Weekly Spiritual Meditations - 8/15

[bluidkiti]

If we listen, we can hear God speaking amidst the noise of the world.

God has many ways to speak to us.

G O D = Good Orderly Direction.

The stillness of God speaks louder than a choir of voices.

"God is my compass." --Alan Cohen

"Never think that God's delays are God's denials. Hold on; hold fast; hold out. Patience is genius." --Comte de Buffon

God is bigger than all our problems and worries. He will handle them if we give them over to Him.

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HAPPINESS IS THE WAY Author Unknown
We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are.
After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.
We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.
The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when?
Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.
One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D. Souza. He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."
This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time...and remember that time waits for no one.
So, stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
Work like you don't need money,
Love like you've never been hurt,
And dance like no one's watching.
God has given each of us a "gift" that we are to use to glorify His name! Do you know yours?

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Sowing Generously by Steve May
We're all familiar with the law of the harvest. You reap what you sow. We know that verse well; we can say it forwards and backwards.
And sometimes that's the problem.
Sometimes we want to say it — and live it — backwards. We want permission to sow after we reap, not before. It's revealed in our words and attitudes:
• I'll get serious about generosity when I have more money.
• I'll give 100% to my job when I have a job worth 100% of my effort.
• I'll change when my spouse changes.
• I'll start showing gratitude when my life gets better.
There's no trick to side-stepping the process. The order never changes: you reap what you sow, after you sow.
If the harvest you're experiencing today isn't what you had in mind for your life, it's not too late to change.
Paul was talking here about money in today's verse, but it applies to every area of our lives...
"Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." (2 Corinthians 9:16)
What if you decided today to sow generously everywhere you go?
What if you chose to pour yourself into your job, even now, while you consider yourself underpaid?
What if you chose to sow forgiveness for others, even if you're pretty sure that you're right and they're wrong?
What if you chose to sow obedience, even before blessings come your way?
Can you imagine what might happen next?

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Hearing God Author Unknown
"Then He said, 'Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.' And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice." (1 Kings 19:11-12)
The young man had lost his job and didn't know which way to turn. So he went to see the old preacher.
Pacing about the preacher's study, the young man ranted about his problem. Finally he clenched his fist and shouted, "I've begged God to say something to help me. Tell me, Preacher, why doesn't God answer?"
The old preacher, who sat across the room, spoke something in reply -- something so hushed it was indistinguishable. The young man stepped across the room. "What did you say?" he asked.
The preacher repeated himself, but again in a tone as soft as a whisper. So the young man moved closer until he was leaning on the preacher's chair. "Sorry," he said. "I still didn't hear you."
With their heads bent together, the old preacher spoke once more. "God sometimes whispers," he said, "so we will move closer to hear Him."
This time the young man heard and he understood. We all want God's voice to thunder through the air with the answer to our problem. But God's is the still, small voice... the gentle whisper.
Perhaps there's a reason. Nothing draws human focus quite like a whisper. God's whisper means I must stop my ranting and move close to Him, until my head is bent together with His. And then, as I listen, I will find my answer. Better still, I find myself closer to God.

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THE CHAINS by Vonette Bright
Long ago, there was a village blacksmith who boasted of his invincible strength. He proudly declared he could break anyone's chains. When strong steel links were brought to him, he found the weakest link... and easily snapped the metal.
One day, the blacksmith broke the law and was put into chains. He scoffed at his jailers. Didn't they know his incredible power?
Carefully he sifted through the links... again and again... unable to find the usual flaw. Then, in horror he realized he'd been bound by... his OWN chains!
And, that's the way it is with sin. You may think you're strong enough to withstand Satan's enticements. But, when you repeatedly give in to temptation, you become what has become a habit.
Dear one, what "binds" you today? Ask for God's help. He will set you free!
"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!" (John 8:36)
My chains are gone, I've been set free
My God, My Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing Grace.

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I CHOOSE! Author Unknown
"It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.
In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose......
I Choose Love... No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I Choose Joy... I will invite my God to be the God of circumstances. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I Choose Peace... I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I Choose Patience... I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of yelling at the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I Choose Kindness... I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I Choose Goodness... I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse.
I Choose Faithfulness... Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.
I Choose Gentleness... Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I Choose Self-Control... I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will not, rule the eternal. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ.
"LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF CONTROL" (Gal.5:22,23)
To these, I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest with the peace that passes all understanding. (Philippians 4:7)

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God Allows U-Turns Author Unknown
"Thanks for inviting me to go to church with you next Sunday, Uncle Al." Tim and his uncle were on their way to Bonny Lake. They had heard the fishing there was great. "I... I don't want to hurt your feelings," continued Tim, "but... well... I'm not sure I want to get into this religious stuff. Besides, Mom and Dad don't think it's a good idea."
"Oh?" asked Uncle Al in surprise. "I thought you said that your parents wouldn't mind if you went with me. You sounded quite interested last week. You even said the Gospel was beginning to make sense to you."
"Yeah, but since then I've done a lot of thinking," Tim said slowly. "I don't think I feel like getting 'saved' right now. The crowd I hang around with at school wouldn't understand, and I like being with them. Someday I'll start going to church, but I think I'll just go on the way I am for a while. I know I'm not perfect, but I'm not so bad, either."
Tim's uncle drove on silently for a few minutes. "Oh, no!" he exclaimed as they passed a road sign. "I was so intent on our conversation that I missed the turnoff! We should have gotten off this road five miles back!"
"Guess we'll have to turn around and go back now, huh?" asked Tim.
But Uncle Al shook his head. "I don't feel like turning around right now," he said. "I guess we'll just keep going this way. I kind of like this road, and the scenery is nice."
Tim looked at his uncle in amazement. "But we have to turn around to get to Bonny Lake," he protested, "and the longer we keep going this way, the longer it will take to get back. If we wait too long to turn around, we might not even get there in time to fish."
Uncle Al smiled at Tim as he slowed down for the next turn. "You're right," he said, "and what you said just now is exactly what I've been trying to tell you about spiritual life... that when you're traveling down the wrong road, the sooner you turn around, the better. If you wait too long, you might never get to your spiritual goal."
"In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2)

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"Proving Them Wrong" Author Unknown
Everyone suffers an occasional rejection. Some high school seniors don't get into their college of choice. Many a college graduate doesn't get the dream job he or she had counted on. Suitors are turned down. Social slights abound.
Some people so internalize the rejections they encounter that they become paralyzed by life. They abandon their dreams. They settle for less than God intended with their lives. They give up and resign themselves to mediocrity. They allow the judgments other people pass on them to define them. What a shame!
Imagine the difference that would have been made in our world if certain people had accepted others' rejection of them as the final word on their worth. Beethoven's music teacher said he was "hopeless" at composing. The Wright brothers were ridiculed for their dream of a flying machine. Albert Einstein was feared to be mentally retarded as a child.
You've no doubt seen pictures of Michelangelo's David. Maybe you've stood in front of it and marveled at its flawless lines. Many judge it to be the world's most perfect piece of sculpture. The torso of the biblical hero who went from shepherd boy to King of Israel is rendered in exquisite detail. Down to the muscle contraction etched on his forehead, it seems almost ready to come alive.
The masterpiece that is David was carved from a single block of marble that two other artists had already discarded for its imperfections! And so it might have been with the historical figure himself. When God sent his prophet to anoint the next king for Israel, neither Samuel nor the family patriarch to whom God had sent him considered David to be in the running. He wasn't even invited in from the fields to meet the visiting holy man. He was, after all, just a boy tending sheep.
The David story contains this marvelous line: "The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart". Just as Michelangelo would later see possibilities for a flawed block of marble others had discarded, God saw possibilities for a raw young man for whom others appear not to have forecast greatness.
A rejected marble block in Michelangelo's hands yielded artistic brilliance. A slighted youth in God's hands became the legendary King of Israel. So why should you let life's slights and rejections define you? In the hands of The Master, you still have infinite possibilities before you to prove the critics wrong.
"May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands." (Psalm 90:17)

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Blank Pages
"If I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.” (Job 23:8-9)
“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." {Job 13:15 )
One day while printing a report for work, I noticed a blank page. I thought the printer was malfunctioning until I looked near the bottom of the page to see, “this page intentionally left blank.” After a sigh of relief, a different section of the report began to spout from the printer. Another “page intentionally left blank” preceded another section of the report. The page intentionally left blank served as a separator page to let the reader know that a different section was behind it.
There are points in our lives in which we say to our selves, "God, I don't have a clue as to what you are doing.". Sometimes we say (or think), "This is happening, that is happening, and I am not getting any guidance from You, God. What's going on?" This is a point in life in which God intentionally leaves the page blank. God sometimes remains silent in order for us to trust Him beyond our emotions.
God wants us to trust Him when we do not feel His presence. He wants us to continue to trust Him even when we feel He is not near. Some are wondering, “Where are you God, do you hear me, have you left me? Some are at a "blank page" point. Be encouraged that God is still near and simply wants us to trust Him because the current page in our life may be intentionally left blank. Trust Him in the "blank pages" of life.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart - and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
Set yourself apart from all turmoil, and dedicate yourself to My purposes and the assurance that I know you; I know your name, your current situation, and your challenges. I have heard your prayers. Be at peace and trust Me to lead you through the maze of circumstances that you now face. Do not be afraid; I am with you, says the Lord, and I will show you the way. Isaiah 49:15-16 "Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me."

Work through the temptation to be overwhelmed. Look at what is immediately before you and take first things first. If you look at the whole picture, you are likely to get bogged down in the scope of your responsibility. You have not been given more than you can handle, but the way you deal with it is key to your success, says the Lord. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Life becomes tedious at times, but you need to rise above weariness by re-focusing on your spiritual walk. Stir up a fresh interest in your vital and tangible relationship with Me, says the Lord. Lift your vision higher! Deliberately draw near to Me and experience the reality of My kingdom. It will be good! Colossians 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

You have been in the fires of affliction to be purified and refined like precious metal. The sin and impurities in your life have risen to the top of your life where you can see them clearly and deal with them appropriately. Do not despise this process; it is exactly what is necessary for you to be transformed into My image, says the Lord. Isaiah 1:25 I will turn My hand against you, and thoroughly purge away your dross, and take away all your alloy.

I am perfecting your faith through opportunities that come with challenges. Your responses to these difficulties will define the level and strength of your trust in Me to perfect those things that concern you. You will be required to persevere and move through this time with faith and grace, says the Lord. Be strong and courageous. James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

In a vision I saw a group of people walking around blindfolded. They were aimless because they could not see where they were going. Each one had the ability to take the blindfold off, but they were afraid. To see clearly would mean they would have to assess their current position and make course corrections that would require solid decisions. My sense was that they would rather be victims of their blindness and justified by their helplessness than to take responsibility for their condition. I heard the Lord speaking to their hearts to trust in Him to bring them out of their bondage. Isaiah 42:16 I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them.

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
I am coming to you in this season, My beloved, to lead you from chaos to peace. I have come to lead you out of the chaos that the world around you creates and lead you into the kingdom of My peace. For it is in My peace that you will be established where the living waters will flow. It is in My peace that the joy of the Lord, which is your strength, will come. It will be in the flow of My peace, and it shall run in these days even as a river runs. It will bring you into the fullness of kingdom reality and in that reality, My beloved, you will see things and reason in ways that you have not reasoned before. For, you shall see from a heavenly perspective and no longer from an earthly reality and those things that are coming to you will be revealed by My Spirit. You will be established in My kingdom in a very profound and blessed way, says the Lord God.

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The Best Is Yet To Be by Carole Hicks
One day I lost my heart
I had no way to find it.
I searched in woods and byways,
And places no one minded.
My eyes turned toward heaven
Saying, “Lord, I need a guide.”
‘Twas then He stirred my spirit
And drew me to His side.
“Like a sheep, you’ve gone astray,”
But still, I have a plan.
You just need a shepherd,
To take you by the hand.”
“You must listen to him closely.
Hear the message he imparts.
If you walk along beside him,
He can help you find your heart.”
So I followed God’s direction,
And this shepherd helped me see,
Though my heart had known some trials,
“The Best Is Yet To Be!”

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Peeling Author Unknown
Today I've found an answer,
that my Father has revealed
true beauty isn't in the orange,
that hasn't yet been peeled.
For It's truly on the inside,
God's deliciousness abound
and it's through the pain of peeling,
That the orange's beauties found.
Not looking on the outside,
can we ever truly know,
what's in the heart of any orange
or how its juices flow.
So I asked Him now to peel me,
for in peeling He reveals
the deliciousness inside me
and His sweetness that I feel.
I pray that all who taste me
will know that deep inside
Is true love err abounding
and it's in Him I abide
And though my peelings may get bruised
and I don't look that sweet
I know that when my peeling's done,
His love will be complete.

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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10

And He said unto me, "My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore will I glory rather in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:7-9

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. Philippians 2:14-16

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2

Whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Matthew 16:25-26

"Follow God's example in everything you do, because you are His dear children." Ephesians 5:1

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DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO? by Alan Smith
A young and foolish pilot wanted to sound cool and show who was boss on the aviation frequencies. It was his first time approaching a field during the night time.
Instead of making any official requests to the tower, he said: "Guess who?"
The controller switched the field lights off and replied: "Guess where!"
It important for a pilot to be able to see the place where he is landing! There is a true story about a pilot who was flying a fighter jet in bad weather and was about to make his instrument approach to an airport. The air traffic controller called and asked how much fuel he had. -- “Plenty,” he said.
“Well,” the controller said, "We’ve got a little problem. There’s a young pilot who is not instrument rated. He’s lost in the clouds, and we were wondering if you could intercept him and lead him back to the airport."
“Sure,” the pilot responded. He found the lost plane and pulled up beside it. He called on the radio and told the pilot to look out to his left. When the pilot of this small plane saw the powerful jet, he burst into tears of relief. As far as he was concerned, his life was about over. He would soon run out of fuel and crash.
“Don’t worry,” the test pilot said. “Everything’s going to be OK. I’m going to pull in front of you several hundred yards. Do everything I do. When I turn, I’ll turn gently. All you have to do is do exactly what I do.”
So carefully the leader and the follower turned toward the airport and slowly descended. When they finally broke through the clouds at 500 feet, the frightened pilot saw the most beautiful sight. There in front of him was the runway, and he was perfectly set up to land. What a blessing that the young pilot had someone nearby that he could look to!
There's a story in the Bible where an ancient king of Judah must have felt that same sense of relief. Jehoshaphat's kingdom was being threatened by the armies of Ammon, Moab, "and others" (2 Chronicles 20:1). In fact, those armies were so large and so strong, Judah didn't stand a chance of surviving an assault. There seemed to be nothing Jehoshaphat could do about it, so he turned to God (which, incidentally, is not such a bad place for us to find ourselves!). Eventually, God rescued the people of Judah by causing the armies of the enemy to turn on one another. But it is the prayer of Jehoshaphat that I think is so valuable. In fact, I think this may become my favorite verse in the Bible:..
"For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You." (2 Chronicles 20:12)
Is there a problem you're facing in your life that just seems overwhelming? Pray along with Jehoshaphat -- "God, I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on you!" Do you have a difficult decision to make and you don't know which course to take? "God, I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on you!" Are you suffering the attacks of enemies, those who would seek to do you harm? "God, I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on you!" Pray it today and pray it often.

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"Lord, it's because of Your amazing love that we can experience Your amazing grace--and it's because of Your amazing grace that we can experience Your amazing love! How gracious are Your thoughts toward us. You watch us run--and stumble--through the maze of life--and You are there--to guide, help, strengthen, deliver--You are all we need. Help us to appropriate daily Your amazing grace, In Jesus' Name, Amen." --Peggie Bohanon

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Read Through The Bible
2 Chronicles 35
1 Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the Lord in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the Lord, 3 And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the Lord, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the Lord your God, and his people Israel, 4 And prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son. 5 And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites. 6 So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses. 7 And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover offerings, for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the king's substance. 8 And his princes gave willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites: Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover offerings two thousand and six hundred small cattle and three hundred oxen. 9 Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for passover offerings five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen. 10 So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the king's commandment. 11 And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them. 12 And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen. 13 And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but the other holy offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the people. 14 And afterward they made ready for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron. 15 And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer; and the porters waited at every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them. 16 So all the service of the Lord was prepared the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of the Lord, according to the commandment of king Josiah. 17 And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days. 18 And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept. 20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Charchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him. 21 But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not. 22 Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. 23 And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded. 24 His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 25 And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his goodness, according to that which was written in the law of the Lord, 27 And his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

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Your voice, dear God, is not always loud. Help us learn to discern it among the myriad sounds and signs of our world. Give us faith to tell others about the power of your presence and your love. Amen.

Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. If you do not have Jesus in your life and wish to ask Jesus into your life please go to this link now to do so: http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.