“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

It’s Monday again. Thank you, Lord, for giving us another week. Each day is a blessing from you, because you are at our side no matter what. When life is filled with anxiety, worry and sadness, You are there. When we celebrate the happy times, the blessings, the hope and promises, You are there. When we struggle with daily problems – when we see the end of life coming – when we hang on to life with all our might – when we cry out to You for any kind of help, You are there. When our last hours approach, when our aching bodies won’t allow us to do normal tasks, when time has slipped away like melted butter on a cob of corn, You are there. You pursuit us. You hear our prayers. You celebrate with us. You enjoy our laughter. You are always available. You lift us out of the pit. You never, ever, ever, let go of us. You are always there. Thank you, in Jesus name for allowing us another time of grace to share Your love with others. Amen!

As you face another week, you might be considering all the difficulties that may come. You may be looking forward to something special. You might be wondering about what God has in store for you today. You may be dreading an appointment – a test result – a financial loss – a relationship problem, but do you know that through it all, God is there with you. Maybe you’re concerned about making it through another day, because of your aging body. Death is imminent. We will all face it one day. We will all die, but by God’s perfect grace, we will never die. We may mourn those who pass on to eternity, but God has promised to give them new life and that makes us happy. Still, we miss them. We long for their presence in our lives. We feel sad when they can’t be at a graduation, a wedding, a celebration of any kind. Tears fall and yet we are supposed to rejoice.

Not as easy as it sounds, when you are the one going through this situation. We struggle to hang on to life and do all that we can from a medical standpoint. We trust the medical community to make decisions for us, without weighing the consequences of those choices. Quality of life vs. end of life becomes the last point of surrender for us. Do we trust the health care system, or the One who created all things? Letting go and letting God – has always been difficult for me. Wrestling with Him has been a way of life for me at times. Maybe that’s why my hips and knees hurt so much. I put up a good fight, but there is nothing within my own power to change things – to make them better – to improve them – to find solutions. God is forever consistent. He never changes, even though we are in a continual state of flux. Giving in – even to Him – is a struggle all of us will face at one point or another. Since He never changes, we have the assurance that He will always keep His promises – He loves us – He will never let us go – He paid the ultimate price to save us – we can rejoice, even in the trials we face each day.

It’s Monday – again. Thank God for being at your disposal 24/7. His love endures forever!