Hosea : 2 :14-15

14:  Therefore, behold I will allure her into the wilderness, and I will speak tenderly and to her heart.

                15:  There I will give her her vineyards and make the valley of Achor (troubling) to be for her a door of hope and expectation, And she shall sing there and respond as in the days of her youth and as at the time when she came up out of the land of Egypt.      

          Many of us have been taught or think that the enemy has the power to control our circumstances in life. The truth is that nothing can come into our lives unless God Himself allows it. This can be a difficult truth for some of us to embrace. If the bible teaches us that God Himself orders the footsteps of a righteous man or women then we must ask ourselves how we sometimes end up in less than perfect situations?  

          If we look at Hosea 2 :14 the bible says He, meaning God, allured the children of Israel into the wilderness.  Restated, He intentionally brought them to that place for a specific purpose, much like He does with you and me today. He often wants to speak something to us and He knows the only way we will hear is if He has our complete attention. Imagine… God Himself who made the universe, takes time to lure us into a secret place so He can tenderly speak to us about the things that concern us. God also wants to show us the things He wants to change in us by the Power of the Holy Spirit. If we are not careful we begin to complain and grumble about the heartaches we encounter and we miss the sweetest moments of fellowship we may ever have with The Lord, or continue in that wilderness for longer than necessary. This place in the bible is called Achor.

          Achor, which means (troubling), is a place that symbolized death and desolation. It comes from the story of Achon. Achon was a man in the Old Testament that had stolen the spoils from an enemy nation and brought judgment on the Israelites. In the story Joshua brought him to Achor to be stoned along with his entire family. Yes, it is possible for one person to bring pain to an entire family by the choices we make. Also in today’s society we don’t often stone people with rocks but instead with words and actions.

          Maybe we ourselves have been stoned by someone else’s words or actions. Words that cause rejection, shame, guilt, and brokenness of spirit. Words that make us feel unloved and totally empty without hope and a future. Words that make us feel like a personal failure. Your Achor maybe a tragedy that has left you feeling hopeless… but hold on, the second part of the verse is about to unfold. God say’s that you and I are offered a door of hope and expectation, from our land of Achor.” We ask ourselves “how can a place where so much pain is allowed to come into my life, be for my blessing?” The answer is because all that disappoint, pain, suffering, damage, disillusionment, death, and rejection, is also the place where the only thing you and I can do is hope and expect God to show Himself to us. It is the place He purposely drives us to so He can show Himself strong on our behalf. It is the place that our trust and reliance on Him can grow greater than ever. That’s where the children of Israel saw the greatest miracles performed. Where the plagues were pronounced by God and then swallowed up by His great power. This is where the red sea was parted by the rod of Moses, and this is where Pharaoh issued the death decree to all the babies in Egypt and the Angel of the Lord covered and protected the door posts with the blood of heaven over the first born of the Israelite children.

          Now I want you to really get this… The blood of Jesus is covering you and me and the door of hope has the eternal blood-covering over it. Not just once… Not just twice, but for every time you and I need it.  It is for every situation you and I find ourselves in. The blood is over our door post and His plans for our future are for good and not for evil, for a hope as our yesterdays are overwhelmed by our future in Him.  He has closed the doors of failure and opened the new doors of endless Hope. From this place of hope we can expect the true vineyards God has called us to, to produce substance in our lives as we dance to the new song of hope He plays in the courtyard of our dreams. Don’t give up, your past is not your future, today is your new day of Hope and your Achor is now your place of blessing.

          Lastly, life is a process. The children of Israel had to go through the wilderness for God to complete His work in them. That process is still the same for us today. There are different seasons in our lives and we must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and listen to the sound of God’s footsteps in our life. Life with God is a continuous journey that we must learn to find joy in, even when we cannot see the Master’s reasons. We must trust the scripture in Jeremiah that declares His plans for us are good and not for evil and for a hope and a future.

          I would like to tell you we can just wave the magic wand and avoid the process of life but that would be untrue and contrary to every hero represented in the Word of God. God, through His Word, speaks about hope differed can make our heart, or spirit, sick. We must learn the truth and let that truth set us free, especially in the difficult days in which we live.

          If the bible is true when it says that “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” then we can trust that the things God has promised to us are true, and that even the things that seem to harm us, can lead us to God’s best, if we can learn to trust him more than we trust ourselves.

Related Resources:

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David Wayne Jeffares

Bible Study: My child, do you remember how I created the Heavens and the earth?  I spoke with my voice and created everything which you see before your face!  Surely you don’t think that I have stopped creating!  Some things that I create are called “atmospheres.”  To the person who calls upon my Name, I change an atmosphere of hopelessness and despair into one of joyful hope and powerful encouragement!  Do you remember my servant David? (I Samuel 30)  He was so sad and destroyed over the news that the families of both his men and himself were captured by the enemy, that all he could do was cry and go into deep depression.  What did I do for him?  My Spirit led him to call for a Word out of Heaven.  He did just that!  I spoke and created the open door for him and his men so that they could recover all that they had lost that the Wicked One had stolen from him.  He recovered everything stolen, and there was great rejoicing in the camp.  For you I will do the same.  What has the Evil One stolen from you?  Finances? I order the Devil to return to you and your loved ones “seven times over”* what he has stolen from you!  Has he stolen from you a child, or wife/husband, or a happy home?  Then bow your head to your Heavenly Father and allow me to restore to you what the Devil has stolen!  Remember my servant Job?  I gave him another family.  I restored to him twice the wealth that he had lost. Can you imagine the lifting of his heart and joyful spirit after his the restoration of his life and fortunes?  Child, I cry out to you, “I am a restoring, renewing overwhelmingly blessing God!”  Now, you must, as King David, “encourage yourself in the Lord!”* (I Samuel 29 KJV) Say, “Father I have laid down in discouragement and given up!” If You will strengthen me (I’m on top of that), I will wash my face, get up from this depression, and enter the house of the Lord, with my hands uplifted and my mouth filled with praise!”  I, the Lord your God command through the Name of Jesus my Son, that you be restored in your faith, and miraculously changed with the changing of the atmospheres around you.  Child be blessed!

PRAYER:  Wow! Father, You truly have the power and the authority to command even the foulest devil to flee!  You are my blessing!  This is the last day that I will lie down and make excuses for my failing to get up and return to my praises for You!  I don’t have to live that way one more day!  In the Name of Jesus, Devil I command you to loose your evil hold on my life!  I am free through the great and glorious Name of Jesus my Lord, amen!

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Pleading for Salvation?

Luann Prater

“…for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

1 Peter 1:9 (NIV)

Devotion:

Kay was a prodigal. She had been stunningly beautiful, but now her beauty was hollow and worn. Downcast with shoulders slumped, she walked through the doors of her childhood church. The reaction of the congregation burned an image that remained in my young mind. Heads turned and steely whispers followed her as she made her way forward during the invitation. She fell to her knees at the altar. A group gathered around her and prayed for what seemed like an eternity. She slowly rose to her feet and was asked, “Did you pray through?” to which the weary wanderer replied, “I think so.”

I don’t remember ever seeing Kay back in church again.

“Pray through.” In my small town church this phrase was synonymous with striving, straining, and working to find grace and deliverance. When I became a prodigal myself and wanted desperately to find answers and deliverance, I remembered the forlorn look of Kay and decided to keep wandering. It just seemed easier than trying to “pray through” somehow.

Have you been wandering through life looking for answers? Do you long to return to the Father after being far away but hesitate, wondering what it will cost?

When coming “back home” we often have the same mentality as the prodigal son in Luke15:18-19, “’Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants (ESV).’” Feeling worn down and unworthy, we return to our Heavenly Father thinking we have to work like hired servants to earn our place.

After many years, I discovered that forgiveness and salvation aren’t chores for us to labor over. They are tremendous free gifts from an amazing God! How incredibly liberating to know that Jesus offers these to any and all who believe on His name.

Jesus says, “Come to me.” Period. It really isn’t any more complicated than that. He loves you. He has been waiting for you and He welcomes you with open arms. We don’t have to work for forgiveness or “pray through” like those well-meaning people in my childhood church felt the need to do. God’s heart for us is the same as the prodigal son’s father in Luke 15:20. “So he [the prodigal son] got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (NIV).

When you allow Jesus to walk through the doors of your heart, no pleading is necessary, only faith that His salvation and grace are your gifts.

Dear Lord, thank You for giving us the gift of salvation through Your Son Jesus Christ. Today I come to You and believe that You are my Savior. I ask You to come into my heart and forgive me. Help me to live in the freedom that You promised to give. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Know God?

More About Debra Evans

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Application Steps: 

If you don’t know Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, ask Him into your heart today.

If you are a believer and have seen weary wanderers walk through the doors of your church, show them unconditional love. Be the grace-filled Jesus with skin on to them.

Reflections: 

Do I understand God’s grace; His unmerited favor towards me, His daughter?

Who in my world needs a kind word or touch from me?

Have wandered away from home - even in some small area of my life - and need to return to the Father?

Power Verses:

John 6:37, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (NIV) 

Hebrews 10:22, “…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” (NIV) 

Risky Behavior (The Good Kind!)

By T. Suzanne Eller

Peter said to Jesus, “If it is You, Lord, tell me to come to You on the water.

Jesus said, “Come!” Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water to Jesus.’”

Matthew 14:28-29 (New Life Bible)

Devotion: 

A long time ago I took a risk with God. Opening my heart to Him meant that I would be vulnerable. I had learned that if I stepped outside my carefully constructed walls, I could be hurt. Was I willing to let God past those barriers? Letting Him in became a first step in a life of risky behavior - the good kind! My mantra – the beat to which I marched – became “do it afraid.”

God had plans for me that I could never imagine. If I could go back in time, I would find a young girl sitting outside on a curb, afraid to go back into her home because of the chaos. She was hurting. She was angry. She wanted to run away and never come back. I’d wrap my arms around her and tell her that God loves her. That He had plans for her life that she couldn’t even imagine. I’d tell her to take risks.

It was a risk to become an author. It was a risk to become a speaker. But there were other, more personal, risks that came first. It was a risk to believe that I could have a loving, safe and fun family. It was a risk to break free from the entanglements of my past and embrace who God intended me to be. It was a risk to take the mask off and be myself with others.

Every time I took a step outside my comfort zone, I grew spiritually. I discovered God’s destiny rather than operating within the limitations of my own experiences. I discovered a powerful truth along the way: When we take calculated risks, we discover talents and facets of our personality waiting to be developed.

But Suzie, what if I put myself out there, make myself vulnerable, and wind up getting hurt? Fear can be our largest obstacle to stepping out in courage. A step of faith might not look like success to others, but every risk can ignite more courage. But still, what if I fail? Take time to consider the other “what if’s?” …

What if you live in authenticity and discover new and lasting relationships (even with those in your own home)?

What if you face your fears and overcome them?

What if you unmask your emotions and actually deal with them?

What if you tell your secrets and they no longer suffocate you in the hidden places of your heart?

Step out of your boat, as Peter did, and discover who you are and what you can do as a child of an amazing God. It’s a calculated risk, and it’s worth it.

Dear Father, I am climbing out of the boat today just like Peter. I hear Your truth instead of the voice of doubt and fear. I trust that You know me as my Creator. Help me to take a baby step today toward You and my destiny. Thank You for reaching out and helping me walk on unfamiliar and exciting waters. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Know God?

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Application Steps: 

Write down this word in five places where you can see it throughout the day: ANTICIPATE

(Begin to anticipate what God can do in your life.)

Reflections: 

It is important to differentiate between a calculated risk and risky behavior. Risky behavior—the bad kind—is anything that goes against Scripture or that has the potential to physically or emotionally harm you or your loved ones.

A calculated risk:

     Is planned and has a specific goal in mind. (I want to be a speaker, so I will go to a training conference, take a course, connect with others with the same passion

     May cost you something (thus the word “risk”), but you’ve weighed the cost vs. the benefits and the possible advantages are worth it.

     Is trying new things, exploring talents that lie dormant, and reaching out to new friends.

     Is believing that you can be accepted and valued for who you are.

“You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me;

you stoop down to make me great.” Psalm 18:35 (NIV)

Devotion:

I was talking with friends who recently read my devotion about helping my son become a can-do-kid. One said she wanted to raise can-do-kids, but she didn’t know where to start. Another shared how she wished she enjoyed being a mom as much as I do.

The truth is, I haven’t always enjoyed being a mom. I didn’t start out as a can-do mom with can-do thoughts and can-do kids. In fact, my son’s “I-give-up attitude” that inspired my devotion earlier this month was probably inherited from me. I had stood on the sidelines of motherhood and declared, “I CAN’T” many times.

I would get so discouraged.
Once my kids became toddlers who would not listen to me and obey like little robots, I panicked. I looked at other moms who seemed to know what they were doing and wondered, “What is wrong with me?” Their children listened when they told them no. Why wouldn’t my child keep his hands to himself in the grocery store or the toy isle? Why didn’t someone tell me this would be so hard?

I often felt like a failure.
I compared how I felt on the inside to how other moms looked like they had it all together on the outside. My feelings of inadequacy and thoughts of insecurity were held up in comparison to moms who dressed their children in matching outfits and adorned themselves with attitudes of grace and wisdom. I wondered how in the world they pulled it off with a smile? I could barely get a shower, get my kids dressed, or get us out the door before lunch!

I wanted to quit.
One day I came home from running errands with two tired, fussy toddlers. I put them down for a nap and searched for pink construction paper so I could write “I QUIT” on it. I was going to hand my “pink slip” to my husband when he came home from work that day. It was just too hard, and I was tired of feeling like I would never measure up as a mom.

And that’s where I started.
I didn’t really start being a mom until the day I almost quit. Because that was the day I fell on my knees before God and choked out the words, “I can’t do this.” And in that place of surrender, it felt like God bent down on His knees before me and spoke to my heart: “You are right, Renee. In your own strength and through your own perspective, you cannot do this. But I am here with you. With my grace, my promises, my mercy, my presence, and my power – all things are possible. I will help you become a great mom.”

That day reminded me of Psalm 19:35, “You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.”

It was a new starting place for me. When I acknowledged that on my own I was a mess, God came to my rescue. He showed me that with His gentleness, grace, wisdom and guidance, I could become the mom He was calling me to be, the mom my kids needed me to be, and the mom I wanted to be!

Dear Lord, I need Your shield of victory to protect me from discouragement. I pray that You would extend Your right hand to sustain me; Your grace to strengthen me; and Your wisdom to lead me. Thank You for Jesus, who stooped down to make me great because of Your great love for me. Today, I find a new starting place with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Know God?

More About Debra Evans

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Application Steps: 

• Write a letter, telling God how you feel. Be honest and open. Sharing your heart and thoughts with Him is the first step toward freedom and hope.
  
  
  
• Ask Jesus for His perspective of you as a child of God, so that you can start becoming a Godly mom. We’ve got to receive His love before we can give it.
   

Reflections: 

As you read today’s devotion, what struggles can you relate to? Have you ever wanted to quit? Start over today by acknowledging that you can’t do it on your own but with God’s help, nothing is impossible.

Power Verses:

Luke 1:37, “For nothing is impossible with God.” (NIV)

Matthew 19:26, “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (NIV)

Psalm 113: 5-7, “Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;” (NIV)

Quirks And All

Marybeth Whalen

“We love because he first loved us.”

I John 4:19 (NIV)

Devotion:

We have lived in our house for just a few months, and the quirks are starting to show. One of the burners on the stove doesn’t work on the low setting. A piece of tile on the counter top is not glued in all the way. Several of the outlets in the bonus room were wired wrong, which means sometimes the electricity in that room works, and sometimes it doesn’t. And sometimes, if someone turns the water on in the upstairs bathroom, there is a high-pitched squealing noise in the pipes of the downstairs bathroom. This has even happened in the middle of the night, jolting me out of a deep sleep.

Before we moved, I was so ready to get out of our old house. I wanted to get into our new one so we could get away from the old house’s quirks. The faucet in the kitchen sink that didn’t work quite right. The place in the floor where the linoleum had buckled by the back door. The neighbors that were loud. When we first moved into this house, I thought I had escaped all of those annoying traits. And I had. I just hadn’t counted on all the new ones that would pop up in the new house! I had counted on perfection on the other side of the fence, forgetting for a moment that we live in an imperfect world—a place where quirks abound.

The thing about quirks is that they usually aren’t evident on the surface. You usually have to spend quite a bit of time, digging deeply to unearth the quirkiness of a person, place or thing. I didn’t see it in my brief walk-throughs of our house before we signed on the dotted line. It took living here for several weeks before they became evident.

The same is true with people. You usually have to spend day in and day out together before they let their guard down enough to show you their quirks; before they trust you enough to let you see who they really are. The trick is to keep on loving them after you get that glimpse, seeing their faults and failures, their insecurities and idiosyncrasies. Am I sticking a sign in the yard of my new house because I see some problems? Not at all. I realize that my house is bound to have quirks—some I can work through and some I will just have to live with.

The other night I went to the movies with an old friend who knows me, quirks and all. She and I have had moments of struggle as we have learned to accept each other’s quirks. Through the years, we have learned to laugh about most of them and talk about the ones that we just don’t get. As we sat together in the movies, I thought about how freeing it is to know and be known. To truly love someone is to embrace who they are, quirks and all. As we dig deeper and see what lies beneath the surface, we can choose to walk away or we can choose to stay, no matter what. While this might be hard at times, it is what God requires of us. Why? Because it is the kind of love He has showed each of us. As our verse for today says, we love because He first loved us. If He loves us, quirks and all, then He must want us to do the same, extending love in the same way we have received it.

Dear Lord, Thank You for loving me and all my quirks. Please help me to love others in the same way—extending grace and compassion like You do and seeing past their quirks. Help me to appreciate the people You have put in my life and to not look elsewhere for happiness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

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Application Steps: 

If you are struggling with someone in your life, take time today to intentionally lift up that person throughout the day in prayer. Pray blessings over them and ask God to help you see their positive qualities and not just their quirks.

Reflections: 

Are your loved ones’ quirks bugging you? Are you letting your irritation affect your relationships? How can you refocus on their good qualities and spend less time focusing on their quirks?

Power Verses:

James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (NIV) 

Psalm 19:12, “Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.” (NIV)

“Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”

Genesis 5:24 (NIV)

Devotion:

Do you have a favorite Bible character? One who inspires you, challenges you or one whose story you simply love? Perhaps it is Moses and his vast leadership skills. How about Esther, the compelling queen who, being both gorgeous and smart, used her quick thinking to help God save an entire nation? Maybe Joseph is your pick as you contemplate how someone so mistreated could continually take the high road; the road that lead him not only to political power but also to family forgiveness. All of these are marvelous choices, but none are my pick. I like Enoch.

Since first hearing of Enoch as a young teen, that guy has fascinated me. Not a lot is written about him in the pages of scripture, but what is there sure piques my interest. He “walked with God and then he was no more because God took him away.” Hmmm. My young mind pondered that strange description.

As I grew as a believer, I learned a bit more about this biblical mystery man. In Hebrews 11:5-6 we catch more of the story. “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (NIV)

Ah ha! Enoch was whisked away, spared the pain of death and transported immediately to God’s side all because of one simple thing. He pleased God. I say simple. But I don’t say easy. It is a simple thing to please God. You just do what He says in His word. Straightforward enough, right? However, my years as a follower of Christ have taught me that simple is not always easy. Choices present themselves. The world screams. Our flesh gets in the way. We want revenge or our own glory. We lack faith and instead try to control our own destinies. We mess up the “pleasin’ God” part with our very own hands.

Enoch “walked with God.” Oh, don’t we long for that to be said of us? I’ll admit I don’t always walk with God. I take a stand for God; believe the right things and make it known. I may walk after God. And sadly, sometimes I run ahead of God; make my own plans and then say, “Oh yeah. By the way God, do ya mind blessin’ these plans? I made them in Your name. I may have forgotten to consult You in the midst of them, but they are for You all right!” What a shame and a sham!

No two ways about it, walking with God means that we daily give up our right to navigate our own lives. We place our faith in Him, admitting He knows what is best for us and realizing He might not always reveal the hows and the whys until the very last second. Remember, God is seldom early, but never late. Only day-by-day faith-walking pleases God.

Oh, dear one, do you long to be one who pleases God this way? One who makes Him smile as He sees you daily place complete trust in Him and His infinite wisdom? Maybe then we just might be like my Bible hero Enoch; the one who walked so closely by our Creator’s side that one day, during one of those long walks, God looked at him and said, “You know, we’ve been walking together for so long now that we are actually closer to my house than yours. Why don’t you just come on home with me right now?” Glory!!!

Dear Lord, I am ready to learn to walk with You in faith; not ahead of You or behind You, but right by Your side. Show me how, step by step. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

More About Debra Evans

More About Rick Evans

Donate to Living In Faith

Application Steps: 

Do I run ahead of God or do I walk with Him? What actions (or inactions) would have to go in order for me to walk daily with God?

What keeps me from placing total faith in God and His will for my life? Fear? Distrust? A longing to be in control?

Reflections: 

For more inspiration, do an Internet search to read of some heroes of the faith who learned to live by daily walking with God. Try George Mueller, Dwight L. Moody, Amy Carmichael or Jim Cymbala.

Power Verses:

Psalm 84:11, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” (NIV) 

II Corinthians 5:7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (ESV)

Van Walton

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete…” James 1:2-4 (NLT)

Devotion:

Have you ever risen early in the morning with one purpose – to watch the sun rise? I especially like to take time for sunrises, so I purposefully chose to rise early each day during my vacation.

One morning I found myself sitting on the dock facing east, looking for the sun to rise up over the lake.

Another morning I sat on the long veranda of a century-old hotel gazing at the Ohio River, waiting for the golden glow that would announce the sun’s arrival.

Days later, toward the end of my trip, I wrapped myself in a heavy blanket and curled up in the glider on the front porch of the cabin where I had spent the night. Peering over the Utah landscape, once again I searched the horizon.

Soon a bright orange blaze appeared, forcing me to close my eyes because of its brilliance. In a few seconds, with wide-opened eyes, I continued my search for the morning’s drama, only to see a half globe sitting on top of the mountains. I kept watching, not wanting to miss the spectacular sight. Then, in another blink of an eye, the sun lifted itself from the peaks, and hung there in the sky - a perfect golden circle.

That was it. It went so quick. The sun had come up, creeping into the day, and now it simply dangled – a yellow ball in the air, surrounded by blue, looking like a child’s simple drawing.

For a few minutes I pondered my disenchantment with this particular sunrise. Is there such a thing as an incomplete, imperfect sunrise? At that moment I believed there was. I had just experienced it. And, I remembered others like it, somewhat lackluster.

Why had the sunrise not impressed me this day? Where was all the drama I had expected? Then I realized there is no drama in a sunrise without clouds.

Clouds - they’ve been given a bum rap, but all along, these predictors of bad weather, these symbols of negativity, sadness, blues, and gloom really serve to expand light, reflect color, cast dazzling rays, and paint incredible scenes in the sky.

A sunrise without clouds is like a life without trials and hardships. I do all I can to avoid challenges and difficulties, but the fact is the so called “clouds” in my life can cast me in a certain aura of God’s splendor. A life free of complications and struggles can resemble a bland sunrise … little contrast, seemingly dull artistry, and little context in which I can reflect the Son.

Truth is, the people I respect and admire most are those whose lives have been filled with “clouds” but they walk through any weather with God. These people walk in splendor, surrounded with a certain attractive and hard-to-capture beauty. They are people I seek out on a regular basis. I pursue them because I want to bask in their glow and confidence. They leave me in awe.

One thing is sure. I’m never disappointed when I find myself in the company of those who have learned to rise up in the midst of clouds. They don’t seek to avoid cloudy days; rather they stand up to walk in dignity, accepting the brilliant contrasts and magical rays God can create despite and through their adversity.

It is in their presence I realize, a life free of clouds holds no attraction. Now I see cloudy days in a positive light. May I never shun them again, for I realize clouds build character, add color, and separate the bland from the brilliant.

Dear Lord, I praise You for the lessons You teach me through nature. Forgive me for choosing to retreat from the clouds You allow to come my way. I know You can use the clouds of adversity in my life to cause me to be more relational and compassionate. I pray the beauty of brokenness will attract others to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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