A Prayer to Stay on the Path of RighteousnessBy Laura Bailey Bible Reading"Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left;  keep your foot from evil." Proverbs 4:25-26 NIV Listen or Read Below: I stopped mid-stride, hitting the 15-second back button on my phone, the pastor's words ringing in my ears. My attention was fully engaged, and I listened intently as I replayed the message, "We dabble in sin, but Satan dominates." One of my favorite pastimes is walking the path in our pasture and listening to sermons from various preachers. This particular series focused on the choices we make each day, driving home that nothing we do is in isolation–people are always affected by our decisions. So, as I replayed  the phrase a few more times, I began to wonder in what areas of my life I had dabbled in sin, but it was starting to "dominate."  What started as a few purchases at one of my favorite online boutiques had turned into my overspending, hiding the stream of packages from my husband. A conversation with a group of gal pals about a friend going through a divorce quickly esclated into a full-blown dissecting of her family and lifestyle.  I convinced myself that I would just read a few lines of the author I'd heard was a bit racey, which led to me consuming the whole book and purchasing a few more.  There were countless times when I convinced myself that "it wasn't a big deal," "it's not hurting anyone," or " everyone else is doing it."  And while our choices may not always directly affect other people, our rebellion, no matter how insignificant we believe it is, is still sinning against a holy God.  Proverbs 4:25-26 says, "Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left;  keep your foot from evil." We must pay extra attention to have our eyes fixed firmly on Christ so that we will continue to walk in righteousness. It is a daily commitment, a faithful act of obedience to surrender our lives, every last detail over to our Heavenly Father. The author of Proverbs knows how easy it is for humans to "get off the path" or "choose a different direction." He warns us not to even turn our heads ( dabble) in the wrong direction, lest our feet follow ( dominate).  Engaging in sin often starts with something small and then escalates. Think about the progression of Eve's sin in the garden. Genesis 3:6, "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it."Eve looked, touched, and ate the forbidden fruit. It was a gradual descent into turning away from God's good plan. Less we think we have more self-control than our biblical parents; we are guilty of the same. That's why it is imperative that we stop before we start, that we don't dare to dabble.  Staying on the path of righteousness takes work; many distractions and hindrances exist. But, each day, we have a choice: will we choose God and His ways, which are better than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), or the way of the world that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14)? Let's Pray: Heavenly Father, Matthew 7:13-14 tells us, " "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate, and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." We pray that we walk through the narrow gate, turn from the road of destruction, and find life. Each day guide us and moves our hearts to align with Your will and desires. When we choose our way, bring us back to You. Lord, we love You and are so grateful that You sent Your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross of our sins so that we may have eternal life. Be with us, as we live each day for Your glory.In Jesus' Name, Amen.  Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/lili_popper Laura Bailey is a Bible teacher who challenges and encourages women to dive deep in the Scriptures, shift from an earthly to an eternal mindset, and filter life through the lens of God's Word. She is the author of Beyond the Noise, and loves any opportunity to speak and teach women of all ages. She is a wife and momma to three young girls. Connect with her on her website,  www.LauraRBailey.com, Facebook and Instagram. Related Resource: Remember God’s Enduring Love for You in this Guided Meditation on Psalm 100! This guided Christian meditation from Psalm 100 will help you experience and praise God for his unending love for you. Become aware of God's presence with you, and praise God for his loyal and enduring love from the beginning of time and into the future. Listen to every episode of the So Much More Podcast on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! The post A Prayer to Stay on the Path of Righteousness – Your Daily Prayer – October 5 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A Prayer to Stay on the Path of RighteousnessBy Laura Bailey Bible Reading"Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left;  keep your foot from evil." Proverbs 4:25-26 NIV Listen or Read Below: I stopped mid-stride, hitting the 15-second back button on my phone, the pastor's words ringing in my ears. My attention was fully engaged, and I listened intently as I replayed the message, "We dabble in sin, but Satan dominates." One of my favorite pastimes is walking the path in our pasture and listening to sermons from various preachers. This particular series focused on the choices we make each day, driving home that nothing we do is in isolation–people are always affected by our decisions. So, as I replayed  the phrase a few more times, I began to wonder in what areas of my life I had dabbled in sin, but it was starting to "dominate."  What started as a few purchases at one of my favorite online boutiques had turned into my overspending, hiding the stream of packages from my husband. A conversation with a group of gal pals about a friend going through a divorce quickly esclated into a full-blown dissecting of her family and lifestyle.  I convinced myself that I would just read a few lines of the author I'd heard was a bit racey, which led to me consuming the whole book and purchasing a few more.  There were countless times when I convinced myself that "it wasn't a big deal," "it's not hurting anyone," or " everyone else is doing it."  And while our choices may not always directly affect other people, our rebellion, no matter how insignificant we believe it is, is still sinning against a holy God.  Proverbs 4:25-26 says, "Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left;  keep your foot from evil." We must pay extra attention to have our eyes fixed firmly on Christ so that we will continue to walk in righteousness. It is a daily commitment, a faithful act of obedience to surrender our lives, every last detail over to our Heavenly Father. The author of Proverbs knows how easy it is for humans to "get off the path" or "choose a different direction." He warns us not to even turn our heads ( dabble) in the wrong direction, lest our feet follow ( dominate).  Engaging in sin often starts with something small and then escalates. Think about the progression of Eve's sin in the garden. Genesis 3:6, "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it."Eve looked, touched, and ate the forbidden fruit. It was a gradual descent into turning away from God's good plan. Less we think we have more self-control than our biblical parents; we are guilty of the same. That's why it is imperative that we stop before we start, that we don't dare to dabble.  Staying on the path of righteousness takes work; many distractions and hindrances exist. But, each day, we have a choice: will we choose God and His ways, which are better than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), or the way of the world that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14)? Let's Pray: Heavenly Father, Matthew 7:13-14 tells us, " "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate, and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." We pray that we walk through the narrow gate, turn from the road of destruction, and find life. Each day guide us and moves our hearts to align with Your will and desires. When we choose our way, bring us back to You. Lord, we love You and are so grateful that You sent Your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross of our sins so that we may have eternal life. Be with us, as we live each day for Your glory.In Jesus' Name, Amen.  Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/lili_popper Laura Bailey is a Bible teacher who challenges and encourages women to dive deep in the Scriptures, shift from an earthly to an eternal mindset, and filter life through the lens of God's Word. She is the author of Beyond the Noise, and loves any opportunity to speak and teach women of all ages. She is a wife and momma to three young girls. Connect with her on her website,  www.LauraRBailey.com, Facebook and Instagram. Related Resource: Remember God’s Enduring Love for You in this Guided Meditation on Psalm 100! This guided Christian meditation from Psalm 100 will help you experience and praise God for his unending love for you. Become aware of God's presence with you, and praise God for his loyal and enduring love from the beginning of time and into the future. Listen to every episode of the So Much More Podcast on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! The post A Prayer to Stay on the Path of Righteousness – Your Daily Prayer – October 5 appeared first on GodUpdates.

The Biden administration on Friday announced “$2 million in Emergency Relief funds provided through the ‘quick release’ process for use by the South Carolina Department of Transportation.” The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced the “immediate availability” of the funds. “The initial funds will offset costs of immediate repair work needed as a result of Hurricane Helene flood damage,” the Department of Transportation stated in a press release. “Hurricane Helene has taken the lives of our fellow Americans, and devastated homes and businesses — but the people of South Carolina are not in this alone,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The Biden-Harris administration has been on the ground since the hurricane hit, we will be with South Carolina every step of the way as they recover and rebuild, and today’s emergency funding to help get transportation networks back up and running safely will be followed by additional federal resources,” he added. The Biden-Harris Administration is delivering additional emergency relief to South Carolina to restore roads and bridges damaged by Hurricane Helene. More relief is on the way, and we will continue to support every affected community as they rebuild and recover. pic.twitter.com/6JVVQ7luFj — Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) October 4, 2024 Per the Department of Transportation: As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s robust response to Hurricane Helene, USDOT is supporting response and recovery efforts in impacted communities. Secretary Buttigieg has received regular briefings from USDOT operating administrations and has communicated with Governor Henry McMaster. Additionally, this week he visited FEMA Headquarters to be briefed on the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Helene and the emergency response and recovery actions. He also joined Cabinet colleagues to brief President Joe Biden at the White House. In South Carolina, Hurricane Helene caused widespread infrastructure damage, with substantial damage in twelve counties, including to roadways, culverts, and bridges. Emergency Relief “quick release” funds will be used by the South Carolina DOT to open and maintain critical access on US-276 in Greenville County. This route is strategically important for maintaining emergency communications and operations. FHWA’s Emergency Relief program provides funding to states, territories, tribes, and Federal Land Management Agencies for highways and bridges damaged by natural disasters or catastrophic events. These Emergency Relief funds, provided through the “quick release” process, are an initial installment of funds toward restoring this essential transportation link. Additional funds needed to repair damage in South Carolina will be supported by the Emergency Relief program through nationwide funding allocations. The FHWA Emergency Relief program complements Bipartisan Infrastructure Law programs and provisions by encouraging agencies to identify and implement measures to incorporate resilience in the design, restoration, and repair of damaged infrastructure, to better withstand future damage from climate change and future weather events. Elsewhere, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $157 million in assistance for Lebanon. “The U.S. is at the forefront of humanitarian response to the growing crisis in Lebanon, announcing nearly $157 million in assistance today. We are committed to supporting those in need and delivering essential aid to displaced civilians, refugees and the communities hosting them,” Blinken said. The U.S. is at the forefront of humanitarian response to the growing crisis in Lebanon, announcing nearly $157 million in assistance today. We are committed to supporting those in need and delivering essential aid to displaced civilians, refugees and the communities hosting them. — Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 4, 2024 The Biden administration wants Americans to clearly understand they hate them and will continue to demoralize them. $157 million to Lebanon. $2 million to South Carolina. pic.twitter.com/lsA3ADMLly — Storm (@stormrobinson) October 5, 2024 I know the money comes from different departments/allocations, but STILL: $157 Million to Lebanon $2 Million to South Carolina …ON THE SAME DAY pic.twitter.com/alVTGez1cH — John Hasson (@SonofHas) October 5, 2024 The United States government will provide $157 million to Lebanon after Israel launched a massive air strike campaign against the country. From Al Jazeera: Huge explosions rocked the Lebanese capital’s southern suburbs overnight, shaking the ground and sending plumes of smoke into the skyline. Residents in Beirut said the bombardment was so intense that car alarms went off and buildings shook as Israeli fighter jets pounded the densely populated outskirts, including the international airport’s perimeter. A source close to Lebanon’s Hezbollah group told the AFP news agency that Israel conducted 11 consecutive raids in what has been described as its most violent attack so far on Beirut. The Israeli military has not issued an official statement and Hezbollah has not commented. Israeli media reported that Hezbollah’s Hashem Safieddine – a possible successor to leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli attack last week – was the target of the air raids. Israel’s military said on Friday that it had eliminated the head of Hezbollah’s communication networks, Mohammad Rashid Sakafi, by conducting a “precise, intelligence-based strike” in Beirut on Thursday. Hezbollah did not immediately comment on Safaki’s fate. The Israeli military also hit Lebanon’s Masnaa border crossing with Syria in a separate attack, cutting off a road linking the two countries that was being used by hundreds of thousands of people to flee Israeli bombardments in recent days. The U.S. government provided Israel over $8 billion the week Hurricane Helene made landfall. $2 million dollars to South Carolina. $157 million dollars to Lebanon to clean up Israel’s mess. $8.7 billion to Israel itself a week ago. pic.twitter.com/9Ol8e9y3S9 — Andrew Torba (@BasedTorba) October 5, 2024 Ukraine also got its $8 billion. Per CNBC: U.S. President Joe Biden announced more than $8 billion in military assistance for Ukraine on Thursday to help Kyiv repel Russian invaders, using a visit by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make a major commitment. The aid includes the first shipment of a precision-guided glide bomb called the Joint Standoff Weapon, with a range of up to 81 miles (130 km). The medium-range missile gives Ukraine a major upgrade to the weapons it is using to strike Russian forces, allowing the Ukrainians to do it at safer distances. Americans get the crumbs compared to foreign nations.

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