Photo of the Day

Singapore junior Colin Surguine runs from Storrs, Conn. junior Kevin Barry during AXO's Paint Your Date Monday, Sept. 27, 2010, at Fountain Mall.

By Daniel Cernero | Photo Editor

Monday Morning Grace: Refreshing Rescue

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.” -Proverbs 3:5-8

Have you ever had a week where you wake up Monday morning and you are ready for it to be Saturday? That was this past week for me. There was just too much to do and too little time – too little me.

“Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” -Psalm 55:22

From the moment the Lord awakened me Monday morning throughout the following 100 hours of life, I was continually made completely aware of my desperate need for my Savior, Jesus Christ.

“But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me. Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice.” -Psalm 55:16-17

Each morning as I hit the snooze button on my alarm, I cried out to the Lord in silent prayer, “Father, I have nothing to offer. I have nothing to bring to this day. I am weary and worn. I am in need of the strength and power of Your Holy Spirit living in me. Will You help me to do Your will today?”

“So the Lord must wait for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His help. O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries. Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, He will still be with you to teach you. You will see your Teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left.” -Isaiah 30:18-21

Last week my planner was overflowing with all that needed to be done. There were countless expectations others had of me, and so many I had placed on myself. I knew that my Sovereign Lord had a good and perfect will for the week, and I knew that if I followed Him in faithful obedience and surrender His will would be done – not my own list of things to do or the requests of those around me, but the holy and pleasing will of God.

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.” -Isaiah 26:3-4

And so I walked by faith as I faced the battle waged against me this week. With so many things of this world fighting for my attention, the Lord, in His endless grace, enabled me to fix my eyes upon Him only. He never ceased from carrying me through each and every moment as He guided me to glorify His Name in humble surrender.

“Praise the Lord; praise God our Savior!  For each day He carries us in His arms. Our God is a God who saves! The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death.” -Psalm 68:19-20

This week was by no means made simple because of my recognition of weakness and trust in the Lord. Life has its struggles, and living life in Christ does not mean living life without hardships – it means walking through the fire of the hard times in life listening to the voice of our Teacher as He refines and purifies us. He breaks us to make us whole.

“Oh, give me back my joy again; You have broken me – now let me rejoice… The sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” -Psalm 51:8, 17

But authentic faith in the Lord – faith not based on changing circumstances, but on the unchanging character of God – this confidence that what we hope for will actually happen, and assurance about things we cannot see, does not go without reward.

“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” -Psalm 37:23-24

God blessed me with efficiency in my studies, thorough yet concise interviews for my daily articles, opportunities for joy, an over-the-phone prayer of peace and encouragement from my best friend at Texas A&M, time to take a moment to meditate on His Word each day, comfort from the presence of His Holy Spirit, success in my exams, the ability to learn and to love, the freedom to rejoice, and the sweet release of worship before His throne! With each step I took, no matter how frail my body felt, my spirit could not help but delight in the Lord and His mercy!

“Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and He will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah.” -Acts 3:19-20

What is causing you to stress this week? What makes you tense with worry? Is there someone in your life who makes you feel inadequate? I invite you to cast your burdens upon the Lord this morning. He is waiting for you to turn to Him and let go of the tight grip you have on your fears. He is ready for you to trust Him to guide you through this day and however many more there are to come. Will you let Him take you by the hand and carry you through? Will you fall into His rescue this morning? I pray that you will. I pray that you will treasure the gift of salvation that Jesus Christ has given us – may we not forget the price He paid for us to know how deep and how great His love is for us.

“King David said this about Him: ‘I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts His praises! My body rests in hope. For You will not leave my soul among the dead or allow Your Holy One to rot in the grave. You have shown me the way of life, and You will fill me with the joy of Your presence.'” -Acts 2:25-28

May you let the truth of God reign in your heart this morning. Please be sensitive to see what He longs to show you today. May you run to Him in honest prayer now and forevermore.

“Father, I praise You for never leaving my side. I praise You for the fact that because I am Your daughter, I never have to live life alone. Thank You for Your love that knows no bounds. May You grant me faith to follow You wherever You lead me. Even in the wilderness, even when I feel like I am engulfed in utter darkness, will You show me the Light of Your presence? Please remind me of Your steadfast rescue with each breath You give me. Grant me the immediate instinct to let go and run to You when difficulty comes my way. Help me to worship You above all else with a thankful spirit when You pour out Your blessings on me. In everything I do, and everything I am, I desire to not just honor You, but to reflect You. May this world forget my name and my face, and only remember Yours. Thank You for not just listening to my prayers, but answering them. I love You Father, thank You for loving me.”

– Meghan