Grandma Rogers Devotionals

By Mary “Grandma” Rogers

As I said before, we will be exploring the word FAITH — letter by letter.  We spoke about the first letter “F”  in my former devotional, so now let us talk about the second letter – “A”  

There are so many words beginning with the letter “A” that directly make me think of faith in God.  One of these is the word — ALONE.  You know, we never are alone — He is ALWAYS near us, and with us.  Sometimes, our days are so busy and life is so hectic that we do not have time to think of this, but the true fact is that we never are alone.  He is ALWAYS with us and near us.  He has promised to be with us ALWAYS, even unto the end of the world and I sincerely have faith in that promise.

There are two other words — AFFLICTION and ADVERSITY — things that, sooner or later, come to all of us. God does not promise to deliver us from this kind of trial, but He does promise to be with us through whatever it might be.  We know we have a refuge in Him, someone to whom we can turn and find the guidance and peace we need in ANY kind of illness or trouble.  We need only to apply our faith, to believe that He knows what we are going through, and that He is watching over us.  Isn’t that a comforting thought to know that He cares, and that we are never ALONE?

Isn’t it comforting, also, to realize that He hears and ANSWERS every prayer?  It’s always wonderful when He answers “yes”, but sometimes He doesn’t answer in the way we want Him to.  Our part lies in the ACCEPTANCE of His will for our lives.  We may ask for something that goes against our Father’s will and He may have to say “No.”  We may feel, sometimes, that He never hears and doesn’t intend to answer, but that isn’t true.  His answer always comes, and it is neither too soon nor too late.  In His own time, and according to His will, He will answer in the best possible way for us. 

Once, long ago, Art Linkletter made a visit to a small midwestern town.  During a television interview, he made this remark —-”God gives the very best to those who leave the choice with Him.”  To make such a statement of faith, Mr. Linkletter must have known what it was like to ASK, to wait for an ANSWER, and then to ACCEPT God’s choice — and, most of all, to believe that it was the best possible ANSWER to His prayer.

I can’t help thinking of another word in connection with faith and that word is ABUNDANT.  In the first letter of Paul to Timothy, Paul relates that the grace of his Lord was poured out on him ABUNDANTLY.  Even though Paul — as he himself admits — was once a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man, the Lord considered him faithful, gave him strength and grace ABUNDANTLY, and appointed Paul to His service. 

The same grace and faith can be ours, in abundance.  I know there are times when the faith we have seems to be so small and weak that we wonder how we could even begin to have a faith as great a Paul’s.  But if we use what little faith we have — even though it may be as small as a mustard seed — we will receive more in return — “good measure, pressed down, running over.”

I am always AMAZED to think of the love God has for us.  It amazes me, too, to know He is interested in even the smallest details of our lives. We can take ANYTHING to Him, and He wants to hear from us.  Many times I have had a problem, as we all do from time to time.  I thought about it, made a decision, changed it, made another decision, — and so on, until finally I realized I was getting nowhere.  So, with faith in God’s answer, I turned it all over to Him.  Perhaps a few days later, I realized the problem no longer existed.  The moment I turned it over to God, He went to work on it, just as I should have known He would. It wasn’t worth my time to think it through on my own — He worked it all out in a much better way.  I hope I never lose this AMAZEMENT in the wonderful way God works.  I know He doesn’t have to do this for us — just as Jesus didn’t have to die for all mankind — but He did, because He loves us —— and I am so grateful He does.

Let us pray…
Thank you, Father, for the abundance of blessings you give to us.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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Tags: Abundance, Acceptance, Adversity, Affliction, Alone, Amazement, Answers, Faith, Love
Filed under: Devotionals