Moses didn’t want to do it – travel alone, that is – and neither do I. Navigating the perils and the pitfalls of life here on earth, living life as one cast out of Eden’s perfect garden, is not something I feel equipped to do on my own. I need help. And fortunately for me, my Creator offers me the help I so desperately need, freely and abundantly, new every day.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)

Speaking as one who is directionally challenged, I admit my constant need for direction both literally and figuratively every day. Just last week I found myself lost when the road ahead was closed and I was forced to choose an alternate route that was new to me. And it hasn’t been that long ago that I took a wrong exit and was hopelessly lost, finally realizing I was heading in the opposite direction of my intended destination! A display on my car’s dashboard told me which direction I was heading (N/S/E/W) providing me with confirmation that I was way off target, but not telling me how to find my way to where I needed to be. Full disclosure – I don’t have GPS in my car or on my phone because my phone is a flip phone.

This seems to happen to me in life also. I find myself wandering around, without direction, and therefore going nowhere. This wandering life leads me to wonder where I should be headed (pun intended) as I search for my purpose in this life. My Heavenly Father has something to say about my dilemma. He says to me –

“Trust in Me with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Me, and I will direct your paths. (or make your paths straight) (Proverbs 3:5-6)

If I ask my Heavenly Father, He not only gives me directions, but He also goes with me. In fact, I experience what King David talked about in Psalm 139 when he said of God –

“You hem me in – behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.” (Psalm 139:5)

This was true for the Israelites when they were in the desert searching for the Promised Land – God was with them and God was leading them.

“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” (Exodus 13:21-22)

However, there came a time in their desert wanderings when due to their sin and rebellion against God, God told Moses He was no longer going to go with them. The Israelites would still be given their Promised Land, God would send an angel before them to drive out their enemies – but God Himself would not go with them. You might think that inheriting the land “flowing with milk and honey” and having their enemies driven out ahead of them, would have satisfied Moses, but it didn’t. Moses didn’t want the reward if it came without God’s presence. His response makes that clear –

“Then Moses said to Him, ‘If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that You are pleased with me and with Your people unless You go with us? What else will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?’ ” (Exodus 33:15-16)

I feel like Moses did all those centuries ago – I don’t want to travel solo – I desire that God’s Presence go with me or I don’t want to go at all! No matter how desirable the destination, if God is not there, that is not where I want to be either. Moses didn’t even want the long anticipated Promised Land if God’s Presence wasn’t going to be there with Him and with the people. He made that very clear when he pleaded with God to continue to go with them in their journey through the desert.

I agree with Moses. What, except for my Heavenly Father’s Presence, distinguishes me and you and everyone else who invites His Presence into their lives, from “all the other people on the face of the earth?” It is God’s abiding Presence that makes all the difference. The Israelite’s identity was as God’s chosen people – it was His Presence that set them apart. Without God’s Presence, they were no different than the pagan peoples surrounding them, whether they inhabited the Promised Land or not. My identity is in God’s Presence with me, not in His gifts. God’s abiding Presence is what assures me that I am seen, known and loved by my Creator.

“I am the good shepherd; I know My own and My own know Me -” (John 10:14)

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

Moses had to plead with God not to send the Israelites on without His Presence. But not too many years later, we find Moses reassuring Joshua of God’s continuing Presence with His people. Moses told Joshua this –

” ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.’ Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, ‘Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their forefathers to give them, . . . The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.’ ” (Deuteronomy 31:6-8)

Those words are still true today for us as God’s children – I don’t have to travel solo, you don’t have to travel solo, dear readers, through the desert that is this world. We have God’s eternal promise that He will “never leave us nor forsake us.” So you and I don’t have to be afraid nor discouraged, despite the often overwhelming circumstances that surround us on a daily basis because – “The One that is in us is greater than the One that is in the world.” It is our Heavenly Father’s abiding Presence that guides us, keeps us, protects us and provides for us each day.

I never have to travel solo, even though I am alone. I am so thankful for His promise to be always with me, and His promise to direct my paths, especially since I am directionally challenged and so easily lose my way. But even when I feel lost, I am reassured that I am not traveling solo, God is with me, it is –

“in Him I live and move and have my being.” (Acts 17:28)

Jesus bids me “take up my cross and follow Him” – when I am following Jesus, I am never traveling solo!

sincerely, Grace Day

 

I went to the front lines yesterday – the front lines of the battlefield, that is. I don’t recall being drafted. Then I remember that I enlisted and furthermore that I volunteered to go into battle on the front lines. And so it was that I found myself valiantly engaging the enemy along with other brothers and sisters who had shown up to do battle with the enemy just as I had. I was glad not to have to face the enemy alone. I was strengthened and encouraged simply by their presence. The presence of so many fighting beside me gave me hope that the battle could and would in time be won.

But at present the enemy seems to be gaining ground – so we gathered together to defend what we hold dear and to defeat the enemy who has taken so much from us. We wore no uniforms, we bore no combat gear, we brandished no weapons. We were to all appearances a peaceful gathering, come to fight for peace by praise, prayer and petition. Given that the phrase “fighting for peace” is a glaring oxymoron, we have determined to do battle in a daringly different way, with divine weapons and unconventional tactics.

Our instructions for battle are definitely not what one would expect, if our goal is to defeat our enemy. Here’s a sample of our marching orders –

“Do not repay evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ ” (Romans 12:17-20)

The instruction to “live at peace with everyone” seems particularly relevant today as crime and violence continue to increase in our cities and our suburbs, resulting in many lives being lost while the battle continues all around us. But our Commander in Chief gives us this command –

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

So that’s the battle plan? Do good? Do only what is right? Definitely countercultural. Maybe our behavior will confuse and confound the enemy, giving us the upper hand. Maybe it will convert our enemy, turning our foes into our friends. Now that’s a revolutionary battle plan!

There’s something else that’s essential in battle and that is – correctly identifying the enemy. We don’t want to be aiming at the wrong target. But when we are under attack, in the heat of battle, fighting in the furnace for our very lives – sometimes our vision and our minds become clouded and we forget who our enemy actually is. This is a deadly mistake. Fortunately, our Commander in Chief tells us the truth about our situation – who we are fighting and how we are to engage in the fight. We are told concerning our enemy –

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Knowing this changes how we do battle. What should be our plan? How do we suit up for battle? We have been given clear instructions –

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

Well, the “day of evil” is definitely at our doorstep, so the time is now! It is time to –

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:12-18)

So our battle plan is to put on God’s full armor, take up the sword of the Spirit and to pray? Yes, that’s it! And that’s exactly what I was doing yesterday with so many others whom I had never met before – we gathered to pray for peace. Interesting that our instructions above include the charge that we are to be bearers of “the gospel of peace.” And our battle plan, our action plan is to pray. Not to talk about prayer, not to strategize about praying – but to actually pray! And pray we did. We cried out to God. We worshiped Him, we praised Him, we petitioned Him with thanksgiving. We repented, we humbled ourselves, we invited His presence into our lives, into the life of our communities and into the life of our country.

Our only weapons were our swords – the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word.

“For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

We came together in peace to pray for peace, to fight for peace by doing battle with the enemy of our souls. We came from all over, from different churches all over the city, we came together to petition God together for the peace of our city and for the lives of our children. We came together in unity believing God hears our cries.

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17)

“The Lord hears the needy and does not despise His captive people.” (Psalm 69:33)

The battle continues, necessitating that I and others stay engaged on the front lines – which means continuing in prayer and holding fast to the living Word of God. We have our orders –

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)

prayer is the frontline of the eternal battlefield – to this we are called

“if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

sincerely, Grace Day

that’s what it said on the side of the huge truck parked in the road next to some construction going on in the neighborhood – “Ground Breakers” in big, bold letters. Kind of hard to miss, so of course it got my attention and captured my thoughts. So many things today are not aptly named, but I have to say, “Ground Breakers” is perfectly named because that is exactly what they do – they break up the ground. They break up the ground with their big machinery so that the workmen (workpeople?) can come in and do whatever it is they need to do once they have access to what is beneath the broken ground.

But it is the breaking that always comes first. Ironically, the reason the workers are breaking up the ground, whether it be the concrete of the road or sidewalk, or the dirt of the yards, is so that they can fix something that lies buried underneath. This could be sewer lines, power lines, gas lines, water lines, cable/phone lines etc. But unless the ground is broken, those things that are in need of repair cannot be fixed. Reminds me of certain situations in which doctors have to break a bone in order to reset it correctly. The bone has to be broken before it can be healed and restored to its originally intended state.

Why did this “Ground Breakers” logo resonate so deeply with me this morning as I walked past it? Could it be because of the conversation I had with friends just last night as we studied the parable of the four soils? I think so. Turns out, the only way the seed can get down into the soil so that it can take root and grow is if the soil has been plowed or broken up ahead of time. (any farmer knows this of course) Plowing, aka ground breaking, may be a painful and a painstaking process, but it is a necessary prerequisite to bringing forth life from previously dead ground.

How about bringing to life a dead heart? or a hard heart? In the parable, Jesus compares our human hearts to soil, and God’s Word is the seed sown in the soil of our hearts. However, if our hearts are hard or stony, the seed of God’s living word won’t be able to take root and to grow. Must be why in Ezekiel God says,

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26)

God wants to fix our hearts to enable us to receive His Word, Himself, all the good gifts He wants to give us, including the gift of His Holy Spirit abiding in our hearts – BUT – in order for God to “fix” us, to heal us, to bring life to our formerly dead hearts – God first has to break our hearts so He has access, just like the ground breakers first have to break the ground open so the workers can get to where the problem lies. Heartbreaking, like ground breaking, is hard work, but it is necessary work to prepare the way for the life giving, life changing seeds which are “every word that comes from the mouth of God”, to take root and grow.

Today, seeing the “Ground Breakers” logo, I realized my need to be broken hearted before I can be wholehearted personally. I have God’s promise that His words will do their work in me if I have allowed Him to remove the stones from my hard heart, leaving my heart broken and wide open to receive God’s word, which will enter in through all the broken places in my heart, filling me with God’s healing mercy, bringing back to life my formerly frozen, hard heart.

“so is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

So encouraging! God’s word does all the work. All I have to do is to receive His word and let it take up residence so to speak, in my heart, where it will then have a chance to take root, to grow, and to eventually produce fruit. However, in order for all this to happen, my hard heart must be broken first, before it can be healed. Seems backwards, I know. But that’s the way it works. To this end, I ask of my Heavenly Father today, what King David asked of Him so long ago –

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

“Search, know, test, and essentially find any bad things hidden in me” – that’s what David is asking God to do. Search, know, test, look around my heart – seems like an open invitation from David to God for God to come in and break the ground/soil of David’s heart wide open so God can do some repair and restorative work once David’s heart is broken, exposing what needs to be fixed or healed. And then King David invites God to do something more. After his heart has been prepared by the plowing of his heart’s soil, David asks of God this –

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. . . . Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalm 51:10 & 12)

these are my prayers today too – I really don’t want the pain of the ground breaking of my heart – but that pain is necessary because it opens the door and makes possible the healing and restoration of a heart that lies broken and exposed – waiting for the Redeemer to come in and rehab this heart to make it into a place suitable for His abiding presence – because that is what my broken heart has now become – His dwelling place – because He makes His home with me. (and with you too, dear readers and with any who are broken enough to let Him enter)

“For this is what the high and lofty One says – He who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.’ ” (Isaiah 57:15)

sincerely, Grace Day

Lucy left quite a legacy when she departed this earth for heaven. She left a legacy that will last for years to come. Lucy left a legacy of love – the truest, most enduring kind of love – a love that is lived out in actions of great courage and sacrifice – a love lived out in thought, word and deed. Each of us would like to think we are leaving some kind of a legacy behind when we die. None of us will be witness to whatever our legacy might be. But I am here to bear witness to Lucy’s legacy, if only secondhand. But even secondhand, Lucy’s story is a powerful legacy of hope, courage, inspiration, sacrifice and abiding love.

I am deeply moved by Lucy’s story, even though I never had the privilege of meeting her in person. This isn’t surprising though, when I tell you that Lucy’s life on this earth was barely more than fourteen fleeting hours long. Not even one full day.

“All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16)

Lucy went straight from the arms of her earthly parents into the waiting arms of her Heavenly Father. Who’s to say that’s not a life well lived?

Lucy was chosen. Lucy was cherished. Lucy is a child of God. Would that each one of us could know that we are as chosen, cherished and loved as Lucy was and is. Lucy was definitely chosen. You see, Lucy was a snowflake, a frozen embryo, adopted, chosen by her mom and dad. From the time she was implanted into her mother’s womb, Lucy was deeply desired and deeply loved. Nothing would change that, nothing. Not even a diagnosis of Trisomy 18 approximately twelve weeks into the pregnancy.

With this diagnosis, comes the possibility of miscarriage, stillbirth or a very short life expectancy for the child if born alive. A scan revealed Lucy also had an undeveloped brain, a heart defect and a hole in her skull, among other things. Knowing all this did not change Lucy’s parents’ love for her any more than God’s knowing all our imperfections and shortcomings changes our Heavenly Father’s, our Creator’s, love for each and every one of us. Lucy’s parents didn’t stop loving her when they found out she wasn’t perfect. In the same way, God knows we are not perfect, but He doesn’t abandon us – He loves us completely and perfectly just as we are.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

“Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.” (Isaiah 43:4)

With the aide of modern technology, Lucy’s parents were able to see her in the womb as she lived and grew inside of her mom. Because of Lucy’s diagnosis, they had these scans frequently to monitor how she was doing and to keep track of her progress. As a loving parent, our Heavenly Father does the same for each one of us.

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body.” (Psalm 139:13-16)

God sees us as we are and loves us. Lucy’s parents saw her frame in “the secret place” and they loved her with an unconditional, lasting love. This love for Lucy and their belief in her eternal value to God, as her Creator, led Lucy’s parents to protect her and care for her by carrying her to term, knowing Lucy’s life outside the womb would not be long, if indeed God granted it at all. But Lucy’s parents walked by faith, in obedience, requiring great courage and sacrifice on their part, in order to give Lucy life, and to give her life the value and dignity each one of us desires and deserves as a child of God.

They succeeded. Lucy was well loved. She was born into a family of a mom and dad, a big brother, grandparents, uncles, aunts, great uncles and aunts and a medical community of individuals who had also prayed over Lucy, protected her and helped her live long enough to leave the womb and meet the family who loved her so deeply that they did everything in their power to protect her and to give her life, such as it was to be. They did their part, the rest was in God’s hands.

God granted them time with Lucy, before He took her home to restore her fully, with that new and glorious body promised to each one of us one day. Their grief is now great in Lucy’s absence. It is a grief as deep as their love for Lucy. It can be no other way. To love deeply, is to grieve deeply. The world may not understand this, because the world tends to measure worth by length of life, by wealth accumulated or by accomplishments and awards. But our infinite value is given to us by the One who created us and knew us in our mothers’ wombs. Lucy is of infinite worth and value to her parents, just as she is to God, who knows her by name and numbered her days. Her parents were privileged to be a part of God’s good plans for Lucy’s life. They made sure that every moment of Lucy’s short life, she was treasured and loved. Lucy was never alone. She never knew life’s heartaches and disappointments, only God’s love shown to her through the love of her earthly family.

If only every child in the womb were given such courageous, sacrificial love and protection! I never met Lucy, but I am a friend of her grandmother. And I read the blog of her parents, where they shared their life with Lucy while she was in the womb, cherishing those days with her, not knowing what the future would hold for their family. Truly courageous to intentionally endure heartache in order to protect the life of your child and to give your child’s life value, dignity, meaning and eternity.

Lucy’s life was short by earthly standards, but her legacy will be long. The ripple effect of Lucy’s legacy has already begun. I am privileged to be one of those ripples in sharing her story.

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.” (Philippians 3:20-21)

Lucy already has her new and glorious body! She has been set free from the pain and suffering of Trisomy 18. Lucy was a gift to her family for her “number of days” and now she leaves them the gifts her presence brought – the lessons of her legacy – a legacy of hope, courage, sacrifice, inspiration and abiding love.

sincerely, Grace Day

the gift has been given, the table is set

invitations are issued, let none have regret.

my price has been paid, my admission secured –

I won’t be denied, I have the Host’s word.

though I’ve wandered long, falling far from grace

His Word is true – I still have a place

set for me at His table – a sacred space

waiting for me when I finish this race.

still, my response is delayed, I have nothing to wear

seems such a silly reason to give up my chair

at the table of the wedding supper of the Lamb,

poor, blind, rebellious, orphaned beggar that I am.

a great banquet, like the father of the prodigal prepared to celebrate

the return of his long lost son, there is hope, it is not too late

for me to RSVP, the invitation’s in my hand

sealed with His blood – this offer will stand.

why do I not reply? what reason for delay?

my deepest fears fight within, will they have the final say?

surely a sinner such as I, have no place at the Lord’s table,

but the gift has been given, mine to accept while I am able.

” ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’ ” (Isaiah 1:18)

“I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10)

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5)

the gift has been given, the banquet table is prepared

there’s a place with my name on it, no expense has been spared.

the thief on the cross at my left, the woman at the well on my right,

I feel right at home, I know they understand my plight.

the woman caught in adultery and Rahab are sitting close by me,

each one of us clutching blood stained invitations, glad we chose to RSVP!

my righteousness was filthy rags, but You clothed me with Your’s instead,

You prepared a place for me at Your everlasting table, with the oil of life You anointed my head!

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:21-24)

“Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6)

I have a place waiting for me at the table. You do too, dear readers! Invitations have been issued – time to RSVP!

sincerely, Grace Day

Actually, there are multiple empty spaces I am noticing today, all of which point to the largest and most poignant empty space. That once filled, now unfilled empty space is the reason for all the other empty spaces I now encounter in almost every room of my home. You see, I just laid to rest my furry friend of sixteen years, my cat, Chai.

I walked into my kitchen this morning and couldn’t help but notice the empty space usually occupied by her water bowl and two food bowls. (she was picky, one bowl for the canned food, one for the dry food) The window seat in the front room is now minus the special, rather large pillow that was her’s alone for sunbathing and birdwatching from her favorite window. It was a very old pillow, past its prime, like Chai, but it was her favorite, so I kept it because she had it all broken in just the way she liked it. She doesn’t need it now, so it is gone, leaving an empty space where she once spent many a sunny afternoon.

Her cat bed at the top of the stairs I have removed also, leaving another empty space. Not that she didn’t sleep with me, but cats sleep a lot, (hence the term “cat nap”) so it’s good to have multiple locations in which to take those frequent cat naps. Then there’s an empty space in the laundry room where her litter box used to be. I have to say, changing the litter box was my least favorite chore, so it’s surprising that this particular empty space would tug at my heart, causing me to miss her, but it does. Funny what you miss when they are gone. I didn’t see that one coming.

Loss is an inevitable part of life, and I have to agree with Tennyson on this one – “Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.” Animals in general and pets in particular, are one of God’s many good gifts to us. Pets are companions, comforters, playmates. Pets accept us as we are, giving us that unconditional love we so desire.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

So now there’s an empty space in my heart and a bunch of empty spaces in my home, each one a reminder of my furry friend’s former presence. The empty space – that’s the measure of my loss. Maybe empty spaces are the measures of your losses, too, dear readers? Loss leaves us feeling empty.

Our losses accumulate over time, leaving us with even more empty spaces. But there is One who came to fill those empty spaces and He came to fill them permanently. Jesus said-

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

I read this in Ephesians about Jesus –

“And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.” (Ephesians 1:22)

That’s a wonderful truth – that Jesus “fills everything in every way.” And He surely does. In the Old Testament, the people witnessed God’s filling Presence when this happened –

“Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.” (2 Chronicles 5:13-14)

Isaiah said it this way – “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3)

My Heavenly Father wants to fill all my empty spaces with His abiding presence if I will grant Him access. It’s up to me. He wants to do the same for you too, dear readers. One thing is certain, if we’ve lived very long, we each have plenty of empty spaces that need filling. But nothing and no one on this earth has the power to fill up all of our holes and heartaches that continually long to be filled and healed – except our loving Creator.

Today, Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is my prayer for myself and for you, too, dear readers –

“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19)

Praise God – He came to fill our empty spaces! Jesus said –

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

sincerely, Grace Day