Today's Soul Food — April 19
 

April 19

"And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." 2 Timothy 2:24.

In Genesis 26 four wells are named: Esek (strife); Sitnah (hatred); Rehoboth (room for all); and Shebah (oath). Isaac, the Lord's servant, meekly journeyed farther back into the valley rather than quarrel with the herdsmen. He would not pay evil with evil or insult with insult (1 Peter 3:9). This may be the most difficult lesson we have to learn in life.

Since we are human, we probably all have drunk from these wells. Few of us would brag that we have never argued over something or some person in our life. And we have either hated or been hated at some time. Human nature afflicts us all. Finally, as we grow into grace, we come to recognize that there is room for us all, if we have not died at Esek or Sitnah. God has made a very large well, with enough water for a thirsty world in need of the Water of Life. Unfortunately, it takes years to find our Rehoboth, our well of love and mercy, and Shebah, our well of redemption.

As we travel through life we come across all these wells. It requires constant patience and perseverance to get beyond the wells of competition and hostility and on to the wells of growth and gratitude. We drink deeply of the Lord's provisions and promises as we search and find His delightful waters of confidence and rest. We dare not drown at the Esexes and Sitnahs of our lives.

Isaac gave and forgave in this splendid passage and lesson for us all. He practiced "in spite of" instead of "in spite." May we too learn to strive not but to allow God to take care of any evil that enters our life. "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliaiton" 2 Corinthians 5:18.

Pat Nordman ©

 

Today's Bible Question ?

What grief stricken woman turned away from her diseased husband because his breath was so offensive?

Previous question and Answer: Who was the prophet that predicted that Jeroboam would be king over ten tribes of Isarel? Ahijah (1 Kings 11:29-40)

 

T H I N K A B O U T I T

Lessons You Learned For every petal you pluck from a daisy,  You're granted one measure of love.  For every rainbow you find with two ends,  I wish you two stars from above. For every tear you brush from a cheek,  I promise you kindness will follow.  Wherever you walk, under rainbows or stars,  Over daisies, or down lonely hollows.  For every child you play with and talk to,  I grant you one heart full of laughter.  For every smile you place on a face, I promise you peace ever after.  If you think "I" am giving you priceless gifts,  Look close at yourself and your deeds.  The gifts you earned were the lessons you learned  While answering other folks' needs. By Marlene Gerba

 

Today's  Devotion

 

Eternity by Phil   "Glory and honor to God forever and ever. He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen." 1 Tim. 1:17 (NLT) The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you. He thrusts out the enemy before you; it is he who cries, 'Destroy them!' " Deut. 33:27 (NLT)

What is eternity? As human beings we are confined to the jail known as time. Everything has a beginning. We begin a new day. Each year on January 1, we hang a new calendar and a new year begins. We strike a match to start a new fire. Every thing has an end. When all the wood is burned or the fuel is used the fire goes out. When the day is over – that’s it. There is no going back. It is hard for us to imagine what eternity is. What does it mean to never have begun and never to end? A  friend told me a story of a little bug-like creature from outer space. This creature would come to earth every one-thousand years. On each visit it would remove a grain of sand from the earth and return to its home. After repeated returns every one-thousand years, all of the sand was finally removed from the earth. The was no more sand at the seashore. There was no more sand in the desert. The enormous amount of time taken to accomplish this deed would only be moment in eternity. There is a simple math problem that may help us to picture eternity. Divide three into one. This is a long, but simple math problem. One can never finish this problem. Even if you continue to work this problem your entire life – you will never complete this problem. No matter how many times you divide, the one is never used up. Our God is an eternal God. He is without beginning. He is without end. We as humans often limit His power and glory. With our finite minds and experiences we seem unable to draw upon the infinite resources of God. God helps us to see you as eternal and infinite. Help us to be ever mindful of your eternal resources. May we be thankful that you have given us a Way to share the rest of eternity with you.

Poor creature of time and mundane limits, the mind of man shrinks back abashed before the task of portraying a bliss that shall endure without end. J. H. Randall, The making of the Modern mind, 1940

 

All the Rest April 19

Today in History April 19