“I love the house where you live, O Lord, the place where your glory dwells.” -Psalm 26:8 (NIV)

What is a home? We often use it interchangeably with the word” house”. However, the two words have quite different connotations. A house is a building in which we are assured a place to rest and are protected from the elements. I have seen many beautiful houses which would be wonderful to live in. But a home is what gives a house life. A home consists of the people who make a house worth coming back to. When we are surrounded by the unconditional love of family, we find our sense of belonging and comfort and this gives us the strength and joy to endure all sorts of hardships. I know that even if – found myself “houseless” I will never be “homeless” as long as the love of my wonderful family continues to bring warmth to my soul.

Yet not even the bonds of family can claim to be unbreakable for all of us are fallen and mortal. If sin will not break our family ties, then death certainly will. When faced with total loneliness, where can we find that sense of belonging which we seek to regain? The wonderful truth is that in Christ we will always have a home. His love knows no bounds and it will never fade away for He is eternal. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and carry out His restorative work in our lives we are adopted into His family. Through this adoption we become His precious sons and daughters; joining our brothers and sisters around the world who acknowledge Him as their Father. Immersed in His love we will find a home that can never be taken away from us; making His love tangible to us as He proves His faithfulness when we surrender our lives to Him. Knowing that we forever belong to Him, we will have the strength to overcome anything resting in the knowledge that we are loved and find our sanctuary in the Creator of the Universe who watches over and cares for us.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” –Psalm 55:22 (ESV)

Being close to the Atlantic Ocean, Nova Scotia is a place with many boat owners. When I was working there one summer, it was a common sight to see many different boats sailing in and around the harbour. One day however, it was announced that the province would be experiencing a severe storm with very powerful winds. All of us had to get anything outdoors inside our homes and I heard of many boat owners scrambling to the docks to secure their vessels. The way they did this was remarkable. Using ropes and anchors they were able to ensure that their boats were not carried away by the storm. Granted the boats may have been rocked by the power of the winds, but they remained in one place; firmly moored to the docks.

How can we survive the storms of life? It is a question that often surfaces in our minds when we are in despair. We feel as if we are being tossed about by our circumstances, never knowing whether we will be able to endure it all. In our anguish we cry out for security and strength to live and we turn to all sorts of things in the hope of attaining what we seek. But what ends up happening is that when storms come, these cords which we have trusted in to keep us secure are prone to snap; leaving us at the mercy of the wind and the waves. Where then can we find that strength which will last us through the unendurable? It is only when we have rooted ourselves in Christ. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts and submit ourselves to Him, He will lead us according to His perfect will. By living in obedience to Him and trusting in who He is, He will not allow us to be overtaken by the storms around us; empowering and sustaining us to preserve as He works through our situations for His great purposes.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

“The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” –Exodus 15:2 (NIV)

I once remember coming across an interesting account of a group of Christians in ancient Rome. Persecuted for their faith in Christ they were in chains and were being led to the coliseum to be ripped apart by wild animals. But what struck the people observing this procession was that the Christians were singing and celebrating! Where there would normally be weeping and mourning, there was joy and a confident expectation of a glorious hope. The sight struck people both as odd and as admirable that these children of Christ would have such boldness in the face of death. It has been proven that part of the reason that Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire was the witness of these Christians under persecution; causing many to seek to learn more about Christ and accept Him as Lord.

How often do we have the same attitude in the face of suffering? When confronted by adverse circumstances, the song in our hearts is usually one of despair rather than hope and joy. Feeling crushed under the weight of our trials we feel helpless and weak. Such feelings then give way to hopelessness and we succumb to a defeatist attitude which tells us that victory will forever elude us. However there is hope in the Lord of the Universe; who stand omnipotent over all. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and work in our lives, he will strengthen us by His Spirit. In leaning on Him and allowing ourselves to be rooted in His Word, we will find that strength and boldness which only comes from knowing that He works all things together for His perfect plan for us. Resting in Him we will be able to sing boldly, even in the direst of circumstances, for as Romans 8:37 says, “…we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Christ has overcome sin and death through His own death and resurrection. As His children who have become like Him in His death and resurrection, we have a strength derived from the eternal hope of being made one with Him.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’” –Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

I remember the first time that I had to leave home and be away from my parents. As part of an elementary school trip I would be away for one whole week at an outdoor camp. Though I was looking forward to the exciting adventures that were to be had, I was also nervous and afraid. A child’s imagination often runs wild and knowing that I would be spending the week in a heavily forested area, there was the fear of the dangers that could be lurking in the woods. But before I left my father recited this verse to me and it brought me so much comfort and joy. Knowing that the all-powerful God who created the Heavens and the Earth was going to be by my side was a huge confidence boost. Even to this day when I feel that I am stepping into the unknown, this verse comes back to me reminding me that God is with me wherever I go.

Situations will come along our path that make us quake in fear. Uncertainty grips our minds and our hearts sink with despair. We wonder how we will ever pull through these situations in one piece. In desperation we cry out for strength and the wisdom to navigate through the storms which we find ourselves sailing into. However, there is hope! No other navigator will suffice expect for Christ Himself. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts, He will strengthen us in our hour of need. By staying in tune with His Spirit He will guide our steps towards the fulfilment of His perfect plan for our lives. With Him as our Captain, we will have nothing to fear resting in the assurance found in Romans 8:31 that “If God is for us, who can be against us?”. We will be able to stand fearless before our situations and circumstances knowing that it is God who gives us victory and who in His omnipotence will work all things together for good.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” –Psalm 29:11 (NIV)

Sickness has a way of weakening us in more ways than one. Not only do we become physically drained, but we become mentally exhausted as well. With our energy sapped away from us and feeling unnaturally tried we are limited in what we can and cannot do. However, this causes us much grief and anxiety.  Remembering our prior strength and vigour we lament that we have been reduced to such a helpless state. For this reason we seek medicine; to restore what has been lost. What sweet relief it is when we have found the right medicines to cure us of our aliments! As its soothing effects affect every area of our bodies we feel our vitality being replenished; giving us the energy and strength to carry on with what needs to be done.

All of us have our afflictions and illnesses. Some may be of a physical nature, but many are emotional and spiritual. Regardless of the nature of our suffering, it torments us and drags us into misery. Under them we feel bound to weakness and we long to find healing and restoration. To this end we look for all sorts of medicines to cure our aching souls. But such medicines, as they are found in the world, fail to bring that total healing we long for. Disappointed and frustrated we ask if there is any way for us to regain the strength we once had. The wonderful assurance is that there is a cure which will never fail! Isaiah 53:5 speaks of Christ and that by “…his stripes we are healed”. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts, He will seek to restore us in all areas of our lives. With His Spirit residing within us He will renew our strength and bring life back into our souls. Through Christ we will see, just as how medicine gradually brings relief, how He will strengthen and heal us as He proves to us His faithfulness and goodness.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” –Psalm 27:14 (NIV)

Waiting can often be unbearable. When something does not work out as planned or things do not get done when and how we want them to, it is easy to become frustrated. Part of our frustration is that when we are forced to be patient, it seems as if we have lost control of our affairs. Instead of us dictating what needs to be done and when, it seems that we are at the mercy of our circumstances. This loss of power over our lives makes us feel weak and plunges us into despair. We lose hope and feel as if we will forever be slaves to our situations, bending to their every whim, and feeling insecure when we compare ourselves with others who seem to have it all together.

In Christ however we are made secure. We fail to see that those moments of waiting are opportunities to develop our strength in Him. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and seek to live according to His Spirit, we will quickly come to understand that His schedule is better than ours. Though with our fallible eyes we cannot see it, He has a wonderful plan in store for us and He will not rest until He has seen it fulfilled in our lives. He is able to use our circumstances and turn them around in order to display His power over our situations and His faithfulness to us.  However, He will do this not according to our timing, but by His flawless wisdom. When we choose to grasp his hand and patiently wait upon Him, He will strengthen us by His promises that everything is under His control. By constantly submitting ourselves to Him and trusting in His wisdom, we will see how good He truly is. Our faith will be strengthened in those moments of waiting and we will remain firm and confident before all that we face knowing that in Christ we have the final victory.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“…weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” –Psalm 30:5 (NIV)

Today as I was walking downtown, I saw an interesting quote by Rabindranath Tagore posted on a church billboard. Being the huge fan that I am of the Indian poet, I had to stop and take a picture. His quote displayed on the billboard was, “Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark”. It got me thinking of my own faith journey and how God has brought me out of those dark moments in my own life. Though initially I may feel discouraged and distraught when trials come along my path, the moment I take my fears and concerns to Him while spending time in His Word, I feel at peace and strengthened in the promise that He will turn my mourning into dancing. By the faith which He perfects in me I am able to feel the light though darkness may be around me.

Sometimes we may feel overwhelmed by circumstances around us. We look at ourselves and the struggles we face thinking how will we ever get the strength to endure them. No matter how hard we try, we cannot shake that feeling of hopelessness and despair; becoming weak under the weight of our situations. But Christ came into this world to bring hope and life. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts and permit Him to work in our lives, we will experience first hand His faithfulness. Resting in the promises found in His Word, He will give us strength in the hope that though sorrow may plague us, they are not permanent. He is always working towards the fulfilment of His perfect plan for our lives and by His love and omnipotence He will turn our weeping into rejoicing. Making that decision to trust in Him is the best choice which we can make and when we have done this He will strengthen our faith so that though the clouds of darkness surround us, we will feel His light; walking boldly in the hope we have through Him.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.