“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”.  (1 Peter 5:7)

I love squirrels. Not everyone does, in fact many consider them a pest. But, I have always had an affinity for them. As a child, I’d watch my father feed them pecans on our deck railing. For the last three years of my late husband’s life he and I lived in a new development. The trees were little more than saplings and they attracted no squirrels to our yard. I realized how much I missed watching squirrels frolic.

Moving to an apartment after my husband died was a tough but necessary transition. Outside my window is a common area. The first day I was there, I saw a squirrel. My eyes welled with tears. It was a special sign from my loving Father telling me all would be well. I just knew it. That squirrel stayed around all week, and as I unpacked and settled in, I’d watch it romp and look for fallen acorns. Warm memories would envelop me like a fatherly hug.

The squirrel vanished when the landscapers came with their loud mowers and leaf blowers. But, every now and then when I am feeling a bit low, my squirrel will appear, perched on it haunches, the sun streaming through that fluffy tail. It is as if God is telling me, “I am still here, even when you can’t see Me. I love you.”

In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter six, Jesus explains how God cares for the lilies and the birds. He cares for my squirrel as well, just as He cares for you and me. As I watch the squirrel forage acorns, I realize there are untold blessings I must seek out as well, lest I miss them. Blessings like a small furry creature popping into view just when I need a warm fuzzy feeling to boost my world-worn heart.

Father, Remind me that you see me, and that you are not unaware of my pain. Thank you for the comfort you promise and hope you give both for today and for tomorrow.  Amen.

Question: What is your squirrel?  How does God show you that He cares and is there?

How can we pray for you today?

“Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.” (Psalm 61:1-3)

During the month of February, you cannot help but notice attractive displays of hearts nearly everywhere you go. Card shops, jewelry stores, flower shops, and bakeries carry sentimental heart shaped items ranging from cards to eye-catching necklaces. We purchase such tangible items for our loved ones as an expression of our love.

What about spreading God’s hope, comfort, and love to those who are sick and dying? Sad to say, many avoid those who are physically fading, not knowing what to say or do during this stage of life. At this critical point, they don’t need a tangible item…they need hope, comfort, and love from others.

As followers of Christ, knowing which Bible passages to share to console those needing comfort during this transitional time makes a difference. A compassionate heart, filled with God’s truth and love, brings comfort to His beloved children as He prepares to bring them home. Their physical body may cease but spiritually they live on. Below are passages that will comfort those in need of hope and assurance of God’s promises during this transitional period.

Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3)    

 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)

Additional passages to read: Psalm 23, 27, 84, 91 & 103, Isaiah 40, 2 Corinthians 5:1-8, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Revelation 21-22.

Heavenly Father, May we be readily prepared to bestow hope, comfort and love to our loved ones during the end stages of life here on earth. May we not shrink, hide, nor fear death for we know that our real home is in heaven and we will live with you in eternity. In Jesus name, Amen     

 Question: Is there someone who you can share the message of hope with during this Valentine’s season?

My grandson was visiting. He was not his normal happy self. He was very sad and upset about something. He could not put it into words. We were just about to sit down for lunch. He asked, “Papa can I sit in your chair?” I always sit at the head of the table. I moved and gave him my chair and spot at the table. Something about it seemed to comfort him and reassure him. The tears passed. Funny thing, he has never asked again.

Jesus offers a place of comfort and rest. His invitation:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in
heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”   (Matthew 11: 28-30)

Being close to Christ is the place of comfort and reassurance!

I have questions for God, do you?  Here are some of mine . . .

 God, did you see…when a broken-hearted couple lost their three year old son to cancer and just 10 short years later were sitting in that same funeral home grieving the loss of another son?

“When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. . .  Then Jesus wept.”  (John 11:33,35)

Lord, were you listening…when a young girl lost her innocence and cried herself to sleep night after night?

‘I keep track of all your sorrows.  I have collected all your tears in my bottle and I have recorded each one in my book.’”  (Psalm 56:8)

God, do you see…the mother who has run out of options and doesn’t know where to turn?  She’s exhausted, tapped out, and emotionally spent – her child has completely drained her.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’”   (Matthew 11:28-29)

Lord, where were you…when a family watched everything they owned burn to the ground?

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.  There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.’”  (John 14:1-3)

Where were you, Jesus…when a loving wife and mother lost her life to an insatiable disease, and a young dad was left to pick up the pieces and care for his two little daughters?

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

God sees our sorrow, He knows every tear we’ve cried and every prayer we’ve prayed. Isaiah, the prophet says this about God who became flesh and dwelt among us (Jesus).

There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
nothing to attract us to him.

He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!

But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.

                       (Isaiah 53:2-5)

God understands our pain, He hears our questions in times of great need and He answers! His greatest answer to our questions came in the person of Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God offers you a free gift – you cannot earn it, you are not born into the right family to receive it.  Each individual must accept God’s free gift for themselves. Each one of us has sinned and gone our own way and our just payment is eternal death.  But God sent His Son Jesus to take our punishment and die in our place!  When we acknowledge that we are a sinner and invite Christ to come into our lives and save us from our sins, we become one of His children and carry the promise of spending eternity with Him in our hearts.

If you have never accepted this free gift, I urge you not to wait.  He stands ready and waiting to come into your life and make you NEW!  Learn more about how to accept Jesus here.

Question: What are your questions for God?

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon, published in “Mornings & Evenings,” entry for July 27th, AM.

Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2008.

“Exceeding great and precious promises.” 2 Peter 1:4, KJV

If you would like to put into practice the preciousness of God’s promises, and enjoy them personally, meditate on them. God’s promises are like grapes in a wine-press: If you tread on them the juice will flow. Thinking over God’s holy words will often lead to their fulfillment in your own life. While you ponder them, the blessing you seek will often come to you in ways you don’t even expect. Many Christians who have thirsted for God’s promises have found the divine favor which they ensure gently comforting into their soul and causing great rejoicing in their hearts.

Besides meditating on God’s promises, seek to receive them as being the very words of God. Say to yourself, “If I were dealing with a mere human being’s promise, I would need to carefully weigh the ability and the character of the person who promised me. But with the promises of God, even though the greatness of the promise itself may stagger me, my eye must instead be fixated on the greatness of the Promiser.” That will comfort you and give you confidence in His words.

My friend, it is God Almighty who has made these promises. God, who cannot lie, who speaks His promises to you: That “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6) His Word is as true as His own existence. God is unchangeable and He has not changed anything which has come out of His mouth, and never called back one single word. He lacks no power, for this is the God that made the heavens and the earth. And He can never lack wisdom, because He in his infinite understanding He knows when it is best to give and when better to take away.

Therefore, seeing that it is the word of a God true, unchangeable, powerful, and so incomparably wise, I will and must believe His promises. If we meditate on His promises, and consider the Promiser, we will experience their sweetness and fulfillment.

Question: Which of God’s promises will you take hold of today and claim for yourself, believing it in wholeheartedly?

God is aware of and concerned with every aspect of our being … physical, mental, emotional financial, and perhaps most important of all spiritual. God wants us to be spiritually fit and the best way to do that is to walk with Him and with His Word as we travel over the hills and valleys of life.

The problem, though, for most of us is that we get diverted by more worldly things and lose sight of the presence of God in our lives. I recently went to a website to look up some information. When I pressed a certain icon, a dialogue box popped up to tell me I was being “redirected” to another website.

I thought about the spiritual application of that and realized that when the matters of the world cloud my spiritual vision, I need to redirect my thoughts to focus on what God is telling me in each situation I face in life. For example:

When I feel all alone, I should redirect myself to Hebrews 13:5 “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

When I am fearful, I should redirect myself to Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.”

When I feel weak, I should redirect myself to Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

When I am torn between following the ways of the world or the ways of the Lord, I should redirect myself to Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

When I feel lost, I should redirect myself to Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For, everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

When I feel inadequate in knowing God’s will for my life, I need to redirect myself to Psalm 86:11 “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart.”

When I am tempted by the world, I should redirect myself to 1 Peter 5:8  “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

Father God, Your Holy Word is truly the roadmap for life. Throughout the days ahead please help me to make a conscious effort, in every situation, to redirect myself to Your Word and find the strength and power to walk as You would walk. Amen.

“ I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” (Philippians 4:11b)

The word ‘change’ brings up many images in our minds. Some good images, some uncomfortable.  Some changes bring hope while others drag in disaster and despair.   If we encounter a job change we run into a wall of new surroundings, new acquaintances.  A mid-life crisis could bring health problems, or children leaving home. College looms and finances go thru the roof. And, how about the ‘change’ in your pocket or purse?

How we handle these changes depends on our own surroundings, our attitude and how we see others and ourselves. Do we handle them by trying to rely on ourselves or do we call out to the Lord for help? Walking with the Lord thru the changes in our lives adds a blessing that bring comfort, strength and the ability to help others thru the changes in their life.

Pause and Reflect

Among all the changes of life and what we encounter, whether we like them or not, there is no real returning to what ‘use to be’. We learn to sit back and look ahead to life in general and our family specifically. Life goes on, count your blessings, accept changes as they fall into your life, but, if you don’t like the changes as they happen, reverse course and transfer, reposition yourself and start again.

St Paul tells us in Philippians 4:11 “for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content” and although I laughingly twist his advice around, in all seriousness it holds wisdom for us. This same wisdom can apply wherever we are. The decision is up to us.  Are we sent to a place by the Lord for service to others, are we there, or here because of our own pleasure, advancement or retirement?

Finally, a change can be a calling from what we have known of an earthly home and life to a Heavenly home. Are we persevering toward that goal as we acknowledge our earthly plans and work ? Death is the final transition and change.

Are you facing unwanted news? We would love to pray for you today

“The steps of the godly are directed of the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.” (Psalm 37:23, 24 NLT)

When I first heard the doctor say to me, “It’s cancer,” I couldn’t quite comprehend that he was speaking to me. As a nurse, I had heard the doctor say that about some of my patients, but this time he was addressing me. That dreaded C word belonged to me. How could that be?

The months that followed were filled with surgery and now aggressive chemotherapy. Every time I go to the hospital, I get more stuff to read about cancer. People who know me well, keep asking me “How are you feeling?” I’m grateful for the many kind friends who are praying for me and showing me their loving support.

But I don’t want to revolve each day around the cancer diagnosis. I want to live each day to the full in the power of the Risen Christ, as normally as I can. So, I plant more flowers, I invite people over for lunch and I ask them what’s happening in their lives. I go for daily walks around Mill Lake, and I read interesting books (not about cancer).

And what about the future? I am comforted to know that Jesus has already been there. He goes before me and behind me, He is all around me and within me. His Word says: The steps of the godly are directed of the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand. (Psalm 37:23, 24 NLT)

Thank you, Father for the truth and comfort of this song:
Each step I take my Savior goes with me, and with my hand in His, He leads the way….
Each step I take I know that He will guide me. To higher ground He ever leads me on.
Until some day the last step will be taken, each step I take just leads me closer home.

“He tends his flock like a Shepherd; He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.” (Isaiah 40:11)

My grandson came over last weekend. He was not having a good day! Tears were rolling down his cheeks. I acknowledged how he was feeling by saying, “It does not look like you are having a good day, so come and sit with me.”  He climbed into my lap and sat quietly.  After a few minutes, he got up and went happily on his way.  Comfort  had come in the quiet moments of sitting on my lap.

As I thought about how simply my grandson’s angst was resolved, it made me ask myself, “How and when do I feel comforted?”  Comfort could come from lots of different places, some positive and others negative. Some sources are family, friends and even from material things.  It could also come from a bottle, a pill or some form of physical satisfaction like food or sex. These can takes your mind off the source of your bad day, comfort or deaden a deeper pain. But they are all temporary.

Ultimate and lasting comfort comes only from knowing that you are loved, from a Source that is limitless, eternal and unchanging.  God is the ultimate Source of true comfort. Have you sat on His lap today?

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world” (Psalm 19:1-4a).

It was the morning after my sister died and I was raw and alive in the world. I remember my husband driving me over the bridge we had to take to get to the ferry to go visit her body. I was enveloped in the early morning sunrise seeing the pastel hues of it, and its amazing brightness. I was feeling amazed and surprised that the world was continuing without her.

In my mere mortal perspective in that moment it was a stark reality that the Lord was with me. He had still caused the sun to ‘get up’ that day and shine on the entire world. Though she had passed away the day before the earth was still rotating on its axis. I was reminded of his sustaining me, and of his comfort toward me.

What trials have I experienced now, and what I am going through today? What about you, my dear friend, what is breaking your heart these days? It is one thing to wallow in the mess of it, and quite another to cry out for help. Sometimes the first and hardest step of action to take is to ask for help with it. Isn’t it?

Sometimes I seem to have a hard time depending on another to support me in my trials. Do I really want to stay stuck in the muck of my life? I need a Saviour. Lord save me. Hosanna!

This morning as I arose and tried to slip past sleep and put it behind me, my dog, the beautiful coonhound that he is, was whining to go outside. In a few hours the house will awake, and all of its seven inhabitants. As a mom I have a chance to grab life this morning with the Lord, and let him be breath for me. He has given me a new morning.

As my acquaintance and his family battles cancer I see through their lives the cherishing of time together. I awake this morning thankful that he has given us all a new day. A day to do his will. As the people of this generation awake in their mornings, realities drastically so different from the next, the world declares to them that he is still there for them. The heavens declare what he has done.

Lord, as for myself and my household let us depend on you. Thank you for your sustaining power in the world you created, and in our lives. I want to depend on you today, and rest in your faithfulness towards me, towards us. The heavens declare what you have done. May the message of your great love for us all reach all the earth, and travel around the world. May I take my part today in the life you have given me, and in the lives of your loved ones around me, as a messenger of your great love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Questions: Are you experiencing some heart-breaking trials? Do you struggle with asking for help?