Mending Broken Lives 
This devotional was written by Jim Burns

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  James 1:17    


He had only one eye and his arm was dangling by a thread. But four year-old Hannah loved Bear. Bear always accompanied her to Sunday School. One day her teacher suggested the class pray for people who were sick and hurting. The children prayed for hungry children around the world, sick relatives, and broken relationships. Hannah put her arms around poor, tattered Bear. She prayed, "Dear Jesus, please make Bear better."

Then Hannah had such a good time at church, she forgot Bear and left without him. One of Hannah's teachers, who heard her prayer took Bear home and "healed" him. She replaced both eyes with pretty new buttons and sewed the arm back on. When she gave Bear back to Hannah on the next Sunday, Hannah was filled with joy. "God fixed Bear," she said.

What Hannah would later understand about God, is that sometimes he heals directly; other times he uses people like her Sunday School teacher, throughout life's journey, to sew our bears together and help mend our broken lives.      

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GOING DEEPER:

1. When has God used someone in your life to help you with a burden?

2. What characteristic of God do you see in James 1:17 and Matthew 7:11?

PSALM OF PRAISE
Show us your constant love, O LORD, and give us your saving help. I am listening to what the LORD God is saying, he promises peace to us, his own people, if we do not go back to our foolish ways. Surely he is ready to save those who honor him, and his saving presence will remain in our land.
Love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will embrace. Man's loyalty will reach up from the earth, and God's righteousness will look down from heaven.
The Lord will make us prosperous, and our land will produce rich harvests. Righteousness will go before the LORD and prepare the path for him. Psalm 85:7-13


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