A Bedtime Prayer to Stop an Anxious Heart    

Dear Lord, please help me trust You and empower me through Your Spirit to stop my emotions from bossing me around. I want to quit worrying about what might happen and focus on what has already happened by remembering and praising You for Your faithfulness in my life. In Jesus' Name, Amen. ~ Renee Swoop

Our Caring and Able Father   

2 Chronicles 20:1-4    

Everyone faces challenges in life. Whether our struggles are financial, vocational, relational, or physical, we can be certain that nobody is exempt. Fortunately, we serve a God who is both interested in our problems and able to take care of them.

When trouble looms, prayer is always a good first step to take. But having a foundation upon which to build our prayers also makes a difference. Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, faced an enormous challenge. Three different tribes--the Moabites,Amonites, and Meunites--simultaneously waged war against him. Most leaders would have crumbled under such pressure, or at the very least taken drastic measures, but Jehoshaphat was a wise king. Though afraid, he did not strike out against his enemies.Instead, knowing that God was interested in his dilemma, he "turned his attention to seek the Lord" and proclaimed a fast throughout the land (2 Chron. 20:1-3).

Jehoshaphat also knew that God, who was greater than any earthly problem, had done miraculous things for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Daniel. That same God would help him, too, in his hour of need. We should never underestimate the Lord's interest in our affairs. He helped our ancestors in the Bible, and He can and will help His children today.

It's easy to think our problems are unimportant in the eyes of God, but He doesn't feel that way at all. Whatever concerns us concerns Him. If we, like Jehoshaphat, turn right to God and proclaim His power, He will intervene. And no matter how great our challenges are, God is greater.
By Dr. Charles Stanley

The Work You Can Do While You Wait  
TRICIA LOTT WILLIFORD    

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14 (NIV)

Waiting is one of God’s favorite tools to get our attention. In some ways, the Bible’s title could be The Great Wait. The cast of characters could be the Great Waiters. (But that sounds a little like a dinner theater.)

Noah waited for the rain. Daniel waited through the night with a den full of lions. David waited in the cave. Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for the arrival of their promised son, Isaac, after waiting an entire lifetime to even get the promise in the first place.

And on it goes. Joseph waited 13 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Moses waited 40 years to be called by God. Paul waited in prison. And even Jesus waited 30 years to begin His ministry, though He was well equipped long before. If God asked even Jesus to wait, why do I think He would speed up my process?

Here’s what I love most about the Great Waiters of the Bible: They were flawed, with the exception of Jesus. They were people just like you and me, trying to please God but often falling short. I mean, some of them got it. But … most of them didn’t, which comforts me, since I usually don’t get it either. The Great Waiters were no better at waiting than I am. Let’s not kid ourselves: Waiting is a universal weakness.

What do the Bible stories of the Great Waiters show me about waiting? What did they do while they waited?

While Noah waited for the rain, he got busy with what he had: a lot of wood and some specific measurements. As Daniel waited, he remained faithful in prayer and firm in his convictions.

While Joseph waited in prison, he didn’t waste his energy on the question, “Why?” (Though I imagine he asked that word, he didn’t let it drain him with dead-ends and non-answers.) Instead, we sense he focused his sights on answering, “What should I do now?” He did his best with each small task given to him, and he stayed close to God. As his situation began to turn around, he was ready for every opportunity because he had not wasted his time.

Likewise, Job, David, Paul and even Jesus waited patiently and began the ministry God called each of them to do, caring for the people around them.

Here’s what I see in all of those stories: There is always work to be done while we’re waiting.

Sometimes the work is hands-on and physical, and other times it’s a solitary journey of soul-searching. Sometimes the work is a discipline of noticing, a practice of being alert and aware; sometimes it’s about being patient, loving and present. But when we choose to surrender to the moment, when we seek to believe this moment is part of a larger story, and when we embrace the ache of the longing, the wait is never wasted.

The Lord enters the journey of those who wait. May we continue to trust Him as He reveals Himself along the way.

Dear God, You are the Maker of time. I thank You for holding every moment in Your hands, even the moments of my patience — and impatience. Please show me where You are while I wait, and reveal to me what I can do to serve, love and lead others even as I wait. I long to trust You with my whole life, in the doing and in the waiting. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 5:3, “In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” (NIV)

Psalm 130:5, “I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.” (NIV)

Hosea 12:6, “But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.” (NIV) 

5 Lessons We Can Learn from the Israelites’ Wandering Years  
By Debbie McDaniel    

In the book of Exodus, we read the story of how God’s people had endured years of bondage under the Egyptians. They were oppressed, abused, mistreated people. They needed rescue, they needed a way of escape. God saw their need, he didn’t miss a thing, and in his perfect timing, he acted on their behalf. 

The people of Israel spent 40 years in the desert. 40 years of wandering. 40 years of journeying towards the Promised Land that God had given them. That’s a very long time. The days must have been intense, hot, dry, I'm sure they got weary. But God met them where they were, he made sure they had what they needed. They learned through every hard and grueling step, how much they had to rely on Him.

Here are 5 Things We Can Learn from the Israelites’ Wandering Years in the Desert:

1. The way to our promised land is not always easy, in fact, it rarely is. But it’s worth it.

God had promised his people a land that would be full of blessing. But the way there would stretch their faith and lead them through journeys where they’d have to depend on God like nothing before.

Maybe you feel like the blessing is too long in coming, maybe you feel like giving up. Be assured again today that God is faithful and he will use all things to strengthen our faith and bring goodness to his people. Stay strong, keep pressing through.

2. God will make a way where there doesn’t seem to be a way.

As the Israelites got closer that sea must have looked bigger and deeper. Their eyes focused on the problem. They forgot about the bigness of their God. But God didn’t forget about them.

Even if the way He’s leading doesn’t seem to make much sense and His timing seems off, or the wait feels long, and wandering in desert places is the last thing we want to do, we can trust Him. Always. He knows our way. He sees the big picture. He has good in store. 

3. God will lead us day and night.

“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to given them light…” Exodus 13:21

God never left his people alone in their journey. His presence was always there, a reminder to them that they hadn’t been left on their own in the wilderness.

God will not leave us to fend for ourselves, struggling to find our way. He will lead us. He promises to be faithful.  We may not see him in a pillar of cloud or fire these days, but we have his Word, and the Holy Spirit to give guidance to our days.

4. God fights on behalf of his people

“Then the angel of God…withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them…” Exodus 14:19

He gives us victory and power even when it doesn’t make sense. After a battle against the fierce Amalekites, when God gave his people a great victory, the Bible says, “Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, ‘For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord…” Exodus 17:15-16

We’re never left to wrestle through on our own in hard places. He doesn’t send us out to fight the enemy in our own strength. He just tells us to be still, to stand strong, and to know he’s fighting on our behalf.

5. God provides in miraculous ways

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you…” Exodus 16:4

They were hungry. God sent manna. They were thirsty. God sent water gushing from a rock. Every day a miracle was right before their eyes. They just had to pick up the manna, drink the water, accept the blessing.

And just like the people of Israel had to look to God to meet their needs, so it is with us. They couldn't store it up, they had to look for it daily. And God always provided.

Sometimes we miss the miracles of his provision, out of busyness or stress. We try to get things going too fast all on our own, spinning around, trying to get it all done. Or other times we might start to forget what matters most.

But even for those days, there's His grace. He waits for us. His provision and blessing, they never run dry. Every day, his miracles lie right before our eyes. We just have to choose to look for them and stay close in his presence.

 A Morning Prayer to Love the Life You Have    

God, help me love the life I live right now. Show me the good things I often overlook and help me be content with what I have. Forgive me when I compare myself to others, forgive me for longing for things outside of you and your kingdom. Thank you for loving me right where I am, right as I am. Help me keep my eyes on you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. - Nicki Koziarz, Encouragement for Today, Proverbs 31 Ministries