But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. They’re back, the daffodils in the cove; singing of joy and hope! They have made it through the long winter and came up through frosty ground. They are not native to the mountains but were brought here by early settlers as a way of reminding them of the land they left. You will likely find them close to old homesites. These I found in my favorite place to look, under the large trees close to Hyatt Lane. Every spring I journey to the mountains to find them again, sheltered under this tree. They bring me hope after long winters.
After voicing his lament over God’s seeming absence in Psalm 13, David ends his lament with words of trust. He has seen God’s goodness in the past, and like the daffodils in spring, sings his doxology of God’s unfailing love. Today I join the daffodils in their doxology. Prayer Lord God. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye Heavenly Hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
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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 receive from God. There are times when our sorrow is so deep that we can only sit in quietness. The places that are normally filled with noise are now silent. It is in those times that God comes to us and we find our comfort in him. There will still be silence, but it is in this silence we see and feel God’s love and compassion most deeply. Only after we come to understand and feel God’s comfort in the silence of our own mourning are we able to share God’s comfort with others who mourn.
Prayer God of All Comfort Open our hearts to know the comfort only you can bring. Show us those today who need us to sit in silence beside them and share your comfort. Amen Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. After the introductory sentence of Genesis 1:1, the creation story begins with a description of what the world was like before the earth was created; an empty and dark place with only waters. For the Israelites and other ancient cultures, with only little physical experience and a limited understanding of large bodies of water, the waters were a place of fear, a place of utter orderlessness,and chaos.
The story of creation is a story of how God brought order out of chaos. As the story continues we will see that God will always be in the business of bringing order out of chaos, light out of darkness. God can still take our darkest, stormiest, and most chaotic times and bring order to them. So in these dark and chaotic days when we have lost the ability to create order on our own we trust in a God of order, a God who creates beauty out of chaos. Prayer Creator and King, Lighten our darkness and hover over our hearts as You hovered over the chaotic waters. Bring order to our lives. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. Ancient words to comfort and encourage with my special tree in the cove.
Since we hear Jesus speak the first verse of Psalm 22 from the cross, I wonder if, in his agony, he quoted these two Psalms to himself as he hung there. Prayer Lord God, Shepherd of My Soul Calm our hearts as we follow the paths you set before us this day. Amen The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. Sometimes it happens suddenly; the fog rolls in and bright sunny days turn cloudy. Sometimes it is predicted; you know the fog is coming. Either way you find yourself alone. We all have lost people that we love and sometimes at this time of year the loss stings more and you feel alone again. When those times come, turn to Jesus and let him mend your broken heart and tend to your wounds. It isn’t an easy thing to do, admitting that you need to be healed. The healing may take many years; but I have found God to be faithful and tender. It is through him that I can see the light in the distance.
Prayer Loving Father, Healer of Wounds May those who are brokenhearted today feel your presence in a special way. When they no longer see light help us shine your light for them to see. Help us to be your healing hands. Amen Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. The thing about sunrises is that they always come but never in the same way. Sometimes their colors are muted by the clouds and sometimes it is the clouds that make them filled with spectacular color. When times are darkest I remember the sunrise and let the love of God break into my heart, sometimes with great color and sometimes with a quietness and peace - but always, always he breaks through for even on the cloudiest days there is still light.
Prayer Father God Break into our lives with your light in the way we need whether that be with spectacular color or quietness and peace for troubled hearts. Remind us of the promise of your unfailing love and presence and show us the way to go. Amen As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. Whenever I go to the mountains I am drawn to the streams and cascades. I must have hundreds of pictures of these streams. I find so many things in those streams from peace and quiet to happiness and noisy joy. The longer I stay away from them the more I want to go, need to go, back to them. I long to be back sitting beside one of those streams with my camera.
I have felt the same longing in times when I have been far away from God, times when God seems only a distant memory. I wonder where God is and why such bad things happen. I have only one giant question, “Why?” This psalm was probably written for a people who were in exile, far away from God. The psalmist questioned why God seemed so far away as he poured out his soul. Instead of an answer to the question the Psalmist turned to his memory of walking close to God and being safe in the house of God. Then he asked another question, “Why so disturbed within me?” The answer: put your hope in God and praise him. It is hard to choose to praise God when he seems so far away, times when we see great sadness, times when we are thirsty for his presence. Follow the psalmist instruction and remember all the times you have found God in his house and put your hope in God again. Prayer Great God Lead us to streams of water. Restore our hope in you. Help us to walk with others who are in deep sorrow and be for them a memory of your love even when we have no other answer to their questions of why. Amen Even though I walk through the darkest valley, Our last stop that winter day at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park was the pinnacle overlook. From this easily accessible lookout you can see for many miles and on this day we could see the storm clouds rolling into the mountains and valleys.
Just as we did that day, sometimes we can see the dark valleys ahead. Other times we arrive at them unexpectedly. Whichever way we enter dark valleys, we know that we don’t walk alone. It is true that people may not be there to walk with us, but the great Shepherd will always be there to guide us. He will use his rod and staff to protect and guide us and we can walk without fear. While we may not be able to avoid the storm, I know that it is in the darkest valleys of my life where I have walked closest to my Lord. He gave me the courage to walk on. This day look for friends who may be walking an unexpected dark valley and just gently join them in their walk, no words are usually needed. Jesus is already there. Prayer Great Shepherd, When we walk into and through the darkest valleys lead us with your rod and staff. Give us courage and strength and comfort us until we walk through the dark valley and into the light of your love. Amen And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. On the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, while the multitude of his disciples were singing praises, Jesus wept. The Greek word translated wept is to sob and wail. So these weren’t just silent tears streaming down his eyes. He knew the way before him, the people’s rejection, and he wept.
There are times of deep lament in our lives, times when we look at what lies before us and see only fog. They clear blue skies are gone. Our lives seem bare and lonely and peace is only a distant memory. Like Jesus we will have to weep but our lament won’t last forever. Because of Jesus's love and sacrifice his peace will no longer be hidden from our eyes. Prayer Lord Jesus Open our eyes to see you so that we can know your peace. Show us your beauty, even in the fog of our lament. Amen Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Sometimes it is hard to think about a new day. In our sadness we see only cloudy skies and wonder if the sun will ever break through the clouds again. In those times we cling to the promises of a God who has always been and will always be faithful. We look forward with hope to a new day, for God will come to dwell with man as our God. As surely as a new day dawns with the promise of blue skies, God will make all things new.
Prayer Trustworthy and True God, Shine your light and break into our darkness. Restore our hope and dwell with us. Wipe away our tears now until in your timing you take them away forever. Amen Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. The mountains are filled with beautiful streams. I think I could sit for many hours beside a cool mountain stream to watch the water spill over the rocks and listen to the sound of the water. Often when I face a hard time I picture myself by a mountain stream doing just that. This proverb tells me another way to be refreshed - to refresh others. When I take the time to actually see the needs of others and do even the smallest thing to show that I notice their difficult time it refocuses my vision away from myself and I am refreshed.
Prayer Loving Father Thank you for cool mountain streams and for all the people who have taken the time to water my life. Open my eyes to those around me who could use a drink and make me a little blessing to them this day. Amen You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Most of the time picnic tables sit empty, waiting to be used by anyone who comes along. Sometimes that is just a simple meal of sandwiches, but other times picnic tables are places for wonderful celebrations. A lot of work goes into one of those outdoor celebrations that are overflowing with joy and love. God has prepared a celebration for us. He has done the work, he has prepared the table. Don’t let the picnic table sit empty. Come to the table and sit down unafraid in front of whatever enemy you face - loneliness, betrayal, physical illness. Feast on the table God has prepared in his Word. Trust him to meet your needs for only God can fill your cup to overflowing.
Prayer Lord, Preparer of Banquets, Thank you for the table that you have prepared for us - that allow us to look straight into the difficult times we face without fear. Fill us with your joy and may our overflow bless all those around us. Amen Even though I walk through the darkest valley, Our last stop that day at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park was the pinnacle overlook. From this easily accessible lookout you can see for many miles and on this day we could see the storm clouds rolling into the mountains and valleys.
Just as we did that day, sometimes we can see the dark valleys ahead. Other times we arrive at them unexpectedly. Whichever way we enter dark valleys, we know that we don’t walk alone. It is true that people may not be there to walk with us, but the great Shepherd will always be there to guide us. He will use his rod and staff to protect and guide us and we can walk without fear. While we may not be able to avoid the storm, I know that it is in the darkest valleys of my life where I have walked closest to my Lord. He gave me the courage to walk on. Prayer Great Shepherd, When we walk into and through the darkest valleys lead us with your rod and staff. Give us courage and strength and comfort us until we walk through the dark valley and into the light of your love. Amen In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. The summer house and estate of Moses Cone close to Blowing Rock, North Carolina was beautiful on that late summer day when we visited. We enjoyed the carriage road and paths around lake. Before it was a part of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Mr. and Mrs. Cone entertained many guests there in the summers. It must have been very special to have been invited to visit here.
On the night Jesus faced his arrest he sought to comfort his disciples with the promise of something much more than a beautiful summer house to visit. He promised them a home. He told them that he was going to prepare a home for them, a place where he would always be with them. He also promises anyone who loves him and keeps his word to make a home with them, for in the Greek the same word, monē, is used for the word “rooms” in verse 2 and “home” in verse 23. He has prepared for us a home filled with his perfect love, a place where we will never feel alone and where we will always be with Jesus and the Father. Prayer Jesus We bow in gratitude for your wonderful promise that you will make your home with us, a home that you have prepared for us. May we remember the cost that you paid this week and open our hearts to you now. Amen |
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Soli Deo Gloria,
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan