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With us in the Fire
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah 43:2, NIV

There is a popular worship song by Shane and Shane with a chorus: “Lord of Hosts, You’re with us, With us in the fire, With us as a shelter, With us in the storm.” This is a similar message to today’s verse in Isaiah 43:2, which gives us the wonderful reassurance that God will be with us when we pass through the waters or through the fire, or their equivalent. He does not say “if” we go through troubles – He says “when”.
When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace because they would not bow down to the image set up by King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3), the King looked and saw not just the three of them walking around in the fire, but also a fourth. The Lord was with them in the fire!
Jesus never promised us a life without problems and difficulties. In fact He said that in this world we would have trouble (John 16:33), but He goes on to say, “Take heart! I have overcome the world.”  What the Lord does promise is that He will be with us whatever we are going through. Psalm 46:1-2 says that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”
How wonderful that God has promised to be an ever-present help, especially when we are in trouble.
Whatever storm you may be facing today, whether it is because of situations in your own life or vilification for being a Christian, be assured that God will never leave you or forsake you. He has promised to be with you in the fire, and He will uphold you and give you everything you need. He says: “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 righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Put your hand in His and trust Him!

PRAYER: Lord, thank You that You have promised to be with me whatever I am going through. Thank You that You are with me today. I put my hand in Yours and trust that You will uphold me and give me the strength and peace that I need. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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​My Helper
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However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you].John 16:7

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I saw a video clip, some time ago, of a man called Derek Redmond. He was a brilliant 400m athlete who had been identified as a potential candidate to win the gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, but only 100m into his race, Derek tore his hamstring. He was in excruciating pain but tried to hop along to get to the finish line. Out of the stands an elderly man ran, jumped over the fence, and rushed towards him. It was his father. Derek’s father told his son that he had done so well, and that it would be okay to stop running, but Derek had tremendous grit, and was determined to finish his race.

What caught my attention in this story was his father’s response. He put his son’s arm around his neck and became a support for Derek to lean on and to help take the weight off his injured leg. Together Derek and his father kept moving forward. Needless to say, when father and son crossed the finish line, the Olympic stadium exploded with applause for this brave man and his father.

This story reminds me of another person who does exactly that and even more for us when we are ‘limping’ in our lives - the Holy Spirit. In John 16:7, He is described as the Comforter, Counsellor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener and Standby.
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When Jesus was preparing His disciples for the fact that He would soon be crucified, resurrected and then returning to His Father in Heaven, He told them that He would not leave them as orphans, but would send them ‘another Helper’ (John 14:16-18). This meant they would never need to run their earthly race without support. I too am His disciple. This means that, when I need someone to encourage and comfort me, He is the One. When I need someone to speak up for me and to defend me, He is the One. When I need someone to help me to be strong, He is the one. For every situation and season in this life, He is the one.

How often do we battle along with some difficulty in our lives and try to lift our chin and be brave, only to find ourselves feeling completely overwhelmed by the weight of it? We try to cover up our hurts and wounds and wrap our own makeshift ‘bandages’ around them. And yet, all the while we have a Father, who did not leave us as orphans, but sent us a Helper, one who would lovingly catch us when we cannot walk another step. Deuteronomy 33:27 says, ‘The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.’

Although we have a Helper sent by our loving Heavenly Father, we need to choose to trust Him, and to make Him the place we find rest and strength. Isaiah 30:15 tells us that we may need to repent of some of the ways we have tried to do things in our own strength and in our own way, perhaps even disobeying what God warned us about: ‘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, but you would have none of it.”’

We do not need to keep limping along life without support. All we need to do is to recognise our Helper, lean on His Everlasting arms, and choose to trust Him to carry us to the finish line.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for reminding me of the Helper You sent us when You returned to the Father. Holy Spirit, please forgive me for looking for comfort and strength in things that are temporal. Thank You for reminding me of this truth - that You are my Comforter, Counsellor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener and Standby in every season of my life. I choose to trust You. Amen

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​Being at Peace When Life Happens

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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.
Philippians 4:6-7, NKJV

There are moments in life when we become aware of our own heartbeat. Whether it races with fear, seems quiet in grief or irregular with anger, our natural reaction is usually to do whatever we can to bring it back to a steady rhythm. That’s because God placed a deep desire within us to be at peace.

That desire can’t be fulfilled by the world, because its view of peace is absence - the absence of conflict, trouble and fear. Living life in ‘avoidance’ mode and ‘side-stepping’ situations, people or even our emotions is exhausting. In contrast, the biblical view of peace is presence, and it brings fullness, wholeness, completeness and rest.

Jesus’ first response was always to go to His Father in prayer. Jesus knew that complete security and peace is found in God’s presence. The same is true for us. When we face trials and tribulations, prayer protects the position of our hearts. As we share our hearts with the Lord, our focus turns away from the circumstances around us towards Him. It’s here that our hearts become still, and we’re anchored in His steadfast love for us. It’s here that we’re reminded of His faithfulness, goodness and that His covenant of peace with us is everlasting (Isaiah 54:10). How wonderful that, despite the troubles of this world, we can let His peace rule in our hearts and minds!

Prayer: Father God, thank You that when life gets hard, we can talk to You. Help us today to become still in Your presence and to receive Your peace. Amen.

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Before We Call God Hears Our Prayers

I love the Lord because he hears my prayers and answers them. Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I breathe.
Psalm 116:1-2, Living Bible

Reading Psalm 116 the other day, the first two verses really impacted me, because it brought into my mind something I’d seen recently; a father and his little two or three-year-old son.

They’d must have been shopping, because they had a number of parcels and the little lad looked very tired and evidently wanted to be carried. His father had stopped to talk to a friend and was distracted from his son for just a few minutes. However, to attract his father’s attention, the boy, first of all, stamped his little foot, then pulled on his father’s arm, and when that didn’t work, he proceeded to sit down on the ground, refusing to go any further.

After a moment or two, the father looked down at his son, smiled, bent down and said something to him. The little lad at that point raised his arms and his father scooped him up and put him on his shoulders. They walked off happily, laughing and talking to each other.

I have no idea what was said, but the little lad was obviously happy that his father had noticed his distress. He’d listened to him and had solved his problem of tiredness by carrying him on his shoulders. Be assured that our Heavenly Father will do no less and usually does much more!

There’ve been times when I’ve done the same as that little lad with my Heavenly Father. I’ve sat down in a similar frame of mind and said to Him, “This far and no further!” The wonderful thing is that God is not phased by our wrong attitudes, but He comes alongside, picks us up, and whispers His truth and love into our heart. Our relationship with Him is then fully restored, as He carries us on His shoulders through the difficulties which we’re experiencing.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You that You know there are times when we’re so tired and feel we can’t go on. We need You to bend down and listen to our cry. We thank You that You’re always more than willing to do that for us, because, through Jesus, You’ve reached down to where we are in order to lift us up. Thank You, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Divine Duet

"Not in your own strength, for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you, energizing and creating in you the power and desire, both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight."
Philippians 2:13, Amp

My eleven year old niece, Christy, has been taking piano lessons for about eight months now, and really seems to have a wonderful, natural talent for music. She’s made great progress over this short period of time. Recently Christy’s piano teacher asked her to play a hymn she taught her at their school’s chapel service. Christy is very shy of public attention but courageously went ahead and ministered her song to the Lord. She’s a beginner piano student and her rendition of the hymn was simple and without frills. But then, somewhere in the middle of her performance, her piano teacher, an accomplished musician, joined her at the piano, and added a beautiful accompaniment to Christy’s simple melody. As student and teacher played this duet of praise together, it was transformed into the most beautiful, anointed music and touched the hearts of those listening, and I’m sure, God’s heart also!

As I listened to my sister telling me of this special moment in Christy’s life, I saw so clearly a picture of Father God, and the way He beautifies our simple efforts of service to Him. We often feel inadequate and unqualified to do things for Him. Our own insecurities and fear of failure cause us to hold back when His Spirit prompts us to step out in faith and to trust Him for the results. What we forget is that, because of the anointing and presence of His Holy Spirit within us, our human efforts are transformed into divine assignments as God joins us for a ‘duet’ that will touch lives and accomplish God’s purposes in and through us. When we lean on Him, and not on our own understanding or our own abilities, He’s glorified, and lives are impacted for His Kingdom! ‘Not in your own strength’, but ‘for His good pleasure, and satisfaction and delight’.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You never leave me to do things in my own strength. Thank You that You always come alongside me and beautify my human efforts with Your divine touch and anointing. I want to trust You more than ever, and step out whenever You call me to do so! Amen.

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Peace

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you."
John 14:27, NIV

Recently my son and I had a special day together. He took time off work to come and spend the day fishing with me. We both like coarse fishing (that’s the sort where you catch freshwater fish and then return them to the water, rather than take them away to eat!) and we went to a very unspoilt lake near me, where we could relax, chat together and hopefully catch something.

The day was glorious with hot sun and no wind. The place was beautiful with a lot of interesting wild life around for us to see, including a bright blue and orange kingfisher flying backwards and forwards over the water. At one stage we just sat in the tranquillity and enjoyed the peace. My son remarked several times how peaceful it was, such a blessing. Of course peace was relative, as there were the usual sounds of farm machinery, small aircraft, and bird noises that you get when you’re in the countryside, but especially for him it was significantly peaceful, as he lives and works in and around London.

It made me reflect on Jesus’ words in John 14:27; ‘peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives’. For us the term peace usually means an absence of sound. This can’t really be achieved in normal life, as there’s always something there to break the silence. In fact most people couldn’t cope with no sound at all for very long, as we need sounds to help us survive. Those who’re profoundly deaf struggle with more than just the lack of noise. Many people search for peace as a place of tranquillity, but something always breaks the silence.

The peace that Jesus refers to is a relational peace with God. Our human spirit longs for that sense of peace with God, and when we become believers we rejoice in the relationship restored so we are no longer in the place of inner turmoil. However, the effects of our past experiences and the constant battle from the enemy all around us can damage our sense of peace within. As God brings inner healing into our spirit and soul so our bodies can begin to relax and be at rest.

No matter how tranquil the surroundings, it’s only the inner peace from Jesus that can really bless us deeply and refresh the spirit.

Oh yes, and we did catch some nice fish that day, which was a real bonus.

Prayer: Jesus thank You for giving us Your peace through the restoration of our relationship with the Father, which You achieved for us on the cross. In the midst of a noisy world help us to find the space to be still, to reflect in the tranquility and to know that inner peace to quieten our hearts. Amen.

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Gifts To God That He Delights In
"Moreover because of what Christ has done, we have become gifts to God that He delights in, for as part of God’s sovereign plan we were chosen from the beginning to be His and all things happen just as He decided long ago."
Ephesians 1:11, NLB

The Lord doesn’t want us to pretend any more, either to Him or to others. In His gentleness He wants us to realise the real worth He sets on us. As Jesus said `you are of more value than many sparrows, yet he takes care of them`.

We`re so valuable that we`ve become gifts to God, because of what Christ has done for us on the cross, in making us clean. How incredibly great is His power to help those who trust in Him. He knows and understands our troubles, and so He can change and restore the real `me` deep inside. We can be transparent before Him without fear, as His gentleness and love are so great and His presence that He puts within us is a guarantee that He will give us all that He promises.

And when He becomes that precious gift to us we realise that we`re His precious jewels, and our hearts begin to praise Him. This really delights and blesses Him. It says in Zephaniah 3:17 that it causes Him to sing over us with great rejoicing. This is God`s plan for His children. Although we`re weak, poor, and sinful, and we feel worthless, yet the truth is the Lord has made us strong, rich, clean, confident, beautiful, and genuine people.

`I will change your name,
you shall no longer be called, wounded, outcast, lonely or afraid.
I will change your name,
Your new name shall be confidence, joyfulness, overcoming one, faithfulness, friend of God, one who seeks my face` (D.J.Butler).

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Paul`s prayer: `I pray that your hearts be flooded with light so that you can see something of the future He has called you to share. I want you to realise that God has been made rich because we who are Christ`s have been given to Him` (Ephesians 1:18).

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Which Way Do I Go, Lord?

"And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left."
Isaiah 30: 21, (Amp)

It has been quite a time of readjustment for me recently. My husband died just over two years ago, after forty two years of marriage, and I know the Lord has a new direction for me. Very shortly after he died, I heard the Lord say in my spirit the words of Jeremiah 29:11: ‘For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome’, so I have been waiting – and waiting!

I don’t want to give the impression that I am doing nothing, or that I am running around in all directions looking to see what I should be doing. I am learning, again, that the Lord doesn’t work in a hurry and that His time scale isn’t the same as ours. Life would be so simple if He lit up a huge neon sign over the right pathway, but it seldom happens like that. What I have been doing is waiting, trying to be patient, pushing gently at a few doors to see if they will open and then waiting some more. Nobody has come to view the house and friends keep asking if I am worried about that, but I can honestly say that I am not. Why would I want to leave this beautiful house where I have lived for 30 years in idyllic surroundings? I know that when the time comes it will be a huge wrench, but that too is in the Lord’s hands.

Is it easy being in a sort of limbo? No, it isn’t, but I am beginning to sense that things aren’t going to remain like this for much longer and there is a feeling of gradual detachment as the roots are getting ready to be pulled up.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Your plans are best and You know the right time to put them into action. Please help me to wait patiently for Your perfect timing and to be ready for the new things You are doing in my life. Thank You that I can wait in trust, knowing that You know what is right for me. Amen.

Today's Seed...The Repair Shop
In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus, so after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.
1 Peter 5:10, NLT

I enjoy watching a program on TV called ‘the Repair Shop’, where people bring along their treasured, but often battered, items to be repaired and brought back to life by master craftsmen. You see the most dilapidated items being brought in, but, in the craftsman’s hand, they are beautifully restored to their former glory. The process always seems to be one of stripping down, so that the restoration procedure can begin. It is painstaking and skilled work, and I’m sure it takes many hours of hidden work which we don’t see on screen, stripping, repairing, replacing and reassembling, before the hidden and distorted beauty is restored.

It reminds me of what God wants to do in each one of our lives, if we give Him permission. Many of the items brought to the repair shop have been hidden away in attics and drawers for years, and the owners have had to make a conscious decision to bring them to the restorer. Some are rather fearful of what the end result will be, if they are particularly treasured items.

How much more our Heavenly Father, the master craftsman, wants us to come to Him in His repair shop with all our brokenness, our damage, and our shame which we’ve kept hidden away! After years of heartbreak, hurt and pain, our shattered lives may feel broken into so many pieces that we’ve lost all hope of ever being restored.

I have seen many items on the programme arrive in a bag of bits and fragments, and watched how they are lovingly cleaned, glued and restored. When the work is finished you cannot even see where all the damage was, and there’s no trace of the ugly glue marks.
This is such a picture of how our loving Heavenly Father longs to restore us, however battered, crushed or damaged we may feel. Today, why not approach Him and give Him permission to heal any hurt and damaged places in your life and bring you back to the fullness of life that He desires for you? Perhaps you would like to pray the following prayer.

Prayer: I thank You that You are the Master Craftsman, the One who knit me together in my mother’s womb. I release myself into Your loving arms today, for Your work of restoration in my life. Amen.

Today's Seed...The God Who Sees You
Driving along the highway, the following words on a huge billboard caught my attention: “We see you. We get you. We got you.” Thinking about this slogan, I realised that it describes what the Lord does for me. He sees me. He gets me. He’s got me!  I am known by the One who created me!
Hagar uttered these words in the wilderness after she had run away from her mistress, Sarai, who had treated her so harshly that she couldn’t take it anymore. She was alone and pregnant with no one to turn to. Why would anyone even notice her – a servant? She must have felt completely destitute and heartbroken.
But then we read, in Genesis 16:7, that the angel of the Lord found her beside a spring of water along the road. The Lord saw her. He understood why she was in the wilderness all alone and He filled her with hope. He met her where she was at and in that moment, she knew that she was not alone. She knew that she belonged to the Lord and that He would care for her.
This gave her the courage to return to Sarai and submit to her authority. The Lord had given her a promise: “Then”, He added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count” (Genesis 16:10). Her focus shifted with this realisation, and she was no longer completely caught up in her difficult circumstances. She was no longer only a servant to Sarai. She belonged to the Lord God. Psalm 3:3, in the Amplified version, describes it so beautifully: ‘But You, O Lord, are a shield for me. My glory [and my honor], and the One who lifts my head’.
The Lord sees you too, wherever you may be in this season of your life. He understands you and makes sense of all the confusion going on in your heart, even when it feels as if no one else understands you. He gets you. And He has got you. ‘He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armour and protection’ (Psalms 91:4).
The moment we realise that we are not forgotten and completely alone is the moment when hope springs forth in the midst of our situation. It may be the slightest glimmer of hope, but it’s real and it’s from Him. It doesn’t necessarily mean that my circumstances will suddenly change, but I can lift my eyes and look to the Lord who is my Help and my Hope. His promises are my armour and protection against the enemy’s lies. He will direct my steps and show me the way forward. ‘God is faithful [He is reliable, trustworthy and ever true to His promise—He can be depended on], and through Him you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord’ (1 Corinthians 1:9, AMP).
Prayer:
​Thank You, Jesus, that You see me. You get me and You have got me. You understand me and where I am at. To realise that I am known by You fills me with hope. Please show me the way forward and teach me how to hold on to Your promises as my armour and protection. Amen. 
God is Able
Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Ruth 1:16, NIV

However impossible a situation might seem; God is able to turn things around and make a glorious end.
As a direct result of famine in the land and hoping to escape and give his family a better life, Elimelech, his wife Naomi and their two sons moved from Bethlehem to the country of Moab. But this did not prove to be a good move for them, as Elimelech died, and following their marriages to two Moabite women, in due time both sons also died. Now, bereft, Naomi’s eyes turned again to the Lord’s land, and although Orpah, one of her daughters in-law returned to her gods and homeland, Ruth clung to Naomi, refusing to go back.
In the direst of circumstances, a young girl’s lifetime plans were dashed, and Ruth’s hopes and dreams lay in the balance. But God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are His ways our ways (Isaiah 55:8) – God had greater plans for Ruth.
During the time that Ruth had come to know this Hebrew family, she had seen, heard and learned enough about Naomi’s God, and the family’s way of life, to know that this was what she wanted. When the time came to decide, the dead gods of Moab held no attraction for her, and nothing else would do. She wanted the Living God of Israel. ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or turn back from you. Where you go, I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God’ (Ruth 1:16).
So the two journeyed back, and as Ruth entered the land, not only did the Lord set her feet in the pathway of Boaz, a kinsman of Naomi, who later became her husband, but the greatest treasure of all lay ahead. In choosing Israel’s God, Ruth stepped into a path of blessing that she could never have imagined. In Matthew chapter 1, not only do we find that King David proceeded from her line, but in the plans of Almighty God, she had entered the ancestry of Christ, the Messiah, Himself!
So today, no matter how difficult your past, or how uncertain your present pathway may seem to be, if you know of a certainty that the Lord has whispered ‘This is the way, walk ye in it’ (Isaiah 30:21), you can move forward with great assurance in your heart, knowing that with God nothing is impossible. For those who cling to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, belong to the King of kings, and have entered a new generational line of untold treasures and blessings. ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him’ (1 Corinthians 2:9).

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are the author of life, our Redeemer and our hope. Help us like Ruth to cling to Thee, for Thou art able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Pain
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But I am in pain and despair; lift me up, O God, and save me! Psalm 69:29, GNB

Pain is a God-given discomfort resulting from wounding. It’s intended to lead to rightful treatment. Wounding may be in the physical body, the human soul, or the human spirit. Each of these locations within us can experience profound pain, telling us that there’s something unresolved in our being. The fact that something hurts is essential. It means we can begin the process of acknowledging there’s a problem and finding the solution. The writer C. S. Lewis made an interesting comment about this: ‘pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains’.
From the beginning of human life on earth we’ve experienced pain from wounds to the body and have looked for relief. We’ve discovered substances such as opium which acts as an analgesic, a powerful way of suppressing pain. It may bring a temporary relief but, unless the wound is healed, the pain will return, often more intensely, once the means of chemical suppression has worn off.
Something similar happens with pain felt in the heart. If we’ve experienced the wounding of loss, rejection or abuse, there’ll be strong feelings, such as despair, grief or loneliness, all of which are painful. It’s common for people to develop coping mechanisms to suppress this pain, and defense mechanisms to protect the wounded place. Our ways of coping may include drug abuse, alcohol, over-eating, obsessive exercise or work, pornography, denial, dissociation, or even self-harming to over-ride the inner pain, just like the Gerasene demoniac. ‘Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains and gashing himself with stones’ (Mark 5:5).
Suppressing inner pain may give temporary relief, but only adds to the problem, as it denies the healing that comes through the release of emotions. Pushing away the underlying issue just causes further distress. God wants us to come to Him to find true healing for the hurting place, and, in exchange for our pain, to find His comfort (Isaiah 61:2-3). This may all take some time. Shedding tears is very restorative, when we give the tears to Jesus (Luke 7:44). Through forgiveness of those who’ve caused the pain, and confession of our wrongful ways in trying to deal with it, God can restore our lives to a place of peace. He’s ready, at any time, to hear the cry of our hearts.

PRAYER
Father, I don’t like pain, but I realize that You want to bring healing to the wounds that have caused it. I choose to trust You to search my heart and lead me on a path of true restoration. Amen.
The ‘Certainty Principle’For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
John 17:8, NIV

In life, not that many things are certain. We’re not guaranteed an easy time, prosperous blessing or success in all our plans. We don’t even know what will happen tomorrow, or how many days are allotted to us. Even the weather can be unpredictable! How, with so many uncertainties, are we to find solid ground on which to build our lives?
I remember a day; before I personally knew the Lord, when I learnt about what physicists call ‘the uncertainty principle’. This interesting and, by now, fully accepted premise, developed by German physicist Heisenberg, states that one can’t know for certain the exact place as well as the exact speed of an object. This observation really threw me! If we can’t know this for certain, what then can we be certain of? Silly though it may seem, it shook my foundational understanding of life’s observations itself.
As I pondered this recently, I realized that now I know the Person who does know absolutely everything there is to know. That includes the place and speed of each individual object (including sub-atomic particles!). God knows. I can be certain of the most important facts of life because I know the Person who knows. It’s not what you know but who you know that truly matters most!
We may at times go through periods of darkness, confusion and struggle. Sometimes it might even feel as if God has withdrawn His Presence from us. It is in these times that I believe we can stand on what I now like to call ‘the certainty principle’. We may now know exactly what is happening to us, but we know that there is One who knows. We can find rest. It’s in these times of darkness that we learn to live by faith and not by sight. We get to exercise faith and really please God, for it says that ‘without faith it is impossible to please Him’ (Hebrews 11:6). When we put our trust in Him, even when we can’t make sense of the situation ourselves, we really do please God.
Be encouraged to remember God’s ‘certainty principle’! It can help us to turn dark times into times where we grow in faith, and into opportunities to please our Father in heaven, who sees, knows and understands absolutely everything that goes on in this universe.

PRAYER
Thank You, Father, that I know You, and that You know everything. Please help me put my hand in Your hand when I don’t understand, when I struggle or get confused. I choose to trust You now with all the things I don’t know. Thank You that You are my God. Amen.
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