What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.  Matthew 10:27

On Easter, many churches hold sunrise celebrations. As the first glimmers of sun peek over the horizon, we sing, “He is Risen! Alleluia!” But John 20:1 says that Mary Magdolene went to the tomb “while it was still dark” and found it already empty.

 I did not appreciate that difference until that Easter morning years past. During the day I could reassure myself with scriptures like “All things work together for good for those who love God,” (Rom. 8:28) and “I am with you always,” (Matt. 28:20). But at around four AM, I would wake up in sheer terror.  That was the hour when I needed to be reassured that Jesus Christ lives and reigns. That was when I needed to be certain that he knew exactly what we were going through and was going through it with us. That was when I needed to know that no matter how bad things get, the risen Christ is Lord!

Sunrise Easter services are lovely, but we might do well to hold middle-of-the-night celebrations of the resurrection instead. We most need to be reminded of the power of God not when things are looking rosy but when our lives seem most frightening.

Dear Lord, when I wake in terror in the night, remind me of your continuing care for me. Amen.

 “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.”  Psalm 118:9

I had looked forward to this moment for days. I sat across the table from my friend and poured out my heart about a big decision I had to make. As I looked into her eyes, I just knew she would have the wisdom I needed. I waited expectantly for her advice.  Instead of an answer to my problems I got a mini sermon. One I needed to hear. My friend pointed out that I was looking to the answer and not the Source of all answers. I thought if I just made the right choice, I would solve all my own problems. “You need to take your focus off making the right decision and trust God,” she said. “No matter what you decide to do, He will still take care of you and He will accomplish His purpose for you.” (from Psalm 138:8)

I nodded soberly. My friend was right. I had gotten caught up in the outcome. I was placing my trust in princes—looking to people and circumstances for the answers—instead of accepting the truth that, no matter what decision I made, God was going to take care of me. I had made the decision so uber-important that it had eclipsed God’s place in my life.   I had prayed to make the right decision. I had journaled pages to Him about it. But ultimately, I reasoned, since He hadn’t written the solution in the skies for me, I had to make my own choice based on what I felt was right. I had forgotten that He would still be there working all things together for my good after I made the decision, just as He had before.

 If you are facing a big or little decision in your life, seek Him above all. Don’t let the outcome or the opinions of others become more important that the One who “opens His hands and satisfies the desires of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:16)  No matter whether you make the right decision or the wrong one, He will still be there walking with you, loving you, and helping you. Pray about your decision. Read His word. Seek out godly counsel. And then make the best decision you can. Sometimes the biggest decision is to simply make one. Place your trust in Him and rest in the fact that He will meet you on the other side of whatever decision you make.                        

Dear Lord, thank You that because of Your grace I know You will always be there. Thank You for the promise in Romans 8:28 that You will work all things out for good. I pray that my life brings You glory and I trust You to work in all circumstances to make that happen. Help me to place my trust in You and not in princes. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

“He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.” – Psalm 102:17 (NIV)

I sat on the porch swing watching the sun break silver through the mist as rhododendrons dripped from the pre-dawn shower. A squirrel chirped, whippoorwill cooed. The early morning breeze worked its way up the mountain carrying the smell of a camp fire and the far away sound of air brakes hissing as a truck began its descent. A new day, another chance to shake the nagging fear that our financial situation was about to get worse.

I stood to stretch, pace and worry.

“Sit,” I heard God say.

“But I need to get going. I have that?”

“You need to be still, now sit.”

I sat.

Inside the cabin I heard a bed spring pop. Our guests began to stir. “Our guests.” As if anything about the weekend was mine. The cabin belonged to a friend. Our guests, couples we’d known for years, the ones who’d been with us at baptisms, weddings and funerals, those friends had provided for both the dinner the evening before and the breakfast to come. Even the tank of gas for the ride to the cabin had been a gift. All I’d done was show up and pout.

“Okay, I’m sitting, God. What do you want to discuss? How I misread your will? How I pursued the desires of my heart, foolishly believing this deep yearning to write for you was your desire, too? You wanna talk about how I should be working harder to find steady work? You pick. I’m tired of playing Wheel of MisFortune with you.”

“What do you have that I haven’t provided? Look around you, Eddie. Listen and see. Are you so afraid of tomorrow that you can’t even see the provision of today when it calls to you from the trees, hills and this home in the woods you don’t even own?”

“But I?”

“No but. This weekend is my gift to you. My “welcome to work” present. The evidence of my goodness. Now please, just sit and read with me. Enjoy the smell of bacon frying and the taste of freshly brewed coffee.”

He will not despise their plea. He will respond to the prayer of the destitute. The verse lay in my lap, mocking me. Plead, yes. Destitute? O God, don’t lead me there.

The closer our walk with God, the less we need. When we surrender, when we lift our hands and fall to our knees we find we already have more than enough. I’d thought my job as a husband and father was to work for my daily bread but in Gods kingdom, I can never earn my keep because the food, shelter, and friends have already been provided.

All He asks is that we share in His joy and fellowship. What worry weighs you down? Give it to God. He will not despise your plea for help.

– From ChristianDevotions.us

All [mortals’] days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest.   Ecclesiastes 2:23

When I awake in the night, my mind sometimes tends to race. That’s when my “problems on parade” prevent me from going back to sleep. Events of the day revisit me, disrupting my slumber and turning me into a tossing, turning, sheet-pulling worry wart.  It’s 2 a.m. and the battle that has been raging in my mind has now switched to a struggle for sleep. After some time, my pleadings for the rest I deserve and need become demands.

But, finally surrendering, I begin to pray. I’ve learned to be specific and direct in praying for each situation that has been tugging at me. One by one, each “float” in the parade of problems is removed from the line with the words: “Thy will be done, not mine.” Instead of clinging to my wisdom and my human solutions, I visualize myself placing each problem in God’s hands. I actively, deliberately “leave all [my] worries with [God] because he cares for [me]” (1 Pet. 5: 7). And sometimes even before I finish the list, I am asleep again.  In the morning some of the same problems may come back to mind. When that happens, I remind myself often and prayerfully that I have turned them over to God.

The psalmist said to God, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalm 119:103

The honeybee is known for ceaseless labor. Its hive is a hotbed of activity.   No wonder.   A single worker bee makes 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in their lifetime, and a good hive will produce 50 to 60 pounds of honey to survive the winter.  The work never ends!

Still, it’s a little known fact that even the hard-working honeybee will find a spot on the comb, cease all activity — and do absolutely nothing for a while! Nothing productive as far as the world is concerned.  But this time of refreshment and renewal is absolutely essential.  Bees seem to require a little time away from the busyness of life, and it doesn’t seem to hurt the hive at all.

Many of us discover that our levels of stress and anxiety rise because of the never-ending tasks that fill our days. We worry about whether we can keep up.  During these moments I find it best to follow the example of the honeybee and just stop.  After all, Jesus did the same thing. When he was very busy, he went up the mountain to pray — to create a time and space for God to refresh his spirit.  If Jesus needed such time, surely we do too.

Lord, we open our hearts to you.   We stop to listen and learn from you.   Amen.