Elaine McBride – PresbyCan Daily Devotional

Simply For The Asking

Elaine McBride — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 05:50:00 +0000

My parents were very close, in love all their married lives, and it showed. They also had great faith, and that showed as well. At age 65, my dad was killed. A few weeks after his funeral, I asked my mum how she could keep going. With tears and a beautiful smile, she said, "Oh, dear, 'though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him'" (Job 13:15a KJV). At that point, I asked God for that kind of faith, and He gave to me freely. Praise His holy name, He gives all good things freely! That was 35 years ago, and my faith has remained strong ever since.

Our heavenly Father repeatedly invites us to ask for what we need.

Hebrews 4:16 – Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (KJV)

Matthew 7:7a,8a – Ask, and it shall be given you; for every one that asketh receiveth. (KJV)

John 14:13-14 – And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. (KJV)

John 16:23b-24 – Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. (KJV)

James 1:5-6a – If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. (KJV)

James 4:2b – Ye have not, because ye ask not. (KJV)

So, for what shall we ask? First and foremost, we must ask for forgiveness of our sins and for cleansing by the blood of Jesus Christ. Along with His forgiveness, He gives us His Holy Spirit. Then, there is the marvellous fruit of the Holy Spirit: "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." (Galatians 5:22b-23 KJV)

The secret? Spend your lifetime at the throne of grace! It's the very best place to be, day and night. And don't forget to ask!

James 1:17 – Every good and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (KJV)

The second and fourth verses of Annie Johnson Flint's song, He giveth more grace say:

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

Oh, and one last point — a reminder from Paul: "Don't forget to thank Him for his answers"! (Philippians 4:6b TLB)

Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, thank You for inviting us to come to You and to ask for all Your blessings. We praise You, in Jesus' name, for giving to us freely, above all that we can ask or think. Amen.

How to Live? How to Die?

Elaine McBride — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 05:50:00 +0000

There is really only one answer:

Proverbs 3:5 – Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (KJV)

I do palliative care at our local nursing home. I sit with dying patients, both those who are peaceful and those who are frightened. I offer to pray with each of them. If they answer "yes", I pray aloud with them. If they answer "no", I pray silently for them.

I've lost grandparents, parents, parents-in-law, a younger sister, and two best friends, some after many years of cancer. All were believers who knew and loved the Lord, all looked forward to seeing Jesus face-to-face, and all died peacefully without fear, believing His promise:

Romans 6:4 – Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (KJV)

Now my latest best friend is dying. She is a believer. Gradually, she has come to believe that acceptance is the key to peace. She has no bitterness. She has yielded.

I think of how Jesus pleaded for His life three times in Gethsemane, but each time, He yielded to His Father:

Matthew 26:39 – And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (KJV)

At seventy-three, I anticipate with joy seeing Jesus face-to-face and falling at His feet to worship Him. This is my favourite Bible verse:

1 Corinthians 2:9b – No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. (NLT)

Life's problems and experiences have taught me that our heavenly Father wants each of us to come (sometimes, many times) to the point where we say with a broken and contrite heart, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." (Job 13:15a KJV) As soon as we yield, His perfect peace flows in.

I seem to spend most of my days, and many of my nights, at His throne of grace. But then, I realize that He invites me to come boldly and that it is a perfect place to be. In fulfilling our responsibility to pray for our families and friends, we reap many blessings. When sorrows arrive, He enables us to accept His will and to smile through our tears.

We can thank God that Jesus and the Holy Spirit also intercede for our families and friends:

Romans 8:26 – Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (KJV)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, as a body of believers, we bring our dying friends to Your throne of grace, asking for Your blessings of peace and joy, as only You can give. In Jesus' precious name and in the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray and thank You. Amen.