This morning in my devotions, I was reading the Bible Through the Year Program by Nicky Gumpel on the YouVersion App. Here is a quotation that I thought worthy of sharing and remembering:

“When we pray, God hears more than we say, answers more than we ask, gives more than we imagine – in his own time and in his own way.”

This is especially encouraging during these days of uncertainty. So, my friends, don’t stop praying because God is always listening! Blessings to each of you for a day filled with prayer and thanksgiving!

Both illustrations below are from crosswalk.com.

When we look around at all that is happening in today’s world, I think that is when we take out eyes off God and just start thinking about the events and how scary everything is. But, today, I’m just going to worship God and I hope that you will join me. It’s a good day to remember that He is God, He made us and He can keep us! Blessings, my friends!

These are the days that strike fear into anyone who listens to a news report. The report is that the Coronavirus is spreading and you may be affected. A well-known physician on FoxNews is telling people over sixty to gather supplies and hunker down now. The nation is Italy has basically closed its borders, quarantining the nation against others coming in and Italians leaving. In effect, the whole country is on lockdown. Six of our members of Congress are on self-quarantine. Are you afraid yet? I would be, except my trust in in the Lord. I spoke to my sister the other night and her words to me were that if we get this virus, because of our underlying conditions and health, we would just “be toast.” Those are her words, not mine. I have tried to share with her that I don’t fear death because I am a Christian, but she doesn’t want to hear it, so now we are at an impasse. I’m continuing to live my life, planning a trip to see the grandchildren in Maryland, going to the gym, the store, etc. I will stay at home if the government requires it, but it won’t be from fear because I know that the Bible says to only fear God. I haven’t read anything in the Bible about fearing anything or anyone else.

So, I’m trusting, or at least, I’m trying to. Of course, there are minutes in every day when I think, “What if…?” We don’t get the answers to this question. We are just told to trust. I’ve been told by the Lord to rest in Him, so instead of staying awake at night worrying, I am resting in Him, knowing that He is with me when I lie down and will be with me when I awaken. If I awaken in Heaven, then to God be the glory! Yes, I have health problems already, asthma, weak lungs, things that are bad to have if this virus decides to attack. To me, this is like the ten spies who came back with the report that there were giants in the Promised Land, advising Moses that the Lord’s army of Israelites should not go forward. But then there were the two who encouraged Moses that the Lord would fight for and with them and they could take the land! There’s a big difference in the two reports. The giant in our land is the Coronavirus, but God can take care of it and us, if we believe.

I also read an article by Dr. Denison this morning about the Coronavirus and how we should respond to it. Here is the link for you.

https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/daily-article/president-trump-shook-hands-with-man-who-had-contact-with-infected-person-three-ways-jesus-responds-to-fear/

No one can deny that these times are hard. There is a deadly virus going around the world, the U.S. stock market is plummeting, and seven states have declared a state of emergency. Nevertheless, we either believe in the Bible and its promises or we don’t. I choose to believe and to ask for God to work in these times, to heal, to demonstrate His power and glory for all to see.

Here is a sermon by Dr. Denison from yesterday.

https://www.denisonforum.org/resources/the-crown-or-the-cross/?utm_source=The+Daily+Article&utm_campaign=c80e09dada-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_04_16_05_39_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_51f776a552-c80e09dada-275095033&mc_cid=c80e09dada&mc_eid=dac620ebcf

God’s promises don’t change. People change. Our challenges in life change, but God is always the same and His love for us is always the same. We can depend on Him! And that, my friends, is a reason to worship during hard times.

Blessings for a peaceful day, filled with God’s assurance of His love for you and yours.

How are you all feeling today? It is cool here but beautifully sunny. That’s the kind of weather that I can be thankful for. But, as I meditate on that, I realize that I should be thankful for each day, regardless of the weather. Jesus died for me on a day when the entire sky became black. God was making a statement about His Only Son’s death. Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think that God is always making a statement when the weather turns bad, but sometimes, I do think that He is. We just have to be listening. Today, I am rejoicing, and I hope that you are, too.

Because I live in a rural area with limited internet via a satellite, I am all out of data, so this post will be short. I would like you, my dear readers, to meditate on these verses that the Lord gave me today. Have a blessed day filled with blessings from the Lord!

This is an absolutely heart-wrenching book about a husband and wife who find a child in Haiti after the hurricane and are determined to help her beat her medical prognosis. Chika Jeune is only three with the author finds her in the orphanage in Haiti and brings her to the U.S. so that she can be tested for a rare form of childhood cancer that is always fatal, usually in only a few months after the diagnosis. In this process, Chika comes to live with Mitch and Janine and the result is the memoir in her name. What a touching book! I always have the tissues handy when I read a Mitch Albom book, but this one was particularly heart rending because of how young and innocent Chika was. She maintained a courageous attitude throughout her ordeal, being much braver than many around her. From the hospitals in their native Michigan to one in Germany, Mitch and Janine pursue whatever they can in order to prolong Chika’s life and help to find a cure. The story is told with the realism that can only come from someone who has lived through this kind of experience and come out the other side a changed person. I know that reading this story touched me tremendously. I highly recommend it to fans of Albom’s books and for anyone who just wants to read a good book that will make you laugh, cry and everything in between as a couple without any children discovers the joy and heartbreak of raising a seriously ill child.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I checked this book out from my local library on the Overdrive App. I was not required to write a positive review.

Note to my readers: Sorry I can’t leave links for purchase, but my data on my satellite is super low, so I barely got this post done!