Several years ago I attended “The Awakening” hosted by Crossroads Tabernacle. Beth Jones, the pastor’s wife, told the following incident.

Although my dad was a farmer, when he was a young man he occasionally helped out as a lay preacher. In one service at which he was to speak, he put money in the offering, unaware that the offering would be given to him. At the close of the service, someone handed him the offering with the light-hearted comment, “If you had put more in it, you would have gotten more out of it.”

I heard Shelley tell about a time in her days at Asbury College when she went through rebellion and deep depression. She had been molested as a child, and the hurt and anger from that had surfaced. After encouraging others to commit suicide with her, she was placed in a psychiatric ward.

One of the best ways to discover God’s faithfulness is to write our prayers. I discovered this years ago one afternoon when I was sleepy. Simply to stay awake, I began writing my prayer in my notebook. Many days later I found that prayer and tears came to my eyes as I read. God had answered those prayers in the exact way I had requested. I never would have realized it if I had not recorded my requests.

God wanted to create a happy people. Ultimate happiness rests in Him so He made this incredible offer: I will come inside you and give you My joy!

We are God’s Segullah—a Hebrew word used eight times in the Old Testament in regard to us. It is often translated as “treasured possession.” A segullah is a jeweler’s term and refers to an object of great beauty and of great value. It brings exquisite delight to the person who wears it. This is how God describes us!

G. C. Bevington, a man of great faith, said he learned the importance of praying until he could discern what request to make. In doing that, he would sense the burden on Jesus’ heart.

"The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD" (Genesis 18:22). In his book Yahweh Is God Alone, Dr. Dennis Kinlaw says that that the early scribes actually changed the text of this verse. It should read as the footnote in the NIV states: "but the LORD remained standing before Abraham."