May 15, 2026 – Lamp
Fiumicino Beach near Rome, Italy
Prevail #135 – Psalm 27:1 – “The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble.?” Larson points out that, like King David, “The more time you spend in the sanctuary of God (constantly and continually acknowledging His presence in your life), the less the offenses and attacks of men will affect you…. Refuse to be derailed by mere humans. Be strong in the strength of the Lord. Don’t fear. Don’t fret. Expect to see His goodness in the land of the living.”
JC – “Spending time alone with Me is essential for your well-being. It is not a luxury or an option; it is a necessity. Therefore, do not feel guilty about taking time to be with Me. Remember that Satan is the accuser of believers. He delights in heaping guilt feelings upon you, especially when you are enjoying My Presence…. Use your shield of faith to protect yourself from him. Talk with Me about what you are experiencing, and ask Me to show you the way forward.”
Utmost – Ephesians 1:18 – “That ye may know what is the hope of His calling.” Chambers writes, “Remember what you are saved for – that the Son of God might be manifested in your mortal flesh. Bend the whole energy of your powers to realise your election as a child of God; rise to the occasion every time. You cannot do anything for your salvation, but you must do something to manifest it…. If you are still the same miserable crosspatch, set on your own way, then it is a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you.” Gulp, that’s a bit of a slap in the face. Maybe we need those now and then.
Chambers continues, “God is the Master Engineer, He allows the difficulties to come in order to see if you can vault over them properly…. God will never shield you from any of the requirements of a son or daughter of His…. Rise to the occasion, do the thing. It does not matter how it hurts as long as it gives God the chance to manifest Himself in your mortal flesh. May God not find the whine in us any more, but may He find us full of spiritual pluck and athleticism, ready to face anything He brings…. Our Lord never dictated to His Father, and we are not here to dictate to God; we are here to submit to His will…. He will make us broken bread and poured-out wine to feed and nourish others.”
Power – Speaking of whining and thinking we deserve more than we are getting: Romans 12:3 – “For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgement, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him.” Joyce offers this about being humble, “Some people think humility means to have a low opinion of ourselves. Paul says not to have an exaggerated opinion. Some people, in an effort to be humble, don’t know how to receive compliments graciously. We all need encouragement, compliments, and appreciation. A good way to handle appreciation without getting into pride is to receive it when it is given, then, at the end of the day, take the compliments you receive to Jesus and say to Him, ‘I know whatever I do that is good or right is the result of Your working in me, so I offer You all the praise I was given today and I thank You for the encouragement.’”
JL – “Dearest Lord Jesus, Whenever plans and problems are preoccupying my mind, I need to turn to You and whisper Your Name…. Thank You for watching over me always and for loving me eternally. I love You, Jesus, and I trust You to illuminate the way forward – showing me what needs to be done today and what does not…. You light up my perspective as I keep turning my attention to You…. Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path…. In Your delightful Name, Amen.”
