Sanctuary Copyright © 2009 by Review and Herald® Publishing Association

Published by Review and Herald® Publishing Association, Hagerstown, MD 21741-1119

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sanctuary : a daily devotional for women by women / edited by Ardis Dick Stenbakken. p. cm. 1. Seventh-day Adventist women—Prayers and devotions. 2. Devotional calendars— Seventh-day Adventists. I. Stenbakken, Ardis Dick. BV4844.S26 2009 242’.643—dc22 2009013197

ISBN 978-0-8280-2472-3 There is an aspect of this book that is unique.

None of these contributors has been paid—they have shared freely so that all profits go to scholarships for women. As this book goes to press, 1,458 scholarships have been given to women in 105 countries. For more current information, or to contribute to these scholarships, please go to http://adventistwomensministries.org/index.php?id=60. In this way, you too can provide a sanctuary, a safe haven for others.

Bible texts credited to Amplified are from The Amplified Bible. Copyright © 1965, 1987 by Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified New Testament copyright © 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations identified CEV are from the Contemporary English Version. Copyright © American Bible Society 1991, 1995. Used by permission. Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible texts credited to Jerusalem are from The Jerusalem Bible, copyright © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd., and Doubleday & Company, Inc. Used by permission of the publisher. Texts credited to Message are from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1994 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scriptures credited to NCV are quoted from The Holy Bible, New Century Version, copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Word Publishing, Dallas, Texas 75039. Used by permission. Texts credited to NEB are from The New English Bible. © The Delegates of the Oxford University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press 1961, 1970. Reprinted by permission. Texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Texts credited to NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Texts credited to NLV are from the Holy Bible, New Life Version. Copyright © 1969, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, Christian Literature International, Canby, Oregon. Used by permission. Bible texts credited to NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. Bible texts credited to RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. Bible texts credited to TEV are from the Good News Bible—Old Testament: Copyright © American Bible Society 1976, 1992; New Testament: Copyright © American Bible Society 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992. Verses marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible, copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Ill. Used by permission. January 1

Girl, God Is Good

To whom will you liken me that we may be compared? Isa. 46:5, NIV.

ONE JANUARY 1 a friend and I decided to fast and pray during the coming year. The spirit impressed me that we should pray for our families, friends, and campus family, so we joyfully embraced the idea. That first morning we set out on a long walk to an area that we felt that we would be surrounded by only trees and the beauty of nature— the sky, the pleasant sound of birds, and, from time to time, the sound of rain in the distance. Sometime after we began our prayer session, a dark cloud rolled in, and we again heard the rain at a distance. My friend suggested that we begin a praise session, so we began to sing praise choruses and asked God to send the rain away. He did! And the same thing hap- pened the second time we met for our prayer time. However, when we heard the rain the third time, it seemed to be coming from both directions. Because of our earlier experience, we decided to have another praise session. We sang song after song, but the rain continued to come closer and closer. We began to praise God more, but the rain would not go away. Right there, we decided that we would not leave. It looked as though we were going to get wet anyway, so we asked God to pre- vent us from getting wet, because we were not leaving until we had prayed for everyone on our list. By that time we both had only our family members to lift in prayer. We continued in prayer. Name by name, we presented our family members to God while the showers became heavier. We had now gotten off the ground and stood praying. Our sleeping bags were wet, our bedsheets were soaking wet, our hair was damp, but our clothes and feet felt dry. We finished our prayers and left. Not even wanting to talk about the miracle, we were silent until we were on our way back to the dorm. I then exclaimed, “Girl, you see how God is good? This year we just need to challenge God more!” But right there the Spirit corrected me, and I said, “Sorry, girl! This year we need to challenge ourselves to trust God more! He is willing and ready to do all things on our behalf.” We laughed in appreciation for what God had revealed, because now we knew what God wanted us to do that year: to challenge ourselves to trust Him more. Don’t you want to take that challenge too?

Nadine A. Joseph ͕ 8 ͖ January 2

New Resolutions Every Morning

It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lam. 3:22, 23.

ON THE FOURTH PAGE of the first newspaper of the year were pictures of seven individuals who had been asked: “What is your New Year’s resolution?” As I read each one I thought about what the real basis for their declaration might have been. One youth said, “I want to find a successful career in my field of education.” (Was this like Solomon’s prayer for wis- dom or for personal and/or professional gain and prestige?) A young father said, “I want to spend more time with my wife and family.” (Was he aware of having to give an answer one day to the question “Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?” [Jer. 13:20].) Three women made resolutions related to health issues: two wanted to lose a few pounds; the other said she wanted to quit smoking. (Had they learned that their bodies are the temple of God and wanted to purify them for Him? [1 Cor. 3:16].) Another respondent vowed she wouldn’t go to garage sales anymore. She said she didn’t need any more junk. She didn’t say what she would do with the money saved from this compulsive buying. Maybe she was considering supporting a wor- thy charity or mission project. Then there was the man who said, “I never make New Year’s resolutions, because then I don’t end up breaking them!” I wondered how I would have answered the question “What is your New Year’s resolution?” What would I want the readers of the newspaper to know about my personal resolutions? What really matters? What areas of my life need changing, and which would make an impact on me, as well as those who read my resolutions? I noted that the resolutions made by those pictured in the newspaper reflected the physical, social, and intellectual aspects of their lives—but none touched on their spiritual lives. None pledged to have a closer walk with God, or to ease the bur- dens of humankind. Why wait for the new year to make resolutions for living a better life, for drop- ping a bad habit, or brightening the day for some less fortunate soul? Let’s make commitments every morning to our God who provides for us 24/7/365.

Edith Fitch

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Thank God for Our House

But my God shall supply all your need. Phil. 4:19.

EVER SINCE WAYNE AND I got married, one of our plans was to buy our own house. When I became pregnant with our first child, it became apparent that the studio apartment we rented didn’t have enough space. We tried contacting the various housing developers whose numbers we saw posted on billboards, but to no avail. I asked God if He was going to allow the year 2003 to finish before we got our house. As 2004 began, the Lord inspired me to start thanking Him for our house. I obeyed His command, and one week later He began opening doors for us to realize our goal. We were able to ac- cess funds to make the down payment on a house that was being advertised on tele- vision. Before the year ended—on December 13, to be exact—we moved into our own house! The God we serve is an awesome God! Without a doubt again He is concerned about our every need and is willing and able to supply them all. The song tells us that “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” But He not only makes provisions for us here on this sin-sick earth—He has something better in store. John 14:1-3 tells us of our heavenly home, which the Lord has gone to prepare for us. He says that we should not be troubled but trust Him. Why? Because He has gone to prepare a place for us, and when everything is ready He will come and get us to be with Him forever. If we accept His promise, we will inherit all He has gone to prepare for us. Revelation 21 gives us a vivid picture of what heaven will be like. Imagine the beauty! I have the privilege of seeing the beauty of some mansions here on earth on TV, and there are not words enough to describe them. Just imagine what Jesus has in store for us! The Word of God further states that we “will build houses and dwell in them” in the earth made new (Isa. 65:21, 22, NIV). What a wonderful provision our God has made for us, and one day, if we remain faithful, we shall possess our inheritance. Thank You, Lord, for our house: the one we live in now—and the one You have promised to each of us. Thamer Cassandra Smikle

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