Sometimes our connection with God becomes obscured due to our numerous worldly relationships. But when one is so impoverished, so lonely, so helpless that there is nowhere else to turn, he runs into His Father's arms and finds himself warmly embraced there. When one is saddled with problems so immediate and so unique that he cannot confide them to anyone but God, he should be grateful; for in those times, he will learn more about the Lord than ever before.

Believer in the throes of the storm, it is indeed a blessed trouble that brings you closer to your Father! Now that you only have God to rely on, make sure you place your full trust in Him. Do not dishonor your Lord and Master with unworthy doubts and fears; instead, be robust in faith, giving glory to God. Demonstrate to the world that your God is more valuable to you than ten thousand worlds. Show the wealthy how affluent you are in your poverty when the Lord God is your helper. Show the powerful how potent you are in your weakness when beneath you are the everlasting arms of God.

Now is the time for displays of faith and heroic actions. Be strong and very courageous, and surely the Lord your God will glorify Himself in your weakness and magnify His power in the midst of your distress.
As the beauty of the heavenly arch would be diminished if the sky were upheld by a visible column so your faith would lose its glory if it relied on anything visible to the human eye. May the Holy Spirit guide you to rest in Jesus at the close of this day.

Mighty God, in times of distress and weakness,
Strengthen us with Your divine arms.
In the silence of our solitude,
Illuminate us with Your righteousness and justice.

Questions for Reflection

1. How have you experienced the hand of God in your moments of hardship?
2. How has your relationship with God changed during challenging seasons?
3. How can you demonstrate to others the value of God in your life?
4. How does the concept of divine righteousness inform your understanding of salvation?
5. How have the 'everlasting arms' of God provided you with strength in times of personal weakness?
6. How can you embody courage and strength in your current circumstances?
7. How has your faith been tested in situations where you've felt impoverished or helpless?
8. How does the idea of islands waiting in hope for God's arm resonate with your personal experiences?
9. How would your approach to present day challenges change if you were to put more trust in God?
10. How can we contribute to bringing God's justice to nations as individuals and communities?

Supporting Scriptures

Romans 1:16: I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.
Acts 13:47: For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
Romans 10:18: But I ask, did they not hear? Indeed they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”
Psalm 98:3: He has remembered His love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Psalm 22:27: All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him.
Revelation 7:9: After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
Psalm 67:2: that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.

Dawn and Dusk: Scriptures, Devotions, and Prayers. Inspired by Charles Haddon Spurgeon's Morning and Evening: Daily Readings. You are free to copy as needed for noncommercial personal and ministry use.