Our family was getting together and my son’s family had just gotten to our house.  As our grandsons were coming inside, our next to youngest grandson came running in shouting, “Hey everybody, I’m here!”  He wanted to make sure that everyone knew he had arrived!

Since the very beginning, God knew that we were in need of a Savior.  God knew that there was no way we could be holy, righteous, and reconciled to God within our own power.

There are numerous other stories of men and women, boys and girls, that placed their faith and hope in God.   But the question for here and now is what do you believe? 

Daniel’s faith in God did not depend on his circumstances.  Daniel had been in captivity since he was a young boy, his life as an Israelite had been taken from him, and a completely different culture had been forced upon him. 

I suddenly realized that my God, as awesome and powerful as He is, also showed me how intimate and loving He is to give His attention to the smallest wishes of this girl’s heart.

In the house I grew up in, my bedroom was not far from the bathroom.  Every night, when mom and dad turned off my bedroom light and the hall light, it was really dark. 

The other day I found myself daydreaming about what I would do if I won or inherited a million dollars from a long lost relative!

I love giving gifts as much as receiving gifts.  It is my love language.  When our children were at home, and now including the grandchildren, shopping for their birthdays and Christmas is a big deal. 

As much as we want to declare the promises of God laid out in this chapter, we can’t claim them if we are not willing to stay in relationship with Jesus.  God promises to be our shelter if we choose to sit down and rest in Him.

Growing in faith is a constant process of choosing every day to renew ourselves in the Word of God and to grow in trusting and depending on Jesus.