“Hot heads and cold hearts
never solved anything.”
Billy Graham (1918-2018)
Good morning, Lord. Grant me a cool head — the ability to think clearly and consider the facts before I speak and act. Warm my heart with a flame of love — for You, for my neighbor and for myself (Mark 12:30-31). Fill me with godly wisdom, teach me to be gracious and merciful, in Jesus’ name.
Ezekiel 36:26 (ISV)
I’m going to give you a new heart, and I’m going to give you a new spirit within all of your deepest parts. I’ll remove that rock-hard heart of yours and replace it with one that’s sensitive to me.
I always envisioned this change of heart as God chiseling the hard edges off a stony heart. But God works in more than one way. The warmth of His love can melt the iciest of hearts, one drip at a time.
Good morning, Lord. Warm the cockles of my heart. Melt away any bitterness or envy. Light a flame in my soul, one that reflects Your grace to everyone around me.
I drove to church Sunday on pavement edged with frozen snowbanks. This verse came to mind.
Matthew 24:12 (NIV)
Because of the increase of wickedness,
the love of most will grow cold.
Reading the news is like walking a path wedged between banks of frozen-hearted folks faced off against each other.
Good morning, Lord. I wear a fluffy jacket, comfy hat and fuzzy gloves to keep my body warm. But You, O God, are the one who warms my heart. Don’t let the world’s wickedness chill my soul. Teach me to love the way You do.
Psalm 27:5 (NIV)
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter
of his sacred tent …
God’s sacred tabernacle, the heavenly House of the Lord — it’s my eternal home, thanks be to God.
Good morning, Lord. Thank You for the hope of heaven — eternal life in the sacred shelter of Your presence. And when I’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, I’ll have no less days to to sing Your praise than when I’d first begun. [from “Amazing Grace,” John Newton, 1779]
In extreme weather, public service announcements remind us to check on our neighbors. And yes, I need to be reminded that I’m not the only one who might need help.
Psalm 91:1-2 (NIV)
You have been a refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the storm
and a shade from the heat.
Good morning, Lord. Give me eyes to see when others have a need that I can meet and grant me the strength to follow through. Show me when to speak a word of comfort, when to give a helping hand and when to pray for the state of their souls. Empower me to be the windbreak others need in stormy times.
Extreme weather calls for a safe place of refuge — in winter, a warming center; in summer, a shaded shelter.
Isaiah 25:4 (NIV)
You have been a refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the storm
and a shade from the heat.
In times of extreme stress, we need the safe refuge of God’s presence.
Good morning, Lord. When the thermometer says it’s below zero, I long for a heat wave. In triple digits, I wish for freezing weather. What I really need is Your presence. You are my warm place when I am cold, my cooling shade in the heat. Even when I don’t realize it, You are the refuge I seek. Teach me to obey the inner nudge of the Spirit and step close to You.
“The raging storms may round us beat,
A shelter in the time of storm;
We’ll never leave our safe retreat,
A shelter in the time of storm.”
Vernon J. Charlesworth, 1880
My need for shelter may be weather-related or, more often, my reaction to the troubles of daily living. Either way, I picture myself as a child, snug under the arm of my loving Heavenly Father. It’s my safe place — physically, mentally, spiritually.
Good morning, Lord. You are my safe shelter in a confusing, chaotic world. As the bitter winds of anger blow around me, You wrap me in the security blanket of Your love. When arguments rage, I seek Your still small voice. As evil plans are laid out like snares, You are my guiding light. Your powerful presence is my protection — thank You!
January brought big storms to a broad swath of our nation. Folks were snowed in, cut off from others.
It brought to my mind a blizzard from my childhood. Snow drifted deeper than I was tall. My father helped my brother and me scoop out a snow cave big enough for the three of us. It was a quiet, cozy shelter from the cold winds.
Isaiah 32:1-2 (MSG)
But look! A king will rule in the right way, and his leaders will carry out justice. Each one will stand as a shelter from high winds, provide safe cover in stormy weather.
Good morning, Lord. Raise up leaders in our churches and our communities to guide us with justice and mercy — godly mentors who stand as strong shelters from the world’s storms. But You, O God, are my personal refuge, my safe place in these tumultuous times.
Thus says the Lord.
You’ll find this phrase throughout the Old Testament: from Moses to Pharaoh, from Joshua to the people, from the prophet Nathan to King David, from Elijah to Jehoram, from Isaiah to nations and people groups.
Words … from God, through the mouth of His spokesmen to His people. Words written in God’s Word … for us.
The Word of God for the people of God.
Good morning, Lord. Thank You for the words in Your Word, the Bible. They are words to live by, to love by, to be loved by. Engrave those words on my heart, and show me how to put them into action today and every day.
GIGO. Garbage in, Garbage out. It applies to computers — and more.
“A cup brimful of sweetness cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, no matter how suddenly jarred.”
Amy Carmichael, 1867-1951
Garbage words in, garbage words out. Sweet words in, sweet words out.
The words we hear, read and ponder impact the words we speak and write.
Good morning, Lord. Teach me to watch the words I take in as much or more than the words I put out. Fill my heart with Your Word — and fill my mouth with wise words, true words, kind words, healing words, sweet words.
