Psalm 16:1

Psalm 16:1

Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.

Some people touring a mint where coins are made come to the smelting area. As they stood before the cauldrons filled with molten metal, the tour guide explained that if a person were to dip his hand into water and them have someone pour the hot liquid over his hand, he would neither be injured not feel any pain. Picking out one couple, he asked if they would like to prove what he had just said. "No thank you," the husband quickly said. "I'll take your word for it." But his wife responded eagerly. "Sure, I'll give it a try." Matching actions to her words, she thrust her hand into a bucket of water and then held it out as the molten metal was poured over it. The hot liquid rolled off harmlessly just as the guide had said it would. The host turned to the husband and remarked, "Sir, you claimed to believe what I said. But your wife truly trusted."

If we only claim to believe God's promises but never act on them, we will miss out on His marvelous blessings.

Richard W. De Haan

Daily Bread

Isaiah 54: 4

4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

Two men walking down a country road decided to take a shortcut home. They passed through a field where a number of cattle were grazing. Deeply engrossed in conversation when they reached the other side of the pasture, they forgot to shut the gate behind them. A few minutes later one of them noticed the oversight and ran back to close the gate. As he did, he remembered the last words of an old friend who summoned all his children to his bedside and gave them this wise counsel: "As you trvel down life's pathway, remember to close the gates behind you"
The man knew that problems, difficult situations, heartbreaks, and failures were inevitable, but he wanted his children to know that they didn't have to allow those things to follow them through life.
This is especially true for believers. Once we have confessed a sin and have done what we can to right the wrong, we must put the incident behind us. - Richard W. De Haan

We invite defeat when we remember what we should forget.