[Membersandfriends] Thursday, October 07, 2004

Wed Oct 6 22:02:31 PDT 2004

The Upper Room Daily Devotional -- E-mail Edition
Brought to You by Upper Room Ministries
Thursday, October 07, 2004

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Nurture a Child

Nurture the spiritual life of a child -- send them a subscription to POCKETS, a devotional magazine for children, ages 6-12.  http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?item_id=12897&ep_id=246
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IN TIME OF NEED
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Psalm 68:4-10 (NRSV)

Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
     lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds--
his name is the LORD--
     be exultant before him.

Father of orphans and protector of widows
     is God in his holy habitation.
God gives the desolate a home to live in;
     he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
     but the rebellious live in a parched land.

O God, when you went out before your people,
     when you marched through the wilderness, [Selah]
the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain
     at the presence of God, the God of Sinai,
     at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
Rain in abundance, O God, you showered abroad;
     you restored your heritage when it languished;
your flock found a dwelling in it;
     in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.

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Your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.
-- Isaiah 54:5 (NRSV)
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My husband died in 1988.  Such a loss is a difficult situation for any woman, but more so when you are 38 years old and have two young children to rear.  I suspect that this experience is one of life's most difficult roads to travel.  My faith has been tested time after time when the world seemed to be crashing all around me.

I am grateful to God for the way my spouse took care of the details to prepare me for coping with life in the event of his death.  Through his loving preparation, God sustained me and allowed me to take care of my children.  I am grateful also for the word of God that has taught me that God, the Giver of life, will continue to sustain me long after the storm has passed.

My children are now married and have families of their own.  I continue to live by God's amazing grace, lacking nothing and secure in the knowledge that the Holy One of Israel is indeed God of the whole earth -- and my faithful provider, defender, and friend.

Prayer:  O God, your word declares that you are the defender of widows and protector of orphans.  We place them in your loving hands.  Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
How has God faithfully provided for me?

-- Arlina Cantu de Canseco (Tamaulipas, Mexico)

PRAYER FOCUS: Widows with young children

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RELATED READING ...

Drawing closer to God as a family is often an easier desire to express than a practical reality.  AT HOME WITH GOD: Family Devotions for the School Year features brief, daily family devotions that can be used throughout the school year.  The book is planned especially for families with children ages 6-12.
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?ep_id=30&item_id=79654

PLEASE SHARE THIS MINISTRY with a friend. Invite them to sign up for the free E-Mail Devotional by visiting: http://www.upperroom.org/devotional/email/.

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The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible, copyright (c) 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.