2 Corinthians 1:3 NKJV “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.”

I just love my yoga pants, but if you read my devotions every week, you already know that. Any of you who own such attire will understand. Stretchy, soft clothing has a way of calming your soul and providing you confidence to conquer whatever lies ahead, and all while shrouded in comfort.

But apparently I showed up at one event too many in my yoga pants and now my daughter is all in my business over the vast collection of stretchy attire hanging in my closet.

To hush my daughter up about my clothes, I enlightened her of the description of God the apostle Paul presents in 2 Corinthians: “Blessed be . . . the God of all comfort.”

There you have it! “The God of ALL comfort.” Remember, if God says “ALL,” God means “ALL!” No exceptions! And that, dear daughter, includes the comfort of my yoga pants!

Case closed –  Mic drop – Definite eye roll from my daughter!

Gratefully, the comfort God offers extends far beyond the physical. When heartbreak consumes us, God’s peace covers us, helping us to thrive in our new normal once again. When we mourn those who have left us, God’s hope of a heavenly reunion comforts us as we continue living a victorious life on earth until time for our heavenly reunion. When life’s problems are hurled at us faster than we can process, His Word guides us toward wise solutions that fill us with a calm sense of affirmation.

So friend, through all the activities of your day, bask in the comfort of our Loving Father, but do me a favor. If you happen to see me out in yoga pants, I would appreciate you not mentioning it to my daughter. Just know, if you attend my funeral some day and view me lying in my casket with a smile on my face, you can be sure I am resting comfortably in my yoga pants for all eternity.

Father God, thank you for covering us continually in your comfort and peace.

Blessings of comfort,

Rita Cochrane

We just finished our week of VBS and I was struck by how much I learned during those few short evenings of togetherness. First, allow me to share some things that happened, and then I’ll get to what I learned.

My role was kitchen helper. Every night we ended up with more helpers than we expected. Sally Ware and Dana Simpson were there early every night, but soon sweet faces like Kim Eubanks, Joyce Johnson, Neata Wiley, Diane Boyles, Terrie Hudson, Alice Humphrey, Kelli Nicks, Heather Paschal, Rosa Raby, and more would jump in to help serve and clean.

One night I had a few responsibilities to take care of, but when I showed up, Russell and Dana Simpson were there and had already taken care of all of them.

Every time we were short something and mentioned it, someone nearby would volunteer to go get it. For example, I said I didn’t think we had enough bottled water to get through the next night. Stephen Pitcock heard and said, “I’ll pick some up!” The next night we saw that he not only picked them up, he went ahead and put them in the large cooler for us.

Greg Neville was the VBS coordinator. Every night he helped us by moving the heavy coolers, refilling any foods we were serving, clearing out trash, and basically just jumping in wherever there was a need (like assembling opened faced S’mores).

Diane Boyles brought some fresh cut fruit one night. I told her later that I didn’t get to try any of her sliced peaches but they looked good. The next evening she brought me two juicy, ripe peaches and said, “These are for you.”

Chris Young taught the adult class one night. His text was Acts 7 and he brought out points about Stephen’s sermon that I hadn’t considered. For instance, remember when God told Moses to deliver His people and one of excuses Moses gave was that he was “not eloquent of speech” but was “slow of speech and slow of tongue” (Exod. 4:10-12)? Well, in Stephen’s sermon he referred to Moses as “mighty in his words and deeds” (Ac. 7:22). I’d never noticed that before!

What did I learn?

• Many hands make light work, yes, but they also make the work more fun!
• I need to be better about looking for ways to help others instead of just focusing on my little role. Many of the thoughtful gestures made all week were by folks who had their own VBS responsibilities to take care of.
• Good leadership looks like rolling your sleeves up and working alongside everyone else.
• There are needs everywhere and everyone can fill those needs. People just saw a need and took care of it, instead of looking around to find someone else to take care of it.
• Small gestures lead to big joy. When I thanked Diane for the peaches she said, “It’s not much.” I said, “Yes, it is!” And I meant it. Of course I love peaches, but the very fact that she thought of me warmed my heart and made me smile.
• No matter how old you are, you can learn something new at VBS!

I know many of you won’t know any of the names that I mentioned, but I do. They’re real people making a real difference. They’re my Family and I thank God for the blessing of learning from them!

The amazing thing to me is that this is just a small glimpse of VBS from MY perspective. Who knows what all was collectively shared and learned this week from everyone else’s?

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.” (Ecc. 4:9)

By Kathy Pollard

When I think about my blessings

I have much to be thankful for

My life has been filled with happiness

I couldn’t ask for more.

Oh, there’s been times of loneliness

And times of tears and pain

But God has been really good to me

Through sunshine, clouds or rain.

One thing for which I’m thankful

It controls my destiny

My parents were Bible believers

And that meant a lot to me.

We talked about the Bible

We learned the Golden Rule

And when ever Sunday came around

We were in Bible school.

I memorized the Apostles

I tried to preach like Paul

My pulpit was an orange crate

I stood about three feet tall!

We always used the King James

Back in my early days

They didn’t publish the perversions

We couldn’t afford them anyway!

From mother’s knee to age eighty-three

That’s all I ever knew

And when you hear me teach or preach

I’ll be King James through and through.

I’ve heard men make the comment

But it was said in jest

If the King James was good for Paul and Silas

It’s good for all the rest.

Some words have changed their meaning

Since the old King James was wrought

But God expects us to study

If we the truth be taught.

Words like Thee and Thou are written

We all know what they mean

They are but words of great respect

For God who is our King!

We all object to “Easter”

A bad translation at best

But with a little study

We all can pass the test.

And then there is the “Holy Ghost”

The “Spirit” is what’s meant

He’s also called the “Comforter”

The One whom Jesus sent

And with this grand old Bible

Many a debate was won

We taught and formed congregations

With converts to God’s Son.

The Wallaces, the Nichols

And Marshall Keeble too

Led men and women to the faith

And taught them what to do.

So as you travel the narrow way

In search of souls to teach

Make sure that dear old Bible

Is well within your reach.

Teach the younger generation

How to plant the seed

To be ready with an answer

For all the souls in need.

Study to be a workman approved

Stay busy for the Lord

And then when life is over

You’ll reap that grand reward!

—D. Arbaugh

I wouldn’t suppose that many people, if anyone, would think that gossip could bring about a death sentence. Yet, that is exactly what happened in Numbers 12.

The story begins with Miriam and Aaron, sister and brother of Moses, complaining about Moses and his marriage to a Cushite woman. She is also referred to as an Ethiopian. There has been much controversy about who this woman was, but that is a study for another day.

It is interesting that Miriam is mentioned first. She was, evidently, the instigator of this complaint. She was also the oldest of the three, Aaron being in the middle; and Moses was the youngest.

In verse 2, they discussed that the Lord had communication with them as well as Moses. As they continued their discussion, the Lord heard it. Then, the writer inserts this: “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” The indication is that the Lord heard this complaining, and he knew that Moses would probably ignore it. Moses had been dealing with the complaints of the people about the manna, and there had been sin in the camp. He had been busy dealing with much more important issues than problems with his brother and sister.

The Lord “suddenly” called the three of them to the tabernacle, and He came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle. Then He called Miriam and Aaron to come close. Verse 9 says that the Lord was angry with them, and He left. The cloud left from the tabernacle, and Miriam stood before her brothers, leprous.

That must have been quite a shock for Moses and Aaron to see her with decaying skin and undoubtedly a look of fear on her face. The Lord left her standing there with a death sentence. There was no cure for leprosy. She would have to be exiled from the camp and all the people. She would have been left to die as the Children of Israel moved on toward the Promised Land.

Aaron begged Moses to intercede for her. He confessed that he and Miriam had acted foolishly, and they had sinned. Moses did pray to God and beg for Him to “heal her now.” The Lord’s answer was that a child who had been difficult to deal with would have suffered the public humiliation of having her father spit in her face. That was a common punishment for an unruly child. This was humiliating, and the Lord said that Miriam’s sin could not go unpunished. He told Moses that she should be shut out of the camp seven days. There she had to live alone, away from the people and her family.

This humiliating incident would not have happened if Miriam and Aaron had not gossiped about Moses. It did result in a death sentence for Miriam. Because of Moses’ petition to God, her death sentence was commuted.

Proverbs 21:23 says, “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from trouble.” I suspect most of us are guilty of gossip, sometimes without realizing it. We think that if what we tell is true, it is alright to share it. That is not at all true. James 1:26 says, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” James provides us with warnings about our tongue in chapter 3. He says it is a fire, a world of iniquity, defiles the whole body, and it stains the whole body.

Verse 10 is one of the most compelling verses concerning the tongue. James says, “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” This can be true, not only of gossip, but also other sins of the tongue. There is no doubt that it can be a death sentence.

Miriam and Aaron were struggling with losing position with the people. They were jealous of the wife of Moses, so they joined forces to discuss what could be done. We need to understand that “We all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body” (James 3:2). May we be more aware that gossip could be our death sentence.

Sandra Oliver

There’s a trip that I am taking to a sunny shore somewhere.
There are plans that I am making to be with someone who’s there.
I am packed and now departing, not another day to spurn
And I won’t look back while leaving, for I never will return.

There’s a path to travel upward that is narrow and a few
Who are looking for the same land will be pilgrims on it, too.
I have read that there’ll be times when I won’t see the way ahead,
But the Savior will sustain me while I wait, with Living Bread.

I will lay aside the weight of sin. Determined I will be
I will reach my destination where His glory waits for me.
With a will of iron I’m going, so don’t try to lure me back.
I am concentrating heav’nward, I will not be thrown off track.

There was once a path to travel up the Hill of Calvary.
And no journey I could make compares with what He did for me.
While my yoke is light, He bore a cross so I’d be reconciled
And His wounded flesh was nailed to it so I could be God’s child.

Now he waits for me beside the throne. For me, he intercedes.
He is pleading for my entry. He is touched with all my needs.
He’s prepared for me a table. There’s no evil I will fear.
For the valley’s darkness means the journey’s end is drawing near.

And I love Him for the journey.

Cindy Colley

Neal preached a lesson recently called “Seeing God’s Rich Blessings in the Church I Love.” It was beautiful, and I’m going to share his points here for this week’s reason to love the church. He shared one major theme blessing from each epistle in the New Testament, for a total of 21 blessings! If you like to write in your Bible, you could list each of these blessings under the epistle titles.

• Romans- being right with God (1:14-17)
• 1 Corinthians- unity (1:10-13)
• 2 Corinthians- comfort (1:3-7)
• Galatians- freedom (5:1-13)
• Ephesians- the love of God (3:14-21)
• Philippians- joy (2:1-4)
• Colossians- hope (1:25-27)
• 1 Thessalonians- prayer (3:9-13)
• 2 Thessalonians- endurance (1:1-2)
• 1 Timothy- pattern (3:15)
• 2 Timothy- boldness (1:7-18)
• Titus- grace (2:11-14)
• Philemon- providence (v. 15)
• Hebrews- covenant (8:6-7)
• James- wisdom (3:17)
• 1 Peter- resurrection (4:1)
• 2 Peter- knowledge (1:1-8)
• 1 John- brotherly love (4:7-21)
• 2 John- truth, as a command (v. 1-4)
• 3 John- truth, the examples (v. 1-15)
• Jude- divine power (v. 24-25)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”

(Eph. 1:3)

I have the best sister-in-law in the world. She is kind and loving to our family. She is always willing to do anything we need. I’ve never seen her angry in all the years I have known her. She is not perfect; she doesn’t claim to be, but she tries to be.

We have been separated by many miles over all the years both of us have been married. We have never had the chance to enjoy each other and our families until about 3 ½ years ago. We moved to be close to them. It was a great decision! We have enjoyed many wonderful times together, times I cherish.

All that I have said about this one member of our family represents the fellowship side of our relationship in the church. God intended that we feel close to one another in our spiritual family.

Last year, our elders and our minister emphasized our congregation’s relationship with one another. Many of our sermons were directed toward the bonding of us one to another. One of the sermons was directed to those who make a hobby of religion. The point was and is, “A hobby is never and can never be first”. These scriptures were given to emphasize our need for our church family to be a true family of God:

1. First John 2:3—Keep God’s commandments.
2. Galatians 6:10—Do good to all men.
3. John 13:14-15—Do what Jesus did.
4. Mark 11:26—Forgive others.
5. Matthew 28:19-20—Teach others
6. First Thessalonians 5:14—Encourage one another

With these things in mind, I think about my sister-in-law. She is always doing for someone else. She does good things for our family, doing like Jesus did. She is a forgiving person, and always has been. She is eager to teach others. She encourages everyone, looking only for the best in everyone.

That’s what God wants us to do in the family of God. If you do it every day to people in your daily life, you will do it to your brothers and sisters in Christ. If you do it in your church family, you will do it to your physical family and those you meet along the way. There is no getting around it.

You will notice that I did not include, “love your enemies”. There is no need. If we do the six things listed above, loving our enemies will be no problem.

Attitude is everything, whether it is toward our physical families, our church families, or the man on the street. Our hearts are the basis of our relationship with the Father. That’s why Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God”.

Sandra Oliver