Category Archives: Feeding the Hungry

Oct5

A New Day is Dawning: Finding Hope Amidst the Storm

Posted on by
Standard

As we witness the heart-wrenching devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Helene across the Southeast, I’m reminded of the powerful promise found in Luke 1:78-79: “A new day is dawning: The sunrise from the heavens will break through in our darkness, and those who huddle in the night, those who sit in the shadow of death, will be able to rise and walk in the light, guided in the pathway of peace.”

In this time of unimaginable loss our hearts ache for those who have faced devastating losses. Families have lost loved ones and are left without homes, communities are shattered, and the emotional toll is unimaginable. In the face of such destruction, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by despair. Yet, as followers of Christ, we are called to be His hands and feet in times of need and bring hope to those in need of help.

God’s Presence in Difficult Times

To those who are hurting: Know that you are not alone in this darkness. Many stand with you, offering their support, prayers, and hands to help. Reach out and lean on your community. Let us carry one another’s burdens as we navigate this difficult journey together.

To those still facing the threat of danger, hold onto hope. Rescue is on the way. There are countless heroes among us—first responders, volunteers, and everyday citizens—who are dedicated to ensuring your safety. Trust that brighter days are ahead, and let the promise of a new dawn fill you with courage.

How Can You Help?

And to those not directly affected, you can make a difference, and your role is vital. Here are some ways you can be the hands and feet of Jesus in this crisis:

  • Pray: Start by praying for those affected by Hurricane Helene. Pray for their safety, for the rebuilding of their lives, and for peace in their hearts. Prayer is a powerful tool that can provide comfort and strength to those in need.
  • Give Financially: Consider donating to reputable organizations providing immediate relief efforts. Whether it’s food, shelter, or medical assistance, your contributions can help rebuild lives and restore hope.
  • Volunteer Your Time: Reach out to local churches or relief organizations. They may need volunteers to assist with food distribution, clean-up efforts, or shelter management. Your time and effort can make a significant impact.
  • Support Local Businesses: As communities begin to rebuild, local businesses will need our support more than ever. Choose to shop local, eat local, and support those who are trying to recover from this disaster.

Carry Each Other’s Burdens

In Galatians 6:2, we are reminded to “carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those suffering from the aftermath of this hurricane.

As we respond to this crisis, let’s not forget that our actions, no matter how small, can reflect the love of Jesus. In the coming weeks and months, as recovery efforts continue, let’s stay committed to helping our neighbors. May we be His hands and feet, bringing hope, healing, and restoration to those in need.

A Prayer for Today: 

Dear Heavenly Father, 

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, we ask for Your comfort and peace to surround every individual and family affected by this storm. Please provide them with strength and hope as they navigate the challenges ahead. 

Lord, we pray for the first responders and relief workers who are tirelessly serving those in need. Grant them safety and wisdom as they work to bring aid and comfort. May Your love shine through their actions, bringing encouragement to those who are hurting. 

For those of us who are not directly affected, stir within our hearts a desire to help. Show us how we can be Your hands and feet in this time of crisis. Help us to respond with compassion, generosity, and a willingness to serve our neighbors. 

We trust in Your promises, knowing that You are a refuge and strength in times of trouble. May Your presence be felt in every home, every community, and every heart that is hurting. 

In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.

Related Verses:

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Nov6

Little Things Matter

Posted on by
Standard

Everyone can do something

 “And serve each other according to the gift each person has received,

as good managers of God’s diverse gifts.”
1 Peter 4: 10 CEB
 

Just think what a difference we could make in our community, our state, our nation…or throughout the world..if we ALL gave just a little bit of time, money, or talent for serving others? A few dollars out of your pocket, a few cans of food out of your pantry, or a few minutes out of your day, may not mean much to you, but to others it can mean everything.

So take a moment and think about the blessings in your life, and consider what one thing you can do today to serve others. If we all did our part, the result would be like the ever-expanding ripple effect from dropping a small pebble into a body of water. The sphere of influence of our combined actions could increase incrementally and spread throughout the world. The little things do matter!

“Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything.” 1 Peter 4:10 (MSG)

  •  “We are God’s masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago”  Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
  • ” Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.”  Hebrews 10:24
  • “Whoever speaks should do so as those who speak God’s word.  Whoever serves should do so from the strength that God furnishes.  Do this so that in everything God may be honored through Jesus Christ. To him be honor and power forever and always. Amen.”  1 Peter 4:11 (CEB)
  • Realize that the purpose of money is to strengthen friendships, to provide opportunities for being generous and kind. Eventually money will be useless to you—but if you use it generously to serve others, you will be welcomed joyfully into your eternal destination. Luke 16:9 (VOICE)
  • “In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets—some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing.”  2 Timothy 2: 20 – 21 (MSG)
 http://howtoberich.org/time/
Jan27

A Little Boy’s Lunch

Posted on by
Standard

Cannon Summer 2010 035

“There is a boy here who has

five loaves of barley bread and two fish.

But they will certainly not be enough for all these people.

Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks,

and distributed to those who were seated

as much as they wanted.

He did the same with the fish.”

John 6:9,11

“When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.  Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”  Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”  Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.  When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.”  John 6:5 – 13

As a little girl I remember learning this story in Bible School. It captured my attention because of the fact that Jesus performed this miracle using a little child’s lunch.  As word of Jesus’s miracles and healings spread, his popularity among the people grew, and on this particular day, over 5000 people had gathered to see him. As the story goes, Jesus first asked Philip for a human solution to this problem.  How could we possibly feed more than 5000 hungry people?  Jesus already knew what he was going to do, but he wanted to strengthen Philip’s faith (and anyone else who hears this story!) in the process.  Philip immediately began assessing the probable cost of feeding this massive crowd.  By going through this process, Jesus highlighted the fact that financial resources are not the most important ones.  By Philip’s account, it would be humanly impossible to feed this huge crowd.  But with God, all things are possible!  Jesus can take the little that we have to offer and turn it into something great.

 Something else that we see in this story is that the boy gave what little he had while others gave nothing.  I’m sure there were others in the crowd, including the disciples, who probably had more resources than the boy, but they felt they didn’t have enough to make a difference, so they gave nothing. If we offer nothing to God, He will have nothing to use.  The boy gave the tiny amount that he had, and Jesus used it to perform one of the most spectacular miracles recorded.  With the boy’s small lunch, Jesus fed the enormous crowd and even had enough left over to feed all twelve disciples!

God can take whatever we offer Him in our time, talent, and resources and multiply its effectiveness beyond our wildest imaginations.  No matter what your age, physical abilities, bank account balance, skill level, intelligence, or family background, if you take the first step in making yourself available to God, He can take what you offer and use it in mighty ways to advance His kingdom.

So what’s in your “lunch box” today?

Jan1

Happy New Year!

Posted on by
Standard

See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness

and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 43:19

DSCF1606

As the first new day dawns in the New Year, it is a great time to look forward and think about the possibilities a new year can bring.  Most of us start the year with ideas about what we would like to accomplish in the year to come.  (Exercise more, eat healthier, lose weight, organize our finances, clean out the closet, save more money, learn to do something new, mend fences with an old friend or relative, start a business…)  Regardless of what goals you have in mind, it’s a good idea to write these thoughts down and keep them as a reference throughout the year to remind us of our vision.

I encourage you to take 10 minutes today (or more) to reflect on the past year while looking forward to the year ahead.  But instead of just thinking about the things YOU want for yourself, ask God what HIS vision is for your new year.  Is there something on your heart that keeps surfacing in your thoughts?  God’s New Year’s Resolutions might be very different from our own New Year’s Resolutions.  His vision for you might sound something like this…feed the hungry, clothe the poor, house the homeless, volunteer at a food bank, donate money, clothing, food, or time to a worthy ministry, find a church to start attending, support a missionary, start a ministry, love your neighbors, forgive someone, go on a mission trip, help a widow, foster a child, use your talents to help a ministry, renew (or begin!) your relationship with Christ, etc…  This list is endless, and only you know what God has laid upon your heart.

God doesn’t ask us to do EVERYTHING.  We are all part of the body of Christ, each member doing its own valuable part, right where you are “planted.”  He may be asking you to do ONE THING that seems insignificant to you, but in His Kingdom that one thing can change eternity.  It’s no accident that you are reading this post today.  God has a plan for you, and He wants to use your life in great ways.  He has gifted you with unique abilities and talents, and He wants to show you exactly how your life fits into His big picture.  Take the first step today toward following through with whatever God has placed upon your heart.  Don’t let another year go by without accomplishing something divinely magnificent for His Kingdom.

Happy New Year!! May God bless you in the coming year…

Nov1

Rising from the Rubble and Ruins

Posted on by
Standard

“What I’m interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’
…If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
    I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
…You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
    rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,
    restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
    make the community livable again.”

 Isaiah 58: 7 – 12 MSG 

 

For the victims in the path of Super Storm Sandy, our thoughts prayers are with you during this time of extreme despair.  Beyond our prayers, when anyone wonders, “What can I do to help?” the passage above from Isaiah gives us a very specific plan of action:

  • Share your food with the hungry
  • Invite the homeless into your homes
  • Put clothes on the shivering ill-clad
  • Be available to your own families
  • Start giving yourselves to the down-and-out

We also learn what God promises us if we do these acts of kindness and generosity for others, He will answer our prayers when we call on Him for help, and He will always show us where to go. He also promises these blessings for our obedience to His commands:

  • The lights will turn on
  • Your lives will turn around at once
  • Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness
  • He will give you a full life in the emptiest of places
  • You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew
  • You will rebuild the foundations from out of your past
  • You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again

I can’t find a more positive passage in Scripture to give hope and encouragement to those whose lives have been altered forever.  With God’s guidance and the help of others, your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, and you will use the rubble of past lives to rebuild anew and make your communities livable again.