I think that today's verse supports the saying, "If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it." David was commissioning his son Solomon to build the temple, and giving him encouragement to do it. Like many of us when requested to do something out of our comfort zone, Solomon was feeling somewhat afraid.

One of my biggest fears is public speaking. Put me in front of folks with a message to deliver, and I get struck with stage fright. No, I'll go one degree higher — I get panic attacks. So here's an example.

Some forty-five plus years ago, the church where I taught the preschool Sunday school class decided that it would be better (easier?) if the children's story were done by the Sunday school teachers rather than the minister doing it all the time. The Sunday school, against my protests, decided that as most of the children coming up for the story were in my class, I should be the first to do so.

The Sunday for my initiation arrived. At the right time in the service, I made my way to the front of the church. As I was wearing a long skirt, I hoped that no one could see my knees shaking. I kept telling myself, "God will see me through this." I made it as far as the chancel steps, and suddenly sat down on the top one. The kids who had been straggling up behind me thought that gathering around me and sitting on the stairs was better than going up and standing around the minister.

Focussing on the children, I got through the story, but by this time, I was blind with panic. As we all headed back to our seats for the prayer and hymn before Sunday school, I headed towards the aisle beside the door that led to Sunday school. The minister seemed to be waiting for me to sit, so I turned into the first pew I came to and sat down. The only problem was that someone else was already sitting there, and his wife was not amused!

Yes, God did as He had promised. He saw me through that story. I did many more stories after that, and don't think that I was ever that afraid again, but I am happy that I seldom have to do any public speaking anymore.

God will see us through all situations. We just don't know how.

Lamentations 3:22-23 – The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. (RSV)

Our God is everlastingly faithful to us. He is ever present in our lives. His strength supports us; His mercies and lovingkindness are fresh every day. What better friend could we have than that?

Joseph Scriven states it well in his hymn What a friend we have in Jesus:

Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness:
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for the gifts of Your Son, our Saviour, and of Your Holy Spirit. We are comforted and supported in all things by Your presence even when we are unaware of it. Strengthen us with Your power to enable us to be Your servants and messengers here on earth. Daily, Lord God, help us to grow more like Jesus. In our Saviour's name, we pray. Amen.

This same God Who makes innumerable snowflakes, also makes all of us people here on earth. He knows us all and has made us all different. Jesus told us that "even the hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:30). Even more precious to us is God's statement:

Jeremiah 1:5a – Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. (RSV)

What a magnificent thought: our Creator knows us so well, and because we are His creation, He loves us. The apostle Peter indicates an appropriate response to such love:

1 Peter 1:14-16 – As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." (RSV)

In a recent worship service, we paused and took a silent moment of communion with God. We were to be holy, to listen to our Creator speak to us in our hearts, to feel His love pouring down on all of us as we silently shared our thanks, joys, requests, and other intimate things. I can't speak for anyone else, but there was an energy and tension in the sanctuary as we took that holy time with God.

W.D. Longstaff in his hymn "Take time to be holy" has it all summed up for us:

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone;
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,
Each thought and each motive beneath His control;
Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.

Even the ten commandments encourage us to take a holy time:

Exodus 20:8 – Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (RSV)

These holy times strengthen our faith, encourage us as we are nourished by His Spirit, and inspire us to become better servants of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. These holy times are available whenever we need them, even "on the fly". And then, they encourage us to:

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
The strife will not be long; …
To him that overcometh
A crown of life shall be;
He with the King of glory
Shall reign eternally.
       – George Duffield

Prayer: Almighty, creative and creating God, thank You for making the universe, earth, and all things, including us, and letting us share Your creation. Help us to care for and tend our spot in the order of things and to be good and faithful servants of all that You give us. May we become more Christlike in our holy times and thus prepared to stand up for Jesus when we are called to do so. In the precious name of Your Son Jesus, we ask this of You, Lord God. Amen.

I remember a summer when I was around 12 or 13 years old. We were living in a small village in Quebec, Canada, and my cousins had come to visit from Ontario. My cousin, Jean, looked enough like me to be a twin. One day after they left, my friend came up to me and began yelling at me in anger, "How could you ignore me?" Sorting it out, I discovered that she had called to my cousin thinking that it was me, and she had been totally ignored. I explained the likely cause of the confusion, and we soon forgave each other and were once again friends. Aha! — the benefits of being forgiven!

When I can't pinpoint why my spirits are down, it is sometimes that my conscience is prodding me for something that I didn't do or something that I did that was just not quite right. Then, it is time to have a general confession. If I can pinpoint what I did that set my conscience working overtime, then a more focused confession is in order, and if possible, also a request for forgiveness from the one whom I hurt or offended.

Those we offend, confess to, and ask forgiveness from are not God, so there is no guarantee that they will grant it. But in confession, God hears our request, and His forgiveness can really start to clear our spirits. God's forgiveness, after all, is the one that really matters.

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (RSV)

Romans 4:7 – Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. (RSV)

These verses make me feel better still. I have surely asked forgiveness over many things and have felt forgiven afterwards. What a blessing!

Further good news: Jesus gives us some examples of good behaviour, each with a promise:

Luke 6:37 – Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. (RSV)

Not only do I have to ask for forgiveness, but I must also forgive others. Oh, oh — feeling down again, I probably haven't been as good at forgiving others as I should.

In truth, I often don't even know that I did something that hurt or offended someone else. I am sure that I am not alone in that, so not only do we need to ask for forgiveness for ourselves for the unintentional hurts that we have caused others, but we also need to forgive those whom we feel have slighted us but may be unaware of the situation.

Speaking of Christ, Peter says:

Acts 10:43 – To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. (RSV)

Now that is a real blessing. Those who have acknowledged Christ as Lord and Saviour are therefore forgiven!

Okay, now that I have worked through my need for forgiveness, have confessed my sin, have asked for forgiveness, and been forgiven because of Christ, I am really feeling better. For me, here is the finishing touch:

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (RSV)

This Scripture carries me through thick and thin. Thanks be to God for this greatest gift: Christ!

Prayer: Lord God, in Your Son's name, forgive us when we stumble and fall. Forgive us for our sins of omission and commission, whether we know them or not. Thank You for Your peace that calms our spirits and makes us whole. Amen.

In that foggy morning, another of my favourite Bible passages came to my mind: 1 Corinthians 13:12a: "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face" (RSV) or as I memorized it in the King James Version, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face". Isn't it true, I thought, that just as drivers on a foggy day have their vision clouded, so, too, in the hustle and bustle of our daily chores, we may find our vision of God blocked. Oh yes, He is still there waiting for us to acknowledge Him, but we are blinded by our own busyness. Isn't it true, I thought, as I stopped to thank Him for the day, that it takes a spectacular sight or event to focus our eyes and minds on God. So, as I gazed up, up, up, into that beautiful, clear, cold, blue sky, I began to sing,

All laud we would render: O help us to see
'Tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.

Twice, in John 8:12 and John 9:5, Jesus stated, "I am the light of the world." (RSV) When we strive to be more Christ-like in our daily lives, we are bringing some of the light of God into this world. As we walk in and share this light with others, it lets us all enjoy the Sonshine. In the hymn by Richard Gillard, we can see the Sonshine recorded in the verses as follows:

Brother, sister, let me serve you;
Let me be as Christ to you …
We are pilgrims on a journey,
And companions on the road;
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to come out of the darkness and bring the light of God into this world. Grant us courage and determination to act and speak of godly things in Your name. Inspire us into action to challenge the darkness of this world. As we follow Your example and take action, may we all enjoy the Sonshine. Amen.

As the month moved onwards, I turned to prayer — something I should have remembered to do first. Lord, I am pretty sure that You want me to write these; what do you want me to say?

One day after my crossing duties, I was sitting at the coffee shop reading, and there was God's answer. At the front of the book was the following Scripture reference:

Proverbs 16:9 – A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. (RSV)

How often this very thing has happened in my own life. I would make big plans, and God would let something else happen to change them. In college, for example, I started out in radio and television broadcasting. This was abandoned after one semester when it became apparent that my panic attacks in front of the microphone were not going to go away. I ended up with majors in sociology, philosophy, and religion. Later studies earned me a teaching diploma in Bible studies.

Matthew 7:7-8 – Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (RSV)

That I got this far with this devotional after prayer is a perfect example of how God answers prayer and uses us for His purpose when He changes our plans. It's hard sometimes to see where He is leading us in our lives, but hindsight shows us over and over again how much greater God's plans are than our own. It also illustrates how His unexpected answers to our prayers are so often much better and greater than anything we could ask for.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord God, for always being in our midst, wherever we are and whatever we are doing. Thank You for leading and guiding us even when we don't see it and for how You are preparing us for what is to come. Thank You for all Your wondrous actions and blessings in our lives and — when we are open to Your leading — for taking us to far better things than we have imagined. Thank You, above all, for the gift of Your Son Jesus, and that through an acceptance of Him as our Saviour and Guide, all that You ask of us becomes possible. Help us always to be open to Your leading through Jesus, our Lord of possibilities. Amen.

Mark 13:32-33 – But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch; for you do not know when the time will come. (RSV)

For those of us in the know, Christ's return will not be unexpected. He told us that we had to watch and be ready. Jesus spoke of signs around us that would foretell His coming. I believe that every generation since has seen and experienced some of these omens. So like the folk song says, "People, get ready."

We get ready for Christ's return by "walking in the Spirit". We live in repentance for our sins, those of both commission and omission. We endeavour to live like Christ, in love for humankind. We "take time to be holy", spending time in prayer, studying God's Word, helping the less fortunate, and seeking to be mirrors of Christ's likeness.

As W.D. Longstaff wrote in the hymn:

Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,
Each thought and each motive beneath His control;
Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.

For us who claim to be Christ's, His return is not unexpected. I know that I will be reunited with Him, whether in this physical life or on my passing to the realm above where He will welcome me. I look forward to that day, even though, in many respects, I hope that it will still be some time away. There is so much more I feel called to do in His service. I might be surprised, just as drivers behind me are, but it is not unexpected.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, divine Son of our great and glorious creating and ruling God, thank You for coming to earth as a human being. Thank You for being an example of the great potentials and blessings of living according to God's will. Thank You for calling and choosing us. May we yield to the guiding of Your Holy Spirit and become Your living messengers and witnesses here on earth. May we truly make our hearts Your home and live for You. In Your name, we pray, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Give me patience, I prayed, as someone ran over my heels and another little old soul smashed into the front of my cart. I persevered and made my way to the checkout counter. "Do you need bags?" the clerk asked.

I pointed to a bag full in the cart and replied, "I have plenty, thanks." But looks can be deceiving.

After paying, I put the cart at the end of the checkout, and reached for my bag of bags. It felt a little heavy, but I shrugged, reached in, and pulled out … a library book. "Excuse me," I said to the clerk, "but could I have six bags, please? Somehow groceries don't fit in library books."

Just like Samuel, I thought, "Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7b RSV)

As the Advent season arrives, we need to look into our hearts. We need to cleanse them and prepare a place to welcome the Christ Child. Through our inward searching and repentance, God will cleanse our hearts that they be a worthy home for the Lord Jesus.

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NKJV)

Just as we prepare our houses and homes for Christmas guests, so we prepare our hearts to welcome the Christ Child –- our Lord and Saviour. We can sing again as we did as children the hymn by Henry D. Clarke:

Into my heart, into my heart,
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus;
Come in today, come in to stay,
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we would ask You to enter in and make our hearts Your home. Thank You for the great, sacrificial gift that You gave us: Your life. Help us to be worthy tenants of Your world and to live our lives for You. May we be Your servants and Your messengers here to carry the good news of Your birth and salvation wherever we go. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.