Sharing Scripture — January 27, 2024

When Lucy Kurowski left her hair appointment in De Pere, Wisconsin during a recent winter storm, she knew the road conditions were iffy. Sure enough, she wound up stuck in a snow drift.  What she couldn’t know ahead of time was who would stop by to help her out.

She called for help, and while she waited for a tow, she saw a car pull up beside her. “He gets out of his car and he’s like, ‘Are you OK?’” she recalls. “And I was like, ‘Are you Jordan Love?!’ I was fangirling. It was so cool; it was so random. The last thing I expected was the star quarterback of my favorite team to come help me. It made my day.”

Jordan said he’d try to push her out, and they gave it a shot. “I reversed. He pushed,” Lucy said. “And then after the first try, we’re like, ‘This is not a good idea. You have a game Sunday. It’s OK. I have people coming to help me anyways.’” She didn’t want to be the reason the Green Bay Packers quarterback got injured and missed his most important game up to that point in the season. He reluctantly agreed, but not before he made a lasting impression on Lucy.  “I think everyone is truly seeing that he’s not just an MVP on the field but just a great, great person.”

Fortunately for Lucy’s team, Jordan didn’t suffer any ill effects from their efforts. That Sunday he threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns and was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week while beating the Chicago Bears to clinch a playoff berth.

It’s great when people surprise us with their help and generosity. Conversely, some may disappoint us because we are only human. There is One, however, who never disappoints. God is always there, ready to hear and help us.

The Psalms especially describe God’s ability to deliver us in our times of need. God is omniscient (Psalm 139:1-4); God is omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-10); and God is omnipotent (Psalm 93).

Not only is God able to help, God is also willing to help. David describes God’s eagerness to deliver us in our times of need in Psalm 40:1-3. “I waited patiently for the Lord,” he begins. Though patience is challenging when we’re in distress, David’s perseverance pays off. “God heard my cry,” David continues. “God lifted me out of my slimy pit and set my feet on a rock.”

Now David sings “a hymn of praise to our God.”

“God put a new song in my mouth,” David reflects.

It should come as no surprise to us when God rescues us, but we are often still amazed when we receive divine deliverance. And once we’ve received God’s deliverance, our only proper response is praise.

God really is the MVP for those of us who trust in the Lord.

Sharing: How do you understand the statement in Psalm 139:16 (NLT) — “Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed”?

1. Since God is omniscient and knows the end of my life from the beginning, there is no need to wait for these events to happen before placing them in the record of my life
2. I have no control over my life—everything is all planned out ahead of time
3. This certainly makes a strong case for predestination
4. David was just being poetic; this verse really isn’t meant to be a doctrinal, theological statement
5. It’s reassuring to know that God is in total control
6. Other:

Applying: Wintertime provides many opportunities to help those in need. Do you in your study group know someone who needs help with heat, shelter, transportation, or food this winter? Plan some way to provide practical assistance to meet that need.

~ Chuck Burkeen

Did you know that rain ignites power pole fires?

As counterintuitive as it first sounds, rain is the most common cause of rural power pole fires.

During dry seasons, dust accumulates on insulators, metal brackets, and other components that attach to the wooden poles. Dampened or wet dust can become electrically charged and conduct electricity. This rapidly heating, electrified dust transfers heat and electricity to the surrounding components, and eventually the wood becomes overheated, igniting and catching fire.

With this knowledge in hand, many power companies are working to replace traditional insulators and surrounding components with material made of nonconductive polymers.

Fires can happen when we least expect them, and that applies to our lives too. When we grow too complacent, too comfortable, or even too self-assured in our lives, seemingly the furthest from bursting into flames, is when we are actually at our most vulnerable.

But when we live in faith, proclaiming and standing in the testimony of Christ Jesus, we are set free from the risk of spiritual combustion (John 8:31-32, James 1:22-25).

Blessings!

Stefani Leeper | Content Coordinator

Resource: https://www.grantpud.org/outages