ABCD You're probably thinking well duh......Cyndi. Of course it does. The benefits of knowing the Lord and knowing that He knows you are endless, boundless and eternal! Everyone knows this! But some days His working in the relatively small but seemingly BIG things just reminds you once again of the meticulous care He gives to His children.
We use an accounting software to keep our business files. For some reason that is technically above my minute understanding of technology, I have to have the jump drive that has the records stored installed in order to use the program. I have never understood this so if anyone would like to enlighten me, I would appreciate it. Anyway, I've just been lazy about figuring things out.
Two evenings ago I did some accounting work for my husband. Instead of taking the drive out and storing it away where I usually keep it, I left it in my computer. This morning, as I looked at my email, I realized that my jump drive was missing. I looked everywhere. I crawled under the sofa, moved all the chairs, sorted through the grandchildren's toys, looked behind and under and in every conceivable place that it could possibly be. It was no where. As I drove to work this morning, I prayed silently "Lord, please help me find that drive. It has all our records on it." When I got home, I started all over again looking....looking....looking. Finally I noticed a hairy gold creature watching me intently and it hit me...the dog!! She eats everything that's not nailed down and some things that are!
I went into the backyard and in a few minutes I found this.
My heart almost stopped beating right there. Then it started beating so fast, I was sure that I was going to have a heart attack.
I picked it and blew it off realizing that it had laid in the dirt fully exposed for at least one day and possibly two. The end was bent from what was obviously where a dog tooth had chomped down on it and I carefully pulled on it to get it open enough to insert in my laptop. As I gingerly pushed it into my computer being careful to keep my fingers on the sides to guard the delicate stick, the light lit up and began flashing!A sign of life! Soon the program popped on and voila, my data was there! I almost couldn't believe my eyes, except I had prayed and believed that God was perfectly able and willing to protect that jump drive.
Guarding it with my life, I drove the drive over to the office store and bought two...not one....two new drives and had them transfer the files from the ABCD (Already been chewed drive) to the new drives. On the way home, all I could do was just keep thanking God.....thank God...thank God...thank God...thank God!
Now I don't for one minute think that He protected that jump drive based on my own merits. Yet I do know that obedient living does open the door for God's blessings to flow more freely into our lives. In this case, He saved me tons of time and frustration.
This may seem small, and in the light of things going on in the world, this was nothing but for me it was just another living example of how God meticulously cares for us and takes care of the things that concern us. He's not some far off entity. He is near to those who fear Him. And because He is near, supernatural things happen. To me, it was a miracle that I found it at all, much less that I found it in working order.
I see this as just one of the many benefits of living for Christ. The Bible in Psalm 103 instructs us to "forget not His benefits."
A Psalm of David. Psalm 103:1-18
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
The Lord performs righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.
As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer.
But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.
The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.
Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
Bless the Lord, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
We use an accounting software to keep our business files. For some reason that is technically above my minute understanding of technology, I have to have the jump drive that has the records stored installed in order to use the program. I have never understood this so if anyone would like to enlighten me, I would appreciate it. Anyway, I've just been lazy about figuring things out.
Two evenings ago I did some accounting work for my husband. Instead of taking the drive out and storing it away where I usually keep it, I left it in my computer. This morning, as I looked at my email, I realized that my jump drive was missing. I looked everywhere. I crawled under the sofa, moved all the chairs, sorted through the grandchildren's toys, looked behind and under and in every conceivable place that it could possibly be. It was no where. As I drove to work this morning, I prayed silently "Lord, please help me find that drive. It has all our records on it." When I got home, I started all over again looking....looking....looking. Finally I noticed a hairy gold creature watching me intently and it hit me...the dog!! She eats everything that's not nailed down and some things that are!
I went into the backyard and in a few minutes I found this.
My heart almost stopped beating right there. Then it started beating so fast, I was sure that I was going to have a heart attack.
I picked it and blew it off realizing that it had laid in the dirt fully exposed for at least one day and possibly two. The end was bent from what was obviously where a dog tooth had chomped down on it and I carefully pulled on it to get it open enough to insert in my laptop. As I gingerly pushed it into my computer being careful to keep my fingers on the sides to guard the delicate stick, the light lit up and began flashing!A sign of life! Soon the program popped on and voila, my data was there! I almost couldn't believe my eyes, except I had prayed and believed that God was perfectly able and willing to protect that jump drive.
Guarding it with my life, I drove the drive over to the office store and bought two...not one....two new drives and had them transfer the files from the ABCD (Already been chewed drive) to the new drives. On the way home, all I could do was just keep thanking God.....thank God...thank God...thank God...thank God!
Now I don't for one minute think that He protected that jump drive based on my own merits. Yet I do know that obedient living does open the door for God's blessings to flow more freely into our lives. In this case, He saved me tons of time and frustration.
This may seem small, and in the light of things going on in the world, this was nothing but for me it was just another living example of how God meticulously cares for us and takes care of the things that concern us. He's not some far off entity. He is near to those who fear Him. And because He is near, supernatural things happen. To me, it was a miracle that I found it at all, much less that I found it in working order.
I see this as just one of the many benefits of living for Christ. The Bible in Psalm 103 instructs us to "forget not His benefits."
A Psalm of David. Psalm 103:1-18
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
The Lord performs righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.
As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer.
But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.
The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.
Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
Bless the Lord, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
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