Hi, friends. My name is Mike Whitmer, and I want to encourage you with this devotional

that I wrote for Our Daily Bread. It's entitled Windows. Near the foothills of the

Himalayas, a visitor noticed a row of houses without windows. His guide explained

that some of the villagers feared that demons might sneak into their homes while they

slept, so they built impermeable walls. You could tell when a homeowner began to follow Jesus

because he put in windows to let in the light.

A similar dynamic may take place in us, though we might not see it quite that way.

We live in scary, polarizing times.

Satan and his demons instigate angry divisions that split families and friends.

I often feel like hiding behind my walls, but Jesus wants me

to cut in a window. In the book of Isaiah, Israel sought refuge in higher walls, but God said

their security lay with him. He reigns from heaven, and his word governs all. If Israel would return to him,

God would have mercy on them and restore them as his people to bless the world. He would lift them up,

ultimately leading them in a triumphal parade. As Isaiah 5513 says,

their celebration will be for the Lord's renown,

for an everlasting sign that will endure forever.

Sometimes, walls are necessary.

Walls with windows are best.

They show the world that we trust God for the future.

Our fears are real.

Our God is greater.

Windows open us to Jesus, the light of the world, and to others who need him.

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