MonroeOHUMC

  Day 9 -- Wednesday, March 12, 2025 Scripture: 1 Kings 19:3-13 Devotion: Elijah was at his breaking point. After a powerful victory on Mount Carmel, a death threat sent him fleeing into the wilderness. Exhausted and afraid, he prayed to die. But God didn't scold Elijah for his despair. Instead, God provided for his physical needs first—rest and nourishment—before speaking to him in "a sound of sheer silence." The wilderness often strips us down to our basic needs and raw emotions. Like Elijah, we may find ourselves depleted—emotionally, physically, or spiritually. Yet God meets us in that vulnerability with tender care. Sometimes what we need most isn't an immediate solution but rest, sustenance, and the quiet space to hear God's gentle whisper. Where are you feeling depleted today? God's first response to Elijah wasn't correction but compassion. The same gentle care is extended to you. Even when you feel you've reached your limit, God hasn...

  “Lost in the Wilderness of Life” Luke4:1-13; Acts 6:1-7 In the series “From Brokenness to Wholeness: A Journey of Healing and Hope” Have you ever been truly lost? Not just taking a wrong turn while driving or losing your way in a department store, but feeling completely disoriented in your own life? Maybe it was after receiving a devastating diagnosis, or when your marriage began falling apart. Perhaps it happened when you retired and suddenly questioned your purpose, or when your children left home, and you wondered, "What now?" On a sunny day in the summer of 2019, Becky, Josh, Hannah, and I walked into the forest of western North Carolina, part of a park. We like to take the kids for walks in nature to help them experience creation and shape a love of nature in them. It was peaceful as we walked, hearing the breeze gently rustling the green leaves and the sounds of our feet walking on the path. Along the way, we opted to take various twists and turns in the trail...