Verse For The Day - September 11, 2008

"A generous man will prosper, he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25

Here in Houston, TX this morning, we find ourselves looking right down the barrel of something called Hurricane Ike, you've probably already heard of it, right?(: All around this area & along the coastline of Galveston, we've waited for the news that this hurricane has taken a turn, it hasn't...and doesn't look like it will. Galveston is already beginning to experience some surge along the seawall & it hasn't even started raining yet. Our beloved little Kemah area looks like it may be flooded out badly. Many people in low lying areas & along the coast have evacuated or are doing so right now.
I can't help but think back to the devastating effects of recent hurricanes in other areas that have hit close by, Katrina, Rita, even Gustav. I thought of how this city of Houston, with all of its great resources & large population has always quickly reached out to others who have been "hit." I remembered walking through the George R. Brown Covention Center (set up as a shelter) after Katrina, seeing the sea of faces of people who had lost literally EVERYTHING, many not even knowing where family members had ended up or if they were even still alive.
I'm praying today that this verse will ring true for our city & our coastal areas, that God would, in His mercy, spare us from the destruction this powerful hurricane could bring, that even if there are some "after effects" from the storm, that He would bring "refreshing" to His people here.
If you're reading this today, would you pray for us, and especially for our friends near the coastal areas or in flood zones? We are so incredibly dependent on God!
I'm so thankful to already see the powerful "neighbor effect" around our areas, people want to know each other are O.K., people call to check in, call to see if you need another bottle of water while they're at the store, to double check & make sure you don't need to go ahead & evacuate out to a safer place, to let you know they have a generator if you need one, it's wonderful to see how people CARE, especially in times where darker things are looming in the distance!
We're living by this verse today, we will choose to be generous in ALL that we have, that God has so graciously given, we are trusting Him to bring REFRESHING to His people as we choose to walk in a way that refreshes & helps others.
We can never go wrong if we stand on His Word, it's timely & RIGHT ON ADVICE in every season of life.
If we lose power tonight, I'll catch up with you in a few days...bless you!