Father, You are the essence of goodness. I don’t think I truly understand the depth of Your goodness, but surely it correlates to the depths of Your love which far exceeds my imagination. You are good in the widest sense, the furthest extreme … even when life is hard.
I’ve learned that Your goodness remains regardless of my circumstances — You cannot not be good.
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An occasional red leaf tinged in yellow shows off in the midst of green leaves clinging to summer, painting a portrait of hope for weary pilgrims. Chilly mountain mornings belie the humid, hot afternoons, and watermelons vie for attention in the noise of pumpkin this and pumpkin that.
Seasons change. Transitions come.
And the Word of the Lord never fails. Not ever.
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Father, You are my refuge and my strength, my God in whom I trust. You preserve me in trouble as a shield protects the soldier, as a father protects his child. You surround me with songs of deliverance — the praise of Your angel army thwarts the enemy.
I like to imagine Your angel army, the one Elisha saw as his gaze scoured the mountain ridge above Dothan. Chariots of fire encircled the chariots of the Syrian King as they hunted down the man of God.
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With my Bible in hand, and coffee cup close by, I clicked on a YouTube playlist of worship songs to begin my morning. Jesus was calling me to come just as I am. Worship songs with powerful melodies soared, and thought-provoking lyrics rang true in my heart. I lifted my hands in praise and focused on Jesus.
Then it happened.
Out of the blue.
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Father, I’m so thankful You are the Ruler over all the earth. And I’m thankful You are good, You are merciful, and You are kind. That knowledge helps me walk by faith. I try not to walk by sight but seeing still gets to me.
Sometimes it is hard to reconcile what I’m seeing with what I know about You. I question how such evil could be taking over our nation and world. I question how an all-powerful God could allow such things to happen.
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The porch swing rocked in a peaceful rhythm. My spirit stirred as I looked up from my Bible, raising it to my chest and grasping the wonder it held. I looked toward the ridge where the sun began its evening descent.
Magenta began rising above the trees. Lavender and apricot clouds tossed their petals across the wide expanse as the North Star made its appearance. Soon multitudes of stars — glistening diamonds — would make their presence known against an indigo sky.
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Father, I am so thankful for Your authority over all the earth. You are the Sovereign God, nothing takes You by surprise and I’m so thankful nothing is too hard for You.
I can rest in that knowledge because I know it to be true.
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The morning dew lay heavy upon the grass, glistening drops of refreshment clinging to each blade. In each tiny globe of moisture, the light of a new day reflected like glitter scattered across the field. I thought of how the dew was formed — the warm air rising from the earth clashing with the cooler air of descending darkness, a foretelling of the clashing seasons of summer into fall, a whisper of the challenges my tenets of faith have experienced.
I thought of the conflict of one season morphing into another — the warmth of summer wrestling with the chill of fall much like the dark of night softens to morning light …
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Father, I find myself feeling anxious over fear of the unknown, and great frustration with the state of our nation and world. I worry about its effect on my family and loved ones. I know You instruct me not to worry, but it’s hard not to.
My thoughts race, running parallel to Your Word rather than intersecting and falling captive to Your authority.
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Shadows laced together like interlocking fingers carpeting the trail beneath my feet. Blue chicory mingled with fuchsia-painted sweet peas among the boulders heralding my hike. A cool breeze rubbed against my neck stiff with attitude and tension and whispered for me to look up to the sky wrought with glory.
But I didn’t want to.
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Father, everywhere I look I see shadows of evil, the handiwork of the rulers and principalities of darkness. I have not seen this level of evil in all of my days. I’m thankful my faith is rooted, reaching deep into Your streams of living water.
I must hold fast in the storm. Please help me, Lord.
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Curled up on the couch, I watched the sun rise over the ridge. Fresh, cool air streamed in through the open window awakening my senses, drawing my attention to the One who loves me. Being lost in my thoughts, I cradled my coffee cup and sipped from its warm goodness. I craved stillness of heart.
Stirring deep in my spirit came a song, “Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, help me stand. I am tired, I am weak, I am worn … “
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