Words Of Encouragement (1) January 27, 2015 Doug & Linda Hamilton Our Daily Bread -- Whoppers Or Adventures? READ: Psalm 102:18-28 But You are the same, and Your years will have no end. —Psalm 102:27 My grandfather loved to tell stories, and I loved to listen. Papaw had two kinds of tales. “Whoppers” were stories with a whiff of truth, but which changed with each new telling. “Adventures” were stories that really happened, and the facts never changed when retold. One day my grandfather told a story that just seemed too far-fetched to be true. “Whopper,” I declared, but my grandfather insisted it was true. Although his telling never varied, I simply couldn’t believe it, it was that unusual. Then one day, while I was listening to a radio program, I heard the announcer tell a story that confirmed the truth of my grandfather’s tale. My grandfather’s “whopper” suddenly became an “adventure.” It was a moving moment of remembrance that made him even more trustworthy in my eyes. When the psalmist wrote about the unchanging nature of God (102:27), he was offering this same comfort—the trustworthiness of God—to us. The idea is repeated in Hebrews 13:8 with these words, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” This can lift our hearts above our daily trials to remind us that an unchanging, trustworthy God rules over even the chaos of a changing world. —Randy Kilgore Our God is God—He does not change; His truth, His love remain each day the same, He’s faithful to His matchless name, For God is God—He does not change. —D. DeHaan Let the sameness of God waft over your heart with His peace in your storms. DaySprings Devotions Will You Recognize Your Eternal Neighbors? by Marilynn Howe I’m not so big. I have no strength. These are often my thoughts when running after my son while rushing to work. It’s a full life with just enough room for my people — husband, son, family, friends, and a little girl named Samantha still growing within me. My people are my world. But this world is not my home. And my loved ones — the ones sitting around the dinner table or chatting on Facebook — they are a fraction of my eternal community. Behind the scenes at Seed Company, we’ve been broken by one simple question: How well do I know my eternal neighbors? Most of us would say, “Not very well.” We want to change that. So we asked writer Kelsi Williamson to lead a small team to the land where Botswana and Namibia meet. Their goal was simple: to help us meet the San people. Today, I invite you to meet Anna through Kelsi’s words. Anna is a single mother of four children from the village of Kapatura in northern Botswana. She’s one of the youngest narrators (Bible storytellers) helping to translate Scripture into Khwedom, her heart language. Anna is quiet but wears the look of a curious and thirsty learner. Her fashionable hoop earrings and leopard-print dress are the only proclamation of this shy girl’s youth — for although Anna’s words are soft and few, she’s clearly been blessed with wisdom well beyond her years. “I used to hear the Bible, but wasn’t really interested,” Anna says. Prior to intersecting with the work of oral Bible translation, never before had Anna received the opportunity to learn the Scriptures for herself. The churches she used to attend taught false doctrines. They convinced members that the only way to know God was directly through the pastors in charge rather than through the Bible. Anna was never satisfied with only hearing what these “people of power” claimed as truth. When Anna began attending Sunday morning Bible study, organized by Seed Company field coordinator Eben Le Roux, she was suddenly handed the power and confidence to listen, ask questions and learn more and more about God’s Word for herself. Each week, those that attend the studies practice their ability to memorize, internalize and then share a new Bible story. They work together to reach the best translation; and everyone’s opinion, no matter their age or background, is viewed equally. In her words, she explains why her favorite Bible passage is Matthew 20:1-16: “This chapter is teaching me that the last will be the first and the first will be the last. The love of God is the same; He doesn’t love one more than another. His love is equal. When you believe in Him, that’s what He commanded and He will not leave you.” While it’s easy to get overwhelmed by doctrines, teachings, degrees and pedigree, the simple gift of access to Scripture has provided Anna with more power than any social status could have ever brought her. This realization humbles her. Thankful and passionately ready to move forward, Anna prays that her actions bring glory to God. We can’t think of a better way to pray for Anna than by praying the very words she says herself: “I’m not so big. I have no strength — You are the only one who has strength. Give us Your love and give us Your strength that we may do and work. For this moment, God, listen to what I’m crying. This must be done in Your hands. Please take the evil things from the community — the fighting and hatred — so that we may love one another. By Your love, You created us as Your daughters and sons and sent Your Son to come die for us in our sins. By the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen A curious thing happened when I met Anna, my eternal neighbor. I felt an instant connection because, like her, long ago, I battled with false doctrine. But also like Anna, the Word rescued me. And I often forget that I’m just one of many women running after their children and rushing to work. I’m not alone — nor will I ever be — on this side of heaven or the other. I’ve got a challenge for you. Now that you’ve met Anna, would you share her story with your people? Together, we can embrace our eternal neighbors now. We’ve created an online experience just for you at theseedcompany.org/san. There you can read Kelsi’s stories and learn more about Anna’s people. Together we can make sure we all have the same opportunity to read, to hear and to know Scripture, driving us to glorify God for our unique cultural identity and to, “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other” (Romans 12:10 NLT). Together, in Jesus, we are just a little bit bigger and full of His strength.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 09:02:22 +0000
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