hope is every sunrise displacing, dispelling the darkness, revealing that the darkness was only temporary all along,

hope is the rainbow after the storm, the spark that lights the fire, the eagle in flight, the oasis in the desert, the lone candle burning in the dark

hope is eggs in a bird’s nest, seeds in the ground, every star in the sky, every caterpillar’s cocoon, every spring flower and every budding tree

hope leaves baby teeth under a pillow, leaves cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer, hope hangs stockings and hunts for easter eggs

hope blows out candles on a birthday cake or the white fluff on a dandelion while making a wish, hope looks for four leaf clovers, falling stars and buried treasure

hope gets down on one knee and proposes possibilities and promises

hope plants seeds in the earth, hope waters them, watches over them – hope expects a harvest and waits patiently for it

hope extends an invitation believing someone will accept it, hope reaches out a hand believing there is someone out there who will reach back and hold it

in the flood hope believes the rain will stop, in the drought hope believes the rain will start

hope endures the fog, knowing it will lift, revealing the path ahead once again

hope continually casts a net, believing it will fill with fish

hope waits in eager expectation for the dough to rise, the bread to bake, for the mountain to move, for the mustard seed to grow

hope believes broken hearts can be healed, ruined lives can be restored and wrecked relationships reconciled

hope conquers fears, hope dares to dream dreams, hope believes for the best even while surrounded by the worst

hope remembers the Red Sea parted, water sprang from a rock, manna fell from the sky, barren women bore children, impenetrable, insurmountable walls fell down, the blind were given sight, the paralytic walked, the lepers were cleansed, five thousand were fed, the lost were found, sinners were forgiven and the dead brought back to life again

hope knows this –

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ ” (Matthew 19:26)

hope believes this –

“weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

hope prays, knowing God is listening, sure that prayer matters, makes a difference

hope prays without ceasing, knowing prayer moves mountains  

hope holds on when the end is not in sight, hope sees beyond what is visible to what is possible

hope walks by faith and not by sight

hope whispers in the wind, portending of better things to come – hope is the unheard melody of the heart – hope is the Good News of the Gospel

hope is a glimmer, a flicker, a flash illuminating the darkness – hope is the voice of one crying in the wilderness – “your Deliverer is coming!”

hope leaves its home, like Abraham, believing there is something better waiting

hope is the lighthouse on the distant shore, the light at the end of the tunnel, the guiding light of the Star of Bethlehem

hope is songs in the night, calm in the storm, freedom in the furnace and courage in the lion’s den

hope is a teenage Jewish girl, forced into hiding by human evil, who nevertheless wrote these words in her diary –

“In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness, I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too, I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again.”

hope is a man who lost everything saying –

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:25-27)

hope is a baby in a manger, hope is a blood stained cross, an empty tomb, a risen Savior, an eternal advocate, the promise of paradise, a home in heaven

hope says with the psalmist –

“I am still confident of this; I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:13-14)

hope waits, hope believes, hope endures, hope sustains during tough times, hope lives

hope lives because Jesus lives and reigns and is faithful to all His promises – Jesus said,

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

with every heartbeat hope proclaims – “He is risen! Hope reigns!”

sincerely, Grace Day

“Oh, please Lord, just let the zipper on my backpack work one more time and I promise I’ll get a new backpack, clean this one out and throw it away” I felt myself praying as the bell was about to ring and my backpack had busted wide open as I was loading my books and computer back into it because I would be changing classrooms at the bell. This was not a good time for my backpack zipper to quit working. But then is there ever an opportune time for something I depend on to break? That was a rhetorical question, don’t feel you have to answer.

However, full disclosure – this isn’t the first time the zipper on this backpack has come apart. I have been through this a few times before. And on those occasions, I prayed essentially the same prayer and God answered in the affirmative, my zipper miraculously came together again and I got through the day without losing the contents of my backpack. God honored my request in those moments of need. He kept His end of the deal, but obviously, I did not, which is why I find myself in this all too familiar situation again today. You would think I would be too ashamed to ask God to bail me out once again, to pray the same prayer, after I had not done what I promised I would do. But desperation causes us to take desperate action and to pray desperate prayers. (I think they call those hail Mary’s?)

Why did I not do what I promised God I would do? Well, once my backpack zipper was working again, I didn’t see the need for a new backpack and didn’t want to take the time to shop for a new one, nor did I want to spend the money required for a new backpack. But there is another reason, perhaps even more compelling than time and money, which figures into my decision making. I like my old backpack, it’s just the right size and has the right number of compartments. I have things perfectly organized so that I can find what I need when I need it.

You see, my backpack is really my portable office during the school day. That’s because I’m a substitute teacher, so I’m in a different classroom every day, plus I often change classrooms several times during a single school day. So I carry with me everything I think I will need or want. This would include my laptop and any books I am currently reading, my Bible, current Bible study books, my Lipton tea, lunch, pens, paper, my school ID., phone, Kleenex, Band aides, wipes, hand lotion, paper clips, post its, dry erase markers, – you get the idea – whatever I think I might need, I carry with me. (no wonder the zipper broke, my backpack is kind of overloaded)

I don’t really want to do the work of cleaning my old backpack out. There are lots of papers in there, as I am forever writing things that I plan to finish writing later, so I save them all. Plus some articles that I’ve been meaning to read – well, you get the idea – mine is the backpack of a hoarder or a saver, depending upon your perspective. (I wrote a post about that some years ago – “hopeless hoarder or savvy saver?”)

Anyway, today history is repeating itself and I once again, have a choice to make. God graciously answered my plea in part. My backpack’s zipper is not completely restored but is partially intact, enough to keep the contents of my backpack from spilling out if I am careful, I hope. Now I have another opportunity to do what I promised God I would do the last time this happened – clean out and throw away the old backpack and start fresh with a brand new one. Sure, I am comfortable with the old one, it’s what I know. But just maybe, it’s time to trust God and to do something new. (are you seeing where I’m going with this, dear readers?)

This backpack situation is really reminding me of all the other situations in which I cry out to God, making a deal with Him, “if He will just ____ for me, then I will ____ for Him.” In other words, if God will just rescue me from my situation, I will do things differently, I will not end up here again. So, I cry out to God, make a deal with God, God then rescues me, keeping His part of the deal, but I default on my promise or part of the deal (if not initially, then eventually) and find myself right back in the same situation, crying out to God once again, “Oh God, if You will just . . . then I promise I will . . .”

And so it goes. I think this is what is commonly called “the vicious cycle.” How to break free? God always keeps His part of the bargain. His word tells me as much.

“If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is.” (2 Timothy 2:13)

I also have this promise from 1 John 1:9 which assures me that God always upholds His end of the deal.

“If I confess my sins, He (God) is faithful and just and will forgive me my sins and purify me from all unrighteousness.”

Even though I haven’t kept my end of the deal, God will always keep His end. If and when I turn to Him and confess, He will forgive me, clean me up and give me another second chance. How ironic that in my secret identity role as the “blackboard bandit” of the school, I recently wrote on the classroom white board that God specializes in fresh starts, in Do Overs, in second chances, new beginnings and clean slates. It is my hope that those words will encourage the students who read them. Looks like today, I’m the one who needs reminding that this is God’s character, because I’m the one who finds herself needing yet another second chance today.

I find that I totally identify with the apostle Paul when he said this about himself in Romans –

“For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. . . . For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. . . . What a wretched man I am!” (Romans 7:15, 19 & 24)

And that’s me in that moment – zipper broken, bell about to ring, stairs and crowded hallways to navigate in order to get myself and my broken mobile office (aka broken backpack) safely and intact to a classroom on another floor of the building – me attempting to strike yet another deal with my Heavenly Father. I wonder if He was thinking, “I’ve heard this one before, wonder if this time will be different?” Except God doesn’t have to wonder because He knows the end from the beginning. And still He gives me another chance, knowing full well that I will not keep up my end of the deal. God gives me the Do Over I desire, the Do Over I do not deserve. I love these words of the Psalmist which say –

“He does not treat us (me) as our (my) sins deserve or repay us (me) according to our (my) iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our (my) transgressions from us (me). As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are (I am) formed, He remembers that we are (I am) dust.” (Psalm 103:10-14)

That’s why I know I can call upon my Heavenly Father again and again and He will hear me and He will answer me. God does not hold my past mistakes against me. He always extends mercy and forgiveness to me because He is faithful and compassionate. That is the very nature of His character. And His character does not change.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

I will find myself in trouble and in need again, but this I know –

“Because of the Lord’s great love I am not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

sincerely, Grace Day

Hope – that’s the word on the mug which sits in my kitchen windowsill, purposely positioned there so that it is ever before me, reminding me of my personal word of the year – hope. It is an important word to me and it appears that author Tom Hughes feels the same way I do. He says in his book, “Down to Earth” this –

“People can endure the loss of many things – finances, careers, relationships, self-esteem, and even loved ones – and still continue onward. Nevertheless, there is one thing human beings cannot survive without: hope. Hope is how we live. It is the air we breathe to lead spiritual lives. It gets us from one day to the next and sustains us in the dark times. . . . Hope gives us the power to press forward.”

I agree. Hope is essential in sustaining human life. I need something to hope for or someone to hope in or I give up and die. But hope keeps me going, even in the toughest of times. Hope does not let me down, which is what Paul says in Romans 5:3-5,

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”

Lately, I have been surrounded by hope, literally it seems to me. Just yesterday, while stopped at a traffic light, I noticed the license plate of the car in front of me, which I never do but this one was not the usual jumble of letters and numbers – it was only these four letters in large print (which is probably why I saw it so clearly) – “HOPE” in all caps. It was a welcome reminder.

Just the day before this, while prayer walking in the neighborhood, I came across a yard sign with “HOPE” in big letters. Underneath was the word “plumbing” in smaller letters, so it was the “HOPE” that stood out and caught my attention. Let me just say as a customer, if you need a plumber, you are definitely hoping that they know what they are doing and hoping that they can fix your problem. Anyone who needs a plumber, needs hope.

Doesn’t seem that long ago I was stuck in traffic next to a white van with “HOPE” in huge letters on its side and back. I don’t remember what business or service was advertised – I just remember the word “HOPE” bringing me a much needed message or reminder as I sat in that traffic jam waiting for the seemingly endless delay to be over so that I could get to my destination. I needed hope in that moment and received the reminder from a fellow highway hostage whom I did not know and would never meet.

Sometimes I don’t see hope in my circumstances (like I saw it literally in my circumstances of the traffic jam, displayed in large letters on the van) – but hope isn’t about what I can see. Hope is about what is unseen, about what is yet to be. Peter says this in 1 Peter 1:3-4,

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you,”

“A living hope” – I like that. Hope is alive! That’s because the Person in whom I have put my hope, Jesus Christ, is alive. And that makes all the difference. I can trust Jesus, therefore, I have hope.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)

When I want to surround myself with this living hope I need only surround myself with God’s word. The psalmist said this to God –

“You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in Your word.” (Psalm 119:114)

God’s word is “living and active” – therefore my hope can be living and active as well. I can choose to focus on all the negative, discouraging, destructive things going on today in our world, all the painful, seemingly insurmountable mountains in my life or I can choose to surround myself with the hope I find in God’s eternal, living word. That hope is available to me and to you, dear readers, twenty-four/seven. He will never “leave us nor forsake us” so we don’t ever have to be without hope. I will say this along with the psalmist –

“guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.” (Psalm 25:5)

I am surrounded by HOPE, all day long, even when darkness, pain and tough circumstances surround me, HOPE is right there with me in that mix of broken world despair – HOPE is there reminding me to hang on, to keep going, to keep believing, to persevere in the face of insurmountable odds because –

“weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

yes, HOPE surrounds me, HOPE holds onto me even when I am too tired to hold onto HOPE – because the tomb is empty HOPE lives – surrounding me, reminding me that a brighter day is coming, so my hope for each of you, dear readers is this –

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

sincerely, Grace Day

I think I have found them – the perfect prayer walk partners, that is. Today is one of those beautiful spring days, with flowers blooming (including plenty of dandelions) birds singing and sun shining. We met in front of the church for our weekly prayer walk, divided up and set out in different directions to walk the streets of this neighborhood, a neighborhood which has just recently experienced the trauma of brutal murders.

This morning however, all was quiet, even peaceful as we pursued a path down the streets that would take us to the location where a body had been found, so that we could pray over that place. We were an unlikely trio, perhaps, by the world’s standards – a young blind man, an older autistic gentleman and myself. The blind man led us, as he lives in this neighborhood and knows his way around. (I am forever directionally challenged, whether driving or walking) I have walked with him on several occasions and I always follow his lead.

What an interesting sight we must be to the casual observer – a handsome young man with a white cane tapping the ground in front of him, followed by a lady and a gray bearded gentlemen with a slightly unusual gait – walking and talking, not so much to each other, but to God as we make our way slowly down the street. This is a sacred time I look forward to each week.

Today the topic of who God can use seemed to be front and center. But the answer to this question was already apparent to me – I was walking with the answers! (and I was one of the answers, too!) God can and will use anyone who presents themselves to Him in obedience. He will use anyone who answers His call as Samuel and Isaiah did saying –

“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10) and

“Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)

The three of us had listened, like Samuel, and as a result, we were “sent” like Isaiah, into these streets to pray and intercede for all the people living in this neighborhood. What a sacred assignment! One none of us take lightly. We were not necessarily equipped beforehand for this task, but God Himself equips those of us who answer His call with everything we need. Today, once again, my prayer walk partners and I found this to be true.

God provided us many opportunities to pray with people we met as we walked today. What a privilege to pray for other people! What joy to be used by God to bless and encourage other people. The world considers blindness and autism handicaps. God does not see these things as disqualifiers or detriments to service to Him in any way. I think that’s because God sees things from a different perspective than our limited human perspective allows us to see these same things. This is made clear in 1 Samuel 16:7 –

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’ ”

And indeed, our Creator is the only One who can see into our hearts clearly and accurately. That’s what matters most to God, the attitudes and motivations of our hearts, not our supposed handicaps. What our culture considers a disqualifying defect, our Creator views as an empowering asset, which can be used to bring much glory to our Heavenly Father. Case in point, the apostle Paul,

” . . . there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

God’s glory and goodness show up in our weaknesses, in our deficiencies and in our handicaps, as the culture calls them. It is often these very handicaps and our own weaknesses that force us to feel our need of God and allow us the opportunity to experience relying on Him, rather than on ourselves and on our own strength, which doesn’t really get us all that far. Seems counterintuitive to give God thanks for our handicaps, but that’s exactly what Paul ended up doing, saying – ” . . . I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

As we prayed our way through the neighborhood streets this morning, I thanked God for giving me two such wonderful prayer walk partners. As a blind man led us, determining the direction we took (you have to love the symbolic irony of that, I do) I was humbled by the powerful prayers of my autistic prayer partner, just as I was by the prayers of the young man who led us.

Today, I am reminded once again – God is not limited by my or by your human, physical limitations. Our Heavenly Father doesn’t even see our various “thorns” or conditions as limitations, but only as avenues for His love, grace, strength and power to be poured into our lives, enabling us to serve Him well. What others see as weaknesses, are the very things God uses to make you and me strong in Him. It is like Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 –

“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him.” –

then I read in Jeremiah 9:23-24 this –

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord.”

God can use each and every one of us for His good purposes, weaknesses, handicaps and all. Our very frailties are what draws us to Him – therefore His strength and goodness are made manifest to others through the very things our culture would tell us disqualify us from His service or from doing anything of value. Not so! We all have value and purpose in God’s kingdom. In our weaknesses, we receive His strength, so that we may say and truly believe –

“Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:31)

sincerely, Grace Day

I sat with head bowed, palms open and turned upward in my lap, as the pastor had directed us to do while he prayed over us. The symbolism of my hands, open and empty, was not lost on me. Opening my clenched fists requires that I let go of anything and everything that I am holding onto so tightly. (I wonder how many of us had to put down our phones in order to have our hands empty, open and available during the prayer?) Only when my hands are open and empty, am I ready for God to fill them with the good gifts He has been waiting to put within my grasp all along.

I just have to loosen my strangle hold on all that I cling to so desperately, finally letting go, leaving my hands wide open to receive all that God wants to give me. Makes me wonder why I hang on so hard and so long to these things – when God promises to give me something better.

If I let go of my fear – God stands ready to replace it with His courage.

“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.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

“For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

When I let go of my grief, God will take it upon Himself and bring me His comfort.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

“Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,” (Isaiah 53:4)

I don’t have to hold so tightly to my guilt and shame, I can release them and receive God’s forgiveness.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

I can let go of all my anxieties and let His perfect peace fill me instead.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

I can let go of despair and allow God’s hope to enter in and fill me instead.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

I can let go of these heavy burdens I insist on carrying with me every day, afraid to put them down and leave them behind. When I lay them down, I will find they have been replaced with what God wants to give me. Jesus said,

“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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

I can let go of all anger and judgement towards others. In their place, God will give me His compassion and mercy for each and every person.

“The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.” (Psalm 145:9)

I can let go of all my doubts and receive from God the assurance of His love for me in its place.

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands.” (Deuteronomy 7:9)

“if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13)

I can let go of hate (which is really heavy) and receive God’s love in its place.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1)

I can let go of my selfish ambitions and dreams of worldly success, leaving myself open to God’s direction, receiving God’s plans for me, His purposes for my life, which are far better plans and purposes for me than my own plans for myself.

” ‘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)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I would prefer to go through life with hands open and upturned to God, rather than to live life with fists clenched. But I catch myself often during the day, with my hands closed around something, hanging on for dear life, unwilling to part with whatever it is, perhaps fearing the emptiness and doubting that God will fill it.

“He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagles.” (Psalm 103:5/NLT)

letting go – a thousand times a day if that’s what it takes – what it takes to open my hands, my heart and my life to my Creator, God – my Heavenly Father so that He can reign down His manna and His mercy on me and my hands will be open to receive it – to receive all of His good gifts –

Still, there is one thing I want to grasp and not let go of and it is this – it’s something that Paul said –

“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 3:17-19)

sincerely, Grace Day

Ever feel like in a particular period of time, you receive multiple messages and they are all about the same thing, like there’s a lesson you need to learn? During these times do you feel like the universe is trying to tell you something? Well, that’s how the “new agers” would look at it anyway. But when this happens to me, I realize that the Creator of the universe, (not the universe) who coincidently is also my Heavenly Father, is trying to teach me something. So maybe I should sit up and take notice. Maybe I should pay close attention. Maybe I should listen and learn.

Now in my role as the “blackboard bandit” I have been continuing to write positive messages on whiteboards throughout the high school. Today’s message involved telling the students (or whoever would chance to read the words) that they are God’s masterpieces (Eph. 2:10) and consequently they are of infinite value. The world does not necessarily tell them that they have value just as they are. Actually the world doesn’t tell any of us that we have intrinsic value given to us by our Creator God. But we do. That’s the truth. Still, we more often believe the lie that we are worthless. Probably because the world doesn’t see most of us as very valuable unless we temporarily have riches or fame or power or influence.

So today’s whiteboard message about the students being masterpieces included the encouragement that they are all works in progress. We all are. Then the devotion I read today was written by someone struggling with their self worth because they weren’t where they wanted to be. None of us are though, because we are all works in progress. We are unfinished masterpieces or masterpieces in the making, if you will. God doesn’t give up on us. So we don’t have to give up on ourselves or on each other. The apostle Paul reminded the Philippians of this truth when he wrote these words to them –

“being confident of this, that He (God) who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

That’s encouraging, don’t you think? God’s still at work in my life and in your life, too, dear readers. During this same time I am studying the parable Jesus told about the wheat and the weeds. In this story the farmer sows wheat but weeds are also growing up in his field right alongside the wheat. The workers ask permission to pull up the weeds because after all, the weeds are taking up the wheat’s space, soil and sun, making it harder for the wheat to grow. But surprisingly, the farmer says to them this, in Matthew 13:29,

” ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.’ “

Ok, but aren’t the workers smart enough to recognize which are the weeds and which are the wheat, and pull up only the weeds? I would assume it would be obvious to any farmer worth his salt, which was the edible wheat and which was the poisonous weed. Apparently, not so. Author Tom Hughes, explains it this way –

“The word Jesus uses, often translated “weed,” is a specific type of rye grass called darnel, which has poisonous seeds. At the harvest, if you processed it with the good wheat, the resulting flour would be ruined. If you fed it to your family, they would get sick. So the poisonous weeds must be removed. Here’s the problem: Until they are full grown, darnel and wheat are virtually impossible to distinguish from each other. You might think you are removing a weed, when you are really uprooting wheat.”

“Until they are full grown.” These words are a reminder to me that I can’t judge other people prematurely. (or at all) Besides the fact that it’s not my job, I can’t tell the wheat from the weeds while we are all growing up together in God’s field. Author Hughes puts it this way –

“The reason Jesus does not ask us to get rid of evil people is that we would not do a very good job of it. We keep thinking someone is a weed. We write the person off. We look down on the individual and wish he or she were simply gone. God is saying, ‘Be patient. Give that person some time and you might be surprised. That person might turn around.’ ”

God is patient with me as He slowly turns me from a weed into wheat. Should I be any less patient with those around me who are also growing up toward the sun (actually Son) as I am? God is in the business of turning weeds into wheat. He alone determines the time of the harvest and God doesn’t wish that anyone should pull up any weeds or wheat before His appointed time.

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

So God is letting the wheat and the weeds grow up together and only God can tell the difference between wheat and weeds. I can’t. Neither can you. It is only God “who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23) And as if to reinforce this idea, I found myself reading similar sentiments in Brant Hansen’s book, “Unoffendable.” Hansen wrote –

“I don’t know, ultimately, where people stand. I know what they need and what I need. I know we need Jesus. . . . It’s simple, honestly. You can quit trying to assess everyone; quit pretending you know where people stand; quit fooling yourself into thinking you know what others are thinking, what’s in their hearts. Let’s be humble and admit what we don’t know. . . . I’m so glad the judging business is God’s business. I can’t handle it. Neither can you, really, even if you think you can. . . . It takes a tremendous amount of humility . . . to hand over this job to God. But He made us, and He knows how we operate best. . . . He’s promising a better way of life. . . . He’s offering peace.”

I identify with the struggling person who wrote the devotion I read. She felt more like a weed than wheat. But it’s not harvest time yet! God is still transforming us day by day into the likeness of His beloved Son, Jesus. Our stories are still being written (post – “eight billion books) – we are still on the Potter’s wheel and He is still adding colors daily to the masterpieces He is making of our lives. God is doing all the work – ours is to trust Him enough to allow Him to have His way in our lives and finish the work He began in me and in you.

My Heavenly Father knows the end from the beginning. I will trust Him with the outcome.

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2)

Right now, it is not time for me to judge myself or to judge others. Judgement is God’s job, which He will do in His perfect timing. This leaves me free to love and to accept everyone, without the burden of having to decide if they are a weed or wheat. We are all works in progress. I can’t possibly know what anyone will one day become. Only our Creator knows what any of us will one day be. His vision for each one of us is perfect. He does not abandon us before it is time for the harvest but rather I read this in Philippians –

“for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)

God’s purposes are good. He turns water into wine, weeds into wheat and works in progress into masterpieces. Thank You, Lord.

“For we are God’s masterpieces, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

sincerely, Grace Day

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!’ ” (Luke 24:1-6)

the tomb is empty – the heavens are full – full of the souls saved by the resurrection that rendered the tomb empty and heaven full!

Because the tomb is empty, life is full.

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

Because the tomb is empty, death no longer has dominion over our lives.

“I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?” (Hosea 13:14)

“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ ” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)

The tomb is empty, the earth is full.

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

The tomb is empty, the earth is full of God’s love.

“The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love.” (Psalm 33:5)

“The earth is filled with Your love, O Lord; teach me Your decrees.” (Psalm 119:64)

The tomb is empty, the earth is full – full of living things created by the One who left the tomb and ascended into heaven.

“How many are Your works, O Lord! In wisdom You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.” (Psalm 104:24)

The tomb is empty, the seat at the right hand of the Most High is filled with the One who died in our place, paid our sin price, then rose to life, leaving behind an empty tomb, filling instead the seat at God’s right hand.

“Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34)

“It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand – with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him.” (1 Peter 3:21-22)

The tomb is empty, our hearts are full. Our risen Savior fills us with His compassion, comfort, peace, forgiveness, hope, joy and love. Jesus left the tomb empty so that He might fill all the empty spaces of the earth, including the empty spaces in my heart that need to be filled.

“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 1:22-23)

Jesus left the tomb empty, dear readers, so that you and I don’t have to live an empty life while being empty ourselves. We can be filled and life can be full.

“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 3:17-19)

yes, today, the tomb is empty – and because it is – the heavens are full, the earth is full, our hearts are full, life is full –

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

the tomb is empty – Jesus is risen!

sincerely, Grace Day

That’s me! That’s my new secret identity. (maybe I shouldn’t be sharing this info with you, but I am just so excited about the idea of a new super, secret identity) Although I really should have put more thought into my undercover action hero name, because my mission doesn’t involve a blackboard (they don’t really use blackboards anymore – so no more chalk dust) and I am not taking or stealing anything, so I am not a bandit. (the alliteration was just too good to pass up) In reality, it involves a whiteboard and a dry erase marker. And rather than taking something away, I leave something behind when I leave.

So, my mission has just began, and already I need a new name. I’m considering “whiteboard whisperer” or “secret scribbler” but maybe first I should explain what my super secret mission is all about. I am a substitute teacher in a large inner city high school. Consequently, I am in a different classroom every day and sometimes multiple classrooms on the same day. I am not “the real teacher”, just a poor substitute for the real thing. (see posts – “the substitute” and “the real thing”) There are a lot of vacancies currently in this school, positions that desperately need to be filled. So the students’ work is posted online and they use their computers to do their classwork. The whiteboards in these classrooms are usually empty, because no instructions or information are written on them since it is all posted online.

Enter, me, or rather my super secret hero alter ego – the illogically named, Blackboard Bandit. I write an uplifting, inspirational quote or message on the otherwise empty whiteboard in the hope that whoever might notice it and read it will be encouraged or comforted or inspired or experience something positive in the moment. Maybe the words I secretly scribble on the classroom whiteboard will be just what a particular student needs to help them deal with whatever the day will bring their way. That is my hope. That is my new purpose.

Words have the power to build up or to tear down, to provide wise counsel or foolish advice. Well placed words can be food for thought to help young minds stretch and grow. The best words are those from God’s living, eternal word. In Isaiah I read this about God’s word –

“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)

Proverbs tells me this about the power of words in our lives –

“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:24)

As I listen to the students’ conversations in the classrooms, it is apparent to me that they are dealing with many things at this time in their lives. They are trying to figure out who they are and where they fit in this world. They are searching for their purpose and their place. I see them discouraged and depressed and what they listen to and what they watch leads to more fear and anxiety in their lives, not less. They are not wise consumers of social media. (they could benefit from my previous post -“a penny for your thoughts” – about the power of our thoughts over our lives)

And that’s where words come into the picture. Our words are what we use to communicate our thoughts both to others and to ourselves. So maybe some well placed words on a whiteboard in a random classroom can make a small difference for the better in some student’s life. It is worth taking a chance and a moment to write some positive, encouraging, uplifting and true words on the board in hopes that someone will be impacted for the better by the power of the words.

I, as the “blackboard bandit” of my school building, working anonymously so as not to reveal my super secret identity or alternate aliases as the “secret scribbler” or the “whiteboard whisperer”, may never know how many, if any, students read and receive my messages of encouragement and truth left behind for them to discover on the whiteboards in their classrooms. But this is something positive that is within my power to do, costing me no more than a dry erase marker. So I will seize the opportunity to leave behind a positive message wherever I go, hoping it will brighten someone’s day and give them something worthwhile to think about as an alternative to the negative messages from social media which surround us twenty-four/seven.

“I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” (Henry Drummond)

sincerely, Grace Day – aka “the blackboard bandit”

That used to be a popular saying – “a penny for your thoughts.” Turns out though, our thoughts are worth much more than mere pennies. Our thoughts determine our character, our actions, the way we live and the way we see the world –

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” (Proverbs 23:7 – KJV)

Our thoughts can have power over us, or we can have power over our thoughts. It is a constant battle, but a battle we can win with God’s help and good advice from His word. We win when we control our thoughts rather than our thoughts controlling us. At least that’s the premise of an author I was reading recently, Tom Hughes. In his book, “Down to Earth” Hughes states,

“Self-talk is something we all do. But it’s important to think about what you talk to yourself about. To live differently, you have to think differently. To think differently, you have to monitor your thoughts – your self-talk. . . . man’s upcoming actions result directly from his thinking.”

So, if I want my life to be different, I have to change my thoughts. This is because my thoughts precede and even determine my actions. If I think differently, I will act differently. If I act differently, my life will be different. Therefore, if I wish to change my life, I must first change my thoughts. Paul said as much in his letter to the church in Rome when he wrote –

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)

My thoughts can renew and transform me, or my thoughts can destroy me or they can hold me captive, especially if they are thoughts that lead to fear, anxiety, depression, shame, self-doubt, unforgiveness – if they are thoughts based on the lies of the enemy of my soul. This must be why Paul gave these instructions in his letter to the Philippians –

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. . . . And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9)

Paul also tells the Colossians this –

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:2-4)

These instructions remind me that I can choose my thoughts and I can choose to change them. I can be intentional about my thoughts and where they lead me. In 2 Corinthians 10:5 I am told to –

“take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

We used to be told – “you are what you eat!” It would seem to me that – “I am what I think!” or “I become what I think!” In Proverbs 4:23 I read,

“Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.” (NCV)

So true. I must examine my thoughts in order to determine which ones are beneficial and which ones are detrimental to me. Paul’s list in Philippians is a good guide for me when I am trying to determine which thoughts to dwell on and which thoughts to discard. Paul’s standard on thoughts worth keeping? Is it true? Is it noble? Is it right? Is it pure? Is it lovely, or admirable? Is it excellent or praiseworthy? These are thoughts worth thinking and continuing to think about.

As I think about the high school students I see every day, I often see that they are surrounded by lots of negative thinking. They put each other down and they put themselves down. Then our culture comes in via constant media messages making them feel even worse about themselves. Constant comparison to false images of supposed perfection causes them anxiety, depression, loss of self-confidence, thinking that they will never measure up or be accepted – these thoughts lead to destructive actions on their parts which lead to negative life consequences. Changing what they think about, what they fill their minds with, would change their actions which would in turn change their lives.

This is why learning overcomers’ stories and focusing on those inspiring individuals who are examples of succeeding in spite of adversity, fill students’ minds with thoughts of hope and possibility, rather than thoughts of despair and victimhood. Who their heroes are impacts their thoughts and consequently, their lives. Are their heroes overcomers who inspire and help others or are their heroes victims who feel everyone owes them and that they are entitled to what they have not earned? What thoughts we fill our minds with really does make a difference in our lives. That’s why God’s word tells me to “take captive my every thought.” I also find this promise in Isaiah –

“You (God) will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3 – NKJV)

I like the NLT translation of this verse –

“You (God) will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!”

If I fix my thoughts on my Heavenly Father, His promise to me is that I will experience His perfect peace. In Philippians, this peace is called “the peace that passes understanding” because it doesn’t make sense humanly speaking. It is one of God’s good gifts to us, this peace that doesn’t depend on our current earthly circumstances. God gives us His peace when our minds, our thoughts, are fixed on Him. God’s peace replaces the anxiety and fear that I experience when my thoughts are fixed on what is going on in the world around me rather than on Him and on the wisdom, truth and promises in His Living Word. In Joshua I read what he said to the Israelites –

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8)

They were told what to “meditate”, what to “think” on, not just randomly, not just now and then, but “day and night.” If they follow Joshua’s instruction about what they should be thinking about, (God’s law) they are promised prosperity and success. This result is possible because their thoughts will translate into their actions, and their actions will result in them being prosperous and successful.

This battle for our minds is very real, dear readers. Satan knows if he can gain control of our thoughts, then he has access to our actions, to the choices that we make, which in the end, determine our eternal endpoint. What starts as a mere thought, can end up as a life choice. (ie. the thought, “I have been forgiven!” – result when I constantly remember this true thought? – I live without that burden of guilt and I am able to forgive others because I, myself have experienced forgiveness) That’s why what I choose to think about matters so much. Which thoughts I choose to discard and which thoughts I choose to dwell on, will determine my destiny. Hopefully, I will discard the lies and dwell on the truth.

To that end, Lord, make me like the person described in Psalm 1:1-3 –

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”

and let me say with the psalmist –

“Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on Your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey Your precepts. I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey Your word. I have not departed from Your laws, for You Yourself have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:97-103)

sincerely, Grace Day

I felt thoroughly prepared for battle – well, verbal battle that is. Which is to say I was mentally prepared for the conflict in the encounter that was to come. In my mind, I was preparing my arguments, assembling the words of my assault while also deciding on the words of my defense by attempting to anticipate what their words of attack or of rebuttal would be. They were not forewarned of my arrival. I showed up unannounced, without an appointment. (full disclosure – people don’t make appointments for this kind of thing)

I felt the facts were in my favor. I had been wronged and I wanted things set right. I wanted justice. You see I mailed my niece, who lives in another state, a birthday present. I went to the Post Office, waited in line, (a very long line which did not move) then decided to use the handy kiosk in the lobby to mail her gift, a calendar in a large bubble envelope. (I know, a calendar isn’t breakable – I just like the thicker, more protective envelope)

The kiosk cooperated, and I was successful in getting her gift mailed. I was happy to cross that important task off my “to-do” list. So you can imagine my surprise, my disbelief actually, when a few days later I received this same large envelope that I had so recently mailed, back in my own mailbox. I was puzzled until I read the note stating that this was a “package” not a large envelope. So of course a “package” would be more expensive to mail, requiring more postage than I had purchased. I was disappointed and discouraged. This would require another trip to the Post Office, more money and it would be a few days before I could get back there to take care of this unexpected setback.

I did not anticipate this problem. Or as they say – “I didn’t see that coming.” Since I couldn’t return to the Post Office for a few days, I used the time to put together my battle plan which would right this wrong I had suffered. I prepared persuasive arguments in my head. I determined my defensive strategies as well, so as to have a rebuttal for whatever reasons they would give me for these unconscionable actions the Post Office had taken against me, preventing my niece’s birthday gift from arriving in a timely manner. I’m thinking I could claim damages – both financial (having to repurchase more expensive postage in addition to what I had already purchased) and emotional (robbing my niece of the joy of receiving her gift)

And then today it was time – time for the anticipated battle to begin. I had trained (in my head) and I was ready to present my case and defend my cause. I walked in with aforementioned large envelope or “package” (depending on who you believe) in hand, expecting the customarily long wait. There was no one ahead of me and I was summoned to a window immediately. This threw me off guard and off my game, because I had planned to use the time in line to go over my battle plan one last time.

I was greeted with a kind smile and demeanor, which further threw me off my game plan. I handed over my large envelope, I mean “package”, explaining that it had been returned to me and waited to see what would happen next. After examining the note on the front, her first words were, “We can give you credit for the amount you have already paid.” Wow! I did not see “that” coming! Good news! My verbal battle plan did not include preparation for that unanticipated response, so I lacked a contingency plan. Fortunately, gratitude and simple good manners kicked in and I responded with the appropriate and heartfelt – “thank you.”

Next she attempted to remove the paper some unknown post office employee had affixed to the envelope (I mean package), one covering the address where the gift was to go and the other covering the shipping label I had purchased from the user friendly kiosk. She was having difficulty but another lovely lady came to assist her and with the skill of a surgeon, she successfully removed both heavily taped papers from the front of the envelope (aka package) without tearing or damaging it. It was then I realized I would have had to buy a new bubble envelope if they hadn’t been successful. More good news! Again an appropriate and heartfelt “thank you” from me to both of the lovely ladies who were doing more than their jobs would require, all to my benefit. They could have simply said, “come back when you have this repackaged, we can’t do anything with this envelope (package). But they didn’t. I didn’t see “that” coming.

Now I am ready to mail this birthday gift again. I don’t have to go get another envelope. As my envelope/package is on the scales, she asks me the obligatory question about what the envelope (package) contains and of course I respond, “calendar.” Hearing my reply, the lady with the surgical skills has a moment of inspiration and, taking the envelope off the scales, she slides the calendar inside to one side of the envelope, folds the excess of the envelope over and tapes it down. This reduces the size of the large envelope, making it simply that, a large envelope, but not a “package” any longer! Then they say to me, “you don’t need to pay anymore postage, the original amount you already paid should be sufficient to get it to its intended destination.” I did not see “that” coming!

I did not see any of “this” coming today. I prepared for a battle that did not even take place. I anticipated resistance but received helpfulness. The results of my encounter provided a solution to my problem that exceeded my expectations. All that time I spent planning my battle strategy, preparing my arguments and counter arguments and various defenses, I could have used to do other things, so many other, probably more worthwhile, things. I was preparing for the wrong battle. I was preparing for an unimportant battle. I prepared for a battle that never even took place. What a waste of my time and energy!

But here’s the thing. There are battles raging all around me. Some are important, necessary, essential, worthwhile battles. Others are not. I need to be able to recognize the difference between temporal and eternal battles in deciding which battles are worth fighting. I guess there’s something to the saying – “pick your battles.” Some battles are not worth fighting and some battles are worth the sacrifice of my very life. With God’s help and God’s wisdom, I can learn to discern the difference. If I don’t, I will waste my life fighting battles that do not matter now nor in the end.

God’s word gives me the guidance that I need. In 1 Peter 3:15, I read this instruction –

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”

So I do need to be prepared to answer questions from others, important questions about the hope I have found in Christ Jesus. I can be always preparing for these opportunities because I don’t know when they will come, but when they do, I so want to be ready. I am even told how to give my answers, “with gentleness and respect.” These are the persuasive arguments and defenses I should be preparing, those found in God’s word, the ones that will lead others to God and to eternal life.

Ephesians, chapter six has clear instructions for me as to how I can prepare for the battle – well, not just any battle but the battle that matters most. I read these words –

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. 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. 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 6:11-18)

So my battle weapons are truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the word of God and prayer. Prayer is my battle strategy and my battle preparation activity. (I don’t think I prayed before I went into the Post Office today to do battle with those poor, unsuspecting postal workers – but they sure showed me – they killed me with their kindness and won me over!)

May I take a lesson from those lovely ladies. May I fight the battles God calls me to fight (instead of my own self-made battles about nothing) using the weapons He supplies, not my own. May I make known God’s truth, God’s gospel, God’s goodness, forgiveness, love and salvation to those who are perishing apart from this good news. Lord, may I remember that the most important battles I fight, I fight on my knees in prayer to You.

” 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 6:18)

“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.” (Hebrews 4:16)

sincerely, Grace Day