We’ve had a good number of visitors with some amazing offerings. The recent extreme winter weather had us having to cancel more services than we would have liked… it was quite a quandary for my husband trying to weigh out the risks of having our people make the trip to church or not. We were all thankful for the ability to watch your services in the safety of our homes.
One thing that has greatly helped my Christian walk over the years since I was saved has been God enabling me to read through the Bible each year using mostly the ONE YEAR BIBLE alternating with the Chronological Bible (which my husband purchased and lovingly broke down into 365 labeled parts and gave me one Christmas). Of course there are also a number of different paper schedules available that you can follow to read through the Bible at least once every year.
This year I am using the same method my husband used last year: “Meditations With the Master of Missions,” written by our very own Missionary to South Africa, Jerry Wilhite. I am enjoying reading through the Bible with these accompanying thoughts from a missionary’s perspective.
The last few days has had me in the book of I Samuel which was an exceptional blessing to me, so I thought I would share a few of the verses that blessed me the most. In Chapter 12, Samuel came to address the people after he has followed through in making them a king (against his better judgement; see chapter 8:6-7). Samuel had much to say about fearing the Lord and obeying His voice versus rebelling (12:14-15). I especially enjoyed meditating on verse 24; “Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things He hath done for you.”
God has certainly done that for me! I have a wonderful husband, five children serving the Lord, and six healthy grandchildren, we’ve lived a debt-free life the last year or so, and we serve in a loving church family. One song I enjoy listening to says, “I have been blessed, God is so good to me. Blessed are HIS thoughts of you and me…”
The most convicting verse for me, and one that continues to convict me over the years, is the first part of verse 23 – “Moreover as for me, GOD FORBID that I should SIN against the LORD in CEASING to pray for you.”
Sue and one of the faithful Haven ladies, Loretta.
I asked the Lord to help me be more faithful in my prayers for others, especially those brothers and sisters at LVBC and fellow missionary sisters and families sent out of LVBC. He has helped me just this week as I received a copy of “Go with the Gospel” – your Ladies Missionary Groups Prayer Bulletin sent to me via e-mail. I don’t know whose idea it was, but I am so thankful to have all these ladies updates and prayer requests put together in one place making it very simple to read over and pray for everyone. Please keep them coming- I do read each family’s updates and prayer letters! My husband gives copies to all at Haven when they come in, but this combined venue is so beneficial to me.
In that prayer bulletin I asked prayer for the Lytle family who are currently experiencing the saying “When it rains, it pours.” Not only do they have three children with a new baby due any day, they also have Tim’s grandparents living with them with his grandmother bedridden. Katie’s mom was hospitalized out in Indiana for over a week and she is unable to be with her. If you could pray for this faithful family from Haven we would all greatly appreciate it.
Love to all,
Sue Gable, for the rest of the Gables and Haven folk.
Sue and her husband, Rod, are church-planters in nearby Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania. They have one daughter who lives with them at home, four married children, and six grandchildren.
You can read Rod & Sue’s story here.
Click to read Susan’s articles.