Day 1: You Are Not Alone By: God has Not Forgotten You For He Himself has said, I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5c) On the morning of October 29, 2012, hundreds of thousands of people in portions of the Caribbean and the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States faced their worst nightmare … “Superstorm Sandy.” This post-tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds and its unusual merge with a frontal system affected 24 states, including the entire eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine and west across the Appalachian Mountains to Michigan and Wisconsin, leaving death, injuries, and utter destruction in its wake. Families everywhere, especially in hard hit New Jersey and New York, were jolted out of normalcy and the comfort and security of the homes and communities they once knew. They were thrust suddenly and unwillingly into the darkness and despair of loss. If you and your family have ever been affected by a natural disaster like this, you may feel as if youve been abandoned by God. However, if trouble has hit your life in some other disaster, or form of tragedy—the death of a loved one, a dreaded medical diagnosis, the loss of home and property, or the loss of your job, you are experiencing your own superstorm. You may feel as if your whole world has been turned upside down, and wonder how you can possibly survive the loss. In times like these, you can feel very much alone. But you are not alone. In the midst of unspeakable sorrow God is with you. Even if you do not feel Him near, God is there. He promises to never leave you alone. Therefore, wherever you are, God is. He is with you before, during, and after the storm, never losing sight of you, or your suffering. Even as you ponder how you will begin picking up the pieces of your life, God is there … loving you beyond understanding, holding you up, and making a way where it seems there is no way. Reach out for Him today. He is a very present help in times of trouble (see Psalm 46:1). Taking back your life … 1. Psalm 139:7-10 says, I can never be lost to Your Spirit! I can never get away from my God! If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, You are there. If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, even there Your hand will guide me, Your strength will support me (TLB). What assurance can you find in these verses of Scripture when you are feeling as if God has forgotten you? 2. In Psalm 23, David pictures the Lord as the Great Shepherd who provides for and protects His sheep (His children). In verse four, he says Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. A shepherd uses his rod to protect his sheep (by using it to beat off wild beasts), and he uses his staff to guide them. What comfort can you find in knowing that God will protect and guide you during this difficult time? 3. In addition to needing Gods presence in our lives, we also need each other. Talk with your family or friends about the way you are feeling, so that you can share one anothers burdens, and not feel so alone in your suffering. Additional Scripture reading: Deuteronomy 31:8 Psalm 91:15-16 Matthew 28:20 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 1:2 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. Proverbs 1:33 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10: 31 Meanwhile, journey along as I bring you daily inspirations and the Bread of life of the Word of God for our Spiritual FOOD. Man shall not live by bread alone. *And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee { -know- } that- [ man doth -not -live -by -bread =only, but by every *word -that -proceedeth -out -of -the -mouth *of -the -Lord -doth -man -live.] (*Book of Deuteronomy chapter 8 verse 3) -------- JRO (Jennifer Roberts,) Author-Prepare ye the way of the LORD. Make His Way Straight. 10-24-2013 GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST. THE LORD IS FAITHFUL TO US... If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:-14 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. 2 Chronicles 7:-15
Posted on: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 21:01:28 +0000
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