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Posted on 01/01/2024 3:15:48 PM PST by luvie
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Bible in a Year :
God sets the lonely in families.
Holly Cooke didn’t have one single friend when she moved to London for a job. Her weekends felt miserable. The city itself tops the list for feeling blue—with 55 percent of Londoners saying they’re lonely, according to a global survey, compared to just 10 percent of residents in neighborly Lisbon, Portugal.
For connection, Holly defied her fears and formed a social media group called The London Lonely Girls Club—and some thirty-five thousand have joined. Small-group meetups every few weeks offer park picnics, art lessons, jewelry workshops, dinners, and even outdoor exercise sessions with puppies.
The challenge of loneliness isn’t new, nor is the Healer of our feelings of isolation. Our eternal God, wrote David, “sets the lonely in families; he leads out the prisoners with singing” (Psalm 68:6). Asking God to point our way to Christlike friends is a holy privilege and, thus, a request we can freely take to Him. “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling” (v. 5), added David. “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens” (v. 19).
What a friend we have in Jesus! He grants us forever friends, starting with the glorious presence of Himself every moment. As Holly says, “Friend time is good for the soul.”
Reflect & Pray
What do you enjoy about friendship with Jesus? What does He teach you about being a forever friend to others?
When my heart feels lonely, dear Jesus, please point me to a good friend—starting with You.
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Looks like someone had lots of fun!
Are y’all at the beach right now?
No...sitting in the AC dreading going out to work. LOL.
Tippy can stay home in the AC for now, while I go to work.
Good afternoon luvie.. I agree! That view would put a smile on my face... flowers and sunshine.
Bible in a Year :
I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.
President Abraham Lincoln had emancipated people held in slavery two-and-a half-years earlier and the Confederacy had surrendered, yet the state of Texas still hadn’t acknowledged the freedom of enslaved persons. However, on June 19, 1865, Union army general Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and demanded that all enslaved persons be released. Imagine the shock and joy as shackles fell off and those in bondage heard the pronouncement of freedom.
God sees the oppressed, and He’ll ultimately announce freedom for those under the weight of injustice. This is true now just as it was true in Moses’ day. God appeared to him from a burning bush with an urgent message: “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt” (Exodus 3:7). He not only saw Egypt’s brutality against Israel—but He also planned to do something about it. “I have come down to rescue them,” God declared, “and to bring them . . . into a good and spacious land” (v. 8). He intended to declare freedom to Israel, and Moses would be the mouthpiece. “I am sending you to Pharaoh,” God told His servant, “to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (v. 10).
Though God’s timing may not happen as quickly as we hope, one day He’ll free us from all bondage and injustice. He gives hope and liberation to all who are oppressed.
Reflect & Pray
How have you seen God work to help the oppressed? How does He invite you to participate in His work?
Dear God, there’s so much oppression in the story of our world. It’s easy to despair. Please help me stay attuned to Your intention to announce freedom.
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Have a good night!
Finally getting under 90 degrees on Thursday.
Had torrential rain this afternoon.
💦💦💦
I’m glad it will get cooler tomorrow. It will here, too. I’m soooo ready for fall. LOL!
I love your tagline.
Ugh! It’s been in the 90s all week here.
Bible in a Year :
His compassions never fail. They are new every morning.
For three years, apart from household necessities, Susan didn’t buy anything for herself. The Covid-19 pandemic affected my friend’s income, and she embraced a simple lifestyle. “One day, while cleaning my apartment, I noticed how shabby and faded my things looked,” she shared. “That’s when I started to miss having new things—the sense of freshness and excitement. My surroundings seemed tired and stale. I felt as if there was nothing to look forward to.”
Susan found encouragement in an unlikely book in the Bible. Written by Jeremiah after Jerusalem fell to Babylon, Lamentations describes the open wound of grief suffered by the prophet and the people. In the midst of grief’s despair, however, lies sure ground for hope─God’s love. "His compassions never fail,” Jeremiah wrote. “They are new every morning” (3:22-23).
Susan was reminded that God’s deep love relentlessly breaks through anew each day. When circumstances make us feel there’s no longer anything to look forward to, we can call to mind His faithfulness and look forward to how He’ll provide for us. We can confidently hope in God, knowing our hoping is never in vain (vv. 24-25) because it’s secured in His steadfast love and compassion.
“God’s love is my ‘something new’ each day,” Susan says. “I can look ahead with hope.”
Reflect & Pray
When have you felt unable to see any hope in your situation? How does the promise of God’s love as “new every morning” give you hope?
Thank You, dear God, because each day brings with it Your certain, steadfast love.
Deal head-on with pain and pressure in this study.
What a awesome thought today with this great passage in Jeremiah... one of my most favorite. His Mercies are NEW every morning!!
I had never thought of it in this way.
Again Thankyou Mayor for your “ faithfulness”.
Today is the first day of summer so our heat will arrive... all too soon for me. I am a winter person!
lolol.... late at responding but gotta LOVE that Chillin’!!!
Today it’s very easy to chill...right now it’s 76 rather than 96. I’m a happy person! And this the first day of summer, too! WooHoo!!
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I just had to go out on an errand and found out we are NOT in the 80’s!! LOLOL.... local temp right now says 75! perfect temp! Nice to start summer off cool.
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