I woke up longing for home this morning.

As I pulled myself onto the treadmill and began my morning routine, my body protested. I felt physically unwell.  My side hurt.  My mind was sluggish.  Another week loomed large.  And I struggled to push the all-too familiar weight off of my soul.  I wanted to go home.

And yet it amazes me, once again, the effect that scripture–and praying through scripture–has had on my mind and on my soul.  Working through my morning Tryst study and prayer materials, one of the verses I prayed through is Isaiah 65:24.

24  Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.

Simple verse.  Not rocket science.  Not earth-shattering.  But turning the words over and over in my mind until they sank into my soul, I got a glimpse of who God is.  He is the God that answers before I call out to Him.  He is the God that, while I am still speaking–while I am in the midst of rambling on and trying to find the words to convey my thoughts to God–He hears. He hears even what I can not find words for.  How simple is that?  How amazing is that?

He hears that which I say and that which I have no words for.  And before I even awoke this morning, before I even began to call on my God on that blasted treadmill, God was answering.  And slowly my soul and my mind engaged.

Yes, I long for home.  But I remain amazed at how God’s word settles me.  How it strengthens me to keep pushing forward.  To not quit.  How God can take a simple verse like Isaiah 65:24 and use it to sift my soul.  And I know that my God sustains me here to raise my wonderful crew and to strive to glorify Him in all that He calls me to do.