Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Completely Dependent" for Wednesday, 23 July 2014 - Read Psalm 43:3-4 Give me your lantern and compass,give me a map,
So I can find my way to the sacred mountain,
to the place of your presence,
To enter the place of worship,
meet my exuberant God,
Sing my thanks with a harp,
magnificent God, my God.
5 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He’s my God.
“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”(Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV))
I received a phone call that turned my world upside down. I was told that I had cancer. Through doctor appointments, tests, and awaited results, I seemed to be living in a dark tunnel. I could not see, could not plan, and could not focus on simple daily tasks. As darkness threatened to pull me under, I found that I was completely dependent on God. The more I depended on God, the more peace I felt. God was my light in the darkness. I realized that the question I should ask was not Why me? but Why not me? Can’t God use every circumstance in our lives for a greater purpose? My prayers were transformed. I no longer asked God to take the cancer from me. I asked God to use my cancer diagnosis for God’s greater good. God answered my prayer, giving me peace as well as the desire and ability to walk with others through their experiences with cancer. God gave me gifts of encouragement, compassion, love, and care so that I could reach out with understanding and support for others.
The Author: Deborah Pow (Alberta, Canada)
Thought for the Day: Our struggles give us the opportunity to show God’s love to others.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for guiding us in our daily lives and for carrying us through difficult times. Amen.
Prayer focus: Someone who has just received a cancer diagnosis
-------
No comments:
Post a Comment