Category: Devotion

I just can’t.  I’ve tried.  I’ve given it my best.  I don’t understand and I just can’t.  You may find yourself hearing these sentences pour into you today.  It may be that you are so missing a loved one that you do not know where to turn or what to do.  There are no answers and there are no fixes.  You have given it your all.  It could be that you are hearing these words after another diagnosis or one more surgery.  Some of us feel this way after struggling through difficult choices where nothing seems to go right.  Some are feeling the defeat of a relationship that did not work out.  And some may just feel that way because the news has been on for too many days.  I just can’t.

There are many wonderful practices and ideas out there when you feel this way.  I appreciate many of them.  For instance, a gratitude practice is a wonderful way of helping us to shift our focus to what we have been given.  It helps us to gain a new perspective of the joys in our lives.  These seem to help me most at the end of the day.  I don’t find them especially helpful in the moment.  When I feel like I just can’t, gratitude doesn’t feel right to me.

How about we not do one more thing?  How about we simply allow God to fill our lungs with air and breathe.  Breathe in his goodness, even when we are in despair.  Breathe in his love, even when we are starving for the love of the one we lost.  Breathe in his peace when the world seems in chaos.  Breathe in his presence to still our wearied souls.  No answers needed.  No practices to remember.  No planning what is next.  Just breathe. Feel God wash over you in a moment when you can’t take another step.

Psalm 3 is one of my personal favorites.  When I just can’t, this Psalm reminds me: He is my shield.  He lifts my head.  He sustains.  When I can’t, he can.  When each moment is a challenge, he reminds me he has this moment and I can rest in him.  There will be better days.  But for today, maybe the answer is to simply breathe and let God take care of the rest.  I am changed from I just can’t to…I just breathe.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 3

¹ O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
² many are saying to me,
“There is no help for you in God.” Selah

³ But you, O Lord, are a shield around me,
my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
⁴ I cry aloud to the Lord,
and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah

⁵ I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, for the Lord sustains me.
⁶ I am not afraid of ten thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.

⁷ Rise up, O Lord!
Deliver me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you break the teeth of the wicked.

⁸ Deliverance belongs to the Lord;
may your blessing be on your people! Selah

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

They come in abundance.  They are overflowing and readily available whenever I need them.  I don’t even have to work hard to make them appear.  It doesn’t take effort and they flow as constant as the Niagara Falls.  We all have them.  We all use them.  You may have already used multiples before the sun even rose this morning.  They are excuses.

Excuses can get us out of situations we do not want to be a part.  They can help us maneuver around the uncomfortable.  But, in general, they are used as a prop.  Excuses become our go-to whenever we just don’t feel like it.  And that can be damaging.

This morning, I had plenty of excuses.  I was tired (okay, that’s always the case when I first wake up).  I had a headache (with allergies, this is a constant during this season).  I had other things I could do (like sleep).  I didn’t want to get up and run.  But then, there was Leo.  He doesn’t buy my excuses.  He doesn’t really care how I feel about wanting to sleep more.  He just wants to go for a run.  He loves the adventure.  He is thrilled with the opportunity to hang his head out the window and let his ears fly.  The thought of going for a run, even if I am slow, is joyful.  His tail wags seemingly one hundred miles an hour.  He goes to his leash and puts his nose on it, over and over.  He even talks to me if I seem to hesitate.  He has a way of breaking through my multitude of excuses.  He cuts right to the heart of things and just wants me to move.  And I am grateful.

Because Leo got me up this morning, I had a wonderful time to catch my breath and enjoy the sun peak through the clouds.  I was able to get in my morning exercise which will hopefully help me to remain as calm as possible in the middle of the crazy.  I feel better about myself.  And the best part – Leo’s joyful expression when I put the leash around him.  There is nothing quite like it.  It makes it all worthwhile.

What are you missing today because of the excuses you have built up as a guard?  What small change might you make to cut through at least one excuse?  What joys might you find if you simply made a different decision, no excuses?  May we find joy in the journey today.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 16:11

¹¹ You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

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

Will things ever go right?  Will it get better?  Does this end?  Why doesn’t it just work out?  We can find ourselves spiraling when we are discouraged.  When we have given it our best and it still is a failure, we wonder why we should even bother.  When we have tried to eat healthy and don’t lose the weight we thought, it can bring us down.  When we make a lifestyle change to improve our overall health but find we are having such a difficult time adapting, the old lifestyle seems to call our name.  When we are striving to be loving and feel attacked at every turn, it can feel defeating.  When we become discouraged, even when doing good, we feel like just giving up.  But that is the time to continue, to press forward, to keep moving on.

Changing anything in life is really difficult.  Leaving behind an old lifestyle is uncomfortable.  Eating healthier and exercising is okay at first but takes a lot of effort to continue.  Loving others as Jesus taught is fine when we are around people we already love or tolerate, but much more difficult when faced with adversity on a regular basis.

The more we continue, the stronger we become.  We are building a strong base.  We are gaining endurance and finding consistency.  We are learning what it takes to not give in or give up.  We are being prepared to live the life we were created to live.  When I think of this, I think of Romans 5.  It is an easier scripture to read than it is to put into practice.  But for me, it describes an important building process.  It helps me to understand that there is something more.  I am encouraged that I am being shaped and formed to be more like Christ.  This adversity is a training ground.  When I continue on, I am building up.  The scripture tells us that difficulties produce endurance. This is the keep on keeping on persistence that we need.  This persistence is producing character in us.  And that character is giving us hope.  It is not an easy path, but one worth taking.  God is creating something special in us.  We are being made for so much more.

So if you find yourself discouraged this morning, look up.  Continue to do the right thing.  Continue to move forward in God’s word.  Keep on keeping on.  There is a plan at work and it is good.

Focus Scripture:

Romans 5:3-5

³ And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

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

What defines strength for you?  Is strength defined by how much someone can lift?  Is strength measured by the size of muscles or stature?  Is strength the ability to conquer someone else?  Or is it something entirely different?

Strength, for me, comes in many shapes and sizes.  It has very little to do with outside appearance.  Some of the toughest people I know are of little stature.  What if strength is defined by the ability to endure?  What if it is the persistent gift of never giving up, no matter the obstacles?  What if it is giving it one more try, on more day, one more chance?  What if strength is defined by standing up for what you believe in the face of much adversity?  Maybe strength is given to us even when we are facing the greatest storms of our lives.  Maybe we have built strength for times just like this.  Maybe, just maybe, we are stronger than we could ever imagine.

One of my favorite things in God’s beautiful, awe-inspiring creation is a tree.  Trees speak strength to me.  They embody what it looks and feels like to be strong.  Some may think I am a tree hugger.  I am that and a tree admirer.  I seek to be like the tree.  They remind me of tough resilience even when conditions are the worst.  They remind me they can change with the seasons and adapt to the seemingly impossible.  They house birds that are looking for safety before taking on new life.  They provide sport for squirrels and other animals.  They shade those who are weary.  They hold swings for little children and provide hours of amazement as we grow older.  They are strong and they are powerful.  You don’t move them without serious equipment.  And they speak to generations.

Maybe we should change our idea of how strength looks.  Resilience in the face of adversity seems pretty strong to me.  Natural beauty despite the elements exudes strength.  Support for others and safety for our neighbors is remarkable strength.  Cared for by God and renewed by his love is a great way to live.  I want to be like a tree.  Maybe I am and maybe you are too.  Maybe there is more strength in us than we can even imagine.  Stand tall.  Stand strong.  Never give up.

Focus Scripture:

Matthew 13:31-32

³¹ He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; ³² it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

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

Scared, frustrated, desperate…she must have felt all of these as she approached the crowd.  She didn’t belong.  She knew that because this had been repeated over and over to her for years.  It had been drilled into her.  She was aware no one wanted her around.  She had spent all her money and she wasn’t sure why she was even be there.  Why not give up?  But this was her life.  This was where she found herself.  She hadn’t chosen this path, it had chosen her.  And it was ruining her.  She wasn’t welcome in worship.  She wasn’t welcome in other people’s homes.  She wasn’t welcome anywhere.  It was a lonely existence.  Just one more try.  Just one more effort.  She wanted to give it what little she had left.  She believed if she could just get the energy, but mostly the courage, it would work out.  This would be the difference.  This would be the time that would change everything.

When we read about people, we forget they have stories.  We tend to forget that they have backgrounds and situations that have brought them to this place.  In this case, we don’t know exactly what she has felt.  But we can imagine the isolation.  We can imagine the loneliness.  It is as if she has been forgotten.  And many can relate to feeling forgotten.  There are many that have felt unwelcome, unloved, dismissed, and discarded. Many have felt as though this was the end.  But this woman had the courage to get up and try one more time.

I am talking about a story of a woman that had suffered with a disease for 12 long years.  Having spent all her money and given everything she had, she was still where she started, if not worse.  With her situation, she would not be allowed in worship.  She was unclean.  She would not be welcome.  She should not have been in the crowd that day.  She wanted to keep it quiet.  But she wanted to simply touch Jesus’ coat.  Just to touch it would be enough.  She could touch it and go home and no one would notice.  Only it didn’t happen that way because Jesus felt her touch.  His compassion was so powerful that her touch brought up something in him that made him seek her out.  She thought she was in trouble, but she was being seen in a good way for the first time.  She thought she would have been scorned, but she was instead loved.  As important as the healing was the love.  Jesus saw her.  It wasn’t in a disgusted way.  It wasn’t in a way of pity.  It wasn’t in a dismissive way.  He saw his child, his beloved.  And she was changed.

Hear this…you are seen.  You are loved.  Whatever your situation, whatever your place in this world, you are not forgotten.  You are beautiful.  You are courageous.  You are God’s child.  May his compassion overwhelm you.  May you receive cleansing to enable you to move forward.  Pick your head up, beloved.  God sees you.

Focus Scripture:

Mark 5:24-34

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. ²⁵ Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. ²⁶ She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. ²⁷ She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸ for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” ²⁹ Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. ³⁰ Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” ³¹ And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” ³² He looked all around to see who had done it. ³³ But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. ³⁴ He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

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

Our time on earth is so relatively short.  It seems like it is here and over in the blink of an eye.  But even in the short time, it is such a wild ride.  Sure, there is grief and suffering.  There is death and loneliness.  There are so many challenges that cause us anxiety and stress.  But that is just a part of the picture.  There is also excitement and celebrations.  There are births and successes.  There are times when we have overcome and met the challenge.  There are accomplishments and meaningful relationships.

It is as if life is indeed a wild ride.  Sometimes we are on the rollercoaster and having a blast.  We throw our hands up and our heads back and just enjoy the moment.  There are times when we are scared and look for the hand of the one next to us to help us out.  There are highs and lows and everything in between.  The ride can make us nauseous but when it stops for a moment, we want to ride again.  One of my favorite adventures is to go zip lining.  There is such freedom in flying from mountain to mountain.  It brings such joy to see creation from a whole new perspective.  I am grateful for guides that keep me safe and allow me to experience this joy without concern over the gear.  There are more adventures to be tackled in this wild ride of life.

We can get stuck sometimes, though.  Our ride seems to stop at the top and we are left dangling, not knowing what to do, waiting for someone to come to our rescue.  That’s when friends and family come to our aid and do all they can to support us and love us.  Know that we are not stuck forever.  There is still so much more to experience.  There are still joys yet to be discovered.  There is still life on this wild ride.  My prayer is that you are able to enjoy the ride, if just for today.  I pray you know you feel the support and love as you tackle one more adventure.  Let’s go.

Focus Scripture:

John 10:10

¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

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

The headlines of the day scream for our attention.  They call to us to read, to search, to hear.  The articles want us to think or believe what is being said.  There are often pictures in these articles.  What would we do without visuals?  In those pictures are people.  These are snapshots in time of people or events.  They are brief glimpses into a life that we then use to create a story.  What we often miss is these pictures hold just a moment in the life of a real person.  A real person is captured just for a second.  From that second, we begin to form conclusions.  We imagine their lives.  We create our own narrative of who they are, what they have done, and what they should feel.  We put ourselves in their shoes.  But we are not those people in the pictures.  And what if, through our own conclusions, we miss Jesus.

You may be wondering how in the world we would see Jesus in anything lately.  Everything has been so troubling.  There are fires and violence erupting.  There has been evil captured.  We could be distraught.  Or we can take a moment to see Jesus.  I have seen him.  It hasn’t been easy.  I have been forced to look more intently with my heart than with my eyes.  I have been challenged to look past the narratives that I tell myself.  I have even had to overlook the name calling and hate filled speech that has plagued what we see, read and hear.  Jesus is there.

I see him in those that grieve, providing comfort.  I see him in those that fight the injustice, providing persistence and strength in the midst of turmoil.  I see him in the writings and expressions of my black and brown brothers and sisters, penning words that open our eyes and our minds.  I see him in the slow chipping away at a system that fosters discrimination and fear.  I see him in my fellow white brothers and sisters as we begin to see where we have gone so very wrong, often without knowing it.  I see Jesus and I am grateful.

Where do you see him?  If you haven’t, maybe take another look.  Maybe take a look with your heart rather than your eyes.  Maybe stop the narrative we tell ourselves and search for where Jesus is at work.  I believe he is.  And I can’t wait to see where I notice him next.  Open my eyes, Lord.  Open my eyes.

Focus Scripture:

Philippians 2:12-13

¹² Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; ¹³ for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

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

It can happen when we least expect it.  That person…that particular person shows up just when we need them.  It could be the person that helps us when we have a flat tire on the side of the road.  Maybe it is the lady at the register that provides encouraging words.  The man that we pass on the street offers us help when our arms are full.  These people come at just the right time – as if God knew exactly what we needed at that moment.

This happens in friendships as well.  We may be struggling with a decision.  We might find ourselves worrying about the next day’s tasks.  And that friend, you know the one, shows up.  It is the friend that calls or checks on us at just the right time.  The text arrives or the messenger dings with the words we are starving to hear.  These are gifts.  These are people that we value in our lives.

I believe that as God hears our cries, our grief, our calls out to him, he answers us with those in our path.  He understands our pain.  He grieves with us.  And he provides the love we need through others.  He answers us through the gifts of others.  He answers us through his own beloved.

These people are willing to walk in this way because they have been loved by God.  They have felt and been overwhelmed by his amazing grace and all powerful love.  When we are overflowing with love, it shows.  We are able to be a light for others we might meet.  We are able to be an answered prayer because we are listening for God’s direction.  We are seeking ways to love because we can’t do anything else.  We are loved and we love.

Whether you give or receive today, I pray that God’s love would wash over you like a mighty waterfall.  I pray that God provides you love and that you share that love with others.  May we become a gift of God today.

Focus Scripture:

John 8:12

¹² Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

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

Distraught, grief, pain, turmoil, unrest, fear – these can lead us to a place where we do not know what to do.  We do not know where to turn.  We do not know what is next or who to call.  We do not always understand.  When our lives are turned upside down, we may feel abandoned and lost.  When we feel betrayed, we don’t know who to trust.  When we lose a loved one, we feel a void that is forever implanted.  When test results are pending and we await surgeries, we can find anxiety creeping over us.

The answer that we may hear or may even think to ourselves is that we should pray.  We should take the time to pray about it.  We hear that if it is worthy worrying about, it is worth praying about.  But what if we have no prayers?  What if the words are not there?  What if we do not know what to ask for and we do not understand our situation?  What if it is so all-consuming that we are speechless?  What if we are struggling with who God is and where he is?  What if we are struggling with our faith?  What if God seems so very distant in our time of greatest need?  What do we do then?  We may know in our heart to pray, but that may not translate to words. It may seem empty.

What if God hears us in our tears and our exasperations?  What if God walks with us in our silence?  Could it be that God understands that we are struggling with our faith and is simply with us?  God does not need our words, he hears our heart.  He doesn’t need us to have the correct things to say or the right ways to say them.  He doesn’t require us to pray a certain way.  Resting in him may be the only prayer we need.  He may just provide shelter from the storm, no words needed.  He feels our pain.  He has watched us struggle.  He knows we don’t get it.  And in those times, I find that there are no prayers needed.  Just to find refuge in him is enough.

Today, no matter what you may experience, may God remind you he hears your cries and he provides a refuge.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 61:1-4

¹ Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
² From the end of the earth I call to you,
when my heart is faint.

Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I;
³ for you are my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.

⁴ Let me abide in your tent forever,
find refuge under the shelter of your wings. Selah

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

Our souls, our minds, our bodies can become so tired.  We can become weary and overloaded.  Life can feel as though it will swallow us whole if we just stand still long enough.  Getting up in the morning can be difficult and functioning through the day can require all our effort.  When we are constantly faced with grief, loss, injustice, and unrest, we feel the magnitude of it all.  It envelopes us to the point that we simply want it to all stop.  But often, it doesn’t.  Sometimes it doesn’t need to stop.  It could be a point of cleansing, a time of reframing, an opportunity to be molded.  And sometimes it is a time to simply be, knowing we are not alone.

Success is measured in many different ways.  If we find ourselves tired and weary, success may look like one more step, facing one more day.  If we are overwhelmed with grief, success may be one more tear and one more memory.  If injustice is haunting us, it could be more time standing up for what is right and becoming a voice for those suffering injustice.  If we are beat down with depression and anxiety, success may be getting up, getting dressed, and taking care of at least one thing on our list for the day.

We keep on keeping on.  We strive for a new day.  We work to see the promise of another sunrise.  We look forward to days when things will be different.  We press on to the calling that we have been given.  We seek some reprieve.  We look for those that are walking with us.  We feel the presence of the Lord who promised he would never leave us.  We simply keeping breathing…one breath at a time.  We press on.

May God give you strength for your success today.  May you press on toward your calling.  May you know that you are not alone.  May you feel loved.

Focus Scripture:

Philippians 3:12-14

¹² Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal;^[a]but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. ¹³ Beloved,^[b] I do not consider that I have made it my own;^[c] but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly^[d] call of God in Christ Jesus.

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