Wednesday, June 4, 2014

No Weather Options


"Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'Please come closer to me.;'  And they came closer. And he said, 'I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.  And now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.  For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.

"And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.  Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God, and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.'" Genesis 45:4-8

"'I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still three months away.  I sent rain on one town, but withheld it from another.  One field had rain; another had none and dried up.'" Amos 4:7

"The truth is, ALL expressions of nature, ALL occurrences of weather, whether it be a devastating tornado or a gentle rain on a spring day, are acts of God.  The Bible teaches that God controls all the forces of nature, both destructive and productive, on a continuous, moment-by-moment basis. -- As CG Berkouwer stated, 'The believer is never the victim of the powers of nature or fate.  Chance is eliminated.'" (The Providence of God, page 85)*

When we see devastating weather...weather that takes lives and changes the course of history, it is important to remember that we have a part to play in this.  Perhaps we are to pray, some may be called to give funds or goods, perhaps we are to go and help; but to stand dumbly by and do nothing, as a child of the King, is not an option!

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

PLEASE NOTE THE PRAYER UPDATES! AND THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO ARE FAITHFUL TO PRAY AND TO KEEP ME UPDATED ON GOD'S PROGRESS!  And for any of you who wonder if prayer is worth taking time for, just page through previous entries and see the hand of our loving Father in action!

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST:   Adrian's blood pressure continues to be out of control, and his pain is returning.  Please pray the Lord quiets his heart and gives him strength to endure this.  Most of all give his doctors insight and sensitivity.

NEW PRAYER REQUEST:  Pray travelling mercies for Jay who is returning home this week.  Please pray for Chester as he continues to struggle through a host of medical challenges and poor care.  Give him energy, strength and resolve.  Bettina needs our prayers to give her strength and wisdom. 

Hans needs employment where he can make an honourable contribution and has applied for a role in a nearby town that could be a healthy step up for him, where he can use his skills.

PRAISE & THANKSGIVING:  Elina has had two wonderful job interviews and thanks everyone for their prayers so far for her as she searches for work. 

PRAY FOR THOSE WITH HEALTH CONCERNS:  Pray for my brother, Tim, that his COPD (cardio-pulmonary artery disease) is manageable for him and that he will have the patience and wisdom to cope with the limitations. 

Baby Saige faces a lifetime of surgeries, procedures and time in hospital.  Please pray for all those who care for her, especially her family.

Please pray for Deepak's wife recovering from treatment for stage-2 breast cancer.  Her chemo is over. 

David R losing his eyesight due to macular degeneration.  I hope to go home to see him before he can no longer see me.  For Audley and Beverly’s situation and his return to the ministry.  For Nancy who is growing stronger and for Fred as he cares for her. 

Pray for Raven as she regains her strength from the cancer treatments.  Patty, who lost her three year old daughter four years ago has sent a most amazing letter of thanksgiving.  She is not 100% but says she is around 85%. 

Prayer update......Scott is doing a little better, he is taking baby steps but he still needs lots of prayers for healing, and ability to think clearly,  he also needs prayers to focus on God which he is NOT doing right now.  He thinks he can do everything himself.

ONGOING JOB RELATED:   Sergio seeking new employment - is in Mexico City.  Paul NS had two special second interviews last week.  At one, the people were not ready and at the other, his sponsor resigned, pray God will grant him clarity, wisdom, hope and a victory.

Deepak needs prayer that his work efforts begin to bear fruit as he works through the grief of his father passing.  He needs strength and resolve to make wise decisions.

For PJ that he may find projects to fill his needs.  Justin B and his father in India need prayer that Justin will find work in his field of BPO and voice in the Lord's perfect time. 

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!

Elaine and Jim in Hong Kong have begun a new ministry.  Please pray the Father keeps guiding them in their work. 

Isaias & Judith need our continued prayers for protection and good health.  They lead the efforts of Ambassadors for Christ in the Philippines.  The financial needs are so great, please consider contributing...just click on Ambassadors for Christ link above. 

For Linda and Ian For Rob and his daughter.  For Reg Pray for Annette and Lyle and their wonderful family.  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.  

PRAY FOR THE WORLD:  Pray for revival in the USA to continue.   Pray for Birgit who is in Germany.  Please pray for the many individuals in Singapore, China and India.  Just recently the WeakDay Devotion blog is being read by many people there!  God is mysterious!  Pray for the Catholic Church and that the new Pope will always put Jesus first.  




* "Trusting God" is copyright protected since 1988 by Jerry Bridges.  All rights are reserved, including translations.  The ISBN is 08910-91742.  I quote carefully and respectfully from his wonderful book.

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