Now, imagine all of us gathered around the dinner table trying to enjoy our meal and having to yell at each other! When we finally figured out that Nan had tricked us, we all just howled and screamed with laughter.

I don’t know about you but I am so very thankful that the Lord hears us no matter how soft or loud we speak. We have a wonderful promise found in Psalm 34:15 (NKJV):

“The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.”

Do you realize that Jesus is as close to you as your next heartbeat? Whether you close your eyes, bow your knees before Him or simply sit in silence before the Lord, He hears you. He knows you so intimately that during those times when you cannot find the words to even whisper a prayer, Jesus still hears and answers because His ears attentively listen to the very depths of your heart.

To combat some of these diseases in the province of Kasai in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rivers of the World (ROW) installed 10 water spring systems in several communities. Each system is designed to serve up to 500 families per day with clean drinking water.

Did you know that as Christians we also need refreshing water to quench our thirsty souls? The prophet Isaiah told us the benefits of pouring out ourselves for those who are hungry, oppressed and in need. In Isaiah 58:11 (NKJV) we read:

“The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”

Regardless if you are battling torrential rainfall or living in an area of parched land, your soul can be like a well watered garden when you immerse yourself daily in Christ’s presence.

Jeff Eichler is planning a trip to Venezuela this year to deliver and install more of our solar powered DVD players amongst the Warao Indians. More of these precious people will have an opportunity to see the Jesus Film.

A group of nursing students from the North Georgia College and State University Department of Nursing will travel with Charlie Evans and Dr. Britt Boyd to Honduras this year to work in our new hospital clinic in Taulabe, located southeast of San Pedro Sula. We have other teams scheduled from June through August to travel to the Dominican Republic, Peru, Belize and Venezuela.

A goal of $15,000 was set recently at Easley Presbyterian Church in South Carolina to assist with ROW projects. Instead, $21,000 was raised! An estimated $10,000 of the money will be used to continue construction of an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. The remaining money will be used to purchase solar powered light bulbs and Bibles for distribution along the Amazon River.

ROW continues to document all our travels through the ongoing ROWvotion series of devotions. We just finished publishing Vol. 14 and the next installment will be published soon.

You may not have the opportunity or means to travel around the world on a mission trip or even be able to fund some of ROW’s ongoing projects. However, be encouraged today by 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NKJV):

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

Realize today that regardless of what you are doing, if your desire is to serve Christ and His people, then your labor for Him is not in vain. Sometimes you will only be used to plant seeds into the hearts and lives of people. However, at other times the Lord may bless you with a rich opportunity to reap a spiritual harvest in the lives of those whose seeds were planted long ago.

I had a choice to make. I was either going to get very upset because it was projected to cost me a lot of money to fix the engines or I could simply take a deep breath and readjust my focus. The good news is the “Booger” returned home, he is alive and well and is ready to roll. The bad news is I can’t say the same thing about my boat!

This ordeal reminded me to keep things in perspective when I encounter problems. There really is no need to be all worked up and upset when our life seems to be less than desirable because ultimately the Lord is in control.

Is there anything in your life that has you uptight and feeling overwhelmed? Have you begun to realize that your focus is no longer upon Christ but solely upon your problem? The Bible contains numerous passages from the Old Testament to the New Testament regarding money, greed and material possessions.

In Luke 12:15 (Amplified) we read about a man who approached Jesus asking Him to settle an inheritance dispute that had arisen with a member of his family. What was Christ’s response?

“And He said to them, Guard yourselves and keep free from all covetousness (the immoderate desire for wealth, the greedy longing to have more); for a man’s life does not consist in and is not derived from possessing overflowing abundance or that which is over and above his needs.”

If you suddenly lost all your possessions would you still be able to praise God? The bottom line is if we have experienced salvation and have Christ in our lives, then we are rich beyond measure and have need of nothing else.

In October 2007 I spoke at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Nebraska and met with David. He said, “You know I was born in Venezuela. Have you ever been to Venezuela?” Well I hadn’t so I told him, “No, but I’d love to go.” Well that is all it took. Because I was willing to travel from Georgia to Nebraska, nearly a year later I was in Venezuela. I arrived in Caracas, Venezuela and met up with David and Elizabeth and husband and wife team, Bryan and Chris, paramedics from Kentucky.

We spent time on the Manamo River, which is a stream that branches off from the Orinoco River. This trip was the most life changing experience as we had an opportunity to visit with the Warao Indians, who live in the Orinoco River Delta.

Stop by the Rivers of the World (ROW) web site to hear the radio updates and view pictures and a video from our recent trip to Venezuela, which took place all because Elizabeth made a simple phone call.

As Christians our lives should be such a reflection of our Lord and Savior that it entices people to know more about Jesus Christ. Paul reminds us in Acts 13:47 (Amplified):

“For so the Lord has charged us, saying, I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles (the heathen), that you may bring [eternal] salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.”

The Lord may not provide a way for you to travel to remote corners of the world but that should not stop you from being a light to the people in your “world.” Let us go forth today and shine brightly for Christ so that everyone we come in contact with will be naturally drawn to Jesus.

Other changes to the site that have occurred recently include changing the dates to a majority of the devotions that were published prior to a few months ago. In an effort to match the actual timeframe when each event took place, I will be continuing to update ROWvotions until each one is accurate.

To better understand the process, we publish 10 devotions each month, and not on any particular day. Once the updating of ROWvotions is complete, you will be able to find 10 devotions per month, starting from October 2005 until the present.

If you have any comments or suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!

In Christ, KClack

In a typical day, what do you think other people see in your expressions when they meet you? Do they see someone burdened down with life’s cares or someone overflowing with joy?

Today is Mother’s Day and I must thank my mother, Nanny, for what she told me. She instructed me to always keep my mouth up. This is another way of saying to smile. When others see you smile they will likely want to know why you are so filled with joy. This will give you an opportunity to introduce them to the source of all joy, Jesus Christ.

My mother’s instruction also reminds me of Psalm 118:24:

“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”