Mark 13:1-37 (NIV)

End Times

1 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!"

2 "Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately,4 "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?"

5 Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you.6 Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many.7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

9 "You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

12 "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.13 Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

14 "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation't standing where itt does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out.16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak.17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!18 Pray that this will not take place in winter,19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.

20 "If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them.21 At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it.22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

24 "But in those days, following that distress,
"'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;

25 the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'t

26 "At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

28 "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that itt is near, right at the door.30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Day and Hour Unknown

32 "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.33 Be on guard! Be alertt! You do not know when that time will come.34 It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

35 "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'"

God Calling

A professor sat at his desk one evening working on the next day's lectures. His housekeeper had laid that day's mail and papers on his desk, and he began to shuffle through them discarding most in the wastebasket. He then noticed a magazine, which was not even addressed to him but delivered to his office by mistake. It fell open to an article titled "The Needs of the Congo Mission."

Casually he began to read when he was suddenly consumed by these words: "The need is great here. We have no one to work the northern province of Gabon in the central Congo. And it is my prayer as I write this article that God will lay His hand on one--one on whom, already, the Master's eyes have been cast--that he or she shall be called to this place to help us." Professor Albert Schweitzer closed the magazine and wrote in his diary: "My search is over." He gave himself to the Congo.

God may be calling you. Perhaps He's calling you to a ministry. Maybe He's calling you to put away habits that are hindering your spiritual growth. How should you respond? Let's look at the example of Abraham.

What Does God Say?

God told Abram: "The Lord had said to Abram, 'Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you."
"So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth--his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran--and headed for the land of Canaan." (Genesis 12:1-5, NLT).
Obedient faith, that's how to begin the journey--especially the journey of leaving the past and/or our past lives behind. And when we respond to God and His guiding, we'll find ourselves on the journey of a lifetime--a journey that God blesses.

• What are the lessons you learn from Abraham's response to God's call in the above Scripture?
• Which of these lessons do you have the most difficulty applying?
• What did God promise Abraham?

My Thoughts

When God calls us to leave behind our old lives, it doesn't necessarily mean a physical leaving like Abraham's move to a distant land, but it could mean something even harder--like leaving bad relationships or old habits.

• How can you let go of those kinds of things in order to follow Jesus?
• How will you measure your success?

My Part

Get alone with God. Spend time in prayer. Make the right decisions, decisions that square with God's will and God's Word. And then, spend a lot of time in prayer asking the Holy Spirit to give you strength, to give you wisdom, to give you the right timing and the courage necessary to step out on your journey of faith. If you have someone who can help you, then accept their support; if not, the Holy Spirit is more than enough help to give you a clean break with your past.

Trust and Obey

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Genesis 13-15 Matthew 5:1-26

Trust and Obey

Genesis 13-15, Matthew 5:1-26
Key Verse: Genesis 15:6

In Romans 4:3, Paul cites Genesis 15:6, which says, “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” Abram’s life of belief is evident. When God told him to move, he moved. That was an act of obedience coupled with remarkable trust. God did not tell him where but that He would later show him the place. Without the course clearly marked, Abram believed and did what God wanted.

Abram’s belief was commemorated in altars. He built altars in Shechem, Bethel and Hebron. The first was at the place where God promised that the land would be given to Abram’s descendants. That altar served as a reminder of that promise. At the other locations Abram “called on the name of the Lord.” Those altars were places of prayer.

When returning from the rescue of Lot, Abram met Melchizedek, the priest of God Most High. To him Abram gave a tenth of everything, an act of worship recounted in Hebrews. Abram believed, and it showed. He remembered God’s promise, prayed and worshiped. His belief was not a one-time decision but a lifetime dedication.

Believe! And then live what you believe.

“God, help me not to forget the blessings that come from You. May my worship of You be constant because You are the God of every day and every place.”

God Gave

Are you following the truth? God gave us many things to help us discover the truth. Let’s take a look at some of them.

God gave us a brain. He expects us to use it. Isaiah 1:18 NKJV says “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the LORD “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool”. Psalm 34:8 NKJV tells us to taste and see the Lord is good.

God gave us His word. Psalm 68:11 says “The Lord gave the word”. He expects us to study it and discover His truth like the Bereans did in Acts 17:11 NKJV “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” In addition, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV tells us “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

God gave His Son to die for us. Psalm 53:3 NKJV says “Every one of them has turned aside; They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.” Romans 6:23 NKJV says “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Through one man, Adam, sin entered mankind. Another man, the Son of God, paid the price for our sin so we wouldn’t have to (Romans 5:12-17). John 14:6 NKJV says “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

God gave His Holy Spirit to those who believe in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for their sins. First Corinthians 2:14 tell us the natural man thinks the things of God are foolishness and he can not know them for they are spiritually discerned. John 16:13 NKJV says “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.” The Spirit is given so we might know the things that have been given to us freely by God (1 Corinthians 2:12).

So are you ready? Are you ready to use your brain, receive His Word, accept His sacrifice for your sins and receive His Holy Spirit?

Step into God’s glorious truth today. Today is the day of Salvation. If you haven’t received Jesus as your Savior, pray something like this:

Jesus, I believe the Word of God. I now understand I am not saved by my own goodness. Please come into my life and make my sins as white as wool. Give me your Holy Spirit to lead me in all truth. In your name I pray. Amen.

© Elizabeth Marks, author of ThinkOnIt Devotions and has a heart for encouraging others with God’s Word. For more devotions, bible studies and a recommended book store, visit http://www.ThinkOnItDevotions.com today.

Trusting God With Your Financial Future

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (BP)--So, what's in your future? No, this has nothing to do with horoscopes, but many Christians make financial decisions based on fear of the future, instead of trust that God will provide for them.

Fear of the future can cause families to forfeit the blessings of God, because they base decisions on the latest headline or stock market report. Too often, Christians give little thought to God's ability to take care of them.

This doesn't mean that we shouldn't plan ahead to ensure financial stability for our families; however, when Christians find that attitudes of fear and worry are motivating financial decisions, they need to reevaluate their financial priorities, and recommit to trust in the Lord.

Withholding from God
Often, Christian families that are motivated by fear of the financial future will cut back on their tithes and offerings. Mistakenly, they see this as a first step in an attempt at financial stability.

Recent events such as U.S. relations with North Korea, war in Iraq, turmoil in the Middle East, gasoline prices, rising trade deficits, major layoffs, threat of terrorism, and an unstable economy, have caused many Americans to be concerned about the future.

The U.S. economic slowdown has the financial well-being of many Americans hanging in the balance. They worry about not having enough money to pay normal monthly bills, and the rash of recent mortgage defaults has devastated many families. Many Americans live so close to the edge financially that a prolonged economic downturn could put them in serious financial straits.

Despite all this, and even though many are very concerned about the financial future, consumer spending has not dropped proportionately. Actually, there has been very little change in the percentage of their income that Americans spend.

Still, there has been a shift in how the funds are spent. Less money is being saved and contributed to churches and charitable organizations, while more is being spent on credit card interest, recreation, alcohol, gambling (primarily through state lotteries) and pets.

This gives us good reason to pause and review what Jesus said: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.... No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money" (Matthew 6:21, 24).

The Bible says we are to honor God with the tithe – the first-fruits of our income. Keeping our financial vows to God is the way to ensure that we will not become victimized by a financial downturn.

Withholding your financial commitments to the Lord so that you can buffer yourself against potential future financial hardships will end up costing your financial security rather than guarding it, simply because God's blessings will not be on such a self-imposed buffer.

Faith Conquers Fear
Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as something we hope for that we do not presently have. God's plan seems to be that we have some needs so that we can develop our faith in Him. It is vital for us to view potential future financial needs as opportunities to exercise and develop our faith.

No Christian can truly serve God and live in fear of financial loss. Jesus makes it very clear in the passage from Matthew 6, that we must make a choice – either serve God or money, we cannot serve both. Fear of our financial future exhibits a lack of trust in God and in His provision. In other words, when we fear the future, we choose to serve the fear of financial loss, rather than to trust and serve God, Who has conquered all fear and holds the future in His hands.

Whom Will You Trust
We live in a materialistic society and generally base our priorities on desires and wants, rather than on needs. The perspective of what is actually a need is often clouded by what our materialistic society says we need.

Although God has promised that He will always supply our needs, He has not promised that He will supply all of the wants that society calls our needs. Even though we sincerely ask God to honor our request to supply the money to repair our microwave, automatic dishwasher or second car, His answer may very well be "no."

You see, we may be asking with the wrong motives (James 4:3). It may not be the right time, according to God's will and purpose (2 Corinthians 12:1-10). Or, it may be contrary to His overall plan (Acts 21:13-14). After all, we are to serve God, not expect Him to serve us (Job 41:11).

It's a matter of "who're you gonna trust?"

Trust God
There are some important steps we must follow that will help us trust God completely with the present and the future.

-- Find God's direction for your life. Most frustrations that Christians experience are the result of trying to model their lives after someone else's life. Instead, through prayer and study, find God's will for you.

-- Make a conscious effort to trust God. Put thoughts, words and commitments into action and trust God. Don't buy on credit. Plan ahead and wait for God to supply your needs.

-- Develop a long-range perspective. Trust God's directives and His guidance (Matthew 6:34).

-- Pray diligently. Prayer is the key that unlocks God's blessings, power and direction (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18).

Although we are bombarded daily with events that can cause doubt concerning our financial future, we must never doubt that God is in complete control. Refuse to panic, and do not be governed by fear of the future. Keep your commitments and vows to God, pray without ceasing and trust your future to Him without reservation.

Written by Howard Dayton

Howard Dayton is co-founder of Crown Financial Ministries and the current host of Crown's radio program, "Money Matters." Dayton and the late Larry Burkett joined forces in 2000 when Crown Ministries, led by Dayton, merged with Christian Financial Concepts, led by Burkett. The new organization became Crown Financial Ministries, on the web at www.crown.org.

Nothing But

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Hebrews 9 Jeremiah 51-52

Nothing But

Jeremiah 51-52, Hebrews 9
Key Verse: Hebrews 9:12

The glass doors, front windows, display cases or even cash registers of stores tell us the variety of ways we can pay for our purchases-VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, debit cards, checks and cash. Some retailers also have a coupon program or voucher system, maybe a card filled with stamps. Options abound.

That is the way it is at gas stations, department stores, restaurants and other places of business, but not the way it is in regard to salvation. In the words of the old hymn, it is "nothing but the blood of Jesus" that can make the payment for our debt of sin.

This chapter of Hebrews draws our attention to what Jesus has done for us. It especially reminds us that we are not saved by His life or by His example but by His shed blood. We also must remember that salvation is nothing in or of ourselves but is totally of Him. Again, as a songwriter put it, "Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling." As this chapter says, "He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption" (6:12).

While some people might want to turn away from this imagery, preferring instead to focus on Jesus' life and example, we must remember that it is by His death, burial and resurrection that we are saved. Again, quoting from a modern writer, "We had a debt we could not pay; He paid a debt that He did not owe."

"Thank You, God, for my salvation. It is a gift given freely to me but one that was purchased at great price. I thank You for the shed blood of Jesus."

Applied Faith

Daily Bible Study

Topic: Jesus, Obedience/Discipleship, Faith/Trust

Applied Faith

Some people just love numbers! They revel in figures, formulas and statistics. They're grounded in the reality of facts, eager to determine concrete solutions for problems. And that's great....unless Jesus is asking for more.

What Does God Say?

In John 6:5-14, Philip, one of Jesus' disciples, was busy with figures and facts. They were in a hungry crowd, with no pizza delivery and no money to pay the bill. For Philip, the problem was this: 5,000 people + 5 loaves of bread + 2 fish=big disaster!

"Jesus said to Philip, 'Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?'.... Philip answered him, 'Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little'" (John 6:5, 7, ESV). And he was right. But Philip only saw the facts before him, so he crunched out his formula and came up short.

Jesus had another idea. Look at John 6:6, the verse we skipped, "He [Jesus] said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do" (ESV). Jesus knew what He was going to do; He just asked Philip to give this disciple an opportunity to grow in faith. Jesus wasn't asking for solutions--He already had one in mind. He was looking for a heart that would trust Him. Philip was so busy considering his options and obstacles that he completely forgot who he was talking to.

Someone, however, did have an inkling of faith's possibilities. John 6:8-9 says, "One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 'There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?'" (ESV) Andrew saw something Jesus could work with, but he wasn't sure what was possible. But as Jesus said at another time, "What is impossible with men is possible with God" (Luke 18:27 ESV).

Faith doesn't ignore the facts; it just adds Jesus. Faith is confident in what Jesus can do, who He is and what He promises. It views the facts or numbers through the lens of Jesus' power and places them all into His hands.

My Thoughts

There were other times when Jesus looked for faith from people who were caught up in facts and circumstances.

Mark 2:1-12

Mark 7:24-30

John 4:46-54

John 9:1-7, 24-38

• What are the facts?
• How was someone required to exercise faith?
• What were the results?

My Part

So, what about you? Caught up in the facts or numbers of your circumstances? Are you lost in a problem which seems to have no formula or solution? Then take a few minutes to make some notes:

• What are the "facts" or "numbers"?
• Strip it down to the essentials.
• Can you see two or three ways you might take a step in faith?
• Then add those to your notes.

Now, take your notes to Jesus in prayer. Remember, it's not that you disregard the facts, but that you ask Jesus to take care of the equation. Ask Him for His help; give the "five loaves and two fish" into His hands.

What Does God Say?

My Thoughts

My Part

Psalm 73

Daniel Corey Devotions

Psalm 73:25 b “…Besides You, I desire nothing on earth.”

One day, I hope to do a complete exposition and sermon series on this Psalm, but today let us focus on just one small gem that holds within it such profound implications. This verse forces us to ask one question which perhaps is so forward, so obvious, so outright that you might not have caught it. The question we ask our selves when we read this verse is, “Could I say that? Is that true about me?” The Psalmist says that besides the Lord, all things that lie outside of the boundaries of our beautiful Savior Jesus, all other pursuits, wants, longings, desires, passions, distractions, possessions, people, all things that are not Christ have no appeal to me! I don’t even want them! This verse is saying, “Lord I have searched my heart carefully, I have looked in the deepest parts of it and I have found that not only are You all that I need, You are all that I desire! You are all that I want! The world and all of the passing pleasures that fill it and assault my heart in attempt to get me to desire them hold no ground here Lord, because You have both filled and satisfied me, and I long for no other water but Yours.” This verse causes us to look deep into our hearts, deep into our desires and thoughts and ask, “Do I desire anything but Christ?” If you do, the Bible has a word for that, it’s called idolatry. The Lord often said that Israel did the right actions, but their hearts, their desires, were far from God. Don’t be deceived, your desires, if not focused purely on God, is idolatry.

I wanted this devotional to be shorter, so that you have time to sit and think and examine your heart. Let’s close in prayer.

“Father, you know my heart, my desires, whether evil or good. You are not fooled like everyone else, you see who I am inside. Lord, forgive me for only giving you intellectual ascent, for stopping short of honoring you with my thoughts and desires as well as my actions. Don’t let me fall into the darkness of this world and it’s lies, but keep my foot firmly planted on the rock of Truth. Jesus, be the center of my desires. Help me to search out those desires that are not for You and give me the strength to put them out of my life. Continuously encourage me to put off those worldly things I desire, no matter how seemingly minor, and help me to put on desires for You and renew my heart and my thoughts with your Word. Help me to be constantly thankful for the sacrifice that You made on my behalf. I thirst to be made more thirsty and I hunger to be made more hungry still. Grant me the courage to fight for the pure desire of You, so that I might please you and might be made more into the likeness of Your Son, Jesus Christ, in Who’s name I pray, Amen.”

Experiencing God When You Get a Raw Deal

When I was 21 years old, after months of struggle between head and heart, between will and emotions, I chose to allow Christ to be Lord of my life. That decision meant breaking off a relationship with a girl whom I loved very deeply and had assumed would one day be my wife. We had dated for over two years. We were both believers, we both loved God, and we both loved each other more than anything or anyone we had ever known. But the dream in her heart for our future was to live across the street from her mom and dad. As an only child, she was very close to her parents and felt a deep responsibility to them as they approached their twilight years.

She was everything I ever dreamed a wife would be, but I knew deep in my heart that God wanted me to be willing to go wherever He called me, whenever He called. As much as I loved her, I knew she was not part of God's will for my life. At that point in my journey with Christ, breaking up with her was the greatest sacrifice and the most excruciatingly painful decision He had asked me to make.

I knew in my mind that saying good-bye to her was right. But in my heart, I was a basket case for the rest of the year. I remember crying out to God to change her heart. I didn't date anyone else. I didn't want to. I secretly prayed and fasted and hoped God was simply testing my loyalty - that just as Abraham received Isaac back after being willing to let him go, God would one day give her back to me. I was sure God would reward my faith and faithfulness.

Instead, God did the unthinkable.

I played basketball in college. One particular night, after another loss, I was emotionally down, physically fatigued, and spiritually frustrated. As I made my way up the stairs from our locker room to the exit, I looked up to see something I hadn't seen in months. There at the top of the stairs was "my girl." She was standing in our spot next to the railing, leaning against the glass by the exit.

My heart started racing. I couldn't believe it. I thought God had answered my prayer and I started planning how we'd get a bite to eat and talk about the future just like old times. But as I got closer and my eyes met hers, I knew something was different. There was no warm smile, no step toward me, no arm around my waist. Only an uncomfortable, "Hi, Chip."

Suddenly, I realized she wasn't there waiting for me. She was waiting for someone else. Before I could fully grasp what was happening, another player on the team bounded up the stairs and grabbed her hand. I watched in stony silence as she put her arm in his and they walked off across the campus into the night.

I could not believe my eyes. I felt rage, betrayal, and complete disillusionment welling up from the depths of my soul. I asked God, "How could You let this happen to me after the great sacrifice I made for You? And how could You let her get hooked up with him?" I knew this player's intentions with girls. I had heard all about his former conquests. I knew how he mocked my faith in God.

As I walked across campus, I was rethinking whether this God I had come to know was worth following. I was questioning if I wanted to continue in a relationship with a God who rewarded great sacrifice and commitment with such injustice and pain. I was questioning the character and trustworthiness of God. I remember mumbling certain phrases to myself as I made that lonely walk to my dorm room. "I feel like an animal. I am so angry. Why do the people who don't walk with God get all the good stuff? And why, instead of getting what's good, do I get what's lousy? Why is life so unfair? Why, God, did You let this happen?"

I didn't grow up reading the Bible. I opened it for the first time when I was 18. As a new Christian at the age of 21, I had begun reading it regularly and trying to learn to hear God's voice through the pages. But I was totally unprepared for what I was about to experience.

When I got back to my dorm room, I opened my Bible to where I had been reading in the book of Psalms. I determined to give God three or four psalms to speak to me. If He didn't speak to me and help me make sense of this raw deal, I was going to quit the Christian life. If the commitment and sacrifice for God I gave equaled the raw deal I got, then Christianity wasn't worth it. I wouldn't worship a God who worked like that. (As a Christian who has matured and walked with God for many years now, I know this isn't the best way to go about hearing God speak through His Word.)

The first two psalms I read did nothing for me. But giving God His "third chance", I turned to Psalm 73 and had an encounter that has forever marked my life. I had no idea that the God of the universe could interact through His Word in such a personal and powerful way with a mere human being. As I read the psalm aloud, the Spirit of God brought thoughts and pictures to my mind of what had occurred that night and the words I'd said while walking across campus. Then He answered in His Word the very questions I had so angrily asked Him.

Reading Psalm 73 was like reading my biography. The psalmist had my same problem. The wicked he described acted just like my teammate, and talked about God in the same way. My efforts to remain pure also seemed in vain. And I had worried in the same way about how my quitting the faith would have impacted some of God's children - those I met with in Bible study, five of whom I had led to Christ.

As the psalmist began to get a little of God's perspective, so did I. I thought of all God had done for me. As my anger and hurt began to subside, I realized with the psalmist that God is my only real security in life. The Holy Spirit seemed to be dictating the psalm to me to help me in a way I had never imagined possible. God had heard my agony, and He spoke clearly. He reminded me of His sovereign power and His sovereign love. He gave me hope.

After studying Psalm 73 extensively, I see four major life lessons that flow from this psalm. There are four things God wants us to do in order to work through the raw deals we've experienced.

Life Lesson #1: Pour Out Your Heart To God

Asaph, the writer of this psalm, illustrated the first principle by pouring out his heart. Even godly people struggle with doubts and confusion when God's truth and their experience don't match. Life doesn't always make sense. At times, God's truth (God is good) and our experience (life stinks) don't mesh.

Asaph was one of three directors of King David's choir and a key Old Testament worship leader. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he wrote a number of psalms we still read today. When God's truth and his life experience didn't mesh, this mature man of God poured out his heart to the Lord. His experience is preserved for us in Psalm 73.

Job did exactly the same thing. The most righteous man on earth lost his possessions, his children, and his health. He said, "God, I am angry! I don't understand what is happening or why it is happening!" He poured out his heart as he wrestled with the conflict between God's goodness and sovereignty and the tragic loss he experienced. What I love about this story is God never gets angry with him for honestly sharing his frustration and anger. God can handle our accusations, our overwhelming fear, and our blazing anger. We must remain reverent, but we are free to pour out our hearts to God.

God wants us to bring our anger, hurts, and doubts to Him. When we do, He enables us to reach the point Job did of being able to acknowledge that the interplay of God's goodness and His sovereignty is a mystery. We can't always make logical sense of the tough things we go through. But we can know the One who is in charge of it all and tell Him honestly how we feel.

In fact, God calls us to argue our case before Him. He so longs for a relationship with us that He invites us to tell Him anything and everything we're thinking and feeling. In all of my life I'd never been that angry with God, and that's when He met me like never before. To my amazement, He met me with compassion.

Life Lesson #2: Carefully Consider Your Choices

One of the most important decisions we will ever make is how we respond to life's raw deals. Few things are as difficult to deal with emotionally and spiritually as injustice. And when we're victims of injustice, we're greatly tempted to walk away from our faith. Asaph was angry, but he realized his actions might weaken other people's faith in the Lord. It's a fact of life that we never do anything in isolation. Our actions always affect the network of people around us.

It's so easy to act irrationally when we are mad and hurting. Some of the dumbest things we may ever do will be because of anger and bitterness when someone has wronged us. Reeling from injustice, we say and do things we wish we hadn't. So I implore you, as you emotionally relive a raw deal, get before God and carefully consider the implications of how your response will affect those around you.

If you are still affected by old wounds, God's Word to you today is that it is never too late to find healing for the pain a raw deal has caused. We deal with injustice in one way or another, and that results in outbursts of anger or silent resolution to distance yourself from God and other people, both options have their impact on you as well as on the people in your life.

Life Lesson #3: Get the Big Picture

The psalmist teaches us that it's only when we look at life from an eternal perspective that we realize what's really important and what's not. How do we get that perspective? I believe the key is found in verse 17 when the psalmist says that he "entered the sanctuary of God." Asaph had been ready to give up on his relationship with God (see v.2). He thought he had kept his heart pure in vain (see v.13). But as Asaph worshiped, his perspective shifted from the short-term and temporal to the long-term and eternal. The passage doesn't tell us whether he was worshiping alone or with fellow believers. But the result of the worship was he saw life from the perspective of eternity and that made all the difference in how he would handle the raw deal. Acknowledging that life looks very good for the wicked now, Asaph proclaimed that no one who violates God's laws, His power, or His authority goes without paying the price at some point (see vv. 18-20). Comparing the destiny of the wicked to the destiny of the righteous prompted a reevaluation in his heart as it did in mine.

Asaph talks about how he was grieving and bitter (see vv 21-22) and then there is a shift in the psalm - "Yet I am always with you" (v. 23). Like the psalmist, we need to realize that, when a raw deal comes our way, we have God. We may not have a job anymore. We may not have a house or an inheritance or a relationship. But we can proclaim to the Lord, "I have You, and You hold me by Your right hand. You guide me. You promise to be my portion. You are always with me, and You love me regardless of the circumstances in which I find myself." (see vv 23-24, 26).

When we worship as Asaph did, we gain an eternal perspective of what is real wealth and what is not. That same eternal perspective helps us endure the lost relationship, the lost money, the gossip, the betrayal, and the painful disappointments. The eternal perspective keeps the raw deal from destroying our lives. That raw deal does not have the power to destroy us unless we turn bitter, get vengeful, or let it eat us up.

We do live in a fallen world where bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. But even though our world is fallen, it is subject to its Maker. God is in control. God allows raw deals, but He promises to work them ultimately for our good (see Romans 8:28).

Life Lesson #4: Reaffirm Your Relationship with God

As we walk through Psalm 73, a clear pattern begins to emerge. Asaph starts dealing with the emotional upheaval in his heart by first pouring out his heart to God. Then he moves from his emotions to a logical evaluation of the situation. He was tempted to desert his relationship with God, but instead he carefully considered the impact the decision would have on others. Next, Asaph gets the big, eternal picture - this is a raw deal for now, but God holds eternity in His hands.

The psalmist moves from processing his difficult situation to acting in response to it. Asaph realized that ultimately God's presence is the only sure source of security and joy, both now and forever. Asaph chooses to continue to follow the Lord based on one specific attribute of God - His sovereignty. In light of God's goodness and sovereignty, Asaph surrenders his life afresh not only to the person of God, but also to His purposes.

Asaph also believes the day will come when he will be vindicated. He shares, "I will tell of all Your deeds" (v. 28). Are you ready to let go of your desire for vengeance and tell God that you trust Him to even the score in His way and in His time? God will give you a story to share about the good things coming out of your raw deal if you are willing to hang in there. Focus on God's goodness and trust His sovereignty. Keep in mind that God is your only true security. His presence can be a source of joy and sustaining power, even in the midst of great pain.

Excerpted from the study guide, I Am with You Always, by Chip Ingram.

When You Can't Do Anything

Daily Bible Study

Topic: God's Care, Faith/Trust

When You Can't Do Anything

If you're facing a problem that seems unsolvable, what do you do? If your problem is physical, you'd probably see a doctor; if your problem is financial, you might seek financial counseling; if emotional, you might talk with your pastor--whatever your problem is, it's likely you would use any methods available to provide a solution. But what if nothing worked? Jesus encountered a man like that in His ministry.

What Does God Say?

"Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie--the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, 'Do you want to get well?'
"'Sir,' the invalid replied, 'I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.'
"Then Jesus said to him, 'Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.' At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked" (John 5:1-9 NIV).
Jesus spoke to a paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda who had been unable to walk for 38 years. The man had been dealing with his affliction for so long, he must have had moments of hopelessness and despair--feeling he'd never be cured. But the waters in the pool offered some hope. (Evidently a legend existed that said the first person who got into the pool when the waters were stirred would be healed.) And this paralyzed man had waited and wished for someone to lower him into the waters when that happened but no one was available.
The point of this story is that when the paralyzed man encountered Jesus, his situation improved. Jesus made the difference in his life. He makes the difference in your life, too, when you know Him. His Spirit comes to live in you and begins to work all things out for your good and His glory (See Romans 8:28-29).

My Thoughts

Read again today's passage and answer these questions:

1. What were the first words Jesus spoke to the paralyzed man?
2. Why do you think Jesus asked him that?
3. Did Jesus put the man into the waters?
4. Instead of relying on a legend, what did Jesus do to help the man?

My Part

When you come to a place in life so difficult that you feel helpless and hopeless, and there is nothing you or anyone can do, what then? Then is when you must trust the only person who is able to help and can bring hope to any situation--Jesus. Will you trust Him today?

"Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28 NLT).

What Does God Say?

My Thoughts

My Part

Girlfriends in God

Is Jesus Enough?

Angela L. Craig

Today's Truth

"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV).

Friend to Friend

I recently attended a Women's Conference in which the speaker challenged us with the question, "Is Jesus enough?" My immediate answer was a resounding, "YES!" until she started to unpack the question. The speaker asked us, "Is Jesus enough when your spouse walks out, when you lose your job, when your child dies, when you can't conceive a child, when an illness side-swipes you?" As she spoke, the list seemed painfully endless as the reality of my personal denial of this question hit me like a train coming at full speed. I knew that at that very minute, I could say that Jesus was more than enough, but I couldn't honestly say I would feel the same if tragedy struck my life.

I don't know about you, but when God wants me to learn a lesson, the theme of that lesson seems to recur like a revolving door. So, it will be no surprise to you that the very next day I picked up my Bible study and the author of the Bible study might as well have written, "Is Jesus enough?" at the top of each page.

I asked God this question, "God, tell me why Jesus would NOT be enough in my life?" God answered this question through two biblical illustrations. First, I was reminded that as a daughter of Eve, I have the same innate desire to know how tomorrow will turn out; like Eve I want to eat from the tree of knowledge. My inner Eve would say, "If God loves me then He would want me to know the future so I can feel secure."

Second, I am like the Israelites who wondered the desert grumbling and complaining even though God provided daily for their physical and emotional needs. My inner Israelite says, "God may provide shoes, food, and His presence on my walk in the desert, but I want more than that. I want some fun red pumps, a French bistro with fancy linens and a fast car to get out of the desert as soon as possible!"

What I realized was that Jesus will never be enough for me if I let pride or fear make me doubt His desire to be the provision for my every need. You see, friends, God promises that His mercies are new every day; that we can trust Him to provide for our every need in His perfect time (Lamentations 3:22-25). No matter what your need is today, can you say that Jesus is enough? Do you trust and believe that God loves you and has a purpose and plan for your life? Do you believe that His provision, mercy, grace, and forgiveness are available for you each day? If you have any question about whether or not Jesus is enough, cry out to God, for He is waiting to answer you!

Let's Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you that you promise to provide daily for my every need. I am grateful that I can trust that your Word is the truth and that I can rely on it to provide comfort and insight into any life situation. Lord, open my eyes to anything that may be holding me back from believing that Jesus really is enough. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Now it is Your Turn

1. Consider the question, "Is Jesus enough?" Write down some personal reasons of why you believe He is enough or why you believe He is not enough.

2. Read Matthew 6:11. What do you think God is trying to teach us through this scripture?

3. Read the following verse. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34 NKJV). What does Jesus teach us about tomorrow?

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Forgetting What's Behind, Reaching for What's Ahead

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
There are two days that can steal the joy from today. One is yesterday and the other is tomorrow. Paul exhorts in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” We are to forget the past the guilt, the glory, the grief, and the grudges. Paul was one who was guilty, along with others for the stoning of Stephen. He said he was the chiefest of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). But, Paul buried that guilt in the grave of God’s forgetfulness.

ACTION POINT:
Maybe you’ve done something so horrible, that you’re gripped with fear to think someone would find out what you’ve done. Have you repented? Then, don’t be haunted by the ghost of guilt.

The Only One and Only

The Only One and Only
by Max Lucado

Two of our three daughters were born in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We lived in the North Zone, separated from our doctor's office and hospital by a tunnel-pierced mountain range. During Denalyn's many months of pregnancy, we made the drive often.

We didn't complain. Signs of life do a samba on every street corner. Copacabana and her bathers. Ipanema and her coffee bars. Gavea and her glamour. We never begrudged the South Zone forays. But they sure did bewilder me. I kept getting lost. I'm directionally challenged anyway, prone to take a wrong turn between the bedroom and the bathroom. Complicate my disorientation with randomly mapped three-hundred-year-old streets, and I don't stand a chance.

I had one salvation. Jesus. Literally, Jesus. The Christ the Redeemer statue. The figure stands guard over the city, one hundred twenty-five feet tall with an arm span of nearly a hundred feet. More than a thousand tons of reinforced steel. The head alone measures ten feet from chin to scalp. Perched a mile and a half above sea level on Corcovado Mountain, the elevated Jesus is always visible. Especially to those who are looking for it. Since I was often lost, I was often looking. As a sailor seeks land, I searched for the statue, peering between the phone lines and rooftops for the familiar face. Find him and find my bearings.

John 3:16 offers you an identical promise. The verse elevates Christ to thin-air loftiness, crowning him with the most regal of titles: "One and Only Son."

Do what I did in Rio. Seek him out. Lift up your eyes, and set your sights on Jesus. No passing glances or occasional glimpses. Enroll in his school. Make him your polestar, your point of reference. Search the crowded streets and shadow-casting roofs until you spot his face, and then set your sights on him.

You'll find more than a hospital.

You'll find the Only One and Only.

III. PRAYER AND TRUST

III. PRAYER AND TRUST

“One evening I left my office in New York, with a bitterly cold wind in my face. I had with me, (as I thought) my thick, warm muffler, but when I proceeded to button-up against the storm, I found that it was gone. I turned back, looked along the streets, searched my office, but in vain. I realized, then, that I must have dropped it, and prayed God that I might find it; for such was the state of the weather, that it would be running a great risk to proceed without it. I looked, again, up and down the surrounding streets, but without success. Suddenly, I saw a man on the opposite side of the road holding out something in his hand. I crossed over and asked him if that were my muffler? He handed it to me saying, ‘It was blown to me by the wind.’ He who rides upon the storm, had used the wind as a means of answering prayer.”
William Horst
Prayer does not stand alone. It is not an isolated duty and independent principle. It lives in association with other Christian duties, is wedded to other principles, is a partner with other graces. But to faith, prayer is indissolubly joined. Faith gives it color and tone, shapes its character, and secures its results.
Trust is faith become absolute, ratified, consummated. There is, when all is said and done, a sort of venture in faith and its exercise. But trust is firm belief, it is faith in full flower. Trust is a conscious act, a fact of which we are sensible. According to the Scriptural concept it is the eye of the new-born soul, and the ear of the renewed soul. It is the feeling of the soul, the spiritual eye, the ear, the taste, the feeling—these one and all have to do with trust. How luminous, how distinct, how conscious, how powerful, and more than all, how Scriptural is such a trust! How different from many forms of modern belief, so feeble, dry, and cold! These new phases of belief bring no consciousness of their presence, no “Joy unspeakable and full of glory” results from their exercise. They are, for the most part, adventures in the peradventures of the soul. There is no safe, sure trust in anything. The whole transaction takes place in the realm of Maybe and Perhaps.
Trust like life, is feeling, though much more than feeling. An unfelt life is a contradiction; an unfelt trust is a misnomer, a delusion, a contradiction. Trust is the most felt of all attributes. It is all feeling, and it works only by love. An unfelt love is as impossible as an unfelt trust. The trust of which we are now speaking is a conviction. An unfelt conviction? How absurd!
Trust sees God doing things here and now. Yea, more. It rises to a lofty eminence, and looking into the invisible and the eternal, realizes that God has done things, and regards them as being already done. Trust brings eternity into the annals and happenings of time, transmutes the substance of hope into the reality of fruition, and changes promise into present possession. We know when we trust just as we know when we see, just as we are conscious of our sense of touch. Trust sees, receives, holds. Trust is its own witness.
Yet, quite often, faith is too weak to obtain God’s greatest good, immediately; so it has to wait in loving, strong, prayerful, pressing obedience, until it grows in strength, and is able to bring down the eternal, into the realms of experience and time.
To this point, trust masses all its forces. Here it holds. And in the struggle, trust’s grasp becomes mightier, and grasps, for itself, all that God has done for it in His eternal wisdom and plenitude of grace.
In the matter of waiting in prayer, mightiest prayer, faith rises to its highest plane and becomes indeed the gift of God. It becomes the blessed disposition and expression of the soul which is secured by a constant intercourse with, and unwearied application to God.
Jesus Christ clearly taught that faith was the condition on which prayer was answered. When our Lord had cursed the fig-tree, the disciples were much surprised that its withering had actually taken place, and their remarks indicated their in credulity. It was then that Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God.”
“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore, I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (Mark 11:23-24)
Trust grows nowhere so readily and richly as in the prayer-chamber. Its unfolding and development are rapid and wholesome when they are regularly and well kept. When these engagements are hearty and full and free, trust flourishes exceedingly. The eye and presence of God give vigorous life to trust, just as the eye and the presence of the sun make fruit and flower to grow, and all things glad and bright with fuller life.
“Have faith in God,” “Trust in the Lord” form the keynote and foundation of prayer. Primarily, it is not trust in the Word of God, but rather trust in the Person of God. For trust in the Person of God must precede trust in the Word of God. “Ye believe in God, believe also in Me,” is the demand our Lord makes on the personal trust of His disciples. The person of Jesus Christ must be central, to the eye of trust. This great truth Jesus sought to impress upon Martha, when her brother lay dead, in the home at Bethany. Martha asserted her belief in the fact of the resurrection of her brother:
“Martha saith unto Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” (John 11:24)
Jesus lifts her trust clear above the mere fact of the resurrection, to His own Person, by saying:
“I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me, shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto Him, Yea, Lord: I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” (John 11:25-27)
Trust, in an historical fact or in a mere record may be a very passive thing, but trust in a person vitalizes the quality, fructifies it, informs it with love. The trust which informs prayer centers in a Person.
Trust goes even further than this. The trust which inspires our prayer must be not only trust in the Person of God, and of Christ, but in their ability and willingness to grant the thing prayed for. It is not only, “Trust, ye, in the Lord,” but, also, “for in the Lord Jehovah, is everlasting strength.”
The trust which our Lord taught as a condition of effectual prayer, is not of the head but of the heart. It is trust which “doubteth not in his heart.” Such trust has the Divine assurance that it shall be honored with large and satisfying answers. The strong promise of our Lord brings faith down to the present, and counts on a present answer.
Do we believe, without a doubt? When we pray, do we believe, not that we shall receive the things for which we ask on a future day, but that we receive them, then and there? Such is the teaching of this inspiring Scripture. How we need to pray, “Lord, increase our faith,” until doubt be gone, and implicit trust claims the promised blessings, as its very own.
This is no easy condition. It is reached only after many a failure, after much praying, after many waitings, after much trial of faith. May our faith so increase until we realize and receive all the fulness there is in that Name which guarantees to do so much.
Our Lord puts trust as the very foundation of praying. The background of prayer is trust. The whole issuance of Christ’s ministry and work was dependent on implicit trust in His Father. The center of trust is God. Mountains of difficulties, and all other hindrances to prayer are moved out of the way by trust and his virile henchman, faith. When trust is perfect and without doubt, prayer is simply the outstretched hand, ready to receive. Trust perfected, is prayer perfected. Trust looks to receive the thing asked for—and gets it. Trust is not a belief that God can bless, that He will bless, but that He does bless, here and now. Trust always operates in the present tense. Hope looks toward the future. Trust looks to the present. Hope expects. Trust possesses. Trust receives what prayer acquires. So that what prayer needs, at all times, is abiding and abundant trust.
Their lamentable lack of trust and resultant failure of the disciples to do what they were sent out to do, is seen in the case of the lunatic son, who was brought by his father to nine of them while their Master was on the Mount of Transfiguration. A boy, sadly afflicted, was brought to these men to be cured of his malady. They had been commissioned to do this very kind of work. This was a part of their mission. They attempted to cast out the devil from the boy, but had signally failed. The devil was too much for them. They were humiliated at their failure, and filled with shame, while their enemies were in triumph. Amid the confusion incident to failure Jesus draws near. He is informed of the circumstances, and told of the conditions connected therewith. Here is the succeeding account:
“Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil, and he departed out of him and the child was cured from that very hour. And when He was come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And He said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting.” (Matt 17:17-18; Mark 9:28-29)
Wherein lay the difficulty with these men? They had been lax in cultivating their faith by prayer and, as a consequence, their trust utterly failed. They trusted not God, nor Christ, nor the authenticity of His mission, or their own. So has it been many a time since, in many a crisis in the Church of God. Failure has resulted from a lack of trust, or from a weakness of faith, and this, in turn, from a lack of prayerfulness. Many a failure in revival efforts has been traceable to the same cause. Faith had not been nurtured and made powerful by prayer. Neglect of the inner chamber is the solution of most spiritual failure. And this is as true of our personal struggles with the devil as was the case when we went forth to attempt to cast out devils. To be much on our knees in private communion with God is the only surety that we shall have Him with us either in our personal struggles, or in our efforts to convert sinners.
Everywhere, in the approaches of the people to Him, our Lord put trust in Him, and the divinity of His mission, in the forefront. He gave no definition of trust, and He furnishes no theological discussion of, or analysis of it; for He knew that men would see what faith was by what faith did; and from its free exercise trust grew up, spontaneously, in His presence. It was the product of His work, His power and His Person. These furnished and created an atmosphere most favorable for its exercise and development. Trust is altogether too splendidly simple for verbal definition; too hearty and spontaneous for theological terminology. The very simplicity of trust is that which staggers many people. They look away for some great thing to come to pass, while all the time “the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart.”
When the saddening news of his daughter’s death was brought to Jairus our Lord interposed: “Be not afraid,” He said calmly, “only believe.” To the woman with the issue of blood, who stood tremblingly before Him, He said:
“Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” (Mark 5:34)
As the two blind men followed Him, pressing their way into the house, He said:
“According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened.” (Matt 9:29-30)
When the paralytic was let down through the roof of the house, where Jesus was teaching, and placed before Him by four of his friends, it is recorded after this fashion:
“And Jesus seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy: Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” (Matt 9:2)
When Jesus dismissed the centurion whose servant was seriously ill, and who had come to Jesus with the prayer that He speak the healing word, without even going to his house, He did it in the manner following:
“And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.” (Matt 8:13)
When the poor leper fell at the feet of Jesus and cried out for relief, “Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean,” Jesus immediately granted his request, and the man glorified Him with a loud voice. Then Jesus said unto him, “Arise, go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole.”
The Syrophoenician woman came to Jesus with the case of her afflicted daughter, making the case her own, with the prayer, “Lord, help me,” making a fearful and heroic struggle. Jesus honors her faith and prayer, saying:
“O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” (Matt 15:28)
After the disciples had utterly failed to cast the devil out of the epileptic boy, the father of the stricken lad came to Jesus with the plaintive and almost despairing cry, “If Thou canst do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” But Jesus replied, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”
Blind Bartimaeus sitting by the wayside, hears our Lord as He passes by, and cries out pitifully and almost despairingly, “Jesus, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.” The keen ears of our Lord immediately catch the sound of prayer, and He says to the beggar:
“Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.” (Mark 10:52)
To the weeping, penitent woman, washing His feet with her tears and wiping them with the hair of her head, Jesus speaks cheering, soul-comforting words: “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”
One day Jesus healed ten lepers at one time, in answer to their united prayer, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us,” and He told them to go and show themselves to the priests. “And it came to pass as they went, they were cleansed.”

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