In Remembrance by Ann Broughton

“This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19 NIV).

    Today is Memorial Day and a time to remember those who died while serving in the armed forces. We are humbled by their sacrifice for us. When we went to visit Washington D.C. we witnessed the changing of the guards at the tomb of the unknown soldier. It was one of the most moving experiences of my life. The precision of what they did was amazing. All of the tombstones marking those who fell during war was sobering. I came away from there feeling such an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for those who gave their lives so unselfishly for me.

   In this same manner, I approach communion. I feel sadness and gratitude that my Savior would give of his life for me. Every time I take it, I bow my head in prayer in remembrance of His love for me. That is exactly what He meant when He said the above words in this verse. We are to take communion to remember His body, broken and wounded beyond description. He took upon Himself all of our sins so that we might be forgiven and receive eternal life. He died for you and me. It is a solemn occasion and a time for sober reflection and prayer.

   Next time you take communion, remember that it is a very sacred memorial set in place by Jesus. Always remember that God loved you so much He gave His only begotten son so that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

Dear Lord,

 We are humbled by the sacrifice of those who gave their lives for our country. We also are humbled by the fact that you gave your only Son to die for our sins so that we can have eternal life. May we never forget His sacrifice and how much you love us.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

God Will Uphold You by Ann Broughton

“So do not fear, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10 NIV)

    Are you going through a tough time and need God to strengthen you? God can use challenges in your life to make you a better person and mold you into His likeness. Those experiences may seem to you tremendously difficult but you are to learn a lesson from it. Whenever you find yourself in a situation that is difficult, it is important to pray to God and ask Him what lesson you can learn through it. Trust God with your problem and He will help you. You see our characters are built on how we handle difficult challenges. It is important to use these times to trust God, pray, and portray peace in the midst of chaos. That is not easy, but God can give you that peace if you take time to remain still each day and concentrate on His love. He can give you wisdom to handle your challenge.

    I am reminded of Daniel in the lions den. He faced a big challenge with no fear because he knew that God would be with him. You see the king had made a decree that nobody could pray to any God except the king. Daniel disobeyed and prayed to God and was thrown into a den of lions to be killed. The next morning the king came to the den and asked if Daniel’s God had saved him. Daniel replied that God had sent an angel to close the lions’ mouths. No wound was found on him because he trusted God. (Daniel 6:10-23)

    You see you too can remain calm in your “lion’s den”, whatever that may be, because God is with you. But you must trust Him to do His work in the situation. Pray for guidance and believe that your deliverance is coming soon. The Bible is full of stories of men who were tested in some way and because they trusted God were rescued. 

Dear Lord,
Help me in my challenge and remember that you promised you would never leave me or forsake me. I know that you will give me the wisdom I need to deal with it. Thank you for all the examples in the Bible of faithful men who didn’t doubt your ability to rescue them.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

Sowing the Seeds of Faith by Ann Broughton

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galations 6:9 NIV).

    It is the time of year that the farmers are out in the fields sowing seeds in their fields. It mystifies me how those little seeds in the ground sprout and form plants. But you see it takes more than just planting them to make them grow. The plants must have water and fertilizer. The soil must be just right also and the farmer sometimes has to put nutrients in the soil so it is perfect for growing the plants.

    You see that is exactly like what we do when we witness to others about God’s love for them and that He loved them so much He gave His only son as a sacrifice for our sins so that we might have eternal life. When we witness to someone we are planting a seed in their hearts about God. Maybe someone else will come along and instruct them further on how they should live for Christ. Paul illustrated this in 1 Corinthians 3:6-8 NIV . “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.” 

    You see an important part of being a Christian is witnessing to others and at least planting a seed of faith in people’s hearts. If you can continue to teach a person about Christ then that is wonderful, but it may be that someone else is suppose to do that and you may never know if that person has become a Christian. But the above verse states that both the planter and the one that waters will be blessed.

God has made a very important promise about the word of God. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it”

(Isaiah 55:10-11 NIV).  If you show others what the Bible says about Christ, your words will not return void, but will be planted in the person’s heart. Always remember: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galations 6:9 NIV).

Dear Lord,

Help us as we tell others about your wonderful love for them and let us not get discouraged if we don’t see immediate results. Let us not grow weary, but believe that your word does not return void.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen