OUR DAILY BREAD             Tuesday, June 6, 1995   
---------------

READ:   Psalm 37:1-24

        
             PREPARING TO STOP 

   "The steps of a good man are ordered..
               by the Lord."
                     - Psalm 37:23

As children, we loved hearing three words shouted 
in slow succession before running a race on the 
playground:  "Ready...Set...Go!"  But have you ever 
been running along at top speed and heard the
signal: "Ready...Set...Stop?"

Howard Westlund, a busy pastor in the Chicago area,
told about such an experience.  In a letter to his
congregation, he said, "I was ready for a full
evening which would include involvement with our
youth group.  Then it happened:  'Ready...Set...
Stop!'"

Howard was rushed to the hospital with a severe
leg infection.  During that time, he remembered
a paraphrased version of today's text:  "The
Lord orders our starts and our stops."   Yes, 
that busy pastor had been brought to an abrupt
halt.

Later Pastor Westlund wrote, "I wasn't ready for
a stop.  How do you get ready for the thing you're 
not ready for?  I hadn't missed a service due to
sickness in 25 years!  When God tells us to stop,
we can fuss and complain and argue how much we
are needed in the 'go' position.  Or we can just
wait, with a growing trust that He does all things
well."

Howard chose the latter and learned that continuing
to trust God is the only way to get ready for the
things we're not ready for.  Have you learned that
vital lesson?

                                -- Joanie E. Yoder

        O for the peace of perfect trust,
            My loving God, in Thee;
        Unwavering faith that never doubts
          Thou choosest best for me.

                                -- Anon.

-------------------------------------------
             THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
-------------------------------------------
         God can use life's stops
            to keep us moving.
-------------------------------------------
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 37-39

=============================================================
Our Daily Bread, Copyright 1995, used by permission of Radio 
Bible Class, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49555, USA. ODB files are 
being archived at ICLnet by arrangement with Radio Bible 
Class. RBC is presently developing its own servers and we 
look forward to RBC's official presence here on the internet 
in the near future. Written permission to distribute must be
obtained from Radio Bible Class. RBC provides a variety of 
Bible resources, which are free of charge. RBC is not funded 
by any group or denomination, and support comes voluntarily 
from its Members and Friends. Write for more information, or 
call 1-800-598-7221.

Thanks to Ken Foster for establishing the email list from 
which this copy of Our Daily Bread originated. A subscription 
is also available from the "ODB List" which may be subscribed 
to directly. Send a blank email message, with the word 
SUBSCRIBE in the subject line, to: 

     odb-request@sptekwv14.wv.tek.com.

RBC publications are also available at The Gospel Communica-
tions Network: http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/.

- ICLnet
=============================================================


-------------------------------------------------------
file: /pub/resources/text/Our.Daily.Bread: db950606.txt

.