This year’s devotional will be With God at Dawn by E G White and published by the Review and Herald Publishing Association
He Is a Living God
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19.
As we learn more and more of what God is, and of what we ourselves are in His sight, we shall fear and tremble before Him.—The Ministry of Healing, 435.
He [Jesus] pointed His hearers to the Ruler of the universe, under the new name, “Our Father.” He would have them understand how tenderly the heart of God yearned over them. He teaches that God cares for every lost soul; that “like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.”
Such a conception of God was never given to the world by any religion but that of the Bible. Heathenism teaches men to look upon the Supreme Being as an object of fear rather than of love,—a malign deity to be appeased by sacrifices, rather than a Father pouring upon His children the gift of His love. Even the people of Israel had become so blinded to the precious teaching of the prophets concerning God, that this revelation of His paternal love was as an original subject, a new gift to the world.
The Jews held that God loved those who served Him,—according to their view, those who fulfilled the requirements of the rabbis,—and that all the rest of the world lay under His frown and curse. Not so, said Jesus; the whole world, the evil and the good, lies in the sunshine of His love.—Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 74.
God does not deal with us as finite men deal with one another. His thoughts are thoughts of mercy, love, and tenderest compassion.—Steps to Christ, 53.
With God at Dawn p. 6
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for David that the Lord will grant him happiness and peace. Rosemary
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Dear Friends,
About a week or so ago, I was looking at someone’s facebook page and noticed a familiar face among their friends. I clicked on it and saw her maiden name was the same as my mother’s best friend. I wrote to her and asked if her mother’s name was _______. She wrote back and said that it was. We exchanged photos of us in the 1960’s as well as recent ones. We have been corresponding ever since. I’m always delighted to hear from those I knew so long ago.
Even more than we enjoy hearing from old friends or classmates, so our Great Creator looks forward to hearing from us. He longs to have us talk to Him, to bring Him all our perplexities, to share with Him our joys, to ask His advice, to listen as He speaks to us through His Word and through that “still small voice,” to have the friendship with our Saviour as did David who said, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” Ps 55:17
Paul advises, “Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thes 5:17 As we go through the day, we may be conscious of our Dear Saviour’s presence. Yet, how often we forget, that He desires to be part of all we do, all we say, all we think. How often He waits for us to think of Him, but we go through our daily routine with scarcely a thought Heavenward.
He promises, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” Ps 32:8 Blessed promise! As we pray, He instructs us. As we meditate on His Word, He enlightens us. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.” Ps 119:11-16
May we draw near to our Loving God. May our sweetest thoughts be of Him. May the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart be acceptable unto our Dearest Friend is my prayer.
Rose