About the Author

Jennifer Dukes Lee is the author of several books, including Growing Slow. She and her husband live on the family farm, raising crops, pigs, and two humans. She’s a fan of dark chocolate, emojis, eighties music, bright lipstick, and Netflix binges. She wants to live life in such a way...

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
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Comments

  1. This is just wonderful! Thank you! Sometimes I get caught up and let the worry take over. I found exactly what I needed today. Thank you!

  2. Jennifer,
    “We can’t fix outcomes, but we can fix our eyes upon Christ!” Love this! How true. I’ve done a study on this segment of scripture, which I love and intend to meditate on, and the word for “more than conquerors” in the Greek is “hypernikao” which means to thoroughly conquer, to go beyond conquest. The thought being that when, for example, one country conquers another, the thought is that it can always be taken back in conquest. The Bible says that, through Christ, we are MORE than conquerors – we are hypernikao – in other words the conquering that we have done through Christ, over this world, CANNOT be taken back. We are and will be the ultimate victors – guaranteed. I take comfort in knowing that if Christ is for me, who can be against me? Evil may appear to have a temporary victory, but it’s just that…temporary. Our victory is secure in Him and that’s what I’ll be resting on in the hours and days ahead. Awesome reminder that so much of what we worry about never comes to pass…and where our hope lies!
    Blessings,
    Bev xx

  3. You are so right that worrying about tomorrow “distracts” us from what God is doing today. The “distraction factor” is the game of the enemy, BUT the truth is that Hope has a name — He is Christ, the Mighty King, our Fortress, our Strong Tower; He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
    Jennifer, thank you, I needed this faith builder today.

    • I should have a Ph.D. in worrying by now. And unfortunately, that means I’ve become well versed in what you call the “distraction factor.” Grateful for people who continually point to Jesus, and keep my pointing north.

  4. Thank you so much for this! Beautiful truths I needed to hear. I worry often but reading this has brought me peace. God loves us always and NOTHING can seperate us from His unchanging, never ending, one of a kind love. Thank You Jesus! Thank you Jennifer for sharing. Xoxoxoxo

  5. This is so true. . .such a testimony of who we are and profess to be in Christ Jesus. In light of all the concerns we have with this election among other things. . .a man I greatly admire suggested we in Christ commit to prayer and fasting from Monday night until Wednesday morning. I feel most energized and encouraged in that and I have adopted it to share with others. We don’t fight with the weapons of this world. . .but we fight with power and certain victory!!! Thanks be to God!!!

  6. You and Mark Twain!
    “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life — most of which never happened!”
    Me, too, Jennifer. Me, too.
    Thanking God for His peace to stop worry in its tracks and to divert the thought process to prayer.

  7. Thank you for your message today. I really needed this, when all things in my life are bleak, evil, and darkness surrounds me each step that I take. Hope is not a word that I can embrace. Thank you. “For if the Lord is for me, who then can be against me.” I so need to keep these words ever present with my walk throughout the days, as I pray.

    Thank you again.
    Sue

      • Thank you. I appreciate your kindness. I pray that the Lord will look down and help in all arenas; I feel as if He has turned away (like Job), as I feel so alone without any kind of hope, each day gets harder. Between my mother’s illness (Lewy Body dementia – end stages — and no help), work (I work full time) being a patute about things and literally making things more difficult, and financial issues in the care for my mother — it is hard. There is only big me, me, and little me, traveling this journey. People do not understand the walk/journey of dementia, the isolation of it all, and then they just make it all worse by creating additional obstacles, extra hills, and walls to climb and leap over. I pray that I could be a Joshua, blow my horn, and the walls of Jericho tumble down; peace would be obtained and understanding given.

        As previously written by an individual in the comments: If God is for me who can be against me. Evil may appear to have a temporary victory… But it is only temporary.

        Thank you again.

  8. I just used that same scripture in my last post and today it is here, reminding me again and again and I love that about God, how He orchestrates all things (especially reminders of His love) and it is so true, nothing, not even Trump or Hilary winning or my health problems or countless other worries will separate us from His love.

    Needed this reminder today. Thanks Mrs. Lee!

  9. Jennifer,

    I remember well Y2K. I was at a New Year’s Eve party and had no worry about the impending doom. I knew “God has this”. I have hope in the fact that God is in control!! No matter what happens He allowed it to happen. One day, soon I pray, He will come back and take us to our “real” home. I just pray about everything and trust God. I can do that because I have seen miracles. God healed my aging dad from serious dementia issues and brought him back to me. He is once again able to go outside for walks & car rides.

    Blessings 🙂

  10. Jennifer thank you for this much-needed reminder. I had just shared Romans 8:28 yesterday with a dear friend, reminding us both that God works out all things (including elections) together for good to those who love God, to those called according to His purposes. And I’m so glad you shared the remaining part of that passage. Nothing can ever separate us from Christ’s love, not even our worrying . . . though my worrying has certainly clouded my vision of Him, and caused me to focus on fear, doubt, frustration, and even despair. I’ve learned over and over that worry accomplishes absolutely nothing positive and joyful. I think of all the good God has accomplished through your happiness dare. I’m happy in the Lord when I focus on truth. Thank you for the truth you have shared today. It’s real. Worry is deception. I love you and so appreciate all you are doing to keep us happy in Jesus, including in abysmal elections. Christ reigns, and when I realize this, He rains down peace in my heart.
    Love
    LYnn

  11. Beautiful and encouraging reminders of God’s love for us. Thank you for bringing to mind Romans 8:28-39 I have always been blessed when reading these verses.
    We are Victors not Victims. God’s got tomorrow all worked out and His will shall be done no matter the outcome.
    Blessings

    • Thank you so much for reminding me of this hopeful & encouraging Scripture. I’ve been doing alot of worrying lately, in between doing things that take my mind off of anything…tv, computer, reading…I’m living with my ex-husband, who is 8 years older than me, in remission from 2 bouts of cancer, & now has dementia (the beginnings, only, but difficult just the same). We live together as friends, only, as we were divorced in 1989. He helps me in my illness (bipolar disorder) & I help him in his illness (first, cancer, & now dementia). So, where I worry is about what will happen to me if he dies first. This has me terrified. I live on a disability pension plus a small amount from a pension plan. When I reach 65 (Apr 2017), I think I may lose my disability pension. Therefore, I have no idea how much I’ll be living on. Plus I’m afraid to live on my own. I’m also physically disabled, so I need help when I go anywhere, unable to drive, etc. Anyhow, I thank God that He is on my side all the way, & I don’t need to worry, as God already knows how I’ll manage all these things, if I need to. I’m going to write out these verses & put them somewhere that I can read them every day. Thank you,Lord. And thank you, Jennifer! God bless you & all of these wonderful ladies who wrote replies.

  12. Yes, He ‘s got it. If we could only spend as much time focusing as worrying, we’d have it made. I know what a Ph.D in worry is too, a phony diploma.

  13. A little excerpt from Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening for today run right along this train of thought. It’s been blessing me all morning.

    Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:16

    . . . . “I have graven thee.” It does not say, “Thy name.” The name is there, but that is not all: “I have graven thee.” See the fulness of this! I have graven thy person, thine image, thy case, thy circumstances, thy sins, thy temptations, thy weaknesses, thy wants, thy works; I have graven thee, everything about thee, all that concerns thee; I have put thee altogether there. Wilt thou ever say again that thy God hath forsaken thee when he has graven thee upon his own palms?

  14. What gives me hope is knowing God’s got this – all of it! And no matter what happens tomorrow and in the days that follow, I know God can and will fit all to His great plan and purpose.
    Blessings, Jennifer!

  15. Hi Jennifer! I was blissfully unaware of Y2K, but my biggest fear for that day did come true…I fell asleep before midnight and had to face my friends at school on Monday without an awesome New Years story to tell. But hey, I’m telling the story now, so just another reminder that our biggest fears can seem almost comical with a little perspective. Of course now my fears are a wee bit more serious, but God is reminding me to come to Him as a child, and to approach His throne with reckless abandon. Why? Romans 8.

    Yesterday I was well enough to attend church for the first time in two months (praise Him!). The first song we sang was “Desert Song” by Hillsong, and it brought me to tears. The lyrics “And this is my prayer in the battle/ When triumph is still on its way/ I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ/ So firm on His promise I’ll stand” hit me right in the feels, and pointed me right back to the verses you share today.

    The greatest hope this offers is this: victory is not a promise for the future; it is right here, right now. Paul does not say “we will be more than conquerors.” We ARE! Pre-November 8, post-November 8, and for all eternity. Why do we live as if we are waiting for victory? What a promise.

  16. Thank you so much, Jennifer. It’s such a comfort to know that NOTHING can separate us from God’s love. I needed that reminder. I keep trying to remind myself that God’s got us, but sometimes the anxiety and worry still sweeps through me. Blessings and hugs to you!

  17. Such a wise reminder, Jennifer: “Worry about tomorrow does little more than distract us from what God is doing today.” Makes me wonder: Could I find something true and something noble, something right and something pure, something lovely and admirable, anything excellent or praiseworthy (Phil. 4:8) EVERY DAY? I’m thinking that such a pursuit will keep me plenty busy, distracting me from my worries, instead of the other way around. ‘Think I’ll try it tomorrow — Election Day!!

  18. Oh my, I remember Y2K so well. It seems most of our friends were planning for the worst. They had 50 gallon barrels of gas, hand powered wash machines, new wood burning stoves, hand crank grain grinders,and more. One lady I knew had cooked bread for a week to make sure they had bread for the first month or so when no food was to be found. Our neighbors even practiced over Christmas break to live without power for two days to see if they had any last minute planning to do before New Years. It was wild. Fear was rampant in the air. And that is what Satan wants. Us to be fearful and get sidetracked from what God wants us to be focusing on. Trusting him and loving others. I remember watching PBS that night with my daughter and when we saw Europe reach midnight and the whole country did not go dark, and then other countries, I just looked to my daughter and said I was going to bed. Nothing was going to happen here. But in the middle of the night my husband, who had gone to bed before PBS had begun, woke up and joked about if there was any electricity or not. Better try the light, I joked. On it sprung. And he went back to sleep. All that fear and nothing happened, but some people got real rich from exploiting that fear and selling survival gear.

  19. I have been reading comments on Facebook today from people who are so fearful due to the way the election turned out. I will admit I was not happy with either candidate and in fact thought strongly about not voting for either candidate but did feel led to vote for one of them. All I know today is that I feel peace because I truly believe in God and Jesus and I do not think the country as we know it will suddenly change next year when Mr. Trump becomes our president. We need to pray and keep living our lives and treat others with kindness. And I too remember Y2K, when the electricity stayed on at midnight I felt like opening my window and yelling out what Y2K??? I have had to live without electricity due to some unusual weather the last few years and I’m not sure how I survived the one time but I did and life goes on.

  20. Thank you, Jennifer! I was diagnosed with breast cancer today, so it was nice to read your post that’s been sitting in my inbox for a couple days! Just when I needed it.