The title of today's writing is "SUNSHINE", and it was written by Jan Andersen. She talks about God's love being present in our lives whether or not we can see or feel him at work. She writes, "Whether or not we feel his presence in our hearts, see his effect on our issues, or hear his voice answering our prayers, we can be sure he is still present for us and loves us."
God bless
Jan and Corinne
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Today's Devotional:
"SUNSHINE"
by
Jan Andersen
Following every sunset there is a sunrise waiting to shed some light on the next day.
Walking around in the dark all the time can be disorienting or even frightening. Our lives are filled with issues that might feel void of light. There may be health problems that drag on and on. Perhaps relationships haven’t worked out the way we had hoped. Or we feel emotionally drained by some sort of drama going on. Sometimes there is job loss, death of loved ones, abuse, abandonment, addictions, anxiety, severe depression and the like. Beyond our own personal lives we are also surrounded by other people who may be stumbling around in their own darkness that may affect us. On top of that we deal with a general moral decline, governmental corruption, environmental issues, world starvation, atmosphere changes, and the list goes on seemingly infinitely into the black hole called life. We feel lost in the dark.
We must never lose all hope, however. No matter how pitch black it may seem at any moment, God is always there. He may seem eclipsed by our problems, but he wants to shed some light in our lives and chase away the darkness. He is waiting for us to stop turning away from him and to acknowledge him. His desire is that we trust him and lean on him in our time of need. Even though we take action where we can, we pray for God to intervene in our life issues, and we leave the results in God’s loving hands. Absolutely nothing can separate us from God’s love without our consent.
Romans 8:37-39 NIV “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Whether or not we feel the sun warming our skin or see it’s rays shining through the clouds, we know it is still in the sky and will shine again. It is the same with God in our lives. Whether or not we feel his presence in our hearts, see his effect on our issues, or hear his voice answering our prayers, we can be sure he is still present for us and loves us. And if we feel He is there, but that we don't deserve his presence or his love, He still embraces us and loves us, forgiving absolutely anything that we might have said or done or not. On the opposite end of the spectrum, when we are in the heights, and perhaps enjoying life but not focusing on God, He is there to love us just the same. Maybe there are times we get so wrapped up in ourselves that we think we are the ones in control of our own destiny. Or when we become too prideful and do not rely on God or give him the credit for all we have and do, He is there too, loving us and desiring that we turn back to him and realize that He is the one who sustains us and gives us absolutely everything. So whether we are in the dark and want to know where God is and don’t feel or see him, or we feel we don’t need him and ignore his presence, He is still there. God’s love is not dependent upon our feelings or our knowledge of His presence. Soak it all in... God’s love shines on us and always will!
Dear Father in heaven, let your love shine in our lives like the sun so that we can both feel and see it at work, helping us to trust in and rely on you. Remind us in both difficult times and wonderful times that you are our loving and merciful God. Thank you for forgiving us for our short comings and building us up to be used as your tools in the harvest fields on earth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
written by Jan Andersen
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Song: I Am Persuaded
by Travis Cottrell
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Prayers are lifted up daily for you
by the Staff Writers of
Women's Focus Ministry
Jan Andersen, Cathy Friberg, Sandy Billingham, Beverley Napier, Shelly Keith,
Brother Thomas Ukwute, Jody Ward, Karen Bennett,
Carol Steficek, Amie Spruiell, and Corinne Mustafa
Occasional Contributors
Kathy Bireley, Lynda Kinnard, Mary M. Wilkins,
Kathy Bireley, Lynda Kinnard, Mary M. Wilkins,
Terri Baker, Beverley Napier, Kelly Dobyns
Glenna Williamson, Lisabeth Lipp, Nandita Bhatnagar.
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