Matthew 7:7 – Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (NIV)

With a fifth child on the way and in need of more space, we bravely knocked on the door of a big, old house. My husband and I had just heard that the owners were thinking of selling. That day, we began our very own "It's a Wonderful Life" adventure. Just like George Bailey, we would come to question our decision to buy the "drafty old barn". Built in 1880 and in Queen Anne style, our family would be only the fourth to call it home. When two train lines had come through town, the house was set on logs pulled by a team of horses, and rolled down the hill of our street to sit on an older, smaller foundation. Our "barn" was in a sorry state, but that meant that we could afford it! As we renovated over the next thirty years, I would say that our house was done up in the style of "early depression". The day that we moved in, our oldest child took one look at her new room and started ripping off the deplorable wallpaper. She drew pictures and wrote a Bible verse on the bare plaster before it was repapered. Thirteen years later, she and her husband tore off that wallpaper to find her little-girl art. What stood out was the verse that she had written all those years before:

Psalm 14:1a – The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." (NIV)

Just think of the evidence that contradicts that:

Psalm 19:1-3 – The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. (NIV)

The Word of God has guided me in my walk in faith. The Lord Jesus said, "You examine the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is those very Scriptures that testify about Me; and yet you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life." (John 5:39-40 NASB)

I believe that it is no accident that what our hearts desire and think about keeps on showing up. One day in a back room of our used bookstore, my granddaughter found me crawling out from under a table. Hidden behind cases of romance novels, I had discovered a little box containing five pocketbooks — old classics. A small, well-thumbed Bible was nestled under them. As a former kindergarten teacher, I am experienced at locating owners of misplaced items. Keith, a pastor, was happy that one of his many old Bibles had found a good home. It turned out that we have the same family name and ancestral background. I have this hidden treasure beside me as I turn to the PresbyCan Daily Devotional each morning. Ten years ago, I happened upon this wonderful devotional source. Thank you to the volunteer editorial staff and the contributors who have helped readers like me find life in God's Word.

Psalm 119:130 – The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. (NASB)

Jeremiah 15:16a – Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became a joy to me and the delight of my heart. (NASB)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we come to You and ask You to bless our lives. We pray Your blessing on the work of the PresbyCan Daily Devotional, and we ask that You would strengthen and guide the staff and writers. Thank You for speaking to us, enlightening us, and touching our spirits. In Your Word we find Your love, forgiveness, and guidance, so that we might live our lives the way that You would want us to. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Sandra Thomson <datfamily25@hotmail.com>
Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada
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