The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.—Lamentations 3:22–261
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My dear, how I love you! How I would hold you close to My bosom. You are like a little rose whose lovely fragrance rises to Me. I welcome this sweet aroma as a beloved gift. Though it comes as a result of pain and is garnished with tears like dewdrops, in every dewdrop sparkles the glory of the rainbow.
Every dewdrop will melt and become part of the rose, to enhance its beauty. And that rose will sparkle like a diamond. Those dewdrops of pain, suffering and loneliness will glow as costly gems of great price that set this rose apart from the ordinary.
You would not have Me dry your dewdrops, would you? I could wipe away those tears in an instant, but the diamonds would be lost. So I ask that you cherish those dewdrops. Every twinge of pain, every heartbreak or lonely moment is but another diamond being formed to enhance your beauty, My rose.
The morning will come for you when all your dewdrops will have melted away, and the sun will shine upon you! Wait for the morning and watch for the sunrise, as it creeps over the mountains. For when it seems it will not come, all of a sudden it is there. Your morning will dawn, glorious and bright, when all the tears of night will be gone—gone, yet cherished as a priceless collection of diamonds which are the reward of those lonely times when you sought Me and found Me, and when our special bond was formed.
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When life doesn’t go the way you expect, or the way you want, or the way that you had foreseen, then look to Me. I am an anchor that keeps you stable in the rough waters of this life. If you’re not anchored to Me, then you drift, tossed to and fro.
Look to Me and I will pour upon you the peace, contentment, and love that you need and desire.
These things that you’re experiencing humble you, but if you’ll use them to draw closer to Me, if you’ll let them humble you and break you and cause you to cry out to Me for My help, if you’ll turn to Me in your time of trouble and in your time of need, if you’ll seek the answers in My Word and seek to be strengthened in Me, you’ll see all the good that will come from even these seemingly bad circumstances.
You see these things as failures, but I see them as stepping stones that bring you closer to Me. But let them cause you to come to Me, lest they be in vain. Learn from these things, but above all, learn to come to Me and to find rest and peace and answers within My Word. Connect with Me and you will find the strength to stand, the strength to have conviction, the strength to undergo hardship, which comes from Me, through My Word.
There’s no person, place, or thing that can replace My Word in your life. Through My Word you will find Me in a new and even greater way. So in your times of testing, your times of turmoil, your times of questioning, seek Me in My Word. Let My Word dwell in you richly. Let it fill you. Let it answer your questions. Let it allay your doubts. Let it soothe your fears. Please let all of your experiences, all of the frustrations, all of the fears, all of the failures be washed clean in the reservoir of My cleansing, strengthening, refreshing Word.
Come unto Me, ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest; I will give you peace, I will give you understanding through My words. They will be the voice of your Father speaking to you, leading you, guiding you, and strengthening you. Do not neglect them, for they are food for your soul.
It is there in the reservoir of My Word that you will find the answers you seek, the cleansing and the refreshing that you desire, the love that you search for, and the strength of spirit and character that you desire. For the reservoir of My Word is the reservoir of peace and contentment, of refreshing, of wisdom, and of love, and it is all there for you.
As you open your heart, your life, and your mind to My love and to My Word, the cool, refreshing waters of My Word will flow through you and cleanse you and fill you and inspire you.
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Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
The Sovereign LORD is my strength!
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
able to tread upon the heights.
—Habakkuk 3:17–192
You are feeling weighed down by a plethora of problems, both big and small. They seem to require more and more of your attention, but you must not give in to those demands. When the difficulties in your life feel like they’re closing in on you, break free by spending quality time with Me. You need to remember who I AM in all My power and glory. Then humbly bring Me your prayers and petitions. Your problems will pale when you view them in the light of My presence. You can learn to be joyful in Me, your Savior, even in the midst of adverse circumstances. Rely on Me, your strength. I make your feet like the feet of a deer, enabling you to go on the heights.3
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I have heard your prayers, I have seen your tears, I have felt your longings, your desires and your burdens. My right hand is ever beneath your head to hold you up, to strengthen you, to comfort you, to draw you close to My bosom, that you might find solace, rest, renewing, refilling and comfort.
I love you, dear one. You are near to My heart. I see and I know all that you go through and have gone through. I love your willingness and your thankfulness in spite of the times when things have seemed almost too much for you to bear. Yet I have always brought you through, and I will continue to always bring you through.
Originally published in 1997, unless otherwise indicated. Adapted and republished February 2014. Read by Simon Peterson. Music by Michael Dooley.
1 ESV.
2 NLT.
3 Sarah Young, Jesus Calling (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
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