Devotional 8-5-16

SISTERLY ADVICE 

“This is the world today.”  Mass attacks, Terror Attacks, Killing policemen, Killing the innocent, Black Lives Matter, White lives matter, All lives matter, foul language in politics…….Enough!   Enough!  I hurt!  Stop it! And it continues….I cannot accept it, I will not accept it!  And it continues….I hurt!  I hurt!  What can I do?  What can I do?  I expressed this in my Sunday school last week. Every day and every night when turning on the news, there it is again! Some say turn off the news. That did not help.

I have a sister who is younger than me. If you have one of them, you know sisters. Sometimes when talking with your sister, one is thinking ahead of what to say next and not really concentrating on listening. So I was expressing my pain with the world and how I was hurting, when all of a sudden, I found myself really listening. She said, “Take yourself out of the picture, quit letting it be about you.” Think of the victims and their pain.  Pray to God to help them deal with their pain and sorrow.  Prayer can be a most powerful resource for them and the world.  Ask God to help THEM and not YOU. My little sister had definitely judged me and hit the nail on the head. I do not take sister criticism well but I finally saw what I was doing to myself.  So now I pledge to what a good Christian should do----Pray for God’s healing power for the victims of all the chaos that is happening in this country and world.

Today’s sermon by Rev. Deane was about Mary and Martha.  Martha was so concerned about food preparation and was upset with Mary’s not helping her that she complained to Jesus about it. Jesus told her that Mary had chosen best to listen to Him.  I think my sister told me that to quit complaining and Let God handle it. Sisterly advice that struck home.

Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, Help us to keep in mind that prayer can be most powerful, especially when we consider others more than ourselves.     Amen  

Carolee Brown