Worry or Hope

On December 28, 2024 By vickleaIn prayer, Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

From the YouVersion Bible App Devotional, “Daily Power by Craig Groeschel, Day 3”

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep. My mind spins with thoughts of appointments, responsibilities, and obligations for the following day. I worry about my kids, my friends, and members of our church. When everyone seems to be doing okay, I worry that I can’t think of anything to worry about! The best thing I do, though, is simply pray about all that’s weighing on me.

Sometimes people say, “All we can do now is pray.” It’s tempting to treat prayer like it’s a last line of defense. In actuality, though, prayer is our first line of offense.

We all have so many people depending on us that it can be hard to feel strong enough to do all that needs doing. We want to keep standing firm in our faith, but we become weary and feel so exhausted. That’s when we have to cry out for help, just like the psalmist says in today’s verse. We have to put our hope in the promises of God’s Word.

When you wake early because your mind and heart are troubled, you can rest in remembering what your Father has promised. He is with you and will never abandon you. He is in control and devoted to your growth for his good purposes. You don’t have to do everything that’s spinning around in your mind.

Today you can rest easy knowing that your hope is in God and not in your own efforts.

Power Lift: Today I cast my burdens before you, Lord, and trust that you can handle all that weighs on me and more. My hope is in you and I trust your timing to meet my needs as you show me my next step.

My Thoughts

I come from a family of hand-wringers and worriers. So, you might say that I have been perfecting this art of worrying for decades. I have also been learning (for fewer decades) how to let go and trust in God. I am not there yet because I still awaken in the middle of the night with my mind spinning. But I have learned to take deep breaths, release the troubles to God and go back to sleep. For me, that is good progress. I also recite scriptures that I have memorized to myself and sing praise songs in my mind. Sometimes it takes longer to go back to sleep, depending on what the issue is. But my belief is that I am awakened to pray, so I do and fall back to sleep when I feel comforted and the reassurance that God is taking care of things for me.

Faith-Full and Wholehearted

On March 16, 2024 By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/13696/day/34

This devotional today really spoke to me, especially since I am feeling every one of my seventy plus years these days. I never thought about the fact that Caleb was in his mid-eighties when he asked Joshua to give him land that belonged to giants. He was still willing to take on great enemies and claim what God had promised, even in his advanced years. (Perhaps at that time, mid-80’s was closer to middle age or a little more, but to me, it seems very old.) God strengthened Caleb, showed him favor and he was able to conquer that land.

How many times have I faced giants in my life these days and just told God that I am too old and too tired to fight anymore? I can tell you honestly, I have not been a Caleb! God is speaking to my heart that He will let me know when it is time for me to rest and not attack the giants that come against me. But that time is not now. So, I want to be more like Caleb and less like me, knowing my weaknesses but also confident that whatever I face, I face with God on my side. I want to be faith-full and wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord who has saved me and who will save me.

Have Confidence in God

On September 26, 2020September 26, 2020 By vickleaIn Uncategorized14 Comments

These last few days, I have had to keep reminding myself to trust in God. On September 14, I fell and badly sprained my foot. It’s still very swollen and discolored and hard to walk on, but I am thankful that it’s not broken. Then, my nephrologist put me on a new blood pressure medicine which my body decided to react to with chest pains. Really bad chest pains, radiating into my back and numbing my left arm. So, off to the cardiologist who put me on new medication that makes me dizzy. Thankfully, I take it at bedtime and then fall asleep with a little fuzzy headed feeling. But, I’m thankful that the EKG was normal. I have to go in for more tests in three weeks (my doctor wants to wait until the new medicine is firmly established in my system). I have to have two chemical stress tests and an ultrasound of my heart. But, I’m thankful that tests are available and that the doctor has ordered them to try to find out what exactly is going on with my heart. In between doctor visits and hobbling around, I have been reading my Bible and praying. God is my go-to person when I need help or assurance. Pray, praise, repeat.

I am not writing this post so that you feel sorry for me or anything like that. I’m writing just to remind you that God has not changed and is still there, no matter what is happening in your life or in the world. He is still there, waiting to answer our prayers. Isn’t that wonderful news? The whole world is shifting around us. There is chaos everywhere, and yet we are stable in our belief in a God who is bigger than all that is happening. Cities burning? God is greater. Businesses closing? God is greater. The government clearly divided? God is sovereign.

When I fell and just could not get up because of my injured foot, I prayed and asked my husband to pray. And, guess what? I was able to lift myself up with the help of a chair next to my bed and then onto the bed. (I fell in the bathroom, of all places!). When I stand up from my chair now and feel the pain radiating through my foot, I ask God to help me to take the steps that I need to take to get to my next destination in the house. Praying without ceasing is a real thing and in these days, it is needed.

Franklin Graham held a Prayer March in Washington, D.C. today. He was leading a group of prayer warriors in prayer for our nation. God, I have no doubt, was listening. He hears our prayers and acts on them, maybe not with the answer that we want or when we want an answer, but God always answers.

I hope that you will join me in praying for the United States, for our government leaders and for the safety of our first responders. These are perilous times, but God is greater. He is on His throne and waiting for us to call on Him.