But He does know exactly how you are feeling today. . . and how you will feel tomorrow. He knows you lack energy, even on days you may have enthusiasm and you feel like the day was wasted. Remember that God never wastes anything. Your time and your experiences are all a part of His greater plan.

The Will of God

The will of God will never take you,
Where the grace of God cannot keep you,
Where the arms of God cannot support you,
Where the riches of God cannot supply your needs,
Where the power of God cannot endow you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the Spirit of God cannot work through you,
Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you,
Where the army of God cannot protect you,
Where the hands of God cannot mold you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the love of God cannot enfold you,
Where the mercies of God cannot sustain you,
Where the peace of God cannot calm your fears,
Where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
Where the Word of God cannot feed you,
Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you,
Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.

Everything happens for a purpose. We may not see the wisdom of it all now, but trust and believe in God that everything is for the best.

~Author unknown

Lisa Copen submitted this devotional. She is the founder of Rest Ministries and lives with rheumatoid arthritis.

You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com

Do you ever fear God’s will, afraid it will take you on a path that is harder than you feel equipped to deal with?

Adoration to My Holy God

By Rhonda Sawtelle

To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.
God, the most holy. I meditate on Your majesty.
God, the most holy. I am in awe–Almighty, Absolute Being.
God, the most holy. I glorify Your greatness.
To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.

God, the most holy. I can’t begin to fathom Your faithfulness.
God, the most holy. I marvel at Your mercy. God, the most holy.
I can’t imagine Your immutability.
To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.
God, the most holy. I treasure Your trustworthiness.
God, the most holy.

I give voice to Your goodness. God, the most holy.
I’m wowed by Your wisdom.
To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.
God, the most holy. I am secure in Your sovereignty.
God, the most holy. I am sheltered in Your Self-existence.
God, the most holy. I am galvanized (inspired) by your Grace.

God, the most holy. I am invigorated by Your infinitude.
To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.
God, the most holy. I am overcome by Your omniscience.
God, the most holy. I am humbled by Your holiness.To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.

__________________________

Each of us need to remember who God is. He is greater than we can even comprehend. And yet, the Holy God loves me (and you) so much. He has no reason to love us—He simply does. However, He is also holy. He loves us, but abhors sin. If I want to create a positive day, then I need to remember Who God is and live my life acting on that knowledge. God, the most holy. To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.

About the Author:
Rhonda Sawtelle lives with chronic headaches and pain due to failed back surgery syndrome. Her philosophy is “Create a positive day!” She enjoys watching football, digital scrapbooking, and reading. To read more about how Rhonda creates a positive day, even while living with pain, visit her blog: http://createapositiveday.blogspot.com.

You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus tomorrow, may you be filled with the comfort and joy that is available to you through the love of Jesus and His availability to each of us, right where you are.

God, my Confidant, my Savior,
Faithful is His code of behavior.
Steadfast, unchangeable, unshakable.
Being something different—He’s just unable.
I Am can be nothing other than who He is.

True blue, never slow, never wavering.
Rock-solid; forever unchanging.
In the past, He has proven Himself true.
In the present and future, He’ll simply continue.
I Am can be nothing other than who He is.

Promises kept, loyal, reliable, sure.
Awesome faithfulness—without measure.
No role in God’s faithfulness, has human frailty.
Unfaithfulness to God’s Being is contrary.
I Am can be nothing other than who He is.

Unfathomable, incomprehensible,
It is simply and utterly impossible—
Unfaithfulness is not even a choice.
In God’s faithfulness—with assurance—rejoice.
I Am can be nothing other than Who He Is.

Prayer: Lord, remind me who You are. Don’t allow my thoughts to doubt You or the power You have over my life! You are faithful, have always been faithful, and always will be faithful. I can rest in this if I allow myself to do so

About the Author:
Rhonda Sawtelle lives with chronic headaches and pain due to failed back surgery syndrome. Her philosophy is “Create a positive day!” She enjoys watching football, digital scrapbooking, and reading. To read more about how Rhonda creates a positive day, even while living with pain, visit her blog: http://createapositiveday.blogspot.com.

You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com

How do you remember the times God is faithful in your life? Do you write them down? Make a note in your Bible? Perhaps you have not made a formal record of it. Would you considering doing so? How might this change your perspective when dealing with difficult times?

I go to church every Sunday,
and start waiting for it the next Monday.
So I guess by now I should have learned,
that You alone have always yearned.
To be the One I come to most,
the one and only, Holy Ghost.

In my fright I did not see,
When you, O Lord, snuck up to me.
When I asked, “Where have you been?”
You replied, “With you, always.”

Kristen Matthews, 17, is a senior in high school and she wrote this poem at the age of 15. She says, “This poem reminds people that God is always here for them, even when we don’t feel Him.”

The Gift of Pain

Physical, emotional, chronic –

Consumes, swallows, saps,

Drains.

Connecting, responding,

Reaching out

Requires more

Energy,

Effort,

Emotion,

Than the pain sometimes allows,

Leaving me separated, isolated,

Alone.

Words lie flat on printed pages –

Unclear,

Obscure,

Perplexing.

Thoughts drift, wander,

Swirl out of reach,

Refusing to make sense,

Take shape,

Opaque,

Leaving me wordless,

Isolated,

Alone.

Pain is difficult to define,

Describe, color,

Number, name,

A formless image,

A vapor, a mist,

A mirage

That dissolves, dissembles, disappears

As I try to capture it in words,

Wanting it to be concrete,

Quantifiable,

Understandable to others…

To me.

Yet the mystery

Is that once accepted,

Embraced,

Understood as allowed

By the Hand of my Heavenly Father,

Pain becomes a gift –

A mysterious,

Powerful,

Incomprehensible gift –

Able to refine, cleanse,

Justify, purify

And strengthen my soul,

Deepening my faith

And leaving in its wake,

A humble,

Useful, usable

Teachable,

Willing spirit,

Intrinsically reflecting

The heart and soul and mind

Of GOD.

Cindee Snider Re lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their five children (ages 10-18).  She’s a homeschooling mom who enjoys long walks, quiet evenings, and strong, black tea, who is also learning to live well with a permanent spine and rib injury, an unexpected blessing through which her best writing is born.  Cindee’s writing can be found at: http://www.breathedeeply.org.

And then! Lovingly, He showed them
the wounds in His side, His hands,
wanting them to know He’d hurt, too
and now He could understand…
Understand each pain and each trial
that they would ever go through,
understand their tribulations
for He had felt them, too.

For God is not a God
who kept Himself protected,
not a God who played it safe
and tried not to be affected.
He was willing to walk our earth
and feel what it is to be man;
that was one of His intentions
and part of His perfect plan.

So when you have a hurting heart
and in your personal pains and aches,
know that He’s been wounded, too,
and for you, His own heart breaks.
In His mercy and compassion
and because of all He went through,
Jesus cares for your every concern
and feels it along with you.

When He goes to wipe your tears,
know He’s had tears of His own.
He’s experienced loneliness and loss,
so you’re not wounded alone.
No, you’re not wounded alone.

About the Author:
Cynthia Evans is a published poet living in the greater Atlanta area. When she’s not writing, you might find her serving at Christian companies, traveling, walking or watching inspirational films.