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YOUR SOULS” (Matthew 11:28,29). The Lord assured the exiled Jews, “For I know the plans I have for you . . . plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).To the fearful, Solomon records, “Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him” (Proverbs 30:5). Concerning salvation, Paul wrote, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).The wonderful truth is that these and countless other prom ises in the Word are just as applicable now as the day they were made. The story is told about a destitute widow whose daughter was extremely ill and in need of fresh fruit. Unfortunately, it was winter and the little fruit available was very expensive. One day walking the streets of the city, the woman arrived outside the royal palace.There, she was able to see the royal greenhouse, where huge clusters of grapes hung on the vine. As this beleaguered mother longingly gazed upon the succulent fruit, the princess walked up and handed her a basketful of grapes.When the poor widow dug out a few copper coins and offered to pay, the princess replied, “Madam, these grapes are not for sale. My father is a king and he’s much too rich to sell, and besides, you are much too poor to buy. You can have these grapes for free or not at all.” And so it is with the King of Kings. His blessings are un limited and they are free. God is especially sensitive to us during our times of crises. We must simply draw from lessons learned in the wilderness, anticipate help from unexpected sources, and rely upon the promises and resources of God.

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