Judges 16
20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

Happy New Year From The State of Georgia!
I hope all of your celebrations at Christmas and for the New Year were wonderful.

I have been waiting and praying for the right posting for the New Year and today I found it! Many of us are going through or are going to go through trials this year. None of us know what 2004 will bring but there is one thing I am certain of. God never changes and He will stand by his children and protect them through all circumstances. God loves you and me in a way we will never understand fully until we get to heaven. That love never fails and if we know His Son as Savior then we are His child and He will never forsake us.

Our nation is going to go through perilous times and I fear it is drifting farther and farther away from the Lord. We boast that we are a Christian nation and yet Witchcraft, Homosexuality, New Age Religions and Atheism are moving into every aspect of our life. Government takeover of our freedoms is occuring at every turn and it seems as if most of the people, are asleep. What is even more tragic is that they do not want to be awakened to the truth. That is why I posted the above scripture. It is sad that Sampson never even realized the Lord and His power had departed. That is what has happened in our country and sadly, in many of our churches. I fear unless we have a revival and place God and His authority back over us then our nation is doomed just like Sampson. However if we turn from our wicked ways he will deliver us once again.

For now I pray these words by the famous Charles Hadden Spurgeon will bless you. Print them off and when you are going through trials take them out and read them again. Also take courage from God's precious word, the Bible. It is a living book and it will see you through every situation. That is a promise! From Him!!!

God Bless
Elaine

"The Lord shall guide thee." Not an angel, but JEHOVAH shall guide thee. He said He would not go through the wilderness before His people, an angel should go before them to lead them in the way; but Moses said, "If Thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence." Christian, God has not left you in your earthly pilgrimage to an angel's guidance: He Himself leads the van.

"You may not see the cloudy, fiery pillar, but Jehovah will never forsake you. Notice the word shall--"The Lord shall guide thee." How certain this makes it! How sure it is that God will not forsake us! His precious "shalls" and "wills" are better than men's oaths. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Then observe the adverb continually. We are not merely to be guided sometimes, but we are to have a perpetual monitor; not occasionally to be left to our own understanding, and so to wander, but we are continually to hear the guiding voice of the Great Shepherd; and if we follow close at His heels, we shall not err, but be led by a right way to a city to dwell in.

If you have to change your position in life; if you have to emigrate to distant shores; if it should happen that you are cast into poverty, or uplifted suddenly into a more responsible position than the one you now occupy; if you are thrown among strangers, or cast among foes, yet tremble not, for "the Lord shall guide thee continually." There are no dilemmas out of which you shall not be delivered if you live near to God, and your heart be kept warm with holy love. He goes not amiss who goes in the company of God. Like Enoch, walk with God, and you cannot mistake your road. You have infallible wisdom to direct you, immutable love to comfort you, and eternal power to defend you.

"Jehovah"--mark the word--"Jehovah shall guide thee continually." ["Morning and Evening Devotions", C.H. Spurgeon.