[Faith-talk] Fw: He Never Gives Up {Encouragement for Today}

[Beth Kats]

Just wanted to share this!!  It, especially makes me think of the NFB 
and how we never give up trying to stop discrimination of the blind and 
disabled.

Forwarded message:

From: Proverbs 31 Ministries <devotions at proverbs31.org>
to: Beth Kats <bethkats at samobile.net>
Subject: He Never Gives Up {Encouragement for Today}
Reply-To: Proverbs 31 Ministries <devotions at proverbs31.org>
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2016 04:13:21 +0000


Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser 
<http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=24079dddc5&e=67d81e345c>.
Proverbs 31 Ministries 
<http://proverbs31.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=4907361d44&e=67d81e345c> 
Facebook 
<http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fus2.campaign-archive2.com%2F%3Fu%3Df63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18%26id%3D24079dddc5&t=He%20Never%20Gives%20Up%C2%A0%7BEncouragement%20for%20Today%7D> 
Twitter 
<http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=He%20Never%20Gives%20Up%C2%A0%7BEncouragement%20for%20Today%7D%20-%20http%3A%2F%2Feepurl.com%2Fchom6L>
Share this devotion
LISTEN TO TODAY'S BROADCAST 
<http://proverbs31.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=377a6c845a&e=67d81e345c>
DONATE 
<http://proverbs31.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=6ead8f8f9f&e=67d81e345c>
Lynn Cowell

October 5, 2016

He Never Gives Up
LYNN COWELL 
<http://proverbs31.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=4adb83b9ec&e=67d81e345c>

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will 
carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 
1:6 (NIV) LYNN COWELL 
<http://proverbs31.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=11d8f7a16c&e=67d81e345c>

The crunching of the gravel ceased as our van rolled to a complete 
stop. We had traveled from a swarming, heavily populated city in India 
to find the number of people had decreased, but the poverty had only increased.

Before that morning, I thought I was prepared for what we would see; 
our guide shared a video detailing the environment with us the night 
before. I soon learned a camera could not capture, nor is the human 
heart made to take in, the suffering we saw before us.

A handful of families made their home together, living as rag-pickers. 
Each day, their work consisted of going to the dump and pulling out 
anything of value — plastic, cardboard, fabric. After a full day’s 
work, they’d redeem their collections, earning approximately a dollar a day.

You would expect to see despair on the faces of those whose daily lives 
seem so dismal. Yet as the villagers emerged from their tarp-covered 
tent homes to greet us, not even the 110-degree temperature was enough 
to wilt their warm welcome. The children came first, extending their 
darling hands and dressed in vibrant shades of pinks, purples and whites.

Though our language was a barrier, our smiles connected us. They’d been 
expecting us.

Once inside the makeshift home, we were ushered to seats of honor with 
garlands of flowers placed upon our necks as these beautiful people 
expressed their gladness for our arrival. After offering a power-filled 
prayer of praise, the leader began songs of joyful worship, turning the 
dark, dingy shelter into a sanctuary. Louder and louder, the people 
clapped and sang praises to God for His goodness to them. Their 
glimmering eyes shone brightly; hope and gladness poured out.

While these are the poorest of the poor in India, the outcast and 
rejected of their culture, these people are not without hope. They’re 
on a new path, taking them to a new place.

This journey out of darkness and into life began when a man named Raju 
came to know Christ as his savior. From there, he became a student in a 
literacy class offered by Mission India. Besides teaching Raju to read, 
write and calculate, this class taught him more of the new life Jesus 
died to bring him. Raju didn’t keep this to himself. After completing 
his course, he became a literacy teacher and then a church planter.

Raju has become an advocate for his village. With this new confidence, 
he helped his village obtain a well, land rights and food rations. He 
is passing on his new knowledge.

The villagers are also learning to read and write and even more 
importantly, aout the salvation Jesus offers. They are growing daily in 
their relationship with Jesus through the literacy classes and church.

As we watched these beautiful people singing praises to Jesus, our 
Mission India leader asked, “Would any one like to give a word of 
encouragement?” Philippians 1:3-6 immediately came to my mind and I 
asked to share. “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my 
prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your 
partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident 
of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to 
completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (NIV).

Culture has shouted to these precious people: You are not wanted. Your 
life doesn’t matter. You are not welcome. In contrast, Christ says to 
us all: You are wanted. Your lives do matter. You are welcome. Once 
Jesus begins His work in our lives, He never gives up on us. He loves 
us, encouraging us to reach our fullest potential, no matter where we 
live or what others say about us.

We are partners together in sharing the Gospel, the Good News of the 
new life Christ offers each and every one of us. He will not stop 
working this good work in us, and He will never stop working in the 
lives of our new family members in India as well.

Lord, no matter where we live or how different our circumstances, we 
are brothers and sisters in Christ, and family supports each other. May 
we do all we can — not only to share from what we have been given, but 
to help the Good News of Your new life reach the unreached. In Jesus’ 
Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Philippians 1:9-11, “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound 
more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be 
able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day 
of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through 
Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God.” (NIV)

RELATED RESOURCES:
Click here 
<http://proverbs31.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=63f5bfafc9&e=67d81e345c> 
to purchase Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, 
and Lonely. All sales from the purchase of Uninvited will be used to 
help various Christian non-profit organizations. One of the ministries 
we are so honored to help is Mission India, an organization that’s 
reaching women labeled as “Untouchables” and teaching them to read, 
using the Bible in their language.

Stop by Lynn Cowell’s blog 
<http://proverbs31.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=7eb435aa87&e=67d81e345c> 
today where she is sharing pictures and a video from the rag-pickers’ 
village. She’s also hosting a giveaway with gifts — a necklace and 
earring set — made by the women of a Mission India literacy class.

REFLECT AND RESPOND:
Like these people in India, have there been times in your life when you 
have felt like an outcast?

How can a relationship with Jesus bring healing to this hurt?

© 2016 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.

Leave a Comment 
<http://proverbs31.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=ec07a3f917&e=67d81e345c>

Share this devotion: Facebook 
<http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fus2.campaign-archive1.com%2F%3Fu%3Df63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18%26id%3D24079dddc5&t=He%20Never%20Gives%20Up%C2%A0%7BEncouragement%20for%20Today%7D> 
Twitter 
<http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=He%20Never%20Gives%20Up%C2%A0%7BEncouragement%20for%20Today%7D%20-%20http%3A%2F%2Feepurl.com%2Fchom6L>

Forward to a Friend 
<http://us2.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=24079dddc5&e=67d81e345c>

Connect with Proverbs 31 Ministries Find us on Facebook 
<http://proverbs31.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=fd61b52f26&e=67d81e345c>Find 
us on Twitter 
<http://proverbs31.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=34fb49bea8&e=67d81e345c>Find 
us on Pinterest 
<http://proverbs31.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=3b23403dd3&e=67d81e345c>Find 
us on Instagram 
<http://proverbs31.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=89d1eecd12&e=67d81e345c> 
You signed up to receive daily devotions on http://www.proverbs31.org/
Our mailing address is:
Proverbs 31 Ministries
630 Team Rd., Suite 100 Matthews, North Carolina 28105
Add us to your address book 
<http://proverbs31.us2.list-manage1.com/vcard?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=6b73962290>
Visit our website 
<http://proverbs31.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=862a13b2cb&e=67d81e345c> 
| Update preferences 
<http://proverbs31.us2.list-manage.com/profile?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=6b73962290&e=67d81e345c> 
| Unsubscribe 
<http://proverbs31.us2.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=6b73962290&e=67d81e345c&c=24079dddc5>

(image)