He seems distant. But the wonderful truth is that God hasn’t moved and He is still speaking through the Bible. Remember, it’s not just a book with worn-out phrases. Rather, it’s a treasure house of truth that’s living and active, it’s a fountain of living water and our source of strength. Pick it up, dust it off, and draw near to the God who speaks still.

One should approach Scripture with the understanding that God speaks every time we read His Words. We just need to listen and seek after Him.

Jesus Our Example

Today’s Bible Verse: John 9:5

“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Words of Devotion

Perhaps because we look forward to spending eternity in heaven, we sometimes feel very little urgency concerning our mission on earth. We may justify our inactivity in the kingdom of God by assuring ourselves that we will spend forever with the Lord and have all the time we could wish to Praise Him.

But notice this. Jesus Christ not only will spend eternity on the throne of heaven, but has also existed from eternity as the second person of the godhead. Yet, this eternal Son of God repeatedly expressed a sense of personal urgency, purpose, and mission while He lived on this earth.

As long as Jesus was here, He was determined to be shining brightly forth the commandments and character of God. He never took a day off. He never procrastinated in His calling. He never excused idleness now because of eternal expectations or prospects.

Do you have that eternal-but-urgent perspective that Jesus expressed so thoroughly? How would your personal objective be expressed?

“As long as I am in the world, my goal is to_______________” What?

What is your mission statement?

Recognizing that His life was perfectly planned and purposed by God (John 7:30; 8:20; 12:23; 17:1), Jesus was determined to live exactly that number of days to the glory of God. The prospect of eternity gave more importance, not less, to Jesus’ days on this earth. Shouldn’t it do the same for us?

Are you living out the great commission? 

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28: 18-20

The Lord’s Prayer: Lead Us Not Into Temptation

Today’s Verse: Luke 11:4b

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not into temptation.

Words of Devotion

Notice that Jesus’ instruction on prayer does not end with “lead us not into sin” but instead “lead us not into temptation.”  

You may wonder, what’s the difference?

Many times we like to approach sin as an imaginary line.  As long as we stay on the right side of the line we’re OK.  But, as soon as we cross to the wrong side of the line we’re sinning.  The result of this mentality is that we often attempt to get as close to this imaginary line as possible without crossing or sinning. Most of us eventually learn that if we keep walking up to the edge of this line, we’ll eventually cross it.

The motivation of this prayer is not merely trying not to cross an imaginary line or avoiding sin, but avoiding anything that would draw us away from pursuing God.  In other words the motivation in avoiding temptation is to have one’s heart, mind, and entire life fully focused on living for God.  As the Apostle Paul challenged the young man Timothy, whom he was mentoring: “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22).

What are some specific areas where you need to ask God to enable you to avoid temptation so that you can better pursue Him?

When Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread,

and forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation.”

(Luke 11:1-4)

The Lord's Prayer: Forgive Our Sins

Today’s Verse: Luke 11:4a

And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”

Words of Devotion

As we pray for our needs we can often forget that our greatest need is forgiveness.  God wants us to experience the freedom of forgiveness: the freedom of being forgiven by God and the freedom that comes from extending forgiveness to others.  Scripture is clear that if we confess our sins to God, He will forgive us and cleanse us (1 John 1:9).  

Confession means: the acknowledgment that we have sinned and willingness to commit our lives to God.   We are admitting to Christ that we’ve sinned against Him. (“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23) We are to acknowledge that Jesus died, and shed His blood for our sins.  We are agreeing that His mercy and grace are a free gift from God.

King David, in Psalm 51, wrote out a moving prayer of confession:

Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your steadfast love;

according to your abundant mercy

blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin!

For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you may be justified in your words

and blameless in your judgment.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,

and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins,

and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from your presence,

and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners will return to you.

(Psalm 51:1-13)

In what areas of your life do you need to confess sins and experience forgiveness? 

The Lord’s Prayer: Our Daily Bread

Today’s Verse: Luke 11:3

Give us each day our daily bread.

Words of Devotion

Just in case we think He forgot, Jesus reminds us here that God wants us to present our needs to Him.  There’s something about praying “Father, hallowed by your name… Your kingdom come… ” that puts us in the right mindset to pray about our needs. 

Although God already knows our needs, presenting our needs verbally to Him brings us to a point of greater vulnerability and dependence. Just a few verses later in Luke 11:5-13, Jesus gives some thoughts on how we approach God with our needs.  Here are three very practical implications:

We should pray persistently. Persistent prayer has a way of showing God we’re serious, increases our desperation for God, and even purifies our prayer life.

We should pray specifically. Specific prayers enable us to connect the dots between our prayers and God’s activity in ways that overly broad and vague prayers cannot.

We should pray expectantly. Praying expectantly reminds us that our loving Father ultimately has our best interests in mind even when He does not respond the way we want Him to.

What are some specific needs you to need to persistently and expectantly present to God?

The Lord’s Prayer: Your Kingdom Come

Today’s Verse: Luke 11:2b

 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come

Words of Devotions

As Jesus continues His instruction on prayer, His second point is also interestingly not about us, our needs, and our struggles.  It’s all about praying for God’s Kingdom to come.  What does this mean?  

Matthew’s description of the Lord’s Prayer includes this statement: “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  Jesus’ point is that God’s Kingdom is not simply about where we go when we die. There is a very real aspect of God’s Kingdom on this earth, right here, right now, where we are today.  

You may wonder, what does God’s kingdom coming on earth look like then?

Jesus gives us a good idea in Luke 4:18-19, as He quotes Isaiah the prophet:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Praying for God’s Kingdom has a way of tuning us into God’s mission on this earth.  As we pray for God’s Kingdom He begins to open our eyes to where He is at work, where He wants to be at work, and how He desires to work through us to accomplish His purposes.

How does God want to “retune” your prayer life around His Kingdom’s mission?

The Lord’s Prayer one of five: Hallowed Be Your Name

Today’s Verse: Luke 11:2a

And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.

Words of Devotion

Jesus’ closest followers came with a significant request: “teach us to pray.”  Surely, they had prayed before, but somehow they recognized their need for instruction on how to pray most effectively.  Jesus’ instruction on prayer began with this familiar statement: “Father, hallowed be your name.”  To hallow something means literally to “render or acknowledge, to set apart.”  

Jesus knew that we are designed to render and acknowledge something or someone who is bigger and better than us.

We see this concept play out every week as we “hallow” exceptional people and exceptional things:

• This week thousands of fans congregated in a packed stadium to cheer on a exceptional athlete Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks.
• Every evening people pack Broadway theaters, the Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall as they’re moved by exceptional actors, singers, dancers, and other performers.
• During 2009 and 2010 the movie Avatar grossed over 2.78 billion dollars as it wowed audiences with its exceptional 3D special effects.
• Each year 5 million visitors visit the Grand Canyon to marvel at its exceptional natural beauty.

But we were designed even more-so to hallow an exceptional God.

As we pray, our natural inclination is to begin by focusing on our needs or our struggles. God clearly cares about those needs and struggles, but our prayers will always be limited in scope and depth when we begin by focusing on ourselves rather than God.  

Fixing our minds and hearts on His Glory, His Power, His Wisdom, His Justice, His Authority, His Holiness, and His Love is what gives us the proper context for everything else we pray. 

 Notice how your needs and your struggles look different when you focus on God’s glory first.

Do your prayers begin with God as the focus or you?

Take some time today to Praise God for who He is and what He has done.

Hallowed, Honor as Holy

Sin and Its Effects

Today’s Verse: Romans 5:12

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

Words of Devotion

Can one man make a difference? Human history shouts in the affirmative. One man, one woman, one child can have an enormous impact, either for good or evil. Adam, by eating of the fruit which God had forbidden, plunged himself and all his posterity into sin. And the inevitable the result of sin was death.

The world is full of “if only”. If only Adam had not eaten of that fruit! If only the people had listened to Noah’s preaching! If only Moses had not lost his temper! If only Peter had stood up for Jesus!

On the other hand, the world is full of “what ifs”. What if Abraham had not faithfully followed God’s command? What if David had not stood up to Goliath? What if Paul had not written to the churches?

May your life be empty of the “if only” that come from disobeying the clear instructions of God in His Word. May history be filled with the “what ifs” of your faithful acts of obedience to God.

One Man entered history 2,000 years ago and lived a life free of “if only” so that we might live lives free of regret and full of joy, in His service and to His credit. Jesus undone the “if only” of Adam’s sin and its effects and wove them into a magnificent tapestry of amazing grace, to the glory of His name.

What We Can Learn from the Cross

Today’s Bible Verse: Luke 23:34

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

Word of Devotions

Not only did Jesus purchase salvation for His people on the cross — He also gave us a perfect example of how to suffer graciously, to the glory of God. What we learn from Christ on the crosses that are recorded for us in Scripture, we are given examples that should shape our responses to grief, tragedy, pain, and injustice.

The first words that we hear from our Savior’s mouth—as He suffers at the hands of ignorant, cruel, and deceitful men—are words of kindness and mercy. And so the first lesson we learn from our suffering Lord is this: forgive and pray for those who have wronged you.

This, of course, is never our first inclination. We wish to strike back, speak out, or count up all the wrongs that we have suffered. Yet here is the only truly innocent person that has ever lived and, while He is dying at the unjust and cruel hands of His enemies, He is speaking words of genuine pity and pardon.

It is evident that the New Testament Christians took this example to heart, for they emulate Him time and again. As Stephen is being stoned to death for preaching the gospel, his prayer is “He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” ” (Acts 7:60). 

As Paul faced the wicked Roman ruler Nero even some of his closest companions forsook him; yet, his response was “Everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them.” (2 Timothy 4:16).

Has someone harmed you? Have you been the victim of unfair treatment? How have you responded? Have you forgiven them? Have you prayed for them? If Jesus could forgive on the cross, certainly we can forgive because of the cross.

Repentance

Today’s Bible Verse: Luke 15:17 

“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!

Words of Devotion

The story of the Prodigal Son describes us all, as children of God. We are all unfaithful children of our awesome Heavenly Father. We all have squandered the abundant inheritance He so graciously has bequeathed to us. And we all—at one time or another—have known what it is to finally “come to ourselves”.

Sin is insanity. It is an unreasoning, illogical, self-destructive way of life. It ignores the plain hand of our heavenly Father, full of every provision we need, and follows after the hallucination of worldly pleasures and fulfillment.

But when we finally come to ourselves, we realize that starving out in the pigpen is not what our Father planned for us. We are the King’s children! No one in His house is hungry or wanting, and yet here we are in the mud pit of sin because we forsook the house of our Father. When we finally come to ourselves, we finally come back to Him.  We forsake the miserable quest for self-gratification and begin to seek the abundant life that is found in God alone. We repent, meaning we turn from our sin and change our direction. We now follow after Christ, turning our back to sin.

Have you come to yourself yet? Have you turned your feet back to your Father? If so, know that there is always a warm welcome for those who come to God by His Son Jesus Christ. 
Change your direction today! Christ will not open the door of your heart, until you open the door and invite Him in.

You Are Mine!

Today’s Passage: Isaiah 43:1

But now, says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine.

Words of Devotion

On Valentine’s Day isn’t it fun to dig through a bag of those little candy hearts that have the words printed on them? They say cute little things like “SWEET”, “CUTE” or “HUG ME”. But the one that I like the best says, “YOU ARE MINE!”

Isaiah 43 gives a beautiful picture of God saying those exact words to His beloved children of Israel. Even though they had wondered away from Him and He had to discipline them, He declares, “Don’t be afraid! I made you and I will take care of you. You are mine!” Then, as their loving Father, He gives them the promise of His presence, His protection, and His provision through it all.

Ephesians 1:3-14 says that as a believer in Christ, God the Father does the same thing for you. He created you, He redeemed you, and He calls you to Himself saying, “You are accepted in the Beloved — in essence, “You are Mine!”

As a loving Father cares for His children, so He cares for you day after day, week after week, year after year. He loves you! You are His!

Prayer: Father, what a thrill to hear Your words and to know that I belong to You! Thank you for loving me, creating me, for caring for me, for calling me Yours and for the blessing that brings to my heart.

Sovereignty of God

Today’s Bible Verse: Daniel 4:34

And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation.

Words of Devotion

To say that God is sovereign is simply to say that He is the only ruler of everything and everyone. Many earthly sovereigns have existed in the history of the world, with unchecked authority over their particular kingdoms… for a period of time. But for each of them, the end of their reign was fast-approaching — for Julius Caesar there was Brutus, for Napoleon there was Waterloo, for others there was simply old age.

          

Here Nebuchadnezzar asserts, not only the sovereignty of the one true God—“the most High”—but he also honors a unique and all-but-unthinkable attribute of this Sovereign: his reign is endless! Not only will He live forever, but His dominion is unending in its scope, its power, and its longevity. Emperors and pharaohs and dictators have all come and gone. Yet, God has never abdicated His throne.

To think we are so impressed by the speculations of scholars, the power of politicians, or the influence of icons! While all the while God sits upon His eternal thrown, and many of us hardly give Him a thought. May we consciously crown this God as the king of our generation, the ruler of our heart, the benevolent dictator of our lives.

Heaven & Earth

I heard this song, and I really enjoyed it. Listen to this song: "Because of Your Love" and then please share your thoughts...Just use the comment link below or you can use the guest book. May you be Blessed as I was....However before you listen, you will need to scroll down and turn off the music player...

Pastor Don

God & His Attributes

Today’s Bible Verse: Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

Words of Devotion

This passage of Scripture has been used as a proof-text for the Trinity, and rightly so, because it teaches that there is only one God. But just as importantly, this declaration is a statement of exclusivity — the God of the Bible is the one and only sovereign Lord over heaven and earth.

It is for this reason, as God Himself points out in the ensuing command, that we owe this one true God our undivided affection, worship, and service. Serving any other god—including our own schemes, aspirations, or lusts—is an act of rebellion against the Loving, Holy, and Lord of Creation; any such insurrection is doomed to failure.

Do you recognize the God of the Bible as the one Lord of your life? Is your heart united to fear His name? Does your soul revel in the brilliance of His majesty? Are your energies spent solely for His glory?

He is the Lord of the universe, and He deserves our all.

Stop Today and Worship God for All He has done for you and for meting All Your Needs.

Any Old Bush!!

Today’s Bible Verse: 1 Corinthians 1:25

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Words of Devotion

I can relate to Moses. When God appeared to him in the burning bush and commissioned him to lead God's people out of Egypt, he wasn't sure he was the guy. "Please, Lord," he said, "I have never been eloquent, neither recently or in time past, or since You had spoken to me your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."

History records show that God was not deterred in His choice. As a young man, I had a strong fear of public speaking. If you had told me then I would preach, I would have given a defense very similar to Moses'. I was an unlikely candidate for the pulpit, to say the least.

Major Ian Thomas said in reviewing Moses' call: “that when God is in a thing, the ordinary is more-than-adequate. Moses may have thought the burning bush was a supernatural vision.” But it wasn't. It was just an ordinary bush. And when God wants to speak, any old bush will do. The important thing is not the fitness of the instrument, but that it is God Himself who speaks, quite often through foolish, weak instruments.

Sometimes we see someone alive for God, someone with extraordinary giftedness, and we say, "I wish I were like that! I wish I had his ability, his poise, his discipline." But the truth is, God can use any life. Our foolishness only highlights His wisdom, and our weakness testifies to His strength. You are someone God can use. "You don't know me," you might say. And maybe I do not. But I know God.

Fullness

Today’s Bible Verse: John 6:35

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

Words of Devotion

Contemporary culture is fascinated by the wolf, celebrated as the symbol of the full, uninhibited life.

Actually, the wolf is a slave to fear, haunted by the night shadows. A better symbol of fullness would be the domesticated dog.

The wolfish nature has been tamed. The pet finds a fullness of life denied the wild wolf. The dog with his master enjoys more freedom than the wolf, who inhabits the anarchy of the forest.

Liberty is found when one is “domesticated” under the Master, Jesus. No longer is such an individual compelled by the quest for survival, but he or she lives in the fullness of the Master’s supply.

Do you find fullness in Christ? Or are you looking for fullness in others or things? To be fulfilled, one needs Christ who satisfies our every need.

Keeping the Faith

Today’s Bible Verse: Luke 18:8

I tell you, He will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who have faith?”

Words of Devotion

I believe with all my heart that the call needs to go out today more clearly than ever before for Christians to keep the faith.

William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, said, “The chief danger of the 20th century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and Heaven without Hell.”

We are but one generation away from paganism. If this generation doesn’t keep the faith and pass it to the next, there will be no faith.

Are you passing the faith to the next generation? Here is your commission from the Lord:

Place these words on your hearts. Get them deep inside you. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder. Teach them to your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning until you fall into bed at night. Inscribe them on the doorposts and gates of your cities so that you'll live a long time, and your children with you, on the soil that God promised to give your ancestors for as long as there is a sky over the Earth. Deuteronomy 11:18-20

So Go Today and Share Your Faith Before It's To Late!

Competing Voices

    

Today’s Bible Verse: John 10:1-5

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Words of Devotions

In today’s world, many voices compete for our attention:

the opinions of others

the values of our culture

our personal insecurities

spiritual warfare & temptations

even our own competing desires

All of these voices and more compete with Jesus’ voice for our attention.  In John’s gospel we’re reminded that we relate to Jesus just as the sheep respond to the shepherd…

“He calls his own sheep by name”

Jesus knows us each personally and intimately, and is calling out to us.

“He leads them out… he goes before them, and the sheep follow him…”

Jesus goes before us and asks us to simply follow where He is leading.

“For they know his voice…  A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

We should recognize and respond to the voice of Jesus to the exclusion of other voices in our lives.

Every day we make decisions concerning whose voice we will listen to.

Who’s voice are you listening to? 

Are you tuning into Jesus’ voice or other voices? 

How can you better recognize and respond to the voice of Christ?

Zechariah: A Faith Example

Today’s Bible Verse: Luke 1:13

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 

Words of Devotion

Zechariah is not a name that is mentioned often when faithful men of the Bible are spoken of. He is only mentioned in the Gospel of Luke because he is the father of the great John the Baptist, the fore runner of the Messiah, Jesus. While there aren’t books written about him or any other mentions in the Bible, he is someone we can look to as an example of faithfulness.

Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were old in age and did not have children (Luke 1:7). In those days; being childless usually brought sorrow to the family and shame from those around them (Luke 1:25). Outsiders would often think that there was sin in the lives of the couple, and that childlessness is the means by which God is punishing them.

During all of this though, Zechariah chose to remain faithful to God in his work as a priest and in his prayers for a child of his own. Zechariah could have easily stopped praying, became bitter, and stopped working for the God who was not providing a child for him. However, this is not how Zechariah’s story ends.

We know that God did in fact answer his prayers and showed himself faithful by blessing him with a son, John the Baptist. We can be encouraged that God hears our prayers and answers them in His timing for a greater blessing than we could have ever imagined.

Let us remember to recall the story of God’s faithfulness to Zechariah at moments in our lives when we are tempted to give up on God.