SOMEONE IS PRAYING FOR YOU!

Even when things are going well, we all need prayer support. When things aren’t going so well, we need it all the more. One of the most reassuring things to hear is that someone is praying for you.  It’s one thing for someone to say that they will pray for you, but it’s even better to hear someone actually praying for you, or tell you that they have prayed for you.  

I hope that all of you have experienced this joy.  It lends strength. It lets you know that someone truly cares about you.  As they bring you before the Father, you can almost feel the Father wrapping His loving arms around you. 

But, sometimes, we can go for long periods of time without someone telling us that they’ve prayed for us. It doesn’t mean that they are not praying … we just aren’t hearing about it.  If you need that reassurance today, please take courage and know that you are being prayed for. In Romans 8, Paul tells us that both the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ are interceding for all Christians before God the Father. They are expressing what we may not be able to put into words. They are able to fill in the gaps of things we haven’t even thought about. They see things from a much broader perspective. 

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.  And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27 ESV)

Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:33-34 ESV)

On top of that, remember, “your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:8) No matter what your circumstances, please be reassured that someone is praying for you. Chances are, many people are praying, but God will never fail. His promises are secure! 

In His grip,  

Pastor Decker

OUR NEED FOR LIVING WATER

Sometimes we need water more than others. If you’re planning a vacation with a lot of outdoor activities, chances are, you are praying that it won’t rain. On the other hand, this summer has been quite dry. Many farmers are quite concerned, especially concerning their corn crops. Some may recover with the little rain that we have had. Others will have a really hard year because it has been so dry. As things stand, I think most of us are wishing for another good soaking of rain.

 

Along with the dry weather has come a lot of heat. When the temperature nears 100 degrees, a tall glass of ice water has a lot more appeal, doesn’t it. I’m reminded of a time when Jesus was thirsty. The woman at the well was shocked that Jesus, a Jew, would even talk to her, a Samaritan. Even more shocking was Jesus offer of living water to her:  

Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14 ESV)

While the woman at the well was thinking primarily of her physical need for water, and the effort it took (just read the next verse), Jesus was speaking about our need for spiritual refreshment. While we need water to survive physically, we need living water to survive spiritually. 

Because we live in a fallen world, there is much that will sap our spiritual strength. If we are not regularly hydrating with God’s Word and spending quality time with Christ, we will quickly find ourselves parched. But, Jesus spoke about the living water becoming a spring of water within us that wells up to eternal life. The living water isn’t meant to only refresh us, it should refresh others as well: “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'“ (John 7:38 ESV)

If you’re spiritually parched, I pray that you are able to drink deeply of the living water today. And, may we all bring spiritual refreshment to the thirsty people around us!  

In His grip, 

Pastor Decker

HONEY FOR THE SOUL

My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off. (Proverbs 24:13-14 ESV)

Out of curiosity, I did a Google Search for “health benefits of honey,” and Google said there were about 37 million results — I skimmed over one (Wikipedia) and found that among other things, “Honey contains powerful antioxidants with antiseptic and antibacterial properties.” Apparently, it’s use has been well documented in many cultures and religions. 

I just like honey because it tastes good. While we don’t eat at KFC very often, there is something special about one of their biscuits toped with butter and honey. I don’t know if it’s strange, but as a child, I liked to dip my McNuggets in honey. For an occasional snack, my boys like to have toast with butter and, you guessed it, honey. I suspect we all have memories of eating honey, and can almost taste it now.

As sweet as honey is on the palate, so is wisdom to the soul. That’s the message of Proverbs 24:13-14. Perhaps its health benefits also apply to the analogy. As the passage notes, nourished by wisdom, the soul sees a future and hope that cannot be cut off. That’s because true wisdom always points us back to God, and His sovereignty and loving care.  If we are operating on our own, without wise counsel, we tend to get near-sighted, thinking only of our current circumstances. However, with wise counsel, we get our eyes off ourselves and back onto God. 

As I noted a couple of weeks ago, you always leave a conversation with a truly wise person thinking differently than you did at the beginning of the conversation.  The same should be true of our encounters with Scripture. God’s Word should refresh our perspective, bring spiritual nourishment and healing, and have a sweet savor. May we always remember how sweet it is! May we, like David, proclaim, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalm 119:103 ESV) 

In His grip, 

Pastor Decker

FINDING WISE PEOPLE

Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. (Proverbs 22:17-18 ESV)

In today’s world, we hear many voices.—some are worth listening to, and others are decidedly not. There are some people that we should listen to at particular times (i.e. a doctor or expert in a particular field) when we need specific input. These people may be smart and well-informed, but are not always wise. We must be aware of when they step beyond their expertise and into opinion. In such cases, we don’t necessarily need to ignore them, but we must evaluate what is said.

 

On the other hand, there are people that we should always listen to—those who are truly wise. These kind of people can be hard to find, but it’s worth the effort. Here are some traits I’ve found in some of the wisest people I know:

· They are often deep thinkers, and are slow to give their opinion

· They ask good questions before giving input

· You leave a conversation with them thinking differently than you did at the beginning of the conversation

· They point you back to God’s character and Word

· They are willing to say what you may not want to hear, but they do it with great gentleness (beware of someone who always tells you what you want to hear)

· They are always humble

 

Who do you have in your life who is that voice of reason and wisdom when you need it? Along with the verses above, please remember the words of Proverbs 13:20, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” (ESV) So, my encouragement for you today is to walk with wise people and listen to what they say.  Your life will be richer for it.

 

In His grip,  

Pastor Decker