Category: Daily Devotional

A story worth sharing from WWII! “Elmer Bendiner was a B-17 navigator during WWII. He tells the story of a bombing run over Kassel, Germany, and the unexpected result of a direct hit on their gas tanks. “Our B-17, the Tondelayo, was barraged by flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. That was typical, but on this particular occasion our gas tanks were hit. Later, as I reflected on the miracle of a 20 millimeter shell piercing the fuel tank without touching off an explosion, our pilot, Bohn Fawkes, told me it was more complicated. On the morning following the raid, Bohn asked our crew chief for that shell as a souvenir of our unbelievable luck. The crew chief told Bohn that, in addition to that shell, another 11 were found in the gas tanks. Eleven unexploded shells where only one was sufficient to blast us out of the sky. It was as if the sea had parted for us. A near-miracle, I thought. Even after 35 years, this awesome event leaves me shaken, especially after I heard the rest of the story from Bohn. Bohn was told that the shells were sent to the armorers to be defused. The armorers told him that Intelligence had then picked them up. They couldn’t say why at the time, but Bohn eventually sought out the answer. Apparently when the armorers opened each of those shells, they found no explosive charge. They were clean as a whistle and just as harmless. Empty? Not all of them! One contained a carefully rolled piece of paper with a scrawled message in Czech. The Intelligence people scoured our base for a man who could read Czech. Eventually they found one to decipher the note. It was amazing! Translated, the note read: “This is all we can do for you now. Using Jewish slave labor is never a good idea.” — We can all do something! Love Mel

Matt 7:7 Ask, & it will be given to you; seek, & you will find; knock, & it will be opened to you. Psalm 34:4 I sought the LORD, & He answered me & delivered me from all my fears. Jer29:13 You will seek me & find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Deut4:29 From there you will seek the LORD your God & you will find Him, if you search after Him with all your heart & with all your soul. Psalm 27:8 You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek. — Seeking Him must be our focus with all of our heart! Love Mel

Rom12:9-21 (NIV) Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless & do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. —Such wisdom in this book called the BIBLE. Love Mel

Matt 5:43-48 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor & hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies & pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil & on the good, & sends rain on the just & on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? & if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.— Our Father wants us to do everything we can to become more like Him. He has even asked us to love our enemies, & to pray for our persecutors. —Q Matthew Henry’s Commentary, “The Lord Jesus teaches that we must do all the real kindness we can to all, especially to their souls. We must pray for them. While many will render good for good, we must render good for evil; and this will speak a nobler principle than most men act by.” — No one said that it would be easy, but the rewards are out of this world! It is certainly worth trying! Love Mel

The Blood of Jesus! Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. Eph1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. 1 John1:7 If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, & the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1Peter2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin & live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. — We are saved by His blood. We have redemption in His blood. We are cleansed from ALL sin by His Blood.  By His wounds we have been healed! This is some really good news! Love Mel