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Other Books by Ann Spangler

Daily Secrets of the Christian Life,

Hannah Whitall Smith (compiled by Ann Spangler)

Don’t Stop Laughing Now!

compiled by Ann Spangler and Shari MacDonald

He’s Been Faithful,

Carol Cymbala with Ann Spangler

Immanuel

Look Who’s Laughing!

compiled by Ann Spangler and Shari MacDonald

Men of the Bible,

coauthored with Robert Wolgemuth

Praying the Names of God

Praying the Names of Jesus

She Who Laughs, Lasts!

compiled by Ann Spangler

Women of the Bible,

coauthored with Jean Syswerda

Women of the Bible: 52 Stories for Prayer and Reflection

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Adobe®

® format

® format

The Tender Words of God

Adobe® Acrobat® eBook Reader® format

Copyright © 2008 by Ann Spangler

This title is also available as a Zondervan ebook. Visit www.zondervan.com/ebooks.

This title is also available in a Zondervan audio edition. Visit www.zondervan.fm.

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

-10:

ISBN

0-310-30204-8

ISBN-13: 978-0-310-30204-9

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations designated TNIV taken from the Holy Bible, Today’s New International Version™. TNIV®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society.

Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other — except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Interior design by Sherri L. Hoffman

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As the rain and the snow

Come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower

and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10 – 11

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Contents

A Note to the Reader

9

1. The Tender Words

13

2. God Speaks Words of Compassion

17

3. God Speaks Words of Forgiveness

39

4. God Speaks Words of Peace

61

5. God Speaks Words of Strength

83

6. God Speaks Words of Protection

105

7. God Speaks Words of Love and Mercy

127

8. God Speaks Words of Blessing and Provision

149

9. God Speaks Words of Guidance

171

10. God Speaks Words of Faithfulness

193

11. God Speaks Words of Hope and Comfort

215

12. God Speaks Words of Healing

237

13. Jesus — The Last, Most Tender Word

257

Reference Sources 279

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A Note to the Reader

While some of the passages included in this book are ren-

dered in first person, as though God is speaking directly

to us, others are rendered in third person. Regardless of how

God’s word was originally recorded, I believe that the Bible is

God speaking to us in a unique way. His words are tender and

comforting — but not always. As frequently, they are abrasive

and startling, aiming, as they do, to bring us back from the prec-

ipice where sin leads, to a place of safety and transformation.

Whatever the tone of God’s Word, I believe his aim is always

to speak in a way that enables us to be drawn into relationship

with himself.

In this book I have chosen to focus on the tender words of

God, to listen with fresh ears to the message of his love — a mes-

sage that transcends centuries and cultures. Each chapter begins

with a brief note describing the primary meaning of the word

that forms the focus of the chapter. Some of the Scripture pas-

sages chosen for the daily readings will contain the word itself.

Other passages are included because they convey the essence of

the word without using it.

I hope that you will begin each chapter by reading about

the primary meaning of the word. Then, after reading about my

response to the word, I hope you will spend a full week — both

morning and evening — savoring the Scriptures provided so

that you can interact with God’s Word. In an effort to help you

retain God’s tender words, I have included a section at the end

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A Note to the Reader

of each week entitled “I Will Remember This.” This section

contains brief passages drawn from the previous seven days. My

intention in doing this is to give you something to take with

you, offering you the chance to consolidate God’s Word in your

heart, perhaps by reading these passages more than once, read-

ing them first silently and then out loud, writing them out, or

by committing one or more to memory.

In rare instances I have chosen to adapt a particular Scrip-

ture passage that might otherwise require historical background

to draw out its precise meaning. Wherever this was done, I took

care to alter the text as little as possible. For instance, instead

of rendering Hosea 11:8 – 9 as:

“How can I give you up, Ephraim?

How can I hand you over, Israel?

How can I treat you like Admah?

How can I make you like Zeboiim?

My heart is changed within me;

all my compassion is aroused.”

I have rendered it:

“How can I give you up?

How can I hand you over? . . .

My heart is changed within me;

all my compassion is aroused.”

For a more nuanced understanding of these and other texts

included in The Tender Words of God, readers may want to read

the text of the Bible itself.

As always, I am grateful to associate publisher and execu-

tive editor Sandy VanderZicht for her patience, encouragement,

flexibility, and editorial insight. All are invaluable to an author,

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The Tender Words of God

and I am grateful to have benefited from Sandy’s wise advice

over the course of many years. Thanks also to Verlyn Verbrugge,

Zondervan’s senior editor at large, for his careful editing of the

manuscript. I count myself fortunate to have an editor with a

sound knowledge of the biblical languages. Because even the

best-edited book might not fare well without effective marketing,

special thanks go to Marcy Schorsch for her efforts at getting

the word out about this one. My thanks would be incomplete

were I to overlook the considerable efforts of my agent, Linda

Kenney, whose publishing acumen and unflagging support for

me and for this book have greatly advanced the project.

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1

The Tender Words

I have never found it easy to believe in God’s love for me,

except perhaps in the first days and weeks of my conversion.

No matter where I turned in those bright days I found evidence

of God’s gracious care and steady forgiveness. The stern-browed

god of my youth had suddenly and unexpectedly receded, and

in his place came Jesus, bearing gifts of love and peace. Nearly

every prayer in those days was answered, sometimes wondrously.

I remember thinking that the problem with many people was

that they expected so little from a God who was prepared to

give so much.

But years passed and something happened. It wasn’t one

thing but many. Large things and small things — life ebbing

and flowing. It was tests of faith, sometimes passed and some-

times not. It was sins accruing. It was spiritual skirmishes and

full-out battles. It was disappointments and difficulties and cir-

cumstances beyond comprehending. All these heaped together

like a great black mound, casting a shadow over my sense that

God still loved me, still cared for me as tenderly as when he had

first wooed me and won my heart. Instead of a loved and cher-

ished child of God awash in the sea of God’s love, I felt more

like a boat whose barnacle-encrusted hull had sat too long in

the water. That boat needed to be hoisted out of the salty sea to

rest for a time in the sunshine. It needed loving, patient hands

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to sand through all the layers of sediment down to the bare,

smooth boards. It needed fresh protective paint so that it could

once again be launched into the shining sea.

But if that was my need, how could I, a rapidly aging single

mother of two young children, ever find time to rest and to be

restored? My older daughter had recently reminded me that my

next birthday was cause for special celebration because on that

day my age would exactly match the number of electoral votes

possessed by the state of California. If you don’t know how many

that is, I’m not about to tell you. Suffice it to say they have the

most of any state in the union.

Then I had an idea that had little to do with changing my

routines but everything to do with changing my focus. It occurred

to me after talking with a friend who spoke of a time in her

life when she finally became convinced of God’s love for her. I

expected my friend to reveal something complicated and diffi-

cult, some tragedy, perhaps, that God had spared her from. Or

maybe she had practiced some hard-fought spiritual discipline

that yielded a favorable result. But it was something much simpler.

Joan told me that she had merely made a decision— to set aside

one month in which to act as though God loved her. Whenever

she was tempted to doubt his love, she simply shifted her thoughts

and then put the full force of her mind behind believing that God

loved her. And that settled it for her — for good.

Joan’s confidence in being loved has probably shaped her life

in ways that even she does not understand. Recently she saw

evidence that it had spilled over into the life of someone close

to her when one of her sons during a particularly trying time in

his life remarked: “I am so thankful God loves me.”

My daughters are ten and twelve, while I am, as they repeat-

edly point out, rapidly approaching the age of extinction. Maybe

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that’s why I find myself thinking lately about how to provide a

secure foundation for them. Perhaps I could buy them each a

house, I think. That would at least give them something to fall

back on in hard times. But then I remember their college sav-

ings accounts, still spare, almost anorexic. I remember also that

there are limits to what a parent — to what this parent — can do

for her children. But what if I could leave them something bet-

ter than a fat bank account? Jesus talked about the abundance

of his provision when he spoke of the grace God wants to pour

into our laps: “a good measure, pressed down, shaken together

and running over.” I wanted to know God’s love in that lavish,

pressed down, shaken together and running over kind of way so

that I could love more fiercely and faithfully. I wanted there to

be a spillover effect in the lives of my daughters.

So I was doubly motivated, determined to receive the grace

I was sure God wanted to give so that I could both enjoy and

communicate it. But I doubted that merely trying to retrain my

thoughts would be enough. I needed something positive to focus

my thoughts. Then I remembered the promise that Scripture

makes about itself: “For the word of God is living and active.

Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to divid-

ing soul and spirit, joints and marrow” (Hebrews 4:12). I wanted

God’s penetrating word to cut away my unbelief, to lay bare my

need. I wanted to hear the truth from God’s own mouth.

Over the years, I have read through the Bible several times,

plowing straight through from Genesis to Revelation, not even

skipping those endless genealogies. But like many people who

tend to be self-critical, I find it easier to absorb the harsher sounding passages in the Bible than those that speak of God’s

compassion. Somehow, the tender words seem to roll right off

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The Tender Words

me, much like water that beads up and rolls off a well-waxed

automobile.

What would happen, I wondered, if I read through Scrip-

ture, this time hunting for the words that every human longs

to hear — words of mercy, compassion, peace, and love? Yes, I

know that every word of God is to be cherished but what if, for

a brief time, I focused only on God’s most tender words?

Because I am not the same quick study my friend Joan is, I

decided to develop a remedial course for myself in which I could

reflect morning and evening on the most tender words of God I

could find in the Old and New Testament. Once I had gathered

these passages, I wanted to sit with them not just for a few days

but for three months. I wanted these words to be like guardians

at each end of my day, passages I could soak in and call to mind

when I was tempted to disbelieve.

The Tender Words of God is the result of this process. While

the core of the book is Scripture, each week is introduced with

a few words regarding my progress (or regress) on the journey.

Though my remarks are brief, they are intended to chronicle my

struggles and joys, not because my quest is all that remarkable

but precisely because it is so ordinary, expressing the longing we

all have to love and to be loved, especially by the One who made

us. I hope you will join me on this journey, soaking in these

Scriptures morning and evening, listening for God’s voice, and

experiencing his presence. You may even want to chronicle the

story of your own progress by keeping a journal record of the way

God communicates his love to you in this time. God has many

things for us to do in this life, but I am convinced that you and

I will do them better, with far more joy and greater impact, if we

do them with a settled confidence in God’s love.

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2

God Speaks Words of Compassion

µj/r:

RAHAM

The Hebrew word raham, which means “compassion,” is inti-

mately connected to the Hebrew word rehem, which means

“womb.” Throughout the Scriptures, God reveals a kind of

motherly compassion for his people. In one of the Bible’s most

moving passages, God reveals himself to Moses as “The Lord,

the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger,

abounding in love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6).

Jesus, too, displays great compassion for those who are needy.

In fact, his compassion moves him to act on behalf of the sick,

the blind, the hungry, and those without a shepherd. He even

raises a man from the dead after witnessing a mother’s sorrow.

Compassion is an attribute of God, and it is closely related to

mercy or pity. The Greek New Testament words for compassion

are eleos and splanchnon.

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God Speaks Words of Compassion

LETTI

TING T

G THE W

E WOR D S

D SHAPE M

E ME

I began my hunt for the tender words of God in a distracted

state. I was distressed about a deteriorating situation at one of

my children’s schools. I was thinking about money I didn’t have

but thought I needed. I felt anxious about a looming deadline.

These and other thoughts paraded across my mind — over and

over because I hadn’t found a way to lay them to rest.

How could I construct a remedial course on God’s love when

I felt so scattered, when my energy kept heading in other direc-

tions? I imagined myself plowing through a field of tall weeds,

searching vainly for golden kernels of grain in the midst of a

thicket of distractions. But as I began to read the words of Scrip-

ture, I felt myself calming down, focusing, resting in the words

themselves:

The LORD longs to be gracious to you.

Our God is full of compassion.

In all their distress he too was distressed.

God lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in

front of you.”

I imagined Moses encountering the surprise of his life in

the desert — a God shocking not so much for the display of

his power but for the degree of his love and the intensity of his

desire to be known. I listened as the psalmist likened God to

a compassionate father and as Isaiah compared the Lord to a

mother whose child feeds contentedly at her breast. But what

hit me hardest was a story I had heard before, many times. Jesus

told it. It’s about a son who takes his father’s money and runs

with it to forlorn places. He lives wildly until the last penny is

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gone, and then in desperation he hires himself out to feed pigs.

Starving, the prodigal son wishes he could stuff his belly with

the same food the pigs are eating.

I imagined the listening crowd, captivated by the woeful tale

Jesus was telling. The foolish prodigal seems to be getting what

he deserves. What a rotten way to treat your father. Having

squandered everything, he becomes impoverished. Even worse,

he accepts a job taking care of pigs. To associate so closely and

constantly with animals that God declared unclean would be

to cross a boundary, alienating yourself from a holy God. The

prodigal’s downward slide must have seemed entirely fitting.

But Jesus’ listeners could not have anticipated the surprise

ending. Instead of publicly condemning his son and banishing

him from the community as would have been a Jewish father’s

right, the prodigal’s father runs out to meet him when he returns

home and then throws a party to celebrate his return.

I thought about who was telling the story — the only human

being whose vision of God had never been distorted by sin.

Wasn’t the Son the best one to tell us what God the Father is

like?

I also thought about the prodigal. He was a pleasure seeker. I

could relate to him because of my own temptations — too much

food, comfortable vacations, dreams of an easy life. But dwelling

on such dreams makes your body soft and fat, your soul feeble.

As I thought about my own tendencies and failures, I could feel

myself sinking into a kind of disgust that seemed to move me

further from God. But what about the things I had been reading

about his compassion? I refocused on what the Scriptures say

about God’s attitude toward us. As I did, I began to envision him

waiting for me in the midst of my weakness, neither surprised

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nor repulsed by my sin, but simply waiting for me to come to my

senses so he could welcome me home.

As this picture of God came into clearer focus, I wondered

how often my distorted thinking about him impedes my progress

in the spiritual life. Remember what the prodigal was thinking

on his way home: “I will set out and go back to my father and

say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against

you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like

one of your hired men” (Luke 15:18 – 19). Ashamed of him-

self, the son completely misunderstood his father’s character.

He had no idea what was inside his father’s heart. Expecting

rejection, he must have been shocked by his father’s excited

welcome — “bring the best . . . bring the fattest . . . let’s have a

feast!” (Luke 15:22 – 23).

That’s what sin does to us. It makes us stupid, especially

in relationship to God. We find it impossible to conceive of

someone whose responses are so much better than our own.

We imagine him merely as a larger, more powerful version of

ourselves. So we assign him motives that are beneath him and

contrary to his nature.

Come to think of it, by doubting his compassion, I was dis-

counting my own experience as a parent. I had long ago realized

that having children takes you straight into the mystery of love.

Hadn’t I known what it felt like to love a child regardless of her

stubborn determination to take the wrong path? How could I

forget the joy I felt whenever one of my children admitted she

had done something wrong and asked to be forgiven? Why did

I think God would be a less generous parent than I was? How

could I misconstrue his heart, twist his intentions, be so slow

to believe in his kindness? After all, I had been created in his

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The Tender Words of God

image, not he in mine, so it made sense that any goodness in me

was merely a reflection of his greater goodness. I knew that any

occasional disappointment in my children didn’t threaten the

foundation of our relationship. How could it when it was built

on my fierce, unconditional love for them? Surely God’s love

was far stronger and deeper than mine.

As I continued to pray to the God of compassion, I felt my

own sense of self-condemnation ebbing. I was able to look at my

weaknesses calmly, honestly, and with hope because I knew I

was standing in the presence of a Father who loved me. Looking

at him made it easier to look at me.

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God Speaks Words of Compassion

Sunday

IN THE MORNING

I L

I Long t

ng to Be

o B Gra

e Gr ciou

ious t

s to Yo

o Y u

The Lord longs to be gracious to you;

he rises to show you compassion.

For the Lord is a God of justice.

Blessed are all who wait for him!

O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.

How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread

of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hid-

den no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you

turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind

you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Lord, you are near even when my heart seems far from you. Open

my eyes to your presence. Whether I turn to the left or to the right let me encounter your love.

Isaiah 30:18 – 21

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The Tender Words of God

AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Re

l R v

e e

v al My

l M s

y e

s l

e f

l t

f to Yo

o Y u

Then Moses said [to the Lord], “Now show me your glory.”

And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in

front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your pres-

ence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have

compassion on whom I will have compassion. . . .

Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with

him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of

Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and

gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”

I will see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living.

Lord, let your goodness pass in front of me. Help me to see you for who you are and to live my life according to this vision.

Exodus 33:18 – 19; 34:5 – 7; Psalm 27:13

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God Speaks Words of Compassion

Monday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil We

l W l

e co

c me Yo

e Y u Ba

u B ck

c

When he [the prodigal son] came to his senses, he said, “How

many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am

starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say

to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am

no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your

hired men.” So he got up and went to his father.

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was

filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms

around him and kissed him.

In all their distress [the Lord] too was distressed,

and the angel of his presence saved them.

In his love and mercy he redeemed them;

he lifted them up and carried them

all the days of old.

Father, your son Jesus compared you to a broken-hearted man who

was filled with compassion toward his foolhardy child. Thank you

for revealing your father heart toward me today.

Luke 15:17 – 20; Isaiah 63:9

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The Tender Words of God

AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil be Yo

be Y ur Fa

ur F t

ather

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so

the

Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

for he knows how we are formed,

he remembers that we are dust.

Lord, you are not surprised at my weakness. I am insubstantial as

the dust beneath my feet. And yet you assure me that I am “beloved

dust.” Don’t let me hide this truth from myself but fill me every day with wonder at the greatness of your love.

Psalm 103:11 – 14

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Tuesday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil No

l N t

o Fo

t F rg

r e

g t

e Yo

t Y u

Shout for joy, O heavens;

rejoice, O earth;

burst into song, O mountains!

For the Lord comforts his people

and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

But you said, “The Lord has forsaken me,

the Lord has forgotten me.”

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast

and have no compassion on the child she has borne?

Though she may forget,

I will not forget you!

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;

your walls are ever before me.”

Lord, you are more loving than the most faithful of mothers. Thank

you for your promise never to abandon, forsake, or forget me. Hold

me close, like a child nursing at her mother’s breast.

Isaiah 49:13 – 16

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The Tender Words of God

AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Sh

S ow Yo

ow Y u My

u M Un

U f

n a

f ililing L

ing Lov

o e

v

For people are not cast off

by the Lord forever.

Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,

so great is his unfailing love.

For he does not willingly bring affliction

or grief to any human being.

“Though the mountains be shaken

and the hills be removed,

yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken

nor my covenant of peace be removed,”

says the [Lord,] who has compassion on you.

Lord, I want to name your faithfulness, to identify you by the way

you treat me. So today I call you, not merely Creator, King, and

Lord, but the loving God who has shown me compassion.

Lamentations 3:31 – 33 (TNIV); Isaiah 54:10

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Wednesday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil Ar

A ise

s an

e and Ha

d H ve

v Co

C mpa

mpass

s io

sion

You will arise and have compassion on Zion,

for it is time to show favor to her;

the appointed time has come.

For her stones are dear to your servants;

her very dust moves them to pity.

The nations will fear the name of the Lord,

all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.

For the Lord will rebuild Zion

and appear in his glory.

He will respond to the prayer of the destitute;

he will not despise their plea.

Lord, you never despise the destitute. Help me not to be ashamed of my desperate need but let it move me to call out to you with hope.

May this be the time to show me your favor!

Psalm 102:13 – 17

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil No

l N t

o Gi

t G v

i e

v Yo

e Y u Up

u U !

I will betroth you to me forever;

I will betroth you in righ teous ness and justice,

in love and compassion.

How can I give you up?

How can I hand you over? . . .

My heart is changed within me;

all my compassion is aroused.

I will not carry out my fierce anger. . . .

For I am God, and not man —

the Holy One among you.

I will not come in wrath.

For in you, [Lord,] the fatherless find compassion.

Lord, I thank you for the compassion that restrains your anger and

defines your heart. I praise you that you don’t think or act like a human being but like a holy God, surprising me by your kindness

and encouraging me by your passionate love.

Hosea 2:19; 11:8 – 9; 14:3

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God Speaks Words of Compassion

Thursday

IN THE MORNING

I L

I Look w

ok wit

i h Co

h C mpa

mpass

s io

sion

The Lord is gracious and righ teous;

our God is full of compassion.

The Lord protects the simplehearted;

when I was in great need, he saved me.

Be at rest once more, O my soul,

for

the

Lord has been good to you.

For you, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death,

my eyes from tears,

my feet from stumbling.

The Lord will surely comfort Zion

and will look with compassion on all her ruins;

he will make her deserts like Eden,

her wastelands like the garden of the Lord.

Joy and gladness will be found in her,

thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

God, thank you that I can be at rest because of what you have

already done for me. Help me to remember your kindness when I

become upset or worried. Let the memory of your goodness shape

my expectations about the present and the future.

Psalm 116:5 – 8; Isaiah 51:3

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Tr

l T e

r at Yo

eat Y u w

u wit

i h Kin

h Kindness

s

“The Lord will call you back

as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit —

a wife who married young,

only to be rejected,” says your God.

“For a brief moment I abandoned you,

but with deep compassion I will bring you back.

In a surge of anger

I hid my face from you for a moment,

but with everlasting kindness

I will have compassion on you,”

says

the

Lord your Redeemer.

“To me this is like the days of Noah,

when I swore that the waters of Noah would never

again cover the earth.

So now I have sworn not to be angry with you,

never to rebuke you again.”

Lord, you use words like brief and momentary to describe your

anger and words like deep and everlasting to describe your kindness and compassion. Please don’t hide your face from me tonight. Fill

me instead with the firm assurance of your everlasting kindness.

Isaiah 54:6 – 9

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Friday

IN THE MORNING

I De

I D l

e ig

i ht in Kin

ght in Kindness

s

This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom

or the strong man boast of his strength

or the rich man boast of his riches,

but let him who boasts boast about this:

that he understands and knows me,

that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,

justice and righ teous ness on earth,

for in these I delight,”

declares

the

Lord.

Lord, help me to brag not about who I am but about who you are.

Never let me run out of words to praise you for your goodness and

your kindness.

Jeremiah 9:23 – 24

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Re

R st

s ore

r Yo

e Y ur Fo

ur F rtun

unes

es

The Lord will judge his people

and have compassion on his servants

when he sees their strength is gone

and no one is left, slave or free.

When you and your children return to the Lord your God and

obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to

everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will

restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you

again from all the nations where he scattered you. Even if you have

been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from

there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back.

Lord, thank you for assuring us that no one is ever beyond the reach of your compassion. I pray for those who seem alienated from you.

Give them the grace to turn to you and be healed. Bring them back

from distant lands and restore their fortunes.

Deuteronomy 32:36; Deuteronomy 30:2 – 4

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Saturday

IN THE MORNING

Cl

C ot

o he Yo

Y urs

r e

s l

e f

l wit

wi h

th Co

C mpass

s ion

on

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved,

clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness

and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever griev-

ances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord for-

gave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them

all together in perfect unity.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such

things there is no law.

Lord, this morning, as I get dressed, help me to envision myself putting on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience

like a garment. Clothe me in your Spirit so that your goodness is

revealed through me.

Colossians 3:12 – 14; Galatians 5:22 – 23

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AT NIGHT

I Am

I A t

m the Go

e G d of

d o Al

f All Co

l C mf

m o

f rt

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the

Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts

us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble

with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as

the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through

Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your

comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort,

which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we

suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as

you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

Father of compassion and God of all comfort, please don’t let my

troubles go to waste. Use them to reshape my heart so that I can

comfort others with the comfort you give to me.

2 Co rin thi ans 1:3 – 7

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I W

WILL R

R EME

MEMB

MBER T

THIS

The Lord longs to be gracious to you;

he rises to show you compassion.

For the Lord is a God of justice.

Blessed are all who wait for him!

-

My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.

-

The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God,

slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

-

I will see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living.

Several years ago, Philip Yancey wrote a book entitled Disap-

pointment with God. It was an instant bestseller, at least partly because Philip managed to put his finger on a difficulty many

have but few admit. In addition to this sense of disappointment

with God, I think many of us suffer from a pervasive sense of

disappointment with ourselves. Honesty compels us to admit

our failure to be the kind of people we want to be.

But is disappointment a bad thing? What if it means we are

making progress in the spiritual life because we have finally

developed enough trust to admit who we are before God? As

I reflected this week, I couldn’t help but notice how often

Isaiah 30:18; Exodus 33:14; Exodus 34:6; Psalm 27:13

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Scripture links God’s compassion with his people’s weakness:

In all their distress he too was distressed . . . he remembers that we are dust . . . he will respond to the prayer of the destitute . . . the LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all

her ruins . . . the LORD will judge his people and have compassion on his servants when he sees their strength is gone.

So I will make it my practice to come before the Lord, nei-

ther hiding my “ruined places” nor pretending to be strong when

I am weak. In the midst of my brokenness, God will show me

his compassion.

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3

God Speaks Words of Forgiveness

jl/s;, ac;n:

NASA, SALAH

The Hebrew word nasa means to “carry, bear, lift up, or for-

give.” Salah means “to forgive” or “be forgiven.” Without

forgiveness, our lives would be hopeless because our connection

with God would be broken forever. Like buildings wired for elec-

tricity, we are “wired” for God. But sin breaks that connection.

Without God’s forgiveness, we would be like a city that has sud-

denly gone dark because of an irreparable break in its electrical

grid. Because of God’s great compassion and his desire to restore

our vital connection to him, he graciously extends forgiveness to

anyone who asks and who is also willing to extend it to others.

In the New Testament, Paul views forgiveness not just as the

removal of guilt for past sins but as deliverance from the power

of sin itself. The primary Greek word in the New Testament for

divine forgiveness is aphesis. It is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that brings forgiveness for all who belong

to him.

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God Speaks Words of Forgiveness

LETTI

TING T

G THE W

E WOR D S

D SHAPE M

E ME

This week, as I read through the Scriptures, different thoughts

and feelings kept surfacing, arranging themselves into a kind

of collage rather than developing neatly into one overarching

theme.

A few years ago I heard a friend — a good man — admit that

he “felt like the lowest skunk in hell.” His self-description seemed

laughable though his feelings were not. I think most people — at

least the honest ones — will confess that they sometimes do or

say things that make them feel rotten and skunk-like. What is it

about sin, about human frailty, that makes us feel so ashamed?

I began thinking that sin has a certain trajectory to it. It

takes you somewhere, delivering consequences long after you’ve

had the pleasure of committing it. I thought about the conse-

quences of the very first sin — the one the Bible depicts in Eden.

I pictured it something like the Big Bang, the theory that says

the universe began with an explosion that sent matter careen-

ing into space and time. I could imagine that first act of disobe-

dience as a great primordial explosion, expelling everything and

everyone from the presence of a holy God. It sent us head over

heels into the darkness, unable to find our way back to our life

source, fractured, isolated, and divided.

Then I remembered how C. S. Lewis depicts hell in his book

The Great Divorce. Instead of imagining it as a fiery inferno, he pictures it as a sprawling city into which a drizzly rain constantly falls. The people who populate it are alienated, choosing

to live at greater and greater distances from each other. The

worst among them move the farthest away, existing in complete

isolation and loneliness. My “Big Bang” theory of sin seemed

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to map rather well with Lewis’s depiction of where sin might

ultimately lead a person.

But I knew, too, that something else happened after sin

blew a hole in the universe. Because God was not content to let

things take their natural course, hope entered the picture. In

Jesus, I pictured God wrapping his arms around the universe to

make it whole again, to reverse the terrible chain reaction that

sin had set in motion.

But then, without much warning, my thoughts shifted, tak-

ing on a more personal and less cosmic quality. I started think-

ing about how I had responded during the early months of the

Iraq war when Saddam Hussein’s two sons were killed. “Yes!”

Both times, my response was instinctive, like cheering for my

favorite football team. The bad guys had been nailed. I felt like

celebrating. But then a discomfiting thought crept in. Was Jesus

rejoicing at the death of these two men? I couldn’t picture it.

I turned back to the Scriptures. Do not condemn, and you will

not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. If you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also

forgive you. How many times should you forgive? Seventy-seven

times. These were Jesus’ words. But really, I have to forgive rap-ists and mass murderers?

Then I read the story of a five-year-old from Dorchester,

Massachusetts. Two years earlier little Kai Leigh Harriott was

sitting on her upstairs porch singing, just singing, when a stray

bullet shot through her body and shattered her spine. She would

never be able to walk again, not one more step. It seems a man

by the name of Anthony Warren was having a bad day, so bad

that he fired three shots at Kai’s apartment building over an

argument he was having with two women inside.

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Two years later, sitting in a wheelchair in the Suffolk County

courtroom, five-year-old Kai began to cry. Then she looked up

at her accuser, “What you done to me was wrong.” But her next

words surprised everyone, even her mother. Looking around the

courtroom, the words came out, soft but sure: “But I still forgive

him.”

Kai wasn’t forgiving a long-distance kind of evil, like the one

I had been pondering in Iraq. This was the in-your-face brand,

the kind that can ruin your life in the space of a moment. Her

act of forgiveness put flesh on the words of Jesus. It showed me

what would be required if such a thing ever happened to me or

to someone I loved.

This Jesus, he asks so much.

Yes, but he gives so much.

I remembered one of my favorite films, The Mission. The scene

that haunts me is one that depicts the forgiveness I felt as a new

Chris tian. The story takes place in the eighteenth century, in

South America. Robert De Niro plays a brutal slave trader and

mercenary by the name of Rodrigo Mendoza. One day, in a flash

of rage, he murders his own brother. Unable to deal with the guilt

he feels, Rodrigo consults with a Jesuit missionary, who counsels

him to devise a penance for himself. Accordingly, the slave trader

decides to tether himself to an unbearable burden — a net filled

with his own heavy armor, a picture of the life he is trying to leave

behind. Then, dragging his armor behind him, he struggles vainly

up the side of a cliff — the way to the new mission the Jesuits have

established in the jungle. It is a mission to a South American tribe

of Indians, many of whom Mendoza had helped enslave.

The scene is painful to watch. Rodrigo, sweating, bloody,

and dirty, advances tortuously up the mountainside, frequently

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stumbling and falling back. I remember holding my breath as I

watched him drag the armor up the side of the cliff, aware that

the weight of his burden might overpower him at any second,

plunging him backward down the mountain. Then suddenly an

Indian appears at the cliff’s edge. He looks down at Rodrigo.

There is a knife in his hand. This is the moment to avenge his

people. But instead of avenging himself, he reaches down, cut-

ting the net from Rodrigo’s back and then pulling the wretched

man up over the edge of the cliff to safety.

It’s hard to watch the film and not draw parallels with what

it’s like to carry around our own unbearable burdens of guilt. I

can remember the sense of sheer mercy that came to me years

ago when I finally admitted my failings and opened myself to

God’s forgiveness. As I thought back to how gracious God has

been, I felt willing to pray for a change of heart. Instead of

cheering the demise of those men in Iraq, I wanted the grace to

forgive as I had been forgiven, to let pure justice remain where

it belongs — in God’s hand.

I thought about the words of Father Lyndon Harris of St.

Paul’s Chapel, located next to the World Trade Center. Witness-

ing the attack on September 11 and the grim aftermath, the

chaplain kept asking himself the same question: “How in God’s

name, literally, how in God’s name, do we stop this senseless

cycle of violence and revenge?” His conclusion: “Forgiveness is

the way to say no to the perpetuation of violence for violence.

Forgiveness,” he says, “is the way to create the future.”

It’s the way God chose. It’s the future I choose — for myself

and for my children.

Lord, help me to forgive.

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God Speaks Words of Forgiveness

Sunday

IN THE MORNING

I Am

I A Sl

m S ow t

ow to An

o A g

n e

g r

Praise the Lord, O my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits —

who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion. . . .

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love. . . .

He does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Lord, help me to remember what you have already done — forgiving

all the sins I have ever committed — large or small, hidden or obvious. The power of your forgiveness has healed my past and reshaped

my future. Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Psalm 103:1 – 12

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AT NIGHT

I Ke

I K ep

e No

ep N Re

o R c

e o

c rd

r of

d o Yo

f Y ur Sin

ur Sins

If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins,

O Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness;

therefore you are feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

and in his word I put my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord

more than watchmen wait for the morning,

more than watchmen wait for the morning.

O Israel, put your hope in the Lord,

for with the Lord is unfailing love

and with him is full redemption.

He himself will redeem Israel

from all their sins.

Lord, thank you for not keeping a record of my sins. Help me to live with the expectation that when you see me, you see someone who

belongs to your son. Treat me, O God, not according to my failings

but according to your steadfast love.

Psalm 130:3 – 8

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Monday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil Sp

S ea

peak Te

k T nderl

r y

l

Comfort, comfort my people,

says your God.

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,

and proclaim to her

that her hard ser vice has been completed,

that her sin has been paid for. . . .

A voice of one calling:

“In the desert prepare

the way for the Lord;

make straight in the wilderness

a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be raised up,

every mountain and hill made low;

the rough ground shall become level,

the rugged places a plain.

And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,

and all mankind together will see it.

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Lord, my heart is like a wilderness without you, full of rough places and rugged ground. Bring me back to yourself in deeper ways. Let

nothing stand in the way of your steady, forgiving love.

Isaiah 40:1 – 5

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil No

N t

o Aban

t Abandon Yo

n Y u

“Our ancestors became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not

obey your commands. They refused to listen and failed to remem-

ber the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-

necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return

to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compas-

sionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did

not desert them.”

For this is what the high and lofty One says —

he who lives forever, whose name is holy:

“I live in a high and holy place,

but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,

to revive the spirit of the lowly

and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Lord, you have never failed or abandoned me even though “stiff-

necked” and “stubborn” are words that sometimes apply to me just

as they have sometimes applied to your people. Thank you for stay-

ing close, for guiding me through the hard times, for sustaining me when I am weak, and for showing me the way when I am confused.

Grant me the gift of a lowly, contrite spirit — a heart that will attract your presence and reflect your grace.

Nehemiah 9:16 – 17 (TNIV); Isaiah 57:15

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Tuesday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil No

l N t

o Re

t R member Yo

r Y ur Sin

ur Sins

“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel

after that time,” declares the Lord.

“I will put my law in their minds

and write it on their hearts.

I will be their God,

and they will be my people.

No longer will a man teach his neighbor,

or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’

because they will all know me,

from the least of them to the greatest,”

declares

the

Lord.

“For I will forgive their wickedness

and will remember their sins no more.”

I run in the path of your commands,

for you have set my heart free.

Lord, thank you for dealing with the twisted, broken things inside

me, not only showing me my sin but enabling me to change. I praise

you for not tolerating the distance that existed between us. You dealt with my sin so that I could receive your love.

Jeremiah 31:33 – 34; Psalm 119:32

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil He

H al Yo

Y ur Wa

ur W y

a w

y a

w rd

r n

dness

es

Let us acknowledge the Lord;

let us press on to acknowledge him.

As surely as the sun rises,

he will appear;

he will come to us like the winter rains,

like the spring rains that water the earth.

I will heal their waywardness

and love them freely,

for my anger has turned away from them.

I will be like the dew to Israel;

he will blossom like a lily.

Like a cedar of Lebanon

he will send down his roots.

Lord, there was a time when I was so very far from you. But you

overcame the distance through your strong, forgiving love. How can

I doubt your love when the evidence is all around me? Help me to

find ways of remembering how good you have been to me by telling

others what you have done.

Hosea 6:3; Hosea 14:4 – 5

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Wednesday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil Re

l R t

e urn t

n to Yo

o Y u

“Return to me,” declares the Lord Almighty, “and I will return

to you,” says the Lord Almighty.

Rend your heart

and not your garments.

Return to the Lord your God,

for he is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and abounding in love,

and he relents from sending calamity.

Who knows? He may turn and have pity

and leave behind a blessing.

Lord, forgive me for blaming you for troubles in my life, as though you and not I are the one who needs to change. Help me to return

to you in trust and confidence. Let me experience your overflowing, bountiful love.

Zechariah 1:3; Joel 2:13 – 14

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Be

l B Fo

e F un

und b

d by Yo

y Y u

I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,

your sins like the morning mist.

Return to me,

for I have redeemed you.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your

heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord.

I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and

not uproot you. I will give you a heart to know me, that I am the

Lord. You will be my people, and I will be your God, for you will

return to me with all your heart.

Lord, I love the image of my sins being swept away like an insub-

stantial mist. Help me to call this image to mind the next time I need to ask your forgiveness. Don’t let me give more power to my sin than I do to your forgiveness.

Isaiah 44:22; Jeremiah 29:13 – 14; Jeremiah 24:6 – 7

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Thursday

IN THE MORNING

A Br

A B uise

s d Re

d R e

e d I Wi

ed I W lil No

N t

o Br

t B e

r a

eak

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;

for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the

way for him,

to give his people the knowledge of salvation

through the forgiveness of their sins,

because of the tender mercy of our God,

by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven

to shine on those living in darkness

and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the path of peace.

A bruised reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

Father, thank you for sending your Son to bring us out of the dark-

ness of our sins and to guide us into the way of peace. Help me

today to experience your tender mercy and then to reflect it to those who have been bruised and broken by life.

Luke 1:76 – 79; Matthew 12:20

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AT NIGHT

I Do

I D n’

n t’ Co

t C ndemn

em Yo

n Y u

“Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the

Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do

you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have

a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with

his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up

and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the

first to throw a stone at her.” . . .

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the

older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still

standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman,

where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and

leave your life of sin.”

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ

Jesus.

Jesus, what were you scribbling in the dust as you stooped in front of the woman’s accusers? Some say you were writing each man’s sins.

Thank you for offering rescue rather than condemnation. Help me

to stay free as I fight against the sinful habits and patterns that still influence me.

John 8:4 –7, 9–11; Romans 8:1

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Friday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil He

H al an

and Fo

d F rg

r iv

i e

v Yo

e Y u

I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace

and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and

will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all

the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their

sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown,

joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the

good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at

the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.

Who is a God like you,

who pardons sin and forgives transgression? . . .

You will again have compassion on us;

you will tread our sins underfoot

and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

“Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Lord, thank you for healing the wounds that sin made in my mind and heart, especially the ones that made me distrustful and fearful. Thank you for changing me and giving me peace. May others know how

great you are because of all the good things you have done for me.

Jeremiah 33:6 – 9; Micah 7:18 – 19; Luke 5:20

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Re

R j

e o

j i

oice

c Ove

e Ov r Yo

Y u

Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a

hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-

nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds

it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and

goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and

says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that

in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one

sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righ teous persons who

do not need to repent.

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does

she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she

finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors

together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In

the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the

angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Jesus, it’s strange to be lost and not know it. But I was. Thank you for pursuing me when I didn’t want to have anything to do with

you. Never let me wander from you or forget all the ways you have

blessed my life.

Luke 15:3 – 10

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God Speaks Words of Forgiveness

Saturday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil Fo

l F rg

r iv

i e

v Yo

e Y u If

u I Yo

f Y u Fo

u F rg

r iv

i e

v Ot

e O hers

r

For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your heav-

enly Father will also forgive you.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times

shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven

times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven

times.”

“Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to

you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running

over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it

will be measured to you.”

God, grant me the grace to liberally forgive so that I may be liberally forgiven. Let me celebrate your forgiveness by being generous to

those who offend me.

Matthew 6:14 (TNIV); Matthew 18:21 – 22; Luke 6:37 – 38

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Sh

l S ow Yo

ow Y u Ho

u H w t

w to Pr

o P a

r y

a

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if any-

one says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does

not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen,

it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in

prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And

when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive

him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he fin-

ished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just

as John taught his disciples.”

He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“ ‘Father,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins,

for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.’ ”

Lord, you ask hard things: to forgive everyone who sins against us.

And yet you have done the harder thing: forgiving child abusers, rac-ists, murderers, adulterers, thieves, gossips, gluttons, and liars — you forgive everyone who repents, including me. Help me to imitate you

by extending forgiveness to everyone who hurts me. Give me the

grace to leave all final judgment to you.

Mark 11:22 – 25; Luke 11:1 – 4

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I W

WILL R

R EME

MEMB

MBER T

THIS

As far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

-

I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,

your sins like the morning mist.

-

You will tread our sins underfoot

and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

-

A bruised reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

-

There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who

repents than over ninety-nine righ teous persons who do not need

to repent.

I realize that forgiveness can be a process. It begins when I

decide to forgive. But it can take time for me to let go of my

emotional reactions to what someone has done and my desire to

see them suffer for it. But God doesn’t have emotional reactions.

His forgiveness happens instantly — the moment I repent.

I remember the first time I realized what a positive thing

repentance is. The Greek word that often translates “repen-

tance” in the New Testament is metanoia. It expresses the idea Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 44:22; Micah 7:19; Matthew 12:20; Luke 15:7

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of turning, of doing an about-face, of heading away from one

thing so you can head toward another. It’s not just a turning

away from the disintegrating power of sin but a turning toward the creative, life-giving power of God. It’s choosing to stand in

the light rather than to linger in the darkness.

This week as I read through Scripture I was struck by all the

strong, even extreme, images it paints of how God deals with

our sins once we repent: he stomps on them; he sweeps them

away like a mist; he throws them into the sea; he peels them off

and hurls them far from us.

But if this is so, I couldn’t help wondering why I sometimes

don’t feel forgiven even though I’ve repented. It occurred to me

that at least three things might affect my experience. First, I tend

to want to punish myself for my failures. Second, my feelings don’t

always reflect reality. Just because I don’t feel forgiven doesn’t mean God hasn’t forgiven me. Third, and this is easy for me to miss, I

haven’t yet fully repented. Maybe I’m asking God to forgive me

not because I am sorry for something I’ve done or failed to do but

simply because I want to protect myself from emotional pain.

I don’t like having my weakness exposed. I find it hard to

look squarely into my heart, to have my self-illusions punctured.

Perhaps by slowing down and allowing myself to feel the pain,

not to wallow in it, I will be given the grace to recognize what

led to my failure. Maybe God will give me not only his forgive-

ness but the kind of self-understanding that will help me break

out of the habits and patterns that lead to sin.

Perhaps receiving God’s forgiveness, like extending it, is for

most of us a process rather than an event. Today I pray for the

grace to be patient with the process the next time I am tempted

to believe that God hasn’t really forgiven me.

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4

God Speaks Words of Peace

µ„lv;

SHALOM

The Hebrew word for peace is shalom, a word with many

rich and beguiling implications because it includes the idea

not just of the absence of strife and conflict but of wholeness,

well-being, health, prosperity, safety, satisfaction, and sound-

ness. When God speaks words of peace, he is speaking words

of connection because true peace comes from being in right

relationship with him. Peace with God then spreads to other

relationships so that we learn to live in harmony with others

and in peace with ourselves.

The Greek word for peace is eirene. The New Testament

reveals Jesus as the source of all peace because his is the sacrifice

that has made us whole, restoring our relationship with God

and others.

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God Speaks Words of Peace

LETTI

TING T

G THE W

E WOR D S

D SHAPE M

E ME

I’ve never been big on New Year’s resolutions. To me they’re

a set up for failure. Like diets. But as January approaches, I’ve

found myself thinking about peace. In fact, I can’t stop thinking

about it — about my desire for it, about the world’s need for it,

about what life on earth would be like if we really experienced

the peace God promises.

I think, too, about practical steps I might take to make my

home a more peaceful place — a place where my children are

not constantly bickering and where their mother never yells at

them in a misguided effort to get them to stop. Many parents

who have adult children assure me that their offspring are now

best friends despite prolonged periods of sibling rivalry when

they were young. But I don’t want to wait another decade for

calm to reign in our home.

What can I do to stop the arguing, the competition, the dis-

cord? Doesn’t Scripture tell us we are to “seek peace and pursue

it?” What does that mean on the local level, in my city, on my

block, in my home?

One night, after a day filled with endless squabbles, I col-

lapsed on the sofa. All my attempts at peace and reconciliation

had failed. I had prayed, encouraged, lectured, punished, and

even bribed my children in an effort to teach them to get along.

But they still seemed like little alligators, constantly wrestling

to see who would come out on top. I felt desperate enough

to beg for Supernanny to come to the rescue. So what if our

troubles were aired on national television! A little humiliation

would be a small price to pay for more peace in our corner of

the earth.

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Then I thought about Jesus and the land he lived in — Israel.

It wasn’t a peaceful place either. And today Israel is still not a

synonym for peace. Instead, it’s a land in which people are being

walled off from each other in a desperate effort to keep the peace.

The Israelis call the wall a “Separation Barrier,” but the Palestin-

ians call it the “Apartheid Wall” or the “Berlin Wall.” In fact,

when it’s finally completed this controversial wall is expected to

extend for 403 miles — four times as long as the Berlin Wall!

“Well, if they can do it, I can do it!” I thought. Why not

build a wall straight through the house? The children could visit

each other on Christmas, on Easter, and on their birthdays. I

might even throw in the Fourth of July if they behave. When I

confided my brilliant new plan to friends, one laughed and then

proceeded to amuse the rest of us with the story of two room-

mates at a Chris tian college who had managed to share a tiny

dorm room for four years despite their opposite temperaments.

They did it by building a wall straight down the middle of their

dorm room to define their respective spheres of influence.

Of course, as Robert Frost pointed out in a famous poem nearly a century ago, walls have their drawbacks. “Something

there is that doesn’t love a wall,” he remarked. Of course the

“something” Frost is talking about is our need to touch and be

touched, to know and be known. We were made for community.

Trouble is, we can’t seem to touch without hurting each other,

can’t seem to know without judging each other. And so we put

up walls, which only isolate and divide us, creating loneliness

and suspicion rather than peace.

So much for my grand solution! As I read God’s words, I

reflected that peace is not so much a plan as it is a person. I know

that real peace, in the Middle East or in Midwest America where

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God Speaks Words of Peace

I live, cannot be had without having Christ — inside. I thought

about myself. How did I behave when my children were having

difficulty?

A passage that has never been a favorite came to mind, the

one about having “a gentle and quiet spirit.” As I thought about

it and prayed about it, I began to wonder if I hadn’t misunder-

stood the instruction all these years. What if this gentle and

quiet spirit doesn’t describe someone who is timid and passive

but someone who has an inner kind of quiet, someone whose

peace is so strong that it spreads out to others around her? I

wanted to be that kind of person. But the catch was that I

needed to let God change me, to calm my anxiety and give me

wisdom. Instead of letting my tensions control me, I needed to

respond to him with greater trust and deeper obedience.

Here’s how one writer describes the biblical ideal of gentle-

ness: “Gentleness means to approach others (including one’s

enemies) in a humble and caring spirit, not using force to get

one’s way . . . It is included as one of the nine aspects of the

fruit of the Spirit in our lives and is part of how wisdom from

above goes to work in our lives.” I liked that last part especially, about “wisdom from above going to work” in my life. Gentleness, I also realized, is often spoken of in tandem with peace.

The peace I longed for could only be produced by the action of

God’s Spirit in my life.

I remembered the passage from Luke’s gospel that portrays

Jesus, shortly before his death, weeping over Jerusalem because

he could foresee its violent downfall and saying, “If you, even you,

had only known on this day what would bring you peace — but

now it is hidden from your eyes.”

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Today I pray that what will bring peace to my home, to my

city, and to the troubled regions of our world will not be hid-

den from my eyes or from yours. Come, Lord Jesus, and reveal

yourself as the Peace for which we long. Come and show us the

path of peace.

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God Speaks Words of Peace

Sunday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil Tu

l T rn My

n M Fa

y F ce t

ce towa

w rd

r Yo

d Y u

“The Lord bless you

and keep you;

the Lord make his face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn his face toward you

and give you peace. ”

Blessed are those who find wisdom,

those who gain understanding,

for she is more profitable than silver

and yields better returns than gold.

She is more precious than rubies;

nothing you desire can compare with her.

Long life is in her right hand;

in her left hand are riches and honor.

Her ways are pleasant ways,

and all her paths are peace.

Lord, wisdom is better than silver and more to be desired than gold.

Shine your face on me, and give me the grace to live wisely in this world.

Numbers 6:24 – 26; Proverbs 3:13 – 17 (TNIV)

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W ll Ke

K ep Yo

ep Y u in Pe

u in P rfe

f ct Pe

ect P ace

ce

You will keep in perfect peace

those whose minds are steadfast,

because they trust in you.

“Though the mountains be shaken

and the hills be removed,

yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken

nor my covenant of peace be removed,”

says

the

Lord, who has compassion on you. . . .

All your children will be taught by the Lord,

and great will be their peace.”

Heavenly Father, when everything is shaking around me, hold me

steady. Let me remember your unfailing love and your covenant of

peace. May my children also learn from you so that they, too, may

know your peace.

Isaiah 26:3 (TNIV); Isaiah 54:10, 13 (TNIV)

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God Speaks Words of Peace

Monday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W ll Ex

E tend Pe

P ace

c l

e like a Riv

a Ri e

v r

“You will go out in joy

and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills

will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field

will clap their hands.

Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,

and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the Lord’s renown,

for an everlasting sign,

which will not be destroyed.”

For this is what the Lord says:

“I will extend peace to her like a river,

and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream.”

Gracious and loving God, the One who led me out of the darkness

and into the light, thank you for the peace you promise. Let it be like an ever-flowing river, and I will always proclaim your kindness!

Isaiah 55:12 – 13; Isaiah 66:12

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The Tender Words of God

AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Gi

l G v

i e

v Pe

e P ace

c t

e to Th

o Thos

o e

s W

e Who Tr

o T ust

s Me

t M

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you

trust in him.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such

things there is no law.

The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then

peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit,

impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a har-

vest of righ teous ness.

Lord, peace comes from you. Help me to stop looking for it in other places. Give me the grace to make room in my soul for your Spirit.

Fill me with the wisdom that is pure and peace-loving, merciful and considerate. Make me a peacemaker like you.

Romans 15:13; Galatians 5:22 – 23; James 3:17 – 18

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God Speaks Words of Peace

Tuesday

IN THE MORNING

My

M Pe

y P ace

c Wi

e W lil Gu

l G ard

r Yo

d Y ur He

ur H art

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your

gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious

about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with

thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God,

which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and

your minds in Christ Jesus.

When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way,

he causes their enemies to make peace with them.

Lord, grant me a rejoicing spirit. May I be a person who is gentle

and not harsh, calm and not anxious. Take pleasure in me and bring

me peace, I pray.

Philippians 4:4 – 7; Proverbs 16:7 (TNIV)

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AT NIGHT

I Am

I A t

m the L

e Lord

r of

d o Pe

f P ace

ce

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times

and in every way.

If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands,

I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. Your threshing will continue

until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until plant-

ing, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in

your land.

I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one

will make you afraid.

Lord, may your peace characterize my life in every way. No matter

who threatens, no matter what happens, be near to me, and I will

know your peace.

2 Thes salo nians 3:16; Leviticus 26:3 – 6

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God Speaks Words of Peace

Wednesday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil Tr

l T a

r in

i Yo

n Y u

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his chil-

dren. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you

are not disciplined — and everyone undergoes discipline — then

you are not legitimate children at all. Moreover, we have all had

parents who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How

much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! Our

parents disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but

God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on,

however, it produces a harvest of righ teous ness and peace for those

who have been trained by it.

Lord, “discipline” is not my favorite word. It doesn’t sound very

tender. But when you discipline it is always for my good. Thank

you for treating me, not as a stranger, but as a child in your family.

I trust the way you are working in my life.

1 Peter 1:2; Hebrews 12:7 – 11 (TNIV)

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Ma

Make Pe

P ace

c Yo

e Y ur Go

ur G ve

v rnor

My people will live in peaceful dwelling places,

in secure homes,

in undisturbed places of rest.

I will make peace your governor

and righ teous ness your ruler.

No longer will violence be heard in your land,

nor ruin or destruction within your borders,

but you will call your walls Salvation

and your gates Praise.

You have filled my heart with greater joy

than when their grain and new wine abound.

I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for you alone, O Lord,

make me dwell in safety.

Lord, you want to govern my life with peace. Help me to entrust the future to you — whether my future is on earth or in heaven. You give me the grace to lie down and sleep in peace, confident that wherever I am I will dwell in safety.

Isaiah 32:18; Isaiah 60:17 – 18; Psalm 4:7 – 8

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God Speaks Words of Peace

Thursday

IN THE MORNING

I Ha

I H v

a e

v Ma

e Made Pe

e P ace

c fo

e f r Yo

r Y u

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have

peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

The fruit of righ teous ness will be peace;

the effect of righ teous ness will be quietness and confi-

dence forever.

Jesus, I thank you for the peace in my soul that came the moment I

gave my life to you. You were crushed so that I wouldn’t be. I praise you, Lord.

Romans 5:1; Isaiah 53:5; Isaiah 32:17

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AT NIGHT

I Am

I A t

the Pr

e P ince of

ce o Pe

P ace

ce

The Lord is Peace.

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

God, you are healing, wholeness, prosperity, satisfaction, perfec-

tion, protection, harmony, and well-being. You are everything I

need. Lord, you are peace.

Judges 6:24; Isaiah 9:6

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Friday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil Gu

l G ide Yo

e Y u in t

u in the Wa

e W y

a of

y o Pe

f P ace

ce

How beautiful on the mountains

are the feet of those who bring good news,

who proclaim peace,

who bring good tidings,

who proclaim salvation,

who say to Zion,

“Your God reigns!”

I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an ever-

lasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their num-

bers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling

place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my

people.

Lord, thank you for being the “good news” we can celebrate, for

making a way when there was no way — out of our darkness and

into the peace of your presence. You are a God of unfailing love, and we are grateful to be your people.

Isaiah 52:7; Ezekiel 37:26 – 27

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AT NIGHT

I My

I M s

y e

s l

e f

l Am

f A Pe

m P ace

ce

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keep-

ing watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared

to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they

were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I

bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is

the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a

baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with

the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Lord, you are the peace for which all men and women long. Open

our eyes to your presence. Help us to perceive your glory.

Luke 2:8 – 14 (TNIV)

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Saturday

IN THE MORNING

My

M Pe

y P ace

c I Gi

e I G v

i e

v Yo

e Y u

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood

among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.

He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise

in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch

me and see.”

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to

you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do

not be afraid.

Lord, calm my anxious, troubled heart. When I am afraid, remind

me to turn my attention away from the things I fear so that I can

look at you.

Luke 24:36 – 39; John 14:27

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AT NIGHT

Let

e My

t M Pe

y P ace

c Ru

e R le in Yo

e in Y ur He

ur H arts

The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble,

whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is

admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about

such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from

me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace

will be with you.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of

one body you were called to peace.

Lord, forgive me for allowing worldly desires to dominate. Shape my mind and heart through your all-powerful Spirit. Teach me to think

your thoughts after you, and let your peace rule inside me regardless of what is happening around me.

Romans 8:6; Philippians 4:8 – 9 (TNIV); Colossians 3:15

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I W

WILL R

R EME

MEMB

MBER T

THIS

“Though the mountains be shaken

and the hills be removed,

yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken

nor my covenant of peace be removed,”

says

the

Lord, who has compassion on you.

-

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such

things there is no law.

-

I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for you alone, O Lord,

make me dwell in safety.

-

The Lord is Peace.

I know one thing about peace — it’s the way the world was

meant to be, the way God intended it to operate. Peace was

to be the normal state of things just like health was to be the

normal condition of our bodies.

Consider for a moment a simple, if rough, comparison. Imag-

ine a world in which every single car that has ever been made

breaks down constantly. There are lots of different models. Some

are sleek and beautiful. Others are simple and inexpensive. But

Isaiah 54:10; Galatians 5:22 – 23; Psalm 4:8; Judges 6:24

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all of them have one thing in common. None of them can travel

more than a hundred miles without breaking down. Wouldn’t

the people in that world seem justified in concluding that it is

simply a car’s nature to break down all the time? However justi-

fied their conclusions might seem, they would be dead wrong.

Something similar happens in our world when we draw the

conclusion that strife is normative. Divorce, domestic violence,

turf wars, church splits, border skirmishes, terrorism, war. It’s

easy to throw up our hands and think we can’t do a thing about

it. But, if that is so, why does the Bible exhort us to “seek peace

and pursue it”? Why are we told to pray for peace? And why

does Jesus call the peacemakers blessed? Don’t we need to do

more in this world than give up? Don’t we have to imitate the

costly example of Christ who with his sacrifice brought us back

to God — the One who is the source of all peace?

I pray today that God will make me a peacemaker, a person

who wants what Christ wants and is not afraid to make the

necessary sacrifices. May God forgive my apathy and my fear

and help me to reflect his heart in this world.

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5

God Speaks Words of Strength

z[o hr;WbG“

GEBURAH, OZ

The Hebrew Scriptures make it clear that God is the source of

all strength. His power is so great that no power in heaven

or on earth can compete with it. Moreover, his love impels him

to use his power on behalf of his people, to save those who hope

in him.

The Hebrew word geburah is commonly translated as “power,”

“strength,” or “might.” Oz is another Hebrew word, often translated “strength,” “strong,” “power,” “might,” or “mighty.” Anyone

who grew up watching reruns of The Wizard of Oz on television

may be interested to know that oz is often used to describe God’s strength.

The Greek word kratos is translated “power, might, strength”

in the New Testament. Ultimately, Jesus is presented as the

strongest of all men, the One who through his death and resur-

rection has overpowered Satan, ultimately freeing us from the

devastating consequences of sin.

Remember that God’s Word is powerful, living and active,

able to accomplish far more than we can even ask or imag-

ine. This week let it transform your understanding of how God

wants to reveal his strength in you and for you.

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LETTI

TING T

G THE W

E WOR D S

D SHAPE M

E ME

We were lying in bed talking.

“I’m stronger than any of the boys in our school,” I modestly

announced.

“You are,” my sister agreed.

“I bet I could arm wrestle a high school guy and win,” I

said.

“You could,” she affirmed.

“I’m probably way stronger even than a college kid!” I said

in a crescendo of self-confidence. Remarkably, my eight-year-old

sister said yes, I probably was.

My illusions of grandeur had been sparked that day on the

school playground, where I had challenged a sixth-grade boy to

a contest to see who could chin themselves the most times on

the monkey bars. His twelve-year-old body, wiry though it was,

was no match against a skinny first-grader who also happened

to be a megalomaniac. I watched him leave the field in disgrace,

shoulders sagging, humiliated by a six-year-old girl!

That memory captures the sum total of my early understand-

ing of strength. I thought it was entirely a contest of bodies.

It wasn’t long before I would learn the truth — that life can

knock the stuffing out of you, not once but repeatedly. My early

cockiness soon faded, replaced by a sense that the world wasn’t

as safe or pleasant as I had thought. As it sooner or later does to

all of us, it began to dawn on me that the strength that really

mattered was internal rather than external.

So I tried to be strong — inside. But that only meant bot-

tling things up, putting a wall around my feelings, appearing

strong regardless of how I felt. To some degree hiding works.

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You can fool people. Sometimes you can even fool yourself. But

feelings have a way of asserting themselves, of creating pressure

cracks in even the best-constructed walls. No matter how hard

I looked for strength inside myself, I could never find the degree

of strength I needed. That came later, with my conversion. With

my admitting my weakness and my need before God. It came as

Christ poured out his gracious love, unbending and untwisting

what had been broken and bent inside me by sin — my sin and

the sins of others. That process continues.

So I came to these words about God’s strength with a desire

to experience more of his help on a daily basis. And as I read

the words, I began asking myself what strength is for. What did

God expect me to do with the strength he promises to give?

Does he strengthen me so that I can feel better about myself

or so that I can look better to others? I doubted it. Surely that

kind of interpretation was a throwback to the egocentric views

of my childhood.

I thought about Jesus. His strength was expressed overtly

through the miracles he performed. But it was also expressed in

surprising ways, in ways that made him look weak. Who but a

weak man, a man who had been overpowered by others, would

allow himself to be violently whipped and executed? He certainly

looked weak to his friends, all of whom fled the moment he was

arrested. It wasn’t until later that they understood how strong Jesus

was, that his strength was not to be measured against the strength

of wicked people but against the power of wickedness itself.

So that’s what strength is for. To enable us to resist the dis-

torting, misshaping power of sin, to make us more like Jesus so

that inch by inch and life by life the gospel will be preached and

the world will be transformed.

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In so many ways, the strength that Christ has portrayed and

that God promises is counter-intuitive, a contradiction to the

world’s idea of strength. It is the power to control our appetites

rather than to let them control us. It is the ability to endure

rather than to run away. It is the quick instinct to take refuge

in God rather than to trust in our own abilities or resources. It

is the humility to ask God daily for what we need rather than

to work ourselves into a frenzy trying to construct the perfect

safety net. It is the ability to keep gazing at God even when

trouble and fear assails us. It is the patience to wait rather than

to run on ahead. It is the faith to keep praying no matter what.

It is the decision to put others first and ourselves last. It is the

grace to believe that nothing is impossible because we belong

to God. It is the strength to be more than we are because God

is more than we imagine. It is the power to run and not grow

weary, to walk and not be faint, to ground ourselves in God’s

might and his power to help and to save.

Every week I attend a small group, composed of friends

whose purpose it is to encourage each other to become more

like Jesus. I love this group. Each member is like a sister to me.

But I have to confess that I feel like a fraud whenever it’s my

turn to read one of the promises we make for the week ahead:

By God’s grace, I will strive mightily against sin and will do deeds of

love and mercy. The words sound awkward, so noble and knight-

like, so romantic and grandiose — so unlike the person I am. So

I deal with my discomfort by stressing to myself the part about

God’s grace. I know that without it I will fail. But now it strikes

me that I am going to have to embrace the part about striving

mightily too because otherwise what is God’s grace for?

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So as I brood over God’s words, I pray for the grace to know

just how strong he is and how generous. Rather than hoarding

his strength, he shares it gladly, for as Scripture says, “The eyes

of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those

whose hearts are fully committed to him.” I pray, today, that his

glance will rest on me.

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Sunday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W ll Be

B Yo

Y ur St

ur S re

r ng

ngth

O Lord be gracious to us;

we long for you.

Be our strength every morning,

our salvation in time of distress.

My soul is weary with sorrow;

strengthen me according to your word.

In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge;

let me never be put to shame;

deliver me in your righ teous ness.

Turn your ear to me,

come quickly to my rescue;

be my rock of refuge,

a strong fortress to save me.

Every day I have need of your strength, Lord. Help me to know you

as refuge and fortress, a rock upon which I can stand no matter how difficult life becomes.

Isaiah 33:2; Psalm 119:28; Psalm 31:1 – 2

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Su

l S ppo

pport Yo

t Y u

O my Strength, I watch for you;

you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from my foes, who were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

but

the

Lord was my support.

He brought me out into a spacious place;

he rescued me because he delighted in me.

One thing God has spoken,

two things have I heard:

that you, O God, are strong,

and that you, O Lord, are loving.

Lord, I praise you not only for your strength but also for your love.

Please blend strength and love in me, so that I can show others who you are.

Psalm 59:9 – 10; Psalm 73:25 – 26; 2 Sam uel 22:17 – 20; Psalm 62:11 – 12

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Monday

IN THE MORNING

I Wa

I W nt t

nt to

o Gi

G v

i e

v

e Yo

Y u

o Co

u C u

o ra

ur ge

ag an

e and Co

d C nf

n iden

ence

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged

because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for

there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only

the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and

to fight our battles.”

The Lord is my light and my salvation —

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life —

of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked advance against me

to devour me,

it is my enemies and my foes

who will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me,

my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,

even then will I be confident.

Lord, steady my heart, so that when life is difficult, I will not give in to the temptation to think you have rejected me. May I remember

that strength comes from living in your presence and relying on your faithfulness.

2 Chron icles 32:7 – 8; Psalm 27:1 – 3 (TNIV)

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Ke

l K ep Yo

ep Y u St

u S ro

r ng t

ng to t

o the En

e E d

Strengthen the feeble hands,

steady the knees that give way;

say to those with fearful hearts,

“Be strong, do not fear;

your God will come,

he will come with vengeance;

with divine retribution

he will come to save you.

The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze,

and your strength will equal your days.

Christ will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be

blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called

you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Lord, you know how quickly I can swing from being assured of

your presence to being certain of your absence. I’m so tired of being pushed around by circumstances. Help me to stop wavering between

feelings of faith and anxiety. Give me the peace that comes from

believing you are willing and able to keep me strong to the end.

Isaiah 35:3 – 4; Deuteronomy 33:25; 1 Co rin thi ans 1:8 – 9

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Tuesday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil Ne

N v

e e

v r L

r Leave

av Yo

e Y u

Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your

God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

March on, my soul; be strong!

I am still confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the Lord.

“Be strong, all you people of the land,” declares the Lord, “and

work. For I am with you,” declares the Lord Almighty. “This is

what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my

Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.”

Lord, you promise that you will never leave nor forsake me. I

promise the same to you. When things go wrong — and they will go

wrong — help me to feel neither helpless nor hopeless, but confident that you are who you say you are.

Deuteronomy 31:6; Judges 5:21b; Psalm 27:13 – 14; Haggai 2:4 – 5

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Su

l S st

s ain

i Yo

n Y u

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to

strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

My hand will sustain him;

surely my arm will strengthen him.

So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righ teous right hand.

All who rage against you

will surely be ashamed and disgraced;

those who oppose you

will be as nothing and perish.

Though you search for your enemies,

you will not find them.

Those who wage war against you

will be as nothing at all.

Father, I know you watch over those who belong to you. Defend me,

Lord, when enemies advance. Do not let me give in to fear. Instead, strengthen my heart and I will give you praise.

2 Chron icles 16:9; Psalm 89:21; Isaiah 41:10 – 12

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Wednesday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil Gu

l G ide Yo

e Y u Alw

u Al a

w y

a s

y

And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

and your night will become like the noonday.

The Lord will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel,

says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation,

in quietness and trust is your strength.”

Lord, help me to spend myself not on myself but on others, especially the needy of this world. Give me an eye to understand how they see

things and wisdom to know how to help.

Isaiah 58:10 – 11; Isaiah 30:15

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W ll Fi

F ll Yo

Y u w

u wit

i h My

M St

S re

r ng

ngth

“The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord

Almighty is their God.”

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

the righ teous run to it and are safe.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and

the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have

I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking

the lame man by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly

the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet

and began to walk . . . All the people were astonished and came

running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. When

Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this sur-

prise you? . . . By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you

see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that

comes through him that has given this complete healing to him,

as you can all see.”

Lord, I don’t have enough money to solve all the problems I see

around me. But I do have your Spirit living in me. Help me not to

limit the ways you want to work through me so that others might

begin to know who you are.

Zechariah 12:5; Proverbs 18:10; 1 Co rin thi ans 1:25 (TNIV); Acts 3:6 – 8, 11 – 12, 16

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Thursday

IN THE MORNING

Th

There

r ’

e s

’ No

s N t

o hing Yo

ing Y u

o Ca

u C n’

n t’ Do

t D W

o When I St

en I S re

r ng

ngthen Yo

en Y u

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:

“I will sing to the Lord,

for he is highly exalted.

The horse and its rider

he has hurled into the sea.

The Lord is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

He is my God, and I will praise him,

my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the

Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with

all your strength.

Lord, I want to believe with St. Paul that I can do all things as long as I am drawing on your strength. Forgive me for my cowardice and

my unwillingness to take risks. Give me a bigger vision of what you want to do through me.

Philippians 4:13; Exodus 15:1 – 2; Deuteronomy 6:4 – 5

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AT NIGHT

Yo

Y ur Wa

ur W y

a Is

y I No

N t

o Hi

t H dden f

en fro

r m Me

M

Why do you say, O Jacob,

and complain, O Israel,

“My way is hidden from the Lord;

my cause is disregarded by my God”?

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

Lord, how easy it is to underestimate your love, to think that you are tired of hearing about my problems. Forgive me for acting as though you don’t know or don’t care. Help me to stop complaining and start believing that you give strength to the weary and that you increase the power of the weak. I am weak, Lord, renew my strength.

Isaiah 40:27 – 31

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Friday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil Sh

l S iel

e d Yo

d Y u

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power,

of love and of self-discipline.

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.

My heart leaps for joy

and I will give thanks to him in song.

The Lord is the strength of his people,

a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

Thank you, God, for giving me the strength I need every day — the

strength to love, to believe, to resist evil, to stand firm, to show kindness, to do what is right even when I am afraid or upset. I trust that you will always be my strength.

2 Tim othy 1:7; Psalm 28:7 – 8

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AT NIGHT

I Am

I A a Ro

m a R ck

c Yo

k Y u Ca

u C n L

n Lean O

an On

As for God, his way is perfect;

the word of the Lord is flawless.

He is a shield

for all who take refuge in him.

For who is God besides the Lord?

And who is the Rock except our God?

It is God who arms me with strength

and makes my way perfect.

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;

he enables me to stand on the heights.

He trains my hands for battle;

my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You give me your shield of victory;

you stoop down to make me great.

Lord, thank you for friends and family who are a support to me.

But none of them is a rock like you are. You are the only one who

is completely dependable, in whom there is no weakness and no

instability. I thank you for being the Rock in whom I can take refuge and find strength.

2 Sam uel 22:31 – 36

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Saturday

IN THE MORNING

I Am

I A Yo

m Y ur Fo

ur F rtre

r ss

s ,

s Yo

, Y ur L

ur Lovin

i g Go

ng G d

But I will sing of your strength,

in the morning I will sing of your love;

for you are my fortress,

my refuge in times of trouble.

O my Strength, I sing praise to you;

you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.

The Lord gives strength to his people;

the

Lord blesses his people with peace.

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

As they pass through the Valley of Baca,

they make it a place of springs;

the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

They go from strength to strength,

till each appears before God in Zion.

Father, let me rise each day, asking with confidence for the strength I need. Make me strong against worry, financial pressure, selfishness, and fear. Strengthen me to do your will so that I will not only have peace but spread it to others.

Psalm 59:16 – 17; Psalm 29:11; Psalm 84:5 – 7

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AT NIGHT

I Wa

I W nt Yo

nt Y u t

u to Se

S e

e k

e My

M Fa

F ce

Look to the Lord and his strength;

seek his face always.

Surely God is my salvation;

I will trust and not be afraid.

The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

With joy you will draw water

from the wells of salvation.

. . . the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Lord, sometimes I look for strength in the wrong places — placing

my hope in others, trying to control circumstances and people, thinking that money will keep me safe. But surely you are my strength

and my song. Help me to seek your face always and there to find

strength.

Psalm 105:4; Isaiah 12:2 – 3; Nehemiah 8:10

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I W

WILL R

R EME

MEMB

MBER T

THIS

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.

-

One thing God has spoken,

two things have I heard:

that you, O God, are strong,

and that you, O Lord, are loving.

-

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel,

says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation,

in quietness and trust is your strength.”

-

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

the righ teous run to it and are safe.

-

The Lord is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

He is my God, and I will praise him,

my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Psalm 73:25 – 26; Psalm 62:11 – 12; Isaiah 30:15; Proverbs 18:10; Exodus 15:2

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I remember how startled I was by a friend’s offhanded comment

one day. “God doesn’t like guys’ legs,” she declared.

“What?” I couldn’t believe God would even weigh in on the

topic.

“Listen,” she continued, quoting from Psalm 147, “God’s

‘pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in

the legs of a man.’ ”

She smiled, enjoying her little joke.

Of course the passage makes perfect sense when you read the

conclusion: “The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put

their hope in his unfailing love.” The point, of course, is that

human strength isn’t impressive. From God’s perspective, the

strongest person who ever lived is just a featherweight.

I think Scripture is clear. No matter how smart or deter-

mined or gifted I may be, I don’t have the stamina, confidence,

hope, wit, wisdom, purity, peace, perspective, patience, money,

or health to handle all the challenges I will face. The only way

to obtain the kind of strength I need is to trust in God’s unfail-

ing love, drawing conclusions for my life that are based on trust

and not on fear.

I want to adopt St. Paul’s pugnacious faith. Confident that

God’s grace would be sufficient for every challenge — hunger,

thirst, sleeplessness, bandits, violence, shipwreck, slander, per-

secution, and more — Paul affirmed: “I will boast all the more

gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on

me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in

insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when

I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Co rin thi ans 12:9 – 10). Paul

could have looked at all the obstacles he faced as evidence that

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God wasn’t with him and didn’t love him. But, instead, he did

the reverse, believing that God’s presence would become more

obvious in the midst of hardship.

My list of troubles seems feeble compared to Paul’s, but here’s

a few of the challenges I currently face: worry for my children,

patience with their persistent struggles, concern for other family

members, fatigue, slight depression that comes from living in

a place where the sun doesn’t shine much, pressing deadlines,

chronic back pain, and a lack of time, money and wisdom. My

list is trivial in light of Paul’s and in light of so many others, but

it can still seem overwhelming at times, tempting me to view it

as evidence that God doesn’t care.

Today I pray for the grace to boast of my weakness as I learn

a deeper kind of trust. I pray in the months ahead that God will

do the impossible, that he will enable me to delight in my hard-

ships and to rejoice in the trade he is inviting me to make — my

weakness for his strength.

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6

God Speaks Words of Protection

rx/n: rm/v;, lxe

TSEL, SHAMAR, NATSAR

One of the Hebrew words used in the Old Testament to con-

vey the notion of protection is sel, which can be translated

“shadow.” As the psalmist in Psalm 91 says, “Whoever dwells

in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the

Almighty.” Tsel is often used to refer to a kind of protective shadow. The implication is that if we dwell close to the Lord,

believing and obeying him, we will be overshadowed by his

presence, hidden so that no evil will destroy us.

The Hebrew word shamar can be translated “to keep,” “to

guard,” or “to watch over,” as in the words of Psalm 121: “He

who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” Another

Hebrew verb, natsar, is often translated as “keep,” “guard,” “protect,” or “preserve,” as in Psalm 31: “The Lord preserves the

faithful, but the proud he pays back in full.” Jesus invoked

this same psalm just before he died on the cross, commending

himself into God’s protective care by saying, “Father, into your

hands, I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46).

When you listen to God’s words of protection, keep in mind

that he stands watch over those who love him and keep to his

ways.

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LETTI

TING T

G THE W

E WOR D S

D SHAPE M

E ME

This week I woke up to an ice storm raging outside. School was

canceled, so I celebrated the unexpected gift of a leisurely morn-

ing with another cup of coffee as I watched the morning news.

There would be no rush to roust my children from their beds,

no mad dash to school. After the news I began flipping through

channels to see what else was on. I stopped at a program I had

never seen before, arrested by the words of a familiar psalm,

one I had just been reading and thinking about. I checked the

impulse to keep channel surfing and instead listened as a pastor

told a remarkable story. He began by reading these verses from

Psalm 91 aloud:

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

They say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely he will save you

from the fowler’s snare

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you. (TNIV)

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The pastor went on to say that he had felt God directing his

attention to the psalm one morning though he had no idea why.

Later that day, on the way to his favorite restaurant, he had the

distinct impression that God was also telling him to skip lunch.

So instead of going into the restaurant, he merely parked his car

outside and spent a little time praying. To concentrate better, he

leaned back in his seat and then closed his eyes.

But his concentration shifted when he heard someone tapping

on the window. A stranger was peering through the glass asking

for help. Reaching into his pocket for the money he had meant

to spend on lunch, the pastor rolled down the window, handed it

to the man, and began speaking to him about the love of Christ.

As the two men talked, the stranger seemed to open up. The man

admitted he was tired of living like a gangbanger and said he was

ready to change. When the two men parted, the pastor handed

the stranger his card and then invited him to church.

That night when the pastor switched on the evening news,

he was startled by a photo that flashed across the screen. The

newscaster warned viewers that the man was an escaped con-

vict who had killed three people. He was considered extremely

dangerous. It was, of course, the man who had tapped on the

pastor’s window just hours before. Immediately, the words of the

psalmist flooded his mind: He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.

I was impressed not only by the story of God’s protection but

by the fruit of that pastor’s obedience. Who knew what evil was

averted because of the pastor’s kindness? Because of his obedi-

ence, he was in the right place at the right time with the right

resources to sow seeds of the gospel into a dangerous life, a life

that may one day change because of the love of Christ.

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But what about people God hasn’t protected? Innocent people?

Faithful people? People who seem to be doing the Lord’s work?

A month ago I received an urgent email from a friend who

works for the Association for a More Just Society (AJS), a Chris-

tian organization dedicated to helping the poorest and most

vulnerable members of Honduran society. His email asked for

prayers on behalf of a Honduran lawyer by the name of Dioni-

sio Diaz Garcia, who had received an anonymous death threat.

Dionisio’s specialty was representing poor people whose rights

had been violated by employers. Many of them had been forced

to work overtime without pay, others had been subjected to ille-

gal salary deductions, and yet others had been framed for crimes

they didn’t commit. Dionisio had been repeatedly threatened

by one particular company that had been charged with several

labor violations.

As soon as I read my friend’s email, I sent up a quick prayer:

God please protect Dionisio. Surround him with your care and

protection.

Then I promptly forgot about it.

Six days later, my friend emailed me with the news: Earlier

this morning AJS labor lawyer Dionisio Diaz Garcia was shot to

death by masked gunmen near the Supreme Court of Honduras.

Dionisio had been on his way to argue a case in court when

two men on a motorcycle pulled up next to his pickup truck and

shot him to death. A good man, fighting for a good cause had

been suddenly and brutally slaughtered, leaving his wife and

six-year-old son without a husband and father.

Three days later, another death threat. This time directed

at the president of AJS’s board of directors, who received a text

message on his cell phone that read: you are the next.

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Since then, Chris tians from around the world have mobi-

lized to pray for the protection of all those who are working for

AJS. As I join my prayers to theirs, I remember God’s promises

in Scripture. But I also remember that the outcome of any given

struggle cannot be predicted even though the attitude of God

toward those who love him can be. He stands guard over us just

as the psalmist in Psalm 121:7 – 8 declares:

The Lord will keep you from all harm —

he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forever more.

Though wickedness may flourish for a time, it is ultimately true,

as Scripture assures us, that “when calamity comes, the wicked

are brought down, but even in death the righ teous have a ref-

uge” (Proverbs 14:32).

As I ponder God’s words of protection, I ask for a deeper kind

of confidence in God’s ability to watch over me and those I care

about. May I without anxiety leave the decision of whether he

will protect my body or only my soul in his loving, all-powerful

hands. And may my confidence in his watchful care free me

from fear so I can be flexible and faithful whatever God asks.

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Sunday

IN THE MORNING

I He

I H ar Yo

Y ur Pr

ur P a

r y

a e

y rs

r

I sought the Lord, and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant;

their faces are never covered with shame.

This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;

he saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear

him,

and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;

blessed are those who take refuge in him.

Fear the Lord, you his holy people,

for those who fear him lack nothing.

The lions may grow weak and hungry,

but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Lord, thank you for hearing my prayers and delivering me from my

fears. Help me to live with a sense of awe in your presence, seeking always to hear and to do your Word. May your angels encircle me,

keeping me safe.

Psalm 34:4 – 10 (TNIV)

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AT NIGHT

No

N Ha

H rm Wi

W ll Ove

Ov rtake Yo

Y u

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

They say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”. . .

He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge . . .

A thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you . . .

For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways;

they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone . . .

“Because they love me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue

them.”

Lord, teach me what it means to dwell in your shelter and to take

refuge under your wings. Let me see your shadow — evidence that

you are near, watching over me.

Psalm 91:1 – 2, 4, 7, 11 – 12, 14 (TNIV)

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Monday

IN THE MORNING

I Am

I A Yo

m Y ur Hi

ur H din

i g Pl

ng P ace

ce

You forgave

the guilt of my sin.

Therefore let all the faithful pray to you

while you may be found;

surely the rising of the mighty waters

will not reach them.

You are my hiding place;

you will protect me from trouble

and surround me with songs of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Lord, you are my hiding place and strong deliverer. Help me to take shelter in you today by seeking and following your counsel. Thank

you for your promised protection and your faithful care.

Psalm 32:5 – 8 (TNIV)

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AT NIGHT

I Ne

I N it

i her Sl

r S u

l m

umbe

ber No

r N r Sl

r S eep

eep

I lift up my eyes to the hills —

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip —

he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you —

the

Lord is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm —

he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

Lord, you are a perfect Father. Your attention never strays from

those you love. Help me to lie down in peace, knowing that you are

guarding me.

Psalm 121

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Tuesday

IN THE MORNING

I Am

I A at Yo

m at Y ur Rig

ur Ri ht Ha

ght H nd

Keep me safe, O God,

for in you I take refuge . . .

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

I have set the Lord always before me.

Because he is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will rest secure,

because you will not abandon me to the grave,

nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

You have made known to me the path of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Lord, when trouble comes, help me to look up at you and not down

at all the things that are making life difficult. Instruct my heart and guide my steps, remind me that you are at my right hand, and I will praise you.

Psalm 16:1, 7 – 11

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AT NIGHT

I Am

I A t

the Sh

e S eph

epherd

r W

Who Ke

o K ep

e s

ep Yo

s Y u Sa

u S f

a e

f

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righ teous ness

for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk

through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

Lord, your strength and your power — your rod and your staff — they comfort me. Even the memory of your faithfulness helps keep me

calm. When I am afraid, help me to picture you as you are — a

fiercely loving Shepherd, ready to ward off whatever threatens me.

Psalm 23

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Wednesday

IN THE MORNING

I Ha

I H v

a e

v St

e S ore

r d Up

ed U Go

p G od Th

od Thing

ings fo

s f r Yo

r Y u

How great is your goodness,

which you have stored up for those who fear you,

which you bestow in the sight of all

on those who take refuge in you.

In the shelter of your presence you hide them

from all human intrigues;

you keep them safe in your dwelling

from accusing tongues.

Praise be to the Lord,

for he showed me the wonders of his love

when I was in a city under siege.

Lord, forgive me for underestimating your goodness. When life is

difficult, I have sometimes blamed you — as though you intend to

harm rather than to help me. Sanctify my mind and my imagina-

tion so that instead of misjudging you, I can perceive you as you

are — strong and wise, loving and protective. Reveal to me the won-

ders of your love.

Psalm 31:19 – 21 (TNIV)

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AT NIGHT

My

M Wi

W sd

sdom Wi

W lil Wa

W tch

c Ove

h Ov r Yo

Y u

Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;

love her, and she will watch over you.

When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,

but even in death the righ teous have a refuge.

Those whose walk is blameless are kept safe,

but those whose ways are perverse will fall into the pit.

Those who trust in themselves are fools,

but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.

Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will

live safely in the land. Then the land will yield its fruit, and you

will eat your fill and live there in safety.

Lord, you have already shown me the way to live. Forgive the times

when I have preferred my will over yours. Help me to obey you in

matters small and large, and be my refuge when calamity comes.

Proverbs 4:6; Proverbs 14:32; Proverbs 28:18 (TNIV); Proverbs 28:26 (TNIV); Leviticus 25:18 – 19

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Thursday

IN THE MORNING

Tr

T ust

s in Me

t in M at Al

e at All Tim

l Times

The righ teous may have many troubles,

but

the

Lord delivers them from them all;

he protects all their bones,

not one of them will be broken.

Evil will slay the wicked;

the foes of the righ teous will be condemned.

The Lord redeems his servants;

no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

“Holy Father, protect them [Jesus’ disciples] by the power of

your name — the name you gave me — so that they may be one

as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept

them safe by that name you gave me . . . My prayer is not that you

take them out of the world but that you protect them from the

evil one.”

Lord, I remember what happened to you on the cross. They pierced

your side but did not break any of your bones. You had many trou-

bles but you showed us the way to overcome them all. I trust that

you will protect me and deliver me now and forever, amen.

Psalm 34:19 – 22 (TNIV); John 17:11 – 12, 15

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Re

R ach

c Do

h D w

own an

and He

d H l

e p Yo

lp Y u

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield and the horn of my salvation,

my

stronghold.

I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,

and I am saved from my enemies.

The cords of death entangled me;

the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

The cords of the grave coiled around me;

the snares of death confronted me.

In my distress I called to the Lord;

I cried to my God for help.

From his temple he heard my voice;

my cry came before him, into his ears . . .

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from my foes, who were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

but

the

Lord was my support.

He brought me out into a spacious place;

he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Lord, even in my worst disaster, you are there, strong and loving. I know that you will hear my call. When I cry out to you with all my

heart, you will answer me.

Psalm 18:2 – 6, 16 – 19

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Friday

IN THE MORNING

I Am

I A Yo

m Y ur Sh

ur S iel

e d o

d of Vi

f V ctory

You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning;

my God turns my darkness into light.

With your help I can advance against a troop;

with my God I can scale a wall.

As for God, his way is perfect;

the word of the Lord is flawless.

He is a shield

for all who take refuge in him.

For who is God besides the Lord?

And who is the Rock except our God?

It is God who arms me with strength

and makes my way perfect.

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;

he enables me to stand on the heights.

He trains my hands for battle;

my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You give me your shield of victory,

and your right hand sustains me;

you stoop down to make me great.

Lord, you build me up and make me strong. With your help I can

do anything you ask me to. Give me a courageous heart to fight the

battles that come to those who belong to you.

Psalm 18:28 – 35

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Se

S nd My

M L

Love

v an

and Fa

d F it

i hf

h ulness

s

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,

for in you my soul takes refuge.

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings

until the disaster has passed.

I cry out to God Most High,

to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.

He sends from heaven and saves me,

rebuking those who hotly pursue me;

God sends his love and his faithfulness.

The eternal God is your refuge,

and underneath are the everlasting arms.

Lord, I ask you to fulfill your purpose for my life. Don’t let anything or anyone obstruct your plan. When trouble comes, hide me in the

shelter of your wings.

Psalm 57:1 – 3; Deuteronomy 33:27

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Saturday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil Gi

G v

i e

v Yo

Y u Wi

u W sd

sdom

For the Lord gives wisdom,

and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

He holds victory in store for the upright,

he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

for he guards the course of the just

and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Then you will understand what is right and just

and fair — every good path.

For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

Discretion will protect you,

and understanding will guard you.

Lord, help me to understand what is right and just and fair — to follow every good path. May discretion protect me and understanding

watch over me. Keep me safe as I seek to follow you.

Proverbs 2:6 – 11

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Wi

l W pe Aw

pe A a

w y

a Yo

y Y ur Te

ur T ars

r

You have been a refuge for the poor,

a refuge for the needy in their distress,

a shelter from the storm

and a shade from the heat.

For the breath of the ruthless

is like a storm driving against a wall

and like the heat of the desert.

You silence the uproar of foreigners;

as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud,

so the song of the ruthless is stilled.

On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare

a feast of rich food for all peoples,

a banquet of aged wine —

the best of meats and the finest of wines.

On this mountain he will destroy

the shroud that enfolds all peoples,

the sheet that covers all nations;

he will swallow up death forever.

The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears

from all faces.

Lord, you offer the deepest kind of protection. No matter what hap-

pens in this life I know that you will one day wipe away the last of my tears. You will still the song of my ruthless enemy, destroying

death forever. I praise you, my faithful God.

Isaiah 25:4 – 8 (TNIV)

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I W

WILL R

R EME

MEMB

MBER T

THIS

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

They say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

-

He will not let your foot slip —

he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

-

The eternal God is your refuge,

and underneath are the everlasting arms.

-

Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;

love her, and she will watch over you.

As I thought about God’s promise to watch over and guard those

who belong to him, I recalled several instances in my own life in

which God has made good on this promise.

1. When I was ten, I nearly drove a boat full speed into a

dock because I had become distracted by something. I

looked up just in time to swerve and miss the dock.

Psalm 91:1 – 2 (TNIV); Psalm 121:3 – 4; Deuteronomy 33:27; Proverbs 4:6

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2. On my twelfth birthday I was almost run over by a car

when crossing a busy street near my home.

3. When I was fourteen, the car I was riding in was broad-

sided by a truck that had run a red light. It would have

killed me had I been sitting in the left rear seat rather

than the right rear seat.

4. When I was in my early thirties, a speeding car missed a

friend and me by an inch as we jogged across a busy park-

way. (We both nearly suffered heart attacks, however!)

5. When I was in my late thirties on a business trip to Lon-

don, I stepped off the curb and was nearly run over by

a car. (I had forgotten they drive on the opposite side of

the street.)

6. When I was forty-nine, I nearly plunged off a stairwell

into empty space when my attic was being converted to

office space. I was so busy admiring the remodeling job

that I had forgotten that the stair railing had been tem-

porarily removed.

Ok, you might suspect that I suffer from Attention Deficit

Disorder, or a chronic case of carelessness, and you might be

right. But I thank God for faithfully protecting me from myself

lo these many years. In fact, it occurs to me that much of the

time I need protection not so from outside threats but from ones

that come from within. It also occurs to me that the most pre-

cious part of any human being is the part that is capable of liv-

ing forever. More even than my body, my soul is what primarily

needs God’s watchful protecting care. I need protection from

anything that would threaten my faith and my faithfulness.

Jesus must have foreseen the harm that many of his follow-

ers would suffer for love of him. But listen to how he prayed for

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his disciples just shortly before his death: “I will remain in the

world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming

to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name . . .

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that

you protect them from the evil one” (John 17:11, 15). He was

praying, not so much from evils that would threaten their bodies

but from ones that might harm their souls.

Knowing this, I still ask God to keep me and those I love

from physical harm. But whether he answers in precisely the

way I want him to, I know it is true, as the psalmist proclaims,

that my help comes from the Lord, who watches over me. He

will not let my foot slip. Nor will he slumber or sleep.

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7

God Speaks Words of Love and Mercy

ds,j,

HESED

H esed, which occurs about 250 times in the Hebrew Scrip-

tures, is a word rich in promise, one that is best understood

within the context of the covenant relationship God has with

his people. It can be translated as “love,” “kindness,” “unfailing

love,” “loving-kindness,” “faithfulness,” “devotion,” or “mercy.”

You could say that hesed is what tethers us to God, for without mercy the relationship between a holy God and sinful people

could not be maintained. Hesed is the word used in God’s self-

description in Exodus 34:6 – 7: “The Lord, the Lord, the com-

passionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love

and faithfulness.” God’s hesed is most fully expressed in the life and death of Jesus Christ, who through his mercy saves us.

Eleos is the Greek word that corresponds most closely to

the Hebrew word hesed. Jesus of Nazareth is God’s mercy made

visible. He shows God’s faithfulness by saving us from our sins

so that we may have eternal life in unbroken fellowship with

God. “Have mercy on us!” is a plea repeated by blind men, a

tax collector, and desperate parents, all crying out to Jesus for

his help.

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LETTI

TING T

G THE W

E WOR D S

D SHAPE M

E ME

The other day one of my children banged through the front

door, a frown on her face, her arms crossed defensively.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Caroline can’t play! She’s going out to dinner with her par-

ents. They don’t want me to play with her — ever!” The words

came out like an audible pout. “Why are they always going out?

They should check with me before they go anywhere! They

must not want me to play with her!”

I tried to calm my daughter by reminding her that fami-

lies need time together and that she shouldn’t take her friend’s

absence personally. But the torrent continued. She was

steamed — a mini-tornado full of frustrated, whirling energy

swirling in on itself.

It struck me that many of us go through life like mini-

whirlwinds, with our energy tightly focused inward, as though

we are the universe’s true center. I remembered an extreme

example of this. It happened a few years ago when a friend was

speaking to a high school class about abortion. Janet had care-

fully explained what abortion was, pointing out that it involved

ending a human life. Then she discussed adoption and presented

specific suggestions for how a problem pregnancy could be dealt

with without resorting to abortion. During the question and

answer period that followed, a girl raised her hand and said: “I

still don’t get it. What’s the difference?”

After having discussed abortion and adoption in some detail,

Janet was puzzled by the remark. What was so hard about under-

standing the difference? Probing further, she discovered what

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if I abort my baby or give it up for adoption. In either case, I still don’t have the baby.”

Talk about a failure of empathy! The only person whose feel-

ings this girl could imagine was herself.

Some of us are like tiny swirling tornadoes, too absorbed in

our own thoughts, needs, and desires to take notice of anyone

else. This image captures for me a picture of how distorted and

destructive our lives can become when God is not at the center

with his healing, stabilizing grace. But before I could close the lid

on such thoughts, something happened. A letter in the mail. An

urgent phone call. News of a friend in a public position who had

been guilty of a serious moral indescretion. Suddenly my own

thoughts began swirling. What would happen next? I imagined

the fallout, all the negative consequences. And then I let myself

wonder if there might be an upside. More specifically, might cir-

cumstances work out in a way that might benefit me? I could

think of none, so I quickly pushed the thought aside and began

praying for my friend. How difficult life must be for her.

It wasn’t until the day after that I felt a surge of sympathy as

I thought of what the next few days might hold. The ugliness of

the situation hit me full face.

I wasn’t repulsed by what my friend had supposedly done

wrong but by how I had first responded to news of her difficulty.

It seems I am just one more swirling, self-absorbed tornado, quite

capable of spinning her own destructive thoughts.

This, in fact, was my state of mind — the sense of my need for

God raw and real — when I began to read his words of mercy.

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and

learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righ teous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:12 – 13) 129

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God Speaks Words of Love and Mercy

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he

saved us, not because of righ teous things we had done, but because of his mercy. (Titus 3:4 – 5)

Seek the LORD while he may be found;

call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake their ways

and the unrighteous their thoughts.

Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on

them,

and to our God, for he will feely pardon.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:6–8, TNIV)

Then I read a brief essay that painted a similar picture but

employed a different image. The writer talked about a kind of

crust that forms over the human heart. It happens when we direct

our life toward what he called “partial attractions” — things like

money, sex, security, position, or power. Jesus, he said, came to

rip away the “crust” of our hearts so that we could know him as

our true desire.

No wonder the Lord comes across in the gospel as someone

who is not always very nice. Instead of smoothing things over,

Jesus often seems to deliberately stir things up. Take the cases

of the Samaritan woman and Pontius Pilate. The writer pointed

out that Jesus “is abrasive and even hurtful, because he is not

delicate with the crust; he does not connive with it or humor it.

This crust is a barrier between him and the heart, and he will

never respect or politely tolerate any such barrier. The Samari-

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tan woman’s barrier was doubt that true love and friendship

could exist. Pilate’s barrier was power and position.”

I wondered about my own heart and about the heart of my

friend. How encrusted had each become by the “partial attrac-

tions” we have pursued? I prayed for myself and for her, asking

God to come with his mercy and tear away the barriers in our

hearts that keep us from enshrining him there.

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Sunday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil No

l N t

o Be

t B An

e A g

n ry Fo

y F re

r v

e e

v r

“Return, faithless Israel,” declares the Lord,

“I will frown on you no longer,

for I am merciful,” declares the Lord,

“I will not be angry forever.”

If from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if

you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. When

you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then

in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey him.

For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or

destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he

confirmed to them by oath.

Lord, you have promised never to forget, abandon, or destroy me.

Help me to base my life on truth — the truth of who you are and how you look at me — with eyes of mercy and not of condemnation.

Jeremiah 3:12; Deuteronomy 4:29 – 31

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AT NIGHT

My

M L

y Love

v Wi

e W ll Sa

l S tisf

sfy Yo

y Y u

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

O God, you are my God,

earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you,

my body longs for you,

in a dry and weary land

where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary

and beheld your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify you.

I will praise you as long as I live,

and in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;

with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

Lord, you have shown your love to me in countless ways. Help me

to base my life, not on my weakness but on the strength of your love.

Teach me to rely on the love you have for me because it is better

than life.

James 5:11; Psalm 63:1 – 5

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Monday

IN THE MORNING

I Am

I A Ri

Rich

c in Me

in M rc

r y

To those who have been called, who are loved by God the

Father and kept by Jesus Christ:

Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.

Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,

made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgres-

sions — it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up

with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in

Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the

incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us

in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through

faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Lord, everything good in my life has come as a gift from your hand.

And the best gift is this — that you gave your Son to save me. Thank you for the mercy that defines my life and keeps me connected to

you now and forever.

Jude 1:1 – 2; Ephesians 2:4 – 8

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AT NIGHT

Yo

Y u Ca

u C n Tr

n T ust

s in My

t in M Un

U f

n a

f ililing L

ing Lov

o e

v

Turn, O Lord, and deliver me;

save me because of your unfailing love.

My enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”

and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

But I trust in your unfailing love;

my heart rejoices in your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord,

for he has been good to me.

Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our

Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord, sin weakens me and makes me vulnerable to all kinds of evil.

Today I cry out for mercy. Extend your hand and raise me up.

Let me triumph over my foes through your faithful help. Keep me

grounded in your love.

Psalm 6:4; Psalm 13:4 – 6; Jude 1:21

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Tuesday

IN THE MORNING

I Fi

I F lil t

the Hu

e H ng

ngry w

wit

i h

h Go

G od Th

od Thing

ings

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me —

holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him,

from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

he has scattered those who are proud in their

inmost

thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones

but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

but has sent the rich away empty.

Lord, you never forget those who belong to you. Instead you pour

out your mercy, filling us with good things. Fill me today with a

sense of your presence and with gratitude for the gift of your Son.

Luke 1:46 – 53

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AT NIGHT

What Do

at D Yo

o Y u Wa

u W nt Me

nt M t

e to Do

o D Fo

o F r Yo

r Y u?

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road-

side begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was

happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet,

but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him.

When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to

do for you?”

“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed

you.” Immediately he received his sight.

Jesus, I will not stop crying out to you no matter what anyone

else may think or say. I know my need and where my help comes

from — from you, my Lord and Savior.

Luke 18:35 – 43

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Wednesday

IN THE MORNING

I Li

I List

s en t

en to t

the Ne

e N e

e dy

ed

To some who were confident of their own righ teous ness and

looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men

went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax

collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God,

I thank you that I am not like other men — robbers, evildoers,

adulterers — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and

give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even

look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy

on me, a sinner.’

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home

justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be hum-

bled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Lord, only the empty can be filled, only the hungry can be fed. I am sinful and weak, in need of your mercy. Feed me and fill me with

your loving-kindness, I pray.

Luke 18:9 – 14

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Fr

F e

r el

ee y

l

y Pa

P rd

r on Yo

Y u

Seek the Lord while he may be found;

call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake their ways

and the unrigh teous their thoughts.

Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him,

and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,”

declares

the

Lord.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,

and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

Lord, why I am always surprised by your kindness and amazed

by your goodness? Help me to stop thinking of you as a giant-sized

human being and to start perceiving who you really are. I praise you for valuing mercy more than sacrifice and for freely forgiving all who turn to you — including me.

Isaiah 55:6 – 9; Hosea 6:6

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Thursday

IN THE MORNING

I De

I D sire

sir Me

e M rc

r y

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax

collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples.

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does

your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a

doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire

mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righ teous, but

sinners.”

Mercy triumphs over judgment!

Lord, help me not to look down on people whose lives are a mess.

Instead, make me an instrument of your mercy, remembering that

I, like them, am among those in need of your healing grace.

Matthew 9:10 – 13; James 2:13

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AT NIGHT

I Sy

I S mpat

mpathiz

i e

z w

wit

i h Yo

Y ur We

ur W akness

s

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him:

“Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he

said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished

justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has

done nothing wrong.”

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your

kingdom.”

Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with

me in paradise.”

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone

through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to

the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable

to sympathize with our weaknesses . . . Let us then approach the

throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and

find grace to help us in our time of need.

Lord, one of your last acts before your death was to show mercy.

Indeed your whole life was an act of mercy — sharing our sorrows

and bearing our grief. Thank you for sympathizing with our weak-

ness and enabling us to approach you with confidence so that we

might find help in our time of need.

Luke 23:39 – 43; Hebrew 4:14 – 16

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God Speaks Words of Love and Mercy

Friday

IN THE MORNING

Be

B Me

e M rc

r if

i ul a

l as I Am

s I A Me

m M rc

r if

i ul

He has shown all you people what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even

sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who

are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.

And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what

credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be

repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to

them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward

will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because

he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your

Father is merciful.

Thank you for all the mercy you have already shown me. Help me to

remember that the kind of mercy you extend is “pass along mercy.”

Let me remember that the next time someone hurts or offends me.

Give me eyes of mercy and a heart of mercy to do your will.

Micah 6:8 (TNIV); Luke 6:32 – 36 (TNIV)

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AT NIGHT

I Ha

I H v

a e

v L

e Love

v d Yo

d Y u w

u wit

i h an Ev

h an E erl

r ast

s ing L

ing Love

v

I have loved you with an everlasting love;

I have drawn you with loving-kindness.

Who is a God like you,

who pardons sin and forgives the transgression

of the remnant of his inheritance?

You do not stay angry forever

but delight to show mercy.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Lord, the next time I am tempted to respond with anger and judg-

ment, remind me of your promise to bless the merciful. Instead of

harshness, let me respond with your love. Give me the grace to

change.

Jeremiah 31:3; Micah 7:18; Matthew 5:7

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Saturday

IN THE MORNING

I Am

I A Po

P we

werful Ye

Y t

e Kin

t Kind

Who among the gods is like you, O Lord?

Who is like you —

majestic

in

holiness,

awesome

in

glory,

working

wonders?

You stretched out your right hand

and the earth swallowed them.

In your unfailing love you will lead

the people you have redeemed.

David said . . . “Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his

mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”

Lord, you are so much better than we could ever ask or imagine — a

God who is majestic not only for his power but also for his mercy.

No matter what I have done, let me trust myself to you.

Exodus 15:11 – 13; 1 Chron icles 21:13 (TNIV)

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AT NIGHT

I Am

I A fo

m f r Yo

r Y u

For surely it is not angels he [Jesus] helps, but Abraham’s

descendants. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers

in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful

high priest in ser vice to God, and that he might make atonement

for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was

tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a

people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him

who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you

were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you

had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Lord, thank you for making us who we cannot be in our own

power — a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. Help

us to join ourselves to others who every day depend on your sustaining grace. May we together praise you for calling us out of darkness and bringing us into your light.

Hebrews 2:16 – 18; 1 Peter 2:9 – 10

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I W

WILL R

R EME

MEMB

MBER T

THIS

I will sing to the Lord,

for he has been good to me.

-

Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our

Lord Jesus Christ.

-

He has shown all you people what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.

-

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

I like the story of the blind beggar sitting on the roadside beg-

ging when Jesus came walking by. You remember him, don’t

you? He’s the guy everybody tried to hush up. I’m guessing that

all that hollering made people feel uneasy.

Maybe some in the crowd had seen the man begging before.

Perhaps they had dropped a coin or two into his cup. But they

had probably never faced the rawness of his need, never imag-

ined what it would be like to live inside his skin. Maybe they

thought the blind man was asking too much of Jesus. Why

couldn’t he simply accept his lot in life? Why make a fuss in

front of everyone?

Psalm 13:6; Jude 1:21; Micah 6:8 (TNIV); Luke 18:38

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But Jesus didn’t seem offended by the man’s behavior. Instead

of scolding him, Jesus stopped and asked what he wanted.

I think the story is about more than one thing. It’s about cry-

ing out to God in our need, our misery, our mess, and not caring

how we look or sound to others. It’s about praying persistently,

asking repeatedly for the help we need. And it’s also about a new

kind of seeing — the kind that only comes through faith.

The blind man professed his faith in Jesus by using a mes-

sianic title, shouting out: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Though blind, he had the spiritual vision to perceive who

Jesus was. He knew what Jesus could do for him. And so Jesus

did it — restoring the man’s physical sight and then commend-

ing him for his spiritual insight — his faith.

Today I pray that the God who is rich in mercy will make

me rich in faith. I want to live in a way that celebrates his mercy — extending it to others as I receive it from him.

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8

God Speaks Words of Blessing and Provision

ha;r;; Ër/B;

BARAK, RAAH

The Hebrew word barak means “to bless,” while baruk means

“blessed,” and beraka means “blessing.” In the Bible, the act of blessing involves pronouncing something good and then bringing

it about. By implication a blessing is only as effective as the one

who has uttered it. In the case of God, a blessing is an empower-

ing word that always accomplishes its purpose. A blessing can

also be a prayer that invokes good or that seeks to avert or over-

come evil. In the Hebrew Scriptures, blessings were passed from

generation to generation, as when Isaac blessed his son Jacob and

when Jacob, at the end of his life, blessed his own sons.

The Hebrew word ra-ah is often translated “to see.” In a few

cases it is translated “provide.” The most significant instance of

this occurs in Genesis 22, when Abraham is about to sacrifice

Isaac. At the last minute God provides a ram to be sacrificed

instead. Unlike human beings, whose lives unfold in time, God

exists outside of time. To him the future is as clearly seen as the

present and the past. By seeing the future with perfect clarity,

he can anticipate our needs and thus provide for us. Similarly,

the English word “provision” is composed of two Latin words

that mean “to see beforehand.”

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God Speaks Words of Blessing and Provision

LETTI

TING T

G THE W

E WOR D S

D SHAPE M

E ME

This year the first day of spring was marked by a sudden and

prolonged thunderstorm. I watched the light show from behind

the steering wheel of my car as rain lashed the windshield and

lightning streaked across the sky followed by great rolling booms

of thunder. One of my children was certain our car was about to

blow up. I tried to comfort her, assuring her that we were safe and

that she would soon be home, snuggling in her own warm bed.

The storm came just as I had been spending time praying

about God’s words of provision. Truthfully, my prayers were messy

and undignified. Lately, I had been worried about finances. I had

recently made a large investment, perhaps too large. Now I won-

dered if I had been overly eager to profit from an opportunity I

should have passed up. I felt especially guilty because I had made

the decision quickly, without spending much time in prayer. In

fact, I had ignored the unease I had felt whenever I had prayed.

How could I expect God’s help now? I imagined him shaking his

head, arms folded tightly across his chest, and frowning down

from on high as I suffered the consequences.

It occurred to me that my attitude toward God was some-

thing like my daughter’s attitude toward the thunderstorm. We

were both cringing, as though at any moment we might be taken

out by a sudden bolt from above.

I realize that storms are not always a bad thing. The Bible

portrays thunder and lightning in both positive and negative

terms, as signs of both divine provision and divine judgment.

So how should I look at my situation? Was the cloud half full or

was it half empty?

The next day I drove past a church with a sign outside that

read: “God Delights in You!” It encouraged me — for a moment.

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But I couldn’t help wondering, does God delight in everyone

who drives by this church? What if Ted Bundy or Saddam Hus-

sein were to drive by? Or what if the Klu Klux Klan were to

stage a march past it?

I couldn’t dislodge the sense that God was displeased. Then

something happened at work — or didn’t happen. I couldn’t find

an important permissions file. I had painstakingly obtained

permission to use people’s stories in an upcoming book, but

now I couldn’t find the file and it would be difficult and time-

consuming to reconstruct it. I searched my office three times

but it wasn’t anywhere. So I prayed and asked friends to pray. I

kept searching but still couldn’t locate it.

Then something worse happened. My children’s nanny quit.

As any working mother will tell you, losing someone who helps

care for your children is traumatic. But Kathy is so much more

than a nanny. She’s the prototype of the Proverbs 31 woman.

She takes care of the house, watches my children when I have

to work or travel, and does a million and one things to keep our

lives running smoothly. She also prays for us. She’s more like a

sister than an employee. What would we do without her?

Through all this I kept up a running dialogue with God.

“Lord, forgive me for spending beyond my means . . . If I’ve run

ahead of you, Lord, I repent . . . Please provide for our finances . . .

Lord, you know I need that file. Please help me find it . . . Lord,

help Kathy find the position she needs, with more hours than

I can give her . . . God, give me wisdom for the year ahead. . . .

What arrangements should I make for the girls?” And on and

on. Sometimes I felt peaceful as I prayed, sure that God was

going to help me. At other times I felt anxious, as though I were

addressing a skinflint rather than a loving Father.

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Then I came across a story by Sharon Jeffus, a widow who

talked about how disappointed she was when a particular rela-

tionship didn’t work out as she had hoped. One morning she

found herself sitting in church. As she waited for the ser vice to

begin, her head was filled with thoughts that she later described

as silly and childish:

“God you hate me . . . you don’t care.” . . . Then a young

man came and sat right in front of me and right on the back

of his T-Shirt were the words, “So you think I don’t love

you.” And a picture of Christ on the cross.

Like Sharon, I, too, am sometimes guilty of entertaining silly

and childish thoughts about God. Perhaps I had made some mis-

takes. Maybe my priorities weren’t in perfect order. God may have

been displeased with certain choices I had made, but he had nei-

ther abandoned nor condemned me, just as I would never abandon

or condemn one of my own children because of something they

had done. No, he had invested too much in me not to love me.

With this in mind, I kept praying. Whenever I prayed with

my heart focused on the Provider rather than on the provision,

I felt better, more peaceful. But as soon as I shifted the focus to

my needs I became anxious, caught up in trying to solve every-

thing myself. I was like a hamster running furiously on a wheel

while going nowhere.

But at least the anxiety was good for something. It was an

alarm that told me I was heading in the wrong direction. I needed

to pull my focus back toward God. Instead of thinking about all

the things I couldn’t do, I had to think about all the things he

could do. Instead of thinking about my guilt, I had to think about

his forgiveness. Instead of thinking of 1001 ways to solve my prob-

lems, I had to think about the countless ways God has already

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helped me in the past. And I had to keep reading the Scriptures,

ones that spoke of God’s intention to bless and provide.

Then things began to happen. First, I took a good hard look

at my goals. What did I want for my family? What kind of finan-

cial plan might help us get there? My children needed to go to

college, but I didn’t want to have to work until I was ninety to

pay for it. How did my spending habits need to change? Was

there anything else in my attitude toward money that needed to

change? These are important questions that my circumstances

forced me to ask and keep asking.

Then, two days after I gave up looking for it, I found the

permissions file.

Next, I discovered my financial situation was more positive

than I had thought. Some important data had been left out of

a report I had recently requested.

Then my accountant challenged a tax collection practice in

my city and I received news of an unexpected refund for several

years of overpayments.

Then, Kathy, the girls’ nanny, and I talked about a way to

restructure her job so that she could continue to be involved in

our lives.

The process of learning to see God as my Provider contin-

ues. I am leaning on him more, withdrawing from him less. I

am expecting him to take care of me even when I stumble, even

when I don’t fully understand or want to face the nature of my

needs — like the need for repentance, correction, and trust. I

realize that God’s promised provision is conditional upon my

obedience. But I also know that before I believed in him, Jesus

provided for the greatest need of all — a way back to the Father

who loves me. And he still provides a way back, even when I am

tempted to think silly, childish thoughts about him.

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Sunday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil No

l N t

o Fo

t F rs

r a

s ke Yo

e Y u

The Lord makes firm the steps

of those who delight in him;

though they stumble, they will not fall,

for

the

Lord upholds them with his hand.

I was young and now I am old,

yet I have never seen the righ teous forsaken

or their children begging bread.

They are always generous and lend freely;

their children will be a blessing.

Turn from evil and do good;

then you will dwell in the land forever.

For the Lord loves the just

and will not forsake his faithful ones.

Father, I have stumbled — many times. And just as many times you

have kept me from falling. Thank you for your faithfulness. Help me to praise you by living a life in which you can delight.

Psalm 37:23 – 28 (TNIV)

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Thro

Thr w Open t

ow Open the Fl

e F oodga

oodg t

ates o

es of He

H ave

av n

en

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be

food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and

see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out

so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will

prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your

fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all

the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,”

says the Lord Almighty.

Lord, I want to take you at your word — to test your generosity by

joyfully giving to others. Throw open the floodgates of heaven and

open the gates of my heart. Let me give and give again as a way of

celebrating your provision for me.

Malachi 3:10 – 12

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Monday

IN THE MORNING

My

M St

S re

r am

ams Ar

s A e

r Fi

e F liled w

ed wit

i h Wa

W t

ater

You care for the land and water it;

you enrich it abundantly.

The streams of God are filled with water

to provide the people with grain,

for so you have ordained it.

You drench its furrows

and level its ridges;

you soften it with showers

and bless its crops.

You crown the year with your bounty,

and your carts overflow with abundance.

The grasslands of the desert overflow;

the hills are clothed with gladness.

The meadows are covered with flocks

and the valleys are mantled with grain;

they shout for joy and sing.

Lord, you have made a bountiful world, capable of producing food,

water, and shelter for everyone on the planet. Forgive us for hoarding its fruits and failing to care for it. Help us to learn one of the first lessons of childhood — to share what we have. May we become wise

stewards, caring for the earth so that it can care for us.

Psalm 65:9 – 13

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Bl

l B ess

es Yo

s Y u Ev

u E e

v rywh

ywhere

r Yo

e Y u Go

u G

If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his

commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high

above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon

you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:

You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your

land and the young of your livestock — the calves of your herds

and the lambs of your flocks.

Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.

You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you

go out.

The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you

will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direc-

tion but flee from you in seven.

The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything

you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the

land he is giving you.

Lord, help me to learn from the story of your people. May obedience be the strong foundation on which my trust grows. Bless me in the

city and in the country. Bless my children and my work. Bless me

when I come in and when I go out. Let your blessings accompany

me wherever I go.

Deuteronomy 28:1 – 8

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Tuesday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil Put

l Pu Yo

t Y u o

u on Top

n To ,

p No

, N t

o at t

t at the Bot

e Bo tom

May God give you of heaven’s dew

and of earth’s richness —

an abundance of grain and new wine.

The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty,

to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of

your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from

none. The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay

attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you

this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top,

never at the bottom. Do not turn aside from any of the commands

I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods

and serving them.

Father, help me to appreciate the goodness of your commands. Make

my obedience quick and full, not halting and partial. Give me the

faith to follow regardless of what you ask. Open my eyes to your

faithful provision.

Genesis 27:28; Deuteronomy 28:12 – 14

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AT NIGHT

I Kn

I K ow About Yo

ow About Y ur Ha

ur H rd

r Tim

Times

I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten —

the great locust and the young locust,

the other locusts and the locust swarm —

my great army that I sent among you.

You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,

and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,

who has worked wonders for you.

I will bless her with abundant provisions;

her poor will I satisfy with food.

Lord, you have already performed wonders for me. You have seen

the poverty of my soul and filled me with your presence. You have

noted my hunger and given me a place at your table. You have

blessed my family and cared for my children. Even in the hard times you have never left me. I praise your name, O faithful God!

Joel 2:25 – 26; Psalm 132:15

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Wednesday

IN THE MORNING

Yo

Y u Wi

u W ll Be

l B Lik

e Like a We

e a W l

e l-W

- a

W t

atere

r d Tr

ed T e

r e

ee

The blessing of the Lord brings wealth,

and he adds no trouble to it.

Blessed are those

who do not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers,

but who delight in the law of the Lord

and meditate on his law day and night.

They are like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither —

whatever they do prospers.

Lord, let me be like a tree planted by streams of water, whose roots grow deep in you. No matter how parched the environment around

me, nourish me with the life-giving water of your Spirit and your

Word. May my life yield its fruit in due season.

Proverbs 10:22; Psalm 1:1 – 3 (TNIV)

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AT NIGHT

I Am

I A Yo

Y ur Pr

ur P o

r v

ovisi

s o

ion

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb

for the burnt offering?”

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb

for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on

together. . . .

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught

by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as

a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place

The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the moun-

tain of the Lord it will be provided.”

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said,

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Lord Jesus, more than all riches, I need the grace that flows because of your sacrificial offering on the cross. Thank you for being the

Father’s provision to make me whole.

Genesis 22:7 – 14; John 1:29

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Thursday

IN THE MORNING

I Pr

I P o

r v

ovide fo

e f r Al

r All W

l Who Gr

o Griev

e e

v

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

because

the

Lord has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

and provide for those who grieve in Zion —

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righ teous ness,

a planting of the Lord.

Jesus, you came into my life as the greatest good news imaginable,

healing my grief and giving me a future full of hope. You fill me with good things all the days of my life.

Isaiah 61:1 – 3

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Pr

l P o

r v

ovide a Wa

e a W y

a Out

y Out

The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your

hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert.

These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you

have not lacked anything.

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t

fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to

all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond

what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide

a way out so that you can endure it.

Lord, you know that life can sometimes be like a wilderness —

dangerous, difficult, and lonely. And you know how discouraged

I have sometimes been. Forgive my complaining and help me to

remember that there is never a time when your grace is insufficient for my need.

Deuteronomy 2:7; 1 Co rin thi ans 10:12 – 13 (TNIV)

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Friday

IN THE MORNING

I Kn

I K ow W

ow What Yo

at Y u Ne

u N e

e d

ed

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since

you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the

rest?

Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I

tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one

of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is

here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more

will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart

on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan

world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you

need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given

to you as well.

Lord, I need to relax — and to rest, to stop running so hard after the things of this world. Open my eyes to the ways you are providing

for me right now. Give me the freedom of heart to spend myself on

you.

Luke 12:25 – 31

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AT NIGHT

Do

D n’

n t’ L

t Let

e Fe

t F ar Hol

r Hold Yo

d Y u Ba

u B ck

c

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased

to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor.

Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in

heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and

no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will

be also.

The generous will themselves be blessed,

for they share their food with the poor.

Lord, increase my appetite for giving. Let nothing persuade me to

withhold what you intend for others. May I open my hand freely,

without fear, confident that you are more than able to provide for

me as I provide for others.

Luke 12:32 – 34; Proverbs 22:9 (TNIV)

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Saturday

IN THE MORNING

If

I Yo

f Y u A

u Ask

s ,

k I Wi

, I W lil Gi

l G v

i e

v

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;

those who seek find; and to those who knock, the door will be

opened.

Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though

you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how

much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those

who ask him!

Lord, I have asked — and you have given. I have knocked — and the

door has been opened. Not once have you given me a stone when I

asked for bread. Let the memory of your faithfulness encourage me

to keep asking, seeking, and knocking, confident of your desire to

bless and care for me.

Matthew 7:7 – 11 (TNIV)

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AT NIGHT

Put

Pu Yo

t Y ur Hop

ur Ho e in Me

pe in M

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be

arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but

to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything

for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good

deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will

lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming

age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed

down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your

lap.

Father, help me to weigh and to value things as you do. Don’t let the shining things of this world blind me to the beauty of your kingdom.

Help me to reflect your abundant goodness by giving with a full

heart to others.

1 Tim othy 6:17 – 19; Luke 6:38

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I W

WILL R

R EME

MEMB

MBER T

THIS

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock

and the door will be opened to you.

-

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed

down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your

lap.

-

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since

you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the

rest?

During the time I was worrying over my own set of problems,

I saw on television how grief had etched itself into the faces

of young African orphans with families decimated by AIDS,

I read the story of three Chris tian men brutally murdered by

Islamist extremists, and I heard through a school social worker

about terrible difficulties facing a child in her care. My problems

shrank to embarrassing insignificance. I realized that millions of

suffering people throughout the world would gladly trade places

with me if given the chance. It occurred to me they might even

celebrate having the kind of problems that face a middle-class

American like me.

I felt Christ nudging me to expand my circle of concern so

that I could become part of his answer to the prayers of others.

Matthew 7:7; Luke 6:38; Luke 12:25 – 26

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He wanted to remind me that his blessings are meant not just

for me but for others. That I need to hold his gifts loosely so that

I can become part of his answer to the prayers of others.

Last week I drove past another church and another sign.

This one read: “Where God guides, he provides.” There’s cer-

tainly truth to this. But surely God’s greatest provision is his

mercy — and I have experienced so much mercy.

As I read and prayed about God’s provision, I felt like so

many tea leaves steeping in a pot, as though the Spirit of God

was at work producing a rich brew whose healing properties

were reshaping my distorted notions, increasing my gratitude,

and giving me the faith to know that God cares for me regard-

less of appearances. When I think I need more money and God

thinks I have enough. When I ask for better health and God

allows me to be deprived of it. When my children have a prob-

lem and I don’t know how to help them. When these things

happen, I pray for the grace not to accuse God of forgetfulness

and neglect but to call to mind his faithfulness, patiently await-

ing his help.

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9

God Speaks Words of Guidance

lh/n:

NAHAL

The Hebrew Scriptures speak of God as a shepherd carrying

the lambs in his arms who gently leads ( nahal) those that

have young. Exodus portrays God as one who in his unfailing

love will lead the people he has redeemed and who will guide

( nahal) them in his strength. Though the Bible warns of snares, traps, and treacherous paths, it consistently portrays God as one

who will counsel and safely guide all those who belong to him.

In the New Testament, the Greek word hodos refers to a path,

road, street, or way, as in the statement in Matthew 7:13 – 14:

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad

is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Jesus declares not only that he knows the way

but that he is the way.

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LETTI

TING T

G THE W

E WOR D S

D SHAPE M

E ME

A couple of years ago I traveled with friends to Greece. One of

the strangest and most memorable days of our trip involved our

ascent to the ruins of ancient Delphi, on the slopes of Mount

Parnassus. According to legend, when Zeus released two eagles

from the opposite sides of the earth, they flew round the world

until they met in its exact center — Delphi.

Though settled in prehistoric times, most of the ruins at

Delphi date back to the sixth century B.C. Here at the world’s

navel, the Greek god Apollo was said to have slaughtered a great

serpent of the underworld — Python. As luck would have it, the

snake’s body tumbled into a fissure in the earth and began decay-

ing, releasing fumes to the world above. The oracle, or proph-

etess, called Pythia, was an older woman of good repute who

would stand over the opening allowing the vapor to envelop her.

Intoxicated by the fumes, she would then utter cryptic prophe-

cies to those who had made the arduous journey to Delphi for a

glimpse of the future. To heighten the drama, she would then

disappear, as if by magic. Close inspection of the ruins shows how

she managed the trick, revealing a small tunnel through which a

reasonably sized person could escape from the gullible crowd.

As bizarre as this ancient practice seems, it highlights how

desperate humans have been through the ages for some kind of

divine guidance. I remember a time in my own life when I was

desperately seeking guidance for an important decision. Though

I was never tempted to resort to divination, I do remember wish-

ing God would make his answer so plain that I couldn’t possibly

mistake it. If only he would write it in the sky with big, bold,

letters: ANN DO THIS! But God was more subtle — so subtle,

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in fact, that I didn’t realize until years later that what mattered

most was not what was written in the sky but what was written

on my own heart.

In The Will of God as a Way of Life, Jerry Sittser examines the conventional approach to discovering God’s will. According

to this approach, every person in the world has a specific path to

follow — a linear path that God alone knows. Like some Greek

hero, we must, at every point, discover the only safe way ahead.

After years of following this approach, Sittser began to perceive

its flaws. For one thing, it provokes tremendous anxiety. Make

a mistake and you miss your God-given destiny. For another, it

overemphasizes the big decisions to the detriment of the small,

character-shaping decisions we make every day, many of which

have a far more profound influence on how our lives turn out

(such as how we treat our spouses or children). For yet another,

it assumes that God, who already seems to have great difficulty

persuading us to do his will, would want to make things even

harder by hiding that will from us.

I thought back to that time in my life when I had so anx-

iously been seeking God’s guidance. If God had been tempted

to write anything in the sky back then, it might have been this:

ANN, RELAX! Since then, I have — at least when it comes

to seeking God’s guidance. The reason for my more relaxed

approach is strictly experiential. I’ve found that as I’ve tried to

do God’s will, however imperfectly, God has guided me, not just

once, but over and over. Now, as I read through words about

guidance in the Scripture, they resonate not only with my mind

but in my heart, because I have experienced them:

My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. (Exodus

33:14)

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In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed.

(Exodus 15:13)

I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. (Isaiah 42:16)

Another reason for my more relaxed approach is that I think

I can hear God more clearly than previously. Perhaps that’s the

way it should be. Instead of declining, as our physical senses do

over time, our spiritual senses ought to become keener the lon-

ger we know God. As I thought about this, I began to wonder

whether our ability to hear God’s voice works something like

memory foam. Like the warmth of our bodies giving shape to

the foam, obedience gives shape to our hearts so that we can

more readily receive impressions from God.

To say that I’m more relaxed isn’t to say that I haven’t made

mistakes or that I won’t in the future. But I trust that none of

these will be fatal, that none will ultimately deflect me from

the way God wants me to go. But guidance isn’t really the hard

part, as Jerry Sittser points out, for “if we sense any agony in the

heroes of Scripture, it is not in discovering the will of God but

in doing it.” He goes on to say:

The will of God concerns the present more than the future

. . . The only time we really have both to know and to do

God’s will is the present moment. We are to love God with

heart, soul, mind, and strength, and we are to love our

neighbors as we love ourselves. . . .

This perspective on the will of God gives us astonishing

freedom. If we seek first God’s kingdom and righ teous ness,

which is the will of God for our lives, then whatever choices

we make concerning the future become the will of God for

our lives. There are many pathways we could follow, many

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options we could pursue. As long as we are seeking God,

all of them can be God’s will for our lives, although only

one — the path we choose — actually becomes his will.

So today, when I am faced with a million little decisions, I

pray for the grace to remember how simple it really is. Simple

but not easy. For the way ahead will become clear as I practice

the two great commandments — loving God with heart, mind,

and strength, and loving my neighbor as myself.

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Sunday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil Go

l G w

o wit

i h Yo

h Y u

Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these

people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with

me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor

with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may

know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this

nation is your people.”

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will

give you rest.”

Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us,

do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are

pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What

else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people

on the face of the earth?”

And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have

asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

Lord, no path is good without your presence. In every decision, at

every crossroad, help me to follow where you lead. Keep me from

running ahead or lagging behind or wandering away, and let me

know how near to me you are.

Exodus 33:12 – 17

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Ma

Make a Wa

a W y

a

Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of

Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud

also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between

the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud

brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so

neither went near the other all night long.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that

night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and

turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites

went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their

right and on their left.

Lord, thank you for guiding me across difficult terrain at various

points in my life, opening a way when all ways seemed closed. I

marvel at who you are — the almighty God who is able to confuse

the plans of those who oppose you and enlighten the way of those

who love you. I love you, Lord.

Exodus 14:19 – 22

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Monday

IN THE MORNING

My

M Sp

y S ir

pirit

i Wi

t W lil Gu

l G ide Yo

e Y u

Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in

the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them

on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way

they were to take. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You

did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave

them water for their thirst. For forty years you sustained them in

the desert; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor

did their feet become swollen.

In your unfailing love you will lead

the people you have redeemed.

In your strength you will guide them

to your holy dwelling.

Father, help me to remember that I’m not alone on this journey. Let me look for the guidance of your good Spirit, believing that you will not withhold the things I need even when life feels like a wilderness.

Help me to rely on your love and trust in your mercy.

Nehemiah 9:19 – 21; Exodus 15:13

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AT NIGHT

I Wo

I W n’

n t’ L

t Let

e Yo

t Y u L

u Los

o e

s Yo

e Y ur Wa

ur W y

a

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,

along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;

I will turn the darkness into light before them

and make the rough places smooth.

These are the things I will do;

I will not forsake them.

They will neither hunger nor thirst,

nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them.

He who has compassion on them will guide them

and lead them beside springs of water.

I will turn all my mountains into roads,

and my highways will be raised up.

Lord, it doesn’t matter how well I see but how well you see. Help me to trust your vision for the way ahead. And as we walk it together, smooth out my path, not so that everything is easy, but so that everything is possible.

Isaiah 42:16; Isaiah 49:10 – 11

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Tuesday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil L

l Lead Yo

d Y u o

u on a Sa

n a S f

a e

f Pa

e P th

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on

the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter.

For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and

return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road

toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for

battle.

You broaden the path beneath me,

so that my ankles do not turn.

Lord, it’s easy to pray as though I know where I’m going, as though you simply need to come alongside and bless my plans. Forgive me.

Today, I pray for the grace to want to be led. When the way ahead

seems tortuously long or slow, help me to trust that you know where we are going — and why.

Exodus 13:17 – 18; 2 Sam uel 22:37

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Gu

l G ide Yo

e Y u Alw

u Al a

w y

a s

y

The Lord will guide you always.

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

Father, thank you for your promise, that even in the darkness I will not be left alone, without direction. Instead of panicking or plunging ahead blindly when I feel perplexed or confused, uncertain of

the way ahead, help me to listen and to wait patiently for you to

guide me.

Isaiah 58:11; Psalm 139:7 – 10

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Wednesday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil L

l Lead Yo

d Y u int

u into a Go

o a G od L

od Land

The path of the righ teous is level;

O upright One, you make the way of the righ teous

smooth.

Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,

we wait for you;

your name and renown

are the desire of our hearts.

Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in his

ways and revering him. For the Lord your God is bringing you

into a good land — a land with streams and pools of water, with

springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and bar-

ley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land

where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing.

Father, let me take pleasure in pleasing you. Change my reluctant

obedience into something quick and strong. Give me joy as you lead

me into the good land you have promised.

Isaiah 26:7 – 8; Deuteronomy 8:6 – 9

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Co

l C un

unse

s l

e Yo

l Y u

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Do not be like the horse or the mule,

which have no understanding

but must be controlled by bit and bridle

or they will not come to you.

Many are the woes of the wicked,

but

the

Lord’s unfailing love

surrounds those who trust in him.

The Lord makes firm the steps

of those who delight in him;

Though they stumble, they will not fall,

for

the

Lord upholds them with his hand.

Lord, help me to believe that your loving eye really is on me. Free me from the fear that your way is too hard. Make me less obstinate

and more malleable, trusting that your ways are good.

Psalm 32:8 – 10 (TNIV); Psalm 37:23 – 24 (TNIV)

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Thursday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W ll Gu

G ide Yo

e Y u int

u into Al

All Tr

l T uth

The path of the righ teous is like the first gleam of dawn,

shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all

truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he

hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory

to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit

will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

Lord, you are the light of the world, the shining One whose glory

I want to reflect. Let your truth guide me and lead me. Send your

Spirit that I may know your ways.

Proverbs 4:18; John 16:12 – 15

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AT NIGHT

My

M Co

C mm

m an

ands Wi

W ll Be

B a Lig

a Li ht fo

ght f r Yo

r Y ur Pa

ur P t

ath

My son, keep your father’s commands

and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

Bind them upon your heart forever;

fasten them around your neck

When you walk, they will guide you;

when you sleep, they will watch over you;

when you awake, they will speak to you.

For these commands are a lamp,

this teaching is a light,

and the corrections of discipline

are the way to life.

Lord, help me to think of your commands not as a burden but as a

beam of light, shining on the path ahead. Wherever I walk let them

guide me.

Proverbs 6:20 – 23

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Friday

IN THE MORNING

I Ha

I H v

a e

v t

e the Un

e U ders

r t

s anding Yo

ing Y u Ne

u N e

e d

ed

This is what the Lord says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look;

ask for the ancient paths,

ask where the good way is, and walk in it,

and you will find rest for your souls.”

Counsel and sound judgment are mine;

I have understanding and power. . . .

I love those who love me,

and those who seek me find me.

Lord, you do understand — everything. You know what has hap-

pened, what is happening, and what will happen. You know me.

Guide me today with your counsel. Teach me to make every deci-

sion with the help of your Spirit.

Jeremiah 6:16; Proverbs 8:14, 17

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AT NIGHT

I Am

I A t

m the Wa

e W y

a

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No

one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me,

you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him

and have seen him.”

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I

in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do noth-

ing. . . . If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask what-

ever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s

glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my dis-

ciples.

Lord, the way ahead isn’t always as complicated as I make it, for

you are the way. As long as I stay connected to you, I will fulfill your purpose for my life. Help me, Lord, to abide in you.

John 14:6 – 7; John 15:5 – 8 (TNIV)

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Saturday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil Be

B Yo

Y ur Gu

ur G ide Ev

e E e

v n t

en to t

the En

e E d

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.

For this God is our God for ever and ever;

he will be our guide even to the end.

Father, thank you for your promise to be with me to the end — to

the last day, the last moment, the last breath. With this knowledge, let fear fade and hope grow strong. For you are my God forever, and you will be my guide even to the end.

Psalm 139:23 – 24; Psalm 48:14

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil L

l Lead Yo

d Y u Ho

u H me

Yet I am always with you;

you hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will take me into glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.

Lord, you know better than I how weak I am — how prone to fall-

ing. Yet you hold onto me through the long years and the difficult

days, through the joys and the celebrations, through the decisions

and the opportunities. In my weakness you strengthen me, leading

me home, guiding me with your counsel, keeping me safe.

Psalm 73:23 – 26

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I W

WILL R

R EME

MEMB

MBER T

THIS

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will

give you rest.”

-

In your unfailing love you will lead

the people you have redeemed.

-

The Lord will guide you always.

-

Stand at the crossroads and look;

ask for the ancient paths,

ask where the good way is, and walk in it,

and you will find rest for your souls.

So many of the Bible’s great stories are about movement and

journey. Adam and Eve are ejected from paradise; Abraham

and Sarah are called to move to a strange, new land; Jacob and

his sons travel to Egypt to escape a famine; Moses leads the

Israelites out of Egypt; Joshua leads them into the Promised

Land; Jonah runs away from God and God runs after him; Paul

is converted on the road to Damascus. Even Jesus journeys up

to Jerusalem to meet his destiny, and then he leaves the earth

to ascend to heaven. No wonder Scripture seems always to be

Exodus 33:14; Exodus 15:13; Isaiah 58:11; Jeremiah 6:16

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talking about the path or the way. God’s people are always going somewhere.

Like them, it occurs to me that I am also on the move

because the life of faith always leads somewhere. Why, then,

would I ever approach a decision in isolation, as though my life

is made up of a series of random happenings leading nowhere

in particular? Why, for instance, would I consider a job change

merely on the merits of how it might affect my bank statement

or my ego? Why would I date someone who isn’t traveling the

path I am? Why would I allow myself to become so busy that I

forget whether I’m coming or going?

I’ve always been interested in interior design, but it’s a profes-

sion I could never excel at. Though I love beautiful objects, I have

a hard time envisioning how everything will fit together — how

a home will look once the walls are painted, draperies are hung,

rugs are laid, and furniture is selected and arranged. No wonder

I’ve sometimes found myself with a collection of attractive items

that simply don’t fit in any room of the house.

But how does my problem with interior design connect to

decision-making and the need for guidance? Simply that with

every significant choice, there’s a bigger picture to keep in mind.

Though I don’t have the complete picture, God does.

From the very beginning of my journey with Christ, I am

called to have faith and then to keep faith at every point along

the way, remembering that God has promised to guide me all

the way through to the end — even to the bitter end when I am

surrounded by weakness, illness, suffering, and death. Yes, as the

psalmist declares, even when I walk though the valley of the

shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for the Lord’s goodness and

kindness will follow me and I will dwell in his house forever.

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10

God Speaks Word of Faithfulness

ˆm/a;, hn:Wma‘

EMUNAH, AMAN

Faithfulness is an essential characteristic of God. He wouldn’t

be God without it. Because he is faithful, we can lean on

him, count on him, and believe in him. It’s what makes obedi-

ence not only possible but prudent. In fact, God’s faithfulness

is meant to call out the same quality in those who believe in

him.

In Greek the word for “faithful” is pistos, as in 1 Co rin thi-

ans 10:13: “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted

beyond what you can bear.” God’s faithfulness is what enables

us to say “amen,” a word that derives directly from the Hebrew

word aman.

As believers we are called to be faithful to Christ even under

the threat of death. For most of us, faithfulness is a far more

ordinary virtue, consisting as it does, not in a single heroic act

but in daily obedience, in the decision to trust in God’s good-

ness and believe in his promises. Unbelief is fueled by fear, pride,

self-reliance, and self-seeking. To be faithless is to be out of step

and out of sync with God. To be faithful is to align ourselves

with God, acknowledging him as mighty, good, and loving

toward all he has made.

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LETTI

TING T

G THE W

E WOR D S

D SHAPE M

E ME

I realize there are some advantages to being married. For one,

you can blame your spouse whenever something goes wrong. As

a single mother, I don’t have that luxury. But a few years ago I

still managed to find someone to blame when one of my chil-

dren was suffering through a rough patch. I’ll give you a clue.

His name starts with a “G” and ends with a “d.” It is composed

of three letters, the middle one of which is “o.” Yes, I blamed

God, and I blamed him big time.

Why wasn’t he helping my child? Hadn’t he handpicked her

for our family when I adopted her? Didn’t he know what she

was going through? Didn’t he hear the prayers that family and

friends had raised so constantly on her behalf? I had literally

cried out to him more than once, begging for his help. But all I

heard was silence — a big nothing. Didn’t he know I was at my

limit, that I was about to blow up with the stress I felt because of

my inability to help my child? Why did he refuse to help?

When my daughter was young she suffered from acute anxi-

ety, which made her over-reactive to situations that most chil-

dren take in stride. I felt bad for her and for me. So bad in fact

that I began accusing God — he wasn’t listening, wasn’t acting,

wasn’t living up to all the good press he has gotten. I was angry

and as close to despair as I had ever come, so close in fact that

it shocked me.

So I did the only thing I could think of — I confided in

a few close friends, women with whom I gather regularly for

mutual support and prayer. I told them exactly how I was feel-

ing. In an instant, they encircled me, laying their hands gently

on my shoulder, asking God to help my daughter and me. After

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a moment or two, one of them said she felt the hair on her neck prickling, standing straight up — she could literally feel the

presence of evil in the room. So she led the others in praying

against it as they surrounded me with their love and concern.

Immediately my despair lifted, and it has never returned.

Soon after that prayer session with friends, everything seemed

to come together for my daughter and me. A friend and her hus-

band invited her to spend time with them, giving us a much-

needed break. Then my daughter began to calm down. She was

happy, curious, affectionate, and funny again — the little girl I

remembered. In fact, she was doing better than she ever had. Our

relationship, which had been in such bad repair, was flourish-

ing. We were happy together. It soon became clear that her new

medicine was working after weeks of a difficult transition.

Now, some years later, as I read and meditate on passages

concerning God’s faithfulness, I remember that time — perhaps

because God’s faithfulness stands so vividly in contrast to my

own faithlessness, like a brilliant white diamond resting on a

black velvet background. Since then, I have come to appreciate

Jim Cymbala’s observation about how difficult it can be to wait on God for answers to our prayers.

It is during the waiting that discouragement often sets in. It

is also the time when Satan slanders God and puts powerful

temptations before us . . . The glow of fresh faith fades away

as the days, weeks, months, and sometimes even years go by

without seeing our prayers answered. Will things ever change?

We wonder. Is it worth it to keep on trying to believe? . . . The challenge before us is to have faith in God, and the hardest

part of faith is the waiting. And the hardest part of waiting

is the last half hour.

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It was that last half hour that nearly did me in. As I think

back to that time, I also recall a promise from Isaiah quoted in

Matthew’s gospel: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smol-

dering wick he will not snuff out” (Matthew 12:20). I had felt

like such a “bruised reed of a mother,” so unable to cope with

my daughter’s affliction. And yet God had not snuffed out my

smoldering faith but had succeeded in sparking it again. Despite

my feelings to the contrary, he had seen our need, heard our

prayers, and was in the process of answering them.

I realize now how dangerous my anger was. It had led me

into making false accusations against God, bringing me to the

edge of despair. I know that some people think it’s all right to

get angry with God. He can take it, they say. But the problem

is that I can’t take it. My anger distorts reality, making God

into someone he’s not — someone distant and absent, someone

powerful but uncaring.

Since that difficult time in our family, I’ve concluded that

it is okay for me to get angry in God’s presence but that I can never allow myself to get angry at God. I can be completely honest with him about how I am feeling, but I can’t afford to project

my anger onto him, contradicting what he has already revealed

about himself in Scripture and in his dealings with me.

It occurs to me that faith involves buying into a story—an

overarching narrative that makes sense out of the universe and

our part in it. The hero of the Christian narrative, of course, is

God, who begins by creating us and who then draws his way-

ward people back to himself in the most costly way imaginable.

Our relationship with the Hero is what gives us purpose, dig-

nity, and hope. Even so, we sometimes forget essential elements

of the story. When this happens, another narrative emerges,

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one that is distorted, disheartening, and confusing. We find our-

selves questioning what we once believed. Is the Hero who we

thought he was? Will he keep his promises? If so, why does he

seem so silent, so hidden? Does he really love us?

Last week a friend lost his job. I imagined myself in his place.

How tough it must have been to be abruptly cut loose from an

organization you have served so long and well. When I con-

veyed my dismay at the news, he wrote back: “I am confident

that God owns the narrative and that these unwelcome times

are in his capable hands.” I loved his response. While honestly

characterizing the situation as “unwelcome,” he came to a stun-

ning conclusion: “God owns the narrative!” Grasping that is

the key to remaining faithful to God no matter what.

Thank God that there is nothing fickle or faithless about

him. With St. Paul who proclaimed Christ from a Roman dun-

geon, shortly before his death, I stand as a witness to the truth

that even “if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he can-

not disown himself” (2 Tim othy 2:13).

God help me to remain faithful in the days ahead.

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Sunday

IN THE MORNING

I Ha

I H v

a e

v Pr

e P o

r mise

s d t

ed to L

o Love

v Yo

e Y u

The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you

because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were

the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you

and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought

you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of

slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore

that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his

covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him

and keep his commands.

God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus

Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Lord, thank you for setting your affection on me, never wavering in your kindness. Help me to remember the countless ways you have

already shown your love — to your people and to me. Let me pro-

claim your goodness so that others will know who you are.

Deuteronomy 7:7 – 9; 1 Co rin thi ans 1:9

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AT NIGHT

I Am

I A Fa

F it

i hf

h ul lEv

E e

v n W

en When Yo

en Y u Ar

u A e

r Un

e U f

n a

f it

i hf

h ul

So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and

went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had com-

manded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands.

Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him

and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of

Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and

gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,

maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion

and sin.

Lord, I am amazed at the way you describe yourself. Instead of choosing words like powerful, awesome, terrible, or great, you use words like compassion, love, and faithfulness. Even more amazing — this

revelation occurred right after your people had been unfaithful — worshiping a golden calf. Thank you for never abandoning them or

me — for the gift of your forgiveness and your patience.

Exodus 34:4 – 6

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Monday

IN THE MORNING

I Am

I A Fa

m F it

i hf

h ul in Ev

l in E e

v ry Wa

y W y

a

For the word of the Lord is right and true;

he is faithful in all he does.

The Lord loves righ teous ness and justice;

the earth is full of his unfailing love.

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the skies.

Your righ teous ness is like the highest mountains,

your justice like the great deep.

You,

Lord, preserve both people and animals.

How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!

People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house;

you give them drink from your river of delights.

For with you is the fountain of life;

in your light we see light.

Father, your goodness is unfathomable — too high, too deep, too

wide for me. Open my eyes to the way the whole earth is full of

your unfailing love.

Psalm 33:4 – 5; Psalm 36:5 – 9 (TNIV)

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AT NIGHT

I L

I Lov

o e

v W

What I’

at I v

’ e

v Ma

Made

The Lord is faithful to all his promises

and loving toward all he has made.

The Lord upholds all those who fall

and lifts up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food at the proper time.

You open your hand

and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The Lord is righ teous in all his ways

and loving toward all he has made.

The Lord is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cry and saves them.

The Lord watches over all who love him.

You, Lord, are loving toward all you have made. That means your

intentions toward every human being, every animal, every leaf and

twig are always and everywhere good. Help me to stand on that lov-

ing foundation. May your great faithfulness shape my thoughts and

govern my actions, now and always. Amen.

Psalm 145:13 – 20

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Tuesday

IN THE MORNING

Yo

Y u Ca

u C n Tr

n T ust

s Me

t M

Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your hearts to him,

for God is our refuge.

I will proclaim the name of the Lord.

Oh, praise the greatness of our God!

He is the Rock, his works are perfect,

and all his ways are just.

A faithful God who does no wrong,

upright and just is he.

Father, I’ve lived long enough to know that no human being is

entirely trustworthy — including me. But you are not like us, saying one thing and then doing another. Help me to trust you enough to be honest about my failings and confident enough about your response.

Help me to wait patiently and confidently for your help.

Psalm 62:8; Deuteronomy 32:3 – 4

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Gi

G v

i e

v W

What Is

at I Go

G od

od

I will listen to what God the Lord will say;

he promises peace to his people, his saints —

but let them not return to folly.

Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,

that his glory may dwell in our land.

Love and faithfulness meet together;

righ teous ness and peace kiss each other.

Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,

and righ teous ness looks down from heaven.

The Lord will indeed give what is good,

and our land will yield its harvest.

Father, send your love and your faithfulness to help me. Enable me

to respond to you with faithful obedience, creating an opportunity

for your perfect will to be done on this earth. May my life yield its harvest, according to your purpose, I pray.

Psalm 85:8 – 12

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Wednesday

IN THE MORNING

Yo

Y u Ca

u C n Put

n Pu Yo

t Y ur Hop

ur Ho e in t

pe in the Wo

e W rd

r s I Ha

s I H v

a e

v Sp

e S ok

oken

en

Praise the Lord, all you nations;

extol him, all you peoples.

For great is his love toward us,

and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,

for I have put my hope in your word.

I know, O Lord, that your laws are righ teous,

and in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

May your unfailing love be my comfort,

according to your promise to your servant.

Let your compassion come to me that I may live,

for your law is my delight.

Lord, let me trust you even when I am afflicted. May nothing defeat my belief in your goodness. When I feel confused and overwhelmed,

show me your compassion. Use the hard things to bring good things

to me and to others.

Psalm 117:1 – 2; Psalm 119:74 – 77

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AT NIGHT

My

M L

Love

ve Pr

P e

r se

s rv

r e

ves Yo

Y u

I remember my affliction and my wandering,

the bitterness and the gall.

I well remember them,

and my soul is downcast within me.

Yet this I call to mind

and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

Lord, in the midst of great sorrow — even then you comfort me.

Help me to call to mind your great faithfulness, the kindness you

have already shown. Never let me despair of your help. Instead let

me look for your mercy, for it is new every morning.

Lamentations 3:19 – 23

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Thursday

IN THE MORNING

I Am

I A Fa

m F it

i hf

h ul Fo

l F re

r v

e e

v r

The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you

from the evil one.

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and

through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless

at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is

faithful and he will do it.

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white

horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.

Lord, as I look back over my life I cannot identify a single moment in which you have ever failed me or proven faithless. Your care has been constant even when I couldn’t see it. I would be foolish not to trust you. No matter what happens, I know the One who has called

me is faithful and he will do it!

2 Thes salo nians 3:3; 1 Thes salo nians 5:23 – 24; Revelation 19:11

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AT NIGHT

I Ke

I K ep

e Ev

ep E e

v ry Pr

y P o

r mise

s

But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes”

and “No.” For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached

among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,”

but in him it has always been “Yes.” For no matter how many prom-

ises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him

the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God

who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us,

set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as

a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Lord, I can stand firm because you stand firm. I can remain faithful because you’ve given your Son to save me and your Spirit to guide

me. Thank you for not wavering in your plan, for not forgetting

your promises. Help me to wait confidently for every one of them

to come true.

2 Corinthian 1:18 – 22

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Friday

IN THE MORNING

Be

B l

e iev

e e

v in Me

e in M

Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him,

we will also live with him;

if we endure,

we will also reign with him.

If we disown him,

he will also disown us;

if we are faithless,

he will remain faithful,

for he cannot disown himself.

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God

requires?”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one

he has sent.”

Lord, my faith has not always been unwavering. Yet you have

never failed me. Today I pray that you will give me what I need

most — more staying power, more zeal, more courage, and more

love. Through my life, may you proclaim your great faithfulness.

2 Tim othy 2:11 – 13; John 6:28 – 29

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AT NIGHT

My

M Ey

y E e

y s Ar

es A e

r o

e on t

n the Fa

e F it

i hf

h ul

My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,

that they may dwell with me.

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond

what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide

a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the

crown of life.

Lord, sometimes it feels as though you’re asking the impossible. Yet, I’ve found that your grace enables me to do what I cannot possibly

do on my own. Help me to stand faithfully in the midst of trials,

waiting confidently for your deliverance.

Psalm 101:6; 1 Co rin thi ans 10:13; Revelation 2:10

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Saturday

IN THE MORNING

I Ca

I C n Do

n D Gre

o Gr at Th

eat Thing

ings w

s wit

i h Yo

h Y ur Lif

ur Li e

f

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later

receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did

not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the

promised land like a stranger in a foreign country. . . .

By faith Abraham, even though he was past age — and Sarah

herself was barren — was enabled to become a father because he

considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from

this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numer-

ous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the

seashore.

Lord, I want you to use my life in the greatest way possible, not so that I can get glory but so that you can. Increase my faith, stretch it, make it strong. May faith be the hallmark of my life. Accomplish your purpose through me.

Hebrews 11:8 – 9, 11 – 12

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AT NIGHT

Do

D No

N t

o Re

t R l

e y

l o

on Yo

Y urs

ur e

s l

e f

l

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such

things there is no law.

My son, do not forget my teaching,

but keep my commands in your heart,

for they will prolong your life many years

and bring you prosperity.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;

bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart. . . .

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding. . . .

Do not be wise in your own eyes;

fear

the

Lord and shun evil.

This will bring health to your body

and nourishment to your bones.

Lord, with your help I will trust you with all my heart, never doubting your intentions or misconstruing your motives. I will keep your love and faithfulness in the forefront of my mind so that no circumstance in my life will be untouched by your love.

Galatians 5:22 – 23; Proverbs 3:1 – 3, 5, 7 – 8

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I W

WILL R

R EME

MEMB

MBER T

THIS

The Lord is faithful to all his promises

and loving toward all he has made.

The Lord upholds all those who fall

and lifts up all who are bowed down.

-

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

-

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;

bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart. . . .

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding.

Mark Buchanan is a personal friend, a client, and one of my favorite authors. Over lunch one day, he tossed out a phrase to

describe a book he was thinking about writing. He spoke about

the need for “resting in the character of God.” I love that phrase

because it captures the essence of faithfulness.

Whenever my faith has been shaken, it has inevitably been

when I have tried “resting in circumstances” rather than “rest-

ing in the character of God.” Something in my brain keeps

Psalm 145:13 – 14; Lamentations 3:22 – 23; Proverbs 3:3, 5

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The Tender Words of God

advancing the “if only lie.” “If only I had more energy; if only I had more time; if only my children would . . .” Even in good times, I can always come up with another if only. But Jesus doesn’t

promise to rearrange our circumstances, to smooth everything

out for us. That’s not what we put our faith in. In fact Jesus once

remarked that each day has enough trouble of its own.

Resting in our circumstances, then, is like trying to relax

on a bed of nails or on the deck of a ship that is being tossed

about on a roiling ocean. A sudden surge and we’re likely to be

pitched overboard. We know that circumstances can change

in an instant. The only thing that will never change is God’s

character, his intentions, his heart. That’s the stable foundation

in which we can rest.

But what does that mean practically speaking? At the least

it means that I have to act as though I believe God is faithful,

as though his intentions toward me are always good and never

evil. I put my faith in him. I act with faithfulness toward him,

obeying his commands, yielding to his guidance.

The letter to the Hebrews tells us that “without faith it

is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6) . That’s a simple

statement of fact, like saying that without air it’s impossible to

breathe, without food you can’t survive, or when your eyes are

closed you can’t see. Faith opens our eyes to the goodness and

trustworthiness of God. We live by faith and not by sight. There

is no other way, no other promise, no other strategy that will

yield the life we desire, the life we were meant to live.

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11

God Speaks Words of Hope and Comfort

µj/n: hw:q]Ti lj/y:

YAHAL, TIQWA, NAHAM

Hope ( yahal and tiqwa), in the biblical sense, has little to do with wishful thinking and everything to do with confident

expectation. Hope is rooted not in circumstances but in God

himself. Hope has been described as an anchor for our souls

because it is grounded in the unchanging nature and inten-

tions of God. Hope steadies our hearts by enabling us to wait

confidently for what we desire most — the joy of living in God’s

presence.

The Hebrew word naham can be translated “to comfort” or

“to console.” God is the ultimate source of comfort, the only one

capable of turning our desolation to joy. Metaphors of God as

a shepherd or as a mother describe his comfort in a particularly

poignant way.

The New Testament makes it clear that God is the source

of all comfort. In fact, the King James Version of the Bible calls

the Holy Spirit “the Comforter.” Jesus, too, spoke of his desire to

comfort his people, yearning to gather them to himself as a hen

gathers her chicks under her wings. Ultimately, God comforts

us by sending his Son to save us, releasing us from sin’s bondage

and destining us for a future full of hope.

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LETTI

TING T

G THE W

E WOR D S

D SHAPE M

E ME

It’s the day after Thanksgiving. Yesterday at this time, our house

was spilling over with the rich smells of a harvest feast. It was

full of people laughing and dogs barking. A fire was roaring in

the hearth. We even had three birthdays to celebrate so there

were cards and presents, a cake with candles, and a little off-key

singing to mark the occasion.

Today is different — not only quieter but a little somber. It’s not

that I’m suffering from post-holiday depression. It’s that I’ve been

thinking about my Christmas card list, realizing how difficult this

year has been for some. In fact, if you wanted a microcosm of

many common kinds of loss, you need only look at my list: one

person died, one suffered a fall from grace, one was seriously ill,

one lost his job, and two divorced. And these were merely the

obvious losses — the kind people can’t easily hide. What, I won-

dered, about the private grief people silently harbor? Aren’t most

of us in need of some kind of comfort and enduring hope?

I thought, too, about the limits of comfort, at least the

human variety. In the face of tragedy it can be difficult to know

how to console someone. We don’t have the resources to do

what we would like to — reverse a financial loss, heal the sick,

restore a reputation, or mend broken relationships. Our unease

in the face of loss can be so extreme that at times it provokes

us into making idiotic comments, like the one I once heard at a

funeral when one of the guests remarked that the flowers drap-

ing the casket were so beautiful they almost looked artificial!

Or like the woman I overheard trying to console a bereaved

husband by assuring him that his wife looked more beautiful

lying in her coffin than she ever had when she was alive.

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But worse than blurting out insensitive comments in our

attempt to fill the awkward silence is the insensitivity of not

showing up at all. Recently, one of my mother’s closest friends

became an invalid, confined to her bed in a nursing home. She,

too, is on my Christmas list. Though I had prayed for her regu-

larly, I remember how I responded when my mother suggested

I visit her. I felt put out, as if she was asking too much. Didn’t

she know I was busy? That I had a book to write, clients to help,

children to care for?

But as soon as I spoke my complaint, I felt ashamed. How

could I reduce another person’s suffering to a mere incon-

venience? Did everything revolve around my needs, my con-

cerns, my schedule? What if I were lying in that bed? I felt repulsed by what my response had revealed about the condition

of my heart. For the good of my soul I knew I needed to offer

the small gift of my presence to a woman who had been a family

friend for many years. So I went and felt comforted by the gift of

her presence, lying as she did in that bed with so much patience

and good nature.

One of the most popular passages in the Bible is Psalm 23.

It’s a comfort to the living as well as to those near death.

Even though I walk

through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

God is the Shepherd who will not fail to show up when we

need him. He is strong and loving enough to help us pass safely

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God Speaks Words of Hope and Comfort

through death’s shadow. Isn’t that the ultimate comfort — to

believe that because we belong to God the end will be sweet and

not bitter, that heaven awaits us even in the midst of whatever

hellishness we suffer?

Last night I asked a couple of friends whether they ever

doubted the existence of an afterlife. One admitted she had doubts

at times but said she had also had experiences of the supernatural

that convinced her there was something beyond this life. Then

my friend Patti related an experience she had a few years ago.

Alone at home one night, Patti had been reading the news-

paper when the music began. It was exquisite — strange but

beautiful. Certain the music wasn’t coming from a television,

radio, or DVD player, Patti walked through the house trying to

locate the source. But a thorough search revealed nothing. Then

she opened the front door, but all was quiet. That was when

she realized the music was coming from inside. Patti was hear-

ing the music inside her head. Her first thought was to wonder

whether she might be losing her mind. But what a pleasant way

to go! Then, after about thirty minutes, the music stopped.

Shortly after that Patti heard a siren and noticed the flash-

ing red light of an ambulance as it pulled into the driveway

next door. Though her neighbors hadn’t lived there long, Patti

knew the wife had been suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease.

She watched as paramedics carried her out on a stretcher.

The woman’s suffering, she learned, had ended that night.

At the exact time Patti had been hearing the music, it seems

that her neighbor had been passing from this life to the next.

Later she told the woman’s husband she was certain she had

heard the voices of angels rejoicing, singing as they carried his

wife to heaven.

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Psalm 116 assures us that God knows the exact time of our

passing. He will not be preoccupied, looking the other way when

it’s time for us to go. In fact, the contrary is true as the psalm-

ist says, for “precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of

his saints” (Psalm 116:15). Jesus made a similar point by noting

that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the Father

knowing it.

Ultimately, it would seem that our best hope of comfort

resides in the presence of God himself: in his faithfulness, his

kindness, his unchanging nature, his ability to keep his prom-

ises. To paraphrase Paul, nothing can separate us from the love

of Christ, not job loss, family trouble, loneliness, misunder-

standing, failure, or even Lou Gehrig’s disease. Our bodies may

betray us, our families forsake us, our friends fail us, but the

all-important truth is that if God is for us, then nothing can

defeat us.

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God Speaks Words of Hope and Comfort

Sunday

IN THE MORNING

I Am

I A O

m One W

e Who Co

o C mf

m o

f rts Yo

s Y u

I, even I, am he who comforts you.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans

to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a

future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and

I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me

with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord.

Lord, when every other comfort fails, you are still with us. Give us the grace — today, tomorrow, and the next day — to set aside our

doubting thoughts. Help us, in the midst of sorrow, to sense your

presence. Fill us with peace as only you can do.

Isaiah 51:12; Jeremiah 29:11 – 13

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Bl

l B ess

es Th

s Thos

o e

s W

e Who We

o W ep

“Blessed are you who are poor,

for yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now,

for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who weep now,

for you will laugh.

Blessed are you when people hate you,

when they exclude you and insult you

and reject your name as evil,

because of the Son of Man.

“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your

reward in heaven.”

Lord, you once said that the poor will always be with us. You could have said the same about the grieving because life has its seasons

of loss. Be near to those among us who are grieving. Bring some-

thing good from our affliction. Number us among those you call

“blessed.”

Luke 6:20 – 23

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Monday

IN THE MORNING

Th

Though Yo

ough Y u Ar

u A e

r in Da

e in D rk

r n

k ess

s ,

s I Wi

, I W lil Be

l B Yo

e Y ur Lig

ur Li ht

ght

But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,

I wait for God my Savior;

my God will hear me.

Do not gloat over me, my enemy!

Though I have fallen, I will rise.

Though I sit in darkness,

the

Lord will be my light.

“There is hope for your future,” declares the Lord.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never

walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Lord, in darkness, be my light. Remind me of your goodness. Help

me to see the evidence of your strong love. When I reach out, may

your hand guide me. Help me to remember that I am not alone, for

you are always with me.

Micah 7:7 – 8; Jeremiah 31:17; John 8:12

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil No

N t

o D

t Disappoint Yo

sappoint Y u

My tears have been my food

day and night,

while people say to me all day long,

“Where is your God?”. . .

Why, my soul, are you downcast?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears

from all faces;

he will remove the disgrace of his people

from all the earth.

In that day they will say,

“Surely this is our God;

we trusted in him, and he saved us.

This is the Lord, we trusted in him;

let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

Lord, I can either trust myself or trust you. I can either conclude that I am the ultimate judge of reality or that you are. My feelings are so raw and real and yet I know I cannot rely on them. So one

day, along with many others, I will surely say, “This is my God, I

trusted in him, and he saved me.”

Psalm 42:3, 5 (TNIV); Isaiah 25:8 – 9

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Tuesday

IN THE MORNING

Be

B l

e iev

e e

v in Me

e in M

e an

and Yo

d Y u Wi

u W lil Liv

Li e

v

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in

the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from

Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to com-

fort them in the loss of their brother. . . .

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother

would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you

whatever you ask.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection

at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone

who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever

lives by believing in me will never die.”

Lord Jesus, death had already dropped like a final, dreadful curtain over Lazarus, cutting him off from everyone he loved, including

you. Yet it wasn’t final; it never is for those who love you. Thank you not only for promising to resurrect us but for displaying your

power to keep that promise.

John 11:17 – 26 (TNIV)

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AT NIGHT

I Am

I A Tr

T o

r u

oubl

bled b

ed by Yo

Y ur So

ur S rro

r ws

ow

When Jesus saw her [Mary] weeping . . . he was deeply moved in

spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

Jesus wept. . . .

Jesus . . . came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across

the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this

time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you will

see the glory of God?”

So they took away the stone. . . .

Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead

man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen,

and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him

go.”

Lord, you wept when your friend died, even though you knew you

were going to raise him from the dead. Thank you for being a Savior who understands our grief and comprehends our sorrows. Never let

me grieve as one who is without hope but as one who believes that

you indeed are the resurrection and the life.

John 11:33 – 35, 38 – 41, 43 – 44 (TNIV)

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God Speaks Words of Hope and Comfort

Wednesday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil Cl

l C ot

o he Yo

e Y u w

u wit

i h Im

h I m

m ortalit

i y

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will

all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last

trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imper-

ishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe

itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and

the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will

come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

“Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?”

Father, in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, we will all be changed.

When earthly hope is perishing, help me to hold onto the hope that

comes from above, where you are, where I am heading. I pray this,

now and forever, amen.

1 Co rin thi ans 15:51 – 55

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Co

l C mf

m o

f rt Yo

t Y u in Yo

u in Y ur Su

ur S ffe

f ring

ings

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the

Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts

us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble

with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as

the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through

Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your

comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort,

which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we

suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as

you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

Lord, St. Paul linked his experience of your sufferings to his experience of your comfort. Remind me that, I, too, am part of your

body, linked to you both in suffering and in comfort. Transform my

troubles into something worthwhile. Comfort me so that I might

comfort others.

2 Co rin thi ans 1:3 – 7

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Thursday

IN THE MORNING

Jo

J y Wi

y W lil Ove

l Ov rtake Yo

e Y ur So

ur S rro

r w

ow

Those who sow with tears

will reap with songs of joy.

Those who go out weeping,

carrying seed to sow,

will return with songs of joy,

carrying sheaves with them.

The ransomed of the Lord will return.

They will enter Zion with singing;

everlasting joy will crown their heads.

Gladness and joy will overtake them,

and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Lord, I ask you to use the hard times to produce better times in

my life. Help me to learn, to trust, and to grow — not despite but

because of my difficulties. Chase away my sorrows and replace them

with your joy. Renew my soul and glorify yourself through me.

Psalm 126:5 – 6 (TNIV); Isaiah 51:11

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AT NIGHT

Yo

Y ur Body

ur Bod Ca

y C n Re

n R st

s in Hop

t in Ho e

pe

David said about him [Jesus]:

“I saw the Lord always before me.

Because he is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will live in hope,

because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

you will not let your Holy One see decay.

You have made known to me the paths of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence.”

Jesus, you are always with me, showing me how to live. Day after

day you give me grace. Through hardship and darkness and every

kind of difficulty you lead me. Even in death you will be there. My body will rest in hope, for you will raise me and fill me again with joy in your presence.

Acts 2:25 – 28

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Friday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil Be

l B Lik

e Like a Mo

e a M t

o her t

r to Yo

o Y u

As a mother comforts her child,

so will I comfort you.

How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a

hen gathers her chicks under her wings.

Therefore, this is what the Lord says: “I will return to Jeru-

salem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the

measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,” declares the

Lord Almighty.

Proclaim further: This is what the Lord Almighty says: “My

towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again

comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.”

Lord, be like a mother enfolding me in your all-forgiving arms. Help me to rest there, comforted at your breast. Make me to know your

love once more.

Isaiah 66:13; Matthew 23:37; Zechariah 1:16 – 17

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Co

l C mf

m o

f rt Yo

t Y u A

u Aga

g in

in

Even when I am old and gray,

do not forsake me, O God,

till I declare your power to the next generation,

your might to all who are to come.

Your righ teous ness reaches to the skies, O God,

you who have done great things.

Who, O God, is like you?

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter,

you will restore my life again;

from the depths of the earth

you will again bring me up.

You will increase my honor

and comfort me once again.

I will praise you with the harp

for your faithfulness, O my God;

I will sing praise to you with the lyre,

O Holy One of Israel.

Lord, though I have seen troubles, many and bitter, you have never

forsaken me. Thank you for staying power, for the buoyancy of

hope, for the energy of life. Keep me strong until the end, I pray, and I will continue to sing your praises.

Psalm 71:18 – 22

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Saturday

IN THE MORNING

Th

The Hop

e Ho e I Gi

pe I G v

i e

v Wi

e W ll No

l N t

o D

t Disappoint Yo

sappoint Y u

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have

peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we

have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we

also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering pro-

duces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his

love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

“The Root of Jesse will spring up,

one who will arise to rule over the nations;

the Gentiles will hope in him.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust

in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the

Holy Spirit.

Lord, despair and discouragement never come from you. How could

they since you are the God of hope! Whatever happens, may this

hope be an anchor for my soul, keeping me steady no matter the

turbulence I face.

Hebrews 6:19; Romans 5:1 – 5; Romans 15:12 – 13

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AT NIGHT

I Wi

I W lil Tu

l T rn Yo

n Y ur Mo

ur M ur

urning int

ning into Gl

o G adness

s

For the Lord will ransom Jacob

and redeem them from the hand of those stronger

than

they.

They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;

they will rejoice in the bounty of the Lord —

the grain, the new wine and the oil,

the young of the flocks and herds.

They will be like a well-watered garden,

and they will sorrow no more.

Then maidens will dance and be glad,

young men and old as well.

I will turn their mourning into gladness;

I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.

I will satisfy the priests with abundance,

and my people will be filled with my bounty,”

declares

the

Lord.

Father, I will rejoice in your goodness, believing that you will turn my mourning into gladness and my sorrow into comfort. Fill me,

God, with your abundance. Let me taste of your kindness, my Lord

and my God.

Jeremiah 31:11 – 14

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I W

WILL R

R EME

MEMB

MBER T

THIS

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans

to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a

future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and

I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me

with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord.

-

The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears

from all faces;

he will remove the disgrace of his people

from all the earth.

The Lord has spoken.

In that day they will say,

“Surely this is our God;

we trusted in him, and he saved us.

This is the Lord, we trusted in him;

let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

-

As a mother comforts her child,

so will I comfort you.

Recently I finished Joan Didion’s memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking, written after her husband’s sudden death. Explaining

why she decided to chronicle her first year without him, she

says, “This is my attempt to make sense of the period that fol-

lowed, weeks and then months that cut loose any fixed idea I

Jeremiah 29:11 – 14; Isaiah 25:8 – 9; Isaiah 66:13

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had ever had about death, about illness, about probability and

luck, about good fortune and bad, about marriage and children

and memory, about grief, about the ways in which people do and

do not deal with the fact that life ends, about the shallowness of

sanity, about life itself.”

The book is fascinating but darkly haunting, without hope.

Relentlessly probing the questions such a death raises, she allows

herself to wonder what her husband might have experienced: “ ‘A

moment of terror . . . then an instant later the eternal dark?’ ”

The final punctuation mark of her memoir is the starkest of all

for she concludes that no eye is on the sparrow. It is a remark her husband once made to her, one that now summarizes her

assessment of life.

Believing this, I am not sure how a person can go on. If in

the scheme of things our suffering is a matter of “abiding indif-

ference,” as she says, how can one make sense of anything at all,

let alone the death of a loved one? I suppose that an unflinching

examination of death and the meaning of life on the part of an

atheist could be interpreted as a mark of bravery, but what good

is bravery in a world without meaning? What good is any kind

of virtue in a world created entirely by chance?

Jesus held the opposite worldview. To believe in him is to

stand with him on the side of hope. It is to affirm that individ-

ual human suffering is not a matter of cosmic indifference. It is

to believe that a divine, all-loving eye is fixed on us even when

we are insensible of God’s gaze. That is the struggle of faith. It

is the struggle Jesus faced on the cross.

If we stand with him in the midst of our questions and

pain, then the final punctuation mark for our lives will one day

affirm the truth of his words: “Are not five sparrows sold for two

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pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the

very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you

are worth more than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6 – 7). With the

prophet we will sing, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him,

and he saved us” (Isaiah 25:9).

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12

God Speaks Words of Healing

aperø hwhy

YAHWEH ROPHE

The Hebrew word rapa means “to heal” or “to cure.” Shortly

after his people left Egypt, God revealed himself as Yahweh

Rophe, “the Lord who heals.” Though today we might point

to germs or genetic disorders as the cause of many kinds of ill-

nesses, the Bible goes deeper. It identifies sin as the root cause

of every affliction we suffer because sin breaks our connection

with the Creator and the perfect world he has made.

In the New Testament, the words iaomai and therapeuo mean

“to heal, cure.” The Gospels present Jesus Christ as the greatest

of all physicians, curing souls as well as bodies. Jesus makes it

clear that sickness does not always result from personal sin but

also from living in a fallen world. His many miracles are a sign

of the in-breaking kingdom of heaven.

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LETTI

TING T

G THE W

E WOR D S

D SHAPE M

E ME

I’m a skeptic by nature. Yet the Bible is not at all cautious about

linking faith with miracles, nor about inviting us to put our

faith to work in healing prayer. So pray I do.

In fact, my prayer list is peppered with requests for healing.

On my list currently is a young mother who days ago seemed

close to death from a rare blood disorder, a toddler who has just

undergone two-and-a-half hours of surgery for an infection that

settled in his heart, and a friend who is battling a particularly

aggressive form of cancer. Most of us know plenty of people in

dire need of healing grace.

Several years ago I began praying for a friend of a friend

diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Over the years she has expressed

her thanks for prayer support with letters, email messages, and

even an enormous pan of brownies. But I never had the plea-

sure of meeting her — until last week. One cold December night

four praying friends and the woman herself spilled through my

doorway. Together we shared a simple supper that seemed like a

feast because of the joy we felt as we celebrated what God had

done for her.

Later it occurred to me that such meetings must happen

all the time in heaven — where people who have never met on

earth embrace each other, thankful for how another’s prayers

have helped them.

The last few weeks have brought more good news. The young

boy who underwent heart surgery is on the mend, and here’s the

latest on the woman who had been so critically ill:

She is walking without her walker and is talking well but

slowly. Her MRI shows no damage in her brain. Life will

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not be “normal” for a while, but she is certainly on the right

track now.

For a while, the news seemed good, too, for the friend bat-

tling cancer. But days ago it became clear that the cancer has

returned. His wife wrote this note to all who had been praying:

“We live a life of uncertainties, but serve an omniscient, loving

God. That is our comfort.”

It strikes me that she has struck the right balance, putting

her faith not in an outcome but in a Person. I confess that I

struggle with this balancing act. Instead of emphasizing God’s

love, I have tended to emphasize life’s uncertainties. Even when

someone I’ve prayed for recovers (which often happens), I find

myself wondering whether prayer made the difference.

But perhaps uncertain is not a word that should characterize

my prayers because over and over, Jesus spoke to his followers of

the importance of having faith:

Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace. (Luke 8:48)

I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:20)

Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted. (Mat-

thew 15:28)

So my prayer, at the end of this season of reading and praying

through the healing words of God, is for a greater gift of faith. I

want to have faith, not in a particular outcome but in the loving

and powerful heart of Jesus, who spent most of his public ministry

healing the sick, and driving out demons that tormented people.

I want to pray in his name and with the faith he gives, growing

daily into his likeness, so that I will one day hear from his lips:

Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.

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Sunday

IN THE MORNING

My

M Fa

y F v

a o

vor L

r Last

s s a Lif

s a Li e

f t

e im

ime

I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.

I will exalt you, O Lord,

for you lifted me out of the depths

and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

O Lord my God, I called to you for help

and you healed me.

O Lord, you brought me up from the grave;

you spared me from going down into the pit.

Sing to the Lord, you saints of his;

praise his holy name.

For his anger lasts only a moment,

but his favor lasts a lifetime;

weeping may remain for a night,

but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Lord, you have certainly heard my prayers and seen my tears.

Answer me as you did Hezekiah, king of Judah, and I will rejoice in your healing grace.

2 Kings 20:5; Psalm 30:1 – 5

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AT NIGHT

My

M He

y H l

e p Wi

lp W lil Co

l C me t

e to Yo

o Y u

“Peace, peace, to those far and near,”

says

the

Lord. “And I will heal them.”

“Come, let us return to the Lord.

He has torn us to pieces

but he will heal us;

he has injured us

but he will bind up our wounds.

After two days he will revive us;

on the third day he will restore us,

that we may live in his presence.

Let us acknowledge the Lord;

let us press on to acknowledge him.

As surely as the sun rises,

he will appear;

he will come to us like the winter rains,

like the spring rains that water the earth.”

Lord, I pray for “turning grace,” for the power to turn away from

sinful habits in order to turn toward you, my Creator and my heal-

ing God. Do not delay, but come to me like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth. Heal me body and soul, I pray.

Isaiah 57:19; Hosea 6:1 – 3

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God Speaks Words of Healing

Monday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil He

l H ar f

r fro

r m He

m H ave

av n

en

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble them-

selves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,

then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will

heal their land.

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance.

Father, your word tells us there is a season for every activity under heaven. Please hear the cries of those who are in need of healing.

Touch them with your power and inaugurate a season of healing in

their lives. Restore them, bless them, and strengthen them, so that they may become the evidence of your mercy on earth.

2 Chron icles 7:14; Ecclesiastes 3:1 – 4

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AT NIGHT

Th

Then Yo

en Y u Wi

u W ll Ca

C ll, an

, and I Wi

d I W ll A

Answ

s er

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry

and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter —

when you see the naked, to clothe him,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righ teous ness will go before you,

and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

Lord, forgive the anxiety and selfishness that mark my life, preventing me from being more generous to the needy. Let me pass on

the good things you’ve given me, freely blessing others as you have blessed me.

Isaiah 58:6 – 9

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Tuesday

IN THE MORNING

I Ha

I H v

a e

v Ta

e T ken o

n on Yo

n Y ur In

ur I f

n irmit

i ies

I am the Lord, who heals you.

He was despised and rejected by others,

a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.

Like one from whom people hide their faces

he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Surely he took up our pain

and bore our suffering

yet we considered him punished by God,

stricken by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to our own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

Lord, our sins were so grievous, our offences so serious, that there was no remedy capable of curing us — until you came. You have borne our sorrows and suffered our punishment. On you was the chastisement

that made us whole. You are, indeed, the Lord who heals us!

Exodus 15:26; Isaiah 53:3 – 6 (TNIV)

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AT NIGHT

Yo

Y ur Fa

ur F it

i h Ca

h C n Ma

n Make a D

a Dif

i fe

f re

r n

ence

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the

people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there

was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the

word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, car-

ried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because

of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and,

after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was

lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son,

your sins are forgiven.”

. . . He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat

and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view

of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying,

“We have never seen anything like this!”

Lord, increase my faith so that I can pray effectively for others. Let it overflow to those who are ill. May your power come down to heal

and to give them peace, I pray.

Mark 2:1 – 5, 10 – 12

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Wednesday

IN THE MORNING

Be

B l

e iev

e e

v an

e and Yo

d Y u Wi

u W lil Se

S e

e

While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house

of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” he said.

“Don’t bother the teacher any more.”

Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe,

and she will be healed.”

When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone

go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father

and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning

for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”

They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took

her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” Her spirit returned,

and at once she stood up.

Lord, when I or someone I love becomes ill, help me to look first

to you. Protect me from fear, and give me your peace. Help me to

pray with the power of your Spirit, believing that with your grace all things are possible.

Luke 8:49 – 55

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AT NIGHT

Cr

C y Out t

y Out to Me

o M in Yo

e in Y u

o r Tr

ur T o

r u

oubl

ble

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

and he saved them from their distress.

He sent forth his word and healed them;

he rescued them from the grave.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love

and his wonderful deeds for men.

Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed;

save me and I will be saved,

for you are the one I praise.

Lord, I bring the sick and the afflicted before you tonight, those I am regularly praying for. I cry out on their behalf. Send forth your word and your truth and heal them. Fill them with your unfailing love that they may praise you for your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 107:19 – 21; Jeremiah 17:14

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God Speaks Words of Healing

Thursday

IN THE MORNING

I Re

I R w

e ard

r Pe

P rs

r i

sist

s ent Pr

nt P a

r y

a e

y r

Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite

woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of

David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from

demon-possession.”

Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and

urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she

said.

He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss

it to their dogs.”

“Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall

from their masters’ table.”

Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your

request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very

hour.

Lord, thank you for the story of this woman who did not give up

and did not take offense. Help me to persevere for those close to me who need your healing touch. Don’t let me take offense if you don’t answer me right away. But please, do not delay. Come with your

healing power.

Matthew 15:21 – 28

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AT NIGHT

Yo

Y u O

u Only

l Ne

N e

e d a Lit

ed a Li tle Fa

F it

i h

When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and

knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has

seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal

him.”

. . . Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he

was healed from that moment.

Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why

couldn’t we drive it out?”

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the

truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to

this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Noth-

ing will be impossible for you.”

Lord, give me the kind of faith that is able to move mountains, the kind that is not intimidated by circumstances nor limited by imagination. Strengthen me so that guided by your Spirit, I will know that nothing is impossible for you to do through me.

Matthew 17:14 – 20

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God Speaks Words of Healing

Friday

IN THE MORNING

I Am

I A St

S ro

r nge

ng r Th

Than A

an Any

n Ev

y E il Yo

il Y u Fa

u F ce

For you who revere my name, the sun of righ teous ness will rise

with healing in its wings.

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd

from Galilee followed. When they heard all he was doing, many

people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions

across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. Because of the crowd

he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the

people from crowding him. For he had healed many, so that those

with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. Whenever the

evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You

are the Son of God.”

Lord, no wonder the crowds swarmed around you, each person

hoping to get near enough to touch you. Thank you that your power

is greater than our disease. Shelter me now beneath your healing

wings.

Malachi 4:2; Mark 3:7 – 11

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AT NIGHT

I Wa

I W nt t

nt to Us

o U e

s Yo

e Y u

I will heal their waywardness

and love them freely.

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their

synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and heal-

ing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had

compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless,

like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The

harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the

harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority

to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

Lord, your intentions are to heal and to restore, to turn the hearts of the people away from darkness and toward the light. May I be a light and a healer in my own place. Make me a blessing to others.

Hosea 14:4; Matthew 9:35 – 10:1

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Saturday

IN THE MORNING

Pr

P a

r y

a fo

f r Ea

r Each

c Ot

O her

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone

happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick?

Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint

them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in

faith will make them well; the Lord will raise them up. If they

have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to

each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The

prayer of a righ teous person is powerful and effective.

Lord, please restore prayer in your church throughout the world.

Help us to be honest about our failings, to pray regularly together, to worship you in spirit and in truth, and to pray for those who are ill. Heal us and help us — and remind us that we are your body here on earth.

James 5:13 – 16 (TNIV)

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AT NIGHT

Th

There

r Wi

e W lil Be

l B No

e N Mo

o M re

r Ni

e N g

i ht

ght

He heals the brokenhearted

and binds up their wounds.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear

as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down

the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river

stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the

nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and

of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.

They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a

lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.

And they will reign for ever and ever.

Lord, thank you for the assurance that in the end all will be well

for those who belong to you. No longer will there be any curse — no affliction, suffering, or death. For we will see you face to face and you will be our light forever.

Psalm 147:3; Revelation 22:1 – 5

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God Speaks Words of Healing

I W

WILL R

R EME

MEMB

MBER T

THIS

Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed;

save me and I will be saved,

for you are the one I praise.

-

Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.

-

The prayer of a righ teous person is powerful and effective.

Many years ago I attended a women’s breakfast in a college town

in Ohio. That day one of the women told an unusual story. I

don’t remember the details but the core of the story was unfor-

gettable. It seems she had been suffering from back pain for

some time. Her condition was so severe that she couldn’t even

walk without bending over. One day, her four-year-old daugh-

ter wondered out loud “when mama was going to have another

baby.” Knowing how difficult it would be to sustain a pregnancy

in her condition, the mother replied: “Honey, Momma and

Daddy would really like to have another baby, but God would

have to heal my back before it would be safe for me to have one.

We just can’t right now.”

Some time later, she and her family were vacationing at the

ocean. So debilitating was her pain that her husband had to

carry her into the water whenever she wanted to swim. One

day when she had just entered the surf an enormous wave broke

Jeremiah 17:14; Luke 8:48; James 5:16

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The Tender Words of God

over her, sending her somersaulting through the water. As soon

as she regained her footing she realized something in her body

had changed. In fact she was standing straight up without any

pain. Oddly, her first thought was not, “My back is healed!”

Instead, the words that came into her mind were these: “I must

be pregnant!” And indeed she was. A visit to the doctor’s office

subsequently confirmed that she was going to have another

child. Apparently God is not only a great physician but a pretty

good chiropractor as well!

But what about all the people who don’t receive a healing?

On any given day thousands, perhaps millions, of people are

storming heaven for a miracle, but no miracle is forthcoming.

Why some are healed while others are not is a mystery no one

can solve, though perhaps the passage from James, linking righ-

teous ness and power, identifies one key factor.

Regardless of how God answers our prayers, I believe that

he sometimes does use our bodies to display his redemptive

work. When that happens, we become signs of his in-breaking

kingdom, attesting to the hope we have in Christ that someday

we and all of creation will be exactly what he intends us to

be — healthy, whole and at peace. Until then, let us ask God to

help us become the kind of people who can pray with power,

full of faith and hope.

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13

Jesus—the Last, Most Tender Word

[/WvyE

YESHUA

There is tenderness even in the name “Jesus,” a name that

contains a promise. Rendered Yeshua in Hebrew, it means

“Yahweh is salvation,” thereby linking Jesus to the holiest name

for God in Scripture. God comes into clearest focus in the life

of Jesus — a God who surprises us not only by his power but by

the greatness of his love. Jesus is also called the Logos or “Word.”

He is God’s definitive message to the human race.

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LETTI

TING T

G THE W

E WOR D S

D SHAPE M

E ME

Years ago I had the opportunity of spending a little time with

Malcolm Muggeridge, a famous British journalist, known for his

acerbic wit. Though I was looking forward to meeting him, I

also felt a bit intimidated. I wondered whether during the course

of our time together I might say something awkward or stupid,

something that would inevitably attract his skewering wit. But

when the time came, I felt completely at ease. In fact, my meet-

ing with him was one of the most memorable of my life, though

I don’t recall what we talked about. What I will never forget,

however, is the kindness with which he treated me, as though I

were the single, most important person on the planet.

I expect Muggeridge had that effect on a lot of people. But

why was my experience of him so different from his public per-

sona? Surely a large part of the difference might be explained by

his growing faith. Though he had once dismissed Chris tian ity

as a “load of rubbish,” he had later embraced it. Perhaps also

this man, who was famous for his acid wit, reserved his sharpest

barbs for people who needed them, people in the public eye who

were advocating policies that he saw as damaging or dangerous

to others.

When I began searching the Gospels for the tender words

of Jesus, I remembered my encounter with Muggeridge. And

that memory triggered another. A friend had recently asked

an intriguing question: “If Jesus is God and God is love, why

does Jesus sometimes seem not very nice in the Gospels?” It was

a question I had asked myself more than once. Among other

things, my friend may have been thinking about some of the

things Jesus said, words that sounded anything but tender:

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Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men

walk over without knowing it.

You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being

condemned to hell?

You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the

outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out

your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning.

Perhaps part of the answer to my friend’s question is that love is

not always “nice,” especially in the face of wickedness.

As I continued reading through Jesus’ words in the Gospels,

I was also reminded of how undiplomatic he could be. So often,

when faced with the opportunity to say a word that would calm

tensions and subdue tempers, Jesus said something that inflamed

the situation, as though poking a stick into a beehive.

It strikes me that Jesus’ harshest words, like Muggeridge’s,

were directed at people who needed skewering — the religious

leaders of his day who resisted the gospel and tried to influence

ordinary people against him. To be tender toward such men

would be to turn his back on those he had come to save. It

would be like looking on while someone held another person’s

head under water, depriving him of life.

So often, Jesus’ words are as startling as they are challenging.

As I read through a red-letter version of the Gospels searching

for his tender words, I found many other words that upset my

comfortable Chris tian applecart, words like these:

You have heard that it was said, “Eye for eye, and tooth for

tooth.” But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

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It has been said, “Anyone who divorces his wife must give her

a certificate of divorce.” But I tell you that anyone who divorces

his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits

adultery.”

How, I wondered, could such words possibly be construed

as tender? The more I read, the more I began to realize that

experiencing the tenderness of Jesus is often a matter of perspec-

tive. For instance, the passage exhorting us to love our enemies

can seem like an impossible command. But it also reveals the

heart of Christ himself, who when we were yet his enemies,

treated us with the kind of extreme love that he commends to

his followers.

But what about the passage concerning divorce? It would

certainly have sounded harsh in the ears of a Jewish male. But

to the ears of a Jewish woman, the words would have sounded

sweet, because at that time a husband could divorce his wife for

just about any reason, including a burnt dinner! As usual, Jesus

was taking the side of the weak, of those who had no one to

protect them.

Fortunately, my search through the Gospels uncovered many

straightforwardly tender words. Over and over I saw the incon-

trovertible evidence of his kindness — to the sick, the weary,

the outcast, the hungry, the poor, and the demon-possessed. To

anyone willing, he spoke words of encouragement and love. He

was God walking in the creation he loved, touching, restoring,

healing, and imparting hope.

Even his actions and miracles are “words” to us, communi-

cating God’s profound love, telling us of his intention to restore

and redeem us. The more I listen to the tender words of Jesus,

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The Tender Words of God

identifying myself with the needy, the more I find myself relax-

ing, calming down, leaning into the words he speaks to reshape

my soul:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will

give you rest.

Don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.

My yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Friend, your sins are forgiven.

Remain in my love.

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Jesus—the Last, Most Tender Word

Sunday

IN THE MORNING

I Am

I A t

m the Wo

e W rd

r

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was

made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the

light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness

has not understood it. . . .

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We

have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from

the Father, full of grace and truth.

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and

they will call him Immanuel” — which means, “God with us.”

Lord, speak your all-powerful words into my heart. Let me be

filled with your Word as with light. Help me to see you as you are, King of kings and Lord of lords, Wonderful Counselor, Prince of

Peace — the Mighty God come to dwell with his people.

John 1:1 – 5, 14; Matthew 1:23

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AT NIGHT

I D

I Did No

d N t

o Co

t C me t

to Co

C ndem

emn Yo

n Y u

An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,

“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your

wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She

will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,

because he will save his people from their sins.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal

life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the

world, but to save the world through him.

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to

be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there

they crucified him, along with the criminals — one on his right,

the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do

not know what they are doing.”

Jesus, you are the expression of God’s love, the incarnation of his mercy. You are courageous and kind, forgiving and good. You had

every reason to condemn, but instead you forgave. Mercy and more

mercy — this is the tender word you have always spoken to me.

Matthew 1:20 – 21; John 3:16 – 17; Luke 23:32 – 34

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Jesus—the Last, Most Tender Word

Monday

IN THE MORNING

I Ca

I C ll Yo

Y u “F

u “ r

F ien

end”

“Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times

shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven

times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven

times.”

Thank you, Jesus, for calling me “friend.” As your Word says, “A

friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” You, my Brother, have loved me well. The next time someone offends me,

help me to remember who I am — your friend — called to forgive

even as I have been forgiven.

Luke 5:20; Matthew 18:21 – 22

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AT NIGHT

I Se

I S t

e Yo

t Y u Fr

u F e

r e

ee

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to release the oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Then he [Jesus] rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the atten-

dant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were

fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this

scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Lord, you are the yes to all of God’s promises. You give sight to the blind, open up prison doors, and proclaim a year of goodness and

favor. Lord, seek out the lowly, search out the oppressed, let your favor be proclaimed throughout the world.

Luke 4:18 – 21

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Jesus—the Last, Most Tender Word

Tuesday

IN THE MORNING

I Wi

I W lil Ne

l N v

e e

v r D

r Driv

i e

v Yo

e Y u Aw

u A a

w y

a

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes

to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never

be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not

believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever

comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from

heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.

And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of

all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my

Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes

in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last

day.”

Lord, thank you for promising never to drive me away. I want

to hold onto that promise, to believe it so firmly, that even at the moment of my death, when it seems as though I am being driven

away, I will not doubt your promise. Hold me fast and keep me with

you always.

John 6:35 – 40 (TNIV)

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AT NIGHT

Fee

Fe d o

on Me

M

“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,

and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food

and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my

blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent

me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me

will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from

heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on

this bread will live forever.”

Lord, I want to feed on you, to be nourished by your body and

your blood, to be strengthened and transformed by your incarna-

tion and your sacrifice. Help me to remain in you. Raise me up to

live forever.

John 6:54 – 58 (TNIV)

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Wednesday

IN THE MORNING

St

Stop

op Wo

W rryin

ing!

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not

worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what

you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than

clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have

no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more

valuable you are than birds!”

Lord, forgive me for all the wasted, anxious moments of my life.

Help me today to take your Word literally — to stop worrying!

Teach me to live more simply by focusing on doing your will and

then leaving the rest to you, I pray.

Luke 12:22 – 24

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AT NIGHT

I L

I Love

v d Yo

d Y u W

u When Yo

en Y u We

u W re

r Fa

e F r Fr

r F o

r m Me

m M

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate

your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those

who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in

heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and

sends rain on the righ teous and the unrigh teous. If you love those

who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax col-

lectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what

are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be

perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Lord, passages like this reveal your heart to the world. You are a

God whose love encompasses even your enemies. And once I was

your enemy. Help me to remember this and to reflect your goodness

the next time someone offends me. Change, me, Lord, through the

power of your love.

Matthew 5:43 – 48 (TNIV)

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Jesus—the Last, Most Tender Word

Thursday

IN THE MORNING

I Am

I A t

m the Go

e G od Sh

od S eph

epherd

r

He tends his flock like a shepherd:

He gathers the lambs in his arms

and carries them close to his heart.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life

for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the

sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep

and runs away. . . .

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know

me — just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I

lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of

this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my

voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”

Jesus, thank you for giving your life not grudgingly but willingly, for protecting me with your rod and your staff, for keeping me safe and carrying me close to your heart. Thank you for laying down your

life so that I might have life.

Isaiah 40:11; John 10:11 – 16

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AT NIGHT

Re

R main in My

in in M L

Love

ve

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain

in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love,

just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy

may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have

loved you. Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life

for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I

no longer call you servants, because servants do not know their

master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything

that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

Lord, I want always to be your friend. Thank you that the love you

speak of doesn’t depend on whether I’m attractive, smart, perfect, or clever. Let my one purpose in life be to bring you joy and to express my love by obeying your commands.

John 15:9 – 15 (TNIV)

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Friday

IN THE MORNING

I Pr

I P a

r y

a fo

y f r Yo

r Y u

“I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the

world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the

power of your name — the name you gave me — so that they may

be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and

kept them safe by that name you gave me.”

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will

believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one,

Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. . . .

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I

am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you

loved me before the creation of the world.”

Because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God

through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Father, thank you for hearing the prayer of your Son and for pro-

tecting the souls of all who believe in him. Please be at work among believers, bringing us to a deep repentance for the ways we have

worked against each other. Heal our divisions. Make us humble.

Bring us together for the purpose of glorifying your name, amen.

John 17:11 – 12; John 17:20 – 24; Hebrews 7:24 – 25

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AT NIGHT

I Ca

I C ll t

l the We

e W ary t

y to Co

o C me t

e to Me

o M

“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.”

“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.”

Lord, help me to let go of the burdens I carry that are not from you.

Increase my trust so that I can lay them down and then find rest for my soul. Let me be yoked to you, so that my burden, indeed, may

be light.

Matthew 11:28 – 30; John 14:1 – 3

273

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Jesus—the Last, Most Tender Word

Saturday

IN THE MORNING

I Wo

I W n’

n t’ Se

t S nd Yo

Y u Aw

u A ay

a Hu

H ng

ngry

Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he

went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to

him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many

others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people

were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made

well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the

God of Israel.

Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion

for these people; they have already been with me three days and

have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or

they may collapse on the way.”

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Jesus, you know what it’s like to be human, to experience hunger

and sickness and weakness. Thank you for your compassion, for

using your power to feed, to heal, and to free us. No wonder the

people flocked to you — a mighty God who lifts up the lowly!

Matthew 15:29 – 32; Hebrews 13:8

274

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The Tender Words of God

AT NIGHT

I Am

I A Hu

H ng

ngry

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was

thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and

you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick

and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

Then the righ teous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see

you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to

drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or need-

ing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison

and go to visit you?”

The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for

one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for

me.”

Lord, you dwell with the lowly, the poor, and the weak of this world.

Help me to do the same. Make me generous in the work of feeding

and clothing and welcoming the needy, realizing that I am doing all these things for you.

Matthew 25:35 – 40 (TNIV)

275

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Jesus—the Last, Most Tender Word

I W

WILL R

R EME

MEMB

MBER T

THIS

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

but to save the world through him.

-

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.

-

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in

me.

There is no more tender word from God than the Word made

flesh. When God gave us Jesus, he gave us everything. Our con-

fusion about who God is and how he thinks of us begins to fade

as we focus on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

If you are ever tempted to conclude that there is any meanness

in God, any coldness or indifference toward you or anyone else

on earth, you have only to look at the life of Jesus. His actions,

his miracles, his words — everything about him communicates a

God who is love. And it is God’s generous, consistent love that

is, of course, the message of this book.

The idea for the book came to me three years ago, shortly

after I had experienced a particularly bruising wound to my

faith. I knew I needed something to remind me that God still

cared for me, so I decided to develop “a remedial course,” one

John 3:17; Matthew 11:28 – 30; John 14:1

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The Tender Words of God

that would be drawn from the Scriptures themselves. It seems

to me now that these months of soaking in the Bible’s most

encouraging words has been God’s way of healing that wound

and others, some of them afflicted through my own fault. But it

has not been so much about assigning fault as it has been about

assigning grace.

Focusing on his tender words has, for me, been something

like melting the glaze off a car windshield after a brutal ice

storm. I can see more clearly and move ahead more confidently,

without the distorting ice.

I am still aware of my weakness, perhaps more than before.

But I hope it has moved off center stage, a place that should be

reserved for God alone.

Of course God remains a mystery, ever resistant to my

attempts to define him by my own self-perceptions. His good-

ness does not shift because my understanding is clouded. His

love does not wane based on my feelings. His faithfulness is not

challenged because he does not act as I want him to or think

he should.

I am reminded also that there is nothing sentimental or sac-

charine about God’s tender words. As all his words, they are

powerful, able to cut away whatever obscures our vision and

keeps us from him. If we listen, his words will become the foun-

dation on which our future is built and the rock on which we

stand. They will shape our lives and spill over into the lives of

many others.

May we listen.

277

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Reference Sources

Page 42: Jonathan Saltzman, “ ‘I Still Forgive Him,’ ” The Boston Globe (April 14, 2006).

Page 43: Lyndon Harris, in an interview for the documentary film The Power of Forgiveness, posted on Journey Films’ website, www.journeyfilms.

com/content.asp?contentid=795, accessed May 30, 2008.

Page 63: Robert Frost, “Mending Wall,” North of Boston (New York: H.

Holt, 1915).

Page 64: William D. Mounce, general editor, Mounce’s Complete Exposi-tory Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 281.

Page 86: See James Bryan Smith with Lynda Graybeal, A Spiritual Formation Workbook (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1991, 1993), 100.

Page 131: Father Richard Veras, “The Samaritan Woman and Pontius Pilate,” Magnificat (March 2007), 138.

Page 152: “God’s Provision,” posted on Teaching Art and Spiritual Walking, November 11, 2005, www.homeschoolblogger.com/sjeffus/. Accessed May 30, 2008.

Page 173: Jerry Sittser, The Will of God as a Way of Life (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000, 2004), 22 – 26.

Page 174: Ibid., 33.

Page 175: Ibid., 34 – 35 (italics in original).

Page 195: Jim Cymbala, The Life God Blesses (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 144, 146.

Page 212: Since our conversation, Mark published the book under the title The Holy Wild: Trusting in the Character of God (Sisters, Ore.: Multno-mah, 2003).

Page 235: Joan Didion, The Year of Magical Thinking (New York: Knopf, 2005), 7.

279

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Praying the Names of God

A Daily Guide

Ann Spangler,

Bestselling Author of Women of the Bible

A twenty-six-week devotional study by the best-

selling coauthor of Women of the Bible

Names in the ancient world did more than sim-

ply distinguish one person from another, they often conveyed the es-

sential nature and character of a person. This is especially true when it comes to the names of God recorded in the Bible. Praying the Names of God explores the primary names and titles of God in the Old Testament to reveal the deeper meanings behind them.

El Shadday, Elohim, Adonay, Abba, El Elyon — God Almighty,

Mighty Creator, Lord, Father, God Most High — these are just a few of

the names and titles of God that yield rich insights into his nature and character. Praying the Names of God shows readers how to study and pray God’s names by focusing each week on one of the primary

names or titles of God.

• Monday — readers study a portion of Scripture that reveals the

name.

• Tuesday — Thursday—readers pray specific Scripture passages

related to the name.

• Friday — readers pray Scripture promises connected to the name.

By incorporating the divine names and titles into their prayers — and

learning about the biblical context in which the name was revealed — readers will gain a more intimate understanding of who God is and how he

can be relied on in every circumstance of their lives.

Praying the Names of God is a unique devotional, one that offers a rich program of daily prayer and study designed to lead people into

fresh encounters with the living God.

Hardcover, Jacketed 978-0-310-25353-2

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Praying the

Names of Jesus

A Daily Guide

Ann Spangler,

Bestselling Author of

Praying the Names of God

Joy, peace, and power—these are only some

of the gifts promised to those who trust in

the name of the Lord. Praying the Names of Jesus will lead readers

into a richer and more rewarding relationship with Christ by helping

them to understand and to pray his names on a daily basis. They will

also begin to see how each of his names holds within it a promise:

to be our Teacher, Healer, Friend, and Lord — to be God-with-Us no

matter the circumstances. Each week provides a unique devotional

program designed for personal prayer and study or for use in small

groups. In ways both surprising and profound this book reveals a rich

portrait of Jesus that will move readers toward a deeper experience

of his love and mercy.

Hardcover, Jacketed: 0-310-25345-4

Pick up a copy today at your favorite bookstore!

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Women of the Bible

A One-Year Devotional Study of

Women in Scripture

Ann Spangler and

Jean E. Syswerda

Women of the Bible focuses on fifty-two re-

markable women in Scripture—women whose

struggles to live with faith and courage are not

unlike your own. And now this bestselling de-

votional study book has been updated and expanded to enhance its

flexibility, usefulness, and relevance for both individuals and groups.

Small groups will especially welcome the way the Bible studies have

been streamlined to fit the unique needs of the group setting. Other

important changes include:

• A list of all the women of the Bible keyed to Scripture

• A timeline of the foremost women of the Bible

• A list of women in Jesus’ family tree

• A list of women in Jesus’ life and ministry

Vital and deeply human, the women in this book encourage you

through their failures as well as their successes. You’ll see how God

acted in surprising and wonderful ways to draw them—and you—to him-

self. This year-long devotional offers a unique method to help you slow down and savor the story of God’s unrelenting love for his people, offering a fresh perspective that will nourish and strengthen your per-

sonal communion with him.

Hardcover, Jacketed 978-0-310-27055-3

Pick up a copy today at your favorite bookstore!

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Mothers of the Bible

A Devotional

Ann Spangler and

Jean E. Syswerda

Children need the love, wisdom, and nurture

that mothers are uniquely capable of giv-

ing. Mothers of the Bible can help you fulfill

your own calling as a mother by offering insights from God’s Word.

Exploring the lives of women in the Bible can help strengthen your

faith and your effectiveness as a mother. Like you, these mothers

wanted the best for their children. And like you, they sometimes

faced difficulties that challenged their faith. Looking to them can

help deepen your understanding of Scripture, enabling you to ex-

perience more of God’s love so you can reflect that love to your

children.

Adapted from Women of the Bible, Mothers of the Bible furnishes a unique twelve-week devotional experience. Each week becomes a

personal retreat focused on the life of a particular biblical mother.

Designed for personal prayer and study or for use in small groups,

Mothers of the Bible will help you ground your relationship with your children on God’s Word.

Hardcover, Printed 978-0-310-27239-7

Pick up a copy today at your favorite bookstore!

0310267161_tenderwords.indd 284

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Women of the Bible

52 Stories for Prayer and

Reflection

Ann Spangler

Though we are familiar with the Bible’s most

noteworthy men, many of us know little about

women of the Bible and the important roles

they played in the story of salvation.

The cast is long and colorful, including a parade of prostitutes, evil

queens, peasants, and prophetesses. And though our culture differs

vastly from theirs, we instinctively understand these women as they

agonize over infertility, worry about their children, long for a little real affection, and struggle to find faith. Far from being one-dimen-sional characters, these are flesh-and-blood women whose mistakes

and failings often mirror our own and whose collective wisdom yields

rich insight into our struggle to live with faith and courage.

Taken from the bestseller Women of the Bible, each of the fifty-two stories in this book concludes with a brief reflection encouraging us

to pray in light of the woman’s story, thereby deepening our under-

standing of Scripture and our experience of prayer.

Hardcover, Printed 978-0-310-24493-6

Pick up a copy today at your favorite bookstore!

0310267161_tenderwords.indd 285

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This page is intentionally left blank

For more information on Ann Spangler,

please check out:

http://annspangler.com

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Share Your Thoughts

With the Author: Your comments will be forwarded to

the author when you send them to zauthor@zondervan.com.

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Document Outline

- Title Page

- Copyright

- Contents

- A Note to the Reader

- Chapter 1 : The Tender Words

- Chapter 2 : God Speaks Words of Compassion

- Chapter 3 : God Speaks Words of Forgiveness

- Chapter 4 : God Speaks Words of Peace

- Chapter 5 : God Speaks Words of Strength

- Chapter 6 : God Speaks Words of Protection

- Chapter 7 : God Speaks Words of Love and Mercy

- Chapter 8 : God Speaks Words of Blessing and Provision

- Chapter 9 : God Speaks Words of Guidance

- Chapter 10 : God Speaks Words of Faithfulness

- Chapter 11 : God Speaks Words of Hope and Comfort

- Chapter 12 : God Speaks Words of Healing

- Chapter 13 : Jesus — The Last, Most Tender Word

- Reference Sources

Table of Contents

A Note to the Reader

1. The Tender Words

2. God Speaks Words of Compassion

3. God Speaks Words of Forgiveness

4. God Speaks Words of Peace

5. God Speaks Words of Strength

6. God Speaks Words of Protection

7. God Speaks Words of Love and Mercy

8. God Speaks Words of Blessing and Provision

9. God Speaks Words of Guidance

10. God Speaks Words of Faithfulness

11. God Speaks Words of Hope and Comfort

12. God Speaks Words of Healing

13. Jesus — The Last, Most Tender Word

Reference Sources 279

The Tender Words

Page 42: J

Page 43: L

Page 63: R

Page 64: W

Page 86: S

Page 131: F

Page 152:

Page 173: J

Page 174:

Page 175: Ib

Page 195:

Page 212:

Page 235:

Title Page

Copyright