Currently Mikeschair By Mikeschair Let the Waters Rise see related

"Jesus is a friend who walks in when the world has walked out."

Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs during his baseball career, but on this particular day, the Braves were playing the Reds in Cincinnati, and the great Bambino was no hero. In one inning alone, his errors were responsible for most of the five runs scored by Cincinnati.

As Babe walked off the field and headed toward the dugout after the third out, a crescendo of boos rose to greet him. Then, a boy jumped over the railing and ran out onto the field. With tears streaming down his face, he threw his arms around the legs of his hero.

Ruth immediately picked the boy up, hugged him, then set him down and patted his head. The cries from the crowd abruptly stopped. A hush fell over the entire park. In that brief moment, the fans saw two heroes on the field: Ruth, who, in spite of his own dismal day, cared about the feelings of a young fan; and a small boy, who cared about the feelings of another human being.

Regardless of your performance on the playing field of life today, Father God has a hug awaiting you at the day's end. He is your Number One Fan.

"[. . .] There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
Proverbs 18:24

-From God's Little Devotional Book

Currently Revelation By Third Day see related

*Check Your Height

"Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but will get you nowhere."
    -Unknown

Popular culture has commented on "worry" more than once in recent years. Mad  magazine used its iconic "Alfred E. Neuman" mascot on the cover with the phrase "What, me worry?" beginning in 1956. And in 1988, Bobby McFerrin's song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" reached number one on the pop charts. But there was something wrong with both those sentiments: no reason was given for not worrying.

Nearly two thousand years earlier, Jesus of Nazareth told His followers not to worry and gave them a godly reason why: because God would provide for them just as He does the rest of His creation. Jesus' words on worry form a key element of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6. Jesus points out that the birds of the air and the lilies of the field are provided for beautifully and faithfully—and we are much more important to God than these. Besides, "your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things" (see Matthew 6:32). Instead of worrying, Jesus said to seek God's kingdom and His righteousness, and everything we need will be provided for us.

If you have been worrying lately, check your height—has worrying added "one cubit to [your] stature"? (see Matthew 6:27) Try seeking God instead.

"And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?"

Matthew 6:27 (AMP)

*Devotion by Dr. David Jeremiah

Currently Breaking Free: Discover the Victory of Total Surrender By Beth Moore see related

*Fires and Floods

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.
Isaiah 43:2

Anyone who has seen a rampaging river or a burning house knows the terror of flood and flame.  The destructive power of fire and water is dreadful to see.  Yet these are the dramatic images Isaiah uses to describe our own trials and troubles in life.

The Lord hasn't promised to keep us out of hardship, but He has given us two great promises to sustain us when we're in it: He will be with us, and our troubles will not overwhelm us.  I will be with you… They shall not overflow you.
 
Remember how the Lord brought the Israelites through the waters of the Red Sea in Exodus 14, and how He stood with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego in the fiery furnace of Daniel 3?  If a problem is pressing down on you today, claim Isaiah 43:2.  Picture the Lord as though He were really beside you, for He is.  Trust Him to keep you from being swept away or consumed by your circumstances, for He has promised that His grace is sufficient.

"When through fiery trials, thy pathway shall lie, my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply."
    -John Keith

*A Turning Point Devotional by David Jeremiah

Currently Faith Like Potatoes By Frank Rautenbach, Jeanne Wilhelm, Hamilton Dlamini, Sean Cameron Michael, Candice D'Arcy see related

Wow...when I checked my email this morning, I received a very encouraging and uplifting devotional by David Jeremiah.  It was so good, in fact, that I felt led to share it with you.  Fear not, my friends, God is with you.  You are not alone!

When Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
                 Matthew 14:29

Who wouldn't like to walk on water?  One magician devised an illusion for guests in which he walked across the water of a swimming pool, but he was secretly wearing a pair of transparent struts.  In August 2006, an evangelist named Franck Kabele insisted he could repeat the Biblical miracle or Peter's walking on water, but he drowned in the attempt.

Jesus' miracles are not meant to be phenomena of parody, but rather signs to teach us about His power in our lives.  Peter had enough faith to step out of the boat and onto the water, but he was distracted by the splash of the waves and the force of the wind.  When he took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink.

There are two approaches to life.  We can focus on Jesus and acknowledge the storm, or we can focus on the storm and acknowledge Jesus.  By keeping our eyes on our Lord, we can live above the circumstances and have an attitude of joy that can no more be drowned than a cork.

"There is no danger of sinking while underneath are the everlasting arms."
        -Matthew Henry

Currently Over and Underneath By Tenth Avenue North see related

If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?]
Romans 8:31 (AMP)

Have you ever thought about the awesome power in this verse?  Some of us may have heard it so many times that we tend to miss the sheer audacity that it possesses.  This verse literally says, "If God is on my side, victory is on my side."  That's because God IS the victory.  What an amazing promise of salvation from our Lord.  You see, God knows that firey trials are a part of life.  He knows that valleys often come right before the mountain tops.  And, He knows that His opponent, the devil, will try his hardest to defeat us when he knows our mountain top is right around the corner.  Therefore, God gave us this promise of victory in His word that we can claim, stand on, and profess.  Are you experiencing trials and tribulations right now?  Does it seem like you've been in the valley too long to ever see another mountain top?  Fear not, my friend; God is not far away.  In fact, He's right beside you, and He wants you to find hope and encouragement in His Word.  There is power and life in the pages of the Bible, and if you read it, meditate on it, and believe what it says, you will see God's destiny for your life fulfilled.  If you are afraid of putting your hope in God's promises, remember this: God ALWAYS keeps His promises.  People will let you down and sometimes fail to follow through with what they say they will do, but God will never let you down.  He will always do what He says He will do, and He says in Romans 8:31 that He is the victory - that He can be YOUR victory if you lean on Him with all that you are.  I pray that you will commit your entire being to Him today.  God's Word says, "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully" (1 Peter 5:7 AMP).  Instead of magnifying your problems, magnify God - magnify the One who can heal, deliver, restore, and save.  He loves you, and He is for you!