Lent Devotional Week Five

"Jesus responded to them, “Do you now believe? Indeed, an hour is coming, and has come, when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” John 16:31-33 LENTEN THOUGHT Through Jesus, we have the ability to access peace no matter what our circumstances are. While there will be suffering in the world, there is already victory. Every one of us has been affected somehow by COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus. Starting with Wuhan, China, from an unknown origin, the speculation and uncertainty has caused people to be scattered and fear has at times taken over any sense of logic. As Christians who are facing this same sense of unknown we have a mandate: BE COURAGEOUS. This is the time to take authority over fear (Luke 10:19) and allow perfect peace to reign. It is an opportunity to show God's love to those who truly are suffering, those who have no relationship with Jesus and have given into fear. We can be a light in the darkest of areas and the darkness has to flee. Fear can not exist where love is. That is power that we have because of Jesus. CHALLENGE Let's reset our hearts and our minds towards victory. Let's allow God to talk to us about any uncertainty that we are feeling and ask him to put our focus on what a good Father He really is. So many people need the message of hope right now. Let's recognize that we are called to this time and place for that very reason. COVID-19 has no bias to race, creed, color, origin or financial status. It affects us globally for a season. Jesus' effect is both now and eternal.   PRAYER Lord God, you are the creator of the universe and yet you know exactly how many hairs there are on each of our heads. You are the author and finisher of our faith and we thank you that we can place whatever fears we have in your hands. Please open our ears to hear the promises that you have spoken over us since the beginning of time. Open our eyes and bring awareness to ways we can see you more in our every day. Help us keep our hearts open as you bring to mind those who desperately need protection and care. Help us keep our hands open so that you can use us to share hope and peace as we walk through the days to come in the victory that you have established for us.   *This week's devotional was contributed by Dori Donnell, MBF Marketing Manager. Thanks for reading.

Copyright © 2020 Medical Benevolence Foundation, All rights reserved. We send special reports to all partners who have chosen to walk alongside us in medical missions. Our mailing address is: Medical Benevolence Foundation 9555 W. Sam Houston Parkway South Suite 170 Houston, TX 77099

Medical Benevolence Foundation - Lent Devotional Week Three

And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” Luke 18:29-30   LENTEN THOUGHT The blessings that come through sacrifice are found after the sacrifice is made. The joys we experience are multiplied in this life and in the life to come. We live in a time where our access to information has grown exponentially. I can find virtually any answer to a question or concern I might have. I can determine the weather forecast of the place I’m traveling to next week. While traveling, I am able to check my bank balances, communicate with colleagues, find out where my children are via location services, order something to be delivered to my home when I arrive and even start my car so it is warm when I pick it up from offsite parking. In all this I can begin to believe I am in charge, in control, the one who determines my experience. Sacrificial living, serving and giving work together in sanctifying my tendency to be the ruler of my own world. CHALLENGE Are you the “ruler” of your own world? Do you get frustrated when you have little to no control over the course of daily events in your life? The sacrifice Christ made by lowering himself, in coming to earth, by taking on the form of a servant and dying for our sins reminds us that we follow a loving, sacrificial and serving Savior. As we follow him, sacrificing temporal possessions and our illusions of control, we will experience more than we can imagine in this life and in the one to come. What is God calling you to leave behind in order to follow him?  Weigh the burden of control over the blessings of sacrifice and lay down whatever He reveals. PRAYER Father point out in each one of us our tendency to put our trust and faith and hope in what we have, what we believe we control, what we value. Spirit guide us to set aside everything that holds our hearts more firmly than you. Jesus remind us that by losing our life we truly find it, in this present moment and in eternity to follow. Amen.   *This week's devotional was contributed by Bob Bickford, Associate Director of Replant with the North American Board, Replant Pastor of the Groves Church in St. Louis MO, author of the Associational Replanting Guide, Am I a Replanter?, Pathways to Partnership and founder of churchreplanters.com

Copyright © 2020 Medical Benevolence Foundation, All rights reserved. We send special reports to all partners who have chosen to walk alongside us in medical missions. Our mailing address is: Medical Benevolence Foundation 9555 W. Sam Houston Parkway South Suite 170 Houston, TX 77099