THANKSGIVING

Psalm 95:2

King James Version (KJV)

THANKSGIVING

² Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

THANKS, thanksgiving, adorations, praise. This word is derived from the verb yadah,

"to give thank, to praise." The root of yadah is yad, "hand."  Thus, to thank or praise God is       "to lift or extend one’s hand" in thanks to Him. Todah appears more than 30 times in the OT, a dozen of these in the Psalms (50:23; 100:4). Todah is translated "sacrifice of praise" in Jer. 33:11.

An important key to entering into the presence of God

is to come humbly with abundant praise.

In Christ,

Janet Irene Thomas

Playwright/Director/Screen Writer

Producer/Gospel Lyricist/Author

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

DIVINE HEALING

NUMBERS 12:1-16
King James Version (KJV)

DIVINE HEALING

12 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

2 And they said, hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it.

3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

4 And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.

5 And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.

6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lordwill make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.

8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.

10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

11 And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.

12 Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb.

13 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.

14 And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.

15 And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

16 And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.

Healing, Repentance and Humility.  This passage relates how Moses’ sister, Miriam, was healed of leprosy. She received physical healing through the intercession of Moses. However, her healing was delayed seven days because of her sin in defying the God-given leadership of Moses.

Is it possible that delays in receiving answers to our prayer may sometimes be the result of a sinful attitude? Is there instruction in the fact that the progress of the whole camp was delayed until Miriam was restored? Repentance and humility will not earn healing, but they may-as with Miriam-clear the way for god’s grace to be revealed more fully (see 1 Cor. 12:20-27).

(Ex.15:26/Num.21:5-9) N.V.

In Christ,

Janet Irene Thomas

Playwright/Director/Screen Writer

Producer/Gospel Lyricist/Author

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

LONELY

The eternal God is your refuge, 

and underneath are the everlasting arms.

DEUTERONOMY 33:27 

LONELINESS can be a cruel taskmaster of the soul, robbing us of our hope and joy. It turns our focus inward, pulling a dark curtain over our eyes so we can’t see God’s love for us. Even the psalmist cried out in complaint to the Lord, "You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; darkness is my closest friend" (Psalm 88:18).

But God desires to break through the dark clouds and restore our sense of purpose in life. He wants to deliver us from our loneliness so we can reach out to others again and fulfill our destiny. If we are living "solitary" lives. He wants to give us friends and family to connect with (Psalm 68:6).

Many Biblical heroes experienced feelings of rejection and loneliness, but during such times they drew near to God and discovered that He’s "a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24).

In Christ,

Janet Irene Thomas

Playwright/Director/Screen Writer

Producer/Gospel Lyricist/Author

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org