Meet Him in His Glory – She Said
avatar

Sunrise over the Appalachians

For in him [Christ] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. Colossians 1:16 (TNIV)

Listen to Meet Him in His Glory – She Said

We raced to the sliding glass doors and opened them. “I don’t see God yet,” I said.

“Has it begun?” my husband asked.

“Nope, still pitch black. God hasn’t slipped past yet. Let’s perch on the porch.”

And we did. The nip in the air reminded me we were deep into fall. Steam slipped from my lips and rose toward the sky. I balanced the camera—primed and ready for the first glimpse of morning.

Morning over the Appalachian Mountains is nothing short of breathtaking. Before the sun peeks over the horizon, the fingers of its glow reach upward. Twirls of lavender dot the graying sky and a pink haze eases over New Foundland Gap. From up here, you can see farther than you can travel in a morning.

Birds silhouetted against the clouds dipped and dove on the breath of the morning. An orange burst opened with tinges of red and maroon, quickly softening to pink. Streaks of blue dripped through the darkness as the golden sun peaked across the gap. How can people look at this royal artistry and question the existence of the Creator?

I love morning and I rarely miss a sunrise. To me, it is the ultimate of God’s creation; His promise of renewal. Every day is different, unique—from the kiss of morning to the touch of night…God is the master of creativity.

I’ve laid on the edge of the mountaintop and watched as God drew the morning and I’ve walked the edge of the land as God slowly erased the daylight over the water, and nothing…nothing I can say can fully describe the moments when God demonstrates His majesty.

I once told my friend, “Watch the sunset. Just watch it. It’ll take your breath.” And it’s true. God in all His glory offers us an opportunity to see Him brush by…just for an instant as the sun opens into day or just before the moon rises.

It’s easy to offer praise daily to the original da Vinci. But more so…more than the beauty, is the promise within. He is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. He is the Authority.

Meet God and His mastery. Walk outside and wait for morning. Just before the sun opens its eyes, you’ll see Him in all His glory…the glory of His creation.

Read Cindy’s devotions

HE SAID, SHE SAID RADIO IS MOVING TO MONDAY NIGHT…Join us as we delve deeper into the meaning of God’s word and apply it to our own lives.

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. And now you can catch them on He Said, She Said Radio. at their new time, MONDAY’S at 6 p.m. (Call in number, 646-929-0706 ).

Do you sense something vital missing from you relationship with your spouse, children, and God?

Try He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion. This compilation of 54 devotions includes scripture verses, space for journaling, individual prayers and words of wisdom from two of today’s funniest and insightful Christian authors. This heart-warming collection of stories will inspire you to reach for the true source of joy: a life lived for and through God. These deeply personal devotions offer biblical insights and spiritual truths from the perspective of one man and one woman.

He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion
by Cindy Sproles & Eddie Jones

That's Why They Call It Making Love: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion

Print version $9.95
Kindle eBook $2.99
NOOK eBook $2.99

Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

Rest in Peace – He Said
avatar

Rest In Peace

Rest In Peace

Rest In Peace – He Said

I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. Lamentations 3:17

Listen to Rest In Peace – He Said

He left his job in June of 2010 with $40,000 in the bank and freelance projects worth $5000. A year later it’s all gone. His condo goes up for auction in November. He’s tried to find part-time work but when they see his resume, they call him “too gifted” and “overqualified” for such menial work.  He can’t get minimum wage assembly work, but recruiters call him daily for jobs paying $60/hr.  He’s terrified a large company will hire him for his IT skills, and terrified they won’t.

I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. Yes it is true. Money can’t buy happiness but it can buy an improved level of misery.

The writer of Lamentations considered the ways of God’s people and saw the hand of God in their punishment. With malice they disobeyed His commands and refused to repent of their sin. They knew a better way and that way proved bitter. What is the path to prosperity and peace?

According to the Gospel of Mark (Twain), “The lack of money is the root of all evil.” But it is not. The root of all evil lies in security, peace, and salvation through our efforts: through our love of money and safety.

We may think we are “self-made,” a nation pulled up by our bootstraps. We are not. We are merely a people who once gave all glory to our Creator.

I cannot counsel my friend on the way he should go. Perhaps returning to a career he left for the temporary sanctuary found in steady work is God’s will for him. But I know this. The works my friend creates through his paintings, illustrations, and art changes lives and glorifies God.

Regardless of his/your/our current economic condition, if we are obedient to His call, we can rest in the peace of knowing we’ve done our best.

The Scent of Jesus – She Said
avatar

Honey

The Scent of Jesus

The Scent of Jesus – She Said
I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. Lamentations 3:17-26 NIV

Listen to The Scent of Jesus – She Said

Fifteen years as a vet tech and I’d never seen anything like this. I certainly never expected to smell it for weeks.

I was driving to Raleigh to meet my ministry partner for a conference. I’d followed a box truck across the mountain toward Asheville.

It was one of those moments you watch unfold in slow motion, knowing there’s nothing you can do. A German Shepherd bounded down a steep hill in hot pursuit. The truck driver must have been in the same shock as me because his brake lights came on but there was nothing he could do to prevent it.

The dog never slowed, instead it ran full-speed into the bumper of the truck. Between the angle it slammed into the truck and the speed of both…the dog completely exploded. You get the picture – it rained down on my car. The truck screeched to a halt and I was dumfounded. There was nothing left of this animal but its pelt. Even a drive through a car wash didn’t help my car. The day was hot and the smell ripened as I traveled. When I laid down to sleep, there was no peace. The incident haunted me.

Peace is comforting. For lack of better words, it’s the aftermath of acceptance. And acceptance leads to prosperity. Not always the monetary type of prosperity, but abundance, growth, and well-being.

I’ve searched for peace before, sometimes finding it quickly while other times the stench of sin lingered, depriving me of acceptance and the prosperity of peace. I continually relived every moment leading up to my depravity. Finding the solution to rid myself of the smell wasn’t easy either. I tried thinking of the fragrance of roses or herbs and their haunting aroma, but nothing covered the stink.

Nothing, that is, until Christ. Once I handed over any stinky issues to Him, it was like a good hard scrub with Mr. Clean. The cleansing brought acceptance. The acceptance brought me peace and  prosperity–that abundance, growth, and well-being I needed.

I walked the mountain last week and at the top I stretched across a boulder and breathed in a clean fresh fragrance. The sweet, pleasant scent of Jesus. Peaceful.

If you’re smelling the stench of sin, let Christ wash you clean. Smell the sweet scent of Him.

Read Cindy’s devotions.

Join us as we delve deeper into the meaning of God’s word and apply it to our own lives.

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. And now you can catch them each Friday evening at their new time, 6 p.m. on He Said, She Said Radio. (Call in number, 646-929-0706 ).

Do you sense something vital missing from you relationship with your spouse, children, and God?

Try He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion. This compilation of 54 devotions includes scripture verses, space for journaling, individual prayers and words of wisdom from two of today’s funniest and insightful Christian authors. This heart-warming collection of stories will inspire you to reach for the true source of joy: a life lived for and through God. These deeply personal devotions offer biblical insights and spiritual truths from the perspective of one man and one woman.

He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion
by Cindy Sproles & Eddie Jones

That's Why They Call It Making Love: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion

Print version $9.95
Kindle eBook $2.99
NOOK eBook $2.99

He is Obvious – She Said
avatar

Honey

Honey

…and the Word was God. John 1:1c NIV

Listen to He is Obvious – She Said

Sometimes the blatant isn’t always obvious. I was raised in the church—Mom had me there a few weeks after my birth. I even played the baby Jesus in the Christmas play…talk about tough robes to fill. But I’m learning that even though I’ve known Christ since childhood, He is not always obvious.

I acquired my aunt’s Maltese after her death. She blended well with the two Rat Terriers and three cats. I kept her dolled up for several years and then one day she cried when I brushed her. Her grooming soon became a bath and a shear rather than bubbles and bows. Things just weren’t obvious to me.

Time passed and the vet ended up pulling all her teeth. Her eyesight went by the wayside and she began to stagger, then topple over. Still, it just wasn’t obvious to me.

Today I made that lonesome trip to the vet, signed the dreaded form that gave them permission to lay my little friend to rest, kissed her goodbye, and handed her over. What hadn’t been obvious to me in the past had suddenly become blatant.

I think sometimes we can love something so much we lose sight of it. Our intentions are pure, our heart right, but we trip all over ourselves. I’m not sure God gets mad at us for that. He sees our effort but what must hurt Him is our failure to see the obvious…Him. He’s the Word, given to us in unconditional love and yet we miss His presence…miss His love.

As I look at fall in the Appalachians, even as I take in a breath, I realize He is obvious to me. For the times I’ve fallen, pushed my fingers through the dirt and grasped hold of His word that would save me–He was obvious. In my hands I held the Word…His strength and His power. And when I opened my Bible I literally saw God because the Word was God. How much more obvious can He be?

I chose not to look at little Honey’s declining health. I loved her but that love blinded me to the truth…made the ultimate less obvious.

God is obvious in scripture but often we thumb through the pages never grasping that the Word is Him. Instead we search for Him in the most difficult places. Things became obvious to me today as I walked out of the vet’s office, tears streaming. I crawled in the car and there on the seat lay my Bible. There in the seat next to me…was God.

You, too, hold the Word that makes God obvious. Open the pages and read. Let Him be obvious.

Read Cindy’s devotions.

Today’s He Said, She Said marks another in a new series with a focus on God’s promises. Join us over the next few weeks as we claim the goodness of God in our “weakly” lives. – EJ & CS

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. And now you can catch them each Friday evening at their new time, 6 p.m. on He Said, She Said Radio. (Call in number, 646-929-0706 ).

Do you sense something vital missing from you relationship with your spouse, children, and God?

Try He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion. This compilation of 54 devotions includes scripture verses, space for journaling, individual prayers and words of wisdom from two of today’s funniest and insightful Christian authors. This heart-warming collection of stories will inspire you to reach for the true source of joy: a life lived for and through God. These deeply personal devotions offer biblical insights and spiritual truths from the perspective of one man and one woman.

He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion
by Cindy Sproles & Eddie Jones

That's Why They Call It Making Love: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion

Print version $9.95
Kindle eBook $2.99
NOOK eBook $2.99

My Eyes Have Seen the Glory – She Said
avatar

Glorious Faith

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29 ESV

Listen to My Eyes Have Seen the Glory – She Said

It was 2 degrees outside and raining, not snowing, but raining. Dad would have been really miffed to think the weather dipped from the mid 40’s the day of his death to a chilling 2 degrees. He hated the bitter cold.

I pulled my coat tight around my neck as my son, Chase, and I walked across the brittle ice-covered grass toward Dad’s grave. White tipped dirt clods sparkled with a thin coat of frozen dew and broke apart like glass under our feet.

“You know Papaw won’t be back, right?” I slipped my hand through my sixteen-year-old’s arm.

“Yep.”

“I mean, you realize we won’t see Papaw anymore until heaven?”

“Oh yeah, I know.”

It was enough to lose dad but to try and help Chase understand was about more than I could manage in my own grief.

“Son, you understand Papaw died, right? It’s okay to be sad.”

“Yep. But why would I be sad, Mom? Papaw is safe in God’s arms.”

Safe in God’s arms. And he was content to believe that. It’s funny how we assess the understanding of the mentally retarded — piously thinking “how sweet,” yet never seriously considering the godly insight of these individuals. His innocent belief in God, in heaven, and in eternity put my years of faith to shame.

We call them Chase-isms—those moments when God teaches us through Chase. Dad was gone and all I saw was the loss. Chase saw eternity… the glory. His faith in not having ever seen God was genuine. He found peace and comfort in the reality of the unseen.

It’s difficult to get my head around true faith. I wonder if what I call faith is even the size of a mustard seed, especially when I stack it against Chase. The disciples, Paul…all had the privilege of either knowing Christ or personally experiencing Him. They were able to see what we must blindly trust.

God never falters. His love and presence is even greater now than it was with the disciples because the relationship we build with Him must be fully trusting. What an amazing thing…to have the opportunity to know Christ this intimately.

We are blessed when, like Chase, we believe completely in an omniscient and omnipresent Father. Take time today to assess your relationship with Jesus. Have your eyes seen the glory?

Read Cindy’s devotions

Today’s He Said, She Said marks another in a new series with a focus on God’s promises. Join us over the next few weeks as we claim the goodness of God in our “weakly” lives. – EJ & CS

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. And now you can catch them each Friday evening at their new time, 6 p.m. on He Said, She Said Radio. (Call in number, 646-929-0706 ).

Do you sense something vital missing from you relationship with your spouse, children, and God?

Try He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion. This compilation of 54 devotions includes scripture verses, space for journaling, individual prayers and words of wisdom from two of today’s funniest and insightful Christian authors. This heart-warming collection of stories will inspire you to reach for the true source of joy: a life lived for and through God. These deeply personal devotions offer biblical insights and spiritual truths from the perspective of one man and one woman.

Perfect for your quiet time. No matter if you are newlyweds or newly retired, this book of devotions will help you put the spark back into your love life and explore the precious relationships God desires for you. Begin this new year committed to spending a few moments each day connected to God. He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion touches the heart, tickles the funny bone and brings you to your knees in worship.

He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion
by Cindy Sproles & Eddie Jones

That's Why They Call It Making Love: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion

Print version $9.95
Kindle eBook $2.99

NOOK eBook $2.99

Best Medicine – Martin Wiles
avatar

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. Proverbs 17:22 NLT

I thought I’d die before I swallowed it. Yet my grandmother shoved the nasty liquid in my mouth. “It’ll help,” she’d say.

I remember cough medicines being among the foulest tasting things and I detested taking it. The extremely bitter taste and the water I chased it with didn’t seem to help. Perhaps castor oil is the most infamous. It’s been used medicinally since the days of the pioneers.

Proverbs suggests that happiness is the best medicine. Happy people seem to live longer. They’re normally stress-free or can handle stress without it affecting them physically or emotionally. However, living with a broken spirit will sap our strength. The one who is taken down by brokenness lets discouragement and depression rule their lives.

Life is tough but if I can maintain a cheerful spirit in the midst of the difficulty, I can be happy because I’m at peace with God. If I’ve confessed my sins and asked forgiveness, my debt to God has been satisfied by the blood of Christ. I’m no longer under condemnation. No matter what might come my way, I’m safe in God’s hands.

Instead of complaining, look for the good in life. Praise God because He guides you and provides for all your needs.

Maintain a prayer life and you’ll find your relationship with Christ brings a happy heart. Seek a relationship with your heavenly Father and find peace.

Take a dose of happiness and it will change your perspective on life.

Dr.Martin Wiles is an ordained minister currently serving as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Harleyville, South Carolina. He holds degrees from Baptist College of Florida and Southern Baptist School in Jacksonville, Florida. He has authored two books and has served as a regional correspondent for the Baptist Courier. He has also been published in Proclaim, The Sounds of Poetry, Fires of Genius, as well as other anthologies of poetry. Martin and his wife Michelle, currently reside in Harleyville, SC. They have two children.
Read Martin’s devotions.

Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

Mysterious Ways – Barbara Beyer
avatar

Be not weary in well doing, for you shall reap if you faint not. Galatians 6:9

It was happening again. I was in route to see my ill husband confined in a medical facility. For the last fifteen years he’d suffered many side effects from Rheumatoid Arthritis. A knee replacement became staph infected, subjecting him to other debilitating diseases. It seemed endless, then the unthinkable—blood thinners to prevent clots caused a stroke.

When he was discharged from ISC again, I brought him home at his request. I nursed him and cared for him for three weeks and physical therapy was given through home care services.

“I need to get out of this bed,” he began to say as he tried to maneuver his body to a stand.

I decided it would be a perfect time to admit him for medical rehab and a more aggressive therapy. I’d give myself some respite and visit two of my daughters I’d not seen in over a year.

Once Bob was in therapy his attitude began to change. He grew depressed and his health declined. I had no choice but to cancel my trip. He wanted to come home, but double pneumonia prevented the move. I noticed a lack of concern from the hospital staff in regard to his deteriorating condition and it frustrated me.

As much as I loved my husband and wanted to care for his needs, I was overwhelmed at times. I cried out to God for help. “How long, oh Lord can I go on? I need your strength…I need relief.”

Up early the next morning, I had a vision. Standing by the door to the garage, was a golden figure that looked like the Christ. His arms were open and outstretched…like someone asking to hold a baby.

It wasn’t an audible voice, but a deep impression of gentle words… “Will you give him to me…please?”

Symbolically, I walked toward my Lord to place my husband into his arms.

I wondered why doctors and nurses didn’t seem more interested in my loved one’s needs. I told my daughter I felt as if he were dying. Quietly, the Lord assured me He was holding His child. Just weeks after being placed in rehab, my husband went home to be with Jesus.

As I grieved, I saw him as a precious treasure laid up in heaven…and waiting for me. His journey was over, but I could only rejoice.

When you are overwhelmed by the serious needs of a loved one the hardest prayer to offer is that the will of God be made complete. Whether it’s end-of-life or personal issues, God asks for us to cast our cares on Him. Won’t you cast your cares on Him. He will care for you and you will not grow faint.

Barbara Beyer remarried her husband after years of being divorced. They have five wonderful adult children and ten grandchildren. She has written over fifty songs; and has produced one CD. Her poems have been printed in newspapers and books. She has also written one novel and an illustrated devotional. When her children were in their teens, they all traveled the States as a musical family group called Sounds of Praise. Her love for Christ has seen her through many trials and tribulations over the years. She lives for the day when she will see her Savior face to face.
Read Barbara’s devotions.
Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

Teenage Prisoner – Jeanette Levellie
avatar

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. Romans 6:22  NIV

The dark-suited man stepped between me and the boy he was escorting. Then I saw them—handcuffs and foot shackles. The plainclothesman opened the back door of the station wagon and motioned his prisoner to sit. I noticed the bars between the front and back seat. My heart slid to the sidewalk. No wonder the kid walked so slowly across the courthouse lawn, I thought, my vision blurred by tears. I wondered what kind of holes are in his heart that brought him to this place.

I fought crying as I returned to work and I told my assistant about the encounter. “My heart breaks every time I see one of those teenage prisoners.”

Our store is located across the street from the courthouse so we often view young people in handcuffs being escorted up the steps. But this was the first time I’d seen one in shackles.

Callie was unmoved by my emotion. “They’re only getting what they deserve, Jeanette. They broke the law, now they’re paying for it.”

I was shocked. “Oh, Callie, we have no idea what that boy has encountered in his life.” I often wonder what I’d be like if I grew up in a home full of
beatings, shame, or neglect. When I’m tempted to judge others for their crimes, I strive to remember I had the privilege of a loving, Christian family. If not for that, I might be in shackles too.

My own words echoed in my heart and I realized how much like that young prisoner I really was. The shackles on my soul before I met Jesus were no less binding than those I’d seen on him. No matter that society didn’t consider my sins crimes. In God’s eyes, my gossip, selfishness, and greed had disqualified me for a spot in Heaven as quickly as someone else’s theft or murder. When I surrendered my life to Jesus I was set free.

Are you ever tempted to judge another’s sin as worse than your own? Remember, it takes only one sin to put you in spiritual prison, and only one Savior’s blood can set you free. Pray for those imprisoned by sin, that their shackles will be broken through Christ.

Jeanette Levellie is a pastor’s wife of 35 years. She has published stories in Guideposts anthologies, articles in Christian and secular magazines, greeting card verses, and calendar poems. Her bi-weekly humor/inspirational column, God is Bigger, has been a popular feature in the Paris Beacon News since 2001. She writes three times a week for her inspirational/humor blog at http://jeanettelevellie.blogspot.com. As a former history/government teacher with an Associate’s degree in English, Jeanette enjoys speaking to church and civic groups, offering hope and humor in every message. She and her husband Kevin live in Paris, IL.
Read Jeanette’s devotions.

Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

Who is in Control? – Laura Hodges Poole
avatar

I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber. Psalm 121:1-3 NIV

A serial killer had struck. This was real and our community was stunned.

In 1990 my family and I were living in the college town of Gainesville, Florida. The weekend before classes began, a serial killer struck, savagely killing his victims. Fear of who would be his next victim spread. Each day passed and more bodies were found. Everyone clutched a paralyzing fear as tightly as the weapons they had acquired. Dozens of students moved into the apartments of their friends, hoping for safety in numbers. Security devices and weapons sold out quickly while rumors and theories flew.

Never had I experienced such an unbearable fear and worry. I prayed God would protect my family and relieve me of the awful feelings that threatened my life. Fear and worry work hand-in-hand to stifle a Christian’s spiritual life. Not only had this killer taken lives, he had ruined life for the rest of us. I was determined to rid myself of this fear. While I was awake and on my guard, I could function. It was sleep and darkness I feared, and I was not alone. Many weary people were in that community. Months passed before the killer was caught.

If I could just conquer the fear, I thought. Then I realized I didn’t have to. God already had. The Psalmist says, My help comes from the Lord…He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber. God does not sleep—so I could. His watchful eye was always on me.

Change didn’t come overnight but when I relinquished control to Him, the healing began. Day after day, He proved He was a God, faithful to His promises, and He was in control.

What fear or worry have you allowed to control your life? When we ask, “Where does my help come from?” we already know the answer—the Lord. It is up to us to put God’s word into practice.

Laura Hodges Poole is a freelance writer whose articles have appeared in media such as Evangel, Christian Home and School, Our Town, and the Independent Mail. She currently writes Christian romance novels and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Her most recent non-fiction work includes a book she co-wrote, Laurie’s Story: Discovering Joy in Adversity. Laura lives in South Carolina with her husband and they have two children. Her passion is encouraging others in their Christian walk. Visit her blog, A Word of Encouragement, at laurahodgespoole.blogspot.com.

Read Laura’s devotions.

Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

God Will Fulfill His Purpose – Anita Norton
avatar

God will fulfill His purpose for me. His loves endures forever. He will not abandon the work of His hands. Psalms 138:8

“How can YOU do this to one of your faithful servants? It’s not fair to make him suffer!” was my angry protest to God when my dad, a minister for over 60 years, had a stroke and lost vision in his left eye. He was “the eyes” and mom was “the ears” as a team. I had prayed for years that God would take him gently with an attitude that God owed him.

For six months, we watched dad slowly lose more each day, enduring the humiliation of becoming helpless. I spent time reading the Bible and singing old hymns with my parents, went to church support groups, and listened to Christian radio. Gradually, God showed me I needed to change. I couldn’t judge what He was doing or know who was watching.

Despite my anger and frustration with his suffering, Dad escaped into God’s arms. I knew in his earthly body there was suffering but in his new body, a reward of great proportion would come. God used Dad as a faithful servant and one who brought glory to Him. Without a doubt, Father God could be trusted with the exact days of His child – and He knew exactly what was best.

How do you cope with darkness when God doesn’t seem fair or loving by your standards or limited understanding of the circumstances? Trust in His promise and He will never abandon you. Believe and you will see the purpose and plan somewhere down the road.

Anita is a retired teacher and military wife who now loves to garden and travel to be with 7 grandchildren. She lives in central Illinois and the children live in northern Illinois and Missouri. She is still married to the same man after 43 years. She has found journaling to be a valuable tool in her walk of faith, to capture the moments God is teaching her something important. Recently, she discovered others might enjoy her sharing some of the lessons God taught. Read Anita’s devotions.
Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!