Thank You, Lord! / Mrs Barb Burke

Mrs Barb Burke

Wife / Vocalist

First Baptist Church 

Hammond, IN

Psalm 34:1 says, "I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth."

I want to praise the Lord for his goodness to me these last eight months. My breast cancer diagnosis back in November was very unexpected and scary.  However, the Lord has been with us each step of this journey and continues to be with us each day.

Thank you, Lord, for being with us spiritually.  The Word of God has brought much wisdom and direction, strength, encouragement, and calmness.  Philippians 4:6-8 have been my go-to verses during panic attacks and depression and fear.  The Holy Spirit has comforted us and reminded us that the God of our salvation is in control of our lives and wants to use us.

Thank you, Lord, for being with us physically. The Lord has led us to the right doctors and medical staff who have helped in the healing process in so many ways.  Thank you, Lord, that even though a double mastectomy was necessary, I did not have to go through chemotherapy or radiation. What a blessing.

Thank you, Lord, for being with us emotionally. Thank you for friends and family who have brought such encouragement. Thank you for all the thoughtful cards, phone calls, texts, meals, and so many other gestures of love and friendship. Thank you again for the Bible that calms our fears. Thank you for my wonderful husband Paul who has held my hand and cared for me each step of the way.

Thank you, Lord, for being with us financially. Thank you for leading us to Samaritan Ministries and for the members who have helped to ease our financial burdens.  

God's goodness to us has been so evident every day. May we continue to praise his name and may our lives bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 103:1-2 "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits."

Selfies / Mrs Susan Ballard

Mrs Susan Ballard

Pastor's Wife

Grace Baptist Church 

Marion, IA

SELFIES

So many people today are obsessed with selfies and posting their photos of where they are at day/night, what they're doing, who they're with, and anything else they think is worthy of posting on social media. It gives me the impression that they think their actions are important enough that we all want to know what they do every waking moment. Because of social media, there just isn't anything sacred or private anymore.

I'm a more private person myself, although I do post photos from time to time, mostly for my family and close friends. I guess I became very selfish and comfortable with being a loner from growing up as an only child until my dad remarried later. Even though I am a pastor's wife, if I had my way, I'd get to church about 3 minutes before it starts and leave right away as soon as it's over! I know, it's very selfish, but that's how I feel inside. I'm not independently wealthy, I'm independently "selfy"! And, if I'm around a lot of people for several days in a row, I get really anxious and sometimes even get a headache! I realize I need some alone time then!

However, I have learned over the past 25 years here in Iowa to get out of my comfort zone and talk to people, build relationships, and give of myself to try to be a help and a blessing to our church family and visitors that attend our services. I don't think there's anyone else that could love my church family more than I do, except the Lord and my husband!

I've really prayed for the Lord to help me in this area, to open my eyes to look and really see the needs of others. Otherwise, I get caught up in MY own little world, living in MY rut, doing what's on MY schedule. But when I do this, I'm missing out on the blessing of making a friend, showing some love, building relationships, and discipling others for Christ.

How are you doing with this in your church? Do you always sit or hang out with the same people or group (clique)? Do you have a hard time letting others into your circle? Do you prefer to be alone? Here are a few things that God used to help me and I pray they will encourage you as well!

Why should we fight our own selfishness?

Jer 45:5 "And seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not;..."

Phil 2:21 "For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." All men (women) seek great things for themselves, but God says this is not what we should be seeking. It's selfish!

II Cor 5:15 "And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again."

When we are selfish, we are not living for HIM who died for us! We should be living unto HIM, seeking what HE directs us to seek.

Jn 5:13 "Greater love hath no man this this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." How great is your love for your friends? Do you help when needed?

Mt 20:28 "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." With Jesus as our great example, we are to minister. And not only to a few chosen ones, you know, those who dress right, look right, smell nice? But to many...yes including the ones who are not always lovely and easy to love. Those who need more time, more investment from us.

Mt 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Our good works may be seen by the lost or backslidden and cause someone to draw near to God because they see Jesus in us. In turn, this brings glory to God! How awesome is that, that by just doing what we as Christians are supposed to do, we can bring glory to our Heavenly Father! Amazing!

Rom 15:1-2 "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification." We are to carry one another's burdens, lift one another up! And who is our neighbor? Everyone around us is our neighbor! Next door, across town, the cashier, the bank teller, etc. Dr. Hyles used to say, "Be kind to everyone because everyone is having a tough time."

Jms 3:13 "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom." If we have or want wisdom and knowledge, we must show others by our life (conversation) and testimony of good works!

Lastly, I Cor 10:33 "Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved." This is what it all comes down to for us. While I'm staying to myself, minding my own business, not necessarily doing wrong, I'm letting a whole host of my "neighbors" die and go to hell. My selfishness is putting a stumbling block before others, covering my light that should be shining bright so others would see the path to Christ and Heaven.

Please seek God's help and direction and learn to reach out to those who are longing for someone to tell them the truth. They're waiting for the answers they're seeking, and we have them in God's Word! Let's go out of our way to show them His love!

Out of Order Questions / Ms Cherith Henderson

Ms Cherith Henderson

Student at Golden State Baptist College

Pianist

Harvest Baptist Church

Manhattan, KS

OUT-OF-ORDER QUESTIONS 

When waiting on God’s will, our questions often sound like this—what do you want me to do, where do you want me to do it, when, and why. Our tendencies are to act like we need all the answers right now, laid out in front of us, with all the problems that we will face conveniently listed in alphabetical order. Sound familiar? Recently, I found myself asking God these same questions in a specific situation in my life. Like He always does, the Lord gave me the answers I was searching for in a study I started in Isaiah.

Here are the verses God gave me—Isaiah 30:20-21

20 - And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:

21 - And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

After reading verse 21, God showed me that the questions were not necessarily wrong, but the order of them was important to finding His answer! The Holy Spirit leads the believer in three steps.

1) He Compels Them – “This is the way…”

2) He Commands Them—“…walk ye in it…”

3) He Clarifies Their Steps—“…when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left…”

We cannot follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in our lives if we are first not sensitive to hear His still, small voice. Like in I Kings 19, Elijah did not hear God in the loud wind, the earthquake, or the fire; but in the still, small voice. Like in Isaiah, God compelled and commanded Elijah to go then clarified his way.

The Compelling To Go: God led Elijah through the wilderness. What could that wilderness be in my life? Hardships in family or church relationships? Discouragement? Sickness? Sometimes the wilderness has hardships that God placed there to make us stronger. We may not necessarily like the way God has chosen, but we must be willing to walk in it.

The Command to Follow: Each person has a purpose in their life. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” God always has a specific plan for YOU that only you can fulfill! There was a reason for that wilderness you just went through. This is where we have to trust God. Elijah’s purpose was to prepare Elisha for the next generation. What is your task? What has God commanded you to do?

The Details: Often God asks (or tells) us to do something without immediately giving us all the answers. Here in I Kings 19:15-16, God told Elijah exactly who to anoint, but not exactly where. Later in that passage, the Bible says Elijah “found” Elisha—meaning he had to search for him. Elijah had to be sensitive to the voice of the Lord to fulfill God’s will for his life. Once we are sensitive to the voice of the Lord, then He will lead us to His exact and perfect will for our lives.

Both passages end with reminders of God’s goodness to His children. Isaiah 30 ends with the power and glory of the Lord and I Kings 19 ends with a reminder that there are other Christians who are with you! Once we surrender to His will, we can be ushered into a His glory and have His power on our lives. What a loving God we have that He would give us others for encouragement along the way!

God is just too good not to trust His leading in our lives. We must remember to listen to that still, small voice and follow the Holy Spirit’s direction in all things.

Prayer / Mrs Debbie Bragg

Mrs Debbie Bragg

Pastor’s Wife

Lafayette Bible Baptist Church

Wildwood, MO

Prayer

God spoke to my heart about writing this devotion on prayer. He knew I needed it! I am aware I don’t spend enough time in prayer!!

Have you ever heard the term “prayer warrior”? I think most of you know what that is and most of you know one or two people who are. Someone you can go to with a burden or prayer request and you just KNOW that person will pray for you. We have several in our church that are like that. And they get answers too, not just requests given to God but they see answers to their requests. I never tell someone I’ll pray for them and I don’t. Write it down so you’ll remember to pray for them!

I desire to be one of those “prayer warriors”! I hope I’ll be remembered when I die as not just having been a pastors wife but a prayer warrior!! But, that means you have to pray! And that means spend a lot of time in prayer while I’m alive!

Prayer in itself can be a ministry. Maybe you’re home bound with small children, maybe you have health issues, or maybe you work and don’t have a lot of time to go out soul winning or bus visiting, etc...... but you can pray for those who do! Be specific when you pray. Ask God for souls to be saved out visiting and soul winning, and for them to come to church and get baptized and grow in the Lord. The Bible says in I John 5:14-15 that if we pray according to His will, He heareth us, And if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him. You should pray for your church to grow, see young couples come with small children (the life of the church is in our children!), pray for your Pastor that God would give him courage to preach, strength to preach it, and to resist the devil.

The devil would like nothing more than to destroy our churches, marriages, and our young people with the ways of the world. Pray for these things that the devil would flee and our church would be strong in the Lord.

I hope your desire, like mine, is to be a prayer warrior”!! Together, on our knees, we can strengthen our churches and see revival!!