"Trust in the LORD with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD himself is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2

Surrendering into the care of the Lord that which is nearest and dearest to our heart is sometimes difficult. Holding on too tightly is an easy temptation. I understand that well. Today, I want to encourage you with the word the Lord gave me this morning. He was encouraging me in Hebrews 11, to remember that faith is believing that what we hope will happen will indeed come to pass. Sometimes it requires so much faith to believe that God does indeed hear our prayers. That they are making a difference, and that all of the hopes hidden deep within our hearts are held safely within His. It takes faith to believe and trust that he intends to bring the things we hope for to pass in our lives. The hardest part is believing when we don't see. That though is the core of hope, that's the core of faith! It's believing that what we desire is indeed important to the Lord and that he truly does intend to bless and prosper us. Today, if you're feeling a little discouraged or just need a little infusion of hope, I pray that you'll be encouraged by his promise of faith, be steadfast and strong in the Lord seek first his righteousness and all the desires of your heart will be added to you.

Lord, in moments when we are tempted to white-knuckle the things in life that are difficult to surrender, we ask that you mercifully and gently open our hands and give us the courage to fully lay them at the cross. The safest place any of us can be is in under the shadow of your wing and fully surrendered to you. Let us not make the mistake of holding on too tightly to what we desire and love, or even our idea of perceived best outcomes, but instead to truly walk by faith. Help us to raise our hearts and hands in a way that pleases you as we lift up the deepest parts of our hopes and dreams, our loved ones, our relationships, our family, our future, may you have it all. You are a rewarder of those who diligently seek you, Lord. We ask you to make us strong in faith today. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.