Week 21/52

Week 21: My Daily Portion:

Monday: 11 Samuel 7-8, Psalms 139, Philippians 3-4.
Tuesday: 11 Samuel 9-10, Psalms 140, Colossians 1-2.
Wednesday: 11 Samuel 11-12, Psalms 141, Colossians 3-4.
Thursday: 11 Samuel 13-14, Psalms 142, 1 Thessalonians 1-2.
Friday: 11 Samuel 15-16, Psalms 143, 1 Thessalonians 3-4.
Saturday: 11 Samuel 17-18, Psalms 144, 1 Thessalonians 5.
Sunday: 11 Samuel 19, Psalms 145, 11 Thessalonians 1-3.

11Samuel 7:18 The King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed, "Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?"

I love how David speaks to God. I learn so much from him in how he interacts with God. His attitude is so respectful, and he readily acknowledges what God has already done for him, let alone all the future blessings God has just promised to provide to him.

Just the other day I was observing the wonderful blessings of some of my relatives who have served God over many years. I like to tell their stories, because I think they are worthy of mentioning! What God has done for them - for me - is worth mentioning. In these next few paragraphs, I may sound as though I am rambling, but I want to paint a picture of how God has blessed my family. Who am I to be so blessed, but God has been good to me and I can not deny it!

I have seen an aunt healed of cancer in the past 2 years. Though a bit frail from her illness and treatments, I heard she preached a wonderful message in a church service giving testimony to the Lords healing power! She has remained cancer free since that time. I have a young relative who was healed of MS last year. My own mother is alive today after a miraculous recovery from an aneurysm one and a half years ago. Once a long time ago, my Dad was run over by a large pickup truck while ice-fishing, and was not even admitted to hospital. I spoke to my grandfather quite recently about his conversion to Christ. It was dramatic, as he was an alcoholic and a single Dad at the time. In one instant, he cried out to God and God met him, delivered him from alcohol and brought salvation to him. I have heard many times about the weather patterns around my parents farm, how there was a sudden turning of the hail clouds and the storms were evident all around them but it was as if their crops were divinely protected. My Dad used to speak to me about the power in the name of Jesus and how nothing could stand against that name. I had a sense of the strength of God and His presence near to me everywhere I went. I grew up hearing my mom praying, and seeing her kneeling next to her bed, alone with God. I often heard her call out "Jesus" when we were in the vehicle, narrowly missing the wildlife crossing the road. I have been in a church service where the main speaker could see out of an empty eye socket, because, although he had lost an eye, God gave him perfect sight without that eye. I remember sleepovers at friends houses, where we as girls all wound up laying hands on one another and being filled with the spirit of God. I had a younger brother in a terrible ATV accident nearly a kilometre from our house, who showed up at the door in a bloody mess, and was sent out via ambulance to Edmonton, over 3 hours away, needed surgery, and miraculously survived a near death experience. When we asked how it could be that he was able to walk home when he had such life threatening injuries, the simple reply from a 10 year old was, "The angels carried me home."

I have had the privilege of seeing wonderful things that God has done for me. How many more things has He done for me that I am not even aware of? When I ponder these things, I do like David did.....verse 18 says HE WENT IN (before the Lord's presence), and he sat before the Lord and he prayed, "Who am I sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?"

I do not believe that I am alone. Not everyone has so many of these stories rooted in Christain heritage, but we all can be thankful for what God has done in our own lives. Has he saved us from our sins? Has He kept us alive, when we were easy targets for the enemy? Has God promised us His goodness and love forever? Then we all can join David AND GO IN AND SIT DOWN BEFORE THE LORD, and acknowledge how far the Lord has brought us! Do it today! In response to God, go in to HIs presence with an attitude like David had.