October 19 - On Waiting

Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.
Psalm 25:4-5

Thought for today: We live in a society where waiting does not seem to be an option.  Everything is instant from gratification to groceries.  I teach at a college and find that students want to learn things instantly. Yet, in this psalm we see David indicating that He waits on the Lord all day long. This waiting is tied to being shown by God His ways. Perhaps, the more we wait on the Lord, seeking His face in prayer, the more we shall become like Him.  This day, may we all endeavor to slow down, waiting on the Lord and seeking to learn all of His ways.

October 18 - Lift Up Your Soul

To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, I trust in You;
Let me not be ashamed;
Let not my enemies triumph over me.

Psalm 25:1-2 (NKJV)

Thought for Today: David indicates in the opening verses of this psalm that there is a direct connection between lifting one's soul to the Lord and having victory over one's enemies.  What does it mean to lift one's soul to the Lord?  It seems that all we have to lift to Him on the level of the soul is prayer.  When we pray, we experience victory.  When we pray, our difficult circumstances, what we might call our enemies, cannot overcome us.  Are you facing something in your life that you are afraid will triumph over you? The only answer is to lift up your soul to God in prayer.  In Him will be the victory.

October 17 - Dry Places

The poor and needy seek water, but there is none,
Their tongues fail for thirst.
I, the Lord, will hear them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open rivers in desolate heights,
And fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
And the dry land springs of water.
Isaiah 41:17,18 (NKJV)

Thought for today: A while ago I was hospitalized for a week, unable to take anything by mouth.  How the days and nights of thirst seemed to drag on forever until that magical day when I could have my first sip of water.  Nothing seemed to have ever tasted so good!

Perhaps you are going through a dry spell in your life.  Days and nights of despair seem to drag on without an end in sight.  Yet, the same God who promised deliverance for His people long ago also promises the same to us today.  We have to trust that He will indeed turn the dry places of our lives into wonderful pools of water, from which will flow praises to Him.  Can you give that dry place to Him today, trusting that He will indeed turn your circumstances into something beautiful?

October 16 - Do not be dismayed

But you, Israel, are My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
The descendants of Abraham My friend.
You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its farthest regions,
And said to you,
‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away:
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Isaiah 41: 8-10 (NKJV)

Thought for Today: Do you feel dismayed by your circumstances?  The word dismay can be traced to the common Latin word exmagare, which means divest of power or ability.  So often, we can feel powerless in our circumstances, unable to fix things.  We can only come to a true place of strength and of peace when we realize that our job is not to fix the things in our lives that are not right.  Our job is to trust the One who calls us to be His, relying fully upon Him to sustain us.  He knows your circumstances, He knows your pain.  Will you give those to Him today in complete surrender, trusting in Him alone?

October 15 - The beginning and the end

Who has performed and done it,
Calling the generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord, am the first;
And with the last I am He.
Isaiah 41:4 (NKJV)

Thought for today: It is amazing to me that the one who is the first and the last, the beginning and the end, cares for me.  Since He who is the beginning and the end knows my beginning and my end, the span of my days, how could I possibly worry about where life will lead?  Isaiah 46:10 tells us that God knew the end from the beginning. He has ordained all things in your life.  Can you trust Him today and let Him lead you on an incredible journey fully relying upon Him for all that you ever need?

October 14 - Waiting

Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31 (NKJV)

Thought for today: Do you feel today that you have no strength?  Perhaps you are dealing with some difficult circumstances in your life, perhaps you just are overextended and feel worn out.  Waiting seems to contradict my idea of fixing a lack of strength.  When I feel weak, I often try to gain strength back by just pushing on harder.  Yet, perhaps the secret is to slow down and wait on the Lord.  If we can look at things from His perspective, we will indeed soon see strength in our weakness.  This day, let's choose to wait in anticipation of all that God can do in the midst of the most disquieting circumstances. He cares so much for each one of us that He will indeed give us all the strength that we need each day.

August 18 - True Caring

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6,7

Thought for Today: We all want the Lord to care for us and to meet every need.  Yet, we so often don’t want to humble ourselves before Him, accepting His will for our lives, regardless of what that might mean.  Does care always mean that we get the answer that we want to our prayers?  I think not.  For example, if my child requests something that I know is not best for her, by denying her request do I show that I don’t care?  Hardly so.  In the same way, we must trust God and truly believe that His way is the best way, even when it may not be our way.

What burden are you unwilling to lay at His feet today?  Trust, let it go and obey. You will see that God will care for you in ways that you could never imagine.

Come, oh come, with thy broken heart,
Weary and worn with care;
Come and kneel at the open door,
Jesus is waiting there;
Waiting to heal thy wounded soul,
Waiting to give thee rest;
Why wilt thou walk where shadows fall?
Come to His loving breast!

Come, Oh Come, with thy Broken Heart (Fanny Crosby)