courage to hope

Friday, February 24, 2017 (6:19 a.m.)

Holy God and Father,

You gave me courage yesterday. Courage to be honest with You. And with others. Thank You Father. Thank You.

Thank You for providing me the courage to hope that things can be better. It was You who prompted me to pray to You. Asking Your presence. And Your guidance.

Oh how I thank and praise You Blessed God. Thank You for reminding me to take deep breaths. And baby steps. Thank You for coming into my mess and starting to lead me out. I'm here inviting You in again.

You supplied my every need yesterday (Philippians 4:19). Even allowing me to recognize the various times I used the word want instead of need. Thank You for teaching me that there is such a big difference between the two.

Your Word is speaking so much Truth to me right now that I am once again completely agog with You!

Starting over in 1 Chronicles 28, I read David's Instructions to Solomon. In taking the time to pass Your wisdom on to his son, David urges Solomon to, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don't be afraid or discouraged by the size of the task, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the LORD is finished correctly” (v. 20).

The Life Recovery Bible's comment for the preceding verse reminds us that because we are each “a 'temple' of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), God actually dwells inside all His people.” Rebuilding our life according to YOUR plan for healthy living is our way to go.

A Serenity Prayer Devotional for this chapter has a power filled side note. “Full recovery doesn't stop when our broken parts are repaired. It includes building a new life that is free, full, and rich. Fear of failure, humiliation, or disappointment can keep us from seeking life in all its fullness. It takes courage to dream of the life we truly desire.”

Yes. It truly does! And You give me that courage. Courage to hope. Thank You Father. Empower and embolden me to using it well again this day. We have what appears to be a “SMART” [s-pecific, m-easurable, a-ction oriented, r-ealistic, t-ime bound] plan. We present it to You, seeking Your approval and/or changes.

We love You Father. We long to build our relationship and use this day according to Your best for us. Thank You once again for the courage to hope. Praise You. Thank You. This I ask through Your Son, by the working of the Holy Spirit. We love You. And we thank You. Amen.

(453 words ~ 7:46 a.m.)