Author: Beth Duncan

Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
When it comes to the safety of the hubs and of the oldest on the trail, the safety of the youngest and of me at home, I have such peace about this entire adventure. It is truly a blessing to feel such peace because it is not my nature. I am so tremendously thankful to my Savior for blanketing me with His peace about these things.
Mark 9:24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”
And on the heels of my praise, I have to confess the anxiety and stress that still clings to me about things that seem so small and insignificant, things that in the grand scheme of things I know will work out—or won’t—and life will move seamlessly forward regardless. So why do I worry, stress, and fret over the little things? Jesus, Help me.
Isaiah 26:3 The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for Your peace, which transcends all understanding, for the reminder that there are still areas of my life where I am choosing to stress about my circumstances instead of trust in You. I do believe, Lord, in Your power and sovereignty, Your goodness and mercy, Your fierce love for me. I don’t want to hold anything back from You, Lord. Help me to lay ALL my burdens at Your feet, even those that feel too silly and insignificant to bother You with. Wrap me in Your peace. I do believe, Lord; help my unbelief. Draw me closer. Amen.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart….
Have a blessed day. 

Micah 6:8 …what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
As a mother and a teacher, I often feel the difficulty of balancing fairness and kindness. Every child is an individual with his own quirks, and allowances often need to be made for individual difficulties or deficits. And to protect an individual’s privacy, you can’t usually explain why an allowance that seems unfair has been made to compensate for something others don’t know is an issue.
Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you….
And then you have those who just can’t get themselves into gear, maybe because they are lazy, maybe because they are stuck in survival mode in all aspects of their lives. As someone who strives to be fair and equitable to all, always, I often feel it to be difficult terrain to navigate.
Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression….
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the scripture You have laid on my heart. You call me to be kind and merciful, Lord, and I strive to do that daily, but I also feel there are standards that must be upheld. How do I balance people and expectations in a way that is fair and equitable to all, that respects and protects basic human dignity and upholds any sort of standard? Help me, Jesus, to love as You love, to serve as You serve, to do my job in a way that points others to You, not to standards. Draw me closer. Amen.
Zechariah 7:9 “…show kindness and mercy to one another….”
Have a blessed day.

Luke 6:45 …For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
This verse gave me pause this morning because I think so many people, myself included, can be very careless about what we say. I consider my heart to be full of goodness, love, and light, but sometimes, when I’m tired, frustrated, angry, the things that come out of my mouth are anything but uplifting and kind. Jesus, Help me.
Eph 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
For me, the struggle is how to remain the kind, loving, uplifting person I consider myself to be and still feel, process, and deal with the negative emotions when they come. I don’t want to hide behind a shiny mask of positivity that is perceived as fake. That’s not who I am. I don’t want to stuff down the negative until I explode. That’s not healthy. I want to be loving and kind but also real. That’s what I aim for daily—in these reflections and in life. Jesus, Help me.
2 Cor 4:13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that what I say is important. Help me to pay attention to my words, Lord. Help them to be positive and uplifting. But also help me to be real, not putting lipstick on the pigs of life but being as uplifting as possible always, even in negative situations, being real and genuine and broken but also praising You, the light of my life, always. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 63:3 Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You.
Have a blessed day.

Psalm 148:3 Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you shining stars!
Reading this verse this morning took me back 14 years to when the hubs and I were expecting our oldest. We had meticulously picked out a nursery theme (sun, moon, and stars), bathed the nursery in soothing color, and painted this scripture above the crib. We were ready to welcome our bundle of joy.
Gen 21:20 And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness.
Our youngest turns 12 next week and our oldest will be 14 in a month, and sometimes I still marvel at my naivety as a parent and at God’s amazing grace and provision. Life often feels much more like a tangled wilderness than sweetly singing celestial beings, but I know God’s got us, He is in control—through the wilderness of the AT, through the wilderness of middle school, through the wilderness of life. Thank You, Jesus.
Psalm 139:13 For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reassurance of today’s scripture. You know each of us intimately, Lord. You saw us before all beginning. You created us, knitting us together with love and care. You know every hair on our heads, every breath in our bodies, every heartache and triumph we will endure. And You walk with us every step of this journey. Thank You, Jesus. Help us to never lose sight of the fact that we are Yours and that You are with us always. Draw us closer. Amen.
Psalm 139:23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Have a blessed day.

John 11:3 …”Lord, the one You love is sick.”
I have read this verse before and not thought too much of the wording, but one of the daily devos I’m reading, Max Lucado’s Grace for the Moment, gave me pause this morning. I’ve always read the verse in relation to Lazarus. “Lord, the one You love, Lazarus, is sick.” Lucado posits that the power of prayer comes not from the love of those in need but from the love of the One hearing the request, Jesus. We are all the “one He loves.” Lucado goes on to say that “We can and must repeat the phrase in manifold ways. ‘The one You love is tired, sad, hungry, lonely, fearful, depressed.’” Lord, Hear our prayer.
Psalm 17:8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings….
I know that I am a deeply loved child of God, but sometimes I have a difficult time truly FEELING His fierce love for me. The problem isn’t Him. It’s me. I get stuck in the “not enough” rut—I’m not smart enough, not good enough, not worthy enough, etc etc. And here is the amazing truth of Christ: I don’t have to measure up to some preconceived mark. He doesn’t love me because of what I can do for Him. He loves me because I am His, because He created me, because He knows me inside and out, all my idiosyncrasies. I am the one that He loves. And so are you. Lord, Let that truth penetrate our stubborn hearts.
Isaiah 49:16 See, I have written your name on the palms of My hands….
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder of my worth to You. Thank You for all the quirks in my personality and for the people I can reach for You because of those quirks. Thank You for claiming each of us as “the one You love.” Help us to never lose sight of our worth IN You and our worth TO You. Draw us closer. Amen.
Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Have a blessed day.

2 Chron 20:15 …For the battle is not yours, but God’s.
My first year teaching was an eye-opening experience. I naively assumed that everyone had the same stable, slightly dysfunctional yet loving upbringing that I had. Over two decades of teaching has reinforced again and again that that is not always the case. Some of these kids endure things that I’m not convinced I’m strong enough to endure. And all I can do as their teacher is love and encourage them, try to be sure they recognize their own value and worth, support them in as many ways as possible. I can’t fight their battles for them.
Mark 12:30-31 “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul….You shall love your neighbor as yourself….”
And I’ve found as a parent that the same is true. Even when I can provide them a stable, slightly dysfunctional yet loving upbringing, they still have battles to face, battles I can’t fight for them. All I can do as their mother is love and encourage them, try to be sure they recognize their own value and worth, support them in as many ways as possible. I can’t fight their battles for them. 
Exodus 14:14 “The LORD Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the wisdom of this scripture. Thank You for helping me to clearly see what You are calling me to do—love and encourage others, try to be sure they recognize their own value and worth in You, support them in as many ways as possible. Thank You for the clarity to understand that I can’t fight their battles for them and that that’s not what You call me to do. Help me to love, support, and encourage Your people, Lord. Help me to show them Your love and grace. Draw us closer. Amen.
Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.
Have a blessed day. 

Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Lord, I am so incredibly thankful for the peace I have about this amazing journey the hubs and our oldest are on. I am thankful for the overwhelming peace I feel about their daily safety, our daily safety. I am a worrier by nature, Lord, as You well know, so I am absolutely certain that the peace I feel about all of this can only come from You. Thank You, Lord, so much, for blanketing me with Your peace for this hike.
Phil 4:5-6 …The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing….
Lord, I want to confess to You that I realize I am still allowing anxiety into my life—not about big things, but about lots of little, seemingly inconsequential things—like how I’m going to get everything graded in the time I have, how I’m going to have enough time to take care of the house and the dog and the youngest and myself, how I’m going to juggle all the little daily things that need doing. This anxiety is not from You, nor does it in any way help to advance Your kingdom, so I know it needs to go, Lord. Show me how to lay it down and breathe in Your grace instead.
2 Cor 9:8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for allowing me to understand that this anxiety is not from You, is not helpful or useful, and has no place in my life. Thank You for Your overwhelming peace about the big stuff going on in my life. Help me to give You all the little things that are continuing to trigger my anxiety, Lord. Exchange my anxiety for Your peace. Help me to abound in every good work for Your glory. Draw me closer. Amen.
Isaiah 41:13 For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Have a blessed day.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding….
I am a big fan of understanding things—why things work like they do, why they work out like they do. For me, understanding is often the first step to acceptance. But that is not the way of faith. Faith often for me is saying, “Lord, I do not get what is going on here AT ALL, but I know You love me. You’ve got me. You are in control. This makes utterly no sense to me, but it somehow fits into Your plan for me. I hate this, but I love You and I trust You.” This trust and acceptance has been a long road and is not easy, but God is good. Always.
Daniel 3:17-18 “…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Of course, it is harder for me to trust Him when the path is dark and dangerous, terribly frightening, and heartrendingly sad, but He asks me to trust Him then, too. When answers won’t come, when everything is going wrong according to my plans, when loss upon loss upon loss adds up and the rain keeps beating down, it is so much harder to praise and trust, and yet, for me, there is no alternative. I believe in a loving, sovereign God. I believe in His goodness and mercy. And, therefore, I cling to Him, trust Him, praise Him, even when life makes utterly no sense.
Romans 8:37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for my faith, which has grown and matured with every blessing and heart break. Thank You for the ability to cling to You, to love You, to praise You, even when my heart is broken and I don’t understand. Thank You for being bigger and more sovereign than any pain and heartbreak of this world, for overcoming this world with Your love and mercy. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 John 5:4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
Have a blessed day.

Matt 14:16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”
I’ve read the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand countless times, and it wasn’t until this morning that one little part caught my attention. Jesus told the disciples to feed the crowd. “You give them something to eat.” The directive was clear and straightforward, not difficult to understand or interpret. “You give them something to eat.” And the disciples balked.
Matt 14:17-18 “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” They answered. And He said, “Bring them here to Me.”
I wish I knew the actions that accompanied Christ’s reply to the disciples. Did He heave a frustrated sigh? Roll His eyes? Show some sign of frustration and annoyance that once again He was calling the disciples to do something He knew them to be capable of because He gave them the ability, and once again they failed to see the power they had through Him? Or was He patient because He knew they were still learning to trust, still getting their feet under them, still finding their strength in Him?
Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this reminder that You know what I am capable of through Your strength. When You call me to do difficult things that are beyond my comfort zone, help me to trust You, to obey You, to lean in to You and Your strength. Help me to know that it won’t always be easy or comfortable, but that if You’ve called me to do it, You’ll give me the strength to accomplish it. Help me to trust and obey. Draw me closer. Amen.
Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
Have a blessed day.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Lord, I stand before You today with a humble heart full of joy and praise. Thank You for the many, many blessings in my life and for the amazing people You surround me with daily. Thank You for our slightly neurotic fur babies who love us mightily and for the knowledge that it’s not possessions but relationships that matter in life.
Phil 4:12b, 13  …I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
Lord, You are still working on me, teaching me to be content in all things, something I struggle with still, at times, but thank You for the growth and progress we’ve made together. I know You are the source of my joy. The fact that You are always with me, no matter what, gives me peace. Your strength carries me through. Thank You, Lord.
Heb 13:5b …God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this heart absolutely overflowing with gratitude for Your love and provision. Thank You for the ability to center myself on You each morning, to sit at Your feet and hear Your voice. Thank You for this precious and beautiful life, Lord, and for the people with whom I get to share it. Draw us all closer to You. Amen.
Psalm 118:28 You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, and I will exalt You.
Have a blessed day.