“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9 NIV
God Is With Us by Casting Crowns
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV
(This photo was taken in September of 2022 in Big Sky, Montana )
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”
Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV
Father God, thank You for Your faithfulness, even when we have been unfaithful to You. Thank You for Your presence in our lives. You are always with us even when we are distracted and not paying attention to You. We know that You are always working for our good. Thank You for continuing to protect and strengthen us, help us continue to place our hope and trust in You. In Jesus name, Amen.
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV
(This photo was taken at sunrise by a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:27 NIV
Father God, thank You for Your promise of peace. Thank You for sending Your Son to deliver the gift of peace to us. No matter what we face, even though it is uncertain and difficult, we know that You and Your peace are bigger than any problems in our lives. Help us remember that You are good. You came to us as a baby and You have promised to always be with us…and that alone gives us peace. In Jesus name, Amen.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:4-7 NIV
(This photo was taken during a previous Christmas at a place in northwestern Wisconsin)
“But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5 NIV
Father God, thank You for sending Your only Son to save us. Thank You for creating a way for us to be reconciled with You. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice our mistakes are forgiven! Help us never take this for granted. Give us courage to glorify You in every area of our lives. In Jesus name, Amen.
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
John 3:17 NIV
(This photo was taken at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota)
“But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Luke 1:30-33 NIV
My favorite songs of the season are the spiritual songs. Music about the events that occurred in Bethlehem thousands of years ago. These songs have endured the test of time. This one in particular was written by a French poet in 1847, the poem was put to music and performed at Christmas Eve service that year for the first time. My favorite version is below…Let the music of the season soothe your soul and be thankful that on that Holy Night our Savior was born. Peace be with you.
O Holy Night by Point of Grace
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:8-12 NIV
(This photo was taken in December of 2018 while in the Bahamas)
“If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you.”
John 14:15-17 NIV
Father God, please draw close to us. Help us rejoice in hope, to be patient in trouble, and to never stop praying. Thank You for sending us the Holy Spirit, help us follow Him to prayer, worship and rest in You. Becasue You are always with us we can find true joy at all times, especially when our circumstances distract us away from You and Your Word. Continue to fill us with the Holy Spirit and guide us to live our lives with hope and undefeatable joy. In Jesus name, Amen.
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:26-27 NIV
(This photo was taken on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)
“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10 NIV
Lord Jesus, I believe You are alive. I believe You are ever-present and working in the world. I believe no matter what circumstances I face, You are good.
I believe You weep, mourn, and rejoice with us. I believe You are my God and my Redeemer. I believe You are making all things new and You are making me a new creation.
So come what may, Jesus, I place my faith, my hope and my trust in You. Amen.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.”[a]
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
Lamentations 3:22-24 NIV
Our lives are usually so busy moving from one thing to the next, so much so that planning and preparing become dominant activities…the problem is if we are always planning and preparing for what’s next when are we living in the present moment?
A difficult part of surrender for all of us is letting go and not always trying to control what’s next. A life of faith doesn’t mean we always go and do what we want…Jesus said in Luke 9:23 “…If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” We all have a cross to bear in life, it is different for everyone…and bearing a cross is doing what needs to be done. It is sacrifice. It means being obedient to God and we do things because we love God and others.
Be in prayer and talk with the Lord about what He needs you to do then wait and listen. May each of us be surrounded by the love of God each day.
“I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.“
Psalm 27:13-14 NIV
(This photo was taken in July of 2021 at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountian National Park)
“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10 NIV
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
2 Timothy 1:7 NIV
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love.”
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NIV
(This photo was taken in September of 2022 in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming)
“Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40:30-31 NIV
While I’m Waiting by John Waller
“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.”
Psalm 130:5 NIV
(This photo was taken in July of 2021 in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)
Take Your Faith With You 