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But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. --Isaiah 40:31 If you are feeling low today, God has a plan to help you defeat your depression! First, God can refresh you. When Elijah was exhausted and emotionally drained, God provided refreshment. “And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again” (1 Kings 19:6). God took care of Elijah’s physical needs—food and rest. Sometimes you need to withdraw physically, emotionally, and spiritually and be encouraged in the Lord. Secondly, God rebuked Elijah. In verse 9, God asks, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Yes, God sent the earthquake and the fire. But in the end, God spoke to Elijah in “low whisper” (1 Kings 19:12). You and I often want God to speak to us with spectacular events and situations. But God most often speaks in the still small voice of His Word. And thirdly, God recommissioned Elijah. “And the LORD said to him, ‘Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria” (1 Kings 19:15). God told Elijah that it was time to get back in the game! Allow God to refresh you, and then reach out to someone else! Wednesday, October 3, 2018 The Only Hope of Heaven by Dr. Paul Chappell “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:10–13 So many people today believe there are multiple ways to Heaven—that all faiths and beliefs lead to the same God in the end. Yet the Bible teaches that there is only one way to God, and that is through Jesus Christ. But it is not enough to simply believe that Jesus was real, or that He is God’s son, or even that He is the Saviour. We must go beyond belief in the mind to faith in the heart. Salvation only comes by accepting the free offer provided by the death of Jesus on the cross. Dr. John Rice said, “No matter what you believe about a ferryboat, it will not take you across the river until you get on it. And no matter what you believe about Jesus Christ, He cannot be your Saviour until you trust Him. Saving faith means that you must depend upon Jesus personally; that you risk Him, rely upon Him, commit yourself to Him.” There is no “Plan B” when it comes to salvation. God is the One who provides it, and we either come to Him on His terms or not at all. Our reception of salvation hinges on our belief in Jesus alone to provide it, just as God planned before the world was created. In his sermon on the Day of Pentecost Peter said of Jesus, “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain” (Acts 2:23). Today’s Growth Principle:  Anything that we do or avoid doing in order to earn salvation means we are not trusting Jesus for it.