BBD 09.25.14 Alone (New)

#1 · September 25, 2014, 3:13 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on September 25, 2014, 3:13 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

09.25.14

Alone

Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming,
yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave
Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I
have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have
tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” - John 16:31-33
NKJV.

I had probably only been a Probation and Parole Officer for about
a month when I was assigned a pre-sentence investigation of a murderer. The
interview took place in an old county jail, in a windowless room, with a small
wooden table in the middle. I was somewhat surprised when the murderer was led
into the room without restraints and was seated across from me at the table
within arm reach. I was told to knock on the door or yell when finished with
the interview. I was then locked inside of the small room with the murderer.

Having worked in the oilfield supervising crews of men I had
worked with several who had been in prison on a variety of offenses ranging
from drugs to bank robbery. This, however, was a first; alone, locked in a room
with an unrestrained murderer who was much larger than me. The situation was
uncomfortable and unnerving. I did have an out though if I needed help I could
yell and hope they could hear me through the wall. Since that time in many
other jails and prisons I never again had to interview a prisoner who was
unrestrained or that I was not separated from by bars or glass. I do still
remember that interview, and the feeling I had of being so alone with the
threat of danger being so close.

My exposure to the threat of danger when I interviewed the
murderer was very small compared to what millions of others have faced. The
Book of Daniel provides us with two extreme examples, with the fiery furnace
and the lion’s den. After Daniel had spent the night down in a hole with the
lions, the king asked Daniel if the God he served had been able to save him.
Daniel responded by saying, “My God
sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt
me…(Daniel 6:22a).” Because Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego did not worship the golden image they were placed in a
fiery furnace heated seven times hotter than usual. To the king’s surprise the
three men not only survived, but the men were not alone in the furnace. The
King said of this amazing sight, “Behold, I see four
men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt! And the
form of the fourth is like a son of the gods (Daniel 6:25)!”

Once we
know Jesus as our Savior, we are never really alone. Proverbs
18:24b says “…there is a friend who sticks
closer than a brother.” We are told how close that friend sticks with us
in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Do you not know that you are
the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Living
inside of every believer is the Holy Spirit! The importance of this is seen in Hebrews 2:18 NKJV, which says, “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid
those who are tempted.” The Amplified Bible translates Hebrews 2:18 in this way, “For
because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted (tested and
tried), He is able [immediately] to run to the cry of (assist, relieve) those
who are being tempted and tested and tried [and who therefore are being exposed
to suffering].” When you cry out for God to help you, He will “run to the cry.” How far does He have to run since He
lives within you? Not far at all!

Jesus knew there was a time coming when His disciples would run
for the hills and He would be alone. Jesus also knew that He would not really
be alone because as Jesus says, “the Father
is with Me.” If you know Jesus as
your Savior, you are never really alone, just as Jesus was not alone. Your “friend who sticks closer than a brother” will run to
help when you cry out for Him. You are not alone!

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 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.

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: 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.

Devotion vs Devotional: We do our
devotions, we read devotionals.

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

09.25.14

Alone

Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming,
yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave
Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I
have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have
tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” - John 16:31-33
NKJV.

I had probably only been a Probation and Parole Officer for about
a month when I was assigned a pre-sentence investigation of a murderer. The
interview took place in an old county jail, in a windowless room, with a small
wooden table in the middle. I was somewhat surprised when the murderer was led
into the room without restraints and was seated across from me at the table
within arm reach. I was told to knock on the door or yell when finished with
the interview. I was then locked inside of the small room with the murderer.

Having worked in the oilfield supervising crews of men I had
worked with several who had been in prison on a variety of offenses ranging
from drugs to bank robbery. This, however, was a first; alone, locked in a room
with an unrestrained murderer who was much larger than me. The situation was
uncomfortable and unnerving. I did have an out though if I needed help I could
yell and hope they could hear me through the wall. Since that time in many
other jails and prisons I never again had to interview a prisoner who was
unrestrained or that I was not separated from by bars or glass. I do still
remember that interview, and the feeling I had of being so alone with the
threat of danger being so close.

My exposure to the threat of danger when I interviewed the
murderer was very small compared to what millions of others have faced. The
Book of Daniel provides us with two extreme examples, with the fiery furnace
and the lion’s den. After Daniel had spent the night down in a hole with the
lions, the king asked Daniel if the God he served had been able to save him.
Daniel responded by saying, “My God
sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt
me…(Daniel 6:22a).” Because Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego did not worship the golden image they were placed in a
fiery furnace heated seven times hotter than usual. To the king’s surprise the
three men not only survived, but the men were not alone in the furnace. The
King said of this amazing sight, “Behold, I see four
men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt! And the
form of the fourth is like a son of the gods (Daniel 6:25)!”

Once we
know Jesus as our Savior, we are never really alone. Proverbs
18:24b says “…there is a friend who sticks
closer than a brother.” We are told how close that friend sticks with us
in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Do you not know that you are
the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Living
inside of every believer is the Holy Spirit! The importance of this is seen in Hebrews 2:18 NKJV, which says, “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid
those who are tempted.” The Amplified Bible translates Hebrews 2:18 in this way, “For
because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted (tested and
tried), He is able [immediately] to run to the cry of (assist, relieve) those
who are being tempted and tested and tried [and who therefore are being exposed
to suffering].” When you cry out for God to help you, He will “run to the cry.” How far does He have to run since He
lives within you? Not far at all!

Jesus knew there was a time coming when His disciples would run
for the hills and He would be alone. Jesus also knew that He would not really
be alone because as Jesus says, “the Father
is with Me.” If you know Jesus as
your Savior, you are never really alone, just as Jesus was not alone. Your “friend who sticks closer than a brother” will run to
help when you cry out for Him. You are not alone!

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 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.

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: 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.

Devotion vs Devotional: We do our
devotions, we read devotionals.

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