God’s Powerful Word Through the Years

“Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.”

Psalm 139:12

Dear Kids,
Throughout the years God’s powerful word has inspired its readers! It is useful for teaching, correcting, rebuking, and training in righteousness. It speaks words of comfort to the broken hearted and proclaims truth to the confused. The Bible, God’s written word, has been around for thousands of years and will forever stand the test of time. Many generations have drawn strength from its pages. Hearers from the past, although now gone from this world, still testify of God’s gracious message even through unlikely means.

A Small Needlepoint

I imagine her sitting by the fire, calico dress draped over the seat of the cane back chair. Her bonneted head bends low as she concentrates on the work in hand. Brushing a flaxen braid aside she once more pulls the thread carefully through the rough cloth. Stitch by stitch the words and the pattern materializes. Holding the needlepoint at arms length she smiles contentedly. In all of her seven years this is her best work yet!

One hundred and fifty years have passed since 1872. The little girl grew, lived her life, and finally entered eternity. But her needlework survived and showed up in an unlikely place at a most opportune time.

God’s Powerful Word

It had not been a good week for me. So as I often do, I decided to take a walk through our Event Center to clear my head. Merchandise for an upcoming auction sat neatly in rows on long white tables. I glanced at a grouping as I passed by and that’s when it caught my eye. I stopped and read the uneven letters stitched and displayed in a small frame. The words of Scripture inscribed so long ago spoke to my heart. “The night shall be light around me.” Psalm 139:11

Suddenly all of the confusion of life’s circumstances cleared away. I realized that although I don’t always understand what and why things happen, nothing is hidden from the Lord. He is all knowing and all present. Even in the blackest of places and gloomiest of times His light brightens the darkness.

Light and Darkness are the Same to God

There is nowhere we can go from His Spirit or anywhere we can flee from His presence. He understands all thoughts and is acquainted with all our ways. He hears every word before it is ever spoken. And His perfect knowledge and absolute power over all creation provide peace in the midst of trouble. He encircles His children with a hedge of protection and leads them through the deepest valleys. When the darkness seems too overwhelming His presence makes the night become light as the day because darkness and light are the same to God.

I grabbed my camera and snapped a photo of the precious little handiwork painstakingly stitched so many years ago. She had no idea that the message of God’s word sewn into a plain piece of cloth would mean so much so many years later. But God knew. After all, even the night shall be light around Him. Thank you, little Molly! You unknowingly testified to another generation of God’s powerful word.

Love,

Mama

Psalm 139

Other Posts for Encouragement:

The Power of Encouragement on the Down Days

The Power of Encouragement

Combating Discouragement with Prayer