BBD 05.23.14 Blue Days (New)

#1 · May 23, 2014, 2:42 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on May 23, 2014, 2:42 pm
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

If for
some reason you do not receive your email version of the devotional please
check the Burning Bush website at www.theburningbush.net for the “Devotional of the Day” and read the devotional there.

The Burning
Bush Devotional

05.23.14

Blue
Days

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had
executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to
Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your
life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And when he saw
that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to
Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the
wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he
might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better
than my fathers!” - 1 Kings 19:1-4 NKJV.

In the
city of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, taxi drivers have found a solution to
non-paying fares. Although it does seem a little harsh…. Drivers force the
non-paying fares to disrobe, and then they pour blue paint over them. In
defense of the drivers, they say they have repeatedly taken the non-paying
fares to the police and that the police do nothing but give them some
“harmless” punishment. Of course, customers have a very different view of the
treatment. One non-paying fare was made to
run across the city without any clothes smeared with blue paint. The man said, “They pushed me
out of the car, started beating me. Threatened me that if I do not find the
money, they will put me on the counter. One minute equals 100 rubles. They
threw me into a pit and doused me with blue paint. After that, I was made to
run the streets of the city, looking for money.” Sounds like he had
a very blue day! (Sumitra 05.23.14)

Feeling down? Feeling blue? Feeling depressed? It is part of the
human condition that sometimes occurs. Great servants of God are not immune as
we see with Elijah. Elijah had just defeated the prophets of Baal on Mount
Carmel. He had just seen the power of God demonstrated in an awesomely powerful
way. Then word comes to him that Jezebel plans to have him killed, and Elijah
forgets all about how powerful the Almighty God is, and just wants to lay down
and die. Because, the evil queen is after him. How could Elijah believe that
any human being could do anything to him with God on his side? Yet, Elijah is
having a seriously blue day and just wants to die.

God sent an angel to minister to Elijah and encourage him. But Elijah
is still feeling blue, even after hearing the still, small voice of God speak
to him. Elijah says to God that he is the only one left, the single solitary
servant of God left in the whole wide world and so there is no reason for him
to keep on living. God then makes it clear to Elijah that he is not alone and
says to Elijah, “Yet I have
reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and
every mouth that has not kissed him (1 Kings 19:18).”

God
knew exactly where His servant Elijah was at, and where all of His other
servants were. When Hagar fled from Sarai after she was treated severely, God
appeared to Hagar (a theophany, an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ) and
she said this in response, “Then she called the name of
the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, ‘Have I also
here seen Him who sees me (Genesis 16:13)?’”

So when
you are having a blue day, remember that you serve the Almighty God who sees
you, who knows you, who has bought and paid for you with the blood of Jesus
Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). God has not
forgotten about you, and He knows and sees exactly what is happening in your
life. During these times when you are feeling down and blue, these are the
times to draw closer to Him than ever before. You are of great value to Him,
pray and seek the comfort of your God.

Copyright © 2014. Ed Wrather. The
Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998
the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather
began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of these first
devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison
facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

The .org
Burning Bush website

is being updated.

The Burning Bush websites have
received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 15 years online since
January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been
spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000 subscribers across the
world.

You can leave comments/feedback
about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on
theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of all of the pages.

Prayer Warriors Wanted! Please join the
Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998. Send prayer requests and
receive prayer requests. To join send an
email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
You can make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn profile with
endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Please pray for
the return of the Nigerian school girls. Many prayer needs are posted at the
Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer
requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for
me.).

If you enjoy the devotional
please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/DevotionalArchive.html.

You can unsubscribe to the
burningbushdevo devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html
text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is only being sent now
in html format) by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org
and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.
If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

--

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org

Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

If for
some reason you do not receive your email version of the devotional please
check the Burning Bush website at http://www.theburningbush.net for the “Devotional of the Day” and read the devotional there.

The Burning
Bush Devotional

05.23.14

Blue
Days

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had
executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to
Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your
life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And when he saw
that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to
Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the
wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he
might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better
than my fathers!” - 1 Kings 19:1-4 NKJV.

In the
city of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, taxi drivers have found a solution to
non-paying fares. Although it does seem a little harsh…. Drivers force the
non-paying fares to disrobe, and then they pour blue paint over them. In
defense of the drivers, they say they have repeatedly taken the non-paying
fares to the police and that the police do nothing but give them some
“harmless” punishment. Of course, customers have a very different view of the
treatment. One non-paying fare was made to
run across the city without any clothes smeared with blue paint. The man said, “They pushed me
out of the car, started beating me. Threatened me that if I do not find the
money, they will put me on the counter. One minute equals 100 rubles. They
threw me into a pit and doused me with blue paint. After that, I was made to
run the streets of the city, looking for money.” Sounds like he had
a very blue day! (Sumitra 05.23.14)

Feeling down? Feeling blue? Feeling depressed? It is part of the
human condition that sometimes occurs. Great servants of God are not immune as
we see with Elijah. Elijah had just defeated the prophets of Baal on Mount
Carmel. He had just seen the power of God demonstrated in an awesomely powerful
way. Then word comes to him that Jezebel plans to have him killed, and Elijah
forgets all about how powerful the Almighty God is, and just wants to lay down
and die. Because, the evil queen is after him. How could Elijah believe that
any human being could do anything to him with God on his side? Yet, Elijah is
having a seriously blue day and just wants to die.

God sent an angel to minister to Elijah and encourage him. But Elijah
is still feeling blue, even after hearing the still, small voice of God speak
to him. Elijah says to God that he is the only one left, the single solitary
servant of God left in the whole wide world and so there is no reason for him
to keep on living. God then makes it clear to Elijah that he is not alone and
says to Elijah, “Yet I have
reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and
every mouth that has not kissed him (1 Kings 19:18).”

God
knew exactly where His servant Elijah was at, and where all of His other
servants were. When Hagar fled from Sarai after she was treated severely, God
appeared to Hagar (a theophany, an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ) and
she said this in response, “Then she called the name of
the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, ‘Have I also
here seen Him who sees me (Genesis 16:13)?’”

So when
you are having a blue day, remember that you serve the Almighty God who sees
you, who knows you, who has bought and paid for you with the blood of Jesus
Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). God has not
forgotten about you, and He knows and sees exactly what is happening in your
life. During these times when you are feeling down and blue, these are the
times to draw closer to Him than ever before. You are of great value to Him,
pray and seek the comfort of your God.

Copyright © 2014. Ed Wrather. The
Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998
the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather
began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of these first
devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison
facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net

http://www.theburningbush.org

The .org
Burning Bush website

is being updated.

The Burning Bush websites have
received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 15 years online since
January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been
spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000 subscribers across the
world.

You can leave comments/feedback
about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on
theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of all of the pages.

Prayer Warriors Wanted! Please join the
Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998. Send prayer requests and
receive prayer requests. To join send an
email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
You can make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn profile with
endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Please pray for
the return of the Nigerian school girls. Many prayer needs are posted at the
Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer
requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for
me.).

If you enjoy the devotional
please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/DevotionalArchive.html.

You can unsubscribe to the
burningbushdevo devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html
text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is only being sent now
in html format) by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org
and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.
If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org