Monday Praise

 Yesterday's sermon by our Pastor about prayer was right on...from Luke 11:1-13.  I think you will enjoy it...but first you'll have to listen to the Praise Team singing "We'll Soon Be Done with Troubles and Trials"

"Some of these days I'm going home where no sorrows ever come,

We'll soon be done with troubles and trials.

Safe from heartache pain and care we shall all that glory share.

Then I'm gonna sit down beside my Jesus, sit down and rest a little while

We'll soon be done with troubles and trials

Yes in that home on the other side

Shake glad hands with the elders, tell my kindred good morning

Sit down beside my Jesus, sit down and rest a little while.

I shall behold His blessed face, I shall feel His matchless grace

We'll soon be done with troubles and trials

Oh what peace and joy sublime in that home of love divine.

Then I'm gonna sit down beside my Jesus, sit down and rest a little while

We'll soon be done with troubles and trials

Yes in that home on the other side

Shake glad hands with the elders, tell my kindred good morning

Sit down beside my Jesus, sit down and rest a little while

We'll soon be done with troubles and trials

Yes in that home on the other side

Shake glad hands with the elders, tell my kindred good morning

Sit down beside my Jesus, Sit down beside my Jesus

Sit down beside my Jesus, and rest a little while

Sit down and rest a little while, little while.

The part that struck me most about the Luke 11 passage was this:

Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking

9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 

10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 

12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 

13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

I have not been on Blogger much this past week, and only a few of you know the reason why. But I feel thankful and blessed so much right now that I want to share with you what has been going on.  

Our Son Benton and his wife Rose (picture taken last fall).

Saturday was our oldest son's 50th birthday! We had planned to have a wonderful family celebration for him on Friday because of their scheduling, etc.,  and family and friends were to come from quite a distance to honor his birthday.  Well, last Sunday our sweet Rose developed a fever and started having a cough and sinus issues. Yes, she tested positive for Covid. The next day Benton came down with the same symptoms, and therefore of course they had to close their business and stay home all week. Needless to say, the birthday party was cancelled until further notice. Thankfully my hubby and I had not been with them for over a week prior to when they got sick, and of course we have stayed away from them all week. We have, however, been cooking some meals, picking up groceries, etc., and delivering them to their front door. Of course they didn't open the door until we were way out of the way.

So, those verses our Pastor preached upon yesterday really hit home with me.  If a son asks for bread, would you give him a stone...or if he asks for a fish, would you give him a serpent? Or if he asks for an egg, would you give him a scorpion?    I am sure you would all agree with me in responding "Of course not!"  We would do anything within our power to help our kids and relieve their suffering in any way possible.  If we could take their pain away and take it ourselves, we would.  But thankfully God has not asked us to do exactly that.  What He does ask us to do is Ask, Seek, and Knock...."A.S.K."  Ask God and it will be opened to you...Seek God and you will find...Knock on the door of God's heart, and it will be opened to you.  

That is what we've been doing this week...asking, seeking, and knocking...praying for healing for our kids.  It's been a rough week for them...and last night Benton was very concerned for Rose as she just didn't seem to be getting better. He was planning to take her to the hospital today if she wasn't significantly improved.  (BTW, when you test positive for Covid, they just send you home to fend for yourselves.  They had to call their doctor, and she told them what OTC medicines to take...no prescriptions were given or offered...just fight your way through this, and if you can't breathe, go to the emergency room, which is full, and our hospital is full, etc., etc.)  So when I heard that, my "asking, seeking, knocking" on heaven's door was turned up a notch.  I spent a rather restless night, and every time I couldn't sleep, I was praying for Rose to be better today.  Of course I prayed for Benton too, but he seemed to be getting stronger while she was not.  

So you can imagine my joy and elation and thankfulness when I called them this morning and Rose actually answered the phone, and she almost sounded like her "old self".  Still sounds like someone with a bad cold, but she sounded stronger, and she even giggled when I told her how happy I was to hear her voice this morning.  My heart is overflowing with thanksgiving and praise.  God heard my prayers and I do believe He has answered them.  I do believe they will continue to regain strength from here on out.

"In my distress I called upon the Lord,

And cried out to my God;

He heard my voice from His temple,

And my cry came before Him, even to His ears."

Psalm 18:6

For those of you who knew about this, I want to thank you for your prayers on their behalf.  And for those who are just now learning of this, prayers are still needed.  They still have a ways to go before they are ready to get back to work. They have a business to run, and everyday they are closed they are losing money.  Thankfully they had two women they know who are vendors in their store, and they volunteered to open the store on Friday and Saturday so they could hopefully make some sales.  And praise God, they made enough on those two days to actually cover what they probably would have made if they had been open all week!  God is so good.  This week is another issue, but again, I believe God is going to take care of them. He knows their needs and He knows exactly how to provide whatever they need.  Our God is an awesome God, and we are blessed and so very very thankful.

Thank you for taking the time to read all of this.  You are all a blessing to me.