Verse of the Day 10/26

Through the Bible - Jeremiah 18-20, 2 Timothy 3   Good morning, This past weekend was a special one for several reasons.  For one, Sunday marked our son Jeff's 27th birthday, and it was celebrated by many of his friends over a couple of days who made it special for him.   It was also special for me because Jean and I went on a retreat, the focus of which was prayer.  We had fellowship with good friends and heard excellent teaching on prayer.  We also had time to reflect on it.   During a break in the sessions, we were able to visit the chapel at the Cove, Billy Graham's retreat and conference center in North Carolina.  We heard a talk about the facility, viewed pictures of Billy Grahams crusades and life and spent a few minutes in the chapel.  The last place we visited was the prayer room which was at the highest point inside the chapel. It sat directly under the 80 foot steeple, under the cross which stood atop it.  The tour guide said that it reminded her that we laid our prayers at the foot of the cross.   Their was a scripture verse that you saw on the wall as you entered the prayer room.  It was from Philippians 4.   Phil 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.   NKJV Jeff was born at 5:05 AM on 10/25.  I always thought that it was cool.  5 plus 5 equals 10, and 5 times 5 equals 25.  As I've mentioned recently, it's been 10 years now since Jeff's accident which left him disabled and changed our lives forever.  On that morning 10 years ago I felt for sure that God would do something for Jeff on that morning.  Jeff had been in a coma and back then we were encouraged if he opened his eyes even slightly.  I was hoping for a miracle that day.  I got up and made the drive of over an hour to get to the hospital by 5:05.  I walked in to find the doctors feverishly working on Jeff.  He had bit through his tongue, there was blood all over but they were able to stitch it back up.    I had been praying for something special and hoped and believed something would.  It was not the kind of special I was thinking about.  Jeff's tongue was "stitched" in another way.  For two years he couldn't speak, but God, in His timing, released Jeff's tongue, and some of his words are the most encouraging, uplifting and challenging words that I hear.  He says thing like "I am proud to be your son", "thank you for having me", "thank you for this wonderful life".  Another one that he has said to both Jean and I at different times and in different circumstances came from today's verse.   One morning I was in helping Jeff and was not in the greatest mood myself.  Jeff was his usual happy self.  I asked him why he was always so happy.  Here is a disabled young man who can hardly do anything for himself, and he responds to me "I have the peace that passes understanding."   I have been on both ends of this verse.  I've been anxious time and time again.  And I've seen this peace that passes understanding in Jeff.  I'm still trying to achieve both things, to be anxious for nothing and to have peace.  I see both of them embodied by my son daily.   Father thank you for Your Son, thank You that we can bring our prayers and lay them at the foot of the cross from wherever we are, thank You for Jeff and how you are using him to teach me and others some of the qualities that I desperately need, thank you for answering that prayer of doing something special in Jeff, for Your honor and glory.    I hope you had a special birthday son.   In Christ, Mike   Phil 4:4-10 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Meditate on These Things 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. NKJV