But if we must keep trusting God for something that hasn't happened yet, it teaches us to wait patiently and confidently. And in the same way - by our faith - the Holy Spirit helps us with our daily problems and in our praying. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how to pray as we should; but the Holy Spirit prays for us with such feeling that it cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows, of course, what the Spirit is saying as he pleads for us in harmony with God's own will. And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans. Romans 8: 25-28 (TLB) Marcy Farr lives in Texas. The pediatric

Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need! He lets me rest in the meadow grass and leads me beside the quiet streams. He gives me new strength. He helps me do what honors him most. Even when walking through the dark valley of death I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me, guarding, guiding all the way. You provide delicious food for me in the presence of my enemies. You have welcomed me as your guest; blessings overflow! Your goodness and unfailing kindness shall be with me all of my life, and afterwards I will live with you forever in your home.Psalm 23 (The Living Bible) Angela Peabody lives in Virginia. In April of 1980 her family was caught in a deadly military

Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties and temptations? Then be happy, for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don't try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete. if you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to tell you, for a doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind; and every

The human mind may devise many plans, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established. Proverbs 19: 21 (NRSV) Yanti H. Damanik lives in West Java, Indonesia. His dream had always been to work for one of the world peace organizations. He prayed for God to help him. Because he knew that having experience would make it easier to find a job, he planned to volunteer at the organization he hoped would hire him. He was happy when he got a call from the organization inviting him to apply for a position. He was called back for the second, third, and final stages of the selection process. He felt confident that he would be accepted. But finally they chose one of the other candidates. Yanti

Show me the path where I should go, O Lord; point out the right road for me to walk. Lead me, teach me, for you are the God who gives me salvation. I have no hope except in you. Overlook my youthful sins, O Lord! Look at me instead through eyes of mercy and forgiveness, through eyes of everlasting love and kindness. The Lord is good and glad to teach the proper path to all who go astray; he will teach the ways that are right and best to those who humbly turn to him. And when we obey him, every path he guides us on is fragrant with his lovingkindness and his truth. Psalm 25: 4-10 (TLB) Nelly R. Reina lives in Cordoba, Argentina. One night she was alone in her car driving home when suddenly sh

Read 1 Samuel 1: 1-28 the story of Samuel After the sacrifice they took the child to Eli. "Sir, do you remember me?" Hannah asked him. "I am the woman who stood here that time praying to the Lord! I asked him to give me this child, and he has given me my request; and now I am giving him to the Lord for as long as he lives." So she left him there at the Tabernacle for the Lord to use. 1 Samuel 1: 26-28 (TLB) Tony Roberts lives in Indiana. Shortly after he was born, his mother fell ill. Her doctor prescribed potent medication that severely impaired his Mom's ability to focus. But this didn't stop her from sharing Christ with Tony, encouraging him in his studies, and cheering him on in sports.

We know that God has chosen you, dear brothers, much beloved of God. For when we brought you the Good News, it was not just meaningless chatter to you; no, you listened with great interest. What we told you produced a powerful effect upon you, for the Holy Spirit gave you great and full assurance that what we said was true. And you know how our very lives were further proof to you of the truth of our message. So you became our followers and the Lord's; for you received our message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the trials and sorrows it brought you. Then you yourselves became an example to all the other Christians in Greece. And now the Word of the Lord has spread out from you to

So now, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith in his promises, we can have real peace with him because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. For because of our faith, he has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all that God has had in mind for us to be. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials for we know that they are good for us - they help us to learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Then, when that happens, we are abl

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor has respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, 'Grant me justice against my opponent.' For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, 'Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.' And the Lord said, 'Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I

"There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it - and I won't take it away from her!" Luke 10:42 (TLB) Kevin Thomas lives in Alabama. He remembers having long talks with Melissa discussing the day's activities, future plans, their goals, their future married life. Then there were the long pauses, maybe lasting as much as ten minutes when no one spoke. Yet they were connected, and somehow that was important. On long drives, walks in the park, or just sitting at the house, that same silence continues to be a part of their relationship. Sometimes just being present with one another is enough. Kevin realized that truth even more fully when they were absent fro

"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." Matthew 5: 14-16 (NRSV) Margaret Martin lives in Australian Capital Territory in Australia. One bleak, cloudy, autumn day, she went to do her grocery shopping. As she approached the shopping center, she was astounded by a liquidambar tree in the full glory of its autumn colors. Against the gray shy and gray buildings, the tree stood out with its bright gold and red leave

Jesus replied, "The Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing, and in the same way. For the Father loves the Son, and tells him everything he is doing, and the Son will do far more awesome miracles than this man's healing. He will even raise from the dead anyone he wants to, just as the Father does. and the Father leaves all judgement of sin to his Son, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. But if you refuse to honor God's Son, whom he sent to you, then you are certainly not honoring the Father. "I say emphatically that anyone who listens to my message and believes in God who sent me has eternal life, and will never be damned for

Let him (God) have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking of you and watching everything that concerns you, 1 Peter 5:7 (TLB) Courtney Boulware lives in Ohio. Following the birth of her first child, she had postpartum depression, and her husband was facing unemployment. It became clear that a career change was on the horizon for him, which added to the uncertainty they felt about the future. Her husband and Courtney both felt anxious about what was next for their family; they even thought they might need to move to another state. One morning Courtney's son was crying to be fed. As she prepared a bottle for him, she said, "Calm down, Sweetie. When have I ever not given you what

So ever since we first heard about you we have kept praying and asking God to help you understand what he wants you to do; asking him to make you wise about spiritual things; and asking that the way you live will always please the Lord and honor him, so that you will always be doing good, kind things for others, while all the time you are learning to know God better and better. We are praying, too, that you will be filled with his mighty, glorious strength so that you can keep going no matter what happens - always full of the joy of the Lord, and always thankful to the Father who has made us fit to share all the wonderful things that belong to those who live in the Kingdom of light. For he h

The heavens are telling the glory of God; they are a marvelous display of his craftsmanship. Day and night they keep on telling about God. Without a sound or a word, silent in the skies, their message reaches out to all the world. Psalm 19:1-4 (TLB) Suzanne Montgomery lives in Indiana. A queen bee nestled in her hive can be quite elusive. Suzanne is pretty good at finding hidden objects in a picture game on a page; but as a new beekeeper, she worried about finding the queen. Her husband, Joe, and Suzanne spent several months studying about the care of bees before purchasing a hive from a larger beekeeper. Their "started pack" of bees derived from a larger colony came with five frames contain

Read Luke 15:11-32 The story of the Prodigal Son There was a time when some of you were just like that but now your sins are washed away, and you are set apart for God, and he has accepted you because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you. 1 Corinthians 6:11 (TLB) Scott Martin lives in New Jersey. As part of his pastoral responsibilities at a local hospital, he was called to the bedside of an elderly woman. He found her shouting out in anguish to Jesus and then to Scott. She had been diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage and was afraid she would die and not go to heaven. When Scott asked her the reason for her fear, she explained that her sins were just too g

Read James 1 My brothers and sister, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. Verses 2-4 Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. Verse 12 (TLB) Doug Wingert lives in Arizona. Recently he took his eight-year old grandson fishing for the first time. They spent much of the day casting their lines into the middle of the lake. His grandson was excited to catch and release some small sunfish,

"I am the true Vine, and my Father is the Gardener. He lops off every branch that doesn't produce. And he prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops. He has already tended you by pruning you back for greater strength and usefulness by means of the commands I gave you. Take care to live in me, and let me live in you. For a branch can't produce fruit when severed from the vine. Nor can you be fruitful apart from me. "Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in me and I in him shall produce a large crop of fruit. For apart from me you can't do a thing. If anyone separates from me, he is thrown away like a useless branch, withers, and is gathered into a pile with

Praise the Lord! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting. The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. The Lord lifts up the downtrodden; he casts the wicked to the ground. Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre. Psalm 147:1-7 (NRSV) Jenny McBride lives in Alabama. She works in a memory-care facility with residents who have middle-to-late stage dementia. One day, a resident named

God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble. And so we need not fear even if the world blows up, and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam, let the mountains tremble! There is a river of joy flowing through the City of God - the sacred home of the God above all gods. God himself is living in that City; therefore it stands unmoved despite the turmoil everywhere. He will not delay his help. The nations rant and rave in anger - but when God speaks, the earth melts in submission and kingdoms totter into ruin. The Commander of the armies of heaven is here among us. He, the God of Jacob, has come to rescue us. Come, see the glorious things that out