| Hello friends, Another week has come and gone. We received just over an inch of rain Sunday morning, so no watering of the lawn and garden for a few days. I’m still adjusting to my new medicines and will go to Grand Island to see my vascular specialist on Tuesday. There will be a scan, and he will determine where we go from here. What follows is an excerpt from a devotional by J.D Grear. Sometimes, as Christians, we don’t fully realize all that God has done for us. We take His blessings in our lives for granted far too often. God is faithful. God is good. And God is consistent. The Bible promises that God will not just pardon us for our sin but will abundantly pardon us. Isaiah 55:7 tells us, “Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously” (NLT). Not only is God able to do what we ask of Him through prayer, but according to Ephesians 3:20, He is able to “accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (NLT). Not only are we conquerors in Christ, but according to Romans 8:37, “we are more than conquerors” (NIV). He gives us not just peace but a peace that “exceeds anything we can understand” (Philippians 4:7 NLT). The psalmist and shepherd David was able to look back on his life and say, “My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:5–6 NLT). As Christians look back at their lives, if they have been walking closely with God, they’re able to see a pattern of God’s blessings over the years. Sometimes, when we’re going through certain situations, we may not see God’s goodness or mercy. In fact, we may even question God on occasion. But as the years pass, as we look back, we can see God’s hand in our lives in a way that perhaps we couldn’t see it before. And we can look back and see the same thing. Really, the Christian life is the greatest life there is. It is better than anything this world has to offer. Blessings, Pastor Jerry |
19 Aug
sandhillspastor 