Heat is relentless, whether it comes from the weather or from life’s circumstances. It saps our energy, steals our motivation, and sometimes even threatens our physical or spiritual lives. For many across the United States, this summer has been characterized by high temperatures and drought, but physical trials can’t compare to seasons of emotional and spiritual heat. If you’re in a season of heat, here’s hope.

Fun Fridays and Our Faithful Father

If you’ve ever cared for young children, you know how hard it is to keep them occupied indoors.

The moderate climate of my home state of South Carolina provides year-round opportunities to play outside, but my grandchildren and I struggle in June, July, and August. Mid-day temperatures often reach 100 degrees, hot enough to melt even the most resilient outdoor lover. 

Such was our quandary one Fun Friday at Gigi’s house. We’d exhausted our indoor options and the children begged to go outside. A new box of sidewalk chalk was singing a siren’s song to their creative souls. 

“Please can we go outside, Gigi?” Lauren said. “It’s not too hot.” 

The thermometer said otherwise, but I agreed. They’ll realize I was right, I thought, and scurry back inside asking for Popsicles. To my surprise, they lingered long over their chalk drawings, embellishing my sidewalk with a rainbow of colors and shapes. 

But even children aren’t oblivious to the effects of unrelenting sunshine. 

Their cheeks turned crimson. Bright beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads and upper lips. Damp strands of hair curled into corkscrews at their hairlines. Grabbing Popsicles from the freezer, I headed outside, only to stop in surprise. 

When I left, they’d each staked their claims on distant corners of the driveway canvas. Now they huddled in a tight knot at the foot of the stairs. 

“Look, Gigi,” Lauren said proudly. “We found shade.” 

And they had. Clustered in the only shady spot on the sidewalk, they crouched happily, drawing loopy loop daisies and flower bouquets. 

Shade, either from a tree, an awning, or a building can make the temperature feel ten to fifteen degrees cooler, experts tell us. And when you’re trying to enjoy the outside, there’s a huge difference between 85 and 100. But the relief, shelter, and protection shade offer don’t just make a person feel better. It can make the difference between life and death, as heat stroke occurs most often when working or playing in direct sunlight. 

How marvelous that God our Father calls himself our shade.

“The LORD is your keeper,” the psalmist writes. “The LORD is your shade on your right hand.” 

Psalm 121:5

Instead of shielding us from the effects of heat and sunshine, however, God provides a welcome respite from the incinerating power of life’s challenges. 

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High,” Psalm 91:1 reminds us, “will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” 

Today, if you’re melting under the heat of adversity, sweating from the relentless effects of trials, or fainting from the fiery blast of sickness, I invite you to seek relief in the shadow of God’s wings. 

Huddle close in prayer. Gather with others searching for shelter. Praise Him for His presence and His Promises. Exult in His care for you. 

Say with the psalmist,

“Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.”

Psalm 63:7

If you’re struggling today, I pray you’ll allow God to cast his big, broad shadow over your feeble soul and give you relief.

Does Your Prayer Life Need Refreshing?

We know Bible reading and prayer are vital parts of our faith, but what happens when our prayer lives become stagnant and our quiet times grow stale? We need something more than just familiar verses and the command to pray. In Refresh Your Prayers, Uncommon Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise, Lori Hatcher shares relevant, five-minute devotions that spotlight unusual prayer verses in the Bible.

Each devotion ends with a Power Point (a spiritual truth to empower your faith) and a Praise Prompt (a short prayer designed to magnify God and make your faith soar). The Live It Out section challenges you to apply what you’ve learned right now for immediate change.

If you’re tired of your all-too-quiet quiet time, Refresh Your Prayers is the answer.

The UNcommon Book on Prayer – Unusual Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise

Available now at Amazon.com.

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