Posts Tagged ‘faith’
Held in His Hands
There are days when life feels steady, predictable, and peaceful, and then there are days when everything feels just a little too heavy. Our hearts get stretched. Our minds grow tired. Our spirits long for a reminder that we are not carrying life alone.
Holidays are often a culprit in bringing us to a point of desperation. Loss and loneliness contribute deeply to the inability to pull ourselves out of the heaviness.
Scripture gives us one of the most comforting truths: “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” — Deuteronomy 33:27
The everlasting arms — not temporary, not conditional, not distant. Everlasting. Always present. Always strong. Always steady.
Sometimes we forget that we are held. We forget that God’s hands didn’t drop us when life got hard. We forget that He is still the One holding every detail, every moment, and every heartache together.
Yesterday, while enjoying family and friends, I found myself drifting into places that brought tremendous sadness. The thoughts seemed to cripple me, and the weight of pain tried to overcome me.
When things feel too heavy, it’s not because God stepped back — it’s because He’s inviting us to lean in. To rest. To trust. To let Him carry what we were never meant to hold alone.
Think about how a parent scoops up a weary child. The child doesn’t earn rest. They don’t explain themselves. They don’t have to be strong or put together. They simply let themselves be held.
That’s what God is asking of us. He knows the pressure you’re under. He knows the prayers you pray in the quiet. He knows the people you love and the burdens you carry. He knows the memories you hold and the pain you don’t often say out loud.
And He whispers, “Come to Me. Let Me hold you.”
Even when you feel overwhelmed, God is not.
Even when you feel unsteady, God is sure.
Even when the future feels uncertain, God has already gone before you.
Sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is simply stop… breathe… and fall into those everlasting arms. Let Him be your refuge today. Let Him carry the weight. Let Him strengthen what feels weak. Let Him remind you that you are never, ever walking alone.
Because even when life feels too big, you are safe in the hands of a God who never lets go.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for holding me with everlasting arms. When I feel overwhelmed, remind me that I am not carrying life alone. Help me rest in Your strength, trust in Your timing, and find peace in Your presence. Hold my heart steady today. Amen.
Letting Go of Bitterness, Holding On to God
There was a season in my life when I worked alongside someone who was the opposite of me. She didn’t like me, didn’t respect my thoughts, and made me feel as if I was always in her way. I often felt she whispered about me and gossiped behind my back. The hurt settled deep inside me until it became almost an obsession—I replayed her words and actions over and over, and the bitterness grew.
One day, I heard a pastor speak about giving bitterness to God. His words pierced my heart. I realized I couldn’t fix the situation on my own, but I could hand it over to the Lord. So, I started praying—sometimes daily, sometimes hourly—“God, I’m hurting, but I give this to You. I can’t carry it anymore.”
Peace didn’t always come right away. Sometimes it flowed instantly, other times it came slowly, but God was faithful. Little by little, He began to heal my heart.
Then one day, I learned that my coworker’s father had passed away. I felt God nudging me to act in love. I wrote her a letter and sent her a tree to plant in his memory. A month later, she came to me with tears in her eyes. She said, “I know we don’t get along, but I see you differently now. Your letter and the tree meant so much to me.”
That was enough. The wall between us wasn’t completely gone, but God had turned bitterness into compassion and hurt into healing.
Jesus tells us, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-28). It isn’t easy, but when we surrender our wounds to God, He can transform even the hardest relationships.
Prayer:
Lord, when hurt and bitterness rise up in my heart, remind me to place it in Your hands. Help me to love even when I don’t feel like it, and to trust You to bring peace where there has been pain. Amen.
God is just, but where is the justice
“For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” – Isaiah 30:18
It is in the courtroom that this question comes to mind. As a foster mom, I frequent the halls of justice quite often as a silent member of the lives of those I care for 24/7. History. Tragedy. Heartache. Mistakes. Looking the other way. Neglect. Unaware. The topics are all the same with simple twists here and there, all coming back to the same common element: God is just — where is the justice?
I’ve held the hands of littles as we walk to the car. Their every step trusting mine. Their minds confused, scared, unsettled — as the judge folds the file and reaches for another. Lawyers who were just angry at one another, fighting to make this motion or dismissal, laughing moments later about some event they’d all attended or a golf game gone by. And I find myself asking: Lord, do You see this? Do You hear their cries?
But those questions don’t stop in the courthouse. I’ve asked them in hospital corridors, too.
A few years ago, my sister — vibrant, driven, full of purpose — was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, Grade 4. Only months before, she had been named to the Georgia State Board of Nursing, an honor she had longed for and worked so hard to obtain. She had just purchased her own home, bought a new car, and was nearly finished with her Master’s degree. Life was opening up for her in ways she had dreamed of. And then, in the reading of an MRI, it all ended.
And now, our nation mourns a young leader — Charlie Kirk. At just 31 years old, with a wife and two small children, his life was stolen by assassination. He was bold in his faith, fearless in his convictions, and yet vulnerable to the evil that lurks in the hearts of men. The images of his death shook millions. Once again, we find ourselves crying out: Where is the justice? How could this happen?
How do we reconcile these moments? The confusion of children abandoned by the very people meant to protect them. The loss of a sister whose dreams were cut short. The murder of a young husband and father whose voice was silenced too soon. How do we hold the truth that God is just alongside the harsh reality of a world that so often feels cruel and unjust?
The truth is — God’s justice is not always immediate, nor is it always visible. What feels delayed to us is never forgotten by Him. Justice, in His hands, is not only about punishment or reward but about restoration — of hearts, of lives, of creation itself.
Sometimes His justice shows up in quiet ways: the healing of a child’s trust, the mending of a broken heart, the courage of a widow standing strong, or the ripple effect of a life lived faithfully. And other times, it feels hidden — waiting for that day when every wrong will be made right before His throne.
Until then, we wait. We walk by faith. We live justly ourselves, even when the world does not. We cling to His promise that justice will come, even if not in the way or timing we long for.
So when the courtroom feels cold, or the MRI brings devastation, or violence steals a leader in his prime, we anchor ourselves in this: God sees. God knows. God is just. And one day, His justice will roll down like waters, and His righteousness like a mighty stream.
Closing Prayer:
Lord, when life feels unfair and injustice surrounds me, remind me that You are just. Help me trust in what I cannot yet see. Give me strength to walk faithfully and to bring glimpses of Your justice into this world until the day You make all things new. Amen.
Eagle Power…
I love the m
ovie Nacho Libre. While there isn’t technically any literary worthiness to it, there is a message. Jack Black plays the part of Nacho, a Monk, discouraged with his life and longing for some form of recognition that his job has meaning. He is the cook for the other Monks and the orphans in a small town in Mexico. When a beautiful Nun enters the scene as a new teacher for the orphans, things begin to change. In secret, Nacho becomes a tag team wrestler and with the proceeds of his fights, buys fresh ingredients to prepare better meals for the children. To gain more power and become the best wrestler in the world, Nacho climbs a cliff to a known eagle’s nest, drinks the yolk of the eagle’s eggs, so that he may gain eagle power.
Discouragement happens to us all at some point in our lives – to some more than others. It is a loss of hope. A feeling that surrender and defeat are the only answers. Discouragement highlights the word ‘quit’ when we want desperately to fight and stay the course. It chips away at our future and makes us believe we are weak, incapable, too old, too young, no-good, hang-it-up people.
Can you imagine the discouragement Noah must have felt waiting for the rain and listening to the jeers and name calling from his neighbors? Or Daniel as they lowered him into the lion’s den? Being swallowed by a whale and living in the belly had to have left Jonah a bit out of sorts…Esther facing the King…Moses dealing with the Isrealites…Jesus as He prayed in the garden and His disciples slept. It leaves me to wonder, what separates “the men from the boys” or the “women from the girls”?
Steps to Combat Discouragement:
- Tell yourself ‘Who’ is on your side. God is a God of encouragement and hope, not doubt and fear. His words are uplifting, not negative. God never says, “You can’t do it! I’m going to find someone else.” On the contrary, God says, “Despite your weakness, WE will do it and do it well!” Isaiah 40:29, “He gives strength to the weary,and increases the power of the weak.”
- Relieve yourself of the weight. Carrying burdens, harboring anxiety, filling our worry tanks glorifies Satan. He is the instigator of all doubt and fear as he whispers in our ear, “What ever gave you the idea things would work out! You are going under!” Psalm 55:22, “Cast your cares (burdens) on the Lord and He will sustain you. He will never let the righteous be shaken.”
- Tell yourself not to fear. Psalm 56:11, “…though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear.” God spends a great deal of time in the Old and New Testament telling us not to fear. Not to worry. Not to let anxiety rule us. Why then do we?
- Allow God to renew your strength. Pray for encouragement and that God will surround you with His people who will lift you up and give you a renewed sense of hope. Isaiah 40:31, “…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” Don’t withdraw. Don’t stop praying. Don’t buy into the potential destruction. Praise God that He will renew and restore you!
- Summon your Eagle Powers. You don’t have to drink eagle egg yolk like our friend Nacho. God renews our strength like the eagles. Isaiah 40:31, “You will soar on wings like eagles. You will run and not grow weary. You will walk and not be faint.”
Discouragement can have a hold on us that destroys and weakens our ability to function. The bigger the plan God has for your life, the tougher Satan will be on thwarting that plan. Just when we think we are almost there, something interrupts our progress and hurls us back a few feet. Stand up. Brush yourself off and face the challenge before you. Because God will win that means you will win too.
To Caroline…
I’m so excited today! Know why? Today is May 5th the running of the Kentucky Derby. I love the Derby – always have. When I was your age, I was going to be a horse trainer; run a barn; live in Kentucky; and yes – win the Derby. : )
Dreams fill our lives from when we are 2 and 3, from wanting to be policemen or firemen or teachers or astronauts to even in our older days dreaming of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, beautiful gardens, or a vacation home on a remote island. Life is full of them. And they are all good and important in the eyes of God.
One of my favorite Bible verses was written by Paul through God’s inspiration. It comes from 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, ” Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
Today you are being confirmed into the church, your training ground for the big race. In your lifetime you will hear that a person doesn’t have to go to church to go to Heaven. And that is true. But as you know with cheerleading, you cannot be a part of the squad unless you train, practice, work hard, keep your body free of alcohol and drugs, keep your grades up, and attend practice. You are dedicated to your sport because you want to be a part of the winning team. There are many cheerleaders out there – yes there are. There are many teams. There are people who wish to be a part and people who want you to succeed and those who want you to fail. It is part of the game.
Paul is telling us through God to take our walk with Christ like a race, only we are running for “the crown.” There are people who attend church but then Monday morning treat people or act in ways that is not worthy of a person on God’s team. They are seeking prizes that do not last. Be the one who trains to win the race Caroline. Be the one who trains as Christ longs for us to train, as active members of our churches, readers of the scriptures, prayer warriors, but most importantly people who love other people.
One of the Pharisees tested Jesus with a question, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” (Matthew 22:36 NIV). Jesus replied, ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV).
And that’s how you win the race…
I am proud of who you are and who you are becoming. Do not lose sight of where you are running and who you are running beside. Be strong and bold for God. Have faith in Him. Most importantly know that as you become a part of the Body of Christ (the Church), you are representing Him in everything that you do.
Much love to you today. Never forget that you are the apple of God’s eye and a daughter of the King of kings.
As I watch the Kentucky Derby, I am going to think about you. I am going to envision the race you are running in your life for Christ. And when the winning horse crosses the finish line, I will rejoice and be glad because I know in your race, you will win for Christ.
God Bless you and keep you. May His Son shine across your face. May He forever hold you in the palm of His hand.
Aunt Nora
notesbynora 