"I said to a man who stood at the gate of the year: 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown'; and he replied, 'Go into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than a light and safer than a known way!'" (quoting from a poem by M. L. Harkins)
It's January 5th. Assumedly most of you have already created your New Year's resolution list. Your resolve is high and it feels good to practice new disciplines and meet new goals...but what happens to that resolve by the end of the year? Why are we so quick to create a list of good things, only to fail by December 31st?
God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there
is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against
evil.... - E.M.Bounds
Paul exhorts believers in I
Timothy 2 that “supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; For kings, and for all
that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all
godliness and honesty.”
"It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor." -George Washington
1) Approximately 46,000,000 turkeys are sold annually just for Thanksgiving. Since the average weight of each bought turkey is 16lbs, all the turkeys eaten on Thanksgiving could equal the weight of almost 750 filled Boeing 747-8 airplanes.
"God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain." (C.S. Lewis)
When dealing with life's hardships, it must be realize that mankind walks in a limited perspective of what he or she believes to be so. For the Jews, Jesus' death was a mistake. Over 2,000 years later, we perceive it to be the ultimate story of redemption.
The Jews anticipated victory when Jesus came on the scene. Assumedly this was the leader they had hoped would deliver them from their oppressors and rule as their king. God's people were right to suppose their Messiah would deliver them...but not in the form they had hoped.
