It occurs for two Psalms in a row. There are times of great relief. There are struggles and a search for God. There are cries to God to help in the overwhelming weight of it all. And there are exclamations of thanksgiving. But the conclusion to both says so much for us all. No matter our situation or what we may be struggling with…No matter if all is well and we are giving thanks to God…The conclusion always comes back to – hope in God.
While all the world may feel as though it is collapsing around us – hope in God. While there is a song in our heart and joy on our lips – hope in God. Our hope is found only in him. All others will fail us. Nothing else will give us the calm assurance. No one else can promise us the future God can. No one else can be with us through it all – except God.
Make it your beginning, your theme through the day, and the conclusion as you lay your head down tonight – Hope in God.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 43:5
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
In this time of social distancing, there is one in my life who knows no boundaries. That, for me, is Leo. He is such a sweet dog and he requires close proximity at all times. If I get up to go to the bathroom, so does he. If he wants to go play outside, he needs me to go sit outside with him. When he sleeps, he sleeps as close to us as he possibly can – snuggled right up. There is no such as too close for him – only too far. At first, it drove me a little crazy. I felt like I couldn’t even breathe he was so close. But as time has gone on, it actually brings me comfort and joy to have him by my side.
As I read today’s scripture, I noticed the anguish expressed by the Psalmist. He is in agony – physically, mentally, and spiritually. Not only does his heart hurt, his body is wasting away right before him. He understands his sin has done some of this. And yet, he pleads to God to hear him, to rescue him, and to provide reprieve. This is not an unusual theme in the Psalms. What really spoke so loudly was his conclusion. He records, “O my God, do not be far from me” (vs 21). He is asking for God to be close. He wants the distance between them to be erased. He is confessing his sins in an effort to be cleansed. He is seeking the comfort and care of God, One who is closer than a brother. His plea is simple – be close to me. I hear he seeks God’s arms of protection, his wrap of refuge, and his outpouring of love. What a salve to a broken spirit! He wants God to be even closer than Leo is to me – and that’s really close.
What if we sought to experience God’s presence like this? How might our lives change if we wanted to be as close to God as Leo seeks to be with me? What if our desire was so strong we begged to just be close? We may find comfort. We may find peace. We may even find we are held in the arms of the Almighty. That seems like a good place to be.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 38:21-22
21 Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, do not be far from me; 22 make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
Music can teach us so much about life. There can be a song in our hearts when we cannot find a word to speak. Notes can flow from us as an offering to God when prayers seem so distant. Music moves us and changes us. It can motivate us or calm us. One of the gifts of music is harmony. To sing in harmony is when a group sings different notes that come together to create a full, beautiful musical masterpiece. Each part of the group is singing a different set of notes. They are not all singing the exact same thing. Yet, when they come together, something truly amazing happens. This rich experience teaches us something about life.
Today’s scripture reminds us we are given the opportunity, through Christ, to live in harmony with one another. This doesn’t mean we all are the same. We look different, we sound different, we sing different notes. But when we come together with the love of Christ at our core, we create a unique and symbiotic experience that could not have been created alone. Alone, we may create a song, together we create a masterpiece. Life is lived so much richer and fuller when we come together in harmony with one another. This is possible through Jesus. We come together in a chorus that offers up a praise of one complete song to God. When love fills our hearts, songs flow from our lips. When we harmonize together, incredible things happen. And it is all because the Creator gives us the perfect sheet music. If we can learn to harmonize together, we can change the world.
Focus Scripture:
Romans 15:5-6
May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
Peace comes from God. The inner peace that gives us a subtle calm in the middle of a raging chaotic mess is our gift from our Creator. He knows what we need when we need it. He fills us with peace. And because he lives in us, he also fills us with the ability to make peace. We are given wisdom, pure wisdom. This wisdom is not manipulative. It is not harmful or deceitful. This wisdom is pure and good. This wisdom yields peace – both in us and from us. It is like planting seeds in our hearts of peace. When we nurture and provide the right environment (following God), our seeds produce a harvest we can share with others.
When we are filled with God’s wisdom, we are able to find ways to bring about peace in situations that would otherwise know no peace. This is not because we are good negotiators. It isn’t because God’s children have an extraordinary gift for bringing about peace in their own ability. It is only because of God living in us and through us. Peace comes because we seek to make peace, following God’s plan. We do not seek revenge. We do not seek vindication. We do not seek other’s harm. Even those we disagree with (and doesn’t that seem to be most everyone now), we still can make peace. It comes from us because God has given us this wisdom.
If we find we are not bringing about peace, either in our own lives or in the lives of those around, we may want to re-evaluate. Are we being peacemakers? Are we forgiving as God taught us to forgive? Are we living as children of God? Are we loving as he has taught us to love? Are we making peace in situations where he leads us? Is God’s wisdom filling our hearts or is it our own plans and desires?
May God’s peace fill you today. May his wisdom guide you to share peace with others. May you live in peace, even when the world is in chaos.
Focus Scripture:
James 3:17-18
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
It can be tempting to become frustrated at those who seem to have it so much better than we do. We can find ourselves wishing for what someone else has. We may wish we had that job or that house or that family. We look at our own situation and wonder how we got here. Comparison is the enemy. Comparison steals our peace, our joy, and our ability to love. Comparison shifts our vision so that we don’t truly see, we are blinded by greed or envy or anger. We begin to wonder why God hasn’t been as good to us. We worry because we see other people prospering more than us. And we go down a path that is destructive and deceitful. It leads to no good.
When this happens, when we find ourselves traveling down this path, we need a vision shift. We need to take a close look at the goodness we have been given. We must stop comparing and start giving thanks. We have so much more than we realize. We have been given so many good things we take for granted. We are loved beyond measure. We are filled with enough. We are called children of God. These are treasures that no amount of possessions can replace. The things which we think are so very important are usually the things which cause us to forsake our peace.
The good news is God can help us to see differently. The Holy Spirit can fill our vision with the abundance of God’s goodness which abounds in our own lives. He can help us to begin to understand the things of this world are fleeting and often of way less value than we give them. What matters is God’s steadfast love. God’s mercy, his grace and his peace can fill our empty souls. God can give us more than what we could ever imagine – and it is better than anything we can find in a magazine or online. God can give us all we need to live a full life, today. Maybe we just need a vision shift to see it. And it isn’t found in our neighbor’s yard, but maybe in our neighbor’s heart.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 37:3-8
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. 6 He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
We easily identify the violence in the world – it is thrown at us on a regular basis through the ‘news’. We can feel the tensions. We hear of the hatred (and maybe experience it). We would say the world is full of many things – greed, despair, anger. But the Psalmist gives us a different view. There is more than what the media tells us. There is so much more offered we will not see on TV or on our phones. Social media isn’t able to adequately capture it. And so, we can miss it. We can miss there is more than what we are being told. We can miss there is more than what we read about. There is more. There is love – God’s love.
The Psalmist talks about the earth being full of the steadfast love of the Lord. This wasn’t a conclusion based on what was seen around him. He didn’t look to find love was abounding. He experienced wars and fighting and loss if he simply looked at the view in front of him. This love isn’t the mushy, infatuation type of stuff. This is the love that endures, the love that breaks down barriers, the love that crosses borders. This is the love that changes things – including us. The Psalmist comes to this conclusion because of who God is. God is merciful and kind, slow to anger and ABOUNDING in steadfast love. This love covers the entire earth. The earth is saturated in the never-ending love of God. Why don’t we hear about it? Why don’t we realize it? Because we choose to focus on other things. We choose to see the hatred. We choose to gossip about the negative. We choose to be entertained by the things which are not loving. The media gives the people what they are willing to watch. We see what is around us from the view of what we are seeking. What if we sought out the love of God? We may find, like the Psalmist, the earth is crammed full of the love of God. And we just might be changed.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 33:4-5
4 For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
I am not a good dancer. Okay, that is an understatement. I have zero ability to dance. Actually, I can sing better than I can dance – and I really am not a good singer. You get the idea – it isn’t in my skill set. It isn’t part of the gifts God has given me. Regardless, sometimes we must dance. It is in our hearts and our feet begin to twitch – and we dance. We are not dancing for anyone (thankfully). We are not trying to impress or win an award. We are simply dancing – head thrown back and nothing else on our mind. There are times when dancing is the answer.
This is what I hear from the Psalmist this morning. There is a time for mourning and then there is a time for dancing. Mourning is appropriate and necessary. Mourning can last for way longer than we want. But there is a point when mourning will turn to dancing. It can happen very subtly. It begins with a little glimmer in our day. Then the glimmer turns into sunshine. Then the sunshine turns into a tune. Before we know it, we are dancing. We are dancing in joy. We are dancing in thankfulness. We are dancing because the weight of our mourning has been lifted – if but for just a moment. So dance!
Don’t be afraid to dance if this is what God has given you today. If he has turned your mourning into dancing, then dance. Let it all out. Move freely in joy and gratitude. If you are not there yet, just hold on. Your time is coming. Maybe it is just a twitch in your foot today. Maybe it is a song in your heart. But don’t lose heart – God will turn your mourning into dancing too. And when he does – don’t forget to actually dance. It may be just what you need today.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 30:11-12
11 You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
We are surrounded by God’s goodness. It envelopes us on a daily basis. From the cool, crisp Spring mornings to the humid, seemingly unbearable Summer days. They are all packed with God’s goodness. He has surrounded us, encased us in this beauty. We are a part of the goodness. You and me are part of the goodness God has provided to this earth. We pass by it most days. We continue on with our lives as if nothing has happened. But it is there.
Sometimes we don’t notice because we are sad or anxious. We could be angry or distraught. It could simply be we are pre-occupied. Or maybe we just aren’t looking for it. Sometimes his goodness is subtle. His goodness may be gentle and almost unnoticeable to the common observer. That’s why we can’t be the common observer. We are God’s children surrounded by God’s handiwork.
I will be the first to admit it is easier to detect when the flowers are blooming and the garden is bountiful. When things are going as we think they should, we can pick out all God has done. I can see his love as I hover over the fresh vegetables. I can taste his goodness in a fresh, home cooked meal. I can hear his goodness in the laughter of children and the sound of music. I can feel his goodness in the sunshine wrapping me up like a warm blanket. But what about when things aren’t so obvious? Do we really believe we will see his goodness even when things are going horribly wrong – at least by our evaluation? Do we really believe God’s goodness is a part of us when our world seems to be collapsing? These are the times we are challenged to believe. We are pushed to the boundaries and find ourselves scrambling. Yet, God hasn’t changed. He has declared goodness from the very beginning and continues to do it moment after moment, day after day. The Psalmist believed in seeing God’s goodness even with enemies surrounding the area. How about us?
Will you seek God’s goodness today? Will you find where God has provided good to us, right before our eyes? I choose to echo the words of the Psalmist and believe I will see God’s goodness today.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 27:13-14
13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
There are some days that are so packed with memories it seems one day cannot contain them all. They are bubbling over like the pot on the stove you left on too high and unattended. It calls your attention loud and clear. Today is one of those days for me. It is the anniversary of Dad’s death. As the years go by, this day changes and takes on a whole new life. While I miss him more than words can express, I am now at a place where I can give thanks. I give thanks for his guidance, his love, his wisdom, and his humor (especially for the gift of quick comebacks). I give thanks for the times we spent running – even when he ran ahead while the stray dog chased me. I give thanks for the memories and the valuable lessons I carry with me that have helped to shape and form who I am today. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t as if I haven’t given thanks for these things before. It isn’t as if I didn’t realize I had a great Dad. It is that my grief has changed. Rather than feeling angry or cheated out of time or sad he died too young, I now am simply filled with gratefulness. Grief does that. It changes. It evolves. It doesn’t mean we stop missing the person or wishing they were here. It just means it becomes something different. We mend – although very differently than we were before. We move forward understanding the gifts we have been given. We are challenged to appreciate each new day, none of us know how many there are ahead. We become put back together – always with scars intact.
Although this is the day Dad took his last breath, it is also the day he became free of the worries, anxieties, and challenges of this world. This is the anniversary of his new chapter. This is the day he began to live in true joy, true peace, and love which is unending and absolutely remarkable. This is the day the page turned and it was a beautiful start to all God had for him. This was an amazing day for him. And one day, it will be our turn. Until then, I take these memory filled days, with the lessons which abound, and I move ahead. One day at a time, one step at a time, one God-given moment at a time. There is more to be done. God’s not finished with us yet.
May we continue to love and serve God until he turns our page and starts our new, incredible chapter. Blessings to you, my friends.
Focus Scriptures:
1 Thessalonians 5:16
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Psalm 139 (because it was Dad’s favorite)
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. 3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. 17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end—I am still with you.
19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God, and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me— 20 those who speak of you maliciously, and lift themselves up against you for evil! 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? 22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. 24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
I’ve always hated tests. I remember the first time I was identified as having an issue taking standardized tests. The teacher took me outside and wanted to make sure I was feeling well and doing okay. I was doing fine and had no clue how badly I had performed on these set of tests. It was surprising to her because I could do the work just fine. But taking tests was a whole different matter. Since then, I have muddled my way through test taking. I have managed to do well enough to get to the places I was trying to go. If I’m honest, though, I still hate tests.
Except maybe this one. The Psalmist is asking God to test him, to check him out. He is asking God to evaluate him, identify his strengths and weaknesses. He wants to show God he is on the right path and is following him as he should.
Not many of us would want to sign up for this test. We would likely avoid having an evaluation of how pure our heart and intentions really are. We probably wouldn’t want God to do a thorough check on how we are living for him, or not. It could give us a whole different perspective, though. If we knew God was testing our hearts, might our love become more pure? If we understood God knows our real intentions, might our actions come from a place of kindness? Might we reflect Christ if we understood we were going to be tested? The interesting part is that God does know. He does know our hearts. He does understand why we do what we do. He does know when we are truly loving him and others. He gets it. He isn’t doing this to punish us or to see if we pass. He is doing this because he seeks those who desire to serve from a place of a clean heart and a steadfast spirit.
Maybe this is a test we should, like the Psalmist, ask for. Maybe it would be helpful to know where we have gone wrong and where we are getting it right. It just might steer us to become a little more like Christ. And that is a test worth taking.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 26:2-3
2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and mind. 3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 
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