Crushing heartbreak seared through my thoughts, impacting my spirit, bending me over with despair. Tears streamed with reckless abandon saturating the open pages of my Bible as I cried out to the One who loves me.
He loves me through thick and thin with more love than I can possibly imagine in my wildest dreams.
Or yours.
He loves us.
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Sunshine bathed my face in warm light as I gazed at the sapphire sky of October. Peace stirred within me — a peace long sought after. I walked up the gravel drive of the country church nestled in our mountain hollar. Sitting down on the church’s top step, I wrapped my arms around my knees, intertwined my fingers, gently rocked, and thought of the Lord, the Keeper of my soul.
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Thank You for going before me into all of my tomorrows. You lift me up when I struggle to stand. You carry me with Your strength when I’m too weak to go on. You shelter me in the shadow of Your wing and lift up Your banner of war against my enemy. I praise You for Your love.
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For me, especially right now, your grace sustains me. Maybe for someone else it is courage or peace or hope. Maybe it’s joy. All of these things are the perfect gift from You waiting to be unwrapped to meet a need.
But it’s up to us to unwrap them.
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I lift up others who are burdened and heavy-laden. I know Your heart is already turned toward them for You promise that Your eyes roam to and fro upon the earth seeking those who need to be strengthened. How sweet is that? The thought of You searching out Your hurting child blesses me beyond words.
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You use everything in our life as we yield to You. Even those things that are dead or ineffecient that You cause to fall away, can be used for Your glory as we listen for Your guidance. Our lessons learned keep the roots of faith warmed during winter seasons for those who are hurting. If we yield to You. If we are willing to use our pain and struggles and lessons learned to strengthen othe
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Do I realize that God’s glory comes from within and isn’t contingent on my circumstances? The maple tree must know this because it is rejoicing with magnificent color, even though winter is coming. Do I walk in the knowledge that my life can give praise simply for who He is in the face of barren, bleak circumstances?
Paganini, a famous Italian violinist said, “Music is not in the instrument, but in the soul.”
Freely given is His peace “lying so deeply within the human heart that no external difficulty or disturbance can reach it.”
And His peace remains for the child of God, a deep cistern of calm in the midst of the fiercest storm.
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I bring my friends — my readers — before Your throne of grace. I ask that You shower them with Your many blessings of favor. Cause them to dance in the joy that You are with them and You delight in their love. Let them find Your faithfulness in all things that concern them.
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Sweet friend, is your path veiled by fog also? Do you find yourself confused, afraid — maybe disillusioned by this thing called faith? The Lord desires to make Himself known to you. Call out to Him. Dare to take Him at His Word.
And allow Him to take your hand and lead you by the light of His love through the shroud of fog and the darkness from your past.
For you see, “Just as I am without one plea,” His blood was shed for me. And “though tossed about with many a conflict and many a doubt, Fighting fears within without,” He bid me to come. The precious Lamb of God called me to come.
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Layer by layer, as we yield to Him, He digs into the soil of our hearts and unearths hidden wounds, sins, betrayals — those things that would keep us from loving Him well. With a gentle touch the Lord brushes the dirt away, rubs the imperfection with His thumb, and blows His breath on it to scatter any remaining dirt that would keep it from reflecting His light.
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Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference
