GOD’S GRACE AND MERCY
Suggested Reading: Numbers 19-20
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion on the right-hand side).
The olive grinding wheel at Nazareth Village.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, Click HERE.
Key Verse: Numbers 20:6
So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
The charge against Moses and Aaron was cruel and unjust (20:3-5). They turned in silence in the right direction. They prostrated themselves before the Lord. The result was that Moses was given a new vision of God and, at the same time, a command and a promise (20:8). Moses could’ve brought a message of the goodness and grace of God, but instead he was overcome with anger and seemed to forget God’s word to him. He called the people “rebels,” and became a rebel himself. Nevertheless, God provided abundant water so that His promise of the Promised Land to the people would eventually be realized. The deaths of Miriam and Aaron are sad and were followed over 40 years by the passing of the entire generation who left Egypt, with the exceptions of Caleb and Joshua. God forgives our sins, but the circumstances which arise because of our actions are very unforgiving.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I pray for total deliverance from past hurts, real or imagined, which may cause me to lose my ability to respond in Your way, with grace and obedience. In Jesus’ Name. Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
Suicide is unforgiving. In other words, once the act has been accomplished, there is no way back. Therefore, a few year ago, Crossroads launched a campaign to stop suicides, with an emphasis on Jr. High and High School students. Here’s a response to my blog. I wept for joy at one life that was saved…
“Hi David, I wanted to say Thank you! About 35 yrs ago I was a young girl contemplating suicide. I was a Christian and feeling God’s whisper I wrote you a letter. You wrote me back! As a little girl I was in awe that you had taken the time to write me back! It was not a printed letter, it was handwritten. You gave me hope Mr. Mainse! I reread the letter many times. Years later I wrote you again in despair. I was constantly told by my earthly father how worthless I was. Again I received a letter from you. You helped me see my worth in my Heavenly Father’s eyes! I watched you everyday on T.V. My mom taped it. I pretended you were my earthly father. I love you! Thank you for taking the time to help a lost little girl. I knew I had worth and that Jesus loved me because of you!” – Michelle
Yours for sharing the message of life and of obedience to God’s will,
David
Thank you for sharing this letter, David – it made me cry. Praising God for this woman’s life today. Also that we will all truly see every person we meet as very precious souls in God’s sight. Have a blessed day in the Lord, everyone.
Amen, Deanna, amen!
Amen, me too; thank you David!!
Thank you also Deanna!
Such a beautiful message to share, this morning, David–reminding us that the greatest gift of all is love–indeed, our Father’s love! I have a special prayer request this morning for my dear friend, Sue. She is suddenly in hospital with an enlarged heart and needing immediate intervention. She covets your prayers for healing and for God to reveal the best possible solution through doctor’s hands or miraculous complete healing through God’s Hands–amen!! Please protect her, Lord, and keep her safe in Your loving arms. For my mom, Jean–that You will free her from the physical pain she is suffering and show her Your beautiful face, Lord! Blessings fellow saints.
How precious is Your loving kindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,
And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.
Psalm 36:7-9 NKJV
You Are Loved, Stars Go Dim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YbdaR7Plac
Thanking you Pastor David for sharing that wonderful letter. It really touched my heart. It helps me to believe that God can work through all of us if we are obedient to Him. Beverlee I am agreeing with you in prayer for your friend Sue and your dear Mom.
The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, Abd be gracious to you; The Lord light up His countenance upon you. Abd give you peace. Num. 6:24-26.
Blessings to all Eleanor M
Oops, Sorry for the mistakes
Thank you for sharing as at times there are struggles in ours or people close to us we need our fatherly role model to focus on, Jesus our redeemer.
Thank you for sharing this letter you have helped so many over the years in a desperate need. Thank you for 100 Huntley and all the staff this is a wonderful inspiring program. Your blog touches many that you never know I for one.
I am praying for Sue for healing it is not easy t God is the great physician. I had a similar experience with my mom , many prayers many prayers were lifted up
Thank you for the letter David you shared God words helps many people through
you I can see it every day
Thank you David for that letter and it touched my heart as well. So many are lacking that strong fatherly figure in their lives which causes them to go in the wrong direction. So glad her life was saved. Agree in prayer for your friend Sue and mother Beverlee. May they both be healed and delivered in Jesus Name. Let’s continue to remember Lorna Dueck in prayer saints. God bless you.
Amen, agreeing in prayer!!!
Amen, I’m also in prayer for all mentioned here.
Thank you pastor David for saving that precious life.
Love to all you saints! ❤️️
Thank you again for blessing us,David.Before I was led to a ‘ministry of poems’ for mothers who lost children,I had this experience which the notes explain.(FYI:I highly recommend SFC Moms,a purely Christian site for Separated From Children Moms .(https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=529589353797506)These poems deal with suicide and came to me in about 10 min each.The notes were attached out of necessity.It is noteworthy when I was led to the Grieving Mothers site that 99% of the poems came to me as if written by a woman.Thanks again for this wonderful bible study.God bless
“(Written several months before I was made
aware of any grief sites.)
(Suicide)
A beautiful Irish lady asked me on a poetry
site to write a poem for her close friend whose
adult son took his own life.She was having a
hard time.I wrote the first one and she made
a second request for a prayer.
# 1….. 09.10.2011, 4:27
A Note From …….
I could not convey the pain inside
For it is a fire we choose to hide
And God knows that a sorrowful mind
Is on a quest for what it can not find.
We must carry the pain for others
For we are stronger than our brothers,
But sometimes Satan slips on through
And wrecks havoc we can not undo.
No one can prevent what can’t be seen;
What is well hidden you could not glean,
I was well loved and love you still,
I am still here,just over the hill.
Be not of sorrow and do not cry long
For I will be happy,you must be strong,
Nothing you said or did was so wrong,
So continue your journey singing a song.
G W (Bill) Marshall
# 2…..» 09.10.2011, 4:30
Also a Friend
Oh Lord,my God let Your love heal
A shattered heart ,this is my appeal,
For a life cut short by a tragic end,
You are our God but also a friend.
Human words fail me to convey
Please Lord grant me words to say,
For you know Lord that the blame
Goes to Satan and his deadly game.
Though darkness gathers all around,
It’s your grace that is to be found,
That allows your love without bound
To come like thunder without sound.
Let it be known in hearts that grieve
That a loved one gone is just a leave
For they await you can believe,
And on His promise you can cleave.
G W (Bill) Marshall
It was about 4-6 months later before
she contacted me again with the news that
not only did these poems help her friend
(in Spain) but they also helped her come to
terms with the suicide of her own brother
in 79.”
PS:
I have had my own brushes with that ‘demon of suicide’ and written a few other poems reflecting that so I know also what that is like.It was not until I became a Christian 5 yr ago that I became aware that Satan can not only ‘blend his thoughts with yours’ but also the multiplied negative emotions that accompany and you mistakenly think they are your own.God bless
Amen, Bill. Thank you for sharing your testimony with us!
PS:
I have had my own brushes with that ‘demon of suicide’ and written a few other poems reflecting that so I know also what that is like.It was not until I became a Christian 5 yr ago that I became aware that Satan can not only ‘blend his thoughts with yours’ but also the multiplied negative emotions that accompany and you mistakenly think they are your own.Once one realizes this,Satan rapidly looses his power over you.He wants you to hate “you” because God loves you and he is God’s enemy.God bless
Sorry to take so much space,David but this poem explains that angle.When I wrote this,I did not fully realize how true this is until I experienced it myself but not from the perspective of depression.
Control (I believe this to be true.)
Satan blends his thoughts with yours,
You think they came from you,
For his goal is to close all doors,
To control everything you do.
He starts this at an early age,
His lies make you the liar
And when you are in a rage,
Is when you fuel his hellfire.
But just like Satan who sneaks in,
There is Another who is true,
For He knows well about sin
And what Satan wants with you.
He will only enter if invited,
A slave is not His goal,
He seeks a fire be ignited
From within to make you whole.
G W(Bill) Marshall / 13 June, 2013
OOPS !
Thank you David for your daily blog and today, the miracle of faith that you shared with us from years gone by… for a lost girl… Amen!
Thank you bloggers for your Spirit-filled insight as you share with us…
Isn’t it interesting and awe inspiring as we read the same passage of scripture over and over again how new Spirit-filled insight seems to make itself known to us… For example in my daily morning prayer devotional, before reading Pastor David’s blog there are a couple of scripture passages that I have included of which I also read each and every morning. One of them is from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. The one from the New Testament is Matthew 8: 5-13 and the story is titled “The Faith of the Centurion”… Many of us blog followers are Spirit-filled… Over the past couple of weeks a new question has arisen in me with regards to the presence of our residing Holy Spirit that I would appreciate some feedback on…
The Holy Spirit is a precious gift from Father God. Can we look upon “IT” as a servant to us for God’s work to be done through us… at our command?
Have a great day fellow blog friends in Christ and God Bless.
I do not want to sound like a know it all, but the Holy Spirit is not an “It”. He is a person, not an”It.” Please take this in the right spirit. Also I would not refer to the Holy Spirit as a servant. Yes he is the one who comes along side to help us. If God asks you to do something, you can be sure the Holy Spirit will enable you to do what God asks you to do. Also “it is by the Spirit that we put to death the deeds of the flesh.” So it is He who gives us the power to live victoriously.
Personally, I don’t see it that way, David. The Holy Spirit is not our servant but the Helper, Comforter, Counselor and Guide, Jesus left with us in His place. Certainly, God’s work will be done through us because of the benefits the Holy Spirit affords us. The Presence of the Holy Spirit dwells within us to harvest His fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23).
We are stronger and more well equipped because of the Holy Spirit within us but it isn’t because it is at our command but rather that we have an understanding and awareness of God’s Word and thereby function as His agents and body of Christ on earth. The Holy Spirit is our tool. If anything, we are His servants. It is all for the purpose of glorifying Him.
Oh how sharing Gods love is the most important thing of all. The world needs His love through us. You always show that!
WOW! What spectacular photo…of the olive grinding wheel at Nazareth Village…bless you for posting it!
Thank you Pastor David for sharing that letter with us from Michelle it really touch my heart and thank you to thank you and amen to all the comments above and God bless you all in men