Refreshing

Daily
in God’s Word
Emphasis on

Adversity
Joy Comes In The Morning
April 1
  Bible Reading: Psalm 30
 Key Verse: Verse 5 - “"For his anger endureth but a
moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure
for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
Key Words: joy cometh in the morning

There are some questions in regard to the background

of this particular psalm, but whatever the occasion, the
psalmist writes in the midst of adversity about the joy of
tomorrow. Reminds me of a story I read about tough days.
We all have those tough days. Some are worse than
others. Like the one the hard-hat employee reported on his
accident form when he tried to be helpful:
“When I got to the building I found that the hurricane
had knocked off some bricks around the top. So I rigged up a
beam with a pulley at the top of the building and hoisted up a
couple barrels full of bricks. When I had fixed the damaged
area, there were a lot of bricks left over. Then I went to the
bottom and began releasing the line. Unfortunately, the
barrel of bricks was much heavier than I was – and before I
knew what was happening the barrel started coming down,
jerking me up.
I decided to hang on since I was too far off the ground
by then to jump, and halfway up I met the barrel of bricks
coming down fast. I received a hard blow on my shoulder. I
then continued to the top, banging my head against the beam
and getting my fingers pinched and jammed in the pulley.
When the barrel hit the ground hard, it burst its bottom,
allowing the bricks to spill out.
I was now heavier than the barrel. So I started down
again at high speed. Halfway down I met the barrel coming
up fast and received severe injuries to my shins. When I hit
the ground, I landed on the pile of spilled bricks, getting
several painful cuts and deep bruises. At this point I must
have lost my presence of mind, because I let go of my grip on
the line. The barrel came down fast – giving me another blow
on my head and putting me in the hospital.
I respectfully request sick leave.”
 Tough days...yes, we all have them; but hold on, my
child, joy comes in the morning.

What to do:
✞Trust in the Lord with all your heart; yes, even
during the trying days of life.

********************

All Things Work Together

April 2

 Bible Reading: Romans 8:18-28

 Key Verse: Verse 28 – "And we know that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose."
Key Words: all things work together for good

Have you ever had times in your life when you really
had a hard time figuring out how the things in your life were
working for your good? I must confess there have been times
when I have asked the Lord, “Lord, how can this be for my
good?” But, you know, on every occasion God’s Word proved
itself true.
Like the man who was shipwrecked but managed to
reach an uninhabited island... there, to protect himself against
the elements and to safeguard the few possessions he had
salvaged, he painstakingly built a little hut from which he
constantly and prayerfully scanned the horizon for the
approach of a ship. Returning one evening after a search for
food, he was terrified to find the hut completely enveloped in
flames. Yet by divine mercy this hard affliction was changed
into a mighty advantage. Early the following morning he
awoke to find a ship anchored off the island. When the
captain stepped ashore, he explained, “We saw your smoke
signal and came.” Everything the marooned man owned had
to be destroyed before he could be rescued.
I have a saying that goes...”God never does things to
us; He always does things for us.” So it is in your life today.
God is working all things out for your good, and I might add,
for His glory.

What to do:
✞Rejoice during your trials, for God is at work.

********************

Four Rules To Die By

April 3

 Bible Reading: Philippians 1:1-26

 Key Verse: Verse 21 – "For to me to live is Christ, and
to die is gain."
Key Words: to die is gain

I have a number of principles and rules by which I live,

as I am sure many of you do. But do we have any rules or
principles to die by?
In 1939, William Sangster assumed leadership of
Westminster Central Hall, a Methodist church near London’s
Westminster Abbey. During his first worship service he
announced to his stunned congregation that Britain and
Germany were officially at war. He quickly converted the
church basement into an air raid shelter, and for 1,688 nights
Sangster ministered to the various needs of all kinds of
people. At the same time, he somehow managed to write, to
preach gripping sermons, to earn a Ph.D., and to lead
hundreds to Christ. He became known as Wesley’s successor
in London and was esteemed as the most beloved British
preacher of his era.
 Sometime after the war, Sangster was diagnosed with
progressive muscular atrophy. For three years, he slowly
died, becoming progressively more paralyzed, finally able to
move only two fingers. But his attitude didn’t falter, for when
first learning of his illness, Sangster made four rules for
himself. Many people have rules for living. Sangster
composed four rules for dying: “I will never complain. I will
keep the home bright. I will count my blessings. I will try to
turn it to gain.” He did all those things. And thus the work of
God was displayed in his life, and in his death.

What to do:
✞Let others see Jesus in you, not just in life but in
death as well.

********************

Your Attitude Toward Adversity

April 4

 Bible Reading: Genesis 42:21-38

 Key Verse: 36 – "And Jacob their father said unto
them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is
not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin
away: all these things are against me."
Key Words: all these things are against me

Do you know anyone like this: an attitude of despair –

all things are against me? Every one of us has a choice of our
attitude toward adversity. You can have what I call the
Genesis 42:36 attitude or the Romans 8:28 attitude. The
choice is yours.
In A Turtle on a Fencepost, Allan Emery tells of
accompanying businessman Ken Hansen to visit a
hospitalized employee. The patient lay very still, his eyes
conveying anguish. His operation had taken eight hours, and
recovery was long and uncertain.
“Alex,” said Ken quietly, “you know I have had a
number of serious operations. I know the pain of trying to
talk. I think I know what questions you’re asking. There are
two verses I want to give you – Genesis 42:36 and Romans
8:28. We have the option of these two attitudes. We need the
perspective of the latter.”
Hansen turned to the passages, read them, then
prayed and left. The young man, Alex Balc, took the message
to heart. He later enjoyed full recovery.
Everyday we choose one of these attitudes amid life’s
difficulties – to be beat-up, or to be up-beat.
To say with Jacob in Genesis 42:36: “All these things
are against me.”
Or to say with Paul in Romans 8:28: “All these things
are working together for good to those who love the Lord... .”
The choice is yours.

What to do:
✞Let your attitude glorify God in all things.

********************

Problems = Opportunities
April 5

 Bible Reading: Numbers 13:17-33

 Key Verse: Verse 31 – "But the men that went up with
him said, We be not able to go up against the people;
for they are stronger than we."
Key Words: We be not able to go up against the
people

Problems are nothing more than an opportunity for

improvement.
 In 2700 B.C. Emperor Whing Tee asked his wife Ce
Ling Shee to try to find out what was damaging his mulberry
trees. The Empress first noticed that a drab-colored moth was
laying tiny eggs on a mulberry leaf, each hatching into a
caterpillar that ejected a thread for three days which it
wrapped around its body until it formed a cocoon. She
dropped the cocoon into hot water and saw a single thread
begin unwinding itself. She had discovered silk. The Empress
observed the fineness and beauty of the silk thread. She
unbound it completely and found it to be ½ mile long from
that single cocoon. And she thought that these fine threads
might be made into cloth.
Soon a loom was developed on which they could be
woven. That silk cloth that was woven on their loom was in
such demand that later Romans are said to have weighed the
silk before buying it and then paid an equal weight of gold for
it.
For more than 3000 years only the Chinese knew the
secret of silk. Then in A.D. 522 Roman Emperor Justinian
sent two monks to buy silk from China. The monks brought
back more than silk. They personally broke the Chinese
monopoly on silk by smuggling back into Europe two
silkworm eggs and mulberry tree seeds in their hollow monks’
staff. They were apparently the first industrial pirates. From
these two silkworm eggs the Roman Empire acquired enough
silkworms to make it partially independent from China.
Like so many serendipitous events, the discovery of
silk came while trying to solve a problem. Before long the
business of growing mulberry trees was for the sole purpose of
providing moths with leaves on which to lay their eggs so that
the production of silk could be increased.
Nothing like silk had ever appeared before in fine
fabrics. It brought about a world of revolution in fashions.
The very word silk brings to mind something that is soft,
lustrous or luxurious. The wealthy of the world have always
dressed themselves in silken clothes.
It’s important to look for solutions instead of trying to
avoid problems, so when you have a problem of some kind,
remember that you also have an equal opportunity.
What to do:
✞Remember, problems are nothing more than an
opportunity for improvement.

********************

My Worth
April 6

 Bible Reading: Isaiah 41:1-20

 Key Verse: Verse 15 – "Behold, I will make thee a new
sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt
thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt
make the hills as chaff."
Key Words: a new sharp threshing instrument

A bar of steel, worth only a few dollars, is worth $10

when made into horseshoes. If the bar of steel is made into
needles, it is worth over $300. If that same bar of steel is
made into pen-knife blades, it will be worth of over $32,000.
If it is made into watch springs, it will be worth $250,000.
But for the bar of steel’s value to increase, it must be
hammered, passed through fire, beaten, pounded, and
polished.
Isn’t life wonderful just knowing that God is preparing
me for some great job for Him?
I realize that my value to God’s service depends upon
how I handle going through the hammering, the fire, the
beating, the pounding, and the polishing. But I had rather go
through the trials and be used than sit on a church pew and
never accomplish anything for my Lord. Amen!?
When the frosts are in the valley,
And the mountain tops are grey,
And the choicest buds are blighted,
 And the blossoms die away,
A loving Father whispers,
“This cometh from My hand.
Blessed are ye if ye trust,
When you cannot understand.”
~Author Unknown

What to do:
✞Realize that God is preparing you for some great job
for Him.

Are You Carrying A Burden?

April 7

 Bible Reading: Galatians 6:1-10

 Key Verse: Verse 5 – "For every man shall bear his
own burden."
Key Words: For every man shall bear his own
burden

While we are commanded to carry one another’s

burdens (Galatians 6:2), we are also commanded to bear our
own burdens. These burdens are always allowed for specific
reasons.
 1) Burdens help to develop our Christian character.
2) They help to mature us spiritually.
3) They cause us to rely on God.
If we had no burdens to bear, I am afraid we would
succumb to temptations in life and be swept away and
destroyed by the world.
I remember reading a story told by a missionary to
Africa. Lacking bridges, the natives were often required to
wade across swollen streams in order to reach their
destination. The current was swift and they were in constant
danger of being swept away. The weight of the human body
and that of the water was about the same which made it
difficult to stay on their feet. The natives solved the problem
by filling sacks with rocks and carrying the extra weight on
their shoulders. The extra weight secured their footing and
kept them from slipping and falling. So it is with our lives.
God allows the extra burdens to weigh us down, not to hinder
or hurt us but to keep us from being swept away by the “river”
of the world.
Psalm 26:1b, “I have trusted in the LORD; therefore I
shall not slide.” May you rejoice as you “carry your burdens.”

What to do:
✞Bear your burdens with Godly grace and dignity.

********************
Comfort
April 8

 Bible Reading: II Corinthians 1:1-11

 Key Verse: Verse 4 – "Who comforteth us in all our
tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them
which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith
we ourselves are comforted of God."
Key Words: Who comforteth us in all our
tribulation
 Of all the letters Paul wrote, II Corinthians is when the
Apostle Paul lifts his veil of privacy and allows us to catch a
glimpse of his personal life, his human frailties and needs, his
suffering and pain. It is in this letter that Paul records his
anguish, tears, affliction, and opposition, both human and
satanic.
In II Corinthians, chapter one, six times Paul talks
about comfort during times of trial and pain. The key phrase,
though, is found in the last four words of verse 3, God of all
comfort. In verse 4 Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, tells us
that we should learn from our experiences of pain (see verse
4).
In verses 4, 9, and 11, Paul shares with us three
reasons for our pain.
1. Verse 4 – that we may be able to comfort others
who are afflicted. Is it not true that people are
more apt to listen and draw comfort from us if they
know that we genuinely understand the pain they
feel?
2. Verse 9 – that we should not trust in ourselves.
Through our pain we learn that we indeed are
weak and we learn to lean on God. The express
train of heaven seldom is announced by a warning
bell. It comes suddenly and leaves behind pain
and the reality that, indeed, the flesh is weak. We
must trust in God, not ourselves.
3. Verse 11 – that thanks may be given. Thanks to
God but thanks to others for their help during our
times of pain. It is during the times of pain and
suffering that we realize how God can and does use
others in the comforting process.
Thanks be to God for his miraculous comfort! And
from our family to each of you, thanks for allowing the Lord to
use you to have a part in comforting us in the past few years.
You each have been a blessing beyond words.
What to do:
✞ Trials do one of two things: 1) they make you a
better servant, or 2) they enslave you. Be used in
trials; let trials make you useable.

********************

Inner Beauty
April 9

 Bible Reading: Proverbs 31:10-31

 Key Verse: Verse 30 – “"Favour is deceitful, and
beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD,
she shall be praised."
Key Words: beauty is vain

A successful beauty products company asked the

people in a large city to send pictures along with brief letters
about the most beautiful women they knew. Within a few
weeks thousands of letters were delivered to the company.
One letter in particular caught the attention of the
employees and soon it was handed to the company president.
The letter was written by a young boy who was obviously from
a broken home, living in a run-down neighborhood. With
spelling corrections, an excerpt from his letter read: “A
beautiful woman lives down the street from me. I visit her
everyday. She makes me feel like the most important kid in
the world. We play checkers and she listens to my problems.
She understands me and when I leave she always yells out the
door that she’s proud of me.”
The boy ended his letter by saying, “This picture shows
you that she is the most beautiful woman. I hope I have a wife
as pretty as her.”
Intrigued by the letter, the president asked to see this
woman’s picture. His secretary handed him a photograph of a
smiling, toothless woman, well-advanced in years, sitting in a
wheelchair. Sparse gray hair was pulled back in a bun and
wrinkles that formed deep furrows on her face were somehow
diminished by the twinkle in her eyes.
“We can’t use this woman,” explained the president,
smiling. “She would show the world that our products aren’t
necessary to be beautiful.”

What to do:
✞Remember that there is no greater beauty than that
of inner character.

********************

The Widow
April 10

 Bible Reading: Psalm 51

 Key Verse: Verse 17 - "The sacrifices of God are a
broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God,
thou wilt not despise."
Key Words: a broken spirit: a broken and a
contrite heart

Alice Gray writes, “Her husband died suddenly in an

accident and she was left to raise her two sons alone. At first
she was surrounded by compassionate and caring friends.
They brought meals, sent cards, made phone calls, prayed.
And then the weeks turned into months, and it seemed like all
the world had forgotten. She longed to hear her husband’s
name mentioned in conversation, she longed to talk about the
wide stride of his walk, the warmth of his easy laugh, and how
his hand had felt so strong in hers. She wanted the neighbors
to come and borrow his tools or have a grown man shoot
basketballs with her sons.
“It was early on the morning of the first anniversary of
his death. The dew was still wet on the grass as she walked
across the cemetery lawn. And then she saw it, lying next to
his gravestone. Someone had been there even before her and
left a small bouquet of fresh cut flowers, tied with a ribbon: a
gentle caring act that reached out to her lonely heart like a
tender hug. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she read
the unsigned note. The three words said simply, ‘I remember
too.’”
Isn’t it great that He remembers too our adversity?

What to do:
✞Remember, others care as well; but God cares the
most.

********************

A Second Chance
April 11

 Bible Reading: Jonah 1:1-3, 17; 2 – 3:1

 Key Verse: Verse 3:1 – "And the word of the LORD
came unto Jonah the second time, saying,"
Key Words: the second time

Jonah was called by God to go to Nineveh; he ran the

wrong way and fell into all kinds of adversity; but thanks be to
God for His grace of a second chance.
Georgia Tech played the University of California in the
1929 Rose Bowl. In the game a player recovered a fumble, but
became confused and ran the wrong way. A teammate tackled
him just before he would have scored a touchdown against his
own team. At halftime all of the players went into the
dressing room and sat down, wondering what the coach would
say. This young man sat by himself; put a towel over his head,
and cried.
When the team was ready to go back onto the field for
the second half, the coach stunned the team when he
announced that the same players who had started the first
half would start the second. All of the players left the dressing
room except this young man. He would not budge. The coach
looked back as he called him again, and saw that his cheeks
were wet with tears. The player said, “Coach, I can’t do it. I’ve
ruined you. I’ve disgraced the University of California. I can’t
face that crowd in the stadium again.”
Then the coach put his hand on the player’s shoulder
and said, “Get up and go back in. The game is only half over.”
When I think of that story, deep down inside I say,
“What a coach!” When I read the story of Jonah in the Bible,
and the stories of thousands like him, I say, “To think that
God would give me another chance!”
For those of you sitting on the sidelines because you
fumbled the ball spiritually: get up and get back in there, the
war is not over yet.

What to do:
✞Stay with it! Be faithful!

********************

Others
April 12
 Bible Reading: Philippians 2:1-18
 Key Verse: Verse 4 – "Look not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the things of others."
Key Words: on the things of others

A real key to overcoming the adversities of life is in our

focus on others.
An old man showed up at the back door of the house
we were renting. Opening the door a few cautious inches, we
saw his eyes were glassy and his furrowed face glistened with
silver stubble. He clutched a wicker basket holding a few
unappealing vegetables. He bid us good morning and offered
his produce for sale. We were uneasy enough to make a quick
purchase to alleviate both our pity and our fear.
To our chagrin, he returned the next week, introducing
himself as Mr. Roth, the man who lived in the shack down the
road. As our fears subsided, we got close enough to realize
that it wasn’t alcohol, but cataracts, that marbleized his eyes.
On subsequent visits, he would shuffle in, wearing two
mismatched right shoes, and pull out a harmonica. With
glazed eyes set on a future glory, he’d puff out old gospel tunes
between conversations about vegetables and religion.
On one visit, he exclaimed, “The Lord is so good! I
came out of my shack this morning and found a bag full of
shoes and clothing on my porch.”
“That’s wonderful, Mr. Roth,” we said. “We’re happy
for you.”
“You know what’s even more wonderful?” he asked.
“Just yesterday I met some people that could use them.”

What to do:
✞Be a blessing to others at all times, and if necessary,
use words.

********************

The Power To Restore

April 13

 Bible Reading: Psalm 23

 Key Verse: Verse 3 – "He restoreth my soul: he
leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his
name's sake."
Key Words: He restoreth my soul
 I realize Psalm 23 is a familiar portion of Scripture but
I ask you to read it carefully, focusing on the words “he
restoreth my soul.”
The word restore carries the idea of a bone out of
socket that the doctor puts back in place. We all on occasion
need restoring because of events, situations, and adversities
which cause our soul to be out of socket.
At the Royal Palace of Tehran in Iran, you can see one
of the most beautiful mosaic works in the world. The ceilings
and walls flash like diamonds in multifaceted reflections.
Originally, when the palace was designed, the architect
specified huge sheets of mirrors on the walls. When the first
shipment arrived from Paris, they found to their horror that
the mirrors were shattered. The contractor threw them in the
trash and brought the sad news to the architect.
Amazingly, the architect ordered all of the broken
pieces collected, then smashed them into tiny pieces and
glued them to the walls to become a mosaic of silvery,
shimmering, mirrored bits of glass.
Broken to become beautiful! It’s possible to turn your
scars into stars. It’s possible to be better because of
brokenness. It is extremely rare to find in the great museums
of the world objects of antiquity that are unbroken. Indeed,
some of the most precious pieces in the world are only
fragments that remain a hallowed reminder of the glorious
past.
Never underestimate God’s power to repair and
restore.
Today, let God restore your soul back to beauty again.

What to do:
✞Let God put the pieces of your life back together
again.

********************
 Commence Prayer
April 14
 Bible Reading: Luke 18:1-8
 Key Verse: Verse 1 - "And he spake a parable unto
them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and
not to faint;"
Key Words: men ought always to pray, and not to
faint

Have you ever considered the power of prayer?

According to James 5:16, it heals; it gives wisdom (James 1:5);
it sets the captive free (Acts 12:5); and according to our text, it
can keep you from fainting in the day of adversity.
The plane was headed for New York – a routine and
normally very boring flight. But this time it proved to be
otherwise.
As they were on their descent pattern, the pilot
realized that the landing gear was not engaging. He messed
around with the controls, trying again and again to get the
gear to lock into place ...without success. He then asked
ground control for instruction. As the plane circled the
landing field, the emergency crew coated the runway with
foam and fire trucks and other emergency vehicles moved into
position.
Meanwhile, the passengers were told of each
maneuver in that calm, unemotional voice pilots do so well.
Flight attendants glided about the cabin with an air of cool
reserve. Passengers were told to place their heads between
their knees and grab their ankles before impact. There were
tears and a few cries of despair... . Then, with the landing only
minutes away, the pilot suddenly announced over the
intercom: “We are beginning our final descent. At this
moment, in accordance with International Aviation Codes
established at Geneva, it is my obligation to inform you that if
you believe in God you should commence prayer.” Scout’s
honor...that’s exactly what he said!
So during your time of adversity, pray!!
What to do:
✞Commence praying.

********************

The Bells Are Ringing

April 15

 Bible Reading: Matthew 18:10-20

 Key Verse: Verse 10 - "Take heed that ye despise not
one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in
heaven their angels do always behold the face of my
Father which is in heaven."
Key Words: their angels

There is, at least in my heart, no greater trying of one’s

faith than the adversity of the death of a child. This type of
adversity will drive you from God or draw you close to Him.
The following is a true story taken from Alice Gray’s
book, Stories from the Heart.
“A nurse with whom I worked, Gracie Schaeffler, had
taken care of a five-year-old lad during the latter days of his
life. He was dying of lung cancer.
“This little boy had a Christian mother who loved him
and stayed by his side through the long ordeal. She cradled
him on her lap and talked softly about the Lord. Instinctively,
the woman was preparing her son for the final hours to come.
Gracie told me that she entered his room one day as death
approached, and she heard this lad talking about hearing bells
ringing. ‘The bells are ringing, Mommie,’ he said. ‘I can hear
them.’
“Gracie thought he was hallucinating because he was
already slipping away. She left and returned a few minutes
later and again heard him talking about hearing bells ring.
 “The nurse said to his mother, ‘I’m sure you know your
baby is hearing things that aren’t there. He is hallucinating
because of the sickness.’
“The mother pulled her son closer to her chest, smiled
and said, ‘No, Mrs. Schaeffler. He is not hallucinating. I told
him when he was frightened – when he couldn’t breathe – if
he would listen carefully, he could hear the bells of heaven
ringing for him. That is what he’s been talking about all day.’
“That precious child died on his mother’s lap later that
evening, and he was still talking about the bells of heaven
when the angels came to take him.”

What to do:
✞Don’t let the adversities of life drive you from God
but to God, even though it may be hard to understand.
God never does things to us. He, in His love, allows
things for us and for His glory. Psalm 116:15

Another Chance
April 16

 Bible Reading: John 21:1-19


 Key Verse: Verse 19 - "This spake he, signifying by
what death he should glorify God. And when he had
spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me."
Key Words: Follow me

I love to read success stories, particularly success after

failure. So it was in Peter’s life. His greatest success came
after his failure.
Jonas Salk, the great scientist and the discoverer of the
vaccine against polio, understood the concept of being
encouraging. He was once asked, “How does this outstanding
achievement, which effectively brought an end to the word
polio in our vocabulary, cause you to view your previous 200
failures?”
His response (paraphrased) was, “I never had 200
failures in my life. My family didn’t think in terms of failure.
They taught in terms of experiences and what could be
learned. I just made my 201st discovery. I couldn’t have made
it without learning from the previous 200 experiences.”
Winston Churchill, too, was raised with
encouragement. He was not intimidated by errors. When he
made one, he simply thought the problem through again.
Someone asked him, “Sir Winston, what in your school
experience best prepared you to lead Britain out of her
darkest hour?”
Winston thought a minute and then said, “It was the
two years I spent at the same level in high school.”
“Did you fail?”
“No,” replied Winston. “I had two opportunities to get
it right.”
Aren’t you glad that God gives us another chance to get
it right?

What to do:
✞Don’t be discouraged; just keep on until you get it
right.
 ********************

Feeling Important
April 17

 Bible Reading: Proverbs 10:1-19

 Key Verse: Verse 19 - "In the multitude of words there
wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is
wise."
Key Words: In the multitude of words there wanteth
not sin

I do think one of the great adversities we face is the

discouragement of not feeling needed. Often we feel
unneeded because of things people say.
One day a wise man came to a small town. He needed
a place to stay so he went to the first church he found. Inside,
a small group of people argued about how they could best
please God.
“I’ll help you,” the man said, “but you must promise to
use what I do to glorify God.”
“Oh, we will,” the people assured him. “We will.”
He gave each of them gifts – one was to be a pianist,
another a flutist. To one he gave a cello, to another a violin,
and to yet another he gave the role of toe-tapper.
The people worked hard and long to prepare a song of
praise for the church. The music became more and more
beautiful.
One afternoon during practice the violinist said to the
pianist, “I’m so glad I have the important job of playing the
violin. I’d sure hate to be a toe-tapper.” The toe-tapper was
so hurt that he went home.
The next day, when the group met to practice, nothing
came together right. Finally, the flutist said, “Without the toe-
tapper here I don’t know when to come in for my part.” They
started over time and time again, but the music sounded
terrible.
 It was then that the violinist spoke up in a very sad
voice. “I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I thought I was so
important that I didn’t need the help of the toe-tapper. I was
wrong!”
So he led the way to the toe-tapper’s house and asked
him to come back with them. The toe-tapper agreed and once
again the music was beautiful.
Then, one Sunday, they played their music in church.
God looked down and smiled. I think he even winked at the
toe-tapper.

What to do:
✞Your best! If you’re the toe-tapper for God, you are
important so do your best.

********************

It's You I Love

April 18

 Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-15

 Key Verse: Verses 5 - "And thou shalt love the LORD
thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy might."
Key Words: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God
with all thine heart

How many times have we heard someone say they love

the Lord, but their action and attitude reveal otherwise? We
often put God and the things of God on the back burner while
saying with our mouth, “Lord, I love You.”
A pastor I know was driving to work one morning
when he bumped fenders with another motorist. Both cars
stopped, and the woman driving the other car got out to
survey the damage.
 She was distraught. It was her fault, she admitted, and
hers was a new car, less than two days from the showroom.
She dreaded facing her husband.
The pastor was sympathetic; but he had to pursue the
exchange of license and registration data. She reached into
her glove compartment to retrieve the documents in an
envelope.
On the first paper to tumble out, written in her
husband’s distinctive hand, were these words: “In case of
accident, remember, Honey, it’s you I love, not the car.”
Now, let me ask you: can you honestly say that during
both the good and bad times, “Lord, it’s You I love, not
things”?

What to do:
✞Love God with all your heart.

********************

Flabby Christians
April 19

 Bible Reading: Proverbs 24:1-10

 Key Verse: Verses 10 - "If thou faint in the day of
adversity, thy strength is small"
Key Words: If thou faint

God doesn’t allow adversity in our lives to hurt us but

to help us.
Robert Hastings writes, “A friend of mine, Milo B.
Arbuckle, likes to hunt and fish in the Rockies. His jeep often
takes him off the beaten paths to where the mountain streams
are clearest and the game most plentiful. His specialty is
trout, including the rainbow, native, German-brown, and
cutthroat.
“One of his favorite haunts is about 10,000 feet up in
the mountains, where the Rio Grande starts its long, winding
descent through Colorado, New Mexico, then slices Texas
from Mexico, before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico.
“’The best trout are up there,’ Milo boasts. ‘It is the
nature of trout constantly to move upstream. The weaker and
diseased fish are swept downstream. Only the strongest
eventually reach the top, where the water is clearest and
coldest.’
“Milo can judge a fish that has struggled upstream, for
it is firmer and more muscular. He easily spots a hatchery-
bred trout, because it is soft and flabby.
“I thought of the hymn, Higher Ground. It is the
nature of a growing Christian to swim upstream. He may not
always reach his goal, but his direction is onward and upward,
while Christians who drift with the current end up soft and
flabby.”
Those who go through the adversities of life quietly
serving God are made strong while all others become flabby.

What to do:
✞Don’t begrudge the adversities of life. They are what
makes you strong in the Lord.

********************

Adversity And The Right

Attitude
April 20

 Bible Reading: Daniel 3:1-19

 Key Verse: Verses 18 & 19 – vs 18 "But if not, be it
known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy
gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast
set up." vs 19 "Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury,
and the form of his visage was changed against
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he
spake, and commanded that they should heat the
 furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be
heated."
Key Words: But if not, be it known unto thee, O
king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor
worship the golden image which thou hast set
up. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the
form of his visage was changed against
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; therefore he
spake, and commanded that they should heat the
furnace one seven times more than it was wont
to be heated.

You can’t – no matter how hard you try – find a better

attitude toward adversity than that of these three Hebrew
men. It’s this type of attitude toward adversity that makes me
stand up and say, “Amen, brother!”
Don’t you sometimes grow weary over the whiny
attitudes of those who mope and gripe and complain about
the most trivial things?
I’m having a plaque put in my office which says, “The
11 Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Whine.”
th

Thomas A. Edison’s son, Charles, describes the night

in which his father’s entire laboratory at Menlo Park burned.
The famous inventor was then sixty-seven, and the winter
wind blew his sparse white hair as he stood watching years of
work go up in flames.
“My heart ached for him,” Charles said. “He was no
longer a young man. But then he spotted me and shouted,
‘Charles, go find your mother. Bring her here. She’ll never
see anything like this as long as she lives!’”
And the next morning Thomas A. Edison observed,
“There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned
up. Thank God we can start anew.”
Amen and amen!

What to do:
✞Thou shalt not whine.

********************
 In Thy Presence
April 21

 Bible Reading: Psalm 16

 Key Verse: Verse 11 - "Thou wilt shew me the path of
life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand
there are pleasures for evermore."
Key Words: Thou wilt shew me the path of life

Life is filled with challenges and adversities.

Why, everyone has his share of disappointments. And
the deciding factor is not how big the disappointment, but
how one reacts to the problem.
Julius Rosenwald, when he was chairman of the board
of Sears, Roebuck and Co., used to say, “When life hands me a
lemon, I make lemonade out of it.”
“When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and
hang on” is another way of saying it.
The mother of Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was fond of
solitaire, often said, “The Lord deals the cards; you play
them.”
And Dick Gregory’s mother, when there was no
fatback to go with the beans, no socks to go with the shoes,
and no hope to go with tomorrow, would say to her kids, “We
ain’t poor, we’re just broke.”
Henry Ward Beecher ties this whole subject in a neat
little package of twenty-three words: “God asks no man
whether he will accept life. This is not the choice. You must
take it. The only choice is how.”
How will you handle the adversities that come your
way? “In thy presence is fulness of joy” Psalm 16:11b.

What to do:
✞Accepting life is not your
choice...how you accept it...that’s
your choice.
 ********************

No Pain
April 22

 Bible Reading: Hebrews 12:1-9

 Key Verse: Verse 6 - "For whom the Lord loveth he
chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he
receiveth."
Key Words: For whom the Lord loveth he
chasteneth

Feeling no pain is not as great as it may appear to be;

it is dangerous.
Little Beverly Smith, born in Akron, Ohio, almost
never cried. She never cried when she fell down; she never
cried when she bumped her head; she didn’t even cry when
she burned her hand on a hot stove. She cried only when she
was hungry or angry.
The doctors soon discovered that she had a defect in
the central nervous system for which no cure is known. She
could not feel pain. The doctors told the mother she must
watch Beverly constantly: the baby might break a bone and
continue using it until it could not be set properly; she might
develop appendicitis without nature’s usual warning of pain.
Spanking her to make her more careful about hot stoves and
knives would do no good; she wouldn’t feel it. Life without
pain would be perpetually dangerous.
The spiritual application is simple. The Lord sends
troubles into our lives for a purpose. “For whom the Lord
loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he
receiveth...if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are
partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons” (Hebrews 12:6,
8). If we accept the warnings of little chastisements, we will
be kept from the bigger hurts; just as the warnings given us by
our nervous systems keep us away from fires and other hurts.
Let every Christian examine himself to see whether he
has become insensitive to the presence of sin.
What to do:
✞Examine yourself to see if you have become
insensitive to the presence of sin.

********************

Oh God - Oh Me
April 23

 Bible Reading: Nahum 1

 Key Verse: Verse 7 - "The LORD is good, a strong hold
in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust
in him."
Key Words: a strong hold in the day of trouble

During times of adversity we cry out to God; but when

the adversity passes, we fail to remember our cry.
The night before they were to attack the German lines,
a hundred men wrote letters home. The chaplain, whose duty
it was to censor the letters, put them in a mail pouch until
after the battle. When the battle was over, the men again
wrote home, telling of their ordeal. The overburdened
chaplain had both sets of letters to censor.
Here is a sample of what he read before the battle:
“Dear Mother, we’re going to attack in the morning and I’ve
been thinking of home and you, and I vowed to God that if I
come through tomorrow, I am going to be a better man.”
Some even said, “I believe I’m going into the ministry.”
But after the battle, in the same handwriting, three
days later, to a friend in another regiment: “Dear Joe: Can you
get leave? The last time we were in Paris, we had a hot time,
didn’t we? I’ve just come through a scorcher up front, and we
were near death at every moment. If you can get leave and
meet me in Paris, boy, we’ll go out on the town!” Before the
battle: “Oh, God, if I get through tomorrow!” After the battle:
“Well, I got through, God, so I don’t need you anymore.”
 For many people God is a very present help in time of
trouble; but let the trouble pass, and God moves out of the
picture. And there are many people who, when they are sick,
cry out, “Oh, God!” but when they get well, “Oh, me!”

What to do:
✞Never forget the same God Who delivers from
adversity also allows it.

********************

The Dismantled Clock

April 24

 Bible Reading: Romans 8:26-39

 Key Verse: Verse 28 - "And we know that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose."
Key Words: all things work together for good

Small boys are always interested in finding out what

makes things go. One day a boy took a clock apart to find out
what made it tick. When he tried to put it together again, he
seemed to have enough wheels and springs to make two
clocks; he discovered that all of the parts must move in their
proper way – certain wheels must move forward and certain
ones backward. There are wheels that move quickly and
wheels that move slowly. There is the large mainspring and
the tiny hairspring; all of the parts work together to make the
clock go.
In the life of a Christian, when events move forward
we are very pleased with the progress. If events move
backward, we are inclined to be impatient. We want them to
move in the direction of our own will, not understanding the
purpose that God has in our lives. There are matters that are
great and very important to us – mainspring events in our
lives – births, marriages, deaths, triumphs and tragedies.
There are matters as fine as a hairspring – petty annoyances,
trivial happenings, that seem little and unimportant at times
– that regulate the course of our lives. There are events in our
lives that move smoothly and rapidly, and we rejoice at their
action. Some things lag and incite our impatience as we seek
to speed them up to the tempo of our own wills. But when all
of these events – backward, forward; fast, slow; great, small –
are seen in their relationship to each other, we must conclude
that to those who love God and who are called according to
His plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good.

What to do:
✞Remember that all things happen for a reason, and
that’s for God’s glory and our good.

********************

God Planned It
April 25

 Bible Reading: Exodus 4:1-17

 Key Verse: Verse 11 - "And the LORD said unto him,
Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the
dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I
the LORD?"
Key Words: have not I the LORD

I read the following. The author is unknown.

Some years ago, a young minister in whose church I
was holding a series of weekly meetings, said to me, “I may
not be able to attend every meeting because we are expecting
a baby soon.” About three weeks later he came to the service,
just before its close. Afterward I went to his study; his back
was to me, as I asked, “Well, which is it, boy or girl?” He
turned, and I saw tragedy written on his face. He said, “God
has given me a son, and I love that boy, but he is a mongoloid
idiot.” I said, “At the very outset you must learn that God
Almighty has honored you more than he has honored many
people. God does not give the privilege of great suffering to
every one of His children. He has chosen you for that
purpose.”
Then I turned to the fourth chapter of Exodus, in
which God talks to Moses at the burning bush; I pointed to
verse eleven. Moses had just said, “I am slow of speech, and
of a slow tongue.” And God replied, “Who hath made man’s
mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or the
blind? Have not I the LORD?” But I read the verse thus:
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Who has made man’s
mouth? or who maketh him dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind,
or a mongoloid idiot? Have not I the LORD?” He snatched
the Bible from me and read it for himself. “Oh,” he said, “I
never saw this before, but it’s true, it’s true! It must be true! I
believe it!”
To receive the Congressional Medal of Honor is not so
great a tribute as to be chosen, as one of God’s children, to
endure great tragedy. This the Bible teaches everywhere. If
you do not think God has planned these things, then you must
believe that there is a power greater than God, or that things
happen from blind chance. If you have had tragedy in your
life; if you have endured a physical defect or deformity, God
planned it. If you are a man, God planned that you be a man.
If you are a woman, God planned that you be a woman. If you
are five-feet-two, or six-feet-five, God planned that height for
you. If you are blind, God planned that you should be blind.
To God be the glory!

What to do:
✞Live your life understanding
you are who you are because God has a special purpose for
you; so go and fulfill it.

********************

That One
 April 26

 Bible Reading: II Corinthians 1:1-12

 Key Verse: Verse 4 - "Who comforteth us in all our
tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them
which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith
we ourselves are comforted of God."
Key Words: that we may be able to comfort them

I heard a story once about a farmer who had some

puppies for sale. He made a sign advertising the pups and
nailed it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was nailing
the sign to the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked
down to see a little boy with a big grin and something in his
hand.
“Mister,” he said, “I want to buy one of your puppies.”
“Well,” said the farmer, “these puppies come from fine
parents and cost a good deal.”
The boy dropped his head for a moment, then looked
back up at the farmer and said, “I’ve got thirty-nine cents. Is
that enough to take a look?”
“Sure,” said the farmer as he whistled and called out,
“Dolly. Here, Dolly.” Out from the doghouse and down the
ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little
boy’s eyes danced with delight.
Then out from the doghouse peeked another little ball;
this one noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid and began
hobbling in an unrewarded attempt to catch up with the
others. The pup was clearly the runt of the litter.
The little boy pressed his face to the fence and cried
out, “I want that one,” pointing to the runt.
The farmer knelt down and said, “Son, you don’t want
that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you the
way you would like.”
With that the boy reached down and slowly pulled up
one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace
running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a
specially made shoe. Looking up at the farmer, he said, “You
see, sir, I don’t run too well myself, and he will need someone
who understands.”
No one understands the adversity that we are
experiencing better than the one who has experienced it
himself.

What to do:
✞Use your adversity as a ministry to help others, not a
parking lot of self-pity.

********************

Precious Lord
April 27

 Bible Reading: Psalm 4

 Key Verse: Verse 1 - "Hear me when I call, O God of
my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was
in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my
prayer."
Key Words: thou hast enlarged me when I was in
distress

The backdrop of Psalm 4 is a familiar one. David’s

son, Absalom, had rebelled against his father. But even in the
midst of David’s heartache, David knew that God was with
him. He always is.
“In 1932, my wife Nettie and I were living in Chicago,”
said Thomas A. Dorsey, a black man and a well-known writer
of Gospel songs. “We were expecting our first child. En route
to St. Louis for a revival meeting, I discovered that I didn’t
have my briefcase; and I returned home. Nettie was asleep, so
I slipped the briefcase from under the bed and resumed my
trip.
“Two nights later, I received a telegram from Chicago
saying my wife had died in childbirth! Some friends drove me
home and I learned that the baby boy had died also. We
buried mother and son in the same casket. That was double
trouble and I couldn’t take it. I said, ‘God, You aren’t worth a
dime to me right now.’”
A few days later, however, the fog lifted from Dorsey’s
sorrow-riven soul. As his fingers moved along the keyboard of
his piano, the words of the hymn Precious Lord, Take My
Hand came to him.
Born in the matrix of overwhelming sorrow, the hymn
imparts its sorrow-assuaging message to millions of broken
hearts.
Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, help me stand;
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Thru the storm, thru the night,
Lead me on to the light,’
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.

When my way grows drear,

Precious Lord, linger near;
When my life is almost gone,
Hear my cry, hear my call,
Hold my hand lest I fall;
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.

What to do:
✞Remember, God is with you through both the good
times and the “bad.”
Circumstances
April 28

 Bible Reading: Genesis 39:1-23

 Key Verse: Verse 1 - "And Joseph was brought down
to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh,
captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the
hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him
down thither."
 Key Words: And Joseph was brought down to
Egypt

Joseph is a good place for any Christian in trial to go

and study for encouragement. When God is with you and for
you, nothing in this world can defeat you. Joseph was hated
by his brothers. As a teenager, he was sold to the Midianites
as a slave. The Midianites sold him to Potiphar, a captain of
the guard in Pharoah’s army. God blessed Joseph and he
became, as a young man, in complete control of Potiphar’s
house. He was accused of immoral intentions by Potiphar’s
wife and thrown in jail. In jail he became the head jailer as
God blessed him.
Interpreting a butler’s dream and gaining a promise
from the butler to remember him when released, the butler
forgot him for two years. Still in jail for two years, and after
so many other difficult trials, many would be discouraged to
the point of giving up. Nevertheless, Joseph believed that God
had a great purpose for him. Each circumstance was faced
and Joseph did the best he could, waiting on God.
The hummingbird of the east coast will migrate as far
as 3,000 miles from Canada to Central America. When the
small bird reaches the Gulf Coast, he is faced with a 500-mile,
nonstop journey across the Gulf. That small bird will rest and
feast for several days, hibernating at night in cold weather to
keep his strength. He then takes off some morning and does
not stop until he is in Central America.
In life, circumstances will often be bad. Trust in God
can get a person through the worst of them. God has a
purpose for you, just as he did for Joseph. Never let your
circumstances sour or kill that glorious purpose that God has
for you.

What to do:
✞Fulfill God’s purpose for your life now. To do so
you’ll have to go through some adversity. I’ve never
found it to be any other way.
 ********************

This Is The Day

April 29

 Bible Reading: Psalm 118

 Key Verse: Verse 24 - This is the day which the LORD
hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
Key Words: This is the day which the LORD hath
made

The adversities of yesterday and the potential for

adversity tomorrow can rob me of the joy God has for my life.
Missionary Tom Stubrick says the following.
“I must live today. Yesterday has gone behind locked
doors, while tomorrow is shaded by a veil. Only with today
am I able to do anything. Today is the only day where I can
live; today is what the Lord has given me.
“If I try to live in yesterday, re-living its failures or
resting on its successes; then I lose this fleeting moment of
today. Yesterday has a keyless lock. I can learn from
yesterday, I can cherish yesterday, but I cannot unlock it.
Today is the only day I can live; today is what the Lord has
given me.
“If I try to live in tomorrow, full of its hopes and
dreams; then I lose this moment to make yesterday’s dream a
reality. Tomorrow lies hidden behind a veil constantly
moving forward. I can plan for tomorrow, I can prepare for
tomorrow; but I cannot go beyond that veil. Today is the only
day where I can live; today is what the Lord has given me.
“I must live today. Today is what the Lord has given
me. I can use the lessons of the past and reach for the dreams
of tomorrow, but I must live today – or I will have failed to
live at all. It is God’s gift for His glory.
“This was the idea which Paul had in mind in Col. 4:5
when he penned those words to describe his attitude towards
life. Only when we learn this can we say we have ‘redeemed
the time’ the Lord has given to us. Too many believers live
content with what they used to do or with a promise to serve
‘tomorrow;’ while the mind Paul encourages is one which
asks, ‘What does the Lord have for me today?’”

What to do:
✞Live for the Lord today rejoicing in Him moment by
moment.

********************

The Sunshine Minister

April 30

 Bible Reading: Psalm 28

 Key Verse: Verse 7- "The LORD is my strength and
my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped:
therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my
song will I praise him."
Key Words: The LORD is my strength

Al Smith records in his book, Treasury of Hymn

Histories, the following story.
“Did you ever have the feeling of being abandoned?
That you were all alone with your cares and problems?
“Rev. Frank Graeff went through such a deep and
heartbreaking experience. He was to say later that his ‘whole
attitude had become one of despair and defeat’ and that in
turn produced a life which was anything but happy and
victorious. He had lost sight of the One Who cares – the One
Who knows about our heartaches and griefs – the One Who is
the burden-bearer and has promised never to leave us in such
times.
“Each day saw him slipping, as did Bunyon’s Pilgrim,
deeper into the ‘slough of despair’ until one day when he felt
he could stand it no longer and had come to the end of the
road – in this extremity, he began to sing a song that had been
born out of just such an experience that he was going through.
It had been written by Joseph Scriven seventy-five years
before.
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear.
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer –
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear ...
“Frank Graeff could go on no further. He dropped to
his knees and began to pour out his heavy heart to the One
Who cared. The peace he had forfeited came flooding through
his soul and with it a ‘joy unspeakable and full of glory.’ ‘I
know He cares! I know My Saviour cares!’ shouted the
reclaimed preacher.
“Is it any wonder that shortly after this experience
there flowed from his happy and revived heart the song ‘Does
Jesus Care?’ that has blessed and encouraged so many
thousands from the time it was written in 1900?”
Rev. Graeff went on to become one of the leading
pastors in the Philadelphia area where he became known as
“The Sunshine Minister.”

What to do:
✞Read the following and know Jesus really cares.
Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth and song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress, and the way
grows weary and long?

Does Jesus care when my way is dark

With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?

Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed

To resist some temptation strong,
 When for my deep grief I find no relief,
Tho’ my tears flow all the night long?

Does Jesus care when I’ve said goodbye

To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks –
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?

Chorus: Oh yes, He cares—

I know He cares!
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Notes:
I deeply appreciate the
help of
 Mary Parsons

Glenda Myrick

And my lovely wife, Linda

Without God using these

people to help, this
devotional would not
have been possible.
Dr. Mike Rouse
 is a ministry of

5568 Chalkville Mountain Road

Birmingham, AL. 35235
(205) 854-2741
www.mountainviewbaptist.org