A WeakDay Devotion: Daniel

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The WeakDay Devotion originated as encouragement for a dear friend who was having difficulties with her job.

It is especially for my family, firends, business people, students, pastors, teachers and a myriad of pre-, new and long-serving Christians who want more Scripture with their devotion than many of the regular devotionals offer. it is also written to be short so you can get on with your day, but filled with a new idea from God's Word that is practical and applicable. You can also have it sent directly to your email box every day - just send me an email (DarleneRichard@gmail.com) and I will add you to the distribution.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Daniel

“Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language who were living in all the land: ‘May your peace abound!

“’I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; for He is the living God and enduring forever. And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, and His dominion will be forever.

“’He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, who has also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.’” Daniel 6:25-27

Imagine a lion’s den...warm and smelling of crushed grass and animal smells. Imagine if there were a dozen lions there, resting and licking their big paws, flicking their tails and heads to keep the flies off. Then imagine landing in the middle of them! That would be a moment of high stress!

When I was a little girl I heard the story of Daniel in the lion’s den and wondered if he cried or tried to run or struggled. After I was grown up I read the story many times getting a sense of the peace Daniel had in the worst of situations and wondered if I would be so brave.

“But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which he will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians [a symbol of the world] whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.” Exodus 14:12-14

Someone very wise told me I would be given the grace I need as and when I need it. And I am convinced this is true the longer I live! Have a wonderful weekend!

Take care with love, especially His! Your servant and friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: ANY PRAYER UPDATES TODAY? Please send updates! For any of you who wonder if prayer is worth taking time for, just page back through previous entries and see the hand of our loving Father in action!

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray for those in Texas after this incredible explosion, for all the familes of the 15 dead and 160 injured and those who will be emotionally scarred from this, and those who are helping.

Please continue to pray for those in Boston, dealing with this tragic bombing. That sanity and care will guide those healing and those seeking wisdom at this time. Please pray for the 3 families who’ve lost a loved one, the 183 injured, 17 of whom are critical suffering in the hospitals and for those who love them. Pray for those who will remember this day forever.

Please pray for Adrian, that this new T-cell therapy will work against his cancer.

NEW PRAYER REQUESTS: Bettina’s husband, Jim, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in November 2012. They just got the news that he’s in remission and that his brother is a match as a bone marrow donor. A bone marrow transplant is next on the schedule.

Be with Hans as he tried to resign from his job this week and found the Lord there preparing something unexpected from his courage and forthrightness. For Paul NS & PJ.

PRAISE & THANKSGIVING: Hans has found joy and new support in his Christian fellowship. For my new project. For Linda and Ian and the wisdom they have so generously shared.

Tim B finally having relief from his massive headaches. For J&S, special friends, as they begin to manage some normal life for the first time in years. Still need a permanent place to live.

PRAY FOR THOSE WITH HEALTH CONCERNS: David R doing well through complicated health challenges. Tim (my little brother) with CPRD, needs financial help and satisfying work that he’s able to do. For Audley and Beverly’s situation. For Carlton suffering from horrible infections in his bones. For Nancy who is growing stronger every day & Fred as he cares for her.

ONGOING JOB RELATED: Barbara (sister-in-law) eager to find new work since her project ended.

ONGOING PRAYER REQUESTS: Pray the Lord’s hand is dramatically apparent in the lives of all who receive and read this devotion...that His mighty works would be worked out in each life for His purposes in surprising and wonderful ways!

For Kent as he grows through the loss of his mom. Isaias as his ministry in the Philippines. Carla & Paul K for good results from their business plans.

For Tarrega, as his hearts settles and strengthens. For Linda, that the Lord will show her which doors to open next after she rests a bit. For Rob as the Lord works in a new way in his life...protect his health. Pray for Annette as she begins some new career adventures.

Pray for wisdom for my brother as he deals with an important matter. For David K, in his studies and Matthew K as he grows up. Elaine and Jim back in Hong Kong.

PRAY FOR THE WORLD: God’s grace on USA & REVIVAL for His children there and for the many nations suffering from global financial mismanagement. Pray for the Catholic Church and that the new Pope will always put Jesus first.

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Background of WeakDay Devotions

Over eleven years ago a dear friend couldn't find a job. She's brilliant, skilled & experienced -- but simply couldn't find a position to suit her. After about eight months of struggling & searching, she was hired to work with the Sydney Olympics but six months later the role turned feral. She was discouraged as she pulled herself into work each morning.

Then it became apparent they were trying to "move" her out. She struggled. At least once a week she would be on the phone to me or be sitting on my balcony talking/crying her heart out. I found myself being a sort of Christian coach/mentor for her.

One morning after my quiet time, something I learned seemed relevent for her, so I shared it with her in an email. She wrote back that it indeed helped. Next morning the same thing happened. Again the Lord used it to encourage & strengthen her. The next morning nothing seemed good to send, but I searched till I found something I hoped would strengthen her. The Lord used it. Each week day morning from then on I would get up early & write her a note of encouragement.

A month went by & another friend sent me an e-mail expressing their own frustration with a work situation. I sent them a copy of the e-mail I'd sent my friend that very morning. They were encouraged & asked me to include them each morning. After a couple of weeks both wrote to me to say they'd been sending the email to others & would I just add theses new names each morning. They also suggested I ask others if they'd like to be included. I did & many asked to receive it. One day, I was asked to do a radio interview with Gordon Moyse ("An Ordinary Christian"). He had heard about the morning "WeakDay Devotions" & wanted his listeners to know more about them.

Almost every week day morning since that first e-mail, I've written a fresh word of encouragement for (by now) an untold number of people around the world. It was originally mostly business oriented, but has grown to be more general in nature with Christian business people knowing it is the little personal details of their walk that need a boost anyway.

Within the distribution list now are Christians or pre-Christians (Catholic & Protestant), some are Jewish, some have not made a decision about what they believe, yet. There are several pastors; a Catholic priest, a Jewish teacher and a Christian Web page creator (and pastor) who distributes select ones to his readership. There’s even a pastor in the USA who uses them as part of his daily radio program.

Many who receive them forward them to others & they ricochet around the world. They're used as morning devotions between friends at work in the USA, Argentina, the Philippines, New Guinea, Hong Kong & places I don't even know about yet.

The Lord is using these meek & meagre "presents to Him" for His own purposes in the lives of others & I'm constantly surprised & humbled at the encouragement I've found in my own personal time with the Lord because of their ministry to me!

If you'd like to have them emailed directly to you each day, just send me an email. I'm open to comments, suggestions & criticisms.

Again, it's almost always only one screen long, so you don't have to take too much time with them, they always come marked "Urgent" so they can be found more quickly. Finally, the distribution list is "blinded" so everyone's privacy is assured (although I pray for everyone I send to & know them all much better now).

Every day is different, some days are very short -- sometimes only one verse or two, but there's always a Bible verse (I always use the New American Standard Bible translation, unless otherwise indicated). There are also times when there is a suggestion for something special as an assignment. I've also written a variety of series, such as: The Ten Commandments, Forgiveness, How to Know God's Will, Fasting, Unmet Needs, etc.

Stay close to His Word.
Your servant and friend in Christ.... Darlene

The First Devotion

"And those who know Thy name will put their trust in Thee; for Thou, O Lord, hast not forsaken those who seek Thee." Psalm 9:10

From George Muller's Autobiography:

"I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how much I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished.

"The first thing I did, after having asked in a few words the Lord's blessing upon His precious Word, was to begin to meditate on the Word of God; searching, as it were, into every verse, to get blessing out of it; not for the sake of the public ministry of the Word; not for the sake of reaching on what I had meditated upon; but for the sake of obtaining food for my own soul. The result I have found to be almost invariably this...that after a very few minutes my soul has been led to confession, or to thanksgiving, or to intercession, or to supplication; so that though I did not, as it were, give myself to prayer, but to meditation, yet it turned almost immediately more or less into prayer."

Have a wonderful day resting in Him....love, your servant and friend in Christ...D

Another style: The Princess & the Pea

[Jesus teaching] "'And why do you look at the spec that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?'" Matthew 7:3

"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." James 2:10

"So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!" James 3:5

"Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.'" Matthew 13:31-32

Ever notice how it's the little things that get under your skin and grow out of perspective? Think of the time you spend looking for a misplaced file or phone number. What about when you're late and get a red light or someone pulls out in front of you in traffic. Or how about when you get a paper cut or have a hang nail? How about forgetting someone's birthday or when you lose your glasses or keys? Any of these things can make us "lose our cool". As Christians we must be ever vigilant to how the little things can stumble our walk and witness with Christ.

It reminds me of the fairy tale of the Princess and the Pea (where a prince looked for a gentle and delicate princess to help rule his kingdom. He arranged a test of all the fair maidens. He had a stack of mattresses placed one on top the other and each "princess candidate" was invited to spend the night in the castle. The Prince became discouraged because no one seemed to respond to the test until one morning a lovely woman complained she could not sleep, as the mattress was too lumpy. Unbeknownst to her (and all the other candidates) the Prince had placed a single pea under the bottom mattress. No one else had been sensitive to the little things. Of course they lived happily ever after. In our Christian walk we need to be that sensitive to the little things that stumble us! Take care, your servant and friend in Christ – Darlene

A WeakDay Devotion

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Thursday, April 18, 2013

Daniel

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Background of WeakDay Devotions

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