July 26

My brother in Christ, Bryan Lee, turned my attention toward a devotional book call Streams in the Desert a while back. Admittedly, I have been on and off with this devotion because life has been so wretchedly busy. But since my tank was running on empty, I decided to make a pit stop (NASCAR terminology :] ) and spend some time in the presence of God and his heavenly pit crew and fuel up (I promise the NASCAR terminology is done). I will share today's devotion with you.


By faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.
(Galatians 5:5)

There are times when everything looks very dark to me, so dark that I have to wait before I have hope. Waiting with hope is very difficult, but true patience is expressed when we must also wait for hope. When we see no hint of success yet refuse to be depressed, when we see nothing but the darkness of night through our window yet keep shutters open because stars may appear in the sky, and when we have an empty place in our heart yet will not allow it to be filled with anything less than God's best...THAT is the greatest kind of patience in the universe. It is the story of Job in the center of the storm and Jesus in the Garden. And there is no patience as strong as that which endures because we see "him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27). It is that kind of patience that waits for hope.

Dear Lord, You have made waiting beautiful and patience awesome. You have taught us that Your will should be accepted, simply because it is Your will. You have revealed to us that a person may see nothing but sorrow in his life yet still be willing to live because of a conviction that YOUR eyes see further than their own.

Father, give me strength to wait for hope, to look through the window when there are no stars. Even when my joy is gone, give me strength to stand victoriously in the darkest night and say to my heavenly Father, "the sun still shines."



In the middle of my big move, there have been some low points, some dips and curves, unexpected obstacles, and questions. There are still some lose ends that need to be tied, but God will take care of those ends and tie them into beautiful knots. And the knots will help me and my wife remember that God was in the middle of all of this, working it out for the good of those who love God and are willing to be patient in the darkest of nights and say "the sun/Son still shines."

So to all my people who read this, when you feel you are at your lowest point, remember...no height and no depth can escape God! God is there, because the sun/Son still shines!!

Until Next Time