Psalm 84:5-12 New Life Version (NLV)
5 How happy is the man whose strength is in You … 6 As they pass through the dry valley…they make it a place of good water…7 They go from strength to strength….8 O Lord God of all, hear my prayer. Listen, O God of Jacob. 9 Look upon our safe-covering…10 For a day in Your house is better than a thousand outside. I would rather be the one who opens the door of the house of my God, than to live in the tents of the sinful. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and a safe-covering. The Lord gives favor and honor. He holds back nothing good from those who walk in the way that is right. 12 O Lord of all, how happy is the man who trusts in You!
Philippians 4:6-7 New Life Version (NLV)
6 Do not worry. Learn to pray about everything. Give thanks to God as you ask Him for what you need. 7 The peace of God is much greater than the human mind can understand. This peace will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Psalm 119:105 New Life Version (NLV)
105 Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:130 New Life Version (NLV)
130 The opening up of Your Word gives light. It gives understanding to the child-like.
The following vision was placed on my heart this week…We find ourselves standing on the banks of a river, called “Life”, with whitewater rapids whipping all around us. We take our first step into the rushing water and the power of the water takes us with it. However, when we look down at our feet and we see a stepping stone being placed before us. We know that we have to move forward so we do so anxiously and very fearful. We find our balance and then another stone is placed before us. We look around at the rushing water and start to feel anxious, but then find our focus on the one rock that is holding us steady. It is our “safe-covering” and our strength in that moment. Then another stone is placed before us. It doesn’t look stable or safe, but we can’t do anything but go forward and have FAITH. We say a prayer, take a breath, and then take the step, finding peace and strength once our feet are fully placed on the stone. We move slowly from stone to stone, until we have found land, the valley in which we can celebrate and soak up the calmness around us.
We can only get our strength in from Him. We also can’t stress about how situations will turn out. We have to focus on taking one step at a time, knowing what our goal destination is, but we have to focus on how He is getting us there. If you are doing all you can in the moment you are in, that is all you can do. If you are praying over each step that you take, even the scary unstable steps, you will be safe.
The prayer from First 5 devotional today was this…
God, this has seemed so big and so overwhelming that I’ve almost given up. All you ask of me is that I do the next right thing. It’s easy for me to react in fear or uncertainty. Yet You will lead me:
ONE CHOICE,
ONE RESPONSE,
ONE ACTION, at a time
through Your Word, and through the Holy Spirit.
So today, take one step, one prayer, and one breath at a time.
Be Blessed!
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