The LORD said) "... I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. To whom will you compare Me or count Me equal? ..." Isaiah 46:4b-5a
Just last month I took a minor risk and set up a small business.
Unlike any other thing I have ever attempted, I was confident I could make this work. I knew it because my product was in an area I knew and understood. Even more, when I started, I was fully confident I had the right number of clientele to make this endeavor successful. I had the necessary contacts and I was guaranteed success in this just because I was the one doing it!
Have you noticed the frequency of "I" in all that? I certainly didn't.
At least not until the very first week of work when things I was depending on failed to pan out and people I was counting on disappointed me.
To say I was anxious is to put it mildly. I was on the verge of depression. I had been so sure of immediate success that I felt like God had failed me. The prayer I addressed to Him was not a pleasant one. That's when I realized: not once in my frantic rush to get going had I considered bringing the matter before God. I hadn't paused to reflect in prayer. Indeed, I barely had time for my regular times with God.
Once I realized I had only come to God to accuse and to complain, I had to sit down and re-evaluate my approach to life's challenges.
Is God only the God of my troubles? Can He not also take credit for my successes and play a role in my plans and ambitions?
Can I not trust God to make things right even before they go wrong? Indeed, do I do us both a disservice by depending on me when the Triune God desires to be my rock and my shelter, the provider of all my needs? After all, we only need to look at His Son in Bethlehem's manger, on Calvary's cross and at the empty tomb to see His willingness to do what is necessary for us.
By His grace, my elementary business endeavor has been a time of insight and spiritual development much beyond anything I could have hoped to gain from this experience.
God does not only rescue me in times of trouble, but He also sustains every day. He is willing to carry me, with all my burdens, trials, tribulation, joys and successes. To whom, then, can I compare Him?
He will carry you as well.
THE PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, please help us to know You are able to carry us with all our burdens, trials, tribulations, joys and successes. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Biography of Author: This Daily Devotion comes to us from the Lutheran Hour Ministries office in Ethiopia. In this East African country of 85 million, LHM-Ethiopia operates as Berhan Media Ministry from its office in Addis Ababa, the capital. The Gospel is shared through evangelism rallies using Christian films, music and drama. Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) and the Equipping the Saints (ETS) program working in partnership with church congregations help support local believers in their Christian life, as well.
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CATECHISM: You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
Question: How is God's name misused?
Answer: God's name is misused when
a. speak God's name uselessly or carelessly
b. curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie, or deceive by His name.
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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: To whom did Jeremiah mainly prophecy? Jeremiah was mainly a prophet to Judah who at the time he began as a prophet, was being ruled by Josiah. Josiah was a good king yet Jeremiah proclaimed mostly bad things in the future for Judah because of sins of the past. (Thank you Denise)
Sun- Bible study 8am; worship 9am; Bible study 10:30
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NEWS:
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The ninth annual T-3 Men's Retreat is set for Friday-Sunday, September 23-25, 2011. This promises to be another great experience for the men of St John's and other Lutheran congregations in the St. Charles area. In fact, men from all over the metro area have joined this special time in the past. Men 18 years of age or older are eligible and they need not be Lutheran to attend. The retreat will be held at Mark Twain State Park at the Si Coburn Group Camp. This is a beautiful setting for a weekend of adventure and growth. The theme of this year's retreat is "Respectable Sins" and the study times during the retreat will be spent exploring the areas of our lives where we have come to accept less than God might want from us.
The retreat will feature great food and a lot of activities A scramble golf tournament, fishing tournament, trap and skeet shooting competition, and euchre tournament all take place on Saturday morning. If none of these interest you, you may choose to spend time reading, hiking , biking, site seeing, or napping. Prizes are awarded to tournament winners at dinner on Saturday evening. Campfires on Friday and Saturday nights provide the opportunity to get to know others better under the stars. Music is a big part of the camp experience and you will enjoy hearing and singing familiar songs with the 100+ men who typically attend. The culminating worship service on Sunday morning is a special time of praising God for all His gifts to us and a great way to prepare us to return to our homes and lives.
The cost of the retreat is only $42 and this includes meals and a commemorative tee-shirt. Attendees have the option of staying in group cabins or tent camping on the grounds at no additional charge. You can even arrange to stay in a local motel near the camp at reduced rates if you like.
A brochure with all information and a registration form will be available soon in the narthex. You can also register online at www.t3mensretreat.org using PayPal. It is really easy and you can see pictures of the camp and facilities there, too.
This is the year for you to go to the T-3 (trap-tackle-tees) Retreat. Sign up, meet new friends, bring old friends, and join in the fun of growing your faith. For more information, contact Don Hugo at Zion –636 441-7425 ext 246 or home 636 441-9954.
For JONAS BORCHERT, grandson of Don Nolte, who has had to go back to the hospital because of a fever an infection.
OUR CHURCH as we continue the CARE PROCESS.
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