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God is Your Protector,
Provider, and Friend,
His love will not fail you.
His mercies won’t end.

for they are both new
each day and each hour
like the sun that arises
each morning in power.

Each morning Love shines,
drives darkness away
for the soul that is seeking
to walk in God’s ways.

for darkness (evil) must flee
when His children seek Him . . .
as surely as night
must flee when earth spins.

In Part One, we examined the Biblical basis for the first two stanzas of the little poem above. Those Bible verses included Psalm 103:11-14, Hebrews 13:5b, and Habakkuk 3:17-19.  In Part Two, we will consider the Scriptures on which the third and fourth stanzas are based.

STANZA THREE:
Each morning Love shines,
drives darkness away
for the soul that is seeking
to walk in God’s ways.

God’s power in our lives. God intends that every believer live a life of consistent victory over the darkness of sin. I see earth’s consistent victory over darkness as a parallel to the believer’s life. Like the darkness of night, trials and tribulations consistently come but as we resist and turn toward God, His light, like that of the sun, always, always, always pushes darkness away.

Why is that? The believer’s daily defeat over the darkness of “our flesh, the world and the devil” comes because of God’s power working in us (Ephesians 3:20) because God’s power gives us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). He has given us of His Spirit (1 John 4:13) and our “Father is greater than all” (John 10:9).

Trials come and trials go. God gets glory and does His work as we act according to the teaching of James 1:2-4.  As we walk through trials, we can choose to be glad, knowing that these earthly irritants are refining our faith and developing perseverance which, when finished, will render us “mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  Jesus warns that we will have “troubles, trials, distresses and frustrations” but Jesus says we can rejoice because He overcame “the world and deprived it of the power to harm us and He has conquered it for us.” (John 16:33, AMPC)

Also, consider Hebrews 13:5.  God has most emphatically promised He will always help us.

⁵ Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] (Hebrews 13:5, AMPC)

For all these reasons, we can consistently win over darkness, be witnesses for Christ and press on to maturity. We will thereby not only glorify God and help others but we will store up eternal rewards, all things God desires for us.

How the light of God is perceived. How a believer reacts to light is radically different from how an unbeliever or a believer being convicted reacts. Though Paul did not write the first chapter in the book of James, which explains the right attitude about trials, he certainly understood about trials and how God can use them. In 2 Corinthians 2, just before verses 14-16 Paul talked about the hardships, or trials, of his ministry. Then Paul says “BUT” and describes how God always leads us in victory in Christ. As He does this, God uses us to spread the sweet, God-pleasing aroma that comes from knowing Christ everywhere we go.

Paul teaches us that, as this happens–as we keep following Christ through the dark times of life and let Him bring us back into the sunshine of better times — we are witnesses of Christ to the world. Then Paul teaches that people respond differently to the light of God. To those who are being saved, our witness of Christ (God’s light shining through us) is pleasant but to those who reject Christ we are “the dreadful smell of death and doom.” Our righteous life convicts those still controlled by the flesh and Satan. “The righteous despise the unjust; the wicked despise the godly.” (Proverbs 29:27, NLT).

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This is part of God’s design. Jesus tells us ““You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14, NLT). He is telling us that the way we live should guide others to Him. In other words, our behavior should be obviously different from that of people who do not follow Jesus. Some will be attracted and some will be offended.

If  my righteous behavior convicts someone, that is good. In that case, someone is “offended” in a way that is spiritually productive. If my heart is filled with God’s love for others and a humble attitude toward my own failures, that love and humility in my heart will overflow (Luke 6:45) and color my words with God’s love. Suppose, for example, I say, “No, thank you, but I do not watch movies with sexual content.” If I say it gently and with the love of God uppermost in my heart, God can use the light that comes from my behavior to help that person.

However, if my behavior is motivated by pride, if I want to look good or be better than others, if I feel judgmental and sound superior Satan will use my pride to offend people in a spiritually harmful way and push them  away from the light of Christ.

For this and many other reasons, God hates pride (Proverbs 16:5, James 4:6).  We do well to study Scriptures about pride and humility. We do well to read strong books on the topic such as Humility by Andrew Murray and The Power of Humility, by R. T. Kendall.

 For the soul that is seeking. To return to the main subject of this blog post, how do we achieve that life of consistent victory over darkness? How do we, like the earth, consistently find the light when darkness overtakes us?  Simple.  We must seek God with our whole heart. It’s not possible for part of earth to spin and return to the light while the rest remains in darkness. It would, literally, rip the earth apart.  Give that thought an unhurried selah.

God does not require perfection but He does command us to love Him with all our heart, soul and mind. When a highly educated man asked Jesus what was the greatest law of Moses, Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with ALL  your heart, ALL your soul, and ALL your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[f] 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40, NLT, emphasis added)

If we do that, if we seek Him whole-heartedly – and as consistently as the dark part of earth seeks light—and love each other, the pathway God has prepared fo us is one of consistent victory. It is embedded in the ways of God with His righteous children as surely as the rising of the sun is embedded in the ways of our solar system.

Consider these promises:

• Proverbs 2:7 “He holds success in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless” (NIV).
• Psalm 112:4 “Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.” (NIV).
• Proverbs 4:18 “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” (NIV)
• Psalm 97:11 “Light is sown for the [uncompromisingly] righteous and strewn along their pathway, and joy for the upright in heart [the irrepressible joy which comes from consciousness of His favor and protection]” (AMPC).
• Our only appropriate response for these promises is to praise and thank Him, as the psalmist did in Psalm 97:12: “Rejoice in the Lord, you [consistently] righteous (upright and in right standing with God), and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.”  (AMPC)

Do you see? If we try whole-heartedly to follow Jesus, He will give us more light, more guidance. And we must have faith that God will do this. Hebrews 11:16 tells us “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.“ (NLT.)  And if you cannot believe that yet, confess your unbelief to God and ask Him to help you with it, like the distressed father in Mark 9:24, who could not quite believe that Jesus would heal his beloved son.

STANZA FOUR

for darkness (evil) must flee
when His children seek Him . . .
as surely as night
must flee when earth spins.

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We must resist the darkness.  Standing on earth, it looks like the sun is rising up from the horizon and moving across the sky. Actually, we are seeing the effect of the earth rotating on its axis. Every 24 hours earth completes one rotation. As earth spins or rotates, part of the earth faces the sun and it is daytime there. And when that same part of earth turns away from the sun, when it turns to face the darkness, darkness returns.

We could say that earth overcomes darkness by resisting it, by exerting force in opposition to it. This brings to mind the well-known verse Hebrews 4:7 – “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (NLT). God tells us if the believer opposes the devil, the devil will flee. This powerful truth gives strength, confidence and instruction to the believer. It is a spiritual law, a statement of how things operate in the spiritual realm. I interpret the relationship between sun and earth, light and dark in the natural world as an instructive analog of the relationship between God and man, life and death.

Let’s consider the context of James 4:7. We need to know why humbling ourselves before God is important and what God says it means.

Loving the world brings darkness. The first few verses of James 4 explain that the believers are having fights and quarrels among themselves and not getting prayers answered because their hearts are coveting things of the world. This is spiritual adultery and it places them in opposition to God. James sharply says to them:

^“4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. ⁵ Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit He has placed within us should be faithful to Him.” (Other translations, such as The AMPC, say God yearns over us jealously.)

 The first of the Ten Commandments (commandments, not suggestions) says: “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. You must not have any other god but me.” (Exodus 20:2-3, NLT). Then, the second Commandment forbids making idols because God is jealous for us and will not tolerate our affection for any other gods (Exodus 20:4-6).

 Because God cares passionately that we put Him first, He gives us what we need to do that. He gives us grace, most generously, so that we can be faithful to Him. Carefully read the next few statements James makes.

⁶ And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ ⁷ So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

 ⁸ Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. ⁹ Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor.” (James 4:6-10, NLT, emphasis added)

James earnestly tells his readers to pay attention to what Scripture says and realize they are an unclean, dirty spiritual mess because their divided loyalty has led them to be unfaithful to God. Why is James so harsh? Because it is the truth.

James tells them to stop lusting after the world and get their hearts right with God.  He reassures them that God has provided grace if they will sincerely, from the heart repent, to the point of tears and grief. This is not a casual thing! To shed tears and experience grief means that you have taken time to focus your whole attention on something. Taking God seriously and putting God first is as vital to the believer’s spiritual life as oxygen is to his physical life.

In indulging their desires for things of the world, the people James addressed have turned their backs on God, Who is Light.  They must realize the seriousness of their unfaithfulness to God and turn completely away from their former behaviors. Then, God will comfort those who sincerely mourn their sins and lift up those who have humbled themselves before Him. Perhaps James was thinking of Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent.” (Psalm 34:18, AMPC).

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Coveting things of the world is only one of many, many sins that can remain hidden for a long time and seem to be doing no harm.  I do well to make a daily habit of praying like David when his sin of adultery was uncovered.  “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.² Wash me clean from my guilt.  Purify me from my sin. (Psalm 51:1-2, NLT).  I need to do this as a daily habit and also each time the Holy Spirit convicts me of any sin.

It is also essential that I ask God to reveal my hidden faults because I cannot see them. “How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.” (Psalm 19:12, NLT).  As Jeremiah 17:9 teaches me: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”  Asking God to expose my hidden sin is one essential part of humility.

The natural rhythms of life.  Life is full of ups and downs. That is one of the truths we learn early in life. Solomon reflected on this in Ecclesiastes 3:1. He wrote “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” (NLT) He next lists 14 examples of contrasts – birth and death, planting and harvest, etc. Then in verses 9-13 he says that despite the burden of hard work we humans endure while on earth because of the fall, “God has made everything beautiful for its own time.”   

 And, God “also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], (Ecclesiastes 3:11b, AMPC). Solomon acknowledges that “even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end” (3:11c, NLT) 

 Next, Solomon says: ^“So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. ¹³ And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.” (3:12-13, NLT).

 Because of the fall of man and the consequent curse (Genesis 2:16-17 and Genesis 3) life on earth consists of hills and valleys, seasons of light and seasons of dark. God’s desire is that we live in the constant light that comes from His presence. This indescribably glorious state is part of what we will experience in heaven. Until heaven, however, we must contend with the darkness of evil.

Despite this, Solomon says human life, with all its various seasons, is beautiful if we “see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”  If we take God’s viewpoint, we can stop fretting, and simply accept that life will be difficult at times.

I am not saying to passively accept sin, sickness, death or any other harmful or deadly thing. God teaches us that we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony (Revelations 12:11). He teaches us that our words have power. Proverbs 18:21 tells us “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (NIV).

I am saying settle down, accept the natural ups and downs of life, and serve God whole-heartedly, with joy and confidence in “the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him” (Ephesians 1:19b, NLT). This serving and loving God is the only thing under the sun that will satisfy that sense of purpose God plants in the heart of every man (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

A daily reminder of His faithfulness. God has promised that “as long as the earth remains, there will be. . . day and night” (Genesis 8:22, NLT). For as long as we live, we will always have that daily reminder of God’s faithfulness to us and the blessings of walking in the light that comes from knowing Him.

Remember, as we press on toward maturity, continuing to walk in all of His light that we have, that He gives us all that we need to live a holy life. 2 Peter 1:3 tells us: “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.” (NLT, emphasis added).

Rest assured that the “everything” in that verse includes the power to resist the darkness of sin because “. . .  God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.” (Philippians 2:13, NLT)

In the strength of His grace, that grace He generously gives when we humble ourselves before Him, we will consistently reach out to Him, loving Him above all else, even when the darkness of the world, the flesh, or the devil overtake our frail, human hearts. We can reach out to Him with confident, expectant hope, like Jeremiah did.

The verses below came after Jeremiah complained and expressed self-pity. However, he next realized that focusing on his troubles made his soul “bowed down”.  Then Jeremiah remembered that God’s mercy and loving kindness are new, every day, like the sunrise. In the strength of that truth, Jeremiah turned his heart to God and God gave Jeremiah words that have since been an impenetrable fortress to millions:

“The Lord is my portion or share, says my living being (my inner self); therefore will I hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.

²⁵ The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God’s word].

²⁶ It is good that one should hope in and wait quietly for the salvation (the safety and ease) of the Lord.”  (Lamentations 3:24-26, AMPC)

Dear friend, no matter your situation and circumstance, remember that “Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.” (Psalm 112:4, NIV). When you turn your heart to God, you may see only a faint glimmer at first. But as you keep seeking Him, more light will be shed on you and you will walk in the full light of day. Such is the path of the righteous (Proverbs 4:18.)

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Photo by Javier Miranda on Unsplash

God is Your Protector,
Provider, and Friend,
His love will not fail you.
His mercies won’t end.

For they are both new
each day and each hour
like the sun that arises
each morning in power.

Each morning Love shines,
drives darkness away
for the soul that is seeking
to walk in God’s ways,

for darkness (evil) must flee
when His children seek Him . . .
as surely as night
must flee when earth spins.

I can depend on God as surely as I depend on the sun to rise. The daily rising of the sun is a God-designed picture of His faithfulness and unchanging power to drive away all that Satan tries to do. The principle that God’s light always defeats the enemy’s darkness applies to each problem we face in this life on earth.

Let’s examine the Biblical basis for Stanza One.

STANZA ONE: 

God is Your Protector,
Provider, and Friend,
His love will not fail you.
His mercies won’t end.

God’s love is like that of a perfect father. What does a perfect human father do? He protects, provides for, guides, and loves his children. How perfectly our Heavenly Father does all that, and so much more! God is referred to as our Father more than 150 times in the Old and New Testaments https://shorturl.at/xv13J. Clearly, He wants us to think of Him that way. Consider Psalm 103:11-14.

¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him.
¹² As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
¹³ As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear Him [with reverence, worship, and awe].
¹⁴ For He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust.  (Psalm 103:11-14, AMPC, emphasis added)

The sky speaks clearly, but without words, of the limitless nature of God’s love. (Psalm 19:1). Standing outside, you see that heaven’s blue canopy is unimaginably far beyond your grasp. You also see that earth, and you, are encompassed by sky. As the earth’s atmosphere protects earth, so God’s love protects those “who reverently and worshipfully fear Him.” (Psalm 103:17).

Did you ever notice how the sky seems to curve around us, like a huge inverted bowl? This makes us feel safe outdoors. We do not have to understand the geometry of tangents, circles, and the horizon. God designed the human eye so that we all perceive ourselves to be surrounded when we are outdoors. Yet, at the same time we feel free. We see this even in infants. Take a fretful infant outdoors and he calms. Why?

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God made earth a good place for His beloved human beings. The One Who made us planned that the basic elements of earth and of life itself are good. Consider the pleasure of drawing breath, the comfort of a gentle breeze or a human hand touching your cheek, the relief of sitting or lying down, how water soothes skin, the pleasure of rhythm—evident in the pulse of the ocean and the beat of music that mimics heartbeats heard in the womb. All these are channels through which God loves us. God is our exceedingly good Father, good far beyond all we can imagine.

Am I included in His perfect love? God wants us to know that His love, like that of a parent, is as measureless as the heavens for those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him.   “ But the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting upon those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him. . . ” (Psalm 103:17a,  AMPC)

How do you know you are included in that group of people? How do you know that you “reverently worship and fear Him”? “Fearing God means having a reverence for Him that greatly impacts the way we live. The fear of God is respecting Him, obeying Him, submitting to His discipline, and worshiping Him in awe.” https://tinyurl.com/42bc2b5h

However, that does not mean we have to be perfect. To fear God means to love Him and serve Him and follow Him with all your heart. My efforts to please God are as beautiful to Him as the misshapen mud pie a toddler plops into his mother’s outstretched hands. What God chooses to see is my love and my effort for Him. God knows—and I know—when I give Him my all. God knows—and I know—when I do something for Him out of my love.

Am I really forgiven? Am I included in His mercies? Because we human beings so often doubt that God has really forgiven our past sins, God uses another astonishing simile. He says He has separated our sin from us as far as the east is from the west. That includes every time we fell short of God’s best before we believed in and began living for Jesus. It also includes every time we fall short after we walk with Him — if we confess our sins.

Why is this so important? We all sin, and God will always be true to His nature. What is God’s nature? Psalm 103 tells us: The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love”. (Psalm 103:8, NLT).  Compassionate means God is aware of our distresses and is moved to help. Merciful means God is willing to forgive.

An essential truth to know as a believer is that God will forgive us and wash us clean from everything not pleasing to Him if we confess our sin. This promise is conditional. We must do our part by admitting to God that we have sinned.   Consider 1 John 1:8-10.

“If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. ⁹ But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His word has no place in our hearts.” (NLT)

And regarding mercy, Psalm119 says: “Turn to me and have mercy on me, as You always do to those who love Your name.” (NIV, emphasis added).  Consider also Isaiah 30:18:

“ And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you.” (AMPC, emphasis added).

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STANZA TWO:
For they are both new
each day and each hour
like the sun that arises
each morning in power.
(“They” means God’s love and mercy in Stanza One).

God knows we need reassurances. Our perfect Heavenly Father knows we need constant reassurance from Him because this present world is dark and our human nature weak. He knows our fleshly tendency to dwell on the past, the negative, and our inadequacies. And He knows how the enemy attacks.

Over and over God’s Word reiterates that His nature will never change and that He is and will always be faithful to His children. Perhaps this was the principle Jeremiah pondered upon while writing Lamentations, specifically Lamentations 3:22-23.  Perhaps Jeremiah was thinking that the daily rising of the sun illustrates God’s faithfulness as well as His power to drive all darkness away.  That principle applies to each hour as well as each day and season of our life.

Despite all that, I might ask: “But does He love me? Will He be merciful to me?   I have lived such a terrible life!”  The answer?  Yes! Yes! Yes!  God’s love and care for His children is dependable as dawn and everlasting as evening’s ease. And “God does not show favoritism.” (Romans 2:11, NLT). It is well worth the time to deeply ponder Hebrews 13:5b in the AMPC translation. Repeat this verse phrase by phrase until it imprints on your heart.

“. . . be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God Himself has said,
I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support.
[I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not
in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not!]” (Hebrews 13:5b, AMPC)  (line spacing added for emphasis)

Could God put it any plainer?

But alas! My thoughts and my feelings! How do I fight fears and temptations and those terribly fickle feelings? If I put on and use the spiritual weapons God provides, as described in Ephesians 6:10-18, I will be able to stand strong against all the enemy’s attacks.

^“10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil^] 17Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. (NLT, emphasis added)

The believer’s spiritual battle occurs in the human mind, as that most excellent book by Joyce Meyer teaches. (See The Battlefield of the Mind, by Joyce Meyer.) God provides the armor but we must put it on. The shield of faith and the Word of God are essential in overcoming undesirable thoughts and feelings. He gives clear instructions on how to use the sword of the Spirit. God says keep His Word always in our minds and heart. He commands this in many places in Scripture.  (See Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1, and Philippians 4:8.)

God intends that the believer use His Word. God never forsakes those who seek Him “on the authority of His Word and the right of their necessity”. (Psalm 9:10, AMPC) Our need gives us the right and we exercise the authority of the Word when we speak it–in faith–over our problems.

Why does God tell us to always be meditating on His truths? Truth sets us free (John 8:32). Meditation is the way to get His truths into our mind. And that will make our minds new, more like His. Meditating and memorizing God’s Word frees us from the control of darkness. We are better able to stay on God’s paths, rather than the paths of darkness, where tormenting thoughts and temptations reside.

Why is that? When I stumble off God’s path and into the darkness of sin, the light that comes from His Word in my heart, “is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105, NLT.) In His light, I see light. Psalm 36:9 the psalmist says to God: “For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light.” (AMPC)

Personal truths for daily life.  We do well to do personal Bible study for our specific personal needs. Find verses that address your need and then meditate on and speak those verses out loud. This will bring God’s strength into your daily life. Try it. For more information on meditation, see God’s Arsenal for Peace and Security at www.wordsofhopeandhealing.com

Four key truths I purposefully keep in my thoughts and in my mouth lately are:

1. God will always love me. (Psalm 136:1)
2. Nothing is too hard for God. (Jeremiah 32:170)
3. His very nature is love, compassion, mercy, holiness and justice. And Malachi 3:6 assures me He never changes.
4. The battle is His, not mine. When I do my part, He does the rest. (1 Samuel l7:47).

A recent personal struggle. For several weeks recently, I struggled greatly with negative thoughts and feelings, though I believe and routinely practice what I have written here. I could give a long list of genuine problems as the reason for the struggle, but the truth is I sinned. I fell short of God’s best for me. How?

Careful pondering of Jeremiah 15:19 tells me it is a vile thing to God when I have “suspicions concerning God’s faithfulness”.  Such thoughts are “unworthy and unwarranted.”

“Therefore thus says the Lord [to Jeremiah]: If you return [and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair], then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be My minister; and if you separate the precious from the vile [cleansing your own heart from unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God’s faithfulness], you shall be My mouthpiece. [But do not yield to them.] Let them return to you—not you to [the people]. (Jeremiah 15:19, AMPC, emphasis added).

What happened to me? At a deep level below conscious thought, I began to doubt God’s faithfulness. Why? New and continuing trials and responsibilities wore me down (Daniel 7:25). With weary body and spirit, daily times with God were not as strong as they needed to be. With that ever-present fog of weariness, I sensed His love, His joy and genuine motivation to love others less and less. Oh, I continued church and Bible study, contacting and encouraging friends, witnessing to strangers, and writing and studying. But heaviness lingered. Something was wrong.

My good habit of meditating on the Word throughout the day also slipped. Negative thoughts flooded in. Negative feelings followed. Little and big trials kept coming. Like the well-known frog in the kettle, my spiritual senses dulled as I spent time pondering my afflictions, instead of pondering God’s faithfulness (See Lamentations 3). Despite all that, I clung to God’s promises.

What got me out of that pit? The goodness and mercy of God. The Scriptures hidden in my heart gave light for my next few steps and illuminated the path ahead (Psalm 119:11). I knew what to do. Personal experience with God’s mercy (Psalm 91:14, AMPC) has taught me to trust Him and be confident. I know, I know, I know that He will never, never, never forsake me and that He will always, always, always help me (Hebrews 13:5b).

I had to prioritize my relationship with God above all else. (Proverbs 4:23). Some things, though apparently necessary, had to go.

So, day after day, I sat in my rocker by the window, reading His Word, praying, talking things over with God verbally and through journaling. I knew 1 John 1:9 promised that if I confessed my sin to God, He would be faithful and just to forgive my sin and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (paraphrased). But I did not know, at first, where I had gone wrong.

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So, I kept “reasoning together with God”. I knew that in Isaiah 1:18 God invites us to talk with Him so that we can repent of our sins and be reconciled. “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (NKJ)

As I talked with God, He revealed my sins and where I failed. I believe He has restored me to right standing with Him. The essential element of that is guarding my relationship with Him above all else.

Have all the “troubles, sufferings and responsibilities” ended?  Far from it. But I am no longer standing still in terror. I am moving forward. I am making great spiritual progress upon those very mountains of difficulties that, temporarily, made me stumble.

So, I say with Habakkuk “The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army. . .” (Habakkuk 3:19a, AMPC)

¹⁷ Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls,
¹⁸ Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!
¹⁹ The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! (Habakkuk 3: 17-19, AMPC, emphasis added).

Dear reader, because of God’s faithfulness, you and I can, like Paul, forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead. We can all, through God’s great grace, “press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:14, NLT)

In Part Two, we will examine the Biblical basis for the third and fourth stanzas of the little poem at the start of this blog post. The main Scriptures on which those words are based are listed below.  Meditate on these Scriptures and see what God reveals to you.

God always leads us in victory — 2 Corinthians 2:14-16
The soul that is seeking — Hebrews 11:6; Proverbs 8:17
We must resist the enemy – James 4:5-10
The natural rhythms of life — Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

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Photo by Priscilla Du Pree on Unsplash

 Too many Red Sea situations. I turned the ignition off and leaned my head against the headrest, inhaled deeply, then let my head rest against the window, pressing my cheek into the cool smoothness of glass.  I would just rest a moment and crack the window to enjoy the smell of the rain. My appointment was not until nine. The tears came then, their path down my cheeks reflecting that of the rain drops sliding down the car’s windows.

“I’m so sorry, Lord! You have been so gracious to teach me how to rely on You during troubles, to keep my mind focused on Scripture, and to choose to be joyful each day but I just can’t this time. There are too many situations that are hopeless.”

I paused.

“Alright. I know better. There are too many situations that seem to be hopeless. I have to wear the bite guard because I grind my teeth at night but the bite guard makes my neck muscles tighten up so much that migraines have returned. The antibiotics for the spider bite that got inflamed make me feel queasy.  I can’t swim until the spider bite heals and You know that is the only thing lately that relieves joint stiffness. It’s been weeks since I did any writing, and . . . “

I reflected on the story of God parting the Red Sea so His chosen people could  escape Pharoah’s army. (See Exodus 13:17 through Exodus 14:30.) They had been hemmed in on three sides by the mountains and the sea and on the fourth side by the armies of Egypt, a truly impossible situation out of which only God could save them. And God did. He miraculously caused the waters of the Red Sea to stand up like walls so His children could escape their evil pursuers.

You have to stop complaining and doubting — eventually. I shifted in the car seat and glanced at my watch. Five more minutes. I resumed meditating upon the Red Sea story, recalling that as the Egyptian army approached the Israelites were terrified, accused Moses of planning to kill them and sarcastically said they preferred to serve as Egyptian slaves rather than die in the wilderness (Exodus 14:10-12).

Despite that despicable attitude from people who had personally seen His miraculous power, God answered their cry and delivered them. Then the people feared the Lord and trusted Him and Moses.

I also recalled that eventually God expected the people to trust Him and stop their complaining and doubting. When they did not, tragic consequences befell them, time and time and time again. (See Psalm 105, 106, and 107.) Yet, when “they cried to the Lord in their trouble, He delivered them out of their distresses”. (Psalm 107:6, AMPC)

“Oh, help me, Lord! Help me have an attitude pleasing to You! I just can’t seem to do that now!”

Glumly, I walked toward the dentist’s office.

A gray day. . . a gray time.  An hour later, I was in the rocker by the window as gray clouds continued darkening the day. I tried to make my heart as still and calm as the silence around me.

“Thank You, Father, that the dentist thought loosening the bite guard would ease the migraines. Open the eyes of my heart now as I finish the morning devotions I had to cut short this morning.”

But as I resumed my reading in Psalms, other troubles floated into consciousness – the ever-present burden for family and friends to be saved, the fatigue that would not abate despite strenuous efforts, the deductibles to be paid this first month of the calendar year, the perennial physical challenges. . .

“Father, these also seem hopeless, just more Red Sea situations! Oh, help me, Lord! I need You!”

I paused then opened my favorite Bible, my Father’s old Amplified Classic, to three passages in Psalms, the words on those pages so underlined, circled and highlighted as to be distracting to anyone who did not have my history with them. Looking at Psalm 28:7, 32:10 and 33:18-22 was like gazing fondly at family pictures.

A PAUSE FOR COMMENTARY. Let’s pause the story and examine one possible interpretation (mine) of these three passages. The Bible text in this section is in quotation marks and in italics (like this). My comments are in in regular print.

[ONE] Psalm 28:7. “The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield;”

When I say the Lord will give me strength and will protect me, it helps me to believe it. And then because of that. . .

“my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him. “

Because I have tried, the very best I can, to believe His promises, He enables me to trust in, rely on and lean on Him with confidence, which helps me. Then, because of that, my heart leaps for joy and I sing out with praise and gratitude to Him. This is another example of someone with a little faith saying “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!”  (Mark 9:23-25).

[TWO] Psalm 32:10 “Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on the Lord shall be compassed about with mercy and with loving-kindness.”

When we try with all our heart and soul and strength to trust God with confidence (when we trust, rely, and confidently lean) He covers us completely with His mercy and loving kindness. That means nothing but His mercy and loving kindness touches us.

[THREE] Psalm 33:18-22. “¹⁸ Behold, the Lord’s eye is upon those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe], who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness¹⁹ To deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.”

To have your eye on someone is to watch them closely. Notice that the Lord closely watches those who have deep respect for Him, who value Him and cherish Him. In verse 19 (“To deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine”) God reassures believers that He is “ready to deliver them from harm and provide for their needs, even in times of desperation such as death and famine.” Psalms 33 Explained – Verse by Verse Commentary – God’s Blessing

^“20 Our inner selves wait [earnestly] for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield ²¹ For in Him does our heart rejoice, because we have trusted (relied on and been confident) in His holy name”

These two verses echo the comforting truth of Psalm 28:7 — that we can wait on the Lord with sincere, serious-minded conviction because we know He has helped and protected us in the past. And during those times when we have focused on and been confident in His goodness and mercy, we have been glad.

^“22 Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You.” (AMPC)

Possibly one purpose of verse 22 is to make us ponder how much of what we receive from God depends upon what we do. I have a part to play. If I want to have as much of God’s mercy and loving kindness as it’s possible to have, I must wait and hope for Him earnestly – with all my heart and soul. Casual, half-hearted efforts avail little. James 5:16 says: “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. (AMPC)

I have intentionally prayed these three verses so often that they now come to mind without conscious effort whenever emotions threaten to overwhelm.

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The story continues. . . A red flash drew my eye to the winter-bare tree branches outside the window. A cardinal perched in silhouette, his beak moving as he whistled the high-pitched and clear cheer-cheer-cheer of his species. Flitting from branch to branch, he sang his bright, uplifting two-second song three more times, then zoomed away, agile as a fighter plane.

“Thank You, Father, that birds bring a fresh glimpse of nature’s beauty, even in cities. I know You see that cardinal, and I know You see me, right now, this very minute. You say if we draw near to You, You will draw near to us (James 4:8).

I turned back to my Bible, noting again how all three passages clearly showed that trusting, relying on and leaning confidently on God was the key to experiencing the daily joy God wants us to have. Trusting with confidence also enables me to perceive His mercy, His loving kindnesses and His unfailing provision.

“Thank You, Father, for the unsayable peace to be found in Your Word. Help me keep my mind on Your truths.”

Another disappointment, Lord??? Then, peace of mind restored, I was up, tidying the two rooms of my condo, making the bed, fluffing couch pillows, folding the crocheted throw, scooping Lily’s mice and crinkle balls into her little brown basket, washing breakfast dishes, wiping the counter, and finally, with sweet anticipation, setting out my grandsons’ coffee and conversation cups. When as preschoolers they began talking over everyone, one day I filled those little white cups with water, placed some Oreos on almost matching plates, poured myself a cup of coffee and practiced taking turns talking, one of many childrearing assists grandparents are privileged to give time-stressed parents.

Then came the sound of a French horn, the ringtone designated for my daughter.

“Sorry, but the boys were invited to David’s house after school today so I’ll pick them up at 7. Can you do pickup tomorrow?”

I stood in silence, then texted: “No problem. I know they will have fun. Love you bunches!” Then a thumbs-up and two hearts.

I picked up Lily, sat in the rocker, and put her in my lap where, because she was half asleep, she stayed.

“Father, I looked forward to today all week. I see them so seldom now that they are teens. I really needed to see them, today especially.”

I waited, rubbing the velvet of Lily’s ear.

“Well, Lord. You know I have prayed for years that they will have plenty of friends, so this is a good and natural thing. Help me be grateful! And Lord, I really am grateful that I can see them at all, that we live in the same city, and that I’ve been privileged to have a daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons.

Really, Father, thank You. I know that is a privilege . . .’

“No good thing will He withhold . . .”  Back in the kitchen area, I put the cups and saucers back in the cupboard and returned the bunny, bear and airplane to the wobbly ivory bookcase that had held my daughter’s toys.

As I filled a mug with water for tea, I glanced at my meditation verses, that bedraggled stack of dog-eared, smudged papers that stayed, with my to-do- list, at the left of my command center, as I liked to think of the generous-sized bar that divides the front room into living room and study area.

One sheet, not squared up with the others, caught my eye. “No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11. KJV). I picked up the sheet and reviewed the context.

“You know, Lord. I can see that—to the extent I keep my mind on You–the vicissitudes of daily life strengthen my heart. As I seek, earnestly, to apply Your Word my effort leads me “in paths of righteousness.” My choices to think and do those things that keep me in right standing with You create a path, they guide my steps. It’s like Psalm 94:12-13, isn’t it?

^“Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, That You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked. (Psalm 94:12-13, AMPC, emphasis added.)

“In times when the weight of troubles does overwhelm me, I do keep my mind on You and on Your truths the best I can. You are helping me accept hard things, like the boys growing up and away from me and the pangs and prickles of this aging body.

You know Lord, a few years ago before You led me to serious Bible study and the habit of meditating-to-the-point of memory, just a couple of negative happenings knocked me into the pit. Now, though, I wobble a bit—because I am so very human!–yet Your Word bubbles up in my spirit, like the fountain of life that it is, Your Living Water refreshes my soul, and we move forward, having made spiritual progress upon the very mountains of “troubles, sufferings, and responsibilities” (Habakkuk 3:17-19, AMPC).

Thank You for helping me hide Your Word in my heart. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for the way You teach me personally as I endeavor to diligently study Your Word. Thank You that, though I am not a Biblical scholar, You help me have a scholarly attitude and habit of work that best uses, even amplifies, my personal resources.

And You make the study times and the thinking times with You so warm, so very close.

Truly, Lord, by Your grace, My heart trusts, relies on and confidently leans on You, and I am helped. Truly, my heart greatly rejoices and with my song I do praise You.  I honor You, I bow before You in gratitude. . .  (Psalm 28:7)

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God loves and accepts me . . .  I paused a moment to get oriented, leaning forward on the edge of the bed. Gray light was barely visible around the edges of the window. I smiled up at the ceiling and repeated my personalized version of Psalm 16:3, the verse which had started my day for the six months or so since it had come alive during morning devotions.

“Father, I do roll my works upon You, I commit and trust everything I do today completely to You, and I know You will cause my thoughts to become agreeable to Your will, and in this way our plans —our plans, Lord, not mine but ours — shall be established and succeed.”

I reached over to turn on the radio and stood up. Scuffling the few steps to the bathroom, I paused. As the first few bars of slow, trilling melody glided through the darkness, I felt God gently touch my mind, as ever, with this song.

“I love You, Lord for Your mercy never failed me.
All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands.
From the moment that I wake up until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.

(The Goodness of God, by Ed Cash, Ben Fielding, Jason Ingram, Brian Johnson, and Jenn Johnson, 2018)

I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head as overwhelming feelings swirled. I grabbed the towel from the rack and buried my face in it. I stood there, sobbing and weeping as scenes from all the years of God’s unspeakable goodness marched by, scenes like finding two twenty-dollar bills in a closet when my fourth grader needed shoes and we needed groceries, the providence of finding that civil service job with good benefits, God’s leading me to friends when I had none, and years of feeling God’s presence through the Word, worship and sitting in silence with Him.

“Thank You, Father, thank You for this fresh manifestation of Your presence and love. I know that You are telling me You love me and You accept me, just like I am.”

I paused as I noticed a thought that did not seem to be my own.

“Lord, I think that all my life, even after knowing You, the question ‘Am I doing everything right?’ has caused much of the fear, discouragement, and self-criticism. But You know that verse in Psalm 57, the one that says, “You show Your approval of me when You help and comfort me”? Well, I know You are comforting me right now through that song because, as I listen, my emotions are responding. You, Lord, are touching my feelings on the inside and I feel loved. I think You are showing that You approve of me, even though I feel I am not doing enough with my spiritual life lately. This is a lesson I apparently need to keep learning. Oh, Father! Help me take it to heart!”

. . . even when I feel like a failure. The relief was intense because yesterday, like many days recently, fatigue had demanded extra rest and wrecked my plans. After the bare minimum of daily chores and two essential errands, I lacked mental energy even to text or call a friend or do Bible study. I rested through the afternoon, had an early dinner then went to bed, too tired physically and mentally for the fervent attention to my prayer list that I had planned. Even the little I had done that day had required repeated proclamations of Scriptures like Psalm 28:7: “The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him”

He tells me everything will be alright.  After tea, morning prayer, and breakfast, I stepped into the surprisingly cool air outside.

“Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty! Here, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty!” I leaned over the balcony and saw her, my sweet little tortoise shell stray, running down the sidewalk, away from her hidey hole around the corner of the building next door.

“Meow! Meow! Meoooooow!” all the way down the sidewalk and up the stairs she came. Little Bit rubbed my ankles thoroughly as I poured kitty kibble into her bowl. I took her water dish inside for washing and refilling, then came back out and sat on the folding chair while Little Bit chomped a third of the kibble. Then, as usual, she jumped into my lap for ten minutes or so of ear rubbing and murmured sweet nothings.

            “Everything’s going to be alright, little girl. I’m going to take care of everything for you.” Then, as suddenly as when I first woke, tears filled my eyes as memory brought another treasured song to my inner hearing – “Gonna Be Alright,” by Ryan Ellis. (2) Ryan Ellis – Gonna Be Alright (Official Music Video) – YouTube

Tears fell on Little Bit’s cream and black fur.

“Father, I think You are telling me that You will never criticize me when I am trying to do good for You and the Kingdom. You will never tell me I am not good enough, or that everything I do is a mess, or that I am sloppy or messy, or that me and my life are pathetic. I know those are all lies directly from the enemy when he is trying to steal my joy with You. I am submitted to You, and I can resist the devil, tell him to leave, and he has to leave, like You tell us in James 4:7!

I know that nothing I ever do could cause You to love me more. Though that does not make sense to my human reasoning I know that is true. You accept me just as I am.  You showed us all that, Lord Jesus, because You died for us while we were rejecting You and living whatever way we wanted to, as Romans 5:8 tells us.

I know Your love for me exceeds the height of the heavens above the earth (Psalm 103:11). You showed the greatness of Your love, Lord Jesus, when You died on the cross. Laying down Your life for me is the greatest love of all, as You say in John 15:13.

You delight in everything I do, far more than a human parent delights in a little child, and You prepare each step of my day (Psalm 37:23). I know that “. . . in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them.” (Psalm 139:16-b, AMPC),

Though sometimes I feel like it, I know have not disappointed You because I am not further along in my journey with You. I know that is true because I am trying with my whole heart to love You and serve You and that is all You require. You tell me so in Deuteronomy 10:12-13

I know that You long to help me far more than I can understand! Help me meditate on and get the powerful truths of Isaiah 30:18 deep into my heart, Lord!

⁸ And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]! (Isaiah 30:18, AMPC)

He helps me keep trusting and doing good . . . So dear friend, what led up to needing God’s reassurance so desperately? For the last six months or so a broken relationship caused deep emotional pain. The relationship is partially restored, for which I am grateful beyond words, but we all are so very human. Much remains to be mended. I continue to pray, trust God and speak words of healing over that relationship. I also continue to trust God for complete healing from surgery and other ailments my earthly tabernacle is enduring. I praise Him for the healing He has already done and for what He is doing and going to do!

However, thoroughly human human being that I am, I occasionally feel discouraged about these things. I also get discouraged at times with how much time dealing with things of the world takes away from my heart’s desire to be about God’s business! By His grace, when I stumble like that I keep getting back up and moving forward with my heart fixed on God and His mercy and goodness. I choose to give voice to my gratitude, and I choose to speak His Words of truth about my life situations.

I am especially grateful for Psalm 37. Recently, I have been leaning extra hard on verses 3 and 4.

³ Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed.

⁴ Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. (AMPC)

I know that, in His strength and by His grace, I can:

• Have firm belief in the Lord, His mercy and His goodness as I go about living a life of complete surrender and loving service to Him.
• I know that as I do that I will remain in the land, or condition, where His promises are fulfilled, just as they were for the Israelites.
• I know that, while I am doing that, He will supply my every need. His faithfulness will supply me as surely as a shepherd supplies green grass to feed His sheep.
• And, when doubts about that come because of the enemy’s arrows or my own weakness, I can meditate on the fact that God already knew that I would sometimes have doubts because He emphasizes the fact that I will be fed when He says “truly you shall be fed.” He was stressing that promise!
• As I live my life, taking pleasure hour by hour in living with Jesus, I can ponder His promise that, as I do so, He will give me the things I desire and the things only He and I know about.

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. . . and He lets me feel His presence. Our every breath depends totally upon God. I often think of Job 12:10: “For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being.” NLT). One of my greatest needs since finding Jesus has always been to feel His presence and to know He approves of me. He has so graciously shown me how He wants me to live all these many years. And He has shown His approval of me when He helps and comforts me, as He is doing even this minute.

¹⁷ Show me a sign of [Your evident] goodwill and favor, that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame, because You, Lord, [will show Your approval of me when You] help and comfort me. (Psalm 86:17, AMPC)

I believe that desperately needing God is very good, as David expressed in Psalm 63:1.

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (AMPC)

Many books have been written about how God communicates with us, and the Bible is filled with truth about that topic. Here is a link to an excellent article about this precious gift of hearing God speak to us.  30 Powerful Bible Verses About God Speaking To Us (Full Commentary) – Bible Study For You

A prayer of thanksgiving to God for the manifestation of His presence. A manifestation is a “demonstration of the existence of something ‘unseen or obscure or secret’ by clear evidence. (Webster’s 1828 online dictionary). With that in mind, I pray:

Oh, Lord, my God, my Savior, my sweet and loving King! I thank You, Lord, and I praise You for demonstrating Your existence to me over and over by clear evidence I can perceive, even though You are invisible to my physical senses. Thank You for drawing near when I call to You and telling me “Fear Not.” (Lamentations 3:57.) Thank You for Your tender mercies and innumerable loving kindnesses, which never fail (Lamentations 3:22). I love You, Lord!

I can only join with Charles Wesley, Lord, and say:

O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer’s praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!

2 My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread thro’ all the earth abroad
the honors of your name.

3 Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
that bids our sorrows cease,
’tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’tis life and health and peace.

4 He breaks the power of cancelled sin,
he sets the prisoner free;
his blood can make the foulest clean;
his blood availed for me.

5 To God all glory, praise, and love
be now and ever given
by saints below and saints above,
the Church in earth and heaven. (Charles Wesley, 1739)

Amen, my precious Father in heaven, amen!

A little note: A tidbit about this little writing. . . When I began this writing I wondered if it would just be a journal entry. However, over the following three days I heard The Goodness of God three more times. Then as I sit at my computer, doing the final proofreading and looking out my second-floor window, I saw Little Bit languidly strolling, as only cats can do, down the sidewalk. I had only seen her in early morning or early evening, never in the middle of the day. I had to smile. Seeing Little Bit and hearing The Goodness of God may or may not be an indication from God that He wants me to share these thoughts. But, once again, in His tender way, I believe He has let me know He is with me, He loves me, and He understands me.

He is also with you, this moment, He loves you, and He understands you. Will you stop and let Him love you, however that looks for you and Him? We look to Him for our every breath. He looks to us to love Him and choose to be with Him.

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