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Sunday, July 7^th

Day 71

Since God knows what niche we are to fill, let us trust Him to shape us to it.

Since He knows what work we are to do, let us trust Him to drill us to the proper preparation.

“O blows that smite! O hurts that pierce

This shrinking heart of mine!

What are ye but the Master’s tools

Forming a work Divine?”

-Streams In The Desert

God gives us the vision,

then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision,

and it is in the valley that so many faint and give way.

Every vision will be made real if we have patience.

The vision is not a castle in the air, but a vision of what god wants you to be.

Let Him put you on His wheel and whirl you as He likes,

and as sure as God is God and you are you,

you will turn out exactly in accordance with the vision.

Don’t lose heart in the process.

If you have ever had the vision of God,

you may try as you like to be satisfied on a lower level,

but God will never let you.

-Oswald Chambers – My Utmost For His Highest

YOUR WAY – NOT MINE!

Saturday, July 6^th

Day 70

Do not allow difficult events to cancel the joy of knowing you are a child of God.

Choose to allow God’s Spirit to fill you with His unquenchable joy,

and your life will be a miracle to those who watch you face the trials that come.

-Experiencing God Day By Day

Yes, there are difficult moments –

when something reminds me of unfinished business –

or a special memory of a special time –

or   when I forget to do something that he always took car of

but underneath it all is joy –

            the joy of knowing that it was You, God, who brought us together –

            who blessed us with 55 years –

            who will bring us together again to spend eternity with You

Friday, July 5^th

Day 69

Any time we look into the newspapers, or into our own hearts, and despair, we do well to remember that God’s people have faced similar prospects, similar reversals, similar headlines, similar assaults on faith, and have recovered from the doubt, been rescued from the pessimism and foreboding, and gone on to live in praise of God.

-Eugene H. Peterson

Keep the faith!

Wednesday, July 3^rd

Day 67

-some things we will never understand . . .

Sometimes it is imperative simply to rest in what is happening today and not worry about the future – or about comprehending the reasons for the way things are . . .

Blessedness is indeed promised to those who seek the Lord, but the key lies in the seeking.

That means to study  and pray, to search and wait, to worship and serve – even to be tested, to struggle and suffer.

Such disciplines of mind and spirit are often hard . . .

In those times especially we are invited to cling to this promise:

“Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”

In believing that statement to be true we find the contentment to accept whatever blessings are or are not in our lives . . .

Sometimes we will be able to taste and see how good God is, but true maturity of faith will recognize His love even though from a human perspective we might lack good things.

-Marva J. Dawn – I’m Lonely Lord

Lord, the habits formed over 55 years are hard to break.

I find myself hurrying home – and then remember – he isn’t here.

I miss him so.

I thank You for filling the empty place in my heart.

I thank You for the music that soothes my hurt.

I thank You!

July 2nd – Day 66

Hear me when I call,

O God of my righteousness:

Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress;

Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

Psalm 4:1 KJV

Answer me when I call to You,

O my righteous God.

Give me relief from my distress;

Be merciful unto me and hear my prayer.

NIV

“I have been driven many times to my knees

by the overwhelming conviction that I have nowhere else to go.

My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day.”

-Abraham Lincoln

Lord, You always hear my cry.

You comfort me.

You heal my heart.

You lift my spirit.

You restore my soul.

Monday, July 1^st

Day 65

Luke 1:45

And blessed is she that believed:

for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

KJV

Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!

NIV

Blessed woman, who believed what God said, believed every word would come true!

The Message

Lord, I believe, help me my unbelief.

Sunday, June 30^th

Day 64

And it came to pass after many days,

that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year,

saying,

Go, show thyself to Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.

I Kings 18:1

-for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good,

and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 5:45b

And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

James 5:18

It is 4 a.m. and I am listening to the rumble of thunder and the sound of the rain hitting the windows and I am thanking God for sending the rain!

What a beautiful sound it is, especially when it has been so dry.

Thank You, God !

O God, teach me to see You, and reveal Yourself to me when I seek You . . .

Let me seek You in longing, and long for You in seeking.

Let me find You in love, and love You in finding.

-Ambrose of Milan, 339-397

Saturday, June 29^th

Day 63

There is a prevalent idea that the power of God in a human life

should lift us above all trials and conflicts.

The fact is,

the power of God always brings a conflict and a struggle.

God has nothing worth having that is easy.

There are no cheap goods in the heavenly market.

Our redemption cost all that God had to give,

and everything worth having is expensive.

Hard places are the very school of faith and character,

and if we are to rise over mere human strength

and prove the power of life divine in these mortal bodies,

it must be through a process of conflict

that may well be called the birth travail of a new life.

-Streams In The Desert

Lord, You never promised life would be easy but it will be worth it!

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus!

Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ.

One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase.

So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

-Esther K. Rusthoi

Friday, June 28^th

Day 62

Lord, Is it always going to feel this fresh?

How could anyone go through this without You?

I refuse to listen to Satan’s lies because GREATER IS HE THAT IS WITHIN ME!

Lord, You are greater.

You defeated death on the cross.

The battle is won.

The irritations of yesterday are just that – irritations – not catastrophes.

• A bad business practice that will cost them a customer
• A malfunction in the vehicle that will require another trip to the mechanic, but the funds are there and it will be fixed
• The garden will get weeded.
• The tea I spilled was quickly wiped up. There was no permanent damage.

In this world I will have trouble but You have overcome the world!