Lately I’ve been sulking about how nothing in this world lasts. Nothing good stays good. No matter how sturdily a house is built, it decays, sags, cracks, rots, and eventually falls down. Good maintenance can prolong its life, but even a well-cared for roof will need to be replaced at some point.

We purchased the home we currently live in as a new build, a brand new house. We’ve lived here less than a year and repairs are already needed. A drawer suddenly doesn’t close properly. The furnace has developed a rattle. A window cracked.

My own body is frustrating me in a similar way. As I age, there is no stopping the changes headed my way. Hair graying, eyes blurring, muscles weakening, skin sagging. Sure, there are maintenance tasks that can mitigate these degradations temporarily, but eventually my body will return to dust.

Everything changes here. Friends move. Jobs become unstable. Laws change. Weather patterns depart from historical norms. A familiar path is suddenly blocked. Businesses close. Prices rise. A family doctor retires.

Sometimes the changes we experience are good ones. But even good changes require adjustment. Change is hard but absolutely unavoidable. Except…

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles‬ ‭16‬:‭34‬, ‭CSB)‬‬

God never changes. He is the Great I Am. He always was and always will be. He exists in all the verb tenses.

God doesn’t get tired or distracted by boredom. He doesn’t sleep or go on vacation. His mind doesn’t wander. He can’t be tricked or fooled or swindled.

God’s character does not change either. He is good. He is love. He is wisdom. He is all-powerful and infinite. He is everywhere, always, all at once.

God is the one and only thing that does not change. And He is the only thing I can count on. And the only one I should ever rely on.

Dear God, thank you for the reminder that you, and only you, are reliable. When I put my hopes in anything or anyone else in this world I am headed for disappointment. Teach me to rely only on you and not to worry about losses I suffer here.

I think it’s possible that one of the reasons God selected the time and place for Jesus to be born was because it was a time of shepherds. Everyone alive then knew exactly what shepherds were, the kind of lives they led, the dangers they faced, the tasks involved in their jobs. Most probably knew a shepherd or two personally.

So shepherds were a very relatable and simple illustration for the way God cares for His people. The metaphor of God as shepherd is well-used in the Bible.

In modern times, much of that relatability is lost. While there are still shepherds, it’s not commonplace.

When thinking about more modern occupations that might apply, I come up short.

Garbage collector? They do care for some very basic needs. They are very humble. But I don’t have a personal relationship with my garbage collector.

School teacher? There is a relationship, hopefully a caring one. And the teacher does look after a large group, but only groups of children, and the care doesn’t extend to nights, weekends, and summers.

Maybe some kind of local politician? Still the modern metaphor falls short.

Thankfully we have historical records to help us understand the life of a shepherd, so we can see the points that God was making by describing Himself in such a way.

A shepherd’s job was 24/7. He knew all of his sheep well. He knew when they were sick, injured, pregnant, hungry, and thirsty. He met their daily, mundane needs. Nothing in the care of his sheep was beneath him. He protected them from themselves as well as outside dangers. And the sheep knew him too. They recognized his voice and trusted him enough to follow.

“He protects his flock like a shepherd; he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them in the fold of his garment. He gently leads those that are nursing.” (Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭11,‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

It’s astonishing that God describes Himself as this humble caretaker. In the same chapter as the verse above, Isaiah describes God as “the everlasting God” and “Creator of the whole earth.” He says God has “measured the waters in the hollows of His hand” and “brings out the stars by number.” He proclaims that God’s power, strength, and understanding are limitless.

And yet God tends to my daily needs. He cares about everything I do and everywhere I go. Nothing about my life is too small to capture God’s attention. This Almighty Majestic God of the Universe wants to be your humble shepherd. Will you let Him?

Dear God, thank you for caring about me and my life. I can’t really wrap my head around it. You are God. You understand the vastness of space and see the bottom of the sea. You created everything and will still be here when it is gone. Why you care about me I will never understand, but I am so very grateful that you do!

I grew up in a very rural area. Our house was surrounded by 16 acres of heavily wooded land. We had a few trails through the forest, but their maintenance was patchy. Sometimes the trail’s path was overgrown or just petered out. But I still loved to hike off into the trees to see what I would see.

Occasionally I would worry about getting lost. But despite the lack of well-marked or groomed trails, our forest had a couple of special ways to overcome being lost.

One way was to stop and listen for the dim sound of a freeway that passed a mile or so away from one edge of the property. As long as traffic was humming, I could usually get a general sense of which way was north.

I discovered the second way of avoiding disorientation one evening when it started to get dark much sooner than I expected. I had been climbing trees or watching ants in a huge anthill or something else equally absorbing to a child when I suddenly realized I could barely see what I was doing. I didn’t really know where I was, and the freeway traffic had died down. It was barely perceptible.

My fun forest suddenly became a frightful warren of tree trunks and brambles. I panicked a little, in this era before cell phones.

Then I saw it. A beacon. There, and then gone, there, and then gone again. White, then green, then white, and green again.

Through the trees I could see reflections from the glimmer of the nearby regional airport’s rotating beacon. It was several miles away but bright enough to light up the dark sky. Relieved, I got my bearings and headed toward home.

“Nations will come to your light, and kings to your shining brightness.” (Isaiah‬ ‭60‬:‭3,‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

God has lovingly provided a beacon in our figurative darkness too. When I feel like my life doesn’t make sense, and I lose sight of what matters, God is always available to shine His light on the right path for me — the one that leads to Him. I have to stop whatever I’m doing, recognize my helplessness, and turn to Him with humility, obedience, and trust. His light is so bright, I cannot escape it. And it is always there for me. But I need to look up to see it.

Dear God, thank you for your word and your ever-present brilliant light of love. Forgive me for thinking I know the way, and remind me to look up constantly to make sure I am always treading the right path. Your word is a lamp to my feet.

The thing that most stands out to me about stars is not that they are pointy, the way we draw them in kindergarten, or that they twinkle, like in the song. No, what stands out to me is that you can really only see them at night. Occasionally, right after sunset, you can see one or two of the brightest stars, but otherwise you must wait until well after dusk to see the full panoply of them. And even then you have to be far away from the light pollution of a big city to enjoy their true splendor.

It is in the dark that these bright anomalies shine; glimmering pinpricks of light in the vast black void of space. The darker the sky, the more stars you see. Not because there are suddenly more of them, but because they are contrasted more fully with the surrounding inky nothingness. Even the dimmest stars become beacons.

“Those who have wisdom will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel‬ ‭12‬:‭3,‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

In a dark world, followers of Jesus are supposed to shine like these stars. We are meant to contrast ourselves with the gloom, fear, despair, and hatred of our society. We do this by reflecting the love and hope of Jesus. His brilliant love pours out of me into my community, lighting up my little corner.

The wonderful thing is that the darker the world becomes, the more apparent His love becomes, when displayed through His people. Just a little love distributed today becomes a beacon of hope in the inky nothingness. And I am not alone but joined by billions of other beacons of Jesus’s light of love.

Dear God, thank you for the example of your kingdom displayed in the awesome night sky. Teach me how to be one of the bright lights of love in this dark world. Remind me to shine this little light of mine and not to fear the dark but to be encouraged by the others I see shining brightly around me.

Several years ago Marie Kondo became famous as a decluttering guru with the catchphrase, “Does it spark joy?” She encouraged people to gather all their possessions, to hold them in their hands one by one, and ask that question. If the answer was yes, they should keep the item. If not, it should be discarded.

It seems like a simple concept, but apparently it helped many people solve the challenging problem of having too much stuff and not knowing what to do about it.

Life can get very complicated with conflicting information coming from myriad sources. Decision-making becomes convoluted and stressful. Having one simple question to answer when confronted with a choice turns the essay questions of life into much more manageable true or false options.

God knows how important our choices in life are. And He knows how difficult we tend to make them. Even our daily choices bog us down with indecision and confusion. We wonder, what should I do?

“Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you:  to act justly, to love faithfulness,  and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah‬ ‭6‬:‭8,‬ ‭CSB)‬‬

Well, God provided this Marie-Kondo-like guide. At each decision point in my day, I should ask myself, will this choice promote justice? (Or will it tip the scales in my favor?) Will it demonstrate my faith in God? (Or will it reveal that I trust in someone or something else, or that I feel the need to take care of it myself?) Will it put others’ needs before my own? (Or am I worried about how I will look or whether my rights are being trampled?)

Dear God, thank you for reminding me that life doesn’t have to be complicated. If I trust you and bring my priorities in line with yours, I will have peace. Teach me to seek justice, demonstrate my faith in you, and follow you humbly with every choice I make today.

I recently visited my childhood home. I hadn’t been there in decades, and a lot had changed. So much so that I didn’t really recognize the place. The meadows had turned into thick groves of trees. A few familiar big old trees had fallen or been removed. Small trees had grown large or been crowded out. The undergrowth had even changed from thick blackberry brambles to Virginia creepers.

There used to be path, a shortcut my sister and I would take to catch the school bus every morning. We were usually running late so we’d need to fly down the path that had been worn into the side of the hill. In rain or sun, thick greenery or deep snow, we knew exactly where to step and which trees to grab onto to keep from falling when careening down the steep slope.

During my recent visit, I tried to find that old path. I pushed through some thick vines and saplings, climbing unsteadily where I thought the path had started. I turned back and tried again a few times, but the landmark trees, roots, and cleared dirt patches were nowhere to be found.

I nearly gave up when I started to notice one element that remained unchanged. The rocks. Several boulders that we had used to mark our way were easily recognizable in the thick undergrowth. Like old friends, they remained unchanged and unmoved, ready to guide my way.

“Trust in the Lord forever, because in the Lord, the Lord himself, is an everlasting rock!” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭4‬, ‭CSB‬‬)

God is unchanging. Like a rock, He is unmoved by time or changed by seasons. He is the same today as He was when He created the earth. And He will be the same long after I am gone.

When I feel lost in this life, I can always turn to God to be reminded of the truth. He will guide me to the right path.

Dear God, thank you for being my solid rock. I so easily get distracted and confused by conflicting voices and blinded by worry. Teach me to return my mind to your unchanging word and anchoring promises. You are my rock.

I haven’t been to many funerals. Maybe two. Ever. But recently I was called upon to arrange my own father’s funeral. I had no idea what I was doing or what should happen or how.

Fortunately, there were people around me who did know. (Unfortunately for them, they had experienced many funerals.) When meeting with the pastor of my parents’ church, he recommended we select a hymn that my dad would appreciate.

It seemed to me, a hymn for a funeral should be a somber, contemplative song. But for some reason, a different kind of hymn kept popping into my head. The hymn, “In My Heart There Rings a Melody” is a joyful boisterous song. I kept picturing my dad leading our congregation in singing this song, which he did often when I was a child.

So I added that song to the service. As the day approached I kept wondering whether I had chosen poorly. Would it feel inappropriate?

When we all sang that song during my father’s funeral service, the joy of it brought tears to my eyes. I could see my dad smiling and singing with all his heart, and loving every minute of it.

“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” ‭‭(1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18,‬ ‭CSB)‬‬

Although I miss my dad, there is nothing to be sad about with his passing. He would want me to rejoice always, even at his funeral.

God wants us to be always filled with joy and gratitude for His love and His promise of a beautiful eternity spent with Him.

Dear God, thank you for the hope I have because of your gracious salvation. I’m so glad death is not the end for those who put their faith in you. It is only the beginning of a beautiful and perfect new life. In my heart there rings a melody of love today.

I live in a resort area, a place known for its vacation homes used to escape the dark cold winters of the northern climes. It is a very strange place to call home. It’s comfortable most of the year, but the summer is brutally hot, which is why most people don’t stick around. “Snowbirds” return to their northern homes for the summer. Those of us who live here make our travel plans to visit friends and family in other parts of the country in the summer. So right now, in August, there are a lot of empty houses and quiet streets.

The problem is, houses like to be lived in. If you own a home and have left it vacant for any amount of time, you’ll know what I mean. Gaskets dry up and crack, causing leaks. Critters feel free to roam about making a mess. Cobwebs appear. Mold grows. Dust piles up. And sometimes thieves take the opportunity to break in and rob the empty houses.

Our spiritual lives are like these houses. If we stop inhabiting the space, things begin to break down. Bad ideas leak in, morals pile up with dust, integrity sags, and the devil seizes his opportunity to come in and start banging around, taking whatever he can.

“Be sober-minded, be alert.  Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.” (1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬, ‭CSB)‬‬

Keeping a home running smoothly takes constant vigilance. Every day there are things to do to maintain its health. From simply taking the trash out and flushing the toilets to patching leaks and replacing the roof.

My spiritual life requires just as much attention. Every day I must come to God with humble repentance to eagerly seek forgiveness. I need to read the owners’ manual, the Bible, to make sure I’m doing it right. If I stay vigilant, I can enjoy the peace of a solid, secure spiritual home in the presence of a beautiful and loving God.

Dear God, thank you for the comfortable home you have blessed me with. Thank you for reminding me that my spiritual life needs just as much attention. Forgive me for the times I have let maintenance issues lapse. Heal me and restore me to a healthy relationship with you. Protect me from thieves and devils both.

God has been speaking to me pretty clearly through Bible verses lately. I’ve been going through some tough challenges with my father having passed away rather suddenly. I have spent a lot of time helping my mother make some serious adjustments in the aftermath. While trying to help her, I’ve been overwhelmed, confused, and often desperate. But each day, when I turn to God’s word, He has been there with amazing comfort. Sometimes the words I read have been so appropriate to what I was going through in that moment that it made my jaw drop. God is good, and He is always right here.

Most of my days have been spent working on problems that are not my own. I have been organizing finances, healthcare, house maintenance, funeral planning, and on and on. My own life with its needs have been pushed aside.

I was feeling distraught by this when I turned to today’s verse.

“In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭35,‬ ‭CSB)‬‬

This verse feels like God has sat down next to me, put His arm around my shoulders in comfort and encouragement, and told me to stop worrying and keep on working to help my mother get settled. She needs the help. And I have the time, resources, and expertise to give it. I can trust God to take care of my needs with promised blessings when all is said and done.

Dear God, thank you for your faithful and personal messages to me during this difficult time. You have declared your wise and loving presence to me clearly each time I turned to you, and I am gratefully in awe.

My mom used to wake my sister and I up for school when we were kids. She would enter our shared room and say, “Rise and shine!” This was very early in the morning because we lived in a rural area and had a long bus ride to school. In the winter, it was always dark when she told us to shine. And we would groan.

In the cold, dark winter of Wisconsin, the last thing I felt like doing was rising out of my warm bed. And I always wondered how I was supposed to shine.

The sun rises and shines due to the nuclear fusion blasting photons from its core. The moon rises and shines as well, but its light is only a reflection of the sun’s brilliance.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the  Lord shines over you.” (Isaiah‬ ‭60‬:‭1,‬ ‭CSB)‬‬

I’m like the moon. I can’t shine on my own. God is the source of all goodness, love, and infinite power. By spending time with Him, soaking in His wisdom and accepting His generous grace, I can shine. I am called to reflect His glory to a hurting, dark world. By serving others with love, joy, and humility, I can shine with the brilliance of many suns.

Dear God, your love is too wonderful for me to comprehend fully. If there is any good I can shine on this world, it is only because you have generously shone your light on me. Teach me how to reflect your love on the people I interact with so that they turn to you with joy.