Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Renewed hope”   Our Bible verse for today: “I cannot relax or be calm; I have no rest, for turmoil has come.” Job 3:26 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “You can cry, scream, shout, or wet your pants”   Grief is a normal and appropriate human emotion – especially in response to a great loss, and when a person has lost hope. Expressions of grief are appropriate and even needed. An expression of grief is an expression of your love for what you have lost – be that a loved one, a job, a dream, or whatever. It would be unnatural and unhealthy to not express grief over a great loss. That’s what Job was doing in Job chapter three.   This morning, I want us to continue our thinking from yesterday regarding the fact that it is okay to vent when something bad has happened and we have lost hope. You may remember that Job’s friend Eliphaz was not very helpful once Job starting venting. Instead, he started to lecture Job and tell him that his crying was an indication of weak faith. Eliphaz could not have been more wrong. Also, that was the wrong approach to take with someone in Job’s situation.   Pastor and grief counselor Bob Deits, in his book “Life After Loss: A practical guide to renewing your life after experiencing major loss,” tells the story of the time he was called by a family to help with a mother whose seven-year-old son had been killed in a tragic accident. The mother was beside herself with grief and there didn’t seem to be anything the family could do to comfort her. They had repeatedly reminded her that her son was in heaven and she would see him again one day. But such assurances didn’t seem to be helping.   When Bob arrived and assessed the situation, he asked everyone to leave the room and then he told the mother, “Your grief for your son is entirely appropriate and it is okay for you to express it in any way that is most helpful. You can cry, scream, shout, or wet your pants, I don’t care. Just go ahead and let it out.” At that point the woman laid her head on Bob’s shoulder and cried and cried and cried – until she couldn’t cry any more. Finally, she was emotionally spent, but she felt better. That was also the beginning of her recovery. She still grieved for her son, very much so, but she was also now on the long road to recovery from her loss.   Often, we will not begin to find renewed hope until we have thoroughly grieved whatever it was that caused us to lose hope to begin with. We shouldn’t be overly dramatic by making a big deal out of little losses, but if a loss of any kind is big enough to cause us to be despondent and to lose hope, then it is important enough to be grieved. And the best thing the rest of us can do to help someone recover a renewed sense of hope, is to simply let them grieve and vent. Be patient with them. Encourage them to get it all out so they can then begin the long road to recovery.    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

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Renewed hope”   Our Bible verse for today: “Doesn’t your reverence for God give you confidence? Doesn’t your life of integrity give you hope?” Job 4:6 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “Sometimes you just need to vent”   So, doesn’t your reverence for God give you confidence? Doesn’t your life of integrity give you hope? Well, yes. Yes, it does. But wait. Why were those questions asked to begin with? What was the context?   In the case of Job 4:6 those questions were posed by Job’s “friend” Eliphaz and they were not meant as a compliment, nor where they meant to encourage or help Job. Instead, he said them as an indictment. If you are familiar with Job’s story then you know that as chapter four opens, Job had suffered incredible losses. His ten children had all been killed, almost all his wealth had been stolen, and he was suffering terrible illnesses. Through it all he never lost his faith or trust in God and he never cursed God despite his great suffering.     But in chapter three he did give voice to his sorrow, to his frustrations, and to his tremendous grief. That is what Eliphaz was responding to with those questions. It was essentially the Old Testament version of “Job, don’t you love Jesus?” It was unkind and insensitive of Eliphaz to suggest that because Job was giving voice to his suffering, he must be spiritually weak. It was also ignorant. It showed that Eliphaz didn’t understand the true nature of suffering.   When bad things have happened, when we have lost hope and are struggling to find renewed hope, it is helpful to be able to talk about how we feel. Even if that amounts to crying and complaining and asking “why?” We also need to be around safe people who will listen without judging. If you read the early chapters of Job, you will find that when Eliphaz and his two friends heard about the tragedy that had struck Job, they immediately went to sit with him and mourn with him. They did so in silence, and that was exactly the right thing to do. Job just needed to vent and he needed a sympathetic friend to listen and not judge.   As we will read in tomorrow’s devotional, venting like Job did can be the beginning of finding renewed hope. Sometimes we just need a safe place to vent and safe people to listen.   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

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Renewed hope”   Our Bible verse for today: “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust Him.” Psalm 91:1-2 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “He is the God of all comfort”   Sometimes the beginning of renewed hope comes with a sense of being comforted in our time of distress. That’s what’s being described by the unknown writer of Psalm 91. During a time of what was apparently a season of great distress in his life, he sought the Lord and found a sense of comfort, relief, and safety. God does that for us. The Apostle Paul wrote about this great truth in 2 Corinthians 1:3 where he referred to God as “the God of all comfort.”   The truth is that God is always with us, but especially when we’re in the emotional valleys of life. Not only will He comfort us with a great awareness of His presence, but He will also shelter us. In other words, He gives us the sense of being cared for and protected. In Psalm 91 the Psalmist referred to Him as a place of shelter, refuge, and safety.   Jesus also spoke to this when He said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”   The result of living in the shadow of the Almighty, of walking through life side-by-side with Jesus yoked to Him and living life with Him, is that we receive a sense of comfort and peace. It could very well be that our situation has not changed much and our problems may still exist, also the way forward may still be unclear. But our awareness of the Lord’s presence with us and the comfort and assurance that brings renews our courage and confidence. It gives us renewed hope that we are going to be okay.   Whatever it is you are facing today, I encourage you to face it with the Lord. Bring it to Him. Pray the verses of Psalm 91:1-2 back to Him. Claim the promise as your own and ask Him for that sense of comfort and renewed hope.   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

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Renewed hope”   Our Bible verse for today: “Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them …” Joshua 4:5-7 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Set a memorial marker”   It has been almost six months since my wife Linda died. Over those months I have written about her multiple times in devotional messages – if doing so had something to do with the topic of the devotional for that day. It has been helpful for me to do that. Talking and writing is therapeutic. Grief counselors tell us that grieving spouses want and need other people to say their spouses name, to talk about him or her, and to listen as they talk about them. So, thank you for being patient with me as I share a personal insight with you that is important to me at this time in my life, but which might be helpful to you as well.   Recently the Lord brought me to an important understanding as I move along this road of grief and recovery. Linda and I had forty-seven good years together as life partners. Together we built a good life. She played a key role in everything I accomplished over those years. My life going forward from here will be built upon the foundation of the life we built together over those years. Therefore, Linda’s influence in my life will continue. She will always be a part of me. Going forward, I will remember and treasure those memories, but I will also live fully in the present and I will move forward into the future. I’m pretty certain I will never marry again. I plan to remain a single man the rest of my life. But I also believe the Lord still has a lot for me to do for Him and therefore I need to focus my attention on that.   To memorialize and solidify in my mind and heart that moment of insight from God, I did what the Israelites did in Joshua 4:5-7. The Israelites set stones at the banks of the Jordan River to establish a memorial marker as a symbol of God’s past faithfulness; and of His presence with them in that moment; and for His promise for the future. In my case, I laid a stone at the foot of the cross that we keep on the stage in our church for that purpose. That stone is a memorial marker to thank God for those forty-seven years with Linda, and for the truth that He is with me now in this difficult time, and that He will continue to be with me as I move forward into the future.   Establishing memorials and setting markers like that are indications of renewed hope. Perhaps you have something that you need to give to God as you work to establish a sense of renewed hope in your own life. Continue working on that, and when God gives you some clarity about it, set a marker as a memorial of the moment. The memorial could be anything – perhaps a stone at the foot of the cross – or just something visual to remind you of the moment.   It’s important and helpful for us to remember the past. But then we must resolve to live in the present and move forward into the future. I still miss Linda terribly every day, and I still have periods of sadness every day – sometimes deep sadness. But I also know I have more life to live and that God has more for me to do. A memorial marker can help us honor the past and move forward into the future with renewed hope.     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

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Renewed hope”   Our Bible verse for today: “I waited patiently for the Lord, and he turned to me and heard my cry for help. He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay, and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” Psalm 40:1-3 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “May God put a new song in your heart”   Yesterday we thought about dancing. This morning let’s think about singing. Do you love music? I love music. All kinds of music. I suppose my tastes would be described as eclectic. I listen to lots of contemporary Christian music but I also like old-time gospel, jazz, blues, bluegrass, reggae, pop, some country, and even classical. I also like Jimmy Buffet beach music. I love the beach and I love the music of the beach. Songs about sun, sand, sea, swimming, and seafood – and being on vacation. Jimmy’s music reminds me of all that.   One wall of my office at home is covered with flying things. Mostly it is covered with butterfly displays that I brought home from my mission trips to the Amazon Jungle. It also has a framed crocheted University of Kansas Jayhawk (my alma mater) that Linda made for me more than forty years ago. It also has a picture of me skydiving. But in the center of the wall there’s a large round plaque with a big parrot with a guitar in its claws. The inscription reads “Live life like a song” (a Jimmy Buffet saying).   I like the idea of living life like a song. Or, more precisely, living life with a song in my heart. Music can lift our spirits. That’s what King David was writing about in Psalm 40:1-3. He had been despondent but he sought the Lord and when he did, the Lord lifted him up out of the pit of despondency and put a new song in his heart – in this case, a hymn of praise.   One of the best things we can do when we are feeling down is to listen to inspiring music. It will lift you up. In his book, “You Gotta Keep Dancin” author Tim Hansel shares a poem by an unknown author that speaks of the value of both singing and dancing when it comes to lifting our spirits:   “Giver of life, creator all that is lovely, teach me to sing the words of your song; I want to feel the music of living, and not fear the sad songs, but from them make new songs, composed of both laughter and tears. Teach me to dance to the sounds of your world and your people, I want to move in rhythm with your plan. Help me to try to follow your leading, to risk even falling, to rise and keep trying, because you are leading the dance.”   May God put a new song in your heart 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

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Renewed hope”   Our Bible verse for today: “You have turned my mourning into dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!” Psalm 30:11-12 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “You will just have to keep dancing”   One of my favorite books about persevering through tough times and finding renewed hope through tragic circumstances is, “You Gotta Keep Dancin” by Tim Hansel. It’s an old book, written in 1985, but the message is as relevant today as it was the day Tim wrote it.   Tim Hansel was a strong, healthy, and adventurous young man who loved rock climbing. Serious rock climbing. The kind that requires ropes and ice picks and scaling sheer rock walls in remote places at insane heights. Until the day of the accident. In a moment of inattention on an icy snow-packed ledge he slipped, fell a long way, and suffered injuries that would plague him the rest of his life. Never again would Tim have a pain-free day.   A rescue team saved Tim. He had surgeries and rehab and counseling, but he would never really be well again – not for the remaining thirty-five years of his life. So, Tim had to decide how he was going to approach life dealing with that kind of pain every day. The insight he needed came from his doctor. When Tim asked the doctor how he was supposed to live in a meaningful way with that kind of daily pain the doctor told him, “I suggest that you bite the bullet and live to be a hundred … My recommendation is that you live your life as fully and richly as possible.”   That was the renewed hope Tim needed. He decided to trust God, receive every day as a gift, and then live life to the fullest extent possible under the circumstances as they were. Not only did Tim learn that lesson and live by it in his own life, but he formed an organization to motivate people to be overcomers of their circumstances. He wrote books; he conducted workshops; and spoke at seminars. He bit the bullet and he lived his life.   We all have pain in life. Sometimes it’s physical pain, sometimes emotional, but we all have pain. We all have challenges to overcome and limitations to push past. The question isn’t whether you will have challenges, pain, and limitations, but rather, how you will deal with those challenges, pain, and limitations. Quoting Tim Hansel, “Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional.” It all depends how you approach it and what you do with it.   To find renewed hope you will first have to decide that you are just going to keep dancing.   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

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Renewed hope”   Our Bible verse for today: “What reward or recognition did we give Mordecai for this?” the king asked.” Esther 6:3 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “Just do the next right thing”   This morning, I want to continue our thinking from yesterday regarding the story of Esther and Mordecai. They were in a terrible predicament and the future seemed uncertain at best. The possibility of a deadly outcome for themselves and for their people, the Jews, was very real.   In addition to the larger story of Esther becoming queen in an improbable series of events that had to have been by the hand of God at work behind the scenes, there was also an interesting subplot that played an important part in this as well. In chapter 2:21-23 we learn that Mordecai uncovered a plot to assassinate the king. He promptly notified the king’s guards and the king’s life was saved.   Then in chapter six we read that one night the king was unable to sleep (God preventing him from sleeping for a divine purpose?) and so he called for court records to be read to him until he became sleepy. It turned out that the records selected by the reader were the ones that recorded the time that Mordecai acted to save the king’s life. So, as we just read in 6:3 (above), the king wanted to know how Mordecai had been rewarded. He was informed that there had been no reward. The king then commanded that to be immediately rectified and in a highly ironic way, it was. You should read that part of the story for yourself.     Then in chapter seven, the king learns the full story and background of Queen Esther (she is a Jew and Mordecai is her cousin and guardian). He also learns that his right-hand man, Haman, has hatched a plot to kill all the Jews, which would mean the death of the Queen and Mordecai as well. At this point in the story, it’s helpful for us to realize that by their consistent demonstration of character and integrity established in many ways over an extended period of time, Esther and Mordecai were held in high esteem by the king. That was crucial to the way the rest of the story unfolded. The king believed and trusted Esther and Mordecai; he had Haman arrested and executed; and the Jews were ultimately saved.   The lesson for us here today, with respect to our theme of finding a renewed sense of hope in the middle of difficult circumstances, is that we have to continue to simply do the next right thing moment by moment, day by day, even if we don’t know how it will all turn out. That’s what Esther and Mordecai did. Just be faithful to God, do the next right thing, and trust that God is guiding your story according to His perfect plan.   When times are hard; when the future is uncertain; and when it’s difficult to be hopeful; just keep doing the next right thing and trust God for everything else.   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

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Renewed hope”   Our Bible verse for today: “Who knows if you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “There’s no telling how God might use this”   The Old Testament book of Esther is fascinating for many reasons. For one thing, it is the only book in the Bible that makes no direct mention of God. And yet, His presence in the background is obvious throughout the story, and His purpose for the main events becomes crystal clear by the end. The Story of Esther and her cousin Mordecai is also loved because of their courage to remain faithful and to do the right thing, even when circumstances were confusing and threatening.   This morning, I’m going to share with you two quotes from the editorial notes in the Swindoll Study Bible. I’m going to quote them in-full and at length because I think they summarize the book of Esther about as well as it can be summarized, and Chuck also helps us to see the personal application for us:   “The sovereignty and faithfulness of God permeates each scene. Nothing is truly coincidental … When events seemed out of control to Esther and Mordecai, when the king dictated ruin for their people, when evil was poised to triumph, God was at work. He worked through their dark days (Esther was being taken into the harem in Esth. 2:1-16), their faithful obedience (Esther risking her life before the king in Esth. 5:1-3), and their victories (Esther revealing Haman’s plot and the Jews destroying their enemies in Esth. 7-9). This message is clear: God is sovereign even when life doesn’t make sense.”   Pastor Chuck concludes: “Life can be hard. Difficult times happen, and pain cannot be avoided. When life doesn’t make sense, do you turn to God or away from Him? Let the book of Esther encourage you that God is always present and active – even when you don’t see him. Jesus calls us friends (John 15:15), and the Spirit is our Advocate (John 14:26). Trust and obey, as Esther did … and watch God work.”   Whatever difficult situation you may be facing in life right now, remember that God is there with you, He does have a plan, and He is at work behind the scenes. There is no telling how He might be planning to use this. So, trust Him, obey Him, and just keep doing the right thing.   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

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Renewed hope”   Our Bible verse for today: “Her children rise up and called her blessed; her husband also praises her.” Proverbs 31:28 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “I insulted his mother, so he beat me up”   I got beat-up once as a kid. Okay, more than once. I actually got beat up a lot because I was something of a wuss as a kid and I got picked on a lot. But in one particular case it was entirely my own fault. I had a friend named Philip. He was a big kid. Solid and strong. He probably grew-up to play offensive lineman in the NFL. He was that kind of big. But he was a gentle giant. Quiet, easy-going, and nice to everyone. So much so that skinny little me used to roughhouse with Philip and I never felt as if my life was in danger.   Until the day I insulted his mother. I don’t remember why and I don’t remember what I said. He must have made me mad about something and before I realized what I was doing, out of my mouth popped something like “Yeah, well you mother wears army boots,” or “She drinks whisky and works on carburetors,” or something equally clever. At that point Philip was still a giant but he was no longer gentle and I learned an important lesson that day – don’t insult a guy’s mother.   One year a greeting card company decided to supply free Mother’s Day greeting cards to prisoners in a men’s prison. They thought they had enough, but they weren’t even close. The demand was so heavy that they had to call the warehouse to send an emergency resupply. The event was so successful that they decided to do it again for Father’s Day. But this time the demand was much lower. Fathers were no where near as popular as Mothers in the hearts of those prisoners.   What is it about mothers that makes them so special to us? It probably started with nine months of bonding in the womb. And then there’s the maternal instinct that makes most mothers such tender caregivers of their children. And then, more to our theme for this month of finding sources of renewed hope, mothers are often our biggest fans in life. Mine sure was. I was a mamma’s boy and I was always running to her to kiss the boo-boo or to listen to all my woes and sorrows. I was forty-two and I was still running to my mommy to make it all better.   When it comes to mothers, mine was a rock star (not literally). So was my wife. Linda was an excellent mother to our children and I’m grateful to have shared the parenting duties with such a strong, capable, wise, and godly woman.   What a powerful and special influence mothers have in our lives! How blessed we are to have good godly mothers. They are such a source of comfort, hope, and encouragement. My mother and my wife are both in heaven now, but I will honor them on Mother’s Day just the same. I encourage you to honor yours too. (And for goodness sakes, whatever you do, don’t insult a person’s mother!)   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

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Renewed hope”   Our Bible verse for today: “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Renewed hope from their good examples”   I’m so grateful to have known each of the four woman whose stories we have been considering for the last several days. Their strength and courage through adversity; their perseverance when it would have been so easy to give in and give up; and their strong faith and trust in God for whatever the outcome; I find their examples inspiring. It reminds me of the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, “We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.”   Of course, I was most familiar with the example set by my own wife, Linda. I draw strength and inspiration every day from the memory of how she lived with courage, determination, and perseverance. That was true of all four of those women. And it’s not merely the fact that they went through those trials that causes us to admire them, but how they did it. It was how they dealt with their challenges that so impressed us. So surely, if they could live the way they did facing the challenges they had to deal with, the rest of us can handle our challenges with similar strength and courage.   For my part, as I attempt to gaze into the future and try to envision what life without Linda is going to be like in the months and years ahead, I admit that I can’t fathom it. Even after five months I still can’t see it. So, I need a verse like Joshua 1:9 to encourage me and to help me find renewed hope. God commands me to be strong and courageous, and to not be afraid or discouraged.   I have to admit that sometimes I am not strong and courageous, and sometimes I am afraid and discouraged. But that’s okay; those are normal human emotions in a situation like this and to be expected. That’s true for me and for the other three men who are part of this story, but it’s also true for you too. Sometimes life is hard and the future is uncertain, and it is perfectly normal to struggle with uncertainty.   But as God promised in Joshua 1:9 and in numerous other verses in both the Old and New Testaments, He is with us every step of the way. Not only that, but when you arrive in the future, He will already be there waiting for you. He is here now and He will be there then.   Jacki, Gail, Linda, and Rebecca knew that truth and they lived by that truth. So now, the rest of us can draw renewed hope for our own futures thanks to the good examples they set for us. The lesson for us then, is to go and do likewise. Let us resolve to set a good example for others by the way we face our challenges 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

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571