Morning by Morning, November 16 - As the Smoke Clears and the Dust Settles Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me begin my day grounded in Your Word and filled with Your Spirit -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ... I hear in my heart, “As the smoke clears and the dust settles, I am still here. I still remain. I am the Rock that cannot be broken. I am the Strong Tower that cannot fall.” ... Yes, Lord. The battles we face stir up a storm. As the fires rage and the smoke swirls, it’s hard to see. All the frenzy and activity of the struggles kicks up a lot of dust where it’s easy to lose our bearing. But when all settles down and the air is clear again to see, You are there. You remain. With all You provide -- Your faith, Your hope, Your love -- Your steadfast, unshakeable, unbreakable love for every one of us through everything we go through -- You remain. “Now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13 NASB). Through the battles and the struggles, through the fires and the smoke, You are with us. You never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). You stand with us and You withstand through us in the strength of Your love and the persistent power of Your grace. As King David expressed in his heart of faith and trust as one of the greatest warriors of warriors and worshippers of worshippers declared on the other side of his battles: “I love You, O Lord, my Strength. The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer, my God, my Rock, in whom I take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my Salvation, my Stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry to Him reached His ears” (Psalm 18:1-6). You see us in all we go through; and You see us through to the end. Your ever-abiding Presence with us and for us is a great expression of Your love for us. And Your love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). When all’s been said and done, when all the smoke clears and all the dust settles, Your love remains (1 Corinthians 13:13). For Your “love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7). As one of my very favorite Scriptures declares with authority, power, and hope: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the love of Jesus, Tommy Hays My friend, may you filled with the faith, hope, and love of God through every battle you go through and every fire you endure, confident in the truth the steadfast love of God for you never ceases and His mercies for you never come to end, in Jesus' name. God bless you!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Mailing Address: 412 S. Adams Street #148 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624 Please share this word to encourage a friend! Anyone can sign up for free at: https://messiah-ministries.org | 
