July 12


Dark Clouds and Bright Sunshine


You shall cast all my sins behind Your back.

Isaiah 38:17 (NKJV)


Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Romans 8:35a (NKJV)


When I was a young lieutenant stationed as a copilot at K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula, I experienced some pretty brutal weather. I have to confess, the harsh winters soon caught me dreaming of another assignment. For months it was cold, dark and snowy. Low-pressure systems would drop down from Canada, and the those cold air currents picked up the moisture off the Great Lakes and dumped it back on us in the form of white fluff. I spent far too many dark mornings digging out my car, brushing deep snow off the hood and scrapping ice from the windshield. As you might consider, being from Florida was not an advantage! The winters wore on us all. Cabin fever hit some. Others hit the bottle to excess. It was depressing to say the least.

There was one thing, more than anything else, that pulled me out of this emotional abyss. It happened after our take-off runs—sometimes through blinding snow squalls—when we would lumber aloft throwing our cold, steel machine against the heavy snow and ice. As we climbed, the dark, gray clouds melted to lighter gray then to white until finally we broke into dazzling blue. I swear the sun was smiling at us every time, and I grew to look forward to it.

Today, as I think back on those days, I am reminded, my ugly past is behind me. God has rescued me and provided an incredible future for me and I’m guessing for you too! Let’s remember what we have now, what no one can ever take away from us—our glorious life in Christ!


Father God, thank You for Jesus; thank You for Your love.

July 11


Night into Day


My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? My tears have been my food day and night ... Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.

Psalm 42:2-3, 5 (NRSV)


Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4 (NKJV)


Last night I was reading excerpts from Dark Night of the Soul by John of the Cross, a 16th Century Carmelite monk. His famous prison writing describes the work of God on one’s soul—not through blessings and joy, but through hardship and sorrow. The dark night, it seems, is a most valuable part of our spiritual journey and designed to take us to the next level as Christ-followers. The dark night, our harsh reality or aloneness, our loss or pain, is meant to cleanse us and draw us into greater dependence on Him and thus break our reliance on our comforts, our strengths, our addictions ... and ourselves.

The dark nights remind us, as we always need to be reminded, “Without Him we can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

So the dark night of the soul becomes our bridge or tunnel to take us over or through these black mountains of self. And that’s good news, for every bridge and every tunnel has an end. And at their end is light. And as I trust in Him, I begin to see the light. The light at the end of my tunnel: “they shall be comforted.”


Lord, You give me hope. Turn my night into Your glorious day! Amen.

July 10


Being Undone


"The Pharisee stood and prayed with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even as this tax collector.' ...

“And the tax collector standing afar off could not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Luke 18:11, 13-14 (NKJV)


I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up.

Psalm 30:1 (NKJV)


I couldn’t sleep last night. I knew Kris was upset with me, and it slowly dawned on me why. So, for a good part of my night, I laid in bed and defended myself by running hastily-crafted rationalizations through my brain. It produced some pretty good points, a few less-than-perfect arguments, and a couple of nuclear-tipped zingers—but not much sleep.

Then this morning in my quiet time, the Lord spoke rather directly to my heart. The points were well made: give it up; confess; move on!

So, I woke Kris at 7:15 and apologized. She listened. We talked. She forgave.

And me? Praise the Lord! I am lifted up!

And tonight? I’ll sleep like a baby!


Father, thank You for healing my sightless thinking, for giving me this so-good forgiveness, and for lifting me up out of my pit!

July 09


Psalm 117


All you nations, praise the Lord.
All you people, praise him.
The Lord loves us very much.
His truth is everlasting.
Praise the Lord!

Psalm 117:1,2 (NCV)


Did you know Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible? All two verses of it. It’s like the haiku of Hebrew poetry. It cuts the fat and gives us lean meat—tiny, satisfying filets. Prime cuts: lightly grilled and set before us. Can you tell? I love this psalm.

This is good news, and it’s so upbeat. It’s all about God and God’s Kingdom; God’s goodness and His grace. It distills the basics of the Bible into two simple verses, and I love it!

The passage is directive, and it’s for everyone—facts to make life simple for us all. Praise the Lord. This is the primary reason we exist—to honor and glorify God, and the psalmist thinks it so important, he repeats it three times in two verses. This, my friend, is a priority: look to God, and praise Him! Everyone, all nations, all people, praise the Lord!

The psalmist hands us this big idea everyone needs to know, sort of the John 3:16 of the Old Testament. This truth changes lives: God loves you. This truth fixes things and sets people
n the path to meaningful life: God loves you abundantly. The Hebrew word chesed is sometimes translated lovingkindness or merciful kindness. It is God’s loyal love where He consistently bends over backwards to show us the right way. He faithfully prods us in the direction of His incomparable grace and blessing. It’s His give and give again love, and when we realize just how strong He is for us, it changes us for good.

This good is found in His truth. Another gift God gives us: the truth that challenges us, but also the truth that sets us free. This is life. This is God and His kingdom … for us!

Praise the Lord!


Lord thank You for these beautiful words … The Lord loves us very much. His truth is everlasting. Praise the Lord!