By Joe Widick
September 1: Psalms 56-61
September 2: Psalms 62-68
September 3: Proverbs 12-14
September 4: Psalms 69-72
September 5: Titus and Philemon
September 6: Psalms 73-77
September 7: Psalms 78-80
September 8: Proverbs 15-17
September 9: Psalms 81-88
September 10: Hebrews 1-4
September 11: Hebrews 5-8
September 12: Hebrews 9-10
September 13: Hebrews 11-13
September 14: Psalms 89-94
September 15: Psalms 95-103
September 16: Proverbs 18-20
September 17: James 1-5
September 18: Psalms 104-106
September 19: Psalms 107-111
September 20: Proverbs 21-23
September 21: I Peter 1-5
September 22: Psalms 112-118
September 23: Proverbs 24-26
September 24: Ecclesiastes 1-4
September 25: Ecclesiastes 5-8
September 26: Ecclesiastes 9-12
September 27: Psalm 119
September 28: Proverbs 27-29
September 29: Proverbs 30-31
September 30: II Peter 1-3
By Joe Widick
In the 1940 classic Pinocchio Walt Disney used the classic lines from an ancient nursery rhyme. I know you remember the lines and have possibly repeated them as a child as you hopefully made a wish.
Star light, star bright, First Star I see tonight. Wish I may wish I might have the wish I wish tonight
You and I are grown up now! The innocent wish of a child has been replaced by the reality that life at best seems complicated. One turns in this direction or that for guidance, but seemingly we many times forget to look to our God for needed guidance. Our God is great and powerful. Some night when you’re away from the city lights, “lift up your eyes on high” (Isaiah 40:26). There in the heavens you’ll see a luminous band of stars stretching from horizon to horizon—scientist call it our galaxy.
It has been said that if you have good eyes, you can see about 5,000 stars, according to astronomer Simon Driver. He goes on to tell us there are far more that you and I cannot see with the naked eye. In 1995, the Hubble Deep Field Study space probe concluded that there are billions of galaxies, each containing billions of stars. By one estimate, there are more than ten stars in the universe for every grain of sand on the earth. It is hard for me to imagine such numbers and magnitude. Then I can remember back to God’s word long ago and remember that each night, without fail, God “brings out their host by number; …by the greatness of His might…, not one is missing” Isaiah 40:26.
When I reflect on passages like this it brings comfort to me. My God knows what is going on in my world because He makes certain that each night the stars are brought out. I am convinced that he knows “those who are His” (II Timothy 2:19). If he can bring out the incalculable hosts of heaven each night one by one, He can bring you into His light. He can offer you the peace of mind that you need. He can give you the strength to deal with challenges that you face on a daily basis. He is able to give you guidance in the storms of life and lift you above hustle and bustle of the world. I believe that we can see the power of God’s creation; we can feel the power of His love all around us.
Take a moment tonight after you read this article and look into the heavens and think for just a moment that God has called these stars out tonight. Rejoice! And again I say Rejoice! Why? Because we know this means that God cares for you and I.
By secretary
You are invited to attend the Ladies’ monthly Bible class as we study “Prescriptions for a Woman’s Soul” from 2 Peter 1:5-7. This class is for ladies of all ages as we meet together in each others homes, study and enjoy a meal together. We meet the first Tuesday of every month. Please make plans to spend this time with your sisters in Christ.
By Joe Widick
Growing up, I had two collections that were extremely important to me. One was my baseball card collection. I think that I have some relatively important cards, none however that I could sell and retire on. My other collection is my trinket collection. Each Saturday my grandfather would take me to the neighborhood store, where he would pay the bill for the weeks groceries and give me 10 pennies to put in the gum ball machine where sometimes I would get gum other times I would get a little trinket. When I married, both collections stayed at my parents home. They stayed there for years until one day at the Nashville Flea market, I ran across a man selling ball cards. It caught my attention and I realized I had many of the cards he was trying to sell. I couldn’t get to my collection quick enough. They were right where I had left them years ago. Dreams of wealth quickly vanished as I looked at tattered edges of my less than perfect cards. One day my collections will be passed on to others in my family. They will then be someone else’s collection. My youngest son organized my cards and put them in protective plastic to hopefully preserve their value. My granddaughter Faith ask each time she comes over to see the trinkets. I think I know who will be getting my collections.
Thought: What value would it be to have collected much on earth but little or nothing for eternity? The master teacher was speaking to his disciples and said; “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20). The truth of the matter is that eternal treasures never lose their worth. They can never be spoiled or stolen. And just think—we can actually stockpile them! How? Through acts of service and kindness. We can also lead others to know about the love of Jesus. We can become compassionate to those in need. We are also able to live in accordance to the will and ways of Jesus. We all remember the event in the life of Jesus where the rich young rulers’s heart was tested by Jesus when he asked him to sell all he had, give it to the poor and follow Him. The ruler’s response revealed what he really valued. It is easy to become enamored with stuff, but when you make the choice to follow Jesus, He’ll show you the joy of collecting eternal treasures. Neither my youngest son nor granddaughter will acquire great wealth with my collections. I do trust that each day they live, they will be able to find happiness in storing up treasures for eternity. Nothing on earth can compare! I would encourage us all to hold tightly to what is eternal and loosely to what is temporal.
By Danielle Gray
Please sign up on the youth bulletin board if you would like to help provide food for youth devos. See Mary Wright or Tammy Robertson with questions.
By Joe Widick
When Elaine and I were first married, and for many years following, we were only able to drive “clunkers.” That was OK until one broke down or didn’t want to start. Inevitably I would get out and raise the hood of the car to take a look. I guess I was hoping that there would be a little tag on the part that was broken that would read “fix me I am the problem.” I guess Elaine never understood why I would raise the hood and take a look because I always returned with “I don’t know what is wrong.” or “I can’t fix it!” I guess it was what a man was supposed to do. I simply did not know where to start.
The lesson today comes from a question that Pilate asked. “What shall I do, then with Jesus who is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:22). Everything Pilate tried to do, didn’t work. He was perplexed. Have you ever felt that way in life? What do I do, where do I go, who do I turn to for help in life? Sometimes we feel as though I don’t know what is wrong, but I really believe that there is something wrong. Or have you ever pondered that your problem is such that you will never be able to fix it. May I be so bold as to offer some suggestions for those times when life seems to be getting the very best of you? On one occasion the Disciples of Christ came to him and asked; “Teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Maybe you would be thinking that everyone knows how to pray. After all, all you do is bow your head and mumble some words in the name of Christ. But isn’t it much more than that. Maybe the disciples were sensing a real need was coming in their life and they wanted to get this thing called prayer right! They would see Jesus pray in the temple, in the wilderness, in quiet places, in the Garden of Gethsemane and eventually on the cross. They would realize the importance of prayer in helping them in life’s situations. But what should we pray for, how lord do we go about really praying the type of prayer you want us to pray. In the model prayer (Luke 11:2-4) Jesus gives us some insight. Our savior taught us to ask that God’s name be honored and that His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. As you pray this, you can boldly ask him for your daily provisions, for forgiveness of sin and for the deliverance from temptation and evil. It seems like Jesus in three short verses has given us the tools we need to work with, to be able to “fix it!” I don’t know all the problems you face in life. My challenges may pale in comparison. I do however believe with all of my heart that, what I do with Jesus, will help me be more committed to “fixing my problems” than allowing them to grow and grow. I can fix it with the help of my savior who simply said; “Come to me all of you who labor and are heavy laden.
By Joe Widick
August 1: Nehemiah 11-13
August 2: Philippians 1-4
August 3: Esther 1-5
August 4: Esther 6-10
August 5: Colossians 1-4
August 6: Job 1-4
August 7: Job 5-8
August 8: Job 9-12
August 9: Job 13-16
August 10: Job 17-20
August 11: Job 21-24
August 12: Job 25-30
August 13: Job 31-34
August 14: Job 35-38
August 15: Job 39-42
August 16: Psalms 1-8
August 17: Psalms 9-17
August 18: I Thessalonians 1-5
August 19: Psalms 18-21
August 20: Psalms 22-27
August 21: II Thessalonians 1-3
August 22: Psalms 28-33
August 23: Psalms 34-27
August 24: Proverbs 1-3
August 25: Psalms 38-42
August 26: Proverbs 4-7
August 27: I Timothy 1-6
August 28: Psalms 43-49
August 29: Psalms 50-55
August 30: Proverbs 8-11
August 31: II Timothy 1-4
By Joe Widick
On my “fancy” cell phone, I finally figured out I can play radio stations on it. The other day I found one of those stations that played the old country songs as opposed to the modern sounds of today. I guess you would say when country songs were real country. One of the songs that came on over the airwaves was Tennessee Ernie Ford’s hit of the 50’s “Sixteen Tons.” People seemed to be able to identify with this coal miner’s lament about feeling trapped and unable to change his situation no matter how hard or long he worked. The fate of the coal miner was deplorable. They often found themselves living in company-owned houses and were paid in “scrip” —coupons valid only at the company- owned store. The song lamented that even if the coal miner was summoned to heaven, the miner said he couldn’t go because he owed his soul to the company store. The strong base voice of Tennessee Ernie Ford made the listener feel the hurt and anguish of the coal miner.
Do you recall a story in the Old Testament where it seems that the people felt the same hopeless resignation. For 400 years the Hebrew people had found themselves in bondage in Egypt. It was getting up and doing the same task each and every day, seemingly without any hope of a better tomorrow. When Moses told them of God’s promise to release them from slavery, they didn’t listen to him “because of the anguish of spirit” (Exodus 6:9). It seemed as though they were so far down they couldn’t look up.
Thankfully God did something for them that they could not do for themselves. The Lord prepared a great deliverer in Moses and with God’s guidance he began a most remarkable journey that lasted for 40 years. One can only imagine the day in and day out events as they were led towards the promise land. Their disobedience and lack of trust in God prevented those over 20 years of age from seeing and entering the promise land. As majestic and marvelous as this story is, it only foreshadows God’s powerful intervention on our behalf through His Son Jesus Christ. Paul wrote the following thoughts to the Romans; “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). This gives us hope, this causes us to look to the future with an optimistic outlook. When life is at its lowest ebb, we are not without hope because of the wonderful grace of God. Understand that no one is hopeless whose hope is in God.
By Joe Widick
On my “fancy” cell phone, I finally figured out I can play radio stations on it. The other day I found one of those stations that played the old country songs as opposed to the modern sounds of today. I guess you would say when country songs were real country. One of the songs that came on over the airwaves was Tennessee Ernie Ford’s hit of the 50’s “Sixteen Tons.” People seemed to be able to identify with this coal miner’s lament about feeling trapped and unable to change his situation no matter how hard or long he worked. The fate of the coal miner was deplorable. They often found themselves living in company-owned houses and were paid in “scrip” —coupons valid only at the company- owned store. The song lamented that even if the coal miner was summoned to heaven, the miner said he couldn’t go because he owed his soul to the company store. The strong base voice of Tennessee Ernie Ford made the listener feel the hurt and anguish of the coal miner.
Do you recall a story in the Old Testament where it seems that the people felt the same hopeless resignation. For 400 years the Hebrew people had found themselves in bondage in Egypt. It was getting up and doing the same task each and every day, seemingly without any hope of a better tomorrow. When Moses told them of God’s promise to release them from slavery, they didn’t listen to him “because of the anguish of spirit” (Exodus 6:9). It seemed as though they were so far down they couldn’t look up.
Thankfully God did something for them that they could not do for themselves. The Lord prepared a great deliverer in Moses and with God’s guidance he began a most remarkable journey that lasted for 40 years. One can only imagine the day in and day out events as they were led towards the promise land. Their disobedience and lack of trust in God prevented those over 20 years of age from seeing and entering the promise land. As majestic and marvelous as this story is, it only foreshadows God’s powerful intervention on our behalf through His Son Jesus Christ. Paul wrote the following thoughts to the Romans; “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). This gives us hope, this causes us to look to the future with an optimistic outlook. When life is at its lowest ebb, we are not without hope because of the wonderful grace of God. Understand that no one is hopeless whose hope is in God.
