March 18, 2026

Your Love is Like a River – third day

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

 ~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

Oh, oh, oh, ooh, oh, oh, oh
Your love is like a river flowing from my heart

When this cruel world tears us apart
Your love is like a river flowing from my heart
When sharpened words have left their scars
Your love is like a river flowing from my heart
And it’s overflowing and showing us all
How deep and how wide is your love

It never stops, it rages on
Your love is like a river flowing from my heart

When I am tired and so afraid
Your love is like a fire that will light my way
When darkness falls and my vision fades
Your love is like a fire that will light my way
And it’s always burning and stirring my soul
To love you and love you much more

It never stops or ever fades
Your love is like a fire that will light my way

Oh, oh, oh, ooh, oh, oh, oh
It’s never gonna stop
Oh, oh, oh, ooh, oh, oh, oh
It’s flowing from my heart

Oh, oh, oh, ooh, oh, oh, oh
It’s never gonna fade
Oh, oh, oh, ooh, oh, oh, oh
Your love will light my way

When all my strength and hope is gone
Your love is like a rock that I am standing on

Oh, oh, oh, ooh, oh, oh, oh
It’s never gonna stop
Oh, oh, oh, ooh, oh, oh, oh
It’s flowing from my heart
Oh, oh, oh, ooh, oh, oh, oh
It’s never gonna fade

Oh, oh, oh, ooh, oh, oh, oh
Your love is like a river flowing from my heart
Your love is like a fire that will light my way
Your love is like a rock that I am standing on
Your love is like a river flowing from my heart

~   Performed by Third Day  ~

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God said to Moses: ‘Why cry out to me? Speak to the Israelites.  Order them to get moving. Hold your staff high and stretch your hand out over the sea.  Split the sea! The Israelites will walk through the sea on dry ground.  Meanwhile I’ll make sure the Egyptians keep up their stubborn chase – I’ll use Pharaoh and his entire army, his chariots and horsemen, to put my Glory on display so that the Egyptians will realize that I am God.’  The angel of God that had been leading the camp of Israel now shifted and got behind them.  And the Pillar of Cloud that had been in front also shifted to the rear.  The Cloud was now between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel.  The Cloud enshrouded one camp in darkness and flooded the other with light.  The two camps didn’t come near each other all night.  Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and God, with a terrific east wind all night long, made the sea go back.  He made the sea dry ground.  The seawaters split.  The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground with the waters a wall to the right and to the left.

Exodus 14:15-22 (MSG)

I LOVE this song.  The first time I heard it I broke down and wept – hard.  One of those ugly cries that leave you emotionally drained, unable to breathe and a sopping, wet mess.  You see, God knows where to hit you right where you live.  He knows how to speak to the deepest hurt, the deepest disappointment, the deepest fear, the deepest discouragement.  Ever since we decided we were going to build a house, my husband and I both have been in an extremely challenging season.  What would seem to be a joyous occasion (which it is, don’t misunderstand, I am extremely grateful for the home we are building) has also been one of great trial, testing, strain, and obedience.   As we are nearing completion, I am in a fairly constant state of emotional exhaustion.  Satan attacks often with words of doubt fear and worry.   How many times have I prayed for strength, for reassurance, for guidance, for deliverance, for my marriage?  Does the phrase “pray without ceasing” ring any bells?

Then I am reminded of the Israelites.  How God rescued them from the bondage of slavery.  And not only did He rescue them once—He continually placed them in situations that were out of their control—only to rescue them again.  Sisters, this is a hard truth, but also one we need to recognize and own in our lives: sometimes God will lead us into difficult places so that we can learn to trust Him.  Only when I allow Him to take over my situation do I have peace.  When I try to do this on my own I have doubt, fear and worry.  It’s a daily tug of war, ladies—the “I can do it by myself” versus “Ok, God, YOU do it.”

Enter this beautiful song that reminds us that when we are going through our toughest times, God’s love is there.  Period.  His love is everything I need to be whole.  It’s a river that washes away hurts and wounds and soothes us.  It’s the Pillar of Fire that lights our way when we are weary and tired and groping our way around, lost in the dark.  It’s the ROCK that we can stand on when we have nothing left and it feels like the ground beneath our feet has suddenly given way and we are falling, falling….

It’s never gonna stop.

It’s never gonna fade.

His love is like a river.

{{  Thank You, God, for loving us so much and so relentlessly!  }}

Better Is One Day In Your Courts

SeekingHimLogo

 

O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob!  Selah.
O God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of Your anointed.
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Psalms 84:8-12

 

 

Take Me In

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

 ~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

Take me past the outer courts, into the Holy Place
Past the brazen altar, Lord, I long to see Your face
Take me past the crowds of people, and the priests who sing Your praise
I hunger and thirst for Your righteousness, and it’s only found one place

Take me in to the Holy of Holies
Take me in by the Blood of the Lamb
Take me in to the Holy of Holies
Take the coal, touch my lips, here I am

~  Songwriter: Dave Browning / Performed by Kutless  ~

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Isn’t that an amazing thought: Through the blood of Jesus and the sacrifice He made for you and for me that we now can enter that Holy place with God.

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the Throne of Grace,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

I love that. Because of the forgiveness, love, grace, and mercy from the Father…we CAN with confidence draw near to the Throne of Grace. For a girl like me with a checkered past that is not only AMAZING but it is something I am so THANKFUL for everyday! One of the many reasons I love God so much!!! He is the God of second chances.

What is it you need a second chance for? Is there something that you think you can’t be forgiven for? Let me assure you there is NOTHING you have done that you can’t be forgiven for. How do I know this? Because I am LIVING PROOF of a changed life through the forgiveness and unconditional love of the Father.

Let me share with you another verse I am oh, so thankful for…

The faithful love of the LORD never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is His faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each morning.
Lamentations 3:22-23

Living a redeemed life does not mean I am perfect or have a perfect life. It means that every moment of every hour of every day I NEED Jesus. It means that without Him I can do absolutely nothing.

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Heavenly Father, I thank You that because of the blood sacrifice made on behalf of each one of us that we can come boldly with confidence to the Throne of Grace to receive help in our time of need. No matter what mistakes we have made we know and BELIEVE that there is nothing, ABSOLUTELY nothing that cannot be forgiven! I thank You that we can start afresh and receive mercies that are new each morning. Great is Your faithfulness and love…something hard to imagine and yet something I am so thankful for. In Jesus’ name, Amen!!!

Mondo Coconut Shrimp

Mondo Coconut Shrimp Resize

Yes, MONDO!  With four, count ’em, FOUR different coconut products, you too can make your favorite appetizer from that restaurant you go to with your girlfriends!  Mondo Coconut Shrimp are really quite easy to make, and, a fun and tasty appetizer for a party.

You’ll want to use BIG shrimp for this recipe—the larger the better.  I found  some 13-15 count shrimp on sale, and they worked really well.  If you are using smaller shrimp, decrease your cooking time so you don’t make these guys all tough and rubbery.  I coated these in both sweetened AND unsweetened coconut.  Feel free to use one or the other if you don’t have both.  I was going to make this recipe just with the unsweetened kind, but I found a cup of sweetened coconut in my freezer and decided to use it up – and I’m glad I did!

To be  honest, these are fantastic with just some salt sprinkled on top when they come off the stove.  I took a photo of them with a lemon slice, and found out they didn’t even need that to be delicious!  So make these for friends, or as part of a funky dinner, and go MONDO!

MONDO Coconut Shrimp

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup coconut flour
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • coconut oil, for frying
  • salt for serving

Directions:

  1. Set up a breading station.  In the first bowl, beat the 3 eggs with a tablespoon of water.  In the second bowl, pour in the coconut flour.  In the third bowl, mix together the two coconut shreds and the curry powder.
  2. Start breading:  Dip a shrimp into the egg, then the coconut flour, then back into the egg, and then the coconut shreds.  Place on a plate while you complete the breading.
  3. In a large non-stick frying pan, heat one heaping teaspoon of coconut oil over medium heat.  When  hot, carefully add the breaded shrimp.  You’ll probably have to do this in at least two batches.  Let them cook for about six minutes, then flip and cook again for another five minutes.  Watch your heat here – you want it medium to medium-low, so that the shrimp cooks evenly and the breading doesn’t burn before the shrimp are done.
  4. Remove cooked shrimp to a plate and immediately sprinkle with kosher or sea salt.  Add another teaspoon of coconut oil  to the pan, if necessary, and cook the next batch.  Serve hot!

I texted my husband a photo of the shrimp and he said, “Oooh, looks yummy!” so I saved him some.  Unfortunately, they aren’t as nice the second time around.  They still taste great, but you can’t get them crispy on the outside a second time.  That means Carpe Diem – Gather ye rosebuds while ye may – and eat your shrimp while they’re hot.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana


To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

CHRISTLife — ThirtyFive: Delighted In, Favored, and Honored

cl delighted in favored and honored

Hadley, my two-year-old granddaughter, recently spent a week with me.  And, yes, I pampered her as all grandmothers do their grandchildren.

Like most women, Hadley enjoys a bubble bath at the end of a day and I was happy to oblige her.  One night, along with the rest of the bath toys she likes to surround herself with, I tossed a crown into the tub that had been used for decoration on a birthday cake.  As she soaked in the bubbles, the crown floated past her.  She grabbed the crown, placed it on her head and said:

I’m a Queen.

Oh, the imagination of a child!  How quickly Hadley had made the transition from being a little girl surrounded by bubbles and toys to wearing the title of Queen!  Just for fun, let’s play an imaginary game.

Suppose you were standing outside the palace gates of a king. As you stood there at the gates, your attire looked something like this:

  • you were clothed in filthy rags of whining, coaxing, self-pity, anger, resentment, revenge
  • you fought for your own rights and pushed your way through life
  • you always tried to borrow from others the kind of love you desperately needed
  • you rummaged through garbage pails looking for scraps of self-realization
  • the life of a pauper was your lifestyle

As you stood outside the palace gates in your filthy drab, you heard the king beckoning someone to come to him and be his bride.  You look around to see who he is calling, but there is no one else standing at the gate at this time.  And then you hear him issue the call again.

You look up to the window where he stands, your eyes meet his gaze, and say:  “You can’t mean me—why I’m just a pauper.  I’m not good enough for you. And my appearance, well, I am not the prettiest woman in the world.  I wouldn’t be a very good helpmate either, because I am just so dumb.  One of my teachers in school told me I would never amount to anything, and she was right, I didn’t; I’m just a failure.  No, I can’t marry you; I’m just too unworthy to be your bride.  But, thanks for asking anyway.”

Without another word spoken from the king, he stretched forth his hand beckoning you to come into his arms.  This time, you caught a look of love on his face that you had never ever seen on another.  It penetrated into the very depths of your heart and you at last realized that, “Yes, he wants me!”  You accepted his proposal, you were quickly ushered into the palace to be with him, and he placed a crown on your head.  Instantly, your life took on a new identity with the king in the palace.

Oh, my dear friends, this is no fairy tale, it is for real.  It is a story about YOU and ME, and how quickly we transitioned from our pauper state into a place of royalty when we accepted Jesus Christ as Savior.  Oh, yes, we became the Bride of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  You now stand daily in His presence and—

  • He sees you as His gift that He delights in—Ephesians 1:11; Isaiah 62:4
  • He takes pleasure in you—Psalm 149:4
  • He rejoices over you with gladness and singing—Zephaniah 3:17
  • You captivate His heart—Song of Solomon 4:9
  • You have favor in His sight—Psalm 84:11; Exodus 33:12; Psalm 4:3; 5:12
  • He honors you by making you royalty—Revelation 1:6; Romans 5:17

Enough said!  Now, if you will excuse me, I think I will just go fill my bath tub with bubble bath, light a candle, turn on the praise and worship music, and hop into the tub with my crown on. Just like Hadley said: “I’m a Queen!”

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Let us pray: Father God, I thank You for rescuing us out of our pauper state through the shed blood of Your son, Jesus, into a place of royalty. I am overwhelmed when I read in Your Word how much You delight in me, how much You favor me, and bestow honor on me as Your queen. May we all wear the crown and title in a way that will bring honor and glory to Your name by fulfilling the purpose for which You created us to be. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Joy of the Lord

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Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!
Nehemiah 8:10

Joy can be found in the Lord’s Word.  Simply put—if you want it, it can easily be found.  Joy is most certainly NOT a scarce commodity for the Lord.  The sanctuary of the Lord sounds like a safe place to me…it IS safe!  It sounds peaceful…it IS peaceful!

Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.
The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live
in the House of the Lord all the days of my life,
delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in His Temple.
For He will conceal me there when troubles come;
He will hide me in His sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me.
At His sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
singing and praising the Lord with music.
Psalms 27:3-6

My favorite part of this passage is that “He will hide me in His sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me.”  How quickly I forget that my battles are not my own. Never were my battles intended to be my own.  The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has more than enough capability to handle all the battles that could possibly come my way.  Heaven’s Army sounds pretty big to me—it sounds pretty capable of taking care of ALL battles.

For the Lord God is our Sun and our Shield.
He gives us grace and glory.
The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in You.
Psalms 84:11-12

Trusting in the Lord brings joy.  His word says that He will ‘withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.’  His joy is a good thing and I’m thankful that He doesn’t withhold it.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Dear Lord, how awesome You are!  Thank You for the gift of Your joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

indescribable

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation’s revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings, all exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable…You placed the stars in the sky
And You know them by name; You are amazing, God
All powerful, untameable…awestruck we fall to our knees
And we humbly proclaim that You are amazing, God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night, none can fathom

Singer/Songwriter – Laura Story

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Ever been to the Rocky Mountains or out West?  It is a beautiful place to visit.  It is almost hard to describe.  God’s love and creation was meant to be indescribable as well.  However, God and man have found and used adjectives for all of time to describe the wondrous beauty that God created.  God is amazing and uncontainable.

God thundereth marvellously with His voice;
great things doeth He, which we cannot comprehend.
Job 37:5

The Lord has done great things and continues to do great things on a daily basis.  He does great things: He created the earth; He placed the stars in the sky; and He decrees where lightning strikes or where snow should lay.  (I think we all need to praise God for the winter we had this year.  It has been a roller coaster ride of snow and ice, and the weather obeyed God’s word as He gave it.)  God reveals His power and majesty in many different ways.

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12

God’s power is great.  The hills, mountains, seas, and all of Creation sing of God’s wonderful power every day.  These parts of God’s creation can bring peace and relief to even the most burdened of hearts.  The world bursts into some kind of praise every morning—rain, snow, sleet, or sunshine.  This is part of God’s amazing power.

We can only imagine the sheer depth of God’s power.  We know that it is great and powerful.  It would have to be more powerful than anything we can imagine in order to create such a magnificent thing as the world.  His love comes from the highest of the high and is majestic in every way.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your wonderful love and creation.  Your creation shows just how powerful and wonderful You are.  Thank You for each new day and for Your love.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In His Courts

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O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.
Behold our shield, O God, And look upon the face of Your anointed.
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Psalms 84:8-12

To be fully aware of the Presence of God is such a wonderful blessing!  To be in awe of Him, to worship and adore Him, and to be thankful that you are able to trust Him is an incredible way to live life!  He loves us and hears our prayers.  Every day in the Presence of God is another opportunity to love God, to have hope in Him, and to praise Him!

The psalmist describes the great honor and joy it is to be able to love, to serve, and to adore our great God by saying, “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.”  Amen!

Do we truly grasp what all we have in even a single day because God so desires to bless us who look to Him and trust Him?  Wherever God places us in this life, let us be found being thankful, faithful, and content.  For knowing God and being where He wants us to be is the absolute best place to be if that is what God wants for us.  It’s in the knowing Him and being where He has called us that makes life and existence wonderful and abundant—not the job title or position we have that makes life so worth living…it is God!  Even one day living, loving, and serving God is so much better than living a thousand days in any other different way!  That’s just how good God is.  That’s just how wonderful having a relationship with Him is.  I want to be His child.  I want to be His servant.  I want to be in the center of His will and where He places me.  What a huge honor it would be to be a “doorkeeper” in Your house, O Lord!

As you look to Him, He will rain down blessings on your life where you are serving Him.  Be overjoyed that you have access to a God that loves you, blesses you, and is always with you…I am!

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Dear Lord, thank You for loving us and allowing us the opportunity to know You as Lord and Savior.  Help us to be so very thankful and to be content in the places where we serve You each day.  Please continue to bless us.  And may we never get over Who You are and how You have transformed our lives for our good and for Your great glory!!!  In Jesus’ precious Name I pray, Amen.

CHRISTLife — ThirtyFour: Loved

cl loved

In this is love, not that we loved God,
but that He loved us and sent His Son
to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:10

The KJV substitutes “Herein is love” for the phrase “In this is love” at the beginning of this verse.  Isn’t that a tremendous interpretation?—‘Herein, or, in here’ is love…truly nowhere else!  In God is love…He is love!

In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself,
according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace….
Ephesians 1:5 and 6

“God’s unfailing love for us is an objective fact affirmed over and over in the Scriptures.  It is true whether we believe it or not.  Our doubts do not destroy God’s love, nor does our faith create it.  It originates in the very nature of God, who IS Love, and it flows to us through our union with His beloved Son.” ~ Jerry Bridges

The love of God for you (me, too!) is a fact…an absolute…a given—the Truth.  I can doubt it, if I choose.  I can worry about losing it, if I want.  I can wonder how God could possibly love me, if I want.

OR, I can believe it.

This God, the Great I AM, my ABBA Father, communicates all throughout the Scriptures of His love—

  • steadfast (Psalm 103:11)
  • unfailing (Psalm 147:11)
  • inseparable (Romans 8:38 and 39)
  • faithful (Exodus 34:6)
  • everlasting (Jeremiah 31:3)
  • unconditional (Luke 15)
  • compassionate (Psalm 86:15)
  • merciful (Titus 3:4 and 5)
  • enduring (Psalm 106:1)
  • and more; so much more!

Confess these Truths to yourself, my friend…encourage and strengthen yourself in the Truth of God’s love for you!  Would you, please, do this…Look at yourself in the mirror and remind yourself of the Truth, “God loves me!  He chose me, actually picked me out for Himself to have a relationship with Him.”  (Did you say it out loud?) Read through that list of truths that tell of the love of God…and speak them over yourself.  You are loved by God!

Perhaps you can sing along with the Psalmist David,

…in the morning I will sing of Your love;
for You are my Fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
O my strength, I sing praise to You;
You, O God, are my Fortress, my loving God.
Psalms 59:16 and 17

Perhaps you can sing this beautiful song, too; will you…would you try?   ‘Cause He loves us..oh, how He loves us!!!

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And NOW here is some encouragement from Kim
along with her beautiful inner identity album page for this week!

CLkimiia0227

God’s redeeming love is such a powerful life-changing love…unlike ANYTHING I have ever experienced in my life!  He loved me out of my darkness and redeemed my life.  As Isaiah 54:8 states, “With everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer.”  Thank You, Father, for loving me that much….

No Good Thing Withheld

SeekingHimLogo

O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.
O God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of Your anointed.
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Psalms 84:8-12

My son turned eight the other day and, like most kids, he started planning his birthday 364 days prior to the actual day.  This year he seemed worried about the festivities surrounding his big day.  So one day I asked him if we had ever forgotten about his birthday, or if he had ever not had a good celebration.  He thought about it and said ‘no.’

Reading today’s Scripture passage reminded me that we often worry about things in our life.  These things may be larger than a birthday party.  It could be a relationship, financial concerns, and some days it might even be a need for a good parking space. Our Heavenly Father reassures us that He will never hold anything good back.  Like we parent our children—we want them to have the good things in life.  God wants us to have the good in life.  When we walk uprightly, our Father makes sure we have that good: grace, glory, and some days a good parking space.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,
to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

Remember it says in this verse, “all things,” not some things, not the things we see as good or not good, but all things.  When my son continued to worry about his birthday it was because it wasn’t his turn to plan his party just yet.  You see, our daughter’s birthday falls less than a month before my son’s; and it is our family rule that the person with the birthday before yours is given the opportunity to be the special birthday kid before the next birthday is planned.  It was a timing issue.  After being reminded of this—and reassured that he would have his time soon—he relaxed and enjoyed his sisters’ day.

No, God will not withhold good from us and, yes, He will turn everything to good.  But He will do it in His time, in the right time.  So as my son enjoyed his sisters’ day, I try to remember another line of these beautiful words from this passage: “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere,” even if that day, or those days, are spent waiting and soaking in His grace and Glory.

Let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promises.  In those days of waiting and wanting we can sometimes began to ask questions about when it will be our turn for the good to come.  Your reassuring words remind us that You haven’t forgotten, that You have our good planned for us and that, when the time is right, You will reveal it to us.  Until that happens, please remind us to walk in patience, and to focus on Your glory, and bask in Your grace.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.