The Resting Place

The Widow’s Mite

“Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1-4 ESV

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 ESV

My 86-year-old sister, Peggy, and I talk on the phone every day. Because we are separated by a five to six-hour drive, I am thankful we can communicate daily in this manner. Our conversations often range from discussing world affairs and family news to nothing but pure silliness. I always like to ask Peggy what her plans are for the next day. Sometimes, she’ll say, “The same old thing.” At other times, this amazing lady will have something else on her agenda besides housework and cooking meals for herself and her 88-year-old husband, Troy. For instance, the other day, she said, “I have to go to the grocery store tomorrow. My cupboard is almost as bare as Old Mother Hubbard’s.” From that statement, we began to see who could recite the most stanzas of the nursery rhyme and were reminded just how financially destitute Old Mother Hubbard was. The more we recited those stanzas, the more we couldn’t compose ourselves. Our laughter was boisterous, at best! I cherish my sister and our times together, whether in person or via telephone, for they produce such sweet and lasting memories.

Recently, in my Bible reading plan, the first four verses of Luke, Chapter 21, caused me to think beyond the Old Mother Hubbard scenario. Jesus was sitting in the temple when He observed the rich folks putting their large sums of money into the treasury offering box. Perhaps they did so with pride and arrogance, happy for everyone to see how much they contributed. At the same time, Jesus saw a poor widow dropping two small coins into the offering box. In my mind, I see this poor woman doing her best to be invisible, hoping to move through the temple inconspicuously, not wanting others to notice her meager offering. Yet, Jesus considered the widow’s gift extravagant compared to those who had given much more. In fact, He said she had given more than all of the other givers combined! This woman had given sacrificially out of her poverty, and the others had given out of their abundance.

When the poor widow gave the two coins, she must have had some level of trust that God would care for her needs beyond her offering. Not only did she place all she had into the offering box, but I believe that she also placed her circumstances into His Sovereign care. Scripture does not tell us more about the woman, but I do not doubt that she was richly blessed according to her needs because of her faithfulness. Jesus looked at the woman’s heart and saw that her motive and faith were pure. The value of the gift was based on what it cost her, and she gave all that she had.

Many years ago, I faced a situation similar to the poor widow referenced above. A special offering was being taken for a visiting evangelist at my church. I desperately wanted to give something to the offering. The problem was that I only had $20.00 in the bank to last through the remainder of the month until payday. I saw no logical way that I could participate in the offering. As I mulled over the situation, I began to feel led to give $10.00. That was half of what I had in the bank! I wondered if it was wise for me to give half of all the money I had in the world. But, without hesitation, I wrote the check and placed it in the offering plate. From that moment on, I felt an unexplainable peace envelop my heart.

The following week, while at a doctor’s appointment, I unexpectedly received a blessing of $10.00 being deducted from the doctor’s fee. $10.00 was the exact amount I had joyfully given at church a few days earlier! I was also told I could mail the payment at my convenience. This was such welcomed news because the doctor and his staff had no idea I didn’t have the money to pay for his services that day, for I had chosen to wait until AFTER the appointment to divulge that information.

There are many faith nuggets that I have taken away from this true story, which is only one of the countless times of God’s faithfulness in my life. I rejoice in knowing that in His love for me, my Heavenly Father saw to it that I would not suffer from the embarrassment of not being able to pay the doctor that day. I also believe He was showing His love and care for me in a relatable way that would prevent me from assuming what happened was coincidental. That day, I was further convinced that Jesus would always care of me. And He has.

Years later, I now give my tithes and offerings to the Lord out of abundance, but the lesson I learned long ago is that God owns it all. Scripture says He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10). God doesn’t need our money. He is more interested in surrendered hearts in every area of our life. Our financial resources occupy a significant portion of our thinking and living. Consequently, we are called to be good stewards of our resources, financial and otherwise. We can be more generous with what God has entrusted to us when we remember that our motive for giving lies within our hearts.

Friends, God will take care of His own—those who are committed to giving Him all that we are and ever hope to be. That includes our resources. I am very thankful that He has taught me not to hold too tightly to anything here on earth because all will eventually fade away. We give for the cause of Christ so that others will come to know Him as Savior and Lord. Whether little or much, it is rewarding to send as much as we can on ahead, bearing in mind the eternal implications through the work for God’s Kingdom here on earth.

Prayer: Dear God, You are amazing! I have seen You work in ways that could only come from Your benevolent hand! You know what we need at the exact moment it is needed. Thank You for teaching us to be faithful in all things, including our financial resources. Bless those who struggle to put food on the table and help them according to their needs. Help us to be sensitive to the needs of others as we depend on the Holy Spirit to show us where You are working so that we might join You and be a light to those in need. We love You and thank You for the many blessings You so generously give. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Lessons From the Ant Hill

“And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” Mark 4:39-40 ESV

Note: I posted this a few weeks ago, but somehow, it ended up trashed and no longer on the site. I am reposting again.

For many reasons, ants have always fascinated me. Here, you have the tiniest insect, which appears small and fragile, yet it has been said that ants can lift 20 -50 times their weight. To us, that still wouldn’t be much weight, but to the ant, I guess lifting that much is quite an undertaking. I read that the ant’s ability to do this would be equivalent to a second grader being able to lift a car! Knowing that fact helps me see this whole scenario with a better perspective.

Within the colony, each ant has a specific task to perform. Some are foragers, while others maintain the nest, reproduce, and care for the young. Of course, some have the duty of taking care of the Queen. Each ant knows its specific duty and goes about it vigorously. Whatever their assignment, the colony’s overall organization is impressive to me.

Recently, I discovered a giant ant hill in our yard. This colossal mound was close to the street and visible for all to see. In the past, the Homeowners Association sent a courtesy notice telling us to get rid of a particular ant hill or face a $25 fine. Not wanting to fork over the money unnecessarily, I took it upon myself to eliminate this newfound ant colony. My weapons of choice were a shovel and a bag of granules. I first needed to expose the ants by removing the top of the mound. As I raked the shovel across it, there was an immediate reaction. What seemed like millions of ants instantly began running for their lives. It was a sight to see! I’m sorry for their turmoil; I didn’t want to go up against the HOA! Folks never win in those situations. We have neighborhood rules, and we must follow them.

Friends, sometimes we are hit with sudden disruptions as it was with the ants. I gave them no warning. All too often, we are rocking along in our particular season of life; then, out of the blue, we are struck by the unexpected. Our first instinct is to become fearful or try to fix the situation alone. We may run around like disturbed ant colony residents when their security has been threatened. This trauma now makes us vulnerable, and life as we know it has been forever changed. From our vantage point, these sudden disruptions might throw us into a frenzy if we aren’t careful. When my daughter was diagnosed with terminal cancer, I felt a sucker punch like I had never known before. I’m not focusing on that season of my life in this article, but that was the first thing that came to mind while writing these thoughts. That’s only one example, but it’s the most traumatic season of life I have ever experienced or probably ever will. Therefore, it is highly memorable.

Since we live in an imperfect world, at one time or another, everyone will have their lives disrupted by unwelcome news or events. When life and circumstances hit hard, what do we do? Where can we go? How do we find peace and dwell safely during the storms that disrupt us? From experience, I have found that only through faith in Jesus Christ can we find peace during the challenges that come into our lives. Through trusting God’s Word and the promises found therein, we will come out on the other side stronger in our faith than ever before. During these times, it is His way to show us things we’ve never seen before, spiritually speaking–things we wouldn’t see were we not inside the storm. Through our faith, we can overcome fear by grasping what God wants to teach us during each season of life. He will help us work around the challenging seasons and continue to use us for His glory because of them.

I have always heard that ants move somewhere else when you destroy an ant hill. I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s a good analogy for these closing thoughts. During life’s unexpected disruptions, may we not be sidelined with fear or anxiety but rather have the confidence that through our faith in Jesus Christ, we will be determined to continue moving to the next place and the next thing. With His help, we will be overcomers. We have the assurance that we will never walk alone, for He is always with us. That promise alone is more than enough to get us through.

Just as the ant diligently stores food for the winter, let us also store up our faith and trust in God. This reservoir will sustain us during times of need and throughout our lifetime.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we give You honor and glory, for You alone are our source of abundant life and strength. Thank You for helping us move to the next place or thing when our lives are disrupted and, at times, we don’t know which way to go. You are our steady compass throughout each season of life, and we thank You for always being with us. Help us to honor You in all ways, all the days of our life. I pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our Refuge

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust Him.” Psalm 91:1-2 ESV

Most of us don’t like storms. In Central Texas, we usually have the threat of tornadoes during springtime, as well as the threat of severe thunderstorms that can produce hail the size of a golf ball or larger. But when I was growing up, the threat of severe weather was continually on my dad’s mind. Simply put, he was deathly afraid of storms.

I don’t know how old I was when Daddy sought to remedy his fear of bad weather by having what we called a “storm house” built. I remember the day when some men came and began building this steel-reinforced one-foot thick concrete square, about 8x8x8x8. The storm house was built into the side of a red dirt hill by the road running past our property. I can guarantee that no tornado would have ever wiped us out when inside this shelter. And Daddy was counting on that very thing.

The only problem as I see it now is that this shelter my dad was counting on for safety was a good 20 yards from the house. However, that fact didn’t deter Daddy. Whenever a storm was coming, he would summon Mother, my siblings, and me to make the trek to the storm house, sometimes even waking us from our sleep. In some cases, we’d be soaked before we arrived and at other times we made it there just in time. Three vivid things stand out in my memory about the storm house: 1) there was only one straight-back chair inside; 2) Daddy was always the one who sat in it; and 3) there were what seemed like hundreds of granddaddy long-leg spiders who didn’t like us disturbing their residence. With the old kerosene lantern as the only light, we children kept both eyes peeled, surveying for any unusual activity on their part.

Never in the length of time that I had to make the trip to the storm house did a tornado pass by. The last time I intended to make a trip there a was after Daddy had passed away. One weekend, my little daughter Shelly and I were visiting my mother. A severe storm was coming so we decided to head for the shelter of the storm house. The only problem was that we waited a wee bit too late to make a run for it. The wind was blowing us backward when we tried to open the gate; the umbrella was turned inside out due to high wind; and we were soaked by the hard rain already falling. Of all things, we stood there laughing before deciding to go back into the house. Thankfully, as bad as the storm was, we were safe inside the shelter of Mother’s house.

Today, the storm house is no longer there due to the county demolishing it in order to do extensive work on the road. But these fond memories made me chuckle, as I hadn’t thought about this particular memory in many years.

As I write this, I’m thinking about another type of shelter that God provides for us. We will all face times when we need rest and safety from the storms of life. Circumstances can bear down on us at times. Things may seem hopeless, but that is not true. There is ALWAYS hope because we have a shelter—a safe place where we can go time and again. This shelter will protect and comfort us every single time. To be a recipient of such security, one only needs to trust that God is who He says He is, that He can do what He says He will do, and that through belief in Jesus Christ, eternal life will be ours when we leave this world. He will take us under His wings and into the safety of His arms, shielding us from the worst of the storm. Based on personal experience, be assured that He will bring us out of our storm to be even stronger in our walk of faith.

Amidst these tumultuous days in which we are living, having the assurance of such a shelter will keep our hearts and minds at peace and give us much-needed comfort in knowing that our safe place surrounds us, that no storm can destroy us, and that God will always be with us.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, You are our Protector and Safe Haven through every step we take. You give hope when there is none; You bring peace when the noise of the world is pressing in; and You give assurance that our trials here on earth are only temporary. You give us the strength to believe there is a better day coming and that one day we will experience eternal life—something so wonderful that we can only imagine. You promise that we can experience this abundant life in the here and now. Thank You for these promises found in Your Word. Please help us to grab hold of them in every area of our life. We love You and honor You in all things. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Tough Times Never Last

“When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.” Psalm 94:18-19

I’m so thankful that God knows every anxious moment we experience in life. It is impossible to avoid such times for they come to all of us. But…..the Good News is that we don’t have to be alone during those times. We have Jesus to see us through each moment of uncertainty. He is as close as the mention of His name; He will always meet us at the point of our need; He sees us when we feel otherwise unseen; and He will bring peace to the midst of our chaos.

Life can be tough, but tough times never last. Please remember that you have Someone who can see you through those difficult moments and seasons of life. He knows what you need and stands ready to help you. For sure, when you call upon Him, you begin to experience a deep peace that only He can give. I can promise you this. Why? Because He’s done it for me countless times during my lifetime. But most importantly, in His Word, Jesus gives a rock-solid promise: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27.

God loves you more than you will ever know. Today and always He wants to walk beside you. The key is to call on Him. Invite Him into your situation, believing that His wonder-working power will help you through.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are the God who sees every aspect of our lives. You are working in our lives even when we can’t see or feel it. Help us to lean into Jesus and trust His heart for us. Thank You for giving us such love. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Build Your House Upon the Rock

“Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.” Luke 6:47

After reading the above scripture, I was reminded of the song below which we sang as children. I thought about how blessed I’ve been to have had “strong-in-the Lord” pastors whose uncompromising messages from God’s Word have helped strengthen my spiritual foundation. Through personal time with the Lord—regular prayer time, Bible studies, small groups, mission trips, Christian music, and serving in special ministries with others of like mind, God has put His Word into my heart so that I might steadily develop a stronger spiritual foundation, held firmly and securely by my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Good News today is that God is always working to shape our faith and change us in such a way that our spiritual foundation will remain strong and unshakable. If we ask and allow Him to, He will strip us of those unsightly hindrances that would prevent us from growing in our faith. He will take them to the recycling center of His love and make us someone who more closely resembles Himself, and someone who will not be ashamed or afraid of sharing the Good News with others as often as He allows.

Abiding in Jesus—remaining steadfast and confident in Him, taking advantage of the tools He provides for our spiritual growth, and living a focus-centered life in Christ will enable us to stand strong on our spiritual foundation through every season and every circumstance that lies ahead. I will always be a work in progress, but am so thankful for His love and care throughout my lifetime. I owe Him a debt I can never repay, but thanks be to God, Jesus loved me enough to pay that debt for me.

The ground is level at the foot of the Cross and our heavenly Father will always meet us there. He is the rock on which we stand. He is ready and so very willing to help you and me begin or continue building a strong and lasting spiritual foundation.

The Wise Man and the Foolish Man
Ann Omley, 1948

The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
And the rains came tumbling down.
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
But the house on the Rock stood firm.

The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
And the rains came tumbling down.
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
And the house on the sand fell flat.

So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ,
So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ,
So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ,
And the blessings will come down.
The blessings come down as your prayers go up,
The blessings come down as your prayers go up,
The blessings come down as your prayers go up,
So build your life on the Lord.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for helping us to strengthen our foundation of faith in Christ every day. Forgive us when we fail to honor You as we should and help us to live each day according Your principles. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Where Is God During Hard Times?

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27 ESV

Have you ever wondered where God is during your hard times, sorrow, or pain? Do you wonder if He is just sitting there letting you endure the trauma you feel? Do you feel you need to go searching for Him? Allow me to share what I’ve discovered.

One day, several years after my sweet daughter, Shelly had gone to Heaven, I sat down and listed all the blessings and ways that God had helped to get us through such a traumatic time in our family. For me, it was comforting to recount the many ways His loving hand had worked on our behalf, even amid the pain and deep sadness of those 17 1/2 months of Shelly’s illness and the ensuing months and years after her passing. While my heart will always hurt because of Shelly’s absence, and while I still have moments that wreck me temporarily, I know that I will always have shelter from the hard places in life. Simply put, my HOPE is in the Lord. I will never be alone, for He is always with me.

Back to the beginning question, “Where is God during our hard times, sorrow, or pain?” He is right beside us! I have found that the only thing we can be certain of during the good and the not-so-good moments or seasons that come into our lives is that through faith and trust in Jesus, we WILL experience God’s presence, peace, and faithfulness. He is with us every step of the way and will bring comfort to our hearts. This truth remains above all else: God’s peace will be with us through every circumstance. Our struggles in life will change, but our focus should not.

God is the author of our story, through all seasons. Wherever your station in life, if you’re alive, He’s not finished writing your story. To me, that reality in my life IS the Good News of the day and I’m looking forward to the next chapter!

Jehovah Shalom – The LORD is Peace.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, How thankful we are that You are our peace. You are for us, and you are with us. Even though there are times of great sorrow and pain when we might not sense Your presence, Father we know, based on Your Word and our total trust in You, that Your presence goes before us. We simply could not make it without knowing that. Help us to share Your love and light with those placed in our daily walk of life. May we all be good representatives of Jesus Christ, our Savior, and Lord. I pray this in His name, and that He will always receive the glory and honor. Amen.

Someone We Can Trust

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

Years ago, probably in the 1990s, my husband and I enjoyed watching the popular sitcom, “Home Improvement” on TV. In the show, Tim Taylor, played by comedian Tim Allen, was characterized as a cocky, overambitious, accident-prone know-it-all. Tim joked around a lot, even at inappropriate times, much to the dismay of his wife, Jill.

On the show, Tim was a former top salesman for Binford Tools, and the “Home Improvement” show was based around his Binford-sponsored show, “Tool Time.” It was like a show within a show.

Because Tim was accident-prone as a handyman, there were often disasters on and off the set. Many “Tool Time” viewers assumed that the accidents on the show were done on purpose to demonstrate the consequences of using tools improperly. However, many of Tim’s accidents were caused by his devices being used in an over-the-top manner, designed to illustrate his mantra, “More power!”

While going down memory lane with this show, I also thought about Tim’s neighbor, Wilson W. Wilson, Jr. who was often the go-to guy for solving Tim’s many, and frequent problems. While the two engaged in conversation as Tim verbally grappled with his problems, Wilson’s eyes and forehead were only visible as he stood on the other side of Tim’s backyard fence. The viewers never saw his face; just another little quirky aspect of the show. Wilson was a strange kind of character but usually offered sage advice to Tim. In a funny kind of way, I liked his character a lot.

I got to thinking how we’d all probably like to have a trusted neighbor like Wilson on the other side of the fence, always there for us; and someone who has the wisdom we often need. In reality, that usually isn’t the case. But, we do have Someone. So, let’s take these thoughts to a much higher level, if we may.

Although we have never seen the face of God, He has given us many ways to recognize Him. He has the greatest wisdom anywhere. Talk about sage advice! He’s got it! He is always working behind the scenes in ways we don’t know about and many times don’t understand. He has a good plan for each of us, our family members, and our friends. Things might not point that way, but we must remain trustful, hopeful, prayerful, optimistic, and faithful to our beliefs and what we know to be His truth. He never leaves us and is always there to help us in those situations of life where we need extra strength and wisdom.

We all have needs and concerns and we, too, grapple with hard places in our lives. I am confident, based on God’s Word, that He sees each of His children and He knows what we are going through. We will never be alone in our hard seasons of life. Through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, He will bring peace, guidance, comfort, and the wisdom we need to continue to let our light shine in the darkness of any situation that we face. Only He can do that!

Prayer: Dear God, we thank You for being our perfect Heavenly Father. How comforting it is to know that we can call on You at any time day or night. I pray for all who are experiencing trying times; and who need someone they can trust. May they lift their concerns and hearts upward to You, the only One who will give them security, hope, and the peace they need to go forward. We pray this in the name of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Check Your Baggage

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Several years ago, Ray and I flew to Miami, FL to board a cruise ship bound for the Southern Caribbean. Since I have always been guilty of overpacking for trips, our luggage was already packed to the hilt when we checked in at the Austin airport. Because I’m a contingency planner, I always want to have extra clothes, etc. just in case I need them. Many times I carry things I never use that end up not benefiting me during the trip, and I am left with the extra burden of having to unpack these things when I return home.

During the cruise week, I went about buying little gifts here and there for the grandkids. Having promised our granddaughter Sophie some sea shells from the Caribbean, I found lots of large conch shells on the beach in Turks & Caicos. Even though they were heavy, I knew that Sophie would love them! By the time our week was over, I had collected quite a bit more than I had planned on taking home.

When the cruise ended, we returned to the Miami airport only to find at check-in that our luggage was way over the acceptable weight limit. Not wanting to pay the extra fee, we did what we had never done before—rolled our suitcases over to a table that was there for folks like us (me, really). There we began to unpack and dispose of those things we considered non-essential. As we repacked, I made sure to include a few of those pretty shells for Sophie. 🐚 Finally, after about 20 minutes of working feverishly to correct course, we had the weight back to 50 pounds and the threat of having to pay an additional fee was over.

The story above reminds me of another type of baggage we humans are sometimes prone to carry on our shoulders and in our hearts. Heavy bags of Guilt. Shame. Anger. Resentment. Unforgiveness. Hurt. Grief. Disappointment. Jealousy. Negativity. There are many more I could list, but I’ll stop there. From experience, I’ve learned that it is much better to take a good look at what bags are needed, versus those that will never be beneficial for our spiritual and/or emotional health. The things that hinder our relationship with God and others have no place remaining with us. In letting go, we will experience the freedom of never being weighed down by the heaviness of our emotional baggage. Laying it down and checking it permanently in at the foot of the cross will bring unimaginable peace.

I pray that all who read this have only the essential amount of luggage needed to make your trip through life more enjoyable. May you never be constrained by the heaviness of holding on to that which won’t be of any benefit to you on life’s journey.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, through Your unfailing love, we marvel at how You stand ready to rid us of the heavy loads we sometimes carry. Father, help us to leave all things that so easily beset us at the foot of the cross. Give us the strength to never take them up again, knowing that You sent Jesus for this very reason—that we might be free from anything that hinders our walk with You. We can never thank You enough for all You’ve done for us. I pray these things in the name of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins past, present, and future. Amen.

More Than Enough

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” Psalm 90:1-2 ESV

As I read the above verse of scripture, I am encouraged when I think back over what has now been many years of my life. I remember and am thankful that God has helped and protected me through His mercy and goodness. He has provided more than enough for my needs during times of struggle, hardships, and times when I didn’t know which way to turn. He has been there to guide me toward what is best for me even when I didn’t always give Him my best. It has been through those super hard times of grief and sorrow that He has comforted me as no one else could ever do. I can never thank Him enough for loving me that much!

I have found that regardless of where we are in life—in times of difficulty or the calmer seasons, God will meet us right where we are. As we remember all He has done for us in the past, we are encouraged and strengthened with renewed hope for the future.

Today will be a brighter day as we keep our hearts and minds on the main thing—following the way that leads to peace and comfort no matter what comes our way. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is as close as the mention of His name.

Prayer: Father we thank you for being more than enough. To know that You are with us when we face challenges in life brings peace and hope for better days ahead. It is during those hard seasons that we can face our struggles knowing that we are never alone. Help us to always honor you in all we do. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Dark Times Never Last

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

“Most of the time, God doesn’t reveal what’s next—and we can’t begin to anticipate what the future holds. But most of us never learn to walk by faith until we walk in the dark. So, if it’s dark, keep walking and trusting. Every step you walk with Jesus will lead you to where He has planned for you to be.” Jennifer Rothschild

I have found the above to be true. Dark times have taught me a lot about trusting and leaning on the only One (Jesus) who has and will always carry me through. It’s all about trusting Him first, and then embracing whatever His plan for my life involves—then walking in faith toward it. As I apply Jeremiah 29:11 to my life, there is peace in knowing that my life is in His hands.

God is so good and I’m thankful that He is always with us. While others may fail us, He never will. His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness!

Prayer: Thank You, Heavenly Father for always being there for us. There is no one like You and we humbly recognize Your power and majesty. You turn our dark moments into days of sunshine through Jesus who died for our sins. Please help us to look to You when we doubt, grieve, or feel discouraged. May we remember Your many promises to love and care for us, to direct us, and to strengthen us. We love You and can never thank You enough for the many blessings brought to us through Your grace and kindness. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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