Matthew 6:31-33

Mornin', y'all! :D
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Matthew 6:31-33
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

Mom and I went to a Bible study last night and the topic was "contentment". These verses came up, and we got to talking about George Mueller and how completely he depended on God, never asking anyone for anything or storing things up ahead of time "in case of a rainy day". That was the life God had called him to, and God proved himself faithful to George and the orphans he cared for over and over and over again.
But I got to wondering--does God call everyone to live *that* sort of life? Where does complete dependence on God meet the wisdom of planning and providing? So, with that question in mind, I pulled out my trusty concordance this morning and looked up the words like "prepare" and "provide" (and their various forms), and here's some of what I found:

• God provided the lamb for sacrifice in place of Isaac. (Genesis 22)
• God provided food and water for the Israelites in the desert. (Exodus 16:11-15, 17:1-7)
• The disciples were commanded not to take money or provision when Jesus sent them out by twos. (Matthew 10:9-10)
• And many other times when God alone provided for His people.

On the flip side:

• Husbands and fathers are to provide for their families. (1 Timothy 5:8)
• David planned and provided for the building of the temple, gathering the materials for Solomon to have it built. (1 Chronicles 22:5)
• The ant is held up as an example, gathering food in the summer and harvest to prepare for the winter. (Proverbs 6:6-8)
• The virtuous woman is praised for her industry in caring for her family, and her foresight in providing for them. (Proverbs 31:10-27)
• Paul worked as a tentmaker to provide for his ministry, and Joseph stored up grain, etc. in preparation for providing food during the famine.

But for all of these, though they were working, planning, preparing, providing, their trust was still in God alone. So, here is my conclusion: it's not so much a question of what you do, but where is your trust? You can plan out what you're going to eat and stock up on groceries and still be trusting God for your daily bread! :D
That's what it means to "seek first the kingdom of God...". Even in our planning and preparation, are we seeking Him? Do we trust Him, or do we trust our hardwork?

Father, thank You for the many, many blessings You have poured into my life! Even as I try to plan things out and prepare for the future, help me to keep my focus on You and my trust in You!

May the Lord bless you as you seek His kingdom and righteousness first!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website

Lamentations 3:55-58

Good morning, all! :D
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Lamentations 3:55-58
I called on Your name, O LORD, from the lowest pit. You have heard my voice: “Do not hide Your ear from my sighing, from my cry for help." You drew near on the day I called on You, and said, “Do not fear!” O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life.

I'm sure we've all had days, times in our lives, when we felt like we were in "the lowest pit". But even there God can hear us when we cry out to Him. And even there He comes to us, and from even there He redeems us.
Corrie ten Boom once said, "There is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still." How true!

Father, thank You so much for all the "even there's" You've redeemed me from!

May the Lord bless you richly as you turn Your eyes to Him, even there.

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website

Psalm 36:7-8

Mornin', y'all! :D
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Psalm 36:7-8
How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.

God loves to shower His blessings on His people. He doesn't dole them out carefully, as if there are only so many and they have to go around. No...He is infinite, and so are His blessings.
From "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young--"Because I am infinite in all My ways, you need not fear that I will run out of resources. Abundance is at the very heart of who I AM."

Father, thank you for the abundance of blessings that You have poured into my life! Help me to trust You for all I need, knowing that You are not skimpy or limited, but are generous and infinite!

May the Lord bless you richly with all that He is!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website

Exodus 9:1

Good morning, y'all! :D
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Exodus 9:1
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

God's purpose for Israel's liberty was service. He wanted them free from slavery to Egypt so they could serve Him voluntarily.
I'm reminded of Galatians 5:1--"For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." God freed us from slavery to sin so we could serve Him, primarily by serving one another.

Father, help me to use my liberty to serve You and others!

May the Lord bless you as you serve Him!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website

Exodus 6:10-13

Good morning, everyone! :D
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Exodus 6:10-13
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go out of his land.” And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, “The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?” Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, and gave them a command for the children of Israel and for Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

God is reminding Moses of the reason he is back in Egypt—to lead the people out—and Moses wants details. He asks, “How? The Israelites won’t even listen to me, why would Pharaoh?” As if to say, “Just trust Me”, God replies by simply reiterating the charge He's given to Moses and Aaron. Moses had reached a point where God was done repeating Himself and explaining the “hows” and “whys” and Moses was just going to have to step out in obedient faith.

Father, help me to follow You in faithful obedience, even when I can't for the life of me figure out how it's going to work!

May the Lord bless you richly as you live in obedience to Him!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website

Exodus 6:1, 9

Hey, y'all!

I wanted to ask y'all to be praying for Matt, Patrice, and Jonah Williams. Jonah was born just a couple weeks ago, and he was born with an extremely rare genetic skin disorder called Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). He's a strong little fighter, but it's a scary situation and I know the family would appreciate your prayers. You can read more about them and keep up with how they're doing at http://patriceandmattwilliams.blogspot.com/.
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Exodus 6:1, 9
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”
So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage.

God had to bring Moses to the point where he knew he couldn’t do what God had called him to do. Once that was abundantly clear, then it became equally clear that anything good that did happen was unquestionably God’s work. I believe that God does not give us little human-sized visions or missions, but that He calls us to accomplish God-sized tasks so He can work through us. We grow in Him and He gets the glory!
Moses then tried to offer the other Israelites the same reassurance he had received, but they wouldn’t listen “for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage” (Exodus 6:9b). They would not even listen because they were too focused on their current problem and the pain they were experiencing, rather than being focused on God and hearing His precious promises.

Father, help me to focus on You, not on my problems, hearing and believing Your precious promises!

May the Lord bless you richly with His joy and His grace!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website

Exodus 5:19-23

Good morning, everyone! :D
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Exodus 5:19-23
And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble after it was said, “You shall not reduce any bricks from your daily quota.” Then, as they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who stood there to meet them. And they said to them, “Let the LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.”

I guess Moses had forgotten that God told him this was how it would be. When He first called Moses, God warned him that Pharaoh’s heart would be hardened and he wouldn’t let them go, “no, not by a mighty hand” (Exodus 3:19b). But Moses got too sure of himself (and Aaron) and was losing sight of what God had said. When we forget what God has said and Who our message and mission have come from, it leads to discouragement every time. We start questioning and despairing because we’ve lost sight of the bigness of our God. As Paul told the Thessalonians, "He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

Father, help me to keep my eyes on You and Your faithfulness, persevering in doing Your will Your way, however long it may take and whatever obstacles I may face.

May the Lord bless you richly as you keep your eyes on Him!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website

Exodus 4:18-20

Happy Monday, everyone! :D
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Exodus 4:18-20
So Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” Now the LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.” Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

If anyone could have been justified in taking off without the blessing of an authority, it would have been Moses. He'd just gotten a direct, spoken command from God through a burning bush! Yet Moses was careful to stay under authority by getting the blessing of Jethro, his father-in-law and employer, before leaving. He had tried doing things outside of proper authority before, when he killed the Egyptian, and it hadn’t turned out very well. However, when we stay under the blessing of the authorities God has placed over us, there is an added measure of God’s protection, guidance, and blessing.

Father, help me to stay under the authorities You have placed in my life, honoring them and trusting You to work through them to guide and protect me.

May the Lord bless you richly as you yield to His authority in your life!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website

Exodus 2:11-15

Good morning, y'all!
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Exodus 2:11-15
Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, “Why are you striking your companion?”
Then he said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”
So Moses feared and said, “Surely this thing is known!” When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.

You know the rest of the story--Moses meets Jethro's seven daughters at the well, marries Zipporah, settles into the life of a shepherd. While he's watching the sheep one day, God shows up in a burning bush and calls him back to Egypt to lead the people to the Promised Land.
When Moses tried to take matters into his own hands by killing the Egyptian, he was absolutely wrong. The end does not justify the means. However, God--in His own amazing way--worked even through Moses’ sin to land him right where He wanted him. That, really, is the whole story of Moses’ life: God working His perfect plan, in His perfect way and with perfect timing, through imperfect people. How encouraging that is!

Father, I'm so glad that You work through broken, messed up vessels to accomplish Your will! If You could only use perfect people, I'd be in trouble...help me to follow You in Your perfect way, trusting Your perfect timing!

May the Lord bless you richly as He works His perfect plan in your life!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website

Exodus 1:8-10

Hey, everyone!
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Exodus 1:8-10
Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.”

The king really had nothing to fear, but he had forgotten the history of these two nations. He did not remember, or perhaps had never learned, what God had done for Egypt in the past. When we forget God’s work in our history, it leads to fear for our future, which causes us to make unwise decisions in our present.

Father, help me to remember Your amazing works, and to choose to trust and follow You because You have always been faithful!

May the Lord bless you richly with His grace and joy!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website

Proverbs 1:1-7,22

Good morning, y'all! :D
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Proverbs 1:1-7, 22
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion—a wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
"How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge."

We were talking about these verses at the "young people e-group" meeting last night. Pastor Joe said that the word for "simple" and "simplicity" in verse 22 were the same word, and that it literally meant "open or roomy". His point was that people who want to be "open-minded" are really being "simple" or foolish. Well, of course I couldn't just take his word for the definition of the word; I had to check it out myself when I got home. J So, here's what Strong's has to say: "simple"=silly (i.e., seducible); from 6601 [to open; i.e. be (causatively, make) roomy] ". So he was right. And the conclusion is a good one. Those who are so concerned with being "open-minded" are easily led astray because most of the time, they'll just swallow whatever you tell them without filtering it through anything. That's foolish!! I'm reminded of my favorite open-mindedness quote; I think it's Mark Lowry who says, "Don't be so open-minded your brains fall out."
However, there's a bit of a flip-side to this coin. In verse 5, it says that "a wise man will hear and increase learning". Even wise men are continually learning more. In fact, one of the greatest earmarks of wisdom is the knowledge that you don't really know much of what there is to know. So, then, I guess they are "open-minded" in the sense that they're open to learning more. But I think the better word for this is "teachable". There is a difference between being teachable—willing to learn—and just accepting everything anyone says. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. They are not willing to learn, to search out answers and grow in wisdom. They can be "fact-aholics", stuffing their heads full of knowledge, but without the fear of the Lord all that knowledge means nothing.
So—will you be teachable, or "open-minded"?

Father, help me to keep a teachable heart, always willing to learn and grow in wisdom, yet committed to filtering everything through Your word to ensure that it is truth.

May the Lord bless you richly with a wise and teachable heart!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website

John 11:34-45

Good morning, everyone!
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John 11:34-45
And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”
Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

This little story is all about belief. First the Jews questioned--"couldn't He have kept Lazarus from dying?" Then Martha questioned--"are You sure You want to do that, Jesus? By now, the body stinks"--and Jesus patiently reminded her of their earlier conversation. And then Jesus raised the dead and a lot of those who had doubted now believed.
I think my favorite part, though, is Jesus' prayer. Have you ever heard someone praying and known that they were actually talking to *you*? Like when my dad would pray at family devotions when I was a kid, and we'd be wiggling or whispering or whatever and he'd throw in a sentence like this: "And I pray that You'll help the kids to be still and pay attention." (By the way, those prayers always seemed to work amazingly well. :D) Well, I think Jesus' prayer here is rather similar to that. “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” It doesn't get much more direct than that! Jesus wanted to make sure the people standing around knew where His power came from. He wasn't just some "good teacher" or "prophet" who happened to be able to raise the dead. His power, His authority even over death, came straight from God Himself. If He had that God-given authority over death, shouldn't He have authority over life--our lives?

Father, You are sovereign, not just in theory but in reality. You orchestrate the entire universe, yet You wait for me to yield to Your authority in my life. Well, I am Yours--completely and unreservedly!

May the Lord bless you richly as you trust in His sovereign authority!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website

John 11:28-33

Good morning, y'all!
I'm trying a new way of doing the Mornin' SunShine e-mails. This is actually published to a blog, then e-mailed to you. It allows me to schedule a post to publish, which means I can set it up to still send out the devotionals when I'm going to be gone. It will also automatically archive all the posts/e-mails for me. The old archives will still be on the main Mornin' SunShine website, though. (http://www.psalm686.com/MorninSunShine)

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John 11:28-33
And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there." Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.

Look at the difference between how Jesus responded to Mary and how He responded to Martha. They both say almost the exact same thing, but He has a "deep" conversation with Martha, whereas He just starts crying with Mary. Why? It's not because He likes one more than the other, or because one is better in some way. They're just different. But who says different is bad? Jesus grieved with both Martha and Mary, each in their own way. He meets each person where they are, the way they are.

Father, thank You for always meeting me where I am, with just what I need, giving me the freedom to be "me" in Your grace!

May the Lord bless you richly with His grace and joy!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website