Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…

“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. 
So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.
Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!…
‘Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.’”           
Psalm 46: 1-3, 10 (NLT)

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads 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; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Psalm 23 (ESV)

The cooler temperatures marking the beginning of fall are a welcome change.  Times when our thoughts seem to turn a bit more to God’s creation all around us.

Times when we seem to draw closer to Him, as He draws us closer to Him.

Closer to God to see more of His blessings in our lives, and His call to become all He has created us to be, with Him.

Closer to the One Who is there in the storms of our lives, carrying us through them on His strength, when ours is lacking.  

Closer to the One always there when we don’t know where to turn.

Drawing closer to the One urging us to look beyond ourselves, and to Him to guide us through and beyond the heartaches, disappointments, losses, and struggles of our lives.

A closeness which HG Spafford must have experienced in 1873 when the ship he was in passed over the site in the Atlantic Ocean where his four daughters had recently drowned because of the collision of two vessels in the ocean on their way to Europe.

Even though he knew that his four daughters were now with their Heavenly Father, Spafford probably had more reasons at that moment than most of us will ever have in a lifetime, to turn from God and to reject the peace, power, presence, and love of God in his life.  

Instead, in that moment, he wrote these words of the beloved hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” reminding him of the God Who is always there—

“When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, 
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, 
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, 
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, 
And hath shed His own blood for my soul…
And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, 
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, 
Even so, it is well with my soul.”

In the midst of the most inconceivable heartache one could imagine with his loss, HG Spafford knew that God was still there, and that Christ had risen from the tomb, and was alive.  

And because Christ lives, Spafford knew his four daughters were alive and well standing with Christ, and with that belief, he could face tomorrow and all that was before him.

No matter where we are in life, no matter the storms we face or find ourselves in the middle of—no matter the losses, the challenges, valleys, obstacles, and heartaches we are in the midst of, or see looming ominously ahead—God is there.  

Christ is alive. And with Him we can face whatever comes our way.

Because Christ lives, we can face tomorrow.  

Because He lives, fear is gone.

Because Christ lives, He holds the future.  

And, it is well.

In His Name–Scott

You will be deeply moved, as you listen to Bay Turner sing “It is Well (Because He Lives)” from the Tommee Profitt show “The Resurrection of a King.”