| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Living with joy” Our Bible verse for today: “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly because once again you renewed your care for me. You were, in fact, concerned about me but lacked the opportunity to show it.” Philippians 4:10 (CSB) Our thought for today: “The joy of helping others” The first time I got to participate in international mission work was in 1992 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At that time, I was a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy and was serving as the Chief Engineer on the USS Fort McHenry. As our ship was returning from a six-month deployment in the Indian Ocean and as we were headed back into the southern Pacific Ocean, we stopped in Malaysia for a few days of R&R. When we arrived, the Chaplain arranged for a group of us to go into the jungle to perform an act of service for a village where a storm had just destroyed the school building. The debris needed to be cleared away so new construction could start and they needed help with that. So, a group of us traveled inland, went to the village, and spent a long and hot day doing very heavy work in a very hot jungle with spider monkeys in the trees all around us making a lot of noise, getting in the way, and being a bit of nuisance. As we worked side-by-side with the people of the village I was struck by how appreciative they were of our help and service. Towards the end of the day some of the young men from the village climbed to the top of tall palm trees and cut down fresh coconuts for us. They then stabbed a hole in the crown of the coconut and showed us how to drink the milk out of it. It was very good. That was my first exposure to international mission work and I was hooked. I loved being able to be the bearer of gifts, provisions, and service on behalf of God and in the name of Jesus. I loved the feeling of accomplishment and the privilege of serving as a conduit through whom the blessings of God could flow to other people. And I especially loved the joy it brought to other people to receive that help. In the years since then I have planned and led numerous similar mission trips and I hope there are many more in the future. I tell you that story about mission trips just to emphasize the joy associated with provisions from God. Receiving what we need is a source of great joy for the ones who receive it. And having the privilege of being the conduit through which those provisions flow to others is also a source of joy for the giver. The primary way in which God meets our needs is through human channels. Whether it is an employer offering you a job, or a friend helping you during a time of need, or a mission team bringing resources to a remote location, God usually sends His help to us through other people. There is great joy to be found in helping others. I encourage you to look for opportunities to do that today. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville) |
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Oak Hill Baptist Church 
Amen. Like the very much needed help in NC. They are still sleeping in tents. They need healthy men to donate their time to operate big equipment. They also need supplies.
It is tragic. Geographically, we are close to the region and our local Southern Baptist Churches continue to send teams and help.