On Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, churches throughout the United States celebrate God’s gift of life, commemorate the lives lost to abortion, and commit to protecting human life at every stage. Please keep this issue and those affected by abortion in your prayers.

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MID-WEEK DEVOTION

Don’t forget to check out Brother David’s Mid-Week Devotion on the book of Psalms. They are uploaded each Wednesday on the sermon page.

Giving as of January 12, 2022

Budget for 2022 . . . . . . . .  $322,471.00
Tithes Needed to Date . . . . . $12,402.74
Received to Date . . . . . . . . . $10,328.70
Needed for weekly budget . . . $6,201.37
Tithes Received this week . . .  $4,509.70

From Our Pastor

Are you confused by the direction that God is leading you?  Perhaps He is leading you into a task that you had never considered until now.  Maybe He is calling you into a role that is different than any that you have filled in the past.  Or, you may wonder why He is wanting you to change at this point in your life. 

You are not the first to be confused by God’s leading.  In Jeremiah 32, the prophet was confused by God’s leading.  For years, God had been warning Judah that he was going to give them over to the Babylonians.  The Babylonians were besieging Jerusalem.  It was the final days for the kingdom.

What does God tell Jeremiah to do?  He tells Jeremiah to buy a piece of property!  To make matters worse, this property was behind Babylonian lines!  It was in enemy territory and soon all of Judah would be in enemy territory. 

This is not a smart investment!  Jeremiah obeyed the Lord, but he was thoroughly confused.  Jeremiah sought the Lord for understanding.  God’s answer to Jeremiah shows us lessons that God wants us to learn when His leading confuses us.

First, we need to grow in our comprehension of greatness.  In verse 17, Jeremiah began his prayer by acknowledging God as the Creator for whom nothing was too difficult.  God deepened this understanding when He said, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for me?” (verse 27).  God was using the land purchase to give Jeremiah an even greater comprehension of His might and power.  God does the same with us.  We need to let Him teach us His greatness on a deeper level than we have known.

Next, God wants us to learn of His lovingkindness.  When Jeremiah looked around, he saw Jerusalem besieged.  God had already told him that Judah would be defeated and exiled.  God now used the land purchase to show Jeremiah His lovingkindness for Israel.  Where will God’s work for Israel finally calumniate?  In verse 37 God said, “…and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety.”  God is working with Israel to bring them into His blessing.  Every plan of God ultimately leads to the experiencing of His lovingkindness.  While we might not specifically know where God is leading us, the ultimate destination is good.

God is also leading us deeper into His love.  Verses 38-39a say, “They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always…”  God wanted Israel to know His eternal love for them and for them to love Him.  God wanted Israel’s heart.  God wants our hearts.  He wants every experience to lead us deeper into His love.  He designs every circumstance (especially the confusing ones) to lead us deeper into His love.

Last, God is teaching us to trust His perfection.  The day is coming when God will restore the fortunes of Israel (verse 44).  Although we can’t understand why God has done certain things in His dealings with Israel, the day is coming when the perfection of His work will be evident.  We will see that the specifics, means, and timing of God’s plans are perfect.  We will say the same about our circumstances.  While we might not understand why God is doing what He is doing, the day is coming when we will see that it was perfect.

Like Jeremiah, we are often confused by what God is doing in our lives. In those times we need to trust God and follow Him.  We’ll not only experience His plan, we’ll also grow in Him.