Feb 14, 2026 – Sing
JC – “Give yourself fully to the adventure of today.” As we were making our coffee, Don said he was starting to think of a Waffle House run; but, then he opened his Valentine’s gift of truffle salt and garlic sea salt and decided to go on a cooking adventure making scrambled eggs for me with the truffle and fried eggs for himself with the garlic. Definitely an adventure in a well-seasoned relationship! His thoughtful and creative gift, half of the whole copperplate keychain in the photo, suggests adventure as well, both near and far. (That is our wedding date and the verse we put on the pens we gave out that day.) Human relationships, on any level, are gifts from God, but a relationship with Him is the ultimate. “Walk boldly along the path of Life, relying on your ever-present Companion…. Do not give in to fear or worry, those robbers of abundant living. Trust Me enough to face problems as they come, rather than trying to anticipate them…. remember that I am holding you by your right hand.” See Hebrews 12:2 and Isaiah 41:3.
Prevail #45 – Larson tells about Gideon, in Judges 7, trusting God despite the impossible odds, but still being “unsure of what the battle might cost him or how the story would play out. If you’ve walked with the Lord awhile, you know that just because God calls us to something doesn’t mean it will be easy, without cost, and will turnout exactly as we’ve pictured it…. His desires for us far exceed our small earthbound desires for ourselves.” I’m surprised that I needed this reminder, but indeed it is timely because just yesterday I was listing out for Him some of the endeavors I’ve undertaken that seemed so promising, yet they fizzled out. Or so it seems to me. Larson continues, “God knows when we’ve got the inner fortitude to move ahead, and when we just need a glimpse of His goodness to encourage us onward…. Father, Grant me a higher perspective on my circumstances…. Amen.”
Streams – Cowman leans into Philippians 4:4 and draws from selected sources as she writes, “It is a good thing to ‘rejoice in the Lord.’ Perhaps you have tried it but seemed to fail at first. Don’t give it a second thought, and forge ahead. From John Henry Jowett she shares, “Let us sing even when we do not feel like it, for in this way we give wings to heavy feet and turn weariness into strength.”
Max – John 13:35 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you.” Max asks, “Have you let God love you?” And, he points out that, “We don’t love people because people are lovable…. It is only by receiving our Father’s agape love that we can discover agape love for others.”
Power – Joyce continues this conversation of God’s companionship and love by pointing out that, “There is a God-shaped hole inside every one of us, and even if we had all the money in the world, there is nothing to be bought that could fill it. The only thing that is going to fill that craving is God Himself…. Put Him first…. As you include Him in all that you do, you will develop an intimacy that will satisfy your soul like nothing else in the world can do.” See Psalm 17:15.
JA – “LET MY UNFAILING LOVE be your comfort. One definition of ‘comfort’ is a person or thing that makes you feel less upset or frightened during a time of trouble…. There are many sources of comfort in the world, yet only one of them is unfailing: My Love! …Since you have this boundless Source of blessing – Me – I want you to be a blessing in the lives of other people.” See John 16:33, Romans 8:38-39, and 2 Cor. 1:3-4.
Psalm 119:76 – “May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.”
Utmost – Chambers reminds us, “At times God puts us through the discipline of darkness to teach us to heed Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and we are put into the shadow of God’s hand until we learn to hear Him…. When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you get into the light.”
Simpson cites the baptism of fire from Matthew 3:11 and tells about the “avenues of pain” that come with severe trials, “When they first come, we shrink back from their unnatural and fearful breath, and we say: ‘Oh, this cannot be from the hand of a loving Father. This cannot be necessary to me’…. But we must get the victory through faith. The moment you cease to fear it, that moment it ceases to harm you.”
