My daughter and her new husband were moving across country with all their belongings packed into a rickety trailer they were pulling behind their car. Barely a hundred miles from home they pulled off a busy Los Angeles freeway to get a snack, and to their horror they discovered that the metal rod connecting the car and the trailer was just ready to break in two. "You were mighty lucky," the service station attendant told them. "A few more minutes and that thing would have snapped. On such a busy freeway as this, someone would have been killed for sure."

  Lucky? That's not how [my daughter] Lisa saw it. "God saved us," she told me when she called home. "Just like when he provided the job for Dad after we read the book of Job. Just like he worked it out for me to go to get those shoes I needed but we couldn't afford. Just like he had the attorney talk us into raising the insurance on our house three weeks before it burned down."

  The things she mentioned had been "signs and memorials" for our family. And my daughter was calling upon them to give her strength, to remind her of God's faithful care and provision, to assure her that God would be with her and her husband now just as he had been with our family in the past. And she was adding the not-quite-broken trailer hitch to the list.

  Now Lisa and her new husband were beginning to establish signs and memorials of their own. From here on, they could look back in times of trial and uncertainty and say, "God will bring us through this. Remember the trailer and how he protected us then?" AUTHOR: Kay Marshall Strom

  Jochebed's name is only mentioned twice in the entire Bible (Exodus 6:20; Numbers 26:59), but thirty-three hundred years after her death, she is still remembered as one of the great mothers of all history.

  A mother can do nothing higher than instill her own wisdom and faith and character into her children. In Moses, in Aaron, and in her daughter Miriam, Jochebed did just this. A truly creative mother must be an authentic teacher. Jochebed had taught Miriam well. The seven-year-old Hebrew slave child conducted herself with amazing maturity and poise before the Pharaoh's daughter.

  It seems to me that no one should be surprised at Moses, Aaron and Miriam - all three outstanding human beings. Look at their mother! And the more we study Jochebed, the more evident it becomes that mothers mark their children one way or another. [Jochebed} made full, creatve use of her imagination, as well as her practical mind, when she did not stop with merely frantic prayers to the Lord God to save her baby, Moses. She was poised even in the face of potential tragedy; she was able to quiet her inner turmoil and think clearly. The plan she devised was clever, highly imaginative - and she worked with her hands to bring it to a successful ending. Jochebed was an authentic woman of God, balanced, mature, self-controlled. Her emotions ran deep, but she was not a victim of those emotions. God was her Master, therefore she was master of herself...

  [Jochebed's] life was lived to the hilt - not sensationally, but its good effects reach us today, teaching us that a woman under God's control is a woman living her life to its highest and fullest AUTHOR: Eugenia Price

  God always exploits Satan's evil intentions and uses them in his own service - just one more example of God's ability to work "out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will" (Ephesians 1:11).

  Satan plans to hinder the work of an effective missionary by arranging for him to trip in the jungle and break a leg; God allows the accident so that the missionary's godly response to pain and discomfort will bring glory to [God]. Satan brews a hurricane to kill thousands in a small village in Bangladesh; God uses the storm to display his awesome power, to show people the awful consequences that sin has brought to the world, to drive some to search for him... and to remind us that he is free to do as he pleases. We will never figure him out.

  Satan schemed that a seventeen-year-old girl named Joni would break her neck, hoping to ruin her life; God sent the broken neck in answer to her prayer for a closer walk with him.

  As a friend once said, "God sends things, but Satan often brings them. Praise God that when Satan causes calamity, we can answer him with the words that Joseph answered his brothers with when they sold him into slavery, 'You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.' " AUTHOR: Joni Eareckson Tada

  School was in session and everything was fine...fine until it was time for teams to be chosen. As the team captains called out the names of their chosen players, the air filled with awkwardness - at least for one timid teenager who was anything but agile. "O God, I hate being chosen last. Please let somebody want me."

  Have you ever longed to be chosen because you were wanted... you were desired? Child of God, the Lord chose you "before the creation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4). He chose you only because he wanted you - not because of your strength, scholarship or skill. We can take no credit or merit in being chosen, Jesus clearly states, "You did not choose me, but I chose you" (John 15:16).

  Many years ago another teenager faced being chosen. The Lord sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse of Bethlehem saying, "I have chosen one of his sons to be king". What an unfathomable honor for a family! Yet, after Samuel had surveyed Jesse's seven sons, he said, "The Lord has not chosen these... are these all the sons you have?" Well, there was David, the youngest. But he was away tending sheep - and certainly not "king material"! At the prophet's insistence, however, the lad was brought in. Immediately, the Lord told Samuel to choose David, "and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power".

  In a most crucial battle after Goliath had completely terrorized Saul's army, God used the young, inexperienced boy as the man of the hour. Imagine the Israelites' amazement as they saw "unarmored" David approaching Goliath. Just how could this teen be confident of conquest? David knew the simple principle: whatever God chooses for you to do, he will equip you to do. In a moment, David single-handedly slew the nine-foot titan. His secret? He understood the true source of strength, declaring before the confrontation, "The battle is the Lord's" (I Samuel 17:47). AUTHOR: June Hunt

  Joseph filled the barns in the time of plenty to be prepared for the time of famine. Gather the riches of God's promises which can strengthen you in the time when there will be no freedom. Nobody can take away from you those texts from the Bible which you have learned by heart.

  Lord Jesus, we do not fear the future because we know you who have the future in your hand. What a joy to know that you are the same yesterday, today and forever. AUTHOR Corrie ten Boom

  We are not wise enough to judge as to things, whether they are really in their essence joys or sorrow, but the Lord knows; and, because he loves us with an unselfish and limitless love, he cannot fail to make the apparently hard, or cruel, or even wicked thing, work together for our best good. I say "cannot fail" simply because it is an unthinkable thing to suppose that such a God as ours could do otherwise.

  It is no matter who starts our trial, whether human, or devil, or even our own foolish self. If God permits it to reach us, he has by this permission made the trial his own, and will turn it for us into a chariot of love which will carry our souls to a place of blessing that we could not have reached in any other way. I say that to the Christian who hides in the fortress of God's will, there can be no "second causes," for nothing can penetrate into that fortress unless the divine keeper of the fortress shall give it permission; and this permission, when given, means that he adopts it as being for our best good. Joseph was sold into Egypt by the wickedness of his brethren, but God made their wickedness the chariot that carried Joseph to his place of triumph over the Egyptians.

  We may be certain therefore, more certain than we are that the sun will rise tomorrow that God's will is the most lovely thing the universe contains for us; and this, not because it always looks or seems the best, but because it cannot help being the best, since it is the will of infinite unselfishness and of infinite love. AUTHOR: Hannah Whitall Smith

God of the sky,

God of the sea,

and bird and tree,

you are also

the God of me.

The pebble fell.

The water stirred

and stilled again.

The hidden bird

made song for you.

His praise you heard.

You heard him sing

from in the tree.

And searching still

I know you'll see

the love that wings

to you from me.

AUTHOR: Luci Shaw

 I remember one early spring day going out to my mailbox to look for a very late child support check. I was upset and even angry. Laban, it seemed, held all the cards.

  Then I opened my box and there was the front cover to my very first book. I remember looking at it, the sun warm on my cheek, reflecting off the glossy print; I saw my own name in big, bold type along the bottom. He can't hurt me anymore.

  I Plugged in the tea kettle, realizing for the first time just how great, how dreadfully deep, how black and immense my fear as a single mother really was. I'd been living in the shadow of starvation and with the fear of homelessness, worry for my children's welfare always driving me to work harder, save more, juggle, skimp, go without.

  Unlike Jacob, I didn't have a Rachel to talk to, or even a Leah. But I had God talking to me. "I will allow him to cheat," God whispered gently in the warmth of that early spring afternoon..."but, Brenda, I will never let him harm you. Ever."

  We can feel abandoned and orphaned, unheard from and insignificant in the great big world. But God whispers...and we know that we are safe, because none of us are ever without help.

AUTHOR: Brenda Wilbee

We

have come over a long road

to the place where we are now

          in human experience,

and in our knowledge of God.

It is an impulse

stemming from good will to say to our children,

       "this is the way I have come...

        you must learn this way..."

But our children cannot go back

to the land from which we have come.

God has asked us to bring them

to this place

and from here

they must be strong to go on

into a new world

which we may never comprehend.

DO NOT TURN BACK! KEEP MOVING AHEAD! MOVE INTO YOUR DESTINY, THE PLACE AND THINGS YOU WERE BORN TO DO.

During the construction of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., a visitor stopped to watch an elderly stone carver working painstakingly at his craft. The visitor noted that when this particular piece of carving was put in place, it would be next to the wall, where no one could see it.

  "Why are you working so hard on something no one will ever see?" asked the amazed onlooker.

  "God will see it," replied the carver.

Sometimes it is a little unsettling to realize that ours is a God who is all-seeing! We'd rather put our mistakes and blemishes in the shadows, in a corner, against a wall - anything to get them out of sight. At times we succeed in hiding that which we wish to hide from other people, but we never can hide it from God's penetrating, purifying gaze: "The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good" (Proverbs 15:3).

  But there are other times, when like Hagar, we marvel with gratitude at the God who sees. The problems we encounter that no one else seems to understand - God sees. The pain we feel - God sees. The tasks we perform for which no one thanks us or pats us on the back - God sees. AUTHOR: Mary Foxwell Loeks

  Read Genesis 3:1-13: "Then the Lord God said..., 'What is this you have done?' " (verse 13).

  "What happened?" asked God. "Did you eat from that tree I wanted you to leave alone?"

  "Yes, but it was that woman's idea," said Adam.

"It wasn't really my fault," said Eve. "That sneaky serpent tricked me."

Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. It was the first game of pass the buck in human history. Some of us may still be playing this game. We fail to accept responsibility before God for our own feelings, thoughts and behavior. We say it's our boss's fault that we missed our child's baseball game, when we scheduled the appointments. We may blame our spouse for failing to allow us to finish school, when we are the ones who gave up too soon.

Each one of us has a choice. We can choose to accept the things we can't change and learn to act on the things we can change. We gain self-respect when we decide to stop blaming others for our dilemmas and start taking responsibility for our own choices. AUTHOR Joan C. Webb

  Just thinking about Eden sometimes gives me an ache in my chest. I find myself wondering about the pure and shimmering quality of life there that somehow slipped through our fingers.

  Just picture it. It was nothing to begin with. Nothing. And then God opened his mouth and spoke, and when he did, everything started taking shape. He used his words to make a world! He called forth forces of symmetry and beauty and great power. He laid boundaries of order and balance and proportion. With the precision of a master clockmaker he set in motion the weights and wheels of a perfect creation. And then, seeing the beauty of his own handiwork, he proclaimed with pride, "Good. Good." And "Very good."

  Light, darkness, sky, land, water, winds and tides; plants, trees, sun, moon, stars and planets. And animals - flying, soaring, swimming, loping, crawling, galloping. All things in their vast array he created.

  Then finally he created human beings, both male and female - his shining glory, whom he put in charge of it all. AUTHOR: Claire Cloninger

  In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

  Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

  "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her Luke 1:26-38 NIV. THIS IS THE PROOF OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST!

  John writes what Jesus Christ reveals to him in order to comfort believers suffering for their faith. It is a book of hope, for its central message is that God and goodness will triumph over evil. Look for a combination of warnings and encouragements here - warnings against falling away from faith in Christ and assurances of ultimate victory for those who are on God's side.

  Jude is a personal letter to one or more of the congregations dispersed throughout the Roman empire. The dangers facing the church at this time are not those of outright persecution but of heretics and distorters of the faith. Although Jude is eager to write about salvation, he must instead warn his readers about immoral men who are perverting God's grace. The letter advises believers to strengthen their relationship to God with prayer and mutual support.

  Itinerant teachers sent out by John were rejected in one of the churches in the province of Asia by a dictatorial leader, Diotrephes. John writes to Gaius, his friend and a leader in the church, to thank Gaius for his help and to encourage him in his support of legitimate teachers. He also reproves Diotrephes for not cooperating and for rebelling against John's leadership.

  During the first two centuries A.D., the gospel was taken from place to place by traveling evangelists. Believers customarily took these missionaries into their homes and gave them provisions when they left. Because false teachers also relied on this practice, II John is written to urge discernment in supporting traveling teachers. Look for the challenge to be certain about what you believe and how you live.

  The author of this letter is John, the son of Zebedee and the author of the Gospel of John and the book of Revelation. John has two basic purposes in mind in this letter: (1) to expose false teachers who deny, among other things, Jesus' humanity, and (2) to give believers assurance of salvation. John stresses God's love as an example for us to follow in our relationships with each other. He encourages believers to live right and to maintain truth by maintaining fellowship with the Lord.

  The same group of Christians addressed in Peter's first letter are now in danger of being misled by false teachers. Peter, as a "shepherd" of Christ's sheep, not only teaches the church how to deal with these false teachers but also seeks to commend to his readers a wholesome combination of Christian faith and practice. Look for guidelines on developing Christian character and admonitions on how to live in view of the Lord's return.

  The recipients of this letter had been suffering various trials and afflictions, along with a very real threat of more severe difficulties to come. Peter touches on various doctrines and has much to say about Christian life and duties. I Peter has been characterized as a letter of suffering and persecution, of suffering and glory, of hope and courage. No other New Testament book so reflects the real nature and effect of God's love in Jesus Christ.