Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

February 11
Thursday


WHERE OUR
FEARS LIVE

READ:
1 Kings 17:17-24
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Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
__Psalm 56:3
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THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Leviticus 11-12
Matthew 26:1-25


Twelve years into our marriage, my wife and I were discouraged by the emotional roller-coaster of hopes raised and dashed in attempting to have children. A friend tried to "explain" God's thinking. "Maybe God knows you'd be a bad father." he said. He knew that my mother had struggled with a terrible temper.

Then, Christmas 1988, we learned we were expecting our first child! But now I had this nagging fear of failure.

The following August, kathryn joined our family. As nurses and doctors tended to my wife, Kathryn cried on the warming tray. I offered my hand to comfort her, and her tiny fingers wrapped around my finger. In that instant, the Holy Spirit swept through me, assuring me of what I had only recently doubted__that I would show love to this little one!

The widow of Zarephath also had doubts. Her son had been struck with a lethal illness. In her desperation she cried out, "Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?" (1 kings 17:18). But God had other plans!

We serve a God who is mightier than the struggles we inherit and who is full of the desire to forgive, love, and heal the brokenness that rises up between us and Him. God is present in the places where our fears live. __Randy Kilgore

``````````````````````````Father, make Yourself known to us in our weakest``````````````````````````
```````````````````````````Moments and in our greatest fears. Teach us to```````````````````````````
``````````````````````````receive Your love in a way that enables us to show```````````````````````````
````````````````````````````it to others, especially those closest to us.`````````````````````````````````
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Love swims against the current of life's false fears.

***************************Today's Bible Reading __ 1 kings 17:17-24***********************

17 Now it happened that
these things that the son of
the woman who owned the
house became sick. And his
sickness was so serious that
there was no breath left in
him. 18 So she said to Elijah,
"What have I to do with
you. O man of god? Have
you come to me to bring my
sin to remembrance, and to
kill my son?"

19 And he said to her,
give me your son." So he
took him out of her arms
and carried him to the upper
room where he was staying,
and laid him on his own
bed. 20 Then he cried out to
the LORD and said, "O LORD
my God, have You also
brought tragedy on the
widow with whom I lodge,
by killing her son?" 21 And
he stretched himself out on
the child three times, and
cried out to the LORD and
said, O LORD my God I
pray, let this child's soul
come back to him.


22 Then the LORD heard the
voice of Elijah; and the soul
of the child came back to
him, and he revived, 23 And
Elijah took the child and
brought him down from the
upper room into the house,
and gave him to his mother.
And Elijah said, "See, your
son lives!"

24 Then the woman said to
Elijah, "Now by this I know
that you are a man of God,
and that the word of the
LORD in your mouth is the
truth."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Today's test demonstrates persistence in prayer. Elijah was a prophet
who performed many miracles at the word of the Lord. This story
relates how a young boy was restored to life through Elijah's
pleading prayers. God honored Elijah's persistence and performed
a miracle. The test says that the Lord listened to him after he had
prayed three times. (v.22).