Devotions for Difficult Days

Bowed Down by the Load of Life

The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous.

The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down.

The LORD helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.

Psalm 146:7-8 NIV Psalm 146:8b NLT Psalm 145:14 NLT

The first thing I notice in these verses is that it is THE LORD who does the work. He is the One active on our behalf. The Lord sets free. The Lord opens blind eyes and The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down. Verse 8 wraps it up with this beautiful sidenote – the Lord loves the righteous. (Of course, the only righteous ones are those who are cloaked in the righteousness of Christ.)

Though you may, or may not be, behind the steel bars of a physical cell, each of us can be prisoners of our past, or regret, or addiction or bitterness, or loneliness.

While we may not be physically blind, are there not moments (or years?) when we are blinded by grief or unforgiveness or emotional ache, or blinded to our own need for the Savior?

And who among us has not been, at some point, bowed down by the trials of life? Or as one translation puts it, “weighed down” beneath the load of real life? This is the snippet that caught my attention as I read and reread it this morning. In my mind’s eye, imagining a heavy load, literally bowing the back of a person struggling to simply put one foot in front of the other. And it is to you I want to speak.

Probably because I have walked many miles with heavy loads, I am most drawn to those bowed down by the weight of life. Some loads I have needlessly put on my own back; other loads have been placed there by someone else’s choices. Regardless of how the load came to be, the answer is the same. I must. You must. Look to the Lord God to enable us to *carry it. He Himself will bear the weight, as we walk in trusting obedience to Him. Not that He will remove the burdens of life, but that He Himself will carry us… and our burdens. Lifting the weight of it from our tired shoulders. Because He loves us. Simply astounding.

The sweetest prayers God ever hears are the groans and sighs of those who have no hope in anything but his love.” – Charles Spurgeon

Father, I confess there are times when the weight of the load of life seems more than I can bear. It’s then that You remind me that, apart from You, it is more than I can bear. Cause me to quickly release the weight and rest in Your sovereign care. Come what may. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

*There are some weights that He intends us to throw off, rather than carry. We need to seek His wisdom, through His Word and prayer, to know the difference.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

“Upholds”

סוֹמֵ֣ךְ (sō·w·mêḵ) Verb Strong’s 5564: To prop, to lean upon, take hold of

Audio Ramblings

“He who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him”. Hebrews 11:6

Please take a moment and listen to the audio of my ramblings on trials, prayer, parenting…. You get the idea 🙂 Yes, I do read the letter below, but share a few more thoughts as well. Praying it blesses you in whatever challenge you’re walking through today.

For the Lord Jesus,

Becky White

Shattered Snow-globe

Please forgive the rerun – this devo keeps bubbling up in my heart, so I decided to send it out again. Just a reminder, as followers of Christ, we will walk through the same tragedies, the same pain and the same every-day struggles as other folks. And yet … we are not walking alone. We have no less than God Himself living in us and working through us. When we suffer, God uses that suffering to bring glory to His name to a watching world. They will see that although we face the same challenges as they, we are more than conquers through Christ who strengthens us, and we have within us, His peace that passes all understanding. Not because we have no difficulties to face, but because He’s with us in the difficulties. – Becky White

The LORD is near to those who are discouraged; he saves those who have lost all hope. Psalm 34:18 GNT

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 ESV

You are near, O Lord [nearer to me than my foes] Psalm 119:51a AMPC

Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your hearts before Him; God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62: 8 NASB

Wiping away coffee stains and donut crumbs from the outdoor serving tables as she mingled with the guests, it was just another day of urban ministry. A team of volunteers had prepared scrambled eggs, biscuits and sausage, for those without a brick-and-mortar address and some who were just in need of a meal and a caring face – all sprinkled with conversation, prayer and a hug or two.

But on this day… the woman served a guest that she never expected to cross her path in this setting… mingled among the diners who carried all they owned in a knapsack was… Her grown daughter.

Her heart broke at the sight of her “child.” Engulfing her in a momma bear embrace, she listened as her daughter shared details of the past few months. Her momma’s heart ached at the painful scene confronting her. Yet thankful for the foundational knowledge that her daughter was still alive. For another day.

After the meal, she watched as her daughter rolled away and toward the busy city street in the worn-from-use wheel chair, her heart aching at the scene before her. Though the need for a wheelchair was relatively recent, her daughter’s hands now expertly moved the side wheels while her exposed left foot pushed the chair along the concrete sidewalk. The scene pierced the momma’s heart as her eyes were captured by the sight of the bare, calloused and dirt-stained foot, pushing methodically along. Instantly, she was transported back in time. Hot tears welling as she envisioned her daughter’s tiny, sweet smelling, baby-girl feet with pink satin booties and a delicate ribbon carefully tied in a bow. So perfect. So beautiful.

Lowering her gaze, the momma turned away in emotional ache as the rawness of the scene washed over her…Her daughter… her “baby girl” … now nearing 40, missing a leg, addicted and “contentedly” homeless.

This true story reminds us that being a follower of Jesus Christ doesn’t exempt us from pain. The momma ached; the daughter struggled with addiction. For some, your reality is the death of a child. For others, depression or despair are threatening to engulf you as one who has “lost all hope.” We do not live the Christian life in a snow-globe – always beautiful and delicately protected from adversity. Though no one has been given an exemption-card from the trials of life, He has promised us His very presence as we walk through them…. even as He asks us to trust Him with what we do not understand.

Trace again the words of scripture. Put your finger on each word and speak them out loud. “The LORD is near to those who are discouraged; he saves those who have lost all hope. He is near the brokenhearted.” While I have no magic words to wipe away your pain, allow me to lead you to the One Scripture calls “a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief”. (Isaiah 53:3) Lean into Him as you walk through your own version of a shattered snow-globe situation. He is nearer than all you face.

“If God sends us on stony paths, He provides strong shoes.”
Corrie ten Boom

Father, Your word says that You are the God of all comfort and a Refuge for us. While I admit I would much prefer an exemption-card from difficulty, I realize it’s through trials that I learn to trust You, and Your grace, to carry me. I love You, In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

Business Card Identity

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. John 8:36 NLT

It’s only the Truth you know, that sets you free. – Steve Campbell

I have a business card, though it’s probably unlike most you’ve come across. It doesn’t list my professional position or a bite-size version of my accomplishments, instead it reads, “He has taken my mess and turned it into ministry.” That pretty much sums up my life! The backside contains the Scripture: “Encourage the exhausted, strengthen the feeble, say to those with an anxious heart, take courage, fear not.” My business card authentically reflects what I intend to do in every circumstance I find myself, it also clarifies who I am. A servant of God, redeemed by His grace, and one who longs to honor Him.

I also have other “business cards” that attempt to define me. These don’t come from the printer, they come from our adversary, the devil, who prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Devour with his well-timed lies and masterful deception. Maybe you have some too?

Victim. Ugly. Stupid. Hot mess. Unloved. Rejected. Loser. Unwanted. Mistake. Never good enough. Failure. Too far gone. Shall I keep going? I have to actively resist the tug to carry those cards around with me, pulling them out of my pocket as needed. Reading and rereading the lies or telling the lies to others, as I offer them my “card.”

What/Who defines you? Ponder it deeply for a moment, don’t rush this part. Have you allowed an outward physical trait or an inward sin or a temptation struggle to define you? Has past pain or trauma had the final say in who you are? Has the “success” or “failure” of your children, career, marriage, ministry or bank account been allowed to define you? For good or for bad, we can accidently allow something other than the Truth found in God’s Word (the Bible) to define us.

C.S. Lewis famously said that the most important question we can ask ourselves is, “Who am I?” to which he responded, “A servant of God.” At base, I am a servant of God. And if you’ve surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, that’s who you are as well. We may be other things in addition, but that is the defining factor of who we are. Let’s pull that card out. In all we allow our mind to dwell, in all we step out to do – we are servants of God and He alone defines us.

Father God, please help us walk in the Truth of who we are according to Your Word, as we actively resist the lies of the enemy that attempt to shape our identity. I am who You say I am. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

For info on a FREE pdf of Stony Paths devotional, click here

Try inserting your name as you speak this scripture out loud:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed (name) in Christ with every spiritual blessings in the heavenly places, even as He chose (name) in Him before the foundation of the world, that (name) should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined (name) for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed (name) in the Beloved. In Him (name) has redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon (name) . . . In Him (name) has obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will . . . In Him (name) also, when (name) heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of (name) inheritance until (name) acquires possession of it (Eph. 1:3-14).

When Pain Steals our Voice

I cry aloud to God, and He will hear me. In the day of my trouble, I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted…I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

Then I said, “I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High.” I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.

Psalm 77:1-2, 4a, 10-12 ESV

If you’ve ever experienced gut-wrenching, this-can’t-be-happening pain, you will appreciate the Psalmists raw honesty in his words of anguish. Crying out to the Most High for comfort and probably a miracle, yet the continuing pain caused him to spiral to the edge of being unable to even speak. At one point he begins questioning if God is listening at all, and ends up wondering if the promises of God are no longer valid. For him. For his circumstance. Pain so intense, it steals our voice. Even to pray…

Have you been there? I admit I have.

One thing I so appreciate about the Psalms is that they never leave us there. We are onlookers of the raw reality of the people of God wrestling out real pain and heartache, against the backdrop of God’s faithfulness. Read further, and we’ll see how the Holy Spirit enabled Asaph (the one who penned this Psalm) to go from hopeless to the Truth that God is guiding our footsteps, even when encountering the painful and stony paths of real life. And for that reason, there is hope. We are not left to the whims of the enemy or chance or happenstance.

Right in the middle of his anguish, we see him apply mental breaks and choose to reroute his thinking. Nearly forcing himself to remember the past deeds of the Lord, the past record of His faithfulness. Deed by miraculous deed, calling to mind the greatness of our God. This did not cause his trial to evaporate, instead, it enabled him to put it in the proper perspective and regain his trust in the trustworthy God we serve. In spite of all that appeared wrong and painfilled.

Let’s bring this back to our lives, what will we do when our day of trouble comes? Let me encourage you (as I encourage myself) to grab a Bible, open to Psalm 77 and read aloud His Word. I pray we too will walk away knowing that even in this, He is guiding our steps. He is listening to our silent cries and He is aware.

“God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart. When you are so weak that you cannot do much more than cry, you coin diamonds with both your eyes. The sweetest prayers God ever hears are the groans and sighs of those who have no hope in anything but his love.” – Charles Spurgeon

Oh Father, Help me remember, to purposefully force my focus, onto all that You have done, all that You are doing. And rest that You are the same God today as You were then. I choose to trust You and, in Your faithfulness, whatever the outcome. I bow in worship to You, my Father and my God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

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That’s Impossible

Impossible. The word is pregnant with hopelessness and resignation. Today, while maneuvering through the morning rush of traffic, I talked with the Lord about a couple impossible situations in front of me. Situations that have lingered. For years. (Maybe you have a few yourself). As I shared my heart with Him, a long-ago memorized Scripture came bubbling up in my spirit, “at all times we ought to pray and not give up and lose heart.” (See Luke 18:1 AMP).

Impossibilities are a recipe to give up. To lose heart. Aren’t they? We need reminded that with God, nothing is impossible. Nothing. So, with my morning commute conversation as the backdrop, I am resending a previous devotion that shares exactly that. And praying His encouragement over you today. Consider yourself reminded, to not lose hope, and to keep on praying. Because with our God, nothing is impossible.

Becky

This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “If this is impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be impossible in My eyes?” declares the LORD of Hosts. Zechariah 8:6 BSB

He (Jesus) said, “The things impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18:27 BLB

“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?” Jeremiah 32:27 BEB

For I am the LORD, I do not change. Malachi 3:6 NKJV

Some truths are easier taught, and caught, face to face. There’s something about looking a person in the eye and speaking directly to them, personally. Today’s devotion attempts to relay such a truth with the meager means of a keyboard. Even before I begin, I know it will fall short. Yet, I also know that God is more than able to speak directly to our hearts through His Word being read and shared. So, let’s take a quick dive into a bedrock truth that has enabled me (and many others) to face life’s impossibilities.

Think for a moment … when is the last time you absorbed the reality of a trial or a person or a circumstance and came away thinking, “This is impossible”? If you have a prayer list, this item has probably been deleted. If not literally, at least subconsciously. I know, it’s hard to admit, isn’t it? Or maybe you’ve not lived long enough to bump up against what appears impossible. As for me, I have a few “impossibilities” that readily come to mind.

Recently, as I thought deeply about a couple of those impossible situations in front of me, I could almost hear the Lord speak to my heart. Stopping me in my mental tracks, He spoke, “Because it’s impossible in your sight, does that mean it’s impossible in Mine?” My heart melted at His pointed reminder.

We must not allow “facts” to get in the way of the Truth.

Nothing is impossible for Him. Nothing. Not the trial staring us in the face and not the one around the corner, yet unseen. While this truth doesn’t guarantee a particular outcome, we can rest assured that His lack of ability will never be the reason for a “No” or “Not yet” answer. We serve a God who raises the dead. Who takes a few saltines and sardines and creates a banquet for thousands.

Because it appears too difficult in your site, have you mistakenly thought it was too difficult for Him as well? Have you, like me, subconsciously marked it off your prayer list and moved it to the category of “this is impossible” list? Like me, have you stared long at a particular challenge and in the process began trusting in your own insight and understanding rather than trusting Him, His Word and His ways?

I have no idea if your “impossible list” includes cancer or addiction. Broken vows or broken children or broken dreams. Grief or depression. Death or discouragement. But this I know, there is nothing impossible for Him. Nothing is beyond His ability. Keep praying. Keep trusting Him. He will either change your circumstance or change you in it. Perhaps both.

If it is to be a great miracle, the condition is not difficulty, but impossibility.
Streams in the Desert 10/14

As I shared at the beginning, I would much rather look you in the eye and speak this. Look you in the eye and listen as you share your impossible circumstance, tell you I’m sorry for your pain and then pray with you. I would take your hand and lift you/your circumstance to the only One who can handle it, our Lord Jesus Christ. Asking Him to strengthen you, to move mightily on your behalf and to fill you with His peace as you walk through the trial. To draw you ever closer to Him, as you lean hard on Him. And to give you authentic hope as you trust Him to do what only He can do. The impossible.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

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Then What?

Man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment. Hebrews 9:27 Berean Standard Bible

For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10 World English Bible

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB 1977

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 NASB 1977

I don’t watch much television, but when I do, I really hate commercials. Usually. There are a few that make me chuckle, but most are mute-worthy. But there’s one that has stuck with me, and caused me to think. Deeply. Though it’s been nearly twenty years since I last saw it, I can still hear the narrator’s grandfatherly-voice as he asked probing questions of a young man who’s just about to wrap-up his high school days.

On camera is pictured a smiling young man with his cap and gown, excited about his future. The unseen narrator asks him about life after graduation by saying, “Then what?”

Beaming, he replies, “College.”

“Then what?” the off-camera voice asks again.

“I’ll find a good job,” still smiling with anticipation of a hopeful future.

“Then what?”

“I guess I’ll get married and have some kids.”

“Then what?”

Appearing a little irritated at this point, the young man responds, “I don’t know, move up the corporate ladder I guess.”

“Then what?” the unseen grandfather continues to probe.

With a shoulder-shrug, he answers, “Save some money, buy a nice house, take nice vacations.”

“Then what?”

“I suppose I’ll retire to Florida and buy a boat.” (My husband would definitely add golf to that scenario.)

“Then what?” came the now, uncomfortably probing question.

The look on the young man’s face has changed from irritated, to a soberness at the harsh reality that he is forced to confront, perhaps for the first time. “I’ll die I suppose.”

“Then what?”

The on-camera scene fades from the high-schooler’s outdoor party, to a cemetery, where the camera lingers with silence before closing with the words, “Then what?” spoken by the narrator and emblazoned across the screen.

This decades-old commercial flooded my mind while listening to a podcast. The speaker reminded us of God’s Word that says, “It is appointed unto man to die once and then the judgement.” “And then,” leaped off the “page” and rattled around my heart. “And then…” There is something after we die. There will be a day. A moment in time when our “then” will occur. *And I don’t know about you, but if the Lord were to judge me on all that I have done, thought, said and/or left undone, I’m toast. Thankfully, God has provided us a way to stand before Him in judgement, without fear. But only one way. As Jesus Christ Himself said, “I AM the way, the Truth and the Life, and no man comes to the Father accept through Me.”

We have earned (our wages) death and eternal punishment, but He offers us the free gift (grace) of eternal life. All we must do is repent (acknowledge our “I’m toast” condition and be willing to turn from it) and accept His free gift by faith (Trusting that what He said is true).

“The great exchange”, as Martin Luther put it. “That is the mystery which is rich in divine grace to sinners: wherein by a wonderful exchange our sins are no longer ours but Christ’s and the righteousness of Christ not Christ’s but ours.”

“Then what?” Though only a commercial tagline, the question is thought-provoking, isn’t it? What about you? Whether your life’s story is exactly as you’d imagined or closer to a bad dream, it will end one day. When it comes to death, the stats are 10 out of 10. We all have a shelf-life.

Have you made peace with the God who created you, and loves you so much He paid the penalty for all your sins? As with any gift, it requires we reach out and take it, it will not be forced upon us. None of us know our expiration date, but it has been appointed to us. Are you ready for your, “And then” moment?

“Christ did not suffer and die to offer cheap grace. Jesus did not willingly go to the cross so we could have an easy life or offer a faith built on easy-believism. As someone said, ‘Salvation is free, but not cheap.’ It cost Jesus His life.” – Billy Graham

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

For real-time help or to just talk with someone about the topic.

Here is how you can receive Christ: (Taken from PeaceWithGod.net , affiliated with Billy Graham Ministry)

*Admit your need. (I am a sinner.)

Be willing to turn from your sins (repent) and ask for God’s forgiveness.

Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.

Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Jesus as Lord and Savior)

We suggest a prayer like this one:

“Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I choose to turn from my sins, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe He died for my sins and that You raised Him to life. I ask Him to come into my heart and to take control of my life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow Him as my Lord from this day forward. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

*Actually, I do know about you, because God’s Word says that “All have sinned and fallen short of His standard.” It’s the admitting it that’s the hard part.

My Story of facing … “Then what?“

Poke the Pain

“Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.” Hosea 6:1 ESV

For He wounds, but He also binds; He strikes, but His hands also heal. Job 5:18 BSB

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. James 1:3 NLT

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result. The saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20 NASB

Seated at a rectangular plastic table adorned with a sugar jar and plenty of creamer, I begin probing. “So … tell me, what’s your story?” This purposefully penetrating and open-ended question is one I usually ask in the course of urban ministry. Many of the folks seated across from me, have no home, no bed, no anything. And often, feel without hope. As other volunteers serve breakfast with all the “fixins”, along with a bottomless cup of hot coffee, I listen intently. My goal is to gently poke until I find the pain. Some share decades-old hurt or regret. Others, eye me suspiciously for possible motives, as they lift their fork for another bite of a dripping-with-syrup waffle. It’s then that I begin sharing a few of my own pain stories as well. I have come to understand that no matter the socioeconomic background, regardless of ethnicity or educational level, pain is our commonality. Some more than others, that’s true, but always, something.

Why do I ask this? Because I know that pain can either be used as a weapon in the hands of the enemy, or a tool in the hands of our Almighty, and sovereign God. As the Old Testament account of Joseph puts it, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” The words didn’t ignore his years-long pain of unjust imprisonment or suffering, but it did put it in perspective. Yea, You meant to jack-up my life. But hold on. God meant for that pain to bring about something good in my life. And very often, the enemy has used their pain to convince them of God’s “neglect” or even lack of existence.

Pain can either be used as a weapon in the hands of the enemy, or a tool in the sovereign hands of Almighty God.
Becky White

How about you? What’s your story? Is your pain point one of deep regret or childhood trauma? Is it dashed expectations that linger in your heart or widowhood or illness or a prison cell? Is your pain caused by watching the ache of someone you love? Pain is always a pivot point. Do we allow it to drive us to our knees and to greater dependence on the Lord, or allow the hurt to push us away? Away, in anger or depression or bitter unforgiveness?

As I share with the folks at The Bridge Ministry or The Columbus Dream Center, I freely admit that I don’t have answers to all the questions of “why.” But this I know, If God willingly gave the life of His Son for us, surely we can trust Him with what we do not understand. Trust Him with our pain.

The question we all must answer is, will we let our pain draw us to Him or repel us from Him?

In whose hands is your pain?

Father God, Yes, there are times when my heart is pained and raw from the realities of life. But I choose to trust You with all that comes my way. For my good and Your glory. In Jesus’ precious name, amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

Lawn Lines?

There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death. Proverbs 16:25 AMPC

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your path. Proverbs 3:5-6 AMPC

My husband is very particular about our lawn. He spends most summer weekends manicuring the green carpet to perfection. No weeds, golf-course style trimmed and perfect lines. So, I felt pretty good about myself when he gave up the task a few times several summers ago and let me do the mowing. Let’s just say, our neighbors could tell the difference! No matter what I did, I couldn’t get perfectly straight lines like my husband always seemed able to create. Then I remembered something I’d once read about how pioneers used to plow their fields in straight lines and I began applying it to my mowing. Before you knew it, straight lines began appearing!

The pioneer plowman would focus on a distant, though straight-ahead tree or a fence post. Not diverting his gaze from the fixed point ahead, he resisted the temptation to watch the plow. Trusting the fixed point to guide him rather than what appeared straight. Such focus enabled him to successfully plow straight lines.

In our own lives, it’s so easy to take our eyes off the distant fence-post of God’s Word, relying instead on our own understanding rather than His Truth as revealed in His Word. Oh so subtly, our focus begins drifting (not unlike my lawn lines!), as we start trusting our own insight – trusting what we see, or hear or feel or what’s popular rather than His Word. And before you know it, we have crooked lines of confusion, anxiety and fear. Crooked lines of bad decisions and broken relationships. And if not corrected, crooked lines that lead us to eternal consequences.

God’s Word reminds us that there is a way that seems straight and right, but at the end of it is the way of death. He tells us to trust Him with all our heart and not to rely on our own insight or understanding. Simply put – He wants to be the fixed point we gaze at, the “fence-post” we trust in. And cautions us of the danger in trusting in ourselves.

God’s Word reminds us that there is a way that seems straight and right, but at the end of it is the way of death.

My husband never once complained about my lack of mowing skills, always showing me grace as he smiled and said “thank you.” How much more our heavenly Father will respond with grace to us as we ask Him to help us shift our trust back to Him and the authentic Truth found His Word.

My Lord, It’s so easy to drift away from the Truths found in Your Word, and Oh so slowly begin trusting my perception of things instead. How easy it is to walk by sight! Please forgive me and enable me to fix my gaze straight ahead – to You. Thank You! In Jesus name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

http://www.DevotionsForDifficultDays.com

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Golden Thread

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Be still, and know that I am God.

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it.

Psalm 46:1 and 10a Psalm 37:5 Berean Standard Bible

I hope it’s not hard to notice the golden thread, woven throughout my writing, speaking and teaching. A thread that the Lord continues to daily weave throughout my own heart. Offering me ongoing life lessons, and providing real-life opportunities to put the thread into practice. And to answer the question, “What happens when that thread gets pulled?”

This golden thread is summed up in one word. Trust. Specifically, trust in the Lord no matter our circumstance.

Recently, on my drive home from work, I thought deeply about a particular challenge in front of me. I talked it through with God, and though the challenge and pain remained, I recognized that I was at peace and confidently trusted Him with the outcome.

I told the Lord I couldn’t remember “the moment” the eyes of my heart were opened and began trusting Him, no matter the outcome. Not for my salvation, but for living this life. A life that often encounters circumstances that scream the opposite of what I “expect” from the good God He is. He reminded me that genuine trust in Him is something learned one hour at a time, one day at a time, one trial at a time. A life-long process of living and walking with Him, and learning by experience that He is good and He is faithful, regardless of what comes into our lives or our world. A lesson that cannot be learned through a theology course, Ted Talk or TikTok video. This is a lesson that requires constant refresher courses.

Part of this golden thread is our life lens. Do we view God through the lens of our fluctuating circumstances, or do we view fluctuating circumstances through the lens of our good and faithful God?

In the beginning of my walk with the Lord (over forty years ago), if I lost a job or the car broke down or my then-spouse was unfaithful or tragedy took the life of my child (all have grazed my life) … I thought that I must have done something wrong or that God was too busy to notice my hurt or that maybe He didn’t care about someone like me or was angry at me … My view of God was determined by the trials or blessings of my life. This thinking also meant that when I earned a raise or the kids were healthy or my ladies Bible study was humming along, God must be Oh so pleased with me. Again, my view of God was wrongly determined by my circumstances.

Just like an optometrist, who flips to one lens after another and asks, “is this better or worse? One or two?” At some point along the way of life, God enabled me to switch lenses from my circumstances to Him. Enabling me to see all that I walked through (blessings and challenges) through the lens of His goodness, His faithfulness and His great love for me. A love that compelled Him to send the Lord Jesus to die in my place. (Face to the floor astounding!) As seen through the lens of our good and faithful God, the inevitable trials of real life have served to draw me closer to Him. To talk with Him, to read His Word, to wrestle out the pain, and view it all with the golden thread of trusting Him no matter the outcome. A steady trust that may at times, still bend low with heartache, but refusing to view God through the lens of that heartache.

There is nothing–no circumstance, no trouble, no testing–that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose. –
Alan Redpath

How about you? Do you view God through the trials of your life, so when the inevitable difficulties come crashing through, your picture of God crashes with it? (No condemnation here, I did that for years, and sometimes still fall into that trap). If so, would you ask Him to help you switch lenses and to view your life through lens of the goodness of God? He will not fail you. May the golden thread of trust be woven throughout your life.

Father God, I am in awe of Your goodness and utter trustworthiness. And did I mention, Your patience? Please enable me to see all that touches my life through the lens of Who You are – The Faithful One. Not my fluctuating circumstances. In Jesus, mighty name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus.

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