Author: Mary Custer

What Do You Have?

Exodus 4:1-4:20

 God never directs our attention to what we don’t have, but to what we do have even though it seems small.   God gave us everything we needed to do the job.  It is not your ability, your knowledge, your talent, or the size of your gift or the beauty of your gift that matters.  All that matters is: How much of God is in your heart.  Your heart represents what you have that you’re willing to surrender to God.  When God gets in it, it’s enough. The difference is the power of God.

I have just enough meal and oil for one little cake said the widow of Zarephath.  I have just a little pot of oil, said the widow woman who was in debt and in danger of losing her sons to a life of slavery.  There is a lad here with two fish and five loaves of bread, but what is that among so many asked Philip a disciple of Jesus.  But in each case their little bit was enough.  When they put it in God’s hands it became more than enough.  When Samson was assaulted by the philistines, he started looking around for something, anything that he could use and he found the jawbone of an ass and with it slew a thousand men.  What made this jawbone Samson’s weapon of choice? Answer: It was there, it was available, and it was within reach.

Memorial Day is a public legal holiday in the United States of America and among its armed forces worldwide. It honors U.S. citizens who have died in war and the price that was paid fighting for the freedom that we now enjoy.  

The word memorial in scripture comes from a word that means to prick, to pierce, or to penetrate the memory.  So memorials are to aid man’s memory in preserving what he cherishes the most. All throughout the Bible God ordained and instituted the practice of building and having memorials because he wants us to remember. The very first Passover was to be a memorial to the Jewish people forever. It would serve to remind them how God spared their firstborn and how He delivered them from Egyptian bondage.  The Israelites when they were in the wilderness were commanded to take a pot and fill it with manna. They were instructed to do that so they would not forget how God had provided for them.  Then they came to the Jordan River and Joshua commanded twelve stones to be taken out of the Jordan River and be set up as a memorial of how God cut off the waters of the Jordan and allowed them to pass over on dry ground.

There are three reasons to build memorials.  1. To increase your own faith. Too many times we forget the things that God has done for us in the past so we have no faith for the future.  2. To increase the faith of others. Build so that it will encourage others to have faith.  God parted the Jordan for me and he can do it for you.  3. To give you victory over the devil.  The devil will tell you that nothing happened.  You can point him back to your memorial and tell him God did it for me right there.  Reflect upon your spiritual memorials today- Praise and rejoice!

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2012May27

 

Heavenly Father we thank you for our mothers to whom You have entrusted the care of every precious human life from its very beginning in the womb. You have given to woman the capacity of participating with You in the creation of new life. Grant that every woman may come to understand the full meaning of that blessing, which gives her an unlimited capacity for selfless love for every child she may be privileged to bear, and for all Your children.

To mothers, You have been given the great privilege and responsibility of being a child’s first teacher and spiritual guide. Grant that all mothers may worthily foster the faith of their children, according to the Word of God and following the examples of other holy women who follow Christ. Help mothers to grow daily in knowledge and understanding and grant them the wisdom to impart this knowledge faithfully to their children, and to all who depend upon them.

Assist all “spiritual mothers”, those who, though they may have no children of their own, nevertheless selflessly care for the children of others — of every age and state in life. Grant that they may know the joy of fulfilling this motherly calling of women, whether in teaching, nursing, religious life, or in other work which recognizes and fosters the true dignity of every human being created in Your image and likeness.

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2012May13

 

We ask your blessing on all those to whom You have entrusted motherhood. May Your Holy Spirit constantly inspire and strengthen them. May they ever imitate Godly examples of fidelity, humility, and her self-giving love.  We ask this all in the precious name of Jesus. AMEN.