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Where do we seek shelter when the storms of life come? This morning the devotional message I read was titled "When Trouble Comes" and E.M. Bounds wrote that "the most natural thing to do is carry your troubles to the Lord and seek grace, patience, and submission there." We are indeed blessed to have such a place of shelter and safety in our times of distress. God is our strong tower and Jesus Christ our Lord is dependable and true as He tells us to pray in His Name, and intercedes for us.
My personal devotional reading this morning dealt with making all of the common things in our lives sacred. Pastor E.M. Bounds wrote that "It puts God not just in our praying and church-going, but in every aspect of life. The spirit of devotion makes the common things of earth sacred, and the little things great." Someone holding our hand as they pray for us, and telling us that we are going to be alright becomes priceless. A gentle touch conveys our love and caring even as the few words we speak in prayer comforts others. Touch; it seems such a small thing and yet is mentioned repeatedly in scripture. A common thing made holy by our devotion.
What does the church do with the fruit of great sacrifices that have been made for it? Does it horde them like provisions in its larder? Does it consume them itself like a fine wine? Or, perhaps it distributes them among the needy and deserving? This greater question that I have asked about the church begs each of us to answer similar questions of ourselves... what do I do with the fruit I receive from the sacrifice of the martyrs, and of Jesus? What do I do with the blood offering of Christ, and the suffering of so many others? There are certain things that people give you, or blessings that God lavishes upon you that are just too great to accept unto yourself. Let's look in scripture at a bible story that serves as an example...