Although age is a privilege that many poor souls are denied, age is certainly not kind in numerous ways. Pain, critical health issues, and loss of loved ones come along, uninvited, to hinder our lives and deny us peace — so much so, that we may reach a point where our spirit just gives up, unable to endure any more. Tears are the only relief.

I have several painful health issues that restrict my activity, yet I know that my discomfort is nothing compared to the health issues that others are suffering. I pray for relief, but I am often denied that.

Emotional pain can be just as devastating. At the age of 49, my youngest son contracted an infection that caused a heart attack and deprived him of oxygen for seven minutes. So many people prayed for his recovery, but he died without regaining consciousness, and we had no time to say goodbye. I could not handle the anger and deep anguish, so I threw my Bible aside and gave up praying.

As time passed, I knew that inner peace could be restored only by leaning on God. I had always found spiritual calm when I read Psalm 23, but I had denied myself even that. Gradually, I was drawn back to my Bible. I needed to eliminate the dreadful grief that haunted my every waking moment.

Psalm 23:1-4a – The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. (NIV)

I returned to the power and reassurance promised in those words.

Whatever our struggle might be — age, health, financial issues, relationship differences, or concerns over COVID — let's allow ourselves some quiet time when we can open a Bible and find some words of comfort that work for us. No Bible? No problem. We can access God's words of encouragement at Bible Gateway.

Let's take a courageous step forward, because the first step is always up to us.

Whatever comes next for us, when even tears bring no relief, let's hold on to the strength that can be found only in God's Word. Only His wisdom can bring us the calm and reassurance that we need, but we have to reach out for it and believe that given time, life will become more harmonious. God's Word will feed hope to the emptiness of despair, and that's something that tears cannot accomplish.

Prayer: Abba Father, bless us and sustain us, no matter what comes our way. Help us to draw closer to You, no matter what is causing us anguish, and give us the strength that comes only from You. Amen.

Snow and ice covered the roads as well as sidewalks. I chose to visit a friend, whom I had not seen for many months. There was a fair amount of ice on her driveway, which I managed to manoeuvre without any problem.

However, leaving sometime later proved to be more difficult, for as I stepped onto the driveway, my feet lost traction and down I went.

It felt like someone was holding my right arm with a vicelike grip. I tried to get up but could not.

My friend wanted to help me, but she was unable to lift me, as she'd had a biopsy that very morning. The clutching sensation in my right arm was not her holding on to me — I found out later that it was a complete break in my wrist, which had snapped and was now letting me know that there was damage needing medical attention.

I went to a clinic nearby and sought help. Needless to say, I now sport a cast. It will be my companion for four to six weeks.

It could have been worse.

Psalm 73:23 – Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. (NKJV)

Have you ever felt as if someone were holding your hand, trying to keep you from proceeding in your own way? Have you ever experienced what feels like an unseen presence, telling you that you need help, yet you ignore it, hoping that it will go away?

Perhaps you are addicted to drugs, or alcohol, or other vices. An unseen source — felt in your spirit, not physically — tries to stop you doing more damage.

Chances are that it's God trying to get your attention. He's trying to guide you to relief, to lead you to a place of healing. You shrug the feeling off and continue destroying your body, mind, and spirit, even though you are desperate to change and be a better person.

I could have ignored the grasping sensation on my wrist, considering myself capable of recovering by my own methods, but wisely, I chose to get help.

Can you now be wise and allow God to mend your broken life? He can, but you have to ask Him to do it. Then you have to do as He directs.

True recovery will begin as soon as you decide to change and let help in, just as my wrist began to receive relief once the medical staff gave me much-needed support with a cast.

Be wise — sensible — strong. You can do it!

Prayer: Abba, hold on to us tightly and prevent our feet from slipping and leading us astray. Amen.

John 15:11-14 – These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. (NKJV)

I am perturbed. No, I am not perturbed; I am very frustrated. My Internet connection keeps breaking, and each time this happens, I lose communication with my Facebook, Outlook, Twitter, Linkedin, and blog friends.

Not only is it annoying, it is costly, because it means that I am paying for a service that I am not receiving. That, in and of itself, is irritating.

This physical disconnection causes me to have to apologize to friends and family, who think that I have "unfriended" or deleted them. When I do not respond to their messages, what else are they to think?

So, I find myself frequently rebooting in the hope that the unseen link is re-established and I am no longer unplugged.

We can become disconnected in a spiritual sense too — disconnected from God. He calls us His friends or His beloved ones. He created us for a relationship with Him, and yet, we continually "do our own thing". We often choose to ignore Him, often inadvertently. We may decide that we are too busy for a relationship with Him, and our choices betray us — showing that we think He is not worthy of our time. We allow distractions to rule our time, but we still expect a closer relationship to develop. Spending fewer precious moments reading the Bible and praying, we become, literally, disconnected from the one link that can strengthen us in a way that no earthly service or provider can. The cost, in this instance, can be even higher, as it can result in our receiving very little solace from God's presence during the frequent disruptions of life around us.

God, in our lives, is like having a friend who sticks closer to us than glue. It can be more costly than gold or silver to thrust such a connection aside as unimportant.

Let's not "unfriend" the good relationships in our lives. The people we love are irreplaceable, and God must view us in the same way. If only we could allow Him to be the central part of our hearts!

Prayer: Abba, we can easily become separated from Your power and Spirit. When this happens, there is often a high price to pay. Help us to stay close to You, immersed in Your Word and dependent upon a close association and relationship with You. Amen.

Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire is reported to be the largest privately-owned house in Great Britain. It boasts over 100,000 square feet of opulent space in more than three hundred rooms and, of course, a maze of corridors.

In days gone by, when guests were invited to supper as well as to stay overnight, they were issued with confetti, which they would scatter when leaving their rooms, providing a trail to the dining hall. In this way, at the end of the evening, they could easily find their way back to their rooms.

The confetti, in fact, acted as a guide, each piece of paper providing an integral part of getting the guests back to the comfort of their allotted rooms.

God's Word can be compared to confetti, although the trail for us to follow is provided by His words — a different paper trail altogether. Each page of the Bible can lead us to find comfort when we follow the direction of God.

The Bible's words will always lead us to a refuge whenever we have need of a quiet haven. Much like confetti leading guests in centuries past in the great house of Wentworth Woodhouse, God's words can provide us with solace, whenever our journey through life is in need of tangible direction. This is available to us every single day: not just for our days on earth, but forever.

Once we trust the source and we invite Jesus into our lives — believing that He came to earth and died to redeem each of us from sin — His Spirit will lead us along the correct path in life if we follow Him. Like the folk in Wentworth Woodhouse, we find comfort knowing that as we are led along the passages of our lives, we do have the assurance of rest and relief at the end of our life's journey.

Prayer: Abba, we can easily lose our way in this world, but we long to make right decisions and take the right path in life. Help us to discover what that is by following Your leading along a road to everlasting luxury in the spiritual realm that You have provided for each of us, when we choose to follow You. Amen.

Yesterday, I waited patiently for my husband to call me and say that he was ready to be picked up. Actually, I should correct that — and say that I waited impatiently!

I took him to hospital as he was suffering yet another bout of cellulitis. He is lately getting this condition every six to eight weeks. It is very painful, and when the attack is severe, he needs intravenous antibiotics to stop the spread of infection. He has been told there is no cure, so it is imperative to catch the infection in the early stages.

A sinful spirit can also cause much suffering. Often we, ourselves, are the victim, but many times, it is our loved ones, as they wait for our condition to change, or at least improve.

God's spiritual infilling is the fastest treatment. Just as intravenous antibiotics work thoroughly for our physical being, the Holy Spirit infiltrates our entire spiritual being, healing as He travels through us.

Treatment with antibiotics is awesome in the speed with which it aids recovery from physical illness, but it is still necessary, in each instance, to carefully monitor the condition and watch for a re-occurrence. Fortunately, no hospital visit is necessary for the spiritual method of treatment — all it takes is admitting that we are guilty of wrongdoing and asking God for forgiveness. Then, of course, we need to follow His directions carefully to maintain our recovery and avoid reinfection. The Bible is specific and easy to understand, and the results of following the advice can be miraculous and long-lasting if we stick to the rules. The Bible guides us through the necessary steps: how to live and treat others, how to behave, and how to love and receive love.

Returning to yesterday, of course, my husband did call — after enduring seven hours of waiting and testing and treatment. We praised and thanked God that it was cellulitis and nothing more. Secretly, I praised God for giving me wisdom to wait more gracefully than when I had begun my wait.

Thankfully, I even realized that I was glad that I was the one receiving spiritual treatment in my waiting and not the one needing the physical treatment — grace indeed!

Prayer: Father, You provide us with much-needed recovery, when we earnestly ask for healing and change in our lives. Grant us grace and wisdom as we strive to improve our hearts, minds, and spirits. Amen.

The heat of sin can drain us, too! One by one, big and small, sins come in to our lives, causing struggle. We become wearied as we seek comfort in a demanding world. Some, sadly, give up, losing their will to continue the battle. When we accept the comfort of spiritual refreshing — the water of life from the Son of God, Jesus — it is long-lasting, and it also benefits us physically. We are totally rejuvenated with an in-filling of sustaining energy. His cathartic renewal lasts forever, sustaining us day by day.

We can hold our heads high when we seek and accept forgiveness for our wrongs, from a God greater by far than the power of the sun. He is the maker of all things, and He loves us all more than we know. Only He can redeem us from our unhealthy or precarious habits and bring us to a safe place: a place of rest. The refreshing of His Word, the Bible, energizes us to move forward, one step at a time, in new directions as we see beyond our troubles.

Hosea 14:7a – Those who dwell under His shadow shall return. They shall be revived like grain, and grow like a vine. (NKJV)

Isaiah 57:18a – I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, and restore comforts to him. (NKJV)

So, in the heat of life, there is a place we can triumph. We do not have to wither and die when the heat becomes too great. God is the One to follow, and Jesus is the Way to rise above trials and survive. The water of life helps us to come clean, in whatever situation we find ourselves.

Jeremiah 30:22 – You shall be My people, and I will be your God. (NKJV)

2 Corinthians 5:7 – For we walk by faith, not by sight. (NKJV)

Prayer: We thank You, Abba, Father, for giving us Jesus, who brings us refreshment, redemption, and salvation. We accept His Way as being the only way to live. Amen.

Thud! Something hit the glass, and I guessed it had to be a bird.

Looking outside, sure enough, there on the ground was a goldfinch, lying on its back — stunned!

Not wanting to leave it there, I immediately went outside, picked it up and gently stroked it; all the while speaking softly to it, but keeping my hand open, cupping it safely, hoping it would recover.

Perhaps fifteen minutes later, it did a little jump, looked around and flew into a nearby tree. It sat for a while and then flew higher. It was restored and was seemingly okay. "Thank You, Lord."

In similar fashion, God, too, has our best interests at heart. He has each one of us who believe in Him and His Son Jesus Christ in the palm of His hand, rejoicing in us and guarding our welfare.

Isaiah 49:16 – See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. (NIV)

Let us find a quiet place and let Him speak softly to us. Let us give Him time to keep us close while we recover from whatever ails us. Thank You, Lord, that You care so much for each one of us!

Prayer: Father God, the events of life can stun us at times, and we stagger and fall as we attempt to recover. Thank You that You keep us cupped in the palm of Your hand and speak softly, leading us to take the right next step. Thank You, in Jesus' name. Amen.