“But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.” Daniel 6:10 NLT The king during this season of Daniel’s life was King Darius. To be sure that his government was being run properly, King Darius put three other officials in charge of the governors. Daniel becomes one of these men, along with two others, and because he was a hard worker, he is eventually…
“The Lord is my light and my salvation — so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?” Psalms 27:1 It seems as though the world is getting darker and darker each day. Horrors that hid in the shadows for far too long are now being brought to light again, and it can be devastating to see the brokenness of humanity. Humanity as a whole appeared to be sleepwalking for so long, and are only now becoming aware of the chaos that surrounds us. We are broken and lost. So when we become overwhelmed by all the devastation, we must know where to turn, and that is to God’s Word. Today we are reminded that God is our light – so we don’t have to fear the darkness closing in around us. He is our salvation and our Savior. He is our fortress, where we can find refuge, safety, and protection. We don’t have to tremble with fear at what is happening around us. If you have placed yourself under the shadow of His wings, you will be okay. It is only natural to have moments of doubt, worry, and…
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.” Proverbs 16:3-4 ESV According to Dictionary.com, one definition of “commit” is “to give in trust or charge, especially for safekeeping.” So this tells me that I can experience peace in knowing that whatever season of life I am in, I can hand it over to Him confidently because there is a purpose for it. My daughters love to hold my hand whenever we go out. They automatically know that their Mama is going to hold their hand securely and tightly as we go about and that they are safe with me. They trust me to protect them as I lead them across the street. In the same sense, I trust God to lead me into my future knowing full well that He has already walked the path set before me. Nothing ever catches God by surprise. He knows what is coming down the road of your journey, and you can rest easy today knowing that there is a purpose for it, if you place it into His hands. He can be trusted…
“According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.” 1 Corinthians 3:10 ESV Have you ever felt incapable or underqualified to do what God has called you to do? I’m sure in moments of doubt and weakness, even Paul experienced this. Those moments when fear comes creeping into the back of your mind, and threatens to destroy everything that has been built in your life. The scripture above lets us know that it’s because…
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3 The words of the song “He Giveth More Grace” have been on my mind for the last few days. A beloved family member has been battling cancer for a few months and we realize that we are soon going to lose her. We have been praying for the Lord to give her peace and relief from her suffering. It is at times like this that we realize how much the peace of the Lord means to us. When there is nothing, we can do, we place the situation in His hands and trust Him to have His way. “His love has no limit, His grace has no measure His pow’r has no boundary known unto men. For out of His infinite riches in Jesus He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.” As we pray and seek the Lord for answers, scripture verses like the one above come into our minds and give us the strength to go on. Also, the words of hymns we have loved through the years provide comfort and hope. I am so thankful for the people…
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 “Where He leads I’ll follow, Follow all the way. Where He leads I’ll follow, Follow Jesus ev’ry day.” Yesterday we talked about the most important decision we make in our lives, to give our hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ and to follow Him faithfully. Throughout our lives, we must make many decisions regarding our choice of partners, our careers, and life in general. Those decisions affect not only our lives but the lives of our families and even future generations. Solomon wrote a lot in the Book of Proverbs about wisdom. He taught that the fear of God was the beginning of wisdom. I recently read Chapter 8 in the NLT where he describes wisdom standing at the crossroads, calling out to everyone to listen, and giving some practical advice. These can be very helpful when we are facing any major or minor decisions. Use good judgment. We know we should never make any decisions when we are tired. We need to look at the situation from all angles and ask…