IT'S ALL IN GOD'S HANDS

Good morning! My name is Charlotte and I am writing to help us give our first thoughts to the Lord.

Well, for the majority of folks, today is the last day of the week. Unfortunately or fortunately, I have today and tomorrow to go. My days off are Sunday and Thursday. I work short days but still I have to be there every day. Fortunately, I have a good job and although sometimes I get weary of it, I do get my paycheck regularly and today is pay day.

Bill is also working. In fact, he has worked the past two weeks without a day off and we never see each other. I am gone before he comes in and he is asleep when I come in. The battery went out on our car Wednesday night and he had to replace it, so he did not go into work on Wednesday night so we did get to see each other. I enjoyed being with him as I really like the guy.

Pastor Eric was talking Sunday about if we truly live for the Lord, there will be times that people will say untrue things about us....just like they did Jesus. They falsely accused Him and eventually crucified Him based on those lies. This was the same people that the week before cried 'Hosanna, to the King' and waved palm branches for Jesus when He entered the city.

David says in Psalms 109 - HOLD NOT THY PEACE, O GOD OF MY PRAISE; FOR THE MOUTH OF THE WICKED AND THE MOUTH OF THE DECEITFUL ARE OPENED AGAINST ME: THEY HAVE SPOKEN AGAINST ME WITH A LYING TONGUE. THEY COMPASSED ME ABOUT ALSO WITH WORDS OF HATRED; AND FOUGHT AGAINST ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.

FOR MY LOVE THEY ARE MY ADVERSARIES; BUT (there's the but) I GIVE MYSELF UNTO PRAYER, AND THEY HAVE REWARDED ME EVIL FOR GOOD, AND HATRED FOR MY LOVE.

David goes on to ask God to not bless these people and to deliver him from what has happened. He concludes this chapter in the 30th verse with I WILL GREATLY PRAISE THE LORD WITH MY MOUTH; YES, I WILL PRAISE HIM AMONG THE MULTITUDE. FOR HE SHALL STAND AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE POOR, TO SAVE HIM FROM THOSE THAT CONDEMN HIS SOUL.

To turn the other cheek....to truly believe that 'all things work together for good' when we trust and depend on God. To not retaliate but to believe that your life is in the Hand of God and He will bring you out on top no matter who the person or what the situation.

Jesus said from the cross 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' Even though God honored that prayer because it was from His Son, the Jewish race has paid a high price for what happened to Jesus. Just in the last part of this century have they become a nation again and we hear over and over how victorious they are. Israel is a tiny, little bitty country compared to the rest of the world. Yet, no matter what happens, they still stand - why? because God is on their side.

In adversity in our lives, we have to remember also that we will still stand and why? because God is on our side.

When Matthew (he is my youngest) was in Junior High School he started running with a bunch that wasn't good. Some of them were much older than he was. Everywhere I looked there were young people that he should not be hanging with. Because he looked older than what he was, they would kid him about being a mama's boy because he still lived at home. For goodness sake, he was only 14 or 15 years old. I finally just got tired of it and started praying 'God either get them saved or get them out of his life' You would not believe the people that left town and his best friend, who reads this Charlotte in the Morning, went to jail and while he was in there got saved and is now a preacher.

It is a powerful thing to pray for your enemies and let God take care of things, and your only job is to hold your shield of faith and forgive them - for they know not what they do.

David said in this scripture I GIVE MYSELF UNTO PRAYER. King Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to God for a situation that was unbearable. So whether it is a person or a situation, giving ourselves unto prayer is the answer. He holds our lives in His hand.

One time before I ever even dreamed I would marry again, I had been single for many years. There were times I was afraid that I would die and Matthew would have no one to look after him (I was 40 when I had Matthew. There is 18 years between my oldest and my youngest). Then when I didn't die and I kept getting older, I got to fretting about what would happen to me when I couldn't take care of myself anymore. Just fretting. One day I was praying, God, what is going to happen to me when I get old. God, what is going to happen to me when I get old. My boys live up in northwest Arkansas and my daughter now lives in Florida. All of a sudden, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart to not fret because I was in His Hands. I could see myself in His Hands. I was so small compared to His mighty Hands. I knew I didn't have to fret because God was in control. Who would have ever believed that my William would come along at our age and complete my life so fully.

Another time I was having problems on my job. God assured me in my heart that everything was going to be all right - the same way - assuring me that I was in His Hands and only when His little finger moved did I realize that He was there all the time.

When I write these little epistles sometimes I don't understand why God gives me the things He gives me to write about, but my prayer is that something that I write will minister to your heart and help in a situation that you are going through. My prayer is that when you need a touch from God, you can turn to Charlotte in the morning and there will be a scripture or a sharing that will encourage you in your walk with God.

Thank you, God, for being on our side. Thank you, for always being there and holding us in Your mighty Hand. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you that we can come to you about any and everything and you listen and you care. Thank you, Father God. In Jesus name we pray. Amen (it is done)

Have a great day this Friday! See you back on Monday!