May 27th 2025

FAITH IN THE DARKNESS

Who among you fears the LORD & obeys the word of His servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD & rely on his God. But now, all you who light fires & provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires & the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from My hand: You will lie down in sorrows. Isaiah 50:10,11

This may be one of the most frightfully sobering scriptures in the Bible. God makes it clear that providing our own illumination, following our understanding, & making our own way forward will result in sorrows. Very few people like total darkness & certainly, there are times when the circumstances of life or relationships make us feel we are alone, afraid, & sitting in darkness. But we must stay upon our God, trusting in His faithfulness, everlasting love, & abundant grace. Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12); He is the sun of righteousness who rises with healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2). Be still, trust, & wait for the Lord; avoid the certain sorrows of self-reliance & self-help. The dawn of His redemption is coming! He never fails!

Did you know? If you come to the pantry after 1pm it’s a shorter wait; it’s shortest from 4:30-5:00.

May 20th 2025

FAITH TO LEAVE
The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people & your father’s household & go to the land I will show you.” So Abram left, as the LORD had told him. Genesis 12:1, 4

Imagine being 75 years old & being called by an unseen God to leave home & extended family, to travel unrevealed miles, to an unknown destination, without GPS assistance. Would we answer the call & leave our comfort zone & all that’s familiar to journey into the unknown? The answer depends on our faith in God & faith is “being sure of what we hope for & certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Our faith is planted in the perfect character & unconditional love of our Creator God which is revealed over & over within His Word, the Bible. Our faith doesn’t have to be sizeable; Jesus said faith the size of the tiniest mustard seed would move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Abram answered God’s call to leave, had his name changed to Abraham & became the father of many nations. What has God planned for us if we trust, obey, & follow Him?