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Did the sun rise today? How do you know it did? Well for one, you can walk outside and see that it is in fact in the sky. There is light and it is good. There also is another reason to believe and know that the sun has risen. A dear friend of mine shared this with me recently. It comes from a quote by C.S. Lewis.

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: Not only because I see it, but because BY it, I see everything else.” - C.S. Lewis

When the darkness of night comes, we can’t see everything. When the sun rises, what was once in the dark, unable to be seen, can be seen. We see the sun and we see everything else because of the light of the sun.

This dear friend that shared this C.S. Lewis quote with me is walking through some darkness. Jesus is by her side, yet the road ahead is dark and unknown. The Lord is reminding her, He IS the light of the world. He IS lighting her path, even though at times she can’t see her steps. He is leading the way and she is following and trusting that He is in control.

John 8:12

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

If you too are walking through a dark season, be encouraged. Keep your eyes on Jesus and He will bring light to your circumstance. Seek Him first through it and know He will never leave you and you do not walk through the dark valley you are walking through alone. You do not have to be afraid. In Christ, you HAVE the light of life and with that shining brightly, you can see everything you need to see.

Job 12:22

He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light.

Nothing that you have faced, are facing or will face in this life are outside of God’s reach. While we don’t understand it all on this side of heaven, living in this broken and sin filled world, we can know the eyes of our heavenly father are on us and His light is brighter than any darkness that comes our way. All darkness WILL be brought into the light.

John 1:5

​​The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Are you walking a dark road or maybe battling the spirits of darkness? Stand firm on the truth my friend is standing on. The darkness cannot stand against the light of God’s word.

Psalm 119:105

​​Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Next time you find yourself facing a dark road, forget the flashlight and grab your LIGHT. Don’t walk any road without it!

The sun did rise today. I see it and because I do, I see everything else! What about you? Do you see Jesus? Do you believe? Put your faith in the light of the world. When you do, not only will you see His love for you, His grace and forgiveness over your life, you’ll see everything else.

That’s the truth.

This world is a dark place, but with the light we carry, it can’t stand a chance. Shine truth to those around you today. You might even start with the question, ‘did the sun rise today’?

I’m Lori Cline.

Do you believe things today are as they ought to be? If you’re on a beach somewhere with your toes in the sand and not a care in the world, you just might believe that. But even IF that is where you are, things still aren’t as they ought to be are they? We DO have so many cares in this world. We don’t have to look far to find pain. It’s in our own lives, in the lives of those around us and we see it everyday in our country and around the world.

When my heart is overwhelmed with the truth that things are NOT as they ought to be, I remember 1 Peter 5:7 that says, ‘cast all your care on Him because He cares for you.’ We weren’t meant to carry the weight of this world. We can find rest as we lay ALL our cares down at the feet of Jesus.

That’s the beauty of faith. Even when the world around us is falling apart, I am blessed. If you are IN Christ, you can claim that same blessing and promise. So even if things aren’t as they ought to be, it CAN be well with your soul and as it ought to be because you are IN Christ. He makes it right, even when it’s not. It’s a beautiful truth that is not based on what you see. It’s based on a HOPE that is found in what we cannot see.

It’s faith’s promise. Things may not be as they should be now, but one day they will be and until then, it IS well with my soul.

Faith’s promise is that one day things will be as they ought to be. So we walk by faith and look to the promises of God. He’s never not kept one by the way!

Look at Abraham and Sarah in the Old Testament. God promised them a son. God told Abraham in Genesis 15 to count the stars and if he COULD count them, that would be the number of his descendants! Do you know how long Abraham and Sarah waited for a child? A very long time. But the Bible tells us that Abraham believed in the Lord. He had faith, even when things weren’t as they ought to be. There was a time Abraham fell on his face and laughed about it all, Sarah laughed too, but thankfully they lived through that, and even though he was one hundred years old when Sarah conceived, God was faithful to His promise.

Hebrews 11:12

​​And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Abraham walked by faith. He laughed a little along the way, but still He believed.

What are you believing for today that you aren’t seeing? Trust and know that God sees. His plan for your life IS good. His timing is perfect. His ways are SO above our own. We can’t see the big picture, but when we walk by FAITH and believe in the promises of God, we are BLESSED and in our heart, things ARE as they ought to be.

Receive this blessing today and believe in the promises of God for your life.

Numbers 6:24-26

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

This blessing of God’s people is called “the Aaronic benediction” asking God to delight in His people and show them favor. God’s favor leads to peace. This isn’t a life without pain, struggle, death or war, this is a heart that believes in a God who IS faithful to His promises even when things around us are not as they ought to be.

That’s the truth.

May the Lord bless you and keep you as you trust IN Him and walk each day, by faith.

I’m Lori Cline.

Have you ever spent any time looking back through the branches of your family tree? It can be fascinating what you find. Just me mentioning a family tree I know some of you get excited because YOU have done your homework! You’ve done the digging, the research and you have pieced together ancestral history from photos, birth and death certificates, historical records, news stories and anything pretty much that gives a glimpse into your history.

You may be like my friend Lawrence. He has invested countless hours into researching his family tree. Not long ago, through a conversation about his last name, he discovered a lady, who was in his early morning work out class, was his cousin! How cool is that? He was so excited to know more family! Pieces of his story coming together, it’s beautiful.

I was raised in a small town and my Grandfather, on my Mom’s side, was one of seven siblings. Over the years I was always hearing, ‘oh yeah, they’re your cousin’. I had to be careful who I went out with! But seriously, the branches keep going and going don’t they? I’m thankful for the many, many roots that make up who I am.

Often though, when it comes to our history, we might not always like what we find. What may have been thought to be one thing, could have been quite the other. Careful digging around THAT tree, you might be surprised what you find! But when we do, we see a story unfold, that although may have broken roots and missing pieces, it’s a story that still blooms beautifully when met with the amazing grace of God. It’s our story. We all have one. Our stories are not something to compare, they’re chapters that lead us all to today. What we choose to do with THIS day is what matters.

You see no matter what you may find IN your history, or what may be IN your lineage, God has been and will continue to work through it all. A favorite song of mine that says it best is ‘Through it All’, written in 1971 by Andre Crouch. Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God. Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to depend upon His word.

If I was to sum up my life in one line, it would be that lyric. Through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus. I can look back in my history and it’s not perfect. There are broken pieces because WE are broken, but the beauty of knowing Jesus is that IN those broken places, He mends us and tends gently to our hearts and something beautiful grows.

In the Old Testament I love the story of the child King Josiah. He ascended the throne at the age of eight! Josiah was the grandson of Manasseh, known for being the worst king of Judah. He was bad, really bad. When Josiah’s father Amon was assassinated, he became the king of Judah. Although the kings before him did NOT follow God’s law and ways, Josiah had some good deep roots and he tapped into them. While his immediate family was not so great, he was born into the Judean royalty lineage of David, Solomon and Rehoboam. He looked back to the Godly kings before him and once again upheld God’s law. He couldn’t change his history, but he did break the chains of his past. He was a good king.

2 Kings 22:2

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.

Josiah didn’t have much to build on when it came to his immediate family tree. So he looked deeper and he looked to God. I love that Josiah’s Hebrew name means “the Lord supports”. Maybe you look into your history and feel like you don’t have good solid roots, remember Josiah. You’re not alone. God sees you. He loves you and HE will support you and give you strength to break free from the chains of your past as you trust and seek Him.

That’s the truth.

Good fruit does come from broken roots. Go read Matthew chapter one. It’s the family tree of Jesus and you’ll find Josiah’s name in verse eleven. Through it all, the good the bad and the ugly, God IS at work and He meets us and supports us as we look to Him as our part of the story is being written.

I’m Lori Cline.

Do we get so caught up in religion that we forget to look for God?