Jan. 19, 2010
 
DEVOTION: God With Us
 
By Beth Bondurant
 
A visual picture of God's presence and power is seen clearly as story after story... picture after picture is relayed to us from Haiti.
 
Immediately following the earthquake... you could see caring hands digging... carrying... helping... comforting... sharing compassion ... as evidence of God with us.
 
In the middle of a disaster... on a cold... wet street... no matter what the weather or how marooned the location.... NOTHING SEPARATES US FROM GOD.
 
It might look and seem like people and places have been deserted by Shalom... but God is always moving in mysterious and wondrous ways to overcome the most deplorable plight with hope and healing.
 
God empowers YOU for this purpose. We are a CALLED OUT PEOPLE... and when we respond ... the results are unbelievable.
 
God's gifts are constant... new every morning... and we are given what we need to bring about wholeness and goodness... mercy and peace... patience and love in any... in every... in all ... through all... even the worst scenario one could ever imagine.
 
Pulling together as "one" in God's guidance and graciousness is what it means to experience compassion translated into action. We begin to experience God's unconditional and eternal love as we reach out with God's heart, mind, soul and spirit.
 
Today we see what it means when we pour out ourselves...our resources... our prayers... our hope...our love to others. It is like a miracle... yet if we live in God's image... miracles become "the way of life".
 
If we can sustain this graciousness... this willing sacrifice... this uncalculated generosity... uncontrollable compassion... we will continue to understand the meaning of God with us... not only today... but everyday... in every way.