Our devotional today ends up showing us how one little letter, the letter 'R', can make such a difference in our lives and in our walk with the Lord. First, we read in Isaiah 61:10, " I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. " I love the "... with garments of salvation " reference because it reminds us that the Lord 'covers' us in His righteousness and no longer sees us as the lost, destitute sinner we once were. Remember, before we knew the Lord, we were wandering deep in the wilderness, dirty, hungry, war-torn, and certainly bedraggled. He found us and covered us there in that place... covering us with a 'Regal Robe', and setting us on His path, according to His will. That Regal Robe is not merely a pretty covering, but also protection from 'the elements', which not only includes weather (storms, cold, wind), but worldly pitfalls (rebellion, lusts, rules/legalism). We now have His righteous covering to guide us. 2 Corinthians 5:21, reads; " For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. " But, all too often, we get entangled wearing this new robe, and too quickly refer back to religious rules, precepts, and peer-pressure demands from those around us... exchanging that Regal Robe for a Legal Robe. The letter 'R', being the difference! And then, we wander off that path of righteousness He set us on (His will), and try to 'be like the others'... and confusion ensues, distractions persist, and our hope and peace are squelched. But, this 'robe of salvation' with which He covered us is ours, not theirs. Meant to fit US, not them. In fact, Philippians 2:12, reads, "... work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. " The freedom we once enjoyed being covered in His Regal Robe should never be replaced with their Legal Robe. NOT to say we can do anything we want, now... that scripture DOES say to work out our 'own' salvation with 'fear and trembling'. Not being afraid of God, but cautiously walking His 'straight and narrow' path of righteousness. No longer straying, no longer wandering, and certainly no longer reverting back to the Legal Robe. Ephesians 4:22-24 instructs us; " That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; (23) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; (24) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." A spiritual life in this earthly world is very, very tough. That is why Jesus said, "...many are called, but few answer" . One little letter changes our walk with the Lord; for when we wear His Regal Robe, we are protected by His righteousness AND led by His Spirit unto His calling for our lives. We no longer work TO be saved, we work THAT we are saved! The first is 'legal', the latter is 'regal'.

As I walk around, most of the time I hold my head up and my eyes are on my path, my course, and the 'road ahead', as it were. Rarely do I look down and watch my feet as I walk... I don't need to make sure they are following the commands of my nervous-system... I trust they will obey my wishes and commands for them... even better, I have a vast life of experience walking, which only instills my trust and belief that my steps will rarely falter. Unless it is dark! Then, I am not at all so confident, not at all so 'head held high' proud, not at all so sure of my steps. Our devotional today admonishes us about our walk, about our steps, and about our trust and faith in His leading us. Psalms 119:105 tells us; " Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. " The Word of the Lord does that... Illuminates our footfall (below our feet), and our path (ahead of our lives). Which verse? Which passage? That's where I can get a little caught up in the exactness of my faith, but the Lord reminds us that " ...thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee " (wander off the path). His Word is not just one/two passages, or a special memory scripture or two, not even the pieces that makes the most sense... His whole Word. That can be a lot of reading and take a lot of time. How do you ever keep from wandering out of His will and off His path while you are young? Well, Ephesians 5:15-16 helps clarify by telling us; " See then that ye walk circumspectly (wary and unwilling to take risks), not as fools, but as wise, (16) Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. " That 'circumspectly' part always catches my eye... to be wary... and unwilling to take risks. Seems like we'd never grow in the Lord if we don't 'try' things... experiment... practice... just explore, as it were. But, that's the core point with our devotional; "trust" in the Lord is 'sure'... it is healing... it is free of fear and worry, an assurance in your steps, a pride in your walk, and a 'head held high' posture about your faith with the Lord. These Footfalls of Faith are the result of trusting Him, walking with Him, and taking quality quiet time with Him to know His Word, which illuminates; lighting the path below your feet and ahead of you too. You are not going to walk and have faith, you are going to have faith and walk. Your walk is the Footfalls of your Faith!

One of the very easiest ways to answer Jesus' invitation to come to Him, is; stop letting things keep you from Him! Easier said than done, I know SO well, but if you take a moment to consider that our busyness really pulls us from His invitation to fellowship with Him, so setting aside the busyness instantly frees us for time with Him. Our devotional today does two things; reminds us that He IS constantly calling on us, and the value we glean from His presence is time-worthy of it. Firstly; You don't hear His constant invites? Stop, quiet yourself, listen with your heart, and learn/experience following the spirit. His is a 'still small voice' (like whispering your PIN number at the train station), and you must 'lean into it', put your posture in a place of receiving. Listen to Revelation 22:17; " And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. " Secondly; The 'return on investment' of your time is such a rich, thorough, and deeper relationship with the Lord. Some may say, "So?", to which Ephesians 3:16-19 explains (I'll only share some here), as; " ...May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ... ". The vastness of God is there for your taking, it is a gift and He IS constantly inviting you to take a break, to fellowship, and mark His time as 'none of your busyness' time!

Three words that help speak volumes for the 'groanings' I struggle over in my life... trying to be acceptable (please keep me around)... trying to be compliant (I can follow rules)... trying to be faultless or blameless (am I doing the right things?). Yet, someone, somewhere, someway construes their viewpoint in such a way as to question integrity, honor, and certainly stature in our lives. Sometimes, it leaves me feeling ashamed, embarrassed, and certainly unworthy to turn to the Lord, to fellowship with Him, to be called a 'child of God'. Isaiah 42:3 actually helps bolster you if/when you experience this, when it states; " A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. " 'Truth' always prevails, but the judgement is tough, especially when accompanied with condemnation. Assuredly, the Lord will NEVER reject us... as Isaiah 54:10 reminds us; " For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. " Our brokenness actually is His forte, it is His core compassion for us, it is His yearn to help us, to nurture, to hold us close in His everlasting arms! But again, many times we just 'ache' in sorrow, or 'moan' deep in our souls... unsure how to communicate to others properly, clearly, and without causing 'them' to be offended, confused, or hurt. Paul told us in Romans 8:26, " Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ", which is to say... Your deficiencies are God's very strength; rest in Him. Your insufficiencies are made whole by the Spirit; trust in Him. Your inadequacies are made complete by Jesus' blood; call upon Him. You are completely and wholly made strong in Him!

' Life ' means many things and is used in so many ways, but at it's core, it is defined as; 'any specified period of animate existence'. Plants have life, animals have life, as does the human race have life. Especially with humans, life also includes our spirit and soul, which is a much deeper version of the physical life other things on this planet experience. Even among the humans, there seems to be a wide variation in life; some are exuberant, excited, and energetically productive; while others seem to just plod along and demonstrate little more life than animals, and even some as little life as plants! Spirit Filled humans, those called and saved by the grace if Jesus, have access to an even deeper, more thorough life. For, John 10:10 in part declares; "...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. " That is to say Jesus' redemption, gift of salvation, and Spirit indwelling greatly intensifies life. No... You are not wealthier, healthier, even smarter or less apt to fail. A 'more abundantly life' indicates you are going to have access to clarity and intense detail IN the life you currently experience (more abundantly). Why? Because God IS within you, beside you, and certainly before you. Matthew 1:23 conveys both the physical and spiritual presence, by saying; " Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. " His presence and fellowship in our lives bolsters our persona, energizes our walk, and instills hope in our tomorrow's. No longer do we slump around, sour, somber, dreading certain events for fear of demise. We learn to savor His blessings, His touch, His voice in our hearts... eternal hope puts a natural spring in your step. We actually glorify God through our pleasure in His fellowship. Therein, we demonstrate His presence to those around us, we proclaim a difference, a purpose, and certainly a 'not for naught' trust in the Lord... so give a shout!

To my knowledge, I've never been in a coma. I have be so focused and attentive to something at times that I miss many other things going on right around me, be it; a crash or accident, the sudden death of a loved one, or even something as simple stopping a sudden plumbing leak. We have an innate ability to deal with more than one thing at a time. A coma however, is our body's way of isolating any/all distractions so it can protect life, heal itself, focus. Our devotional today is a reminder that our relationship and companionship with the Lord could take on some of the same traits; focus, attention, devotion. As it states in Psalms 62:8, " Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. ", which is to say that we are to seek Him all-day-long and then some. Even Psalms 55:17, reads; " Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. " Throughout our day, all sorts of events occur, and too often the 'bad ones' can seem like punishment (we may actually deserve it, too), but these moments are God's unique way of queuing our hearts... asking us to 'pay attention' to His leading, to His calling, to His Spirit in our lives. Then, watch how God changes your perspective in matters of your life! Initially it will be tough, but as you retain your focus (pay attention) to Him in your daily moments, you will recognize that what was once 'big issues' (fears) are no longer threats (distractions). Psalms 32:6 reminds us that; " For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. " When you pay attention to the Lord through your day, your outlook on life will change, your fear of the unknown will change, your very yearn for the Lord will change, too... Pay Attention, and Here's Your Change!

The deal keeps getting better and better... those infomercials selling gadgets, gizmos, and home-item trinkets all have that one recurring theme of " ...but wait " as they are working to impress you enough to make that sale. The longer you 'do' wait, the better and more unbelievable the deal does get... to the point you feel almost moronic NOT to place an order. Today, our devotional has somewhat the same premise, though you are not being convince to accept something you would otherwise do fine in life without... the peace and fellowship of the Lord! Sure, to begin with we 'do' need some convincing, some 'pitch' as it were, and probably some 'here is how you would benefit' presentation. So, listen to this gentle reminder from Isaiah 40:31, which proclaims; " But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. " But wait... Just wait, that's the call from the Lord. Once you learn to do that one thing; your strength is renewed, you fly like an eagle (notice it is not like a clumsy DoDo Bird, which couldn't actually fly anyway), run and not be weary, walk and not faint... just from waiting on and with the Lord! Typically, one of the best times to do this is the beginning of your day, so-as to set your heart, mind, and soul in proper perspective. You can certainly do this anytime, but the key is to 'wait', to reserve AND preserve time with Him, for Him... make this waiting a priority, and yearn for His passion as the Psalmist stated in 27:4 " One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. " How? It's kind of easy, actually, just 'think on these things'; " Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. ", from Philippians 4:8. As you awake in the morning and the bustle of your day before you begins to en-wrap your mind and life, think; "...but wait!"

I know, yet another non-word I am using in the title, but our devotional today has us reflecting (and hopefully yearning) for the rest and refreshing impact our Lord can have in our lives. Me? Too often, I find myself scurrying through life considering all the ways I can improve it (financially, emotionally, spiritually) and protect it (insurance, savings, home security) and just get so overwhelmed with the perpetual struggle of it all. I see others around me who appear to ' have it all together ' and too easily, I get caught up in the 'keep up with them' or the 'do better than them' struggle... then, I read in Psalms 37:7, which states; " Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. " So, I need to rest in the Lord... let my mind, body, and soul be refreshed by His presence in my life. Another scripture (Psalms 131:2) conveys this as; " Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. " Deep within us, there in that independently unique relationship we have with the Lord there is a private well-spring of joy, of peace, of calming assurance that His grace is sufficient for me. But, I have to be quiet, settled, waiting... This alone gives me rest. This alone calms my soul. This alone settles my anxiousness for the 'things around me' and I regain that 'things within me' perspective, again. THEN is my mind and body refreshed, then is my life restored in His will. As the Psalmist said in 21:6 " For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance. " His Rest, His Refreshment; His Presence results in these. Focus on Him today.

Jesus is not a crutch; He's the whole hospital! He can repair your brokenness. He can heal your diseases. He can transplant your sinful heart. He can breathe new life into your lungs. He can straighten and strengthen your spine. He can bring sight to the blind. He can revive your very soul. We just have to be 'admitted' into His care; no longer getting 'outpatient' care, no longer using God like a bandaid that we later rip off once the healing has begun. He is not a crutch that we set aside once our walk has improved; He's the entire hospital of care, of nurturing, of restoration... Psalm 103:3, states; " Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases ". But, we cannot keep bypassing this hospital, this plethora of healing, we must be admitted into His care. Sure, you may have 'tried' to surrender to His care, or played the spiritual role for a time, or maybe you are just too 'self sufficient' and too stubborn to trust Him. James 4:2 reminds us that; " Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. " That 'asking' part is when/where you get admitted into His care, when/where you trust Him for His healing and nurturing care, when/where our transformation begins. We only need to ask. He does not force Himself into our lives, rather, He waits. Matthew 7:7 even tells us that we are to; " Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you ". Please don't keep that crutch in the closet 'just in case'... trust in Him with all your life. Go on, be admitted to it.

The Bible tells me that I should not get weary from doing well, that I should not fret over seeing immediate results, the fruits of my labor, or even just the difference I may be making in this world. Our devotional today is an encouragement about this, and reminder that He does know our labors, He does see our dedication and commitment (not to mention our yearn to follow His will), and He does have a time for each of us. Many times, it feels like 'I am alone' on the journey with the Lord, and there are rarely other 'like fellow' travelers on this path. But, I remember that the scriptures 'do' say that "...straight is the way, and narrow the path that leads to life everlasting", which is to remind us that His calling on our lives is a personal and intimate one. It is not a family thing, or a group thing, but a personal walk with Him. Oddly, it is both a privilege and a perilous path. And, those who walk this calling with all their heart are 'kept' by the Lord. In 1 Kings 8:23, before the entire congregation of Israel, Solomon proclaimed; " ...Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart. " Personally, it feels and seems presumptuous to think I might have anything of value to share or add to life around me, but I am regularly reminded that 'what' the Lord does through me is not nearly as important to me as 'that' He does things through me. We are not to worry about how (or even IF) the message is received; ours is to be prepared, ready, and willing. In fact, Galations 5:22-23 reads; " But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. " Fruit seems to be the key. A young plant does not bear fruit, or if it does, it will likely be bitter and under-developed. A mature plant that is well grounded, properly nurtured (watered, fed, pruned) will ultimately yield a vast bounty of fruit. But, as the Bible reads; "...like a tree planted by the waters, I shall not be moved." Inanimate objects don't have the freedom and will that we have, and we must 'choose' to remain on this seemingly thankless path... grounded... rooted. For, our reward and recognition is not coming from man (they will enjoy the fruit), but from our Lord. Seems trite and maybe something if an empty promise, but as we trust Him whole heartedly, His Spirit does fill us with Joy, Peace, and Assurance. His work is hidden in you now, maybe... but will be abundant fruit soon! You will not need to 'toot your own horn', for the fruit will bear witness... others will see.

Tumult, discord, chaos, or even just simple confusion are all mechanisms of fear... and Satan loves using fear to set us back on our heels, to cause doubt, or merely to cause us to pause long enough to just miss a 'divine appointment'. Our devotional today helps remind us that fear can actually be a good 'trigger' to heighten our awareness of Jesus in our lives... and exercising faith in Jesus will automatically minimize the fear Satan wants us to 'respect'. After-all, we 'are' respecting fear (and Satan) when we succumb to the threats, or the taunting, or even the derailing affect of his shenanigans. One exercise you can use over-n-again is 'resistance'. James 4:7 clarifies it with; "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." See? The devil doesn't just leave you alone... he flees! He knows that anyone with strength and determination to stand their ground against him, MUST have connections! Another exercise is to remember and believe that you ARE a child of God, washed and redeemed by the very blood of Jesus... forgiven! Where there is forgiveness, there is no condemnation (sentence). In fact, Romans 8:1-2, clearly states; " There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. " Satan HATES to be reminded that we are 'free'... that's why 'fear' loses its impact on us... no condemnation means we will NOT be punished; not be made ashamed; not carry our sin... but, Jesus our savior has our back, He covers our sin, He also told Satan '...get thee behind me' when being challenged! That's OUR mighty Father! Lastly, Isaiah 12:2 declares; " Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. " So, fear 'loses its teeth'; there's no bite, and barely a roar... through our faith in Jesus, but strengthened by 'exercising our faith', and toning up our spiritual bodies... making it second nature in our lives to 'call upon the name of the Lord', to trust in Him wholly and consistently (not only during trials), to remain close... for each new struggle you face, He can gently touch your shoulder and whisper to you, "Gotch'er Back".

We have had occasion to discuss today's devotional a couple times in recent months, so this title may sound familiar... or, it may actually confuse you, too. Letting others suffer seems SO contrary to the message of Jesus, the compassion He has instilled in our hearts, and the reward of hope we have realized... but this is actually one of the underlying messages God conveys to us. Letting others suffer gives God an opportunity to commune directly with them. As an example, Jacob loved his son Joseph so much more than Josephs siblings, that envy & strife grew among the children. Genesis 37:3-4 explains; " Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. (4) And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. " Oh, we mean well when we protect our loved ones, we may even feel/think it is our core calling. But unwittingly, we may actually be protecting them from God Himself! Sure, seems unlikely, but consider this... When YOU suffer, you turn to the Lord for guidance, strength, hope. If someone loved you 'so much' that they protected YOU from the suffering, you may not have turned to the Lord, you may not have reached that 'I cannot do this alone' realization, and worse... you may not have grown to trust the Lord more. All because someone did not let you suffer. Remember, Ephesians 3:20 admonishes us with; " Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us ", which is to say if/when anyone suffers, God can/will provide comfort to them, can/will provide nurturing for them, can/will provide His leading in their life. It is SO tough knowing when to allow God to have His way, and not get in His way... so tough. But that's when we must settle our hearts, settle our worrying and fear, settle our controlling spirit and rest in the Lord's desire to have His will in their lives. Exodus 33:14 states; " And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. " Be ready to help those around you, be ready to be used of the Lord, but just be careful to Let Them Suffer, and let God have a direct relationship with them, too.