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)

God our Rock and Strength

There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

1 Samuel 2:2 (KJV)

Thought for Today: I live near the ocean.  So often, I hear stories of houses being swept out to sea in storms due to erosion of the sand that they are built on. I’ve driven through neighborhoods to view the devastation caused by the sea.  Sometimes, it is eerie to see a house still standing due to being anchored to the strong bedrock below the sand.  All the other houses are gone but one or two built to withstand the sea.

How true in our own lives.  We often build our lives on things that so quickly can be swept out from under us; our careers, houses, money, even our families. All are fleeting.  Yet, if we place our hope in the Lord, we have put our hope in something that will not be swept out from under us.  By anchoring our lives in His love and grace, we truly are eternally secure.

So, what do you choose today: a sandcastle or a fortress?  For surely, if you build your life upon the former, it will all fade away someday.  Plant your feet securely on the promises of God and His great salvation for you and me.  You will never be moved by the uprisings of this life.

Jesus, I fain would walk in Thee,
From nature’s every path retreat;
Thou art my Way, my Leader be,
And set upon the rock my feet.

Uphold me, Saviour, or I fall;
O reach me out Thy gracious hand!
Only on Thee for help I call;
Only by faith in Thee I stand.

Charles Wesley, 1742

August 14 - God came to Us!

Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
 rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—

        even death on a cross!

Phil 2:6-8 (NIV)

Thought for Today: How so often we think that working harder will win us favor with God and then He will take care of all of our concerns. Realize today that you cannot work hard enough to ever merit the favor that God has bestowed upon us by choosing to know our human condition.  We could not go to Him so He came to us. Praise be to God!

Prayer: Father God, this day, may we realize the immensity of your great Love for us that sent your only Son to the cross to pay a debt that He did not earn.  May we marvel in such love and bask in the light of your presence each and every day.

Nor vex you souls with care, nor grieve
And labour longer thus,
As though your arm could ought achieve,
And bring him down to us.
He comes, He comes with ready will,
By pity moved alone,
To soothe our every grief and ill,
For all to Him are known.

(From Lyra Germanica)