Tag Archives: mercy

DEAR GOD: My Window of Life~

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Malachi 3:6 (KJV) —“For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

Window of Life
by C D Swanson~

Life has a way of shifting beneath our feet. One season feels bright and full of promise, and the next arrives with questions we never expected to ask. As Christians, we walk through valleys and mountaintops, through laughter and tears, through moments when God feels near enough to touch and moments when we strain to feel Him at all. Yet through every rise and fall, one truth remains unshaken: God does not change.

Malachi 3:6 is like a window frame carved into eternity. It reminds us that while everything around us moves, God stays steady. His character does not waver. His love does not thin out. His promises do not expire. His mercy does not run dry. When life feels unpredictable, God becomes the one place where our souls can breathe again.

We look through the window of God’s constancy and see a love that has carried generations before us. We see a faithfulness that has never once failed. We see a God who stands in every storm, not as a distant observer but as the One who holds us together when we feel like we’re falling apart.

As believers, we learn to rest in this unchanging God. We learn to trust that even when our circumstances shift, His heart toward us does not. We learn that His “I change not” is the anchor that keeps us from drifting into fear. And we learn that every season—good or hard—is held in the same steady hands.

When we look through God’s window, we see hope. We see purpose. We see a future shaped by His love, not by our uncertainty. And we remember that no matter what life brings, God remains the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Dear Lord, thank You for being my unchanging foundation in a world that shifts daily. When life feels uncertain, steady my heart with the truth of who You are. Help me trust Your constancy, lean on Your promises, and rest in Your everlasting love. Keep my eyes fixed on You, the One who never changes. In Jesus name. Amen.

DEAR GOD: Prayers & An Awakening~

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Her Prayers Became My Awakening: An Interview
by C D Swanson~
Introduction: Glen is a retired banker living in the quiet, pine‑lined hills of central Vermont. His home sits on a ridge where the seasons move slowly, and the mornings carry a kind of sacred stillness. He spends his days walking wooded trails, tending a small garden, and learning how to live with both grief and grace. Beneath his calm exterior is a man shaped by profound loss, unexpected revelation, and a spiritual awakening he never imagined. This is his story — one marked by anger, surrender, and the God who met him in the ruins of his heartbreak.
CD: Glen, thank you for agreeing to this interview. I know this isn’t an easy story to revisit.
GLEN: You’re welcome. Talking about her still hurts, but it also honors what God did through her. And I promised myself — and the Lord — that I would share it when asked.
CD: Tell me about your wife. What was she like?
GLEN: Her name was Marissa. She was gentle, steady, and full of a quiet faith that didn’t need to announce itself. She prayed constantly — not loudly, not dramatically — just faithfully. Especially for me. At night she’d rest her hand on my arm and whisper, “Lord, draw him to You.” I’d pretend to be asleep. She always knew I wasn’t. Scripture says in 1 Peter 3:1 (KJV): “If any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives.” That was her. She lived the Gospel in front of me long before I ever believed it.
CD: You weren’t a believer at that time?
GLEN: Not even close. I was a banker — numbers, logic, what I could see and touch. Faith felt unnecessary.
I told her once, “You’re wasting your prayers on me.”
She just smiled and said, “God never wastes anything.” I didn’t understand that until everything fell apart.
CD: What happened when she became ill?
GLEN: It was sudden. Too sudden. One week she was humming hymns while planting tomatoes. The next week she was in a hospital bed, fading faster than I could accept.
And I was angry. Angry at the doctors. Angry at the world. Angry at God — a God I didn’t even believe in.
I kept thinking, why her? Why the one who believes? Why the one who prays? Why not me?
But she never questioned God. Not once.
She held my hand and whispered, “Glen, if God takes me home, He’s still good. And He will still come for you.”
I didn’t want to hear that. I wanted her healed. I wanted our life back. But she kept praying — even when she could barely speak.
CD:  Oh, Glen, that had to be so difficult. Can you share her final words to you?
GLEN: She squeezed my hand — weak, but intentional — and said, “Don’t run from Him anymore. My prayers don’t end here.”
Then she smiled. And she was gone. Just like that! One moment in time, she was gone.  My world collapsed in that moment. I felt like I died with her. I wanted to be with her. I just wanted to die with her.
CD:  I’m so sorry. Glen -After she passed, what was life like for you?
GLEN: I was furious. Furious at God. Furious at life. Furious at the unfairness of it all.
I walked around the house like a storm. I slammed doors. I cursed at the ceiling. I told God — the God I claimed didn’t exist — that He had no right to take her. I smelled her perfume. I rummaged through her clothes, which still had her scent on them. I hugged her pillow. And I just was miserable, aching and lonely for her.
The house felt too quiet. Too empty. Her Bible was still open on the kitchen table. Her handwriting filled the margins. Her sweater was still draped over the chair. Everything felt frozen in time.
I didn’t want comfort. I wanted answers. I wanted her back.
CD: (We paused here during this disclosure. It was pretty intense.) Glen…what was the one defining moment — if any — that brought you to your knees?
GLEN: There was a moment. A moment that broke me wide open. I was in our bedroom, pacing, yelling, grieving, raging — all of it tangled together. I felt like I was losing my mind. I grabbed her pillow, held it to my chest, and I just collapsed onto the floor.
And in that moment — that raw, ugly, desperate moment — something inside me shattered. All the anger. All the pride. All the disbelief. It all cracked open.
I cried out, “God… if You’re real, I need You. I can’t do this alone.”
And He met me. Not with thunder. Not with visions. But with a breaking — a holy breaking — that felt like the first breath after drowning. That was when I found the note. It was tucked away in her Bible in the back of the book. I lifted the Bible off the table, and it trickled down to the ground.
In her beautiful handwriting this is what the note said, I’ll read it to you. 
Lord Jesus,If my time on this earth is shorter than we hoped, then let my last gift be this:Please bring Glen to You.Open his heart.Break through his walls.Let him know the love I have prayed over him all these years was only a shadow of the love You have for him.Don’t let him walk this life alone.Draw him, hold him, save him.And if I cannot stay, then let my prayers stay in my place.Amen.”
That was the defining moment. The moment I fell to my knees. The moment everything changed. God was there all the time with me. And He healed me and gave me a new spirit.
Scripture says in Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
I didn’t know that verse then. But I lived it.
CD:  Oh my gosh Glen. Wow- what an amazing testimony. I am overwhelmed by your story. What did that moment mean for your faith?
GLEN: It was the beginning. The beginning of surrender. The beginning of healing. The beginning of God taking the pieces of my life and showing me, He had been there all along.
Her prayers didn’t die with her. They carried me straight to the feet of God.
CD: What does your faith look like now?
GLEN: I’m still learning. Still grieving. Still healing. But I’m not alone anymore.
I read her Bible now. I pray the way she prayed — simple, honest, steady. And every day I thank God that He answered her prayers… even after she was gone.
People say she didn’t live to see me saved. But I believe she did. I believe God let her see the fruit of every prayer she ever whispered, and had a front row seat to witness it.
CD: If Marissa could hear you now, what would you say?
GLEN: I’d say, “You were right. God came for me. Your prayers worked. And I’ll see you again my beauty.”
CD: What do you want others to take from your story?
GLEN: Don’t underestimate the power of a praying wife. Don’t underestimate what God can do through heartbreak. And don’t wait until you lose everything to find Him. If God can reach a man like me — stubborn, angry, closed off — He can reach anyone.
Her prayers outlived her. And I’m the evidence.
CD:  Glen. My gosh – thank you for sharing your testimony. And thank you for sharing your journey and heartache, which now is filled with peace. Thank you for this interview.
GLEN: You are so welcome. I wanted the world to know about my beautiful wife, and for others who have a non-believing spouse, that they should never give up. God hears your prayers. He really does. He heard my wife. And look at me now! Just look at me now!
CD: Yes, look at you now!  Amen. Nothing is impossible with God.

DEAR GOD: Held in His Quiet Strength~

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Embrace Your Strength and Trust in His Power

The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” — Deuteronomy 33:27 (KJV)

There is a tenderness in this verse that meets us right where life feels heaviest. God is not only a distant refuge we run to—He is the One who holds us even when we have no strength left to run. His everlasting arms do not tire, tremble, or loosen their grip.

This is the kind of security the world cannot offer: a refuge that is eternal, not seasonal; a strength that is gentle, not harsh; a presence that is constant, not conditional.

When your heart feels fragile, remember—you are not suspended over uncertainty. You are upheld by the everlasting arms of a God who does not fail, does not forget, and does not let go.

Father, we come to You together—different stories, different struggles, different hopes—yet all in need of Your steadying love. Wrap every one of us in Your peace today. Where there is fear, bring courage. Where there is heaviness, bring rest. Where there is confusion, bring clarity. Where there is loneliness, bring the warmth of Your nearness.

Strengthen our minds, soften our hearts, and guide our steps. Remind us that we are never walking alone. Let Your Holy Spirit breathe fresh life into weary places and renew our hope in ways only You can.

 

DEAR GOD: Your Son Is Risen Hallelujah~

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“He is risen.” — Matthew 28:6 (KJV)

Title: The Dawn That Changed Everything

 The words “He is risen” are the heartbeat of our faith. They declare that darkness does not win, death does not reign, and despair does not have the final word. The empty tomb is God’s eternal proclamation that every promise He ever made is trustworthy and alive.

When Jesus rose, He didn’t just step out of the grave — He stepped into our stories. His resurrection means restoration for what felt ruined, hope for what seemed lost, and life where we thought only endings remained. It is the assurance that no night is too long, no stone too heavy, and no heart too broken for His resurrection power to reach.

Because He lives, we face tomorrow with courage. Because He lives, we walk through today with peace. Because He lives, we know that every valley will one day give way to glory.

Short Prayer of Thanks

Lord Jesus, thank You for rising in power and love. Thank You that Your victory becomes our hope, Your life becomes our strength, and Your Presence becomes our peace. 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.

🙏  

“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: My Heart Renews Daily For You~

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“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 Deepest Love~

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Attributes of God | Adoring God

Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.” — Psalm 73:25 (KJV)

💛 My Soul’s Deepest Love
by C D Swanson~

Lord, You are the One my heart returns to again and again, the steady flame that warms every cold corner of my life. When I look back over the years, I see Your fingerprints on every rescue, every comfort, every moment when I thought I would fall but somehow stood. You have been my strength when I was trembling, my peace when I was overwhelmed, my joy when the world felt dim.

There is no love like Yours — patient, unchanging, endlessly kind. You have carried me through storms I could not name and lifted me into sunlight I did not deserve. You have whispered truth into my fears and breathed courage into my weakness. You have been the One constant in a world that shifts like sand.

Lord, I love You because You first loved me — fiercely, tenderly, completely. You are the desire of my heart, the anchor of my soul, the song that rises in me even on the quietest days. My life is richer because You are in it, and my future is secure because it rests in Your hands.

I give You my love, my gratitude, my whole being. You are my portion, my treasure, my forever. There is none beside You, none before You, none who can compare with the sweetness of Your presence. My heart is Yours, Lord — today, tomorrow, and always.

🙏  

Lord Jesus, receive this offering of love from my grateful heart. Draw me deeper into Your presence, steady my steps, and let my life reflect the beauty of Your grace. You are my everything, and I adore You. Amen.

DEAR GOD: Love The Majesty Of Your Ways~

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 The Majesty of God (Part 2) – Brown Trail Church of Christ

Psalm 145:3 “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.”

“The Majesty of His Ways”
by C D SWANSON~

There are no words in human language vast enough to contain the greatness of our God. His ways stretch beyond the borders of our understanding, yet His love bends low enough to touch the smallest corners of our lives. He is the God who hung galaxies in their places, yet He is also the God who hears the quiet sigh of your heart.

Every sunrise is a reminder that His mercies are new. Every breath is evidence that His goodness sustains you. Every answered prayer, every moment of unexpected peace, every time your spirit is steadied when it should have fallen apart — these are the fingerprints of a God whose love is both mighty and intimate.

His ways are perfect, even when we cannot trace them. His timing is flawless, even when we cannot see the full picture. His love is relentless, pursuing us through valleys, lifting us on mountains, and holding us steady in the in‑between places.

To exalt the Lord is to acknowledge that He is everything: our strength when we are weak, our peace when the world trembles, our refuge when storms rise, our joy when sorrow presses close.

He is the God who parts seas, moves mountains, heals wounds, restores souls, and whispers hope into the weary. He is the God who never abandons, never forgets, never fails. His greatness is unsearchable — not because it is hidden, but because it is endless.

Lift your heart today. Let your spirit rise in worship. Let your soul remember that the One who governs the universe also governs your steps with love, wisdom, and unfailing compassion. Truly, there is none like Him.

Lord, You are great and greatly to be praised. Your ways are higher, Your love is deeper, and Your presence is sweeter than anything this world can offer. Lift my eyes to see Your majesty, steady my heart to trust Your wisdom, and fill my spirit with awe at the beauty of who You are. Let my life exalt You in every breath, every choice, every moment.  In Jesus name, Amen.

DEAR GOD: A Banner Lifted by You My LORD~

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“Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth.” —Psalm 60:4 (KJV)

A Banner Lifted by God
by C D Swanson~

There is something quietly breathtaking about this obscure verse. It paints a picture of God lifting a banner—His banner—over those who fear Him, not as a symbol of battle alone, but as a declaration of belonging, protection, and truth. In ancient times, a banner was raised high so people could gather beneath it, find direction, and know where safety stood. This verse reminds us that God Himself is the One who lifts that banner over our lives.

Full Commentary and Reflection

When we walk with God, we walk under a covering that cannot be replicated by anything in this world. His banner is not made of cloth or color—it is woven from His truth, His promises, and His unwavering love. The verse speaks to a God who does not leave His people wandering or exposed. Instead, He marks us as His own, guiding us through every valley and lifting us above every storm.

Life with God becomes a different kind of life entirely:

  • Direction feels clearer, even when the path is winding, because His truth becomes the compass.
  • Peace settles deeper, not because circumstances are perfect, but because His presence steadies the heart.
  • Courage rises, not from our own strength, but from knowing His banner is lifted over us.
  • Purpose becomes richer, because we realize we are part of something eternal, not fleeting.
  • Love feels fuller, because His love teaches us how to love others with grace instead of fear.

This verse also whispers something personal: God sees you. He knows when your heart is tired, when your spirit is stretched, when your steps feel uncertain. And instead of demanding perfection, He lifts His banner over you—declaring that you are His, that you are protected, and that His truth will not fail you.

There is a beauty in knowing that even on days when we feel small, God raises something high above us that speaks of strength, identity, and belonging. His banner is not earned; it is given. It is not fragile; it is eternal. And it is not silent; it proclaims His truth over every part of our lives.

A Closing Thought

When we stand under God’s banner, we stand in a place where fear loses its grip, where confusion loses its power, and where hope becomes our steady companion. His truth becomes the covering that no darkness can pierce.

Lord, thank You for the banner of truth and grace You lift over my life. Thank You for marking me as Yours, for guiding my steps when the path feels uncertain, and for surrounding me with a love that never fades. Let Your truth be the covering I walk beneath today. Steady my heart, strengthen my spirit, and remind me that I am held, protected, and deeply known by You. May Your presence be the peace that quiets my worries and the light that leads me forward. In Jesus name, Amen.