Author Archives: C D SWANSON

DEAR GOD: Shining Peace And Love In The Quiet~~

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white light bulb turned on during nighttime

 

“Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.” — Psalm 62:1

The Quiet Between the Cross and the Dawn
by C D Swanson~

The Saturday after Good Friday is a sacred pause—a day wrapped in silence, stillness, and unanswered questions. Scripture does not record much activity on this day, and perhaps that is intentional. Heaven itself seemed to hold its breath.

The disciples were grieving. The women were preparing spices. The world was hushed. And yet, beneath the quiet, God was moving in ways no human eye could see.

Psalm 62:1 captures the heart of Holy Saturday: a soul waiting—resting—not because it understands, but because it trusts. This is the peace that comes when we surrender the need to know how God will work and simply believe that He will.

Holy Saturday reminds us that silence is not abandonment. Stillness is not inactivity. Waiting is not wasted. God often does His deepest work in the unseen places, in the quiet hours, in the in‑between moments when nothing seems to be happening.

The peace of this day whispers: Hold steady. Resurrection is already on its way.

Lord, thank You for the holy quiet of this day. Teach my soul to rest in You even when I cannot see what You are doing. Let Your peace settle over every anxious thought, and prepare my heart for the joy of resurrection morning. Keep me close, calm, and trusting in Your unfailing love. Amen.

DEAR GOD: Like Little Ones Before You~

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a little boy standing in a field of flowers“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” — 1 Peter 2:2

Like Little Ones Before Him
by C D Swanson~

There is something breathtaking about the way a baby receives what is given — no pretense, no resistance, no overthinking. A baby simply opens, trusts, and receives. This is the posture God invites us into when we approach His Word.

Not with the heaviness of adulthood. Not with the guardedness of past wounds. Not with the skepticism the world teaches.

But with the soft, uncluttered heart of a child who knows the One feeding them is good.

When we come to Scripture this way — open, hungry, unashamed of our need — the Word becomes nourishment. It strengthens what is weak, soothes what is restless, and grows what is still forming in us. God does not ask us to be impressive; He asks us to be receptive.

Children do not complicate love. Children do not question whether they are welcome. Children do not fear being too small.

And so, the Lord whispers: Come to Me like that. Come with wonder. Come with trust. Come with the simplicity of a heart that knows it is safe in My hands.

Supporting Scripture

  • Matthew 18:3 — “Except ye be converted, and become as little children…”
  • Psalm 131:2 — “My soul is even as a weaned child.”
  • James 1:21 — “Receive with meekness the engrafted word…”

Reflective Question

Where is God inviting you to lay down adult burdens and receive His Word with the simplicity and trust of a child?

“LORD, soften my heart and make it childlike again.
Teach me to receive Your Word with purity, trust, and openness.
Let Your truth nourish me, steady me, and grow me into who You’ve called me to be. In Jesus name, Amen.”

DEAR GOD: Trusting You in the Fog~

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bare trees under blue sky during daytime

Trusting God in the Fog
by C D Swanson

Did you ever feel like you’re longing for a “word” or guidance from the Lord, yet nothing seems to be happening? If so, count yourself among the many followers of Christ who walk through the same experience — myself included.

Right now, my husband and I are seeking the Lord for clarification, affirmation, and confirmation about our next step at this particular juncture in our lives.

But so often, when this happens, it becomes a “wait and sit tight — for I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD” kind of season. This is when patience, one of the fruits of the Spirit, comes into focus. This is when we need to breathe, relax, and remind ourselves, “This too shall pass, and this too shall become clear.”

There is always a purpose behind everything we face — uncertainty, decisions, doubt, and those foggy moments in our mind, heart, and soul. The sun always breaks through eventually. It always does. It’s the waiting in the fog that challenges us the most.

The only encouragement I can offer is this: “Be still, and know that He is God.” (Psalm 46:10) Look to Him for all things. Trust Him fully, and He will direct your paths and bring clarity and peace in His perfect timing. (Proverbs 4:5–8)

Just know this: God is with you through it all. He is your hope, your conscience, your guide, your protector, your Rock, and your ever‑loving, faithful Father.

Isaiah 30:21 “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it…”Lamentations 3:25–26 “The Lord is good unto them that wait for him… It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.”

Father, in the quiet places where we wait for Your direction, steady our hearts. Teach us to rest in Your timing, trust Your wisdom, and lean into Your peace. Clear the fog in Your perfect way, and guide our steps with the light of Your presence. We place our hopes, our questions, and our next steps in Your faithful hands. In Jesus name, Amen.

 

DEAR GOD: Waiting On You Alone My King~

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“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” — Psalm 27:14 (KJV)

Waiting on God is not passive. It is not weakness, and it is not failure. Waiting is often the most courageous obedience a soul can offer when every instinct cries out to act, fix, or escape.

There are seasons when God does not ask us to move forward or make decisions. He asks us to stand still, to release control, and to trust Him with what feels unbearable. And that kind of waiting can feel like drowning—emotionally, financially, spiritually—when the pressure is relentless and the answers seem delayed.

Waiting feels like standing in deep water with no visible shore. It feels like holding your breath while the future remains unclear. It feels like doing nothing when everything inside you is screaming for relief.

But God sees what you cannot.

He sees down the road. He sees the turn you haven’t reached yet, the provision that hasn’t arrived, the protection you don’t even know you need. While you are waiting, He is working—quietly, faithfully, deliberately.

Waiting is not wasted time. Waiting is where God rearranges outcomes. Waiting is where He prepares answers that would collapse if delivered too soon.

Sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is stop striving, stop rehearsing worst‑case scenarios, and place the weight of it all into God’s hands—even when your hands are trembling. Even when your heart is tired. Even when your faith feels thin.

God is not offended by your exhaustion. He is not surprised by your fear. He is not distant from your struggle.

He is near. He is attentive. He is already ahead of you.

And when you cannot move forward, waiting becomes worship. When you cannot fix it, surrender becomes strength. When you cannot see the way, trust becomes the bridge.

“Lord, I place what I cannot carry into Your hands. I release the pressure, the fear, and the urgency to figure everything out. Teach me how to wait without panic, to trust without seeing, and to rest even when the waters feel deep. You see the road ahead, and I trust You with every step I cannot yet take. Hold me steady while I wait. In Jesus name, Amen.”

 

 

 

DEAR GOD: A Moment In Time With You~

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the sun is shining through the trees in the woods“With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” — 2 Peter 3:8

Poem: “A Moment in Time With the Lord”
By C D Swanson~

A moment in time with You, O Lord, is more than hours, more than years— it is eternity brushing against my soul. For with You, a single breath holds the weight of a thousand dawns, and a thousand years dissolve into the warmth of one holy moment.

When I walk with You, time is not a clock but a companion— a gentle witness to Your everlasting love. In Your Presence, nothing is rushed, nothing is wasted, nothing is lost.

One heartbeat with You outshines a lifetime without You. One whisper of Your Spirit outlasts the ages. And one step on Your eternal road becomes a forever I never want to leave.

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“Lord, Teach me to rest in Your eternal rhythm. Let my moments with You stretch wide and deep, full of peace, full of color, full of Your presence. Help me remember that Your timing is perfect, Your love is endless, and every second spent with You is a treasure that outlives time itself. Hold my heart steady in Your forever, and let my days reflect the beauty of walking with You. In  Jesus name, Amen.”

DEAR GOD: Going With You No Matter What Others Think

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body of water under cloudy sky during sunset

“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29 (KJV)

To go with God often means standing apart—listening not to the noise of the world, but to the quiet, steady conviction of the Holy Spirit. When His voice settles in our hearts, it becomes clearer than fear, stronger than doubt, and truer than approval. Obedience born of love anchors us, even when the path feels lonely. Trusting His Spirit is choosing eternal truth over temporary comfort.

Lord, I choose You above all else. Strengthen my spirit to follow Your voice, trust Your leading, and walk boldly in obedience, knowing Your presence goes before me and Your love surrounds me always. Amen.

DEAR GOD: The Turns Of Our Lives~

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Woman taking a picture in a sunlit forest.James 1:17 (KJV) “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

“The Turns of a Life Held by God”
by C D Swanson~

Life is full of turns — gentle ones we expect, and sudden ones that shake the ground beneath us. Seasons shift, paths bend, and sometimes we find ourselves standing in places we never planned to be. A wrong turn here, a painful turn there, a surprising turn that opens a door we didn’t even know existed.

But through every twist, one truth remains unshaken: God does not turn away from you. His love does not waver, His Presence does not flicker, and His faithfulness does not depend on the direction you take. Even when you step off the path, He steps toward you. Even when life changes without warning, His heart toward you does not change.

The turns of life shape us, refine us, and sometimes reroute us — but they never remove us from His hands. You are held through the natural changes, the sudden ones, the confusing ones, and the beautiful ones. And every turn, even the ones that feel wrong, can become a place where His grace meets you again.

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“Father, thank You for being the One who never changes, even when everything around me does. Hold me steady through the turns of life, and remind me that Your love is constant, unwavering, and forever near. Guide my steps, heal my missteps, and let every change draw me closer to You. In Jesus name, Amen.”

DEAR GOD: I Am Held In Your Hands~

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gray and white bird perching on branch

Isaiah 46:4 (KJV)

“And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry and will deliver you.”

The God Who Carries Us
by C D Swanson~

 There is something breathtakingly gentle in this promise. God does not say He will help us occasionally or steady us when convenient. He says He will carry us — from the first breath to the last, through every season, every ache, every joy, every unknown. This is not the love of a distant Creator. It is the love of a Father who refuses to let His children walk alone. When life feels heavy, this verse reminds us that the weight is not ours to shoulder. We are upheld by everlasting arms, guided by wisdom older than time, and cherished by a God who has never once grown weary of us. To be carried by Him is to be safe, seen, and deeply loved.

🙏  “LORD, thank You for being the One who carries me through every season. Teach my heart to rest in Your strength and trust Your steady hands. Let Your love quiet my fears and anchor my soul in peace. In Jesus name. Amen.”

 

DEAR GOD: My Heart Renews Daily For You~

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The sun is setting over the horizon of the ocean

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10

“A Heart Renewed at Dawn
by C D Swanson~”

There is something sacred about the early hours, when the world is quiet and the first light begins to soften the edges of the night. In that stillness, God does some of His most tender work. David’s prayer in Psalm 51:10 is not just a cry of repentance — it is a longing for renewal, a desire for a heart aligned with God’s own.

A clean heart is not a perfect heart. It is a surrendered one. A renewed spirit is not a flawless spirit. It is a willing one.

When we begin the day with this prayer, we invite God to shape our thoughts, steady our emotions, and guide our steps. Sunrise becomes more than a moment — it becomes a reminder that God is still creating, still cleansing, still renewing, still loving us into wholeness.

To start the day in His Word is to anchor the heart before anything else can pull at it. To stay in His Word is to walk through the day with a spirit strengthened by truth, guarded by grace, and held by the One who never grows weary of restoring us.

Let this morning be a fresh beginning. Let your heart rise with the dawn, open and ready for the renewing touch of the Lord.

Father, thank You for the gift of a new day and the gentle mercy of morning light. Create in me a clean heart, Lord, one that reflects Your love and seeks Your ways. Renew my spirit so I may walk in peace, humility, and obedience. Keep me close to Your Word today and let every step be guided by Your presence. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.

💭 Reflective Question

Where in my heart do I most need God’s renewing touch today?

DEAR GOD: You Are My Strength~

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a wooden block with the word god written on it

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped.” — Psalm 28:7 (KJV)

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Strength for Today
by C D Swanson~

This verse is a gentle reminder that God is not distant from our daily struggles. He is both strength and shield — the power we need and the protection we long for. When life feels uncertain or heavy, this scripture invites us to lean into trust rather than fear. Trust is not passive; it is an active resting of the heart in God’s character.

When we trust Him, something beautiful happens: “I am helped.” Not “I might be helped,” not “I hope to be helped,” but I am helped — present, certain, already in motion. God’s help is not delayed, lost, or withheld. It arrives in ways we see and in ways we don’t yet understand. Sometimes His help is strength to endure. Sometimes it is peace that steadies us. Sometimes it is a door opening at just the right moment.

This verse reminds us that we are never left to face life alone. God surrounds us, strengthens us, and shields us. And as we trust Him, our hearts learn again and again that He is faithful.

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Lord, thank You for being my strength when I feel weak and my shield when life feels overwhelming. Help me trust You fully today, knowing that Your help is already on the way. Fill my heart with peace and confidence in Your care. Amen.