Day 165 – The unknown is Hard but the Lord is always there no matter the call.

Today’s Reading: Psalm 110 – 112

Psalm 112:7 “They will have no fear of bad news;their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”

Trusting in the sovereignty of the Lord removes control from our hands and puts it in the hands of the Lord. The fear of the unknown no longer becomes an issue because God already knows the outcome.

It feels like it was just yesterday. We had gotten back to the Miami Airport and our flight was canceled and rescheduled so often that by the time we finally got home it was halfway between midnight and morning. I was completely exhausted and my head hit the pillow so quickly that I hardly had anytime to dream before my phone rang. It was a little before 6am and I missed the first call. It must have been a mistake, I thought, because who would call that early on the Saturday that I just arrived home. Immediately the phone rang again, I grabbed it this time and saw it was my dad. It was as if time stood still and God spoke to my heart. I knew what he was about to tell me before I even answered the phone.

I had already gone through enough pain in my life that God had prepared me to face the future with complete trust in Him. Satan was hoping I’d be exhausted and completely emotionally and spiritually strained because of the mission trip I had just arrived back from, but when you trust in God, Satan has no hold and I pressed accept. I answered with a peace in my heart, an assurance in God’s plan, and the ability to console my dad in his loss.

My amazing aunt had left this world to meet her maker and I knew. I didn’t fear the bad news, I trusted God’s plan and God’s plan is out of love. Love then pushed out all fears.

The news we receive may not always be “Good” and completely out of our control, but it is in His control which is even better. He loves us so much that we have no reason to fear. We can walk through any door, answer any phone call, and be assured that He had all this planned out and His plans are good for those who love Him and call Him by Name.

Day 163– No matter how this world changes, Our Lord is always the same.

Today’s Reading: Psalm 100 – 104

Psalm 102:27 “But you remain the same, and your years will never end.”

The world around us is constantly changing, moving from bad to worse in many ways. It can be terrifying and fear inducing; it can change the way we look at things and our willingness to allow our children to grow up in the same way we did.

I can remember riding a couple of miles on my bike to a convenient store to buy a bag of bubble gum when I was a child, now I won’t let me kids go around the block without someone with them. I remember learning the alphabet in kindergarten and now if you’re not reading by kindergarten you are way behind.

Things are just different, life’s different, but Our God is not different.

God’s Word is still the same, His love for us is unchanged, His truth is still alive, He is always with us, and His promises and covenant are unchanging.

Every time I see a rainbow I’m reminded of this truth: He loves me and sees me and has a great plan for me. We can filter all we see and all we hear through the constant Word of God. Out will flow the untruth, the scraps, and the trash. We will never have to worry about our finality, our beginning, being loved, or the Truth, because all of this is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Day 162 – Let’s Sing a New Song!

Today’s Reading: Psalm 97 – 99

Psalm 98:1 “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.”

Anyone within 4 rows of my family – either in front or behind – can hear us bellowing our hearts out. We have Passion in our soul for singing. I can literally feel the Holy Spirit move within my body and blood as music hits my ears. Truly, truly, I believe that’s what moves my body to dance. So anytime there is music, my ears perk up and move me to the sound.

A few years ago, the shyer of one my twin girls was outside singing a tune I was unfamiliar with. I snuck up a little closer, still out of sight, not to stop her or embarrass her. She’s not my normal singer, so I didn’t want to interrupt her and not be able to hear her words. As I listened, the tune was a little off, but the words were so pure and sweet. She was singing a new song, one she came up with as she went, specifically from her to the Lord.

Psalm 98:4 “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;”

Joy filled my heart as memories filled my mind. Music and song have always brought peace to me and helped me to heal, especially songs I sang to the Lord. When I was just a little younger than My daughter was at that time, it was this type of song that grew me into a deeper, unbreakable relationship with my Maker. Specifically it would be outside on a swing, singing my way to freedom from captivity. These songs weren’t rhythmic, probably a little rough, but the Words, oh the Words, went straight from my heart to His ears. They were joyful and freeing.

No matter what you are going through or what struggles you may be having, we can still sing a New Song filled with Joy and Praises to the Lord. These words, no matter how raw to our ears, are sweet sounds to Our Lord.

Day 164 – Ask the Lord for a little and He will provide a LOT.

Today’s Reading: Psalm 105 – 109

Psalm 105:41 “He opened the rock, and water gushed out;it flowed like a river in the desert.”

Many times when we’re in need we just hope God will fill that need, and when He doesn’t, we get frustrated and confused and wonder if He really cares. But part of His caring comes in the form of wanting a true relationship with us.

A relationship comes from us seeking Him and when we seek Him we will find Him, then when we find Him, We can ask Him for whatever we need.

We may ask for enough money until the next paycheck, enough food until we can get more groceries, enough gas to make it to the next exit, enough Faith to see and hear from Him, or maybe we will pray for somewhere to call home, a baby after waiting for forever, or healing for our child; whatever it is we are needing, we are just expecting God to provide it the easy way and just enough.

Yet what God does is beyond our expectations. It never happens how we expect, where we expect, what we expect or when we expect it. He gave the thirsty Israelites water from a rock in the middle of the desert that flowed like a river. The Lord provided money to the poor widow by overflowing her glass jars with oil to sell. He provided twins to me when I just asked to be able to have another child. He provided a home for us when we about gave up. In our prayers for me to be able to be home more often and off the roads, God provided. He has given me more than I could ever ask for, but not through the easy route, not in my control or through my motives, but through His. The Lord may cause us to wait a while but the wait will be worth it.

“For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” Psalm 107:9.

His love will be our promise, His wonderful works our provision. The Lord looks at us through eyes of Grace and gives to us because He is a Good Good Father. What are you lacking? What do you need? Have you sought Him? You will find Him! He wants to hear your voice and He wants to answer your cry. He wants to surprise you and amaze you. God wants to give you more than you could ever ask for.

Day 161 – Only One is Worthy to be Praised.

Today’s Reading: Psalm 94 – 96

Psalm 96:4-5 “For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols,but the Lord made the heavens.”

This week I’ve been overcome by the issues around me. The stresses of being a leader. I’ve been trying to make all the right decisions, make everyone happy, but I just don’t have the type of power that this requires. I walked outside and looked up to the Heavens, I noticed the intricate shapes, the bright and widely distributed colors and began thanking God for revealing to me that I’m not meant to have that type of power. The Lord is the only one able to create such a thing.

When the world and my worries are getting me down, the one who created the massive expanse of the heavens and the ever so specific workings of the earth will comfort my soul and work out my problems.

Psalm 94:19 “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”

Sometimes I feel as though the cares in my heart and the anxiousness in my mind might just make my heart burst and my mind explode, but God just continues to make room. Only God has these capabilities, not any golden calf, not a famous actor, or an all-star athlete, not money, a fortune cookie, or a specific horoscope. These things are just IDOLs- Ideas Destroying Our Logic. Next time you start to trust in anything other than Our God, take a moment, go outside, look up into the Heavens and realize who’s really in control. He’s bigger and greater than any idol, He is God of the Heavens and the Earth and worthy to be Praised!

Day 160 – There are Angels among us.

Today’s Reading: Psalm 91 – 93

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” Psalm 91:11.

Even though Satan may have his minions coming at us from all corners of the earth, God has His mighty angels surrounding us, to guard and protect us.

There are 3 types of Angels that I’ve come across. The first are Angels we can see and hear. They show up at the scene of an accident, in the depths of the river as we’re drowning, in the hospital as we’re aching, or in another hard moment with their hand on our shoulder comforting our soul. These Angels are here one moment and then gone in a flash, leaving us with no idea of who they are or where they’ve gone. Then there are the second type of Angels that guard us when we can’t even see them. We know they are there because of the moments when something should have gone very wrong but we are completely fine. God has placed them around us to keep us safe. Lastly, there are those Angels that the Lord places around us that aren’t Heaven’s Angels but Angels because of their character and love. These we find in our friends, family, co-workers, church family, or even some of our acquaintances. They are there when we need them, they do work without us seeing them, they have been placed in our life for such a time as this.

We all need God’s Angels around us. They are the ones who God uses to encourage us and help us through some of our toughest times; they are there for us to laugh with, to find joy with, to spend our extra special time with. God has blessed me with all 3 of these types of Angels, and I couldn’t have made it through life without them.

Who are the Angels in your life? Look around, thank God for each one of them. They are a gift from God. Are you like this in someone else’s life? Try to reflect what you would want someone to be like in your life and be like an angel to the world.

Day 159 – Take no day for granted.

Today’s Reading: 88 – 90

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12.

Graduation is a remarkable and memorable day. However, it is only one of many memorable days that will be in your life. You will remember your 16th birthday, your 21st year, your graduation from high school and college, the day you get married, the birth of your children, and in between all of these days there will be other days you’ll never forget.

Some days will be grand and some you will wish you could forget. As I watched this year’s graduating class cross the stage to get their diploma I thought about their days. The days past and the days in their future. I thought about the plans God has for each one of them.

God has a purpose to accomplish through each person who’s heart is still beating. But the choice of how the days In between go is up to you.

Some will try to rush through life, seeking the next best moment, missing the treasures in between. Some will try and suspend time and never go after the great purpose God has for them. Then there are those that will make a point, each and everyday to seek after what God has for them.

These seekers won’t miss a beat or ruin a moment. They will take all life has for them and Glorify God with it. They won’t let the good, the bad, or the ugly turn them away from the promise God has for them. These know that their days are truly numbered, that God knew when they would be born and when they would take their last breath. These seekers are the ones that no matter how much they struggle, in the end will hear, Well Done!

Matthew 25:21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Those who seek after God found Wisdom on the adventure that is called their life because they numbered each day.

Don’t take today for granted, you don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Remember that today, you are still alive, so you have a purpose to LIVE.

Day 158 – Look for the signs of the Lord’s favor all around you and find a greater outlook on life.

Today’s Reading: Psalm 85 – 87

“Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.” Psalm 86:17.

It’s so much easier to look for the bad and troublesome issues around us then look for the good that’s happening. Just look at the news reports, the gossip magazines, and the Facebook slams.

When we carry the woe is me syndrome around on our back the load gets heavy. This syndrome is actually an act of selfishness because we are wanting to steal the Joy of those around us by getting all of their attention focused on us. However, when we look at trials as joy and strengthening through the eyes of our beholder, seeing that what He created is good; when we look to the favor of His love that surrounds us, we will impart this Joy into the lives of others.

6 years ago we welcomed the newest addition to the Hitchcock clan, our Old English Shepherd dog, “Toodles”. She may still act like a 7 month old, playful pup, needing tons of attention, barking all of the time, seeming to be a handful, but actually being a tremendous blessing from God. She is an act of favor on our family.

We needed something to care for more than ourselves and she allows us to do this. Do we need a dog, NO, were we looking for one, NO, but that’s how God works, by showing up when we least expect it. The week she showed up, the Holy Spirit was nudging me about a puppy, odd I thought, because I really hadn’t wanted one. But when Toodles came to my house, I didn’t even question why, I knew that this was our dog. (And Brett’s warmed up to her after 6 years as well.) What’s even better, Toodles is a constant reminder of our little Hayden’s favorite tv show, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse because he loved to sit in front of the tv and say, “Oh Toodles”. I think I can even hear him from Heaven.

It is our responsibility to spread the Joy and Love of Christ, and we can do this through looking for God’s favor in our everyday circumstance, even when we didn’t know we needed what He brought.

Day 157– The greatest place is yet to be seen!

Today’s Reading: Psalm 80 – 84

Psalm 84:10 “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”

Since I was a young I’ve been blessed to be able to hop on planes, go galavanting on cruises, RV across the country and load up in the early 90’s conversion van to travel the USA. Then you also have my husband who’s traveled all over the world from Alaska to Ireland and many places in between.

The 2 of us have truly seen some of the most magnificent sites of God’s creation on all the earth. The Grand Canyon, Old Faithful, the tops of volcanos in Hawaii, Niagara Falls, the fields of Ireland, the Rivers in Italy, and so much more. But there are still so many places we haven’t had a chance to see, that we long to, yet there is one place greater than all these that our heart aches for. This place is beyond our understanding, greater than anything we’ve ever scene or imagined, and we will never see it here on earth.

Heaven.

For one day in Heaven will be better than 1000 elsewhere. Our wildest dreams can’t even describe what we will see there.

Revelation 21:18-21 says, “The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.”

Once we get there, not one of us will want to come back, but until we get there, I will make the most of what He’s given us here on earth. I will be thankful for what my eyes can see, my tongue can taste, my ears can hear, and my nose can smell. I will honor and respect the earth, For He created us to care for it. This place He has given us is beautiful and we must keep it that way. It’s our job on earth while He’s working on our home in Heaven.

Day 156 – There’s always a 2nd Chance!

Today’s Reading: Psalm 75 – 79

Psalm 78:38-39 “Yet he was merciful;he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them.Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath. He remembered that they were but flesh,a passing breeze that does not return.”

42 years ago, God saw the flesh that He created in my mother’s womb and He decided that it was my time to come into this world and make a difference, that I had a purpose, a reason, to be here.

Psalm 139:16 “Your eyes saw my unformed body;all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

God chose to use my flesh for a purpose on earth, enabling me to pour HOPE into the lives of others. The Lord has brought me through some of the toughest situations into the greatest circumstances, making me to strong for my flesh to yet blow away.

Just think about it, if you are reading this, you are still here, God still has a purpose for you too. If the Lord was done with you, if you Had completed His plan for you, He would have called you on to eternity. But you are HERE!

Make the most of your life, make the most of the breath He’s breathed into you. It’s not too late, here’s your chance to make the most of who you were created to be.

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Be who God created you to be;God is compassionate, let that compassion, the Lord’s salvation, change you, make you, allow you, to be the best YOU, yet!