God’s Love

AM 4:08

“I put my hand on the counter to steady myself,” said Maurice, “And that’s when it felt like something was happening in my head – like a transformer explodes, it felt like something exploded in my head.”

May 3rd 2019, Maurice Hilliard was going back to bed after using the bathroom, but then…

“Felt sparks coming all through my head and I was totally out of control,” Maurice said. “I screamed and I fell to the floor.”

Maurice’s wife Earlene remembers. […]

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“She explained to me that within an hour, I would expire if I didn’t allow myself to be ventilated and I said, ‘No, I’m not,’ because I looked at the statistics, and at the time six out of seven COVID patients going on the ventilator, we’re not ever coming off,” David Johnson says. 

In March 2020, David, a sportswriter who covers Ole Miss football for CBS Sports, attended a conference in Nashville. […]

When we help others, we often receive the most benefit. Look for places in your church or community where you can help those in need. Practice acts of kindness. When we share the gospel and help those with a weaker or more immature faith, ours grows. Peter, perhaps Jesus’s most well-known disciple, gave this instruction: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10).8. Read an encouraging book or listen to a Christian podcast or message.There are hundreds of great books and messages available. Start by asking for recommendations from Christians you trust or talk to a pastor at your church.Learning about Christian heroes from the past always encourages me. Find a book at the library or online about someone who was strong in faith and persevered to find inspiration.Check out Crosswalk’s top Christian Podcasts here.9.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions.We all have times we when we question what we believe and seek truth. God welcomes our questions and wants to answer. Scripture tells us in James 1:5-6a, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt.” When experiencing doubt, also ask your pastor, counselor, or another mature Christian you’re acquainted with for help.10.  Be willing to obey God when it’s scary or uncomfortable.The more you’re required to depend on God, the more your faith will mature.Take action on something you know God is asking you to do and trust Him to help you. This might be speaking to someone about Him, writing an encouraging letter, serving in a new ministry, giving your testimony, or some other risk. As resistance exercises strengthen physical muscles, so our spiritual muscles increase when challenged. If we remain in our safe haven, we don’t advance in confidence. This also deepens my trust in Christ. In order to know God will catch me when I jump, I have to be willing to take the leap.Each new level of faith eventually becomes a place of comfort we’re called to leave. I don’t believe God will ever tell us to take it easy and get comfortable because we’ve reached our peak. As long as we’re on earth, He will call us to a deeper life with Him and to new opportunities requiring dependence on Him. I’m speaking to myself here. I like being where I feel safe and know what to expect. I pray God will increase my willingness to take the next step, stirring me to fully rely on Him.Father, please help each of us grow stronger in faith. May we be willing to seek You first each day listening for Your guidance and obeying You despite being afraid or facing what seems impossible. We believe in You Lord! We know You reward those who seek You and You love us with an everlasting love! Please be glorified through us every day.Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Silvia JansenDesign Credit: © SWN/Sarah Martin

Susan Aken writes devotions and articles for Wholly Loved Ministries, is an Oklahoma native who’s lived in Nebraska since 1987 and has been in public education for over thirty years. She and her husband have one son and a wonderful daughter-in-law. Besides writing she has a passion for special needs and prayer ministries. She enjoys time with family, reading, photography, movies, walking in nature, and a nice cup of tea. She believes life is a journey and we’re all in different places. Jesus is everything to her and it’s all about grace. Visit her at susanaken53.wordpress.com or on Facebook. […]

Out of Context: Though I am not married, if there is one verse that gets me fired up and defensive about, it’s Ephesians 5:22. Perhaps it’s because I’ve seen too many people use and abuse this verse for improper means or simply because I’m a female. Still, this Scripture needs to be adequately defined, especially regarding the concept of submission.”Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:22)As I prepare for pre-engagement, engagement, and marriage, my boyfriend and I have made it a point to discuss the implications of obedience and what I call “give and take” in marriage. While I do not claim to be an expert, I believe that the number of men who use this verse to get women and wives to do whatever they want when they please is humiliating and abhorring.In Context: According to Scripture, Ephesians 5 was written by the Apostle Paul during the same time frame as Philippians. Calling us to walk in love, Paul explains how to love ourselves and our brothers and sisters in Christ and then extends this love to husbands and wives. Calling us to be careful how we walk, I find it highly ironic that so many men tell their wives “you have to do X” because Scripture says, “wives submit to their husbands.” Sadly, this X is often filled with forced sexual pleasures, household duties, or whatever they see fit at the time.While Scripture does make it clear that a husband and wife hand over their conjugal rights to one another once they are united as one, it is said that they do so out of love. It is not suitable for a husband to pressure or even force his wife to have sex with him, for is that love as Christ would love the Church? Absolutely not.In the same manner, is it righteous for spouses to withhold sex from each other out of anger or disdain? Highly unlikely. Instead, both parties must work together to express their concerns and find a happy medium where they submit to one another mutually; that’s the love that Christ calls men and women to obey.Application: The Christian marriage and commitment given to men and women through mutual submission are spiritual. The Christian marriage and responsibility given to men and women through force, coercion, and unequal submission are secular and deathly.This idea of humility and meekness has nothing to do with a one sex reigning precedent over another, but two parties working together to represent Christ to the world. They work together as a robust military force would.A loving wife or woman should be willing to show love to her husband, but a loving husband must treat her with the honor, respect, and love that Christ would give her. Our God is love, and love is not forced, coerced, or placed as a weight over someone’s head to get them to do what you want. We express mutual submission in love not because we have to, but because the Lord commands it, and we fear Him above all else. The motive for proper and Godly submission is not the Law but demonstrating a relationship with Christ to the world because we respect what His Law says.Design Credit: © Getty Images/malik parwaiz akhter […]

If we do not learn how to lay up treasures in heaven, we will inevitably settle for the treasures of earth — and miss out on something far more lasting and satisfying.

When we hear, “Lay up treasures in heaven,” it might sound like, “Make sure you put some money away in your 401(k).” “Prioritize long-term financial security over short-term gains and purchases.” Jesus, however, is not selling life insurance or dealing retirement plans here. Investing in heaven does not mean forfeiting present happiness. It means relocating and deepening our happiness — now and in eternity.

Whenever we make earthly sacrifices in the process, Jesus says,

Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. (Mark 10:29–30)

Any investment we make in heaven at the expense of some experience on earth will be handsomely rewarded now in this time — and in the age to come. A hundredfold now in this time. Do you believe God will do that when you give what you have away?

Again, Jesus says, “It is more blessed” — now, today, in this moment — “to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). When we lay up treasures in heaven, we are not hedging for the future; we are seizing blessing now and in the future. The happiest people in the world are not those who spend and buy for themselves — we see this over and over again in the headlines of our consumer society — but those who spend and give for the good of others.

Pursuing happiness in this way, however, will make us aliens in a world of buyers, spenders, and savers. Those who have stored their treasures in heaven will confuse, and likely offend, those clinging to what they have here on earth.

What Have You Been Given?

Our treasure, here and elsewhere in Scripture, is whatever we earn or acquire for ourselves with what we’ve been given by God. What do we spend our money, time, and energy to have?

So, first, what has God given you? Well, everything you have. “What do you have that you did not receive?” the apostle Paul asks. “If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). We far too easily begin taking the gifts of God for granted until we eventually start taking credit for them. Faithful stewardship begins with a conviction that all we have, we have been given (James 1:17), and that all we have been given, we have been given in order to make much of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

So, again, what has God given you? He “gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25). First, he has given you life, a breathtaking and immeasurable gift with enormous potential. Assuming you survive the day, God will have given you another 20,000 breaths. And, if he wills, he will give you another 20,000 tomorrow. What will you spend those breaths to have?

“Investing in heaven does not mean forfeiting present happiness. It means relocating and deepening our happiness.”

God has given you life and breath and everything. If you have it, God gave it. Every dime in every paycheck. Every square inch of your home. Every piece of cotton in your closet. Every last cent in your savings. And one day, we will each give an account for how we spent and used all we had — and most of us, especially in the West, have been given much. What will our much have purchased? What will our much say about what we really treasured and pursued? Will our much suggest that we lived for heaven on earth, or that we quietly wished heaven would let us have a few more years here first?

Remember the Poor

What does it mean to lay up treasures in heaven? It means to give all we can on earth for the good of others in the name of Jesus. Jesus says,

Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Luke 12:33–34)

Do you want a treasure that never fails? Do you want financial accounts that never atrophy? Do you want a security, freedom, and pleasure that swells and spreads long after you have died? Then sell what you have to give to those who have not. Jesus says elsewhere to one wealthy young man, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21). We cannot begin to lay up treasure in heaven if we’re not ready to sacrifice our earthly treasures for those in need.

Obeying Jesus really does begin here: providing for the poor. This will look different from family to family, city to city, century to century, but Jesus assured us, “You always have the poor with you” (Mark 14:7). And so it has been, even in the most affluent nations. And as the apostles charged Paul, so God charges us: “Remember the poor” (Galatians 2:10). So who are the poor where you are, and how might what you have meet them where their needs are?

Ambitious Generosity

Beyond the poor (never overlooking or avoiding the poor), we lay up treasures in a wide variety of generosities.

We give to other kinds of needs around us, especially of believers — opening our homes in hospitality, covering bills in a crisis, providing meals after a surgery, surprising someone with a thoughtful gift. We support the spread of the gospel, first through our own churches, but then far beyond, through world missions. Do any dollars produce more treasure in heaven than those that help welcome the unreached into the kingdom?

We give, and we also do good — spending time with the lonely, carrying boxes during a move, teaching Sunday school, babysitting for weary parents, helping someone with house projects, baking for a neighbor. “Let us not grow weary of doing good,” Paul says, “for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). So, laying up treasures in heaven sometimes means lending our time and hands instead of our money.

The calling here is not just a lifestyle of generosity, but of ambitious generosity. Not, “Make sure you cover your bases, and then see if you have some left over to give away,” but, Lay up treasures in heaven. Chase this treasure. Search for creative ways to obtain more of this treasure. Do whatever you can to have this treasure. Not leftover generosity, but radical generosity — the kind that only makes sense if Jesus really died, really rose, and will really reward those who give and sacrifice in these ways. Don’t simply include heaven in your budget, but aim your budget — your whole budget — at heaven.

Fear Not

Where does this kind of ambitious generosity come from? How do we fight the fears that make us selfish, shortsighted, and stingy? Notice what Jesus says immediately before he calls us to give all we have:

Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. (Luke 12:32–33)

If you struggle to lay up treasures in heaven, remember, first, that you have a Father in heaven. In Christ, the ruler of the heaven awaiting is not merely your compassionate king or merciful judge, but he has made you his own child. The one holding your inheritance for you (1 Peter 1:4), and you for your inheritance (1 Peter 1:5), loves you with the love of a devoted and adoring Father.

“Ambitious generosity grows in the imaginations and pockets of those awed by the generosity of God.”

And your Father is not stingy, but generous. He wants to give you the kingdom. If you are his, “all things are yours, whether . . . the world or life or death or the present or the future — all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Corinthians 3:21–23). How insane of us, when we are confronted with a real, pressing need, to cling to a few hundred dollars or a few unexpected hours while God holds out everything to us in Christ? He literally will withhold nothing. Ambitious generosity grows in the imaginations and pockets of those awed by the generosity of God. Meditate on all that God will give you. You will never be able to count or quantify what he has promised.

Not only is your Father generous, but he is glad to give you the kingdom. He gives not reluctantly, but eagerly and cheerfully. With the greatest, most warming smile. Why does God love a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7)? The next verse tells us: because God himself is a cheerful and generous giver (2 Corinthians 9:8). Glad generosity in us burns bright with the joyful generosity of heaven toward us.

In the end, God will not only reward us for laying up treasure in heaven, but he will be the great reward of heaven. Like the persecuted believers in Hebrews, we can joyfully give what we have on earth for those in need, and even accept the plundering of our property, since we know that we have “a better possession and an abiding one” (Hebrews 10:34). And the better and abiding possession is not ultimately something he gives, but Someone he is. […]

Our union with Jesus and His love transcends words. Our words are insufficient. Jesus used words and action in everyday life, of course, but in times of prayer He withdrew into solitude. Jesus is the Word. God doesn’t disapprove of our busy and active lives. He never says in Scripture to stop what we’re doing and forget all about work. In fact, the Word of God tells us just the opposite:
For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. — 2 Thessalonians 3:10
It’s our anxiety He addressed:
Let not your heart be troubled… Peace I give you, not as the world gives. — John 14:1, John 14:27, paraphrased
In the familiar account of Jesus and His disciples having dinner at the home of His friend Lazarus and Lazarus’s two sisters, Mary and Martha, a conflict arose. Mary forgot all about dinner and sat mesmerized by what Jesus was talking about. She sat enraptured, listening to His every word while Martha anxiously labored preparing food. Finally she burst into the room where Jesus was teaching and spouted out what amounted to, “Jesus, tell my sister to come help me. Here I am stuck with all the work while she does nothing.”
Jesus, in His sweet way, responded with, “Martha, Martha, you’re worried and upset about many things.” He told her that Mary had made a good decision when she chose to be still and sit at His feet to learn about God. He told Martha that few things in this life are actually necessary, but there was really only one thing that mattered and what Mary learned could never be taken away from her.
The practical side of me can’t help wonder if they ate at all that night. Did Martha take off her apron and sit down to listen too? Did her brother Lazarus get up and stir the soup? Did the bread burn in the oven? Maybe Jesus Himself set the table. Maybe they stayed up all night nibbling on burnt bread and cold soup while Jesus taught.
The words that remain with us like fire are His words to Martha: “Martha, Martha . . .”
It was not her busy activity Jesus addressed, but her anxiety. She was nervous and upset, and Jesus discerned that she was anxious about more than just the dinner. “Many things,” He said.
The early believers learned that sitting in silence and stillness was “the better part” that brought them inner peace and a deeper awareness of the mystery of God. Mary may have been familiar with Psalm 46,
Be still, and know that I am God.
Martha wanted to make sure they had a nice meal. After all, more than likely this was a special event.
Martha anxiously worked to get a meal together to feed the Lord.
Mary was sitting silently, being fed by the Lord. Jesus said that what she gained by sitting silently and listening calmly could not be taken away from her.
If we can sit still in the Lord’s presence like Mary did, then something that can never be taken away from us happens to us too.
Stress is stolen property. Stress doesn’t belong to you.If stress were a gift from God, it would bring you joy.Does stress bring you joy?
Everywhere we turn, people harp about the stress in their lives. Stress crushes what’s lovely in us. We lose who we are and why we’re on earth for such a time as this. Try increasing your daily sessions of Quiet Prayer to give the Lord Jesus the freedom to touch you deeply. He will show by His Spirit the one thing that’s necessary, the thing that can never be taken from you.
Excerpted with permission from Quiet Prayer by Marie Chapian, copyright Marie Chapian.
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Your Turn
Can you sit still in the Lord’s presence? Stress can be crushing. We all know that, right? But, the Lord is ready for us to sit at His feet and touch us in a meaningful way with His Presence. What is it that you want more than that? Be still. ~ Devotionals Daily […]

When we look at the world around us, the diversity of Creation is amazing. God didn’t create a world without color or one season. Instead, He made a world awash with color, packed with variety, differing seasons, and various sounds. When we look at the world around us, we realize that God, the Creator, didn’t spare any creativity when He put it all together.
God created the world with the creativity of a grand-master artist, but also with wisdom and understanding.
In Hebrew, the word for “understanding” is Binah. The prophet Jeremiah connects understanding (Binah), wisdom (chochmah), and Creation:
He made the earth by His power, established the world by His wisdom, and stretched out heaven by His understanding. — Jeremiah 10:12
We find a practical and life-changing truth here. The psalmist wrote,
Adonai, how countless are Your works! In wisdom You made them all. — Psalm 104:24
God made us with wisdom. We are one of His creations! This insight is vital for us to understand because most of us are critical of ourselves and others. How many times has someone made you feel worthless, stupid, or ugly? The world, the flesh, and the Enemy will try to speak these lies over you until you believe them. But if you believe these lies, you empower them and the father of lies who are their source.
You are not a mistake or ugly or worthless, for God created you with wisdom. Let the light of God’s wisdom and understanding dispel the dark lies that deceive you and lead you into emotional, relational, and spiritual bondage.
Not only does a song tell how precious we are in His sight, but His Word also gives us that assurance. For example, Isaiah 49:16 tells us,
Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands. Your walls are continually before Me.
We are engraved into His hands. We are part of Him, remembered by Him. Would you engrave your hands with something of little or no value? No.
Of course, the verse that shows us the value we have is John 3:16,
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
God’s love for you is extravagant. He so loves you that He did something about it. His love for you is also expensive. Loving you cost Him everything. He gave His unique Son, the costliest gift He could give.
Easter and the Passover season celebrate freedom. Passover celebrates the Israelites freedom from the slavery and captivity of Egypt. Easter celebrates Jesus’ death and resurrection and our freedom from sin. God’s creative wisdom includes freedom for you and me. It includes the tremendous value you have because He gave His Son for you.
Written for Faith.Full by Rabbi Jason Sobel, author of Mysteries of the Messiah.
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Your Turn
In Isaiah 49:16, God says that He’s engraved our names on the palms of His hands. The walls of His holy city filled with His people are always on His mind. He gave the One who mattered most to Him for you! That’s how much You matter to Him! You’re not worthless, stupid, or ugly; He made You with perfect wisdom! Amen! ~ Laurie McClure, Faith.Full […]

3. God wants to show that he still moves through our prayers.
I know, this may seem contradictory, right? But if we were never allowed to walk through valleys in this life, we would never need to call on God to deliver us. The valleys of life cause us to seek God in prayer, to rally the saints around us, and to wait for God to move. And he does. It just isn’t always on our timeline.In the gospel of John, Jesus and his disciples encountered a blind man. The disciples immediately assumed the man’s affliction was the result of sin — either the blind man’s or his parents. They asked Jesus who sinned, but Jesus gave them a response they weren’t expecting.“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:3)If this man had been protected from blindness, Jesus wouldn’t have had the opportunity to heal him. And because of this healing, others were able to see his power at work and put their hope and trust in him.Many times, we don’t see the ways our stories overlap into the lives of others. But our stories are never just about us. God wants to use our stories as a living testimony of his goodness and grace, and to use them to draw others into his presence. When we aren’t allowed to walk through some difficult seasons, his opportunities to do this become limited because we still live in a fallen world. Humanity isn’t perfect, and when they see perfection in our own lives, it can actually be a deterrent rather than something that draws them closer.However, when they see followers of Christ walking through troubles just like they are, our stories become invitations. They might see our peace in the midst of chaos or the way God is carrying us through it, and want to know more. A unique opening for God’s love to reach someone is created because of something we wanted to skip over.Are you walking through a dark valley right now, and wondering why God didn’t protect you from it? Or perhaps, like me, you’re watching a loved one walk through it, wishing they didn’t have to. It is human to ask questions and to experience moments of frustration. But don’t let the enemy keep you there. Allow your point of weakness to be a propellant toward the Lord’s strength. He is not finished with your story, and this season is not a result of his anger or negligence toward you.He will use this chapter as a bridge into something greater, something you can’t quite see yet. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, and keep seeking his hand in the middle of your situation. One day you will look back and see evidence of his fingerprints all over it.Photo Credit: © Unsplash […]

Psalm 23 is one of the best known and most quoted chapters of the Bible. Its verses express David’s understanding of God’s care from his own personal experience. By praying its words, we can draw closer to who David knew God to be, and learn more intimately the ways God watches over us.David was a King, author, poet, warrior, devoted to God, and ancestor of Jesus Christ, Son of God. A descendent of shepherds who as a boy killed a lion and a bear with his own hands while protecting his sheep (1 Samuel 17:34-36). God described David as, “A man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22).Scripture often compares us to sheep, animals who are easily led astray. Like them, we wander and get into trouble. Helpless on their own, sheep need someone to care, feed, protect, and shelter them. When one wanders off, it’s likely to be taken by a predator. A good shepherd keeps each one in sight and meets their needs.“A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23)“The LORD is my Shepherd.”The LORD God Almighty, Creator of all that exists is our Shepherd. He is my Shepherd. People may mentor, teach, guide, or fight for us, but our one true Shepherd is God. No one else can fill that role. Only God can always be with us and see what is ahead. He alone knows what’s in our hearts and what our true needs are. He is perfect. If we look to a person as our caretaker, they will disappoint us. But we can trust God, He never fails.Lord God,Thank You for being my Shepherd. You keep Your eyes on me. You know everything about me and still love me. I’m never out of Your care. You are my strength and shield, the perfect Shepherd who never makes a mistake. You never forget me or leave me behind. I trust in Your perfect love and know You will never lead me astray.In Jesus’ Name,AmenPhoto Credit: © Getty Images/andreacerri
“I lack nothing.”In our consumer society, it seems we’re never satisfied. We frequently want more. How often does someone say, “I have all I need?” David expressed fulfillment saying, “I shall not want.” He trusted God to give him what he needed. He knew that though he might lack something for the moment, God would provide for his needs at the right time.Father,Because of Your perfect love and power, I have everything I need. I confess, Lord, I often feel like I’m lacking. I look for happiness in earthly possessions, people, or status. I seek comfort from temporary pleasures. I look at what I don’t have and think I’m missing something that would make me happy. But what I need is found in You. When I turn to You, You fill my soul with love and grace and make me complete. When I seek satisfaction from people or things, I’m left thirsty. In You, I find the fulfillment I’m looking for. You are enough. I love You Father! Thank You that in You I am complete.In Jesus’ Name,Amen“He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.”A good shepherd leads his sheep to a lush pasture with grass to eat and clean water to drink. A place where his animals feel safe and can lie down in peace.The Lord gives us spiritual nourishment by filling the empty places in our hearts and giving us peace and hope. He is our haven in the middle of life’s storms and refreshes our souls. When we come to Him with our confusion, brokenness, and pain, He restores us and carries us through our struggles.Lord,Thank You for being my refuge in the storm. Thank You for providing refreshment for my soul when I’m battered and torn by circumstances. You are my spiritual food, my living water, and my place of rest. When trouble hits, help me slow down and trust you instead of running in circles looking for escape. Enable me to lie down in peace knowing You have my back.In Jesus’ Name,Amen“He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.”God is our guardian. He shows us the way to go and enables us to live to honor Him. When we seek Him and ask for wisdom, He answers.Lord,Please give me wisdom to live righteously. Help me to glorify You with the decisions I make. Direct me and keep me in step with Your Spirit. Thank You for showing me the way.In Jesus’ Name,Amen
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”We experience some extremely dark valleys in this life. Times when the shadow of death feels like it will swallow us. But for those who are in Christ, evil can’t touch our souls. God is always with us. As a shepherd protects his sheep from predators with his staff, so our Shepherd protects our souls from Satan. We belong to Jesus Christ for eternity and no one can take us away.Father,Sometimes fear overtakes me and it feels like evil is winning. Help me remember You are always beside me, all around me, and in my heart. My soul is eternally safe in Your hands and no one can snatch it away. When I experience a time of pain or sorrow, I know I’m not alone. You give me the strength to endure. Your Spirit comforts me no matter what’s happening. Thank You for Your constant love.In Jesus’ Name,Amen“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”Imagine a soldier on the battlefield. Instead of grabbing a quick bite of an emergency meal, he looks ahead and sees his commander has laid out a banquet. There’s a beautiful table laid with delicious dishes. He sits down right in the presence of his enemies and enjoys a meal. How could he do that? Only if he had complete faith and trust in his commander. We don’t have to panic in front of our enemies, the devil and his demons. God’s Spirit is always with us and has provided a banquet of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control. Our part is to have faith and trust our Commander.In Scripture, being anointed with oil is a picture of God pouring His Holy Spirit on believers (NET Bible Notes). Oil flowing down one’s head and an overflowing cup are both pictures of abundance. God sent His Spirit to comfort, encourage, empower, and fill us to overflowing with His spiritual blessings.Holy Spirit,Thank You for giving me peace when the enemy offers anxiety. You help me love when he tempts me to hate. You offer joy when circumstances threaten depression. You’re my patience when I want to lash out. You give me all I need when I rely on You. You put Your shield around me when the enemy is throwing every poison dart of negative thoughts and fears. When I run to You in faith, I can sit at Your table in peace.In Jesus’ Name,Amen“Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.”What a beautiful truth! His goodness and love, also translated as mercy or loving kindness, will be our constant companions.Father,Please soak this truth into my soul. Your goodness and love are always with me and will never leave. Remind me I can’t be separated from Your love. Empower me to stand on truth instead of my ever-changing feelings. Your love is a solid rock and a firm foundation which can’t be shaken, destroyed, or removed. Praise You Father! Thank You! I stand knowing I may get knocked down but I won’t be destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:9).In Jesus’ Name,Amen“And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”The ultimate promise! We will live with Him forever.Jesus,Thank You for making it possible for me to live with You for eternity! Thank You for promising You are preparing a place for me and proclaiming, “I will come back and take You to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3). I know this life is fleeting, a puff of smoke compared to eternity. Focus my heart on the truth of my forever home with You.Praise You Lord![embedded content]Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Joaquin CorbalanSusan Aken writes devotions and articles for Wholly Loved Ministries, is an Oklahoma native who’s lived in Nebraska since 1987 and has been in public education for over thirty years. She and her husband have one son and a wonderful daughter-in-law. Besides writing she has a passion for special needs and prayer ministries. She enjoys time with family, reading, photography, movies, walking in nature, and a nice cup of tea. She believes life is a journey and we’re all in different places. Jesus is everything to her and it’s all about grace. Visit her at susanaken53.wordpress.com or on Facebook.This article is part of our larger Prayer resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can’t find the words to pray. Prayer for God’s HelpPrayer for StrengthPrayer for ProtectionMorning PrayersGood Night PrayersNow available is our new Daily Prayer devotional! An easy way to find start your day with prayer, read today’s prayer and sign up to receive by email. […]