Trust Him When Things Seem to Be Going Wrong

Psalm 13:5 - But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

Ephesians 5:15-21 - Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Dear God, it is so hard to trust You in the midst of troubles. Troubles compiled upon troubles the other day. I was assaulted left and right. But the true test is what I choose to do in the face of the troubles, and right now, all I can do is trust You. Are the troubles fair? No. Are they right? No. But are they there? Yes. And at some point I have to trust You to help me face them. Thank You for steadfast love and salvation. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Never Take His Intimate Nearness for Granted

Luke 12:7 - "Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows."

John 1:12-13 - But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Romans 10:13 - "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Dear God, thank You for knowing me, my innermost being, the real me, the essence of me. Why should I care whether I can meet someone who can get to know me the way I would like to be known when I have YOU? You know how many hairs are on my head. You value me. And that is the best value in the world. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Worship Him Only

Isaiah 55:8-9 - For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

Matthew 11:28 - "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

I Timothy 6:13-16 - I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time–he who is blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

Revelation 2:4 - "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first."

Dear God, thank You for grace. Thank You for rest. Thank You for having higher ways and thoughts than I can even comprehend. I had a rough day all around yesterday. I found out someone tried to ruin my life over something they likely misinterpreted and that they had called one of many volunteer places to try to smear my reputation. The slander is indeed very hurtful and very sad. To stoop so low like that. The plus side is that they did not get away with it as they chose to be anonymous with their claim. I am highly doubtful that it was a friend of mine though as all of my friends who know me well enough know that I have autism and that I sometimes lack social graces and conventions. They know they can ignore what I have said, clarify what I have said, or distance themselves from me. If it was a stranger, it was probably one I already blocked for being a bully on another media page. Some people seem to think that they have the right to an opinion but that no one else does. In my rising advocacy, I am going to run into people who will hate me. I read Matthew 10 yesterday after I cooled off a little from that report about what happened. I learned that if I will endure this, what that mentally sick person did to try to harm me and my livelihood, that I will be saved from the persecution. They may drag me through hell, but they will not win. I am out there in my community trying to THRIVE and trying to give back to my community which has blessed me beyond words despite of my autism, and the haters are going to hate, but they are NOT going to win. You are the good and kind and perfect judge. And I will leave that enemy that did that malicious thing to Your hands. Vengeance is YOURS. Not mine. If it was a friend, though, help me figure out who it was so I can remove them from my life. I do not need friends who try to destroy me or bring me down. God, help my love for You to never grow lukewarm. I want my love to always be real and genuine just like it is for my mom and my true friends. God, on another note that I need to turn over to You, I had the crushing notice that my really good insurance plan will be cancelled at the end of the year, right when we are finally getting some things figured out at that. It is not just an inconvenience, it is not right. It is an injustice. The third thing I need to turn over to You is the fact my doctor made a promise and then retracted on his promise to help me get the treatment I actually need. So I will pray that you will give my allergist/immunologist the ears to really truly hear my concerns about my immune system crashing and that You will give him the wisdom to consider a trial run of infusions for me for just a short time so we can see if they would help. I want my quality of life back. What little bit of life I may left. If not, may we see what our first and last vacation might be and then may You allow me dignity in the time I have remaining on this earth. I am scared, God. I am tired. I am tired of being sick all the time. I am exhausted. And I am turning everything over to You and putting everything into Your hands. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

He Is Perpetually with You and Taking Care of You

Matthew 6:34 - "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself,. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

John 10:10 - "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

James 4:13-15 - Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"–yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will love and do this or that."

Dear God, help me to focus solely on the day here and now in the present and not what tomorrow will bring. Is it okay to have plans? Yes. But should I rely on those plans? No. Never. Things some,times fall through when one least expects. So it is never okay to rely on plans. Thank You for the gift of today and thank You for the gift of Your care. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

He Is With You and All Around You

Psalm 34:4-6 - I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. 

Psalm 139:14 - I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 

John 17:3 - "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

II Peter 1:16-18 - For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory form God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," we ourselves heard this very voice from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

Dear God, thank You for allowing me to know You both as Lord and friend. Thank You for designing me with the capacity to be able to know You intimately like a friend but to also be able to worship Your sovereignty. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Open Your Mind and Heart to Receive His Love Fully

John 8:44 - "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a lair and the father of lies."

Ephesians 3:14-19 - For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith–that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Hebrews 4:16 - Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

James 4:7-8 - Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 

Dear God, draw me closer to You as I draw near to You. Help me get in the practice of resisting the devil and resting securely in Your arms. Thank You for love so deep and love so wide that I cannot comprehend it fully. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Relax in His Everlasting Arms

Deuteronomy 33:27 - "The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you said, Destroy."

Psalm 27:13-14 - I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Dear God, thank You for making me needy of You and Your help and presence in my life. There is no shame in being needy. It is humbling. There is a shame in being greedy and selfish though. There is a shame in taking away access to food for the low income disabled and elderly. Or should be. I know I am lacking. I know I need You because I am not self-sufficient. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!