Under His Wings

"The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust." (Ruth 2:12)

The implication of this blessing is all the more meaningful when we consider to whom it was spoken. Ruth was a foreigner in the land of Israel. As a young widow, she had forsaken the pleasures and comforts of her homeland to know the living God. Sorrow and poverty had stalked her, but Ruth was undaunted. To support her mother-in-law she was now out in the barley fields, gleaning. These words of hope from Boaz, the kind owner of the field, were a welcome comfort. But they simply reflected the answer to her consecration: "thy people shall be my people, and thy God, my God." And that living God was worthy to trust.

Today I am blessed to share the story of another "Ruth" who has found hope and security in God.

Monica wasn't widowed. Her husband left her for another woman - with nine children to raise and care for. The future certainly didn't look hopeful. But, like Ruth, this woman turned to God in her desperate need. Not only turned, but clung.

After witnessing her salvation a year ago, brother Lawrence states: [Monica] went all the way and consecrated. I thought it would take her years to get to the place where she would "have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come" (Heb.6:4-5). But I was wrong. Four times the Lord has wrought wonderful miracles of healing on her. In one of these miracles, we thought she was gone to eternity, but in a moment, the Lord moved on her, bringing her back to us.

She now lives in a grass hut, with the boys (pictured above), who are younger than the girls. Her eldest child is a girl, who has become a prostitute. When this girl offered her support from the money of her trade, the mother refused totally and said she would rather die than be supported from such ungodly earnings. We thought she would give up and accept her daughter's support, but when she and her children went for two days without food, having refused her daughter's supplies, we were amazed and took her seriously from then on. Excepting the unsaved daughter, these dear ones have been such a blessing and an encouragement to us.

Shall not a full reward be given her? Yes, the living God is worthy to trust. Praise Him! He has now provided means for this dear sister to buy some land and build a house. Her oldest son (not pictured) had run away, but recently returned home in answer to fasting and prayer. Does not the Lord desire to redeem her oldest daughter as well? Unto the uttermost, He is able. Let us put our trust under His wings!

Windows and Doors

Today's update on the Bible Center:
Glory to God. The windows and doors are at last being fixed. Great gracious deeds of the Lord.
Below are the window frames. The glass has not yet been added:

KeepandShare.com^(R) Free Calendar

KeepandShare.com(R)

KeepandShare.com^(R) Church & Non Profit Online Sharing

KeepandShare.com^(R) Small Business Calendar

HTML Calendar

KeepandShare.com^(R) 2013 Calendar with holidays

Jesus said, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture." John 10:9

Our Weakness - His Strength

Praise the Lord for human limitations! We don't like to be weak and overwhelmed with the needs around us. But the great loving heart of God uses these things to increase our faith. Are we standing on the reality that "our extremity is God's opportunity" today? Let us pray that we turn from our weakness to His strength, and lift up our hearts in faith. Jesus said that we will not be disappointed. "Have faith in God."

The report from brother Lawrence gives us more reasons to pray in confidence:

Praise the Dear Lord who gives us victory. It has been a time of severe warfare on my side, but the Dear Lord, who promises never to forsake us, has been so faithful that I am rejoicing in His love. For awhile now, there has been some kind of disease keeping me down and feeling very weak. I do not know what it is... but the dear Lord has given me great relief and I feel great now as I write this. The Dear Lord never allowed me to get bedridden. I was still able to do some things, though I was kept back from some intellectual activity. Praise the dear Lord.

He is also thankful for the spiritual "husbandry" that the Lord is doing among them:

The Lord has been inspecting the congregation and pointing out where each needs more fruit. John 15:4-6: "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." We praise God for His faithfulness.

Several prayer requests to remember:

A single mother of 9 children has been fellowshipping with us for a while and is doing quite well. However, she and her children are homeless. Though all her children are not saved, we feel burdened for the family. Please, pray for this.

We have not yet been able to finish the inside of the building and are still at it. There was more to it than was figured at the beginning. It will be finished this week, the Lord willing, and then we can be able get to the latrines. There has been a great shortage of water and we have had to hire means to carry it to the site, a strenuous and expensive thing. But the Dear Lord helps as we faithfully press on.

Homeless... spiritually needy... slow progress... water shortage... added expenses...
vs.
The Living God, Creator, Almighty, Father

Let us come boldly in our time of need.