Word for Today, Wed, 07 Sep 2005: God Does Answer Prayer
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
I want to let all of my friends and my prayer partners know that
my long dry spell in employment in my field is, at long last,
over. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I got a couple of short
term assignments, helping a hospital and a college with virus and
worm security protection. Well, it has been uphill from there.
I have had three phone interviews over the past three weeks. I
averaged about one a year for the past four years. The first
phone interview sounded promising, but the hiring manager missed
calling me before I went back to work, so I was unable to connect
with him. That's OK, I have had two other phone interviews since
then. The next phone interview led to an on site interview, and
today, I got a job offer out of that interview! Today, I had
another phone interview with another company, so if the first one
flops at the last minute, I still have yet another option left!
How things change overnight!
These things have long been a matter of consistent prayer for
many people. I want to let you know in no uncertain terms that
God DOES ANSWER PRAYER! There are times when God will say no
and there are times when God will say "Wait on me", but God is
faithful. Even in our extreme difficulties, God ALWAYS provided!
We have had family, friends, work associates, and even strangers,
help us with needs over the past four years. Tell me that God
wasn't in that! How many people have strangers helping them out?
I have never thought of my God as a genie, and we definitely
faced many uncertain days and an uncertain future. Even today,
we don't know what tomorrow holds in store for us. For all we
know, God could call any one of us to be with Him or He could
call us to be accountable for the things we have done or failed
to do. One thing is certain. God is a good God. God is a
gracious God. God is slow to anger, abounding in love, full of
compassion. God has a terrific sense of humor. He is everything
any one of us could ever hope or want to be.
At the same time that I am rejoicing over my improving
circumstances, others are lamenting monumental losses that they
have experienced. Many ask, "Where is God in all of this?" I
assure you that God is unchanging and ever present. God does not
prevent all calamities and He does allow things to happen, but at
the same time, He is always there with us in the midst of
adversity. God did not spare His Own Son, yet through the death
of Jesus Christ, His Son, God brought about the redemption of a
world that had turned its back on God.
My friends, when I lost my job, do you think that was God's
fault? I say, "No way!" If it was anyone's fault, it was my
own.
Forward to the present difficulties. Are they anyone's fault?
Well, the media is quick to criticize the local leaders, our
national leaders, our president, anyone they can think of, but
the fact is that many people were living in an area below sea
level. You have to take certain precautions and in this life,
you also take certain risks, but to blame someone else when the
risks turn into tragedy isn't right.
Larry Davies writes a good message about the effects of Katrina
and what's going on. I think the right response for us is to
thank God for each breath of life that we have, to look for ways
that we can help others, and to avoid looking for ways to blame
and criticize others. Larry has set up some ways that you can
help if you don't already have any means to assist those who are
struggling. There will undoubtedly be ways to help others for a
long time to come. If you are able to help right now, do it.
You wouldn't want to be one of the ones awaiting help, would you?
However, if you don't have the means right now, you can always
pray, and you also may be able to assist in helping families find
places to stay or ways to contact their survivors.
35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to
me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be
thirsty." (John 6:35, NIV). Let us trust completely in Him who
IS the bread of life and who has conquered both sin and death.
Yours in Christ,
Brian
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Sowing Seeds of Faith...
Sowing Seeds Ministry Website set up a way to donate for Katrina
relief. The money will be transferred to Timberlake United
Methodist Church to be used for supplies. Over the next few
months there will be a need for medical and building materials as
our church will send physicians and nurses as well as
construction crews. No money will be used for overhead, only for
supplies going directly to the area. Our website address is:
sowingseedsoffaith.com/s-cart/form.phtml?g_intCatID=1
"Katrina and Knock-Downs" Larry Davies
Two sportscasters were debating over who was the best running
back in professional football. One suggested Walter Payton, the
great Chicago Bear: "What a runner! Do you realize that all
together, Walter Payton gained over nine miles rushing in his
career?"
The second sportscaster thought a moment and replied: "And to
think that every 4.6 yards of the way, someone was knocking him
down."
Like it or not, that's life: A long journey with something
knocking you down every few yards. This is not only true for us
as individuals but knock downs often affect whole communities.
For proof you only need to check the latest news on the enduring
tragedy left by hurricane Katrina.
Katrina ripped through southern Mississippi and Louisiana with a
fury like no other storm in history. At first, we were deceived.
We saw the idiotic weather forecasters hunched over in the wind
and rain holding their microphones and hats. We saw examples of
the wind damage but once the storm blew through, my first thought
was: "maybe it wasn't too bad." But I was wrong. Katrina was a
knock down!
Most of us didn't immediately notice the storm surge. The twenty
plus foot wall of water that submerged cities and towns
throughout the coastal area. We didn't know about the gaps in
the protective levy encircling New Orleans: a city already eight
feet under sea level. I traveled around the world to Sri Lanka
to see damage caused by a Tsunami. The carnage of Katrina looked
eerily similar.
For days, an anxious world watched the plight of thousands
trapped in the New Orleans Astrodome and wondered: "When would
help finally arrive? Where was our crisis response team? Where
was our leadership?" We cringed when we heard gruesome stories
about people fighting for survival but deep down we wondered what
our own response would be to the horror they were forced to
endure.
Yet, for every horrible story, there were many more acts of
compassion and heroism:
* The dramatic helicopter rescue of thousands stranded on
rooftops.
* A series of prayer meetings and open acts of faith and sharing
in the coliseum.
* Neighbors who banded together to help each other and those in
need.
* A nurse tearfully admitting losing everything while at the
hospital helping others.
Around the country ordinary people responded with generosity and
compassion. Our church set up a display outside of a department
store and within four days received enough supplies to completely
fill up a large tractor trailer. Literally thousands of people
brought supplies and donations. Many were going to multiple
locations looking for any opportunity to contribute to the relief
effort.
One mother commented: "We were at church when someone asked for
help receiving relief supplies. The kids were so excited and
ready to go. Several people stopped to thank us as they had
family in the Katrina ravaged area. But then, one family pulled
up and asked if we were collecting for the survivors of the
hurricane. They were newly arrived from New Orleans. They saw
what we were doing and wanted to thank us. Well the goose bumps
were rising at this point and I was holding back the tears as one
man said, "We will go back in a year and we will rebuild."
Roberta
Life is a journey that includes knock downs every few yards along
the way but even in the midst of tragedy we are all given
opportunities to respond. How we respond often defines our
faith:
A Biblical sufferer named Paul wrote: "I think you ought to know
about the trouble we went through... We were crushed and
completely overwhelmed and thought we would never live through
it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we learned
not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the dead. And
he did deliver us from mortal danger. And we are confident that
he will continue to deliver us. He will rescue us because you
are helping by praying for us. As a result, many will give
thanks to God because so many people's prayers for our safety
have been answered." (2 Corinthians 1:8-11)
I found several helpful lessons on how to respond to the knock
downs of life:
1. Overwhelming, crushing trouble could happen to anyone.
2. As a result we learn to rely not just on ourselves but on
God.
3. God will deliver us and continue to deliver us.
4. You, your help and your prayers are an important part of
God's response.
5. We give thanks to God because so many prayers have been
answered.
On Sunday, many faith communities around the world responded with
worship and prayer. Many will also respond with supplies and
work crews. This week, we will deliver our truckload of supplies
to Mississippi, visit the storm-ravaged area and seek further
opportunities to respond as a church and as a community in order
to help one area of Mississippi recover from a nasty knock down
labeled Katrina.
Sowing Seeds Ministry Website set up a way to donate for Katrina
relief. The money will be transferred to Timberlake United
Methodist Church to be used for supplies. Over the next few
months there will be a need for medical and building materials as
our church will send physicians and nurses as well as
construction crews. No money will be used for overhead, only for
supplies going directly to the area. Our website address is:
sowingseedsoffaith.com/s-cart/form.phtml?g_intCatID=1
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Jesus said: "You are the light of the world--like a city on a
mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your
light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it
shine for all." (Matthew 5:14-15)
"Breaking the Peanut Butter Habit: Following God's Recipe for a
Better Life" now on sale only through our
website. http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/peanbutt.htm
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Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
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Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
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