That’s what we all want, isn’t it? – that perfect empathy – to be completely and perfectly understood. We are constantly feeling misjudged, misunderstood, marginalized and maligned by others, both by those we barely know and by those who know us well. We often think, “If they only knew what I’m dealing with or what I’m going through” – but they don’t and we don’t trust them enough to tell them. Or perhaps other people are simply too busy to notice, to listen or to care. Empathy requires our time, it requires our trust and it requires our compassion for someone beside ourself.

No wonder empathy is in such short supply and therefore so hard to come by. I am craving empathy from others while simultaneously, others are desiring and in need of the exact same thing from me, my empathy, understanding and compassion toward them. We are all in search of that perfect empathy from someone, anyone. But we are all human and we all fall short of being an infinite supply of empathy, compassion and understanding for each other.

The author of this song’s lyrics expressed it well for all of us when he wrote “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve been through, nobody knows my sorrow, nobody knows but Jesus.” How is it that Jesus has such perfect empathy for me and for you and for everyone created in His image? Hebrews 4:14-16 explains it this way –

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Jesus is the One who has perfect empathy for each and every person always, including you and me. Jesus came here to walk awhile in our human shoes before giving His life as a ransom for many.

“Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5)

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8)

“Carrying my sorrows, taking up my infirmities” – if that’s not perfect empathy, I don’t know what is. Jesus came to walk with us, to walk a mile in your shoes and in my shoes, and He is still doing this today. Jesus walks miles in each and every shoe – be they sandals, boots, high heels, moccasins or bare feet. Jesus doesn’t miss one step, one stumble, one valley, one steep climb, one desert path, one rocky road or one winding trail – He is there every step of my way and of your way.

We may not understand each other, but Jesus understands each one of us perfectly. Whatever we are going through, He is right there with us. He was with Daniel in the lion’s den. He was with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fire of the king’s furnace. He was with the Israelites in the desert. He was with the disciples in the boat on the Sea of Galilee during the storm. He is with me and with you today. He has promised He will “never leave us nor forsake us.”

His empathy towards us is perfect because He knows everything that we experience, everything about us. The psalmist says it this way –

“As a father has compassion on His children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:13-14)

Feeling misunderstood can be a weighty burden to wear but God, in His perfect empathy, sympathizes and lightens our load as He walks our miles with us.

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” (Psalm 68:19)

If anyone felt misunderstood, maligned and misjudged it was Job. His three friends came to sympathize with him, but ended up judging and accusing Job, adding to Job’s already painful situation. Job did not receive any empathy from his friends or that which he did receive was woefully inadequate to say the least. Even Job’s wife did not have the empathy for him that he wanted and needed. But – even in his most dire circumstances, Job believed that God had not lost track of him, but knew exactly what he was going through (perfect empathy) and would bring him through it successfully. To this end Job declared –

“But He (God) knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)

God’s perfect empathy is my hope. He knows the way that I take, He is walking with me, bearing my burdens, understanding my struggles, aware of my pain, and He will bring me forth as gold. Nobody may know the trouble I’ve seen, nobody but Jesus. BUT – that is enough – Jesus’s perfect empathy is enough to see me through this journey.

sincerely, Grace Day

The wind threatened to tear the large sign from my hands, but I stood firm, holding my sign tightly and lifting it high, in hopes those driving past would be able to see it and read it. I was standing in the middle of the median with two lanes of traffic on either side of me, going in opposite directions. Other sign holders were across the highway from me, along the side of the road with similar signs. They too were being buffeted by the wind, but we all remained at our posts, believing our message too important to not spend our time here, along this busy stretch of well-traveled road, in order to make our message known.

Now you may be wondering exactly what message it is that our signs were displaying on this fall afternoon. So many possibilities present themselves because at present our world is full of protests, petitioners and picketers, seemingly everywhere we look. And on so many streets in my city, there are those individuals holding out signs asking for money to get them through yet another day. There is no shortage of causes nor of crises for which people have taken to the streets with their homemade signs in hand.

Today something different had brought my friends and myself out with our handmade signs. We were not protesting injustice, nor collecting money for a worthy charity, nor were we attempting to save the planet. (well at least not in the way that you would be thinking relating to environmental causes and such) No, we were not asking for anything. We were giving something away, or at least we were attempting to give something away. That’s right – “give away” means “free” and that’s exactly what our signs said – “Free candy and prayer.”

We were in front of a church with a parking lot accessible from the highway, so all a passing car had to do was to pull off to receive the free candy and be asked if there was anything we could pray for them. As expected, some just wanted the candy. And I should clarify at this point that one could claim the candy and pass on the prayer. Perfectly acceptable. But unexpectedly, there were those that did not want any candy but did want prayer. (and we thought the candy would be the draw) However, in these chaotic and uncertain times, many are feeling their need of God and consequently, are feeling their need of prayer.

What surprised me most though, was that the majority of the cars on the busy highway just drove on by us. Now if we had been selling something, or asking for money, this would not have surprised me at all. But our signs said -“FREE.” Who could pass up the offer of getting something that cost them nothing? Apparently, the majority of people. Have they not bought candy lately? When I purchased candy for this event and some candy so that I will be ready for my neighborhood trick-or-treaters, I experienced the very real sticker shock I hear others talk about. I don’t typically buy candy, so the high prices were unexpected. (although everything else is more expensive these days, so why would candy be the exception?)

Now unlike candy, which always costs something, prayer is free. Well, unless you count “indulgences” – isn’t that what it is called when a person pays the priest money in order to have the priest pray for them? It occurs to me that people are willing to pay for all kinds of things, such as consulting a psychic or their horoscope, having their palm read or their fortune told, consulting tea leaves, crystals or tarot cards – all for a hefty fee; or there are more traditional services, such as seeking the advice of a counselor or entering into therapy, which also can be purchased for a price. That may be the only thing these various services have in common – they all cost money. None of them are free.

However, in these uncertain times people are more than willing to pay for anything they believe will bring them comfort, peace, clarity, wisdom, direction, meaning for their life, and hope – above all we are craving hope in the midst of these difficult days. We want someone to tell us everything is going to turn out all right, and we are willing to pay anyone who will promise us what we desperately want to hear. BUT – no matter how much we pay someone – only God “makes known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.” (Isaiah 46:10)

What we were offering, we were offering for FREE. And still, the majority of the cars sped right past us. I guess they were too busy to stop. Or perhaps they had no need of candy or of prayer. Or maybe they thought anything really worth having could never be free. (isn’t there a saying – “the best things in life are free.”?) Nevertheless, many did not stop to receive what we were offering them for free. Kind of disappointing I thought.

But now I’m thinking that’s how God must feel towards us when we refuse to receive the free gifts He holds out to us, hoping that we will stop, turn to Him and accept what He offers to each one of us without exception. We know that –

“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)

God’s gifts to us are perfect because He knows us perfectly and He knows what we need even when we don’t know ourselves. God only gives good gifts because He is only good, He does not change His mood or His mind like we do. These perfectly good gifts to you and to me are free – a gift by definition is free. If we paid for it, it would not be a gift, it would be a purchase. The gifts God longs to bestow upon us are priceless, we could never afford them no matter how great our human wealth. God wants to give you and me more than candy, more than physical riches. In Romans and Ephesians, I read about God’s gift –

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

God’s good and perfect gifts are free – beginning with the gift of His Son, Jesus –

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

“All things” are exactly what He stands ready to give us – “His mercies are new every morning” – but like the motorists on the highway, we ignore the signs and speed on by, in our hurry to get to – to get to what? Something better than forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life? Something better than His peace that passes our understanding? Something better than His abiding Holy Spirit presence which brings us His comfort, healing, wisdom, guidance, joy and hope?

Perhaps we have no idea what we are passing up – until we stop and meet the “Giver of every good gift” in person. God entered into our world in the person of Jesus Christ. There were signs – the Wise Men saw them and so did the shepherds – but most were not interested in the free gift of salvation Jesus came to give and simply kept on living their lives as they had before Jesus’s arrival.

“He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God -” (John 1:11-12)

BUT – those who did receive God’s free gift became His children. And with that privilege comes all the perks of provision, protection and place – a place in God’s eternal Kingdom. That’s quite the free gift, if you ask me!

Our free candy and prayer giveaway is over. BUT – God’s offer still stands! God is holding out His hands to whoever will accept the free gift of eternal life He offers to each one. Jesus has paid our sin price on the cross with His very life. God’s gift now costs us nothing. It cost Him everything. Hopefully, we will pull over, leaving the road we are on in order to accept our Heavenly Father’s good and perfect free gifts –

” ‘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)

“You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:16)

God’s gifts are free for all –

sincerely, Grace Day

My friend is having heart surgery today, so I am praying. I find myself praying that the doctors operating on him and those caring for him both pre-op and post -op will be especially vigilant and alert to everything taking place with him at all times. I pray that nothing will escape their notice with regard to my friend before, during and after the surgery, that everything will be properly attended to, that nothing will be left undone that can and should be done for my friend.

In other words, I am praying that nothing will be missed with regard to his care, that nothing will fall through the cracks, as we say. I pray all this because we are human, fallible human beings. That’s the reason “fall through the cracks” is even an expression in the first place – we can’t control everything, we don’t have all knowledge, we don’t have all power and we make mistakes. Which explains my prayer for my friend today – that nothing will be overlooked or go unnoticed in the care of my friend during his surgery today.

As I was praying, bringing this what I consider to be, rather urgent request, before my Heavenly Father, calling my friend’s situation to God’s attention, so to speak – I experienced the most comforting “light bulb moment” of revelation with these words of Jesus coming to my mind –

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the notice of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)

Other translations say “without your Father’s knowledge,” “without your Father’s permission,” or “apart from the will of your Father.” The Contemporary English Version says – “But your Father knows when any one of them (sparrows) falls to the ground.” Incredible! God isn’t unaware of my friend’s plight or his current need. If God knows when a sparrow dies, He certainly knows what is going on with you and with me every moment of every day. Job acknowledged as much when He was crying out to God and couldn’t find God. Yet even then, Job said this about God –

“But He (God) knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)

This is remarkable because previously Job had lamented – “But if I go to the east, He (God) is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find Him. When He is at work in the north, I do not see Him; when He turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of Him.” (Job 23:8-9)

Even though Job felt he had lost track of God, Job knew that God had not lost track of him. God knew what was happening to Job and God was with Job through it all. After all, as God’s word says, we “are worth more than many sparrows” and God doesn’t lose track of a single sparrow! God has not lost track of my friend, or of my friend’s needs in this hour of his surgery. How ironic! I was worried that something important to my friend’s care might be overlooked, and I was praying to the God who misses nothing! I mean nothing! Nothing gets by Him. Nothing and no one escapes His compassionate notice – not even the death of one solitary sparrow.

This is perfect surveillance in action. I read what this looks like in Psalm 139 –

“O Lord, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in – behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.”

Pretty perfect surveillance – wouldn’t you agree? But there’s more – it gets better.

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for the darkness is as light to You.” (Psalm 139:1-5, 7-12)

My Heavenly Father’s watchcare is complete – His surveillance is perfect – He misses nothing. Nothing happens apart from His notice nor apart from His perfect will. God’s sovereign surveillance of me is for my good – He has “plans to prosper me and not to harm me.” I read in Isaiah these words about His intentions –

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion.” (Isaiah 30:18)

And these words in Psalms –

“He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” (Psalm 91:4)

I can be at peace knowing that my Heavenly Father is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient – it is God’s perfect surveillance of me and of this world that gives me hope even while this world continues to be chaotic and dangerous due to our human choices to pursue our own ways instead of God’s ways and wisdom. I am comforted by these words from Psalm 121 –

“He will not let your foot slip – He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you – The Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:3-8)

now that’s perfect surveillance!

sincerely, Grace Day

I walked while the glow of the sunset gave way to the twilight of this fall evening. Darkness fell. Still I walked on, unwilling to end the private conversation I was having with my Heavenly Father. Somehow, I find it easier to pour my heart out when I am outdoors and I can look up to view the vastness of the sky overhead. So I continued on.

A friend was on my mind and I felt overwhelmed just imagining what she is dealing with currently. So taking seriously God’s instruction to “always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” – I kept on walking and I kept on praying for my friend. I prayed that God would protect her and that He would lift up her head and her spirits.

“But You are a shield around me, O Lord; You bestow glory on me and lift up my head.” (Psalm 3:3)

Sometimes I find that I am so weary, so fearful, fatigued, discouraged and defeated that I can’t even lift up my own head. I am downcast not just spiritually, but in my physical posture as well. That’s why I think this Psalm is so beautiful and so apt. When I am too weak to lift up my own head, my loving, gracious Heavenly Father does this for me. Why do I need to lift up my head? Because I need to shift my focus away from my circumstances and my surroundings toward the One who knows all that has caused me to become downcast, the One who is sovereign over all things, including my circumstances and my surroundings. I need to be able to look to God, but in order to do that, I have to lift up my head. In those times when I cannot even do this on my own, my Heavenly Father intercedes oh so gently, becoming the Lifter of my head. Then I can say with the psalmist –

“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. He will not let my foot slip – He who watches over me will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:1-4)

That’s why I need my head lifted. I need to be able to see my Creator in His creation and to be reminded that my help comes from Him. I need to remember that I am not alone, He is always with me. It is no small thing to have my focus turned to God. The psalmist said –

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4)

Being able to “gaze upon the beauty of the Lord” – that makes all the difference in times of trouble and turmoil. Not losing sight of my Heavenly Father allows me to keep going during the darkest of days. The psalmist knows this and says –

“For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:5)

How often I need to be rescued from the storms of life and “set high upon a rock.”! I often feel like I am drowning, overwhelmed with the pain, brokenness and loss we each experience in this life. Sometimes the wind and the waves seem insurmountable to us, even though they are not too much for God. Peter experienced this literally one stormy night at sea in a boat with the other disciples.

“Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, . . . When evening came . . . the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.” (Matthew 14:22-24)

Now during the night, Jesus walked out to the boat on the water, filling the disciples with fear. But Peter asked that he might walk on the water to meet Jesus and we read what happened next –

“Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him.” (Matthew 14:29-31)

Did you catch that? Peter saw the wind, not Jesus, (and no doubt the waves the wind was producing too) and Peter became filled with fear. It was then that Peter began to sink. Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and focused on his current circumstances instead. Peter was not walking on still, calm waters. He was surrounded by strong winds and high waves. Peter was in the middle of a storm in the middle of a sea in the middle of the night. BUT – Peter was not alone. Jesus was right there. Peter had only to cry out and Jesus responded by reaching out His hand and rescuing Peter.

I’m praying my friend will experience a rescue like Peter’s as she walks through her stormy waters, struggling to keep from sinking beneath life’s constant waves. But Jesus is in this storm with her and His presence brings comfort, courage, peace and hope – all the essentials for surviving the storms of life. I wonder if my friend feels what I so often feel. One minute I’m walking on water, the next I’m drowning beneath the waves. From triumph to tragedy in an instant – that’s life. But we are not alone. We have this assurance –

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” (Psalm 46:1-3)

Because God is our ever-present help in trouble, we have hope. Tonight, I am praying this for my friend –

that as she hopes in the Lord, He will renew her strength. I pray she will soar on wings like the eagles, that she will run and not grow weary, that she will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

I will pray this for all of us as we fight the good fight of faith –

sincerely, Grace Day

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.’ For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.” (Psalm 122:6-9)

This was King David’s prayer for Israel centuries ago. It is my prayer for Israel today and everyday. Indeed around the world people are praying for Israel, for protection, for peace, for provision in her time of need. People are praying for the peace of Jerusalem. And today her people, the people within her borders, need our prayers as never before.

Truly there is “nothing new under the sun,” at least that’s what Solomon says in Ecclesiastes-

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

It may be “nothing new” historically, but the atrocities committed in the last few days in Israel have shocked the world, providing a wakeup call of sorts to those who have been lulled into a slumber of complacency regarding the threat of terrorist attacks, which have now become an all too real reality. Wars and rumors of wars run rampant. Unrest resides around the globe and in every human heart. We are uneasy. We long for peace. But we can’t seem to find it – personally or nationally. The psalmist declared –

“Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:12-14)

I want to seek peace, to experience peace, to know peace, to live in peace – secure and unafraid. However, peace is often as precarious as she is precious, as elusive as she is earnestly sought after. The Prince of Peace did walk for awhile on this earth and it is His promised return that will bring the lasting peace we all desire to see in our day. We read this account of His entrance into human history in Isaiah –

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

The Prince of Peace will come again and “of His government and peace there will be no end.” Jesus, the Prince of Peace – Paul said this about Him –

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:13-18)

The Prince of Peace Himself is our peace! And Paul says He has taken down the barriers that separate us from Him and from each other – that Jesus has destroyed the walls of hostility that we have built up between ourselves over time, some walls centuries old, still in existence today. And we maintain those walls instead of tearing them down. But Christ came that we might be reconciled to Him and to each other, and experience the peace and the freedom that come with the tearing down of our manmade walls of hostility and distrust. Paul writes about this in his letter to the church at Corinth, saying –

“And He (Christ Jesus) died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:15-20)

God has given you and me, dear readers, the message and the ministry of reconciliation! And reconciliation brings peace! Our Prince of Peace has entrusted to us a life-long ministry of bringing peace into this fractious and fractured world. It is no small nor insignificant task. As I write this, I am picturing the concentric circles of peace. I don’t know if peace is like a river, but I’m picturing the ripple effect that our individual actions have as they start a reaction that moves outward, ever expanding.

First, I need to be reconciled to God through my Redeemer, Jesus. Once I have peace with Jesus, I can pursue peace with others. I need the peace of God, individually, we all do. Then we need God’s reconciliation and peace in our families, in our churches, in our neighborhoods, in our cities, in our countries and in our world. These are the concentric circles of peace we must pursue.

The words of a song come to mind – “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.” How true. We each have a part to play in bringing about the peace we say we so desire to experience. Paul exhorted the church at Rome with these words –

“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.” (Romans 12:18-19)

We are waiting for the Prince of Peace to return. Until then, we have His promise, given to His disciples before He returned to heaven – Jesus said to them,

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

In this currently war torn world, I can experience the gift of Jesus’s peace and share His gift with others, one person at a time. That is the way God’s peace is passed on, individually, one person at a time. (another song line – “it only takes a spark to get a fire going, and soon all those around can warm up to its glowing”) We each can be that spark of peace, which will stand out in a world full of division and discord.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace even as I pray for the peace of Jerusalem,

sincerely, Grace Day

In these days of distressing news around the globe, I feel like Habakkuk and understand his rant towards God when he cried out –

“How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but You do not listen? Or cry out to You, ‘Violence!’ but You do not save? Why do You make me look at injustice? Why do You tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.” (Habakkuk 1:2-4)

Sounds like Habakkuk wrote those words just this morning, doesn’t it? As news continues to be made known about the Hamas invasion of Israel, the attacks on and murders of innocent civilians in Israel taking place as I write these words, it seems like evil has the upper hand and is winning at the moment. Hope is hard to come by as survivors of the attacks huddle in bomb shelters, waiting out the storm of violence and destruction surrounding them.

The world watches, waiting to see what will happen next. I think how isolated and alone they must feel. If only they could know Christ followers around the world are lifting Israel up in prayer twenty-four/seven. We are not blind to the suffering of our brothers and sisters. We are praying –

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.’ For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.” (Psalm 122:6-9)

We see what is taking place and more importantly, God is not missing a moment of what His chosen people are experiencing. After all – “not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from His notice.” Today I noticed a view from the country of Israel on my blog. It got my attention because Israel is already on my mind and never before have I seen a view from this country, although I have from many other countries in the past. This made me feel even more personally connected to the people there and what they are going through today and facing in the days ahead. Only God knows. Habakkuk said this –

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14)

In Habakkuk’s day, we could say the people were living in desperate and uncertain circumstances. Must be why Habakkuk said –

“But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.” The he prayed – “Lord, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” (Habakkuk 2:20, 3:2)

All these centuries later, we still want to witness the mighty deeds of our God on behalf of His people. But in order for that to come to pass, we like Habakkuk must come to the place where we can truly say –

“Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:16-19)

Trusting God and praising God when circumstances are dire – that is true faith. Habakkuk made that choice. When his country was desolate – there were no figs, grapes, olives, grain, sheep or cattle (no hope) – he said, “yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” Habakkuk choose to put his hope in the Living God. He put his faith into action and praised God in spite of his circumstances. That is hard to do and it doesn’t make sense to those around us. But to this we are called.

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.” (Psalm 37:7-11)

praying for the peace of Jerusalem,

sincerely, Grace Day

That’s what we were witness to this morning on our prayer walk – one person’s patient attempt at squirrel taming. We literally stopped in our tracks so as not to interfere with the precarious process taking place right before our eyes. We stood still, silently watching from our not too distant vantage point, the unfolding drama playing out between squirrel and human. It was a delicate dance between squirrel and man, a back and forth of sorts.

In his hand, the man held out food, freely offered to the squirrel. But the squirrel had to come close enough to take it from the man’s hand. What would win out? The squirrel’s fear or the squirrel’s hunger? The squirrel would come close but then retreat before getting close enough to take the food out of the man’s hand. Each time the squirrel would come a little closer before retreating in haste. But never close enough to receive the food which the man was still patiently holding out for the squirrel should the squirrel choose to come and get it from his hand.

My prayer walk partners and I watched this drama, this dance, in silence, not wanting to interrupt the process of trust building or taming that was taking place in front of us. It was so quiet, I realized I was holding my breath each time the squirrel came close, thinking surely this time he would come close enough to take the food from the man’s outstretched hand.

At last our patience was rewarded. The squirrel came close enough to bite off some of the bread in the man’s hand and retreated quickly before I had time to realize what had happened. All that effort, patience, and waiting – then it was over in an instant. A temporary success. The squirrel would soon be hungry again. Would the trust process have to start all over again or would the squirrel remember the goodness of the man with the outstretched hand?

As we resumed our walk, my friend pointed out that the “squirrel taming” we just witnessed is a picture or a reflection of our relationship with our Creator God. Our Heavenly Father’s hand is outstretched towards us, filled with the good gifts He desires to give us. But are we willing to draw close enough to Him to receive what He is offering to us? Receiving God’s good gifts requires that we overcome our fear, draw close and choose to trust Him. God stands ready to receive you and me and anyone who would come to Him. Like the would-be squirrel tamer, God is patiently waiting for us to approach Him.

“The eyes of all look to you, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:15-16)

“These all look to You to give them their food at the proper time. When You give it to them, they gather it up; when You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good things. . . . When You send Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.” (Psalm 104:27-30)

Am I like the squirrel? I will accept something good from God, but then I retreat in haste, not wanting to remain too close to my Benefactor. Why? Does my fear of Him outweigh my trust in Him? Or do I want His gifts without the relationship? Why wouldn’t I want to be close to someone who desires only what is good for me? Someone who wants to give me only good gifts.

“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)

I believe the Psalmist when he said –

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” (Psalm 34:8-10)

The squirrel we watched today was definitely very conflicted. He would approach cautiously, then retreat hastily as if he’d changed his mind. Because the squirrel didn’t trust the man offering the free food, the squirrel couldn’t receive the gift and enter into a relationship with his benefactor. The squirrel didn’t know the character of the man offering the food.

But I know the character of the One who offers me food, forgiveness and so much more. He is unchanging, faithful and gives only good gifts to His children. I don’t have to keep running away every time I fear I have come too near. His intentions towards me are only good.

” ‘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)

When I trust my Heavenly Father, I don’t have to keep running away, to keep running back and forth like the squirrel, wearing myself out in the process. I can find rest in my relationship with the God who extends His hand to me, full of provision, promise, potential and protection. When I stop running away, I experience these gifts – I experience His protection.

“He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” (Psalm 91:4)

When I stay close, I receive what He’s been wanting and waiting to give me all along.

“You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11)

no reason to run away again and again like the frightened squirrel did, there is no better place to be than near my Heavenly Father’s outstretched hand.

sincerely, Grace Day