women and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. And Sheceniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra: ‘We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. Therefore let us make a covenant with our God TO PUT AWAY ALL THESE WIVES AND THEIR CHILDREN, according to the counsel of my Lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to our Law. Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.’ Then Ezra arose and made all Israel take oath that they would do as had been said. So they took the oath.”
What does the book of James 1:27 tell us? “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and TO KEEP ONESELF UNSTAINED FROM THE WORLD.” I have, as of yesterday, taken my oath with the Lord and have purposed myself not to do this again. I have asked Him according to His will knowing that His strength will be perfected in my weakness. So I know my prayer will be answered. I am happy to tell you that He has taken away that temptation already. Thank You also, Lord, for understanding, for having compassion and cleansing me according to 1 John 1:9. And for those of you who think what I was doing is no big deal, that’s not God’s stance on the issue. Jesus died and shed His blood to cover me so that the Father sees me as righteous. Would I trample on that wondrous act of grace by doing anything against His holy will? No. God bless YOU in your time of need and temptation, whether you see it for what it is or not.-- Ken
Cracked Sidewalks
Have you ever thought about the tremendous
wear and tear a sidewalk endures?
I mean wheels roll on them,
heels, boots, sneakers...even paws trample
over their surfaces.
In the winter they're pounded on by shovels and
covered with salt and dirt.
Drenched with rain in the springtime and often
littered with trash in the summer.
Just when they seem to catch a break,
fall sneaks up and covers them with leaves,
causing them to take a scraping from rakes.
Now through all of this the sidewalk may crack
a little more but it is never destroyed.
Well on our Christian walk we must too understand
that although we will experience trials and
tribulations and our seasons will change like the wind...
God made us strong, more than conquerors.
Just like that pavement.
So hold tight to His word that He will always be there
and will never place more on you than you can bare.
Our Lord created greatness so no matter what you
go through smile and stand tall.
You're just dealing with a little crack in your sidewalk.
Candis Johnson
New Haven, Connecticut