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Do you ever wake up with so much on your mind that you are already worried about the day?  Do you dream (or have nightmares) of the work you need to do or the plans you need to accomplish?  Does your to-do list feel more like an impossibility list?  These can all lead to a point of dread, fear, anxiety and depression.  We go to bed concerned and wake up worried.  This can be a miserable way to live.  

There are many tips offered to help organize and get us on track.  There are best practices which are offered to help alleviate our load.  But in today’s Psalm, the ultimate best way to start became evident to me.  The Psalmist cries out to the Lord, and in the morning, prayer comes before him.  

Before we begin our to-do lists, before worry makes a home in us, before we even say good morning to the day – begin your day with prayer to God.  It seems so simple.  We’ve heard it so many times.  This is not necessarily a new revelation.  But so many of us don’t begin our morning this way.  We get up and move right into our day.  There are things to do and it seems only natural to get in gear.  But what if we simply spent time with God before we ever got started?  What if we let God know our worries, our anxieties and our fears before they ever became engrained in our heart?  God is our creator.  He knows how much we suffer.  He knows how much we worry.  He understands our fears.  And he is with us through it all.  We do not need to carry all of these burdens alone.  The Lord offers to carry them for us, all in his most powerful love.  

Make a morning prayer your offering to the Lord.  It may just change your outlook on the entire day.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 88:3

³ But I, O Lord, cry out to you;
    in the morning my prayer comes before you.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

We can easily forget the wondrous things God can and does do.  We get caught up in our own lives and fail to see what is right in front of us.  When God performs a miracle, the things which take our breath and blow our mind, we notice.  What we often miss are the everyday gifts, the wondrous things.  We miss the start of a new day – maybe because we are dreading the day.  We miss the blooms of hope in the trees – maybe because our allergies act up.  We miss the joy of rain – maybe because we had something planned outside that day.  We miss the hope of life – maybe because our lives are so overwhelming and stressful.  We miss the love of God – maybe because we don’t feel like we deserve such love.  We miss the gifts, the everyday wonders, which are a part of our life.  We miss them because we are looking for something else.  

I remember growing up and my mom would ask me to go get something out of the cabinet.  She knew it was in there (moms always know these things).  But I could not find it.  It didn’t help I refused to move anything to look – but I digress.  I would give up and she would walk right to the cabinet and pull it out.  And then she would say, “if it was a snake, it would’ve bit you.”  That’s how I feel we are with God’s wonders.  There are wondrous things all around but we miss them because we are short sighted or we just refuse to see.  

Today, experience the wondrous things.  They are there.  They are waiting.  God has provided.  May we see.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 86:10

¹⁰ For you are great and do wondrous things;
    you alone are God.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

We never know what will brighten our day.  We cannot imagine how God might bring a bit of light into an otherwise dark situation.  He sneaks it in through the most beautiful and wonderous parts of his creation.  Sometimes it is a flower or a bird’s song.  Sometimes it is the kindness of a stranger or a note written from a friend.  It could be through kind words spoken over us or a invaluable listening ear.  One of the ways God displays joy for me is through Leo.  Leo teaches me how to love even when I may not feel lovable.  He teaches me adventure – even though he may never catch anything, he never gives up his sense of exploration.  He motivates me to get up and get moving – he always has an agenda of fun and play.  And when I watch him with the water hose, my whole face lights up as I see the joy beaming from him in his excitement.  

For some, a dog is a dog.  But for me, Leo is a teacher.  He is a guide.  He helps me see better in me.  I’m grateful God gives us mirrors which enables us to see our best selves.  God created us and loves us beyond measure.  He gives us hope and joy to help us see the beauty in his creation.  He gives us mercy and grace when we fail him (and others).  He reminds us that we are beautifully and wonderfully made.  Sometimes we cannot hear those words – so he sends his creation like Leo so we can feel those words.  

My prayer is that you experience how loved you really are.  May your reflection tell the story of someone who is God’s beloved child.  May your joy be full and may you experience hope in God.  And may God send you a way to see just your beauty.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 139:13-14

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.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

When something is repeated multiple times in a single chapter, I take note.  In this case, the Psalmist is expressing the repeated request, a plea.  There is a desire to be restored – a longing for salvation.  There is a feeling of being out of place, out of sorts with God.  What is the request?  The request is for God to let his face shine.  Their restoration and salvation plea is tied to God’s face shining.  I am reminded of one of my favorite benedictions (from Numbers).  It is a blessing to ask God’s face to shine upon us and be gracious to us.  I think of Moses – when he came down from the mountain – after he has met with God – his face is shining.  I think of the time when a few of the disciples were up on a mountain with Jesus when he began to shine so brightly.  Paul was knocked down by the brightness of God’s presence.  These are all powerful instances of God’s presence shining bright.  

What might it look like for us?  Might it look like being so overwhelmed by God’s goodness we are in awe?  Might it look like God’s love begin poured into us allowing us to experience him like never before?  Might it look like loving God and loving neighbor and God’s light shining through us?  Might it simply look like grace?  I’m not sure.  But I am sure it is an experience I don’t want to miss.  

May God shine his face upon us and be gracious to us.  May he light the world with his love.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 80:19

¹⁹ Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
    let your face shine, that we may be saved.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

Love is the ultimate ‘keep on keeping on’.  It doesn’t give up.  We all know there will be difficulties.  There will be struggles and challenges.  This is part of life.  No matter how much money we have or our status or our prestige or anything else, we are not exempt from the difficulties of life.  Since we are faced with this, love carries us through.  

Over the last few days, I have been writing about this special kind of love.  It is not any ordinary love.  It is not infatuation.  It is not lust.  It is not impure or selfish or based on appearance.  It is this deep abiding love that only comes from God because God is love.  This love keeps on keeping on even when adversity comes.  Even when love is challenged, it does not give up.  It perseveres through the most difficult.  I think of Jesus’ teachings on what love looks like.  He always reiterates the importance of loving God and loving others.  It is of utmost importance to him – and therefore, should be to us as well.  This is a love that carries through to our enemies.  It is a love that allows us to move forward, seeking God’s goodness.  It is a love that endures whatever life throws our way.  This is remarkable love we do not see in our world – we only see in God. 

Yet, God gives us this love.  He pours out this love in us.  He gives us this love so that we can persevere in loving others.  This love is based in God, not in our situation.  This love overcomes.  This love keeps on no matter what.  

This is the love I want to receive and share.  This is the love that will change the world.  

Focus Scripture:

1 Corinthians 13:7

⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

There are people who keep a tally.  They know who does what for them and they have high expectations of some people.  So if someone brings them something, they get a good mark.  If they don’t visit enough, they get marks deducted.  If they don’t get things done in a timely manner, another bad mark.  In this system, it is as if the people in their lives are just there to serve – to do what they want when they want.  They measure love by the number of good actions verses the number of bad.  It isn’t as if they show the scores – so others really never know how they are ranking.  It is shown in comments and in not so pleasant attitudes (or maybe in special favor).  

It may sound crazy, but I would dare say there are more people keeping tally than we would like to admit. There is the “good child” or the “good friend”.  All is based on actions or lack thereof.  The problem is this isn’t love, at least it isn’t God’s love.  In the description of love we are given, we are told that love is not self-seeking and keeps no records of wrongs.  That almost seems out of reach – especially if we “keep score”.  Our natural tendency often is to seek what is best for us.  We note when someone does something we do not like.  It’s almost like we are in school and we don’t earn enough stars – except unlike school, the board never gets erased and we don’t get a clean start.

Thankfully, God models real, genuine love for us.  Since God is love, he teaches us what it is to love.  He doesn’t keep record of our wrongs.  We are told he casts our sins as far as the east is from the west.  He is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  Let’s face it – we couldn’t do enough good things anyway.  We cannot earn God’s love.  We are simply given his love – even if we feel like our board is full of bad marks. 

God isn’t keeping score.  He sent Jesus to wipe the slate clean.  He simply loves us.  Wouldn’t it be powerful if we followed his example and simply loved?  What a difference we might make if we stopped keeping score and started loving like God!

Focus Scripture:

1 Corinthians 13:5

⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

It’s a lot easier to be patient when nothing is testing our patience.  When all goes according to our plan and there are no interruptions in our flow, patience feels so natural.  We may even claim patience in moments like these.  But how patient are we, really?  In our ever on-demand world, patience becomes even more challenged.  We have expectations that we will pull through a drive thru and our order will be done when we want, how we want, and to the level of quality we demand.  We have expectations we will not have to wait in line when we go to the gas station (at least most of the time anyway).  We have expectations there will be enough lines open to check us out when we visit a store – or at least, we think that’s the way it should go.  When we sit down at a restaurant, we expect to be treated and served a particular way.  Our expectations set us up to have our patience challenged at every turn.  And all too often, we end up showing our butt instead of our patience.  We end up acting like first world privileged people who have demands that must be met rather than God’s children.  

I think it is interesting that in the verse today, patience and kindness are contained together.  They seem to serve as a unit.  Love is patient and kind.  It seems to be that if we can exercise patience, we can also find time for kindness.  When those minor inconveniences do not cause us to become angry and hateful – those are times when we can share kindness with someone who could probably use a lot of kindness at that moment.  It allows us to take a step back and find ways to be kind in the face of adversity.  It allows us to be a little more like Jesus.  Isn’t that really what it is all about anyway? Our delay in getting something we want may just be the opportunity show the love of Christ – if we can simply be patient.

I am grateful God is patient with us.  We are reminded in Psalm 103:8 – “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”  God is love.  And God is patient and kind.  Maybe we should give it a try too.

Focus Scripture:

1 Corinthians 13:4

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. 

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

Love never fails – it’s a hard statement for us to wrap our mind around.  We see so many things fail which seem so full of love.  We experience the car we love refuse to crank when we are not even home.  We taste the food we love and know it is adding to the abundance of us to love.  We watch relationships fail we just knew would survive most anything.  We see things we love fail and we feel things we hold so dear slip away. How is it that it can even be written that love never fails?  Was Paul having a moment of insanity?  Or was he with the one he loved?

We are taught in the Bible not only that love never fails, we are also taught that God is love.  If love never fails and God is love, that would mean God never fails.  God’s love never fails.  God’s love transcends the experience.  God’s love is more powerful than the things we often associate with the word ‘love’.  People fail.  Ideas fail.  Experiences fail.  Our thoughts of what should happen when, where and how fail.  Our demands upon God fail.  Yet, God never fails.  

God is love and his love cannot be compared to anything else.  And even though it is so powerful, he pours out his love on us.  We get the opportunity to live in this love.  We are given this love to not only change us, but to share. This is how we love God and love others – through God’s love.  God is offering this love to you and me. May we experience the love which never fails – and may we share it.

Focus Scripture:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. 

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

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