FRIDAY, January 23rd, 2009

Well, tonight is the last night of the missions conference until we wrap it all up on Sunday. If you have not been coming you really have missed a great time. The first night we had a great skit, a phone call from Peru, a Missionary Glitch, a Missionary Video and a great Message! Then again, last night we had an exciting phone call all the way from England, we had some special music, another Missions Glitch, and some other exciting stuff, BUT TONIGHT is a night that will blow the other two away. Tonight we are having a banquet catered by Kingfish Cafe and they will be making Chicken Parmesan with Penne Pasta, Salad, Breadsticks, Dessert and more!!! It will be pretty great! Then we will also be playing some games, giving away some prize drawings and then we will be annnouncing one of the biggest announcements of the year!!!!!

If you have not signed up yet, then it may be too late for you... We have seats for 180 and we already have 186 people signed up!! :) I guess we will have to figure something out!

Alright, on to the devotions!!!

Psalm 18

15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
24 Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

What a great passage! There are like three different parts that stood out to me very clearly... I will talk about those. Verse 15 sets the stage for the passage as the writer explains that I FEEL LIKE I AM DROWNING!!!!! I AM SO OVERWHELMED WITH THE THINGS GOING ON IN MY LIFE!!!!!!! Have you ever been there before? Have you ever been so overwhelmed that you felt like you were drowning? I have. Well, what happens next? As the writer turned to God: It says here that "the Lord rew him out of many waters". Do you wish that you did not feel like you were drowning anymore? Well, call upon the Lord, and He will bring a peace that PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING!!

Verse 21 is one that challenges me, It says I have kept the way of the Lord, I have not departed from Him... You know, As I think about life, It is easy to look at a long list of those that have departed from the Lord.. They cannot claim this verse to be true for their lives... think about it, even with these devotions: There have been times where there were 20 teenagers posting devotions a day, but now, many have departed from the Lord. It is always like that in this life, Satan tries to deceive us so that we will follow Him instead of following God... I must strive to stay by Gods side and not depart from the TRUTH!!!!!!

Finally, I love verse 29, As long as I have God on my side, I can accomplish anything: I can run through a troop or jump over a wall with the help of God... That is so cool!!!! These are literral, physical things that we can do as long as we are close and right with God... God does not only want to see us accomplish great spiritual feats, but He wants to use us to do great things for His glory in every area of our life!!!!!!