The Resting Place

Always Faithful

“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.” Psalm 145:13

I’m so thankful for God’s faithfulness to His Word and the many promises found therein. His faithfulness includes a future full of hope, planned specifically for each of us. He protects us and provides for us. He knows what He is doing even if at times we are certain He does not. And yes, He is ever faithful, even during those times when He seems to be silent. We aren’t promised detailed descriptions of God’s plan for our life, and we aren’t given a “behind the scenes” tour of the many ways He is working on our behalf. But as we walk in His ways and trust Him to guide us each step along the road of life, we are assured that the final outcome will be for our good and His glory.

How thankful we will always be for God’s faithfulness. He is the perfect Heavenly Father and He loves us more than we will ever comprehend in this life. It’s a peaceful knowledge and calm assurance in the depths of our heart that we will never be alone. That’s some good news to take into this day.

“Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!” 🎶 🎵 🎶 🎵. Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, how we love and adore You. You, alone are worthy to be praised! Thank you for Your faithfulness to all generations. Forgive us when we do not live in such a way as to show our complete trust in Your never ending love and care. Forgive us for those things that would tend to pull us away from the shelter of Your arms. Our hearts desire is to live in such a way that others will see Jesus shining through us. Give us strength, wisdom, and opportunities to share Your Word and our faith with someone in need today. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.

Storms

“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.” Mark 4:39

Recently, my husband and I went to visit our daughter, Shelly’s gravesite. She’s safe in Heaven and I’m thankful for that. Still, almost six years later, I continue to miss Shelly greatly.

While at the cemetery, I found the cloud bank pictured above, very interesting. There was a special weather statement issued for possible accompanying strong storms, so we decided to head home to try and beat any bad weather. Seems like it chased us the ten minutes home, but we made it into the garage just in time. For nothing. Lol! It didn’t rain a drop over our house. Still the clouds were so pretty, although they looked a bit scary and threatening.

I don’t know why, but seeing these clouds roll in, I was reminded that sometimes we tend to worry about things that never happen. Storms that never materialize. Sometimes, they do roll in without any advance warning, such as Shelly’s illness did in mid-2015. But God is always with us. Through every worry; through every storm; and through all of the “in between’s”, He is with us!

Prayer: Dear God, how we praise You and thank You for being with us through all of the uncertainties of life. Help us to remember the many promises in Your Word that tell us we are never alone and that we need not worry. You are always with us through the good, the bad, and the ugly places of our life. Forgive us when we fail You—when we elevate our worries above our faith. Jesus is our Rock and we pray to always stand strong upon Him! I pray these things in Jesus name. Amen.

It’s All About Faith

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

“Remember always to elevate your faith above your feelings. Why? Because that which you elevate highly will govern you. Feelings change, but the precepts of Faith are unchanging. Feelings change, but truth changes you. Always allow yourself to be governed by that which is eternal rather than that which is so temporary.” Excerpt from Fresh Grounded Faith, Jennifer Rothschild

I never tire of talking or writing about God’s goodness and faithfulness. Prompted by reading the short devotional above, I began thinking in terms of how the Christian life is all about faith. Jesus paid the price for our sins so that we might, through faith, believe and invite Him to be Lord of our life.

During our lifetime, having this faith will carry us through many difficult situations. Faith keeps us safe and secure through tough times, and also brings us more joy than we can imagine. Being in a right relationship with God will bring an inner peace that’s pretty much unexplainable. It has to be experienced.

Without faith, we’d not have hope beyond these days in which we’re living. That would be awfully troublesome and downright depressing. But, Praise God, our faith assures us that one day we will see Jesus and live with Him forever in a place called Heaven. There we will look forward to no more tears, sorrow, sickness, death, or pain! How wonderful it will be when we’re united with those who have gone on before us. What a day that will be!

I’m so thankful that through our faith in Jesus Christ, we will experience victory, both here and in the life to come. Hence, another wonderful hymn about faith is shared below.

Faith is the Victory
John Yates and Ira Sankey, 1891

Encamped along the hills of light,
Ye Christian soldiers, rise,
And press the battle ere the night
Shall veil the glowing skies.
Against the foe in vales below
Let all our strength be hurled;
Faith is the victory, we know,
That overcomes the world.

Refrain:
Faith is the victory!
Faith is the victory!
Oh, glorious victory,
That overcomes the world.

His banner over us is love,
Our sword the Word of God;
We tread the road the saints above
With shouts of triumph trod.
By faith, they like a whirlwind’s breath,
Swept on o’er every field;
The faith by which they conquered death
Is still our shining shield

On every hand the foe we find
Drawn up in dread array;
Let tents of ease be left behind,
And onward to the fray.
Salvation’s helmet on each head,
With truth all girt about,
The earth shall tremble ’neath our tread,
And echo with our shout.

To him that overcomes the foe,
White raiment shall be giv’n;
Before the angels he shall know
His name confessed in heav’n.
Then onward from the hills of light,
Our hearts with love aflame,
We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night,
In Jesus’ conqu’ring name.

Refrain:
Faith is the victory!
Faith is the victory!
Oh, glorious victory,
That overcomes the world.

Prayer: Dear God, You are a faithful Father to Your children. Thank You for the many blessings which come our way each day. We can never express our gratefulness enough for all You’ve done for us. Help us to live each day in such a manner that we will be known as people after Your own heart. We love You and praise You for giving us peace and comfort in all aspects of our life. I pray these things in Jesus name. Amen.

Solitary Tree

Aruba

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-30

The two pictures I’m posting above were taken on the island of Aruba, December 2017. My husband and I had taken a weeklong cruise to the Southern Caribbean for the purpose of celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary.

The solitary tree in the first picture was a far cry from the pines trees of East Texas or the live oaks of Central Texas. It was unlike any tree I had ever seen before—so uniquely beautiful, as it stood alone on the pristine white sandy beach in Aruba. When I saw the tree, I thought to myself, “That’s how I feel. So alone.”

This beautiful tree sits along a smooth and gorgeous shoreline. Around it, there is beauty everywhere you look. No doubt, this tree has been a perfect resting place for many choosing to take the steps toward it—to lie under it, as they closed their eyes, and listened to the sound of the ocean.

The second picture was taken on the opposite side of the island of Aruba. There, the shoreline is very rocky. Waves continuously crash against the rock formations in a beauty all its own. However, unlike the solitary tree on the other side of the island, it would not be a good resting place for any length of time. When we visited this side of the island, we snapped some pictures as we talked about the extreme contrast of the East and West shorelines of Aruba, and then we returned to the peaceful side.

To be honest, this cruise trip was taken because I was in desperate need of getting away to rest and spend time with God. I didn’t feel much like celebrating anything. I’m sure my husband felt the same way, too. We were both worn out physically, emotionally, and in some aspects, spiritually.

It had been a year since our daughter, Shelly had gone to Heaven. We were still reeling from the trauma of her death as well as the 17 1/2 months of her severe illness prior to her passing. During that time, my main focus had been to do my part in taking care of my precious girl, and her youngest child, Sophie. Oh, it hurt beyond description, but still there’s no other place I’d rather have been—that of being with Shelly every single day, trying my hardest to lighten her load—making meals, hoping and praying that she could eat just a little bit, cleaning house, transporting her wherever she needed to go for treatments, and many other tasks. Quite often Shelly and I would just sit, talk, laugh, cry, pray, or watch HGTV together. I wish we had been able to do that part more. For this mother, it was a gut wrenching, yet wonderful time that we were able to spend together, and I will always thank God for giving me this gift.

The first year after Shelly’s death, I had very little time to spend with the Lord each day or to stop and savor any aspect of a normal life. I had assumed the “mother” role for Shelly’s 5-year old daughter. Now, I was not only Sophie’s grandmother, I was her substitute mother. It was a bittersweet time, to put it mildly. I grieved and missed my daughter more than I can say. Yet, I loved being with Sophie. At her young age, she definitely needed a female nurturer, and I was it.

It had been my honor to help Shelly as I did, but physically and emotionally, I was very weak. Frankly, I was traumatized. Spiritually, during that time, I had never stopped clinging to the deep faith that I possess. At times I couldn’t pray, but I felt the prayers of others, which was so comforting.

Friends, the reality of this life is that there have been, and are going to be times in our lives when the waves come crashing in. Being human, we wonder how we’re going to be able to withstand the battering from the rough seas they produce. But somehow, we survive. And we realize that God allows storms to come into our lives for reasons we might never understand, especially the timing of these storms. During those times, we may even feel alone as I did, and sometimes still do. But our trust and faith helps us to stand. We learn to lean on Jesus more and more. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has a good plan for us. Therefore, when trials, heartaches, and sorrows come, He has already prepared the way for us to make it through and to be stronger for having gone through those times. He will take us back to the smooth side of the island.

Whatever season of life you are experiencing at this time—whatever you may be going through physically, emotionally, or spiritually, just look at the solitary tree—something very special, just like you. You are uniquely beautiful in God’s sight. As you turn your focus from the peaceful beach, look at the waves crashing ashore. Allow yourself to be reminded that God wants to be your help and comfort through every storm you face. God knows exactly where you are and what you need at this very moment. He will always bring you back to the smooth side of the island.

Prayer: Dear God, I love You and want You to know that I cannot make it through the twists and turns of this life without Your guidance, strength, and help. Thank You, Father, for being my protector and the spiritual compass that I need. Today, I pray for each person reading this post or those who may read it in the future. I humbly ask that You always bring them back to smooth waters, and that Your arms of protection will keep them close as they trust You to take them through their storms of life. May they trust and believe that their storms won’t last forever; that they won’t always cry out in sorrow; and that for every storm they face, You have a plan for their good and Your glory. Thank You for being the Master of the wind and waves. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.

Open the Eyes of My Heart

“having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,” Ephesians 1:18 ESV

As I was reading Ephesians, Chapter 1, I found it to be so spiritually rich. I’m very thankful for having been raised in a Christian home. Not a perfect place, but one where I was taken to church and taught that having faith in Jesus needed to be my number one priority in life. How thankful I am that the spiritual eyes of my heart were opened at a young age. I’m thankful for having found eternal life, hope, peace, and joy. As we all do, I have failed many times, but Jesus has always been there to forgive, set me straight, and to help me keep the focus on Him.

Today, I pray for those who have not yet found that relationship. I do pray their eyes will be opened in a miraculous way. If only they could know what they are missing by not looking at life through a spiritual lens. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has a good plan for each of us. It’s a free gift, too! It all begins in the heart—surrendering one’s pride for His plan. What a glorious exchange!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise You and we thank You for making a way that we might inherit eternal life. We fully know that it is not through our own works that we are saved, but by Your grace, and Your grace alone. The great part is that when we are saved and develop a right relationship with Jesus, we will want to work for Your Kingdom, telling others the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Father, today and every day, we humbly ask You to continue doing a work in us that will enable others to see the light of Jesus shining brightly through us. I praise You and thank You for hearing and answering this prayer. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Always With Us

“And behold, I am always with you, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

Are you facing a storm today? Jesus is with you! Are you discouraged? Jesus is with you! Have the cares of life weighed you down? Jesus is with you! In fact, Jesus will always be with you, but you’ve got to ask Him to come along. That’s all it takes. Just ask Him. Jesus came into the world for you and me. As we trust Him and believe that He is who He says He is, our spiritual eyes will open up like parting clouds revealing the sunlight after a storm.

As each new day comes, I am very thankful for God’s promises. There’s something incredibly comforting in knowing that He is always with us. Throughout Scripture, he has reassured us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. How great it is to live within the framework of His many promises! They are incredibly rich and bring peace and contentment for each new day.

Prayer: Dear God, there is none like You! How thankful we are that You are always with us as we seek to trust You for every aspect of our lives. You always have our best interest at heart. Thank You for leading and guiding us for our good and Your glory. Help us to honor You in everything we say and do, all the days of our lives. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.

His Heart Rejoices

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

I love God’s Word! It gives direction and soothes my soul. It has strengthened my walk with the Lord Jesus over and over and over! Yet, what I gain from God’s Word is only scratching the surface of how much He loves each of us and how His heart rejoices when we do good things.

But His heart also breaks when we do not live as we should. It must grieve Him so much. And just as we feel when we see our loved ones hurting and seemingly helpless to rise above their circumstances, He must feel for the situations in which we find ourselves. The difference in Him and us is that He has the power to lift us out of our pit of despair and pain. I’m so thankful that He’s done it for me many times.

So when you don’t know where to turn, it’s Jesus who is ready and waiting to walk with you, pour His love into you, and help you stay on the path where you will reap eternal benefits. I don’t know of a better place to be than resting in our perfect Heavenly Father and His Word.

Prayer: Dear God, words fail to convey just how much we love You and Your Holy Word. It is life to our sometimes dry and parched spiritual bones. Your Word is alive! Thank You for showing up every time we open our Bible. Help us to live out our faith standing on Your promises. How they bring peace to us in such a fallen and sinful world. We want to make a difference for Jesus, so please give us Your wisdom and love for everyone we meet. I pray this in the mighty name of Jesus and for His sake. Amen.

Don’t Worry

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34

Are you a worrier? Many years ago, I was full of worry and anxiety. Thankfully, the Lord has helped me greatly in that area of my life.

Even still, there are times I find myself worrying or being concerned, as I like to call it. It’s still worrying, though. I worry mostly about the future as I think about my grandchildren—the adults as well as the young ones. You see, I only want God’s best for them and that particular prayer is always at the center of my heart’s cry. So I pray and I trust that He will answer my prayers in His timing and according to His will.

But here’s the deal— my moments of worry won’t benefit me or my loved ones. God is so much smarter than us! We are well-served to remember that worrying is a waste of our time and energy. When we find ourselves beginning to worry, let’s try giving our anxiousness to the One who is more than able to handle whatever concerns us. Having His peace in our hearts is so much better.

He Is Able

The Maranatha! Singers, 1998

He is able more than able
To accomplish what concerns me today
He is able more than able
To handle anything that comes my way
He is able more than able
To do much more than I could ever dream
He is able more than able
To make me what He wants me to be

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, You are the God who sees us. You see our worries and our fears. You see us in our weaknesses. You alone are able to bring spiritual strength and peace to our hearts and minds. Please forgive us when we don’t fully trust You and help us to put every ounce of our faith into trusting and believing that in Your timing You will work out our concerns for our good and Your glory. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

No Ordinary Day

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24.

“We have no other time in which to live. The past is gone; the future has not arrived; we will never have any time but now. So do not wait until your experience has ripened into maturity before you attempt to serve God.” From Truth for Life Devotional by Alistair Begg

In the busyness of life, it often seems that days, weeks, and months fly by faster than we are able to keep up. Sometimes I struggle to find time for rest and relaxation. Seems that it’s always last on my list of things to do. I suspect that I’m not the only one meeting themselves coming and going. So, how can we remedy the need to slow down and “smell the roses?”

I think we have to take it one day at a time. These last few years since my daughters death, I have found that not thinking too far ahead, but making the most of each day, is something that is more manageable for me. Of course, I do make plans, work on projects, and the like. I just try not to get too overwhelmed with thinking ahead.

Beginning each day with the Lord—reading my Bible and spending time in prayer—does make a better start to my day. Having an attitude of gratitude for waking up and being given another day to serve the Lord and my family, gives me a good start to the day.

So what’s your day like today? It may seem like an ordinary day, but in God’s eyes, it is a day that you have been given to make a difference in the lives of others. We do not know what tomorrow will bring. We have this moment in time and God will use us in some way if we let Him. Be on the lookout for your opportunity to serve God and others. Then, carry it through with all your might. Find time for rest and relaxation. Balance your day and you will not regret having done so. Let the ordinary become the extraordinary, and you will look at life much differently. A life lived from God’s perspective will be a rewarding experience.

Prayer: Dear God, You are the Giver of Life and the Author of all our days. We confess that we’ve unintentionally wasted some of our days. Please forgive us for that oversight. We truly value each day that we are given for we know our time is in Your hands. Please help us to make the most of each day as we listen for Your voice. Give us the wisdom and opportunity to share our faith in Jesus with others in the traffic lanes of life. Thank you for hearing and answering. I pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Ask Him Again

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

I know, I know, you’ve already asked Him a million times,
But today, ask Him a million and one.
Yes.
Ask Him AGAIN.
Ask Him again for that child to come home.
That marriage to be healed.
That mountain to move.
Ask Him again for that friendship to mend.
That work to begin.
That end-of-tunnel light to appear.

Ask Him again for the one who needs rescue, the one who needs healing, the one who needs new direction, new guidance, new focus.
Yes.
Even if that ‘one’ is you.

Ask Him again for what you need.
For what you want.
For joy in the sorrow.
Help in the struggle.
A sip of living-water in the heat of your schedule…and the time to just sit at the well.
Ask Him again.

Ask Him again to provide springs in your land; and while you’re at it, give thanks for that land, no matter how dry it is now, knowing He’s given it to you with good purpose.
Yes.
Ask Him again.

Ask Him again to dig up the soil and plant the seeds.
Ask Him again to stir up and settle, make and remake, pour out His peace that passes all understanding, because frankly; you could use a hefty dose about now.
Yes.
Ask Him again.

Ask Him again for all that seems lost and all that seems nowhere even near the city of possible…and ask Him believing He can.
Yes.
Ask Him again.

Not because you don’t think He heard you the first million times, but because you are realizing the longer you live, that persistence is a pretty strong faith-builder; not to mention how close it keeps you to Him for whom all things are possible and nothing is too hard, and because faith-based strength to persevere and closeness with your Creator is what you REALLY need.
Yes. Absolutely.
Ask Him again.

With fresh eyes and a renewed spirit and a passionate resolve that He can, and if it’s His Will…He will.

And if it’s not, you keep on asking.
You keep on seeking.
You keep on believing.
Because persistent faith is where it’s at.
It fastens it’s gaze on hope.
The hope that is always three steps {Father, Son, Holy Spirit} ahead, providing the perfect focal point.
Yes.
And it never disappoints.
Amen.
So today; bow low, look up, and ask Him AGAIN.

Author Unknown

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for always being available to us. What a comfort to know we can continue asking, seeking, and knocking on Your hearts door. You bring peace beyond explanation because of Your great love for us. You are all-powerful and there’s nothing that’s impossible for You. So when we come to You over and over, pleading our cases, we are forever grateful to You for hearing and answering our petitions in Your timing. We love You and praise You. In Jesus name. Amen.

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