A WeakDay Devotion: SEARCHING FOR THE LESSON

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Recently finished a new Kindle entitled “Genesis & Discrimination”. It is a very powerful collection to challenge your thinking. Also, consider: Secrets of a Deeper Life in Christ , A Missing Psalm, Forgiveness. I hope putting these together in this new format will be a blessing to many more & will help support this ministry.

By Email Too

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.

Monday, February 10, 2020

SEARCHING FOR THE LESSON

“So death works in us; but life in you. But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed therefore I spoke,’ we also believe, therefore also we speak; knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

“Therefore, we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying [being consumed], yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen;’ for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” II Corinthians 4:12-18

My Dad and Mom were amazing individuals. They both lived lives of learning and were self-educated and brilliant. One of the key concepts they taught me was to search for the lesson in whatever was happening around me.

This covered everything, from getting stung by a bee to making a cherry pie, to losing my Grandpa to falling off my horse, Hi-Babe to messing up a painting I was working on to being awarded a prize for my shark science fair project, etc. Always there was a lesson!

This principle guides my days still. Sometimes it takes longer to discover what I am learning (Romans 8:28). Once I can see it, it is amazing how it changes my perspective of any difficulty or delight.

You see, God doesn’t waste a minute of our lives. He has designed every day to draw us to Him, and then to accept Him, and then to live for Him (Psalm 139). It is up to each of us to thank Him for the lessons He is so generously providing for us for our good and His glory! Isn’t that NEAT!!?

Take care with love, especially His! Your servant and friend in Christ, who still prays for you each morning. Darlene

PS: My statement of faith: https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com You can find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google search for “WeakDay Devotion” (Also, there is an android “Google Blogger” app you can download to read them on your phone.)

NEW PRAYER REQUESTS and UPDATES

(NOTE: Words underlined have a link embedded to provide more details)

Urgent – IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT THE NOVEL CORONA VIRUS – spreading throughout the world and more rapidly than imagined.

VERY IMPORTANT LINK (1hour and 7 minutes, but worth the time):

As information grows, more information is now available. Please pray for the health care workers, those trying to contain the spread and most importantly those who contract the virus – that they are wise and take precautions to protect others. (The Chinese data from the WuFlu site is no longer available.)

Latest Update: (source John Hopkins)

Today in 28 countries
40,660 confirmed cases
910 reported deaths (all in China except one in The Philippines and one in Hong Kong)

NEW UPDATE - Baby Jolie – 11 months old with meningitis and kidney failure. Has been on dialysis and a respirator. Her breathing tube now removed and she is out of Intensive care. However, they still MAY HAVE TO AMPUTATE her leg. Please continue to pray her leg will be saved, her health carers to have wisdom and compassion, her parents to have patience and peace and that the Lord provides a miracle of healing for this child. Family so grateful for all the prayers.
URGENT - Carla’s sister Jackie – diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer and endocrine tumour. She is in severe abdominal pain, with a blood clot in her pancreas. Pray for traveling mercies for Carla as she goes to be with her in Canada. Pray for the doctors and health carers and for those who love and will support her through this difficult time.
Norm C – had a surgical procedure last Thursday. Please pray for his recovery, the watchfulness of the health care providers and his family.
Savannah – 15-year-old granddaughter of Cliff and Beth, diagnosed with a difficult-to-treat, psychological disorder with potential serious consequences. New meds seem to be helping. She has a long recover ahead, but there is progress with this brain injury. Pray for her attitude, wisdom for her health carers, patience for her parents and complete healing.
Peyton – 17-year old granddaughter of Jeff and Rachael, a professional dancer for 14 years. Her foot is healing properly, and she is out of the boot. She needs rehab to help with strength and muscle loss but will be cleared to dance in a couple of weeks. Pray for complete healing, peace and patience while she heals.
Bush fires replaced by torrential rain and flooding (worst since 1999) - Thank God for sending the rain. Pray for those working tirelessly now to replace utilities, knocked out by the flooding. Pray for those providing care and shelter for those who have lost everything, for mercy on the animals and the ongoing tragedy that accompanies this. Please pray God’s hand of love and compassion is demonstrated by His people as this tragedy continues!
USA President Donald Trump – It is our responsibility as Christians to remember God has a plan through this man. If you doubt the importance of his appointment, just look at how much antagonism there is against him. Surely Satan is NOT happy and means to thwart God’s plan. Pray someone helps President Trump understand the true meaning of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, that he will have a driving hunger to read God’s Word for himself and that God sends a Bible-believing Christian to regularly disciple him in the Truth and that God shuts the mouths of the false prophets who circle around him.
URGENT -USA - Pray the Lord would demonstrate His power in unexpected and uniting ways during these times of unrest and confusion. Help hearts settle and rest in Him alone. Let the truth of God’s Word and ways overcome the drive to destroy our founding, Bible-based values.
Tracey – Pray Tracey finds a new role to satisfy her and allow her to grow and share her skills and wisdom.
Me – Please pray for the Lord to provide a new project for me and that my laptop can be fixed soon. Also, please know this is why, if you receive the email version with the full prayer list, the format appears a bit different.
PRAY FOR THOSE IN FULL-TIME SERVICE

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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

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