On Thursday, June 13, California lawmakers approved a $215 billion state budget, which Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to sign. Included in the budget are several health care reforms whose mammoth cost the state may soon regret.

Here’s a link to the story at Fox News.

By Abby Perry
I sat in my favorite corner of our couch, knees pulled up to my chest. A few close friends were scattered around the room, eyes soft, questions gentle. We had been at an event together earlier that evening where words were spoken that caused a part of my heart to fracture. When I left the event as soon as possible, these women called and offered to come, to sit and listen or let silence linger. We did some of both.

Mostly, I rambled, at least that’s how I remember it. I remember tears and closing my eyes as I spoke sentences that embarrassed me, words that made me feel faithless and weak. But most of all, I remember the tenderness of the women gathered in that room, their compassionate strength that bore the weight of my sadness and anger.
When I was in crisis, the physical presence, help, and listening ear of others was critical. Never have I been so aware of the beauty of the body of Christ as I have been when I was dependent upon others to care for me, to support my family, and to pray and believe for me when I was losing my grip on the ability to do so for myself.

When crisis comes, many of us determine to buckle down, to believe that grit and fortitude will be enough to weather the storm. But what this often can mean is that we want to be strong, though Scripture tells us that God’s grace is made perfect in our weakness. Try as we might to avoid them, crises will come for us in this life. We are not alone because of the presence of God, and we are not alone because of the brothers and sisters He has given us. May we draw near to the One Who is our shelter in the storm by drawing near to those He loves.

Lord, I am overwhelmed by my situation. I can hardly find words, but I know you understand what I am going through. Oh Father – help! I know you promise to never leave me or forsake me. Be with me now- help me know you are with me. I know you will never let your children slip and fall – hold me up! Lord, give me the strength I need today to make it through this trial. Give me hope that can only come from you. In your name I pray, Amen.

By Rick Warren

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19 NIV).

You can’t read through the Gospels without seeing how much Jesus cared about hurting people.

Just look at how he preached. He always started with a hurt—poverty, blindness, brokenness, imprisonment. You can tell a lot about a preacher by how he addresses pain.
Jesus addresses it constantly. Why? Because he came to share the Good News with hurting people.
When people approached Jesus, they always came for one of three reasons: a need, a hurt, or a question. Jesus didn’t blow them off. He never told them they should’ve come for more doctrinally correct reasons. He just met their needs.
In fact, he declared in his very first sermon, as he started his public ministry, that’s why he came to earth.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19 NIV).
Notice the last line of that Scripture: “proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” It’s easy to miss, but it’s critically important to understand God’s heart for hurting people.
When God created the nation of Israel, he established the “year of the Lord’s favor,” which is also called the “Year of Jubilee.”
It was a year when every debt would be canceled, every prisoner would be let go, every slave would be freed, and all land that had been bought in the previous 50 years would revert back to its original owner.
But here’s the interesting part about the Year of Jubilee. In the entire history of Israel, the children of Israel never followed it—not once.
This angered God. In the book of Jeremiah, God told Israel he was sending the whole nation into captivity because the people hadn’t obeyed this. While they were in captivity, Isaiah wrote the words above that Jesus preached in his first sermon.
So as Jesus read Isaiah’s words in the synagogue of his hometown, he was boldly proclaiming this: “I’m the Day of Jubilee when everyone’s sin and debts are wiped out.”
Jesus came to help hurting people—whether they’re in debt, in bondage to sin, imprisoned, or all three.
Those same broken people God came to heal 2,000 years ago are still here today. And Jesus wants us to serve them.
Jesus says, “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you” (John 13:15 NLT).
Are you following Jesus’ example by helping hurting people?
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Talk It Over

How does knowing the backstory about the Year of Jubilee impact your understanding of Luke 4:18-19?
What do you think it means that Jesus preached his first sermon about his care for hurting people?
How can you help the hurting people in your life?

Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.

Despite tax hikes, Illinois fails to balance budget for 19th year in a row

Here’s a link to the editorial at Illinois News Network.