Today's Prayer

Dear God, Thank you for being with me through another day and night. Thank you for answered prayer. And thank you for continuing to love me in spite of myself. Today I am keenly aware of people who need people. That's right...we all need each other. No man is an island and can stand alone. You know, because you created us with a need for fellowship and companionship. I pray that every person participating in this devotional time with you, and that every person who is in desperate need of this provision today, will be blessed with at least one very special person and with a network of good, Christian brothers and sisters to meet that need of fellowship and companionship. I pray that each one of us will look at ourselves and ask, am I being a good friend to others? Am I showing caring, Christian concern for my fellow man? God, you are the ultimate one with whom we have fellowship and it is you who can meet needs far beyond what any human being can meet. Everyone will have the opportunity to experience that relationship with you. I pray that you will use me to be a light to those with whom I have contact with in my daily life. May you be pleased and blessed with the fellowship of those who love you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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Road Construction
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman

"The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together..."(Isa 40:4-5 NKJV).

I don't know about you, but I hate road construction. I live in a growing city and it seems like there has been ongoing road construction for years. Everything is a mess, you can never plan your trips because of delays, and sometimes you get caught off guard when traffic signs are placed in unusual places and the natural flow of traffic takes you off the main road onto bumpy surfaces.

Recently one of our main local roads discovered a sink hole in the middle of the road. The road was closed for more than a year. We had to take alternative routes that were inconvenient and it took longer to get places.

Sometimes God takes us through our own life re-construction project. Our lives get disrupted, we can no longer depend on the things we did before, and we don't have control over our circumstances or timetable. God is doing major construction.

However, even in the midst of the re-construction the glory of the Lord is revealed in that place. For some, it is the first time they've ever seen the hand of the Lord in their life to the degree that this process allows them to experience Him. It is a process they would never choose to go through voluntarily, but it is an experience they value for the rest of their lives because the glory of the Lord was revealed in the process.

Once the process is complete, things begin to flow better. Just as the new roads allow you to drive on a smooth, more spacious area, so too God paves a way for you to move into an expanded place with Him. Isaiah tells us: "He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows" (Isa 30:23-24).

Be patient with God's re-construction project. You will like the finished project.