Author: Beth Duncan

Isaiah 42:16a I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them….
Yesterday, as I was gathering my belongings to leave my classroom for the day, I saw a magnet on my filling cabinet: Good friends are like stars. You don’t always see them but you know they are there. And last night as I was scrolling through Facebook, I saw a picture of the New Zealand night sky, which had to be far away from light pollution because the number of stars and their utter gorgeousness was unreal. And it reminded me that just like the stars, God is always with us, but it isn’t until we find ourselves in utter darkness that we can clearly see His light, His presence, His magnificence.
Isaiah 42:16b …I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth….
It is frightening, at least for me, to go into a situation blind, to not know what to expect, to not be able to think through how I might handle it. I have always been a planner and a worrier, but my current aversion to the new and unknown is at a startling level. I don’t know how I ended up mired here, and I praise God for making me aware and providing me a way to put my focus and trust back on Him when I face the unknown.
Isaiah 42:16c …These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your steadfast love and trust. Thank You for making me aware of the fact that my love of comfort and routine is affecting my complete trust in and reliance on You. I can’t say I’m excited to have my comfortable routine ripped away, but I know it is for my good and Your glory, and I trust You fully. Guard and guide me on this journey. Draw me closer to You. Amen.
John 12:46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark.
Have a blessed day.

John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (NIV)
Have you ever been in absolute darkness, a darkness so deep that you can’t even see your hand in front of your face? But introduce even the smallest sliver of light and give your eyes time to adjust, and you will find that you can see well enough to navigate. The darkness isn’t so powerful in the face of light.
John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. (NLT)
Such is the power of God’s light. Even one little spark, the flame of the tiniest candle, is enough to banish the darkness. When we shine His light into the darkness, we can banish the blackest deep. The darkness has no power over the light. It can’t extinguish the light, can’t overpower the light, can’t overcome it. God is light. There is no darkness in Him. (1 John 1:5) And we have the power to reflect His light, to magnify and intensify it when we work together.
John 1:5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (NASB)
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your light. Thank You that darkness is as light to you (Psalm 139:12) and that even the smallest bit of Your light can banish any darkness. Thank You that we have the power to shine Your light for others and for the hope that comes only from You. Draw us closer. Help us shine for You. Amen.
John 1:5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it. (WNT)
Have a blessed day.

1 John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
I am a doer—I can set my mind to a task, figure out the best way to accomplish it, and get it done in a timely manner. I try to be an active, contributing member to society. I know I have to work hard to accomplish my goals, and I am not afraid to do so. What I receive is often a direct result of the effort I give, so if I want something, I know I have to work for it. 
Eph 2:8 God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God.
However, God’s amazing love for me throws all my ideas about hard work and effort out the window. I can’t earn His love. I’m not worthy of His love. And yet, He loves me fiercely because I am His. He sent His Son to save me when I could do nothing of value for Him in return. He loves me deeply even still, and I have nothing of worth to earn that love. He doesn’t care. He loves me anyway, simply because I am His. 
John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your paradigm-shattering love for Your children. In a world where we are given nothing, where we have to earn everything, it is hard to fathom Your gifts of love, mercy, and grace, yet You lavish them freely on Your children and command us to love each other in the same way You love us—without payment and without limits. Help us to love each other as You love us, a love so different than the love of this world. Draw us closer to You. Amen.
1 John 4:19 We love because He first loved us.
Have a blessed day.

Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.
I love my life. It’s not perfect, of course, but it has a beautiful cadence and rhythm, which I understand. I’m a planner. I like to be prepared, and I don’t like surprises. None of that is especially bad in and of itself, but with this amazing adventure God is calling the hubs and the oldest to begin, He is gently whispering to me that I need to let go of my plans, my routines, my comfort, and trust Him with my life.
Psalm 56:4 In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid.
I would be lying if I said there was not a lot of fear about this adventure. A friend asked me recently what I was most afraid of, and I thought—EVERYTHING! But that’s not true. What I am most afraid of is the total shattering of my well ordered life. Everything will be new and different, there is no frame of reference, no familiarity. And to someone who loves routine, who loves to know what to expect, that’s terrifying. But I know with every fiber of my being that God’s got me, that He’s got all of us.
Psalm 56:10-11 In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise—in God I trust and I am not afraid.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for showing me that my love of the familiar and routine has caused me to rely on myself instead of on You. Thank You for loving me too much to leave me in my comfort zone and for the rock-solid trust that You’ve got us, that You will guide us, that You are in control. I am so tired of being afraid, Lord, and You do not want that for me. Help me to lay my fears at Your feet. Blanket me with Your peace. Guide and guard us all through this amazing adventure. Amen.
Psalm 118:6 The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid….
Have a blessed day. 

Isaiah 43:19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness….
This verse became incredibly meaningful to me in the spring of 2017. In early March that year, the hubs suffered a heart attack, and I prayed Isaiah 43:19 all the way to the hospital and beyond. In April 2017, my mom passed away unexpectedly. In May, same year, my oldest attempt to take his own life and spent two months in a wilderness therapy program. I clung to Isaiah 43:19 as I slogged through a wilderness I could not fathom, trusting He was making a way, even when I could not perceive it.
Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. 
In just over two weeks, the hubs and our oldest will embark on the journey of a lifetime—they will begin their thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. And this morning, my precious Savior solidified that He is taking me and our youngest on a journey as well—a journey of faith and trust, a journey where we can’t plan and we don’t know what to expect, so we’ll need to cling more closely to the One who sees and knows, the One who is holding, guiding, sheltering all of us.
Psalm 56:4 In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder that You are making a way through every wilderness, even when we can’t yet perceive it. Thank You for the opportunity of this Appalachian Trail adventure. Be with all of us—both on the trail and at home—help us to trust You, help us to lean into You. Always. Blanket us with Your peace and protection. Draw us closer to You and closer as a family. Amen.
Psalm 56:10-11 In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid.
Have a blessed day.

Psalm 145:18 The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.
I sincerely believe that God can reach us through trials, difficulties, and heartache in a way He can’t when life is good. I don’t think He causes them, but I think He uses everything for our good and His glory (Rom 8:28). We are fickle creatures. He knows that we listen and seek more earnestly through trying times. It doesn’t mean I like the trying times any better, but I understand they help draw me to Him and refine me in Him in a way nothing else can. 
Jer 24:7 I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with all their heart.
He created us for relationship with Him. He wants us to seek Him, to sit with Him, to know Him. He has placed a heart to know Him within us. All we have to do is seek Him, look for Him, and He is right there, waiting for us. Thank You, Jesus.
Deut 4:29 But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this reminder that You want us to seek You, to know You. Thank You for being ever present, especially in times of trouble and sorrow. Thank You for calling us to You, for sending us seeking You, for always being right there with us. Draw us closer. Amen.
Jer 29:13 You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.
Have a blessed day.

John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Trying to please those of this world is a fruitless act because the people of this world are fickle. I was reminded of that this morning as I was reading Luke 4:21-30. The people went from speaking well of Jesus and being amazed by His gracious words (v22) to being filled with rage and wanting to hurl Him off a cliff (v29).
1 John 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than He who is in the world.
It seems that not much has changed. People are still incredibly fickle. Trying to please them will only bring heartache and pain. Thankfully, while we know we will have troubles in this life, God has already given us access to what we need to be able to rise above the trouble—His peace, His grace, our faith in Him. Thank You, Jesus.
1 John 5:4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the knowledge that we will have trouble in this life, but that You have already overcome the world, so we are already more than conquerors through You. Help me, when I bump up against the trials of this life, to lean into You, to claim Your peace, to keep the earthly trials in eternal perspective. You have overcome the world. Therefore, I am more than a conqueror. Thank You, Jesus. Draw me closer. Amen.
Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Have a blessed day.

Psalm 139:12 …even the darkness is not dark to You; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light to You.
Darkness can be incredibly difficult to navigate—spiritual darkness, physical darkness. Noises that don’t cause a second thought in the day can strike terror in the night. Fever, aches and pains, self-pity, which can usually be kept in some sort of perspective during the day, often run rampant at night. Worries and fears, which can be examined and rationalized during the day, often turn insidious at night, invading the mind in a way that’s impossible when light is present. 
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
I would do well to remember that in God there is no darkness. When physical darkness settles, with mental darkness often on its heels, that is my signal to draw closer to my Savior, to draw closer to His light. I’m getting better. When sleeplessness plagues me as it so often does, my default is becoming prayer instead of irritation at the inability to sleep. But I need to continue to strive to actively seek His light. Always. Especially in my times of darkness.
1 John 1:5 “And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your light. Thank You for this innate desire to seek You, to know You, to praise You. Help me always to seek Your light. Banish any darkness that tries to cover me. Help me to shine Your light for all to see. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 36:9 For You are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.
Have a blessed day.

Psalm 61:2 From the ends of the earth I call to You, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
I have a picture in my classroom of the rock face of Rocky Face Park. On the picture, I have written the last part of Psalm 61:2. It is intended to be a reminder that God is my rock and my refuge, the one I stand on always, especially when I don’t understand. 
Isaiah 55:8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”
When I think of Rocky Face, in my mind’s eye, I see myself climbing the Vertical Mile Challenge. It’s a tough climb, but the higher I go, the farther I can see. Here’s where I have to be careful with this analogy. Trusting God does not mean climbing higher so I can see/understand more. It means trusting that the foundation I stand on is firm, solid, trust worthy, even when I DON’T understand, especially then. It means soaking in His peace and strength, even when nothing makes sense. It means trusting that He’s holding me securely, even when nothing seems sure. It means rock-solid trust in Him.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this reminder that You are my rock, my fortress, my shelter. Thank You for the reminder that standing on Your promises and trusting Your provision does not mean I will understand. It simply means that I know You’ve got me, You are in control, even when I don’t understand, especially then. Help me to trust You always. Surround me with Your strength and peace. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 71:1 In You, LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.
Have a blessed day. 

Psalm 139:13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Like many people, I have always been hyper-critical of my own body—my belly roll, my Shrek foot, my crooked teeth, my acne-prone, crepe-y skin. I could go on and on. However, if I did, I would be doing myself and my Maker a huge disservice.
Psalm 139:14 Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
I am a masterpiece because my Creator is the Master of the Universe. My womb has nurtured the miracle of life. My feet and legs have run half marathons and climbed mountains. My arms have rocked babies, dried tears, supported and encouraged others, built up and created things that give hope and encouragement. 
Psalm 139:16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the gift of another year of life. Thank You for this amazing body, fearfully, wonderfully, uniquely made by You. Thank You for the gift of perspective. Help me always to view myself and others through Your eyes, which see, support, and celebrate. Draw us closer. Amen.
Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Have a blessed day.