Skip to main content

Furnaces, COVID-19 and Daily Bread


Through some missionaries, we’ve become aware of some people in dire need during these difficult days of COVID-19. 

Geographically, they range from some families in Kenya, to some Venezuelan refugees in Peru to a Bolivian community in Argentina.  They each have some unique challenges but the common thread is that they need food for each day.

As one who lives in the United States and as one who has experienced economic security all my life, the basic need for food for each day is far from my experience.  While I might feel the need to pray for ongoing employment, health insurance and a stable retirement account, I must admit that I have more than enough food for today. 

In Luke 11, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray.  The phrase “give us each day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3) is very familiar but I must admit that it has not really encompassed a sense of urgency, at least for me personally.  But the folks described above feel that urgency.  And there are many others who do also.

Little did I know, as I was writing this, that our furnace would quit working.  Our prayers could have switched from “give us this day our daily bread” to “give us this day the funds to replace our furnace!”

But I should mention that when news of the stimulus money first became public, we wondered what need we would have in the future that the funds would be used for.  We probably now know!  And while we haven’t received the funds yet and we are now in the process of getting quotes for replacing the furnace, we are grateful that God knew our need long before it became apparent to us.  So we give thanks and we prayerfully wait to see how He will meet our needs in this situation. 

But we are still burdened for those who need enough food for today.  So we pray for them that the Lord would give them their daily bread.  And we plan to continue in our giving.

Will you join in prayer?  Will you join in giving?  If you need some ideas on ways to get funds directly to those in need, as mentioned above, email me at:  seeman.scme@gmail.com


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Not Just Idle Words

I own a 25 year old car.  The body might be falling apart but the engine runs great and it idles smoothly.  Such idling is good. Idling can also have to do with spending too much time doing nothing or being without purpose or being engaged in that which is pointless.  Such idling is not good. What if I were to tell you that I know of something that is the about as far as being without purpose as you can get?  Would you want it? Here is that something:  “They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”  ( Deut 32:47) Other versions of the Bible use some different words for that first phrase in the verse and such can be helpful in assessing how important the words really are: “Not meaningless words…”   “These are not just useless words…”   “No empty word for you…”   “Not unimportant words…”   “Not useless words…”   ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Strengthen Your Core

Supposedly, it’s all about your core! That is, in today’s world of physical fitness, it’s all about strengthening your core.  Your core refers to the group of muscles that support your spine and pelvis, providing stability and enabling movement. It's not just your abs; it includes your back muscles, pelvic floor, and even your diaphragm. When your core is strong, it helps you maintain balance and stability. It can help prevent back injuries and help you maintain better posture. It can also help with athletic performance by allowing for more efficient movement and power transfer. And there are, of course, appropriate exercises to strengthen your core. But there is another kind of core, one that is known as the inner self. The inner self, as described in the Bible, refers to the spiritual and moral part of a person, distinct from the physical body or outer man. And while our physical bodies are important and we certainly feel every ache and pain resulting from injury or even aging, o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Don't Go Knocking or Crossing

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “knock on wood.”  You’ve probably also heard “keep your fingers crossed.”  “Knock on wood” is a common superstition or good luck charm for people to say in the hope of bringing good fortune or to ward off back luck.  Some will actually knock their knuckles on a piece of wood. “Keep your fingers crossed” is also a common superstition or good luck charm people say in the hope that something good will happen.  Some will physically cross their fingers and maybe even encourage you to do the same with them.   There’s sort of an equivalent in the Bible that predates both expressions: Jeremiah 7:4 says:  Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord , the temple of the Lord , the temple of the Lord !”  (Jer 7:4) At that time, people had evidently developed a false sense of security in the invincibility of Jerusalem because God dwelt in the temple in Jerusalem .  They used the expre...
Post a Comment
Read more