Genesis 1:27
“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
——————

When I was a child, I attended a school where many of the students were African-American. This was back in the early 1960s. I had several black friends and, guess what? We never talked about race, we just enjoyed being friends.

When I went to college, I was walking to class with a black friend of mine and a group of black students came up to us and called my friend “Uncle Tom” and glared at me.

That was when I realized that racism was not a matter of black or white or red or yellow. It was a matter of the condition of the human heart!

Racism does not come from God, it comes from satan. God created all of us in His image, every color and nationality and culture. It is the devil who created division racially.

At the the root of racism is the human tendency to believe that if other people aren’t just like us, then there is something wrong with them.

I love the diversity that God created with the various ethnic groups and cultures. I compare this to a beautiful garden with a great variety of beautiful flowers of different colors.

Life would be very bland with only one ethnic group and only one color, don’t you think?

Look into your own heart and ask the Lord to reveal to you any prejudice or racism. Then, repent for such attitudes and ask God to give you a new perspective. And, never forget the song many of us learned as children in Sunday School:

“Be they yellow, black or white,
They are precious in His sight,
Jesus loves the little children (and adults)
Of the world!

Then (Job’s) wife said to him, “Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God, and die.”  Job 2:9

So many good people I know are going through such difficult times these days. I am on a number of e-mail lists where I am sent prayer requests to pray for - and I pray for each and every one I get.  Many of them literally bring me to tears. Especially the ones concerning the suffering of children.

In recent months, I have been going through a particularly difficult season of hardship.  It seems as if every day brings a new set of serious problems: health, financial, family….I could go on and on.  Have you ever felt like you are living in the Book of Job?  I’ve felt a bit this way over the course of the past year.

Yesterday, I was going about my daily activities when, out of the blue, a voice spoke in my spirit and said, “curse God and die.” For a moment, I was taken aback. I knew it wasn’t God who was saying this to me: it was the enemy of my soul.  I almost immediately recognized the specific phrase as coming from the Biblical Book of Job.

I chuckled out loud.

A strange reaction to such a sobering thought?  Maybe.  But let me explain.  I have been struggling with very serious health issues for the past 15 years.  A few years ago, a medical doctor told me that he had not known anyone with my particular health problems to live past their mid-40s.  Well, I’m still around in my late 50s, so I have beat the doctor’s odds because it is obvious the Lord still wants me here to serve Him as I am able.

I chuckled because of the immediate thought that came to my mind: “Satan, some day you will get your wish and I will have an Earthly death. But you will NEVER see the day when I will “curse God.”

God has made my life worth living. He has given me purpose and a vision for living that He began to place in my heart when I was just a small child. But beyond that, He sent His only Son to the Cross so that I will spend eternity in heaven (John 3:16).  So why in the world would I ever want to “curse God!?”

The Scripture at the beginning of this article quotes the wife of Job, a righteous man before God who is besieged by a number of terrible events in his life.  A bunch of people give Job some bad advice - including his wife- about how he should reject God and turn from his faith. He’s even told that his problems are his own fault.  Job does face a crucible in his faith, but in the end trusts God and the Lord rewards him for it.

My favorite verse in the entire story of Job is Job 19:25:  “For I know that my Redeemer lives.”  When we KNOW that our Redeemer lives, then we can laugh at Satan when he beckons us to “curse God and die.”

Are you going through a serious time of hardship and trial?  Does life seem overwhelming to you at times?  Do you struggle not to fall victim to depression and despair?  If so, please pray along with me:

“Dear Lord, we come today to you in humility, needing Your Touch and Your Comfort to help us.  You are our Redeemer.  Your Word says you will never leave us nor forsake us.  Please let us feel your comforting Presence each and every day of our lives, particularly during the most stressful and difficult times.  We love You and we trust you with our lives and with our futures. We look forward to the day when we will meet you face-to-face in the glorious place called heaven.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.”  Philippians 4:8.

About a year ago, my family subscribed to a digital cable television package. The main reason we decided to do this is because I wanted to be able to watch my favorite college sports teams.  We got bunches and bunches of new channels, including a few channels that show mostly modern movies and one channel that shows “classic” old-time movies.

I have really enjoyed the classic movie channel. I can find so many old films that are positive, hopeful, uplifting, and encouraging.  Some of the programs don’t have any deep significance other than the fact that they make me laugh (Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields, Ma and Pa Kettle, etc.).

As far as the modern cable movie channels are concerned, I can count the number of times I have watched those movies on the fingers of one hand.  Why so seldom?: because most modern movies are dark, cynical, extremely violent and extremely sexual in content.

I do believe we are in the “post-Christian Era” in our country and I believe that modern media (music, movies, books, video games, etc.) have played a major role in influencing so many young people away from the foundations of morality and human dignity that I have seen change so dramatically (for the worse) during my lifetime.

Violence to other human beings is depicted as thrilling and emotionally gratifying. Sexuality is depicted as self-serving, crude and narcissistic.  Young people who watch these films are “programmed” to believe that there is no element of  right or wrong when it comes to sexual behavior.

In my own lifetime - I am in my late-’50s - I have seen the American culture change so dramatically that it is often quite shocking to me.  And I don’t consider myself a prude. I wonder what we will be seeing in the years to come?  Heaven forbid.

I happened to be flipping around the channels today and I saw a film listed on one of the major cable modern movie channels as depicting a “dark” treatment of a comic book story I used to enjoy as a kid when I’d buy comic books at the corner drugstore.  That made me think about how that so many movies today are described as “dark.”   So, what is “dark?” Is that a good thing? Is that something that is warm, uplifting, encouraging, providing hope and optimism, strengthening one’s faith in God and love towards other human beings?

Why do so many in our American culture of 2010 feel so powerfully drawn to what is “dark?”

In the Bible verse that opened this blog posting, I quote the Apostle Paul about what people of God should focus on in life and what we should expose ourselves to.  Paul
doesn’t mention “dark” in this teaching.

Perhaps someone who is reading this article is regularly being drawn to the dark. It is time today  to leave the darkness and walk into The Light - the light of Jesus Christ.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
(Matthew 11: 28-31)
———————–

This morning, I was alone in the house and had just let our

two dachshunds out the back door when a song began to go through

my head. It was a sectarian song that was very popular

in the 1980s called “You Are So Beautiful To Me.”

The songwriter had (apparently) written this song about a
romantic relationship, but as the lyrics and melody went through my
head this morning, it made me think about the beauty of Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Savior.

Often, in these crazy days we are living in, our focus on the
Person of Jesus Christ gets lost in all of the various other peripheral
distractions of AmericanChristianity in the year 2010. We get sidetracked
by politics; following certain “celebrity” national preachers to a point
close to idolatry; worshiping the “experience” of musical worship as
a substitute for worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ with our voices
and instruments. I could go on and on……

And there is so much ugliness in our sectarian culture. The language
that is used by many people on the internet is frequently shocking
to me - and I don’t consider myself to be a prude. Then, there are
the vile, perverse and violent messages in popular music, movies
and TV shows Sometimes, I feel almost smothered in the cesspool
of filth and degradation that characterizes so much of our
American culture in 2010.

It is during times when I feel overwhelmed by the ugly sin around
me that I know it is time for me to ponder the beauty of our Lord
Jesus Christ.Though no paintings were made of Jesus during His
lifetime on Earth, Scripture “paints” many pictures depicting His
beauty. There we find Him, beckoning the little children to His lap;
preaching the stunningly grace-filled Sermon on the Mount;
bringing a little girl back from the dead; telling of His special love for
the poor, the sick, the elderly, the handicapped, those who feel
alone and estranged; sitting on the ground with illiterate and coarse
people as He explained profound spiritual truth to them by telling
them simple stories that they could understand.

But, by far the most powerful picture painted by the Scripture
writers concerning the beauty of Jesus is found in the accounts
of His crucifixion and subsequent resurrection from the dead.
Beaten and bloodied almost beyond recognition as He hung
on the Cross awaiting His death, Jesus is concerned
about the well-being of everyone else - including the evil people
who hung Him there and who He asked His Father to
forgive: “for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34).

It’s interesting to see some of the programs produced by sectarian
cable networks in which they try to make arguments about what
Jesus really looked like during his relatively brief time on Earth.
At best, this is only a guessing game. And, we who are believers
don’t tend to spend a lot of time being concerned about Jesus’
physical appearance.

Instead, we think about the moment in time when we will stand
face-to-face before the One who is beautiful beyond all
human description.

And we will finally be home.

Malachi 3:6 “For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
—————
I live in a small city where I grew up and when I go through certain neighborhoods there are plenty of reminders of my childhood days of long, long ago.

There is a basketball court at an old, now-abandoned elementary school where I spent hour upon hour playing ball as a kid. It is across the street from what used to be a soda fountain, pharmacy and magazine shop (bear with me young people - smile).

Recently, someone decided to tear down the goals on the old basketball court and it made me sad to see that the hoops where I used to toss balls through 45 years ago are not there anymore.

Just another reminder to me that everything changes; nothing stays constant in this life.

If you have lost a loved one, then you know that the most painful change is seeing someone you love pass away. This leaves a vacuum on our hearts. But it also serves to remind us that this life is fleeting; we need to be mindful of that fact each and every day of our lives.

I’m an old man, getting close to age 60, and change seems to be a constant in my life. Yes, in many ways, I long for “the old days” and have trouble adjusting to modern-day culture and attitudes.

But I am always comforted to meditate on the truth that God - the Creator of the universe and everything in it - NEVER changes. The Scriptures I listed above attest to that fact. God can be an unchanging constant in our lives, if we let Him. We can hold onto Him and allow Him to be our “rock” of security and comfort.

Have you been feeling anxious and insecure lately? Well, join the club, because that’s a common condition of human beings in the year 2010. There is very little about this quickly-changing world that can make us feel secure and free from worry and anxiety.

Except God. And that, my friend, means everything.
——-
Prayer for Today:
Dear Lord, I am so blessed to know that you never change and that I can always count on you to be there - even in the midst of great changes in my personal life. Help me to cling to You; to hold onto your wonderful promises; to come to you during my times of anxiety. Thank you so much, Lord, for ALWAYS being there for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I was reading a newspaper this morning when an item caught my eye that gave me a bad start to my day.  This article said that (as I write this blog article) the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments on a case involving a cross erected in the California desert by World War I veterans to honor their fallen comrades.

According to a Youtube site, “After WWI many U.S. soldiers moved to the Californian desert to find physical and emotional healing. In 1934, they erected a memorial to honor their fallen comrades, a single white cross, — a symbol used around the world to memorialize those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

“The site for the memorial was chosen because at a certain time of day, the sun casts a shadow on the rock which resembles a WWI doughboy. For more than 75 years, the memorial has stood as a reminder that there were those who fought and died for our freedoms. But sadly today, the ACLU and a federal judge in California, want to tear it down. In fact, the judge has ordered the memorial covered from view while the case is on appeal.”

I have written on this blog before about a relatively new “strain” of militant atheism.  People certainly have every right to declare themselves atheists. But these militant atheists give me the impression they don’t want ANYONE ELSE to have belief in and faith in God.

The “Founding Fathers” of this nation did not want to restrict religious freedom in any way. The wanted religious freedom for all, not freedom FROM religion for all. But, over the decades this has been subverted by those who say that this nation was founded on a premise that religion should be severely limited in its public expression in America.

Tell me, how is a little white cross out in the desert “offending” anyone’s religious or irreligious sensibilities?   To a Christian, the cross represents faith and hope in the resurrection of Christ and the foundational belief that there will be a heaven waiting for us.  To those who are not believers in Christ: what can it represent that is so offensive?  What indeed is the negative connotation of the cross as a symbol?  For the unbeliever, it could represent the life of a man who spoke and walked in selfless love and compassion…..a man who was willing to put His life on the line to confront the self-centered attitudes and narcissism of those who were in power during His time on Earth.

Are we going to be a nation that allows militant atheism to dictate what symbols we may or may not place value on in public life?  Are we going to be a nation that tramples all over the memory of, and shows direspect for, these World War I veterans?

Heaven help us if that small, white cross in the desert remains covered from view forever.

Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.

Revelation 16:8-9

The other day, I was talking with my brother about the Swine Flu pandemic. He is a health professional and he says he is extremely concerned about what may happen this winter. Hospitals are preparing for the worst and civil defense organizations across the country are stocking up on medical supplies, including face masks.

Government health experts are even warning the public not to shake hands with others at churches and at civil events.

The Swine Flu Pandemic is real.  And it is dangerous.  One estimate has it that 90,000 Americans may die from it this winter.

At this point in this article, I am putting my “natural health practitioner” hat on. Several years ago, I studied natural health modalities with a college in the South through a distance education program.  I’m certainly not the most knowledgeable person in this field; but with close to three years of 30-hour-a-week study, I do know some things about it.

In my personal opinion, the old adage: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is what we all should be thinking about. Conventional medicine has very little in its arsenal to deal with influenza. Your medical doctor is not going to be able to “fix it” if you come down with Swine Flu.
The best conventional medicine can offer against the virus is an anti-viral medicine that takes about one day off of the length of the illness.

We all need to be doing what we can to build up our immune system. Here are some things to think about:

* Keep your body rested as much as possible.  When we are exhausted, we are much more vulnerable to infections.

*Keep your body hydrated.  Dehydration makes the body more vulnerable to infection by lowering natural resistance. It also makes it easier for a person to bring a virus into the body through the nasal passages. Drink LOTS of high-quality water every day.

*Explore supplements and herbs to help your body’s immune system.
I am not going to give a “one-size-fits-all” listing of these here because everyone is different and has different needs based upon their particular health circumstances.  Find a natural health care practitioner near you and have a consultation done if you can; if not, talk to someone knowledgeable in a health food store and/or do some research on the internet.

*Build up your body with nutritious food and regular exercise. It has been scientifically proven that regular exercise strengthens the immune system. It is VERY important to eat food that is high in nutrients. The best way to do this is to eat as many uncooked vegetables and fruits as possible. A big salad with an apple at every meal would be a good idea. Try to stay away from fast food as much as possible and buy organic vegetables and fruits.  They are available today at most grocery chains.

*Spend daily time in the presence of God. In prayer and in silence.
We need to stay “connected” to God during this challenging time.  He is our ultimate healer. We also need some time to get away from the stresses of daily life in the fast-lane.  Take that time. An hour or  two away from the TV in the evening isn’t going to hurt that badly (smile).

*Help other people who have illness in their families.  As Christians, we should be looking out for the well-being of others this winter. If you need to, put on a mask and gloves when you are around sick people.  At the very least, call elderly folks you know and check on them from time-to-time to see if they are okay.  If they aren’t, then contact their relatives or local health officials.  We need to show the world that the love of Christ is real in our actions.  The Bible tells us that we are not supposed to live in fear.

In the Scripture passage above, you can see that plagues are a result of man’s rebellion against God.  We are living in a time in which it is considered “trendy” to reject God and even to ridicule Him publicly.  We all need to shine the light of God’s truth and of God’s love on a daily basis in these dangerous times in which we are living!

“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of

his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With

great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the

Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy

persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or

houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the

apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which

means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the

money and put it at the apostles’ feet.”  Acts 4
———————–

Last night, after my wife and I had come home from a few errands, I

opened the front door of our home and found a huge sack of food.  There

were cherry tomatoes, a giant cauliflower, peppers, onions and

cucumbers.  The best thing about this food: it came from a garden where

no pesticides were used.   Home grown - the best!

We knew who had dropped off this blessing: our neighbors across the

street who have a garden behind their house. They’ve done this three

times this summer.

We live in a relatively small city in an old neighborhood (not the suburbs)

in which many of the folks look out for one another.  The

neighbors who keep bringing the food?  Well, when someone in that

household gets sick, my wife fixes up a big batch of chicken soup and

takes it over to them.  We have also gotten flowers for that woman’s

birthday.  We try to be a blessing to all of our neighbors.  The other

day a young couple was moving in across the street. Both of them

are on leave from the Army.  They have two small children.  We figured

that the last thing they would have time for while moving in was to eat.

So, we bought them a bunch of pizza and they were thrilled.  There

was a young guy who used to live across the street who had many

problems.  One Thanksgiving, we delivered a big pecan pie to him with a

tract about coming to know Christ attached to the container.

We believe that what we DO in the name of Christ is as important as

what we say to our neighbors about our Christian faith.  The Bible says

that God is love and I often tell my teenage son, “Love is a verb.”  We

try to show our neighbors that we love them in the name of Jesus by

DOING something to bless them and to make them happy.

The Book of Acts gives us a much different picture of how Christians

lived and behaved centuries ago than what we see in America today.  It

shows us a picture of Christians loving and sharing - not just within their own families - but

within their communities.  In my lifetime, I have seen

us (Christians) do way too much finger-pointing towards those who

don’t know Christ and not nearly enough giving and sharing of God’s

love with them.

I pray nearly every day that the Lord will make me less focused on me and

my own household and more focused on loving and sharing God’s love

with my neighbors and acquaintances.  Will you join me in that prayer?

Prayer for today:

Dear Lord, you changed the world because you loved us so much that you sent your only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to live among us and to die for our salvation.  Help us to change the world by sharing your love with each and every person we enounter - neighbors and acquaintances.Help us to be more concerned about our own sin and not as concerned about the flaws and imperfections of other people. Help us to learn that love is indeed a verb.  In Jesus’ Name, amen.

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.
With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.
I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.”

Psalm 119
———————————-
The other night, I was watching a television talk show about current events and the show host made this statement: “The Bible is an evil book.” He was not joking; he was dead serious.
Many in the audience applauded enthusiastically.
This well-known celebrity is very proud of the fact that he is an atheist and that he believes those who pursue God are ignorant and irrational.
Should this guy be taken out behind the shed and given a good whippin’ ? No, I don’t think so. He has a right to his opinions even though his opinions are wrong and illogical. This man needs our prayers and we need to pray that someone(s) will share the truth about Christ with him personally in a way in which he can receive it.
But this man’s brash statement about the Bible is becoming increasingly a more accepted philosophy in America (and the rest of the world) in this so-called “post-Christian era” in which we are living. I think it’s interesting that he never has called (to my knowledge) any other religion’s scriptures “evil.” Only the Bible.
Atheists and agnostics are railing away at the Bible and its truths. But even in many so-called evangelical churches its precepts are not being taught. I read not long ago that a poll was taken in which people were asked on the street the name of the first book of the Bible. Over 50 percent had no idea that the correct answer was Genesis!
When I was young and I shared the gospel with people who didn’t know the Lord, the vast majority of the people I talked with had some idea of the basic tenants and truths of the Bible. Now, I find that I can’t expect people to be familiar with even the most basic foundational truths of the Bible. So, in evangelism, we find ourselves teaching at a kindergarten level to help explain the Gospel to those seeking spiritual truth.
The Holy Bible is a beautiful book in every way. It details God’s love for humanity and gives us guidelines to help us to live fruitful lives and provides a wonderful promise for our future when we leave this Earth.
Over the years, I have noted that new converts who don’t read the Bible regularly and learn what it says generally will not last long in the Christian faith. But I have also seen this to be the case with long-time Christians who decide that the Bible has only minor relevance in their lives over the years.
Satan is fighting a battle to make the Bible irrelevant in the culture of the United States and in all other nations. Those of us who are believers need to proclaim to the world that the Holy Bible is the Word of God; proclaim how it has changed our lives; share how it will change the lives of unbelievers.

Prayer for today:

“Dear Lord, thank you for the Bible, your Word. We are sorry that so many mock your Word and so many do not believe in its wonderful truths. Lord, help us to “live and keep your word.” Help us to live and speak and behave in a way that glorifies you and that glorifies your Living Word. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Job 2: On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.”

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”

“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!”
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

———————–

During the past week, I have been reading a book about Mother Teresa, the nun who ministered to the needs of thousands of sick and dying poor people in Calcutta, India. She died in 1997 after many decades of selfless and sacrificial service to the Lord.

The name of this book is “Come Be My Light.” This is a book about an extraordinary woman who did extraordinary things for those who Jesus called “the least of these, my bretheren.” But it is not a book that makes Teresa out to be super-human or super-spiritual. The author uses Teresa’s own letters to tell the reader of Teresa’s frequent struggles with feeling distant from God and the weight of spiritual dryness and desolation on her soul.

Teresa often asked other Christians she respected why she would experience such times of spiritual and emotional darkness and dryness. She always believed that there was a purpose for it; a purpose that she might not truly understand until the day she stood before her Lord face-to-face.

I think I know part of the answer to her question and it is found in the pages of this book. When I read Teresa’s letters, I identify with her struggles and I feel better about my own times of spiritual weakness and inadequacy. We live in a fallen world filled with sin and I believe that most Christians struggle with spiritual darkness and dryness more than they would ever want to admit to another human being. But the Lord knows. We can’t fool him. Teresa never tried to. In fact, in one “letter to Jesus” that she wrote she tells the Lord that she is beginning to have fears that God might not even exist. When I know that a remarkable Christian woman who laid down her life for God’s work struggled with spiritual darkness - then I know that I am not the weakest and most flawed Christian in the world. Teresa’s humbly honest and revealing writings help the rest of us to feel that there is hope for us to overcome our own “dark nights of the soul.”

Other than being comforted to know we are not alone in our struggles, how do we deal with these times when doubt and fear and dryness creep into our spiritual lives? I think the answer to this is probably different for each person. I try to follow the example of Job (in Scripture above) as much as I can. I know that God is still good and God still loves me, even though I may not feel it at the time. I also know that in a fallen world, everyone has struggles. Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation.” I’m well into my second half-century of living and I seem to keep running into more “tribulation” the older I become.

For me, there are just many times that the best thing I can do is to hold on to Jesus even if I don’t feel Him holding on to me. But He’s still there - he always is - because He promised us He would be.

Jesus doesn’t condemn us. He, Himself experienced many times of feeling distant from His Father, especially during the last few days of His life on Earth.

Mother Teresa has done a wonderful thing in leaving behind a testimony which shows us that God can and will continue to use us (in sometimes amazing ways) - even during those times when we are struggling in our faith.

Today’s prayer

Lord, I am a sinner, saved by your grace and mercy. Because I am human, I am imperfect and sometimes weak and flawed. But I know that you used Moses, a man who told the Lord that he was too weak and flawed to be of any use to God, to fulfill a monumental purpose on this Earth. Let us feel your wonderful Holy Presence today, Lord. We want to be close to you each and every day. But when you seem distant from us, help us to hold onto your promises and to remember that you said you will “never leave nor forsake” us. In our prayer life, help us to withhold nothing from you, include our dark struggles and doubts and fears. Thank you for loving me. Praise your wonderful Name. In Jesus’ Holy Name, amen.