hope

a silent season

Posted on by Grace Day

Job felt it – God’s silence, a silence Job equated with God’s absence. Job’s complaint against God was this –

“Even today my complaint is bitter; His hand is heavy in spite of my groaning. If only I knew where to find Him; if only I could go to His dwelling! . . . But if I go to the east, He 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 23:1-3 & 8-9)

Sounds to me like Job was pretty discouraged. Yet even during Job’s experience of a silent season, Job maintained hope. How do I know this? Well, Job’s very next words after his complaint regarding God’s elusiveness or apparent evasiveness were these –

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

Even though at the time, Job said he couldn’t see God, couldn’t find God, couldn’t feel God’s presence with him, Job acknowledged that God had not lost track of him. Job’s words reveal that even in the silence, Job trusted God. Job trusted that God knew right where he was and that God knew all that Job was going through during his silent, lonely, painful season.

But Job is by no means the only person to experience a silent season in relation to God just when circumstances are particularly dire. Habakkuk was someone who could perhaps identify with Job’s circumstances and someone who was also unwilling to give up on God. During the worst of times, Habakkuk had this to say –

“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.” (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

I want to be more like Job and Habakkuk. I want to trust God and to praise God, no matter what my circumstances might be on any given day or in any given season of my life. My earthly circumstances are constantly changing, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. I cannot count on my circumstances to give me peace or joy or hope or anything that I need. BUT – God doesn’t change. Therefore, I can count on God. I have this assurance –

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

So even in this silent season, I can know that God has not abandoned me. I can know what King David knew and expressed so well in these words when he said –

“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. . . . 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.” (Psalm 139:1-4 & 7-10)

Even in the silence, even when I feel all alone, even when life is unbearably painful, I know that God is here with me. As King David said, there is no place I can go from His Spirit. God is omnipresent and He promised this to me and to you, too, dear readers –

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

God also said –

“I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isaiah 57:15)

During a silent season, it is easy for me to become discouraged and to feel alone, unseen and unheard. Hagar was someone who felt this way when she ended up alone in the desert. BUT she was not alone and she was not invisible to God. God met her there and gave her hope and a future with these words –

“You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery.” (Genesis 16:11)

And fun fact – the name Ishmael means “God hears”. Hagar had a name for God after her desert encounter with Him –

“She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’ ” (Genesis 16:13)

When we are in a silent season, isn’t what we each want more than anything else is to know that we are seen and we are heard and that we are not alone? It can be hard to hold onto hope during the silence but God’s word reassures you and me that we are never beyond His notice, nor His watchful care –

” ‘Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 23:24)

“But now, this is what the Lord says – . . . ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you;’ ” (Isaiah 43:1-5)

And in the end, God gave up His only Son, Jesus, for me and for you, for all who would believe on His name.

In every silent season it is God’s Word that keeps me company, guides me, sustains me, protects me and brings me safely through. He will do the same for you. We are never alone, even in our silent seasons.

sincerely, Grace Day

against all odds

Posted on by Grace Day

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Are you kidding me? The apostle Paul wrote these words to the believers in Corinth. I wonder if any of the Corinthians took issue with the words “light” and “momentary” as descriptors of the painful trials they were most certainly experiencing as believers in their current culture and as human beings living in this fallen world. Speaking personally, I would use words like “crushing” and “endless” to describe the “troubles” that are an inevitable presence in my daily life. There is nothing “light” nor “momentary” about the trials that come to each of us through physical suffering, the loss of those we love, unrealized hopes and dreams, the hardships and challenges of living in a world where evil appears to be having its way – the list is endless. Some days there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight to all the suffering and pain of my own and of others who I know and love – it definitely doesn’t seem “momentary” however – Jesus told His disciples this –

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

Those words give me encouragement and hope, allowing me to keep going when things are too hard. When there is no end in sight, it is then I take to heart these words –

“We live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

If I depend only on what I can see, I will surely give up. My view is limited and I can’t see everything. but if I’m walking by faith I have this assurance –

“For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)

My troubles (which I can see and am currently experiencing) don’t seem temporary or momentary to me but God says what I can’t yet see is real and is eternal and is waiting for me. Peter talks about this hope and inheritance God has promised to me, saying –

“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, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)

My “momentary” trials aren’t over yet. Job didn’t see an end in sight for his trials. But Job, like Peter, put his hope not in his current circumstances, (which were definitely dire) but in what he couldn’t yet see but believed was coming because he trusted God. That’s why Job could say these words even in the middle of his intense suffering –

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

When there’s no end in sight and no way out of life’s pain and suffering, I don’t have to give up. Like Job, I choose to place my hope in the unseen, I choose to place my hope in the eternal. I choose to place my hope in the invisible, immortal, all knowing, all wise God rather than in anything or anyone else. Situations and circumstances may appear hopeless to me and in human terms they are hopeless – BUT –

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

With God, Daniel was delivered from the lion’s den, Daniel’s three friends were delivered safely from the king’s furnace, and Jonah was delivered from inside the large fish. With God, Abraham and Sarah had a child, David defeated Goliath, the walls surrounding Jericho fell, the Red Sea parted and manna fell from heaven new every morning while the Israelites were in the desert with no other food source. Truly, with God all things are possible! Knowing this gives me hope in all my circumstances, especially those in which the likelihood of a good outcome seems to be against all odds. It’s at these times that God’s “incomparably great power for us who believe” is revealed, just like Paul talked about in his letter to the Ephesians where he wrote –

“I pray also that they eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” (Ephesians 1:18-21)

Yes, Jesus rising from the grave on the third day was certainly against all odds, at least all human odds. “But with God all things are possible.” Knowing this, having this hope, helps me endure my “light and momentary troubles” of today, even though they feel crushing and endless to me. I can endure because I know what Job knew when he said this –

“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)

Job knew, against all odds and despite all current appearances, what his end would be, what he had to look forward to, which was a glorious, victorious reunion with His Redeemer. Knowing this wonderful truth, enabled Job to endure his time of loss and desolation. It is the same for me and for you, dear readers. We have something to look forward to – a reunion with our Heavenly Father and our complete restoration! Currently I identify with these words of Paul –

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

Maybe you, too, are feeling hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted and struck down in your daily life. Hold on! Help is on the way. Against all odds, God will have the final word.

“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. . . . What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. . . . I am bringing My righteousness near, it is not far away; and My salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion, My splendor to Israel.” (Isaiah 46:9-13)

To me, the delay seems long and the odds seem insurmountable BUT – you and I have this promise from our Heavenly Father –

“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10-11)

looking forward to that day –

sincerely, Grace Day

game over?

Posted on by Grace Day

“It is finished.” Those were Jesus’s last words, spoken as He hung on the cross. John records the event for us saying –

“Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’s lips. When He had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” (John 19:28-30)

I need to be clear, however. These were not Jesus’s last words – just His last words spoken from the cross upon which He hung. Contrary to all appearances, Jesus was not finished. Nor did Jesus say, “I am finished.” He said, “It is finished.” What was it? It was Jesus’s rescue mission. The purpose for which Jesus had come in the first place was now accomplished. Jesus came to make a way where there had been no way. Jesus made a way for you and for me to be rescued and to be reconciled to our Creator, God. There had been no way – until Jesus came. Jesus not only made a way for us – Jesus is the way for us. Jesus Himself said this –

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ ” (John 14:6)

On the cross, when Jesus took His last breath, “bowed His head and gave up His spirit” His followers surely thought this was “game over.” Jesus was buried in a tomb cut in the rock and that seemed to be the end. Except that it wasn’t. Three days later that tomb was empty and Jesus spent the next forty days hanging out with His disciples and others, reassuring and instructing them before His ascension into heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for you and for me.

Jesus’s followers learned an important truth the day Jesus rose from the dead and was once again spending time with them. They learned that with Jesus it is never “game over.” Why had they doubted? Did they not remember the time Jesus called Lazarus to come out of the grave, after Lazarus had been dead and in that grave for four days?

“On His arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. . . . ‘Take away the stone,’ He said. . . . So they took away the stone. . . . Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’ ” (John 11:17, 39,41-44)

Did they not remember the time Jesus brought back to life the deceased son of a widow, even though the funeral procession was already in motion, carrying his coffin to his burial sight?

“As He (Jesus) approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out – the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. . . . Then He (Jesus) went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, get up!’ The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.” (Luke 7:12-15)

Or how about the time Jesus brought a ruler’s dead daughter back to life? It wasn’t game over for this father or for his daughter. This ruler had the faith to put his hope in Jesus.

“a ruler came and knelt before Him (Jesus) and said, ‘My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.’ Jesus got up and went with him, and so did His disciples. . . . When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd . . . After the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.” (Matthew 9:18-19, 23-25)

With Jesus, no matter how dire the circumstance appears, it doesn’t have to be “game over.” No one should know this better than the criminal hanging on the cross next to Jesus. They were both being put to death by crucifixion. Talk about your dire circumstance. I think this qualifies. The situation was going steadily downhill. This appeared to be a circumstance completely devoid of hope, at least for the three individuals nailed to the three crosses. And yet the criminal on one side of Jesus said this –

“Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42)

WHAT? Is he delusional? By all appearances, this is a “game over” situation for all three individuals nailed to their respective crosses. And yet this guy makes this wild request of Jesus. Clearly, this criminal doesn’t believe it’s “game over” for Jesus – he thinks Jesus is coming into a kingdom and not just any kingdom BUT Jesus’s own kingdom where Jesus has the power and the authority to decide who comes in and who stays out. So, because he believes it’s not “game over” for Jesus, by extension, this man has hope that maybe, just maybe, it’s not “game over” for him either. Hence, his bold, outrageous request of Jesus to “remember him” when Jesus “comes into His kingdom.” Jesus’s reply?

“Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise.’ ” (Luke 23:43)

GAME ON! This criminal’s impending physical death was NOT the end. As He hung there on that cross, Jesus was literally in the process of conquering death, paying our sin price and providing eternal life for anyone and everyone who would believe on His name, believe enough to humble themselves and ask Jesus to save them from their dire circumstances, just as the man on the cross next to Jesus had done. Jesus’s reply made it clear that it was not “game over” for Himself and it was not “game over” for the man making the request of Him either.

This is good news for you and for me, dear readers. It is not “game over” for us ever, no matter what kind of circumstances we find ourselves in. Consider Job – it was looking pretty bleak for him. His friends weren’t much help and Job complained that he couldn’t even find God. But then Job says something pretty surprising given his dire circumstances, showing that even in his darkest moments, Job didn’t believe it was “game over” for him because his faith was in God. Job believed in God’s goodness, in God’s ability to right the wrong of his circumstances, in God’s promise to bring him through his trial. In the middle of devastating loss and pain, 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)

Job did not believe it was “game over” for him, even though he had lost everything – his possessions, his children, his health. While it certainly looked like there was no coming back from these losses, Job held out hope because of his faith in God. With God it never has to be “game over.” Consider what Jesus said –

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

Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, reminded them of this truth – that God

“is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,” (Ephesians 3:20)

There will come a time when my (and yours too, dear reader) earthly game is over BUT – that’s not the whole game – that’s not even half time. That’s more like maybe three seconds into “the game of life” – the life that we were created for. We were created for eternity and in eternity there is no “game over” – ever! That’s pretty good news, right?

So, I can take heart when the apparent “dead end” circumstance comes into my life. It is not “game over.” With God, it will be another new beginning. My Heavenly Father will not give up on me – ever. (nor on you, either) I have His word on that.

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

King David faced a lot of dead ends and dire circumstances, situations where it appeared that all was lost. However, each time, he knew it was not “game over” for him and he said this –

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

in Christ there is no “game over” in my future nor in yours!

sincerely, Grace Day

hope

Posted on by Grace Day

“the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.” (Romans 4:17)

It’s cold and gray, damp and dreary this morning as we walk through the neighborhood just like we do every Saturday morning. I’m remembering that only a few short weeks ago when we walked these same streets, they looked quite different. Everything was buried under a covering of snow, snow that seemed in no hurry to leave and in fact definitely overstayed its welcome. Today all that snow is gone, revealing what has remained out of sight for so long – brown, barren lawns and lifeless, barren tree branches. No signs of life – nothing seems to have survived the winter’s snow, ice and bitter cold.

It was then that I saw them – the daffodils. Fully up, standing tall, lots of them filling the small front yard – a small sea of yellow, white and green in the middle of a brown yard with no other signs of life. But there they were – beautiful daffodils, braving the cold on this dreary, sunless morning – a reminder that all is not dead despite appearances. A reminder that new life is on its way. Lots of it. This is only the beginning. It happens every year. We call it spring.

Why was I so surprised by the appearance of the daffodils today? Maybe because it was so cold and so gloomy that I didn’t think conditions were right for the appearance of new life? The daffodils were definitely a surprise and they definitely seemed out of place against such a harsh landscape. But they were such a gift to my weary spirit this morning. Those daffodils were proclaiming a message of hope that cannot be ignored or be silenced. A message of hope that we all need after a long winter. All is not dead. Life is returning after winter’s slumber. Reminds me of Lazarus being called back to life from the grave by Jesus Himself.

Seeing the daffodils today, reminded me of the hope I have in my Heavenly Father “who gives life to the dead.” My God is in the business of resurrection. Dreams, relationships, things I think long dead or impossible – these are the very things that God is able to revive and to restore. God says in Isaiah –

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19)

Hope – Jesus’ appearance on earth brought us hope. We read in Luke –

“The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” (Luke 7:22)

The daffodils’ unexpected appearance today reminded me that God brings life out of what appears to be dead. That’s a hope that does not disappoint. I need not give up on any dream nor on any person. With God there is always hope.

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

“Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in Me will not be disappointed.” (Isaiah 49:23)

I wasn’t disappointed today. I was instead reminded of the hope I have in my Heavenly Father. After all, He is –

“the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.” (Romans 4:17)

sincerely, Grace Day

post Advent ponder

Posted on by Grace Day

Most everything is packed away by now. There are just a few vestiges of our recent Christmas celebration still evident in my home. There’s a stained glass wreath in a window and also a stained glass candy cane in another window. The candy cane will be replaced with a heart in that window. Time to get ready for the next holiday, right? Decorations that display the words “hope”, “peace”, and “joy” are still in my kitchen windowsill. They will get packed away too BUT – are those words really relegated to just one month of the year? I don’t know about you, but I desire peace and joy and hope every day, not just at Christmas.

The angel who announced Jesus’s birth brought good news of “great joy.” Additionally, the angel proclaimed, “on earth peace and goodwill to men.” Jesus’s birth brought great joy, peace and goodwill, and something else that all mankind had long been without – hope. Jesus’s birth brought hope to the world in the form of a Savior who would pay the price for our sin, offering us mercy and eternal life instead of what our sins deserve. Jesus’s birth brings me hope today, even in the midst of my current circumstances. I have hope because of His promise –

” ‘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)

The gift of hope is a wonderful, life-giving gift that God gave to us when He sent us His Son. Jesus’s birth brought peace, joy and hope into a weary world, a world that was in dire need of all three. But not everyone was ready or willing to receive what Jesus was offering.

“He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:11)

Must be why today peace, joy and hope are still desperately desired, yet in seemingly short supply – as we continue to reject Jesus, the One whose very Presence brings these gifts of peace, joy and hope with Him, freely given to anyone who will receive Him.

I guess that’s why I still have these three words displayed in my windowsill. I need God’s peace, joy and hope in my life every day, not just at Christmas. Translation – I need my Heavenly Father’s presence abiding with me daily, not just during the season of Advent.

Advent was all about preparing room, preparing space, to let God’s Son have a dwelling place in my heart and in my life. Now that Advent is over, I don’t want to turn around and kick Him out of that space, and with Him the peace, joy and hope that I want in my life. Knowing myself as I do, I would end up replacing those things with lesser things that do not last and do not satisfy.

I think I’ll leave these words in my windowsill awhile longer to remind me that although Advent (the arrival of a very important person – Jesus) is over, the celebration ceased, the decorations packed away – Jesus is still here with me in the after party let down and so are His gifts of peace, joy and hope.

Perhaps that’s what this is all about – this post Advent ponder is just me experiencing post party syndrome. Packing away the last of my decorations makes it real. The celebration is officially over. No more presents to open, no more parties to attend, no more fun foods to eat. After all the busyness and hype of the Christmas season, the realities of everyday life return. BUT – Jesus is still here with me unless of course I choose to pack Him away too, along with my decorations, not giving Him another thought until next year.

However, I want His presence to be permanently with me. And God has promised that He will “never leave me nor forsake me.” I have this hope as I begin another new year – hope, one of God’s best gifts of Advent –

“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.” (Romans 5:5)

God gave you and me the gift of hope when He sent us His Son, Jesus. You and I received the hope of forgiveness, the hope of reconciliation, the hope of eternal life with our Heavenly Father. Hope – best gift ever! Hang onto it!

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

sincerely, Grace Day

the paraplegic

Posted on by Grace Day

My friends and I were praying over the prayer requests from people in our church, which they have submitted online. We do this once a week as a group. The requests are many, often anonymous, always heartfelt, often overwhelming, usually filled with a mixture of pain, despair, uncertainty and hope – perhaps hope in this desperate, last-ditch effort of sharing their deep need online with strangers.

Ours is such a large church and so many of the requests are anonymous, that I don’t know if I have ever known any of the people we are praying for each week. But of course, that’s the beauty of this thing called prayer – I don’t have to know. God knows everyone perfectly. He knows every situation and every need. How can I be sure of this? Well, the prophet Isaiah describes God in this way –

“He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” (Isaiah 40:26)

Do you know how many stars there are? Google tells me there are one septillion stars. I can’t really get my mind around that number. Just our own galaxy alone, the Milky Way, has over 100 billion stars, including our sun. So I guess if God knows the names of all those stars, He also knows the names of all the people who have submitted prayer requests, anonymous or not. And then there’s this –

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will 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)

If God knows the number of hairs on my head and on your heads, dear readers, then I can be assured that He knows the names and the situations of all those I am praying for, even though I don’t know those things. The NLT translation says, “But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.”

God knows. I don’t need to know in order to pray. I don’t need to know because God knows it all, sees it all and watches over it all. Nothing escapes His notice. He is omniscient. The author of Hebrews confirms this, saying –

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13)

So, this week there was a request for prayer for someone’s son who is now a paraplegic. No names or details were given. I found myself wondering how old is this son, how long has he been a paraplegic and what caused his condition – accident, illness, sports injury – what happened to him? What is his story? BUT – curious as I am, I don’t need to know all this in order to pray for him. God knows this person’s story and is continuing to write it even now.

I couldn’t help but think of the story of the paralytic told in Mark and in Luke. He was carried by his friends on a mat – this was before wheelchairs – to a place where his friends thought he might receive healing. His friends had heard the rumors of someone called Jesus who was healing people. They were willing to help their friend by transporting him to where Jesus was preaching and teaching. Here’s what happened –

“One day as He was teaching . . . Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’ ” (Luke 5:17-20)

Not exactly the response they were looking for – they sought a physical healing for their friend. That was their priority – that their friend would once again walk. Instead Jesus told him his sins were forgiven. Some in the crowd, namely the Pharisees, took issue with this response saying – “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Our story continues –

“Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, ‘Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ‘ He said to the paralyzed man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.” (Luke 5:22-25)

So how did I pray in response to this mother’s request for prayer for her paraplegic son? Before me was the desire for a physical healing. But her son needs more than this temporary fix. We all do. You and I and this paraplegic son, like the paralytic on the mat in front of Jesus, need a spiritual healing much more than we need any physical healing. A spiritual healing, which begins with forgiveness of sin, lasts for eternity. Any physical healing we experience in this life is temporary at best, as our bodies will eventually wear out. Even Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead, did eventually die a physical death.

The paralytic asked too little of Jesus. He desired a temporary healing. Jesus wanted to give him an eternal healing of his soul, which is why Jesus forgave him of his sins. How could I best pray for this paraplegic? I thought of God’s promise to me, to you, to this beloved son –

” ‘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)

Currently, her son is suffering from depression due to this change in his circumstances. BUT – God wants to give him hope and a future irregardless of his physical circumstances. God didn’t take away the apostle Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” (whatever that was) BUT it didn’t change the call of God on Paul’s life. Paul’s life was full of meaning and purpose as he lived out God’s purposes for him rather than his own.

I prayed that God’s truth would set this paraplegic free to live out God’s good and eternal purposes for his life. I prayed he would find his identity, purpose, place and calling through knowing Jesus, his Savior and ultimate healer. God wants to give him “hope and a future” – that’s a direct quote and a promise. I pray that he will receive all that God wants to give him, starting with forgiveness and eternal life and all the good gifts God’s presence brings to us each day – His peace, comfort, wisdom, provision, protection, hope, joy – it’s a long list.

Joni Erickson Tada has lived a life full of meaning, purpose, accomplishment and service to so many people around the world – author, artist, activist for those who are disabled – her list of accomplishments is long. And she has done it all from a wheelchair! I pray this for the paraplegic son on today’s prayer list – a life full and overflowing with all his Creator wants to give him. I pray he know the truth – that God’s love for him is unwavering and that God’s call upon his life remains intact despite any physical disability. God’s answer to this paraplegic son is perhaps the same as His response to Paul –

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”

Paul’s response?

“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 12:9-10)

I pray this son, this child of God, experiences God’s limitless power in his life, a life that is truly made perfect and strong because of, not in spite of, his newly weakened state.

sincerely, Grace Day

I’m tired

Posted on by Grace Day

Can you relate? Maybe you’re tired too? Maybe for you fatigue has become a constant companion. My tiredness is a weariness not just of body, but more often of mind and of spirit. It is a tiredness that leads me into discouragement and then into despair. And despair leads me into hopelessness. Hopelessness leads me to give up. Sound familiar?

Nothing new under the sun. Our human struggle continues unchanged at its core from the beginning of time. Must be why over two thousand years ago the apostle Paul wrote these words to the churches in Galatia –

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:9-10)

“not become weary”? Seems impossible as I, and many I know, are already plenty weary. Paul’s admonition is a bit belated if you ask me. But it does come with an instruction. The instruction? Don’t give up! Keep on going! More specifically, I am to keep on doing good. The promise? I will reap a harvest! Something good will result if I don’t give up hope, if I don’t stop doing what I’m called to do.

BUT – I’m tired. So was Diana Nyad. So was Florence Chadwick. They were tired. Utterly exhausted actually. Let me tell you their stories. Diana Nyad is a swimmer who swam from Cuba to Florida successfully in 2013. However, that was her fifth attempt. Her previous four attempts failed. With each swim she faced many obstacles – the danger of sharks, the stings of jellyfish, ocean currents, adverse weather conditions, physical exhaustion, mental fatigue – the list is long. Nevertheless, Diana persevered. She did not give up and in the end she did reap her harvest. She accomplished her lifelong goal of swimming from Cuba to Florida at the age of sixty-four.

Florence Chadwick was also a swimmer. On July 4th, 1952 she set out to swim the twenty-six miles from Catalina Island to California’s coastline. Fifteen hours into her swim, a heavy fog set in. Florence couldn’t see the land ahead of her. As the fog grew ever more dense, Florence despaired, feeling success was too far away from where she was currently. Florence lost hope and asked to be pulled into the boat.

Although she didn’t know it at the time she made her decision because of the fog, Florence was only a half mile from shore! She had swum twenty-five and a half miles! Due to the fog, she had no idea how close she actually was to land. She was so close to completing her task and reaching her goal when she gave up. If only she had known! If she had known how close she really was, she would have persevered despite her tiredness and she would have received her reward. But she lost sight of her destination and consequently, she lost hope.

That’s me. Is that you, too, dear readers? Tired. Discouraged. Losing hope. BUT – God’s word tells me and you not to give up. The thing is – I don’t know how close to or how far I currently am from land. I don’t know when my breakthrough or my harvest is coming. I don’t know how close or how far I am from seeing long prayed prayers answered. Life is too often filled with fog, obscuring my vision of the future. I am swimming upstream in dangerous waters, waters filled with sharks and jellyfish and swift currents that constantly try to take me off course. That’s life. It’s exhausting. No wonder I’m tired.

BUT – God tells me, don’t give up. Trust Him. Keep going. Keep going and I will “reap a harvest” if I don’t give up. He also says, “at the proper time” I will reap that harvest. Only my Heavenly Father knows when that “proper time” is. Like the swimmers, I can’t see the land. I just have to trust that it is there and keep on going, not knowing how much longer I will need to persevere on this path to which God has called me. Only God knows the end from the beginning. I will trust Him even when I am tired – especially when I am tired. I have this encouragement –

“standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (1 Peter 5:9-10)

” . . . now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6-7)

It will all be worth it if you and I don’t give up, dear readers. God will make you and me “strong, firm and steadfast.” Today I may be exhausted, weary with the weight of the world on my shoulders BUT – 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)

This is good news! Great news! My Heavenly Father wants to give me rest. And not just physical or mental rest, BUT – rest for my tired soul. The best kind of rest. Isaiah wrote these words regarding what God does for those of us who find ourselves tired –

“The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; (ok, I feel a little better about my tiredness) but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:28-31)

Reading those words, I’m feeling less tired and ready for a little soaring above the fog – care to join me?

sincerely, Grace Day

P. S. fun fact – the rest of the story – swimmer Florence Chadwick did try her swim again two months later in September and did succeed in completing it despite the same conditions of dense fog. The difference? This time she didn’t give up. She set a new record, besting the men’s time by two hours. She later did this swim two more times. Thank You God, for not giving up on us and for giving us multiple second chances!

today’s prayer

Posted on by Grace Day

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

Lord, the world is full of crushed and broken people, people left full of empty spaces after tragedy comes like the thief in the night, robbing them of their loved ones, robbing them of their peace and of their joy – leaving them with gaping holes in their hearts and in their lives – spaces that need to be filled – spaces that only You are able to fill.

There are many in Texas right now in desperate need of You, Heavenly Father. Their hearts have been broken wide open and their spirits crushed by the loss of their loved ones who were swept away by the flood waters which most certainly came as the thief in the night, leaving behind destruction, devastation – raw pain, open wounds – everything laid bare – all the cracks and holes in our hearts and our souls exposed for all to see.

Who will enter in to such overwhelming grief and sorrow? You, Heavenly Father, have said that You will enter in and that You will stay with us through whatever we encounter. We have Your promise –

“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

Lord, I pray that Your Presence enter in and fill all the empty spaces, all the open wounds, fill every crack and crevice currently filled with pain, with Your comfort and hope and love – You alone must fill these spaces if the people are to continue on after so great a loss. Please be the Lifter of every head, the Healer of every broken heart and the Mender of every crushed spirit. Lord Jesus, may those suffering loss know that You truly experience and carry their pain right now in these unbearable moments and days. We know You do because Isaiah said this about You –

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. . . . 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 53:3-5)

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

Lord Jesus, You Yourself are described as a man of sorrows. You know what it is to grieve and You too, have been crushed in spirit. We know You cried when Lazarus died, even though You knew You were going to bring him back to life in just a few moments. Yet still, You cried. You understand our grief. And You grieve right along with us.

Let Your Presence fill, sustain and protect all those left wounded and defenseless in the wake of the floods. Let them remember the promise of Your words –

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. . . . For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:10 & 13)

Lord, those who are grieving need Your help now as never before. May they experience today this reality, described in Your Living Word –

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

Heavenly Father, enter in to all these shattered lives, fill all the empty spaces with Your restoring, redeeming, life-giving Presence which “fills everything in every way.” (Ephesians 1:23) Be mighty to save. Quiet their mourning spirits with the infinite, unfailing love You have for each one of us. May they know with assurance that just as “not a sparrow falls to the ground without Your knowing it” – You hold in Your hands each one that the flood waters took from our hands. As they grieve, may it not be as those without hope – BUT –

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

Lord God, let Your love, stronger and deeper than any flood waters, surround those who are mourning, let Your love fill all their empty spaces, may Your love sustain them and carry them. Heavenly Father, we pray for all impacted by this flood, the same thing the apostle Paul prayed so many centuries ago,

“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)

Heavenly Father, heal every hole in every heart, create a new spirit in the crushed and fill every empty space with Your abiding love.

sincerely, Grace Day

a solitary sentry

Posted on by Grace Day

“Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street.” (Lamentations 2:19)

When my children were young, these words seemed ever before me as a constant imperative. Actually, as I write this I am convicted and reminded that this kind of prayer is a necessity no matter the age of my children. Have I grown weary in the carrying out of my sentry duties? Now these words come to mind –

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

I am definitely feeling weary and discouraged, but I don’t want these feelings to cause me to abandon my post, to forsake my sacred calling as a sentry. Like Habakkuk –

“I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what He will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.” (Habakkuk 2:1)

A sentry is defined as “a guard or watchman whose job is to stand and keep watch to protect a place.” So I am to do two things as a sentry – stand and keep watch. Both of these actions, standing and watching, are more challenging than you might initially think. Both require much perseverance and endurance. In 1 Corinthians I am given these instructions –

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men (women) of courage; be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

In Ephesians I am instructed with these words –

“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 . . . 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 6:13 & 18)

Standing and praying, waiting and watching, guarding and protecting – the work of a sentry is the carrying out of a sacred assignment. In Matthew I read this –

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.” (Matthew 24:42-44)

“Stand firm,” “keep watch,” “always keep on praying,” – this is my assignment as a sentry. I am waiting and watching always, ever vigilant at my post. Shepherds were the sentries of their day. They would stand at their posts, watching, guarding, protecting their sheep continuously. If they left their post at any time, a predator, such as a mountain lion, could enter in to steal, kill and destroy the sheep under their care.

Shepherds kept watch during the long nights in order to guard what God had entrusted to them from any enemy attack. They were solitary sentries, alone at their post, although there were other solitary sentries watching over other flocks on other hillsides. But the work of a sentry is done in solitude.

Today I am a solitary sentry – standing firm, watching expectantly, praying fervently – waiting for my Lord’s return. Shepherds, being the sentries of their day, were witness to the announcement of Jesus’s first appearance.

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ ” (Luke 2:8-12)

This monumental announcement came to the sentries, those at their posts, waiting and watching faithfully, through many years of long, cold, dark nights. The reward of these faithful sentries?

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.’ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ ” (Luke 2:13-15)

Did you catch that? “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven”, meaning angels came to them, delivered miraculous, wonderful news to them personally. And not just a few angels either. The text says, “a great company of the heavenly host (aka angels) appeared.” They appeared to the sentries, those who were at their posts – standing, watching, waiting – just as they had done through the watches of many a night before this particular night when the heavens opened, filled with light, angels and music.

A praying sentry watches out for the bad, waits with hope for the promised good, believes that like the shepherds, they will eventually behold the beautiful if they stand firm at their post, praying without ceasing. This is my assignment, perhaps yours, too, dear readers? Actually, we each are needed at our post of prayer and watchfulness. It is a solitary calling, each one of us at our particular post on the wall, crying out to God, standing, watching, waiting. The sentry is the first to spot danger and sound the alarm, the first to receive good news and make it known.

This is an exciting time to be a sentry. We are waiting on Jesus’s return to earth, even though we do not know the day nor the hour. Which should make us all the more vigilant as sentries. My assignment as a sentry is described by Isaiah in this way –

“I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.” (Isaiah 62:6-7)

I am a weary, lonely sentry in a dark world full of deaf ears BUT the One who keeps watch over me, the One who knows when a sparrow falls, is the perfect sentry over all creation, a sentry who never slumbers nor sleeps. He will enable me to stand firm at my post as I call out to Him day and night –

“Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, let Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9-10)

Come Lord Jesus, come quickly!

sincerely, Grace Day

the battle rages

Posted on by Grace Day

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

Jesus spoke those words to His disciples shortly before He was falsely accused, arrested, tried, found guilty and put to death on a cross. I wonder if His disciples recalled those words as they mourned His death following His crucifixion? At that moment in time, it certainly wouldn’t have appeared to His disciples as if Jesus had indeed overcome the world. His body lay in a tomb. It looked as though the world had won the battle.

However, only three days later, the disciples’ situation looked very different. The tomb was empty! Jesus was spending time with them! The disciples had been grieving Jesus’s death. Now they were celebrating His return, His presence with them! In seemingly an instant, everything changed. The tomb was (and is) empty. Death had been and is defeated. The disciples went from despair to hope, from doubt to faith, from disillusionment to fulfillment, from grief to joy, from fear to courage, from being abandoned and adrift to becoming bearers of the Good News. They were now Christ’s ambassadors, entrusted with carrying out His Great Commission to “go into all the world and proclaim the gospel.” The disciples were to let the world know the battle was won! Jesus had defeated death!

It is true, Jesus has defeated death, BUT – the battle is still raging today. My battle is still raging today and I’m guessing maybe yours is too? I see it and I feel it all around me. I am fighting it. I see those around me fighting it too. It is a battle fought on all fronts – physical, mental and spiritual. After all, we are triune beings, created in the image of a triune God, our Heavenly Father. So of course the enemy of our souls attacks our bodies, our minds and our spirits. I read in 1 Peter –

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)

And that is definitely true today. Many around the globe live in countries where they are being persecuted for their faith even as I write these words. There are famines and wars and rumors of wars all around us. The battle rages around us and within us. I might as well get used to it because this will continue until the day of Christ’s return, when He will set all things right. Jesus said the outcome of the battle is secure – He has overcome. But until He comes again – the battle continues to rage on all fronts.

The apostle Paul was familiar with doing battle – both external and internal. He described His internal battle in this way.

“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. . . . When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:18-25)

No wonder I am weary! I am fighting a daily battle within myself (basically I am fighting with myself) and I am fighting many battles without, simultaneously. I would wager you are too, dear readers. While good and evil face off within me, I must also face physical illnesses and challenges, (as do so many I know), face interpersonal challenges (being called to love your enemies is hard work, as is just getting along with friends, family, coworkers and strangers alike) and battle the lies of this world (which enslave) with God’s sword of truth. My Heavenly Father knows the battle is raging. That’s why He provides armor for me to wear and a weapon for me to use.

“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17)

As I watch those I know and love battle illness, loss, loneliness, lies, hurt, fear, depression, anxiety, persecution etc., I watch our world battle with hatred, cruelty, violence, lies, poverty, fear and persecution simultaneously. There seems to be no peace from the battle at present anywhere I look. BUT – it makes a difference where I look. When I look to Jesus while I am in the midst of the many battles I seem to be fighting today and every day, I can “take heart” from these words of Jesus, spoken to His disciples before He sent them out into the world where He knew they would face many battles – trouble, hardship, persecution, rejection, unbelief –

“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)

Yes, the battle is raging all around me BUT – Jesus tells me not to be troubled or afraid. My Heavenly Father doesn’t call me to live my life in fear, but rather to live my life with courage, as I face and fight the battles that surround me. After all, He has given me His sword of the Spirit with which to fight each lie, each loss, each assault and accusation. I can know –

“For our (my) light and momentary troubles are achieving for us (me) an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

I have His instructions for battle from centuries ago, still applicable for today –

“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’ ” (Exodus 14:13-14)

A good battle plan for me and for you, too – don’t be afraid, stand firm, wait on God, trust God, be still, let Him fight for me, let it be His strength, His way and His will that wins all the battles in my life. Let the victory be His alone!

I have His promise –

“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10-11)

I remember that –

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.” (Psalm 18:2-3)

yes, the battle rages – BUT – I will put on the full armor of God, stand firm, be still, trust God, wait on God – the battle is His –

“This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’ ” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17)

As I fight my many battles, I need to remember these words from Chronicles. I don’t have to be discouraged or afraid even though the challenges and obstacles are many. (they seem like a vast army for sure) God simply asks me to show up – to take my position, to stand firm, and then I will have a front row seat to witness God’s deliverance. God calls me to face the enemy, (be it illness, lies, hatred, injustice, cruelty, division, betrayal, persecution) while assuring me that He will be with me when I do.

After all, my Heavenly Father is a God who does the unimaginable, the impossible – even when the battle rages. King David knew this, which may be why he said this about God-

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

King David knew a thing or two about fighting battles. He fought the giant Goliath as well as many physical battles with horses, chariots and armies of men. He fought interpersonal battles with members of his own household and he fought spiritual battles within himself, eventually crying out to God –

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)

As for me, when all my battles have ceased, I want to be able to say –

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

today, while the battle rages, I will stand firm, I will take up the sword of the Spirit with confidence, knowing Jesus has said – “but take heart! I have overcome the world.”

sincerely, Grace Day