May 19

Psalm 65:6
Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power.

Todd's teacher talked about the mountains he had visited just the summer before. The teacher said that thousands of years ago, the mountains weren't nearly so high. With each passing year, they jutted higher and higher. Amazing power pushed them skyward. Todd had walked along the ridge of one mountain, taking for granted that it had always been there. The world was a really fascinating place.

 

It is wonderful to think of our God as the creator of all that is. There is so much that truly is fascinating, and we cannot begin to understand it all. God set the mountains in their places, and He changes them ever so slightly all the time. A God powerful enough to do all that is a God worthy of our praise and devotion. Put your faith in God, and you will be moved no more easily than a mountain can be.

 

Prayer: Lord, You have done so many wonderful things. Your power is beyond imagining. Send t hat power to me, that I might stand fast in my faith and be unmoved in a world full of temptation. Amen.
 

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May 18

Psalm 64:7
But God shall shoot at them with an arrow: suddenly shall they be wounded.

Jesus stood with a group of His followers. In the distance, a crowd appeared, pushing a naked woman along in front of them. They cast her down at the Lord's feet and said, "What should we do with this adultress?" They hoped to trap Jesus into advising sin.

 

Aware of the trap, Jesus gazed deeply into the eyes of the people. He stooped down and scribbled in the dust. Abruptly, He stood back up and said, "The one among you who is without sin, let him cast the first stone."

 

His answer struck like a bolt of lightning. Words of pure love and power exploded their conceit, and they were forced to look at the truth of God openly and honestly. The sin was not at issue. What mattered was forgiveness. The hateful crowd was shot through the heart by an arrow of God's goodness. Killed was the sin of unrighteousness, God will expose it for what it is.

 

Prayer: Turn my darkness into light, O Lord, and guide me away from things that are sinful and wrong. Teach me to love my neighbors rather than judge them. Let me cast love and peace, instead of stones. Amen.

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May 17        BY PHIL WARE

Romans 11:33

Oh, the depth and riches of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out.

 

Thoughts on today's verse

 

God's plan to save us is incredible. His blueprints for the creation of our universe are beyond our imagining. He is so rich in wisdom and knowledge. What else can we do but go to him and ask him to open our minds to his work and his will in our lives.

 

Prayer:

 

Precious and Almighty Father, thank you for reawakening me each spring to the power of your sustaining presence in the world, but even more in my life. Bless me today as I seek to put you first in all I do. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

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Number of Babies Born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome in Tennessee Soars

By Join Together Staff | May 16, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Community Related, Parenting, Prescription Drugs & Youth

The number of babies born to mothers addicted to opioids or anti-anxiety medication in Tennessee is soaring, according to the Associated Press. These babies suffer the effects of neonatal abstinence syndrome, such as tremors, abdominal pain, incessant crying and rapid breathing. In extreme cases, they also experience seizures.

East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville treated 33 babies for drug dependence in 2008. That number is expected to jump to 320 this year, the AP notes. In most cases, mothers of the babies abused prescription drugs such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, Valium and Xanax.

Tennessee is believed to be the first state that requires all health care facilities to report all cases of babies born dependent on drugs, officials say. They estimate almost 1,200 babies were born dependent on drugs in the state in 2010 and 2011.

Every hour, a baby is born in the United States with symptoms of opioid withdrawal, according to a study published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study found the number of pregnant women who are addicted to opioids, and the number of infants born with opioid withdrawal symptoms, has jumped in the past decade. An estimated 13,500 babies are born with withdrawal symptoms each year in the United States. Many babies who experience these symptoms must be hospitalized for weeks.

Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner is a member of a group advocating for the Food and Drug Administration to add a warning on prescription drug bottles about the dangers of taking drugs during pregnancy.