Last night, my heart was heavy as I prayed for people whom I love and respect, who are in need of a Savior. As wrote my devotion, I found myself getting into a right position---leaving my place where I thought I knew what needed to happen and instead, kneeling before God; surrendering everything. Instead of telling Him what to do, I began to sing praises to Him. This morning, I was incredibly blessed by emails, phone calls and prayers. Thank you so much.

This is an opportunity for us to walk by faith, to focus on Scripture, to stand on His promises. I wrote about this a few years ago; I needed the reminder.

"Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible" ~Matthew 19:26

"Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts" ~Isaiah 55:9

"Jesus replied, "Your problem is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God"

" Jesus said, "You're way off base, and here's why: One, you don't know your Bibles; two, you don't know how God works".~Mark 12:24

Reading these scriptures, makes me painfully aware of times when I've made up excuses, thinking that God was asking me to do something that was too much for me. Silly me, I need to stop my stammering and stuttering and remember that God doesn't need our ability to complete any task!

God is the one with the power. If He says it can be done, it can. The Bible is full of examples – David the little shepherd boy becomes a mighty King, Debra a women becomes a Judge, Daniel survives the lions den, Noah survives the scuba diving experience, Sarah an old woman has a baby boy, Mary a virgin gives birth to the Messiah, Saul gets new sight and the list goes on. We need to stop looking at ourselves and look to God who is the source of our strength, then we will realize that with God not only are all things possible but will have everlasting consequences. God is the recorder and what He writes is more important than man’s approval. Is your heart obedient or are you waiting for man to give its applaud and approval first? God desires that you work beside Him. Allow Him to be the director.

The poet wrote, "Beware of those who stand aloof, and greet each venture with reproof. The world would stop if things were run, by those who say, 'It can't be done.'" Refuse to let the word 'impossible' stop you. Jesus said, "With God all things are possible." If those who've changed the world had left every 'impossible' task undone, we'd still be living in the Dark Ages. Here are four examples:

1) German experts predicted that trains traveling at 25 mph would cause severe nose bleeds and the passengers would suffocate going through tunnels. American experts added that we'd need more mental institutions because people would go mad when they saw the first trains.

2) When the YWCA first announced typing classes for women, there was a furious backlash on the grounds that the 'female constitution would deteriorate under such strain.'

3) Experts insisted that iron ships would never float, that the iron would wreak havoc with the compass readings.

4) In 1797, New Jersey farmers denounced the first cast-iron plough, insisting it would poison the land and stimulate weeds. So much for 'experts!'

More of us are persuaded into believing for too little than believing for too much. Vision is essential for survival. And a God-given vision is conceived by faith, sustained by prayer and fueled by God's Word. It's not about what you can do, but what God can do with your life when it's fully surrendered to Him. It envelops things outside the realm of the predictable, the safe, and the expected. "Where there is no vision, the people perish" Proverbs 29:18. If God has given you a vision; pursue it, and believe Him for great things!

Jesus said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

True story! In 1940, a large and wonderful Christian family, the Rudolph’s, announced the birth of their 20th baby! Though the baby was not expected to live, having been born prematurely and with polio, she defied all odds. She did live, but by the time she was four she had suffered polio, pneumonia and scarlet fever. This little girl was badly crippled with hardly any use of her left leg. While her brothers and sisters enjoyed running and playing outside, she was left confined to braces.

“Will I ever be able to run and play like the other children?” she asked her parents. “Honey, you only have to believe,” they responded. “If you believe, God will make it happen.” And she did! Now and again, she would practice walking without her braces with the aid of her siblings. On her twelfth birthday, she surprised her parents and doctors by removing her braces and walking around the doctor’s office unassisted. She never wore braces again.

Her next goal was to play basketball. The coach only agreed to let her play as a means of getting her older sister on the team. She was given an outdated uniform, but she was allowed to work out with the other players. One day she approached the coach and promised him if he would give her an extra ten minutes of coaching each day, she would give him a world class athlete. He laughed, but seeing she was serious, half-heartedly agreed. Before long her determination paid off. She became one of the team’s best players.

Her team went to the state basketball championships. One of the referees noticed her exceptional ability. He asked if she had ever run track. She hadn’t. He encouraged her to try it. So after the basketball season she went out for track. She began winning races and earned a berth in the state championships.

At the age of 16, she was one of the best young runners in the country. She went to the Olympics in Australia and won a bronze medal for anchoring the 400-meter relay team. Four years later in Rome she won the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash and anchored the winning 400-meter relay team — all in world-record times. She received the prestigious Sullivan Award as the most outstanding amateur athlete in America.

This is the amazing story of Wilma Rudolph, an Olympic gold medalist, who believed the promises of God.

We must never allow our circumstances to dictate what we can accomplish or who we can become! Let’s believe the promises of God for our lives and be encouraged to move forward for him! All things are possible to them that believe!

We all have issues, but with God's help, we can do things that we would never dream or imagine on our own. Big plans. Huge. with God all things are possible

Thank You, God for Don and Kathy's faith. Thank You for Ben and Susie and their love for each other, for their children and for You is an example to many others. Thank You, Kristin, for Leslie, Pam, Denise, Susan, Diana and Linda. Thank You, that You are able, more than able. You are the Great Physician and You can heal Susie, heal Cindi, protect Michael, and take a heart of stone and turn it into a heart of flesh. I love You, Jesus

love,
dena

There are some things that are worth repeating. When you feel as though you are facing yet another hard time, read this:


The Refiners Touch
There was a group of women in a Bible study on the book of Malachi. As they were studying chapter three they came across verse three which says, "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study. That week the woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that, in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest so as to burn away all the impurities.


The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot - then she thought again about the verse, that He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. For if the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's the easy part -- when I see my image reflected in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep His hand on you and watch over you until He sees His image in you.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN

NOTE FROM KAY: I verified that the information in this story was true. I contacted a silversmith at www.silversmithing.com and asked if there were any untruths in the silver-smithing parts.

I received the following response from Fred Zweig: "I am familiar with the verse from Malachi. The similarities of actual refining and the chapter and verse from the Bible are accurate. It is important not to overheat the silver when refined in this process and clean molten silver will shine with a mirror-like quality when it is ready to pour. The high temperatures do volatize the impurities and form on the surface as dross. It is important to be attentive to the molten metal as it does it no good to overheat it. It may not destroy the silver, but silver has an affinity for absorbing oxygen and this can make it unworkable."


So, if today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep His hand on you and watch over you until He sees His image in you.

I'm thankful for getting to serve in a ministry with really great people. I'm thankful for God's promises. I'm thankful email from Susan, Cindy and Kim. I'm thankful for an amazing God who I can trust.