The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States “TO BE A MISSIONARY” for Saturday, 13 August 2016 with Scripture: Lamentations 3:19 Remember my utter misery,the wormwood and the gall.
20 They are always on my mind;
this is why I am so depressed.
21 But in my mind I keep returning to something,
something that gives me hope —
22 that the grace of Adonai is not exhausted,
that his compassion has not ended.
23 [On the contrary,] they are new every morning!
How great your faithfulness!
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If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.[1 Peter 4:16 (NIV)]
The word missionary conjures images of traveling to foreign countries to spread God’s word, and I’m always inspired by letters from missionaries describing ways they serve God by serving the people around them.
However, we don’t have to move to another country to be a missionary. I can be one by telling the good news in my own neighborhood. With evangelism, the issue isn’t where we are but our willingness to spread God’s message. Do we have the faith to call on and believe in the Holy Spirit to help us face our fears, our discomfort, or our insecurity about sharing the gospel of Jesus with others?
In the past, fear of rejection from my peers overwhelmed my sense of knowing — and sharing — who I am as a Christian. It was easier to back away from those situations than to face my discomfort boldly with the faith that the Holy Spirit would see me through. But I have discovered that prayer, Bible reading, and a growing faith can prepare any of us to confidently share the knowledge of Christ — whether out in the wide, wide world or in our little corner of it.
Read more from the author, here.
More from Margie Harding
Writing is a passion God placed in my heart years ago. He has nurtured this need for sharing my thoughts through pen and paper, molding and shaping my abilities, which opened doors for opportunity and developing who I would become.
On my blog, I have written devotionals for teen girls, a novel about my experience of attending college as a non-traditional student thirty years after high school graduation (with an AA degree in Elementary Education).
For years I have said, “It takes a special person to be a special education teacher and it wasn’t me!” I have five children and fifteen grandchildren and still a special education interest alluded me. But God has a sense of humor, I think. After all these years, I have begun a new children’s book series on this particular subject!
We are calling the series, “The Paxton Series” with our setting in the Black Hills of South Dakota, using the wild animals of the area as our characters. The books are written for children with a disability or special need as well as for their friends. There are amazing illustrations in the books as well.
This series is being well-received and will continue indefinitely! I am so excited about the possibilities. It begins with Paxton’s World on Fire (the introduction and only book that does not have a specific disability or special need), followed by, An Early Arrival (Preemies), The Great Race (about asthma), Ears Like Gramps (hearing loss), Lillianna Moves To the Country (Down's Syndrome), and Micah Goes To The Concert (Autism). The next book out will be on Dyslexia, followed by books about muscular dystrophy, arthritis, ADHD, diabetes, cerebral palsy, and more.
Our children face an amazing list of challenges. God has placed me in a position to be able to do something fundamentally good. I am humbled to be able to place words on paper that can help children to understand what is going on in their bodies, as well as be a resource for parents and teachers to help other children understand what is happening with their friends who seem different than themselves. If you are interested in any of these books or those to be released in the coming months and years, contact me, or visitwww.paxtonseries.com or amazon.com.[Margie Harding, Check out Margie's blog and website here and here.]
The Author: Margie Harding (Maryland, USA) — See back cover.
Thought for the Day: My mission field is the one I’m standing in.
Prayer: Dear Father, forgive our hesitance to talk to others about you. Help us to be bold in sharing your good news. Amen.
Prayer focus: MISSIONARIES
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The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States “REST FOR THE WEARY” for Friday, 12 August 2016 with Scripture: 1 Peter 4:12 Dear friends, don’t regard as strange the fiery ordeal occurring among you to test you, as if something extraordinary were happening to you. 13 Rather, to the extent that you share the fellowship of the Messiah’s sufferings, rejoice; so that you will rejoice even more when his Sh’khinah is revealed. 14 If you are being insulted because you bear the name of the Messiah, how blessed you are! For the Spirit of the Sh’khinah, that is, the Spirit of God, is resting on you! 15 Let none of you suffer for being a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or a meddler in other people’s affairs. 16 But if anyone suffers for being Messianic, let him not be ashamed; but let him bring glory to God by the way he bears this name.
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Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.[Psalm 68:19 (NIV)]
Last summer, a hailstorm damaged the roof of our house. When it came time to replace it, heavy bundles of shingles arrived. A lift hoisted the entire pallet to the roof, where several men unloaded the bundles and distributed them across the top. I asked my husband why the pallet couldn’t be left in place in a single stack. “Each bundle weighs about 70 pounds,” he said. “If the pallet were left intact, the weight could compromise the integrity of the rafters. The load could come crashing through the ceiling.”
The weight of the pallet reminded me of the burdens I sometimes carry. Whether they are relational, financial, health-related, or simply part of the busyness of everyday life, trying to deal with the issues alone is always overwhelming. It can weaken me and make me less productive.
Jesus reminds us that we don’t have to struggle on our own with fears, worries, or trials that weigh us down. He invites each of us to come to him when we are tired from carrying heavy burdens and promises that we will find rest. That’s a promise we can always rely on.
Read more from the author, here.
More from Marlene Briggs
I still miss my grandmother who passed away in 2009 at 96 years old. Although my husband, children, and I had prayed for her for years, by 2008 I’d become discouraged that she wouldn’t come to know the Lord; after all, Grammy wasn’t getting any younger.In January, 2008, my husband, Jim, and I made a trip to visit her at the skilled nursing facility where she resided. Because we were living offshore, we couldn’t visit often, which was difficult. My heart was burdened as I sat on the bed next to her while Jim read scripture aloud.
One night when we returned to our hotel room, I cried out to the Lord and repented for the frustration I felt in wanting my timing and will for Grammy to know the Lord. It was up to God, not me, and he knew the burden our family felt for her to know him. Relying on the Lord’s strength and not my own was freeing. His word promises rest, and I began to experience that rest.
Every day we returned to the facility, and Jim read from the Bible. We took Grammy jelly donuts, which she loved, and simply reveled in each other’s company. I was so grateful that her mind wasn’t fading; it was her body that was tiring. But still, she was healthy, not suffering from any disease.
One day as Jim read, I began to talk to her about Jesus again. She had always amused us in the past: “I don’t go out of this nursing home, so how can I be sinning?” This time, however, she turned to me, a serious look on her face. With her false teeth threatening to slip from her mouth and fall into her lap, she confessed that she was a sinner and asked the Lord to forgive her. It was music to our ears! We rejoiced and shed tears of happiness and gratefulness to God.
One year later, I had to make the trek halfway around the world by myself. Our dear grandmother was departing to be with her Lord and Savior.
When I arrived at the hospital, Grammy was all smiles, reaching out to me with those wonderful arms that had nurtured and comforted me as a child and had encouraged me as an adult.
Several days later, Grammy passed away peacefully, her heart simply slowing down until it beat its last. Once again, the Lord was my strength as I rejoiced that she was with God.
There are plenty of days that I miss her. But the Lord sustains me and gives me rest and the assurance that Grammy and I will be reunited in heaven.[Marlene Briggs]
The Author: Marlene Briggs (South Dakota, USA)
Thought for the Day: God is always ready to share the weight of my burdens.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to cast our burdens on you and to remember how much you love us. Amen.
Prayer focus: THOSE WITHOUT SHELTER
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