Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens: Recent Episodes

Keys for Kids Ministries

Unlocked is a daily teen devotional, centered on God’s Word. Each day’s devotion—whether fiction, poetry, or essay—asks the question: How does Jesus and what He did affect today’s topic? With daily devotions read by our hosts, Emily and Andrew, and questions designed to encourage discussion and a deeper walk with Christ, Unlocked invites teens to both engage with the Bible and to write and submit their own devotional pieces.

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; 1 PETER 5:6-7

Has a Bible verse ever hit you like a freight train—in a good way? I had that experience a couple months ago. I was going through a very stressful time in life with a number of large, sometimes painful decisions in front of me. I was weighed down, desperately trying to work through several problems in my own life while also coming alongside others experiencing problems in their lives.

I was reading through 1 Peter 5, and I came across verse 7: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” I have read this verse dozens or hundreds of times, but this time it hit right at my heart. The breath rushed out of my body. I realized that I was clinging to my worries and cares, believing the lie that it would be irresponsible not to worry about them. I couldn’t give them over to God because it was my job to figure them all out.

It’s so easy to fall into this lie because, like many people, I want control over my own life. I don’t want God’s solutions to my problems; I want my solutions—and I want them now. God’s solutions might be uncomfortable, or they might take too long, or they might require too much from me. All these fears and lies and sinful desires can swirl around in my mind, clouding my vision and making it harder to see God with clarity.

But once I lay these down at Jesus’s feet and the smoke clears, I can finally see what God has been telling me. He loves me. His ways are so much better than my ways. And, yes, His solutions may be uncomfortable. They probably won’t arrive on my timetable. And they might require a lot from me. But, when I’m not clinging so tightly to control, I’m able to see how God is reaching for my hand, inviting me to depend on His strength instead of my own. He’s walking with me, providing everything I need. I really can give all my worries and cares to Him, because He really does care about me. • Taylor Eising

• Are there any worries you’ve been clinging to? Does it feel like it would be irresponsible not to worry about them? Consider taking some time to bring these worries to God.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

READ: PSALMS 34:5; 89:14, 30-34; ROMANS 8:1

When you were younger, did you ever get hurt while doing something you knew you weren’t supposed to do? Like, maybe as a toddler your parent told you not to touch the hot stove, but you did anyway and got burned. Or maybe when you were a bit older you went ahead and built an amateur ramp to jump your bike, even though your babysitter told you not to, and you ended up breaking your arm. The best thing to do when we mess up and get hurt is confess what we’ve done and ask for help. Similar to how we’d confess our disobedience to the adults who were trying to keep us safe, we confess our sin to God. Like a caring parent, God very quickly forgives His children for disobeying. Yet, the pain of the injury might stay for quite a while.

As we grow up, we come to find this same principle still holds true. When we disobey God and go against His good ways, He is eager to forgive us. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, believing in His death and resurrection, all our sins have been paid for—past, present, and future. But God doesn’t always take away the natural consequences of what we’ve done. We sometimes have to face those consequences, even after we’ve been forgiven for our sin. Those consequences might look like broken trust, hurt relationships, lost opportunities, injuries, addiction, and more.

But the good news is, Jesus will walk with us as we face all these consequences, holding us in His love and giving us comfort and strength. It helps to remember that, for those who trust in Jesus, the consequences of sin are only temporary. Because He took the punishment for our sin when He died on the cross, we don’t have to face the ultimate consequence of sin—eternal separation from God. So one day, when we see Jesus face-to-face, we’ll never be in pain again.

God always forgives those who trust in Jesus, but He doesn’t always take away the consequences of our sin right away. In this broken world, we often experience painful results of wrong things we’ve done. But if we know Jesus, the consequences won’t last forever. Because of His great love for us He willingly experienced death, the ultimate consequence of our sin, so we don’t have to. And He rose again so we could have eternal life with Him. • A. W. Smith

• Can you think of a time you had to face the consequences of a sin, even after you confessed it? How could remembering that Jesus walks with us, even when we mess up, give us hope?

• As Christians, we don’t have to carry the guilt and shame of our sin anymore because Jesus has set us free! Find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; faithful love and truth go before you. Psalm 89:14 (CSB)

READ: PSALM 23; ISAIAH 53; MATTHEW 18:12-13

Remember when you were a little kid and would imagine what it would be like to be an animal? I do. I would wonder, What if I was a bird and I could fly? Or what if I was a cheetah and could run 75 miles per hour? What if I was a house cat and could lounge around all day without a worry in the world?

Well, these musings aren’t just for kids. In fact, the Bible often compares God’s people to sheep. Think about that. We are God’s sheep. The fact that we are fallen humans can sometimes distract us from this truth. As humans, it seems like there is so much for us to worry about, from essay deadlines to car insurance. But the Bible says the Lord is our Shepherd (Psalm 23:1). So even though we are human, and there are so many daily worries to tempt us, we don’t need to worry about anything because we are His sheep. And He is such a good Shepherd.

Being a sheep also means that we have all wandered astray from God’s perfect law, despite all the blessings we had been offered in life with Him. Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way.” However, God has laid His judgment on Christ in our place. Christ is not only our Good Shepherd; He is also the sacrificial Lamb who died for us, “and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

Imagine you are a sheep under the care of a good shepherd who loves and provides for you. Isn’t that a peaceful thought? Perhaps you’ve sought greener pastures and found yourself lost in your sin. Yet, as we see in a parable Christ tells in Matthew 18:12-13, your Shepherd has left the entire flock to find you, rescue you, and rejoice over you. • Eliana Duran

• While it can be uncomfortable to think of ourselves as sheep, totally dependent on a shepherd for things as basic as sustenance and safety, what can Psalm 23 show us about life with Jesus?

• When are you most prone to wander away from the Good Shepherd, Jesus? Consider taking a moment to imagine yourself as a wandering sheep,and Jesus coming to find you, pick you up,and carry you to safety in His embrace. Your Shepherd loves you more than you could ever imagine. And you can rest in His care today. (If you want to dig deeper, read 1 Peter 2:24-25; 5:6-7.)

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11 (NIV)

READ: 1 SAMUEL 30:1-31; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27

God has given each of us a unique role to play in His kingdom. As Christians, we all have different spiritual gifts and different roles, and no one person is greater than any other. We’re all called to love one another and participate in the kingdom of God together.

We find an interesting illustration of this in 1 Samuel 30. An Amalekite raiding party attacked and burned Ziklag, and they captured the wives and children of David and his men. After weeping severely and asking God what to do, David and his 600 men pursued the Amalekites. But when they reached a valley, about 200 of them were too exhausted to keep going, so they stopped to rest and watch the supplies while David and the remaining 400 men continued their pursuit. They found the raiding party, fought them, and rescued their families and recovered everything that had been stolen. They also took the Amalekites’ livestock as plunder.

But when the 400 fighting men return to the 200 resting men, some of the fighting men didn’t want to share the plunder with those who hadn’t fought. But David said, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us… The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike” (1 Samuel 30:24). David determined that no role was greater than any other or deserved more plunder. Each role was important and needed, and David made sure everyone received God’s gift.

Today, we have all been given different roles in life, and each one is important. Maybe right now your roles include being a student, daughter or son, or friend. Someday you might be an employee or employer, spouse, or parent. It can be easy to be discontent with our role in life when we find ourselves longing to have a different role or be at a different place in our lives, or when we’re jealous of others. But we can be encouraged knowing God has purposeful work for us to do right where we are in life right now. And one of the most important roles all believers have is being ministers of reconciliation. Jesus died on the cross and rose again to save us and bring us into His kingdom, and now He calls us to share this good news. • Elizabeth Cooper

• What roles do you have right now? How could you faithfully serve God in those roles? Is there anyone in your life you can share the good news of Jesus with? (2 Corinthians 5:11-21)

But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 1 Corinthians 12:18 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 28:7; 33:1-3; 40:3; COLOSSIANS 3:16

While I was in high school, I wrote the first version of today’s poem as a song for my personal worship time. Although I can’t read or write music, I can strum a few chords on the guitar and still enjoy singing this song in my devotional time with God. Music is God’s gift to everyone, no matter how “musically inclined” we are (or not!). Through music, God helps us interact with Him in a unique way. We can speak to Him in song, and God often speaks to our hearts as we sing to Him. And, since Scripture repeatedly tells us to sing to God, I believe He delights in our songs more than we can imagine!

Sing a song of praiseunto the King of Kings;Sing a song of praise—He has done wondrous things!Sing a song of praiseunto the Lord of Peace;Sing a song of praise—Let not your voices cease!Sing His praise—Alleluia!Shout His praise—Alleluia!Sing a song! Sing a song of praise!Sing a song of praiseunto the Lamb of old;Sing a song of praise—The Word of Truth behold!Sing a song of praiseunto the LORD Most High;Sing a song of praise—His Name is Adonai!Sing His praise—Alleluia!Shout His praise—Alleluia!Sing a song! Sing a song of praise! • G. Kam Congleton

• Jesus is the King and Lord of all creation, and yet He chose to humble Himself, taking the position of a servant and dying on a cross, then rising from the dead to make the way for us, His creation, to be with Him. What are some ways we can praise Him for that amazing act of love?

• Consider writing your own song of praise: Pick a Scripture passage—maybe Nehemiah 9:5-6 or one of today’s Bible passages. Then use some of your favorite phrases to create your own song to the Lord. No matter your musical bent, you can be sure of one thing: God is listening, and He delights in your song!

I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High. Psalm 7:17 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 15:1-17; GALATIANS 5:22-23

When I was growing up, my family always had a garden. I would help plant the tiny seeds, water them, and tear out the weeds that grew around them. I became so used to watching the little plants pop out of the ground year after year, and then grow until they were large enough to produce all kinds of delicious vegetables, that I became almost numb to it. What was the big deal?

But now when I think about how a tiny seed goes into the ground one day, and then just weeks later there’s a plant large enough to produce food for me to eat, it’s pretty amazing.

God’s creation is captivating. He created all the vegetables and fruits with their unique seeds, unique ways of growing, and unique flavors. Potatoes and carrots grow under the ground, tomatoes grow on vines, and cobs of corn grow on tall stalks. It’s fascinating to witness all these things come to be. God put so much care into each of them, just as He did you and me.

God never made any mistakes in His world. God made each plant unique. In a well-tended garden, these plants grow from tiny seeds to large, vegetable-producing plants. Isn’t it awesome that God put just as much care into you and me, and He wants to help us grow too? God created each of us to be unique, like all the many varieties of plants we find in a garden. He created us to grow and bear fruit, and He tends us like a careful gardener.

But, on our own, we can’t make ourselves grow spiritually. In John 15, Jesus said, “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (verse 5). Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, His Holy Spirit lives in us, helping us mature in our faith and producing good fruit in our lives—the fruit of “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

It was amazing to see the garden I had growing up, and it’s also amazing to see how God can help me and work in me. I am so grateful to Him for all He does for me and how He helps me grow. • Bethany Acker

• Have you ever taken time to marvel at how such small seeds grow into large plants that produce food for us? How could it be encouraging to remember that the same God who designed the plants to be unique and to grow and produce fruit is also the one who designed us, and He wants to patiently help us grow and bear the fruit of righteousness? (Philippians 1:11)

“I [Jesus] am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 (NIV)

READ: PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7; 2 THESSALONIANS 3:16

Life can be hard. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Life can be very hard. We may find it pretty easy to love and worship God when things are going well and life is good. But what about when a loved one passes away? What about when you’re so stressed with work and school that it feels like you don’t have energy for anything else? What about when a friend lets you down? What about when you’re having financial struggles and you don’t know how you’ll get by?

Whatever you’re dealing with, there are probably days when your mind and heart are so clouded with emotion that you have trouble even opening that Bible or asking God for His help and guidance. I can relate. I can’t say that I know exactly what you’re going through because everyone has their own individual life and struggles. But I do know what it’s like to feel like you don’t have any choice but to put God last, when deep down you know He should be first.

Here’s what we need to remember: God is there when nobody else is. He is the peace in the chaos and the hope in the heartache. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). He’s not just some other chore that we can maybe work into our schedules. He loves us. He died and rose again to be with us. He cares about what we’re going through, whether our problems are big or small, and He wants to help us.

Today, Jesus invites us to come to Him with all our burdens, and He will give us rest (Matthew 11:28-30). He will give us peace and comfort in our storms. He might not take away our pain immediately, but He will be there with us through it all. • Elizabeth Blanton

• When are you tempted to put God last? In other words, when does it feel like a chore to spend time praying, reading the Bible, and gathering with other Christians to worship God together? It’s easy to let these things fall to the wayside when life feels overwhelming, but when we view our time with God as spiritual nourishment, we realize how much we need it—especially in the overwhelming seasons. Spending intentional time with God may not always feel nourishing in the moment, but whenever we focus on His ever-abiding peace and presence within us, it’s always time well-spent.

“I [Jesus] have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 73; EPHESIANS 2

"I know God is good, but why do they always seem to get the blessings and not me?” I asked as I sat with my Chinese takeout and tried valiantly not to dissolve into a teary mess. I was the one actually trying to do things God’s way and please Him, but in that moment, although I didn’t say it, the biggest thing I was feeling was bitter disappointment.

Ever been there? Asaph was. He was a Levite singer and a contemporary of King David. In Psalm 73 he recorded his struggle with feeling envious of those who were proud, arrogant, violent, and lived their lives the way they wanted to with no regard for God or His laws. Asaph was frustrated by how everything always seemed to go well for them but not for him. At one point he even contemplated if his efforts were all in vain (verse 13). Was it even worth it?

But Asaph’s perspective radically changed when he entered the place of God’s presence. Mine did too when I read his words. Asaph concludes, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever…as for me, it is good to be near God” (verse 26, 28). The nearness of God is the greatest blessing we could ever receive. To be far from Him is the greatest lack we could ever experience. No matter how outwardly prosperous someone may seem, if they are far from God, they will never experience the joy, peace, and fulfillment that only He can provide. Because God loves us, Jesus, God the Son, left the presence of His Father and came to us. For us and our salvation, He died and rose again that He might bring us near to God (Ephesians 2:13). He is our portion forever (Psalm 73:26). • Kayla Esguerra

• Can you think of a time you felt jealous of people who don’t follow Jesus? It’s easy to fall into this sin. Consider spending some time with God in prayer, confessing your jealousy and asking Him to help you see those who don’t know Him yet with love and humility.

• When Jesus returns, everyone who trusts in Him will enjoy an abundance of all good things on the new heavens and new earth. Until then, He comforts and strengthens us in His presence. Have you noticed anything in your life that affects your ability to daily sense and enjoy God’s nearness? What helps you be aware of His closeness? What distracts you from Him and makes you feel far away?

But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds. Psalm 73:28 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 28:7; MATTHEW 14:13-21; JOHN 11:38-44

Do you still believe in miracles? I know the Bible mentions that Jesus fed over 5,000 people with only a handful of bread and fish (Matthew 14:13-21). Jesus also raised up Lazarus from the dead after he had been in the grave four days (John 11:38-44).

Several years ago, my mom was very sick. I remember visiting her in the hospital one day. There were so many tubes in her, and my heart sank when I saw her. When I got home, I cried my heart out. I was upset with God. I asked God why He allowed my mom to suffer. Does He care? Does He love us? I hoped and prayed that God would heal her.

The next day in school, as I was washing my hands in the bathroom, I heard a loud noise. It happened so fast that I couldn’t react in time. I looked down, and there were shattered pieces of glass on the floor all around me! I looked up and saw a broken ventilation window. I went to find out what happened. It turned out a group of boys was playing soccer and one of them had kicked the ball too high and broken the window. I went back to the bathroom to check again. The floor was full of pieces of glass, and yet not a single piece had landed on me just now. How could that be? Later, I reported the incident to a teacher. He came to check the bathroom. The first thing he said to me was, “It’s a miracle!”

Yes, indeed. It was God who shielded me from the pieces of glass. He is my strength and my shield (Psalm 28:7). He protected me. A few weeks later, my mom passed away. I was not angry with God. I know God loves my mom too, and I knew she would be in heaven with no more pain and suffering. • Kelly Choy

• Both miracles and acts of providence are powerful ways God shows His love and care for us. Some Bible scholars define miracles as God setting aside natural phenomena in favor of a supernatural intervention, whereas an act of providence is God acting on our behalf through natural means. Have you or somebody you know experienced a miracle or an act of providence from God? What happened? How did you feel about it?

• Because Jesus died on the cross for us, and then miraculously rose from the grave, everyone who puts their trust in Jesus has this sure hope: even in death, we are held safe in Jesus’s presence until the day He will raise us from our graves and renew heaven and earth. So when we or someone we love is dying, we can be honest with God about how upset we are, remembering death breaks His heart too, and He always loves and cares for us.

Yahweh is my strength and my shield. Psalm 28:7 (WEB)

READ: MARK 15:37-38; HEBREWS 6:19-20; 10:19-22

"Quick! This way!” Rhys yelled, motioning with his arm for the large group of people to turn down yet another oak-paneled corridor. Everyone followed, all suddenly getting a hopeful feeling that their endless wandering through this wooden labyrinth was finally coming to an end. So, with a new light in their eyes and energy in their step, the group rounded the corner after Rhys…

…and stopped short.

For there, between two walls of a cathedral-sized room, stretched an enormous, imposing curtain. Its scarlet fabric hung ominously still, draping down from the ceiling like a frozen, fabric waterfall.

“Wh-what is that?” A girl named Kaelyria voiced the question in everyone’s mind.

“I—I’m not sure…” Rhys replied quietly. He unsheathed his iron sword, and cautiously approached the eerily still curtain. Rhys put out his hand and pushed, but instead of yielding to his touch and moving back, the curtain stayed perfectly still. “It’s solid!” he yelled in surprise. He hefted his sword and lunged at the curtain, but his blade didn’t make a scratch.

The people murmured amongst themselves, and someone called out, “So, is this a dead end?”

“We can’t turn back now!” cried another.

“There has to be a way through!” Kaelyria said, notching an arrow and taking aim at the curtain.

“There is.”

Immediately, the room became silent.

“Who said that?” Rhys asked, his eyes searching the crowd.

“I did.”

Suddenly the crowd parted, revealing a man clad in a simple tunic and trousers. The man walked forward toward Rhys and Kaelyria, stopping just feet from the scarlet fabric. “One way. One person can open this curtain and open a way through. Only one is worthy.”

The people watched breathlessly as he drew from a sheath at his side, a glowing, white sword. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. And I opened the way—by dying.” He lifted his tunic and revealed an enormous scar. No one could survive such a wound. “But,” he said, “I have come back to life.” And with that, he raised the magnificent sword…

…and cut the curtain in two. • Anna Tuckfield

• Putting our trust in Jesus is the only way for us to enter relationship with God, who made us and loves us more than we could imagine. When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain in the temple was literally torn in two from top to bottom (Mark 15:37-38; Luke 23:44-46). It’s important to know a few things about this curtain. When God instructed His people in how to build the Tabernacle and later the Temple, He said, “Make a special curtain…with skillfully embroidered cherubim” (Exodus 26:31). This curtain separated the Holy of Holies, where God’s presence dwelt, from the rest of the temple. And the woven cherubim remind us of the cherubim and flaming sword in Genesis 3:24, who blocked the way to thetree of life in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve rejected God and rebelled against Him. That tree of life only became accessible to us again when Jesus walked through the swords to open the way. By letting Himself be put to death, Jesus tore the curtain. All because God loves us, and He doesn’t want us to be separated from Him. If you want to know more about what it means to put your trust in Jesus and enter a relationship with God, see our "Know Jesus" page. And if you want to dig deeper, read John 14:5-6; 20:24-29.

• Jesus is the only one whose death could open the curtain because He is both fully God and fully human, and He never sinned, so He could take the punishment for all our sins. Why is it so important to remember that Jesus is the only one who could rescue us from sin and death and make the way for us to know God and be with Him forever? Consider taking some time to thank Jesus for this wonderful gift He has given us.

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (NLT)

Hey, this is Dylan here from Unlocked. And as you probably noticed, we have some new theme music, so I hope you like it.We might still change exactly what the theme music is, this might just be temporary, it might be a long-term piece of music.

But the reason we had to change it is actually because of complicated legal agreement type things. We were using an old production music service and then we had to switch to a new production music service. So then that means we couldn't use the old music up until a certain time, and now we've passed that time, and now we have to use the new theme music. So it's a little bit complicated, it's kind of a behind-the-scenes kind of a thing.

But we're going to go with this music for now and maybe think about updating it in the future. And if you have an opinion on this music, or if you have something that you'd like to see different about it, then let us know. Send us your feedback when you email podcast@unlocked.org, that goes straight to me. I'll see it, and I'll share it with the Unlocked team.And we'll see what you think about this music or possibly getting new music.

So thanks!

READ: EPHESIANS 5:1-2; COLOSSIANS 3:1-4, 22-24

Over the years, I’ve done a variety of tasks to earn money. One job I found online was trying beauty products at home and then writing reviews about them.

The first (and only) item I tested was a hair growth solution. I dutifully sprayed it on my scalp a couple times a day, realizing it would require weeks of use to see any difference. The instructions on the bottle said so. Then, just three days after I’d begun, the coordinator of this job asked if I had my review ready to submit. If not, they would pass me over, I wouldn’t get paid, and I wouldn’t be eligible for future product testing.

How could I give a truthful response about how well the solution worked after only a few days? I decided I’d give the product three out of five stars—even though I knew the coordinator wanted five-star reviews. I also indicated I liked the smell and would look forward to observing how the product worked. My review was honest, since I didn’t rave about the spray’s hair growth potential, but I honestly had no idea if the product grew hair. I sent in my response, received my payment, and never sought another product testing opportunity.

I learned something from this short-term job though. The way we do our work matters to God. Contrary to what I assumed as a kid, this involves more than simply working hard. Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” When we put our trust in Jesus, believing in the work He did on the cross to provide forgiveness for our sins, we enter a relationship with God as our Father. As we rest in His love for us, we begin to want to do our work in a way that reflects Jesus. He is the only one who could live a pure, righteous life—and because of this He was able to pay the penalty for our sins. But once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have His Spirit living within us, transforming our attitudes and priorities so that we begin to pursue His holiness and righteousness in every area of our lives, including our work—no matter who sends the paycheck. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Have you ever felt pressured to do something dishonest in your work, whether it be at school, a job, etc.? When you find yourself in situations like these, what could you do? Who are trusted Christians you could go to for prayer, advice, and help?

…with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:22-23 (NIV)

READ: LEVITICUS 23:40; 1 CHRONICLES 16:33; PSALM 96:11-13

Leaves are tumbling,twisting,turning…Limbs are blowing,bending,bowing…Trees are bursting,billowing,blooming…As the woodscommence their praising,joyously parading…Bright yellows,Deep reds,Burnt oranges—I praise Him forthis taste of JoywheneverFall comes singing.

I’ve always found fall to be joyous, but when I discovered Scriptures that exhort trees, mountains, and hills to join in praise to the Creator—I began to love this season even more! To me, beauty is like a giant footprint in the universe, pointing to a Creator who revels in joy. This joy is so foundational that even when we experience the dire cost of sin—to us and to all of creation (Romans 8:18-23)— this undercurrent of joy remains tangible. It surfaces in the delight we have in something as simple as seeing a sunset or hearing a beautiful song. And this joy gives rise to something we all crave: Hope. I believe that’s what beauty ultimately points to—because although the world has been broken by sin, God sent His beautiful and holy Son Jesus to set everything right. Jesus is our surest Hope and the highest Beauty we desire. • G. Kam Congleton

• Why do you think beauty exists? When you see something beautiful in nature, what is one way you could take a moment to rejoice in this beauty and offer praise back to God?

• Some Bible passages name specific reasons for creation to rejoice in God. For example, Psalm 96:12-13 says one reason is that Jesus will someday return as the Righteous Judge of the earth. Ultimately, creation rejoices in Christ’s redemption of all things on the cross. If you want to dig deeper, read Isaiah 44:23; 49:13; 55:10-13.

Sing for joy, you heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, you earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel. Isaiah 44:23 (NIV)

READ: DANIEL 1:8-15; 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:6-10

Have you ever used a pressure canner? It looks like a large pot with a lid that clamps on securely. When you can food at home, you put the beans or corn or whatever you’re trying to preserve into glass jars, then place the jars in the pressure canner along with some water. As the canner is heated up, the heat causes pressure to build up inside, which cooks and preserves the food in the jars, and it also seals the jars. When they’re done, the canned food can be stored for a year or more, and it won’t spoil. But sometimes, while the canner is still building up pressure, you might hear a loud CRACK! If one of the glass jars had a weak spot, the pressure inside the canner could cause it to break. It couldn’t handle the pressure.

Do you ever feel like a jar that can’t handle the pressure? There’s pressure everywhere! People might try to get us to do things we know are wrong, and if we don’t, they might make us feel like we’re the one who’s wrong. Being under that kind of pressure is exhausting.

But pressure can work two ways, like in the pressure cooker. It cooks the food and keeps it from spoiling, but sometimes it makes a jar crack. Pressure in our lives can work that way too. God often uses pressure to preserve us by reminding us we belong to Jesus and He is with us, helping us. But sometimes when we’re under pressure, we crack and give in to temptation.

The truth is, we all have weak spots that are prone to cracking, but once we know Jesus, we also have the power of God’s Spirit to help us. He’ll give us strength even when we’re tempted to do things that we know go against God’s good ways. When we feel that pressure, God welcomes us to come to Him and tell Him about it. We can ask for His help, and He will sustain us. The Holy Spirit reminds us of God’s truth and gives us the strength we need to do what’s right—and even if we do give in under pressure, God will forgive us so we can start over. It can be hard not to give in to the pressure to go along with what everyone else seems to be doing. But in every temptation, He is with us, ready to help us stand firm so we don’t crack. • A. W. Smith

• When do you feel the most pressured? In times like these, how could it be helpful to remember that we belong to Jesus and we have His Spirit in us? Remember, we can always talk to God, and we can also share our struggles with trusted Christians. What are some ways we can help each other resist temptation, and also remind each other of Jesus’s love and forgiveness when we fail?

The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. 2 Timothy 4:18 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 23; JOHN 10:11-18; 14:1-21

I bent down to snatch a wildflower from beside the path and then hurried on. I rushed to catch up once again with my beloved family member—I’ll call him Nash here—who had agreed to let me accompany him on a walk in the woods. I rejoiced to spend rare one-on-one time with Nash. However, after realizing my little legs couldn’t keep pace with his adult stride, I wasn’t sure Nash hoped to spend time with me. During the walk, I felt left behind and ignored; Nash barely spoke to me. I returned home confused and hurt. Had Nash wanted me there after all?

It’s difficult to follow someone who travels too fast for those trying to join. Thankfully, we have a different kind of leader in Jesus. One who doesn’t leave His followers behind.

God wants to be in relationship with us. He wants us to be with Him. That’s why Jesus died on the cross for us and then rose from the grave. Because our sin separated us from God, He made the way for us to receive forgiveness for our sins. When we trust Jesus to pay for our sins, He exchanges our guilt for His righteousness—and His Holy Spirit comes to live within us. So, even though Jesus ascended into heaven, He is still with us through His Spirit, and He wants to walk with us. Galatians 5:25 explains, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Having new life in Christ means His Spirit leads us as we follow moment by moment.

How did Jesus lead others? He met them where they were. His disciples, though they observed His miracles and heard His teaching, still often failed to grasp His purpose. Yet He patiently responded to their questions even when the answers might have seemed obvious. He didn’t run ahead, unconcerned about whether they caught up. Jesus stayed close, providing instructions and reassurance. He invited them to walk with Him, and He never left them behind. Jesus wants to walk with us this way too, as He leads us with love step by step. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). Would a good shepherd leave his sheep behind? (We can find Jesus’s answer in Luke 15:1-7; John 10:11-18, 27-30.)

• Can you think of a time you felt left behind, ignored, or unwanted? Jesus saw you then, and He sees you now. He has compassion on you, and He always wants you to be with Him (Mark 6:34; 10:13-16). In fact, He died and rose to not leave you behind. Consider taking some time to tell Jesus about any memories that come to mind, and ask Him to help you know His love more deeply and learn to keep in step with His Spirit.

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. Psalm 23:1-2 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 119:11-16, 28, 103-105; JOHN 14:23-27

I love God’s Word, the Bible, and all that He put in it for us. I think it’s so important to commit Bible verses and passages to memory so that we are never without it. Some of the reasons I like to have God’s Word memorized is for comfort in the middle of the night, for peace when I am feeling anxious, or for a reminder that I am not alone.

I like to have all kinds of Bible verses and songs in my head for these reasons. Any time I’m feeling down, the verses I’ve memorized can come to me and remind me that life isn’t all bad. They remind me of who God is and how He has come through for me over and over again. I can’t say how many times I’ve thought of different verses or songs in moments when I was starting to feel down, and they made me feel better. Sometimes I am in the deepest, darkest place, and the reminders from Scripture slowly move me from it.

In John 14:26, Jesus said, “the Holy Spirit…will remind you of everything I have said to you.” No matter where we are or how anxious our thoughts get, we can remember the promises from God’s Word. He promises that He will be with us (Matthew 28:20), His hand will guide us (Psalm 32:8), and He will give us peace (John 14:27). • Bethany Acker

• Can you think of a time a Bible verse or passage brought you comfort or helped you in some way? What was that like?

• The Bible is full of God’s promises to us, and all these promises point to Jesus (Luke 24:27; John 5:39; 20:31; Acts 8:26-40). He loves us so much that He died and rose again to save us. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He is always with us. His Holy Spirit is living in us, reminding us of the truth of the gospel and providing us with peace and strength through His Word. Do you have any Bible verses or passages memorized? Do you have any favorite songs that are based on Scripture? If you’ve never memorized a Bible verse before, why not start today? Who are some friends you could memorize Scripture with?

I have hidden your word in my heart…I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. Psalm 119:11, 15 (NIV)

READ: EXODUS 3:1–4:17; EPHESIANS 2:8-10; HEBREWS 11:23-29

Do you ever feel unqualified for something God has called you to do? Moses felt unqualified too. In the book of Exodus, God appears to Moses in a burning bush. He calls Moses to lead His people, the Israelites, out of slavery in Egypt. But Moses says, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). God responds, “I will be with you” (verse 12). Then Moses asks what he should tell the Israelites God’s name is, and God replies out of the burning bush, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (verse 14). Did you catch that? Moses says, “Who am I?” And God says, “I AM.” Moses is focusing on himself, but God wants Moses to look at Him.

Yet Moses continues to be hesitant about his qualifications. He doubts his own abilities more than he trusts God’s abilities. But God knows Moses doesn’t need a laundry list of talents and accomplishments. All he needs is faith in the great I AM.

Like Moses, we don’t have to have a ton of qualifications for God to call us. All we need is faith. And faith is a gift God is eager to give us (Ephesians 2:8-10). He is the One who qualifies us, equips us, and works through us for good. God may not speak to us out of a burning bush, but when Jesus came and lived among us, He revealed that He is God, the eternal “I am” (John 8:58). Though our sin separated us from Him, Jesus bridged the gap between us and God by dying on the cross for our sins and rising from the grave. So now we can be in close relationship with God, and we can talk to Him anytime we want.

Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know God has given us the Holy Spirit, who works in and through us. Whenever we experience fear or anxiety about being unqualified, we can go to God with our fears and trust in His abilities as we continue to grow in Him. • Elizabeth Cooper

• Have you ever felt unqualified for something God called you to do? Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He is always with us, and His Spirit is in us (Matthew 28:20; John 14:17). How can these truths embolden us to do the things God calls us to do?

• There are certain things God calls all Christians to do, such as loving our neighbors and using the spiritual gifts He has given us to serve others (Matthew 22:37-39; 1 Peter 4:10). When you think God might be calling you to do something in particular, who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you discern God’s guidance and dig into His Word?

For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philippians 2:13 (NIV)

READ: NUMBERS 21:8-9; JOHN 3:1-17; 11:25-27

Do you ever wonder if you’re really saved? Maybe you prayed to ask Jesus to save you, but you keep wondering, “How do I know I really meant it when I asked Jesus to forgive and save me? Maybe I should ask Him again, just to make sure.”

These doubts are normal—lots of Christians experience them. But it can be helpful to remember that saying a prayer isn’t what saves us—whether we pray one time or a hundred times. No matter how many good deeds we do, we can’t save ourselves—not by praying, being baptized, giving money to church, being kind, or doing any other good thing. We’re saved only by Jesus. When we put our faith in Him, it means we trust Him, kind of like how we trust a chair will hold us when we sit on it. Being saved isn’t something we do—it’s something God does for us. All we have to do is believe that Jesus loves us and that He died for our sins on the cross and rose again. In John 6:47, Jesus says all who believe in Him have eternal life.

It’s good to ponder Scriptures like these when we have doubts. It’s also good to reach out to Christians we trust, such as friends, pastors, youth leaders, or family members. And we can always talk to Jesus about how we’re feeling. No matter what we’re struggling with, He understands, and He wants to help us. He is faithful to remind us that He already did everything that needed to be done to save us, and He holds us securely in His love, now and forever (Romans 3:23-26; 8:38-39).

Remember, even if we believe in Jesus, even if we know that He died and rose again for us, and even if we realize we can’t do anything to save ourselves, we might still experience doubt from time to time. And that’s okay. We can bring all our doubts, fears, and questions to Jesus, and we can share our struggles with other Christians in our lives too. God is eager to help us know for sure that we have everlasting life. • A. W. Smith

• Do you ever wonder whether or not you’re saved? Who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to about this?

• The truth is, Jesus willingly went to the cross because God wanted to save us—He loves us that much, and He longs for us to be with Him. We can rejoice in this good news! If you want to know more about trusting in Jesus or find more Scriptures about being saved, see our "Know Jesus" page.

[Jesus said,] “Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.” John 6:47 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 119:105; JOHN 1:4; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:6

Darkness. That was it. No matter which way Aurelia turned, the overwhelming wall of darkness pressed in on her, so thick it seemed smothering. She gasped for air, finding it harder and harder to breathe as she ran madly. She ran as fast as she could, going somewhere, anywhere, away from wherever here was. But, hard as she tried to escape it, the darkness seemed to follow her, encasing her vision in pitch-black nothingness.

Suddenly, she felt her toe catch on something on the ground, and Aurelia found herself sprawled on the ground before she could even blink. Exhausted, she lay there, trying desperately to think up a good plan—any plan that could get her out of here. Then she remembered. Immanuel. Her help in times of trouble. Her comfort, and her refuge. Her light in the darkness. Light!

Aurelia shut her eyes tight against the pressing darkness, and cried out, “Immanuel! Please, I need help! I’m alone, I’m scared, and I don’t know where to go! I remember Your promise to me—to be my light in the darkness.” With a shaking hand she attempted to stem the flood of tears streaming down her face. “Please come…I need you!”

“Look up, child. Do not be afraid.” Aurelia’s eyes snapped open, and she gasped. For there, standing above her, was the glowing figure of a man holding a small, bright lantern. Light! She sprang up and raced straight into His outstretched arms, crying, “Immanuel! Thank you! Thank you for coming for me!” He smiled down at her. “Oh, dear child, have no fear.” He stroked her hair and said in a soft voice, “I never left you. And I never will.” • Anna Tuckfield

• Our world is full of great, overwhelming darkness. Things like violence, hunger, sickness, and death all contribute to this unseen void—and so do pride, envy, and a host of other public and private sins. But, we don’t have to walk it alone (Psalm 23:4). God sent His Son to come guide us through our journey in this sinful world. Jesus wants to light our way. By reading His Word, spending time with Him, and learning about Him alongside fellow Christians, we can keep our eyes on His light. We are never alone in the darkness—we will always have a leading light (Psalm 119:105). Though sin may trip us and send us flying, Jesus still promises to be our refuge, strength, and advocate in heaven. When we bring our sins and burdens to Him, He forgives and redeems us (Psalm 55:22; 1 John 2:1-2). He will lead us out of our sins and into life. Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about the sins and struggles you’re facing today.

“I [Jesus] am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 18:12-14; 25:34-40

Have you ever known a really good pastor? Someone who takes the time to get to know the people of their church, teach them, counsel them, and lend a hand when things go wrong. Someone who goes above and beyond with their wisdom and loving service. Someone who, while they still have their flaws, really makes a difference in other people’s lives.

I’ve always wondered why some pastors can be really excellent leaders and still only have a very small church. For years my grandmother went to a church with only three other people. I found their pastor to be incredibly wise, yet he had a surprisingly small congregation. That didn’t make sense to me. Why would God allow such a gifted and influential speaker to only have an impact on a small number of people?

But then I realized, since God cares for each of us individually, God values this pastor’s work of ministering to a small number just as much as He values the work of pastors who minister to churches filled with thousands of people. My grandmother loves Jesus, but she lived in a very isolated area where most people had no interest in learning or teaching from the Bible, yet this one pastor devoted a lot of time and effort to strengthen and encourage her. And that’s something God has called all of us to do.

Maybe you’ve been trying to share Jesus’s love with someone, and you’ve felt like it’s going nowhere. Or perhaps you have a small number of people you’re ministering to, and you wonder why that number hasn’t grown. But even if you’re only able to reach one person, that one person means the world to God. And even the smallest differences you make can have a tremendous impact. Remember, God cares for the one. God cares for you. • Christina Cheng

• Have you ever felt like what you’re doing isn’t making a difference, or like you’re wasting your talents on something small? God sees everything you do, and when you give of yourself to one person, that means as much to Him as if you had taken care of a hundred.

• Have you ever felt like your life wasn’t worth investing in? God doesn’t think so! When Jesus came to die on the cross for your sins, He proved how precious your life is to Him. Even after we trust Jesus as our Savior, He is continuously interested in guiding our hearts and drawing us into deeper relationship with Himself.

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 9:9-12; LUKE 5:27-32

Have you ever wished you were invited to an exclusive event? A movie premier, a party, or a concert with front row VIP seats? Years ago, I watched interviews with celebrities who talked about the exciting invitations they’d been offered. If only I could be like them, I thought. And I wasted time being jealous and despondent, thinking about how fortunate those stars were.

Maybe you’ve experienced this too. Or, on a smaller scale, maybe you’ve wondered if something is wrong with you if you haven’t been included in a certain friend group or invited to a particular social event. Missing out on invitations can be disappointing and even painful. But if we dwell on these things too much, we can easily sink into jealousy and low self-esteem.

The good news is that Jesus didn’t exclude anyone. He invited Matthew (also called Levi) to follow Him—even though Matthew was a tax collector. His own people probably avoided Matthew and viewed him as a traitor, someone who got wealthy by helping the Roman Empire oppress the Israelites. But Jesus saw Matthew and said, “Follow me” (Matthew 9:9). Then Matthew left everything and followed Him. Jesus didn’t have an exclusive ticket for just one person or a few celebrities, but for all those who would put their trust in Him.

Sometimes it’s easy to be so consumed with a longing to be included or invited to social events that we forget the greatest invitation in the world. Like Matthew, we are invited to the most wonderful moment in our lives, to believe in Jesus, follow Him, and belong to Him. Take heart, there is no exclusion of race, gender, class, or intellect. All are invited. Because of His great love for us, Jesus died and rose again to make the way for our broken relationship with God to be restored. He offers forgiveness for our failings and acceptance into His family.

You’re invited—to share in the kingdom of God, to be adopted by our Father, to be more than you ever thought possible. It’s a free gift. It just has to be received. All are welcome. • Cindy Lee

• Can you think of a time you were overlooked for an event or excluded from a group? This can be a painful experience, but Jesus invites us to share our frustrations and sorrows with Him—He knows what it’s like to be overlooked and rejected, and He wants to help and comfort us (Isaiah 53).

• Have you accepted the greatest invitation in the world? No one can make that choice for you, but you. Find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (WEB)

READ: PHILIPPIANS 4:4-9; JAMES 1:21-27

Picture this: You’re walking through a beautiful garden, admiring the carefully planted flowers and foliage and appreciating their beauty. Then, you look closer and notice some things that the gardener definitely didn’t plant: weeds! They seem to crop up everywhere, even when we didn’t plant them.

In a way, our minds are a little like a garden, and our thoughts are like the plants. Bad thoughts are like weeds. We don’t have to try to put bad thoughts in our minds. They seem to just come on their own. We all catch ourselves thinking about bad things sometimes. Those bad thoughts might be sinful, like hating another person, or they might be troubling, causing our stomachs to tighten in fear. But like weeds, they can be pulled out. Often, the best way to get rid of bad thoughts is to focus on the good seeds God has planted in us instead. When we remember that Jesus died and rose again to free us from sin and that He has given us His Holy Spirit and His righteousness, it helps us weed out bad thoughts and cultivate good thoughts instead.

These good thoughts could be things like Bible verses, or thinking of ways we can help others and share God’s love with them, or even just remembering good things God has done in our lives. And we can always think about Jesus—remembering what He’s like, what He did when He lived among us, and how much He loves us. Even though we still have bad thoughts sometimes, it’s hard for weeds to take root when our minds are focused on good things like that.

The reality is, everyone struggles with bad thoughts. Sometimes it seems like they just pop into our heads. But that doesn’t mean we have to let them stay there. We can weed them out and plant good thoughts instead. The more we let God fill our minds with His love and truth, the less room there will be for weeds. • A. W. Smith

• What are some good thoughts you could fill your mind with? Consider keeping a journal, on paper or on your phone, of Bible verses, songs, ways God has blessed you, ways you can serve others, and people you can pray for. Then, the next time bad thoughts crop up in your mind, you can pull out the list and try focusing on those things instead.

• When bad thoughts come, we might feel like we can’t talk to God about them, but He already knows it all and wants to help us (Psalm 139). What thoughts could you share with Him today?

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 (NLT)

READ: ISAIAH 54:7-14; JOHN 16:33; ROMANS 8:31-39

Eight centuries before Christ’s birth, a Hebrew girl clung to her mother’s leg. Rumors of war loomed over Judah like an ominous raincloud. The ruthless Assyrians pressed against the northern border. Could Judah’s towns withstand an attack? Northern tribes had already fallen.

The little girl’s future looked uncertain; at any moment her life might crumble to pieces. Her community gathered around to hear the words of the prophet Isaiah, hoping for any promise of God’s deliverance. The girl lifted her head when she heard: “‘Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”

God didn’t promise immediate deliverance from the chaos. The mountains could shake, the hills may disappear—but even in an uncertain world, His unfailing love will prevail.

Eight centuries later, God-in-the-flesh announced that the promise of this coming peace was fulfilled in Him. But first, His followers would grieve. Though Jesus will surely renew creation and all who belong to Him will live with Him forever, until that day He said the world will bring troubles, but He has already prevailed (John 16:33).

When uncertainty and dread overwhelm us, what do we look to for relief? Often, we blame God for not easing our burdens. Or we take the burden on ourselves to do better, try harder—and then we beat ourselves up when things don’t turn out as we hoped. But Jesus says, “Take heart!” (John 16:33). The peace of God never depended on our strength, but on God’s unfailing love which can never be shaken. Even when the earth shakes beneath us, God’s covenant of peace steadies us. • Shannon Smith

• Isaiah spoke of God’s judgement on His people—how enemy nations would conquer them and take them into exile because of the people’s stubborn rebellion and sin. Yet Isaiah also spoke of a promised Rescuer—Immanuel, “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14). He would take upon Himself the punishment for the sins of the people. He would die, but then live again, justifying all who turn to Him and bringing peace to the whole world. Have you ever thought about what it might’ve been like for the people who lived during Isaiah’s time in the Old Testament? When we face trouble, how could it bring us hope to remember God’s promises, especially in light of what we now know from the New Testament about how these promises are fulfilled in Jesus?

“My unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed.” Isaiah 54:10 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 31:20; 62:6-8; JUDE 1:1, 20-21; 2 TIMOTHY 4:18

It’s hard to feel safe. Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, many of us have grown up with an awareness of terrorism and the need for precautions like metal detectors at airports and large events. Just in case.

Maybe you’ve grown up knowing you could get bullied, jumped, or shot at in school, and that it’s best to always be aware of your surroundings and where the exit routes are. Just in case.

You may have learned it’s not safe to talk to strangers, or to be female or an ethnic minority walking alone at night, or to leave your phone location settings turned on. Just in case.

Between stories of violent romantic and family relationships, and the increasing prevalence of mental health concerns that can make us feel like even our own minds might not be a safe place, safety itself can feel like a myth.

That grieves the heart of God. He created us for safety in relationships, with each other and with Him. After all, in the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve were able to live and work entirely naked, completely open with each other and with God, without fear of being victimized, mocked, or sinned against, without fear of judgment, awkwardness, or feeling unworthy (Genesis 2:25). They did not know what it was to hide from creation or Creator.

That’s the kind of safety God wants us to experience in His presence now (Romans 8:1)! He wants us to openly share our struggles, passions, flaws, insecurities, questions, and doubts with Him. And He wants us to create communities of safety for each other—that’s what the church is for! Though the Bible rarely promises us physical safety (John 16:33; 15:18-21; Romans 8:35-39), the presence of Jesus is the one place we can know we are eternally safe from everything the devil throws at us (2 Timothy 4:18), and we can invite His presence into every moment and every relationship of our lives. • Abigail Aswegen

• Can you think of a time you felt safe with another person? What was that like?

• Have you ever experienced feeling safe in the presence of God? You can ask God for this anytime.

• In what ways can we help the people around us feel safe, and also invite them to experience true safety in Christ? If you think you might be in an unsafe relationship or situation, or if you’re struggling with your mental health, who is a trusted adult you could talk to today?

[Jesus prayed,] “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.” John 17:15 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 13; ISAIAH 41:9-13; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-11

Stuck in this griefI feel like You can’t seeBut You lift me upYou comfort me, once moreEyes fill with tearsStart to think of all my fearsBut You stop those thoughtsYou give me peace, once moreFeeling all aloneWondering where to goBut You give directionYou hold my hand, once morePain is too greatFeel like I might breakBut You keep me togetherYou show me love, once more • Bethany Acker

• Can you think of a time God helped you when you were hurting? Maybe He provided comfort, peace, direction, strength, or a reminder of His love. Consider taking a moment to remember and thank God for this.

• Whenever we’re hurting, Jesus can truly empathize with us in our pain and turmoil because He experienced it firsthand (Mark 14:33-34). He is not some far-off, distant god; He is God in human flesh. He came and lived among us, ultimately suffering the cross for us because of how greatly He loves us. Then He rose from the dead, so now everyone who puts their trust in Him is brought near to God and has the sure hope of eternal life with Him. One day there will be no more death or grief or crying or pain (Revelation 21:1-5). Until that day, sometimes it can feel like we’re all alone in our pain and uncertainty, but Jesus is right there with us, ready to help us. Consider taking some time to be honest with Jesus about whatever you’re struggling with today.

• One of the primary ways God helps His people, is through His people. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by grief or fear, who is a trusted adult you could talk to? If you need someone to talk to, you can request a free conversation with Focus on the Family’s Counseling Department by calling 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Please be prepared to leave your contact information for a counselor to return a call to you as soon as possible. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (CSB)

READ: ROMANS 12:4-8; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-27

Mehul balanced the mud-colored bowl in his palms as he stared out at the shore from his small workshop. Down at the ocean’s edge, his friend Sadira was training the young sea dragons, preparing them for the sea riders. Her brother, Taizeen, sat in the sand nearby practicing his harp. The soft plucks intermingled with the lapping of water, threatening calmness to Mehul’s restless mind.

With a furrowed brow he gazed at the bowl in his hand. It was plain, like all the bowls, jars, and cups he made. What purpose do these pieces of pottery even serve in the village? What purpose do I serve?

He dashed the bowl to the ground. It shattered, and the pieces flew across the room. He bent and pulled at a shard that had struck him in the leg, wincing at the pain.

A gasp came from the doorway of his workshop. Looking up, Mehul saw Mother Elyah, the village doctor, coming toward him. She said, “Let me help with that. I was stopping by anyway for a jar.” Before he knew it, she had tenderly extracted the piece. Then she motioned for him to sit while she got a fresh cloth and cool water to clean the wound. Grabbing a strip of fabric and a pinch of sweet-smelling herbs from her bag, she wrapped his leg expertly. After she finished, Mother Elyah inspected the shards on the dirt floor. “What happened here?”

Mehul felt his face flush. Turning to his workbench, he searched through the clutter of clay to find a jar for her. “I guess I was just preoccupied.” He handed her a dirt-colored container. Another ordinary piece of pottery.

Smiling, she ran her hand across the smooth exterior. “This will be a great help to me, thank you Mehul. Make sure to clean up those shards.” She turned to leave.

“Wait…you said I helped you?”

“Of course, as you do the entire village.” Mother Elyah nodded. She hesitated, then continued, “Remember Mehul, that our bodies have many parts, and each part does its own special work. The feet need the legs, the hands need the arms… and so it is with us. As people of the Living One, we are His body. Each of us does certain things well, and we all belong to each other. No one part of the body—and no one person—is less important than the others. All are needed.” And with that she was on her way.

Mehul was left staring at the doorway. He thought of her using his jar to store away the sprigs of fragrant herbs she used in her medicine. Other images also appeared in his mind, of the meals he shared with Sadira and Taizeen—spiced curries served in his simple brown bowls.

He retrieved a broken piece from the floor and held it up to the light with a growing smile. “I’ll have to start a new one. Someone will need it.” • Sophia Bricker

• Have you ever felt like Mehul? Like you don’t have a purpose, or like what you do makes no difference or is just ordinary? We all feel this way from time to time, and Jesus sees us, with all our pain and questions, and He longs to help us. Consider taking some time to talk to Him about whatever you’re struggling with. You can also ask Him to show you how He sees you. You may notice His reply in the next few days or weeks as you spend time in prayer, as you interact with fellow Christians, or as you read His Word, the Bible.

• Jesus died and was raised from the dead so that His body—the church—could be made whole. Once we put our trust in Jesus, we are included in His body and we receive the Holy Spirit. How could thinking about the ways our bodies function help us remember that each of us has value and purpose in the body of Christ?

• Reread 1 Corinthians 12:4-7. What kinds

READ: MATTHEW 25:34-40; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-7

Have you ever visited a friend or family member in the hospital? Maybe you brought some of their favorite games or books or movies. While they might have been happy to see you, maybe they weren’t up for games or movies. It can be discouraging, especially if you visit again and again and they aren’t getting better. You might reach a point where you just don’t want to visit anymore.

Visiting someone when they are sick or injured can feel awkward, even if you know the person well. They might not want to talk much, or they might be too tired to carry on a long conversation. You may not know what to do or say, worried you’ll make things worse somehow. But the truth is, we don’t need to say much. Just being there for someone can be a powerful expression of love—the kind of love Jesus has for us. He never leaves our side, even when we’re sick or injured, even when we don’t have anything to say. Visiting someone in the hospital is a chance to show them that kind of love in a time when they might be feeling alone or forgotten.

It’s hard to see someone we love in pain, but Jesus will provide us with the strength we need. It can be so comforting for the person we’re visiting to know that someone cares enough to come and be with them. Your presence can comfort them, even if you feel awkward and uncomfortable and don’t know what to do. You can ask Jesus to reveal His love and hope in this situation. He will help you be the kind of friend He is—one who’s always with us, in good times and bad.

Do you have a friend or family member who is sick or injured right now? Maybe you could visit them and tell them you’re praying for them. You don’t have to know just the right words to say—just being there for them is enough. Or if visiting isn’t feasible, you could let them know you care about them by sending flowers or a card or something to make them smile. Remember, Jesus is the greatest Friend of all, and He will help us comfort one another. • A. W. Smith

• Jesus knows what it’s like to see someone you love hurting, and He also knows what it’s like to be the one who’s hurt. How could it be encouraging to know that, no matter what we’re going through, Jesus understands?

• Have you ever visited someone in the hospital? What was that like? Have you ever had to stay in the hospital, or stay home for a long time, because of a sickness or an injury? Can you think of any ways Jesus brought you comfort in that time, maybe through a person, a song, a Bible passage, something seemingly random that made your day, etc.?

He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. 2 Corinthians 1:4 (NLT)

READ: GENESIS 1:26-31; PSALM 139:13-17

As I was washing dishes recently, I got to thinking about how amazing the human body is…and how great the God who created us is. As I picked up each dish and took care of it, I was grateful for my ability to do that. As I felt my heart beating inside, I had a new kind of amazement.

From fingers that can grasp the smallest objects to hands with the ability to lift, scrub, and wave, we were created in a special way. From feet, legs, and toes that keep us balanced to a heart that keeps us alive, we have so much to us, so much that makes us who we are and gives us the ability to enjoy and take care of this earth.

I think about our lungs and how we can breathe without thinking as we go about our day, but also how they struggle—but still work—when we take off on a run. I think of all the other parts of our insides and how they keep us going, from our kidneys to our brains.

God knew what He was doing with each decision He made regarding the human body. He definitely had a plan, and He certainly put care into how we were formed. He didn’t just throw us together without thinking about it or create a body that’s simple but “good enough.”

I think of our bodies and I’m filled with gratitude for a God who made us this way. A God who showed love for us even as He worked on our design and put attention into every detail of our bodies. • Emily Acker

• What is it about your body that amazes you the most? Have you ever stopped to really think about the design of your body and the way God made you? Consider taking a moment to thank Him.

• Have you ever thought about how Jesus has a body like we do? When Jesus came and lived among us, He became fully human. Since the first humans sinned by rejecting God and rebelling against Him, our bodies experience pain and sickness and injuries. But the good news is, because Jesus was willing to let His body be broken for us, now everyone who’s put their trust in Jesus has the sure hope of being raised from the dead like He was. At Jesus’s return, our resurrected bodies will be like His resurrected body—free of pain, sickness, and injury, and we will get to enjoy living on the new heavens and new earth with Jesus forever!

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 6:25-34; 11:28-30; LUKE 2:40-52; EPHESIANS 5:15-17

When you see little kids playing, do you ever find yourself getting a little nostalgic for those “good old days” when you didn’t have any responsibilities? The older we get, the more time we spend on school, chores, part-time jobs, extracurriculars, or volunteer work. Meanwhile, little kids spend their days playing, coloring, exploring, and napping.

The truth is, we all need some time to relax and have fun. God calls us to rest and enjoy His good gifts often! But it’s also true that as we get older, we enter different stages of life. Kids need to spend a lot of time playing in order to learn and grow. But as we get older, we have different opportunities to learn by studying and taking on more responsibilities. The little kid stage of life isn’t better—just different.

It’s normal to have very few responsibilities when you’re a little kid, but by the teenage years, that changes. And that’s a good thing. We wouldn’t want to spend every day playing with blocks and finger paint, after all! If we didn’t ever challenge ourselves or learn new things, how could we mature? While schoolwork and chores and part-time jobs may sometimes get mundane or difficult, God uses these things to help us grow and know Him more and more.

At this stage in life, even Jesus spent time learning and growing, all the while preparing to sacrifice His life for us. He loves us that much. So we can talk to God about all the exciting and challenging things that come with growing up. He knows what it’s like. We’ll have more and more responsibilities as we get older, but these responsibilities don’t have to be burdensome because we can trust God to care for all our needs and help us mature as we follow Him.

Growing up can be hard, but God created us to learn and grow through different stages of life, and He’ll use the things we learn to help us know Him better and point others to Him. As we follow Jesus, He’ll help us make the most of every opportunity to learn. • A. W. Smith

• As we approach adulthood, our responsibilities continue to grow. And Jesus will be with us every step of the way. How can stewarding our responsibilities well now help us prepare to have more responsibilities later?

• What are some responsibilities you have now that you didn’t have when you were a little kid? What have you learned through them? What new things have you learned about God and about yourself as you’ve grown up?

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 116:1-2; PROVERBS 3:5-6; HEBREWS 13:8; 4:14-16

One of my coworkers approached me about examining our new employee handbook. We just hired a third-party organization as our human resources department, so they redesigned our old handbook. My job was to compare the two.

While I was going through them, I came upon a small section titled “open-door policy.” It basically explained that our supervisors agree to have listening ears to our complaints, concerns, and ideas.

It got me thinking. God gives us that same opportunity. He is inviting us to share everything with Him. Even though I know my supervisors mean well and want to listen, I know there will be times when they won’t listen well or won’t say the right thing. But God? He always listens. He always says the right thing. And He wants to share His wisdom with us (James 1:5).

What’s more, when I was reviewing the new handbook with our HR representative (the writer), she informed me that we could actually remove the open-door policy section. But, as God’s character doesn’t change, we know that He will never remove His “open-door policy.”

He’s always ready to listen. And He will do so perfectly. Because, as we know, Jesus is perfect. He lived the perfect life that we cannot, whether we be supervisors or employees, and He died on the cross and rose from the grave to pay for our transgressions. Once we put our trust in Jesus, we have full access to God (Ephesians 2:18; 3:12). He loves us, and He wants to hear from us. Always. • Natty Maelle

• When you talk to God, what do you talk to Him about? Is there anything you’re reluctant to discuss with the Lord? Why do you think you might feel this way? Consider talking to Him about this.

• If Jesus is our model, and He creates a place for us to be heard, we should be aspiring to do the same for others. Is this something that comes naturally to you? Why or why not? Consider taking some time today to talk to the Lord about this too.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5 (NLT)

READ: ISAIAH 55:8-9; 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10

When I was in high school, I struggled with depression and anxiety. A boy broke my heart, none of my friends understood me, I struggled with family issues at home, and it felt like nothing in my life went right or ever would go right.

Psalm 34:18 says, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” And Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I’d read Bible verses like these…And I just didn’t get it! If I’d been asking God to heal and help me, then why wasn’t He healing me? Why was I still hurting? If God gives us peace in the storm, then why was I feeling so far from peace?

One day, I came across 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Paul had been asking God to remove what he called a thorn in his flesh, similar to how I had been repeatedly asking God to remove the pain and hurt in my life. It felt like God was speaking directly to me when He said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (verse 9).

Eventually, God did bring me out of my season of depression and anxiety. He brought better friends into my life, and He brought healing to my heart and mind. I think during that long season of my life, God was teaching me to rely on Him. He was teaching me that He, and only He, was sufficient for my life. God’s grace and presence are all we need. He was strengthening my faith even when I couldn’t see it and teaching me to trust Him when nothing made sense.

The truth is, God loves us more than we could ever know, and we can trust that even in the hurting, He is with us. • Elizabeth Cooper

• Have you ever felt like nothing in your life was going right, or ever would go right? Do you feel like that today? You’re not alone. Jesus is with us in our pain, grieving our hurts alongside us. We can be totally honest with Him about anything we’re going through.

• Believing God is with us and entrusting ourselves to that promise doesn’t automatically make every situation in our lives better. But it does give us hope in the midst of the hurting—hope that we are held securely in God’s love, and hope that one day Jesus will return and then terrible things like depression, anxiety, and broken relationships will be no more (Romans 8:31-39; Revelation 21:1-5). As we wait for that glorious day, God gives us His Word, His Spirit, and the community of His people here on earth to help with our struggles and pain. Do you have a trusted Christian in your life you can talk to about what you’re experiencing? *

• Throughout our lives, we’ll read verses in the Bible that we don’t understand or that don’t seem to be true in our own lives. Every word in the original manuscripts of the Bible is completely true. However, that doesn’t mean we’ll always understand everything we read right away. In fact, there are some things in the Bible we may never fully understand. Yet God wants to help us grow in our understanding of His Word (Psalm 119:34; Luke 24:45; Acts 8:26-35). Are there any Bible verses that you’ve found unsettling or frustrating, or that just don’t seem true? Who is a trusted Christian in your life who could help you dig deeper so you can understand it better, using tools like study Bibles, commentaries, or scholarly articles, videos, or podcasts? (Whenever we read the Bible, it’s important to keep in mind the whole Bible points to Jesus. If you want to know more about the good news of Jesus, see our "Know Jesus" page.)

• * If you’re struggling with anxiety or depression, or if life has just been really hard for you lately, who is a trusted adult you could talk to? If you need someone to talk to, you can request a free conversation with Focus on the Family’s Counseling Department by calling 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Please be prepared to leave your contact information for a counselor to return a call to you as soon as possible. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

Three times I [Paul] pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 32:8; PROVERBS 16:9; MATTHEW 6:25-34; JAMES 4:13-15

I am a planner. I love to plan out my future and what I want to do next. Maybe you’re like me and you find yourself thinking a lot about the future and what comes next. What am I going to do after school today? Or this weekend? Or what am I going to do this summer? What am I going to do after I graduate high school?

Sometimes, planning our future is good. Other times, the desire to plan stems from a desire for control. We might find ourselves wanting to be in control of our lives, what we do, and what happens, in a way that forgets—or perhaps ignores— the truth that God is the One who is ultimately in control.

I saw this desire for control play out in my life one year when I was applying for summer internships, planning out what I was going to do all summer and how that was going to support my future. But guess what? All my plans fell through because I didn’t end up getting any internships. God had a better plan for me. That summer, God sent me to Glacier National Park to serve with a ministry team and spread the gospel. It was so last minute because God knew I didn’t need to plan out every detail, I just needed to trust Him to guide me. He knew I needed a summer of adventure, spending time with Him, and not thinking about my future so much.

The truth is, God is the only One who’s in control of our future. And that’s a good thing! God’s plans for us are always better than anything we could plan for ourselves. We don’t have to strive so hard to control the outcomes of our lives. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, no matter what happens, we will always be with Him. And, through the Holy Spirit, He will help us learn to trust Him more and more throughout our lives. God knows what we need, and He is worthy of our trust. We can always rely on Him to guide us. • Elizabeth Cooper

• Do you have any examples from your life when you realized God’s plans were better than what you had planned? What happened? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this.

• Are you someone who likes to plan? While it can be good to think ahead and consider what we might do in the future, planning can sometimes become an idol—something we go to for security or satisfaction instead of going to God. What might it look like to practice holding our plans loosely, being open to where God will guide us? Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you discern how God might be leading you?

Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Psalm 31:3 (NIV)

READ: PROVERBS 19:11; EPHESIANS 4:31-32

"Oh no, I’ve been bitten!” I cried as my ankles began to itch and burn. Looking down, I saw the culprits scurrying away—tiny ants with the power to inflict pain and leave punctures on my skin. My husband and I were on vacation, and after an amazing—but blisteringly hot—day, we had been grateful for the coolness of the evening. But the ants had ruined it. I desperately wanted to scratch the wounds, but I knew this could cause harm. Instead, I dashed back up to the hotel room and cleaned up the wounds to keep them from getting infected.

In life, we are faced with annoyances, much like the ants on my vacation. These annoyances might be disagreements with our family or friends. Unpleasant memories of past mistakes and hurts can cause inner pain. The problem is, it’s easy to let these painful memories fester. But, much like the ant bites on my legs, if these hurts are left untreated they will continue to itch and burn. When we scratch at bug bites, they can easily get infected. Then they’re even more painful! In the same way, if we let unforgiveness fester, it leads to bitterness and a hard heart.

Thankfully, we have a caring heavenly Father who loves us, listens to us, and is always ready to forgive us and heal our hurts. God loves us so much that, even though our sin broke His heart and separated us from Him, He sent His Son Jesus to fix the broken relationship caused by our sin. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, He provides the gift of salvation for all who put their trust in Him (John 3:16-18). In Jesus, we can be forgiven, and then we can learn how to give and receive forgiveness. Instead of letting offences fester, we can come to Jesus, confessing what we’ve done wrong and also telling Him about how others have wronged us. Only He has the healing balm of forgiveness that’s needed to change lives—including our own. • Cindy Lee

• Are you currently dwelling on a past hurt caused by someone you trusted? Are you disappointed in yourself for your mistakes? Jesus invites us to talk to Him about all these things. He is eager to remind us that in Him we are fully forgiven, and to help us forgive those who have hurt us. As we rest in His unshakeable love, He helps us walk forward in freedom. Consider taking some time to write down any minor irritations that are bothering you. Then, offer them up to God, thanking Him for empowering you to let go of any bitterness in your heart. And then, get rid of the list. (If you’ve experienced a deep hurt, who is a trusted adult you could talk to about it?)

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 119:130; PROVERBS 2:1-5

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a deep sea diver? If you’ve been to the ocean, you know how beautiful it is to see waves crashing on the shore. And yet, when we begin to explore what’s beneath the surface, we see things that are even more beautiful. Deep sea divers find an amazing variety of marine life, from stunning sea creatures to colorful coral.

It’s the same way with the Bible. If you grew up in church, you’ve probably heard lots of Bible stories and learned many biblical principles. These are good and important—and beautiful. And yet, when we dive beneath the surface and explore deeper into the Bible, we keep discovering more and more wonderful truths about who God is.

It can be easy to think that reading the Bible isn’t very important, especially if we learn about what it says in church or at home. But learning about Jesus through His Word is a lifelong process. There’s always more He wants us to know, and He will continue to reveal treasures of knowledge, insight, and wisdom as we dive deeper into the Bible. He will help us grow in our faith, coming to grips with the power of God Himself, understanding His ways, and enjoying fellowship with His Spirit.

It’s so refreshing to be in God’s Word. No matter how long we’ve been a Christian, as we spend time reading and studying the Bible, He will keep teaching us new things. He’ll help us understand more about Himself and what He did to save us, and He’ll show us His promises and how He calls us to live life with Him. As we dive deep into His Word, we will see wonderful things. • A. W. Smith

• What parts of the Bible are you curious about? Consider spending some time reading them today, asking God to help you see what He wants to show you.

• When you have questions about the Bible, who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you find scholarly resources like study Bibles, commentaries, articles, or videos?

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. Psalm 119:18 (NIV)

READ: NUMBERS 23:19; PSALMS 100:5; 102:25-27; MALACHI 3:6

If you had asked me three years ago if I could ever see my life being what it is today, I would have given a definite “no.” At the time, my family—and world— were in a completely different place. The changes that I’ve gone through were unexpected and unrequested.

As you go through life, there are periods when big changes take place. Sometimes you’re expecting the changes, like when you start at a new school or when you graduate and it’s time to begin your adult life. And other times, changes seem to come out of nowhere. You might feel like your life is up in the air and you have no control over any of it.

As we face all kinds of changes, it’s important to remember that God doesn’t change. The One who made us and loves us—the One who wants so much for us to be with Him that He sent Jesus to die for us and rise from the dead—He remains the same through all the ups and downs. He has saved His people from sin and death, and He promises to return one day to make all things new and dwell with us forever. In the meantime, if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He has given us His Holy Spirit to live in us, providing strength, comfort, and God’s own presence.

Through all of the changes in my life, I have been left a little more in awe of God than I was before. One, because He brings me through the changes and helps me as I adjust. And two, because I see how He is right there, the same as He has always been, being that constant in my life that keeps me steady. • Emily Acker

• Are you ever overwhelmed by the changes happening in your life? God sees you. He loves you, and He is carrying you through these changes. He will never abandon you. There is nothing in the world, or beyond, that can shake His everlasting love for you (Romans 8:35-39). Because Jesus went to the cross for us, we can always rest in His care for us and in His sure forgiveness. How could it be comforting and steadying to remember God’s faithfulness in chaotic times? Can you think of any ways you’ve experienced His faithfulness? What was that like?

• When life feels chaotic and unpredictable, God invites us to bring these feelings to Him and ask Him to help us remember His steadying presence. He delights in answering these prayers. In addition to talking to God, who are trusted Christians you can talk to when you’re struggling to keep up with life’s changes—such as friends, parents, pastors, youth leaders, or counselors?

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (NLT)

READ: GENESIS 3:1-9; PSALMS 89:9; 107:29; EPHESIANS 2:4-10

Nyoka twisted her scaly blue body around and laughed as she watched the other merpeople, who swam behind her. The chilly ocean water and vibrant coral made it a perfect day for a game of capture the flag. As she continued to maneuver her way through the seaweed, looking for the red flag, a flash of a dark fin caught her eye. Nyoka had never seen a creature like that before, so she ducked behind some particularly large stalks of kelp and then tore off after it.

Within minutes, she found that the gray figure was swimming farther and farther down into the depths of the ocean. Her Father’s voice of warning tugged at the back of her mind, but Nyoka continued her pursuit. She watched the creature abruptly change its course and dive down into a narrow, rocky hole. She knew the passage well, for it was the one place her Father forbade her to go. The mermaid waited only a moment before following.

Darkness engulfed her. As her eyes started to adjust, Nyoka shook her head. That was when she heard a cackle from behind her. Through the haze, she felt she could almost make out the creature’s form, its tail swaying back and forth. “Finally, you are mine!”

Her heart skipped a beat. “Wh-who are you?” She managed to stutter. But the creature only laughed again and then appeared in front of her face. “I am Death.” The faint light from above started to dim, and the water churned darker. Nyoka felt herself starting to fade, her scales beginning to lose their color. Her eyes closed, and she managed to cry out softly, “Father, save me.”

At the whisper of those words, the ocean came alive. The salt water went from midnight black to clear blue as light flooded the space around her. A thunderous voice echoed into the deep, and the dark form fled in terror. Nyoka opened her eyes and saw her Father swimming toward her. “I’m sorry, “she sobbed. “I’m so, so sorry.” He only pulled her closer and softly spoke into her ear, “Even here, I am with you.” • Molly McTernan

• Has there ever been a time when you felt like you were too deep for God to save you? We’ve all sinned, choosing to go our own way instead of listening to God. The result of sin is death, and none of us can save ourselves. Yet God, in His great mercy, is so eager to save us. Jesus was willing to die for us, and then rise again, so we could be forgiven and saved from sin and death. (For more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page.) Even as Christians, we sometimes think we’re too far gone, and we need to be reminded again that Jesus saved us and is still saving us and will save us in the end. What He started—that is, salvation—He will complete (Philippians 1:6).

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 139:7-10, LUKE 15:1-7, 11-32

My dog Ellie likes a good run around the neighborhood. She likes to escape out the front door, even if it’s only open a crack. She doesn’t come back without a chase, she is NOT smart when it comes to the busy street we live on, and if there’s a rabbit she’s long gone! More often than not she comes home muddy. More than once she’s come home injured and needing extra care.

When I catch up with Ellie and call for her to come, she wags her tail, and then she’s off again. Other times she looks at me with wild, laughing eyes as if to say, “Come home? Not happening!” These times she goes a little farther, gets a little closer to the cars, or visits the unfriendly dog down the street. And there I am, calling, shadowing, hoping to get close, and always waiting for her to come back. By the time she does, Ellie is usually extra thankful to be back under my protection, and usually she regrets running out the door in the first place.

It took a few years of this for me to realize how like my dog I am. I’m a runner. If that door gets opened even just a crack, there I go, away toward whatever sin looks interesting at that moment. I don’t come back without a chase, I am NOT smart when it comes to the lure and lies of the devil, and if there’s a rabbit trail to follow, I go! More often than not, I get covered in the muck and mud that comes along with sin, and sometimes I get injured by my choices and need extra care. Always, always I am sorry and so thankful to be back under Jesus’s protection.

I think about how I never leave Ellie to run the neighborhood alone. I’m always as close as she’ll let me get, hoping to snatch her up out of harm’s way. Jesus is the same way with me. There I am getting into more and more trouble, and there He is—calling, shadowing, and snatching me up out of harm’s way. And eventually, when I realize I need to be back under His wing of protection, Jesus is right there, ready to care for my hurts and help me follow Him again.

We all go through doors we shouldn’t and find ourselves out from under the protective wing of our loving Father. Don’t let the lies of the enemy keep you from going back to where you’re well-loved. Jesus is always waiting, and often closer than we think. • Abbi Bloem

• As Christians, we know Jesus is always as close as can be (John 10:27-30; Romans 8:35-39). Yet, there may be times when we feel distant from Jesus because we’ve been stubbornly going our own way. But because He loves us, He wants to help us turn away from sin and back to Him. How could today’s analogy give us hope to turn to Jesus, even when we’ve really messed up?

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? Psalm 139:7 (NIV)

READ: ISAIAH 9:6; ROMANS 5:1; COLOSSIANS 1:15-22

Jesus purchased peace for me,died upon that cursed tree;Now He is my hope and rest,beneath His blood our righteousness.Yes, He offers peace to all—always, ever, loving.Jesus fills my heart with song,paid the debt for every wrong;Now He makes my face to shine,His own love becoming mine.Yes, He offers peace to all—always, ever, loving.Christ the King, once a child,by His body reconciled;Lord of Life, strong yet meek,glory to the Prince of Peace.Yes, He offers peace to all—always, ever,loving.

This poem celebrates the reconciling peace Jesus offers. Reconciling implies something has been torn apart or broken. And so it has! Our relationship with God has been broken. We—and creation itself—are “cursed” (Romans 5:17; Galatians 3:10, 13), separated from God by sin and ruled by its consequences: death and decay. We are living in a good creation gone bad.

However, as Colossians 1:20 wondrously proclaims, God “made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.” By faith we simply accept God’s payment for us. Jesus took the curse of sin upon Himself on the cross—and by His resurrection destroyed it! This means every kind of brokenness will be undone (Romans 8:18-25; Revelation 21:1-5). Though we are still waiting for the final Hallelujah upon Christ’s return, the payment has already been made. Heaven and earth will again be at peace. On that day we will join the heavenly host in their joyful shout: “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). • G. Kam Congleton

• What sticks out to you about the reconciling peace Jesus offers? (If you want to learn more, see our "Know Jesus" page.)

Through Him [Jesus Christ] God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. Colossians 1:20 (NLT)

READ: JOHN 16:33; ROMANS 1:12; 12:15; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:1-12

Second Corinthians 1:1-12 has been one of my favorite Bible passages for quite a while. Paul and Timothy are encouraging the Christians in Corinth, saying, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (verses 3-4). I have quoted this passage to other people, and also reminded myself of its truths, many times. But recently, I was struck by just how wonderful God’s comfort is.

I had been going through a long, drawn-out season of stress. It felt like whenever one thing in my life got easier, something else got harder, and I was just feeling so discouraged. But, in the midst of this hard season, I had a friend who was going through suffering too. Some of her struggles were similar, some were different. But her friendship has helped me understand this passage in a deeper way. That we comfort each other “with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” It’s such a rich and sweet thing to be able to share, not only our prayer requests, but also the ways God has been revealing Himself to us along the way.

This friend and I text each other verses and worship songs and other things that have been resonating with us. We tell each other what we’re wrestling with, what’s confusing to us, and how we’re trying to lean into God’s love. We help each other process, and sometimes we cry together. We pray for each other—on the phone, through text messages, on walks, in our living rooms, and at church. We also celebrate good news together, and just generally help each other laugh!

I feel like I’m beginning to understand the gift God has given us in the church in a new way. Because even though we suffer, there’s something really amazing about knowing that we suffer alongside each other. We have companionship, not just with fellow Christians, but with Jesus Himself, the One who suffered for us as He went to the cross to save us. He made the way for us to be with Him. And once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we not only have the promise of eternity, we also experience God’s great love and kindness and wisdom in so many ways in our everyday lives. Yes, we will suffer. But 2 Corinthians 1:5 touches on a beautiful mystery: “For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” Somehow, in some way, our suffering is participation in Christ’s suffering. And whenever we go through hard things, His comfort is always so near.

As I’ve shared some of the ways I’ve seen God working in my life with friends, it’s helped me to realize that what God is doing in and around me really matters. It’s good to celebrate and treasure the ways God reveals His love to us—whether through His Word, His people, music, nature, or any number of things—not just brush these gifts aside and forget about them. Our God is alive and active, and being in relationship with Him is just so good. As we press into His invitations, as we notice and ponder the ways He is offering us help and comfort and even joy, our understanding of the good news of Jesus continues to grow and deepen. And as we tune our hearts to the work of His Spirit, we find a hope and purpose that goes beyond our suffering. Because even in the midst of hardship, we find joy in living life with Jesus. • Hannah Howe

• Can you think of a time you were encouraged by hearing about what God is doing in someone else’s life? What was that like?

• Especially when we go through hard things, why is it so important to be on the lookout for the ways God is working in and around us?

• Can you think of any ways you’ve seen God working in your life lately?

• Do you have any Christian friends or mentors you can share not only your prayer requests with, but also your questions and fears, and your big and small testimonies of God’s faithfulness in your day-to-day life? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.

And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:7 (NIV)

READ: DEUTERONOMY 31:6; PSALM 94:14; JOHN 14:18

I am adopted from China. From what little I know (and understand), my biological mother abandoned me in a public area to be taken to an orphanage. Even though I was adopted as a little baby, I have insecurities about being abandoned or left behind again, although none of that has happened since I’ve been adopted. But I’ve heard that traumatic events, like being abandoned as a baby, can still affect a person, even if you don’t actually remember the event.

While I have not been abandoned since that time, I know people who’ve had family and friends abandon them, and they often wonder if God will abandon them too. But the truth is, God never leaves His children.

No matter what trials are going on in our lives, or no matter how far we’re running from God, He never leaves His children! And nothing can ever tear us away from Him (John 10:28-30). Once we belong to Jesus, nothing we do could ever separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). Because He died on the cross for us and rose from the grave, nothing—including people, circumstances, or wrong choices—can take us away from Him. How can we be sure? Because He has promised never to leave us! And God keeps His promises. People on this earth may leave us, but God never will. He is a faithful Father. • Lilly Wiscaver

• Life in our broken world can be really hard, and there are times in all of our lives when we wonder if God has abandoned us. And so, it’s good to remember God’s faithfulness and His promise never to leave us. Can you think of a time you experienced God’s faithfulness in your life? Do you have any favorite Bible verses that remind you of His trustworthy love? If you want to dig deeper, read Psalms 9:10; 23:4-6; 27:10; Isaiah 49:15; Luke 15. And if you want to know more about what it means to become God’s child through Jesus, see our "Know Jesus" page.

• If you struggle with fears of being abandoned, don’t keep these fears to yourself. God has so much compassion on us, and He invites us to tell Him all about our fears, and also to tell trusted people who can help us find healing. Who is a trusted adult you could talk to? If you need someone to talk to, you can request a free conversation with Focus on the Family’s Counseling Department by calling 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Please be prepared to leave your contact information for a counselor to return a call to you as soon as possible. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

For he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you. Hebrews 13:5 (CSB)

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-11

Have you ever thought, “I’d give all my money for that”? We may have this thought about possessions we really want to have, but it also may occur to us when someone we love is hurt. We might be hesitant to give our hard-earned dollars to something that feels distant, like the church offering or an organization we don’t know much about. But when someone we love is seriously hurt or sick, we’d pay anything to help them get well again. We wouldn’t even hesitate to give away our whole savings.

When we really love someone, we’re glad to give. That’s how God wants us to give to Him—not because we have to, or because He needs anything (He doesn’t), but because we love Him. That’s what the Bible means when it says, “God loves a cheerful giver” in 2 Corinthians 9:7. Being a cheerful giver is when we don’t even hesitate to give all we have because we love the person we’re giving to so much.

Of course, giving our money to God won’t always feel this way. But when we remember all He has given us, it makes us more cheerful givers. Jesus gave up everything for us. God became human and took the position of a servant. He was willing to die a terrible death on a cross so He could heal us from the sickness of sin and death and bring us near to God. He gave His life for us, and then, He rose from the dead. So now, everyone who puts their trust in Jesus is made new. As Christians, we can know that we will be resurrected like Jesus was, and we will live with Him forever in the new heavens and new earth when He returns. And in the meantime, He is always with us through His Spirit. So we can experience the immense comfort, joy, and purpose that comes from knowing the living God. When we rest in God’s immeasurable love for us and remember all He has done for us, that is what compels us to give cheerfully. • A. W. Smith

• In the Old Testament, God instructed His people to give a tenth (or tithe) of their income to Him. In the New Testament, we see Christians giving to God in a variety of ways. When you’ve received money—whether from a part-time job, an allowance, or doing work for neighbors, etc.—have you ever given part of it to God through tithes and offerings? He calls us to give back part of what we’re given, remembering it all belongs to Him. But He wants us to do it willingly, not because we feel guilty or pressured. Consider taking a moment to pray and talk to Jesus, thanking Him for all He’s done for you and asking Him how He is calling you to give.

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)

READ: EPHESIANS 6:13-18; HEBREWS 4:12

Have you ever tried to cut food with a dull knife? The process can be frustrating—and messy! Similarly, a dull pencil can hardly write, and a dull chisel will not only make slow progress, but it might end up ruining the item it’s supposed to be shaping. A dull tool rarely does its job well. But there is one tool that never needs sharpening—the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12 says the Word of God is “sharper than any double-edged sword.” Knives and other blades get dull and need to be sharpened pretty often, but God’s Word is always sharp and powerful.

God calls us to engage with His Word often by taking time alone to read the Bible and apply it to our lives, and also by gathering with fellow Christians and learning more about what it says.

God often speaks to us as we read and study His Word. Sometimes He convicts us of sin, which can be painful. It may feel even sharper than a sword. But it’s really a good kind of pain, sort of like the pain we feel when we exercise our muscles. And God always tells us how to deal with the sin in our lives: by confessing it to Jesus. He freed us from sin’s power so we could be brought near to God and learn to walk in His good ways. But resisting sin isn’t easy. At times, it’s an outright battle. People used to fight battles with swords, so we use “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17) when we fight against sin and against lies Satan wants us to believe—lies like, God doesn’t love us or won’t forgive us for the wrong things we do.

But interacting with God’s Word isn’t always painful. We can be comforted and encouraged when we remember God’s many promises, and when we remember the gospel—how Jesus, God in flesh, died on the cross and rose from the dead to defeat sin and death, and how He promises to return one day and resurrect us from the dead so we can live with Him eternally. We can find great hope in these promises. And that hope will never grow dull. • A. W. Smith

• As you read the Bible, do you think about what God might be saying to you? It can be easy to forget that God’s Word isn’t like other writings—it’s written by God Himself, and it’s “alive and active” (Hebrews 4:12). Consider taking some time to read today’s Scripture again, paying attention to what God might be saying to you. Sometimes He reveals sin in our lives that we need to confess and turn away from, or He reminds us to trust Him through a difficult time, or He gives us clarity on a situation in our lives, or He assures us that He will always love us.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword… Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 34:4-10; 46:1-3; JEREMIAH 29:13-14; 1 PETER 5:6-7

Since I was eleven, I would write down the exciting points of my life and put them in my journal. It was a way to acknowledge all the hidden thoughts and emotions in my mind.

This journal was also filled with anxious thoughts. These pages would often be left negative and unresolved. And when I reread them, I would get anxious and mad all over again.

It’s been six years since I first started journaling. In that time, I’ve found that writing prayers at the end of my journal entries, whether difficult or happy, gives them a reason for hope and joy. When I pray, I talk to God and often become filled with joy because I know that God always hears me and won’t push me away.

We all express our emotions in different ways. But one thing that is true for all of us is that God wants us to pray and rely on Him by giving Him all of our cares—He invites us to trust Him to take care of us (1 Peter 5:7). When we do this, we acknowledge that He’s in control of everything in our lives and we have no need to worry, because He loves us. We have hope in knowing that God will never leave us. Because of Jesus’s death and resurrection, we can be sure that He is always with us. Through everything we face, God is our hope. He is our reason to rejoice. • Chloe Chambers

• What are some ways you process your feelings? Journaling, talking with a trusted person, going for a walk outside, etc.?

• If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you can know that He is with you all the time, including when you’re processing your thoughts and feelings. Have you ever tried talking to God as you process? It’s okay to be totally honest with Him—He gets it, and He is eager to listen to us and help us (Hebrews 4:14-16). We can trust Him with all our feelings, even the messy ones. Consider taking some time to process whatever thoughts and emotions you’re experiencing today, maybe through journaling. You can talk to God in prayer as you go, or end your time with a prayer.

God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Psalm 46:1 (CSB)

READ: MATTHEW 28:20; ROMANS 8:12-25; REVELATION 2:12-17

Just when you think it can’t get any darker, I murmured as I watched over the hidden compound where we had to bring more Believers that morning. A small girl and her older brother were wrapped in a ragged blanket, hungrily eating hot soup. I wished we had arrived sooner, but now their parents were gone.

There was a rustle in the dense trees just beyond where I kept watch. Tensing, I gripped the handle of my weapon and crept forward. Zon, be with me! This prayer echoed in the frantic beating of my heart. When I burst through the trees, I nearly stumbled in my astonishment. He stood before me, brandishing a double-edged sword that gleamed like sunshine on the sea. “Do not be afraid, Psephos.” His voice was the sound of mighty, rushing water.

“Zon? Is it you?” Tears of hope and longing welled up in my eyes.

“It is I,” He answered, “the Living One.”

I fell at his feet, tears tracking down my cheeks. Zon dropped His sword and sank to the ground, wrapping His arms around me. “I know you are weary. I have seen the evil and darkness in this land. You and many Believers have remained true to my name, even in the face of death.”

“How much longer until you come to rescue us?”

Zon seemed to look into the depths of my soul. “Through my Spirit, I have given my people the power to remain faithful, Psephos. Yet, some among you are returning to their old ways and running after gods and possessions and experiences that will not satisfy. Only my love can satisfy you, and I have given it freely through my own death and resurrection. Remind the people of my words; encourage them to repent and return to me.”

“Will you stay with me, Zon?”

“I am always with you, to the very end of the age. Those who love me will be victorious, because I am the Victorious One. Here is something to remind you that you are mine, and I will always provide for you.” Zon placed something small and cool into my hand. I opened my palm to see a white stone with a single word written on it.

I read aloud, “Athoos. What does it mean?” “It is your new name, my child. It means, innocent.” • Savannah Coleman

• Today’s devotion is inspired by Revelation 2:12-17. This passage was written to the church in Pergamum. They lived in a culture where there was a lot of idol worship and sin, not unlike today. Jesus, the Living One, commends them for remaining true to His name and standing strong even in the face of severe persecution leading to death. How could it be encouraging to know that Jesus sees everything we’re going through, and He is always close beside us, even in our suffering?

• As we continue reading in Revelation 2:14, we find that some of the Christians in Pergamum were turning back to idolatry and sinful practices, and Jesus urges them to repent. Then Jesus says that the victorious one will be given “hidden manna” (verse 17). Various Bible scholars debate what this passage means, but in Exodus 16, we see how God provided for the Israelites by giving them manna, bread from heaven to eat in the wilderness. Jesus harkens back to this in John 6, and He says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry” (verse 35). Just as God provided manna, He gave us His one and only Son—Jesus is everything we need (John 3:16; 1 Peter 1:3; 2 Peter 1:3). Once we put our trust in Jesus, we become children of God; we are adopted into His family forever. He promises us eternal life, and He satisfies our deepest longings. We no longer need to live according to the flesh—reverting to our old, sinful ways—because we have God’s power in us to walk in freedom. Consider taking some time to ask God to reveal any old, sinful ways you’ve been going to instead of going to Him. You can confess any sins that come to mind, resting in Jesus’s sure forgiveness, and you can ask Him for wisdom in how to move forward. In addition to talking to God, who are trusted Christians in your life you can be honest with about your struggles?

• While Bible scholars aren’t totally sure what the “white stone” mentioned in Revelation 2:17 signifies, we do know that, in ancient times, some juries used white stones to vote for a person’s acquittal. On our own, none of us is innocent; none of us deserve acquittal. Yet, because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for us, we who are in Christ are no longer condemned (Romans 8:1). Through His sacrifice and resurrection, He has set us free! Sin results in death, but God freely gives us the gift of eternal life through His Son Jesus (Romans 6:15-23). (If you want to know more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page.) How could remembering our innocence before God, a costly innocence purchased with Jesus’s own blood, make us “eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14)? (If you want to dig deeper, read Romans 6:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-10; Titus 2:11-14.)

“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.” Revelation 2:17 (NIV)

READ: 1 SAMUEL 20:41-42; ROMANS 12:10, 15-16

Do you ever feel ashamed for crying? Sometimes, it can feel like we need to be tough and strong, not weepy. But that’s not what we see in the Bible.

In 1 Samuel 20:41, for example, we see how the mighty warrior-king David openly wept when he had to move away from his best friend Jonathan. It says, “David got up from the south side of the stone Ezel, fell facedown to the ground, and paid homage three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept with each other, though David wept more.”

And if you keep reading in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, and in the psalms David wrote, you’ll find other instances when David cried. Yet, you’ll also find stories of David’s bravery in facing countless enemies. He killed lions and bears that came after his sheep, and he faced down the giant Goliath when everyone else was afraid to (1 Samuel 17:1–18:7). David was tough and strong—and weepy.

It was because of his confidence in God that David could have the courage to face his enemies, and the honesty to face his own emotions. He cried openly and without shame—and he’s not the only one. Jesus cried too. Jesus is the ultimate Warrior-King, and He wept when His friend Lazarus died, even though He was about to bring the dead man back to life (John 11:35).

God gave us our emotions. It’s not wrong to cry—it’s how we process the way we feel when we’re hurting. God invites us to use our tears, not only to grieve our own losses, but also to enter into the sadness of others. This is possible because Jesus promises to be with us in our grief, and He also promises to return one day. Then, He will wipe away every tear when He resurrects us from the dead and restores His creation. But in the meantime, we can take comfort knowing that Jesus sits beside us in every sorrow and weeps with us. • A. W. Smith

• Does crying make you uncomfortable? God is not ashamed of your tears. In fact, God created us to have emotions, and crying is a healthy way to express those emotions. God loves us and cares when we’re hurting. Jesus died and rose again for us so He could be with us in our pain, weeping alongside us. The next time you feel like you need to cry, you can picture Jesus weeping with you. How might knowing that He weeps with us affect the way we view our own emotions?

Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Romans 12:15 (CSB)

READ: PSALMS 27; 63; 84

We sing of Your power,We lift up Your might,We praise Your goodness and grace!We exalt You as holy,We kneel to Your Name—But for a glimpse of Thy face.In Your face is delightthat none can contain,gladness, glory, and beauty!For You are our Maker,our soul’s one desire—Our spirit is thirsting for Thee.Your presence, O God,Your beauty we seek,Your face as fair as the dawn!For nothing on earthshall yet satisfy—Our heart yearns for Thee alone.

What do you think it means to gaze at God’s beauty (Psalm 27:4)? Some Bible teachers describe it as simply taking pleasure in God—praising and delighting in every aspect of His being, much like we might take a long hike just to enjoy the coolness and calm of a secluded waterfall. Likewise, we can travel paths that lead us to the refreshing peace of God’s presence (Psalm 23:2-3). The path is not hidden—many have gone before. Most notably, we can follow the words of the psalmists. May we read them, sing them, pray them—and let God speak through them. Day by day, let us join with David in saying, “Your face, LORD, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8). And as we do, may we grow to recognize and delight in His glory, His goodness, His grace…and yes, His beauty. For once we know Him, nothing less than beautiful will do. • G. Kam Congleton

• What kinds of circumstances are the psalmists facing? Do they seem shy about asking for God’s help? Is it possible that being in God’s presence is one way we experience His help?

• Now the question is: How do we seek the presence—or face—of God? A great way to begin is to simply do what the psalmists do. Consider taking some time to talk to God, using the psalms as a model. Remember that as you seek God, He is already seeking you. We know this because Jesus “came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Without Jesus, we are all lost—adrift, cut off from where we belong—because our sin separates us from God. But, through Jesus’s death and resurrection, we can be reconciled—or reconnected—to God (Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Colossians 1:22). And so, putting our trust in Jesus is the first step in experiencing God’s presence (Hebrews 4:14-16). (You can find out more about trusting Jesus on our "Know Jesus" page.)

One thing I ask from the LORD…that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. Psalm 27:4 (NIV)

READ: GALATIANS 5:16-25, 6:7-10; COLOSSIANS 3:1-17

Have you ever thought about how your habits form you and take you places? For example, if you have a habit of brushing your teeth every day, your teeth are likely healthy. If you were to neglect this habit, it would be quite obvious.

Developing intentional, healthy habits is something that we, as Christians, are called to do. But there are other habits that seem to sneak in without us even realizing, and sometimes these habits are negative. These unexamined, negative habits could be hours of scrolling through social media, staying up way too late every night, or even keeping a messy bedroom (I’ve really struggled with that last one). These habits can leave us anxious, exhausted, and overstimulated.

Why do our habits matter to God? Well, Romans 12:1 says to “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.” It calls this our “true and proper worship.” Being a “living sacrifice” affects our whole lives—including our day-to-day habits. Of course, we can’t do this perfectly. Jesus is the only perfect sacrifice. Through His sinless life, death on the cross, and resurrection from the dead, He made the way for us to be with Him forever. And, if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He is living in us through the Holy Spirit, empowering us to live as holy and pleasing sacrifices and to develop intentional, God-honoring habits. These habits help us focus on Jesus’s presence with us and remember that we are dead to sin and alive in Christ. They could be Scripture reading, prayer, worship, being part of a Christian community, or journaling. These habits are easier some days than others, but when we continue in them, we often find that we continue to trust Jesus and His love for us more and more. And as we grow in our understanding of His love, we also grow in our love for God and our neighbors. We learn to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24).

Forming habits is not about trying to earn your way into the Kingdom of God. We can only become God’s people by putting our trust in Jesus. Habits, however, are great practical ways to deepen our relationship with Jesus and learn to walk in step with Him. • Joshua Schmitz

• Over the next few days, consider paying attention to your habits. What do you do when you get up in the morning? Before you go to bed? Before you leave home? When you get home? As you notice these habits and patterns in your life, ask, “Where is this habit leading me?” Is it leading you to live according to today’s Bible passages (Galatians 5:16-25, 6:7-10; Colossians 3:1-17)?

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)

READ: ISAIAH 41:10; JOHN 14:18; 15:12-15; HEBREWS 13:5

Have people ever let you down so much that you don’t want to get up again? I know I have felt like this many times. Or maybe you see all of your friends hanging out, and you feel like you’re the “backup friend.” Many times in my life, I saw my friends hanging out without me, and they would rarely talk to me. I’d always have to be the first one to reach out to them. Sometimes, I felt so severely depressed, I felt I couldn’t even tell my family about what I was going through. And I felt that Jesus was ignoring me too.

But the truth is, even if it feels like you’re alone in your troubles, someone is always next to you. Jesus is with you always and forever. He never ignores you. He sees your troubles and your sorrows. He always understands what you’re going through, and He wants to be there for you.

Jesus died and rose again to make the way for you to become His friend. And Jesus empathizes with you—remember, He knows firsthand what it’s like to be abandoned by your friends—and He invites you to talk to Him sincerely (Mark 14:50; Hebrews 4:14-16). Just tell Him what’s on your heart, and He will listen and comfort you, often through His Word, the Bible. Jesus is the best friend who will never betray you. He will never leave you alone in the darkness. • Violet Kotovets

• Friendships are an important part of life. In fact, friendship was God’s idea! Yet, in our world that has been broken by sin, friendship can sometimes feel out of reach. And even when we are surrounded by friends, these relationships can often leave us feeling disappointed. In times like these, how could it be comforting to know that Jesus is the friend we can always count on?

• If you’re having difficulty finding good friendships, consider taking some time to be honest with God and tell Him how this makes you feel. You can also ask Him to help you notice opportunities He may be giving you to invest in relationships with the people around you.

• Today’s devotion mentions feeling severely depressed. If you are feeling depressed, or if it’s been more than a couple weeks since you’ve felt happy, tell a trusted adult. If you need someone to talk to, you can request a free conversation with Focus on the Family’s Counseling Department by calling 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Please be prepared to leave your contact information for a counselor to return a call to you as soon as possible. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

“And remember, I [Jesus] am with you always, to the end of the age.” Mathew 28:20 (CSB)

READ: ROMANS 12:16-21; EPHESIANS 4:31-32; 2 TIMOTHY 2:22-26

Have you ever worked on a complex math problem, only to realize that you made a mistake partway through? By the time you get to the end, there’s no fixing it. All you can do is start over from the beginning.

The same can be true in our relationships with other people. Sometimes, we realize that a problem has been building and building in our relationship with a friend or family member. And the only way to fix it is to go back to the beginning of the problem.

Often, this means we’ll have to admit where we did something wrong and apologize. This can be difficult to do, but God is eager to help us. He invites us to admit our sins to Him, remembering that He forgives us, and He helps bring us into right relationship with others.

How does God help us in our relationships? Well, through Jesus’s death and resurrection, God made the way to bring us into right relationship with Himself. He forgave our sins, giving us His righteousness and restoring us to friendship with God. And if Jesus restored that relationship, He can help restore our friendships too. Because of His forgiveness, we can admit the things we’ve done wrong, and we can also forgive others for the ways they’ve wronged us.

So, when we get into a fight with someone, we can think back to the beginning. We can ask ourselves where we said or did unkind things, and we can ask Jesus to show us how we caused hurt. We can confess our sins to Jesus and rest in His sure forgiveness, and we can also pray for the other person and ask Him to heal the hurts we’ve caused each other. Then, we can go to that person and talk it over. It can be tempting to carry a grudge, but when we rely on Jesus—the ultimate restorer of relationships—we can admit our mistakes and our sins, we can experience forgiveness, and our friendships can be restored. • A. W. Smith

• How can knowing that Jesus restored our relationship with God help us lean on Him to restore our other relationships?

• Is there a relationship you’re struggling with? Consider spending some time in prayer, asking Jesus to help you see where you caused hurt and asking Him for forgiveness and healing in that relationship. Remember, forgiving someone doesn’t always mean being in close relationship with them, and full restoration may only come when Jesus returns. If your situation involves a deep hurt, who is a trusted adult in your life who could help you set up loving boundaries?

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone…not resentful. 2 Timothy 2:24 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 14:22-23; LUKE 5:16; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18

Have you ever had to face the same problem over and over again? I think we all have from time to time. A few months ago, I had a difficult situation at work. It went on for quite some time, and I relied heavily on the Lord for guidance. It was during this time that I was reminded of the importance of prayer. The problem that I faced leaked into everything, but with practice, so did prayer.

When I sit in small groups at church, there are often moments when we’re asked what we need to be doing more of in our walk with the Lord. I’d guess that seven times out of ten, people say they need to “pray more.” And this is a great goal—God loves to hear from us, and He invites us to talk with Him through prayer continually. But then the next Sunday would roll around, and no one had prayed more.

I don’t know about you, but I’m big into routines. So, I ended up building a routine of prayer. I prayed first thing when I sat down in my car, all the way to work, and on my drive home. There were two sets of stairs that I frequently prayed on. And to this day, when I reach those stairs or sit down in my car, I automatically launch into a prayer. And you know what? I saw God open and close doors for me in ways that I didn’t deserve and couldn’t imagine.

Prayer is important. But don’t just take my word for it. The Bible tells us in the book of Luke that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). And in Matthew 14:23, Jesus goes alone to pray after the death of His cousin, John the Baptist. Later, we see Jesus go to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray before He goes to the cross for our sins. Even though God the Son knew He would rise again, He still cried out to God the Father.

Jesus loves us, and He knows that we need to be talking with Him continually through prayer. He is our lifeline. So, what could your prayer stairs be? • Natty Maelle

• If you know Jesus, He is always with you through His Spirit, offering guidance, comfort, and strength. Why is it important that we regularly take time to talk, and listen, to Him through prayer?

• Do you have something that you could make your “prayer stairs” today? Think about your habits and the places you go regularly. Could any of those places become places of prayer? How might you go about building a habit of prayer in your life?

Pray continually… 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)

READ: LUKE 11:9-13; JOHN 16:1-15; EPHESIANS 1:18

In college, I had a professor who started class discussions about readings by showing us a picture of a lightning bolt striking the earth. Then she’d ask the question, “What struck you?” Sometimes, I like to ask myself this kind of question when I read the Bible. I like this simple approach of just looking for one thing that sticks out to me. It could be a word, a phrase, something someone did or said—or didn’t say or do. I like to pay attention to how this one thing makes me feel, because when we read the Bible, we’re not just reading for information or instructions. God is inviting us to interact with Him. The Holy Spirit helps us notice things, and He invites us to go deeper with God, to know Him better, to trust Him more.

So, when I read a passage in the Bible, I usually start by asking God to help me see what He wants to show me. I might have to read the passage more than once, but something almost always “strikes me” or sticks out to me. As I spend some time thinking and praying about it, I ask God questions and tell Him what I like—or don’t like—about that one thing.

Here’s an example: On Monday, I read John 16:1-15. In this passage, Jesus knows He is going to the cross the next day—and that He will rise from the dead three days later—and He promises His followers that the Holy Spirit will come to them after He ascends to the Father. When I read this passage, the word receive stuck out to me in verses 13-15: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth…He will glorify me [Jesus] because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

As I contemplated the word receive, I marveled at the mystery of the Trinity—one God in three persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As I dwelt on the idea of the Holy Spirit receiving from the Son, I was struck by how God is so giving, and I felt restful. So, on Tuesday, I wanted to journal about the word receive, and I did. But as I was reading John 16:1-15 again, another word stuck out to me. This time it was guide. I had recently been thinking about how Jesus is our Good Shepherd (John 10:11), and it made me feel relieved to be reminded that God guides us—it was just what I needed to hear. Isn’t our God so kind? As we seek Him and spend time in His Word, Jesus draws us into deeper and deeper relationship with Himself. He is so generous to give us understanding and to guide us. • Hannah Howe

• How do you like to read the Bible? Have you ever tried talking to God about what you read?

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. Psalm 119:18 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 32:1-11; 103:4; JOHN 8:12; ACTS 26:9-18

Blinking open his eyes he looked out into darkness.

“How long have I been here?” he asked the darkness.

“Innumerable days,” came the melancholy response.

“How long shall I stay here?” he asked the darkness.

“An insurmountable time,” came the dreary response.

“Who shall stay with me?” he asked the darkness.

“None but your shadow,” came the disdainful response.

Then, a light flickered in the corner of his sight. A soft glow, glowing ever brighter.

“How long have I been here?” he asked the light.

“Long enough, my dear child,” came the loving response.

“How long shall I stay here?” he asked the light.

“Not a moment longer. Come and return to me,” came the guiding response.

“Who shall go with me?” he asked the light.

“My spirit shall guide you forever, no matter how far you stray,” came the gracious response.

A single tear of joy streaked his face as he now saw to whom he spoke.

“Then my Lord, I’ve but one last question. When may we leave?” • Gracee Terrell

• Have you ever felt you’ve strayed so far from God that He couldn’t possibly want you back? Sin is like a hopeless, dark pit. But God tells us in His Word that He always wants to restore us, and that Jesus is the One who seeks and saves us (Luke 15:1-32; 19:10; 1 Timothy 2:4-6). Jesus is the Light, and because He died for our sins and rose again, everyone who puts their trust in Jesus is forgiven and saved from the darkness of sin and death (Colossians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 2:9). Once we belong to Jesus, nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:35-39). No matter how far we fall, God will always be there to guide us back. He works through His Word (the Bible), His people (the church), and His Spirit—who guides us into all truth (John 16:13). Even when we forget our identity as beloved children of light, He mercifully reminds us of His love and truth and helps us follow Him faithfully (Ephesians 5:8-14; 1 Thessalonians 5:5-11).

“…to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me [Jesus].” Acts 26:18 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 62:5-8; 87:7; ISAIAH 1:18; 1 CORINTHIANS 1:30

Sure is the hope of our righteousness,pure is the Word of the Lord;He is the rock of my salvation,He alone is my reward.“Come now, let us settle the matter,”says the LORD,“Though your sins are like scarlet,…they shall be like wool.” My soul waits in silence for God only,His face, as the morning sun;In Him my refuge and my salvation rest,He is the Eternal One.“Come now, let us settle the matter,”says the LORD,“Though your sins are like scarlet,…they shall be like wool.” He is the fountain of all our joy,He is the song that we sing;Jesus the Son of Righteousness—our God, the glorious King!* Isaiah 1:18

Bible scholars describe the gift of Christ’s righteousness in different ways: some picture it as being washed clean in God’s eyes; others say it is to be in right standing with God—like a person on trial being found not guilty. Receiving Christ’s righteousness certainly includes these truths, but it goes a step further. It not only means we are set free from guilt and punishment—that is, we are “free to go”—it also means we are joyfully welcomed into the fellowship of God’s family. Here, we are clothed in Christ’s righteousness: our place is set, our name is known, and we never need to prove our worth. In Christ, we are Home indeed. • G. Kam Congleton

• Because Jesus has made the way for us to be transformed and made new, as Christians, we can freely confess our failures, while at the same time rejoicing confidently in Christ’s love, for we have received His gift: the sure hope of His righteousness. How is Jesus our ultimate refuge from sin, guilt, and fear? Consider taking a moment to confess any sins that come to mind to Jesus, resting in His forgiveness. (For more about the gift of Jesus’s righteousness, see our "Know Jesus" page.)

For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:17 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 90:4; JAMES 4:13-14; 2 PETER 3:8

Have you ever heard the saying, “Life is short, and then you die”?

That saying certainly applies to cicadas. Cicadas are big, noisy bugs that look kind of like grasshoppers. And every seventeen years, a certain type of cicada shows up from underground in a massive swarm to mate and lay eggs. But the cicadas don’t last very long. They live for only about six weeks once they emerge from the ground. Their lives are short, and then they die.

A cicada’s life is very brief compared to the lives of most people, but in a way, our lives are just as short. Sure, we may know people who live to be over ninety years old. This seems like a long time to us, but ninety years is only a brief time to God—after all, He is eternal. James 4:14 says, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

So, in a way, the saying is right. We live for just a short time, and then we die. But it’s missing something.

As Christians, we know that when we die, our spirits will be with Jesus. And one day, when He returns, He will resurrect our bodies from the dead and we will have eternal life with Him. For those who trust in Jesus, death is not the end. We will live with Him for ever and ever! We don’t have to fear death—or even a short life— because Jesus promises us eternity with Him. • A. W. Smith

• Do you know someone who has lived a really long time? No matter how old they are, their life is like a vanishing mist when compared to eternity. Our lives are short, but that doesn’t mean we have to fear death. Jesus was willing to die for us, and then He rose from His grave so we could be saved and have eternal life. And when we put our trust in Him, we can know that He will resurrect us from the dead and we will live forever with Him. (Find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

• Do you ever think about the brevity of your life and the opportunities you may or may not have? How could it be comforting to know that, as Christians, we get to look forward to living in restored creation with Jesus and the whole family of believers for eternity? And how could this hope give us courage to follow Jesus here and now? (Romans 14:8-9; Philippians 1:21-26)

What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:14 (NIV)

READ: EPHESIANS 4:22–5:2; HEBREWS 12:1-3; 2 PETER 1:3-9

Do you have vivid dreams? I dream vividly almost every night. Once, I had a hilarious dream about a team of ostriches flying, pulling me on a sleigh in the sky. We landed in a parking lot so they could take a break and join an exercise class.

But last night, I dreamed I was crossing an immense desert on rollerblades. Every few feet, there were tarantulas the size of umbrellas coming out of the sand to grab me. I had to be very careful where I stepped (not easy on rollerblades in sand) because, at any moment, the sand would start to move, and another spider would surface from beneath.

This ridiculous dream reminded me of living as a Christian. In life, we encounter many difficulties and fears (giant spiders, anyone?), and some of these surface when and where we least expect. So, we need to rid ourselves of things that hinder us from navigating well.

If I had been wearing different footwear in my dream, I would have been able to avoid the tarantulas more effectively and quickly. Similarly, as we rely on Jesus to help us rid ourselves of things not glorifying to Him, we’ll be able to walk through hard times in a way that honors Him and helps us grow. When we rest in the truth of the gospel and Jesus’s love for us, it gets easier to let go of the sinful patterns that hinder us. In addition, Jesus helps us put on the good things God equips us with, such as self-control, perseverance, and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-8).

In Ephesians 4, Paul reminds followers of Christ that, because Jesus has made us new, we will live differently than we used to. Not only are we to put off our old self, but we are to renew our minds and put on our new self, holy and righteous like God. As Jesus helps us shed the old ways of bitterness and anger, He helps us put on compassion and forgiveness. Then we can walk in His love, just as He loved us. • Savannah Coleman

• How does sin hold us back from responding well to the fears and difficulties we face? Consider asking God to search your heart and reveal what sins you need to put off. Even as children of God, we will struggle with sin, but it no longer has to own us. As we renew our minds in the Word, spend time with the Lord in prayer, and pursue community with other believers, God will illuminate the things that need to change. He loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die and be resurrected to save us, and His ways are always best. He will walk with us in compassion and mercy, giving us the strength and hope we need to walk in His good ways.

For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6:14 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 139:13-16; ISAIAH 49:15; ROMANS 5:1-11

Have you ever felt undervalued? You try to speak and state your views, but people disregard them, ignoring your ideas or even ridiculing them. Perhaps you have been overlooked in the planning or details of an event. In situations like these, it would be easy, and only human, to believe we are insignificant.

Negative comments, not being included, or breakups in friendships can leave anyone feeling despondent and miserable. We may be left with a sense of being second place or even completely overlooked. We feel hurt and disappointed. What can we do in times like these?

Remember that this world is imperfect and broken. People don’t always realize they have excluded you or ignored you. You can accept the emotions you experience, and process them with Jesus and with people you trust, but you don’t have to dwell on them too long. Instead, you can find hope in remembering the truths of God’s kingdom.

God is a loving Father. He deeply cares for each one of His children. You are His unique creation. You are adored and cherished. Whatever situation you are currently dealing with matters greatly to God. You are a priority to Him. He wants you—and all of us—to enjoy relationship and eternal life with Him (1 Timothy 2:4). He loves you so much that He gave His Son, Jesus, to save you. Jesus’s sacrifice was enough to cover your sins, and the sins of others who have hurt you. And through His death and resurrection, He is working to restore the brokenness inherited since humans first sinned at the fall. Jesus sees your pain, and He weeps with you. But He also says, it will not always be this way. He wants to draw you into community with other believers who will extend His love to you. Your laughter, trials, dreams, and ideas are important. Even if everyone else abandons you, God’s love for you is constant. Whenever you feel insignificant, you can reach out to Him. • Cindy Lee

• When have you felt marginalized, forgotten, or last on someone else’s agenda? You can offer this hurt and sadness up to God. Take heart, you are a priority to Him, and He loves you deeply. (If you want to know more about God’s love and how to have a relationship with Him, see our "Know Jesus" page.)

• Who is someone in your life you can build up, reassure, and remind that they are valued? Kind words, sincere compliments, listening, a phone call, a thoughtful email, text, or message in a card are all ways of reminding people that they are valued and they matter. What could you do today?

See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1 (WEB)

READ: PSALM 10:4; MATTHEW 11:28-30; PHILIPPIANS 2:5-13; 1 PETER 5:5-7

One of the things that gives me the greatest anxiety in life is thinking about what others think of me. I worry about what the other shoppers think of me when I’m in the store, and I worry about what my family thinks of me when we get together. I’ve started to wonder, is it pride that makes me worry about all of this? Wanting to look good, and wanting others to think well of me?

In 1 Peter 5, we read about pride and anxiety—and the two seem to be linked here, just like they are in my own life. It says, “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (verses 5-7).

We’re called to be humble because God is not a fan of pride. Pride keeps us focused on ourselves instead of on God, and pride can easily turn into anxiety when we realize we fall short. But, once we know Jesus, we’re given a new identity in Him, so we don’t have to fear what others think of us. And, as His Spirit transforms us, He helps us repent of pride and grow in humility.

When we are humble, we’re trusting God will lift us up and put us in a good position at the right time, and when Jesus returns, we’ll share in His glory. While I concern myself with trying to make sure that I don’t fail and trying to look good in front of others, God asks that I just be humble. He wants to carry my anxieties for me, and He is always looking out for me. • Emily Acker

• It’s easy to worry about how others see us and try to figure out how we can impress them, whether with our lifestyle, accomplishments, humor, appearance, etc. But when we put our trust in Jesus, we receive a new identity: we are forgiven children of God, and we don’t need to try to impress Him or anyone else. We know we’re not perfect—that we desperately need Jesus every moment—and that’s okay, because He loves us. How could this kind of humility be freeing?

• Jesus shows us what true humility looks like. Jesus is God the Son, yet He “made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant…he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:7-8). Jesus died for us, and then He rose again so we could be saved from sin and death. How can looking at Jesus help us walk in humility?

“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 14:11 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 19:9-10; JOHN 1:1-5, 15; LUKE 4:14-21; HEBREWS 4:12

Of all the things I learned at Bible college, the most important thing I learned was from Dr. Kroeze. In every class, Dr. Kroeze’s excitement for the Bible was contagious. As he talked about the Scriptures, he would bounce up and down on his toes, close his eyes and gesture with his hands, and sometimes take off his glasses and spin them. Most classes ended a bit late because he never wanted to skip any detail. In fact, he got so caught up in teaching the Word that he’d never have time to finish everything he wanted to cover. I don’t think we ever completed the syllabus. But that’s okay, because the most important thing Dr. Kroeze taught me was how to love the Bible. He spoke with such wonder, affection, and excitement about Scripture that I couldn’t help but fall in love with it.

If you’ve grown up in the church, it’s easy for the stories in the Bible to become just that—stories. We can forget that these were real things that happened to real people engaging with a real God. But when we approach Scripture with childlike wonder and curiosity, letting ourselves get swept up in the drama of the story instead of only ever pursuing the exact correct theological interpretation of every little detail, we get a fresh taste of who God is.

Don’t get me wrong—I love theology! And pursuing solid Biblical interpretation and sound doctrine are vital to the Christian faith. But sometimes we get so bogged down in the details that we miss the beauty of the larger story. We miss out on beholding the divine mystery of grace. Scripture tells the story of God’s ridiculous, never-ending love for us, and His pursuit of His people through hundreds of generations. This pursuit culminates in God taking on human flesh in Jesus, walking among the people He’d been pursuing for thousands of years, teaching them the true meaning of the Scriptures they had been studying for generations, embodying God’s own presence with them, then being killed by Jewish authorities on a Roman cross, only to resurrect from the dead three days later and then ascend into heaven. All because He loves us.

I think that’s what made Dr. Kroeze fall in love with the Bible. It tells the story of Jesus, who loves us enough to lay down His life for us, who is powerful enough to rise from the dead, and who promises to raise us from the dead and give us eternal life when He returns. And that’s a story worth listening to. • Taylor Eising

• What part of the Bible captivates your attention? Why is that?

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my [Jesus’s] words will never pass away.” Matthew 24:35 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 7:1-5; ROMANS 8:1; JAMES 3

Yesterday, we talked about how the little habits we maintain as Christians can make a big difference. I shared the story of how I forgot to post information online prior to an important meeting at work—a responsibility that previously hadn’t felt all that important.

After the meeting, I found myself trying to justify why I hadn’t uploaded the agenda. Generally, someone else sends it to me, then I upload it. So, I went through my emails to see if the agenda had ever been given to me. I saw that I had requested it, never received it. But that was months ago. It was my job to keep track of what was or wasn’t posted, and it was my responsibility to reach out to this individual and follow up with them. I’d had plenty of time.

At work the next day, it took everything in me not to pin the blame on this person. And while maybe I shouldn’t take on all the responsibility for this error, it was in the end, mine.

As Christians, taking ownership of our thoughts, words, and actions is huge. In Matthew 7:3-5, Jesus warns us against calling out other people’s faults but ignoring our own. Similarly, the book of James talks at great length about the impact of our words and deeds on other people who are made in the image of God. As Christians, we are called and empowered to walk with integrity and represent Christ well. Part of that is owning up to our mistakes and sins.

But taking ownership doesn’t just apply to our interactions with people. Taking ownership for our sin is a massive part of salvation. When we accept Jesus’s gift of forgiveness and become a Christian, we are admitting that, apart from Him, we are sinful people. And as we grow in our relationship with Jesus, He calls us to be open with Him about all our mistakes and sins, along with all our frustrations and hopes. As we yield to the Holy Spirit, He works in us, transforming us to become more and more like Christ and grow in His love. • Natty Maelle

• A big part of ownership is accountability. We all make mistakes, and we all sin. It’s tempting to not own up to what we’ve done—or worse, let someone else take the blame for it—and that’s why it’s important to have people in our lives who can hold us accountable. Who is a trusted Christian you can be honest with, especially when you’re struggling? Consider asking them to help you grow, check in on you to ask how certain problems are going, pray with you, etc.

• Have you received Jesus’s gift of freedom from sin? Carrying around sin can be incredibly heavy—especially when guilt gets involved. You can give all that to Jesus today. He died on the cross, taking all of that sin on Himself, and then He rose again, cancelling it all out ("Know Jesus" page).

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other. James 5:16 (NIV)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 15:55-58; HEBREWS 10:24-25; JAMES 2:14-26

Do you have a responsibility that feels like it doesn’t matter? Part of my job is updating the township’s website. When we have public meetings, I upload what are called agendas (which describe the meeting’s subject matter) to the website. Not a big deal, right? Well one day, we had a board meeting where a very hot topic was being discussed. Citizens were up in arms, and what is usually a very relaxed meeting turned into a mess of questions and claims.

I attend the meetings to learn about and be involved in the community. I don’t have to say or do anything. So, you can understand my shock when all of a sudden someone says, “We didn’t know this whole issue was happening because the agenda wasn’t posted on the website.” Suddenly, I felt just as involved in this issue as the board members everyone was frustrated with. Was my not uploading the agenda a criminal offence? No. But the fact that I didn’t complete my “small” responsibility was adding gasoline to an already fiery flame.

Sometimes, as Christians, there are things that we feel aren’t a big deal. Do I really have to read my Bible? Do I really have to go to church? And while there isn’t a set of requirements for being a Christian—other than repenting of our sins and receiving God’s forgiveness through faith in Jesus—there are some things that are good for us to be part of. It’s good to read the Bible because it gives God more opportunities to speak to us. It’s good to go to church gatherings because it’s good to be with other believers, encouraging one another, worshipping God together, and learning more about Him. It’s even good just to pray before a meal because it helps us practice thankfulness. And, just like my little responsibility of posting the agenda, we might discover that those little habits make a bigger difference than we expected. • Natty Maelle

• Is there a particular Christian habit you’d like to do more? Maybe practicing silence, or prayer, or thankfulness? Sometimes, we don’t make something a priority because we don’t KNOW what the Bible says about it. On the other hand, have you ever tried to work on different habits or responsibilities and just ended up getting discouraged and giving up? You’re not alone. We’ve all done that. And Jesus is still with us—He knows we can’t follow Him in our own strength, and He is eager to help us through His Spirit, His Word, and His people. Who are trusted Christians who can help you dig into what the Bible says about certain topics, discern how Jesus might be inviting you to follow Him in your daily life, and encourage you when things get difficult?

…stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV)

READ: LUKE 15:1-3, 11-32

Life can be tough, and we all make mistakes, but one thing that remains constant is God’s mercy. In moments of doubt, fear, or guilt, we often forget just how merciful our heavenly Father is. So, let’s dive into this wonderful aspect of God’s character and reflect on the question: Isn’t it merciful?

What even is mercy anyway? Mercy is often defined as compassion or forgiveness shown by someone in a position of power toward someone who deserves punishment. In essence, it’s about withholding punishment or offering kindness when it’s not deserved. We all sin, and we all fall short of God’s glory— however, God’s mercy is abundant (Romans 3:23-24).

Remember this: God’s mercy is unfailing. It’s not based on what we do or don’t do; it’s a gift freely given (Ephesians 2:1-10; Titus 3:3-7). And Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us that God’s mercies are new every morning. No matter how many times we stumble or fall, God’s mercy is there to pick us up and set us on the right path.

But, humans are imperfect. You may sometimes feel overwhelmed by your own imperfections. You might worry about falling short of expectations, not just from others but also from yourself. But remember, God knows your weaknesses, and His mercy is tailor-made for your imperfections (Hebrews 4:14-16). He knows all your flaws, and He loves you anyway. He loves you so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for you so that you can be forgiven and dwell with Him for eternity (1 Peter 1:3-9).

So, we can now live out God’s mercy. God’s mercy isn’t just for us to receive; it’s also for us to extend to others (Colossians 3:12). We have opportunities every day to show mercy to our friends, family, and people we interact with at school, work, church, the grocery store, etc. By offering forgiveness and compassion, we can be living examples of God’s mercy.

So, let’s revisit the question: Isn’t it merciful? Yes, God’s mercy is a gift that keeps on giving, and it’s available to us every day! We are loved and cherished, imperfections and all. And as we carry the awareness of God’s mercy in our hearts, it shines through our actions toward others. God is always ready to forgive and heal, to welcome us with open arms. • Matthew Shumway

• Can you think of a time someone showed you mercy? What was that like?

• In Jesus’s parable (or symbolic story) in Luke 15, what do you notice about God’s mercy?

The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

READ: EPHESIANS 4:20-24; COLOSSIANS 3:8-14; HEBREWS 10:10-14

Have you ever seen a lizard shed their skin? Chameleons, for example, shed their skin whenever they get too big for it. Unlike humans, their skin doesn’t grow with them. So, when they get too big, they need to shed their smaller, ill-fitting skin and grow new skin.

As Christians, we’re called to shed our old, sinful habits. Things like lying, cheating, and gossiping no longer fit us because Jesus has saved us from sin and given us a new life. Just like a chameleon puts on new skin, we need to put on new, godly characteristics that fit who we are as God’s children—things like kindness, patience, and humility. The Bible tells us that Christians take off the old self and put on the new self—the person Jesus has created us to be.

And the only way to do this is through the Holy Spirit. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, believing in His death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit lives in us, helping us turn away from sin and live in God’s good ways instead.

We can be confident that Jesus has given us new life once we trust Him as our Savior. Then, we can celebrate that He has made us new people! That means our old, sinful ways no longer fit who we are because He has freed us from sin and given us His Spirit. It’s time to shed those old, sinful habits by seeing ourselves as new people, dead to sin and alive in the Holy Spirit because of what Jesus has done for us (Romans 6:11). Then, others can see the new people Jesus has created us to be—people who are like Him, filled with His kindness and love. • A. W. Smith

• If you know Jesus, how have you seen evidence of God transforming you into a new person? How have you seen the Holy Spirit producing good fruit in your life (Galatians 5:22-23)? Consider taking a moment to thank God for this! (For more about trusting Jesus, see our "Know Jesus" page.)

• What old, sinful habits do you still struggle to shed? Sometimes, these will be lifelong struggles, but we’re not alone. Jesus loves us completely, and He has already secured our forgiveness through His own death and resurrection. He invites us to come to Him in our weakness and receive His strength (1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 4:14-16). Consider taking some time in prayer, bringing your struggles to Jesus and thanking Him for His forgiveness. You can ask Him to help you shed these sins and walk forward in His good ways.

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Colossians 3:9-10 (NIV)

READ: LUKE 7:47; JOHN 15:9-15; 1 JOHN 4:19

I don’t know if anyone knows how difficult life is for me, living at the edge of our village. I lost my family long ago and all I can do is spend each day looking for some argoine—the substance we must eat to survive on this planet.

I wake up early in the morning and my body aches. I spent all day yesterday walking around, trying to find the fuel I need to live a little longer. Most of the people around me have families; they help each other find what they need to survive.

I open the door of my shelter and my eyes widen. There, on the ground, is the glowing red substance that is our food. Who would leave this here? I pull the argoine apart and devour it. Today will be easier. I can look for argoine for tomorrow, but what I have eaten is enough for today.

Over the next few days, I wake to a gift each morning. Confused, I decide to stay up through the night and watch to see who is bringing this to me.

Late in the night, I hear footsteps. I stand. “Who is it? Speak.”

“It is me.” The voice is old. “I know what it is like to be alone, to search alone, and I have brought argoine for you.”

I can barely see through the darkness, but I spot my nearest neighbor, a member of the village who has been here since before my family arrived on this planet. She struggles to walk.

“Why would you bring it to me?” I ask. “It’s difficult for you even to look for it.”

“It is difficult, yes,” she says. “But I have been sustained many days. I bring the extra to care for you.”

“You could save it so you don’t have to go out each day,” I say. “Why would you give all that you have to me?”

“Someone once gave their all for me,” she says. “That Someone completely changed my life. All I can do now is give to someone else.” • Emily Acker

• Has someone ever surprised you by giving sacrificially? What was that like?

• We love because Jesus first loved us (1 John 4:19), and because we know how much we’ve been forgiven (Luke 7:47). If you know Jesus, how has the gift that you received from Him—His life given for you—affected the way you live? (For more about knowing Jesus, see our "Know Jesus" page.)

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 56:8; 62:5-8; ISAIAH 40:11; 43:1; 55:8-9

Waves roll wild across the lakeWith every roar my soul achesGrief and sorrow meldLike the waters foam and quakeThis pain and anger testifyMy heart is still awakeThe sharp intake of sobbing breathPounding beat beneath my chestAlternating between sorrow and rageBut still, my God, you know my nameI don’t always understand Your waysSuffering and days of strainThe laying of flowers on a graveI clench my fistsMy grip is tightBut You uncurl my fingersTurn this darkness into lightLike a child pounds her fistsAgainst the chest of the oneShe knows bestI will feel my griefBut not forgetYour complete faithfulnessYour ways are so much higherAnd although I don’t agreeI know that You’ll forever beThe One who carries meToday I feel this sorrowTomorrow, perhaps joyAlways there is Your promise:I will never walk aloneYou bottle every tear that fallsYou will handle all this rageIn You I am found and heldAnd ever, always safe • Savannah Coleman• What emotions do you notice in this poem? Can you think of a time you felt those kinds of emotions? Do you feel that way today? Everyone goes through seasons of grief, pain, and suffering. Whether you are facing a diagnosis you didn’t see coming, missing a loved one who passed, or struggling with depression and anxiety, you are not alone.* God never promised us a life free from troubles, but He does promise His presence and peace (Exodus 33:14; John 16:33). And, He promises that one day Jesus will return and make all things new—then everyone who has put their trust in Jesus will live with Him forever, finally free of all suffering and sorrow (Revelation 21:1-5). What emotions do these promises stir up in you?

• God created us with many emotions and the ability to express them. Instead of shutting these emotions down, we need to process our grief and anger with God. Remember, Jesus is “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), and He knows what it feels like to be human. He did not withhold Himself from any of the pain and sorrow of human life. He entered into it fully, ultimately suffering the agony of the cross so that He could be with us forever (Mark 14:32-36). But death could not keep its hold on Him—He rose again, defeating sin and death and darkness to save us. Nothing we could bring to Him could ever be too much. He already knows it all before we say a word, and He wants to shed His light on every dark place (Psalm 139; Ephesians 5:13-14). Have you ever tried to be open with Him about how you’re feeling? What was that like?

• David wrote many psalms where you can feel his raw emotion bleeding through the pages. His honesty is refreshing and cathartic. Even as he pours out his heart and relays the tragic things that happen to him, he reminds himself to place his hope and trust in God and continue to pour out his heart to the One who loves him (Psalm 62:5-8). (If you want to dig deeper, you can read a few of David’s psalms for yourself: Psalms 31, 34, and 62.) Consider taking some time to let yourself be honest with God and pour out your heart to Him.

• It can be difficult to give ourselves permission to feel the emotions God has given us, but God is eager to help us, and one of the primary ways He helps His people is through His people. Who is a trusted Christian you could talk with about what’s going on in your life and how you feel about it?

• *If you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, or any other mental health concern, who is a trusted adult you could talk to? If you need someone to talk to, you can request a free conversation with Focus on the Family’s Counseling Department by calling 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Please be prepared to leave your contact information for a counselor to return a call to you as soon as possible. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

READ: MARK 9:20-25; JOHN 6:25-35; PHILIPPIANS 1:6

Do you truly believe that Jesus’s way of life is the best way of life? I was raised in the church, and when I was presented with this question, my instinct was to say, “Of course!” Upon further examination, however, I began to realize that if I truly and wholeheartedly believed this, my life would look quite a bit different. If I fully believed Jesus’s way of life is the best, would I take out my anger on my family? Would I have trouble forgiving those who wrong me? And would I neglect listening to what God has for me?

When we put our trust in Jesus to save us from sin and death, believing He died for us and rose again, we can be sure that we belong to Him forever. As Christians, we grow to trust Jesus more and more, bringing every area of our lives into alignment with what He says is best. Yet, this is a lifelong process, one that will only be finished when Jesus returns. So, remembering to trust Jesus is a practice that needs to be done often. One prayer I pray on a weekly basis is, “Jesus, I choose to trust you. Jesus, I want to trust you. Jesus, help me trust you more.” Often, our trust is still pulled away from Jesus by the things of the world, and sometimes we hardly even want to trust Him. This is when the prayer looks like, “Jesus, I want to want to trust you.”

This is a beautiful heart posture, because we’re recognizing we can’t live life on our own, even though we still have a desire to try. And this vulnerability actually helps us trust Jesus more and more, every day. There will be times of struggle when we’re following Jesus, but continuing to turn to Him through the struggle is the best way to learn to trust Him more. In every situation, we can choose to believe that Jesus’s way of life is the best way of life. • Joshua Schmitz

• We all have times when it’s hard to believe that Jesus’s way of life is the best way of life. We’re often tempted to do what we think is best instead of relying on Him and following His good ways. In what areas of your life have you found it difficult to trust Jesus? Why?

• Jesus invites us to be honest with Him about all the reasons it’s hard for us to trust Him. He is eager to assure us of His love and goodness and help us grow in Him. He does this through His Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). Consider taking some time to be open with Jesus, and perhaps a few trusted Christians, about what you’re thinking and feeling.

• If you want to know more about what it means to trust Jesus to save you, see our "Know Jesus" page.

Then he [Jesus] said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:23 (CSB)

READ: JOHN 4:4-30, 39-42

When I was 18, I took part in a scholarship program to earn money for college. All the participants stayed with host families during the week of rehearsals and competition. Volunteer drivers picked us up for events and then returned us to our host homes in the evening.

On the final night, I loaded my bags into the driver’s car for the short trip to the auditorium. Impulsively, I locked the car door as I shut it. Then I realized my mistake—I had locked the car while it was running, locking all of us out of the vehicle. I dreaded walking back inside the host home to explain how I’d messed up.

But they all responded in a way I hadn’t expected. They laughed with me (not at me) and quickly devised a plan. Our driver stayed with the car, waiting for a locksmith, while a host parent stepped in to drive my group to the auditorium. That evening, nobody scorned me for my mishap, which had certainly caused inconvenience. Instead, they surprised me with grace, with patience instead of criticism. I felt I didn’t deserve their kindness, yet they extended it anyway.

This experience reminds me of John 4, when Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman at a well. She had a messy past, and it’s likely she came to the well when she thought no one else would be there. She probably didn’t feel she merited tenderness, either, especially from the Savior. Yet that’s how Jesus approached her, with gentleness and patience, loving her into relationship with Himself. He spoke to her about salvation and worship, and He revealed that He already knew everything about her. He told her the truth about her life and extended His grace.

When we trust in Jesus, as the Samaritan woman did, we receive forgiveness from all our sins and we are credited with His perfect righteousness. Because Jesus died for us and rose again, we can be counted blameless in God’s sight (Ephesians 1:4; Colossians 1:22). And now, as God’s forgiven people, we are called to extend His patience, gentleness, and love toward others who don’t seem to deserve it. Like Jesus did for the woman at the well. Like my roommates did for me the night I locked us out of our car. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Can you think of a time someone showed you patience and gentleness in a meaningful way? What was it like?

• When we’re tempted to beat ourselves up over our mistakes or sins, how can remembering Christ’s gentleness help us come to Him and receive His help?

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)

READ: DEUTERONOMY 8:10-18; 2 CORINTHIANS 3:16-18

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and dreamt about what you might do in the course of your life? Maybe you’ll make a scientific discovery that will save thousands of lives, or write music that will touch thousands of hearts. Maybe someday, everyone will see just how amazing you truly are.

All those twinkling stars seem to make space for dreaming, and the moon shines more brilliantly than them all. On a cloudless night, a full moon can illuminate the landscape, its pale glow moving us to wonder. And yet, the moon doesn’t make any light of its own. Instead, it reflects the sun’s light. Even though the moon shines brightly, it can’t take credit for its brilliance.

And, just like the moon, we can shine too. We reflect a light that is not our own. It’s God’s. He made us and gave us the abilities we have. When we use those abilities, we are reflecting His glory and brilliance, not our own. When we realize this, it shouldn’t make us feel less valuable or less important in the universe. On the contrary, it’s because God has made humans in His very own image that we are the crown of all His creation (Genesis 1:26-31).

And, as Christians, we shine with a special kind of light. Because we’ve trusted Jesus to save us from sin and death through His own death and resurrection, we have the Holy Spirit living in us, filling our hearts with His love (Romans 5:5). God is working in our lives to make us more like Jesus so we can reflect His wondrous love to others.

As we go through life, we may be tempted to take credit for the things we do. But let’s remember, we wouldn’t be able to do anything without God. So, in everything we accomplish, we can reflect the humility of Jesus, the Creator of the universe who humbled Himself to die on a cross for us (Philippians 2:5-13). We can give all the glory to Him, rejoicing that we are His wonderful creations, the people He loves. • A. W. Smith

• What are some of the things you’ve accomplished? Consider taking a moment to praise God, thanking Him for giving you the ability to do all you can do.

• What are some of your dreams and hopes for the future? As you ponder how God has created you, and how He works in your life to help you serve Him and shine His light to others, you can ask Him to guide you in how to steward the gifts and abilities He has given you.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. Psalm 29:2 (NIV)

READ: ROMANS 3:21-26; 6:14; EPHESIANS 1:3-10

I have started a program to read through the Bible in ninety days. That means I’ve been reading a lot from the Old Testament each day. Wow, if there’s one thing I’m learning through my reading, it’s that we have so much to be thankful for when it comes to Jesus, His death on the cross, and the way He gave Himself as the one sacrifice to pay for all our sins.

Before Jesus came, God’s people, the Israelites, were living under the law. The law proves that all of us fall short of God’s glorious standard and reveals our need for Jesus (Romans 3:23-24). In those days, people were required to offer animal sacrifices regularly to cover their sins. Yet, in faith they looked forward to the day God would fulfill His promise to deal with the sin problem once and for all, even though they didn’t know how He would do it.

And God did fulfill His promise—Jesus came as the final sacrifice. He is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). His death on the cross does not merely cover our sins but removes them. So now, we no longer need to offer sacrifices. Because of the death of Jesus, we know grace. A grace that changes our lives. A grace that is available to all of us, no matter how badly we have sinned. Because of the death of Jesus, we are redeemed. All our sins are forgiven. They are forgotten (Isaiah 43:25). We can have a special relationship with God because we are connected to Him through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

It’s easy to forget what the death of Jesus really did to change our lives. It’s important to remember just how different life was for God’s people who came before us, for those who lived before Jesus gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice. • Emily Acker

• What does it show us about the character of God that He sacrificed Himself for us?

• How is the permanent forgiveness Jesus offers different from the temporary covering of animal sacrifices? If you want to learn more about Jesus’s forgiveness, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 103:12; MATTHEW 18:21-33; COLOSSIANS 3:12-17

In Matthew 18, Jesus said to forgive people “seventy times seven” times (verse 22). Have you ever read this and thought, “I’m sure I’ve forgiven _______ that many times already! I’m done!” You might already know this, but this verse doesn’t mean we should literally forgive someone seven times seventy—or 490—times. It means we should forgive someone every time they wrong us—the way Jesus forgives us unconditionally, every time we sin.

God’s forgiveness never runs out. Ever. His love for us is inexhaustible. Even though all of humanity turned away from God, choosing the filth of sin instead of His love, He kept pursuing us, determined to make the way for us to be with Him again. That’s why Jesus died on the cross. He took all our sins upon Himself, bearing the guilt and shame we deserved. And then, He rose again. Through His sacrifice, Jesus cleanses us from all our sin—past, present, and future.

So now, as forgiven people, we are called to forgive others. It might help to imagine that forgiving other people is like cleaning a sports uniform. You might have just washed it yesterday, but it will get dirty again the next time you have a game. And every time it gets dirty, you wash it—even though you know you’re going to get it dirty again. You wash it whenever it needs to be washed. That’s the way Jesus calls us to forgive too. Again, and again, and again.

It’s never easy. But remember, you can talk to the person who wronged you and be honest with them about how their actions have affected you. Forgiving someone does not mean you let them continue harmful behavior, and in some cases you may need to set up some loving boundaries or even go to the authorities. But, since Jesus took away our sins, He calls us not to hold others’ sins against them. And Jesus doesn’t just tell us to forgive, He makes it possible. Once we know Jesus, His Holy Spirit lives in us, empowering us to forgive as we’ve been forgiven (Luke 7:47). When we ponder how often we do, say, or think something that’s wrong—and how we are forgiven by Jesus every single time—it makes it a little easier to forgive those who do wrong to us. • A. W. Smith

• Can you think of a time someone forgave you for something you did wrong? How did you feel?

• Is there someone you’re struggling to forgive? Consider spending some time in prayer. You can process your thoughts and feelings with God because they matter to Him, and you can ask for His help to forgive the person who wronged you. Remember, forgiving someone doesn’t always mean being in close relationship with them. If someone is hurting you, seek help from a trusted adult.

Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. Colossians 3:13 (CSB)

READ: GENESIS 50:15-20; ROMANS 15:23-24; EPHESIANS 1:1-2; 6:19-20

Life as he knew it was over. His most precious possession was out of reach. Impossible to retrieve. He lay on the floor, nose touching the ground, limbs outspread in utter dejection. He was eighteen months old, and his red ball had rolled behind the sofa.

She was eighteen years old, and the college she wanted to go to had accepted her. But her estranged father wouldn’t pay for a private school. Her hard-working mother couldn’t. She sat on the sofa, tears running down her cheeks.

He was old. Near the end of his life. He had always wanted to go to Spain. Plant new churches. Tell the good news to people who had not yet heard. Yet here he was under house arrest in Rome. How could he accomplish his dreams when his movements were so limited? Paul picked up a pen. “To God’s holy people in Ephesus…” Perhaps a few people would read the letter he wrote.

No matter your age, life can have its disappointments. If Paul had been free to do more traveling, he might have touched hundreds of lives. Because he couldn’t travel, he wrote letters, often with help from others. Letters to the Ephesians, the Philippians, the Colossians, and Philemon. Instead of words that might be heard by hundreds in the first century A.D., he wrote words that would be read by millions or even billions over many centuries. Words that would change hearts and minds. Even today. Even in parts of the world unknown in Paul’s time.

God, in His infinite wisdom, doesn’t always give us what we ask for. Has God said “no” to some of your requests? Maybe you didn’t make the team. Or get a part in the play. Or get accepted into the school you really wanted to attend. God always listens to our prayers. But sometimes He has a better plan. Be open to His leading. • Carol Raj

• Can you think of a time when you didn’t get something you wanted, but later you were grateful for how things turned out? Consider taking a moment to thank God for this.

• As Christians, we trust God with our eternal salvation, believing that Jesus’s death and resurrection has made the way for us to be forgiven and be with God forever. Yet, sometimes it feels so hard to trust Him with our desires. Remember, Jesus cares about our longings. He holds us and weeps with us in our pain. And when He returns, our every desire will be fulfilled. How could these truths help us draw near to Jesus in times of disappointment or suffering?

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 23; 1 JOHN 1:1-5

Chester turned his face to the sun one last time before climbing into the truck. Though the sun hung low in the sky like always, not providing much warmth, Chester knew he would miss it almost as much as he would miss his family. He was leaving all light and warmth behind to work in the shadowside mines for three months. It paid well, and his family needed the money.

As the truck ventured into the plains of the planet’s dark hemisphere, Chester craned his neck to see the last wisps of the sun’s glow fading behind them. Then he turned around and stared into the darkness ahead. There were no roads here, no people except for those carted out to work in the mines. Because Athebos was a tidally locked planet, which meant one side always faced the sun and the other was perpetually in darkness, cities were built on the perimeter of the two halves in what was called the twilight belt.

Athebos was a mineral-rich world, and nearly all its interplanetary exports came from mining. Brightside mining operations were deep underground, safe from the sun’s intense heat and radiation, but solar panels on the surface kept the mining tunnels warm and well lit. Mining on the opposite side of the planet, however, was an entirely different experience. Far from the sun’s rays, the battery-powered shadowside tunnels were always dark and cold. When the day’s work was done, you could go up to the surface, but there was no warmth or light there either—only a solid blanket of stars in the eternal darkness of night.

As the truck drove deeper into the darkness, Chester suddenly felt panic seize his heart. Thoughts whirled through his mind. What if something happens to my family? What if working out here still isn’t enough to provide for them? What if I never see the sun again? Chester closed his eyes and took deep breaths. One of his favorite psalms came to mind, and he repeated one of the verses over and over in his head. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. He opened his eyes and looked outside. The darkness was thick and unmoving as molasses, but a sense of peace began to loosen the grip of panic in his chest. He was going shadowside, but he wasn’t alone. Jesus, the One who defeated death itself, was here with him in the darkness. • Courtney Lasater

• Have you faced a “valley of the shadow of death” in your own life? What was it? How did you make it through?

• Jesus faced the valley of the shadow of death quite literally when He willingly left the glory of heaven, took on human flesh, and died on the cross for our sins. When He rose from the dead, He defeated sin and death so that we could enjoy the light of His presence for all eternity (1 John 1:1-5). If you know Him as your Savior, you can rest in His promise to be with you through every dark valley. Nothing can ever separate you from His love (Romans 8:35-39). If you want to know more about what it means to know Jesus, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

• Have you ever felt Jesus’s presence in the dark valleys of your life? What was that like? If you’ve never felt Jesus’s presence with you, you can ask God for this anytime; He delights in answering these prayers.

• Spending time in the Word is one of the primary ways we can spend time with Jesus. If you want to dig deeper, you can read more about how Jesus is the Light in Matthew 4:16; John 1:1-5; 8:12; 12:46; Acts 26:9-18; 2 Corinthians 4:6; James 1:17.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Psalm 23:4 (WEB)

READ: EXODUS 34:5-6; MALACHI 3:6; MATTHEW 7:24-29; 14:22-33

The world is constantly changing. There are always new technologies being developed and new ways of doing things. Each generation puts different emphases on different issues. It can be easy to feel like our parents and grandparents don’t understand what we’re facing today because certain things about life are just different. Yet, no matter which generation you’re from, growing up is a process everyone has to go through, including Jesus. He knows what it’s like to be a teenager in a changing world filled with lots of different opinions, and He knows what it’s like to be misunderstood (Luke 2:41-52).

Even though everything around us feels like it’s changing faster than we can keep up with, one thing remains the same. God. Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus is the same today, tomorrow, and forever. His love, His trustworthy character, and His commitment to rescuing His people and restoring His creation can never be shaken. Having Jesus be the constant in our lives helps us find our bearing. It helps us to know where to look when everything else is uncertain.

We never have to worry about God changing and becoming something different. We don’t have to worry that He’s not going to understand us. We don’t have to be afraid that He’s going to want something different from us. We know He’s going to be the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. • Tynea Lewis

• How do you tend to handle change? Are you someone who enjoys change, or not so much?

• What is one thing you’ve seen change in the last five years, either in the world or in your own life? Do you think people view this change differently depending on which generation they’re from? How might God be bringing good out of this change? (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28-29)

• How could knowing that God doesn’t change, and yet He perfectly understands everything going on in our world and in our lives, bring us comfort through all the changes we experience? Consider taking some time to talk to God about the changes around you and about what you think and feel about them.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 139; MATTHEW 11:28-30; JOHN 3:17; 16:7-14

I work in the office of our local fire department, and unfortunately sometimes part of the fire department’s job is locating the bodies of people who have drowned. This is a valuable service that can help bring some peace to the victim’s family. However, it can be difficult to locate people under water—especially in more harsh weather conditions. So, our fire department recently purchased a new tool to help them do this. Previously, the fire fighters had to walk through the water in a line, spread out every few feet to thoroughly search an area. But now, from what I understand, they have an underwater drone that will do most of the searching for them. All they have to do is use it.

In a similar way, sometimes we have things that are hidden in us. Sins. Struggles. Frustrations. We might just look across the waters of our hearts and assume there’s nothing there. Or we might be in the water, wading aimlessly. Or we might be ruffling the waves, stirring up the silt and creating a difficult waterway. Or we might even be tying cement blocks to some of our struggles, hoping they’ll just sink, disappear.

But there’s no need. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have His Holy Spirit to help us with the hidden things of our hearts (John 16:7-14). So, we can pray Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” If we ask the Lord to search us and help us process the things that may be hidden even from ourselves, He is more than willing to bring us into His rest. He is willing to get in the water with us, not just convicting us and leaving us to wallow in how wretched we feel, but encouraging us, and leading us through (John 3:17). • Natty Maelle

• Have you ever asked the Lord to search you, like David did in Psalm 139? What was that like?

• What stops you from asking the Lord to search you? The fear of being fully known can hold us back from being open with God, but He already knows everything about us, and He loves us completely.

• Consider taking some time to ask God to search you, and then pause and listen. He may bring to mind a sin He wants you to confess, a hurt He wants to touch, or a lie He wants to free you from. He may invite you to make a change in your life. His correction always comes with hope. As you listen to God, who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you discern His voice? Remember, God never contradicts His Word, the Bible.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way. Psalm 139:23-24 (CSB)

READ: ISAIAH 53:1-12; MATTHEW 26:27-28; 27:35-54; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:19, 21

Early I come to behold Your face,
Seeking still Your glorious grace,
Christ who died…holy…divine,
Love crucified.

Blessed be the Lord my God,
Blessed be, O, blessed be,
Blessed be the Lord!

In shame the sun did turn away,
As darkness in the silence reigned,
God in flesh afflicted then,
Cursed for all our sin.

Holy is the Lord my God,
Holy is, O, holy is,
Holy is the Lord!

Hail the light of breaking dawn,
Christ the King, the Risen One!
Wounded God who intercedes,
‘Tis Thy blood we plead.

Blessed be the Lord my God,
Blessed be, O, blessed be,
Blessed be the Lord!

As He bore in His body the curse for our sin, who can imagine the deep agony Jesus felt—hanging in the darkness those final hours? The cost of our sin to God is truly unfathomable, yet His love for us is greater still, for He gave Himself up to save us (John 3:16; Ephesians 5:25-27). As we reflect on both the glory and the sorrow of the cross, let’s pray for the courage to turn toward God when we feel forsaken, knowing that on the cross Jesus hung in that silent, empty space for us—so we never have to.

Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can be certain that through any silence—or any suffering—we are not alone. God is present, and He is also at work, in every joy and every pain, to draw us into Himself (Romans 8:28-29). The cross stands as stark proof that God will walk through death, darkness, and despair to bring us near (Psalm 23:4). May our praises never cease for Christ our Sin-Bearer—for “God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). • G. Kam Congleton

• Consider taking a moment to picture Jesus on the cross. It is good and right to turn to Him in praise, and also in lament, honestly crying out to Him about anything that is troubling you. He is worthy to receive it all.

When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. Galatians 3:13 (NLT)

READ: ROMANS 2:9-16; 3:21-31; TITUS 3:3-8

It was a sweltering Sunday. We were a few days into the mission trip, and I decided this must be the usual climate in Costa Rica. The small church was filled with people. There was no air conditioning. We were on the third hymn when my vision began blurring. All I could think was, I need water. The last thing I remember before losing consciousness was gripping the back of the pew. Soon I felt my dad’s strong arms. He carried me from the stuffy sanctuary into the small church office.

A few years after this experience, someone shared with me that he viewed God as a disappointed father, a father who would point his finger and judge you. Yes, Scripture says that God will judge all of our hearts (Romans 2:16). Yet, I reminded that person, the same God who is a righteous judge loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins so we could be forgiven. God saves us “because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). Though it is in God’s character to judge our hearts justly, it is also in His character to pursue us with love (Luke 15:1-32; 19:10).

That morning in Costa Rica reminds me of God’s grace. I had not heeded what my dad wisely advised me: to stay hydrated. So, I suffered from dehydration. However, my dad picked me up when I was too weak to walk and carried me to safety. This is what God does for us too.

Yes, God always wants us to listen to Him and bring all our thoughts, words, and actions in line with His good ways. Yet the same God knows we fall short, and, through Jesus, He saves us from sin and death and offers us a life free from shame and condemnation (Psalm 34:5; Romans 8:1). A life lived in the fullness of God’s grace and love. He is our Advocate, Savior, and Father—He cannot be divided. He is all of His attributes at the same time and in complete fullness. Because He is the same merciful God. • Daevis McMurphy

• When do you struggle to see God as a good Father? Why do you think this might be? Consider taking some time to tell God how you feel. You can bring Him all your questions, doubts, anger, fear, sorrow, and disappointment. And you can ask Him to show you His true character as a good Father, Savior, and Advocate, all in one. He will be faithful to do this.

• We can be sure God is a good Father because He mercifully sent Jesus. Do you know someone who is struggling to see God as a good Father? Consider taking some time to pray for them.

But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. Titus 3:4-5 (NLT)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27; 1 PETER 4:10-11

When was the last time you hurt one of your fingers? It happens often— it’s so easy to accidently cut, bruise, break, or burn our fingers, and then we have to figure out how to do everyday things like eat or write or drive with a hurting or bandaged finger while we wait for it to heal. We don’t tend to think about our fingers much…until we can’t use them. Then we see how much we really need them. They’re way more important than we ever knew!

And God says that’s exactly how it is with the believers who make up His church. All the people who trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior are referred to as “the church,” or “the body of Christ,” and every single member is important—just like every part of our physical bodies is important. Each person has a job to do for the body to function properly.

If we exclude members of the body of Christ because we think they have nothing to offer, it’s like we’re operating with a broken finger. But, if we stress that each person has a part to play in the church, more people will see how valuable and welcome they are.

In the same way, if we believe that we have nothing to offer the church, then we are limiting what the church can do. Do you think you’re not really needed or maybe even able to serve Jesus? If so, you’re wrong. Things you can do may seem small to you, but each part of the body of Christ is needed. Because, if you know Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit living in you. God has equipped and empowered you to serve, and you are a valuable part of His body. • A. W. Smith

• Can you think of a time someone showed you Jesus’s love? What was that like?

• Throughout our lives, we may be able to build up the body of Christ in different ways. In this season of your life, what can you do to serve and show people Christ’s love? What are some of your natural abilities and spiritual gifts? If you’re not sure, who is a trusted Christian you know who could pray with you and help you discern how God has equipped you?

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 1:1-15; 8:12-18; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:6

Vacation time for my family when I was a kid usually involved tents and sleeping bags. We enjoyed the outdoors, and camping helped us stay close to nature—while also saving on hotel costs. As a little kid, I took notice of signs where we camped warning us of bears in the area. Although my parents reassured me that we’d be safe inside our tent, I asked to hold a flashlight when I bedded down for the night. Even though I realized a flashlight would offer little defense against a black bear, I found comfort in knowing I could flick on that light whenever I felt afraid in the dark.

I still go camping, but I no longer grasp a flashlight as I fall asleep. Sometimes real life seems far scarier than a night at a wooded campsite, though, and now I need a different kind of light to fortify me during life’s uncertainties and unknowns.

In John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” In His holiness and love, Jesus dispelled the darkness of confusion and sin so that we might know God. He did this by laying down His life for us. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, believing He died and rose from the grave to make the way for us to have a relationship with Him, Jesus shines His light into our hearts, so we never have to walk in darkness. In times of worry or questioning, Jesus gives Himself as the Light that pierces through the gloom of our fears. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Have you ever felt like you’re wandering around in the darkness without a light? How can we look to Jesus to quiet our hearts in unsettling seasons?

• You may not have all the answers you want as you face uncertainty, and that’s okay. God is not afraid of our questions. You can bring your questions and confusion to Him anytime in prayer. And you can draw near to Him by reading His Word, the Bible. When you feel lost, who are some trusted Christians you can talk to, such as parents, pastors, youth leaders, or counselors?

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 23; JOHN 10:1-30

Did you know that sheep can be easily distracted? If a shepherd is leading a flock, and a stranger gets in the way, the sheep can lose their focus on the shepherd and scatter. And when sheep scatter, they can get into trouble. They might get stuck in dangerous places, or they could be attacked by a hungry predator. Away from the protection and care of the shepherd, sheep are lost and vulnerable. That’s why they need to keep their eyes and ears trained on the shepherd.

Throughout the Bible, God compares us to sheep. And when Jesus came, He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Sometimes we can be easily distracted and forget to stay focused on Jesus, which leads to problems. But Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave to forgive us and save us from sin and death, and He promises to care for us and provide for all our needs. He’s the One we should always follow.

But even when we do get distracted and wander away—when we’re captivated by people or possessions or ideas, chasing after them in hopes they’ll solve our problems or satisfy the deep longings of our hearts—our Good Shepherd chases after us. When we are lost and vulnerable, He has compassion on us. Every day, every moment, He helps us leave sin behind and follow Him.

There’s nothing in this world that can give us the peace and joy that Jesus does. So, when we get distracted and start looking to created things to provide what only the Creator can give us, we can listen for our Good Shepherd’s gentle voice. He speaks to us through His Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). We can rely on His love for us and trust Him to lead us well. And even when the temptations are strong, as Christians, we have the Holy Spirit living within us, helping us turn away from sin and turn our eyes and ears upon Jesus once again. Instead of trying to solve our problems on our own, we can bring all our concerns to Him and trust Him to lead us where He wants us to go. • A. W. Smith

• Do you know anyone who looks to Jesus to guide them in their daily life? What is it like to be around them?

• Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus. You can ask for His help with tough situations and temptations, confess any sins that come to mind, and rest in His never-failing love for you. If you want to dig deeper, read Isaiah 40:11; 53:4-6; Zechariah 10:2; Mark 6:34; Luke 15:1-7. And if you want to know more about trusting Jesus to be your Shepherd, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2:25 (NIV)

READ: PROVERBS 30:5; ACTS 17:1-15

I absolutely love reading about the Berean Jews in the Bible. They show up in Acts 17:11, and in truth, I think this is the only place that mentions them by name. But this one verse is packed with helpful insight on how to live life well.

Paul and Silas were going from town to town preaching the good news of Jesus’s death and resurrection, and they made a quick stop in Berea after a harrowing visit to Thessalonica. Some of the Thessalonians did not respond well to the gospel and even caused riots because they didn’t want to hear Paul and Silas speak any more. But the Berean Jews responded very differently to the message Paul and Silas brought.

First, the Berean Jews received the word Paul preached with eagerness. They were hungry to hear more about God and joyful that someone had brought the message about Jesus! When God’s truth is brought to us, we too can receive joyfully as we learn more about our faith and the God who loves us more than we could ever imagine.

Second, the Bereans examined the Scriptures to see if what Paul and Silas taught them was accurate. This is a habit I hope we all can cultivate more, me especially! In a world where information and opinions are pouring out at us from all directions, we have one solid place we can go for truth: the Bible. The Bible is the Word of God, and it reveals the truth about who Jesus is and who we are. So, when we hear something new about our faith, it is necessary that we check the Word to see if what we are hearing lines up with God’s truth.

When we understand how amazing the gospel is, we can be joyful when we hear it taught, and we can be careful to check new ideas against the truth in the Bible. • Abbi Bloem

• When was the last time you felt eagerness and joy in learning about Jesus?

• Can you think of a time when something felt good to hear, but didn’t line up with God’s truth?

• Examining the Scriptures is a good way to know if what we are hearing lines up with God’s best for our lives. What steps could you take today to know God’s Word even better?

• Some people in Thessalonica did receive the good news, and later Paul wrote affectionate letters to them. If you want to dig deeper, check out the books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians in the Bible.

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 17:11 (NIV)

READ: DEUTERONOMY 7:7-8; PSALM 34; ROMANS 8

I twirled the marble beads on my bracelet, cool against my skin. Grey, grey, bright blue. The turquoise color had intricate swirls of sky blue, the result making the bead look like an ever-moving sky. These bracelets reminded us of the love of Ahavah, the love He daily shows us. Quickening my pace, I hurried to the meeting of the Loved Ones. Every week we met to share our stories, and this would be my first time to share.

Laughter and soft conversation spilled from within the willow tree leaves as I parted the delicate branches. They sat in a semi-circle beneath the great willow, this group I had come to cherish. Aspen waved me over in excitement, her own beaded bracelets sliding up and down her slender wrists.

“Welcome, Loved Ones!” Rowan’s brown eyes were warm as he addressed us individually. “Who would like to share their story of the week first?” Aspen placed her hand on my shoulder encouragingly.

I stood and pointed to my blue bead. “As many of you know, I just recently joined the Loved Ones. I always felt like something was lacking in my life—there was this void in my heart I couldn’t fill no matter what, or who, I tried to fill it with.”

I lifted my arm graced with the bracelet. “Here is my story of Ahavah’s love: I was feeling deep grief because, as you know, my sweet cat of many years passed away. When I opened the Word, I read Psalm 34:18, ‘The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.’ I felt such overwhelming love in that moment, and I watched one of my grey beads transform into this blue. Now, I look to it as a reminder of that precious revelation of Ahavah’s tenderness toward me.” Heads nodded all around me and several eyes shone with tears as I took my seat.

Aspen stood and shared one of her Loved moments, the colors on her many bracelets shining as she gestured excitedly. I breathed a silent prayer of gratitude to Ahavah for constantly showing His care to His Loved Ones. What color will you show me next, Ahavah? May I always be looking for the many ways that You love. • Savannah Coleman

• Ahavah is a Hebrew word we find in the Bible, and it means love. In Deuteronomy 7:7-8, for example, God chose to save His people from the bondage of slavery in Egypt because of His ahavah love for them, not because they earned or deserved His love in any way. Have you received God’s gift of love through the sacrifice and resurrection of His Son Jesus for you (John 3:16-17)? Once we belong to Him, we can know that we are no longer condemned because, by the blood of Jesus, we are forgiven and set free from the bondage of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2). Whatever we go through in life, we can be confident that God is for us because He already gave the ultimate for us—Jesus (verses 31-32). If you want to know more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page.

• Although circumstances may be heartbreaking, and people may abandon us or let us down, we can be confident that nothing and no one will ever be able to separate us from the love of God through Jesus Christ (verse 39). Can you think of a time when you experienced God’s redeeming, unconditional love for you? Consider taking a moment to express your gratitude and praise to Jesus, and perhaps also share this story with others. As we ponder God’s immeasurable love, may it well up in our souls and overflow from our lips and in our actions (Psalm 34:1-3).

• God never stops showing love to His children. Not only does He listen to us—He delivers us, He provides for us, and He is close to us when our hearts are broken (Psalm 34:4, 6, 7, 9, 18). We are not promised a trouble-free life, but we are ultimately promised deliverance (verse 19). Jesus echoed this promise when He said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We can look forward to the day Jesus will return; then everything will be made new and whole, and all His people will dwell with Him forever. In the meantime, we can choose to meditate on all the many ways God daily shows His love to us. In today’s story, people wore bracelets that reminded them of the ways they had experienced God’s love in their lives. What is one way you could create a tangible reminder of God’s goodness to you?

...neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 23; PHILIPPIANS 4:11-13; HEBREWS 13:5

Growing up, I participated in a program at my church where I learned Bible stories and memorized Scripture. I remember memorizing Psalm 23 when I was in second grade. However, the words of this psalm didn’t mean nearly as much to me as a seven-year-old as they do now.

Psalm 23 is an incredibly popular psalm. Verse 1 in particular is frequently quoted by pastors, speakers, and authors: “The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need.” So, it’s probably not surprising that for most of my life, this psalm (especially verse 1) felt cliché and stale to me.

It wasn’t until college that God used this verse to open my eyes to a hard truth I had been desperately needing to see—and accept—for so long. In short, I had spent several years hoping to date a particular guy who simply wasn’t interested in dating me. However, even though I knew he wasn’t interested, I still spent countless hours thinking (and daydreaming) about him and the possibility of having a relationship with him. To say that I was dissatisfied with my situation would be an understatement. All I wanted was him. God had clearly shown me this guy wasn’t meant for me, but I ignored Him.

However, there was a moment during my college years when Psalm 23:1 seemed to come to life. God used it to gradually change my perspective on the guy I had been hoping to date. Some Bible translations say that we “lack nothing,” or that we won’t be “in want.” It felt like God was telling me, “You don’t need to want anything, Grace—including that guy—because I’ve given you everything you need.” I still struggled to accept the reality of my singleness, but I was encouraged by the comforting truth of Psalm 23:1. Jesus is our loving Shepherd, and when we know Him, we have everything we need. • Grace McCready

• It’s not bad to desire things—including romantic relationships—but these desires can sometimes turn into idols. And idols will never fulfill us. Only through Jesus can we experience real contentment, regardless of our circumstances. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, believing in His death and resurrection, we’ll live with Him forever in restored creation. And even now, He is with us through His Spirit, His Word, and His people. And that’s what we truly need—God’s presence with us. If we got everything we ever wanted, but we didn’t have God with us, we would never experience true fulfillment. Consider spending some time with Jesus in prayer, asking Him to help you lay down any idols in your life and experience true contentment in Him.

• When you have questions about dating, who is a trusted Christian adult in your life you could talk to? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.

The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. Psalm 23:1 (CSB)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 13:9-13; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-7

Have you gone through something really hard lately? Maybe there’s been sickness or a death in your family. Maybe your parents are separating, or your best friend moved away, or your family is struggling financially. Even if you haven’t personally experienced suffering like this yet, chances are you know someone who has. As we go through life in a world that has been broken by sin, we might find ourselves asking, “Where is the hope in all this?”

It may help to think about it this way. Have you ever seen a stained glass window? These works of art can be beautiful. But they look very different in the dark than they do in the light. When there’s no light shining through the window, all we can see are a bunch of little pieces of dark glass. But when the light shines through them, we see vibrant colors that reveal the patterns or pictures the designer crafted there.

Life can feel that way too sometimes. From our point of view, life can seem dark and dull, especially when we’re going through hard times. But Jesus hasn’t left us to suffer alone in the dark. He came into our broken world and lived among us, and He said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12). Jesus can shine through any difficulties we face—He can make a beautiful picture of our lives (Romans 8:28-29).

That doesn’t mean our lives will be easy. But Jesus will be with us through it all. He knows what it’s like to go through terrible hardship—He suffered and died to save us from sin. When we face hard times in our lives, He is close beside us, and He can use even the most difficult situations to help us grow in our relationship with Him and show others His love. He can shine through our suffering so we—and others—can see a clearer picture of who He is. • A. W. Smith

• Jesus understands how we feel when we’re hurting—He faced terrible suffering and death to give us eternal life. But, when He returns, He will restore creation and raise all His people to live with Him forever; then suffering will be no more. And even now, He is with us. We can trust Him to make something beautiful out of our lives. What kinds of hard things have you experienced lately? Consider taking a moment to tell Him about whatever is weighing on you.

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)

READ: LAMENTATIONS 3:22-26; EPHESIANS 3:14-21; 1 JOHN 4:16

Ten or fifteen years ago, when I was a teenager and struggling through that often awkward and difficult phase of life, I wish I had known just how much God loved me.

I knew of God’s love. I felt it in my life. But I didn’t realize just how great it is.

As the years have gone by, I’ve learned to rely on God more and more. The more I rely on and lean into Him, the more I feel His love. Each day, I feel Him with me. Through the challenges I face, I know He is always there. Through any future challenges, I know He will not abandon me (Psalm 16:8; Matthew 1:23; 28:20; Hebrews 13:5).

God has proven Himself to me over and over through the years. I feel loved by Him because of the way He takes care of me. I feel loved by Him because I know He has given me the gift of salvation through Jesus’s death and resurrection, and I will one day live on the new heavens and new earth with Him when He returns.

I wish, as a teenager, I could have grasped how big God’s love for me is. I wish I had allowed His love to wrap around me and give me peace. I have never faced anything alone because He has always been with me. God’s love never fails and never ends, and I am always okay because of it.

And, just as God loves me, He loves you too. • Bethany Acker

• Have you ever had a moment when you realized in a new way how much God loves you? What was that like? If not, you can ask God for this anytime. He is eager to answer these prayers.

• We can have full access to God’s love because of Jesus. (If you want to know more, see our "Know Jesus" page.) In Ephesians 3:19, Paul prays for the Christians in Ephesus, “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.” God’s love is beyond our understanding, yet the Holy Spirit helps us grow in our awareness of His love throughout our lives. Do you have any favorite Bible verses about God’s love for you? Consider choosing a verse to read every day this week, and as you read it, ask God to help you experience His love more and more deeply.

• All of the truths in today’s devotion are from Scripture. If you want to read more about God’s love, here are a few places to start: Psalms 13:5; 26:3; 94:18; Isaiah 54:10; Jeremiah 31:3; John 3:16-17; Romans 5:5-11; 8:35-39; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 1:4-6; 2:1-10; 1 John 4:10.

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1 (NLT)

READ: GENESIS 32:24-32; HOSEA 12:3-5; EPHESIANS 4:22-24

When I was an RA (resident assistant) in college, I had this resident who used to tell me she and God had been “wrestling” about something. She would spend entire days with the Lord, crying and repenting, and wrestling with Him about different behaviors and attitudes in her life.

Now, I had been a Christian for a while at that point, but I didn’t understand what she meant by that. Why would God, as she would say, “knock her out” like that?

But then tonight, nearly two years later, a friend and I were talking about a ministry role that she is in. She made a reference to how she and the Lord are “negotiating” how long she’s going to be there. And I realized that I think I finally know what my resident meant.

I’ve had so many situations since those conversations with her when the Lord and I have wrestled. When we have negotiated. When I have wanted my way, and the Holy Spirit has convicted me otherwise. I’ve had cry sessions in the car when I’ve confessed to the Lord that I can’t do this. I don’t know how to do this right.

And while we may metaphorically wrestle with God, in Genesis 32, a man named Jacob actually physically wrestled with God. Then, God gave Jacob a new name: Israel, which means “struggle (with or of) God.”

I’ve learned so much from having these vulnerable moments with God—not that you’re necessarily changing God’s mind on something, but you’re engaging with Him, learning from Him, and redefining your heart to His purpose. Together. • Natty Maelle

• Many Bible scholars think that Jacob actually wrestled with Jesus, who is God the Son. Jesus loves us, and He welcomes our wrestling matches. He knows we won’t always understand His plans, decisions, or commands. But when we don’t like what He has to say, He doesn’t want us to ignore Him or try to hide our thoughts and feelings. He wants us to be totally honest with Him! He wants us to tell Him about how we feel and wrestle with Him over it. That doesn’t mean He’s going to change His mind, but it will help us know—and trust—Him better.

• Are you wrestling with something right now, but you’re afraid to give it to the Lord? Jesus has your best interests at heart. He loves you and wants to help you grow. Holding back from Him can only keep you from the goodness He offers. What do you need to wrestle with Him about today?

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)

READ: PROVERBS 25:15; 1 CORINTHIANS 3:5-8; 1 PETER 3:15-16

Have you ever heard of ginseng? It’s a valuable plant used in a lot of health foods. And those who grow ginseng need to have a lot of patience. While many seeds will sprout within a week or two, when you plant ginseng seeds, they can take over a year to sprout! That’s a long time to wait for a plant, especially when you can’t see any activity above the surface of the soil.

Planting something like ginseng can help us remember what it’s like to tell someone about Jesus. Every time we witness to someone—that is, tell someone about Jesus and what He’s done to save us—we’re planting the seed of God’s Word. We may not see the results right away, but that’s okay. Jesus is at work, even if we can’t see it. So, instead of getting discouraged, we can be patient. We can trust that God loves us, and He knows what He’s doing.

And in the meantime, we can continue watering and tending to the seeds of the gospel by showing people Jesus’s love and goodness. As we patiently care for the seeds we’ve planted, we can show others how Jesus patiently cares for us (1 John 4:19). It may take a long time for a seed to grow. But when it does, it produces fruit that lasts forever.

And that’s worth the wait. • A. W. Smith

• God calls us to be part of His good work by planting and watering seeds of the gospel, remembering that He is the only One who can make those seeds grow (1 Corinthians 3:5-8). Have you planted seeds of the gospel by telling someone about Jesus? Have you been discouraged because you haven’t seen any results? It can be hard to be patient, but as we rely on the Holy Spirit, we can keep showing people God’s love and praying for them, leaving the timing up to Him. Consider taking a moment now to pray for some of the people in your life who might not know Jesus yet, asking God for ideas of ways you could share His love with them.

• It may be that we won’t ever see the results of the seeds we planted or watered, but God promises that His Word will accomplish His purpose. How might this truth free us to trust Him with the results, and keep planting and watering?

• If you want to know more about the gospel and how to share it with others, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

“It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.” Isaiah 55:11 (NLT)

READ: ACTS 2:40-47; GALATIANS 6:9-10; EPHESIANS 4:1-16

Have you ever heard Christians talk about “doing life together”? It can be hard to understand exactly what this looks like. But I got to experience it in a variety of ways this week.

I have some friends in my church who, like me, are married with young kids: Sam and Kristi, Kongcheng and Haju, and Evan and Nicole. We were all struggling in various ways this week, and I was amazed at how we came alongside each other. Kristi and I dropped off two dinners at Nicole and Evan’s house. I also dropped off a dinner at Haju and Kongcheng’s house. Sam helped watch my kids so I could catch up on house cleaning—while he also helped with cleaning. And a few of us were able to go to one another’s houses to just spend time together.

I had been reflecting this week on how, when I was little, my parents had lots of siblings in town who also had young children, and they got to raise their kids together. It was such a blessing for our families. Today, I don’t have any siblings in town who have young kids, and yet, God provides through His family, the church. I get to raise my kids with my siblings in Christ.

Doing life together will probably look different at different life stages. During our teen years, it might look like studying for a quiz together, helping a friend practice their lay-up, or just sitting with someone and bringing them their favorite snack when they’ve had a bad day. It’s amazing that Jesus has made us, as individual believers, into one body, which is His church, through His death and resurrection. And when we remember this, we can work together as the body of Christ, loving and supporting one another and truly doing life together.

To work together like this, we need to be honest with each other about our needs and struggles. And that’s difficult. It requires trust and vulnerability. But when we share our needs and struggles with trustworthy people, it leads to the most beautiful community imaginable, reflecting the beauty of our Creator and giving us a glimpse of His kingdom. • Taylor Eising

• Are you part of a local church? According to today’s Bible passages, how is the early church similar to or different from your church?

• If we know Jesus, we are united with other believers through the Holy Spirit, and we share a common goal of growing in our faith, caring for others, and telling people about Jesus. How does this enable us to do life together in a deeper way than we can with non-Christians?

• How does doing life together reflect the love of Jesus and show others what God is like?

And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. Acts 2:44 (NLT)

READ: EXODUS 14:14; 33:22; ISAIAH 42:13; ZEPHANIAH 3:17

"Go to the boulder!” He did not yell over the noise of the battle, but Rhyn heard, and without even having to look for the rock he had sent her to, she knew exactly where to go. So Rhyn ran to it. It wasn’t a very big rock, but if she crouched down, it would cover her on one side from the battle that was raging. Rhyn’s weapons and hope were long gone—she had lost them somewhere when the fight began, and now it was a full-blown war spread out before her. She had been running without much direction. This way from a sword, another way from a javelin, here from the pounding of horses’ hooves, and there from the clashing of shields against metal. Everywhere mud. Everywhere blood. Nowhere safe to run.

But then, the king was there. Of course, he had always been there. She’d just forgotten to look for him and follow his voice above all the noise, and she’d become disoriented and lost her purpose on the battlefield. Rhyn could hardly believe he’d come for her, but he had.

That’s when she caught sight of the ogre. It’s a mighty wonder how time slows in the moments before the worst thing can happen. And Rhyn saw it all move before her like dripping honey. The ogre approached, he lifted his ax, his eyes fixed on her. And then from above her, perched on the rock, one mighty warrior halted the ogre in his steps, his sword meeting the ax with a harrowing zing. The king took a step over her and, with one heavy thump, thrust his shield into the dirt, covering her completely from the battle. Now she could see nothing but the safe haven he had created around her, the rock and the shield, and amid the raging battle, she was safe. • Abbi Bloem

• Often we view Jesus as merely a kind, gentle teacher. But the Bible tells us that Jesus is also our Rock and our Shield (Psalms 3:1-8; 18:2; 28:7). And He is the dreaded warrior we see glimpses of in the Old Testament. How could this image of Jesus as the Divine Warrior help us understand how He acts on our behalf?

• As humans, we are helpless to save ourselves, but Jesus fought for us all the way to the cross. He defeated sin, death, and all the powers of evil and darkness by dying for us and rising from the grave. Because He has saved us, nothing can tear us away from His love (John 10:27-30; Romans 8:35-39). If you want to know more about this good news, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

• When Jesus returns to restore creation and raise us from the dead, He will right every wrong, and every foe will be silenced. In the meantime, He wants to help us through everything we face, even when we forget to listen to Him, even when we fail to trust Him. How can these truths give us hope when we experience the battlefields of life?

• Jesus calls us to listen to His voice and follow where He leads, and He empowers us to do so through the Holy Spirit. As Christians, we get to be part of His good and purposeful work—because He has extended grace and forgiveness to us, we can extend grace and forgiveness to others, bringing His light to dark places, fighting the lies of the enemy with the truth of the gospel, and extending loving kindness amidst the harshness of our broken world so that others may know the love of Jesus too (Matthew 5:14-16; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 2:1-18; 2 Corinthians 5:11-21). And, don’t forget, we also get to rest in the safety of God’s tender love for us (Psalms 18:19; 23:1-6). We can learn to rely on God and discern His voice by spending time with Him through praying and reading His Word, both by ourselves and with fellow Christians. Who are trusted Christians in your life? How could you help each other listen to and follow Jesus? How could you remind each other of the hope of the gospel and the sureness of God’s love, even in tough times?

But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior. Jeremiah 20:11 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 46

I never thought I would have to let go and say, “It is well with my soul,” like the old hymn. I never thought I would have to learn to be okay with the storms in my life.

I prayed for God to take them. I begged Him to change things and make my life better.

Then I learned to accept the struggles. I realized that even in them, God was still good. Even if this life got difficult—and it has—my God has not failed me.

If you have ever lost a loved one, then you know how desperate you can get for them to just get better. You may have begged God to heal them. But if He didn’t, what then?

Many things happen that shake us and make us doubt God’s goodness. We might beg and beg and wonder why He doesn’t seem to hear us.

But He does. He listens. He cares. The things that grieve us, grieve Him too. And He will be there for us always, even when He doesn’t calm the storm.

My God remains good through all of life’s struggles. He never changes, despite all that changes in my life. In every difficult moment, He is there. He takes care of me. He holds my hand and gives me the strength I need, moment by moment. Good times come and go. Storms sometimes feel like they are lasting forever. But no matter what comes my way, I am choosing to trust God to help me through. • Bethany Acker

• We don’t know why painful things happen in our lives, but we do know that Jesus weeps with us. Jesus is God in flesh, and He experienced suffering and hardship. Because He loves us, He died and rose again to make the way to be with us and to one day put an end to suffering, sin, and death forever when He returns. In the meantime, He has given His Holy Spirit to everyone who has put their trust in Him. Through the Holy Spirit, He is with us in the midst of our suffering, feeling our hurts with us and offering us comfort and strength. Find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.

• Have you ever been surprised by a storm in your life? Did you see any glimpses of God’s goodness in the midst of it? What was that like?

• What might it look like to trust God in the middle of a storm?

• Do you have any favorite Bible verses that remind you of how trustworthy God is? If not, consider asking a parent, pastor, youth leader, counselor, or friend to help you find some.

In panic I cried out, “I am cut off from the Lord!” But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help. Psalm 31:22 (NLT)

READ: JOHN 13:1-17; EPHESIANS 5:1-2

Have you ever seen a child imitating an adult? It can be so cute to watch a small child try to mix pretend food in empty pots, imitate a parent’s expression, or repeat a phrase they haven’t fully mastered yet. That’s how kids learn. They imitate the people they see.

The Bible says something similar in Ephesians 5:1: “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.” But we weren’t always God’s children. In fact, at one time we were all separated from God because of our sin. But God loves us so much that Jesus sacrificed His life on the cross to save us, and He rose from the dead to make the way for us to be with Him always. Once we put our trust in Jesus, we can know that we have been adopted into His family and we belong to Him forever. And, just as kids imitate the people they spend the most time with, God calls His children to imitate Jesus.

So how can we imitate Jesus? Well, we can start by looking at what He said and did in the Bible. As we read and study God’s Word, we see how much He loves us. Especially in the accounts of Jesus’s ministry on earth, it’s captivating to see how Jesus responded to people. No matter if they treated Him with honor or contempt, Jesus wanted them to know His love (Matthew 9:36; 23:37; Luke 23:34). We can also learn about His relationship with God the Father. Jesus is God the Son, and He loved and trusted the Father through everything. And in all kinds of situations, Jesus’s character was revealed by His actions. As we study Jesus’s life and trust Him to help us follow His example in our own lives, we will act more and more like Him.

Of course, none of this is possible in our own strength, but as Christians we have the Holy Spirit living inside us, transforming us into Jesus’s image. When we rely on the Holy Spirit, we can learn how to “live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ” (Ephesians 5:2). • A. W. Smith

• Everyone imitates other people—from little kids to elderly adults. Can you think of anyone you imitate, whether intentionally or unintentionally? Why do you think that might be?

• In John 13:1-17, what do you notice about how Jesus acts and how He treats people? Consider taking a moment to ask God to help you learn how you can imitate Jesus in your life. If you want to dig deeper, you could start reading through the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Ephesians 5:2 (NLT)

READ: EXODUS 20:8-11; MARK 1:21-22, 32-38; EPHESIANS 2:4-10

Imagine this: Cars zoom by as you sit on the side of the road. You hope no one you know sees you stranded, your car out of gas. You can’t believe you forgot to fill up the tank! Your brother even reminded you this morning. In humility, you wait for him to come to your rescue. And now you’ll be late for soccer practice.

With school, sports, friends, family, clubs, social media, jobs, youth group, volunteering, college applications, and so…much...more, there is A LOT to do. It’s no wonder we turn to stimulants such as caffeine, sugar, and screens to feel more alert and keep up with life. But these things can’t sustain us, and eventually we crash. They mask the real need: rest.

Regular rest refuels our bodies, enabling us to do more than we otherwise could. Ironically, we can actually do more in less time when we rest. And here’s the secret: one of the benefits of resting in God’s presence is that it allows Him to refuel us and refresh our souls (Psalm 23:1-3), thereby giving us the energy—and the wisdom—to do the good work He has for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). This type of spiritually rejuvenating rest is called a Sabbath, which God demonstrated for us when He rested after the work of creating the universe (Exodus 20:11).

Jesus is God the Son, and He is also Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). During His ministry, Jesus regularly spent time in the Father’s presence to rest and refuel for the work before Him. For example, in Mark 1:35, “Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray,” making time to meet with God the Father after a very busy day of healing and preaching.

We too can spend time resting in God’s presence, being refueled for the work He has given us to do. And even when we overdo it and end up drained, He has so much compassion on us. As we seek Him, He will help us learn to live in the rhythms of work and rest. • Tracy Mikula

• Have you ever taken a Sabbath rest, pausing from work and busyness, even if all the tasks or to-do lists aren’t finished? What was it like? Taking regular times of intentional rest can help us remember that Jesus has already done the work of saving us. Because Jesus died on the cross for us and rose from the grave, we don’t ever need to strive to do enough or be enough. Rest is not something we earn—Jesus gives us rest in Himself (Matthew 11:28-30). Consider taking some time to think about what you spend your time on, and ask God if there is anything He is inviting you to drop from your schedule, at least temporarily, to take the rest your body and soul need.

“Be still, and know that I am God!” Psalm 46:10 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 1:23; 28:20; MARK 6:45-54; EPHESIANS 4:2

As I stood at the lake’s edge, I was observing a genuine SOS moment. A young family member—I’ll call him Ford—had just received a kayak for his tenth birthday. He loved to be on the water, so a kayak seemed a fitting gift for him. Since our party took place near a small lake, the family gathered to watch Ford test out his new watercraft.

As we admired Ford’s skills, he glided toward the bank, laid his paddle in the kayak, and leaped from the boat to the grass. His forward motion sent the kayak backwards, moving out of reach while he stood watching it drift away.

We ran to Ford to find out what had happened. He’d gotten scared, overwhelmed at being on the water alone, and decided to abandon ship. But Ford had failed to recognize this act would leave his birthday present on the lake with no one controlling it. We watched his bright blue kayak float farther and farther away. Then two fishermen approached offering to help. After a few expert casts, one of them hooked Ford’s kayak and pulled it to shore.

Fear had led Ford to make a drastic decision. And, though we may not all kayak, we have all been struck with fear and made choices we’ve later regretted. That day at the lake, Ford had gazed at the vastness of water all around him and felt overpowered. He believed he faced the challenge of managing the kayak all on his own. Yet, he didn’t paddle alone that day. Ford had trusted in Christ to forgive his sins and bring him into a relationship with God, so Jesus was present with Ford. And when we trust in Jesus—believing that His death and resurrection has provided payment for our sins to make us pure in God’s sight—He is with us too. Whenever we feel like we’re in over our heads, we don’t even need to ask Jesus to climb into the boat with us; He’s already there—every time, on every lake, no matter how far from shore we drift. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Can you think of a time you made a bad decision out of fear? We all have moments when we feel overwhelmed by our circumstances, but Jesus doesn’t expect us to handle life alone. How could remembering that Jesus is “in the boat” with us help us when we feel overwhelmed?

• Even when we do make bad decisions, Jesus has so much compassion on us. He is eager to help us, and oftentimes the way God helps His people, is through His people—like those fishermen helped retrieve Ford’s kayak. Has someone ever helped you when you messed up? How?

Immediately he [Jesus] spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Mark 6:50 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 116; LUKE 17:11-19; REVELATION 4:6-11

Have you ever considered how much difference the words “thank you” can make? The Samaritan healed of leprosy in Luke 17 seemed to know the power of these words. While on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus met a group of ten men who were social outcasts because of the leprosy that had deformed their bodies. Jesus told the diseased men to show themselves to the priest, and they were healed! After this astonishing miracle, only one of the ten took the time to come back to Jesus and say thank you. Where were the others? Had they already forgotten who healed them? In our lives today, it can be easy to take things for granted, like the nine men did. When our prayers are answered, how often do we retrace our steps like the Samaritan and thank God?

Jesus completely changed the lives of the ten lepers, and He has changed our lives too! By dying on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins and rising from the dead, Jesus has given us the best gift of all: a personal relationship with Him and salvation from sin and death. When we remember this amazing gift, it can move us to thank Jesus for His great love and for all He has given us, just as the healed Samaritan did.

Simply saying “thank you” to God can be a natural way for us to praise Him. In the Bible, a great example of this kind of praise is demonstrated by the psalmists. Psalm 118 begins by declaring, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” The rest of this joyous psalm recounts how God provided for the psalmist’s life. Similarly, in Psalm 116, “death wrapped its ropes around” and “the terrors of the grave overtook” the writer of this psalm, but God saved them (verses 3, 8). So the psalmist glorified God’s name by giving thanks.

Besides exalting God’s name, saying “thank you” can also open our eyes to the beauty around us. The more we thank God, the more we will naturally notice the ways He is at work in our lives. When we stop and take time to appreciate the things around us, our perspective changes to one focused on God’s goodness. • Emma Schoessow

• On the day Jesus returns to resurrect us from the dead, we will be completely healed and whole. Then, we will get to praise and thank Him for all eternity as we live together with Him on the new heavens and new earth! In the meantime, as we see glimpses of His goodness and healing now, we can thank and praise Him each day. Where have you seen God’s goodness and healing in and around you? Consider taking some time to thank God like the psalmists and the Samaritan.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 118:1 (NLT)

READ: LUKE 5:27-32; 18:9-17; ROMANS 5:6-11; 1 JOHN 2:1

The small chapel was an inconspicuous building tucked along a side street off of Main. The leaders on the mission trip hadn’t mentioned the little church, but they had told the students it was okay to explore the area in the evening after dinner as long as they stayed in pairs and didn’t go too far. The chapel itself had worn pews with only a few people scattered across several dozen rows. Xavier’s friend Liam had protested that it “wouldn’t be fun” and “there wasn’t much time,” but Xavier had responded, “There’s nothing better we could do than pray.”

So, Liam begrudgingly took a seat near the front with his friend. Xavier stole a glance around the room and thanked God that he wasn’t like Liam, who wanted “fun” instead of wanting to pray. Then he thanked God that he wasn’t like the drunk, staring blankly a few pews over, barely aware of the world.

Hearing a noise, he turned and glanced at someone slinking into a back pew, with a shirt that literally blazed, “I am the enemy” in flaming letters. Xavier thanked God that he knew better than to enter a church dressed like that.

The man in the t-shirt didn’t lift up his face. He just hoarsely whispered, “God, I need another chance, because I am the problem in my life.” • Gideon Eising

• Today’s story is an allegory of a parable Jesus told in Luke 18. Which character do you relate to most today—Xavier, Liam, the person in the middle pew, or the man in the back pew? Why?

• Jesus was telling this parable “to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness” and looked down on everybody else (Luke 18:9). When are you tempted to look down on others? Are you sometimes tempted to think of yourself as “less of a sinner” than the people around you?

• Is God too harsh in forgiving only the humble? Can our pride get in the way of grace? Read Luke 18:16-17. Jesus died and rose so all who put their trust in Him—relying on His perfect righteousness, not any imperfect righteousness of our own—can be forgiven (more on our "Know Jesus" page). Yet, even Christians can forget we need Jesus just as much as anybody. But, through the Holy Spirit, God helps us walk in humility and resist sins like pride. And even though we sin daily, we can come to Him with repentant hearts, knowing His love and forgiveness are sure. Because Jesus shed His blood on the cross for the person you’re tempted to look down on, and for you.

“I [Jesus] have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” Luke 5:32 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 139; PROVERBS 3:1-6

When you feel like you don’t have a place in this world because you don’t think you’re as talented as others or you aren’t sure what to do with your life, remember that God made you. God doesn’t make mistakes. When He created you, He knew what He was doing. He knew just who you would be.

You don’t have to worry about whether or not you have a place in this world when you remember that God is the Creator of the world, and He is also the Creator of you, and He wants you here.

Maybe you don’t feel as talented as the other people around you. Maybe you aren’t sure what to do with your life. It’s okay to have some doubts. It’s okay to take your time to figure out who you are, what you enjoy, and what you’re good at. Let God guide you. Let Him lead you. Remember that He knows you better than anyone else. He crafted you intentionally. He has given you the abilities you have, and if you know Jesus, He has also given you spiritual gifts. You can ask Him to show you how to follow His leading in your life, one step at a time.

You have a place in this world for a reason. God wants you to be here. Your talents are your own, and God will work through you as you seek Him. He will take care of you and guide you and help you find a deep sense of purpose in living your life with Him. • Bethany Acker

• Do you ever wonder about your place in this world? We all feel this way from time to time, and it can be helpful to remember who our Creator is. He made us just as we are, and He has given purpose to our lives. The truth is, Jesus rejoiced to save you through His death and resurrection, and He doesn’t need you to do anything. He delights in having you with Him, and He invites you to share in the joy of His good work—pointing others to Jesus and partnering with Him to bring restoration to the brokenness around you. In times when you’re feeling particularly discouraged or frustrated, who is a trusted Christian in your life who can lovingly remind you of the truth and help you receive God’s help and encouragement? (If you want to dig deeper, read Zephaniah 3:17; Matthew 25:23; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21; Hebrews 12:2-3.)

• When we feel pressure to figure out “what to do with our lives,” how could it be freeing to remember that God knows us, He loves us, and He calls us to follow Him one step at a time?

Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands. Psalm 119:73 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 14:12-21; 15:1-17

Let me understand when it’s You, GodTelling me to goSpeak loudly to me, GodSo that I can knowLet me feel You with me, GodAs I simply liveKnowing You are right beside me, GodHelp me to giveLet them understand when it’s You, GodHelping me to standShow them You’re supporting me, GodAnd I’m following Your commandLet them know You move in me, GodYou’re a part of all I doShow them You are helping me, GodI am nothing without You • Emily Acker

• When we put our trust in Jesus, believing in His death and resurrection, we are given the Holy Spirit, sometimes called the Spirit of Christ. As we seek to abide in Jesus, we may often find there are things we do in life that we know we would never be able to do without God’s power working through us—such as forgiving others, loving our enemies, speaking the truth in love, acting with self-control, giving generously, or enduring hardships. Yet, we cannot take credit for any of this—for, as Philippians 2:13 says, “It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” If you know Jesus, how have you seen Him working in you? How has the Spirit been transforming you? Consider taking a moment to thank God for this, and ask Him to point people to Himself through your life. Remember, as we rest in Jesus’s great love for us, His love naturally overflows from us to others.

• John the Baptist made it very clear he was not the Messiah and consistently pointed to Jesus. What might it look like for us to follow his example? (If you want to dig deeper, read John 1:15-39; 3:22-36.)

“I [Jesus] am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 37:1-9; 1 PETER 2:19-25; 3:8-18

Have you ever seen someone do something wrong and, instead of getting in trouble, they end up reaping a reward for it? You may have heard the saying, “Crime doesn’t pay.” But unfortunately, in this broken world we regularly encounter people who seem to benefit from being dishonest or breaking promises. It can be hard to watch someone gain wealth with ease by deceiving or exploiting people. But the Bible tells us not to envy those who seem to be rewarded for doing evil. God sees what’s happening, and the day will come when He’ll reward those who serve and obey Him.

Yet, none of us can serve and obey God perfectly. We may be tempted to think of ourselves as better than “those evil people,” but the truth is, we all fall short (Romans 3:23-25). We all end up deceiving others and breaking promises for our own selfish gain. That’s why Jesus came to live the perfectly honest, perfectly just life that we could never live. As God the Son, Jesus always served and obeyed God the Father—and He did so out of love for the Father, and for us. Ultimately, Jesus died on the cross, taking all our sin upon Himself, and then He rose from the dead, victorious over sin and death. This was the only way for God to save us. Through Jesus, we are forgiven of our sins and we have the assurance of living with Him forever when He returns.

Until that glorious day, it can help to remember that God is not okay with injustice. All sin must be accounted for. But Jesus endured the cross to pay for our sins for us. One day, those who have been forgiven by Jesus will receive their reward—eternal life with Him. Though it may sometimes seem like doing wrong pays off, it doesn’t. God promises to right every wrong at Jesus’s return. And even now, He lives in us through His Holy Spirit, empowering us to live with honesty and justice, to serve and obey God because of His great love for us. • A. W. Smith

• How have you seen others benefitting from doing what is wrong? This can be so discouraging. When you see this happen, you can bring it to God in prayer and ask Him if there is some way you can bring honesty and justice into the situation.

• We all do wrong, and often we seem to get away with it. When are you tempted to be dishonest or pull yourself up by pushing others down? Jesus understands temptation, and He is full of mercy. When you notice temptation, you can turn to Him and be reminded of His perfect love and truth. You can also confess any sin to Him and ask for His help to move forward in love.

Trust in the Lord and do good. Psalm 37:3 (NIV)

READ: PROVERBS 3:5-6; 2 CORINTHIANS 3:5; EPHESIANS 2:8; 1 PETER 5:6-7

"UPDATE FAILED. VIRUS DETECTED.” Siren stared at the vile green letters on her monitor. There was one last thing she could try. She drew the small drive out of her pocket. The Willpower Program (or WPP) was rumored to be strong enough to revive any device that had been affected by The Virus. And Siren’s computer had been infected for a long time now. She had tried everything—flying to planets all over the solar system, asking experts, even rebuilding her operating system. Finally, she had built her own copy of WPP from the coding she’d seen at programing stations around the galaxy.

She inserted the drive. “This has to work.” You could always try the blue button, a small voice whispered in the back of her mind. “No, I won’t.” It’s the only option. Siren shook her head. Everyone knew the button was left over from long ago. If pressed, it sent a signal back to the manufacturer. And everyone knew the manufacturer was not to be trusted. A monster that could wipe out her entire system if she gave it access to her computer. She couldn’t risk compromising her hard drive.

The thought was interrupted as her screen flickered—fuzzy, then checkered, emitting a gentle hum. Siren’s heart pounded as the computer monitor simmered out, leaving silence. WPP had failed. She fell to her knees in front of the machine and cried. Everything was on there. Her life, her memories, pictures of her colony. You could always—“Fine!” Siren jabbed the round blue button in the center of the computer.

She squeezed her eyes shut. There was a gentle hum. She opened her eyes. Her apartment was cast in a beautiful blue light. “Is that it? Did that fix it? All that searching, and all I needed to do was press the blue button?” Relief settled over Siren as she skimmed through the files. All safe. But others out there were still battling The Virus. She needed to tell them. • Natty Maelle

• Do you find yourself in need of a reset, but scared you’re too far gone? You are never too far gone. Jesus came to earth to live the sinless life that we can’t, and He died on the cross to pay for our sins. He came back from the dead three days later, defeating death and sin. For you. So, if you think you can’t be saved, don’t worry. Just reach out to Him. (See our "Know Jesus" page.) Even as Christians, we need to be reminded again and again that Jesus saved us, and is still saving us, and will save us in the end. What He started—that is, salvation— He will complete (Philippians 1:6).

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you in due time. 1 Peter 5:6 (NIV)

READ: 1 PETER 5:6-11

Each small worry can quickly become a big worry. It expands from the place inside of me where a little thought pops up. I start to think about it more and more. I consider all the scenarios and things that could happen. I start to worry about how I’m going to stop things from getting worse. I wonder how tomorrow will be. I worry about other things too, as the fears really begin to take over. But before any of that happens, I can give it to God. It’s so good to know that, when a small worry starts in my mind, I can immediately hand it over to God.

The Bible says we don’t need to be anxious about anything (Philippians 4:6), and it doesn’t help to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:25-34). It isn’t up to us to try to control things by worrying. Instead, we can go to our heavenly Father in prayer and give it all to Him. He invites us to tell Him about everything that worries us. He has so much compassion on us, and He wants to help us. Because He loves us dearly, Jesus died and rose again so everyone who trusts in Him could be brought near to God. And when Jesus returns, He will put an end to everything that is worrisome.

It isn’t easy to stop worrying, but it is possible with God. I try to hand Him my worries each time they pop up, and instead focus on something I’m grateful for (Philippians 4:8). This doesn’t always work, but when it does, I’m glad I did it. Anytime I hand my worries to God, I’m grateful to know that He will take care of things for me. • Bethany Acker

• What kinds of worries do you struggle with? Consider taking a moment to tell Jesus about these.

• Sometimes, we experience thoughts and feelings that are too much for us to handle on our own, even by praying and reading the Bible. But God wants to help us in lots of ways, including through other people such as medical and mental health professionals who can help us figure out if what we are experiencing is worry, anxiety, or something else. If you find yourself feeling afraid, stressed, or worried a lot of the time, or if your thoughts keep going to dark places or “what if” scenarios and you can’t seem to stop, who is a trusted adult you could talk to? If you need someone to talk to, you can request a free conversation with Focus on the Family’s Counseling Department by calling 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Please be prepared to leave your contact information for a counselor to return a call to you as soon as possible. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 4:8; JOHN 14:25-29; 16:33

As a younger teenager, I was so interested in reading fiction. It provided entertainment, romance, adventure, comedy, and interesting plots. Not to mention, it also provided an escape from the real world, thrusting me into an author’s made-up fantasy. During stressful or anxious times in my life, I strolled through the young adult shelves at my local library seeking reprieve. The desire to shrink out of reality became a struggle, as I felt more desperate after each book. At the time, I felt like the only thing that could give me peace was books, or something to constantly read.

Then one day, I lost my library card. I spent months without reading. Fortunately, that gave me time to dive into my dust-collecting Bible. Diving into the Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), I did not leave my room for the next hour. I was stuck on a specific chapter—John 14. In verse 27, I was stunned to read what Jesus told His disciples. Here, He gives them a specific gift. Peace! He specifically stated that He would give them “peace of mind and heart.” That changed my life. Furthermore, Jesus said that His peace wasn’t like the peace that created things could give. As followers of Christ, we have access to the eternal peace that transcends what any other person or thing can give!

Today, I still love reading. And I’m still a teenager who loves romance, adventure, comedy, and interesting plots. But my heart was what changed. Now, I look for my peace in the One who I can always rely on. • Evelyn Cardriche

• One of Jesus’s names is “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Because Jesus died and rose again to forgive us and save us from sin and death, everyone who trusts in Him can have “peace with God” (Romans 5:1). That means our sin no longer makes us enemies of God—instead, we get to “rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God” (verse 11). And it’s because of this relationship that we can bring God all of our worries and, as Philippians 4:7 says, “experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.” When Jesus returns to restore creation, all His people will feel perfectly at peace all the time. And until that day, He invites us to draw near to Him whenever we feel unpeaceful, resting in His great love for us and bringing Him all of our concerns, desires, and needs. Through the Holy Spirit, He will help us experience His peace more and more throughout our lives. Can you remember a time in your life when you experienced God’s peace? What was that like?

“I [Jesus] am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27 (NLT)

READ: JOHN 3:16; 14:1-3; REVELATION 21:1-6

Time passes so quickly. We go from being children to adults. We see ourselves in the mirror and notice changes happening right before our eyes. Technology advances, new political leaders take control. Life moves at a fast pace, and sometimes we long for it to slow down…But what will eternity feel like?

As we grow up, we learn that things in this life don’t last. Job opportunities come and go. Relationships fall apart. Death happens. We get used to dealing with losses and endings. But eternity contains none of that.

God has given us the chance to live forever. Because He loves us, Jesus died and rose again so we could have eternal life. We have the opportunity to experience something beyond what we have ever experienced before. We are used to thinking in terms of everything having a start and an end, but when Jesus returns, the new heavens and new earth will have no end. Our future with God is an eternal one. We will not lose it. We will not want to leave it. No one can take it away from us (John 10:28-30; 16:22).

There is a peace that comes from knowing that something is going to last. Eternal life can be our future. If we know Jesus, we have something immeasurably wonderful to look forward to. Time passes quickly, but when we know what the future holds for us and that our time with God will have no end, we don’t have to be afraid. • Emily Acker

• Have you ever tried thinking about this present life as just a small part of your whole life—with eternity waiting for you? How could this change our point of view?

• Thinking about eternity can be overwhelming. It’s too big for us to wrap our minds around. And nobody knows exactly what it will be like. But we do know that we will get to be with God and all His people forever, filled with His love and joy, free from sin and all the brokenness it causes. To learn more about God’s promise of eternity for those who put their trust in Jesus, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

And this is what he promised us—eternal life. 1 John 2:25 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 13:1-6; 37:23-24; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:16-18

Are you going through a really difficult time? Do you wonder if there’s a way out? Perhaps you’re overwhelmed with grief, anger, or frustration. When we’re in the middle of painful situations, it can seem like they’re never-ending.

Will the hurt ever pass? Is this it? Am I trapped like this forever? We may ask ourselves, Who can help me? Why doesn’t anyone understand?

These questions are totally natural when we’re going through an intense season. Everyone has what I call the “dark chapters” in their lives. Some last hours, days, weeks, or even years. They can be excruciating. But all is not lost.

The world we live in has been broken by sin, and with it comes imperfection, failures, and trials…but we don’t suffer alone. We have a heavenly Father who loves us unconditionally, more than anyone can comprehend (Ephesians 3:19). He sent His Son, Jesus, to be God with us (Matthew 1:23). Jesus lived as a human, and He personally understands all the hurts and sorrows of life. Jesus willingly died on the cross for our sins and rose again, so everyone who trusts in Him can become God’s child. In every dark chapter, we can know that Jesus is with us, and we can look forward to the day He will return and make all things new and whole.

Even when we think God is far away, He is with us, guiding us. And He can bring good even out of terrible situations (Romans 8:28). Just look at the Bible—so many people went through incredible personal challenges. But in the midst of the dark chapters of our lives, God invites us to cry out to Him and honestly lament our pain—this is why we have so many amazing lament psalms written by people like King David. Time and time again, God meets His people with His compassionate love and brings hope, even to situations that seem hopeless.

So, if you are currently struggling, remember that these moments will not last forever. They are episodes, chapters, life segments…but not the whole picture. • Cindy Lee

• What kinds of difficult things have you gone through? How have you seen God bring hope?

• Are you in a “dark chapter” right now? In addition to talking to God, who can you be honest with about what you’re experiencing? If you are in danger, tell a trusted adult right away.

• Do you know anyone who is going through a difficult chapter in their life right now? How could you come alongside them today, perhaps through prayer, listening, or helping them?

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. Romans 8:18 (NLT)

READ: 2 TIMOTHY 2:15; 3:14-17

Do you ever find the Bible confusing and frustrating? That’s totally understandable! The books of the Bible were written thousands of years ago in different languages and in different times and places in history. It’s going to be difficult to understand at times. And it’s normal to read a passage for the first time and feel like you just don’t get it.

Learning to understand the Bible better is kind of like learning to ski. It takes practice. If you decided to take on the biggest hill you could find your very first time skiing, you’d probably tumble your way down to the bottom, and end up with a few new injuries. And if you try to tackle a difficult Bible passage without any help or training, you’ll probably end up confused and frustrated. But the more you work at skiing, the better you can do it. And the more you read and study the Bible—at church, with others, and on your own—the more you’ll understand it.

If you wanted to learn to ski, you would probably seek out a ski instructor. And a Bible instructor is a good idea too. In a way, the Holy Spirit is like our Bible instructor. When we put our trust in Jesus, believing in His death and resurrection, His Holy Spirit lives inside us. And He helps us understand what God is saying to us and apply it to our lives. We can also ask other Christians for help when we don’t understand something—like our pastors, youth leaders, family members, or friends. God doesn’t leave us to figure everything out on our own. He gives us community and His very own presence!

Just remember, anything worthwhile takes time and effort. So don’t give up when reading the Bible gets hard. Keep practicing. • A. W. Smith

• The whole Bible points to Jesus (Luke 24:27; John 5:39; 20:31; Acts 8:26-40). And if we know Jesus, we have His Holy Spirit living in us. So, as we read the Bible on our own and with others, He will help us understand what it says. How has Jesus helped you understand His Word so far?

• Have you come across a Bible passage that’s particularly difficult to understand? That’s okay—even Peter said Paul’s writings were sometimes hard to understand (2 Peter 3:16)! And there are some things we may never fully grasp until Jesus returns. Who is a trusted Christian in your life who could look at this passage with you and help you find scholarly resources that could help you understand it better—like study Bibles, commentaries, websites, or videos?

The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130 (NIV)

READ: ROMANS 5:1-11; 15:13; HEBREWS 11

Hope is a four-letter word. Yet, between those four letters is a tremendous range of nuance. People can use hope to convey an innocent wish. “I hope it doesn’t rain on the picnic.” Or hope can be used to reveal an unrivaled desire. “I hope my grandma lives through Christmas.”

Our hope often conveys what we want to happen, but it doesn’t change what will happen. We have no control over the weather, people’s lifespans, or much else. So why is such a persnickety and ultimately powerless word plastered across churches? Because biblical hope is more than a mere desire. It carries a very special subtext. Anticipation.

Hope can be frail because it often shatters when the desire is unfulfilled. But what if you knew that what you hoped for was going to happen? Romans 5:5 says, “Hope does not put us to shame.” Why? Because the hope this verse is talking about is a hope placed in God Himself, and God always keeps His promises. This verse is talking about the hope that Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection has cleansed us of our sins. The hope that Jesus will come back again. The hope that we will live with Him in the new heavens and new earth one day. The hope that we will see our fellow believers again, and sorrow and pain will be gone forever. These are all things God promises to those who accept His gift of salvation by putting their faith in Jesus.

Hebrews 11 starts by saying, “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” This chapter goes on to describe many people who were able to act in faith because they put their hope in something certain— God. So hope becomes the anticipation of something assured, not just a four-letter word. • Abigail Scibiur

• How can hoping for something assured change our outlook on life or even the way we act? (Hint: read 2 Corinthians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 4:13-14; Hebrews 10:22-25.)

• What are some specific promises God has made that we can put our hope in? Consider starting your own list of Scriptures about those promises to look at whenever you feel discouraged.

• Remember, our hope is ultimately in Jesus Himself (Ephesians 1:12). Because of His death and resurrection, we can rest in His promises, and we can also be honest with Him about what we want and need. There is power in expressing our desires to God in prayer because He has the power to change things. Consider taking some time to express your desires to Jesus. He is listening.

And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:5 (NIV)

READ: ACTS 2:1-14; ROMANS 12:4-21; GALATIANS 5:22-23

When people first hear that Christians all receive the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14), there can be a sense of excitement as they anticipate a life-changing, empowering moment. In the Bible, we find the account of the day of Pentecost. Jesus’s followers are all sitting together, because after Jesus died and rose again, but before He ascended into heaven, He’d told them to wait for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). Then, the Holy Spirit comes in a very visible and dramatic way—including flames and wind! The Bible goes on to show the instantaneous transformation in the apostles—they went from fearful to courageous, and they shared the good news boldly.

But what happens if your experience of the Holy Spirit isn’t quite like you expected? You may ask yourself, Why don’t I feel different? Where is my Holy Spirit zeal? Is something wrong with me? Do not panic. It’s okay if your experience is different from what happened to the first disciples.

The Holy Spirit distributes spiritual gifts to all believers (1 Corinthians 12:11; 1 Peter 4:10-11). We are called to use our different gifts to share the good news and the gift of salvation, and also to serve one another in a variety of ways. For example, some Christians receive a gift of teaching or wisdom that they can share with others through speaking or writing as they listen and offer support to those in need. The Holy Spirit also strengthens us to battle through difficulties and overcome obstacles, empowering us to resist temptation and love others, even our enemies. God the Holy Spirit always glorifies God the Father and God the Son (Jesus) and never contradicts the Bible, but each believer’s experience of the Spirit is unique and personal to them.

If you wonder if the Holy Spirit is doing anything in your life, remember that God works in many different ways. Although you can’t always recognize what is happening on the inside, it doesn’t mean nothing is happening. The Spirit’s work is sometimes a gradual process—like in nature when seeds are planted and it takes time to witness the results. Other people may begin to notice positive changes in you, such as becoming more self-controlled and showing more joy and love, which are fruits of the Spirit’s work (Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Timothy 1:7).

So, embrace your journey with the Holy Spirit. Remember, it’s a lifelong process. You can trust God’s timing as you seek His direction and rely on Him in faith. • Cindy Lee

• What questions do you have about the Holy Spirit? Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you dig into Scripture and discern what the Spirit might be doing in and through you?

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Romans 12:11 (NIV)

READ: ISAIAH 58:6-12; JOHN 4:14; 7:38-39; GALATIANS 5:13-23

"Look over there, Jett—under those tall weeds!” Kyra jumped over a stream as she and her brother explored the area behind their new home. When they had lived by the sea, their family made their living as fishermen, but when the dragon wars encroached on their tiny coastal town, they had to flee inland. They hoped to make a fresh start in this new village in the Amplio valley. Kyra pushed aside some of the rough grass to get a better look. “Are those trata fruit?”

“Looks like trata fruit to me,” confirmed Jett. “Let’s pull up these weeds so we can see the plants better.” They began pulling the grass and thistles that had grown more than waist-high. Sure enough, they found other fruits and vegetables too. Kyra said, “Somebody must’ve planted this garden long ago. I’m surprised the trata plants survived in the middle of all these weeds.”

“Let’s work this garden instead of planting a new one,” Jett said, remembering their old garden back home. Its produce had helped them through many a tough time. “We’ll need to bring water from the stream—and the weeds will come back if we let them.”

Kyra paused thoughtfully. “You know something? I came across a verse in Isaiah this morning—‘You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.’ I’ve heard it said that Isaiah points to our need for Jesus. Remember how everyone who believes in Jesus has living water flowing inside us, and how He produces good fruit in our lives? As His people, I guess we’re His garden. I like thinking about how He’s the One watering that garden.”

Jett rubbed a trata leaf. “I want to be like that—producing fruit instead of thistles. I don’t want to cause harm, like the wars do. I want to bring good into the world. But every day, I keep finding more sin in my life—like how we’ll keep finding weeds in this garden. I know Jesus has already made us holy through His death and resurrection, but I can’t wait till He comes back and we won’t struggle with sin anymore.”

Kyra nodded. “Me too, but I’m also thankful the Spirit tends our hearts every day, rooting out the thorns of violence and greed so we can be people of mercy and kindness.” • A. W. Smith

• When we know Jesus, His Holy Spirit lives in us and works to produce good fruit in our hearts. What does this fruit look like? (Hint: read Galatians 5:22-23.)

• The Holy Spirit also makes us more aware of the sin in our lives. Consider taking some time in prayer, confessing any sin that comes to mind and resting in Jesus’s sure forgiveness.

“You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:11 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 139; ROMANS 8:28-29, 38-39; PHILIPPIANS 1:6

At times, growing up is hard. Change is exciting, but at the same time such a difficult thing to go through. Feeling your body change. Seeing things around you shift. Knowing that your mind is growing and your perspective on things will not always be the same.

Change feels strange, but as we experience it in ourselves and in the world around us, we don’t have to be afraid. There are some things that are never going to change.

When life feels different than it used to, we may feel unsteady and disoriented, but it can help to remember that God will not change. His love is always constant. The promise of eternity will never fade. The gospel is always true. Jesus died and rose again for us, and if we’ve put our trust in Him, we can know with certainty that He is with us—forever. He will never leave us.

Throughout our lives, we will continue to grow and change. We will find new things to be passionate about and new ways to enjoy life. We will find new purposes for our lives, and we’ll get excited about what is to come.

As we go through all those changes, both the good and the bad, the struggle and the joy, we can remember that God is there with us. When we need something to ground us, we can pray to Him. When we need something to remind us that, even as we are drastically changing, some things in our lives will always be the same, we can think of His unchanging love. • Bethany Acker

• As we grow in our walk with Jesus, He will continue to reveal Himself to us in various ways, and He will keep forming us to become more and more like Him. This means our perspectives on different things will likely shift throughout our lifetimes. And that’s okay! As we pursue Jesus and study His Word, He will help us bring all the areas of our lives into alignment with Him. And this is a lifelong process. Who are some people in your life who can walk through this process with you—such as parents, pastors, counselors, youth leaders, and friends? Consider taking some time to ask a trusted Christian adult how their perspective has changed over the years.

• When the world around us changes, how could remembering that Jesus never changes help us come to Him in prayer? Do you have any favorite Bible passages that remind you of this truth?

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 (CSB)

READ: ISAIAH 53:4-12; COLOSSIANS 1:22; HEBREWS 9:11-28; REVELATION 5:12

You gave up Your life,You are the Perfect Sacrifice—God’s precious Son,The Holy, Just, and Righteous One.Speak to us softly, O Lord, we pray,Speak to us clearly, O Lord, this day!You alone are good,Teach us, Lord, to live as You would—Holy and pure,By faith, Your blood the costly cure.Speak to us softly, O Lord, we pray,Speak to us clearly, O Lord, this day!Risen from the dead,You are Life, the Living Bread—Lamb that was slain,Bearing the curse, took up our pain.Speak to us softly, O Lord, we pray,Speak to us clearly, O Lord, this day…Speak to us, Lord,that we might obey.

Sometimes, when I try to describe the sacrifice of Jesus I am stilled into silence. Trying to put the most profound mystery in the universe into everyday words is sort of like visiting the Grand Canyon and bringing home a single snapshot. The photo is accurate, but it’s simply incapable of capturing the grandeur you see and feel— gazing across a chasm so vast that the bottom is a hazy blur. Only by hiking down inside can you begin to experience the canyon’s true depth and beauty.

That’s sort of what it’s like when we think about the matchless glory of the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. It simply cannot be experienced from afar—it is something we must enter into. Christ’s blood was shed on the cross, for us. He not only bore our sin, but He took up our suffering and pain (Isaiah 53). Come, and gaze with me there. • G. Kam Congleton

• Throughout the Bible, Christ’s sacrifice is portrayed in many ways. For example, we find similar descriptions in Isaiah 53:12 and in Hebrews 9:28. What do you notice is included in Hebrews that is not mentioned in Isaiah? Why do you think this is?

• The life-changing truth of the gospel is deeper than any words can convey, that because of the sacrifice of Jesus’s shed blood, God Himself can dwell with us—and in us—making us one with God. (More on our "Know Jesus" page.) Which description of Jesus’s sacrifice resonates with you most today?

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood— to be received by faith. Romans 3:25 (NIV)

READ: GENESIS 1:26-31; PSALM 35:27; PROVERBS 3:11-12; ISAIAH 62:4

If you grew up in church, you’ve probably heard over and over that God loves you. And He does! But did you know that He also likes you?

This is a truth I’ve struggled to accept. It’s easy for me to believe that God loves me, because that’s His job! It’s just who He is. But I can fall into the false belief that it’s only a duty-bound love. That He loves me only because He has to, not because He truly enjoys who I actually am.

Make no mistake, God does love us because of who He is. His character is unchanging, and so is His love for us. Nothing can shake that. But I think it’s important to also remember that God likes us. He enjoys our presence with Him. He delights in us—and even rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). He created us and gifted us with our unique personalities and abilities—and He likes what He made!

It may seem trivial or self-centered to wonder if God likes us, but it really does matter. It affects the way we interact with Him. We may believe that, because we are fallen and sinful, we are unlikeable. And when we believe that we are unlikeable, all we can focus on is our own smallness and unworthiness before the Lord, instead of focusing on His goodness and majesty and love. But as the Holy Spirit helps us grow more secure in our belief that God legitimately enjoys our presence and wants to spend time with us, it frees us from that insecure self-focus on our own unworthiness and allows us to truly enjoy God’s presence like He enjoys ours.

Jesus died and rose again to make the way to be with us forever. Let’s take a moment and think about that. He died because He wanted to be with you. He most definitely likes you. • Taylor Eising

• Do you find it easier to believe that God loves you or that God likes you? Why? How does this affect the way you view God and the way you approach Him in prayer?

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

READ: EXODUS 34:6; PSALM 86; 1 JOHN 3:1

I stepped off the school bus and headed down the sidewalk toward my third-grade class. Sticking my hands in my pockets, I felt for the envelope with that day’s lunch money. I expected to find it there, but I wanted to reassure myself.

However, I didn’t locate the envelope of coins in my pockets, or in my backpack. The payment for my lunch that day must have fallen onto my seat on the bus, but I had already watched the school bus pull away from the building.

I knew I could charge that day’s lunch and bring payment for it the next day. But I dreaded explaining to my parents that I’d lost the money. I feared getting in trouble for being irresponsible. Later, at dinner that night, I somberly told my parents about the missing money. Although I anticipated a scolding, my dad responded differently.

“That’s okay. Don’t worry; we have more money to cover it,” he replied.

My whole body slumped with relief. Instead of showing frustration with me for my mistake, my dad showed me mercy. That day, my earthly father gave me a glimpse of our heavenly Father. No parent is perfect (mine included), but our parents do influence how we believe God sees us. In this instance, even though losing my lunch money was a mistake and not a sin, my dad’s response helped me trust God’s heart for me.

For those who put their trust in Jesus, resting in the work He did on the cross to pay for our sins and give us His righteousness, we receive God’s mercy. No longer are we charged with guilt because of our sin; instead, we belong to a Father who shows us His goodness with abounding grace and compassion. His mercy is bigger than any sin we could commit or any mistake we could make. As His children, we can revel in the truth that God responds to us, even in our messes, not with great anger—but with great love. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Has someone ever shown you God’s heart toward you? What was that like?

• Do you struggle to believe that God is compassionate toward you in your mistakes? If so, why do you think that is? We all feel this way from time to time. Who are trusted Christians you could talk to about this, such as parents, pastors, youth leaders, or counselors?

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 1:1-9; 8:12

Have you ever been outside during a cloudy night when you couldn’t see the moon or even the stars? The darkness can feel all-consuming. And trying to find your way through that darkness can lead to some serious scrapes and bruises!

Sometimes, going through life can feel the same way. The darkness of sin and brokenness feels all-consuming. It’s easy to get lost.

Thankfully, wherever we go, we always have light with us. The apostle John starts his Gospel by declaring that Jesus is “the true light that gives light to everyone” (John 1:9). Later in this book, John recounts how Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Apart from God, all people are lost in the darkness of sin, but Jesus gives His light to everyone who trusts in Him.

And we really do need light, even when we think we don’t. Just like trying to find our way home in a pitch-dark night, going through life without the light of Jesus will leave us lost and hurt. But Jesus saves us from the darkness of sin through His death and resurrection, and He leads us safely home. As John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” We can always rely on Him, even in the darkest nights. • A. W. Smith

• If we know Jesus, we know the Light of the World. Sometimes we don’t feel like we need Him, but making our way through life without Him is like walking in darkness. Jesus wants to light our way. To learn more about the good news of Jesus, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

• As Christians, we’re looking forward to the day Jesus will restore creation and rid the world of darkness forever. In the meantime, we know He is always with us. In what ways have you experienced the darkness of our broken world lately? What has left you feeling hurt and lost? Jesus knows all our pain and confusion, and He longs to comfort us in His love. Consider taking a moment to come to Him in prayer, telling Him about your hurts and receiving His compassion.

• When you feel overwhelmed by the darkness, who is a trusted Christian in your life who can help remind you of the reality of Jesus’s all-powerful light?

“I [Jesus] am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NIV)

READ: ROMANS 5:8-11; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:16-21; EPHESIANS 6:19-20

Would you like to be an ambassador to a foreign country and work in an embassy? You’d live in that foreign country and be able to speak for your country’s leader, because you would be their official representative.

Did you know that the land the embassies are on is actually considered a really small part of their home country? So, say, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico is actually a tiny piece of the United States of America, right smack dab in the middle of Mexico City.

Turns out that if you name Jesus as your King, then you actually are an ambassador for Christ! The church is kind of like an embassy, right here on earth. Christians are given this awesome opportunity to speak for God as we share our faith and His love with the world around us.

In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul is appealing with his whole heart to the lost ones in Corinth. He shares how the heart of his King, the God of the universe, longs for the world that has turned its back on Him to be reconciled to Him. Paul writes, “We are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, ‘Be reconciled to God.’”

God’s embassy is still on earth, even when we turn our back to Him. His church, the ambassadors, are still here. God doesn’t want anyone to live outside of His territory. He wants the whole world to be reconciled, to come to Him, and to live as residents of His kingdom.

So He sends His ambassadors—you and me—to the people around us. We ambassadors for Christ can pray for our friends, share our stories, and explain God’s wonderful plan to those around us. • Kristen Merrill

• One day, Jesus will return to reign as King over all creation. He will renew the heavens and the earth, and He will resurrect His people from the dead to live with Him in His eternal kingdom. Until then, the church can offer a glimpse of that kingdom. What are some ways the church can point to Jesus as King? How can we show people what Jesus and His kingdom are like?

• It’s because God loves us and longs for us to be reconciled to Him that Jesus died on the cross and rose again. To learn more about how we can be reconciled to God through Jesus, and how to share this good news with others, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20 (CSB)

READ: PROVERBS 12:15; 15:22; 19:20; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27

I like to do things on my own. I never enjoyed group projects in school because it seemed like I was the one to be the most focused or the one who cared the most about grades, so then I ended up putting pressure on myself to pick up the slack from everyone else. Plus, I know what it is that I want to do, and working in a group is difficult because people have lots of different opinions about what should be done or how it should be done.

As I grew into adulthood, that dislike for working on group projects continued in the form of just generally wanting to do my own thing. Sometimes, it’s hard for me to listen to the advice of others because I know what it is I want to accomplish, and I know how I want to accomplish it.

But the times I have sought advice and truly listened to what others had to say about different circumstances I was facing, I was able to make a better decision about how to move forward. When God saves us, He places us in community for a reason. He says, “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27). We’re often tempted to think that we don’t need other people, that life would be simpler if we just did things ourselves, but we are meant to lean on one another. We are not meant to do this life alone. There is so much freedom and confidence that comes from turning to other people and truly listening to what they have to say. • Tynea Lewis

• Do you like group projects? Why or why not? Can you think of a time when having multiple people’s perspectives and abilities resulted in a better outcome than one person could have produced on their own?

• What is one area of your life that you could benefit from listening to the advice of others?

• Who is a trusted person in your life who could provide wise and godly counsel when you are facing difficult situations or decisions—someone who embodies the wisdom described in James 3:12-18? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.

Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. Proverbs 19:20 (NLT)

READ: ROMANS 8; 1 PETER 2:9-10

My hands shook with my effort not to take The List out of my pocket. You can’t control me, I whispered through gritted teeth. I just wanted to walk into this building full of, I imagined, lovely people and be okay. Two steps from the door, my fingers curled around The List. I tried to squeeze my eyes shut as I felt myself unfold the paper. There, scrawled across the top was the word condemned. I jammed the paper into my pocket, turned around, and walked away.

The following day, I was looking forward to the moment that could change the trajectory of my future. I had prepared myself and worked hard. I sat in a chair, waiting for them to call my name. Instead, I felt the call of The List. I gripped the seat tight, willing myself not to listen. Once again, I opened it to see the next word penned below the first: rejected. I made my way down the hall, away from possibility, not even turning back when I heard them call my name.

Looking in the mirror that night, I thought I glimpsed a spark of new. Was it in my eyes? Could I be the person I wanted to be? Did the corners of my mouth turn up slightly more than usual? I felt a strange twitch on my lips, a desire to smile. But the desire fled when I watched my hand draw out The List once more. I don’t know why I had this compulsion to read it when I already knew by heart what I would see: stagnant.

I sank to the floor, overcome by defeat and sorrow. The List lay beside me, mocking—wait! The words that I had read so many times were crossed out with bold, red slashes. I gripped The List and felt my heart leap as I read new words written over the old. Instead of condemned I read approved, in place of rejected was chosen, over stagnant was alive.

Finally, I understood. The List would no longer control me with its lies. I could live in the freedom of who I was always meant to be, and no one could take it away. • Savannah Coleman

• Like The List in today’s allegorical story, we all have voices in our heads, but what God says about us should trump anything our minds or other people say. When you become a follower of Christ, you are given a new identity. He takes all the sin and shame. By the blood of Jesus shed for you, you are no longer condemned, but forgiven (Romans 8:1; 1 John 2:12). You are no longer rejected, but a chosen, fully loved child of God (Romans 8:15; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 3:1). What are some practical ways you could spend time listening to what God says about you this week? Remember, we hear God’s voice through His Word, His people, and His Spirit. (If you’ve never put your trust in Jesus and want to know more, see our "Know Jesus" page.)

• Satan likes to try to remind us of who we were before we met Jesus. He accuses and causes worries, fears, and anxiety to fill our minds. And even if Satan is not directly responsible for the voices in our heads, he is a primary source of them. The other source is the law, or God’s commands, which God gave us to show us our need for Jesus. Yet, Satan uses the law to accuse us. The law’s accusatory nature should lead us to Christ, but it often becomes the means by which we are continually enslaved by fear and anxiety. But the truth is this: in Christ, we are new creations—everything that was old has been transformed (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21). Although we will still struggle with sin and negative thoughts, we now have the power of God to choose righteousness and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). We can choose to set our minds on things above by fixing our thoughts on Jesus (Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:2; Hebrews 12:2). What kinds of accusing voices have been bothering you? Consider writing down these accusations, and bring them to Jesus in prayer. Then write down a couple verses that contradict these lies. Keep these verses close by so you can ponder them often and redirect your thoughts to Jesus. You can always ask Him to help you see the truth.

• Throughout our lives, we may need help to untangle the lies we’ve been believing about ourselves and discover the truth. Who are trusted Christians in your life you’d feel comfortable talking to about this, such as parents, pastors, youth leaders, or counselors? If you need someone to talk to, you can request a free conversation with Focus on the Family’s Counseling Department by calling 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Please be prepared to leave your contact information for a counselor to return a call to you as soon as possible. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 (NIV)

READ: 2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17; HEBREWS 4:12

When you do the same thing over and over again, it’s easy to get tired of it. This can even be true of reading the Bible. If you’ve ever had your Bible reading routine feel like something you’re just trying to get through and you’ve longed for it to be something more—longed to learn more and get more out of it—you can find a way to make things different. You can try new things so that your Bible reading routine helps you feel more connected to God and helps you grow in your faith.

First, you can start by asking God for direction. Spend time with Him in prayer, asking what He wants your Bible reading routine to look like right now. Ask Him where He wants you to be reading. Ask Him how He wants you to be studying. Ask Him to remind you of how He is with you as you read. Remember, the time you spend reading the Bible can be something you do together with Him, deeply in-tuned to Him. As you pray, you may not get any specific answers about where and how to do your reading, and that’s okay—the point is to spend intentional time seeking God as you read His Word. He may be guiding you in ways you don’t even realize yet.

If you’ve been studying your Bible alone, you could find someone to read it with you—maybe a friend, mentor, church member, or small group. You might even see if a sibling is interested in sitting down with you each day and letting you read to them. Then, discuss what you’re reading with the person or people you choose to study with.

If you’ve never tried journaling about what you’re reading in the Bible before, why not get out a paper and pen and give it a try? Write about what you’re learning, what questions you have, connections to your life, prayers, and whatever else God lays on your heart.

The Bible is worth studying because it’s God’s Word—and it tells us the truth about Jesus’s death and resurrection. It reveals His great love for us. So, if you feel that something in your Bible routine is lacking, ask God to help you find a way to change things up. • Emily Acker

• Have you tried out any Bible-reading routines? What did you like or dislike about them?

• Which of the suggestions above are you curious about? Do any other ideas come to mind?

• God delights in helping us find ways to spend time with Him and grow in our relationship with Him. How could you set aside time this week to be in His Word?

But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 13:1-6

How long, God? Why is it taking forever for things to get better? Why can’t my life turn around and be all that I hoped for? Why do you feel so far from me? How long, God, is it going to feel like this? How long can I survive like this?

You may have had thoughts like these at times, and they are similar to the thoughts of David when he wrote Psalm 13. In this psalm, David asks God if He will forget him forever. That’s the way he’s feeling as he writes—forgotten and abandoned. He is sorrowful and wrestling with difficult thoughts.

That might be just the way you feel sometimes. You might feel alone. You might worry about a hundred things at once. Your life might feel messy, and you might feel like God is far from you. But the truth is, God is so very near. He loves us so much that Jesus died and rose again to make the way for us to be with Him always. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that, even in our worst moments, Jesus is right there with us. He weeps with us and offers hope, comfort, and strength. And one day, He will make all wrongs right. When we rest in these truths, it can help us remember that God is trustworthy. He loves us, and He never leaves us.

That’s what David does in Psalm 13. In the end, he remembers that God has been good to him. He might have felt abandoned for a time, but he knows that God is always good. David even says that he will sing praise to the Lord.

When we struggle, we can cry out and ask God how long we’re going to feel that way. We can tell Him how abandoned and forgotten we feel. We can process all our messy feelings with Him. As we do this, the Holy Spirit helps us remember how good God is and rest in the truth that He is with us. He has always loved us, and always will. • Bethany Acker

• When we read lament psalms like Psalm 13, it can be tempting to skip right down to the “good part” in verses 5-6. We might want to skip over our feelings of hurt, sorrow, and frustration. But that’s not what God wants for us. He is not afraid of our feelings. Instead of skipping these uncomfortable emotions, He invites us to process them with Him, even if that means telling Him how angry we are at Him. Are there any uncomfortable feelings you need to process with God right now? He invites us to come to Him in prayer and be honest with Him so He can bring healing to our hearts.

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. Psalm 13:5 (NIV)

READ: GENESIS 28:15; DEUTERONOMY 31:1-13; PROVERBS 3:26

Have you ever read Deuteronomy 31:8? It says, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” The book of Deuteronomy consists of messages that Moses gave the Israelites about the future. At the time, God had already parted the Red Sea and delivered the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, and now they were wandering in the wilderness, waiting for God to bring them into the Promised Land. Moses wanted to encourage the people to trust God, and he also instructed them in how to act righteously—how to live according to God’s good ways.

When Moses was nearing the end of his life, he spoke the words of Deuteronomy 31:8 to Joshua, right before Joshua would lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. Moses wanted to offer his successor the peace of knowing that God was preparing the way ahead of him, that God would be with him, and that he didn’t need to fear any evil.

For me, reading this verse reminds me that my Father has my future in His hands, and I don’t need to be afraid of what is to come. I don’t need to try to take control or plan things out by myself—He already sits upon the throne.

Though this world may crumble around us, we don’t need to get discouraged, because God is good and His promise is secure. Jesus is “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), and He went before us, living the righteous life we never could, making the way for us to be saved from the wilderness of sin and enter the abundance of God’s kingdom. He died, was buried, rose from the grave, and is coming back again to raise all His people from the dead to live with Him forever in restored creation. And even now, He promises to be with us, always (Matthew 28:20).

When I first read Deuteronomy 31:8, I immediately felt at peace. The promise that God will never leave us and that He will always be with us is such a comfort. It teaches me to quiet any worries I have and to never lose hope. Our God goes before us. • Molly McTernan

• What kinds of things have made you feel afraid or discouraged lately? It’s not wrong to feel this way, and in fact, God invites us to be totally honest about this. How could remembering that God is with us and goes before us make it easier to bring all our concerns to Him in prayer?

• In addition to talking to God, who are trusted Christians you can talk to when you feel worried?

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 19:1-4; 148:1-14; ISAIAH 55:12

A silver moon,a single star,shining in the morning dark.Waves are gentlyrolling in,riding on the restless wind.Sleek and smooth,sands lie fresh,washed by the ocean’s salty breath.Daybreak beamssoft and bright,rejoicing in the coming light!So may we,with hope revived—praise Him with the morning tide.

Today’s poem was inspired by a moment when I sensed creation joyously reflecting God’s glory and beauty. The Bible shows us that all creation praises God as Creator. Psalm 148 says this includes the heavenly host, things on earth, in the ocean—even the sun, wind, and rain. And, last but not least, it includes people. • G. Kam Congleton

• Can you think of a time when you experienced a moment of wonder at God’s creation? As you read today’s Scriptures, consider taking some time to ponder the ways God may be revealing Himself to you— whether it be through creation, His Word, or specific people or circumstances. Then, maybe sing a favorite song of praise, or write down a simple prayer or poem to help you celebrate that moment in praise to Jesus. (Luke 19:37-40; Colossians 1:15-23)

Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Psalm 148:3 (NIV)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 15:20, 35-38, 42-44, 54-57

Have you ever read verses in the Bible that talk about how we’ll be raised from the dead like Jesus was? It’s one thing to picture Jesus being raised from the dead after only three days, but it can be harder to imagine how bodies that have been dead a long time could ever be alive again.

But maybe a metaphor for resurrection would help. Have you ever seen marigold seeds? They are thin, long, dry seeds that are white on one end and black on the other. They look nothing like a marigold flower. But, when we bury the seeds in the ground, eventually these tiny, unremarkable seeds grow into vibrant flowers bursting with orange and yellow petals.

God can take those shriveled seeds and bring them to life. And He promises to do the same for Christians. In fact, the Bible actually compares our coming resurrection to what happens when seeds grow into plants. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes, “It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength” (verses 42-43).

Even though our bodies die, death is no match for Jesus—He conquered sin and death by giving up His own life for us on the cross. He will resurrect our bodies one day, and when He does, our bodies will be even better than before. No matter what happens to us on earth, we have the hope of resurrection.

So, next time you see a pot full of magnificent flowers, think of the dry, shriveled little seeds they came from. Our amazing God made those flowers grow, and He promises to do the same for us. • A. W. Smith

• Raising dead bodies is no greater problem for God than turning seeds into plants. In other words, it’s no problem for Him at all. Jesus rose from the dead, and He’ll raise believers too. He’ll give His children bodies that are even more wonderful than those we had before. It’s amazing to think about! How could knowing that Jesus has power even over death affect the way we view death? (Romans 8:38-39)

Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15:54 (NLT)

READ: 1 SAMUEL 17; 2 TIMOTHY 1:9-10

Dear Mother,

Grandfather’s stories are true. The giant smells. Now his stories feel like mine. But I suppose that’s the purpose of a story. To let you know you’re not alone.

It might be the giant’s breath or body, but we could smell it from a mile away. Like rotten meat. Like that time when a mouse died in the wall and we couldn’t reach it. The smell of the army masks it, but not much. I can smell the blood on the shields. The body odor from days of warfare. The dirt, churned to mud by our advance. It almost made me forget the giant.

Then he would laugh. Guffaw. He’d grab his bouncing stomach and laugh with all his might as we hacked at his toes and ankles. Or when others were crushed beneath his naked feet.

The Prophecy of the Scroll is our only hope. I pray it’s true, because the army is useless. We leave scratches as he laughs. We are fully incapable of defeating him. We’ve used all manner of weapons to no avail. Siege Engines and Catapults. Fire and Poison. Nothing stops him. And so, slowing him from reaching our village is our goal. We’ve lost a third of the army so far, but holding him here on the Plains of Ardak-Drun, even for a few days, should be enough time for you and my sisters to escape to the mountains. Even if I die, knowing you are safe is worth it.

Should the Scrolls prove true, and the chosen one arrive, I will send word. Should his sword be sharp and the stones of his sling fly true, should he stand on his own strength and not that of an army, should the one foretold by those of old lay his sandals upon the sands of Ardak-Drun, I am confident that the uselessness of the army will be but kindling to fuel his glory.

Embrace my sisters, tell them the stories of old.

Love, your son. • Jacob Marchitell

• In 1 Samuel 17, when a nine-foot-tall warrior named Goliath terrorized the Israelite army, David killed him with just a stone and sling. This points to the future promise of the Chosen One. All our efforts are useless against the death that awaits us. But God didn’t leave us to die alone, weak and afraid of the power of death. He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to fight the battle on our behalf. He defeated death by giving up His own life for us on the cross, and then rising from the grave, so we could one day be raised to life just as He was. So now, whenever we are afraid, we can look to our King. Not a king who stays hidden in his palace, but a King who “gave up his divine privileges,” stood on the front line of the war, and defeated death by Himself (Romans 5:1-11; Philippians 2:5-11). In hard times, how can looking to Jesus give us hope?

Christ Jesus, our Savior…broke the power of death. 2 Timothy 1:10 (NLT)

READ: ROMANS 8:31-39; 1 PETER 5:6-11

I have many tactics that I use to try to deal with anxiety, and it seems like I am always trying something new. Recently, I was thinking about how I tend to try to push aside the worst-case scenarios that come into my head and stress me out, and I wondered if there might be a better solution. What if, instead of trying to push aside the worst-case scenarios and stop thinking about them, I thought about how God would be with me even if any one of them were to come into being? Because the truth is, if we know Jesus, He is always with us. When we go through difficult times, He is right there beside us, loving us and caring for us.

So, if I am worried about a health issue that might come up, instead of trying to push that thought away, I can think about how God would be with me in that situation. What strength and comfort could He provide? How could He work through His people—the church—to help with this issue? Similarly, if I am worried about money or relationships, I can think about how God would be right there with me to provide wisdom and support.

As we remember that Jesus has been through the hurt and suffering of human life too, and He has promised to always be there for us, we can be sure He will help us in any battle we face. As worries mount, we can accept that, yes, bad things might happen, but we serve a God who is bigger than anything we will face—and He will be right there with us. • Emily Acker

• Do your thoughts ever jump to worst-case scenarios? This happens to all of us from time to time. In these moments, how could it be helpful to remember that God would be with us in these situations and then consider all the ways He might provide for us?

• Can you think of a time God helped you through a difficulty? What was that like?

• Jesus promises to always be with His people—He died and rose again to make the way for us to be with God forever. He is always eager to help us, and He often helps us through each other. If you’re experiencing anxiety that won’t go away, who is a trusted adult you could talk to? If you need someone to talk to, you can request a free conversation with Focus on the Family’s Counseling Department by calling 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Please be prepared to leave your contact information for a counselor to return a call to you as soon as possible. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

“And remember, I [Jesus] am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 (CSB)

READ: MATTHEW 5:43-47; JOHN 16:29-33

My brother was selected to participate in his middle school’s play, so my family gladly showed up to watch the performance. While we sat in the audience, some unknown person crept into the parking lot and broke into our minivan. Although the would-be thief found nothing to steal, this individual did leave a mound of broken glass and a shattered window in our vehicle.

I felt violated. More so, I felt angry. This person had no right to do this! I also felt annoyed that this meant I couldn’t drive our van to my own school while we waited to have it repaired. Instead, my parents taped plastic over the busted-out window and dropped me off on campus. Because my mom needed to drive to work afterward, I arrived so early that the school hadn’t opened its doors yet. As I sat waiting to enter, I fumed about the inconvenience a stranger had caused because they wanted what wasn’t theirs. The person who damaged our van didn’t have any right to harm our family’s property. Feeling anger about this situation was natural. Over time, though, I realized I believed I had a right to avoid the problems other people face in this broken, sinful world. I assumed I deserved exemption from troubles because I trusted God.

Scripture tells us something different, though. Those who put their trust in Jesus still experience pain. Entering a relationship with God through His Son doesn’t promise a blissful life. After all, Jesus Himself experienced rejection and injustice. And that means He understands our struggles. He also says we can expect to face trouble. But, when we have Him in our lives, we can be encouraged knowing He loves us, and He has overcome the brokenness of this world. • Allison Wilson Lee

• When we’re afraid we’re unsafe, anger is a natural response, because as humans we are worthy of safety. Can you think of a time you experienced trouble that wasn’t your fault, that may even have been caused by someone else? Since the world has been broken by sin, we all experience injustice. And, in fact, we all cause injustice. That’s why Jesus came to save us. He took all the sin and injustice of the world on Himself and defeated it through His own death on the cross. Then He resurrected from the dead, defeating death itself. One day He will return to resurrect His people and flood the world with His perfect justice. In the meantime, He invites us to participate in His kingdom of love and justice, resisting the temptation to take revenge and instead relying on His Holy Spirit within us to provide guidance and wisdom in how to love others, even our enemies. When we face injustice and trouble, how can we respond according to these truths?

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)

READ: MARK 14:66-72; LUKE 19:1-10; ACTS 3:18-22; ROMANS 2:4

What do you do after you sin? That probably wasn’t the question you were expecting. We all know that we sin, but do we like to think about that? I certainly don’t.

After we sin, sometimes we think we can just forget about it, pretend it never happened. “Deny and it shall disappear.” For example, after King David had Bathsheba taken to his palace so he could have sex with her, she became pregnant, and David tried to hide his sin by having her husband Uriah killed while he was away at war (2 Samuel 11-12). But God sees and knows everything we do.

Sometimes we feel ashamed when we sin. Peter denied Jesus, not once but three times, all after insisting he would stay true to Jesus even to death. When Peter realized what he’d done, he broke down and wept. He was ashamed and likely wished he could take back what he just did.

Sometimes we may not think we are doing anything wrong when we sin. Saul was a hater of Christians. He unabashedly hurt and killed many who followed Jesus. In fact, Saul believed this was what God wanted him to do. He was known to search for Christians with the sole purpose of harming them. Saul didn’t even see his sin as doing anything wrong.

There is one more response to sin, and my favorite example of that is Zacchaeus’s. See, Zacchaeus was a tax collector, and he frequently cheated people out of money. He was short (like me), so he climbed up a tree to be able to see Jesus as He passed by. Then Jesus looked right up at him. He told Zacchaeus that He would be staying at his home. Zacchaeus’s response? He welcomed Jesus joyfully. Then he admitted that his sin was wrong and repented, not only paying back the people he stole from, but giving them four times as much as he had taken.

David, Peter, and Saul (also known as Paul) eventually had encounters with God and repented of their sins too (2 Samuel 12; John 21:15-24; Acts 9). Similarly, Jesus invites us to repent of our sins often. Because, even as Christians, we’ll still struggle with sin until Jesus returns. There are many responses to the sins we commit, but the only real way forward is confessing our sins to God and receiving His forgiveness (1 John 1:8-9). • Kimberly Brokish

• Sin is a big deal to God because it causes harm to His good creation and to our relationship with Him, but He wants so much to forgive and restore us that Jesus became human and died on the cross for us, then rose from the grave (more on our "Know Jesus" page). Consider taking some time to confess any sins that come to mind to God and thank Him for His sure forgiveness through Jesus.

“Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out.” Acts 3:19 (CSB)

READ: JOHN 15:12-17; ROMANS 5:10-11

When you look around at school or at church, how can you tell which people are friends with each other? It’s pretty easy, right? They hang out together. They choose to sit near each other, they talk and laugh and update each other on their lives. They might do things together like play games or sports or work on projects. After a while, they probably start acting like each other too.

Friendship really is a great gift from God. He designed us for community with other people…and with Himself. And even though humanity turned away from God, rejecting Him and becoming His enemies, the Bible tells us Jesus has made us friends with God through His death and resurrection. In Jesus, God made the way to forgive our sins and draw us close.

So, how can you tell if someone is friends with God? If they spend time with Him. After all, that’s how friendships grow—by spending time together. We became God’s friends when we put our trust in Jesus. Now we can grow in that relationship by hanging out with Him. And Jesus showed us what kind of friendship He wants to have with us when He came and lived among us. The God of the Universe did life with people. Jesus ate, traveled, sailed, fished, went to parties, went to synagogue, and sang hymns with His followers. He taught them, healed them, and He also listened to them. Being friends with Jesus is pretty amazing when you think about it.

Today, even though we’re waiting for Jesus to return to earth the same way He ascended into heaven, we can still do life with Him because His Holy Spirit lives inside Christians. We can talk to Him, and listen to Him talk to us, as we pray and read and study His Word—the Bible—both by ourselves and with other Christians. And the more we get to know Jesus, the easier it will be to discern His voice, kind of like how you can recognize your friends’ voices even in a crowded room. No matter what we’re doing or where we are, we can choose to interact with Jesus. He is always eager to listen to us, help us, and share our joys and sorrows with us.

Friendship with God is the most wonderful friendship we’ll ever experience. And as our relationship with Him grows, we’ll treat other people in a more loving way because we’ve experienced God’s love for us. More and more, our decisions will reflect His love. • A. W. Smith

• In what ways do you want to grow in your friendship with Jesus? Has spending time with Him already affected the things you value and the ways you treat others? How so? (1 John 4:19)

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 5:11 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 107:1, 23-32; MATTHEW 8:23-27

My life lately has been more like a ship tossed around on a stormy sea than a little canoe making its way across a peaceful pond. Relationship issues have come up and I have dealt with loss. As much as I want peace, it is hard to find. Nothing has come easy for me.

I identify with the merchants mentioned in Psalm 107. Out on the sea, they experienced waves and scary conditions. The waves took them up high and then dropped them down low. They moved around without knowing what to do, trying to figure out a way through the storm, trying to make it on their own. They could not figure out a way to travel safely. Then, they did something that I have been doing a lot of lately. They cried out to God.

The noisy storm was stilled. Everything calmed down. God was right there with the merchants, with all who were on the ship and afraid. Can God do the same for us?

When I have reached out to Him in the storms of life that I have faced, I have definitely felt His presence. I have found Him waiting to move into action. I have found that I am never alone. We are never alone. • Emily Acker

• What kinds of storms have you been facing lately? When we are afraid and life is chaotic, God is right there with us. He doesn’t expect us to figure things out by ourselves. He alone has the power to calm the storms. And He loves us so much that Jesus, God in flesh, died and rose again to make the way to be with us. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He is always at our side. By defeating sin, death, and the devil, He has already saved us from the storm of being lost forever. So now the storms of life, as bad as they are, pale in comparison. As Christians, we can be sure that Jesus is always moving into action on our behalf, whether it be in the storms of our unbelief and sin, or the storms of other areas of our lives. And one day, He will return to calm every storm and get rid of all fear and chaos for good.

• Jesus is always with us through His Holy Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church), giving us peace even in the midst of the storm. Can you think of a time you’ve felt God’s presence and peace in the midst of a storm? If so, what was it like? Consider taking a moment to ask God to help you know His peace and presence. He delights in answering these prayers.

He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. Psalm 107:29 (NIV)

READ: ISAIAH 61:1-3; LAMENTATIONS 3:22-26; LUKE 4:14-21

Picture this. You’re standing barefoot on the shores of a beautiful ocean. As you walk along the water’s edge, breathing in the salty air and feeling the cool spray of the sea, you stop. You’ve seen something that catches your eye: a little orange starfish just offshore. You get closer, and your heart sinks when you see that two of its arms are broken off.

But then you notice…two of its feet are moving. It’s alive. And that means it will live, because starfish can regenerate, growing new arms to replace the old ones. That’s how God created them. He made it so that a wounded starfish can begin a new life.

Did you know that God also makes the way for us to begin again? When we go through times of transition in our lives, it can feel like part of us has been broken off, kind of like that starfish. Life changes can come in many forms, whether it be moving to a new place, changing schools or churches, losing a friendship, going through family upheaval like divorce, receiving a diagnosis that will change your life or the life of someone you care about, or experiencing the death of a loved one.

But even when we’re hurting, there is hope. God sees all our hurts, and He hasn’t left us alone in our pain. Because of His great love for us, Jesus died and rose again for us so that our lives can be regenerated. As Christians, we began a new life when we trusted Jesus as our Savior, and He promises to be with us in every new beginning. It can be scary to begin again, but with Jesus’s help, we can start a new chapter of our life even in the ashes of disappointment and grief.

We may have doubts that things could ever be as good as they were before. But in every change we go through, Jesus goes with us. In times of uncertainty, when things feel unsettling and frightening and frustrating, we can trust Him to help us adjust and find new ways to live and heal and grow. If a starfish can begin again, we can too. • A. W. Smith

• Have you gone through a major life change recently? How might God be inviting you to begin again? Who are trusted people in your life you can talk with about this change—such as parents, counselors, friends, teachers, etc.?

• When you have faced disappointment in the past, were there any ways you noticed God’s presence with you? How did His love help you begin again?

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 22:35-40; JOHN 6:27-29; 1 JOHN 4:7-19

There’s so much pressure on me…I can’t do everything my parents want me to do. I can’t please all of my teachers. I can’t be someone others look up to. I can’t do it all. What does God require of me? How am I going to do that—how am I going to please Him, on top of everything else?

Have you ever had thoughts like these? You’re not alone. Life gets busy, and it gets hard. In these times—and everyday—what is it that God requires of us? His command for us is a simple one: believe and love. The apostle John writes, “Now this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us” (1 John 3:23).

First, we are to believe that God has saved us. We are to believe in the cross, the sacrifice, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are to rely on what He has done—not on anything we do or don’t do. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He is always there for us and that we will have everlasting life with Him (Romans 10:9-13). Isn’t that wonderful news?

Second, we are to love. Because God first loved us, we are able to love Him and others (1 John 4:19). Once we know Jesus, we have His Holy Spirit living in us, so we are able to love like Jesus does. Love our families. Love our friends. Love our enemies. See the world with His loving eyes, looking for those who are hurting and showing them His love.

So, when we start to feel overwhelmed by the expectations others have put on us—or maybe the expectations we’ve put on ourselves—we can remember that Jesus has freed us from all this condemnation and fear (Matthew 11:28-30; Romans 8:1; 1 John 4:18). God has kept things simple for us. He simply calls us to abide in Jesus (John 15:1-17), to live a life of believing in Him and loving Him and those around us. • Emily Acker

• Do you ever feel like there is so much required of you that you are overwhelmed and you just want to give up? Who are trusted Christians in your life who can remind you of how much God loves you, what He truly expects of you, and how eager He is to help you?

Now this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us. 1 John 3:23 (CSB)

READ: MARK 13:11; 1 CORINTHIANS 3:5-9; 1 PETER 2:12; 3:13-18

Have you ever eaten sprouts—like bean sprouts with rice noodles or broccoli sprouts with salad? They’re crunchy, delicious, and nutrient-dense. And they’re pretty easy to grow! Recently, I started growing my own sprouts. I took a seed mix, sprinkled it onto a sprouting tray, put water in the tray, and drained and rinsed the seeds three times a day for about five days.

The first time I grew sprouts was a pretty messy process! After I rinsed and refilled the tray each time, little seeds and sprouts fell out of the tray, littering my sink and counter. Rogue seedlings escaped every time. And when I harvested the sprouts—pulling them out of the tray by handfuls, drying them in a kitchen towel, and laying them on a drying rack on the dining room table—sprouts were EVERYWHERE. My kitchen towels and dining room table were covered in escaped sprouts. I scooped them up to feed to the chickens, who were very appreciative.

This whole experience reminded me of sharing the gospel. Often, we have a set idea of what it looks like to share the gospel with someone. We think, “I have to approach this person in this way and use these exact words, and then they’ll come to know Jesus!” But the truth is, the seeds of the gospel are not so easily contained. When we put our trust in Jesus, believing in His death and resurrection, His Holy Spirit lives in us, creating new growth in us and carefully tending to the seedlings of our faith. And, much like my first time growing sprouts, those seedlings and sprouts that grow in us spill out even when we don’t plan on it.

The gospel permeates every aspect of our lives, so spreading the gospel isn’t a single, containable part of following Jesus. It’s wild and unrestrained, tumbling out of us in ways we may not have expected.

Whenever we follow God’s good ways, we are showing others what the gospel looks like. How amazing is that? God uses every part of our lives to show His goodness. Only He knows all the seedlings you’ve unintentionally planted. And He will faithfully tend them. • Taylor Eising

• God may put us in unique situations to show someone who He is—or use a small interaction with someone to spread the gospel in ways we couldn’t have imagined. Have you ever seen God use an unexpected situation or interaction to show people who He is? What was that like?

“In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:16 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 23; ISAIAH 49:16; 2 TIMOTHY 3:16

As far as I can remember, the first Bible verse I learned was Psalm 23:6, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” I was probably about ten years old. At that time, my parents were not Christian, so we didn’t have any Bibles at home.

So where did I learn the verse Psalm 23:6? It was from an obituary!

I grew up in Singapore, and obituaries in newspapers could cover the entire page, and they usually included a Bible verse if the deceased person was a Christian. Psalm 23:6 hits a chord in me. It is a beautiful promise and assurance from God!

I was young at that time and thought the word Psalm was printed wrongly and was supposed to be Palm. I also thought the number 23:6 was probably a house number. I still find it funny when I think about it now. Later in my life, my parents and I became Christians. I found out that the word psalm is, in fact, spelled correctly. But still, I hoped it had something to do with “palm.” When I first read Isaiah 49:16, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands,” I was delighted to see the word palm. But more importantly, I got to know that God loves me very much!

Since first reading Psalm 23:6, I’ve observed that Psalm 23 is often used in funerals. When my grandma passed away, the pastor preached on this passage, reminding us that God is with us during our bad times, good times, and even boring times. For someone like Grandma, who stayed at home most of the time, life can be boring. It reminds me of the pandemic time when we were stuck at home. It was a challenging time. But Psalm 23 encourages us to trust in Jesus as He is our shepherd (John 10:11). He died and rose again so we could always be with Him, and He speaks to us through His Word, revealing how much He loves us. • Kelly Choy

• Do you remember the first Bible verse you ever learned? Do you have a favorite Bible verse?

• Although Psalm 23:6 isn’t referring to a house number, we can have the assurance of living in God’s house forever by putting our trust in Jesus! Find out more about this good news on our "Know Jesus" page.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 11:28-36, HEBREWS 4:14-16

Composed of just two little words, John 11:35 is recognized as the shortest verse in the entire Bible; John simply wrote, “Jesus wept.” Because of how short it is, this verse is quite well known among Christians, but have you ever given much thought to its implications?

The verses surrounding John 11:35 tell us that Jesus’s friend, Lazarus, had died. Now, if you’re familiar with this story, you know that Lazarus didn’t stay dead. Jesus knew this too. But still, the Bible tells us that “Jesus wept.” In this moment, we see that both His compassion for the people around Him and the tenderness of His humanity brought Jesus Himself, the Savior of the world, to tears.

Besides making for a touching scene, why does this verse matter?

Another passage, Hebrews 4:14-15, tells us about a Great High Priest, the Son of God Himself, who can empathize with our weaknesses. Jesus came to earth to save sinners, being both fully God and fully man (Colossians 2:9). Jesus knows what it’s like to be human. He knows what it’s like to be tempted (although, unlike us, He never once gave in). He knows what it’s like to experience pain. He knows what it’s like to cry.

And this same Jesus is now our Great High Priest, the One who intercedes for us (Romans 8:34). Jesus is sinless, but because God loves us, He took all our sins upon Himself on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). He died for us, and then He rose again, making the way for us to be forgiven and brought near to God. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice, we can “approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

We don’t have to be ashamed to ask Jesus for help and admit our weakness because He understands. In fact, we can approach Him confidently! Whenever we find ourselves on our knees before God, pleading for grace, we can take comfort in the fact that Jesus can truly empathize with our weakness. He, too, wept. • Katherine Billingsley

• We can come to Jesus with all our sins and all our struggles because, being human, He fully understands our pain, and being God, He is the only one who can do something about it. What might God be inviting you to bring to His throne of grace today? How could the truth that Jesus empathizes with you give you boldness to approach Him?

Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (CSB)

READ: GENESIS 1:1-3; JOHN 1:1-18; COLOSSIANS 1:15-20; HEBREWS 1:8-12

Have you ever dreamed of being a paleontologist? There’s something awe-inspiring about fossils, whether you find a rock with an imprint of a leaf or a marine creature on it, or go to a museum where entire skeletons are constructed. It’s amazing what we can discover about the past through what we find in the ground.

Do you know how fossils are formed? When a living thing, like a plant or an animal, is buried in mud or clay for years and years, the material around it gets very hard as time goes by. Eventually, the plant or animal dissolves away, leaving openings in the hardened material. Those openings are exactly the shape of the plant or animal that has disappeared. When this process happens with animals, the flesh and hair and feathers wear away first, but the bones, teeth, and horns take longer to decompose. Over time, water finds its way into the cavity in the ground, and the minerals in the water gradually replace the bones and such until there is a complete replica of the original skeleton.

This whole process takes quite a while. You might say fossils are “as old as the hills,” to quote an old saying. The ironic thing is, we aren’t even sure exactly how old the hills are. But God knows. He existed long before the earth or anything in it. God is eternal, with no beginning or end. And we’re not just talking about God the Father. Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Father have always existed. God is one God in three persons—that’s why we sometimes refer to God as the Trinity. Together, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit made the earth and everything in it. And that makes it even more awe-inspiring to realize that God came and lived among us as a human. Jesus is God incarnate, and He experienced all the same things we do, even death. But death could not keep its hold on Him—after three days in the grave, Jesus rose (Acts 2:24).

As finite human beings, we can’t totally wrap our minds around these truths—even Bible scholars and pastors can’t quite explain the mysteries of God. Yes, throughout our lives we’ll learn more and more about God, but there will be many things we won’t fully understand until we see Jesus face-to-face, and that’s okay. As we look forward to that glorious day, we can marvel, wonder, and rest in the truth of God’s greatness and eternal love for us. • A. W. Smith

• What are some of the mysteries about God that you have trouble wrapping your mind around? Who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk with about these mysteries?

All things were created through him [Jesus]… John 1:3a (CSB)

READ: PSALM 95:1-6

The ocean…the powerful water coming up to the beach and splashing against it. The beautiful color. The sparkling. The place for people to gather on the sand and spend hours swimming and just enjoying life. Who owns all of that? Who made it?

I love the ocean and everything to do with it. I love the Great Lakes. I love small lakes, rushing rivers, and trickling creeks. When I hear the “sea” mentioned in the Bible, I pay attention.

Psalm 95 says it is God who has made the water and who is the true Owner of it. It is His because He is the One who has created it. Where would we be without water, without Him sharing it with us? How can we look at the water and not see the power of our God and the greatness of all that He has created and done?

As I think about the ocean and the fact that it was formed by God, that it is His, I can’t help but feel awe. My God is amazing. The things that He has accomplished are amazing. How special it is for us to know this God and be saved by Him—the Creator and Owner of things like the ocean and each river and lake. • Emily Acker

• Which part of nature amazes you the most? Consider taking a moment to think about how God is the Creator, not just of the whole world, but of that one thing in particular, and praise Him for it.

• Have you ever thought of Jesus as the Maker of the sea? Colossians 1:16 says, “everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth.” When Jesus spoke to the wind and waves during a fierce storm, everything became completely calm in an instant, and His disciples said to each other, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!” (Mark 4:41). Have you ever stopped to think about how the God who has created all things is the same God who has such a great love for you that He was willing to humble Himself and die for you (Philippians 2:5-12)? And He is the same God who is therefor you each day. You can know the Maker of the sea, personally, intimately. If you want to know more, see our "Know Jesus" page.

Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created. Revelation 4:11 (CSB)

READ: PSALM 91; JOHN 15:1-5; ACTS 16:22-25; COLOSSIANS 3:15-17

Today, while I was getting the hose and sprinkler sorted, I stood in the sunshine. It was nice, for a bit. But eventually the blaring sun was just too much. So, I moved my operation into the shade. Wow, was that better! Standing in the shadow of the house, I could keep on working and ultimately fix the problem with the hose.

In life, we can usually handle some discomfort; but we can’t bear up under blazing heat at high noon for long. Our bodies weren’t designed for it. God has made us lovers of shade.

As part of God’s great care and provision for His people, He provides the shelter we need in every kind of suffering. He provides Himself. He Himself is the One standing so close by that His shadow is our hiding place (Psalm 32:7). Even better than a house!

God’s comfort is always available as we abide in Jesus. “For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:5). From the comfort of His shade, we respond like the psalmist did, with great thanksgiving: “I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’” (Psalm 91:2).

Come and dwell in the shadow of the Almighty today. Allow His presence to be your comfort, to shield you from the harshness of the hot sun. How? When we pray, sing to Him, and read His Word, we choose to abide in the shadow of the Almighty. We can also talk with trusted friends and mentors who can pray with us and lead us into a deeper relationship with Christ.

Have you endured blazing trials, and found your shelter in God’s shade? Perhaps you are the loving presence that offers a cool refreshing cup of water to the weary one in your life (Matthew 10:42). May God equip you to lead your friend into the shade. • Kristen Merrill

• Have you experienced blazing hot sun and searched for any bit of shade to provide relief? Have you experienced the relief the love of God brings to us in our suffering? What was that like?

• How could you offer that shade to someone you know? (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

• If you want to dig deeper: In John 4, Jesus sat down by a well in the heat of the day and asked a Samaritan woman for a drink of water. Then Jesus said, “the water I give…will become…a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (see John 4:1-42; 7:37-39). To find out more about Jesus being our shade, read Psalms 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 63:7; 121:5; Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 23; 46; MATTHEW 10:29-31; EPHESIANS 1:3

Though I walk through darkest valleysIn the shadows of my fearI can hold my head up highbecause I know You’re hereThe sparrows do not worryThey’re not afraid, they do not stressBecause the Lord cares for themSo, His children are certainly blessedWhen mountains fall and earth gives wayWe can have peace of mindWe have a fortress and refugeAs strong as any can findWe don’t need to wanderOur Shepherd won’t let us fallWe are secure, we have a homeHis arms open to us all • Elizabeth Blanton

• Because the world has been broken by sin, we all feel afraid and anxious sometimes. Jesus Himself experienced deep distress before going to the cross (Matthew 26:36-46). But Jesus died and rose again to defeat sin and all its effects—including fear, worry, and anxiety. He will return one day to restore creation and raise us from the dead, establishing His rule and reign of perfect peace. In the meantime, He promises to always be with us, feeling our hurts with us and giving us His peace and strength even in the midst of difficulty (Matthew 1:23; 28:20). Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that we are never alone, because He is the God who’s here.

• When you feel worried or afraid, who are trusted Christians in your life who can remind you of Jesus’s presence with you?

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 119:105; PROVERBS 3:5-6; ROMANS 12:1-21

Umar and Krish waited in anticipation. Today was the day they would go through the Maze, an important final test in their training. After this, they and all the others in their year would disperse to their various apprenticeships. As they gathered at the entrance to the Maze, their Guide showed them the map, carved onto an elaborate but weathered sign. “Now, when you get inside the Maze, it can be easy to lose your way. But you can always find the tower there in the middle, climb up, and see where you are and where you need to go,” the Guide explained, pointing to the wooden tower in the middle of the Maze.

Umar and Krish nodded, and when the Guide gave the signal to begin, they dashed side by side into the Maze. But as the two friends got further into the journey, they got more and more confused. As the sun began to set, Krish groaned. “We should be able to make a turn here, but we can’t. We should be near the end, but I don’t see it.”

Umar looked up. “Well then, to the tower it is!”

Once they climbed the wooden structure, they immediately saw where they had started making wrong turns. They could also see the end of the Maze and which way they could take to get there. When they finally made it out, the Guide and the others cheered.

“Well done!” the Guide intoned. “But, you know, many of you waited a long time to go to the tower. What you learned in the Maze today is a good lesson to remember in all of life. When we try to make it through life on our own, we’ll only end up getting lost and confused. We need the perspective of the Creator. He is eager to help us, and He invites us to come to Him for wisdom in every situation. He doesn’t expect us to know the way without Him. As you journey into your lives as young apprentices, may you never think that you walk alone.” • A. W. Smith

• When have you felt lost and confused in life? When we know Jesus as our Savior, He promises to always be with us and guide us in His good ways. Through His Spirit, His Word, and His people, He helps us see things from His perspective, and He empowers us to make decisions that are rooted in love for God and our neighbors. We’re never lost with Him by our side.

• Are there any Christians in your life who love spending time in the Bible and prayer and who you trust for wisdom and perspective? How could you be intentional about spending time with them? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6 (WEB)

READ: PSALMS 32:6-11; 91:15; 94:17-19; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-5

Help! Someone help! You’re falling and there is nothing to grab onto to catch yourself. You awake with a start, your heart pumping hard. It was only a dream. You try to catch your breath.

The dreams where we are falling, where something gives out from under us and we have no way of saving ourselves, can be really scary. When things happen in our real lives that make us feel that same way, like there is nothing to grab onto and no way we can save ourselves, it can be even scarier.

Bad stuff happens in our lives. People harm us. We mess up. We find ourselves in situations we never wanted to get into. Through it all, God is just a call away. When we are slipping, He can catch us. When we are falling and we have nothing to grab onto, He will be there for us.

As life gets difficult, anxiety eats at us. We start to worry about the future and how we are going to make it. We wonder what we are going to do, who we can trust, how we are going to continue on with our lives. But God offers comfort when we are anxious. He is there to ease our fears.

When you are falling in a dream, you have no one to reach out to, no one to help you. But when you start to slip in real life, you’re not alone. Seek out God, and find rest in the help He so generously gives. He is close beside you, eager to be found by you (Jeremiah 29:13; Acts 17:27). Know that He will respond to your cries and give you comfort. • Emily Acker

• What scares you the most in life? What causes you to feel like you are falling and no one is going to catch you? Remember, Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). He came to save us by dying on the cross and rising from the grave, so now everyone who puts their trust in Jesus is brought near to God. He invites us to turn to Him with everything that’s troubling us, big or small. He has such compassion on us, and He longs to soothe our fears with His love. Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about whatever is on your mind.

• Jesus reminds us of His presence with us through His Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). When you feel that sinking feeling of dread or unease, who is a trusted Christian in your life you can reach out to? How could you pray with each other and remind each other of the hope Jesus has given us, pointing each other to His Word?

If I say, “My foot is slipping,” your faithful love will support me, Lord. Psalm 94:18 (CSB)

READ: PSALM 115:1-13; MATTHEW 6:7-8, 19-34; 1 CORINTHIANS 8:4-6

There is no one like God. There is nothing that could replace Him. Yet, all throughout history, people have been trying to make other gods. Even the Israelites, God’s chosen people, made idols for themselves to worship. We have tried to replace God. But nothing we make could ever compare to Him. In Psalm 115, we read that idols can’t talk or hear or see. Other gods are fake and worthless. They don’t offer any help or guidance. They are not worthy of worship.

Many of us already know that about false gods. And we tend to think we could never get tricked into worshipping one, that we know who God is and would never abandon Him. Yet, it’s easy to forget that idols come in many forms. Yes, some idols are statues made of wood or metal. But in Matthew 6, Jesus warns us about having money as our god. He says, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be…No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money” (verse 21, 24).

As we go through life, there are times we might feel dependent on money. We might fall in love with it because of all it can do for us. How easy it is to make money our god.

But there is no one like the one true God. In Matthew 6, Jesus says that He takes care of us. He loves us. He guides us. He is there all the time. He hears every prayer and listens to every thought. He knows us better than anyone and can anticipate what we need before we even ask.

There are countless false gods we could fall for, but there is only one real God. There is only one worthy of our love. • Bethany Acker

• Whenever we find ourselves chasing after an idol—whether it be money or any other created thing “instead of the Creator himself” (Romans 1:25)—God calls us to repent. We can confess our idolatry to Him, and we can rest in His sure forgiveness, because Jesus already took all our sins upon Himself on the cross, and His Spirit empowers us to turn away from sin. Because of His great love for us, we can love Him instead of loving money (1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 4:19).

• In our broken world, dealing with money is not easy. How does God call us to view money? How does His love free us from the love of money? (1 Timothy 6:5-19; Hebrews 13:5)

There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live. 1 Corinthians 8:6b (NLT)

READ: PSALMS 16:9-11; 94:17-19; JOHN 15:1-12

Rejoice, delight, jubilation, glee, ebullience, exhilaration…all of these words mean to have joy. Not only are there lists of words about joy, but there are also hundreds of Bible verses about joy. Yet, so often we overlook or even avoid the joy of the Lord. Instead, we should be asking, how can we receive this joy? How can we live in the blessing of joy?

In Romans 5, Paul tells us the reason for our joy. He says, “For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God” (verse 10-11, emphasis added).

As Christians, we have received freedom in Jesus Christ. By dying on the cross and rising from the grave, He set us free from sin! If the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has set us free, why shouldn’t we praise Him? Why should we isolate ourselves from freedom and joy?

Psalm 47:1 says, “Shout to God with joyful praise!” It literally says to shout with joy! The Lord has given us this gift: to live in never-ending joy. Psalm 16:11 says, “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”

If you don’t know how to receive joy, I have one word to help you receive the fullness of God’s beautiful gift of joy: prayer. In Romans 12:12, Paul says, “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” Pray for joy; pray that the Lord will overwhelm you with His joy! The Lord Jesus is faithful to guide us into His gift of joy, help us live in His joy, and teach us that even in the valley, He will be there to overwhelm us with the joy of His loving presence. • Ana Johnson

• God Himself is joyful, and He invites us to share in His joy (Matthew 25:23; Hebrews 12:1-2). In fact, joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit, which means the Holy Spirit produces it in us (Galatians 5:22-23). Therefore, as Christians we can always choose to rejoice, remembering the Lord’s goodness even in the hardest circumstances (Acts 16:22-25; 2 Corinthians 11:23-28; Philippians 4:4-13). Have you ever experienced the joy of the Lord? What was it like?

“I [Jesus] have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” John 15:11 (NLT)

READ: ISAIAH 43:1-7; MATTHEW 10:29-31; JOHN 10:1-18; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:27

Have you ever felt invisible? Like no one knew who you were? Sometimes it seems like other people have really great relationships and a bunch of people to hang out with. There are some people who fit into groups with ease, and there are others who find themselves watching from a distance more than they’d like.

It’s lonely. It’s isolating. It’s discouraging. Trying to find your place in this world can be hard. It can take more time than we’d like. It can feel defeating.

But God knows your name. He knows who you are. And He loves you. He doesn’t care whether or not you’re in the in-crowd. He doesn’t care if you have the best ability when it comes to sports or music. None of that makes Him love you any more or any less.

He created you for a purpose, and you matter more to Him than you could ever know. He sees you, He knows you, and He values who you are. • Tynea Lewis

• When have you felt left out? In times like these, Jesus invites us to come to Him. Remember, He befriended all kinds of people, but He especially sought out those who weren’t part of thein-crowd, people like ordinary fishermen, hated tax collectors, and zealots with questionable reputations, not to mention He was friends with women, who were generally looked down upon in society, and He touched people who were considered “unclean” outcasts and healed them. (If you want to dig deeper, just start reading one of the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.)

• Jesus sees each one of us, even when no one else does. Because God cares about us so much, Jesus died and rose again so everyone who trusts in Him can become part of God’s family. How could it be comforting to know that, even when we don’t feel like we have a place we fit in the world, Jesus says we belong to Him and we have an important place in His kingdom and family?

• How can resting in the assurance of being known and loved by God help us reach out to others who may be feeling lonely or unseen? (Romans 15:7)

• What is the purpose God created us for? One way Christians have answered this question is in the Westminster Shorter Catechism: “to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” (If you want to dig deeper, read Psalm 86; Isaiah 60:21; Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 6:20, 31; Revelation 4:11 and Psalms 16:5-11; 144:15; Isaiah 12:2; Luke 2:10; Philippians 4:4; Revelation 21:3-4.)

“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1b (NLT)

READ: ROMANS 8:1; HEBREWS 4:14-16; 1 JOHN 1:8–2:2

I’d just arrived in a new-to-me country on the other side of the world. I had left a sweltering summer in Florida, where I lived…and landed in a blustery New Zealand winter to begin a year of ministry. A missionary couple offered their home for my first few days there. When I trudged into their house, I wanted nothing more than a cup of hot tea. After getting my tea just right, I spotted what I assumed to be a tiny sugar bowl near the stove. I spooned some sugar into my cup and took the first delightful sip. Only my tea wasn’t delightful; it was dismal. I’d mistakenly added salt, not sugar. It was a mistake I never made again at this family’s house.

Some errors are harder to leave behind, though. There are days when I’ve found myself doing the same wrong things over and over, such as doubting God’s goodness or acting out of fear instead of faith. It can lead me to wonder in disappointment—when will I learn?

Sometimes our sins surprise us, like a mouthful of salty tea, but God isn’t ever surprised by our sin. He knows everything we do, think, or say, and He knows that we’ll all struggle with sin until Jesus returns. So, until that day, God’s instructions to His people are not to hide our sins, but rather to acknowledge those wrongdoings to Him. We don’t need to be afraid to come to God with our sins, because being God’s people means we have received forgiveness from sin and entered a relationship with Him through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, when we confess our sins to God, we experience reminders of His lovingkindness: that Christ took the penalty for our sin on Himself, and we don’t face that any longer (1 Peter 2:24).

That evening in New Zealand, I could have chosen to try to hide my mistake and drink salty tea. Instead, I poured it out and started fresh. God gives us fresh starts, too. In Jesus, we’re free from condemnation. Through faith in what Jesus has done for us, we are freely accepted by Him, and free to take new steps of obedience even after we fail. • Allison Wilson Lee

• When do you find it difficult to confess your sin to God? How could it be encouraging to remember that God is never surprised by our sin? He calls us to confess our sins to Him often. Even though we’re not even aware of all our sins (Psalm 19:12-14), it’s so good to come to Jesus in our weakness and rest in His forgiveness and in the Spirit’s power to help us move forward in love (Galatians 5:13-16). Consider taking a moment to confess any sins that come to mind.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus… Romans 8:1 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 6; 42; JOHN 11:1-44

When was the last time you had a good cry? I’m not talking about letting a few tears go and moving on with your day, but an all-out, feels like your heart is breaking, flooding your couch with tears kind of cry. I recently allowed myself to weep like this, and afterward, it occurred to me that it had been months since I had such a cleansing cry. Before the deluge, I felt an aching emptiness. After crying, I felt a great sense of comfort and peace.

David knew all about the healing power of tears. He wasn’t afraid to use the emotions God gave him to maximum capacity. When we read the psalms of David or other Bible passages about his life, we find many times when he wept, whether it be over his friendship with Johnathan, the sickness of his baby, his enemies having the upper hand, or his sorrow over the death of his adult son Absalom (1 Samuel 20:41; 2 Samuel 12:16-23; 18:33; Psalm 6).

In Psalm 56, David wrote that God kept track of all his sorrows, collecting his tears in a bottle and recording each one in His book (verse 8). The knowledge that God cares enough about our sorrows to keep track of them is such a comforting thought. Our emotions and tears are extraordinarily important to the One who created us.

Jesus Himself wept over the death of His friend Lazarus, deeply moved by the grief of others who also loved him (John 11:32-44). Jesus is God, and He knew that He would raise Lazarus from the dead, yet in His humanity He took the time to weep and share in the sorrows of those around Him. And, when His own death was drawing near, Jesus said, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death” even though He knew that He would rise again three days later (Matthew 26:37-38; Mark 14:32-34).

If you know Jesus, you have a promise that one day He will raise you from the dead too, and wipe away all your tears (Revelation 21:4). While weeping may remain for much of life here on earth, God promises that joy will come (Psalm 30:5). When circumstances feel hopeless, you can cling to His promises and rest in the One who cares so much for you that He records your every tear. • Savannah Coleman

• When was the last time you allowed yourself space to process your feelings with tears, whether tears of anger, sorrow, or joy? Consider setting aside some time for this, and ask God to give you the courage to follow His example and utilize the good gift He has given you in tears.

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 34:18; ISAIAH 41:10; MATTHEW 5:4; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-4

Editor’s note: Today’s devotional reading discusses sexual abuse.

As an eleven-year-old, I was shy and awkward. My father moved out that year. Everything felt embarrassing. One day, my father came to school unannounced. He took me on a weekend trip and molested me. Then he told me it was my fault. I felt damaged, dirty, and destroyed. I was brokenhearted and crushed.

Has something horribly unfair or evil happened to you? It seems like life should be fair. When it isn’t, we can feel devastated. The sorrow can be crushing when another person harms part of our life.

Jesus came to earth for our good. Yet He was crucified by the very people He came to save. Jesus understands unfairness. He was bullied and tortured. He wept and bled for us so we could have friendship with God. When He rose from the dead, He promised that He would bring an end to sin, death, and suffering permanently on the day He returns. And until that day, He is able to comfort us through our troubles.

The Lord is the only way I survived my pain. He was near to me and consoled me. When I remembered that He is close to us in all our troubles, I could feel Him next to me, leading me, guiding me, and holding me beside Him when I was afraid.

At the right time, God provided a Christian counselor to help me grow past the pain. I learned that it was not my fault and that I was valued by God. I learned that although someone sinned against me, I could find comfort in Jesus. Holding onto hurt ultimately hurts us more. Leaning into the love and hope of Christ brings peace. • Mary Schilling

• Has something shattered your life? Jesus can relate to your suffering. He cares about your every hurt, and He weeps with you (John 11:33-36; Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 Peter 5:7). You can talk to Him about your hurts anytime.

• As you process your hurts with Jesus, who are trusted people in your life you can reach out to? Remember, we need community. We are made to walk alongside other people, especially as Christians (Genesis 2:18; Galatians 6:1-10).

• We live in a world that has been broken by sin. But Jesus came into our broken world to save and restore. He was willing to endure the cross so that our sins could be forgiven and we could be brought near to God (Isaiah 53; Hebrews 12:2). Then He rose from the dead, defeating sin and all the brokenness sin causes, including terrible things like abuse. He promises to return one day, righting every wrong and making all things new. On that glorious day, He will raise His people to new life. “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). And even now, He is present with us, helping us escape harmful situations and bringing healing through His Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). As Christians, we have this unshakeable hope through all the suffering and sorrow we experience. We can rest in the truth that “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). In light of these wonderful truths, what are some ways we can pray for people who have been abused and also for people who have abused others?

• If you or someone you know is suffering from abuse, and especially if your situation is potentially life-threatening, call 911 (or the emergency number for your area) or go to the local hospital emergency room right away. If you need help doing this, who is a trusted person you can reach out to?

• If you are not in immediate danger but need someone to talk to about hurts you have experienced or are currently experiencing, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

READ: EPHESIANS 4:11-32; JAMES 3:2-10

Picture this. You’re on your favorite social media app, and you come across someone saying blatantly untrue things. You’re understandably frustrated. How could someone have this much disregard for the truth? You feel anger and fear. And just like that, it feels like a tornado has taken over your thumbs. You deposit a slew of harsh words and not-so-kind names into the comment box. You press send, and you hope you’ve shown them what’s what.

But let’s take a step back. Let’s think about tornadoes for a second. When a tornado hits a town, it can destroy all sorts of things as it sweeps through. Once the storm passes, the people who live there are left wandering around their ruined yards and houses and overturned cars. Their belongings are flung everywhere. The people are stunned, at a loss for what to do. All that damage was done in just a few minutes. But the rebuilding may take years. Thinking about tornadoes can help us reflect on how the words we say can cause a lot of hurt and damage and keep us from showing others the love of Jesus. Much like tornadoes, harsh and hasty words on social media can not only hurt us but also the people we might actually be trying to help.

As Christians, we are called to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). After all, Jesus came to live among us, full of both love and truth (John 1:14). Though we were all trapped in sin, showing disregard for the truth and for one another, He had compassion on us. He died and rose again to forgive us and save us from sin. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, His forgiveness frees us to love others and to realize that we are all sinners—both us and the people we’re tempted to tear down on social media. So, as forgiven people, we can build others up instead of tearing them down (Ephesians 4:29). Even when we do decide to comment online, it’s important to make sure the way we say something doesn’t cause more damage than if we hadn’t spoken at all. Next time you feel the tornado thumbs coming on, take a deep breath, pause, and talk to Jesus. You can trust Him to help you deal with the situation in an honest yet loving way. • A. W. Smith

• Can you think of a time you saw harsh words on social media cause harm? What were the effects? What might have been a more loving way to communicate the intended message?

• Before posting or messaging, what questions could you ask yourself that might slow you down? Who are trusted adults in your life who could help you set up good boundaries for communicating lovingly and safely online—such as parents, teachers, counselors, pastors, etc.?

Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips. Psalm 141:3 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 46:1-11; LUKE 19:10; JOHN 8:12; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-11

Feeling so downLaying on the groundTears fall from my eyesThen I get a surpriseA hand on my backComforting, not an attackSomeone to dry my tearsBe with me in my fearsHelp me get up againWalk where I’ve never beenJesus, there for meIn ways I never knew He could beWhen I was ready to give upHe showed me His love was enoughBrought me back to the lightTold me I would be alright • Bethany Acker

• Have you ever been surprised by Jesus’s comfort? Has His nearness ever brought you peace in a hard time? If so, consider taking a moment to thank God for this. If not, you can ask God for this anytime; He loves to answer these prayers.

• Sometimes, life in our broken world can be overwhelming. But Jesus does not stand far off—He is so very near, ready to help and comfort us. Have you ever imagined Jesus being physically present with you? After all, Jesus is God in flesh (John 1:14). He is fully human, even as He is also fully God. When He came and lived among us, people could talk with Him, eat with Him, lean against Him, even beat Him and bruise Him. He fully entered into all the joys and sorrows of human life. Ultimately, He gave up His life for us. He walked where we never could—He lived a sinless life and took our sins upon Himself, dying a terrible death on a cross, so that we could be forgiven and brought near to God. But the evils of death could not hold our wondrous Lord—He rose from the grave, defeating sin and death once and for all and declaring that, when He returns, pain and sorrow will be no more. On that day, He will be physically present with us again, and all who trust in Him will live with Him forever. In the meantime, He is still very much with us—through His Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). He is intimately involved in our lives. Every moment of every day, He is there for us. Consider taking a moment to picture Jesus right beside you, and talk to Him about whatever comes to mind.

• If you’re feeling overwhelmed, who is a trusted Christian in your life you could talk to about what you’re going through, such as a friend, parent, counselor, teacher, coach, or pastor?

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. Psalm 46:1 (NLT)

READ: ISAIAH 53; ROMANS 12:15; HEBREWS 4:14-16

Have you ever met someone who just gets what you’re going through? It can be so comforting. I experience this often with my friends who are parents.

I have two young kids, and I really appreciate my friends who do have kids, as well as my friends who don’t. They both bring richness to my life. It takes some extra work for my non-parent friends to understand what my life is like, and I love that they are willing to do that work to empathize with me.

But, my friends who have kids of their own don’t have to do nearly as much work to empathize with me. All I have to do is say the word “teething,” and they instantly know that means sleepless nights, hours of tears, and a deep sense of helplessness. They know, not just intellectually, but from their own shared experiences, what it’s like to attempt to soothe a crying child an endless number of times throughout the day and night. Not only can they imagine what it’s like—they’ve actually lived it. They’ve felt the exhaustion, frustration, and feelings of powerlessness that seep into your bones. They get it. And knowing that brings me so much comfort and alleviates some of my loneliness.

The Bible tells us that, whatever we’re going through, Jesus gets it. He is the all-knowing, all-powerful God who created the whole universe, became human, and walked the earth. He experienced heartache, loneliness, disappointment. He was tempted. He was betrayed. He even experienced death. But, He rose again, declaring that He will one day restore all things.

As we wait for that day, if we know Jesus, His Holy Spirit lives in us, feeling our hurts with us. Not only can He imagine what it’s like—He’s actually lived it. He gets it. God has entered into our suffering. And while that doesn’t always take away our pain and heartache, His empathy can make us feel a bit less lonely in the midst of it. And sometimes, that’s enough. • Taylor Eising

• As Christians, we can know that, whatever we go through, we are never alone. Jesus is with us, feeling our hurts as His own. And, He is able and eager to help us. Consider taking a moment to tell God about the hard things you’ve experienced lately, resting in His comfort and empathy.

• Because we have received Jesus’s empathy, we can also extend empathy to others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Who have you been able to empathize with lately? What was it like?

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses… Hebrews 4:15a (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 6:25-33; EPHESIANS 3:14-21; 1 PETER 5:7

Have you ever been walking or driving along and noticed a cluster of colorful flowers just off the road? No one planted them there, but they’re just as beautiful as any of the flowers planted on purpose. Wildflowers come up in the most random places, even between the cracks in the pavement. They come in all shapes and sizes and colors, and they’re a bright spot in some otherwise drab areas.

Do you ever stop to think about how God created all the flowers in the world, including the wildflowers? In Matthew 6, Jesus says, if God cares for the flowers that are here for such a short time and then fade away and die, shouldn’t we know that He cares much more about us?

It’s so easy to forget that God treasures us, that He watches over us, and that He is mindful of our every need. But when we look at the wildflowers, or any flowers for that matter, they can be reminders of God’s love for us. He cares about us much more than the flowers—and just think about how beautifully and intricately He made them.

God’s love for you is deep and wide, and He will never stop caring for you. All the flowers you see can be reminders of His love and kindness, because the same God who shaped each petal also made you, and He loves you more than you can imagine. • Bethany Acker

• According to Matthew 6, how can flowers remind us of God’s love? What other reminders do you see day to day? Why do you think God calls us to take time to ponder His love?

• In Ephesians 3, Paul prays that we would realize just how deep and wide and high Jesus’s love for us is. Because Jesus died and rose again for us, we can rest in the hope of His constant presence with us and His promise to one day return and welcome us into the new heavens and the new earth, where we will enjoy an abundance of all good things. Until then, He promises to be with us and give us strength to endure as we struggle with pain and lack, looking forward to the day He will clothe us even more splendidly than a field covered in flowers. Consider taking a moment to bring your needs and concerns to God in prayer (Philippians 4:4-13).And if you’d like, you can also pray Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 for yourself or someone you know.

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?” Matthew 6:28-30 (NIV)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13; 2 TIMOTHY 2:22; JAMES 1:12-15; 4:7

What sins do you struggle with the most? In other words, in what situations do you find it’s harder to love God and your neighbors through your words, thoughts, and actions?

In Matthew 22:37-40, we see that the life Jesus invites us into is one of love. But sin distorts love, so we end up loving the wrong things—or loving the right things in the wrong way. And the result of sin is always death, decay, and brokenness.

Yet, so often sin seems so appealing. Do certain sins seem to tempt you more than they tempt other people? That can be such a discouraging experience. But the good news is, it’s also normal. Every person has different weaknesses and different strengths. And Jesus “understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Isn’t that a comforting truth? And it gets even better. Because Jesus was sinless, He was able to pay for all our sins when He died on the cross—He took the whole of our sin upon His own body (1 Peter 2:24). This was the ultimate act of love. He went through all that undeserved pain and sorrow and ridicule…because He loves us. He wants more than anything for us to be with Him. He invites us to come to Him with all our failures, weaknesses, and shortcomings…to come and receive His free gift of salvation. Instead of being trapped in guilt and fear, we can rest knowing that we are held in His love, because He has secured our forgiveness by dying and rising again for us. And since He loves us, we can love Him and others.

So, when we feel tempted to do something unloving against God or our neighbors, we can remember that we don’t have to give in to any sin because Jesus has already freed us from sin’s power. We can trust Him to help us resist every temptation we face—no exceptions. And when we find ourselves believing lies that make it easy for us to act in ways that are unloving toward God and our neighbors, we can turn to Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit, He will help us reject those lies and instead rest in His great love for us—a love that is far more powerful than sin.

The next time you’re tempted, remember that God knows your weaknesses, and He can help you be strong when you feel yourself wanting to give in. Once you know Jesus, sin holds no power over you. You don’t have to give in, even when something is especially tempting, because God gives His people the ability to resist every temptation. But when you’re tempted, don’t try to resist on your own—instead, depend on God. Since you belong to Jesus, you have been freed to flee temptation and run to Him. In His arms, you will find the strength to love God and your neighbors—no matter what. • A. W. Smith

• Jesus came to save us from sin. Why is sin something we need to be saved from? (If you want to know more, check out our "Know Jesus" page.)

• When is it hardest for you to love God and your neighbors well? Consider taking some time to talk with God about this in the space below. Remember, even Jesus was tempted, but He never sinned. Yet, He understands all our weaknesses and He empathizes with us. So, once you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you can approach Him with anything, knowing that you are held securely in His love. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

• We live in a broken world where we are constantly bombarded by lies that make it easy to act in ways that are unloving toward God and our neighbors. Here are just a few examples of lies we might believe: God doesn’t really love me. God doesn’t really care about me. God won’t meet my needs. I’m worthless. I’m bad. I’m unlovable. Other people are worthless. Other people are bad. Other people are unlovable. What I do doesn’t matter. My life has no purpose. My needs don’t matter. Other people’s needs don’t matter. I’m trapped, and sinning is the only way out. If I don’t sin, I’ll be alone and vulnerable. This thing God calls “sin” is actually good for me and other people. God can’t be trusted. I’ve already sinned, so it doesn’t matter if I sin more. (Etc.) Does one of these lies stick out to you in particular? Why? How can resting in Jesus’s love for us help us combat these and other lies?

• In addition to talking with Jesus, it’s also important for us to spend time with fellow Christians who we can be honest with about the temptations we struggle with. Jesus calls us to confess our sins to each other, remind each other of God’s great love and forgiveness, and encourage each other in our walks with Him. Who are trusted Christians in your life you can be open and honest with? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 (NLT)

READ: ROMANS 12:1-13; JAMES 4:6-10

I genuinely wanted to figure this out on my own. But I couldn’t. It was time to ask for help.

I’d been in Romania just a few weeks. Wanting to acclimate to my new city, I took a tram to shop for groceries one afternoon. I needed to return for a meeting with my ministry team later that night. As I left the store, I walked to the tram stop that looked familiar. Only I boarded the tram going in the wrong direction. When I realized my mistake, I quickly exited. Now I stood waiting in an area that felt completely foreign. I didn’t want to be late to meet my team, but I could think of no solutions. At least, not on my own.

I approached a group of school children and asked if they spoke English. After my request for directions, one boy held up his hand and indicated I should go five stops and then switch trams. I followed those instructions and returned in the nick of time. Even though I—a young woman—wanted to feel independent and capable, I had to humble myself so I could receive the help God wanted to give.

In my pride, I might have chosen to continue sorting out my problem alone— probably growing more lost and desperate. As humans, we all have a sin problem. And the result of sin is death. God’s plan to solve that problem was fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. Out of His great love for us, Jesus humbled Himself by becoming human and submitting to death on a cross. Then, He was lifted up to life on the third day. When we trust in Jesus for forgiveness and new life, we begin a relationship with God by His grace. But we don’t stop needing His grace. As we grow, we learn to acknowledge that we can’t meet all our needs on our own. And as we humble ourselves, we get to experience His grace in our lives. That evening in Romania, God’s grace showed up in a group of generous school kids. • Allison Wilson Lee

• While the desire to be independent can be good and healthy at times, how could this desire get in the way of asking for and receiving help when we need it? (1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 21)

• When do you hesitate to ask God for help? And, when do you hesitate to ask other people for help? Why do you think that might be? Consider spending some time in prayer, asking Jesus to help you let go of any pride in your heart and instead rest and rely on Him.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 10:29-31; ROMANS 8:28-29; 1 CORINTHIANS 2:9; HEBREWS 13:5

Are you going through a stressful time? Is life really hard?

In every hard time, we are seen. We are known, and we are loved. And the One doing all of this caring is God Himself. Jesus understands suffering. He suffered and died for you.

In Matthew 10, Jesus says that God has His eye on every sparrow that falls from its branch. The bird’s whole life is noticed by its Maker: from hatchling, to bird-in-flight, to nest-builder and worm-eater and tender-of-its-young, on to old age.

Throughout our lives, we will encounter suffering. Yet, our heavenly Father sees all we go through. He has compassion on us and comforts us, and He has planned for all believers a glorious life ahead that we cannot even imagine (1 Corinthians 2:9; 2 Corinthians 1:3-5).

So, in every struggle He says, “Be encouraged,” or as some Bible translations put it, “Let your heart take courage” (Psalm 31:24). How do we do this? We can take ahold of the courage God offers by trusting in Him. Instead of focusing on all the hard stuff, as believers we can choose to focus on Jesus because we have the Holy Spirit living inside us. The Holy Spirit gives us faith and reminds us of who God is and how much He cares for us. One practical way we can choose to trust Him is to live in the “even though’s,” believing God’s truths, even though the circumstances are tough. Here are some examples:

Even though…I miss the person who died, yet I will take courage, knowing that God sees me in my suffering, and He is right here with me. He said He would never leave me, nor forsake me. Ever.

Even though…I am suffering through this illness, yet I will take courage, knowing that God sees me in my suffering, and He promises to use this difficulty for good. I can trust Him. Always.

Rest assured today, His eye is upon you, right now, even in the stressful experience you may be facing. He loves you, and you can trust Him for what lies ahead. • Kristen Merrill

• The One who made you understands and cares about everything that is going on in your life, right now. His loving eye is always on you (Psalm 32:8). What are some of the stressful things you’ve experienced lately? Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about these things—you can be totally honest about your hurts, sorrows, frustrations, and fears. As you talk to Him, consider trying out the phrase “even though,” using the truths from today’s Bible passages.

Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Yahweh. Psalm 31:24 (WEB)

READ: GENESIS 16:1-13; PSALM 139; HEBREWS 13:5

If there was a list of all the people in the Bible who had a reason to feel invisible, Hagar would no doubt be near the top. As Sarai’s Egyptian slave, Hagar likely had no choice but to cooperate when she was suddenly thrown into the middle of a messy plot for Abram to produce offspring through her. You see, God had promised that Abram and Sarai would have many descendants, but after years of waiting, the childless couple got impatient. So, Sarai told Abram to sleep with Hagar, her slave, so they could have a child through her. Even though this was a common practice at the time, God was certainly not okay with it. And, like most plans we make apart from God, things began to go badly. Hagar was mistreated to the point she ran away, leaving Abram, Sarai, and their twisted plan behind. Except, she was already pregnant.

But as she came to a spring in the middle of the wilderness, Hagar was met by the angel of the Lord. The angel instructed her to return, promising that God would greatly multiply her descendants and saying, “the Lord has heard your cry of affliction” (Genesis 16:10-11).

Hagar called the God who spoke to her El Roi, which means: the God who sees me. Hagar’s mistreatment and grief wasn’t over yet. But in the middle of it all, when she no doubt felt invisible in her suffering, God saw her.

Not all of us have been used and mistreated like Hagar was, but at some point we will all reach a wilderness of our own. Living in a sinful world and carrying heavy burdens, it’s easy to feel unseen and forgotten in this life. But we are not unseen. Jesus says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). And in Psalm 139, David writes about how God sees each of us and searches the innermost places of our hearts. How wonderful to know that the One who knows us from the inside out, the One who knitted each of us together in the womb, is the same One who walks with us every step of our lives.

In the middle of whatever you’re going through, you are not invisible or alone. The same God who saw Hagar sees you, and He will never forsake you. • Katherine Billingsley

• Have there been times in your life when you’ve felt invisible? How could it be comforting to know that the same God who saw Hagar is the One who sees each of us?

• Throughout Scripture, God sees and cares for those who would normally be looked down upon or outcast. How could you show those around you that they are seen and heard by God?

Lord, you have searched me and known me. Psalm 139:1 (CSB)

READ: JOHN 13:31-38; 15:1-17; 1 JOHN 3:16-18; 4:19

Have you ever heard the expression, “They talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk”? It’s a way of saying that people’s actions don’t match their words. For example, if somebody talks all about how important recycling is but constantly throws their plastic water bottles into the trash, they are acting like a hypocrite: they talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. They might say recycling is important, but when it comes to actually taking action, they don’t follow through.

Sadly, we are all guilty of hypocrisy in one way or another. We might not even realize our actions aren’t matching our words until someone points it out, and this can be disheartening. After all, the Bible shows us that Christians are supposed to “walk the walk” AND “talk the talk.” For example, the apostle John says, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18). As Christians, we are called to be people who love in word AND deed. Because Jesus loves us so much, we are called to love others.

Many of us know it’s important to love others, but how well do we show it? If we say we love our friends or family but act selfishly and treat them unkindly, our claim to love them isn’t really good for much. It’s a good thing to tell people we love them, but we need to act like it too.

Jesus did not merely say that He loved us—He went and actually did something about it, saving us from sin by dying for us on the cross. He took our sin, our shame, and died the death we deserved. That is true love. And then, Jesus rose from the grave, declaring that everyone who trusts in Him can be forgiven and become God’s child.

God’s love is so great that nothing can separate His children from Him—even sins like hypocrisy. The fact is, He knows that we are unable to truly love Him or other people on our own. Thankfully, He has poured out HIS love “into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5). So, as Christians, we can love others in word and deed by relying on God’s love. We can treat our friends, our family, and even our enemies the way Jesus would: by caring for them, helping them, and providing for their needs. As Jesus’s followers, we are empowered to talk the talk and walk the walk. • Jacob Bier

• Consider taking some time to ask God to help you see ways that you might “talk the talk but not walk the walk.” We can confess our sin and ask God to help us follow Him wholeheartedly.

• What are some practical ways you could show love to people in your life today? What resources has God given you that you could use to show love to others?

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NIV)

READ: GENESIS 1:26-27; JOHN 3:16-17; REVELATION 5:9; 7:9-10

Have you ever watched a florist arrange different flowers into a bouquet? It’s fascinating to see all those blooms come together into a unified composition. And a florist’s creativity points to our Creator God, who designed the stunning variety of flowers we find all around the world.

God is glorified by the vast array of floral colors—for starters, just think about white and yellow daisies, red and pink dahlias, blue and purple hydrangeas, and snapdragons and petunias and lilies that come in all sorts of colors! And it’s not just the colors that are different. The petals are too. Lilies are shaped like trumpets, daisy petals look like teardrops, baby’s breath is like little stars, and gladiola petals are all ruffly.

It’s amazing to think God made people like that too. Just as we see beautiful variations in flowers, we also see beautiful variations in humans. God made people with different colors of skin and hair and eyes. And their hair might be straight, wavy, or curly. Even body shapes are different—people come in all different heights and proportions. Our differences make our world more interesting than if we were all alike, and this diversity brings glory to God.

When we see a variety of flowers gathered in a bouquet, we can remember how the Bible says God will gather believers from every nation, tribe, people group, and language to worship Jesus. How wonderful it will be to praise the Lord with believers from all over the world—joined together like a beautiful bouquet, unified by Jesus’s blood and forgiveness. When Jesus returns and establishes the new heavens and new earth, we will rejoice in our God together for eternity.

But we don’t have to wait until then to appreciate people who are different from us. All people are created in God’s image and are deeply loved by Him. We can enjoy His beauty in the huge variety of people He has made, remembering that God created each of us in His own image, and Jesus died for us all. Together we reflect the beauty of His love and grace. • A. W. Smith

• God created humans in His image—and no two humans are exactly alike! Can you think of a time when the differences of others helped you better understand God? How so?

• How can looking ahead to the new heaven sand new earth, when all Christians will worship Jesus together in harmony, give us hope to pursue that kind of fellowship here and now?

…I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb [Jesus]. Revelation 7:9b (NLT)

READ: ROMANS 5:1-5; 12:15

BOOM! A clap of thunder shook the rounded windows of Habitation Enclosure 150 in the Tuuli province of the planet Terra.

“That sounded awfully close,” said Lillah with a shiver. “I hate storms.”

“I know,” said Phlox, Lillah’s roommate and the area botanist. “It feels safer when we don’t have to see the lightning.”

“I wish it could just rain without all that thunder and lightning.” Lillah sighed.

“Well,” said Phlox, “did you know that when lightning hits the ground, it breaks down nutrients in the soil so plants can use them?”

Lillah smiled. “I think I’ve heard something about that, but it’s been years…And I know I’m not going to stop your inevitable botany lecture.”

Phlox laughed. “Well, I’ll spare you most of it. But, basically, lightning is important because it plays a part in helping plants grow.”

Lillah nodded. “Only the Creator could bring so much order out of so much chaos.”

“I agree,” said Phlox. “I’m glad the Creator is with us and we’re never alone. In actual storms or when things get chaotic in our own lives.” Phlox’s eyes sparkled with the beginnings of tears.

Lillah hugged her friend. “I know this year hasn’t been easy for you. Moving to Tuuli to watch over an underfunded community garden…after your dream job at the National Art Garden lost funding. That’s a big loss to grieve.”

A flash of lightning caused them both to wince.

“Thank you for grieving it with me.” Phlox wiped at the tears on her cheeks. “May the Creator use my life storm to give me the nutrients I need to grow in love.”

Lillah nodded. “And may He remind us that, even in chaos, His love holds us steady.” • A. W. Smith

• What are some life storms you or your friends are going through? Maybe you or someone you love is struggling with illness, or you feel like you’ve lost all your friends. Remember, because Jesus died and rose again for us, we’re never alone, no matter what storm comes our way. He’s right there with us, inviting us to talk to Him about all our problems and helping us grow. We can rest in His embrace as we look forward to the day He’ll return and make everything new.

…we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4 (NIV)

READ: EXODUS 14:14; PSALMS 23:1-3; 127:2; MATTHEW 11:25-30

Are you, like me, constantly asking God to move and work and make your life different? There are things I’ve prayed about over and over again, asking God to step in and bring about change. I’ve begged Him to make things better. As I pray to Him, I feel anxious. I want to see something happen.

I try to fix things. I ask God to fix things. I work hard to heal. I ask God to heal me. I feel like something has to be constantly happening, constantly changing. I want to be made better. I want my life to improve.

I was praying for change the other day, and suddenly it hit me. What if instead of asking for change, I just rest in the hands of the One who holds this world? What if instead of asking for healing, I just rest in the hands of the One who has the power to heal? What if I let things be as they are and I simply take time to rest, trusting the hands of the powerful One to protect me?

Yes, there are times when action is required. But there are also times when we need a break, and we can simply be still in the hands of God and let Him look out for us. • Emily Acker

• Once you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you can know that you are forever held in His love and your eternal future is secure. So, even if the things you’ve been asking God for don’t come to fruition, you can still have confident hope that He is with you and He is working in your life (Philippians 1:6; 4:6-7, 12-13). If you want to know more about trusting Jesus, see our "Know Jesus" page.

• While God certainly does invite us to ask Him for the things we need and want, He also beckons us to simply come to Him and find rest in His presence. How might it befreeing to take a break from asking God for things? Have you ever felt the peace that comes from simply resting in Him and knowing that He will take care of everything and that you will be okay? Consider taking a moment now to come to Him in prayer, not asking for anything, but just resting in Him.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I [Jesus] will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (WEB)

READ: DEUTERONOMY 6:4-9; LUKE 11:1-13

In the churches I’ve grown up in, prayers were almost always made up on the spot. And these prayers are great! But lately, I’ve also been appreciating pre-written prayers. And I’m not the only one! In the early church, it wasn’t uncommon for Christians to pray the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4) three times a day. And before that, the Israelites would regularly recite a prayer called the Shema (based on Deuteronomy 6:4-9) and the Ten Commandments (found in Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21) as part of their prayers.

While spontaneous prayer is certainly important, I think these pre-written prayers offer a lot of value as well. They can remind us of the unchanging truth of the gospel, center us (the church) around our mission, and keep us focused on God’s goodness. Plus, sometimes when I’m praying, I don’t have the words to say. These pre-written prayers can give me a place to start, and they can be a jumping-off point—something in these prayers will often remind me of something else I want to talk to God about, thank Him for, or ask Him for.

And, by reciting these prayers, we are joining in with a tradition thousands of years old. We can pray prayers that have been prayed by hundreds of generations of people following God. And they’ll be prayed for years and generations to come. Not only that; we’re also uniting with believers around the world. These prayers have been spoken in thousands of languages by people from hundreds of different cultures. How amazing is that?

By trusting in Jesus, believing in His death and resurrection, we are united with our loving God and with each other. Reciting these prayers alongside our spontaneous prayers, especially with other believers, can be a powerful way to remember these truths. • Taylor Eising

• Consider taking a moment to reread Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Luke 11:1-13. What can these passages tell us about who God is? What can they tell us about who we are?

• As we read prayers from the Bible, we may end up memorizing them, and we can also use them as models for our own spontaneous prayers. Remember, pre-written prayers are great, but we shouldn’t stop making up our own prayers, too! Consider writing down some ideas of ways you could incorporate a prayer from the Bible (there are lots to choose from) into your life. Perhaps you could pray it before a meal, when you wake up, when you go to bed, with friends or family, etc.

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1 (NIV)

READ: PROVERBS 11:14; 12:15; 15:22; 20:18

Do you have people in your life who want to give you advice, like parents, teachers, pastors, counselors, or coaches? They want us to listen to what they have to say, and often we can be tempted to shrug them off, but there may be a lot we can learn from them.

Someone who has been through different seasons of life can offer a lot of wisdom, and not in the “I-told-you-so” kind of way. There are people who genuinely care and want to help. And the Bible tells us how wonderful this kind of advice can be: “The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense” (Proverbs 27:9).

When we seek the advice of others, we can be given more direction. Fellow Christians can point us to Christ and help us discern what He wants for our lives. Because the truth is, God doesn’t expect us to be able to figure everything out on our own. He provides loving wisdom and guidance through His Word, His Spirit, and His people. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus—believing in His life, death, and resurrection—He gives us the Holy Spirit, who gives all wisdom. And He gives us the church—people who follow Jesus and also have the Holy Spirit inside of them. Through the church, we can surround ourselves with people who can offer biblical advice so we can do what Proverbs 19:20 says: “Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.” When we talk to mature Christians, they can help us align our plans with God’s good ways. So often, it’s easy to see the way we want things to go, but when we turn to different advisors, we can see if we are on the right track or completely off base.

It’s a blessing to have these people in our lives. Sometimes, it feels like other people want to criticize what we’re doing, but when we humbly seek the advice of others and truly listen to their wisdom, it can have a profound impact on our lives. • Tynea Lewis

• Have you ever been hesitant to ask for advice because you were afraid of being criticized, demeaned, or teased? This is not how God treats us, and it’s not how He calls us to treat each other. Consider taking some time to talk to Him about your hurts and the ways people have looked down on you, receiving His compassion and healing.

• What is one thing you’re facing that you could use advice on? Who are mature Christians in your life you can go to for advice, people who display the kind of wisdom described in James 3:13-18? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.

Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success. Proverbs 15:22 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; GALATIANS 1:10; COLOSSIANS 3:23-24

Have you ever felt pressure to get straight As or be the best athlete on the field? There are so many things in this world telling us to be the best at this or that. When we feel this pressure on our shoulders, it can start to crush us.

The truth is, it can be good to use the skills and abilities God has given us as we work hard for things and do our best—this can be an act of worship, honoring to God. But once we allow ourselves to be controlled by achieving the highest standing because we want to be well-liked, accepted, or feel valuable, then we know we’ve crossed a line. This can be a sign that we’re starting to forget that we are perfectly loved, accepted, and valued in Christ.

And when we forget this truth, we start allowing ourselves to do things for the approval of other people, turning away from what God wants for us. Instead of walking in God’s good ways because His unshakeable love has transformed our hearts, we begin to do things to get people to like us or accept us.

But, when we return to the truth of the gospel and we start to turn our focus on God, His Spirit works in us to align our thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes with His good ways. In the gospel, we see how Jesus died and rose again to make the way for us to be with Him, free from sin and death. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He is always with us. He loves us, He will never leave us, and we never have to earn His approval. This truth changes everything. When we rest in God’s love, we begin to do things out of our love for Him instead of to earn the approval of people. • Tynea Lewis

• When are you most tempted to idolize the approval of the people around you? Consider spending some time in prayer, asking Jesus to show you where you’re chasing after human approval, and to help you rest in His perfect love instead.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; 14:13-23; MARK 5:21-43

One of my biggest pet peeves is slow walkers. I remember in high school I would inwardly scream when I was caught behind someone dillydallying. And now, when I go to the grocery store, I weave my cart in and out of families on busy afternoon shopping trips. I drive over the speed limit. It never seems to matter that I get up hours before I need to leave for work or class—I’m always rushing out the door with my shoes untied and coffee spilling out of my mug.

But then I think, and I wonder: Was Jesus a slow walker? If I were lucky enough to be one of the disciples who lived with Jesus for three years, what would I learn about the pace of His life?

Everywhere Jesus went, He taught and healed and saved. Although His days were packed with action, Jesus allotted time for interruptions to His rhythms and routines. In Mark 5, a father named Jairus pleaded with Jesus to heal his dying daughter, and Jesus agreed to go with him. Now just consider Jairus’s panic and desperation, but also hope, as they made their way through town. This man was in a rush to get home. But then, Jesus just stopped, and said, “Who touched my clothes?” I imagine Jairus thinking, What does He mean ‘who touched me’? The crowd is all around Him! In the middle of Jairus’s darkest hour, Jesus stopped for a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. Then, Jairus found out that his daughter had died during Jesus’s short delay. The messengers said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher anymore?” (verse 35). But Jesus knew it wasn’t too late. He knew there was enough time for both the woman who was bleeding and for Jairus’s daughter. On that day, He healed them both.

Jesus was present. He was keenly aware of His surroundings, and He had compassion on those around Him. Jesus paused to listen to others’ needs and love them well. In the same way, Jesus is attentive to us, and He invites us to live and love like He does. When we slow down, we can begin to notice the Holy Spirit moving within and around us. Rather than always focusing on “the next thing,” we are invited to come and see what He is doing in the present moment.

So yes, I think Jesus was a slow walker…and I want to be one, too. • Zoe Brickner

• Do you know anyone who lives their life at a slower pace, making an effort to be attentive to the Holy Spirit and to the people around them? What is it like to be with them?

• Consider taking a moment to ask God to help you be more aware of His constant presence with you, and more responsive to His invitations to rest in Him and to love and serve those around you.

“For my [Jesus’s] yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:30 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 23:5-6; 34:8; HABAKKUK 3:17-19; JAMES 1:17

In the goodness of the Lord I will rejoice!He has given Life to me—His sinless sacrifice set me free.In the goodness of the Lord I will rejoice!In the grave His body lay—Sin’s ransom fully paid.In the goodness of the Lord I will rejoice!On the third day Hell did weep—Death’s final, dark defeat!In the goodness of the Lord I will rejoice!May His grace be ever praised,Oh, the glory of His ways!In the goodness of the Lord I will rejoice!In the goodness of the Lord I will rejoice!

What comes to mind when you hear the words: “God’s goodness”? If I’m honest, I think of the times that God helps me out when I’m in trouble. Especially if the problem was brought on by...uh, dubious choices of my own! Don’t get me wrong— thanking God for His help in times of trouble is good. But in the Scriptures that inspired this poem, I noticed that God’s Word portrays His goodness as far more than His kindness or help in trouble—though it is that!

God’s goodness is a part of His very nature (Exodus 33:19; Psalm 34:8). It is evidence of His unceasing, divine work on our behalf—recrafting and redeeming all things for our ultimate deliverance from sin and all its effects. His goodness is His presence experienced in the midst of pain—or His restraint when we desire vengeance. It is His relentless, pure, and undying love—which is displayed on the cross: God in flesh, dying to conquer sin and rising again to restore all that was broken, shamed, or lost. God’s goodness is the glory of this redemption. And glimpses of His goodness lie in every beautiful thing we experience—made not only to draw us to Him, but to delight in through all eternity. Therefore, let us say with the psalmist: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 118:1). • G. Kam Congleton

• As you read today’s Scriptures, what are some ways you notice God’s goodness portrayed? Consider taking a moment to praise God for His goodness to you personally, and ask Him to help you recognize the ways His goodness is made real to you. You could even write a letter, poem, or song to God, thanking Him for some of the ways you see His goodness in your life.

“…may your faithful people rejoice in your goodness.” 2 Chronicles 6:41b (NIV)

READ: PSALM 23; 2 CORINTHIANS 7:5-7

Once again, intense pain had brought me to the emergency room where I waited to be admitted to an upstairs room. Beyond discouraged, I asked the Lord, “Do You still love me?” My depression deepened as one nurse after another poked me with needles and questioned me.

The paramedics had been concerned and caring. At the hospital, the staff seemed determined to add to my suffering. How I longed for someone gentle to care for me. Someone like Annie.

Annie was the friend who had introduced me to my boyfriend. A few days earlier, she had begun her first nursing job in this same hospital.

“Lord Jesus, please fix it that Annie is my nurse.”

It was a crazy prayer. The hospital was large, and I had no idea what department or shift my friend was working. Still, I repeated my prayer until the shots did their work and I fell asleep.

Before I knew it, I was at an upstairs nursing station. A familiar voice nudged me awake. Opening my eyes, I looked into the face of my admitting nurse.

It was Annie. • Kathy Irey

• Have you ever felt like God had stopped listening to your prayers? Was there a way He showed you He still cared? If not, you can ask God for this anytime. The Lord may not always take away our pain, but He’ll let us know, He has not abandoned us. (If you want to dig deeper, read 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; 12:7-10.)

• When we feel like no one understands our suffering, Jesus does. He suffered for us so that we could befree from the bondage of sin (Isaiah 53). When Jesus returns, He will make all things new; then sin and all its effects will be gone for good, so terrible things like pain and depression will be no more (Revelation 21:1-5). Until that day, He stays with us through everything. Even when it feels like He’s distant, He is always so very present with us—through His Spirit, His Word, and His people. Are there any Bible passages that have resonated with you in times of sorrow and pain? Are there any people in your life who have embodied the kindness of Jesus to you, like Titus did to Paul, and the Corinthian Christians did to Titus, in 2 Corinthians 7:5-7? How might you be able to share the comfort He has given you with others?

“I [Jesus] am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b (NIV)

READ: MARK 2:13-17; JOHN 6:37

It’s common sense that showers are for the dirty, hospitals are for the sick, and life preservers are for the drowning. So why is it so hard for some of us to accept that we don’t have to fix up our lives before coming to the very One who promises to clean us, heal us, and save us?

We may resist coming to God for help because we think we’re too far gone. We are correct in seeing that our sin separates us from a Holy God; we were all once totally lost in spiritual darkness (Ephesians 2:1-10).

But God didn’t leave us there! Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead paid for all of our sins and made the way for us to be with Him forever (Colossians 1:12-14). If we think we’ve sinned too much to be forgiven, we are severely underestimating the power of God’s grace and perhaps even missing the point of the gospel.

Sometimes those of us who know we’re forgiven still struggle to come to God because we feel like we’ve wandered too far. We think that since we’ve been straying into different sins, or haven’t been keeping up with our devotions, or haven’t been praying enough…that God doesn’t want anything to do with us. But God always wants us to draw near to Him!

I think it makes God sad when His children try to live apart from Him. He has called us to live in pursuit of Him, and once we have been redeemed by Christ, we can do so with the Holy Spirit’s help. But God’s love doesn’t require our obedience in order to reach us (Romans 5:8). God’s love has no strings attached.

Whether you’ve never asked God for forgiveness before, or you’ve recently wandered, don’t wait to come to Him. There is true forgiveness for all of us in Christ’s work on the cross, and Christ promises to never cast you out (John 6:37). • Katherine Billingsley

• Have you ever felt too far gone? If you know Jesus, all your sins are forgiven—past, present, and future.

When God looks at you, He sees His Son’s perfect righteousness. And He loves you more than you could ever imagine. You can come to Him in prayer anytime, asking Him to help you draw near to Him once again. If you’ve never come to Jesus, find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.

• In John 6:37, Jesus promises that He will never cast out those who come to Him. How can this truth comfort us when we have doubts about our salvation?

When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17 (CSB)

READ: JEREMIAH 42:1–43:7; EPHESIANS 2:1-10

“Rhode, tell us what to do. We will die here on the planet Yavorah! The Kuvil Regime took the rest of our people to their planet, and they won’t let us live here peacefully. It’s been years since Juro’s old dynasty held us in slavery— maybe if we go back, their new rulers will help us.”

The desperate shouts and worried exclamations filled their meeting space, a hollowed-out tree trunk aglow with jars of lightening bugs. Rhode closed his eyes for just a moment, resting in Yahweh’s presence despite the contentious atmosphere. After generations of sin and idolatry, Yahweh’s judgment had come to pass. Kuvil had conquered Rhode’s people, the Yavorians. Now, only a remnant was left on their home planet under the Kuvil Regime. Their ships swarmed the sky, as numerous as the bugs, blocking the two Yavorian suns, slowly killing the planet’s lush greenery. Soon, their livelihoods would be upended, and they’d starve.

Bora, the Yavorian army captain, stepped closer and shook Rhode’s shoulders. “Go, ask Yahweh for mercy. Ask Him to show us the way, and we swear we will follow it— whether that means we stay here as captives of Kuvil or we return to Juro for refuge.”

Rhode was appalled at the idea of returning to the very planet Yahweh had delivered them from. He wanted to be compassionate and hopeful, but he could only be suspicious of Bora’s plea. Of course now they wanted to hear from Yahweh, after generations of ignoring Yahweh’s commands. Were they merely desperate to avoid destruction, or were they sincere in their desire for repentance? “I will pray,” Rhode decided. “Whatever Yahweh says, I will tell you.”

The moment Rhode was alone, he collapsed with exhaustion. A few glimmers of light shown in the sky through the dense canopy. As Rhode stared up at them, he wondered if they were stars or impending spaceships. Sighing, he prayed, “Help me be faithful. Please, reveal Your will to me.” For ten days, Rhode remained silent before Yahweh, until He spoke.

Rhode called the commanders together, but the cold and determined look on Captain Bora’s face made him hesitate. Gathering himself, Rhode said, “If we remain on this planet, the one Yahweh promised to us, and trust in His protection, He will be gracious and we will prosper. We can trust that He will be merciful to us.”

Everyone was silent, but Bora’s eyes were ablaze with anger. “You lie! Your words are treasonous! If we stay, Kuvil will destroy us all.”

“But Yahweh promises He will preserve a remnant of our people,” Rhode said. The leaders began filing out of the tree, casting dirty glares and muttering “traitor” in his direction. Rhode hollered after them, “Fleeing to Juro would just be another idolatrous response. Yahweh is giving us another opportunity to put our trust in Him!” No one listened.

Before the suns had even set, Rhode was corralled onto a shuttle with a hoard of other Yavorians. They slipped through Kuvil’s blockade with a cloaking device. Rhode pressed his face against the window and watched as the green planet’s surface grew dim. Yavorah was a gift from Yahweh, a place for prosperity after slavery. And now, instead of leaning into His mercies, Rhode was taken with the rest of his people back to Juro. But Yavorah was his home, their home.

“I am with you, and I still give my mercy to my people,” Yahweh said to Rhode as Yavorah faded from sight. “One day, I will bring you home. I am making all things new, and I will dwell with you forever.” • Zoe Brickner

• Today’s story is an allegory of Jeremiah 42–43. Israel sought Egypt’s help when Babylon attacked them, despite the fact that Egypt had enslaved them for over 400 years. Their choice to return to Egypt for refuge was an act of idolatry because they put their trust and hope in something other than God. To us, it may seem absurd and idiotic that Israel would even consider turning to Egypt, but we often fall into idolatry as well. What are somethings in your life that you are tempted to trust before you trust God? Maybe it’s your own good deeds, a relationship, academic or athletic achievement, financial success, social status, material security, or even a government or church leader. Consider taking a moment to bring your idols to God and take comfort knowing that He will never let you down, even though our idols will.

• Like Israel, we have all failed to fully trust God at times. However, Jesus lived a life of perfect trust in God the Father and perfect obedience to Him. When Jesus died and rose again, He bore the punishment our sins deserve, including idolatry, so that we don’t have to. God washes away the very memory of our sins purely out of love for us (Isaiah 43:25). Jesus is always with us, and His death and resurrection have ushered in the new creation. When Jesus returns, He will complete His restoration of the heavens and the earth, and we will live in a new Jerusalem with Jesus and with all His people forever (Revelation 7:9; 21:1-5). And we can experience a taste of that new Jerusalem now when we gather with His people, the church. Praise God for this gift of mercy! How could you celebrate God’s goodness with fellow Christians in your life?

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! Ephesians 2:4-5 (CSB)

READ: GENESIS 1:26-31; PSALMS 119:73; 139:14; EPHESIANS 2:1-10

Who am I? This question is one we wrestle with throughout our lives. And it’s an important question to ask, because much of what we do flows from who we believe we are. Here’s the thing though—we can’t answer this question without God. And thankfully, He provides the answer in His Word. Take a look.

God created human beings, and He did so out of love. Genesis 1:26-31 says that God made us in His image, and He entrusted us with the important job of caring for His creation. Furthermore, if we are in Christ, Ephesians 2:10 says we are God’s masterpiece—we are created anew in Christ Jesus, and God has given us good and purposeful work to do.

Have you ever thought of yourself as God’s masterpiece? How amazing to think that God created each of us, purposefully crafting us to be unique and wonderful (Psalms 119:73; 139:14). Yet, oftentimes we don’t realize how valuable we truly are. As we go through life in a world broken by sin, we are bombarded with lies about ourselves, lies that say we’re not worthwhile, not capable, not lovable. As we’re confronted with our own sins and shortcomings, we may even start to believe our very existence is a mistake.

But God knows the truth about us. He made us, and so He’s the only one qualified to tell us who we are and what we’re worth. The fact is, we are so precious to God that He came to be with us. The second person of the Trinity, the Father’s only begotten Son, became human and lived among us. It was worth it to Him to pay the ultimate price to save us from sin—Jesus was willing to lay down His life so that we could be forgiven, brought near to God, and made new. And God the Father is glorified in all of this (John 17:1-3; Galatians 1:3-5; Philippians 2:11).

So now, as people who’ve put our faith in Jesus, we can rest in God’s love for us. And, because the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with His love (Romans 5:5), we can rejoice in the ways He has made us, using both the natural abilities and the spiritual gifts He has given us to express our love for God and for the people around us. And whenever we find ourselves struggling with lies about who we are and what we’re worth, we can turn to Jesus. He will remind us that we are His priceless work of art. God doesn’t make mistakes, He makes masterpieces! • Hannah Howe

• When you struggle to see yourself as God sees you, who are trusted Christians who can remind you of what God says about you in His Word? How could you be this kind of friend to others?

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

READ: NUMBERS 13–14

Numbers—funny name for a book, don’t you think? Five of its thirty-six chapters contain lists of people. But most of this book records the story of a people on the move. The best part of Numbers? We find God’s loving intervention in the lives of His people, over and over again.

Numbers not only includes records of people and lists of ceremonial regulations, it also contains stories. Have you ever heard the story of a flashing sword, a shining angel, and a talking donkey? It’s in chapters 22-25, and it involves blessings and curses, bribes and greed. In this passage, and throughout the whole book of Numbers, we discover the underlying theme of God’s unceasing goodness, His personal interaction, and His abiding care for His people. He plans good things for them, even when they are ungrateful, stubborn, and faithless.

God’s plan for His people, the Israelites, was to give them a home—the Promised Land. And this was crucial. For from this nation would arise His Son—the Savior, Jesus. And Jesus would be the perfect Israel that the Israelites could never be— faithful, loving, and sinless. God’s strategy all along was ultimately to provide the way of salvation for His people through Jesus’s death and resurrection. And the book of Numbers is part of His rescue plan.

It’s in Numbers that we get the inside story of how God’s people responded to Him in defiance, faithlessness, and fear right on the borders of their Promised Land. We learn how that broke God’s heart, and then we see how He directed His people back into the desert to wander for forty years, until that faithless generation had died out.

Then, we learn about how Joshua and Caleb finally led the people into the Promised Land, and we see God’s undying faithfulness through it all. We learn how trustworthy God is, and how important it is for us to trust Him. His ways are good, and trusting and following Him is the best thing we can do. Today, if we know Jesus, He lives inside us through the Holy Spirit, helping us to faithfully follow our loving God. This treasure of a book has much to offer the student of the Word. May He reveal Himself to you as you read it! • Kristen Merrill

• Which of the stories mentioned above sounds the most interesting to you? What questions do you have about them?

• How could remembering the ways God has been faithful in the past (either in our own lives or in the lives of people in the Bible) help us trust Him to be faithful in the future?

“Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid… the Lord is with us!” Numbers 14:9 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 104:10-28; MATTHEW 6:19-34; 10:29-31

There is a lot of nature outside my window. I hear birds singing their morning songs and talking to each other all day long. Occasionally I see rabbits and even a few deer. I hear coyotes howl at night, and I’ve seen turkeys strut across the yard. All of these animals have a home out there. They know how to survive in the forest and get what they need to make it through each day. And God is the One who made all of them. He gave them the ability to make a home in the wild and survive.

When I think about all the animals and what God has given them, I know that He will take care of me. After all, Jesus said, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26).

Humans are God’s most precious creation. We are the ones He came to seek and to save (Luke 19:10). It was for our sins that Jesus died on the cross. And just as He rose from the grave, He promises to raise us when He returns. We are the ones He loves.

God cares so much for us, even more than He does for all the animals in the wild (Matthew 10:29-31). When I am afraid or wonder about what to do with my life, I can remember that. I can know that God will help me and show me what to do. He takes care of all the animals, and He will do even more for me. • Bethany Acker

• What kinds of animals can you see where you live? Consider taking some time this week to pause and watch them and be reminded of how God is taking care of them and you.

• Because our world has been broken by sin, sometimes animals hurt each other and compete for what they need to survive, and humans do too. But one day, Jesus promises to return and make all things new. Then “the wolf will live with the lamb...and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy” (Isaiah 11:6-9). How can the hope of the new creation Jesus is bringing free us to trust Him, and to love others the way He calls us to, instead of hurting other people for fear that we won’t have enough? (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:13-14)

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 107:21-24, 31; COLOSSIANS 1:16; REVELATION 4:11

Have you been to an art gallery or installation recently? It’s amazing to see the way artists create memorable and beautiful works of art using paint, pencils, clay, stone, fabric, metal, wood, glass…the possibilities are nearly infinite! And just think about how our ability to create art reflects the Creator who made us—He is the greatest artist.

Have you ever thought of God as an artist? Have you noticed how creative He is? Both the cold winter snow and the warm summer sunshine were His idea. He made oceans, and He also made deserts. He made plants and animals, some that live in oceans, others that live in deserts, each perfectly suited to their environment. He made stars and galaxies, atoms and photons…And He wasn’t content to make everything in grayscale—He painted the universe in more colors than we can count! God created everything there is as an expression of love. And that includes us.

God didn’t create the universe because He was lonely or bored or because He needed anything. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have always existed in perfect love and joy. No, He created because it delighted Him to do so!

God has boundless creativity. He has made so many wondrous things, each one just the right color, just the right shape, and just the right size. And even though sin brought brokenness into God’s good creation, He has promised to redeem it. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, He is making all things new. And if we put our trust in Jesus, we get to take part in His wonderful work. Because Christians have the Holy Spirit living in us, we can use the creativity He has given us to glorify Him and bless others, both today and in the age to come.

And, as we behold God’s beautiful creation, we can remember how awesome He is and how much He loves us. He’s the greatest artist, and He invites us to enjoy His creation with Him! • A. W. Smith

• What is one of your favorite things in all of nature? Why? Consider taking a moment to thank God for this and tell Him what you like about it!

• In what ways do you like to be creative? How do you like to take what God has made an arrange it in a purposeful way—such as through painting, sculpting, building, designing, cooking, etc.? Is there something new you’d like to try but haven’t yet?

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 (NIV)

READ: ROMANS 6:11-14; EPHESIANS 5:1-20; 1 JOHN 1:7-9

Have you ever finished cleaning a room…only to notice the sun shining on a dusty spot you missed? In our Christian lives, the same thing happens in our hearts. Often, we don’t even notice our own sin. But, through God’s Word, through our prayer times, through our times at church, or through something else, Jesus continues to show us forgotten places in our hearts where we are struggling to love God and our neighbors well. Think about it this way—Jesus is the Light, and in His mercy He shines on us, showing us sin in our lives that He wants to clean away. It can be unsettling to realize we have sin in our lives that we weren’t even aware of, but we can trust that whenever God brings an area of sin to light, it’s because He wants to help us and bring renewal to that messy place.

As 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” Like a dust rag cleans dust off a forgotten table, Jesus cleans away our sin.

And this good news is multi-faceted. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, He frees us from both the result of sin—which is death—and also from the power of sin. That means, once we put our trust in Jesus, we can know that all our sins are forgiven—past, present, and future. And, because the Holy Spirit is living inside us, we don’t have to give in to the temptation to sin anymore. The Holy Spirit empowers us to say “no” to sin and live in God’s good ways instead. And even though we’ll never do this perfectly until Jesus returns, His forgiveness remains sure.

Has something you’ve done that’s wrong been made visible to you by Jesus recently? We all sin every day, and that’s why He invites us to confess our sins to Him often, resting in His sure forgiveness. Then, we can live by the light of His Spirit, trusting Him to help us do what’s right. We can live in love toward God and our neighbors because of Jesus. • A. W. Smith

• Where in your life do you struggle to truly love God and your neighbors (Matthew 22:36-40)? Jesus invites us to talk to Him about this—we can be totally honest with Him because He knows what temptation is like and He empathizes with us, but He Himself never sinned, so He can help us (Hebrews 4:14-16). He reminds us how much He loves us, and He often reveals underlying lies we’re believing that might be causing a struggle to continue—lies about God, ourselves, or others. Consider taking a moment to talk to Jesus about whatever comes to mind.

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 18:20; ROMANS 12:9-18; EPHESIANS 3:14-21

"Is it enough?” The question rolled around in my brain as I drove home. A family in our church was experiencing a number of medical problems, so a few of us went to their house to pray with them, bring a meal for us to eat together, and share communion.

“Is what we did enough?” I asked myself on my drive home. Suddenly, the answer sprang to life in my mind, bringing a smile to my lips and easing the tension in my shoulders.

Of course it wasn’t enough. I laughed at myself. Because of course, it was never meant to be enough. Nothing we do as the church is ever meant to be enough.

Instead, we point to the One who is enough.

I can’t solve all the problems in the world. I can’t remove all the suffering. And that’s not my job. It’s not your job either. But it is my job, through my presence, my words, and my actions, to point people to Jesus and His love for them. And it’s also my job to let myself be pointed to Jesus by the presence, words, and actions of my siblings in Christ—the church.

And this is only possible because Jesus has already done enough. Jesus—God in human flesh—lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose again from the dead to save us from sin and death. If we’ve put our trust in Him, He lives in us through the Holy Spirit. And one day, He will return to resurrect us from the dead and destroy all sin, suffering, hurt, and death forever.

There’s nothing I can do to add to what He has already done. And resting in that truth frees me to let go of my arrogant, “I-can-fix-all-your-problems” attitude and instead enter into the lives of others with humility, weeping with those who weep and rejoicing with those who rejoice. Together, we can throw ourselves into Jesus’s loving arms, trusting Him to care for us.

And that’s enough. • Taylor Eising

• Can you remember a time when others pointed you to Jesus through their presence, words, or actions when you were going through a hard time? What was it like?

• Is anyone in your life struggling right now? If you’re ready, you can spend some time in prayer, asking Jesus to show you how to show them His love.

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:10 (NLT)

READ: PSALMS 42:1–43:5; 46:1-5; MATTHEW 26:37-38

Sometimes, you cry tearsThey fall as hard as the rainIt feels just like a stormThis life, full of painBut just as quickly, the sun appearsA smile comes to your faceJoy in your life againIt’s a beautiful time and placeGod is with you through these momentsThe ups and downs of daysHe gives light to the darknessHas a listening ear when you prayPain and joy are a part of lifeBoth times will come, you knowTears and smiles until the endOur God will hold you and not let go • Bethany Acker

• How could it be comforting to know that Jesus personally experienced all the joys and sorrows of being human, and He promises to be with us through all the ups and downs of life?

• Even when we experience deep sadness, it can be helpful to remember that these feelings won’t last forever. We will feel happy again, maybe in a few minutes, maybe in a few days. However, if it’s been more than a couple weeks since you’ve felt happy, you may be experiencing a form of depression. This is nothing to be ashamed of—depression can be the result of several factors, and many people will experience depression at least once in their life. God does not stand far off when we are depressed. Jesus grieves our hurts alongside us and wants to help us heal, not only through His Word and through prayer, but also through community with fellow Christians and the expertise of professionals like counselors, therapists, and doctors. If you think you might be experiencing depression, who is a trusted adult you could talk to about it?

• If you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

“And be sure of this: I [Jesus] am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b (NLT)

READ: PSALM 139:1-3; ISAIAH 53; HEBREWS 4:14-16

I know someone who lost part of his leg due to health issues. Now he has a prosthetic and is able to get around just fine. Seeing him in long pants, you would never guess he has anything going on with his leg. You would have no idea of the struggles he’s faced or the fact that he still has to deal with things now that a person with two good legs would never think about.

You might have an illness that most people don’t know about. This may cause you to act differently at times, and you may feel judged because of it. You might have a mental illness that affects the way you feel but is hidden to those around you. Maybe no one knows the pain you are in or how much you’re struggling to look “normal.”

The world around us thinks they know us based on what they see when spending limited time with us, but they don’t know our background or what is going on inside. The average person would never guess that the man I mentioned has something going on with his leg, and there may be things you’re dealing with that the average person would never know either.

God knows it all, though, and He understands. Your pain is not hidden from Him. God created you and loves you, and He feels your pain with you. Others might not see or understand, but you can know that He does. He will hold you even when others have no idea what is going on. • Emily Acker

• Do you have a painful situation in your life or in your past that nobody knows about? God does not want us to suffer alone. He is with us, holding us in our hurts and offering comfort, strength, and healing. And He also gives us His people, the church. Who are trusted people you could talk to about the difficult situations in your life, such as parents, pastors, youth leaders, or counselors?

• Because of God’s great love and compassion for us, Jesus came to save us. He lived among us as “a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief” (Isaiah 53:3), and He befriended and healed those who were isolated in their suffering. Even when most of the world doesn’t know about your pain, how could it be comforting to know that Jesus sees you and He cares?

• Jesus suffered and died for us, and He rose again so we could be with Him. One day, Jesus will return to restore creation and resurrect His people from the dead, free of injury, illness, and suffering. In the meantime, He is with us through His Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). How could these truths remind us that we are never alone in our suffering?

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 5:13-16; COLOSSIANS 4:2-6

In Matthew 5:13-16 and Colossians 4:2-6, we read that Christians are like salt. But what does that mean? What does salt do in practical terms? And how does this apply to our everyday lives?

First, salt adds flavor. As Christians, we can add flavor to the lives of the people around us by sharing the love of Jesus. When we add salt to other people’s lives, they get a taste of what Jesus is like (Psalm 34:8).

Second, salt makes you thirsty, letting your body know you need water. And like salt, Christians can help people around us become aware of their need for Jesus. When people see what knowing Jesus truly means to us and hear about what He’s done for us, they might become interested in knowing more about Him for themselves (John 7:37).

Third, in the days before modern medicine, salt was often used to disinfect a wound. In a similar way, Christians have the good news of Jesus. He has provided the antidote for sin and all the brokenness it causes through dying on the cross and rising from the grave for us. Because we know Jesus, we get to look forward to the day He will return and fully restore His creation, and in the meantime, we get to see glimpses of His healing in our own lives—whether it be physically, spiritually, emotionally, or relationally. Sharing the story of Jesus in a loving way reminds us of the healing work Jesus has done in us and introduces others to the healing He can do in their lives.

So today, as Christians, let us consider how we might share the salt of God’s healing love with our community, and let us rest in that same salty story where we found—and continue to find—our healing. • A. W. Smith

• Which of the three characteristics of salt listed above stuck out to you the most? Why?

• What questions do you have about how to share the gospel in a loving way? Consider taking some time to pray, asking God about this in the space below.

• Who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk with about loving ways to share the good news of Jesus?

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6 (NIV)

READ: ISAIAH 26:19; EZEKIEL 37:1-14; 1 CORINTHIANS 15:12-20, 51-52

Earth will give birth to you.

Your body, as it decomposes, will scatter particles back into the biosphere of our planet. This has happened to all members of the human race, the highborn and the lowly. But this isn’t permanent. A day is coming when Jesus will raise the bodies of the dead, putting all the little pieces back together. Earth will give birth to our bodies again, after absorbing them, like it first gave birth to humanity at the Creator’s touch (Genesis 2:7; 3:19).

Our planet is a giant recycling system. Things that die go back into the mix, and more life is created. It seems impossible that, once we die, we could be taken back out of the earth and reassembled. That is, however, the sure hope that God promised through His prophets and will accomplish in Jesus Christ.

Jesus Himself was dead, and for three days in the tomb, His broken body began to return to the biosphere. But He could not be held by death and decay. God the Father raised God the Son from the dead, putting His body back together and reversing the natural process.

When Jesus returns, we will also be raised from the dead, and all who have put their trust in Jesus will live with Him forever in restored creation. Then, our bodies will be in better shape than they ever were before, but make no mistake, the bodies we have now are the same bodies we will have after the resurrection. Humans were never meant to be recycled. God made us to live on the earth with Him, glorifying Him always. We fell into sin and death, but He will retrieve us. That is our sure hope. • Kevin Zeller

• Our bodies matter to God. How might the resurrection affect the way we view our bodies now?

• When Jesus returns, He will make everything new. Then “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). What pains and sorrows have you experienced in your body lately? Jesus cares about all these things; He empathizes with us, and He grieves with us. But there will come a day when our bodies will no longer get hurt or sick or sore. Consider taking a moment to tell Jesus about the hurts you, or people you know, are experiencing, and ask for His healing. Even if we don’t experience healing today, as Christians we have the sure hope of complete healing when Jesus returns.

But your dead will live, Lord; their bodies will rise—let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy… the earth will give birth to her dead. Isaiah 26:19 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 5:43-47; LUKE 21:9-11; JOHN 14:1; 1 JOHN 4:19

War. Terrorism. Violence of all kinds. In a world that’s broken by sin where these terrible events are the reality—and in an age of unending information in which we constantly hear about them—what are we as Christians to do?

First, let’s remember why these terrible things happen. Since humanity fell into sin, grasping for power and rejecting God (Genesis 3), people and nations want to be powerful, and many will do anything to gain that power. That’s the reason we see rampant violence in our world today.

So where is the hope? What do we do now?

As Christians, we know Jesus. He is the loving God who saw our sin—our power-grabbing, our violence, and our disregard for God and neighbor—and He stepped into our world, becoming human to dwell among us. Then, He died and rose again to beat sin and death. Jesus is the One who weeps with us at the sin that wreaks havoc on the world He made. He is the One who will return one day to make all things new, free from the brokenness sin brings. And, as the just judge, He is the One who will make all wrongs right.

In light of these truths, we can know that we are loved by God and that He is at work in the world—taking even the bad things that happen and working them for His good purpose: to bring us back to Himself and to restore all the good in creation that we, in our sin, have destroyed (Romans 8:18-39). So today, we can rest in God’s love for us. As we receive His comfort and peace, we can love and care for our neighbors (and even our enemies) in a world that’s full of violence and hatred.

Because Jesus first loved us, we can walk into our broken world, transformed by His love and radiating that love toward everyone we encounter. We can trust Jesus with every situation, knowing that He cares deeply for His creation. Things won’t be like this forever because Jesus will one day put an end to sin and death in this world once and for all. • A. W. Smith

• How can resting in Jesus’s love and the hope of His return, when He will rule with perfect justice, help us work for love and justice when our communities experience violence and hatred?

• What tragedies of violence are on your mind right now? Consider taking some time to cry out to God and lament these things in the space below. And remember that Jesus weeps with you.

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me [Jesus].” John 14:1 (NLT)

READ: PSALMS 34:1-22; 61:1-2; 121:1-8; 139:1-5

When I whisper

Answer me, God

When I scream

Be the One who hears

When I can’t speak

Hear my thoughts

When I break

Put all of my pieces together

When I’m lost

Bring me home, God

When I’m scared

Calm my fears

When I fail

Show me the way

When I praise you

Accept my praise • Emily Acker

• Today’s poem is written in the style of a psalm. Did one of the phrases in this poem stick out to you in particular? Which one?

• We can pour out our hearts to God at all times (Psalm 62:8). He is always eager to listen to us and help us. What does your heart long to say to God today?

• Throughout the book of Psalms, we can find echoes of the gospel. For example, in Psalm 34:20 we find a prophecy that none of Jesus’s bones would be broken (John 19:30-37). Whenever we cry out to God, we can rest knowing that our rescue is in Jesus. He came so that we could be close to God. He is the healer of our brokenness, the One who seeks us when we’re lost and brings us home, the One who delivers us from fear and gives us His peace. He died for us while we were still sinners and rose from the grave so that all who trust in Him can be forgiven and made righteous. He is the Way, and He is worthy of all our praise. How can remembering who Jesus is give us hope to cry out to Him in every struggle we face? (If you want to dig deeper, read Isaiah 53:5; Luke 4:17-21; 15:1-7; John 14:6, 27)

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4 (NIV)

READ: LUKE 15:1-24

I adored the cowboy boots Papa bought me at the feed store. But running in them for gym class had gotten difficult. I just had to find my missing purple sneakers; they were my only other shoes appropriate for school. Now, if I could only remember where I’d left them.

For almost two weeks, I searched our house. I looked in our truck, around my grandparents’ home, everywhere I imagined the shoes might be. Then, one day at the end of dance class, I gathered my belongings to go home. Suddenly, I spotted a flash of lavender under my classmate’s coat. Could it be? There, in the corner of the drafty old building where I met weekly for dance class, I located my missing sneakers. My long-absent and much-loved shoes had been found! Happy and relieved, I tossed them into my dance bag, eager to tell my mother the good news.

I had a story to tell about shoes that had been lost and then found. In the Bible, Jesus uses “lost and found” stories to teach us truths about His commitment to rescuing us. In three parables—about a lost sheep, a missing coin, and a son who abandoned his family—Jesus makes it clear that He cares, not just about the many, but the one. As a good shepherd, Jesus values each of His sheep, and He will search for us intently (John 10:11). God rejoices when we are found, when we—like a runaway kid who finally returns to the family— come home to our loving Father.

Through all these “lost and found” parables, we see how Jesus pursues us, searches for us. And when we turn to Him as our Savior and Lord, we receive forgiveness and eternal life, and our heavenly Father celebrates that we have returned to Him and His love. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Have you ever searched for something that was lost, and then when you found it, you were so happy you wanted to tell people?

• Have you ever stopped to think about how God celebrates when just one person returns to Him and begins a relationship with Him through Jesus? What can this truth reveal about God’s love for us? (Psalm 18:19)

“‘…let’s celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.” Luke 15:23-24 (CSB)

READ: EXODUS 34:5-7; MATTHEW 18:23-35; ROMANS 2:4

Patience is a virtue we all need. It took me many years to realize my need for this virtue. This realization came to me when I had a misunderstanding with someone I was helping. She was not willing to take a step I thought was right for her, and so I became impatient with her. My friends tried to advise me on how to handle the issue patiently, but I just felt I could not do so. I even started thinking of withdrawing the little help I was giving her.

But then one day as I was reading the Word of God, the truth dawned on me that God is patient with us all. I thought of the many times I have not done what God wanted me to do, and yet He has been patient with me and forgiven me, like it says in Romans 2:4, “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”

As I had seen God’s kindness and patience lead me to repentance, I also decided to treat this person the way God has treated me, believing that God is patient with her too and that His kindness and patience would lead her to repentance. And so our relationship was restored.

God calls us to be patient with one another, and through His Holy Spirit, who lives inside Christians, God empowers us to extend the same loving patience to others that He extends to us. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• Can you think of a time you struggled to be patient with someone? How could resting in God’s patience

toward us make it a bit easier to be patient with others?

• Do you ever struggle to be patient with yourself? God is incredibly patient with you, and He loves you more than you can imagine. Scripture is full of stories of God’s people refusing to obey Him, getting themselves in trouble, and then being rescued by God anyway. He never stops pursuing us with love and mercy—which is why Jesus, God in flesh, came to die and rise from the grave to make the way for us to be with God. And if we know Jesus by faith, His Holy Spirit lives in us, helping us extend His loving patience to others. So let us sit in awe of God’s amazing patience with us, even as we ask Him to help us be patient with others.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 5:17; ROMANS 8:18-28, 38-39; REVELATION 21:1-5

Have you ever stopped to really look at a piece of wood? Straight lines, intermingled with lots of circles and twists—that’s the diverse beauty you’ll see in wood grain. And those circles and twists, called burls or knots, tell a story.

Burls are found where a branch went out from the tree trunk. They can also be caused by a problem in the life of the tree—like when insects invaded a certain section, or when the tree had a disease. Isn’t it interesting that, even though trees experience problems, their Creator brings beauty out of those difficult times?

Jesus, who is our Creator God, does the same for us as humans. He sees the brokenness our sin causes in our world, and He weeps with us. Because He is such a good God and is free from sin, He does not sit idly by, doing nothing about suffering. He is at work. He stepped into our world, sinless and full of compassion and mercy. Jesus met us in our suffering with love, and He suffered for us. He died on the cross for our sins; then He rose again to defeat death, ascended to the throne of heaven, and is with us now—through His Spirit, His Word, and His people. Jesus will one day return to make all things new, completely free from the effects of sin. In the meantime, we get to see glimpses of the healing and wholeness He is bringing to our hearts and to all of creation. Simply put, He is taking even the worst things and making them work out for His good purposes.

It hurts when we experience difficult things, but we can trust that Jesus will be with us through every hurt and sorrow, and He will work all things for good. One day, all the hurt will only exist as a beautiful burl in the grain of the story of humanity. One day, everyone who trusts in Jesus will dwell together with Him in the new heavens and earth, forever free from sin and the suffering it brings. So, no matter what burls and knots we encounter in our lives, we can rest in Jesus’s love for us—a love so strong it can bring beauty even out of suffering. • A. W. Smith

• What have been some of the burls and knots in your life? How might Jesus be bringing beauty out of this suffering? How did Jesus bring beauty out of His own suffering? (John 20:24-28)

In moments when it’s hard to see Jesus’s presence in the midst of pain, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk with, such as friends, parents, therapists, pastors, etc.? The creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. Romans 8:21 (NLT)

READ: COLOSSIANS 4:2-6; TITUS 3:1-9

I love Jesus, and I love talking to people about Jesus. I always have. But I’ve definitely made some mistakes in how I tell non-Christians about Him. So, I’m going to confess some of these mistakes—and what God has taught me through them.

Often, I would spend a lot of time and energy trying to get people to believe in particular theological stances rather than the gospel. I would try to argue people into believing in a literal six-day creation (a position not all Christians agree on) instead of telling them about Jesus’s incredible love for them, and the miracle of His death and resurrection. I would try to convince them of the benefits and importance of waiting to have sex until marriage instead of talking about Jesus’s forgiveness, grace, and mercy. I would try to correct a person’s behavior instead of introducing them to the One who could heal their hearts. And perhaps worst of all, I would push for political stances instead of welcoming people into the good news of the kingdom of God.

Friends, this didn’t work. At all. I pray that the Holy Spirit used these conversations, in spite of my mistakes, to draw people to Himself. But let’s not waste our energy expecting non-Christians to think and act like Christians. Conversations about creation, sex, and politics have an important place in our lives—especially when we listen well and seek to understand different perspectives—but let’s not confuse these conversations with the gospel.

For me, learning this truth meant letting go of control and accepting that I cannot fix people, and I cannot change hearts. Only Jesus can do that. And when I try to change people myself, I’m trying to take over for the Holy Spirit and do God’s job myself. Only God can bring people to faith. I had to repent of my desire for control and accept my limits as a human being. As I’m learning to accept this truth, I’m growing in my ability to talk about Jesus in a way that flows from the joy and peace I’ve found in Him, rather than from a fear-filled, self-righteous desire to control people.

Jesus is amazing. The gospel is incredible. When we let the truth of God’s love for us and the hope of Jesus’s resurrection permeate our lives and our hearts, we can show people what the gospel looks like. And that is more powerful than any argument. • Taylor Eising

• How has the hope of the gospel affected your life? What are some ways you could share this?

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Colossians 4:5 (NLT)

READ: LUKE 10:25-37; 2 TIMOTHY 2:23-24

Jesus puts a high emphasis on loving God and loving our neighbors. But sometimes, a person we’re trying to show the love of Christ to has an opinion that we completely disagree with. Maybe they’re even part of an entirely different religion. Are they still our neighbor?

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus made it clear that everyone is our neighbor, not just people we share a lot of opinions with. It can be easy for us to get along with people who think like we do and agree with us on life’s big topics. But when Jesus taught the parable of the Good Samaritan, He showed that God calls us to love everyone—even people we deeply disagree with. The Samaritans and the Jews hated each other, and they disagreed about where and how to worship God. So when Jesus told the parable of a Samaritan taking care of an injured Jew, it would have been shocking to His audience. That kind of love was radical.

Jesus Himself demonstrated this radical love by asking tax collectors—who were considered traitors—to follow Him. He often visited and healed people who would have been on the outskirts of society, such as lepers, women, prostitutes, and people with disabilities. And, in His greatest act of radical love, Jesus died for us and rose again, defeating death and sin so we can live with Him forever when He returns.

As we wait for that glorious day, sometimes extending radical love means not engaging in an argument that would only make both people upset. Sometimes showing love to our neighbors means not jumping up to correct them, or not endlessly debating an issue that you don’t see eye-to-eye on. It’s not our job to convince people to share all of our views. God is the One who works change in people’s hearts. And because His Holy Spirit lives in us, empowering and equipping us, we can show everyone Christ’s transforming love. • Naomi Zylstra

• Have you gotten into an argument or debate recently? Did anyone change their minds? What happened after the argument?

• Who is someone in your life who has a different view on something that’s important to you? What are some ways you might be able to show love to this person?

• What might it look like to talk with someone lovingly about a topic you disagree on?

Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 2 Timothy 2:23-24 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 21:1-14

Cooking is an important part of the kingdom of God. Don’t believe me? Jesus Himself used cooking in His ministry.

After Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, He appeared several times to His followers. But one particular appearance involved a fishy breakfast.

The night before it happened, some of Jesus’s disciples went fishing but caught nothing all night. Then, as morning broke, Jesus called from the shore and told them to throw out their nets on the other side of the boat. When they did, the net became so full of fish they couldn’t pull it into the boat—Jesus had done a miracle! And when the tired, hungry Jesus-followers reached shore, Jesus cooked a delicious breakfast of fish for them over an open fire.

But why do you think Jesus bothered to cook? Why didn’t He just do another miracle and make cooked food suddenly appear? It might have been because He wanted them to see that He had risen from the dead. Eating is an essential part of living, and He cooked and ate a meal with His disciples to show them who He is and that He cared for them.

So, when we think about all the times Jesus commands us to love others as He loves us (John 13:12-15, 34; 15:10-13), we can remember how He cooked breakfast for His disciples. As Christians, we can share God’s love with others by taking care of them—even in small ways. Cooking is just one of the tangible ways we can show the love of Jesus, remembering that “we love each other because he loved us first” (1 John 4:19). • A. W. Smith

• Can you think of any small ways other Christians have shown Jesus’s love to you?

• Can you think of any small ways you could help someone and care for their tangible needs today? Consider taking a moment to ask God to help you notice opportunities to share His love as you go about your day.

“Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said…Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. John 21:12-13 (NLT)

READ: ROMANS 15:7; COLOSSIANS 2:12-13; 3:9-14; 1 PETER 5:6

If we were real with God, that deep well of frustration,

discontentment, or fear could be emptied

one putrid bucket at a time

and filled with His unfailing love, faithfulness, and grace.

Without recognition and an honest emptying of the ugly,

how can we make room for the beauty

so we can be filled with healing?

If we were real with ourselves, allowing the truth

of the gospel to seep into the depths of our soul,

it would illuminate that which needs change

Uncomfortable, exposed, but necessary.

Once we let go of the facade, the real work begins

Truth, acceptance, change.

If we were real with others, perceptions could be past

Strongholds would be smashed.

Looking into each other’s eyes,

we would see the reality and breathe deep,

knowing we are not alone.

The struggle is real.

The reality? Everyone struggles.

Yet, because of Jesus, we can

embrace the real, because really,

who wants to live a lie?

Make way for the awkward, hard,

embarrassing, in-your-face truth

Make way for real. • Savannah Coleman

• In what ways do you feel like you can’t be authentic? How does Jesus’s forgiveness free us?

Don’t lie to each other…Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you…Colossians 3:9, 13 (NLT)

READ: EPHESIANS 4:1-32; COLOSSIANS 3:1-17

There are certain people in our lives who test our patience. When we’re around them, we might find ourselves acting in ways we don’t normally act. For example, we might struggle to spend time with little children, or we might find it difficult to relate to older people. Or there could be certain personality types we have a hard time interacting with, regardless of the person’s age.

But when we come across people in our lives who frustrate us and make us feel impatient, we don’t have to respond negatively. Because God is patient and loving toward us, we can be patient and loving toward others. Because Jesus is gentle and humble, and Christians have His Holy Spirit living in us, we can be gentle and humble too (Matthew 11:29).

When we’re struggling to get along with someone, we can reach out to God. He empowers us to respond to people in the way He calls us to. If we can’t keep our anger and frustration in check on our own, we can take a step back and rest in the calm of God’s presence. As we recenter our attention on Him, we may find ourselves seeing things from His perspective.

God calls us to be an example of His love, and He knows that we need Him in order to do this. As Christians, we can rely on the Holy Spirit, who is forming us in love and understanding. As we grow in our relationship with God, our lives bear the fruits of the Spirit—including patience (Galatians 5:22-23).

And even when we get impatient with others, even when we mess up and lash out, God is still patient and gentle and loving as He interacts with us. Through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, God has sealed our forgiveness and made us part of His family. So, whether we feel frustrated or not, whether we are with someone we usually get along with or not, we can rely on the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with God’s love, to treat that person kindly (Romans 5:5). Emily Acker

• Have you noticed that it’s more difficult for you to interact with certain people or groups of people than others? God invites us to talk to Him about all this, and He helps us examine the reasons behind our hesitancy to interact with, or even our disgust toward, other people. In addition to talking to God, who are trusted Christians you can talk to about these things?

• When we feel impatient with others, how could it be helpful to remember God is patient with us?

• Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)

READ: ROMANS 8:1-2, 15-18, 26-39; 10:9-13

I shouldn’t have done that, you think to yourself after you’ve sinned. I’m a Christian now—or at least I thought I was. Maybe I’m not really saved after all.

This is a common worry among Christians, but take heart. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus to rescue you from sin and death, you belong to God’s family. He has adopted you. You’re His child forever.

That’s worth repeating: you are His child forever. It’s like being born or adopted into your earthly family. Your parents don’t disown you every time you do something wrong, do they? Hopefully not! Well, our heavenly Father is better than any earthly parent could ever be (Psalm 27:10; Matthew 7:9-11), and He isn’t going to disown us every time we sin either. If He did that, none of us would be His children. We all sin, repeatedly, even Christians.

Whenever we do something wrong, we can confess it to Jesus right away. He already knows what we’ve done, and He has already secured our forgiveness. As we come to Him, He reminds us of His faithful love, and through the Holy Spirit, He helps us grow to become more and more like Him.

Christians aren’t perfect, but Jesus didn’t die for us and rise again only to disown us when we do something wrong. He went to the cross and conquered sin and death so we could be part of His family and have eternal life with Him. When you trust in Jesus, you’re part of His family—forever. • A. W. Smith

• Can you think of a time you felt unsure of your salvation? Was there something that helped comfort you?

• Take a moment to reread today’s Scripture passages. What promises from Jesus can we rest in when we feel worried about whether or not we’re saved? Consider taking a moment to thank Jesus for His promises and talk to Him about any worries that come to mind.

• Who are trusted Christians in your life who can encourage you and pray with you when you experience doubt and fear? How could you be this kind of friend to others?

Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39b (NLT).

READ: GENESIS 1:26-31; MICAH 6:8; 1 CORINTHIANS 10:31

I love food. It’s a wonderful way God sustains us, as well as a source of joy, and it often provides opportunities for community. But sometimes I get bogged down wondering about my food. I’ll pull a bell pepper out of its plastic bag, put the bag in the recycling, and wonder if that bag will end up floating around in the ocean for decades. I’ll start cutting up the pepper, and I’ll wonder if it was grown in a way that nourished God’s precious earth, or in a way that robbed the earth of its resources. As I munch on a slice, I’ll wonder if the people who worked to plant, grow, harvest, package, ship, and stock this bell pepper—people made in God’s image—were treated well and paid fairly for their labor, or if they toiled under unjust employers like the Israelites toiled under an unjust Pharaoh in the book of Exodus. Would these people be able to afford to buy the food they’re growing and transporting? I’ll hand a piece of pepper to my three-year-old daughter, and I’ll wonder what the world will be like when she grows up.

Some might say I shouldn’t worry about these things. After all, it’s just a bell pepper. But I don’t think God sees it that way. God cares deeply about the way we treat each other and how well we steward the earth He made. He loves justice, mercy, and compassion…and all of us—including me—fall short of His justice. But I can find rest, even in the midst of this messy world, because God forgives me through Jesus, and He cares about injustice even more deeply than I do. And He is way more powerful.

When I’m overwhelmed by the injustice in this world and in my own heart, I can look to Jesus, who took all that sin and brokenness on Himself as He hung on the cross, then rose from the dead to defeat it. And I can trust that, one day, He will return to resurrect us from the dead and rule over the earth with perfect love and justice.

In the meantime, I can weep with Him, knowing that He feels the hurt even more deeply than I do. And I can listen to the direction of His Holy Spirit to see how I can participate in His kingdom of love and justice, bringing healing to broken places because He is bringing healing to my heart. • Taylor Eising

• How might knowing that God redeems us—even when we feel unredeemable—help us find rest in His goodness and mercy? In the midst of our broken world, how does He give us hope?

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants. Psalm 89:14 (NLT)

READ: GENESIS 1:26-28; ROMANS 8:22-25; COLOSSIANS 1:15-23; 1 PETER 1:3-5

Humans have made a mess of this world. It’s time for them not to be in charge.” I backed away after the android said this, clicking its long metal fingers together. A product of the recent technological singularity, this artificial intelligence was trying to take over the planet.

“I hope you will all listen to me,” it said, “and do what I say. We are going to make another world, a better one. But for those who stand in the way…” Its fingers formed into a fist.

I had to stall the vile machine, since my friends were furiously cooking up something that might be able to stop it. I cleared my throat nervously. “You can’t make the world better, even if we are the ones who messed it up. Besides, I don’t think you are in charge.”

Red eyes fixed themselves upon me. “Really.”

“In fact,” I said, still backing away, “humans will always be in charge. A human being is ruling the entire universe right now. His name is Jesus. And even though we’ve made a mess of things because of our sin, Jesus is sinless. And He loves us. He is the One who’s going to make a better world when He returns. So even if you take over the whole world, you aren’t really in charge.”

The thing came after me, metal feet clanking on the floor. The stalling was done, it seemed. I dove under a table as it lunged. The lights went out, and for a second I thought I had been knocked unconscious.

Then the lab flickered with candlelight, and I gasped as I saw the motionless android hovering above me, arm raised with clawed fingers ready to strike. My friends pulled me away. “We used its own weapon!” they said, holding up a pocket-sized EMP device that delivered an electromagnetic pulse and disrupted electrical systems. “Took out the electricity for half a mile. If we hurry, we can reach the main backup computer before the intelligence finds a way to reboot.” I nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. • Kevin Zeller

• Do you ever feel like humans are messing up the whole world? How does God respond? (John 3:16-17) How might knowing that Jesus rules everything affect our view of all creation?

• The Holy Spirit empowers Christians to follow all God’s commands, such as Genesis 1:26-28 and Matthew 22:37-40. What are some ways we can show Christ’s renewal in the world today?

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.” Matthew 28:18 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 1:22-23; JOHN 8:1-11; ROMANS 8:1

The music blasted, and we sang so loud that dogs started barking. My car full of friends bounced as we moved to the thumping bass. Then—CRUNCH!

That wasn’t part of the song. Did I hit a mound of icy snow? I wondered. I opened my door and looked back. I had backed out into the driver’s side door of a pickup truck parked on the other side of the road. The fun video scavenger hunt we were on was officially over, and it was my fault. I sat frozen for a couple minutes, unsure what to do. I had never been in an accident before.

My friend suggested we go to the closest house and see whose truck it was. I was scared, and I think I would’ve sat there numb if it weren’t for my friend sitting with me and suggesting some next steps. We knocked on the door and explained the situation. My friend stayed with me and helped me with communicating when I couldn’t get the words out. Although it was a difficult situation, it helped having someone there with me.

I love how there are so many moments in God’s Word when Jesus simply sat with people, ate with people, sailed with people, stood with people—even when they had messed up in some big ways. One example of this is in John 8:1-11, when a group of religious leaders were about to put a woman to death by throwing stones at her because she was caught in adultery. They humiliated her, but Jesus stayed near her until all the threatening religious leaders left, one by one. Jesus didn’t condemn her—He wanted to forgive and restore her.

In Matthew 1:23, we see that Jesus has another name: “Immanuel” which means “God with us.” And He is. He is with us when we feel lonely, when we mess up, when we are frozen and don’t know what to do next. God is with us. • Amanda Gott

• Can you think of a time when someone stayed with you during a difficult situation?

• Jesus came to live among us—fully God and fully human. Because of God’s great love for us, He made the way for everyone who puts their trust in Him to be with God, no longer condemned but fully forgiven. He did this by dying on the cross for us and rising from the grave. If you want to know more about this, who are trusted Christians you can talk to? (Also check out our "Know Jesus" page.)

• If you’ve already put your trust in Jesus, can you think of a time(maybe a difficult situation) when you were reminded that God is right there with you? How did it feel?

“...and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23 (NIV)

READ: MARK 4:35-41

We rocked violently against the waves and wind. The men I had grown to know and love over the last several months huddled together near the mast, what was left of the sail covering over them like a massive cloak. They held it tightly, but still the vicious weather fought to tear it from their backs.

“Is all hope lost?” Thomas shouted over the storm. Despite the despair that was plain upon his face, he stayed at my side to help steady the rudder. I wondered if he did so as a kindness to me, or rather if, like myself, he simply could not forfeit the illusion of maintaining control as the wet gale slammed against us and the black sky flashed angrily above.

I pushed the wet hair from my face and looked at him. We trembled together and through the fear in my gut, I was selfishly glad that I would not have to die alone.

“Should we not wake the Rabbi?” Levi shouted, having made his way aft by holding tightly to the gunnel.

“How does he sleep through this?” Thomas shouted back in hopeless frustration.

“If only we all could sleep,” I yelled back. “It would be a mercy to die peacefully.”

“We wake him,” Thomas decided and made his way to the stern where the teacher rested, Levi in unsteady pursuit. I could not hear what was said, and I could barely see the exchange, but I watched as Jesus sat up, listening to our alarm. He nodded, then stood and faced the storm with arms outstretched. I heard his words clearly over the wind’s terrible howl.

“Quiet! Be still!”

As the waters calmed and the clouds immediately fled, the stars emerged and not even a breeze remained of the storm.

How can this be? In terror, I watched the master as if seeing him for the first time. He not only commands spirits and illnesses. He commands nature itself!

“Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” he said quietly. There was neither accusation nor disappointment in his words, only gracious instruction. • James Long

• Today’s story is how one author imagines Mark 4:35-41. By calming the storm and rescuing His disciples, how did Jesus reveal His trustworthiness, His identity, and His love for us? (If you want to dig deeper, read Genesis 1:1-10; Exodus 14:15-16, 21-22; Psalm 46:10; Colossians 1:15-22.)

“Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mark 4:41 (NIV)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-11; 8:1-3; PHILIPPIANS 1:9-11

I was just reading an article about sheep, and I learned about something called sheep bloat. Sometimes a farmer goes out one morning, and there’s this dead sheep laying on its back, feet up in the air. Its belly is swollen tight. And sheep bloat has slain another one.

What causes sheep bloat? It happens when a sheep eats too much lush, delectable, protein-rich pasture. The sheep can’t handle the richness, and the gases fill its belly until—pop. It’s dead.

What does that have to do with us? God calls us His sheep, and He is our Good Shepherd. And, much like sheep, we have the potential to bloat. Paul tells us that “knowledge puffs up while love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). Too much rich knowledge without love can actually hinder our spiritual life. If we haven’t been built up and strengthened by love, we can’t sustain all that richness, so we too could bloat up with pride and noxious fumes until we’re knocked flat—like the sheep that fall victim to sheep bloat.

But dwelling in Jesus’s love builds us up. When we rest in the gospel—the truth of Jesus’s love for us embodied in His death and resurrection—His love equips us to take in all kinds of good knowledge without bloating.

How can we tell if we’re being puffed up or built up? Here’s a good test: Does new information make us excited to show other people how smart we are, or does it give us a burning desire to help others enjoy it too? Do we follow knowledge-rich podcasts to make ourselves more useful to others, or to make others think we’re bigger than they are? We won’t be helpful to others if we’re paralyzed by our own bloatedness (Ephesians 4:29).

Nobody likes knowledge gas. But because of Jesus, we can be built up by God’s love, extend that love to those around us, and then acquire some vital knowledge that will bless all of us—not just impress people with our hot air. • Rebekah Dorris

• Jesus calls us to love Him and to love others (Matthew 22:37-40). How can pursuing knowledge help us love God and each other better?

• What can happen when we pursue knowledge without love?

But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 1 Corinthians 8:1b (NIV)

READ: ACTS 10:34-36; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27; GALATIANS 3:28; JAMES 2:1-10

Equal, not just a term that’s used in math

Let me see others as equal, God, the way You see them

Help me see the celebrity and know they are just another human

Help me see the poor and know they have a story

Equal, let me look to those struggling in class

Let me see them as equal, God, and just as valued as the prodigies

Help me see the leaders at my school and know they are like the rest of us

Help me see the bullied and the bullies and know they have value, too

Equal, something that is hard to grasp

Let me see everyone as equal, God, not all perched on different levels

Help me see everyone as loved

Help me not judge those around me, even when I feel judged

Equal, it’s how You see the world

Let me see as You see, God

Help me understand that You value all people the same

Help me treat others equally, since we are all made in Your image • Emily Acker

• All people are incredibly and equally valuable to God. We can know this is true because God made humans in His image (Genesis 1:27) and because Jesus, God in flesh, came to die for us on the cross and rise from the grave so that ANYONE who puts their trust in Him will be saved and become part of His kingdom (John 3:16; Romans 10:11-13). When do you struggle to see people—others or yourself—as all equal in value and worth? In what ways are you tempted to put people on different levels? Consider taking a moment to talk to God about these things. You can be totally honest with Him—He wants to help and forgive you, not condemn you.

• Every person we meet is someone God has made, someone Jesus was willing to die for. How might remembering the gospel help us see all people as equally loved and valuable?

For God does not show favoritism. Romans 2:11 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 1; JOHN 1:1-14; ROMANS 15:4

Trying to understand the Bible can be…overwhelming. The more I learn about it, the more I realize I don’t know. And I find myself wondering if I’ll ever truly know the Bible—and the God it reveals.

If you’ve ever felt this way too, take heart. The Lord is with you. And He doesn’t expect you to get it all—especially your first time reading it. The Bible is meant to be read and listened to over and over. God designed it for us to discuss at length with others, learning from each other and encouraging one another in our walk with Jesus. Learning Scripture takes a lifetime, and even then, we won’t have everything right.

And in this lifelong endeavor to know Scripture, we are not alone. Generations of Christians have studied Scripture, and we can learn from their insights. Books, commentaries, study Bibles, websites, and videos contain immense riches of knowledge to help us know the Bible better. If you’re not sure where to start, try asking a pastor, youth leader, teacher, or parent. They will probably be thrilled to help you. You can also search out Bible study groups and classes to dig into Scripture with other people. Plug into your church and seek out wise people who are following Jesus. Ask lots of questions. Don’t try to go on this journey alone.

Along the way, we’ll bump into Scripture’s many mysteries. There are things we’ll never fully understand until we see Jesus face to face. But as we sit with these mysteries and dig deep into the message of Scripture, the Spirit is at work. The Holy Spirit lives in every believer, and even when we aren’t sure what a passage means, He is helping us know God better.

The whole of Scripture tells the incredible story of our loving God rescuing His people through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. And while interpreting Scripture may take some work, that is a story worth knowing. It’s worth studying and mulling over and wrestling with until the story seeps deep into our bones. Because this story reveals the heart of God, and as we draw nearer, we see that His heart beats for us. • Taylor Eising

• What questions do you have about the Bible? Who can you talk to about these questions? Can you think of any resources that could help you understand the world of the Bible more, such as study Bibles, commentaries, websites, podcasts, etc.?

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He [Jesus] was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory. John 1:14a (NLT)

READ: ISAIAH 7:13-14; MATTHEW 1:18-23

Another tool that can help us understand Scripture is genre. The Bible has lots of different genres, like historical narratives, parables, poetry, letters, wisdom literature, apocalyptic literature, and more. Today, we’re just going to take a look at one genre: ancient biographies. Specifically, we’ll look at the book of Matthew.

Like the rest of the four Gospels, Matthew is an ancient biography about Jesus. And while modern biographies attempt to cover all the facts of a person’s life in chronological order, ancient biographies only cover certain events about a person’s life, and they aren’t necessarily in chronological order. Instead, the author chooses different events and facts about the person and arranges them in a certain order to make a point.

For example, Matthew (who was one of Jesus’s disciples) makes the point that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, the fulfillment of the Jewish Scriptures. To do this, Matthew tells the story of Jesus in a way that embodies the story of Israel. Jesus is called out of Egypt (Matthew 2:13-23) like God called Israel out of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 13:17-22). Jesus’s baptism in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:13-17) parallels Israel’s journey through the Red Sea (Exodus 14:15-31). Immediately after this, Jesus wanders in the desert for forty days (Matthew 4:1-11), similar to how the Israelites wandered the desert for forty years (Numbers 32:13). Finally, He climbs up a mountain to teach His followers (Matthew 5:1-2), like Moses climbed Mount Sinai to receive the law from God (Exodus 19-20). Matthew also arranges Jesus’s sermons into five long segments (chapters 5-7; 10; 13; 18-20; 23-25) to parallel the five books of the Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. This makes the point that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Torah, and He is the perfect, sinless Israel that the Israelites could never be.

Understanding the genre the book of Matthew was written in helps us grasp its message: Jesus is the One the Israelites had been waiting for. And, because we know that ancient biographies are arranged to make a point, we can understand why the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) look slightly different: they’re making slightly different points about who Jesus is! When we look at all of them together, we get a fuller picture of Jesus—who loves us so much that He died and resurrected from the dead to save us from sin and death. • Taylor Eising

• Why does genre matter in the Bible? How does Jesus’s fulfillment of promises show God’s love?

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said…Matthew 1:22a (NIV)

READ: JEREMIAH 29:4-14

Another important piece to consider when interpreting a verse is the literary context. In other words, what’s going on in the Bible before and after this verse? To do this, we have to zoom all the way out to consider where the verse fits into the larger story of the Bible, then zoom in to see where it fits into its book of the Bible, and then where it fits into the surrounding verses.

For example, let’s look at Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’”

First, let’s zoom all the way out. God created everything good, but people sinned and brought brokenness to all of creation. So God promised a future Rescuer who would come through Abraham and His descendants, the Israelites. But the Israelites kept on rebelling against God, so He sent people called prophets to warn them to turn back to Him. But they refused and were captured by their enemy, Babylon. It’s around this time that we find our verse, but let’s keep going. Later, Israel was delivered out of Babylon and, even later, God sent Jesus to rescue us through His death and resurrection. And someday Jesus will return to make all things new.

Now, let’s zoom in to the book of Jeremiah. In the first half, Jeremiah (a prophet) accused Israel of sinning against God—oppressing the poor, doing violence, and worshiping idols. He warned them about God’s judgement. Around Jeremiah 29:11, Israel was conquered by Babylon and many were taken into exile. God’s judgment came through Babylon, but He reminded His people of a coming Rescuer. The book then shows God’s judgement against other nations, including Babylon, and it ends with a glimpse of hope: that the Rescuer would come.

Now, let’s look closer at the passages around Jeremiah 29:11. Israel had been captured by Babylon, and false prophets were saying that God would save them soon. We see God’s response in Jeremiah 29:4-14. God, through Jeremiah, told His people to settle down in Babylon, because they would be there for seventy years. But Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God will rescue them. One day Israel will return to their home, and one day, much later, the Rescuer will come.

Looking at the broader context of Jeremiah 29:11, we see God was telling Israel that, while the people He was talking to would die in captivity, His ultimate plan to redeem the world would not be thwarted. And in that plan we find hope. • Taylor Eising

• How can looking at a verse in its literary context help us understand the Bible, and God, better?

“If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT)

READ: GENESIS 1-2

One of the most important parts of interpreting the Bible is understanding the historical-cultural context of the text. In other words, asking questions like, “How would the original audience have understood this text? What was the world like for the original audience?” Finding answers to these questions often involves looking at historical texts other than the Bible. The Bible itself rarely includes historical-cultural details because the original audience already knew what it was like to live in their time and place, so they didn’t write it all down. So now we have to figure it out. And when we do, it gives so much more depth and meaning to the text.

Let’s look at Genesis 1 and 2 for example. There were many other stories about creation that the original audience would have known. Many of these stories were very violent. In some cases, one god would defeat a lesser god and create the universe out of the defeated god’s corpse. Some said that humanity was made out of the blood of the defeated god mixed with mud or clay. And humans were created as slaves to the gods—to meet the needs of the gods, tend to them, appease them, and do the menial labor the gods themselves didn’t want to do.

Imagine growing up being told that your very existence is the result of violence and death, and that you were created to serve a violent, needy god. How different is the God of Genesis 1 and 2? Here, we see a God who has no needs. A God who made creation out of nothing, and made it teem with life. Who crafted humanity from the earth and His own breath, making them in His own image as His representatives. Humanity is given a dignified job: tending to creation and creating more life (Genesis 1:27-28). He gives them a beautiful garden, community, and His own presence. This God is vastly different from any other god the original audience would have heard of. And, through Jesus, He would sacrifice Himself for His creation.

Historical-cultural context can be tricky, but it’s well worth the effort. By learning more about the historical-cultural context of Scripture, we can know our loving God more deeply. And we can sit in awe of the beauty of the gospel—God’s love for His people and His resolve to rescue us through Jesus—which shines through every page. • Taylor Eising

• Have you ever wondered what life was like for the people living during the different time periods of the Bible? What questions do you have about this?

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over…all the wild animals on the earth…” Genesis 1:26 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 119:89-96; LUKE 24:13-27; JOHN 20:30-31; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:20

Did you know that you are a biblical interpreter? Whether we know it or not, all of us interpret the Bible when we read or listen to it. We bring our own experiences, assumptions, opinions, and perspectives to the text, and all of that forms how we understand Scripture. So if someone asks why it’s necessary for us to interpret the Bible, I tell them it’s because we’re already doing it. We just may not realize it.

The Bible is God’s holy Word, given to us to reveal who Jesus is. It was written over thousands of years by many different authors who were directed by the Holy Spirit. And all these authors are telling the same overarching story—the story of God’s good creation being broken by sin, and God’s work to reconcile His people to Himself, culminating in the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. It explains how, because He did this for us, we can dwell with Him forever in renewed creation when He returns.

The Bible is “God-breathed” and authoritative (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It’s His Word for His people. So, why can’t we assume everything in the Bible should be read at face value—that it always means exactly what it says? Well, the Bible is written for us, but it’s not written to us. It’s written to an ancient culture in an ancient language to people in a drastically different context. To understand Scripture more deeply, we have to understand that context.

For example, how should we understand what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 13:12: “Greet one another with a holy kiss”? Is this a command for everyone to follow, or was it only for the time and place that Paul was writing to? Is it even a command, or just a warm greeting? I haven’t met anyone in my cultural context who follows the literal command to kiss each other at church.

But one of the beautiful things about Scripture is that, even though it was written to people living in a radically different context, it reveals truth that applies to us. We find that, thousands of years later, we face the same struggles with sin, and we find the same grace in Jesus. We see God’s goodness again and again, in every time and place and culture. The message that people needed thousands of years ago is the same message we need today: the message that our loving God will never stop pursuing us. • Taylor Eising

• What questions do you have about the Bible? Who could you talk to about these questions?

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 6:37-40; EPHESIANS 1:3-14; COLOSSIANS 1:9-14

Four months after Marmalade came out of the darkness of his stair home, he found his forever home with me. Last night, as he lay on top of me, loud purr rumbling, I thought about how we are all very much like Marmalade.

When we live apart from Jesus, we don’t know there is a better way to live. At first, we are content to live in the darkness, alone in the dirt of our sin. The first step toward life is realizing that we are in need of rescue (Romans 3:23-24).

When Marmalade came out from his hiding place and allowed me and my friend to rescue him, he didn’t make us wait while he attempted to clean himself up. He came just as he was: fleas, ticks, matted fur and all. This is the same way God wants us to come to Him. It can be tempting to think, “If I just take care of this issue first…” But in John 6:37, Jesus said He will never turn away anyone who comes to Him. God sees us in all our ugly, messy sin, and He loves us. Out of love, Jesus took our sins upon Himself when He went to the cross. When we come to Jesus as we are, though our sins are like scarlet, He will wash us white as snow (Isaiah 1:18).

Like Marmalade is adopted into my family, God adopts us into His family the moment we put our trust in His Son, Jesus, the One who shed His blood to save us and rose from the grave to give us life. Once we belong to Him, we are His sons and daughters. Our spirits will testify that we are His forever (Romans 8:14-17; 10:9-13). • Savannah Coleman

• Have you ever felt like, if you could just take care of an issue or sin in your life first, then you could come to God? Lots of us have felt this way, but the good news is we could never make ourselves right in God’s sight, yet He loves us. And He has made the way for us to come to Him through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. If you have questions about what it means to be rescued by Jesus, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to? (Also visit our "Know Jesus" page.)

• When you are a child of the Most High God, nothing can separate you from His love (Romans 8:38-39). You are chosen, your identity is found in Him, your eternity is set. You are for the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:11-14). Through Jesus, you have been totally forgiven and brought near to live with God forever. And His Holy Spirit lives in you, transforming you into Jesus’s image and empowering you to live in His good ways. How might it be freeing to know that God rescues us because He delights in us? (Psalm 18:19)

He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. Psalm 18:19 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 91; 1 PETER 2:9-10, 24-25

Sunlight cascaded through green leaves as I descended the stairs at one of my favorite parks off the shores of Lake Michigan. Suddenly, a furry flash of orange and white darted underneath the steps in front of me. Getting on my hands and knees, I peered into the darkness of the stairs to find a pair of large, green eyes staring back at me. From the looks of it, this cat had been living under these stairs for a long time. Fur was everywhere, and there seemed to be a permanent indentation in the dirt where he slept. My heart broke for this cat who looked like a miniature lion, his eyes full of fear.

Over the month to come, I made phone calls to people who might be able to help, attempted to cultivate a relationship with the cat, and brought him food and water. Because of the park’s rules, I couldn’t bring in a live trap, and no one I talked to was compelled to help. One day, after pouring my heart and frustrations out to a close friend, she offered to help me try to rescue him. As we hiked out to him, loaded up with tuna, a blanket, and a cage, we prayed that God would help us and that this sweet cat would come out of the darkness of his lonely home and into the light. Reaching our destination, we were delighted to find him sitting on the stairs waiting for us! This was the first time I had seen him out of his hiding place since the day I found him. Instead of hiding or claws, the cat I originally thought was feral allowed us to put him in the cage with very little struggle.

When I brought him to the local no-kill shelter the following day, the staff at the shelter kindly kept the name I had been calling him. In the following weeks, Marmalade was vaccinated, fixed, and estimated to be around seven years old. No one had claimed him even though we had posted his picture on various sites, but I continued to pray for a loving home for him where he would thrive. • Savannah Coleman

• Have you ever been part of a rescue, either for a person or an animal? Perhaps you were the one who was rescued out of a traumatic situation. Psalm 91 is about God being our shelter and fortress (verse 1-2). It paints a beautiful picture of God covering us with His feathers—we find the refuge we seek beneath His wings (verse 3-4). When we call on Jesus, He will answer us. Deliverance may not always come in the way we expect, but He is always with us and for us (verse 14-16). Just as Marmalade came out of the darkness into the light, God calls us out of darkness into His wonderful light. We are chosen, called, and fully loved by our merciful God (1 Peter 2:9-10).

[God] called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9b (NLT)

READ: PSALMS 19:1-4; 139:14; ISAIAH 40:26

There have been so many moments in my life as a Christian when I’ve doubted the existence of God. Praying just seems silly—like talking to the air. But I have moments when God reveals to me just how plausible His existence is.

One especially vivid time happened about a year ago. I was just starting high school and taking an evening walk outside to look at the stars. I lived in the country, so the night sky looked incredible on clear nights like this one. God’s handiwork was on full display for me. Walking in the crisp breeze, all I could do was look up and thank God for the wonder He had put before me. And suddenly, nothing felt ridiculous about this. I was just a creation talking to my Creator. I was instantly so small in the vast universe, and that was okay because I was cared for and loved by the most important person in all of creation.

Also in that moment, it seemed so out there to think all this fascination and artistry could be made by anything other than the skillful hands of an artist. It just didn’t make sense how some people couldn’t see everything this clearly. I felt so loved, and I began to feel so upset because others didn’t feel this loved, they didn’t feel this safe, because they didn’t know God. So I stood there and cried for those people and prayed for them. I didn’t know them by name, or what they looked like, but I prayed that God would reveal Himself to them as He has revealed Himself to me. And even though I may continue to have doubts, God will always turn my gaze back to Himself and tell me, “I love you, and I AM here.”

I tell this story because it’s okay to have doubts, everyone does—whether they’ve been a Christ follower for years, or came to know Him later on. Throughout your life, you are going to have doubts, but keep your eyes open! God won’t let Himself and His truth go unnoticed in your life. • Sophia Augustine

• When we have doubts about God, He is patient with us, and He promises that those who seek Him will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13; Jude 1:22).Even when Jesus rose from the dead, many of His followers doubted. Yet He mercifully helps us—through His Spirit, His Word, and His people—to trust Him. When you have doubts, who are trusted Christians in your life who you can be open and honest with, and who will encourage and pray with you?

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:26 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 20:26-29; 1 PETER 3:8-17

As we navigate life, we often hear persuasive voices, each one bringing its own opinions and biases. And sometimes those voices deny the gospel. In 1 Peter 3:15, believers in Jesus are called to be prepared to hear and respond to these voices, but how do we prepare to have conversations with people who don’t believe the gospel?

First, and most importantly, we remember to enter these conversations with a heart of love and not a heart of defensiveness. God is capable of defending Himself; He doesn’t need us to do it for Him. Instead, out of love for God and neighbor, let’s seek to “be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15).

This preparation doesn’t just automatically materialize though. We learn to trust God when we seek Him out. And one way we can seek Him is by bringing our questions and doubts to Him. He is not put off by questions. He invites our questions and delights in answering them. And we can also ask fellow Christians— people who are probably asking the same things.

We can also prepare by looking for evidence of Jesus’s death and resurrection. And some of the strongest pieces of evidence we have for Jesus’s resurrection are the life events of the people closest to Him. Several of the brutal deaths the apostles faced for their belief in Jesus are actually confirmed by contemporary writers of that time. In fact, Jesus’s own half-brother, James, was stoned to death for his belief in Christ, and that event is confirmed by historical records from a non-Christian source! Jesus’s apostles and other early disciples were real people who willingly faced death because they believed so fervently in Jesus’s divinity.

There is much evidence of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, and we can seek it out, knowing that the foundation of our faith—Jesus Christ Himself—is a firm place to stand (Isaiah 26:4; 1 Corinthians 3:11). And as we rest in Jesus’s love and the hope of the gospel, we can learn how to better share that love and hope with everyone around us. • James Long

• How does the gospel give you hope?

• What questions and doubts to you have about God, Jesus, the gospel...? Questions and doubts are normal, and we can talk to God about them anytime. Who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to about these as well—such as pastors, parents, youth leaders, or counselors?

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15b (NIV)

READ: PSALM 133:1; EPHESIANS 4:1-6; 1 JOHN 4:19

I got the part; now I needed the costume. At age eleven, I tried out for the role of mascot for my school. The judges picked me, and I prepared to entertain the crowd at football games alongside the cheerleaders. The school didn’t provide a uniform, so my mom sewed me an outfit for my role as The Panther.

At games, I would twirl my black cat tail and encourage the audience to roar for the football players. I would jump around, turn cartwheels, and cheer. I also got made fun of—a lot. Football players snickered, made meowing noises, and some guys called me “rat.” Only these weren’t members of the opposing team or students from the rival school. The ones laughing at me were kids from my own school. I expected teasing or trash talk from the competition, but to hear this from my own team surprised me. Honestly, it brought me to tears. I had thought we were all in this together.

Sadly, Christians often treat each other this way too. When we enter a relationship with God by trusting in Jesus for forgiveness and new life, we join His family—one family of God, one body of Christ with one Father and one Lord. As believers in Jesus, we are to be unified in Him. When we live with love for one another, people can see that we belong to God (John 13:35). But when we hurl insults at each other, attacking each other hatefully instead of disagreeing with love and respect, it’s like we’re shooting down our own teammates.

Apart from God, we aren’t capable of loving each other. But once we belong to God, His Holy Spirit transforms us to become more and more like Jesus, our loving Savior. In His power, we can make every effort to keep loving each other as brothers and sisters. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Have you been mistreated by peers or others? Who is a trusted adult you can tell right away?

• How can Christians disagree with each other and still show unity, even when it comes to divisive topics, such as politics? Have you seen any Christians model this well?

• We are all guilty of acting in unloving ways toward our fellow human beings. God sees our sin, and He calls us to repent—to confess our sin, turn away from it, and turn toward Him. Consider taking a moment to repent of any sins that come to mind, thanking God for His sure forgiveness through Jesus. You can also ask Him to help you move forward in love, maybe by apologizing to the people you’ve wronged. Because He loves you, you can love others (1 John 4:19).

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Hebrews 13:1 (NIV)

READ: DEUTERONOMY 11:10-25; 31:8

What kinds of changes have happened in your life so far? Maybe they’ve been small changes, like transitioning to a different school building when you reached a certain grade. Maybe you’ve gone through large changes, like your family moving or someone close to you getting a divorce.

In the Bible, the people of Israel went through a lot of changes. They moved to Egypt because of a famine, and later a ruthless Pharoah made them slaves. After generations of slavery in Egypt, God delivered His people and led them to the Promised Land. This was a wonderful thing, but it was also a big change for the Israelites. In Deuteronomy 11, Moses told them that this land was going to be nothing like they knew. The terrain would be very different from Egypt’s, and their farming methods would have to change.

Similarly, there are often lots of unknowns in our own lives. Even though some of the changes we experience are smaller, and we still have familiar things around us, many of the things we once knew have to change, kind of like the Israelites’ farming methods.

This can be hard sometimes, but look at what Moses says next: “It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end” (Deuteronomy 11:12). That’s awesome! God had already been taking care of this land for His people, and He would continue to be there with them.

When changes happen in our lives, God already knows what they are, and He has been preparing for us. And no matter what kind of change it is—no matter how small or how big—God will continue to be with us. In every change you face, you can rest knowing that God loves you and He will never leave you. • Kimberly Brokish

• What kinds of changes have happened in your life? Can you think of a time God cared for your needs (physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual) in the midst of a change? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this.

• In times of change, do you have any favorite Bible verses that remind you of God’s love? For example, take a look at Deuteronomy 31:8. If you want to dig deeper, check out how Jesus is “God with us” (Matthew 1:23) and has promised never to leave us (Matthew 28:20).

“It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.” Deuteronomy 11:12 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 23:1-12; LUKE 22:25-26; JOHN 13:1-17, 34-35

Wyran, kitchen servant in the palace of Ardh, studied the king’s table, ensuring that not a single grape was out of place. King Terrian had insisted that everything be perfect for his guest.

For months, the territory had echoed with praises for the ruler of the distant kingdom of Beulah and his seemingly supernatural abilities. King Elam. “A formidable foe in war and a valuable ally in peace,” King Terrian had called him. Still, Wyran was sure the stories were mostly fictitious—after all, a king who could control the weather and raise the dead? Just part of some intimidation plot, no doubt. Wyran expected to be run ragged during the foreign king’s entire visit, fetching and retrieving anything this royal desired. In Wyran’s experience, the more powerful a leader was, the more pitiful he made those beneath him feel.

When King Terrian and his guest swept into the hall moments later, servants flew into action, pulling out chairs, adjusting robes, and producing glimmering basins to wash the feet of both kings. But to Wyran’s shock, the visiting king waved the servants away with a gentle sweep of his hand and, instead, carried one of the basins to Wyran. He gestured to his own seat at the king’s table, indicating that Wyran should take his place.

Wyran stood paralyzed. Surely the famous King Elam was not going to clean a servant’s feet! To even sit in a royal’s chair could mean execution. Unless this visitor was using Wyran to show off his supernatural abilities—if he truly could restore life, who knew what limits his terrible power had.

But in the following moments, there were no supernatural tricks or transformations—only the gentle swishing of water as the king cleansed Wyran’s feet and wiped them dry with his own robe. King Terrian, who had been watching in shocked silence, finally spluttered, “Stop! I cannot have it known that the great King Elam washed my servant’s feet!”

King Elam, still kneeling, smiled gently and replied, “Better had it been known you had done so yourself.” • Valerie Principe

“The greatest among you will be your servant.” Matthew 23:11 (CSB)

• Today’s allegorical story is based on John 13:1-17 when Jesus, the King of the universe, washed His disciples’ feet. Most earthly leaders see ruling as a right to be served, but Jesus ruled by serving others. When people saw Jesus commanding nature and raising people from the dead, they were amazed by His power and authority. And when they saw how Jesus interacted with those who were considered the least of society, some were amazed by His love and humility—and some were offended. Consider taking a moment to reread John 13:1-17, and then imagine Jesus washing your feet. What do you notice? How do you feel?

• Washing His disciples’ feet wasn’t the only way Jesus served His people. When Jesus died on the cross, carrying the shame of our sins, He was performing the greatest act of service the world would ever know. Though all people are wicked and sinful, deserving of death, the King of the entire universe loves us so much, He willingly suffered the punishment of a criminal so that we could become members of His royal family forever. He conquered death and sin when He rose from the grave, and now He invites us to put our trust in Him. King Jesus waits with outstretched arms for anyone who will receive His gift and believe in Him. If you have questions about what it means to put your trust in Jesus and become part of His royal family, who are trusted Christians you could talk to? (You can also find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

• When are you tempted to try to impress those around you? In these times, we can look to Jesus. We can remember the ways He serves us in humility. As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit in us, transforming us to become more and more like Jesus. As we rest in His love for us, we can serve others with that same love (1 John 4:19). What are some practical ways you could serve the people around you today? Consider taking a moment to pray, confessing any sins that come to mind and asking God to help you notice opportunities to share His love.

READ: PSALM 139:7-12; ISAIAH 41:9-13

When we’re little, all kinds of things scare us. Maybe we’re afraid of the dark and we need the comfort of a nightlight. Maybe we don’t want to get on the rides at the fair without a parent or older sibling beside us. When we’re young and afraid, we gladly accept help to get through the scary times.

But when we get to be a bit older, we start thinking we have to go through things alone. We start believing that if the darkness scares us, we just need to put up with it. But that’s not true.

We always have someone beside us, no matter what age we are. Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Because of His life, death, and resurrection, we don’t ever have to be alone. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that we are in fellowship with God. So whenever we’re afraid, we can turn to God for help, comfort, and courage. Maybe the same things don’t scare us now that did when we were young, but whatever we’re afraid of now, we can ask God to help us with it.

God is always there for us, even when we feel alone. Throughout our lives, we’ll face many scary and uncertain moments, but He will be there through them all. We can trust Him and feel secure with Him by our side, like a child feels when their parent or another loved one sits with them and helps them through life’s scary moments. • Bethany Acker

• What scared you when you were little? Now that you’re older, are you afraid of similar things, different things, or maybe some of both?

• Throughout the book of Psalms, we read poems and songs by David, a shepherd who became the king of Israel and a great warrior. David often felt afraid, and he freely acknowledged this to God and to the people listening to his psalms (Psalm 56:3). Yet, as David turned to God, he was delivered from his fears again and again (Psalm 34:4). David was comforted and strengthened, not by theological knowledge alone, but by God’s presence with him (Psalm 23:4). Consider taking a moment to tell God about your fears and ask Him to help you know His presence with you more and more. He has compassion on you, and He delights in answering these prayers.

“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 148; LUKE 19:36-40

The towering oaks,

And every blade of grass,

Have all spoken.

The clouds in the sky,

And the birds in the trees,

All reply—

“Great is He!”

Great is the One who made us,

Great is the God of gods,

Great is the One who loves,

And has determined the path we’ve trod.

The fox’s tail swishes,

Sunset’s colors change,

Water teems with splashing fishes.

The breeze in the trees,

The flowers on the ground—

How great is He!

Make a joyful sound! • Josefine Engle

• What is your favorite part of God’s creation? Have you ever thought about this part of creation praising God?

• When we praise Jesus, we join with creation! How do you like to praise Him?

Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Psalm 148:3 (CSB)

READ: PSALM 119:9-16, 97-105; MATTHEW 11:28-12:8

Have you ever been in such a rush that you gulped down a meal too quickly to really enjoy it?

We live in a fast-paced world that doesn’t prioritize taking time to care for ourselves and others. As Christians, sometimes this problem shows up when we spend time reading the Bible. All sixty-six books of the Bible make up a rich, multi-genre love letter from God to His people. It tells us the story of Jesus and unfolds what the good news of His death and resurrection means for us. But, in our busyness, we often feel like we need to rush through reading Scripture.

The good news is—even when we feel pressured to get the maximum productivity out of every moment—Jesus gives us rest from all that hurry. What’s one of the ways we can remember the rest He gives us? By taking time to really chew on the passages we read in the Bible.

Moving more slowly through our Bible reading helps us in several ways. First, it allows us to remember that God is not in a hurry. We are secure in Him and His love. Second, it lets us meditate (a word that means “to chew”) on what God has said as we go about our days. This allows us to understand all the more fully how central Jesus is to our lives. Third, it gives us time to figure out what questions we have about the passages we’re reading, which in turn allows us to reach out to trusted Christian people and resources to help us better understand the context of what we read.

Next time you read the Bible, remember that you have time to chew on it. You don’t need to rush. God’s love for you holds steady, and in the Bible, we find the true story of how Jesus embodies this love through His death and resurrection. That’s a story worth meditating on. • A. W. Smith

• Reading Scripture is one of the ways God invites us to interact with Him. Everyone’s life circumstances, gifts, and learning styles are different. When are good times of the day or week for you to take time to chew on the Bible? Do you prefer to read it silently, read it aloud, or have it read to you?

• Who are trusted Christians you could reach out to when you have questions about the Bible—such as pastors, counselors, parents, teachers, etc.? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you find some people who can walk with you through your questions, including helping you find reputable and scholarly Christian resources for studying the Bible well.

I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. Psalm 119:15 (NIV)

Anger. Sadness. Fear. These and other emotions can be tough to regulate, and it can make us wonder: are emotions even good?

God made us with emotions, and they are good. They help us process hard things we face in our world that’s been broken by sin. And emotions can even help motivate us to find ways to take care of ourselves and others. But, like with all good things in our broken world, there are unsafe and safe ways to express emotions—ways that can hurt us or others, and ways that can help us feel and grow and learn.

Through it all, Jesus is always a safe person to talk to about our emotions— remember, He knows firsthand what it’s like to have big feelings. Especially in the Gospels, we see Jesus experiencing lots of emotions. He empathizes with us, and He can also direct us to other safe people—such as parents, therapists, teachers, friends, etc.—and He can guide us in safe ways to work through those feelings.

What helps people process emotions differs from person to person. The good news is, our loving God provides a wide variety of healthy ways for us to process our emotions. Some people like to go for a brisk walk or go to an open space and throw a ball as hard as they can. Others like to journal or make art. Others like to work with dough. Still others like to sing or play a musical instrument. Because of these differences, it’s valuable to take time to pray, think, and talk with our safe people about various ways to process the good emotions Jesus made us with.

So, when we experience big or intense feelings, we don’t have to be afraid. God can handle them, and so can the other safe people in our lives. Jesus Himself has experienced the full range of human emotion, so we can come to Him with anything we’re feeling—no matter what. • Kandi Zeller

• What might be examples of unsafe and safe ways to process emotions?

• Who are safe people in your life you can process emotions with—such as therapists, parents, friends, pastors, etc.?

[Jesus] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:15-16 (NLT)

READ: HEBREWS 4:14-16

Have you ever been really homesick? When we’re traveling someplace far away from loved ones—even if we’re traveling for good reasons—it’s totally understandable that we miss our friends and family. God created us with a need for community with Him and other people. That’s why Jesus said the two most important things He wants us to do are to love Him and other people (Matthew 22:36-40). But in our broken world, sometimes loving others means we feel the pain of being apart from them.

In a way, all Christians are homesick… because our home is with Jesus. Even though He is always with us—and He is present in our lives here and now through His Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church)—we can’t see Him face-to-face. But one day we will, either when we die or when He returns and restores all of creation. On that day, everyone who knows Jesus will get to live with Him together, and we will never be homesick again.

As we continue to live in our world that’s broken by sin, we long to be with God— and His people—the way He intended, without all the effects of our sin wreaking havoc. Separation is one of the effects of sin. Even if we don’t have to physically travel away from the people we love, we will eventually be separated from them, either when we die or when they do.

Death is the ultimate effect of sin, but Jesus defeated death when He let Himself be put to death on the cross… and then rose from the grave. Without Jesus, we are all separated from God. But if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we’ve been brought near to God and become part of His family. Whenever we experience hard things like homesickness and death, Jesus comforts us. He knows firsthand what it’s like to be separated from the people you love. And He reminds us that we get to look forward to the day we will finally be home with Him and God’s whole family forever. That’s real hope we can cling to even in our most homesick moments. • A. W. Smith

• Have you ever felt homesick for Jesus? As Christians, it’s hard to understand the mystery of how we can be with Jesus here and now, and yet still long for the day we’ll see Him face-to-face. Can you think of a time you felt Jesus’s nearness and love? If you’ve never experienced this, you can ask God to reveal His nearness and love to you anytime—He delights in answering these prayers.

• What are you most looking forward to about Jesus coming back? What questions do you have?

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people!” Revelation 21:3a (NLT)

READ: JOHN 14:18; REVELATION 21:1-5

Two thousand degrees Fahrenheit.

That’s how hot glass has to be heated in order for it to be molded. When professional glassblowers have a glob of this molten material on the end of a tool called a blowpipe, they blow into it to create the shape they want. These artists can form glass into masterpieces. But they only have a limited time to do this. After the glass cools down, it can’t be molded or shaped anymore unless it’s reheated.

As Christians, we are kind of like works of blown glass. Before we knew Jesus, our hearts were cold and hard (Ezekiel 36:26). We were dead in sin and immovable in our selfish ways. But when we trusted in Jesus, He made our hearts warm so the Holy Spirit could mold us to become more and more like Him—more kind, more loving, more patient, more courageous… the list goes on (Galatians 5:22-23). Like a glassblower fills their work of art with the breath of their lungs and shapes it for its intended purpose, our Lord fills our hearts with love and shapes our lives so we can glorify Him and show others who He is.

We are His masterpieces, beautiful vessels pointing others to Jesus’s love. Today, let’s thank Him for breathing life into us and trust Him to mold us into the people He wants us to be—people who are, together, being shaped by His love. • A. W. Smith

• As Christians, we are Jesus’s masterpiece-in-progress. If you know Jesus, how has the Holy Spirit already shaped you to become more like Jesus? (Galatians 5:22-23)

• Growing in Christ can be a challenging process, just like the art of glassblowing. Why is it important to remember that we are fully loved by Jesus no matter how well this process seems to be going, and that He will never give up on us? (Ephesians 3:14-21; Philippians 1:6)

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

READ: EPHESIANS 2:8-10; 4:17-24; 5:2

A vivid sunset reached over the aqua waters of my home on Zakynthos Island. I slid my hand down my pteranodon’s sleek, yet powerful neck as he lifted his wings, carrying me higher into the color-splashed sky.

Apostolos had been my constant companion since the night he landed next to me on the beach when I was a child. I was curled up next to the giant rock that resembled a resting brachiosaurus. Sweet Apostolos had seen me weeping, laid his crested head on my lap, and stayed with me until my tears subsided.

Reminiscing ceased as Apostolos landed lightly on the shores of the white-sand beach. The limestone caves glinted gold in the light of the setting sun. I settled on the sand with a sigh as Apostolos stretched his magnificent wings beside me. Even in this beautiful place, my mind wandered to memories of my failures.

“I keep messing up, Olo. I know what I should do because I have the Book of Life, but I don’t always follow it. Again, I find myself wishing I could turn back time and make the right choice.” Apostolos blinked sympathetically.

I tried to understand why I kept doing wrong. Once, I was headed for death and destruction, but I had encountered the Eternal One who changed my soul and brought me from darkness into the light. I loved Him and sought to put His Book of Life into practice daily, but I still fell short.

“Why do I have so much guilt?” I said aloud. Apostolos glanced up at the sky. “Don’t roll your eyes at me.” I chuckled. “You’re right, I am forgetting the truth. The Eternal One says I belong to Him forever and I’m no longer condemned. He has already taken all my guilt on Himself, freeing me from shame through His own dying and rising. It’s good to remember. Because I’ve put my trust in Him, I’ll never be put to shame.”

I whispered a prayer: “Here I am again, broken and in need. I don’t always do what I should do, what I want to do. You know the wrong that I have done and how I wish I could undo it. I need Your help to resist next time I am tempted, and to heal the hurts I’ve already caused. I know You forgive me, and I must release this to You. Remind me, Eternal One, that Your mercies are new every morning.”

Opening my hands, palms raised to the sky, I released the guilt and shame, accepting the Eternal One’s immeasurable forgiveness and unfailing love. • Savannah Coleman

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

• Have you ever felt like the character in today’s sci-fi/fantasy story? Frustrated with yourself for doing wrong even though you know what’s right? In Romans 7, the apostle Paul wrestled with his propensity to sin, even though he belonged to Christ. If we’re honest, we’ve all echoed Paul’s words: “I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway” (verse 19). Thankfully, there is hope and rescue through Jesus Christ (verses 24-25). If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you’ve already been brought from death to life (John 5:24). Because Jesus died on the cross for you and rose from the grave, you are no longer condemned (Romans 8:1). The Bible says anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame (Romans 10:9-11). Now that’s good news! If you have questions about what it means to put your trust in Jesus, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

• As followers of Christ, we have the Holy Spirit in us to remind us of Jesus’s words (John 14:26). When God’s Spirit in us reveals a sin or prompts us to change, this is a beautiful sign that we belong to Jesus and He is working in us to make us more like Him (Philippians 1:6). God knows we will continue to struggle with sin until Jesus returns and makes all things new. When God corrects us, He is specific and gives us hope. Consider taking a moment to pray, confessing any sins that come to mind and thanking God for His sure forgiveness

through Jesus. Some Christians find it helpful to include gestures when they pray, like opening their hands as a symbol of releasing guilt and shame to God… and receiving His forgiveness and love.

• As Christians, sometimes we still feel guilty even after we confess our sin to God and repent from it. But this kind of nagging, unspecific guilt we may feel after we repent is not from God; He gives us freedom from regret (2 Corinthians 7:10). So whenever we feel guilty or ashamed, we can come to Jesus. As we remember what Jesus has done for us, we can rest knowing that God’s mercies are new every morning, and that God “has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12).

• Do you have any friends like Apostolos, friends who comfort you and remind you of God’s faithful love and compassion? How could you be this kind of friend to others?

READ: LAMENTATIONS 3:19-26; JOHN 5:24; ROMANS 7:14–8:1

"I don’t think I can go any higher.” I glanced down at my friends, saw how far away the floor was, and gripped the handholds more tightly. I was regretting my decision to go rock climbing. “Okay,” my friend Natalie called, “then just push off.”

Push off? I doublechecked the clip on my harness and glanced at the ceiling. Could I really count on the automatic belay to hold me when I launched off the rock wall? Natalie had promised that I could trust it. But I wasn’t so sure.

Slowly, carefully, I began climbing back down. It was tedious, but surely it was better than letting go of the wall. That was my mind’s one security.

As I inched my way down the course, my face flushed with embarrassment. I knew it was foolish to try to climb down. My friends were waiting on me. The best thing to do would be to trust the rope and push off the wall. I hesitated, clinging to the handholds. I knew I could trust the rope, but I didn’t feel secure away from the wall. Finally, with a little shriek, I grabbed the rope and launched off, heart leaping to my throat.

And, just like Natalie had said, the automatic belay gently lowered me to the ground. There had been nothing to fear.

Sometimes in life, I find myself in situations where I need to let go of my fears and trust God’s promises. Although I know that God is trustworthy, there are times when I lean on my own understanding to handle life’s uncertainties. In these times, God gently reminds me that He is with me, and He gives me the faith to fall. I may not always feel secure, but I can always trust the One who is holding me. • Siera Weber

• How is it different to take someone’s word for it that something is trustworthy, and to actually experience for ourselves that we can trust it?

• Have you ever had an experience that helped you know/feel that God is trustworthy?

• Sometimes, we might feel ashamed when it’s difficult to trust God. But God doesn’t condemn us, He has compassion on us and helps us. What are some of God’s promises that we can lean on through life’s difficulties? (Hint: Matthew 28:20; Romans 10:9-11;Ephesians 2:4-10; Hebrews 13:5; Revelation 21:1-5) How can we gently remind each other of God’s trustworthiness?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 37:5; PROVERBS 3:5; ISAIAH 26:3-4; 1 PETER 5:6-7

Even though I couldn’t understand the words erupting around me, I sensed we were going to be thrown off the tram. I had arrived in Romania to serve for a year in ministry. Earlier that evening, my teammates and I had purchased tickets and boarded a tram to travel from our neighborhood to the city center. I knew just a few words in this language and had much to learn about my new community (and its transportation system). That soon became abundantly clear.

As we stepped aboard and the tram began rumbling along its tracks, I slid my thin paper ticket into the ticket puncher on a pole in the middle of the tram. My three teammates did the same. Glancing at my ticket, I realized I hadn’t aligned it exactly correctly in the puncher. I decided to punch it a second time to be sure I canceled out the right spaces on the ticket. We passed a few stops; then a ticket monitor boarded the tram. He asked to check the passengers’ tickets. One at a time, we handed ours over. Then he noticed mine had been punched twice, making it appear as if I had attempted to reuse a ticket without paying for my ride.

Fierce arguing followed. My Romanian teammate tried to explain my innocent mistake. No matter. The ticket monitor ordered us off at the next stop. My efforts to fix a problem of my own making resulted in a bigger, messier conflict.

While this incident was just a misunderstanding, it reminded me of something we try to do spiritually. We all miss the mark of following God’s good ways—we all sin. When we try to fix it, it doesn’t work. We can’t undo our sin. No amount of good things we do could ever cancel out the bad. Thankfully, our loving God is not like a harsh ticket monitor. Jesus, God in flesh, came so we could be redeemed.

When we trust in Jesus—the One who never sinned but took the punishment for our sin by dying on the cross and rising from the grave—we receive forgiveness. He exchanges our sinfulness for His righteousness. In God’s sight, it’s as if we never missed the mark. And, through the Holy Spirit, God empowers Christians to be able to live according to His good ways. But even when we mess up, we can rest knowing that our forgiveness is complete. Though none of us can undo the wrong things we’ve done, when we put our trust in Jesus, we begin a new life in Him, and He lives in us. No ticket necessary. • Allison Wilson Lee

• In light of the good news of Jesus, how could it be freeing to know we can never undo our sin?

“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:21 (NIV)

READ: ISAIAH 64:6; ROMANS 3:23-24; GALATIANS 2:15-21

"Where is God when there are wars and sicknesses? Where is God when my friends are hurting?" If you’ve asked these questions, you’re not alone. People have been wondering for thousands of years. One person who responded to these questions was Ezekiel, a messenger to God’s people, the Israelites.

Ezekiel preached truths about God and the world, messages of warning and of hope that are written in the book of Ezekiel in the Bible. This book opens with a dramatic vision of God’s holiness. He is the Perfect Creator and Ruler of the universe, far greater than our understanding. And since God is perfect, He cannot ignore sin and evil. Sin goes against God’s good ways and separates us from His goodness. Ezekiel reminds the people that God warned them of the danger of sin. Still, they refused to listen. So, as a consequence, God punished them and let the people go into exile far from home.

But there was hope. When everything was going wrong—in the midst of hurt, wars, and exile—God promised to be with His people, and one day, to bring them back home. And He promised a new Spirit that would help them live in His ways (Ezekiel 11:19). Those are a lot of big promises, but they were fulfilled over five hundred years later in Jesus, who is God in flesh. He is called Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). When everything goes wrong and we wonder where God is, He is right there with us. Jesus lived a perfect life and died to forgive our sins. Then He rose again from death to rescue us so we can be with our loving God forever. Finally, after Jesus ascended, God sent His Holy Spirit to be in us. The Holy Spirit gives us comfort and hope, guiding us and helping us live in God’s good ways as we wait for Jesus to return and make all things new (John 14:26).

The end of Ezekiel has a beautiful picture of God’s people returning to the land He promised to give them, where He will dwell with them forever. And we have hope of the renewed creation, when we will live with Jesus forever in God’s perfect kingdom! • Abby Ciona

• Do you ever feel like God is far away? We all have these feelings, and we can tell God about them anytime. To remind us of God’s constant presence, we can read verses like John 14:25-31 and Matthew 28:20. Who is a trusted Christian in your life who you could talk with about these things? If nobody comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.

“I will put my Spirit in you and you will live.” Ezekiel 37:14a (NIV)

READ: EZEKIEL 11:15-21; 39:21-29

Have you ever seen a patchwork quilt project? When leftover fabric is too small to make something on its own, it can be combined with other leftover fabrics in a patchwork design to create something unique, beautiful…and eco-friendly! Patchwork projects are incredibly versatile—you can make quilts, bags, clothes, and so much more. And each project is so incredibly unique because it’s made of a stunning hodgepodge of colorful and diverse fabrics.

And you know what? God is working on a patchwork project too. He is fabricating His family: the church. It’s made up of Christians—people who have put their trust in Jesus to save them from sin and death—who are all different from each other.

In God’s patchwork church, some are young and some are old, some are rich and some are poor, some can sing…and some can’t! We all have different abilities and come from different walks of life, but God sews us together as “the body of Christ”—His church (1 Corinthians 12:27).

It’s so important for us to remember that we need each other. As we live in community with our siblings in Christ, learning about Jesus together and working alongside each other, He is making us into a beautiful work of art. As Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

So, as Christians, when our broken world makes us feel like small, insignificant scraps, we can remember that we are each an important part of God’s beautiful patchwork family. • A. W. Smith

• What are some of the unique ways you have seen God sew you and other Christians together?

• What are your favorite things about some of your siblings in Christ? What things make you similar and different from each other? Consider taking a moment to thank Jesus for these people and for the ways He is working at weaving all our beautiful differences together.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27 (NIV)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 12:20-27; EPHESIANS 2:10

In the Old Testament, the coming of the Messiah was foretold by several prophets. Many Israelites thought the Messiah—the One who would save God’s people—would be a political leader who would restore their freedom and save them from their oppressor, Rome. But when Jesus came as the Messiah, He came to demonstrate God’s unconditional love for sinners, not to give His people political power.

Some of the teachers of the Jewish law, called Pharisees, were hostile toward sinners. Rather than extending unconditional love, they were unfriendly to sinners and saw themselves as saints—even when they lived hypocritically.

When Jesus talked to the Pharisees, He often used parables to explain key truths. One time He used a parable about a prodigal son to explain the extent of God’s unconditional love. In this parable, there were two sons who had a very influential father. The younger son asked his father for his inheritance early. His father agreed, and after getting it, the younger son went to a distant land where he squandered everything. Then a famine hit. In desperation he began to beg, and he longed to eat scraps given to the pigs. After giving it some thought, he returned back home to his father, ready to beg for forgiveness and ask his father if he could stay with him as a servant. But his father warmly accepted him back as his son, not his servant, then threw an extravagant party to celebrate his son’s return. The older son, however, was bitter and angry about the younger brother’s return and felt that his father was being unfair by extending unconditional love to the rebellious younger son.

Jesus told this parable so the Pharisees would understand the level of God’s unconditional love toward all of us who have strayed. God is ready to forgive and welcome anyone who puts their trust in Jesus—any time, any day. No one is outside of Jesus’s reach. When someone who we see as unworthy comes to Jesus, instead of being bitter and angry like the older brother in the parable, we can rejoice that a sinner turned to Christ. We can continue to pray for people within our reach, and outside our reach, to come to know the unconditional love of Jesus. And we can praise God for extending His unconditional love to sinners like us. • Shadrach Goni

• Take a moment to read Luke 15:11-32. Do you feel more like the older son or the younger son in this parable? Why do both of these brothers need the unconditional love of Jesus?

“For the Son of Man [Jesus] has come to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 (CSB)

READ: LUKE 15:11-32; JOHN 3:16-17

Have you ever gotten discouraged about living the Christian life? If so, you’re not alone. In our broken world, we face many discouraging things, like temptation, loss, broken relationships, disaster, and tragedies of all kinds. Sometimes we as Christians can get a little weary on the journey of faith. There are times when we need encouragement and help to move us along in our walk with God.

When we need help and encouragement, we can always turn to Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30). He has promised to be with us—always. He may use a Bible passage or work through another Christian to encourage us. Whenever we’re feeling down, we can trust Him to be with us and give us the help we need in that moment.

Put another way, walking with Jesus is not a solo activity. God is present with us, and He also brings other Christians alongside us to help us when we struggle against the currents of temptation and difficult circumstances. Together, we can run to Jesus Himself, the ultimate source of help. He saved us, and we are learning to depend on Him in every circumstance. Whatever we are facing, He’s always there to encourage and strengthen us. • A. W. Smith

• Can you think of a time you felt discouraged in your walk with Jesus? Was there anything that helped encourage you during this time?

• Are there any Bible passages that have encouraged you in difficult times? Which one(s)? Do you know anyone who might be encouraged by this too?

• Who are trusted people in your life—such as friends, pastors, parents, counselors, etc.—who you could talk with when you’re feeling discouraged?

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 121; ISAIAH 41:10

Jesus Christ had a lot to say about hypocrisy. In Matthew 23, He confronted a group of religious leaders, repeating the phrase, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!” not once, but six times. Jesus called out their self-righteousness. When we think of hypocrites we imagine people trying to appear better than they are. They make a show of being spiritual. Jesus said these religious leaders were like white-washed tombs filled with bones of the dead (verse 27). They look good outwardly, but inside they are full of death and yuck!

We fall into the same trap. We cover our sin and guilt with showy goodness. Our good deeds and Bible studies make it on social media, while the sin in our lives goes unshared. The word "hypocrite" comes from the Greek word for actor, one who is playing a part. It’s someone pretending to be what they’re not.

But I think it’s also possible to be a “reverse hypocrite.” Let me give an example. I was with my friends once, and they were bragging about the times they got in trouble. One guy took his parents’ car for a drive. One guy got drunk. Then there’s me. I got nothing. I took some cookies from the cookie jar once when my mom said not to. So, I made up some stuff. I tried to sound edgy. I’m not edgy. I like to go home and read books.

Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever exaggerated something about yourself to sound cool? Have you attempted to make yourself seem like more of a rebel than you actually are? Ever been a reverse hypocrite? Lots of us have done this. Why? Usually because we want to be accepted by other people—and this is a good desire, but when we try to find acceptance by being dishonest, that’s not good. Yet Jesus offers us, hypocrites that we are, full acceptance in His family, no matter if our sins are obvious to others or hidden in the shadows. He loves us, and He invites us to come to Him and be made new, be forgiven, and be our authentic selves.

Who you are before the Lord is the most important thing, and He sees right through all forms of hypocrisy. You can’t fool Him, and you don’t need to (2 Corinthians 5:10, 21). When you find yourself fearing people, you can come to Jesus. Through His Holy Spirit, He will remind you of His unconditional love and help you live in truth before the Lord. • Jeff Weddle

• What kinds of hypocrisy are you tempted toward? We’re all guilty of hypocrisy. Yet Jesus sees us as we truly are and loves us. How can resting in Jesus’s acceptance help us accept ourselves and others?

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you… Romans 15:7 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 23:11-36; ROMANS 15:7; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:1-21

I will write a letter to You, Lord

A letter to say I thank You,

for the people You provided me,

for the opportunities You allowed me,

I thank You, Lord.

I will write You a letter, Lord

A letter to say I praise You,

when life is calm,

when life is crazy,

I praise You, Lord.

I will write a letter to You, Lord

A letter to say I need You,

for the days my body is hurting,

for the days my mind is stressed,

I need You, Lord.

I will write a letter to You, Lord

A letter to say I thank You,

for your death on the cross,

for taking my sins with you,

I thank you, Lord. • Kimberly Brokish

• Some people like to pray by writing down their words to God. Have you ever tried writing your prayers in the form of a letter? Are there other ways you like to pray?

• If you wrote a letter to the Lord, what would it say? Consider taking a moment now to talk, or write, to God about whatever is on your mind.

Give thanks to the Lord; call on his name; proclaim his deeds among the peoples. 1 Chronicles 16:8 (CSB)

READ: 1 CHRONICLES 16:8-27

As someone who is married, I think the image of Jesus as a Bridegroom to the church is a beautiful comparison. The love, companionship, and union of marriage is designed to mirror the relationship of Jesus and His church. That’s why one name for Jesus in the Bible is the Bridegroom, and we—the church—are His bride.

Jesus deeply loves us, He laid down His life for us, and He continues to take care of us. We see this in His Word, the Bible. Jesus, God the Son, took on human flesh to live among us on earth, and He died and rose again to save us. Then He ascended to heaven, promising to return. Yet He is still with us through His Holy Spirit living in us, and even now, He is taking care of us—providing for our spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical needs. His self-sacrificial love and service to the church is mind-blowing.

In a marriage, there is also supposed to be self-sacrificing love and service to each other. On most days, this kind of love shows up on a smaller scale. For example, a spouse might give up some of their time to spend on something their spouse is excited about, or help their spouse manage tasks when they are overwhelmed. But sometimes it can mean bigger acts of love, like choosing to raise children, or caring for a spouse who is terminally ill.

The deep love and connection that comes in marriage serves as a reminder of the love Jesus has for us. I think about how much I love my husband and how much he loves me, and then I marvel at the fact that Jesus loves me even more. • Naomi Zylstra

• If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you are part of the church, the bride of Christ. Have you ever thought of yourself in this way? What do you like or dislike about this comparison?

• Whenever you see a husband and wife live out self-sacrificial love in marriage, you can be reminded of the self-sacrificial love Jesus has for you. Have you seen this kind of love in any married couples you know?

As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:5b (NIV)

READ: ISAIAH 62:5; HOSEA 2:19; JOHN 3:28-31; EPHESIANS 5:25-29

God loves being in close relationship with us. That’s why He invites us to be in communication with Him and enjoy the closeness and unity we have with Him.

The Trinity is the perfect example of unity. God is one, and God is also three persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14). The Trinity is characterized by love, and from that love God created the whole universe—especially making humans in God’s own image to be in relationship with Him.

While Jesus was living among us on earth, He often spoke with the Father. He would take time to be alone and pray, continuing to lean into His relationship with the Father.

Praying isn’t something that comes naturally to everyone, but the Holy Spirit helps us and Jesus gives us instructions on how to pray, showing us that prayer is relational. When Jesus begins His prayers with the word “Father,” this is a reminder of the close connection they have. As Christians, we also get to address God as Father when we pray because we have been adopted into God’s family by putting our trust in Jesus. We are set to inherit God’s kingdom as His children. God even wants us to call Him “Abba Father” which is a less formal address that shows the closeness of our relationship with Him (Romans 8:15).

This close relationship makes sense when we think about the love God has poured out for us. When Jesus sacrificed His life on the cross, that was an outpouring of love. And that kind of love is a sign of a deep relational connection. God wants a relationship with us and has already made the way for this relationship to be possible through Jesus’s death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. God invites us to know Him, interact with Him, and continue to grow in our relationship with Him throughout our lives. • Naomi Zylstra

• Have you ever thought about prayer being relational? We don’t have to be “good” at it, whatever that means. Prayer is simply drawing near to God, sometimes without even using words. When do you feel close to God? If you’ve never felt close to God, that’s okay. God invites us to ask Him for this, and He delights in answering these prayers.

…you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15 (NLT)

READ: LUKE 11:1-13; ROMANS 8:15-17, 26-30

As a young child, I dreamed of many variations of my future: a ballerina (which I was told I could never accomplish), or a nurse who flies in helicopters to help with medical emergencies, or an environmentalist who protects God’s creation. I also fantasized about opening a shop that sold used books, bouquets of flowers, and had a café. I had a vivid imagination.

None of these aspirations have come true. As time went by, I changed my mind about what I would pursue for my future. I studied environmental biology, but I never established a career in that field.

I also dreamed of being a missionary—something God did give me opportunities to do. I served for twenty-two years in a mission organization, sharing the gospel as I lived on three different continents. Something I didn’t imagine doing with my life though? Becoming a writer. Now, my writing has been published in a number of different magazines.

When we follow Jesus, our lives often—or, honestly, almost always—turn out differently than we expect. When we give our hearts to Jesus, trusting in His death and resurrection to pay for our sins and provide eternal life, we begin a relationship with God our Father. We also start a journey on His path, running the race God has marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1-3). As we live in Christ, His Spirit lives in us, teaching us and leading us in God’s ways.

So, as we continue to dream and set goals, we can trust those hopes and desires to our wise Lord who has mighty plans for us, whose good purposes will prevail. • Allison Wilson Lee

• What are some of your hopes, dreams, or plans for the future? Do you feel like you can trust God with these important things? Why or why not?

• Have you ever had your dreams put down by other people? This is a painful thing, and Jesus feels these hurts with us. He is kind and trustworthy, and He invites us to open our hearts to receive His healing. Consider taking a moment to bring Him any hurts that come to mind.

• Have you ever felt like you needed to know exactly what you wanted your adult life to be like? That’s a pressure a lot of us have felt, but God doesn’t expect us to be able to plan out our future. Instead, He promises to be with us through everything, and He invites us to rely on Him as we face one decision at a time. How might this be a freer way to live life?

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 37:1-7; PROVERBS 16:1-9; 19:20-22

Do you ever feel like you’re failing in your relationships? I do. I often find myself asking God to help me be a better friend, daughter, wife, mother, church member, coworker, and so on. And while these prayers have good intentions, I would often spend more time berating myself for my failures and thinking about human solutions than asking God to change my heart.

Because the root of the problem isn’t my behavior—it’s my heart. My actions and words flow from my heart, so simply modifying those actions and words doesn’t fix the problem (Luke 6:45). My heart is still inclined toward selfishness, grumpiness, and impatience. To fix the problem, I need Jesus to change my heart.

So, I’ve recently started changing the way I pray in these situations. First, I process my feelings with God. I bring Him my feelings of anger, frustration, grumpiness, and irritation. He cares about these feelings, and He wants to bring healing. Relationships are complicated, and sometimes I need to acknowledge the ways someone has failed to love me, as well as the ways I’ve failed to love that person.

Then, instead of praying, “Lord, help me be a better friend,” I say, “Lord, incline my heart toward _____.” Because if my heart is inclined toward that person, my words and actions will flow from that posture of love. And sometimes, this prayer applies to my relationship with God too—I’ve often prayed that God will incline my heart toward Him and His good ways.

And this is only possible because God’s heart is inclined toward me—toward us (1 John 4:19). Jesus proved this through His death and resurrection. He longs to be with us, to make us whole. And His love is unshakeable. His heart will never be inclined toward selfishness, grumpiness, or impatience. He is always seeking our good and the good of His Kingdom. And when I rest in this truth, I find myself much more inclined to love my neighbor as myself. • Taylor Eising

• What do you do when you feel like you’re failing in a relationship? How could remembering Jesus’s unshakeable love for us bring us encouragement during these times?

• If you’re ready, you can take some time right now to pray, asking God to incline your heart toward Himself and/or specific people in your life.

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV)

READ: EXODUS 34:5-6; MATTHEW 22:35-40; EPHESIANS 4:31-5:2

Elle’s dragon, Thon, had run away many times. But never before had he been missing for more than one rotation of the two moons. Elle had hand fed him from his hatching, taught him to fly, nursed him through dragon pox. Loved him. Elle sat up on her bed. The annual dragon market was today at the junkyard for old time machines. Perhaps Thon would be there. She must hurry.

At the auction, she saw him almost at once. Shoulders slumped. A tear in one eye. Her telepathic device was only fourth generation, but it sensed Thon’s despair. “Thon!” she called. He turned his mighty head. If only she could explain her circumstances to the auctioneer before he started the bidding! But she was too late. She was only halfway up the aisle when the first bid rang out. More than she could possibly earn in a lifetime. She shouted out a higher number anyway. Outbid again. Still, she went higher. “450,000 drachs!” An astronomical sum. The other bidder stayed silent.

“Sold!” The auctioneer pointed toward Elle. She made her way to the platform, then whispered, “I don’t have the money, but I had to stop the bidding. That’s my dragon. I raised him from his hatching. Ask him.”

The auctioneer sneered. “This is an auction, not a reunion site. Soldiers, take her away.” Thon bellowed. An agonizing sound. Elle shouted, “Auction me then. I am worth 450,000 drachs.”

The auctioneer bent down. “Why would you do that? Nobody has ever given themselves for the purchase of another. Not in the history of the world.”

“Maybe not in the history of this age,” Elle said softly. “But I have read about another time when a being—the God man—gave His life so others might live. He is called Messiah.”

“Do you love this dragon so much then?” the auctioneer asked. Elle nodded, and something in his countenance changed. “It is not the custom to withdraw dragons once they are entered in the auction. But I believe he must be yours.” He banged his gavel. “Go in peace.” • Carol Raj

• Today’s allegorical story gives us a glimpse of God’s sacrificial love for us. We all run away from God, but He paid the highest price to restore us to Himself. The Messiah, Jesus, willingly went to the cross to die because it was the only way to save us. And then He rose from the grave, defeating sin and death forever. How can these truths give us hope?

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 (NLT)

READ: LUKE 15; JOHN 15:13; ROMANS 5:5-11

What do you think of when you hear the word "worship"? For me, I tend to think of worship music, my personal devotional time, or maybe a worship service at church. However, worship as the Bible describes it is much bigger than a song or something we participate in a few moments each week. As Paul writes to the church in Rome, as we consider the mercies of God, offering our bodies and our lives as a living sacrifice, that is our true worship (Romans 12:1). Then Paul says that God calls us not to conform to the world around us, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. What does it look like to have our minds renewed? We get some clues in the following verses, where Paul describes the kind of life God calls us to live, urging us to love others—even our enemies.

In another letter Paul wrote, this time to the Colossians, he highlights some more specific characteristics and qualities that would describe someone who is living a sacrificial lifestyle of true worship: “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another,” and above all loving one another (Colossians 3:12-14). All of those things are characteristics of Jesus, and of someone who is living a lifestyle of worship, holy and pleasing to God. Paul ends this portion of his letter to the Colossians with an incredible challenge: “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (verse 17).

Throughout our lives, God calls us to grow in these characteristics, relying on His presence within us through the Holy Spirit to give us the help we need. God is a faithful God—faithful to forgive, faithful to redeem, and faithful to restore. The best part is He WANTS to help us grow in Him! Through Jesus, God has already provided forgiveness, and through the Holy Spirit, He is already transforming Christians (2 Corinthians 3:18). He loves it when we worship Him, and His help is always available to us. • Hunter Taylor

• Consider spending some time today asking God to reveal some ways you can grow in your lifestyle of worship and ask for His help in making those changes. In addition to talking to God, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to?

• What are some ways we can remember God’s mercy? How might this help us live a lifestyle of worship?

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Romans 12:1 (CSB)

READ: ROMANS 12:1-2; PHILIPPIANS 2:13; COLOSSIANS 3:12-17

On the night before Jesus went to the cross, He told His followers, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). Have you ever had the opportunity to share your faith because people noticed Jesus’s love shining through you? Sometimes, before we say anything about how we belong to God’s family, people can see there’s something different about us. Why?

Think about it this way: when you’re part of an earthly family, you take on family traits. If you were born into your family, you may have the same build or hair color as your relatives. And whether you were adopted or born into a family, you may also have other family traits—like facial expressions, mannerisms, sense of humor, work ethic, a knack for helping others, etc. When we’re part of an earthly family, it’s often easy to see we belong to our family because we share these traits. Being part of God’s family is like that too. The Holy Spirit develops traits in us that reflect Jesus— like love, patience, and kindness. That’s often how people can tell we’re Christians.

But sometimes we don’t act like Christians. Treating others badly can make it more difficult for people to see we belong to God’s family. When our actions keep us from looking like Jesus, He calls us to confess our sin to Him and trust Him to help us grow in His love for others. Even when we struggle, we can have hope because the Holy Spirit is continuing to work in our lives to give us traits like kindness, patience, and self-control as we are transformed to become more like Jesus. And we also have hope that God is continuing to work in people’s hearts to draw them to Himself, even when we mess up. Through it all, we can rest assured that we are secure in the love of God, who is always kind and patient with us. • A. W. Smith

• Earthly families are made up of imperfect people, so family traits aren’t always positive. Even when our earthly family struggles, we can rest knowing that we belong to Jesus and the Holy Spirit is working in our hearts to bring out the traits of God’s family. What are some of the negative and positive traits in your family? What godly traits do you see the Holy Spirit bringing out in you? (Galatians 5:22-23)

• As the Holy Spirit works in you and helps you notice the negative and positive traits you see in yourself and your family, who are trusted people you can talk with—such as counselors, therapists, pastors, parents, etc.?

“By this everyone will know that you are my [Jesus’s] disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 13:34-35; GALATIANS 5:22-23; EPHESIANS 4:24-32

Imagine for a moment you were caring for a newborn baby, and then, the day after their birth, you just expected them to be able to walk. That would be ridiculous, right? Babies can’t do everything right away when they’re born. They grow up gradually, learning a little at a time.

It’s the same way with Christians. The Holy Spirit helps us grow in our faith throughout our whole lives. As we go to church, read the Bible, pray, and spend time with other Christians, we learn more about Jesus and how to live the way He calls us to. And one of the ways Jesus calls us to follow Him is by being patient with others, not giving up on people but encouraging them.

Sometimes, we as the body of Christ are less than kind to baby Christians— siblings in Christ who have only recently put their trust in Jesus and been “born again” into God’s family (John 3:1-17). If we’ve grown up in the church and trusted Jesus since we were little, we sometimes expect new Christians to immediately act as though they’ve been walking with the Lord for many years. And, when we see them struggling with sin, sometimes we slightly-older siblings fall for a certain temptation: criticizing our younger siblings rather than encouraging them and praying with and for them.

So today, if we feel we should point out to someone that they’re not acting in a way that fits with who they are in Jesus, let’s do it in a loving way. After all, none of us are perfect! We all struggle with sin, and we all need the grace of Jesus. As we remember the love Jesus has shown both to us and to our siblings, we can build each other up as He helps all of us grow. • A. W. Smith

• Who are some people that have helped you grow in your walk with Jesus? What were some of the things they said or did—or didn’t say or do—that were especially valuable to you?

• As Christians, we and our fellow siblings in Christ all struggle with sin, and we are all beloved by God, no matter how long we’ve been Christians. How can resting in this truth help us treat each other with kindness?

Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5:14b (NLT)

READ: EPHESIANS 4:1-16; PHILIPPIANS 1:3-6, 9-11

Your love is so great I can’t stop talking about it

I want to sing it loud

I want to share the news

I want others to see what You have done

Your love has touched the world

I want those living everywhere to hear about it

I want everyone to know they can receive it

I want to share it with all

You made the heavens and Your love goes higher than them

It is bigger than the world

It is greater than the sea

It is more amazing than anything You made

You sit over all

May you be praised

May you be lifted high

May we see Your love and worship You • Emily Acker

• God revealed His enormous love for us when He came to live among us. Jesus is fully God and fully human, and He gave His life for ours, dying on the cross. Then He rose from the dead so we could be saved from sin and death. God loves us so much that He made the way for us to live with Him forever. And He loved us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:6-10). When we think about the gospel—the good news of Jesus—why is God’s love central to this good news? If you want to know more about the gospel and how you can know God, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

• When we experience God’s love for ourselves, we naturally want to share it (1 John 4:19). Can you remember a time you felt loved by God? If not, you can ask God to reveal His love to you anytime. He delights in answering these prayers.

For your loving kindness is great above the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Psalm 108:4 (WEB)

READ: PSALM 108:1-5; JOHN 3:16-17

When I worked in Japan as a young international schoolteacher, I often spent weekends exploring Tokyo’s neighborhoods or other parts of Japan. Sometimes, I’d get lost and have to ask strangers the way in my simple Japanese: “Migi? Hidari? Massugu?” (Right? Left? Straight?) Their rapid, fluent answers often left me confused.

Do you ever get lost or confused when trying to follow Jesus? He called Himself “the way” (John 14:6), and early Christians were called people “who belonged to the Way” (Acts 9:2). Yet, for thousands of years, people have wondered: How can I discover God’s will for my life?

After three years of teaching in Japan, I prayerfully tried to discern if I should move back to the United States. I was feeling confused and unsure, but this verse comforted me: in Acts 9:11, the risen Jesus literally gives Ananias a street address: “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street”! Then the Lord continued, “and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.” Ananias had plenty of reasons to be scared of going there to meet Saul, a man who had been persecuting and imprisoning followers of Jesus, but at least he had clear directions!

I didn’t expect Jesus to be that specific for me, but as I read this verse I asked God to help me trust Him with my future. I had already learned that Jesus loved me and was with me. Now I learned to trust that He could lead me. And if I didn’t hear clear directions like Ananias? No matter where I chose to live, I could continue to follow His directions from Matthew 22:37-39: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… [and] love your neighbor as yourself.” • Sonja Anderson

• Have you ever asked God for guidance? What happened?

• What does it mean when it seems like God is silent? Sometimes, we start to worry that He can’t hear us or doesn’t care, but that’s not true. God guides us in all sorts of ways, not only through visions and dreams but also through circumstances and advice from mature Christians. And God’s guidance always: agrees with His Word (the Bible), glorifies God the Father and God the Son (John 16:12-15), brings the fruit of the Spirit and hope (Galatians 5:22-23; John 10:10), and does not come with condemnation or fear (John 3:17; Romans 8:1; 1 John 4:18). Who are trusted Christian mentors in your life you could talk to about these things?

The Lord told him [Ananias], “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.” Acts 9:11 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 22:34-40; ACTS 9:1-20

There are times when I get on my knees to pray, and I don’t feel like praying. There are times when I talk to God, and it doesn’t feel like He’s listening. There are times when I’m in a tough spot, and I feel like screaming, “God! Don’t You even care?” One thing I love about God is that He can handle my feelings, no matter how unruly they may be.

Especially when we feel overwhelmed and alone, it’s easy to withdraw into ourselves and avoid talking to God, but that’s not what God wants. He invites us to be totally honest with Him about what we’re experiencing. Lots of psalms show us how to do this—for example, Psalm 13 begins with the words, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?” (verse 1).

Don’t hesitate to express your frustration to God… but don’t stop there! As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit living inside us, so we can choose to turn our hearts, our minds, and our actions toward the Lord no matter what we’re going through. He invites us to come to Him, to experience the freedom of worshipping Him and entrusting all our worries to His care. Here are some practices that can be helpful as we press into relationship with God:

Choose to trust. Psalm 13 begins with frustration, but later the author says, “I trust in your unfailing love” (verse 5). When life gets tough, we can rely on God’s love and remember His promises to us: He promised to send a Messiah to save us, and He did! Jesus Christ died and rose again so that everyone who puts their trust in Him can be with God forever. And Jesus promises to return one day and make all things new, free from sorrow and pain (Revelation 21:1-5). These promises are still true, regardless of our circumstances. We may go through times when we feel forgotten by God, but we can cling to the truth that Jesus is with us—always (Matthew 1:23; 28:20).

Choose to praise. Psalm 13 says, “I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me” (verse 6). Praise is a choice that’s hard to make in frustrating times. But this action expresses, “My God is worthy of praise, no matter what.” And as we continue to acknowledge God’s goodness, we often find relief from our frustration.

Choose to give thanks. Even when we can’t think of anything to be thankful for, we can echo the words of Psalm 13: “my heart rejoices in your salvation” (verse 5). Christ’s sacrifice for us hasn’t been nullified when we don’t feel God’s presence. We can always thank Him for saving us. And we can also be thankful that He is still working in the midst of our frustrations, even when we can’t see it (John 5:17; Romans 8:28).

Choose to pray, even when you don’t see the point. In the middle of Psalm 13 is a desperate prayer, “Look on me and answer, Lord my God… ” (verse 3). The action of asking God for help communicates, “Even though I don’t understand, I know You listen to me and care about me.” And prayer is more than that. When we pray, we are communicating with the living God. We can come into God’s presence, because God has come into our presence… Jesus to bring heaven to earth! As we come to God in prayer, He opens our eyes to the reality of how much He loves us.

When we bring our sorrows to God, we can reap a harvest of joy (Psalm 126:5-6)! When we choose to follow God in the midst of our frustrations, our perspective shifts from “God, where are You?” to “God, I trust You.” By choosing to interact with God, we experience an even stronger faith in Him, knowing that His love can’t be shaken, even in the hardest struggles. • Lily Walsh

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. Psalm 13:5-6 (NIV)

• Have you ever tried to express your frustrations to God? What was it like?

• How could it be freeing to know that God can handle our feelings, and He wants us to be totally honest with Him?

• Consider taking a moment to come to God in prayer, telling Him about how you’re doing today. You could also try to practice one of the four choices: trust, praise, thank, or ask for help. You don’t need to worry about doing this perfectly—Jesus loves you, and He wants to walk with you every step of the way.

• If you want to know more about how to have a relationship with God through Jesus, who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to? (You can also find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

READ: PSALM 13; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18; HEBREWS 10:36-39

Do you know anyone who has been on a jury in the United States of America? In the USA, a person accused of a crime has the right to a trial by jury. That means other American citizens are randomly selected to hear the evidence and decide whether or not the person accused of a crime is guilty. Their final decision is to be based solely on the evidence given in court.

For that reason, jury members are not allowed to talk about the case with anyone outside of the jury. Since people who are not jurors haven’t heard all the evidence, they might offer information they think is true, but this information may not be correct or relevant to the case. Then someone else’s opinion might sway a jury member’s thinking, and their decision could be based on wrong information.

While everyone on the jury may want to be fair and make the right decision, it can often take quite a while before all the jurors are able to agree on the issues in a case. And sometimes, even with the best intentions, juries make the wrong call. As a result, people can be wrongly convicted of crimes they didn’t commit—or deemed innocent when they are actually guilty.

This sober reality can make us appreciate God in a deeper way. No matter how fair we try to be, we’re still human, and we’re all broken by sin. Only God is all-wise and completely fair, and He is the Judge of all the earth. Each of us will have to stand before Him someday, and we’re all guilty of sin and deserve to face its consequence: death without hope of resurrection.

But God, our just Judge, is merciful, and He has intervened on our behalf. Because He loves us, He became human and took all our sin upon Himself when He went to the cross. Jesus faced an unjust trial, and though He was not guilty of any wrongdoing, He let Himself be put to death. He laid down His life for us, and then He rose from the grave to defeat sin and death. Now, whoever puts their trust in Jesus receives God’s mercy and is declared not guilty!

As God’s forgiven people, we can learn to walk with God in His ways of justice and mercy (Micah 6:8). The Holy Spirit empowers us to love God and neighbor as we wait for Jesus to return and finally right every wrong. • A. W. Smith

• Think about court cases you’ve read about or seen in the news. What aspects of the world’s justice systems seem to align with God’s justice? What aspects don’t seem to align?

• As Christians, when we encounter situations that don’t align with God’s justice, how should we respond?

“Won’t the Judge of the whole earth do what is just?” Genesis 18:25 (CSB)

READ: GENESIS 18:25; JOHN 3:16-18; ROMANS 8:1-11; 14:11-12

How do you deal with conflict? I may have an unpopular approach, but I tend to address conflict head on, right away. I don’t like using the silent treatment or leaving passive aggressive notes. But I think my approach can be a little intense sometimes, so I’m learning to give others time to process disagreement and conflict.

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When I’m practicing better conflict management, I try to remember how Jesus dealt with conflict. He stepped into conflict, but His purpose was to bring shalom. "Shalom" is a Hebrew word that can sometimes be translated as "peace," but a more comprehensive translation would be closer to reconciliation, making all things as they should be, or making broken things whole. Jesus is a maker of this kind of peace—not just the absence of conflict, but the presence of wholeness without fear or anxiety. And when Jesus returns, He will bring all things into shalom, making everything whole so all things work together the way they were designed to.

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To make things whole again, sometimes we do need to step into conflict. Jesus often did this with the Pharisees (a group of Jewish religious leaders), rebuking them for their hypocrisy and for caring more about rules than about people. For example, one time Jesus’s disciples were hungry on the Sabbath (a Jewish day of rest) so they picked a few heads of grain from a field. This went against a Pharisaic law that stated a person shouldn’t pick heads of grain on the Sabbath. When the Pharisees confronted Jesus about this, He rebuked them. He told them He is Lord over the Sabbath, and it wasn’t right for them to condemn people for breaking human-made rules. Those rules brought division and self-righteousness, not shalom. They blinded the Pharisees to the bigger picture—that Jesus was God in human flesh, and He had come in love to bring about shalom. Soon after this, when the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus into breaking the Sabbath, Jesus healed a man’s hand—He restored what was broken and made his hand whole. In this way, Jesus stepped into conflict to reconcile what was wrong and bring about shalom.

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So when we see division and brokenness, we can look to Jesus, the One who brought wholeness to our broken relationship with God, and seek to follow in His footsteps. We can step into conflict with Jesus right beside us, aiming to bring wholeness to broken places. • Naomi Zylstra

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• How do you tend to deal with conflict? Learning when and how to step into conflict is difficult. Consider spending some time talking to God about this, asking for His guidance and direction.

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“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9 (WEB)

Not all Christians are potatoes. Let me explain. Let’s say you have a vegetable garden filled with carrots, potatoes, beans… and then you combine all those colorful and delicious veggies into a great vegetable soup.

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But what if the scenario changed? What if all you had in your garden were potatoes? In this new scenario, you couldn’t make that flavorful, colorful, nutritious meal.

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We can think of the church (all Christians everywhere) like this: as a vibrant, diverse vegetable soup. But as Christians, sometimes we forget we’re not all meant to be potatoes. Just as God gives each vegetable a different taste, He gives each of His children different spiritual gifts to build up the church. Another way to think about this is to remember that God calls us the body of Christ and says we are each a different part, but we all belong to the same body. In the family of God, we are all different, but we are united through faith in Jesus.

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So, instead of comparing ourselves to others and wondering if we should be more like them—or if they should be more like us—we have the opportunity to use the gifts God has given us to share His love with others and build up His church.

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Today, we can ask God to show us the spiritual gifts He has given us, and we can ask Him to guide us in how we can use these gifts in our church and our community. We can enjoy our beautiful differences, and together we can more fully reflect the goodness of God and put His glory on display. Because no matter what gifts we have, we are each an important part of God’s family, and we get to bring flavor and nourishment to the world—together. • A. W. Smith

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• What are some of your talents? Are you good at art, music, math, mechanics, athletics, teaching, caring for people who are sick or in crisis…?

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• If you know Jesus, you’ve been given spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit. Do you have an idea what some of your spiritual gifts might be? (Today’s Bible passages include a couple of the Bible’s lists on this topic.) Consider taking some time to pray about this, asking God for wisdom about how you might use your gifts to share His love with the people you come in contact with.

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• Who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk with about your talents and spiritual gifts and how you might use them?

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We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. Romans 12:6a (NIV)

I have always prayed before bed; it’s something my parents started doing with me when I was little, and it stuck. But there’s one problem with this: I’ve lost count of the number of times when, by the time I go to bed, my brain is so scrambled that all the words I have left seem like utter nonsense.

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I feel guilty for this sometimes because I want to be able to talk to God, to coherently thank Him for my day and ask for His advice and His help. But I have to remind myself there’s no need to feel guilty, because even when I speak utter nonsense, God knows exactly what I mean. He wants to hear from me—and from all His people—no matter what we have to say or how coherently we are able to say it.

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In Jeremiah 33:2-3, God reminds His people that He is the One who made the earth. Right after that He says, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (verse 3). The Creator of the earth—of the entire universe—asks His people to call on Him. God doesn’t just tolerate our prayers; He desires them. And He promises to respond—though He may not respond how we expect Him to.

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Hebrews 4:14-16 reminds us that, because of Jesus’s death and resurrection, we can approach our loving God with confidence, knowing He hears our prayers. How amazing is that? No matter if the prayer—or call—we make to Him is utter nonsense; He wants to hear from us. And what may seem like utter nonsense to me and you makes perfect sense to Him. • Kimberly Brokish

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• Have you ever felt like you were praying utter nonsense? Bible passages like Psalm 139:1-4 and Romans 8:26-27 remind us that God knows what’s in our hearts and what we want to tell Him, and the Holy Spirit helps makes sense of our utter nonsense.

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• How does it make you feel to know that the Creator of the universe wants to hear from you? What would you like to tell Him right now?

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“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)

Over two thousand years ago, Jesus was born. God became human and lived on earth with other humans. Stop for a moment and think about that. Isn’t that amazing? The One who was present at the beginning of time—the One who created all things, including humans—came down to His creation and experienced it as a human… because He loves us.

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Jesus grew up with the people around Him. He went through puberty, had younger siblings, and even experienced betrayal. How amazing is that? Out of His great love for us, our God experienced a human life like us. But let’s not forget Jesus is also fully God, and He had a special purpose in His life, ministry, death, and resurrection here on earth.

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Jesus came to rescue the world from sin and death, because when the first humans rejected God and sinned against Him, we became separated from our loving Creator. But God wants us to be with Him again. Though sin is like a chasm between us and God, Jesus became the bridge between humankind and God so that there would be no separation between the two.

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And Jesus is the only One who could close that gap because He is both fully God and fully human. Jesus never sinned, and He didn’t deserve any of the punishment for sin, but He took it all upon Himself… because He loves us. When Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, He made the atoning sacrifice for our sin so that He could restore us to relationship with Himself. Now, everyone who puts their trust in Jesus is brought near to God. As Christians, we can know that God is with us here and now, and we also get to look forward to the day Jesus will return bodily to earth. Then sin and death will be no more, and we will live with God in restored creation!

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One of Jesus’s names is Immanuel, which means “God with us,” and that’s exactly who Jesus is. He is God, and He is also human like us. And because Jesus came to be with us, now everyone who puts their trust in Jesus gets to be with God— forever. • Naomi Zylstra

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• When you think about Jesus being both fully human and fully God, which one is harder for you to wrap your mind around? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about this. While there are some things we may never fully understand, God invites us to question and wrestle with Him.

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• When you have questions about who Jesus is or about being brought near to God, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to? (You can also find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

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“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).” Matthew 1:23 (NIV)

A scorching sun beats down from a red sky, hot sand making my throat and nose raw. I cough wheezily, my chest tight and vision blurry. Hours have passed since I got separated from the caravan, and I am all but spent. My vision spins and I fall to my knees, panting. Slowly, I regain my balance only to stare in surprise at what’s in front of me. A man in a white robe and sandals stands there, smiling gently as he holds out a hand for me to take. With shaking fingers I grasp his hand, standing. “Who are you?” I ask in surprise.

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The man merely smiles. “I AM,” he replies, and I blink.

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“What? That—” I stutter, completely confused.

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“Come,” says the man, and I follow with wobbly legs. After a few minutes there’s a gust of wind, blowing up a wave of sand, and he disappears from my sight.

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“Wait!” I cry, my voice cracking. “Don’t leave!” Just as panic begins to overtake me, the sand settles, and the man reappears.

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“I’m right here,” he says kindly. “I’m not leaving.” I watch him nervously, not entirely sure he’s being truthful. He beckons me forward, hand reaching out. “Come.”

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We begin walking again and make it a ways before I fall to my knees, exhausted. The man stops, watching me with compassion etched on his face. My vision blurs so I shake my head to clear it, only to nearly fall over sideways because my body is so weak. “Help,” I rasp to the man, “I can’t go any farther.” No sooner do I say it than a pair of arms wrap around me, picking me up.

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“Rest,” he says with a kindly smile, “I will carry you.”

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My eyes droop tiredly and I yawn. “Who are you?” I murmur.

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“I AM.”

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Oh… I get it. Peace washes over me as my eyes close, and I smile. I AM. Jesus. • Caelin Allred

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• What stuck out to you in this allegorical story? In Exodus 3:14, God says His name is “I AM,” which is translated Yahweh or Lord. Jesus revealed that He is I AM, God in human flesh, the promised Messiah-Rescuer (John 4:26). He saves us from sin and death, and He helps us in our weakness.

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• Can you think of a time you felt lost? Do you feel lost now? How could it give us hope to know there is always someone out there searching for us? (Luke 15:1-7; John 10:11-18)

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“I myself will search for my sheep and look after them…I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.” Ezekiel 34:11-12 (NIV)

The ball was out, right? It all happened so fast that I couldn’t tell. Did it touch the line? I tried to replay it in my head, but the decision wasn’t becoming any clearer.

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This was the biggest tennis game of the season. If we won, we would advance, but if we lost, the season would be over. Worse yet, I was playing doubles—which meant I had a teammate. My partner was staring at me. I looked back down at the line, wanting so badly to call it “out,” which would mean the other team wouldn’t get the winning point. I could feel the pressure from my partner, the anticipation from our opponents, and the sweat streaming down my temples. During one of our early season practices our coach had told us, “If it’s too close to call, then it’s in.” She said this was “proper tennis etiquette.” At that moment I despised her words. Why couldn’t it have been clear! I didn’t even care if the ball was in or out at this point! I just wanted it to be clear, but it wasn’t.

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Only a couple seconds had passed while I processed all this. I clenched my racket with my right hand, and with my left, I pointed toward the ground, calling it “in.” The other team erupted with joy, and my partner extended a low five. Our season was over.

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Sometimes in our spiritual walk, we find ourselves in situations where there is no clear answer. Following Jesus is full of right and wrong decisions, sure, but what do we do when we are unsure about the best course of action in a particular situation?

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Scripture can help us in these uncertain moments. James 1:5 instructs us to ask God for wisdom and He will give it. Likewise, the book of Proverbs is full of short phrases that provide some guidelines for us to live by. And if we spend time reflecting on the Bible’s proverbs, we might find their wisdom is more relatable and applicable than we expect! But sometimes, following Proverbs doesn’t always work out the way we want it to—just look at the book of Job. Job lived a righteous life, and he still lost everything. Yet even then, we can trust Jesus, who is God’s perfect wisdom made flesh, to walk with us through the ambiguity, sustaining us with His love and covering our faults with His mercy. • Dathan Tenter

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• Have you ever been in a high-pressure situation where you weren’t sure what the right answer was?

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• Who are wise people in your life? How could they help you learn to walk in God’s wisdom?

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If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5 (NLT)

SMASH! TWANG! I picked up my tennis racket off the sidewalk and moped toward the bus. Surprisingly, throwing my racket to the ground hadn’t broken it. I had lost another match. My mind raced. “How could I miss that backhand? It should’ve been so easy!” I reviewed every mistake over and over, thinking about how much better I should be by this point in the season.

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Coach came and sat beside me and said, “You played well today!” I screamed in my head, paused, then muttered, “How could you say that? I made so many mistakes.”

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“But look at how far you’ve come,” said Coach. “You only started playing a month ago!” “But I just keep making mistakes!” I fired back.

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Looking at me intently, Coach said, “You can’t expect to be perfect right away—or ever. Getting better at tennis requires hard work over time.” My frustration began to subside as Coach’s words sunk in. The next thing I had to do was apologize to the team.

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This experience reminds me of sanctification.

Sanctification is the process of becoming more and more like Jesus—being set apart from sin for God’s purposes. Once we put our trust in Jesus, believing in His death and resurrection, we are sinless in God’s eyes and adopted into His family, but we still have to learn how to follow Him. In the same way, when I was starting out in tennis, I was immediately part of the team. I was equipped with a racket, and I started receiving lots of help from the coach and my team. But I still had to practice what I was learning.

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When we put our trust in Jesus, we are immediately adopted into God’s family (Romans 8:16) and we are given “everything we need for living a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3). This includes receiving the Holy Spirit and other believers to help us (Acts 2:38, Galatians 6:2). However, we still need to practice obedience to what we learn through God’s Word. We will make mistakes along the way, but we don’t need to be discouraged. We can bring our sins and failures to Jesus, trusting in our loving Savior to forgive us and continue walking with us. • Dathan Tenter

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• Take a look at Galatians 5:22-23. Can you think of some ways Jesus displayed these characteristics or fruits? Which one of these would you like to see more of in your own life?

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• Consider spending some time in prayer, asking God to guide you and help you learn to listen to the Holy Spirit’s leading as you seek to obey Him. (Philippians 2:13)

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Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:25 (NLT)

The tennis team needed help. A lot of help. They desperately needed more players, and that’s why they asked me to join. I had never even held a tennis racquet before my first practice! Some of the rules of the game came pretty easy. Possessing what I would call an average amount of hand-eye coordination, I was able to pick up the general game play. I understood “hit the ball over the net” and “keep the ball within the lines.”

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But some things about tennis just didn’t make sense to me. The first day of practice my friend yelled from across the net, “Love, love!” Before I could say, “Love you too, bro,” he smacked the ball and it screamed past me! What just happened? He explained that “love” means zero, so “love, love” (zero, zero) was the score. That’s weird, I thought to myself as I nodded.

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He yelled, “Fifteen, love,” and fired another shot! Pretty confused, I asked how he had fifteen points already. Walking up to the net he said, “One point equals fifteen, two points equals thirty, three points equals forty, and four points equals game!” He continued, “Six games win a set, and two or three sets wins a match. Got it?” Still confused, I stuttered, “I think so?” As he rambled on with some other terms and concepts about the game I didn’t understand, my attention shifted to staring at my uneven shoelaces. This was going to be a little harder than I realized.

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Learning to play tennis reminds me of starting our journey with Jesus. Believing in the gospel and putting our trust in Jesus is filled with excitement and newfound hope! But sometimes discouragement can creep in when we encounter terms we don’t understand or new biblical truths that seem difficult to live out. But Jesus said in John 16:13, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” Even better than a friend explaining the game of tennis, we have the Holy Spirit, who lives in us, guiding us and helping us understand God’s love and how to live in relationship with God and others (Ephesians 3:18-19). And God has also given us His people, the church, to walk alongside us. We are not alone on this journey. • Dathan Tenter

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• As we seek to understand the gospel and how it affects every part of our lives, God welcomes our questions. What questions do you have about the Bible, church, or following Jesus?

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• No matter how long we’ve been walking with Jesus, we will always have questions. And that’s a good thing! We can bring these questions to God in prayer anytime. In addition to talking to God, who is someone in your life who can help you with these questions?

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We ask God…to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Colossians 1:9 (NLT)

God hears when I talk to Him

His ears are always open

No matter what I have to say

He hears

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God hears me when it is late at night

When I can’t sleep

No matter what is on my mind

He listens

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God hears me in the early hours

When no one is awake

No matter if I talk out loud or silent

He hears

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God hears what is going on

He always cares for me

No matter what I need

He listens and helps me • Bethany Acker

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• Do you ever wonder if God hears you when you pray? This is totally normal. Thankfully, God knows we need reminders that He is listening, and He provides many throughout His Word. Consider taking a moment to re-read today’s Bible verses, and maybe even choose a favorite.

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• The Bible often says God listens to “the righteous” (Psalm 34:15). The good news is, while none of us can be righteous on our own, God makes us righteous in His sight as soon as we put our trust in Jesus. God wants us to be in relationship with Him, and He invites us to talk to Him about anything and everything. What’s on your mind right now? Do you feel like you can talk to God about it? According to Hebrews 4:14-16, why are we free to talk to God?

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In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. Psalm 18:6 (NIV

We all want to be strong and able to get through the tough things in life without falling apart. You might be someone who prides yourself in your strength, or you might be someone who often feels weak. You might enjoy the challenge of doing hard things, or you might be afraid to face hard things because of how much it tires you out. No matter how strong or weak we are on our own, we serve a God who is able to make us strong.

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God is all-powerful (or omnipotent), and throughout the Bible, God “gives strength to his people” (Psalm 29:11). When we are not strong enough on our own, we only have to reach out to God, and He will come beside us and help us do whatever He is calling us to do.

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I can’t do everything on my own, and neither can you. We all need God’s strength. It’s usually easiest to see this when we go through difficult times. And in those times when we become aware of our own weaknesses and limitations, we don’t need to be ashamed. God knows we need Him, and He wants us to rely on Him. As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit living inside us, empowering us to follow Jesus in everything.

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When you’re in the midst of a struggle, you can reach out to God. Remember that God helps us by His “incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion” (Ephesians 1:18-21). As Christians, we belong to Jesus, the all-powerful Ruler of everything, and He invites us to rely on His help and His strength, knowing that He will give us what we need (Hebrews 4:14-16). Today, let’s thank Him for making us stronger than we could ever be on our own. • Emily Acker

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• In times when we feel strong and in times when we feel weak, God calls us to rely on His strength, not our own. In what ways do you need strength today?

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• According to Ephesians 3:14-21; 6:10-12 and 1 Peter 4:8-11, what does God strengthen us for? (If you want to dig even deeper, read 2 Corinthians 10:1-5; Philippians 4:12-13; Colossians 1:9-14; and 2 Timothy 2:1-10.)

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I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being… Ephesians 3:16 (NIV)

One of my family’s favorite summer activities is going boating. The water sport we do most often is wake surfing, which is like surfing on the ocean, only behind a boat. The smoother the water, the easier it is.

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On a trip we took to the lake one day, the water was extremely choppy, making it incredibly difficult to stay on my board behind the boat. It took all my concentration to hold my position and stay in that pocket (the part of the wave that pushes the surfer forward).

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I began to notice that when my focus was on the boat in front of me, the unfailing source that kept me moving, I was able to maintain my balance. But the moment I looked at the waves around me, I was distracted and lost my balance. I would start falling out of position, and I could only find the pocket again when I returned my focus to the steady boat ahead of me. Looking at the huge waves would alarm me, but if I just focused on the boat, which remained the same, I would relax and stay upright.

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In the same way, throughout our lives we are going to experience waves—trials that toss us up and down. Sometimes we panic because of the waves and easily lose our balance. We are unable to hold ourselves up. But when we turn our eyes to Jesus, the One who always remains the same, we can relax and stay above the waves, steadied by our hope in Him.

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In the Bible, when Jesus was miraculously walking on the water, He invited Peter to join Him, and Peter walked on water too! But then, Peter literally began to sink when he focused on the wind and the waves around him rather than on Jesus. But Jesus didn’t let Peter drown. “Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him” (Matthew 14:31). In our own lives, whenever we get overwhelmed by the chaos around us, Jesus reminds us to turn to Him. And even when we forget, He is still our unfailing Savior who reaches out to rescue us. • Ella Hoy

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• What hope do we have in Jesus? How can looking to Jesus and remembering His promises help steady us in a world that’s constantly shifting? (Matthew 28:20; Romans 10:9-11; Revelation 21:1-5)

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• As Christians, it’s normal for us to have doubts. Our loving God invites us to talk to Him about all these things, being totally honest about what we’re thinking and feeling. In addition to talking to God, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to when you’re experiencing doubts?

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Let the oceans roar and foam… The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. Psalm 46:3, 7 (NLT)

Jesus has a habit of taking something ordinary and making it incredible. Take bread and wine, for example. During Jesus’s life on earth, bread and wine were normal, everyday foods. They would be present at virtually every meal, and people of virtually any income level could afford them. And when Jesus was about to die, He took these ordinary things and did something amazing with them. He gave them to His disciples to communicate the sacrifice He was about to make. And we still practice this today. We take bread and wine (or juice), share it with the people of God, and together we remember Christ’s loving sacrifice. We call this communion or the Lord’s Supper.

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Isn’t it just like Jesus to use something so simple, so accessible, to communicate His love and presence? He doesn’t require us to seek out something rare or expensive. He meets us where we are, with whatever we have, and uses it to make something wonderful. Through something as ordinary as bread and wine or juice, He reminds us that the all-powerful, all-knowing, infinite God of the entire universe loves us and wants to be with us. He wants to be with us so badly that God the Son, Jesus, took on flesh to live among us, die, and rise from the dead for us.

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At my church, when we pass the bread from one person to the next, we say, “The body of Christ, given for you.” And when we pass the juice, we say, “The blood of Christ, shed for you.” For the early church, eating and drinking together and remembering Christ’s sacrifice was a daily practice. And while I know they probably didn’t say the same words that we say at my church, I have to wonder if bread and wine—these ordinary things—became constant, ever-present reminders of Jesus. Every time they were hungry and ate a bite of bread, did it remind them of Jesus’s body, given for them? Every time they were thirsty and took a sip of wine, did it remind them of Jesus’s blood, shed for them?

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Maybe that’s why Jesus used such ordinary things, to remind us He is present with us in every moment of our lives, including the incredibly ordinary ones. • Taylor Eising

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• How does your church practice communion? How can the Lord’s supper remind us of Jesus and what He has done for us?

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• Why do you think Jesus chose to use things that everyone could afford?

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They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity… Acts 2:46 (NLT)

"We’ve got churches of Christians. I’d like to see a church of all sinners!” my coworker joked. I stopped and looked at him. He and another coworker laughed.

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“But… but that’s what a church is,” I tried to say. “That’s… that’s the point.” Neither man is a church go-er. But they both grew up in church and stopped attending as they reached adulthood. Had they both missed this essential part of Christianity? That we are ALL sinners, including those in the church?

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Romans 3:23-24 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Every church is packed with sinners. None of us are perfect (Romans 3:10). The Bible isn’t full of perfect people. Rahab was a prostitute. David used his power as king to have sex with Bathsheba, then have her husband killed. Paul hunted down and killed Christians. And God welcomed them into the church. We are the church. Only Jesus’s death and resurrection can make us forgiven and new. Jesus came to save the lost and restore the sinners, and He does this for us every day, constantly healing us of our sin (Luke 19:10; Mark 2:17).

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It broke my heart to see people who’ve attended church and still don’t know the truth about Jesus. What are we doing wrong? Are we not sharing the gospel? Are we not telling the rough parts of our testimonies? Are we afraid of sin, afraid of sharing our lives honestly? Jesus isn’t afraid of our sin. He knows it all, and He loves us and rescues us.

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Because of Jesus, we are free to be real. Does this mean we embrace or glorify sin? No. Our desire is to become more like Christ by relying on the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:2). But let’s also be honest about the messy sin in our lives, the sin Jesus rescues us from. • Natty Maelle

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• Have you ever felt like you don’t belong in church? Why? It’s okay to be honest. Jesus doesn’t reject you; He cares deeply for you. You can talk to Him about these feelings and hurts anytime.

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•Who can you be honest with about your sin struggles—people who will listen, not condemning you but encouraging you in your walk with Christ? (You can ask God for relationships like this.)

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•If you go to church, do you think new Christians or hesitant attendees feel like outsiders there? Or do you think they feel welcomed, loved, and seen? (Romans 8:1; 15:7)

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For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24 (NIV)

The story of Samson’s life is really fascinating, and it contains many parallels to the story of Jesus’s life. Let’s take a closer look.

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In Judges 13, we see God visiting Manoah’s wife through His angel to proclaim to her that she would have a child! The angel also told her what her child’s purpose would be. In this way, Samson’s birth was similar to that of Jesus; before His birth the angel Gabriel visited Mary to tell her she would have a child, and he told her what the child’s purpose would be. Manoah’s wife was barren, and Mary was a virgin, so the conception of both these babies was miraculous. Samson grew and was blessed by the Lord (Judges 13:24), similar to how Jesus grew in the Lord’s favor (Luke 2:52). Both Samson and Jesus were sent to deliver Israel from their enemy; Samson, through his sacrificial death, delivered Israel from the Philistines, and Jesus came to deliver Israel and the whole world from sin and death, also through sacrificing His own life.

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However, unlike Jesus, Samson allowed himself to be overshadowed by the power he thought he had, and that made him crumble. He gave in to temptation and misused the strength the Lord gave him. He also mistreated women, and all of this led to his downfall, when he died with his enemies. Jesus was also tempted by the devil, but He resisted every temptation (Luke 4:1-13). Instead of grasping at power, Jesus laid down His life. But when He died, He defeated death and resurrected back to life.

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Humans—even strong, talented humans—will fail us. We’ve all been broken by sin, and we all give in to temptation. But Jesus is worthy of our trust. Fully God and fully human, He is the One who has the power to save us from our own brokenness, and His love for us will never fail. Instead of relying on faulty human strength, we can rest in Him. • Shadrach Goni

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• When we are tempted to put our trust in powerful humans or in our own strength, how can remembering Jesus’s love for us help us turn back to Him?

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Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. Psalm 146:3-5 (NIV)

My twelfth-grade English teacher taught me to love Haiku, a form of poetry that originated in Japan. These short, three-line poems are traditionally drawn from nature, and they’re only seventeen syllables long. He described Haiku as transforming a visual image into a “word snapshot.” For example, after reading Psalm 42, I wrote this Haiku poem:

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"Beneath the fearsome

waves I wait, breathless and still…

then, Your light breaks through."

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In Scripture, I think there are snapshot glimpses into God’s nature. For example, the writers of Psalm 42 feel forgotten and earnestly voice their complaint to God, yet they console themselves with images of God’s faithful love: “I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your…surging tides sweep over me. But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs…” (verse 7-8).

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Other passages show us vibrant images of God’s love, like Zephaniah 3:17, where God declares He will “take delight in you with gladness…[and] rejoice over you with joyful songs.” And Isaiah describes God delighting in His people “as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride” (Isaiah 62:5)—anticipating the heavenly celebration of the wedding feast of the Lamb, when all God’s people will rejoice with Him at Jesus’s return (Revelation 19:6-9).

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Now those are images to treasure! God rejoicing—and all heaven celebrating— with such joy that Revelation says the sound will be like “the shout of a vast crowd… or the crash of loud thunder” (19:6) all because of our wonderful Lord Jesus, who cherishes us—His bride. Just as Haiku captures the sensation of a moment, these Scriptures capture the beauty of God delighting in those He loves! Are we worth all that? Jesus says “Yes!” He gave His life because of such delight, such love for us. As Hebrews 12:2 puts it, “Because of the joy awaiting him…[Jesus] endured the cross.” How amazing to know we are part of the joy Jesus anticipated, even as He gave His life, longing to greet us at the great wedding feast to come. • G. Kam Congleton

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• Which of today’s Scripture passages is your favorite? Consider taking a moment to read this passage again and ponder the fact that God is passionate about us—He truly delights in us!

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• Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can look forward with joy to the day we will be raised from the dead, as Jesus was, and see Him face to face! If you want to know more, see see our "Know Jesus" page.

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“He will take delight in you with gladness.” Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT)

Why are you reading this devotional? I remember being told that if I didn’t do my devotions I would have a bad day. “So, if you want a good day, do your devotions.” I gotta be honest; there were many days I didn’t do my devotions and that day was just fine. There were other days when I did my devotions and the day was terrible.

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Should we be taking time to interact with God’s Word every day? Absolutely. But if our motivation is to have a better day, we’re going to be disappointed. I’ve met Christians who do “Christian stuff” because they think that then God will do what they want. This way of thinking is sometimes called the Health and Wealth Gospel or the Prosperity Gospel. Here’s a very simple example of this kind of logic: "Obey God so your knee feels better and you get richer."

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But this is not the true gospel. The word "gospel" means good news, and the idea that we could get God to do what we want when we do religious activities—and that He won’t help us if we don’t do those activities—would not be good news. After all, we could never do enough to earn His favor. The true gospel is all about God rescuing His people even though we don’t deserve it. God came to live among us—stubborn, rebellious people that we are—because He loves us. Jesus died on the cross for us and rose from the grave so that everyone who puts their trust in Him can be in relationship with God. And this relationship is what will truly satisfy us… no amount of health or wealth could ever do that.

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When we read or listen to the Bible, we have an opportunity to interact with the God of the universe who loves us more than we could ever understand. The reason God calls us to be in His Word is because He wants us to know Him. Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). We can be free to follow Jesus, instead of chasing after health and wealth, because we know that God cares about all our needs and He provides for His people.

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Jesus invites us to live a life of purpose with Him, but He doesn’t guarantee health or wealth. When we obey God’s Word, some things may go better for us and we might avoid certain kinds of troubles. But we might also experience trouble because we are obeying God—after all, many people in the Bible were imprisoned or killed for following Jesus. So if we’re trying to do devotions to get stuff, that’s not going to work out. Besides, all the stuff we could gather in this life can only last as long as we do! But trusting in Jesus—and having a new identity as His forgiven people—is better than anything, and our relationship with Him will last forever. • Jeff Weddle

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• Why do you think God invites us to spend time with Him through reading or listening to His Word, the Bible?

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• God wants us to ask Him for healing and for the material things we need or want. Sometimes His answer is “yes,” sometimes “no,” and sometimes “not yet,” but we can trust that He cares for us and He is always working for our good (Romans 8:28). Consider taking a moment to ask God for whatever you need or want today.

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• How is asking God for what we need or want different from trying to appease God so He will reward us with what we need or want? According to Hebrews 4:14-16, why can we “approach the throne of grace with boldness”?

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• Because of what Jesus has done, we get to look forward to the day Jesus will return and restore His creation—then everyone who has put their trust in Him will have new bodies that never get sick or injured, and we will have an abundance of everything we could ever desire! But until that day, we will all experience pain and lack. Yet God is with us, inviting us to rely on Him and receive the peace and endurance we need (Philippians 4:7, 12-13). When we experience pain and lack, how could it be comforting to look forward to our eternal future with Jesus?

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• God calls us to be part of the good work of His kingdom, and He empowers us to share His love through caring for people He has made, as well as the rest of His creation. So, even as we look forward to Jesus’s return, how might it be encouraging to know that we have purposeful work to do with Him here and now?

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Jesus replied, “This is the work of God—that you believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:29 (CSB)

So… where is He?

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It’s been 2,000 years since Jesus ascended into heaven, promising to return the same way He ascended and to set the world to rights. The church has grown since then, spreading all across the globe, but there has been no sign of Christ.

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Some say He isn’t coming back, that we misunderstood. “The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom,” they say, “living inside our hearts. When we die, our souls will be with God, but He isn’t coming back into this world.”

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The early Christians struggled to believe that Christ would return and bring heaven to earth. The resurrection of the body was hard to accept, and the “spiritual kingdom” solution seemed like an easy way out. Today many feel the same way.

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But the truth can be found in the words of Peter. In his second epistle (or letter) to the church, he denounces those who scoff at the bodily return of Jesus. He points out that the God who created the world will certainly come again to make it new. Peter even tells us why Jesus is taking so long. He wants more people to turn to Him! After all, if He had returned sooner, how could we be part of His kingdom?

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So, as Christians we can wait with hope and anticipation, knowing that Christ will truly return bodily to earth. Then He will raise our dead bodies from the grave, and we will live with Him in the new heavens and new earth. And He will reign forever. • Kevin Zeller

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• Do you ever wonder why Christ has waited so long to come back? How does 2 Peter address this concern?

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• Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave just as He said He would, we can have confidence that He is going to return bodily to earth and restore His creation, and in the meantime He is present with us through His Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). What questions do you have about Jesus’s return? Who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to about these questions?

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The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)

Hebrews 12:1-2 holds some of my favorite words in the Bible: “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

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I’ve always loved this idea of fixing our eyes on Jesus. But in our everyday lives, we probably don’t think too much about where we direct our focus. Maybe we should start paying more attention. Because where we fix our eyes changes our entire perspective.

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When we go through our lives without thinking about where we’re setting our sights, we’ll spend most of our time looking at what’s right in front of us. We might orient ourselves around our work, our commitments, our adventures, our friends, our families... and those aren’t bad things—in fact, they’re good gifts from God. But they can’t ultimately give our lives purpose or fulfillment. All created things will eventually let us down.

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What changes when we fix our eyes intentionally on Jesus? Hebrews 12:2-3 goes on to say, “For the joy set before him he [Jesus] endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

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When we fix our eyes on Jesus, we remember how He was willing to die on the cross for us. And when we remember the sacrifice He made and all He endured,we’ll be less likely to lose heart in our day-to-day lives. Because Jesus knew that His suffering, even His death, was not the end. He knew the joy that was coming. After three days in a tomb, Jesus rose from the grave, and now everyone who puts their trust in Him gets to live with Him forever! As we wait for Jesus to return and make all things new, we can persevere because of the life God has given us in Jesus—and because of the joy set before us as His children.

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So, let’s be intentional about where we look. Let’s watch how God is working. And when it gets hard to keep going, let us look to Jesus and say: “Our eyes are on you.” • Becca Wierwille

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• In your everyday life, what are your eyes naturally drawn to?

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• What do you think it means to fix our eyes on Jesus? How could this help us persevere?

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• Consider taking a moment to talk to Jesus now, thanking Him for enduring the cross for you and telling Him about the things in your life that matter to you, knowing they matter to Him too.

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And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1b-2a (NIV)

Why do we worry when we know that God loves us? Why do we let our hearts become troubled when we know that Jesus warns us against that very thing? I wish I could say I never have a troubled heart. I wish I could say I easily and naturally surrender my worries to God. But I do worry—many of us do. Why do we deal with worry, fear, and other struggles? Shouldn’t we be able to leave these behind when we follow Jesus?

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The reality is, we still live in a broken world. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The good news is that Jesus is with us, even in the midst of struggles, and He wants to help us. I wonder what would happen if we got into the habit of seeking the Lord at the very first sign of a troubled heart.

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In Psalm 34:1, David writes, “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.” Always. We can choose to praise God always, in the good times and the bad, in our moments of joy and in our moments of worry. We are designed to live and breathe in worship to our Creator. Worship is a safe place to go when we feel worried.

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A few verses later, David goes on to say, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4). It’s interesting that David doesn’t say he never had fears. But when he was experiencing worry, he sought the Lord, and he was delivered. Not delivered from the danger, necessarily—but delivered from the fear.

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Like David, we can rush to God as soon as we start to feel worried or afraid. We can go to our knees in prayer whenever our hearts feel troubled. We can praise God at all times. As we remember who He is and how much He loves us, we often find that our worries can’t cling as tightly. And we can rest in the sure hope that Jesus Christ died and rose again so that we might live fearlessly. He is going to return one day and fix our broken world, taking away things like worry and fear forever. And even now, Jesus is in the business of healing troubled hearts. • Becca Wierwille

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• When do you tend to feel worried or afraid? Why do you think God invites us to worship Him at all times, especially when our hearts are troubled?

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• If you find yourself struggling with worries or fears that won’t go away, you’re not alone. The Lord has compassion on you, and He wants to help you. Who are trusted people in your life you could talk to about what you’re experiencing, such as pastors, parents, or counselors?

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“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me [Jesus].” John 14:1 (NIV)

Maybe you know someone who claimed to love God but hurt you or someone you care about. Maybe you watched in the news as a pastor got arrested for hurting someone or pulling off some big scheme. Maybe you know people who make Christians look really bad.

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Humans are fallen and sinful, and we don’t always represent God well. And when we see people who claim to know God acting in sinful ways, this can cause us to get some false ideas about what God is like. But one of the best ways to avoid getting a warped image of God from those who misrepresent Him is to really know who God is and what He is all about.

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When we learn from the Bible about how much God loves, we can see that those who are unloving are not following God’s way (1 John 4:7-8). When we learn how God is honest and good and righteous, we can spot those who are misrepresenting Him when we see their lies and greed and selfishness (Exodus 34:6). Scripture tells us how wonderful God is.

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While we can never fully understand everything about God, we see who God is in Jesus, God in flesh. God is most fully revealed in Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. To know the God we worship, we look to the cross. His self-sacrificial love is central to His character, and if someone isn’t displaying that love, they aren’t representing God well.

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We all fall short of representing who God is. But we don’t have to let that failure control how we think of God. No matter how deeply someone who claims to be a Christian has failed, God is different. God is holy and good and right. God loves you, and He is with you. And He will never change. • Emily Acker

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• What are some of the ways you’ve seen God misrepresented? Where can we find truth about who God really is?

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• While all of us fall short of representing God in one way or another, who are some people in your life who represent Him and His love very well? If you can’t think of anyone, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.

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This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5 (NIV)

"I just keep sinning even though I know Jesus—I’ll never get it!"

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Have you ever been frustrated with yourself for sinning? Have you felt like you should be able to get it right, but you just can’t? Lots of us feel this way. Here’s the good news: as Christians, we don’t have to “get” anything. Jesus already did. He got everything right—He never sinned. He is the only One, and He died for our sins so that we could be totally cleansed from sin. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we will continue to struggle with sin—but our sins cannot define us anymore. Because we are in Christ Jesus, we are forever forgiven. God sees us as His blameless children, and He has compassion on us when we stumble.

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It may be helpful at this point to think of a toddler who is just learning to walk. At first, they fall all the time. Actually, at first they can’t even stand! But when they lose their balance and fall flat on the ground, everyone who loves them will run to help and cheer them on toward their first step... and the many more steps that will follow. It’s a one-step-at-a-time process that we have to go through in order to learn how to walk.

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Knowing Jesus is a walk too—one where we fall down a lot. But He’ll always forgive us and help us get back up. None of us will be able to walk perfectly, at least, not until we see Him face-to-face someday. But, little by little, He’s helping us learn to say no to sin and walk more closely with Him.

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So we walk forward in hope, knowing that Jesus is walking right beside us, helping us grow to become more and more like Him. We can trust Him, one step at a time, looking forward to the day when He’ll finish the work He’s started in all of us, and our struggle with sin will finally be over. • A. W. Smith

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• Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He’ll always be at our side, ready to forgive us and help us up when we fall. Consider taking a moment to talk to Jesus about any sins that come to mind, confessing them and thanking Him for His forgiveness. _______________________________________________________

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When you’re struggling with sin, who are trusted Christians in your life you can be honest with? How could you support each other through prayer, encouragement, and reminding each other of God’s great love, unending forgiveness, and steady power inside us through His Spirit? ______________________________________

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Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

Do you ever wonder what you were like when you were a baby? In addition to photos stored on computers, phones, and in albums, some families keep a remembrance book where they keep special details about their children, along with mementos from their growing-up years. A footprint from when they were a month old. A piece of their first baby blanket. A note of when they first walked and talked. The list goes on.

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In a way, God has a book of remembrance too. When we put our trust in Jesus, we become a member of God’s family. And God, our good Father, remembers all His children by name. Because when we put our trust in Jesus, He writes each of our names in His book and deletes the record of our wrongdoing—all our sins are forgiven. As Christians, we are totally blameless in God’s sight (Ephesians 1:4).

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Of course, sin does have consequences, and when we do something wrong, Jesus calls us to admit we’ve sinned and repent by turning away from sin and turning toward Him. But that sin will never show up in God’s remembrance book because Jesus took all our sins on Himself when He went to the cross. So instead of dwelling on our failures, He wants us to turn away from sin and rest in the work He has done for us by dying on the cross and rising from the dead to forgive us. We can joyfully walk with Jesus, knowing that we are God’s forgiven children. • A. W. Smith

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• As Christians, we can know that God doesn’t keep a record of our sins because Jesus has already paid the price for all our wrongdoing. When we’re tempted to dwell on our failures, we can run to Jesus. Whenever we do something wrong, we can confess it to Him. He promises to always forgive us—and give us strength to move forward in our walk with Him. Consider taking a moment to ask God to bring to mind any sins you could confess to Him. As you repent from these sins, picture how Jesus erased them from God’s book of remembrance forever.

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• When you sin, who are trusted Christians in your life who can remind you of God’s love and forgiveness? How could you also remind others of these truths?

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A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. Malachi 3:16b (NIV)

If I were there

Would I just stare

As they bound my Savior?

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If I lived during that time

Would I deny

That I ever knew Him?

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If I witnessed all they did to Him

Would I have offered to take it on me

The carrying of the cross?

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If I watched Him die

Would I have cried

And been too heartbroken to carry on?

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If I had heard Him say

He’d rise again in three days

Would I believe He’d do just that?

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If I saw the empty grave

And saw Him alive again

How would I have felt? • Bethany Acker

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• Have you ever imagined what it would have felt like to live during Jesus’s time on earth? As we hear the stories of people who interacted with Jesus face-to-face, how could it be helpful to imagine ourselves in these people’s places?

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• When Jesus told His followers that He would be put to death but then rise from the grave three days later, they didn’t understand. When Jesus was arrested, all His followers abandoned Him and ran away. Yet Jesus still died on the cross for them... and for us. He came to save us from sin and death, to make the way for us to become part of His family, because He loves us. How could it be comforting to know that none of us could earn what Jesus did for us? (Romans 5:6-11)

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• If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 26:47-56, Luke 22:54-62, and John 20:1-18.

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“And after they flog him, they will kill him, and he will rise on the third day.” Luke 18:33 (CSB)

I was out of ideas for where to look. Finally, I pulled out my journal, grabbed a pen, and wrote, “Lord, please help me find my grammar textbook.”

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About a week before, I’d misplaced a schoolbook. I had already been reprimanded about not having the textbook for English class and had borrowed a friend’s book once. I couldn’t keep that up indefinitely. What was I to do?

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I searched everywhere I could envision the book might be hiding—under my bed, in my locker, in our family’s minivan. I just couldn’t locate it. However, within a day or so of asking God to help me find it, the book appeared—right there on a shelf in the school’s band hall. Relieved, I thanked God for leading me to the missing book.

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But what if I hadn’t been able to locate it? What if I’d had to pay the school for the lost textbook? Would I still have thanked the Lord? Would I still have considered God to be good?

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Often, I notice statements from people on social media, sharing about some happy news in their lives and then declaring that God is good. But the Bible tells us God is always good, no matter our circumstances.

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When we trust in Jesus as the One who saves us from sin and promises to free us from death, we begin a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Through Jesus, God gives us the gift of becoming His child, and, as a perfect father, He is always good to His children.

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And when our situations cause us to question God’s goodness? Then we have a choice to make about how we view God’s heart and His actions. Since God loved us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die in our place, then raised Jesus from the grave, making the way for us to be with Him forever, we can trust Him to be good always, even when life is difficult. • Allison Wilson Lee

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• Have you noticed people saying “God is good” when things in their life seem to be going well? While it’s great to celebrate and thank God for what He has done, why is it also important for us to remember God’s goodness in the hard times?

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• How does the gospel (the good news about Jesus) reveal God’s unchanging goodness?

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• Whenever we’re struggling, God wants us to be honest with Him and ask for His help. Consider taking a moment to talk to God about any difficult circumstances you’re facing today, remembering that nothing can separate you from His love (Romans 8:38-39).

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For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (CSB)

Have you ever been overwhelmed by the beauty of the sky? Whether it’s the rolling clouds on a summer day, a golden sunset, or the twinkling stars at night, the skies above our heads are beautiful. Artists and painters try to imitate the beauty of the sky, but even their artwork isn’t as awesome as the real thing.

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God is a master Artist. He has made the world a beautiful place, and it all reflects His greatness. Today’s verses tell us that the heavens and the skies “declare” God’s glory. Not everyone will read the Bible, but everyone can see the sky. Even though we don’t often realize it, the sky is telling us about God. Without words, the sky tells us how great our God is. The heavens are a beautiful reflection of God’s creativity, power, and wisdom.

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How often do we actually look at the sky? It’s easy to get busy down here on earth, going to school, working, and just moving about our lives. But in these verses, God is calling us to look up—up to the skies, where we see His glory on display. Did you know...

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• Every second, the sun releases an amount of energy equal to 10 billion hydrogen bombs—that’s a lot of power! But our God is even more powerful than that (Colossians1:15-20).

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• Although clouds look like light, puffy pieces of cotton candy, they can contain millions of pounds of water. And just wait until it rains! Lightning and rainstorms—not to mention snow, hail, and everything in between—are awesome displays of God’s power (Psalm 135:7).

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• Every star that you can see in the sky is actually much bigger and brighter than our sun. They only look smaller because they are farther away from us than thesun is. Scientists think there are at least 100 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy alone. And yet God knows each one of them by name (Psalm 147:4).

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Today, consider taking a moment to look up at the sky. Ponder its beauty and majesty. Remember that the God who made the sky is the same God who made you and loves you. Our God is awesome! • Jacob Bier

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• What is your favorite kind of sky? Sunrise, sunset, starry, stormy, clear, cloudy with cumuli, strati, cirri...?

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• Why do you think God calls us to take time and space in our lives to behold His creation?

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The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 (NIV)

Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” This verse is beautiful and important, but what does it mean? How was Jesus made to “be sin for us”— especially since we know that Jesus never sinned (Hebrews 4:15)?

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It might help to consider an illustration. Imagine for a minute that you encountered a person who had a deadly disease. And what if, in this scenario, in order to really help this person, you had to get sick? What if you had the power to allow all their sickness to flow into your body, and let all your strength and health flow into theirs?

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Would you do that?

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Here’s the thing: that’s what Jesus did for us. When we were sick with sin, God became human to dwell among us (John 1:14). Jesus never sinned, but He was willing to take all our sin upon Himself and die on the cross to take our punishment. And that wasn’t all. After He died, Jesus defeated sin and death by rising again three days later.

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Now, everyone who puts their trust in Jesus has their sins forgiven because Jesus took our sins and gave us His righteousness. As Christians, we also have the promise and hope of living with Jesus forever: Jesus will return to make all things new, and then we will be totally free from sin and death (Revelation 21:1-5). What good news! Even though we’re all born with the sickness of sin, that’s not the end of the story. Jesus has come to make us well. • A. W. Smith

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• Have you ever thought about sin being like sickness? How could this illustration help us understand the gospel (the good news about Jesus) in a deeper way?

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• To learn more about what it means to be healed from the sickness of sin, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

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God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)

The ocean makes me nervous. I really don’t like movies where people are lost at sea—especially if they’re stuck on some sort of tiny raft and no one knows how to find them. How awful would that be? The sky, huge above you, could release a storm at any moment. The waves stretch out in every direction, with no end in sight. And you know the water goes down, down, down for miles, and there are thousands of creatures you can’t see or even imagine—some of which might like to eat you. Did I mention the ocean makes me nervous?

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But there’s a Bible passage, that I really like, that actually reminds me of the ocean. In Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, he says, “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19).

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When I think about trying to grasp how high and long and wide and deep God’s love is, I think about the ocean. God’s love reaches higher than the skies. It stretches farther than the farthest shore. It descends deeper than any ocean crevice. And it’s okay that we can’t fathom it. How could we? It’s so amazing. It’s so wonderful. God’s love is incredible—and His love is for us. He loves us with that unending, unimaginable, unfathomable love.

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How do we know for sure that God loves us this much? Because of Jesus. God came in human flesh and lived among us. He was willing to die a death He didn’tdeserve because it was the only way for our broken relationship with Him to be restored. Because even though our sin separated us from God, even though we rebelled against Him on purpose, even though humanity wanted nothing to do

with God, His love for us didn’t shrink back. He wanted to rescue us from our own selfishness. He came, He died...and He rose again, defeating sin and death once and for all. That’s the love that’s bigger than oceans. The love that reaches out to us, no matter how far we go. The love that comes for us, no matter how low we sink. The love that promises to raise us up in glory with our Lord, the Creator of the sky and the sea. • Hannah Howe

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• If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know we are surrounded by His incredible love (Psalm 32:10). Can you think of a time you felt sure that God loved you? If nothing comes to mind, you can ask God to reveal His love to you anytime—He delights in answering these prayers!

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...how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:18 (NIV)

As Ronan neared the end of his journey, he entered the Valley of the Shadow. It was so dark he could barely make out the path. The moon hid behind the clouds, casting weird shadows on the waving grass. Empty moans emanated from the trees that covered the cliffs and encroached on the valley’s winding path. Ronan’s heart thumped, and his knees felt weak. "Shadows can’t hurt anyone," he told himself. "Shadows can’t hurt anyone."

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“Ronan?” a voice called from the darkness. For a second, Ronan’s heart almost stopped, but then he recognized the familiar voice.

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“Teacher!” Ronan said, his voice shaking. “It’s so good to see You—or at least, it’s good to hear You. It’s so dark, I can hardly see anything.”

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“I know. I’ve been walking with you the whole time,” the Teacher said, His words surrounding Ronan like an embrace. “I will be with you as you walk through this darkest of valleys.”

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With the Teacher beside him, Ronan’s fears began to quiet. At times, he even felt like the shadows were friendly, and the sounds no longer made him quake. Even though Ronan couldn’t see Him, he could feel the Teacher’s presence. He knew that no matter what happened on his journey across the Valley of the Shadow, the Teacher would be with him. • A. W. Smith

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• This story is an allegory. In Psalm 23, David writes about “the valley of the shadow of death” (verse 4). Do you know someone who is dying? Do you ever feel afraid of dying yourself?

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• Read Matthew 28:20 and then Psalm 23. For a Christian, death is like a shadow. As Psalm 23 says, we don’t have to fear death because Jesus is with us. He is the Teacher and the Good Shepherd (Matthew 23:8; John 10:11). He has already faced death for us—and He defeated death by rising from the grave. If you know Jesus, you will be raised from the dead too. In fact, the last verse of Psalm 23 tells us what will happen to those who trust in Jesus: we will dwell with God forever. We will spend eternity with Jesus and with our siblings in Christ! How could these truths comfort us when we feel that death is near?

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• If you have questions about what it means to know Jesus, who is a trusted Christian you could talk to? (You can also find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

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Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Psalm 23:4a (WEB)

Life can be so hard sometimes. Maybe you’re facing a challenging situation at school, or your parents are getting a divorce, or you got a scary medical diagnosis.

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In our world that’s broken by sin, we can quickly get discouraged because of all the messed-up stuff we face. But the good news is, as Christians, we have hope: Whatever we’re facing, Jesus is always with us. Nothing can separate us from His love. Nothing can get in the way of Him accomplishing His good purposes. Nothing can shake His promise to be present with us and to make all things new one day (Matthew 28:20; Romans 8; Revelation 21:1-5).

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In short, we can take comfort in the fact that God loves us, and He cares for us like a mother bird cares for her chicks. Now, comparing God to a mother bird may seem odd when we think about how awesome and infinitely powerful God is, but in the Bible He really does compare Himself to a mother bird—more than once.

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Throughout the Psalms, God invites us to take refuge in the shadow of His wings.* And when Jesus was approaching His death, He said that He longs to gather us like a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings (Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34-33).

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The reason we can draw near to God and dwell with Him is because of what Jesus has done. Our sin separated us from God, but God loves us so much that He came to live among us. Because He died and rose from the grave for us, paying the price for our sins, we can be in restored relationship with Him.

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Therefore, as Christians we can take refuge in the shadow of God’s wings, bringing Him our worries about whatever we’re experiencing and resting in His promise to use everything for His good purposes—even the things that don’t go the way we hoped they would. We can trust Him to take care of us, including guiding us in reaching out to trusted people around us for support. Like a mother bird cares for her chicks, God will provide everything we need. • A. W. Smith

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• Why do you think God compares Himself to a mother bird in the Bible? What do you like or dislike about this mental picture? (*Psalms 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 61:4; 63:7; 91:4)

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• What kinds of hard things have you been facing lately? Consider taking a moment to talk with Jesus about these things.

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How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36:7 (NIV)

Recently, as I was sitting on the porch enjoying the sunshine, I watched my dad start walking down the driveway. I instantly thought of running to catch up with him and join him as he walked. When I walk with my dad, I get to spend time talking with him and just enjoying his presence.

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In that moment, a thought hit me—this is what a believer’s relationship with God is like! Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we get to walk with our heavenly Father on the journey of life. I find it so beautiful that having a close relationship with God is described as walking with God (Genesis 5:21-24; Hebrews 11:5-6). But when Adam and Eve sinned, they hid from God as He came walking in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8). Sin destroyed the beautiful walk with God we were created to have. But, because of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, God has made the way for us to be adopted as His children (Romans 8:15-16). Our opportunity to walk with God has been restored!

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This simple picture is powerful—we don’t walk alone. Our God walks with us! We can talk to Him about anything at any time. Like little kids, we can grab God’s hand for comfort when things get tough. I am so grateful for the fellowship and special moments I get to spend with my earthly father when I walk with him. And I am more grateful still that he has taught me what it means to walk with my heavenly Father—I know I’ll never have to walk alone. • Lily Walsh

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• Have you ever imagined God walking with us like a father walks with his child? What do you like or dislike about the idea of God walking with us?

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• When Jesus returns, all His people will get to be with God face-to-face and walk with Him in renewed creation (Revelation 21:1-5). How can looking forward to Jesus’s return help us understand the kind of relationship God wants to have with us now?

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• Are there any dads or father figures in your life who’ve shown God’s love to you? Consider taking a moment to thank God for them, and maybe thank the person/people too!

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He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 (NIV)

One thing I’ve learned is that the people who are in our lives at one point in time may not be around later on. As we go through life, we lose some of the people who mean the most to us. We also meet new people and let them into our lives. Sometimes, we bond with friends or family members or mentors who eventually leave our lives or even abandon us. Other times our loved ones pass away, and our hearts are left aching as we long to be with them again.

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The relationships we have are constantly changing, and we’re going to lose some of the people who mean a lot to us. But, as Christians, the relationship we have with God will remain. Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave for us, everyone who has put their trust in Jesus is God’s child and His friend, forever. We will never be abandoned by God. He is never going to pass away. We will have God’s presence with us no matter what we go through (Matthew 1:23).

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I know what it’s like to be close to someone and then have that relationship destroyed, and I know what it’s like to lose family members. Through everything I’ve faced, God has only drawn closer to me, not fallen further away. He has been my constant. He will be the constant in your life too, even through all the changes you experience in your human relationships. • Emily Acker

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• Has there ever been a relationship in your life that you thought would last forever but eventually fell apart? Have you ever had someone close to you pass away? Consider taking a moment to bring these hurts to Jesus.

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• God sees all our hurts, and He cares. In His great compassion, He comforts us in every loss and grieves alongside us through every heartache. And when Jesus returns, all God’s people will live in perfect harmony with Him and with each other, and our hearts will never be broken again (Revelation 21:1-5). How could these truths give us hope when we experience the loss of a human relationship?

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“And surely I [Jesus] am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b (NIV)

When Jesus comes back, He’s going to make all sin go away. But you might ask, “How is He going to do that exactly? If doing wrong things is the problem and Jesus fixes it, what if someone sins again after that? I mean, I still sin even though I’m a Christian.”

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If you’ve ever thought about these questions, you’re not alone. All Christians do things that are wrong. We’ll struggle with sin as long as we’re still living in a sinful world, but even so, we can live knowing that Jesus has saved us and He has promised us something better.

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But how can we be sure that God will complete the work He started in us? Funny as it might sound, wedding dresses can actually help us understand this. The Bible uses the image of wedding outfits to show how God saves us from sin by clothing those who trust Jesus as their Savior with His righteousness, or sinlessness. That means even though we still do wrong things, God sees us as righteous because Jesus already lived a sinless life and died on the cross for our sins.

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This idea of wedding clothing also points to God’s promise that one day, when Jesus returns and makes everything new, He’ll give us new bodies so we’ll never sin again! Kind of like how, on the day of the wedding, a bride puts on her wedding dress in the morning, even before the vows have been said. The wedding dress signals that something is about to happen that will change her life forever.

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In a similar way, as we wait for Jesus to return, we are dressed in our spiritual wedding clothes of righteousness. We can go to Him whenever we do something wrong and confess it, knowing He’ll forgive us because we’re already wearing His righteousness. He has already paid the price for our sins by sacrificing His own life for us on the cross. He loves us that much. So together, as people who are dressed in perfect righteousness, let’s look forward to Jesus’s return. On that day, all of creation will celebrate! • Kandi Zeller

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• When you sin, do you sometimes worry that you’re not saved or that Jesus will stop loving you? If you know Jesus, you don’t have to worry because He has clothed you in His righteousness. He promises to forgive you when you do something wrong, and one day, when He returns, He’ll make you completely new so you’ll never sin again! Who are trusted Christians who could remind you of these truths when you sin? How could you remind others of Jesus’s love when they sin?

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For he [God] has... draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10 (NLT)

Have you ever been to a wedding, and when the ceremony was over and it was time for the reception, you had to wait a long time to eat? At the weddings I’ve been to, it’s often the custom to wait to serve the reception meal until the bride and groom arrive, and this can mean a long wait for guests because the bride and groom usually have to take pictures between the ceremony and the reception.

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Sometimes, all you can do is keep your hunger at bay with mints, reminding yourself that better food is coming even as your stomach growls loudly! This wedding waiting—complete with a groaning stomach—always reminds me of Romans 8:22, which mentions that creation is “groaning” until Jesus comes back. This verse is referring to how the whole world is waiting for Jesus to return.

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But how is creation groaning? It’s not like we hear trees crying when we go for a hike. While it’s true that we don’t typically hear creation groaning, we do see lots of things in the world that cause us to groan or cry—things like pain, death, and brokenness. Those things exist because of sin. Sin destroys everything it touches because it goes against the loving and good Creator.

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So, similarly to when we wait for the bride and groom to come back so we can eat and satisfy our hunger at a wedding reception, we’re waiting for Jesus to come back too. Until He does, we still have to deal with the effects of sin, so things are broken and hard—kind of like the often-questionable mints served at wedding receptions.

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But when Jesus returns, He’ll get rid of all the sin in the world and make everything new. One day all of creation will be made as wonderful as the delicious wedding food our stomachs groan for. The Bible says that when Jesus returns to earth, all Christians will join Him at a great feast called the wedding feast of the Lamb, because one of Jesus’s names is “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29). We can rejoice as we look forward to the day we will celebrate together at the wedding feast of our Lord (Revelation 19:7). • Kandi Zeller

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• When Jesus returns, He’ll right every wrong and get rid of sin and all its effects. He’ll make everything new, and those who trust in Him will receive new bodies and live with Him forever in a world free from sin and death! What makes you groan as you wait for this day? What are you looking forward to most about Jesus’s return?

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• We know that all creation has been groaning... for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. Romans 8:22-23 (NLT)

I was born into a family of Chinese-Singaporeans who immigrated to the United States. Throughout my life, I was exposed to different cultures and customs. My parents wanted me to know my heritage, while at school I was taught values that were more American. For example, in Chinese culture, it’s considered rude to open a gift in front of the giver, while in American culture, this is done quite often. Sometimes, I wasn’t sure how to act or how to perceive things. I didn’t know what my ultimate identity was. Should I follow the Eastern or Western way of doing things?

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When I came to know Jesus, I learned that He accepts anybody as His child no matter what background they are from. There are Christians around the world speaking different languages, yet in the end, they are all children of God. So, while I can step into both familiar and unfamiliar cultures, I identify first and foremost as a Christian. I don’t have to decide between human-made cultures and borders because I know that, in the end, I am a child of God.

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Paul writes in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Therefore, I realized that the ethics that matter most are the ones our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ taught. Jesus’s teachings are how I live my life today. If you are struggling with your identity right now, know that Jesus sees you, and He wants to help you. You can trust in the Lord Jesus and know that your identity will forever be with Him. • Isaac Ong

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• As Christians, our identity is secure in Jesus. What can today’s Bible passages tell us about who we are in Him? Why could it be helpful to take time to remember what God says about us?

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• Think about the customs you were taught by your school, guardians, and others. While it can be difficult to navigate different customs, as Christians, we get to follow Jesus first and foremost. God created diversity, so we can appreciate and enjoy our beautiful differences. Through His Word, His Spirit, and His people, He helps us discern how to interact with those around us. In differing cultural situations, such as the way we exchange gifts, neither option is sinful. And Jesus’s ministry models how we should serve the people around us, being considerate of others’ needs, traditions, and cultural contexts (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you discern how to follow Jesus in your own particular context?

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So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. Galatians 3:26 (NIV)

Here I am, Lord

Falling into the darkness

Waiting for someone to hear my cry

Here I am, wandering and broken

Dealing with the pains of my past

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I want to see a comeback

I want to feel Your song

My soul needs to hear a note of hope

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Here I am, calling to the Light

Feeling Your life reaching

To my broken and healing soul

Fighting for a fresh, new start

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Just because I’m broken

Doesn’t mean I can’t be fixed

My past is gone

There’s a brand new future

I know there’s hope

Darkness can’t stay

You’ve given me this brand new day • Corinna Kahrs

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• Have you ever felt like you were stuck in darkness, longing for a new day to start? Even in those dark places, Jesus—the Light of the world—is walking with you. He loves you, and someday He will return and His light will fill the whole earth, destroying darkness forever. How could these truths bring us hope and comfort in difficult times?

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• Jesus doesn’t want us to walk through difficulty alone. When you are going through a hard time, who can you talk to, such as parents, youth leaders, pastors, counselors, or friends?

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For you rescued me from death, even my feet from stumbling, to walk before God in the light of life. Psalm 56:13 (CSB)

Several years ago, I came down with the flu. Throughout the day I could feel all the classic symptoms coming on—fever, body aches, headache, cough—but I sure didn’t want to believe it. I commanded my body, “Thou shalt not be sick!” And after work I decided to climb a mountain (a small one) to sweat that sickness right out of my system. I forced my body up the trail with a heavy backpack and even ankle weights strapped on. Sweat poured off me, my head pounded, and I finally collapsed against a boulder with my vision swimming. I could not make it to the top of that mountain, and I could not pretend that I wasn’t sick. Somehow, by God’s grace, I made it back down to the trailhead and drove home, where I staggered into bed and promptly fell asleep. I wasn’t fit to go out again for a week!

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This experience reminds me of the apostle Paul in the Bible. The harder Paul tried to prove he was a good and worthy person by keeping the strict religious laws, the more obvious his failures became. His insecurity and jealousy grew, turning into judgment and even murder of others. But when he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul realized that all his pretending would never make him perfect in the eyes of God. He was “sick” with sin, just like everyone else, and he couldn’t cure himself. To be well, he needed to receive the grace of Jesus.

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When we see our own shortcomings, we might be tempted to try to power through and make ourselves better. But our failures are symptoms of the underlying problem, which is disconnection from God. Jesus came to reconnect us by dying on the cross and rising from the grave. Instead of trying to make ourselves worthy of God’s love, we can rest in the truth that He already loves us, and through Jesus He made the way for us to be healed from our sin sickness. When Jesus returns and makes all things new, we won’t struggle with sin anymore. In the meantime, He has given Christians His Holy Spirit, who helps us recognize sin, turn away from it, and rely on His grace to live according to God’s good ways. And even when we fail, we can know that Jesus has already forgiven us and made us blameless in God’s sight (Colossians 1:22). • Andrew and Lydia Huntress

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• Have you ever tried to pretend you were okay when you really weren’t? How might it be freeing to rest in what Jesus has done for us, instead of striving to make ourselves perfect?

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“Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do... I [Jesus] have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Matthew 9:12-13 (NLT)

How often do you think about words? Words are tools for describing reality, and sometimes, the reality is so deep and important, whole books of words hardly scratch the surface of the idea’s fullness. In that case, we sometimes try to come up with a single word to wrap all the parts of an idea in a tidy package.

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One of these big words is "atonement." This one word holds the fullness of God’s plan for your own life—and everything else in all creation. Every time we come across the word atonement, we get to remember the good news about Jesus. Something should fire in our minds about the deeper meaning of this word, our eyes open to a world where Jesus is the atonement.

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The English word "atone" comes from the two words: "at one." So, in my opinion, it shouldn’t be pronounced “ah-tone-ment.” Instead, we should say “at-one-ment” because atonement is reconciliation with God and being “at one” with Him. It reminds us of how Jesus’s death and resurrection turn back the clock on the fall of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3), inviting us to re-enter Eden in perfect fellowship with God. Jesus’s work of atonement completely reverses our rebellion against God’s love, majesty, and authority. His Holy Spirit moves us to agree with Him so we, too, desire that His will be done on earth and in our own lives. Through this one-ness with Him, He compels us to turn away from sin and toward loving relationship with Him.

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And this one-ness doesn’t just apply to our individual relationships with God—it applies to all of creation. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, God has made the way for heaven and earth to be one, as they were in the Garden of Eden. At Jesus’s return, all will be made new. We can celebrate that in Him is found all glory and honor and power forever (Revelation 7:12).

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There are many pages and books devoted to the full significance of Jesus’s atoning sacrifice on the cross, but if you can remember this one little pronunciation tip, you can remember instantly that through Jesus, we can be AT ONE with God—and that is the heart of atonement. • Andrew and Lydia Huntress

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• God is the source of all goodness and life, which is why being “at one” with Him is the best place to be. And through Jesus’s death and resurrection, we can live in this one-ness without having to earn or achieve it— Jesus already did the work. How could resting in this truth affect the way we interact with God and others?

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He [Jesus Christ] himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. 1 John 1:2 (NLT)

I watched as a droplet of shimmery liquid slipped to the floor. Regrettably, I realized too late that I shouldn’t have painted my nails while sitting on the carpet. What would my landlord say about this mistake? The carpet had looked new when I moved into the apartment. Would he charge me extra for marring the property?

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I tried to blot the nail polish with a tissue but then made a happy discovery. The pattern of grays, tans, and browns in the carpet seemed to welcome the cinnamon-brown polish. That one little drop fit right in, and, once it dried, it was impossible to notice the stain—for anybody except me, of course. The carpet had hidden my blunder.

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It’s natural to want to hide the evidence of our failings, especially if we fear punishment. But if we’ve trusted in Jesus Christ, He doesn’t just cover our sin... He completely removes the punishment of our sin and its power over us (Psalm 103:12). So now, we can live differently. We don’t have to be afraid of God’s punishment, so we don’t have to hide our failings. Once we put our faith in Jesus, who died to pay the penalty for our sins, we begin a relationship with God. So, how should we interact with our loving Father when we do wrong in His eyes?

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God calls us to admit our sins to Him, to acknowledge them and not conceal them. While we might be able to hide our failures from other people, at least for a while, it’s impossible to hide things from God. He does know everything, after all. When we approach God honestly, we can experience freedom: the freedom of knowing how loved and accepted we are in Jesus (Hebrews 4:14-16). Our secure identity as God’s children means we can be real with Him about our faults and flaws, and we never need to hide. • Allison Wilson Lee

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• Because of Jesus, we don’t have to hide any of our failures, whether they be mistakes (like spilling nail polish on carpet) or sins (anything we do, think, or say that goes against God’s good ways, see Matthew 22:36-40). Are there any sins you feel tempted to cover up? Consider taking a moment now to confess these sins to God, thanking Him for His forgiveness through Jesus.

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People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. Proverbs 28:13 (NLT)

Have you ever visited a bulk food store for groceries? More and more of these environmentally-conscious shops are popping up as a way to help reduce waste and save money. There are lots of items you can buy in bulk from big bins and dispensers, instead of buying these same items in small, disposable packages. In many cases, when people go to a bulk food store they bring their own glass jars or other reusable containers so they can get exactly how much they need and no more.

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The other advantage of these kinds of shops? They also make grocery shopping really beautiful. Rows of big bins full of rice, beans, and pasta. Colorful crates overflowing with fruits and veggies. Walls lined with dispensers filled with golden honey, crunchy cereals, and dried fruit. Shelves with dispensers of things you can’t eat but still need—like liquid shampoo and dish soap. And finally, a cart full of glass jars as colorful as the store.

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Whenever I go bulk shopping, I’m reminded of 2 Corinthians 4. In this Bible passage, Christians are compared to jars. Like a jar, none of us are complete unlesswe’re filled. On our own, we’re empty. We don’t love God and others, and we’re not able to save ourselves from sin and its consequences (Matthew 22:36-40; Romans 3:23-24; 6:23). For us to be complete, we need Jesus to fill us. Jesus is the only One who can save us from sin and death, and there’s nothing we can do on our own to fill ourselves with His love and salvation. It’s a free gift.

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So, whenever I look at the jars I buy at a bulk store, I can see all the good things they’ve been filled with, and I remember all the ways Jesus has filled us with His goodness and love by the power of the Holy Spirit. • Kandi Zeller

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• Read 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 and John 8:12. Even though we are “like fragile clay jars” (2 Corinthians 4:7), as Christians, how can it be comforting to know that Jesus is at work in us?

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• When we put our trust in Jesus, He fills us with His goodness. We couldn’t do anything to earn the free gift of His love and salvation—that’s why He died and rose again so that we could be rescued from sin and death. His Holy Spirit lives in Christians, guaranteeing we will live forever with Jesus (Ephesians 1:14). According to 1 Timothy 1:14, what are some of the ways God fills us with His goodness? (If you want to dig deeper, read Romans 5:5-11 and Galatians 5:22-23.)

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We ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 2 Corinthians 4:7b (NLT)

Have you ever had an ache or pain that wouldn’t go away? It can be utterly exhausting—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

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I experienced this when I was pregnant with my son. Especially in the last few months of pregnancy, my belly was HUGE. It was so big that people wouldn’t believe me when I told them I still had a couple months until my due date, and they would often ask if I was having twins. When my son was born weighing just shy of ten pounds, nobody was surprised.

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Those last few months of pregnancy were miserable. Pain constantly shot through my back and legs from supporting the weight of my gigantic belly. No matter how I stood or sat or laid down, I was always uncomfortable. And I was tired of it.

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One day, in the midst of this pain and exhaustion, my husband and I went on a mini-getaway and decided to go swimming in the pool. The water was cold, but I gave it a try anyway.

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And as I slowly stepped down into the pool, I felt relief seep through my body for the first time in months. The water lifted the weight of my belly, and the pressure on my back eased. I took a step, and no pain ran through my leg. Standing in the cold water, I nearly cried with relief.

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For about an hour, I paced back and forth in that small pool, the weight of my belly finally lifted. And I felt Jesus walking alongside me, carrying my burden of pain and exhaustion. I felt His arms around me, holding the weight I had been carrying for so long. He reminded me that I can trust Him with any burden. He knew my pain (in fact, I had told Him about it several times over the past few months, often quite loudly). And He wanted me to give Him my burdens.

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I’ve known for a long time that I can give my burdens to Jesus. But when I walked in the pool, I felt that truth in my very body. He was with me in my pain, offering hope and comfort and strength. I needed to be reminded of that, and Jesus graciously met my need.

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No matter what burden you are carrying, He is with you. He died and rose again to be with you. And He is strong enough to carry the heaviest of burdens. • Taylor Eising

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• What burdens are you carrying right now? Consider taking a moment to give these to Jesus in prayer. You can ask Him to remind you of the strength, hope, and comfort you have in Him.

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All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3 (NLT)

Have you ever wondered how to go about sharing your faith with friends and family? It can be scary and a bit confusing, but God is

ready to help us.

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Sharing Jesus with others involves more than talking. It involves the ways our whole lives—both our words and our actions—show the good news of Jesus. In very practical terms, it’s important that while we share our faith we don’t try to change people. Instead, we let our actions show them how Jesus is changing us. As we do this, we can rest in God’s love. Our lives can impact those around us, not because we make anything happen inside them, but because God is the One doing the work in each of us (1 Corinthians 3:6-8).

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Sharing our faith isn’t about being perfect either. In fact, because we still have our sinful natures until Jesus returns, we will absolutely mess up—in both what we say and what we do. But the good news is, when we fail to love God and others well, all we need to do is talk to Jesus, apologize to those we’ve hurt, and rely on Jesus to help us turn away from sinful behavior. We can move forward in faith because we know that our sins are forgiven through Jesus’s death and resurrection.

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So today, sharing our faith starts with resting in God’s love for us. As we lean into relationship with Jesus, we grow to become more and more like Him... more kind, more compassionate, more trustworthy. And this is a lifelong process. So, when we share God’s love with others, it’s because God loved us first (1 John 4:19). We get to invite people to know the One who loves them unconditionally and wants to have a close relationship with them forever. • A. W. Smith

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• Who would you like to share your faith with? Consider taking a moment to pray for them and ask God: "What might a conversation about faith look like with this particular person? How could my actions communicate Your love to them?" Then, write down anything that comes to mind.

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• Who are trusted, mature Christians in your life you could talk with about good ways to share Jesus’s love through your words and actions?

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Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Colossians 4:5 (NLT)

Have you ever wondered why there is always a war going on somewhere? War causes so much death, so much destruction. It ravages the land, destroying plants, animals, and towns... but the greatest tragedy of war is the loss of human life. From powerful leaders to low-ranking soldiers to defenseless civilians—including the elderly, small children, and even infants—so many people are killed in the chaos of the fighting. And even the survivors are left with scars, both visible and invisible. God sees all this suffering, and He weeps.

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War might be described as a sickness caused by sin. Sin infected our world when humans first rejected God. Now, hatred and violence and greed are wreaking havoc everywhere. And yet, God has not abandoned His creation. He still loves us, and He wants to make us well and forgive all our wrongdoing. That’s why God became human and lived among us. Jesus came into our sin-sick world, and when His followers realized He was the Messiah, the Rescuer who God had promised, they thought Jesus was going to overthrow the Roman empire and free Israel from the nation that had conquered them. But Jesus didn’t do that. Instead, He let Himself be put to death on a Roman cross. And in doing so, He did something far greater than overthrowing an empire.

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When Jesus gave up His life on that cross, He gave us the cure for sin. When Jesus died, He beat sin, and when He rose from the grave, He beat sin’s consequence, which is death. Now, He invites all of us to come to Him and be free of our sin sickness. We can trust and follow Him as our Savior by putting our faith in His death and resurrection (Romans 10:9).

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Without Jesus, we are all sick with the sin that’s in our hearts, and the whole world is sick too. But Jesus promises to cure the whole world of sin. When He returns, He will make everything new. Then war—and everything else caused by sin—will be gone for good (Revelation 21:1-5).

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In the meantime, when we put our trust in Jesus, He rescues us from sin and death, makes us new, and begins the healing work of putting His love and peace in our hearts, moving us toward wholeness. Whenever we encounter the pain and destruction of terrible things like war, we can come to Jesus. He weeps with us, grieving all the suffering caused by sin and holding us close (Matthew 11:28-30; Luke 15:20; John 11:35).

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As Jesus’s people, we can share His love and peace with others, taking part in God’s good work of bringing wholeness and reconciliation to all of creation. We can care for our neighbors and love them well, even when the world is in turmoil. And even though we will do things imperfectly, we can take great comfort in the fact that God is so good that He is working all things to draw people to Himself and transform us to become more and more like Jesus (Romans 8:28-29). One day, war will be no more, for the universe is ruled by Jesus, the Healer of our sin sickness and the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 2:1-5; 9:6). • A. W. Smith

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• To learn more about the cure for the sickness of sin, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

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• Where have you seen the devastating effects of war? Consider taking a moment to come to Jesus in prayer, bringing Him all the pain, frustration, and confusion... and imagine Him weeping with you over all the things that are wrong.

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• When we wonder how God could allow such terrible things to happen, how could the gospel (the good news about Jesus) reveal God’s great love and tender compassion for His creation?

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• As you encounter the effects of sin in our broken world, remember that God doesn’t dismiss our questions and doubts; rather, He invites us to wrestle with Him. Who are trusted Christians you feel comfortable talking to about these things? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.

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• Since Christians follow Jesus, the Prince of Peace, how can we treat our neighbors and communities in ways that show His love and care, even in the midst of the conflict of our world?

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“Peace I [Jesus] leave with you; my peace I give you.” John 14:27a (NIV)

Standing on the peak of the mountain outcropping, Shalish scanned the battlefield. The noonday sun glinted off armor as the battle raged on in the valley below. Lord Nissi, the great voice who had led them through both sea and desert, had trained Shalish and several of her friends for years. But the throes of their first combat were more taxing than they had imagined.

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Yet Shalish was positioned above the battlefield for a reason. Lord Nissi had given her a gold cord to wear around her wrist, saying, “My presence goes with you. Remember me.” Now, when Shalish kept her cord raised above her head, their victory seemed sure. But her right hand had long since fallen asleep, and her muscles spasmed as she struggled to keep her wrist high above her head. She trembled at the thought that keeping her gold cord raised would be the difference between victory and defeat.

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When she had momentarily lowered her hand an hour ago, it had almost cost Ezrah his life. Shalish could only watch in horror as the enemy’s sword slashed just below the gap in his armor, Ezrah’s crimson blood flowing.

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Ezrah and Merea were two of her closest friends. Shalish scanned the battlefield for Merea’s fiery red curls, concerned that she had not seen her friend in a while. But then another spasm shot through her arm, and in despair she cried out, “Lord Nissi, my strength has run dry—please, help your people!”

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A gentle footfall caused Shalish to whirl around, her right hand still raised, her sword at the ready in her left. “Shay, you need help.” Merea’s brown eyes reflected concern.

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“But Merea, you’re needed on the battlefield!”

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“I’m needed right here.” Merea reached up and intertwined her bronze cord with Shalish’s gold one, supporting the weight of her friend’s arm. Shalish felt immediate relief, and she let out a sigh as she leaned on her friend.

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Sunset was quickly approaching, and the task of keeping the cords held high over the battle was once more becoming too difficult. But then, Ezrah wordlessly joined them on the mountain, tying his silver cord to theirs. Shalish couldn’t even lift her head, and Merea laughed in delirious relief. Supported by her friends, Shalish felt Lord Nissi’s presence around them.

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As the setting sun splashed vivid pinks, golds, and dark hues of purple across the sky, a cry of victory rang out. Ezrah smiled at his friends, joy etched on his glistening face. Then he reminded them of Lord Nissi’s words: “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." • Savannah Coleman

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• Today’s allegorical story is based on Exodus 17, when the Amalekites attacked the Israelites. God had just delivered His people from slavery in Egypt. When they came to the Red Sea, God told Moses to raise his staff, and God parted the waters so the people could pass through. Yet, not long after this, the people asked, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (verse 7). So, when the Amalekites attacked, Moses stood over the battle on the top of the hill with the staff of God raised in his hands (verse 9). Whenever Moses’s hands lowered, the Israelites started losing the fight (verse 11), and he inevitably grew tired. Thankfully, Moses had two friends, Aaron and Hur, to help hold his hands up as he held the staff until the battle was won (verses 12-13). Then Moses built an altar and called it “Yahweh Nissi” which means “The Lord is my banner” (verse 15). (The Hebrew word for "banner" is very similar to the word for "staff.") God had saved His people once again and confirmed that He was indeed with them. Can you think of a time you were reminded of God’s presence with you? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this.

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• In Exodus 17, we catch a glimpse of the gospel, God’s plan to deliver His people from sin and death. Jesus is Immanuel, which literally means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). When He went to the cross for us, His hands were stretched out—kind of like Moses’s hands were stretched out when he held up his staff. So, whenever we start to wonder, “Is God with us or not?” we can look to Jesus. He died on the cross and rose from the grave, defeating sin and death so that God’s people can live with Him forever. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are part of God’s people! How can we remind each other that Jesus is with us, especially when life gets really hard?

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• Who are trusted Christians in your life who can remind you of the good news about Jesus, support you in following His good ways, and help shoulder your burdens? Who can you support in this way? (Galatians 6:1-10; Ephesians 6:12; 1 Peter 5:10-12)

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Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV)

Shepherds were not held in high regard in ancient Israel. They spent most of their time outdoors, the sheep didn’t smell great, and the job could be pretty dull... until it wasn’t. One part of a shepherd’s job was to defend the flock against wild animals looking for a meal. Shepherds had to protect the sheep and guide them to safe pastures.

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In the Old Testament, David was a shepherd before he was Israel’s king. When God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint one of Jesse’s sons, David had to be called in from the field because he was watching the sheep. As the youngest son, he wasn’t even around when Samuel first arrived to see Jesse’s family and anoint the future king. After all, someone had to watch and defend the sheep, and that job fell to the youngest son, David.

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In the New Testament, Jesus is frequently called a shepherd. He

fulfilled Old Testament prophecies of a Messiah who would shepherd God’s people, including a poem/song written by David: Psalm 23. Like David guided sheep, Jesus guides us. In fact, Jesus is called the Good Shepherd. While every human leader fails, Jesus is the perfect and trustworthy leader. He shows us what it looks like to walk in “paths of righteousness” in our lives, and He walks with us (Psalm 23:3-4).

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Like David protected his sheep—even fending off a lion and a bear—Jesus protects His people. Jesus performed the ultimate act of sacrifice a shepherd could do. When we were trapped in the jaws of sin, Jesus laid down His life for us. But even death couldn’t stop the Good Shepherd. He rose from the dead, and then He shared the victory over death with His flock in the resurrection so that we can be with our Shepherd in the new creation forever. • Naomi Zylstra

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• In what ways is Jesus like a shepherd?

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• Jesus often associates with outcasts. In Luke 2:8-20, why do you think God chose to announce Jesus’s birth to a group of shepherds?

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• If you want to dig deeper, read 1 Samuel 16:1-13; 17:34-36; Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15, 22; Mark 6:34.

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“I [Jesus] am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11 (WEB)

"Does God really love me?” If we’re honest, this is a question we ask often. And the answer is a resounding yes! God loves us very much! But what do we do when it doesn’t feel like God loves us? One thing we can do is remember the evidence of God’s love for us. After all, He knows we need reminders, and He doesn’t scold us for needing to hear it again and again. In fact, God loves to remind us of His love.

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God made us. And that’s just one of the reasons why we can know that He loves us and we matter to Him. He created each of us on purpose, and He was delighted to do it.

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God’s love for us is unstoppable. God didn’t stop loving us when humanity rejected Him. Just the opposite. His great love for the world compelled Him to give Jesus, His very own Son, to die on the cross to save us from sin. Nothing, not even death, could stop His love. We know this because after three days, Jesus rose from the dead, defeating sin and death forever!

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God has made us His own. As Christians, we belong to Him. When we put our trust in Jesus, He makes us new people and gives us important work to do in His kingdom. In fact, the book of Ephesians in the Bible calls us God’s handiwork—His masterpiece or artwork.

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God cares about what happens to us. When we suffer, He weeps. And He promises to work all things for the good of His people. Jesus will return one day to make everything new, free from sin and healed from all the brokenness sin causes.

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God is with us now. As we wait for Jesus to return bodily to earth, He is still present with us through His Spirit, His Word, and His people.

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It’s easy to forget God’s love for us, especially when we hear the cruel words of others or when we experience heartbreaking situations. But, as Christians, we can rest in God’s love for us by remembering how God made us because it pleased Him to do so, and how God became human to dwell among us. He (Jesus) was willing to die on the cross for us. Then He rose again three days later to beat death, and He promises to return to be with us forever. Even now, His loving presence is always with us. No matter what, we can know that we are each an important part of God’s kingdom and family—we have a purpose and place because we belong to Jesus. And, as we rest in God’s unshakable love for us, we get to be part of sharing His love with others. • A. W. Smith

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• Which of the five evidences of God’s love listed above resonates with you most today? Why?

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For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Ephesians 2:10a (NIV)

I am a full-fledged adult, and I still don’t feel like I know what to do when I let people down. Of course, I understand that we live in a world that’s been broken by sin so we all hurt others, whether intentionally or unintentionally. That’s just part of life until Jesus returns. But letting others down still gets to me. As a Christian, I know that I’m supposed to be reflecting Jesus, but when I let the people around me down, I feel like I’m failing both them and Jesus.

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Sometimes, we just mess things up entirely. Sin gets in the way, and we let down the people we love. What then? We can apologize and seek forgiveness, but what if we still feel gross? Then we can look again to Jesus and be reminded of the value He sees in us. In fact, looking toward Jesus should be the first thing we do when we fail.

Jesus died on the cross for us, knowing that we all mess up again and again. That didn’t stop Jesus from sacrificing His life and inviting us to join in His resurrection. God knows that we sin, and He readily offers forgiveness.

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Whenever we fall, Jesus wants to pick us back up and help us turn away from our sin. We don’t have to live under the crushing weight of guilt and shame, because Jesus has set us free (Psalms 32:1-5; 34:5).

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It helps me to remember that God sees the value in me, even when I don’t see it in myself. He made me on purpose, and despite any mistakes I make or anything I do wrong, I still bear God’s image (Genesis 1:27). • Naomi Zylstra

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• Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that we are totally forgiven from all our sins—past, present, and future. Even so, when we mess up and let others down—either by sinning or just by making a mistake—we often feel gross. How could it be helpful to turn to Jesus in these times and remember how He sees us? (Ephesians 1:4-14; 2:4-10)

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• Sometimes, we let others down even when we don’t do anything wrong. They might have expectations or desires that we cannot meet, and this can be difficult to navigate. Even Jesus experienced people being disappointed in Him, so He can empathize with us. He grieves our hurts with us, holding us close and reassuring us of His unconditional love. If you’re struggling with letting people down, who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to about this?

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Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)

The human body is amazing! Did you know that the human heart, which is only about as big as a clenched fist, pumps over 4,000 gallons of blood a day? Or that human eyes are protected by seven interlocking bones? Or that the palms of your hands are sort of skid-proof so you can get a grip on things? God created the human body in His image with the ability to do amazing things.

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His great handiwork is nothing to laugh about. But sometimes, we as humans say things that aren’t respectful about the human body, even mocking others whose bodies look different from ours.

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That’s not how God wants us to treat the people He created. He loves us so much, He sent Jesus to live among us as a human, physical body and all. Out of love, Jesus died for us. When we put our trust in Jesus, He gives us new hearts—not physical hearts that pump blood, but hearts that are cleansed from sin, no longer hard and stubborn but tender and responsive, eager to follow God’s good ways (Ezekiel 36:25-27; Matthew 22:36-40).

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And one day, God is also going to give us new physical bodies. Just as Jesus rose from the dead, all God’s people will be raised to life when Jesus returns, and our new bodies will be free from sin, sickness, and death.

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Because God created us with care and provided us with such amazing bodies, we need to treat our bodies—and everyone else’s—with respect. Our human bodies remind us how much God loves us and all He’s done for us... and what He promises to do for us in the future. • A. W. Smith

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• What amazes you the most about the human body? Consider taking a moment to thank God for creating us this way.

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• Read Hebrews 4:14-16. God became human, so Jesus knows what it’s like to be human in a world that’s broken by sin and its effects. And He promises that those who know Him as their Savior will be raised bodily when He makes all things new. How might these truths affect the way we view ourselves and others, including our bodies?

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• Have you ever been tempted to make fun of other people’s bodies or your own body? You can ask Jesus to forgive you for the times you didn’t treat people He loves, and their bodies, with respect, and you can rest in the assurance that His death and resurrection have already paid the price for your sin.

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God created human beings in his own image. Genesis 1:27a (NLT)

Have you ever dealt with an ant infestation? If you start noticing a couple ants creeping in the cracks, it might not seem like a big deal. But if you ignore the problem, it will only get worse. Soon you’ll have ants all over—in your bathroom, in your bedroom, in your kitchen, even in your food! An ant infestation is a big problem; it can even make people sick. So, what can you do to handle an infestation? One way is to set a certain kind of trap that has poison inside. The ants think the poison is food, so they bring it home for all the other ants to eat, and it kills them.

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Bitterness is a lot like an ant infestation. Bitterness can creep in when we face a difficult or hurtful situation and we’re not able to process it. If we try not to feel the pain of a hard situation, it doesn’t work. That’s like trying to kill ants one by one—they keep coming back!

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Instead, when we experience the beginnings of bitterness, we can go directly to whatever its source may be. How? By coming to Jesus. He invites us to share our hurts and all our difficult feelings with Him. Because Jesus is both fully human and fully God, He knows firsthand what it feels like to suffer in a world broken by sin, and so we can bring everything we’re feeling to Him (Hebrews 4:14-16). He will weep with us and remind us that He never leaves us.

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As we share our hurts with Jesus, we can also ask Him to remind us of His goodness. When we look to Jesus and remember how He saved us through dying on the cross and rising from the dead, the gospel can give us hope, opening the door for bitterness to turn to thankfulness.

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As we work through our bitterness with Jesus, we may still feel sad—or have any number of strong emotions about the difficult or heartbreaking situations we’ve experienced. But even in these times, we can rest in Jesus’s love for us, remembering His promises to be with us always (Matthew 28:20) and to one day make all things new—free from the suffering and death that are in our world because of sin (Revelation 21:1-5). It’s also important for us to reach out to trusted people in our lives (such as therapists, parents, pastors, etc.) to help us process difficult emotions and address any situations that need to change.

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So, when bitterness starts to creep into our lives, we don’t have to be afraid to go to whatever its source may be. We can face hard things with Jesus, the One who heals our hurts and sets us free. • A. W. Smith

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• Who are trusted people you can reach out to when you’re facing difficult situations and having trouble processing them?

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[Jesus] understands our weaknesses... So let us come boldly to... God. Hebrews 4:15-16 (NLT)

Did you know that work is part of God’s loving plan for us? Work is a good thing. The first thing God did after He created Adam and Eve was give them work to do. It was only after humans sinned that work became difficult—and sometimes frustrating—but that doesn’t mean we can’t find joy and satisfaction in our work. God Himself works, and since He created us in His image, work is one of the things we’re wired for (John 5:17). Our work isn’t futile, because God uses the work of those who love Him for His good purposes. Even everyday tasks that don’t seem very important are valuable in His kingdom.

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Work done well and with justice also points to the new reality of God’s kingdom, His loving reign over His people and His restored relationship with them. Jesus (who is God) announced that the kingdom of heaven has come near. Because He wants us to be part of His kingdom, Jesus died and rose again, defeating sin and death, and He will return someday to make all things new, free from the effects of sin. Then work won’t be toilsome any longer, and everyone who knows Jesus will live together with Him on the new heavens and new earth, doing work that is fulfilling and God-honoring.

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But while we’re still living in a world that’s broken by sin, things don’t always go justly in the places where we work. Sometimes, employers treat their employees unfairly, and sometimes, people experience illness or injury or other hard circumstances that make it so they cannot work in the ways they were expected to, or even work at all.

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But even if we find ourselves unable to work, as Christians, we can still find joy in another person’s work—and that’s the work of Jesus. By dying on the cross and rising from the grave, Jesus beat sin and death. No matter what we go through, we can find rest and joy in Him, knowing that He finished the work of our salvation, and even now He is working in our hearts to make us more like Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. As we wait for Jesus’s return, He calls us to do our work to help others and bring Him glory, remembering that our ultimate joy and hope doesn’t come from what we do, but from who we are—God’s children. • A. W. Smith

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• Can you think of a time you enjoyed work? What do you remember about it?

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• Imagine how it would feel to not be able to do any work. If you or someone you know is experiencing a hard situation like this, how could today’s Bible passages be a source of comfort?

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The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. Genesis 2:15 (CSB)

The tomb was not Jesus’s final resting place. When He was killed on the cross, that was not the end.

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Three days later, Jesus rose to life again. The stone that had been placed in front of the tomb was rolled away, and His body wasn’t there anymore. Jesus lived.

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The disciples were amazed when they found out about this—even though Jesus had told them He would rise again on the third day. It was hard to believe that it could be true.

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When you hear the story of Jesus’s death on the cross and how He came back to life three days later, does it fill you with hope?

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God invites us to remember this good news, to tell it to each other over and over again, to behold how amazing and powerful Jesus is. The story of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross is one that should fill us with awe. He loves us so much that He died for us, to take away our sins.

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Jesus died once for all so that we don’t have to perish. God wants us to live forever with Him in the new heavens and the new earth, and He has made this possible through Jesus. When Jesus returns, there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more pain (Revelation 21:1-5). On that day, all of God’s people will be raised to life, just as Jesus was.

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The tomb was not Jesus’s final resting place. Because of His grace for us, the grave won’t be yours, either. If you’ve put your trust in Him, your sins are forgiven and you will live again. How amazing is that? • Bethany Acker

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• As Christians, how can the hope of the resurrection fill us with peace, even as we experience death—both the deaths of our loved ones and, someday, our own death?

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• Jesus died to take away your sins so that you could live with Him forever. If you have questions about putting your trust in Jesus, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to? (You can also find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

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“[Jesus] isn’t here [in the tomb]! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.” Matthew 28:6 (NLT)

Merrick lifted the candle as he clutched his tunic. He felt the sand underfoot as shadows danced on the cave walls. “Beautiful, yes?” Father’s voice comforted him and pushed him to ignore the darkness. Yes, it was breathtaking—like a hidden world. “All this time,” Merrick said, fixing his eyes on the glittering ceiling, “the cave went farther than we imagined.”

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“How about going farther now?” Father asked. Merrick took a deep breath and continued forward. Now was not the time to fear. The candle was near, as was Father. Besides, exploring was fun. He kept the candle outstretched and stepped after Father’s form. Suddenly, the flame flickered and with a whoosh, the candle went out. “Father!”

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“I’m here, son. Stay calm.” He heard Father’s voice but could feel the panic seeping inside and eating his breath. Merrick reached Father and threw himself against him.

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“Are we to die in here?” With the ink of night polluting his vision?

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Father wrapped his arm around Merrick. “Tell me, what blew your candle out?”

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“What?” Merrick’s breathing slowed.

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“Listen, wind is whistling around us.” Yes, Merrick could hear the whisper. Then he could feel it. “And if you train your ears, you may hear a crashing.” Merrick lifted his head from Father’s tunic. Could it be the ocean? “I suppose if we move toward that sound we shall find light and escape this darkness. Place your hand on the wall and trace the rock as we walk.” Eager to see light, Merrick obeyed, his heart still shaking. Together they let the wind guide them. Soon, a faint light erupted into their line of sight.

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“The darkness never lasts. Remember who our Light is.” Father’s words lit Merrick’s heart with courage. Now, he could see blue etched around the white haze.

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Darkness would not last.

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Merrick ran into the first wave that lapped into the cave and let it soak his shoes. He lifted his face to the sky, which shone a vibrant hue that melded with a gathering gray. He turned to see Father splashing behind him and laughed with relief. “The darkness is gone.” • Payton Tilley

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• Today’s story is an allegory. Even when life feels dark and confusing, Jesus is the Light of the world. One day, Jesus will return to get rid of all fear and darkness, and in the meantime, He lovingly guides us through everything we face. What are some ways we can we encourage each other with the hope we have in Jesus?

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“I [Jesus] am the light of the world.” John 9:5b (CSB)

There is no greater way to show love than to be willing to give up everything for someone else. That’s what Jesus did for us. He loved us so much that He gave up everything, including His life, for us.

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Romans 5:7 says it’s rare for someone to give up their life for a deserving person, but it’s even more rare for someone to give up their life for a person who doesn’t deserve it in any way. Jesus gave His life for us even though we were undeserving.

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The next verse goes on to say that while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us. He didn’t wait for us to do anything before He sacrificed it all. He knew that we are helpless to save ourselves, and He loves us so much that He was willing to go through death for us, even when we were living in sin.

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Jesus showed the utmost love for us when He willingly died on the cross. His death and resurrection was the most important event in the cosmos because He saved us—and His entire creation—from sin and decay and death. Now everyone who puts their trust in Jesus, believing He died and rose from the grave, is totally forgiven from all their sins. As Christians, we get to look forward to the day Jesus will return and we will live in restored creation with the One who loves us more than any other!

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When we consider how Jesus died on the cross to take away our sins, we can know that He did it all because He loves us. We can remember that we have a Savior who gave up everything for us. • Bethany Acker

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• Why is it important that none of us could ever earn what Jesus did for us?

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• According to Romans 5:6-8, how has Jesus revealed God’s love for the world?

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When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Romans 5:6 (NLT)

"Just be a little more patient with me... all I’m asking is that you let me figure things out, let me grow, let me work on myself a little and become better at this..."

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Have you ever been in a place where it felt like everyone was pushing you and no one had any patience when it came to your growth? Have you ever felt like you needed to do something great, and quick, or else everyone was going to cut you out?

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When it feels like people are pushing you and refusing to be patient with you, know that God has a patience that goes beyond anything we could imagine. The Bible tells us that God desires for everyone to be saved. He wants all of us to put our trust in Jesus. He wants to transform us through the power of the Holy Spirit and guide us in doing the good works of His kingdom (Ephesians 2:10). He wants to work in our lives and help us become all we are meant to be. Yet, He is patient as He waits for us to grow.

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God is not going to push you to move quicker than you can. He is not going to give up on you when your growth is slow. Instead, He has compassion on you. He invites you to rest in His peace and trust His gentle leadership as you grow at the pace that’s right for you. Sometimes, it might seem like you’re growing too slowly, while other times you might feel like God is leading you to grow faster than you expected, but just know that God created you, and He knows what you need. Through every milestone and every setback, He walks alongside you, and His love for you remains constant. He is patient—always. • Emily Acker

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• Have you ever felt pressured to move at a pace that didn’t work for you? What was it like?

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• Read Matthew 11:28-30. What kind of leader is Jesus? How might remembering that He is patient with us help us be patient with ourselves, and with those around us?

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The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)

Weighed down

By a wrong I should not have done

Trying to hide it

Hoping no one will ever know

Guilt eating me

Guilt over secrets on top of the wrong

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Can’t go on like this

Spending my life lying is no way to live

I let You in

God, I’ll share my secret with You

This is what I’ve done

I’m sorry and I want to move on

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Released from the shame

I feel free to go forward with life now

Freedom from guilt

I have my sins forgiven and I am alive • Emily Acker

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• Keeping our sins a secret and hiding the wrong things we’ve done can be hard on us. In Psalm 32, how did David feel when he tried to hide his sin? How did he feel after confessing it?

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• Through Jesus, God has made the way for us to be forgiven. Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave, everyone who has put their trust in Jesus is totally forgiven from all their sins—past, present, and future! Yet, as Christians, we will continue to struggle with sin until Jesus returns and makes all things new. Whenever we sin, God wants us to come to Him and confess what we’ve done. He will reassure us of His love, help us turn away from sin, and help us move forward in loving Him and those around us— this might include confessing our sins to others and making amends. Consider taking a moment to pray, confessing any sins that come to mind, thanking Jesus for His forgiveness, and asking for His guidance in how to move forward.

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If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NIV)

Today we’re looking at a book in the Old Testament called Song of Songs. Many readers are confused when they find this love poem in the Bible. It talks about the passionate love between this husband and wife, written in a way that no one speaks today. But the poem honestly shows love and sexual desire without embarrassment or shame.

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Some scholars made a connection between the love between this husband and wife and the love we experience with Jesus, who is God. In Scripture, we see God pursuing His people with an unceasing love, culminating in Jesus’s death and resurrection. He did this to unite us to Himself, and this unity will be completed when Christ returns to bring heaven to earth and live forever with His people. So we can think of Jesus’s love for us when the bride in Song of Songs says, “Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame” (8:6). Jesus’s love for us is like a blazing glory and unquenchable fire. Nothing can break that love.

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When people fall deeply in love, they are changed by the joy they experience. Likewise, when we are captivated by the all-consuming, never-ending love of God, it shines in us. We can be free of shame in the love we feel for the One who created us, forgives us from our sins, and restores us to wholeness.

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So whenever we dive into the Song of Songs or other types of love poetry, as we see the love between two people, we can also see the love Christ has for the church. And through all of our relationships—both romantic and non-romantic—we can spread His love without embarrassment. God created human love, and with that love, we point back to Him. • Corinna Kahrs

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• In what ways have you personally experienced the love of God? If nothing comes to mind, you can ask God to reveal His love to you anytime—He delights to answer these prayers.

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• What are some ways we can glorify God and show His love in our relationships?

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• God created romantic love and sexual desire as good gifts to be enjoyed by a husband and wife, so we don’t need to be embarrassed about these things. When you have questions about romance, sex, and marriage, who are trusted Christians you feel comfortable talking to? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.

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Let him lead me to the banquet hall, and let his banner over me be love. Song of Songs 2:4 (NIV)

Have you ever canned food? Throughout much of history, people have canned and preserved food—often in glass jars. This has been an important way for people to get nutrition, even in less-than-ideal times like winter or natural disasters.

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In a way, memorizing Scripture is like “canning” truth from God’s Word to store in our hearts so that we always have it with us. Memorizing words from the Bible is a spiritual practice that Christians have done for centuries. It provides us with the opportunity to feast on God’s Word, even when we don’t have easy or convenient access to a Bible, or when we just want to meditate on Scripture without using a screen.

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The reason the Bible is so important to us as Christians is because every single verse is “God-breathed,” and it’s a gift from God to us (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible tells us all about Jesus: He is our Savior, God, and King—and He is also our Shepherd, Advocate, and Friend. When we learn Bible passages, these can provide help, encouragement, wisdom, and comfort when we need it most. On top of that, the very process of trying to memorize a passage can help us chew on it, giving us a chance to grow in our understanding of the good news about Jesus.

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Today, consider what Bible verse or passage you might like to try to memorize. Don’t feel like you have to set a goal of memorizing a long passage. That can get overwhelming! Instead, start with a single verse or a short passage that reminds you of Jesus’s love for you.

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Want to know a simple way to commit a verse or passage to memory? Read or listen to it every day for a month. Even if you don’t have it perfectly memorized bythe end of the month, you will have spent around thirty days dwelling on those words from the Bible and considering how they declare the good news of Jesus. And that “canning” time is always time well-spent. • A. W. Smith

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Want other ideas for how to memorize Scripture? Consider trying one of these:

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• On a whiteboard, write out the Bible verse or passage you want to learn. Then read it aloud. Then erase one word and read the passage again. Repeat this process until no words are left.

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• Think of a song you like to sing. See if you can put the verse or passage to that music, and then practice your verse or passage by singing it at a set time each day.

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• Break the verse or passage into phrases, then create motions to go along with each phrase to help you remember the words.

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All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

Do you know what your name means? Across cultures, names have meanings, and when we give names to babies, those meanings can be a beautiful way to communicate love and care for the newest members of our families.

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Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches.” But here’s the thing: we don’t choose our own names. We receive them when we’re born into our families.

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Similarly, there is another name we can receive, separate from the one given to us at birth. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, we become part of His family and receive His name: we are called "Christian," which means “little Christ.” This name means that He has made us new people and we belong to Him. God has poured out His great love on us through Jesus’s death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. Now, He invites us to imitate Him as dearly loved children imitate their parents, by loving others as He loves us (Ephesians 5:1-2).

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Sometimes, when God called people to follow Him in the Bible, He literally renamed them. Abram became Abraham, Sarai became Sarah, Jacob became Israel, and Simon became Peter (Genesis 17:5, 15-16; 32:28; John 1:42). Their new names were a sign to others that God had made them new people and they were now part of His family.

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Today, God does the same with us as Christians. When we put our trust in Jesus, He makes us new and adopts us into His family (John 1:12; Colossians 1:13-14). As we rest in His great love, He is shaping all of us to become more and more like Him so we can point others toward His good name. • A. W. Smith

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• Do you know what your name means or why your family chose it for you? Do you like your name?

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• The name Christian means that you belong to Jesus’s family. As Christians, how can this truth comfort us when we feel unloved or rejected?

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• To learn more about what it means to have a new name in Jesus—to become God’s child—check out our "Know Jesus" page.

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See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1a (NIV)

Unfailing love...

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We sin and sin again. We mess up and try to put the blame on someone or something other than ourselves. We fail to help the hurting. We fail to take our eyes off our own needs and see the needs around us. We don’t do what God calls us to do, but...

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Unfailing love...

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Our sin separated us from God, but He wanted to draw us near. Our God gave His Son for us. Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself by dying on the cross and risingfrom the grave so that everyone who puts their trust in Him can be forgiven and adopted into God’s family. Our God wants us to feel loved; He wants us to know that His love is always there. Our God knows that we’ve sinned and that we will sin again, but He loves us anyway. There is no way for us to earn His love; He gives it to us freely.

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Unfailing love...

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Human love is a gift from God, but only God’s love is unfailing. People will let us down, and those closest to us might even stop loving us. Though we can try ourbest to love others well, we still fail in one way or another. Human love cannot fill our deepest longings, but God’s love can. He holds us close in His arms and never lets us go (Psalm 27:10; John 10:27-30).

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I thank God for His unfailing love. • Emily Acker

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• How is God’s love different from human love?

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• Can you think of a time you felt loved by God? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this! If nothing comes to mind, you can ask God to reveal His love to you anytime.

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• When we feel like God doesn’t love us, or like we don’t deserve God’s love, how could it be helpful to remember the good news about Jesus? (See our "Know Jesus" page for more about this good news.) What are some ways we could remind each other of God’s unfailing love for us?

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Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love. Psalm 44:26 (NIV)

How can we resist temptation?

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As Christians, when we encounter something we know Jesus wouldn’t want us to do, we have a choice. Will we give in to the temptation? Or will we trust Jesus to empower us to do the right thing?

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Sometimes, trusting Jesus is easier said than done. But it can help to remember why Jesus can be trusted. Jesus is fully God, and when He became human, He didn’t withhold Himself from any kind of human hardship. He personally faced temptations to sin when He was on earth, and yet, He resisted every time. Jesus never sinned. He can empathize with us because He knows firsthand what temptation is like.

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Whenever we’re tempted, we can cry out to Jesus with confidence because we know that He understands what we’re facing. But even more than that, He has power over sin. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, His Holy Spirit is inside us, so we can depend on Him to help us not give in to temptation. And even when we do give in, He’ll always forgive us. We can know that God’s forgiveness is sure because Jesus took all our sin upon Himself when He died on the cross—and then He rose from the dead, defeating sin and death once and for all.

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When Jesus returns, we won’t struggle with sin anymore. But until then, no matter what temptations we experience, Jesus is always with us. We can trust Him to give us the wisdom and courage we need to follow Him in every part of our lives: His call is to love God and those around us. To love as we have been loved by God (1 John 4:19).

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Next time you face temptation, run to Jesus. You can always go to Him, even in the times you give in to sin. Regardless of how successful we are at resisting temptation, we can know that Jesus holds us in love, and His forgiveness is unshaken. • A. W. Smith

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• What kinds of temptations are hardest for you to resist? Consider taking a moment to talk to Jesus about this. You can be totally honest. He won’t be surprised, and He won’t reject you.

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• God wants to help us resist and/or run away from temptation. One of the ways God helps us is through community with other Christians. When you’re struggling, who are trusted Christians in your life you’d be comfortable talking to and asking to pray for you? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.

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[Jesus] has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)

It might seem odd, but I often think of kittens when I consider a very hard question: “Where is God with all the hurt going on?”

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It’s a question I ask a lot, especially since my husband is a news reporter, so I often get a front-row seat to the heartbreaking and scary things happening in the world.

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But that’s where kittens come in. When they’re brand new, they can’t even open their eyes. They’re helpless. All they know is that their mom is with them. They can’t see her, but they know she’s present and she cares for them.

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I don’t have an answer for why bad things happen. All I know is that our world is broken because of sin, but Jesus is with us, and He’s working to fix all this. I’m like a kitten who just has to trust that I’m loved, that I’m not alone, and that my suffering won’t last forever. I recall how Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”

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While we can’t see everything clearly right now because we live in a world that is broken by sin, we can know that Jesus is with us, even now, and He knows how much it hurts. One day, we’ll finally see Him face-to-face and He’ll make everything new. All His people will be healed and whole. Until that day, we are like little kittens. Though we can’t see very much yet, we can rest knowing that we are loved. •

Kandi Zeller

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• Have you seen anything in the news lately that makes you feel unsettled? How can talking with Jesus and people we trust help us process things like this?

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• No matter what happens in this broken world, you are not alone. Jesus loves you so very much, and He will never leave your side. He is stronger than anything we might face, and He promises to make all things new when He returns. In the meantime, He will be with His people every step of the way. How could these truths give us hope when we experience hard things?

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Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)

I think being a professional kitten rescuer might be one of the cutest jobs in existence. But the practical realities of the job are anything but cute.

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When a rescuer receives foster kittens into their home, these tiny rescue kittens need lots of attention, and the care they need is often pretty gross, including special flea baths. Even after the fleas are gone, the kittens still need round-the-clock care, like special feedings and medicine from the vet. Not to mention cleaning up their messes if they feel sick and need to throw up or have diarrhea. But it’s all worth it. If everything goes well, the kittens begin to grow, becoming healthier, stronger, and cuter by the day.

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When you see kittens who have passed this threshold—happily exploring, climbing, and cuddling—it’s amazing to consider how well they are doing compared to the bad shape they were in when they arrived. It’s sobering to realize that these now-healthy kittens would have died if people hadn’t rescued them.

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And the thing is, these kittens remind me of us. Without Jesus, we were helpless too. We were sick with sin and doomed to die because of it. But Jesus stepped in and rescued us by dying for our sins on the cross and rising from the grave.

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He loves us so much. Even when our sin sickness was grosser than fleas, Jesus wasn’t afraid to come to this earth and live with us so that we could be rescued. • Kandi Zeller

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• God loves us so much that He was willing to do the difficult work of saving us. If you have questions about what it means to be rescued by Jesus, who is a trusted Christian you could talk to? (You can also find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

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• When we realize how gross our sin is, it might leave us feeling pretty bad about ourselves. But God already knows how gross our sin is, and His love for us does not change. Whenever we sin, we can repent, turn away from our sin and turn to Jesus. Consider taking a moment to come to Him in prayer, confessing any sins that come to mind and resting in His great love and care for you.

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For he [God] has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son [Jesus]. Colossians 1:13 (NLT)

We don’t always fully agree with everyone who shares our faith in Jesus Christ. Some people might judge us, and we might fall into judging them too. The decisions that we make don’t always line up with what others think is right, and we are going to see other Christians doing things that we would never do. However, no matter what our differences are, our belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus unites us. And He loves all of us.

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We come from different places in life, raised either in a comfortable, happy home environment or in a struggling, tense one—or maybe somewhere in between. We have gone through things that others can’t imagine, and others have gone through things that we can never fully understand. But Jesus has saved all of us—rich and poor, people dealing with issues from the past and people who are fully happy with the way they were raised. Jesus unites us.

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When Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected from the dead, He did that for all kinds of people. Anyone who calls on Him will be saved (Romans 10:9-13). His blood unites us with everyone who has seen what He has done and put their trust in Him. • Emily Acker

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• When we disagree with other Christians, how could it be helpful to remember that we are all united by Christ?

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• One way we can love our brothers and sisters in Christ is by trying to empathize with them and understand them when we disagree. What are some ways you could try to understand the people you disagree with? If you aren’t sure, who are some people who could help you, such as pastors, parents, youth leaders, or friends?

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• As Christians, we can demonstrate our unity in Christ through communion, or the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). In communion, we remember the blood and body of Jesus given for us. We remember that we are united to Him and to each other. How can communion help us feel connected even when we disagree?

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“For this is my [Jesus’s] blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:28 (CSB)

I sat down at a table lavishly spread with traditional Romanian foods. And that was the day I began eating meat again.

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Years ago, at age sixteen, my best friend and I ordered steak sandwiches while on a school trip. Our meals arrived undercooked. Even though the staff remedied the problem, we decided afterwards to try being vegetarians for a week. We lasted a year on this plan together. Then my buddy chose to return to eating meat while I continued down the vegetarian path.

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Over six years later, I was preparing for a year of ministry with college students in Romania. During our two-week briefing in Hungary, I sensed the Lord nudge me to abandon my vegetarian ways. As a visitor, I wanted to enjoy meals with Romanians, to eat what they ate and what they served us. By the time I entered Romania, I’d decided to give up being a vegetarian.

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About a week later, a Romanian family invited me and my three ministry teammates to an extravagant lunch at their apartment. One of the dishes they served included pork. I dug in, ate some of everything, and thanked them for hosting.

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To connect with people from Romania, I made a decision about my diet, wanting to exalt Jesus instead of my own preference. Our Savior renounced more than a simple lifestyle choice so He could minister to people on earth. Even though He is fully God, Jesus humbled Himself, laid down His rights, and took on the weakness of being human. When we begin a relationship with Jesus Christ by trusting in Him, believing that He died and rose again to provide forgiveness and eternal life, we’re called to live as He did. And He walks alongside us every step of the way. Through the Holy Spirit, He empowers us to take on the Christlike nature of a servant so we can point others to Him. • Allison Wilson Lee

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• Have you ever laid down your own preferences to connect with another person or group of people? What was it like? How could an experience like that point you and others to Jesus?

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• Sometimes, people choose to eat vegetarian because of certain values, which can be a beautiful thing. And some people have health needs that require a special diet, such as avoiding gluten or dairy. As Christians, how can we be respectful of each other’s eating choices and needs?

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• If you feel like God may be leading you to change the way you eat, who are trusted Christian adults in your life who can help you discern His guidance, such as pastors, parents, youth leaders, or counselors?

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In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus... Philippians 2:5 (NIV)

When I search for You

You’re not hard to find

When I need a friend

You are always kind

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When I ask for help

You are always there

Whenever I’m in a mess

You still show me You care

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When others do me harm

You hold and comfort me

In the times I feel alone

By my side, You’ll be

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When I need my Savior

I simply call to You

You always come to me

And help me with all I do • Bethany Acker

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• Have you ever felt God’s nearness, like a close friend? What was it like? If you haven’t experienced this, you can ask God to show you His love and nearness anytime.

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• God invites us to come to Him with all our needs, but sometimes, it can be hard to ask God for help when we need it. If you struggle to be vulnerable with God like this, who are some trusted Christians you can talk to about it, such as parents, counselors, pastors, or friends?

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• This poem mentions that sometimes others harm us. If you’ve experienced harm and want someone to talk to, you can speak to a counselor anytime by setting up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

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Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10 (NIV)

One semester, while my friend was taking a seminary class on Tuesday mornings, I’d watch her two-year-old daughter. These mornings were typically filled with coloring, reading books, eating snacks, and other fun things my friend’s daughter and I enjoyed doing together.

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One morning though, this dear little toddler was really missing her mom. As we played all her usual favorite games, she would occasionally get very quiet and say, “Mama home soon.” When this happened, I would say, “That’s right. Mama will be home soon. She loves you so much and can’t wait to come back to see you.” Sure enough, her mom did arrive soon, and both mother and daughter were so happy to see each other.

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This interaction with my friend’s daughter kind of reminded me of what it’s like waiting for Jesus to come back, and how excited I’ll be when I finally see Him face-to-face! But right now, we live in a world that’s broken by sin and its effects. We see all that brokenness and sadness and hurt—which is only amplified by the information overload we’re experiencing at this time in history. Yet, we can rest in Jesus’s love. He longs to be with us, and He has promised that He will return to make everything new, free from the brokenness we see right now. In the meantime, He is present with us through the Holy Spirit, His Word, and His people (the church).

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When my friend’s daughter would say, “Mama home soon,” it made me think about how the Bible records that the early church was eagerly waiting for Jesus to come back, and they would often say "Maranatha" in Aramaic, which in English means, “Come soon, Jesus!”

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That’s my prayer too. I long for the day Jesus will return—it will be a day of celebration! Our loving King will make all things new, and we will be together forever—with Him and with all our siblings in Christ, all who put their trust in Jesus. Like my friend and her daughter were so happy to see each other after being apart, when we meet Jesus face-to-face, we will be filled with such incredible joy—a joy that will never end (John 16:22). • Kandi Zeller

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• What are you most looking forward to about Jesus’s return? What questions do you have?

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• What can Matthew 28:20, Luke 13:34, and John 14:18 reveal about Jesus’s love for us?

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• Are there any moms or mother figures in your life who’ve shown God’s love to you? Consider taking a moment to thank God for them, and maybe thank the person/people too!

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He [Jesus] who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:20-21 (NLT)

Veena had to hold herself back from running to the fruit stand. She’d finished her first week on the job—pulling weeds from the pine-melon fields—and now after a long week, she’d saved enough money to buy one of her own. The deep green melons shone in the morning sun, each one perfectly ripe. It would make the perfect breakfast.

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Veena carefully looked over the melons and picked out the best one. She handed her large silver coins to the vendor and awaited her change. Something was wrong. The vendor scowled at the coins and then turned that scowl to Veena.

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“Where’ja get these?” He held up her wages.

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“I just got paid this morning. I-I work on the pine-melon farm,” Veena stuttered, panic creeping into her voice.

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“These...” The vendor clinked the coins on the counter for emphasis. “Are fakes. How’d you even get your hands on these? And what kind of establishment do ya think I’m running here that I wouldn’t recognize fake coin?” Now he was shouting at Veena. Tears started to well up in her eyes.

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“I didn’t know! I promise I didn’t know! This is my first job. I just thought—”

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Someone interrupted Veena, stepping between her and the vendor. “Excuse me, kind sir. I’ll pay for the pine-melons. One for me and one for the young lady.” This stranger gave Veena a glance, noting her shrunken frame and shaky hands. “Actually, make that five for the lady and one for me.” The man dropped two golden coins on the table and picked out his melons, handing the five to Veena. The vendor grumbled but collected the money on the counter.

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“Th-thank you!” Veena blurted out. She didn’t even know this man, yet he’d bought her not one but five melons.

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“You said you worked at one of the pine-melon farms? Well, if they’re giving you fake coin as wages, why don’t you come and work for me instead? I have plenty of room for new workers in my field, and I promise the wages will be more than fair.”

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Veena looked up at him in astonishment. Then a smile spread across her face. With her arms full of pine-melons, she nodded and followed the generous stranger. • Naomi Zylstra

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• Today’s story is an allegory based on a parable Jesus told in Matthew 20:1-16. Jesus said, “So the last will be first, and the first last” (verse 16). How does this parable reveal God’s generosity?

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• Jesus invites us to follow Him, to entrust ourselves to His leadership. Read John 10:10-11. How has Jesus shown Himself to be worthy of our trust? (If you want to know more about trusting Jesus, check out our "Know Jesus" page.)

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• Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-15. As Christians, we follow our generous Lord, who calls us to be generous to others. What are some practical ways you could show generosity today?

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And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 (WEB)

Do you have a favorite place to think or pray? I do. Most mornings I grab my coffee and head to the back porch. There, I meet with God in prayer, asking to be led by His Spirit and asking for grace to face the day. This is one way He brings me comfort. Along with prayer, Scripture reveals other ways we can know Christ’s comfort.

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First, we have God’s people. Scripture teaches believers that we “belong to each other” (Romans 12:5) and make up the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). Thus, we can say that God is present, comforting believers through one another (2 Corinthians 1:3-7).

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Second, we find comfort in God’s Word. John 1 teaches that Christ is the Word made flesh who has “revealed God to us” (verse 18). What an unfathomable comfort. And Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word is “sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword... It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Because of this, we can take comfort in being fully known and completely loved by Christ—He is the Word of God who has come to us.

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Third, we have God’s promises. His final word on suffering declares two things. One, evil and pain will be hijacked (transformed and remade) into good (Romans 8:17-39). And two, every wrong will be made right: “‘I will pay them back,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). So, we can give all our desire for vengeance to God, who will ensure justice prevails at Jesus’s return. When this happens, all will be made new. “There will be no more death or sorrow... or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:3-4). When Jesus returns, we will celebrate with joy as we are made whole by the presence of God. And we will enjoy the unceasing comfort of Christ forever. • G. Kam Congleton

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• Although Scripture doesn’t explain why evil and suffering exist, we know suffering entered our world when sin entered it (Genesis 3). And we know that in the end, God’s goodness and justice will triumph. In the meantime, when we experience pain, we can ultimately trust in God’s love, demonstrated visibly in the person of Jesus, as Romans 8:39 says, “indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If you want to dig deeper into the topic of suffering, consider reading through one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John), and ask God to help you see His love made visible in the life and sacrifice of Jesus.

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...God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:5b (NLT)

I once saw a bowling team that called themselves, "It’s All Good." Wouldn’t it be awesome if the saying "it’s all good" were true? Sadly, troubles abound on earth. But even as we acknowledge these troubles, let’s also explore a promise that offers real hope for truly good endings.

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In Romans 8:28, Paul plainly states that “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God.” And, because Paul’s readers were suffering persecution, he also poses the hard question: “Does it mean he [God] no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity...?” (verse 35). Earnestly, Paul replies, “No, despite all these things [i.e., pain and persecution], overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us” (verse 37).

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I wonder if what God calls “good” in Romans 8:28 doesn’t always match our idea of good? My idea of good might mean all my problems are gone immediately. But what does God mean by good? Romans 8:29 provides a clue. It hinges on the phrase “become like his Son.”

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The whole of Scripture teaches that becoming like Jesus will involve suffering. (Now, more suffering doesn’t always equal more Christlikeness—Christlikeness comes from the Holy Spirit’s work in us through the Word, not our circumstances.) But following Christ also means experiencing the good that God promises. Far more than fixing a temporary pain or problem, this good includes a glorious hijacking of evil. Today’s key verse expresses this perfectly: in Genesis 50:20, Joseph says, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it... for good.”

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Peter expresses this idea too, expounding on the most profound reversal of evil ever: “[God’s] prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed... you nailed him to a cross and killed him. But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip” (Acts 2:23-24). In Christ’s resurrection, the most tragic ending is transformed into the best of new beginnings. Because Jesus rose from the dead, all God’s people will be resurrected when He returns. Jesus will make everything new, and all our problems and pain will be gone forever. Now, even in the midst of all the bad, we can say with certainty: it’s all good. • G. Kam Congleton

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• Can you think of a time when something bad happened in your life, and looking back, you saw God’s goodness in the midst of it? Let’s pray that God will help us recognize the lasting goodness He is working in our lives.

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“You intended to harm me, but God intended it... for good.” Genesis 50:20a (NLT)

Let’s continue our study on suffering. Suffering exists because God’s good world has been broken by sin. Today, we’ll talk about how, for believers, suffering has significance—or meaning—for our lives, both in the present and for eternity. Scripture reveals this in a couple of ways. First, the apostles (people who walked with Jesus while He was on earth) taught that believers are called to share both in Christ’s comfort and in His sufferings (1 Peter 2:21). Because we follow a suffering Savior, we can expect to suffer as well. These authors also pointed out that when believers suffer, it’s intimately connected to Christ’s own suffering, using phrases like “share his suffering” (Romans 8:17). So, we can remind ourselves that our suffering as the body of Christ has unique significance because it’s connected to the suffering of Jesus. In our suffering, we can look to Jesus—who suffered the cross on our behalf, then resurrected from the dead—and find comfort in His presence. We are never alone in our pain.

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Second, God can use affliction to draw us near to Himself—which is the best place to be (Psalm 73:28). One psalmist says: “My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees” (Psalm 119:71). Through the Holy Spirit, God is always at work to lovingly form us more and more into the likeness of Jesus because He knows it’s the only way for us to be truly whole. The author of Hebrews echoes this, stating God disciplines His children—and that His discipline is “always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness” (Hebrews 12:10). While not all suffering is necessarily discipline, these and other passages still give us a lot to think about (Luke 13:1-5; John 9:1-3; Colossians 1:24).

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As a teen, most of the Bible studies I used tiptoed around the topic of suffering. Yet, if we don’t dig into scriptural truth about suffering, how can we withstand difficulties—including persecution—without losing hope in God’s love and goodness? But if we know we will face great trials, we can be a bit more ready for their inevitable arrival. However, as Peter joyfully reminds us in 1 Peter 1:6, our troubles are but “for a little while,” and our hope and comfort in Jesus will last forever. Amen! • G. Kam Congleton

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• God can draw us nearer to Himself at any time (including good times) and through any circumstance. How might God use suffering to help us grow closer to Him?

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He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1:4 (NLT)

When I was thirteen, I attended my first church camp. I experienced life-changing things, like when I encountered 1 Peter 5:7, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” I’d never noticed this verse before, but that week 1 Peter 5:7 sank into my soul. Because, like most teens, I had worries and cares! Problem was—exactly HOW do you give them to God?

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Well, over time I learned that giving our cares to God isn’t an event—it’s a process.

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First, I remember who I am coming to: Jesus—God in flesh—who also suffered. In fact, Hebrews 5:8 tells us that Jesus “learned obedience from the things he suffered.” Hmmm... that’s mind-boggling. Even though Jesus’s suffering and obedience are different from ours, it’s incredible to ponder Jesus learning obedience from His suffering.

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Then, I think about why Jesus suffered on the cross and rose again—out of His great love for me, He chose to personally redeem me, both from sin and (when He returns) from suffering (Revelation 21:3-4).

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Lastly, I remember even Jesus agonized over His suffering. In Luke 22, we see Jesus face the cross, fervently praying for deliverance from His “cup of suffering” (verses 42-44). Since Jesus truly empathizes with us in our weaknesses, we know we can boldly come to Him.

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And so... how do we boldly come to Jesus? Simple—we follow the instructions in Philippians 4:6-8. In this passage, we see what to pray about: everything! And we see how to pray: “Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (verse 6). And that’s it! We are giving our cares to Jesus. And, as we continue to bring our requests to God (notice the word "continue"), we can experience God’s peace (verse 7). In this way, we can come to Christ whenever we are weary—and find true rest in Him (Matthew 11:28-30). • G. Kam Congleton

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• In the book of Psalms, we see God’s people giving their cares to Him—often with strong words, even accusing God of being distant, hurtful, and uncaring (Psalms 6, 10, 88). In times of pain and suffering, God invites us to come to Him honestly, telling Him just how hurt, angry, or sad we feel. He isn’t afraid or ashamed of our emotions, even if we are. And it’s only in being honest with God that we can truly experience His comfort. We can tell God what we actually want from Him, not just what we think He wants to hear. How could this truth affect the way you give your cares to God? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about these things now.

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Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

At age seventeen, Joni Eareckson Tada awoke after a diving accident—paralyzed from the shoulders down. Thus began her new life—from a wheelchair. Over time, Joni became known for her contagious joy and her compassionate ministry to others.

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As a teen, Joni’s story made me think hard about suffering. Should tragedy strike, how would I react? Where is Jesus in all of this? And so began a lifelong look at suffering in Scripture. We know that sin and suffering invaded God’s good world after humans chose to rebel against God, but what else does Scripture say? Eventually, I noticed some intriguing themes. Today we’ll introduce three themes, and over the next few days we’ll explore each one more deeply. Then we’ll wrap up with a glimpse at the comfort Christ promises. So, let’s dive in!

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Theme one: God does not explain suffering, but He never ignores it. Indeed, through Jesus, He invites us to “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Through the cross, Jesus joins us in our pain and offers Himself as our “ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1) and our ultimate Deliverer.

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Theme two: Suffering has significance. First, as the body of Christ, we are called to share both in Christ’s sufferings and in His loving comfort. This is not only for our benefit, but also for each other’s benefit (2 Corinthians 1:4-7). Second, God can use our affliction to get our attention and correct any areas where we are straying from His good ways, ultimately drawing us nearer to Himself (Hebrews 12:5-12).

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Theme three: Through the Holy Spirit, God is with us in our suffering, granting us grace and often hijacking hardship for our good (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).This truth helps explain why the apostles encourage believers to rejoice when facing trials (Romans 5:3-5).

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Ultimately, when we encounter suffering, we can remember that Jesus defeated sin and death through His own death and resurrection, and He will heal all suffering at His return. As we rest in this sure hope, we can face whatever suffering lies ahead of us, held by our Savior who suffers with us. • G. Kam Congleton

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• What questions do you have about suffering—your own suffering or the suffering of others?

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• To dig deeper into the topic of suffering, you can read Psalm 119:65-72 and James 1:2-4.

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For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:5 (NIV)

Why do we do kind things for other people? If we really examine our motives, is it so we’ll win points with them and make them like us? Or do we think doing good deeds will win us points with God?

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In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul is writing to the Christians in Corinth, and he says: no matter how much good we do, if we don’t have love in our hearts, our good deeds just sound like an annoying, ever-clanging cymbal (verse 1). In other words, doing good things doesn’t mean much if these actions aren’t done out of genuine love—the kind of love God has for us.

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But here’s the great news. Love is not something we muster up inside ourselves. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.” If God didn’t love us first, none of us could love Him or each other. But Romans 5:5 says, “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Love is a gift straight from God.

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God’s love for us and others is so great, and we can trust Him to fill our hearts with His love and let it overflow to others! We can depend on Him to help us do things for others out of genuine love, the kind of love that compels us to lay down our life for others (John 15:13-14).

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And when we’re not sure how to love, we can rest in the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who laid down His life for us. Though He is fully God, He came to live among us. He died on the cross and rose again three days later so we could be restored to relationship with Him. His incredible love is always with us through the Holy Spirit, and the riches of His love are also revealed in His promise to one day make all things new—free from sin and death (Matthew 28:20; Revelation 21:1-5). So by all means, do good things! But first, rest in the good news of Jesus. Then, love others because you know that you are loved by God. • A. W. Smith

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• In 1 Corinthians 13, how does Paul describe genuine love? What sticks out to you the most in these verses?

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• Can you think of a time God showed His love for you through the people around you? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this, and maybe thank those people too!

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• Every day, we can both rest in God’s love and show it to others. We can look around us and find little ways to show God’s great love, knowing in our deepest being that we are loved by Jesus. Consider taking a moment to ask God to help you notice ways you could show love today.

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“My [Jesus’s] command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12 (NIV)

When you start worrying about things happening in your life or in the world around you, look at the stars.

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If it isn’t dark out and you can’t see the stars, then look at the wildflowers.

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If it’s too cold for wildflowers, then look at the snowflakes that fall from the sky.

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There are endless stars in the sky, too many to count. The wildflowers are so vibrant and vast; you could never pick them all. So many snowflakes fall that they make large piles of snow and cover entire mountains. But God made each one of them.

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God created each star in the massive universe, and He also created you. In Matthew 6, Jesus says we don’t need to worry about anything, reminding us that God made each wildflower beautiful even though it so quickly dies. He cares about every little problem and difficult situation you face. God decides when the snow falls, and He made each snowflake unique and stunning to look at. Similarly, He made you on purpose, and you are precious to Him.

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Ultimately, God revealed His enormous care for His creation when Jesus came to earth—fully God and fully human. Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave, we can look forward to the day He will return and restore every brokenness, in our own lives and in all of creation.

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If God cares about the stars and the wildflowers and the snowflakes, we can know that He cares about us too. We don’t have to worry about anything. Instead, we can trust Him to take care of us and all the problems in the world around us. • Bethany Acker

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• How can looking at creation remind us of God’s trustworthy love?

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• If you find yourself worrying a lot, you’re not alone. Jesus empathizes with you, and He wants to help. One of the primary ways God helps His people is through His people. Who are trusted adults in your life you can talk to about worry, such as pastors, counselors, parents, or teachers? If you’re not sure who to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

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God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. Genesis 1:16 (NLT)

When you were little, did you ever dress up as royalty—making paper crowns, walking around in old fancy clothes from a dress-up

bin, or sitting on imaginary thrones and bossing around the people of your pretend kingdom?

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While the imaginary kingdoms of our youth weren’t real, as Christians, we can know that we belong to God’s very real kingdom. When we trust in Jesus as our Savior, we can know that God is our Father, and He is the King of the universe. And so, because we are the children of the King, we are royalty.

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As God’s royal children, we have the privilege of inviting others into the kingdom of God by sharing the good news: that Jesus, our God and King, became human, lived among us, died on the cross and rose from the grave to beat sin and death... and is returning one day to make all things new. In His kingdom, love and righteousness rule instead of sin. We have the honor of sharing this true story— through our words and our actions—with everyone around us.

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In God’s kingdom, everything is better than we could imagine. Instead of paper crowns that wear out and get ripped, we have God’s promise of eternal life with Him (1 Peter 5:4).

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Instead of fancy old clothes from a dress-up bin, we are clothed in Jesus’s goodness instead of our sinfulness (Isaiah 61:10; Galatians 3:27).

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Instead of imaginary thrones and bossy leadership, we are called to love others the way Jesus, our just King, loves us (John 13:34; 1 John 4:19).

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That is a kingdom worth being excited about! Now, as royal children of the King, let us share the good news of our Father’s kingdom. • A. W. Smith

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• If you trust in Jesus as your Savior, you are God’s child and you’re part of His kingdom. How could remembering that our heavenly Father is the Ruler of the universe give us hope when we experience bossy or unjust leadership here on earth?

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• As a child of the King, how could you show others who Jesus is by the way you treat them?

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• To learn more about what it means to be God’s child, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

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“He [Jesus] is Lord of lords and King of kings.” Revelation 17:14 (NIV)

Wind colder than the day before swarmed into the shallow mountain cavern and bit at the exposed skin on the back of Mior’s neck that she hadn’t been able to cover with her cloak. She shivered, readjusted the cloak, then clasped her hands together to finish her prayer.

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Footsteps scratched the rock at the entrance. The stench of a Karith swelled into the cavern. Mior froze, cold sweat dripping down her back.

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A girl her age stepped into view, sword gripped tightly in her hand. The scent of the Karith invaders clung to her clothes, and blood stained her shoulder and sword arm, though it was too dark for Mior to tell if it was red or purple.

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Mior relaxed and gave a nod to the girl as she entered. “Zeela. Find anything?”

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“Corpses. Empty orchards. Karith—got ambushed by one inside town.” Zeela sheathed the blade and grabbed a withered apple from their pitiful mound of food. She narrowed her eyes at Mior. “What were you doing? Praying to your precious Lord again?”

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Mior realized her hands were still clasped. “We need His help.”

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Zeela scoffed. “You think He’ll come? You’ve been asking for months now. He cares nothing for us.”

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“He died for us. Of course He cares!”

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“Then where is He?”

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Mior dropped her gaze.

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“Whatever. I’m going back out.” Zeela took a bite of the apple, spun on her heel, and slipped out of the cave.

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Mior drew the cloak tighter around her shoulders. “You’re still there, aren’t You?” she whispered into the empty darkness. Howling wind and the distant, awful scream of a Karith was the only response. Then someone else screamed—a villager—only to be abruptly cut off. A moment later, the Karith screamed again, this time in the voice of its recent kill.

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Mior sank her head onto her knees and shivered. “I don’t know if You’re listening. But I’ll keep asking anyway. Please come.” • Linnae Conkel

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• Today’s story is an allegory. Sometimes, it seems like God has gone silent and is ignoring our prayers. Can you think of a time you felt this way? Are you in a time of waiting right now?

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• Reread Psalm 13. How did David, the author of this psalm, respond when it seemed like God was silent?

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• Although it may not make sense to us, God still loves us despite times when He seems to be silent. How can remembering the overwhelming love He has for us—a love so great that He came to live among us, die for us, and rise from the grave... all so that we could live with Him forever—help us cling to hope during the wait? (Hebrews 10:23)

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• Even as we wait for Jesus to return bodily to earth and make all things new, we can rest in His promise, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). We can be confident that He will keep His promise because He sealed it through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave. Even if He seems silent, we can know that Jesus sits beside us and weeps with us over our hurts and over the brokenness of His creation. How can remembering Jesus’s compassion give us comfort in times of fear and pain? How can we help remind each other of Jesus’s compassion and presence?

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But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. Psalm 13:5 (NIV)

Do you know the story of Paul? He was not a good guy when he was young, and he went by the name Saul. He had Christians arrested. In Acts 7:54–8:2, we see how Saul stood by in support while Stephen was being stoned to death. Saul had plans to do all kinds of bad things to the Christian people of his day. But God had other plans for him.

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When Saul was on the road to Damascus, a bright light shone all around and blinded him. Jesus talked directly to him and changed the course of his life.

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When you start to think that it’s too late for you to change after you’ve done something wrong, or that God could never forgive you, remember Saul/Paul. When you see someone else doing bad things and you start to judge them and think that God could never forgive them, remember Saul/Paul. While we certainly don’t have to approve of the wrong things people are doing, God calls us to see everyone as someone He loves, someone Jesus was willing to die for.

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It’s not too late for any of us, no matter what we’ve done. God can take some pretty messed-up people and do amazing things through them. He can work through anyone to help further His kingdom.

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Saul was not a good guy, but Jesus loved him. And His love transformed Saul into a new person. Paul became a good guy. He started serving God and even went to prison because of his faith. He wrote quite a bit of the New Testament and proclaimed the gospel to countless people, telling them about how Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave so that everyone who puts their trust in Him can be saved. Paul was honest about his past sins and his present shortcomings, and he saw God do many great things in his life. More than anything, Paul was filled with gratitude to Jesus for forgiving him and giving him a second chance. • Bethany Acker

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• Acts 13:9 tells us that Saul was “also known as Paul.” Some scholars think this is because Paul is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Saul, and Paul ministered primarily to Greek people. Why do you think God chose Paul to share the good news of Jesus with so many people, both in person and through his writings? (Hint: read 1 Timothy 1:12-17)

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• When we feel like God can’t work through us, how could the story of Saul/Paul encourage us?

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Jesus...told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Mark 2:17 (NLT)

One of my favorite parts of our family vacations at the beach was boogieboarding. My sister and I picked out boogieboards with colorful designs at the store, packing them into the car loaded with our luggage. Every summer, we looked forward to bringing those boards with us on our ocean getaways, the promise of another exciting adventure on the horizon.

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Upon arriving at the beach, however, the tall waves cresting in the distance could be intimidating. Waiting on my board, I watched as the waves curled ever closer. It seemed like every wave was more enormous than the last. What if one rolled right over me, leaving me spluttering, salt burning my eyes? Just how far from the shore should I go—should I inch even further into the ocean, or stay closer to the sand where the waves petered out?

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Ultimately, I decided to hang on, keeping my balance, remaining at the ready, then coasting with each of the waves, letting them carry me back to the shore. I discovered that timing was everything. Instead of turning around and giving up, it was exhilarating to catch the perfect wave, cruising straight through. At the end of the day, I was relieved that I hadn’t gone back to shore right away, that I’d chosen to wait and ride the waves.

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Sometimes, life can feel a lot like boogieboarding. But we’re not alone—if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that God is always with us, no matter how big the waves might get. As we follow Jesus, trusting in God’s perfect timing, He will carry us through, helping us move past fear. As we take each wave at a time, we come to see that even the tall waves that may intimidate us are just small ripples to God. Looking back at what once scared us, we realize there was no need to have feared. God doesn’t let go of us, leaving us stranded in the middle of the sea. He walks across to us, meeting us where we are, bringing us to where we are meant to be. • Kathryn Sadakierski

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• Can you think of a time God helped you in the midst of a scary situation? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this.

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• Often, our lives can feel confusing, and we don’t know what to do. Yet God is with us through everything we face, and He won’t abandon us to figure things out on our own. He invites us to come to Him with all the questions, frustrations, and fears that weigh on us (Matthew 11:28-30). In addition to talking to God, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to?

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Mightier than the breakers of the sea—the Lord on high is mighty. Psalm 93:4 (NIV)

I struggle with making decisions. I have some perfectionistic tendencies, so I spend too much time thinking about choices that don’t matter much in the long run. And in the past, I’ve let myself sit in these decisions for far too long, going back and forth and seeking out every expert, trying to pick the absolute right thing.

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But one thing God has been teaching me lately is that when we make the best choice of all, the other parts of our lives tend to fall into place. And even if they don’t, it’s okay. Because after we make the best choice, we can know that we are never alone.

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When someone becomes a Christian, they begin a relationship with God through Jesus. God is showing me that when I choose to trust Him, He gives me peace. When I surrender my control to Him, He gives me freedom. And friends, those gifts of peace and freedom change everything. As we lean into relationship with Jesus, He releases us from the burden of perfectionism. He helps us see that we don’t even have the ability to make perfect decisions on our own. When we come to Jesus, He lifts a weight we weren’t ever meant to carry (Matthew 11:28-30).

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I love the words of Psalm 118:8-9: “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” I can’t rely on my own ability to choose. And while advice from others can be valuable, it’s still not the most important thing. What’s most important is to take refuge in the Lord.

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Let’s seek Him as our refuge today, and may all the other choices just fall into place. • Becca Wierwille

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• Because life is complex, there is often more than one good choice in any situation. In Deuteronomy 30:15-20, what does God tell the Israelites to do? In Matthew 22:36-40, what does Jesus say about God’s commands? While none of us can keep God’s commands perfectly—after all, that’s why we need Jesus—how could these verses help us make good decisions?

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• As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit living inside us, guiding us and empowering us to follow the Lord in everything we do. God has also given us His Word (the Bible) and community with fellow Christians who can help us discern His guidance. What kinds of decisions are you facing today? What might it look like for you to take refuge in the Lord in these situations?

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It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. Psalm 118:8 (NIV)

Let my life, here, now

Be about You, let me follow

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Let my future, each step, decision

Be about You, not my own opinion

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Let the air I breathe, filling me

Be air from You, fresh and free

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Let my heart, my plans

Be about You, in Your hands

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Let my goals, my dreams, my reason

Be what You want for this season

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Let my hurt, my misery, my pain

Be healed by You as You sustain

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Let my contacts, my family, my friends

Be in good standing, let me make amends

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Let my trust, my beliefs, my core

Be always deeper, pressing into You more • Emily Acker

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• Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, believing He died and rose from the dead, we can know that God is always with us through His Holy Spirit, His Word, and His people. He shapes every moment of our lives. How could this truth affect the way we live day-to-day?

• Consider taking a moment to read this poem again, and then pray your own prayer to God.

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Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1 (NIV)

Have you ever had to help a toddler learn a basic task, like putting on shoes or using a fork? While the process can be cute, it can also be long and frustrating. But no matter how challenging the journey might get, when we love little ones, we know that the time spent helping them learn and grow is worth it—even if the process takes

lots of twists and turns.

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In the Bible, Christians are often called children of God. Even as adults, we are God’s kids, and our spiritual growth and learning can be just as twisting and turning as the average toddler’s quest to grow up.

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As Christians, we can rest in the truth that Jesus knows we have a lot to learn. He loves us, and He won’t give up on us. We can trust Him to be patient with us and give us strength as we learn to love others the way He has loved us (1 John 4:19).

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Simply put, God is always patient and loving with His children. We can know this is true because He demonstrated His love for us by dying to save us (John 3:16-17). What a promise to rest in: that we are secure in the work of our Savior, Jesus, who died on the cross and rose from the grave. He’s never going to give up on us. He WILL complete the work He started in us (Philippians 1:6). So even as we learn and grow, we can look forward to the day when Jesus will return and we will reach full maturity. And in the meantime, our patient God will keep helping us through all the twists and turns. • A. W. Smith

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• Do you sometimes get impatient with your own spiritual growth, getting frustrated when you find it difficult to show love to people or resist doing things that you know are wrong? Consider taking a moment to talk with Jesus about these struggles (Hebrews 4:14-16).

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• Until Jesus returns, we all continue to struggle with sin. How could the truths from today’s Bible passages encourage us when we’re struggling? What are some practical ways we could remind each other of God’s love, forgiveness, and patience?

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And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

"Ninety-eight, ninety-nine... and that makes one hundred,” I counted aloud while another volunteer added the total to the app on my phone. My family and I had volunteered to pick up trash surrounding a lake in our community. One of our tasks involved tracking the number of various kinds of items we collected in our clean-up efforts. Even before the end of our shift, my team and I had retrieved over 100 used, stubbed-out cigarettes from the ground near the lake. We knew this place needed some attention, but until we joined the clean-up crew, we hadn’t realized how carelessly it had been treated.

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Many of us may have noticed signs instructing us not to litter. But for those who seek to follow Jesus, our motive for caring for God’s creation goes deeper than simply following human rules.

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When we put our trust in Jesus, we begin a relationship with God as our loving Heavenly Father. Our lives take on a new direction; the Holy Spirit works in us so our actions and choices can honor God as we love and obey Him in decisions big and small.

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So, how should a child of God interact with the natural world? By first remembering that God created the world; that the earth—and everything in it—belongs to Him. And by reflecting on the reality that God called His creation “good” (Genesis 1). As God’s love fills our hearts, it overflows in acts of love for the people and the environment around us. Our Lord invites us to care for His creation, compelled by the sure hope of Jesus’s return, when heaven will meet earth and He will renew and restore all of creation. As we keep in mind that God takes pleasure in the world He has made, we can uncover a deeper meaning behind choosing not to litter—and a deeper purpose in cleaning up the litter we find around us. • Allison Wilson Lee

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• Jesus loves His creation (John 1:2-3; Colossians 1:15-23). How could this truth affect the way we view the earth?

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• What are some practical ways we can care for the physical world that God has made?

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The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Psalm 24:1 (NIV)

What are worms good for? Well, they help the earth breathe. As worms burrow through the ground, they let fresh air through the soil. The more they eat and digest the soil, the better it is for growing things. In little details like these, we can see glimpses of how amazing God is. The Creator has intricately woven His creation to work together, all of it bringing honor to Him.

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Take the sun as another example that shows us God’s goodness. It’s just the right distance away from planet Earth so we can live. If we were just a little closer, animals and plants couldn’t survive the heat. But if we were a little farther away, we couldn’t survive the cold. And that’s not all—as the Earth moves around the sun in an elliptical orbit, the seasons follow one another in splendorous order. Only God could have fashioned everything so well.

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The beauty and complexity of nature points to our loving God, the One who made everything and makes it all work together. And, even though sin fractured creation in deep ways, we can still catch glimpses of the goodness of God in everything He has made.

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As we stand in awe of creation, we can also marvel at how God became human and came to earth to live among us. He died on the cross to defeat sin, He rose from the grave to defeat death, and one day He will return and make all creation new—so it’s no longer affected by sin, no longer held captive by death. Until that day, Jesus is holding all things together. Because of Him, all of creation—down to the smallest earthworm—has a purpose in God’s universe. A. W. Smith

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• What is one of your favorite parts of creation? How could this remind you of God’s goodness?

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• How could you find a way to spend time in nature today and marvel at some of the things God has made? As you notice what catches your attention, consider spending some time thanking God for what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel.

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For in him [Jesus] all things were created... all things have been created through him and for him. Colossians 1:16 (NIV)

In those Dark Ages before smartphones, streaming, and DVDs, there was VHS, which is what I grew up with. Whenever I wanted to watch my favorite movies, I would pop the VHS (video home system) tape into the VCR (video cassette recorder).

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While I may be nostalgic about VHS now, I would always dread when the tape would start to skip and the movie would blur into staticky incoherence. When that happened, it was my signal to clean the VCR. This whole process reminds me of spending time with Jesus in prayer.

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Prayer helps to clear our minds. When there’s a sense of spiritual blurriness or fuzziness surfacing inside, and we’re unsure of how to go forward, it’s time to pray. Much like how I would clean my VCR to see my movies more clearly, prayer can clear our minds so we can focus on what God is telling us. If the static of life is deafening, we can hone in on the quiet sanctuary of prayer within, listening to what God wants us to know about His love in this present moment.

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Then, once our minds have cleared and the static has been wiped away, we can start seeing the bigger picture instead of just focusing on what is stressing us in the current moment. Prayer helps us clear out the static so we can see the story of Christ—and our place in that story—kind of like a movie. We can watch the progression from His birth to His death, and then the high point of His resurrection. And we can realize that there is no ending to Jesus’s story—the story continues as Jesus lives in each of us through the Holy Spirit. By remembering this big story and our place in it, we can see how Jesus is at work even in the midst of our stresses and worries.

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There is more to this part of life we find ourselves in than what we see at first. Prayer helps us see that more clearly, allowing us to shine Christ’s love into this fuzzy, staticky world. • Kathryn Sadakierski

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• How could seeing our place in the big picture of God’s story help us understand the details of our lives more clearly?

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• In many psalms (which are prayers or songs to God), the psalmists remind themselves and each other of the great things God has done and the bigger story they are a part of (Psalms 71, 81, 105). How might it be helpful to follow the model of these psalms in our own prayers?

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Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2 (CSB)

Have you ever prayed and prayed for something to happen, something that you know is good and right, something that—by all logic—seems like it should happen... and it doesn’t? What then? Well, John the Baptist was in a similar situation. He knew that Jesus was the Messiah. In fact, John was the one who baptized Jesus and saw the Spirit descend on Him like a dove (Matthew 3:13-17; John 1:29-36). But John still sent messengers to Jesus, asking if Jesus was truly the Messiah. Why would he do that? Did John, of all people, have doubts?

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John was in prison at the time he sent the messengers, and he had been imprisoned by Herod the tetrarch for quite some time at this point (Luke 3:19-20). And Jesus knew that John was in prison. I can see how some doubt about Jesus’s identity would creep in. I can just imagine John murmuring to himself in jail, “I know Jesus is Lord, but how could He just leave me here?”

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So, what’s Jesus’s answer? He quotes parts of the Old Testament, saying He is there to make the blind see and preach good news to the poor, but He leaves out one specific part. Freeing the captives. In essence, it’s like Jesus is saying, “Yes, I am the Messiah, I am who you think I am, but this isn’t something I am meant to do for you.”

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We don’t get much explanation beyond that except another passage where Jesus states that He is not going to fulfill all the expectations that people had for Him (Matthew 11:16-19). Jesus is the perfect Messiah, but He is going to do things in His own way and His own time.

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John the Baptist was beheaded in the same prison that he sent those messengers from (Mark 6:17-29). But even though John remained a prisoner, Jesus was no less of a Savior. And someday, Jesus will free all prisoners and justice will come. When Jesus returns, He will raise all His people from the dead—including John the Baptist—and together we will see the glory of the Messiah on full display. • Naomi Zylstra

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• Can you think of a time your prayers were not answered in the way you were expecting? Have you ever felt like God wasn’t “doing His job”?

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• Jesus does rescue John, but not from the prison cell. John’s rescue is from death itself. Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave for us, everyone who puts their trust in Jesus will be raised from the dead when Jesus returns! How can remembering Jesus’s promises give us hope in the midst of hardship and confusion? (Matthew 28:20; John 16:33; Romans 8:31-39)

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Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see...” Matthew 11:4 (CSB)

When we see injustice in the world, what should motivate us to act?

As Christians, we believe God loves every person. God revealed His love for us on the cross—the place where Jesus gave up His life. Jesus suffered more injustice than anyone, and His self-sacrificing love is what motivates us to show that same love to others. We love because we have been loved first by Jesus.

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This is what motivated Corrie ten Boom. As a Christian woman living during World War II, she was a part of the Dutch resistance, and she helped many Jewish people escape during the Holocaust. While earning her living as a watchmaker in the Netherlands, Corrie worked in secret with other members of the Dutch resistance to create a hiding place for Jewish refugees inside her family’s home and watch shop. Their efforts saved many people from death, but one day Corrie—and members of her family—were caught and arrested by the Nazis. Corrie was eventually released, but several of her family members died while they were imprisoned.

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Throughout the rest of her days, Corrie wrote about God’s work in her life, and she continued to seek out ways to help Holocaust survivors. It was her relationship with Jesus that helped her process all that had happened to her and around her, and it was Jesus’s love that motivated her to continue helping others until the end of her life.

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As Christians, we serve the God of justice. The same Jesus who died and rose again for us will one day return to set everything right (Romans 8; Revelation 21:1-5). We are part of His family and His eternal kingdom, so we have the joy and privilege of pointing people to our Savior through words and actions—including acts of courage and love toward our neighbors, even in the face of injustice. • Kandi Zeller

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• What sticks out to you the most about Corrie ten Boom’s story?

• We live in a world that’s broken by sin and its effects. As Christians, how can resting in God’s love equip us to love our neighbors in this broken world?

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• Corrie ten Boom was able to help save lives because she was part of a community that was united around God’s love for the people He has made. How can working for justice—as a community—help us better serve our neighbors?

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We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NIV)

What does treasure mean to you? Is it money you save up? Is it valuables you hide in the rooms and closets of your home... or put on display for others to admire? Is it good grades, or likes on a screen? There are lots of things we can treasure. But in Matthew 6:20, Jesus invites us to a different way. He says, “Store your treasures in heaven.” But what does that mean?

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Jesus explains, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth” (verse 19) where everything falls apart or gets stolen. Instead of being devoted to earthly treasure, our loving God wants our hearts to be devoted to Him (verse 24). He is our true treasure. Knowing Him is the only thing that will fill our deepest longings—He treasures us, and we don’t need to do anything to earn His love.

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If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are God’s people, and now everything we do out of love and service to Him builds on the treasure we already have in knowing Him and being part of His eternal kingdom (Ephesians 1:3-8; 3:8; Colossians 2:3). Basically, as Christians, it’s not what we do that stores treasure in heaven, but who we do it for. As we follow Jesus with our lives, He helps us store up heavenly riches that will last forever. Through His Holy Spirit living in us, Jesus is making us more like Him and empowering us to show others His amazing love.

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Things like money, success, and popularity come and go, and they can only last as long as our lives on earth—or even shorter. But the treasure found in Jesus lasts for all eternity. In other words, anything we build can be torn down, but the kingdom of God cannot be torn down. As Christians, our hope isn’t in our possessions or our status in society or our accomplishments. Instead, our hope rests in the work of Jesus: how He died on the cross and rose from the grave... and how He promises to return and make all things new and dwell with us forever.

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Maybe right now you don’t have much earthly treasure, or maybe you have a lot. Just know that all of that earthly treasure is temporary, and it won’t satisfy you anyway. Jesus is the true treasure. He is inviting you to come to Him and live a life that is truly meaningful by loving God and loving the people around you (Matthew 11:28-30; 22:34-40). • A. W. Smith

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• What things in your life do you consider to be treasure? Why are these things important to you?

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• How could the good desires associated with these things (desires for safety, strength, relational closeness, knowledge, wisdom, beauty, etc.) point us to Jesus, the One who ultimately satisfies these desires through His kingdom and His family?

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“Store your treasures in heaven.” Matthew 6:20 (NLT)

Prayer has never been easy for me. It’s not that I don’t know how to pray, but it takes a lot of discipline for me to stick to praying even when I don’t feel like it. I’ve heard stories of people in the Bible and missionaries who had ground-shaking prayer lives... but that’s never happened for me. However, as I pushed through my insecurity about prayer and just started doing it, I found out that I don’t need to have all the answers. My life became so much more peace-filled when I interacted with God regularly in prayer.

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For me, one of the best things about praying is that I can do it anytime, anywhere. More than that, I can choose to have a constant conversation with God. This has been such a beautiful part of my walk with Him. When I’d have to make a split-second decision, I’d whisper “God, help me,” and then, often, I would have clarity. When I saw something beautiful, like a waving flower or a singing bird, I’d smile and pray, “Thank You, God.” These simple prayers became more and more natural. I wondered if this was what Paul meant when he said to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). I started calling these short, one-sentence prayers “breathing prayers” because I started doing them without thinking, kind of like breathing.

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As I interacted with God more and more through these simple, child-like prayers, my relationship with Him deepened. He opened my eyes to things I hadn’t seen. It was like I was holding His hand throughout the day. The truth is, you don’t have to be a missionary to have a rich prayer life. Every child of God—every person who has put their trust in Jesus—can enjoy constant communication with Him. God is listening, He loves you, and He loves hearing from you! Through prayer, He invites us to lean into His strength as He equips us for everything we face. As we communicate with God, we get to experience the closeness we have with the One who loves us so dearly. • Lily Walsh

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• God invites us to be in relationship with Him. Even though our sin separated us from God, He made the way for us to be close to Him through Jesus’s death and resurrection. Now, everyone who has put their trust in Jesus is brought near to God! Yet, we can still choose how much we interact with Him. Why do you think God calls us to communicate with Him continually?

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• We all feel hesitant to pray sometimes. How could this author’s personal experience with prayer give us hope to reach out to God even when we feel resistance?

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Pray continually. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)

"She must really want this job,” I told my roommate. All throughout our dorm, posters promoted a candidate for dorm treasurer who I’ll call “Millie.” Each time we entered or exited the building we spotted these well-made campaign signs.

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Other people were competing for positions on the leadership board of our dormitory, but nobody had plastered as many notices as Millie. I assumed she would serve well in the position because she seemed serious about taking on this role. When it came time to vote for dorm leaders, a majority of residents voted for Millie as treasurer.

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We paid our dues to help support fun dormitory activities, and it was the treasurer’s responsibility to maintain these funds. We hoped this money would cover an extravagant end-of-year party in May. The first semester ended in December without any special celebrations.

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When we returned after Christmas, we discovered that Millie had not come back to campus. She also didn’t return to class. She had simply disappeared—and the dorm treasury had disappeared with her. Did something bad happen to Millie? Or did she purposefully take the money we had trusted her to manage?

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Unlike our loving Heavenly Father—who is always faithful and true—people let us down. Sometimes, they make promises they fail to fulfill; sometimes, they betray our trust. Kings, presidents, parents—and dorm treasurers—are flawed and fallible human beings. Only God is worthy of our complete confidence. He keeps all His promises. He promised to rescue His people from sin and death, and that promise was fulfilled in Jesus’s death and resurrection. He also promises to someday return to destroy sin, brokenness, and death forever. Our God is trustworthy. We can trust the Lord to redeem us from our sin, and we can trust Him—and Him alone—with our whole hearts. • Allison Wilson Lee

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• Have you ever been let down by someone you trusted? What was it like?

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• How is putting confidence in God different from putting confidence in people?

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• Trusting God is hard sometimes. When it feels difficult to trust Jesus, we can tell Him that. He wants us to be honest with Him, and He has compassion on us. When is it hardest for you to trust God? Who are Christians in your life you would feel comfortable talking to about this?

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It is better to take refuge in Yahweh, than to put confidence in princes. Psalm 118:9 (WEB)

How could He just storm the gates like that?” “Do we have a plan?” “Is the war over?” Hundreds of questions attacked from all sides as we stared at the broken gate. “This was a fortress—no one should have been able to break through.” “Today we were supposed to revel in our victory!” “Didn’t we all hear the Savior cry out for the last time? Didn’t we see Him take His last breath? He was dead.” “So, how could He have broken through the gate and stolen the key?” “Not only that, but He stared us in the face and declared victory—over death itself!”

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“ENOUGH! Not another word,” the Great Darkness ordered. Then the voice dropped dangerously quiet. The Great Darkness was not in the mood for questions. “Today, the Chosen One from above thinks He has won, but we will wreak havoc on all His land until the end. If we cannot defeat Him personally, we will attack that which is most precious to Him... His people.”

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As we prepare for war, we can’t help but shudder. The gates were breached, and the so-called Savior took the keys. The Great Darkness declared there are more battles to fight. Yet today, there is another who is more worthy of our fear. This Chosen One who defeated death and darkness certainly isn’t afraid of us.

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Yes, there may be more battles to fight, but the war is over. The Savior has stolen the victory. Nothing we do now could ever change that. And the Great Darkness knows it. • Kayla Miller

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• Today’s story is an allegory, showing Jesus’s victory over sin, death, and all the forces of evil and darkness. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we get to celebrate that our Savior holds “the keys of death and Hades” (Revelation 1:18). Now, even though we will experience suffering as the forces of darkness wage war on God’s people, we can know that nothing will ever “be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39). How could pondering these truths help us rest in Jesus’s undefeatable love for us?

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• As Christians, we don’t need to be afraid of death or evil. Instead, God calls us to come to Him with all our worries, and He empowers us to resist the enemy and stand firm in His true grace, which He has given us in Jesus (1 Peter 5:6-12). When you’re facing hard things, who are trusted Christians in your life who can pray with you and help you follow our Lord? How can you be this kind of friend to others?

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“I [Jesus] am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Revelation 1:18 (NIV)

"So, let me get this straight.” Petronius glared at the two Roman soldiers sitting across from him. “There was a bright light, and you were knocked to the ground, and when you got up, the seal was broken, the two-ton stone was rolled away, and the body was gone?”

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“There was also a roaring sound,” Justin added. He glanced over at Lucius, who was staring at the table in silence, still in shock.

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“A roaring sound,” their commanding officer repeated. “Like a lion?”

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“No, like scraping—” Justin stopped to think. “But yes, also like a lion.”

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Petronius threw his reed pen down in frustration. “A scraping sound that roared like a lion. Do you know how crazy that sounds? Honestly, if it weren’t for the other soldiers on guard last night with similar nonsensical stories, you two would be on your way to the execution block for sleeping on the job, because this all sounds like a crazy dream!”

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Justin saw Lucius cringe. “I know how it sounds,” said Justin. “That’s also how it felt. Crazy. Impossible.”

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Petronius dismissed them so he could converse with the other officers. “Don’t go far,” he warned them. “You’re being watched until we get this sorted out.”

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Justin led Lucius to the courtyard. “I’ll get us something to eat,” he said as he sat his friend beneath an olive tree. Lucius nodded and slumped against the tree trunk.

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Justin walked to a nearby booth selling pomegranates. As he handed his coins over, he wondered if this would be his last meal. What had the dead man—whose tomb they had been guarding—eaten for his last meal? Justin shuddered as he thought about the crucifixion he had witnessed just a few days before. He’d seen many executions, but this one was different. He’d gotten the distinct sense that this man in no way deserved the abuses heaped upon him as his death sentence wascarried out. Now, Justin wondered if he, too, might be executed.

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As he walked back toward the courtyard, a shadow fell across his path. “Move, please,” Justin said, his voice lacking the hard Roman edge it normally had. “Let me pass.”

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The man took a step closer. Justin looked up, and the pomegranates he was holding fell to the ground. “It’s you,” he whispered. The eyes were the same as when they beat him and nailed him to that cross, but he didn’t look weak and helpless anymore. He looked healthy and whole.

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The man gave him a kind smile. “Go get your friend,” he said, nodding toward the courtyard. “Then follow me.” • Courtney Lasater

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• After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to many people before He ascended into heaven. Today’s fictional story imagines Jesus appearing to some of the Roman soldiers who were present at His tomb and His crucifixion. While we don’t know if something like this happened or not, we do know that Jesus called many gentile (or non-Jewish) people, including Romans, to follow Him, both before His death and after His ascension. What does this reveal about God’s compassion and mercy? (If you want to dig deeper, check out Matthew 8:5-13; 27:54; Mark 15:39; Luke 7:1-10; Acts 10:1-48; 16:23-34; 27:1-44.)

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• Jesus is God in human flesh, and He came to die a terrible death on the cross for people who were His enemies. The reality is, without Jesus, we are all God’s enemies. But because Jesus died and rose again for us, we can be forgiven and reconciled to God by putting our trust in Jesus (Romans 5:10). Have you ever felt like you were somehow disqualified from following Jesus? How might today’s Bible passages speak into this?

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• Jesus seeks out the lost, He meets us with immeasurable kindness, and He beckons us to follow Him. Have you made the decision to follow Jesus? What questions do you have? You can bring every question and every doubt to Jesus in prayer. He won’t condemn you or dismiss you. Instead, He will listen and draw you close. In addition to talking to God, who are trusted Christians you could talk to? (You can also find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

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Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4 (CSB)

"Glad that business is over,” Lucius said as he tapped the base of his spear against the huge stone in front of the tomb.

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Justin nodded in agreement. “I just hope it doesn’t cause a revolt or something,” he said quietly so the other guards stationed nearby wouldn’t overhear.

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“Nah,” Lucius replied. “Did you see how many Jews were at the crucifixion? Yet only a handful of them wept. Most were screaming, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ I don’t think the Jews are going to cause any trouble over this. Their leaders were the ones who brought him to Pontius Pilate to be crucified, after all.”

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“Then why are we here?” asked Justin. “Why have this many soldiers guarding the sealed tomb of a man crucified as a criminal by his own people? It makes no sense.”

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Lucius shrugged. “Some of the Jewish leaders are afraid his followers will try to steal the body—something about a prophecy he made about rising from the dead. But trust me, no one’s getting through this.” Lucius patted the heavy stone, then nodded toward the other soldiers. “Or us. Anyway, they say his followers scattered when he was arrested. Why would they risk it all now for someone who’s already dead?”

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Justin let out a breath. Maybe it wasn’t so bad. Even though standing guard outside a tomb still required his full attention—every Roman soldier knew that failing to fulfill his duty meant pain of death—he could still think of it as a break. No breaking up fights in the street or kicking beggars out of sight so prominent Romans didn’t have to look at them as they passed by. He could breathe the fresh air and listen to the breeze whispering through the trees—

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Justin’s thoughts were interrupted as heat and light seared through every part of him. A scraping roar filled his ears, and he was knocked to his knees as the earth shook. He could hear the faint screams of the soldiers around him but couldn’t open his eyes in the blinding light. All he could do was throw his arms over his head until it was over.

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Finally, Justin felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Lucius. “What happened?” Justin asked.

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“I don’t know,” said Lucius. He pointed toward the tomb. “But we’ve got a situation.”

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Justin turned and gasped. The huge stone had been rolled away from the tomb’s entrance. They walked inside and stopped dead. Justin saw Lucius’s face pale to the color of ash. “He’s gone.” Justin’s voice trembled as they both stared at the empty tomb. • Courtney Lasater

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• Today’s fictional story is based on the true events of Easter morning. Read Matthew 27:57-66 and 28:1-6. What do you think it would have been like to be one of the Roman soldiers standing guard outside of the tomb when the angel rolled the stone away?

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• What sticks out to you most, either in today’s story or in the Bible passages it’s based on?

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• Why is it important that Jesus literally rose from the dead? How might knowing the precautions taken by the Roman government, so that no one could steal Jesus’s body, give us confidence that Jesus’s resurrection really did happen?

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“He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” Matthew 28:6 (CSB)

Christianity is based on faith in Jesus and the factual, historical events of His life, death, and resurrection. Because of eyewitness reports, we can know these things really happened in time and space. Without the historical resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christianity would be nothing but fairy tales. It would be nothing more than humanity’s attempt to explain reality.

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When Jesus died on the cross, the Pharisees and the High Priest knew of Jesus’s claim that He would rise from the dead. They were afraid His disciples would steal the body and tell people that Jesus had resurrected. If that happened, everyone would follow Jesus instead of their teachings. So the Pharisees asked Pilate to secure Jesus’s tomb. Pilate gave them a Roman guard unit—soldiers from the best trained military force in the world at that time. If any of these guards fell asleep at their post, they would be executed. The Roman officials also put a seal on Jesus’s tomb. If this seal was broken, the penalty was death. Nobody would dare break a Roman seal.

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So, when Jesus did rise from the dead, this was a problem for the Pharisees. They worried that His followers would tell everyone about it. So they came up with a plan: they would say the disciples stole Jesus’s body.

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Yes, they would tell people that the disciples came and overpowered the best trained military force in the world, broke the Roman seal—risking the penalty of death—and stole Jesus’s body. People from that area knew how foolish this story was. Besides, when Jesus died, His disciples thought their Messiah had failed and got Himself killed. They didn’t understand that He would rise from the dead, even though Jesus had told them about it beforehand. All hope in Jesus died when they saw Him on the cross. Why would they steal a dead body?

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The truth of the resurrection was apparent to the thousands of people who became Christians soon after this event (Acts 2:41; 4:4). Now we, too, can trust in the factual, historical account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And because of His resurrection, we can trust that He will raise us from the dead at His return, and all His people will live forever in His loving presence in renewed creation. •

Doug Velting

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• What questions do you have about Jesus’s resurrection? Who are trusted Christians in your life you could bring these questions to?

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But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. 1 Corinthians 15:20 (NLT)

On Good Friday, many Christians remember how Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Then on Easter Sunday, we celebrate Jesus’s resurrection—how He rose from the grave, defeating sin and death forever! On Monday, lots of people resume everyday life—going back to school, friends, homework, part-time jobs, sports—but Easter is not the end of the story.

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When Jesus died on the cross, His followers were not only saddened, but very confused. Then He rose from the dead and showed Himself to His followers, opening their minds to understand that the Messiah had to suffer on the cross and rise from the dead so that our sins could be forgiven and we could live with God forever (Luke 24:44-47). Then they finally understood and were overjoyed!

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But that’s not the end of the story either. The ascension of Jesus Christ—when He was taken up to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father—finishes up the most important series of events in the universe: the Son of God died for our sins, rose on the third day, and ascended to heaven. This end of the story is often overlooked, but it’s very important because it answers the question, “What ever happened to Jesus after He rose from the dead? Is He still wandering around earth somewhere? Did He die again?” It’s also important because after Jesus ascended, those who believed in Him were given the Holy Spirit to dwell in them. The Holy Spirit helps

us understand Scripture, gives us guidance and courage in proclaiming the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ, and distributes spiritual gifts. This wondrous power of the Holy Spirit was given only after Jesus’s ascension.

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Jesus ascended to heaven, but one day He will return to earth and finally restore all of creation to perfect relationship with God (Revelation 21:1-5). Sometimes, we forget the importance of Jesus’s ascension, focusing only on the cross and the empty tomb. But the ascension finishes the story of how the holy and loving God came to rescue us from our sins so that we could be with Him forever. • Doug Velting

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• Read John 14:15-31 and John 16:5-22. Why is it a good thing that Jesus ascended?

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• As we wait for Jesus’s return, we can rest in His love and His promise to be with us always (Matthew 28:20). He is present with us through His Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). What questions do you have about this? Who are trusted Christians you could ask?

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Since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. Hebrews 4:14 (NIV)

Mary Magdalene pressed a hand against her aching heart. "How do I still have tears left in me?" She had been mourning for three days, along with others who were Jesus’s friends, followers, and family, but the realization was still sinking in: he was actually gone. It was dawn on the third day, and Mary couldn’t wrap her mind around it—her heart was empty, and so was the tomb. She couldn’t even anoint his body for burial; someone had taken it away.

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"I don’t understand," Mary wept, "You were strong enough to cast the seven demons out of me—you set me free. Why did you have to die? Why didn’t you put a stop to that crucifixion? Where are you now?" Mary clutched at the cold stone of the tomb to steady her shaking knees. She bent to peer into its emptiness once more.

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Mary gasped. The tomb wasn’t empty! Two angels dressed in brilliant white were sitting where Jesus’s body had been, one of them perched by the cloth that had been wrapped around her Lord’s head. This angel was swinging his feet and smiling, the other was gazing at Mary with compassion. His voice carried over to her, soft and musical. “Why are you crying?”

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“They have taken my Lord!” A sob stuck in Mary’s throat. “I don’t know where he is...” The unspoken words echoed in her heart, "Everything is empty without Him."

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Exhausted with grief, she turned back to the tomb’s opening to take a deep breath, and there was a man standing before her. His eyes radiated warmth and kindness, which only made Mary cry harder. Then he asked, “Who are you looking for?”

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"This must be the gardener," Mary thought. "Maybe he knows where my Jesus is!" “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where, and I will get him!”

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“Mary.” That one word—her name—spoken soft as a spring rain falling on hard ground... Mary knew only one voice could speak her name in such a way. She looked up at him. “Teacher!”

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Sorrow fled from her soul like the breaking of dawn—her Lord, her Jesus, was alive! He had driven the seven demons out of her tortured body, and now He had conquered death itself. All that once ached empty inside her was now full—full to overflowing. • Savannah Coleman

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• This story is how one author imagined what it was like for Mary Magdalene on Easter morning. Read John 20:1-18. What sticks out to you about Mary’s encounter with Jesus?

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• Today, Christians around the world are celebrating Jesus’s resurrection from the dead! Why can remembering the empty tomb fill us with joy?

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Jesus willingly died for us so that we could be God’s people and have life “to the full” (John 10:10)—a life of freedom and forgiveness. Jesus shed His own blood on the cross for us, covering our sins and making the way for us to have a restored relationship with the living God (Romans 10:9-10). This is what makes our story different from every other religion: we serve a God who gave up His own life for ours, and He is alive! If you’ve already put your trust in Jesus, who is someone you could share this good news with? Consider taking a moment to pray for this person now, asking God to help them know the truth of His love for them. If you’re not sure about trusting in Jesus, that’s okay—God doesn’t rush us, and He invites us to ask questions and wrestle with Him. What questions do you have about Jesus? Who is a trusted Christian you’d feel comfortable bringing these questions to? (You can also read more about Jesus on our "Know Jesus" page.)

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“I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:10b-11 (NIV)

Oh, day of awful darkness

when I cried unending tears,

the very thing I dreaded most

now haunted all my fears.

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Where could my lovely child be,

my Savior and my Son?

Who sought to wrench His life away;

what foul thing had He done?

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With Peter, James, and brother John,

I hid myself away;

as all around a cosmic roar

defined the wretched day.

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I did not know where He had gone;

my world was torn apart.

Perhaps I’ll only have Him now

in the cradle of my heart. • Susan Sundwall

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• Today’s poem is how one author imagines what it may have been like for Mary, the mother of Jesus, when He was put to death on the cross. We don’t know if Mary knew that Jesus would rise from the dead, but we do know that Mary had been with Jesus from the beginning of His life on earth. The angel Gabriel told Mary that she would be pregnant through the Holy Spirit (even though she was a virgin at the time). When she gave birth to Jesus, she cradled Him close to her, yet she knew that He was the Messiah: the Savior who God had promised. What do you think was going through Mary’s mind during the days after Jesus died, before He rose from the grave?

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• In times when we don’t understand what God is doing, how could it be comforting to know that Jesus’s followers also felt this way?

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Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” And the disciples were filled with grief. Matthew 17:22-23 (NLT)

Jesus suffered for us. His death on the cross wasn’t a quick death. He wasn’t alive and healthy and happy one moment and then dead the next. Jesus went through pain. Before He was arrested, He knew what was coming, and He had the power to stop it. But He chose to move forward anyway. In order to save us, He had to struggle. He did it all for us.

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Some of us might have had someone in our life sacrifice something to help us. Maybe a parent gave up a good job so we could stay in the school we were used to, or maybe they went without some of the things they wanted so they could buy us new clothing. Yet, none of the sacrifices humans make for us can even begin to compare to the sacrifice Jesus made for us.

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Jesus was arrested in the middle of the night, and He didn’t die until about 3:00 PM. All of His followers abandoned Him. The religious leaders spit in His face and beat Him with their fists. The guards blindfolded Him and struck Him. He was flogged severely, and the whip was probably studded with broken glass and nails and shards of bone, ripping His skin to shreds. Then the soldiers stripped off His clothes and pressed a crown of thorns into His head. They took a staff and struck Him on the head over and over again. When Jesus was finally brought to Golgotha, they drove two enormous nails through His wrists and one through both of His feet. He had to push Himself up by those nails just to breathe, all while people hurled insults at Him. Finally, He cried out in a loud voice, and breathed His last.

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Jesus gave His all, and He did it out of love. We mean so much to Him that He wanted to deal with sin once and for all, to save us from death and bring us near to live with Him forever. His blood was given so that we could live. When we think about what He has done, may we fall to our knees in gratitude. The suffering He faced was a gift to us. His blood was a gift. We can be saved because of Him. • Emily Acker

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• Have you ever stopped to think about just how much Jesus suffered in order to save us? How does His suffering and all He gave for us reveal God’s love?

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• Jesus’s death was not the end. He rose from the grave, so now everyone who puts their trust in Him can be saved! If you want to know more about this good news, check out our "Know Jesus" page. (If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 26–27; Mark 14–16; Luke 22–24; John 18–20.)

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For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)

When was the last time you were afraid? Maybe you’re afraid of bugs, heights, or needles. Maybe you have emotional fears, such as being afraid of loss, pain, or rejection. Everybody is afraid of something. Personally, I have a big fear of needles—I can’t even look at one without getting chills down my spine. Not only am I afraid of needles, but I also have other fears, like losing my family or friends.

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God understands all our fears. When Jesus was praying in the garden of Gethsemane, the Bible says Jesus felt “deeply distressed and troubled... overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mark 14:33-34). Jesus was in anguish. Even after an angel strengthened Him, “his sweat was like drops of blood” (Luke 22:44). Can you imagine being so anxious that you sweat blood?

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Jesus is fully God, and He is also fully human and experienced human emotion. This is one reason we know that He can relate to us. Jesus sweat blood in the garden because He knew the excruciating pain He would soon experience on the cross, and it caused Him anxiety and anguish. However, Jesus ended His prayer by accepting God the Father’s will over His own. Jesus, God the Son, surrendered everything over to God the Father and trusted the Father to provide and take care of Him.

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Even though Jesus trusted the Father to raise Him from the dead after three days in the grave, going to the cross was still incredibly hard and painful. Whenever we are afraid, we can remember that Jesus knows just how we feel, and we can trust Him with everything. Because Jesus faced the terrors of death for us when He died on the cross and rose from the grave, we can now be in relationship with God. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can come to God with everything we experience—including fear. He understands, and He longs to draw us near in His arms and empower us to follow Him, even in the face of fear. • Lydia Lancie

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• According to Hebrews 12:2, why was Jesus willing to endure the cross?

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• What kinds of things make you afraid? How could it be comforting to know that Jesus doesn’t just know how we feel, He also empathizes with us? (Hebrews 4:14-16)

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• Consider taking a moment to thank Jesus for what He’s done for us, and talk to Him about any fears that come to mind.

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And being in anguish, he [Jesus] prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Luke 22:44 (NIV)

Rising prices can be frightening. They make life feel uncertain, like we’re not sure what’s going to happen next.

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Maybe your family can’t go on vacation like you always did. Maybe you’re not getting the car you always thought you would have or you’re not sure if you can afford to attend college. Maybe you don’t know if your family will be able to buy groceries or medication this month.

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With all the rising prices, it can be difficult to afford everything we want and need. It can be scary to think about the future because we don’t know how it will go.

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But one thing to remember even when things are going crazy is that God is with us. He is still watching over us just as much today as He was yesterday and last week and last year. God knows about the issues we’re facing. He knows when we’re struggling, and He can help us. God can give us peace during difficult times. He can guide us and get us through the toughest circumstances. Nothing is too big for Him to deal with, and nothing comes as a surprise to Him.

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So when we get stressed out about rising costs or anything else going wrong in the world, we can turn to God and trust Him to take care of us. His care can come in many different forms, and one way is through His people, the church. In times of economic hardship, we can work together to take care of each other and share His love (Romans 12:13). When we demonstrate His love by giving and receiving help, we get to show that God’s love is living and active—that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead also lives in us (Romans 8:11; 1 John 3:17-24). The truth of His love remains rock solid even in the most unsteady times. • Bethany Acker

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• When we’re anxious about the future, Jesus feels our pain. He loves us and walks with us. How could this truth bring us comfort and help us feel secure when life feels unsteady?

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• Has anyone ever helped you when you were struggling financially? Have you ever helped someone else? What was it like?

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Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (CSB)

Daffodils lifted their creamy yellow faces toward the sun, the birds sang in the branches of the flowering magnolia tree, a breeze sent ripples cascading across the otherwise still pond. My friend and I were experiencing year three at our annual retreat, and this place reminded us to direct our focus back on God and be still before Him (Psalm 23:2).

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On our second day at the retreat, my friend announced she was going to walk the labyrinth by herself. (This labyrinth was different from a maze, because there were no choices or dead ends, just one path—edged with daffodils—that meandered back and forth until it reached the center of the circular labyrinth.) There was something God had been prompting her to let go of, and she needed some concentrated time of releasing it to Him. “I’ll be praying for you,” I encouraged her as she headed out the door. I imagined her winding her way through the mown paths of the daffodil-filled labyrinth, tears glistening in her eyes as she gave the burden to Jesus.

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When we met back up over an hour later, my friend’s load seemed visibly lighter. She shared with me the lessons God taught her while walking through the labyrinth: “At first I was so fixated on the path, all the twists and turns, that I almost forgot to take inventory of all the beauty around me.” She then chose to slow, examining the daffodils, touching the petals, enjoying the journey. “It’s like life,” she mused. “Sometimes, we are just rushing around the corners, and we forget to slow and enjoy the beauty God has placed all around us.”

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In the center of the labyrinth was a large rock. When she reached the end, my friend rested on the rock, giving God the thing that had been weighing her down. “I wonder if they put the rock there at the end on purpose—so it’s like you’re resting on Jesus, our Rock.” I shared how that morning I had been meditating on Psalm 62, in which David mentioned three times that God was his Rock.

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Whether or not we have a chance to get away on a retreat, we can choose to listen and be still before God wherever we are. We can say with David, “My soul finds rest in God... he is my mighty rock” (Psalm 62:1, 7). Jesus is worthy of all our trust; He is the One who saves us and gives us salvation and rest for our souls (Matthew 11:28-30). • Savannah Coleman

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• Psalm 62 points to the only One who can save us: Jesus, the Rock (verses 1, 2, 6). Because of Jesus’s death on the cross for us and the power of His resurrection, we don’t have to wander through life in an endless maze, unsure of our ending. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can rest assured that God’s love will always follow us, and one day, when Jesus returns bodily to earth, we will be with Him forever (Psalm 23:6). Even as we walk through darkness and difficulties in life, we don’t have to be afraid, because God is with us (Psalm 23:4). He wants us to bring all our heavy burdens—our questions, frustrations, and fears—to Him. Is there something weighing on you today? Consider taking some time to bring this to God in prayer.

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• One of God’s gifts to us is community. How can sharing life with fellow Christians help us follow Jesus? Who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk with about your relationship with God? (If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.)

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• Throughout the Bible, God calls His people to rest in Him, and He provides this rest through Jesus (Matthew 11:28–12:8). What are some practical ways you could take time to slow down and enjoy the beauty God has placed all around you today?

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Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:1-2 (NIV)

I was saved at the age of sixteen by Jesus’s death and resurrection, but I remained un-discipled for a few years until I attended a Bible college. My faith grew immensely due to the solid Bible teaching and professors who loved Jesus. However, I felt out of place on campus. Other students would gushingly share stories of how they were saved at the young age of five or seven. I couldn’t relate to their experiences at summer Bible camps or youth group excursions. Because of this, I thought that somehow, I didn’t belong.

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Even when I found a local church, I continued to feel out of place because I hadn’t grown up in church. From the hymns, to the structure of services, to the overall “church culture,” it all seemed foreign to me. But even worse than feeling like I didn’t belong was the idea that God couldn’t impact others through my life because I was unfamiliar with the established culture of the church.

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I wish I’d known sooner that God does not show favoritism. Throughout the Bible, the Lord worked through people of various backgrounds and ages to spread the good news of His kingdom. From young Timothy, who was raised by his Christian mom and grandma but may have felt unqualified for church leadership because of his youth... to elderly Moses, who was raised by people who worshipped idols but was called by the Lord to lead Israel out of Egypt at the age of eighty, God does not have favorites.

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Throughout the Bible, God called shepherds, tentmakers, a doctor, people who had been demon-possessed, prostitutes, and even someone who had formerly persecuted Christians to tell the world of His grace through Jesus.* Today, He calls believers of all different backgrounds, ethnicities, experiences, and ages to be part of His good work. A person’s ability to bring glory to the Lord is not based on when they were saved, but on the One who saved them. • Sophia Bricker

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• Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong in a group of Christians? Sadly, this happens to a lot of us. In times like these, how could it be helpful to remember how God sees us?

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• What are some ways we can be hospitable to people who have a variety of life experiences?

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• Have you ever felt unqualified to serve God because of your age or experiences? How could the stories of people in the Bible give you hope? (*If you want to dig deeper, read Luke 2:8-20; 8:1-3; John 20:11-18; Acts 18:2-3; Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15; Hebrews 11.)

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For God does not show favoritism. Romans 2:11 (NLT)

Jesus came to this messed-up earth to save us. He wasn’t born to rich people or given a great beginning here on earth. When He was born, He was laid in a manger—where the animals eat—for a bed (Luke 2:7-16).

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When Jesus was grown-up and started preaching and telling others all kinds of things about the kingdom of God and about who He was, some people respected Him and listened to Him in awe, while others became angry and jealous.

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Many of the religious leaders were not happy with Jesus, especially because He openly criticized their hypocrisy and sin. They didn’t want Him to have so many followers, and they began to plot, trying to find a way to kill Him.

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When they finally arrested Jesus, they treated Him horribly even though they didn’t have any proof that He had done anything wrong. They beat Him and mocked Him and called for Him to be killed on a cross.

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Jesus’s life on earth wasn’t easy. On the night before He went to the cross, He even prayed to God the Father, saying that if the death He was about to die could be avoided somehow, He would rather have it happen that way. But Jesus did it all for you and me. He did it because He loves us and wants to take away our sins, to fully unify heaven and earth, and to restore our broken relationship with God.

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Jesus was willing to die for us, but that wasn’t the end of His story. Jesus knew that three days after His death on the cross, He would be raised to life again. Now, He is enthroned as King over all, the Savior of the world (John 4:42). • Bethany Acker

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• Jesus—God the Son—was willing to come to earth and suffer for us. He wants all people to be saved through knowing Him, even the people who hate Him (1 Timothy 2:4). How does Jesus reveal the depths of God’s compassion?

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Because of the joy awaiting him, he [Jesus] endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)

On many a Sunday morning, I find myself getting ready for church. I gaze at my closet, filled with casual clothes for school, but nothing seems right forchurch. I quickly grab a simple blouse and hurry downstairs. At church, everyone seems well-dressed, happy, and eager to greet us at the door. Somehow, I don’t feel comforted by their greetings. Instead, I feel like they’re trying to deceive us with their perfect looks. All around me, everyone’s life seems so perfect with their cookie-cutter nuclear families.

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I find myself falling victim to the same plot I’ve fallen for many times. Everyone is hidden behind an imaginary mask. We’re all tempted to focus more on the outside of the people we’re around. We see they have more money, married parents, and a smile on their lips. But we so often neglect to see the whole picture—because the truth is, everybody is struggling. It’s more important to prepare our hearts for the message of God than it is to dress our bodies for a weekly meeting. But man, it’s easier to slap on a pretty shirt than to open your broken heart.

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God sees our scars deep within. He calls our hearts to be open to His message. And He also calls us to see the broken beauty of others too. Jesus said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent” (Luke 5:31-32). Jesus came to heal the sick, forgive the sinners, and fix the brokenness of this world that is all a result of sin. He came to save us by dying on the cross and rising from the grave for us. So, when we come to Jesus, we don’t have to be afraid to show Him who we really are, without a mask. The Lord looks at our hearts, and He sees that we all need Him to heal us from the inside. So He says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

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When you find yourself wishing for someone else’s perfect life, remember this: they have struggles too. And God is inviting all of us to come to Him with open hearts, to just come as we are. • Corinna Kahrs

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• In what ways are you tempted to compare yourself to others? How does comparison distract us from the gospel (or good news) about Jesus and loving each other as He loves us? (John 15:12)

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• Who is a trusted Christian in your life that you feel safe being yourself around, without a mask? (If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to reveal someone in the future.)

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“People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)

I should’ve stayed with my unit. Bright flashes of color told me the oxygen in my suit was running low, not that it would’ve mattered. My cracked ribs kept me from inhaling too deeply, even though I knew I should. Short, staccato breaths were all I could manage as I glanced for the thousandth time at the flashing light on my communicator. I didn’t answer it.

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This was my own fault. The Commander ordered us not to engage the enemy while we scouted, but I thought that one had been alone. I remembered how one grey insectoid had hunched over its kill and ripped into it with serrated mandibles. I’d thought I had a clear shot from behind my tree, not knowing that on this alien world, the invasive parasites liked to climb.

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Luckily for me, one of the insectoids above me was just as impulsive as I was and attacked alone. Somehow, I managed to escape that brief scuffle before the swarm could coordinate.

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Now, I lay curled up in the forest, camouflaged by a net of vines that nearly blocked out the scarlet sky. My wrist comm blinked the same red color underneath the vines, demanding attention. I jammed a button with my gloved finger and gasped out, “Yes, Sir?”

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“Where are you, Lieutenant?” The Commander’s voice was a mixture of concern and relief.

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“Deep in enemy territory, Sir. They’re everywhere. I just wanted to say... This is it for me. I’m sorry. I should’ve listened.”

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“Send me your coordinates.”

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Did he think he could rescue me? A voice cut through the fog of my brain to remind me that he had the rest of the unit to think of and I wasn’t worth it. Finally I said, “I don’t think you heard me... ”

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“No, you didn’t hear me. You need to trust me.”

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He was right. I sent the coordinates just before my eyes fluttered shut. They didn’t open again until I lay in our ship’s medical bay with the Commander’s hand on my shoulder. He looked at me with love in his eyes and said, “You are worth it.” • Andrea Hargrove

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• In Matthew 18:12-14, Jesus likens us to lost sheep. Can you think of a time when you disobeyed God so badly or so often that you felt He shouldn’t forgive you? What does this Bible passage reveal about God’s forgiveness? (If you want to dig deeper, read Luke 15.)

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• Has anyone else ever done something so bad that you felt they shouldn’t be forgiven? What does the Bible have to say about this? (Read Romans 8:33-34.)

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• God’s love for you is so deep, there is nothing you could do to make Him stop loving you. He was willing to die on the cross so that you could be forgiven and live with Him forever. How does this make Him a trustworthy commander?

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Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord; may your love and faithfulness always protect me. For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me. Be pleased to save me, Lord; come quickly, Lord, to help me. Psalm 40:11-13 (NIV)

Have you ever been told that you were too young to do something? That your heart was in the right place, but you were too young to do what you felt God had called you to do? The truth is, God invites all of us to follow Him, no matter what age we are.

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Mary was likely a young teenager, maybe only fourteen years old, when she gave birth to the Son of God, which resulted in many people glorifying and praising God (Luke 1:26-38; 2:5-7, 16-21).

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David was just a teenager when he killed Goliath—a giant the whole Israelite army was scared to fight. When everyone saw this, they knew that the Lord saves His people (1 Samuel 17:41-50).

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A young Israelite girl was taken captive, and she showed concern for her foreign master, Naaman, who suffered from leprosy. Naaman listened to her when she told him about the prophet Elisha, so he went to Israel to see him and was miraculously cured! Then Naaman knew that the Lord was the only true God (2 Kings 5:1-15).

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A boy gave all the food he had to Jesus, and Jesus miraculously turned those two fish and five loaves of bread into a meal large enough to feed five thousand men, plus women and children. Then the people said that Jesus must be the One they had been waiting for (John 6:1-14).

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You might not think you can do what God has called you to do. Sometimes I find myself thinking that when I am just a few years older, then I can do what God has called me to do. Well, that’s not true. God can and does use people of all ages to do amazing things. He worked through people of all ages in the Bible, and they did those things because of God, not in their own ability. He can work through you too, just where you are, right now in your life. • Bailey Norman

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• Which of these four people’s stories stuck out to you the most? How did God work through this person’s life? Consider taking some time to read the Bible passage that tells their story.

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Have you ever felt like you were too young to follow God? According to Jesus, what does it look like to follow God? (Read Matthew 22:36-40 and John 6:29.)

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Don’t let anyone despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 (CSB)

First Thessalonians 4:13-18 is my favorite passage in the Bible because it gives me hope beyond the grave. It reminds me that my loved ones who have died and were believers in Jesus Christ are not lost. We will be reunited one day—I will meet them after death or at Jesus’s return when He will make all things new, free from sin and death.

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In Acts 17, after preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in Thessalonica, the apostle Paul had to flee due to persecution. Separated from these new Thessalonian believers, Paul wrote a letter to address certain questions that arose among them during his absence. (We know this letter as 1 Thessalonians.)

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Some members in the church were worried about believers who had died. Paul wrote to assure them that the dead believers were not lost but were with Jesus and would not be left out of His glorious return. Paul also urged the Thessalonians to continue working so as to have their needs met as they awaited Jesus’s return, and to live godly lives pointing to the good news of Jesus as the one true king of the universe who has defeated sin and death through His death and resurrection.

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To the Thessalonians, this passage meant their suffering and persecution were not in vain because, at the end of it all, they would have the joy of meeting and living forever with the One for whose sake they endured. They even had the promise of reunion with loved ones who had died in Christ!

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This passage teaches me the same thing: that the living believers in Jesus Christ and those believers who are dead are separated only for a period of time. We will be reunited—we will all meet Jesus at His return and live with Him forever. • Charity Kiregyera

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• How can the hope of Jesus’s resurrection comfort us as we grieve? Read Mathew 28:20, John 11:35, and Hebrews 4:14-16. How can Jesus’s presence and empathy help us?

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• If you are dealing with the loss of a loved one, who are trusted people you can talk with—such as counselors, pastors, parents, teachers, or friends?

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For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. 1 Thessalonians 4:14 (NLT)

Thomas Cole (1801-1848) was a Christian painter and the founder of the Hudson River School of landscape painting. His work is a testament to God’s sacred touch in nature.

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When I paint the sky, I make it blue

with a yellow sun.

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When Thomas Cole painted the sky, he made it endless

with breezy clouds melting in the distance

and dancing, sparkling, playful sun rays

streaking and warming the balmy air.

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When I paint the ground, I make it green

with flowers here and there.

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When Thomas Cole painted the ground, he tickled it

with brambling grass

that had giggles of earthy colors

on land that dipped and soared.

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When I paint a mountain, I make it brown

in a triangular shape.

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When Thomas Cole painted mountains, he made them mighty

with shadows and cracks,

tangled weeds and rich shades of stone and rock.

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When I paint water, I make it blue

with wavy edges.

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When Thomas Cole painted water, he made it shine,

glowing and shimmering, lit from within.

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When I paint a tree, I make a brown trunk

with a puffy green top.

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When Thomas Cole painted trees, he made them graceful

with sweeping branches, strong and solid mixed with dainty and twiggy.

They streeeeetch toward the sky

or cradle meadows and pastures.

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After seeing how Thomas Cole painted nature in his art,

I still paint the same as I always do.

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But, now I see art in nature.

I see God’s sacred touch.

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I see leaves falling and sprouts rising,

sacrifice and new life.

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I see possibilities, growth, light, and infinite love.

And I feel grateful for this wonderful world. • Kelly Bakshi

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• Close your eyes and listen. Can you hear the air moving or birds singing? Can you feel the sunshine... or a breeze on your skin? Deeply breathe in, then exhale. What else do you notice about the creation around you? How do those created things point to the One who made them?

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• Thomas Cole used his gift to rejoice in and honor God’s power. How could you use your gifts to honor Jesus, the King and Creator of the universe? (Colossians 1:15-23)

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In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Psalm 95:4-5 (NIV)

God’s grace is amazing. He gives us favor even though none of us deserve it. God’s love is beautiful. None of us are worthy of His great love, but He loves you so much that He became human to live and die for you.

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God is the Creator of the universe and all the things in it (Psalm 24:1). He made the stars and moon in the sky. He created each planet and everything on this Earth. He made animals and plants, sky and water, and He made you.

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Whenever you begin to doubt yourself and your worth, remember that God created you. He wanted you.

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When you feel lonely or unloved, remember that God loves you so much that He was willing to die on the cross for you. He wanted to save you so you could live with Him forever.

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God has amazing grace and an equally amazing love for you. He created the world and decided to create you too. You can feel confident in who you are and all you are meant to be when you realize that God made you, He wants you, and He loves you. •

Bethany Acker

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• What is one of your favorite things God has made? Have you ever thought about how the same God who made this also made you?

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• When you feel unloved, how could looking at creation help you remember that God loves you?

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I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. Psalm 139:14 (CSB)

Have you had times in your life when things were so difficult that it felt like you were going into a battle each day? Are you going through something that feels like that right now? If so, did you know that God is ready to go to battle for you? You don’t have to face anything in your life on your own. Even if you feel unprepared for what is to come, you don’t have to be afraid. God wants to be there for you.

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Throughout the Bible, we find images of God going into battle for His people. He is strong and powerful. He can face the difficult stuff in our lives head on. When we feel weak, He is ready to be strong for us (2 Corinthians 12:9-11). When we are scared, He invites us to come to Him and rest in His love. When we see so much brokenness in the world, we can know that God is fighting to heal the world from sin and its effects. Because Jesus died and rose from the dead for us, we can look forward to the day He will return bodily to earth and put an end to all evil and pain and sorrow once and for all. And in the meantime, we get to be part of His healing work, relying on Him for courage and wisdom all along the way.

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Whatever you are dealing with—whether it be a tough home situation, a bully at school, struggles at work, or something else—God is there for you. You are never alone. You never have to face anything by yourself. You always have someone who is ready to fight for you. Jesus will stay by your side through it all. • Emily Acker

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• What kinds of hard things have you been experiencing lately? How could it be comforting to know that God is with you and wants to go to battle for you in these situations?

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• One of the biggest ways God helps His people is through His people. If you have felt unsafe (at home, at school, at work, etc.) who is a trusted adult you can tell right away?

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Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Psalm 24:8 (NIV)

What will give us peace and satisfaction? We might think relationships will, a good job will, a good home, family, marriage, children, work, skill, talent, gifts, etc. All these things and many more might make us feel contented and satisfied, but only temporarily.

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There is no one who can satisfy, nothing that can give us peace, other than Jesus Christ. Dear beloved children of God, Jesus is giving an invitation for each one of us to identify with Him as our Lord and Savior. The invitation is not biased. It’s not for a certain sect or region or nation but for all who put their trust in Jesus, believing He died and rose from the dead for us.

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In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus was—and still is—calling on us to come to Him. He calls those who are in the depths of sin, those who are weak, abandoned, rejected, dejected, maltreated, victimized, sidelined, marginalized, disrespected, destructively criticized, those who have felt hopeless in life, those who are weary, those about to give up... to come unto Him.

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There’s rest in Jesus, so much peace in Christ. He forgives our sin, and He comforts us in our troubles. Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

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Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have His Holy Spirit living in us, who helps us understand God’s Word and empowers us to follow His good ways. This not only gives us clarity, guidance, direction, etc. but also comfort, because we can rest in the work Jesus has done to translate us into the kingdom of His Father. Beloved, there’s no sin beyond God’s mercy and forgiveness. We can find eternal peace and satisfaction when we come unto Jesus. • Shadrach Goni

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• Why do you think Jesus wants us to come to Him? If you have never come to Jesus, you can, right now. If you have questions about this, see our "Know Jesus" page.

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• Even after we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we don’t have to feel bad for calling out to Him many times, He won’t get tired. Maybe you did something wrong today; you will probably fail tomorrow too. Don’t worry, just come to Him. He is inviting you to be with Him. His mercies endure forever. How could these truths give us hope and confidence to come to Jesus?

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Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

Heavy footsteps sounded from behind Skyla, and she turned to see Captain Solenar approaching. He gave her a nod, his jaw set in a grim line.

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“All of our work... ” Skyla’s voice cracked as she looked out over the landscape in front of her. It had taken the group of extraterrestrial experts years to develop the beautiful Crimson Iris, but even before that, the captain had spent decades researching. It was his life’s work, and it had taken the team much planning and sacrifice to safely transplant the delicate flower onto the Kyrgythinian planet. Finally, they had planted a great crop of irises. But now, no flowers could be seen under the Bushvine Thistle Plant that was sweeping across the planet. Skyla knew that Dr. Nocscale had to be the one who had wreaked havoc. As the universe’s most notorious botanical terrorist, he made it his quest to destroy every beautiful creation Captain Solenar had made.

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Skyla reached down to tear a thistle plant out of the lush ground and winced as thorns tore her skin. “It will take years to weed all this out... ” She grimaced. “And even if we try, we have no guarantee that we will eradicate all the invasive thistle seeds from the planet.”

Captain Solenar gently motioned toward the thistle that was still in her hand. She held it up, and was surprised to see a young Crimson Iris that had been uprooted with the thistle. “We can’t weed out these noxious plants,” he said, “or it will destroy all of our work forever.”

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“Then there is no hope.” Skyla felt tears of frustration well in her lavender-colored eyes.

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“Look,” the captain’s deep voice directed. He pointed to the roots of the iris, and Skyla noticed the flower’s roots were long and strong, while the weed’s roots remained shallow. “If the flowers reach toward the water beneath the ground, they will survive. Then, when harvest season comes, we will gather all the plants together. We will harvest the seeds of the Iris, and burn the thistle.”

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“That’s a lot of work,” Skyla reminded him.

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“If we can save just one iris...” Captain Solenar cradled the uprooted flower in his hand. “Then it will be worth the effort.” • Lily Walsh

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• Today’s story is based on a parable Jesus told in Matthew 13. Why do you think it’s significant that the good crop and the weeds had to grow together?

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“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field.” Matthew 13:24b (NLT)

Practically every year, when spring weather rolls around I feel a burst of energy. Living in an area that gets long, cold winters for more than half the year, I always feel a sense of happiness when spring comes. And almost every spring, I love to enjoy the beautiful fresh air and new life by going jogging outside. After a couple times of running, however, I tend to have the same problem every year... sore ankles. I vividly remember having to apply ice packs to my legs for several days to help the swelling after last year’s jogging spree. Once I experience my annual sore ankles, I usually don’t want to go jogging again—that is, until spring rolls around once more—forming a cycle that has yet to be broken.

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The writer of Hebrews was familiar with this problem, not just physically, but spiritually. Every Christian is running a race in this life to fulfill our God-given purpose to love God and others. But after a while, we tend to develop aches and pains—weaknesses in our spiritual lives that have surfaced. These aches are different for every person; while I may struggle with discernment, maybe you struggle with patience, kindness, or something else. When we fall short in our areas of weakness, it’s so tempting to give up and stop running all together, just like I did with jogging. But don’t give up! All Christians have the encouragement of knowing godly discipline can only make us stronger through the power of the Holy Spirit.

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My mom has shown me some leg-strengthening exercises I can do to discipline my body and make it stronger. Spiritual discipline is very similar. First, acknowledge your weaknesses “so that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed instead” (Hebrews 12:13). Don’t try to tough it out by continuing to go on—stop and get some help. As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit to help us, as well as our family of other believers in Jesus. In God’s community, our “weak muscles” are strengthened through prayer, God’s Word, and the help of godly mentors. And when you feel like giving up, look to Jesus. He will give you the strength you need to keep running. • Lily Walsh

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• What weakness are you struggling with right now? Who are trusted Christians in your life—such as counselors, pastors, parents, or teachers—who can help you in your struggle?

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Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us... Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus. Hebrews 12:1-2 (CSB)

When I became a mental health counselor, I had no idea what to expect. What unfolded was difficult to accept... but forever changed the way I viewed others. I learned firsthand that some people who might appear “happy” in their everyday life are actually experiencing mistreatment from those they trust most.

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From the outside, we might never dream that others in our lives are undergoing such strife. I say this only to acknowledge that enduring a harmful situation anywhere—at home, on a sports team, or even at church—is sometimes a reality. If this reality has crept into your world, or a friend’s, please seek help! Reach out to a favorite teacher, school counselor, or another trusted adult. There IS a way out, and you don’t need to go it alone. Yes, it’s hard to bring dark things into the light—and more than one try is sometimes required—but remember: God knows the truth. “Even the darkness will not be dark to you [God]... for darkness is as light to you” (Psalm 139:12).

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Life can be unfair, unjust, and painful. However, hope and healing and restoration are also real. So, for whoever may be suffering, do not bear this heaviness alone. Jesus always calls us to carry one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).

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Moreover, Jesus knows unjust suffering too—thrust on Him by others’ wrongdoing (Isaiah 53). He truly understands our pain. And though our situation may remain unexplained, God, the Eternal One, “knows the way that [we] take,” and He extends His “everlasting arms” to us (Job 23:10; Deuteronomy 33:27), creating hope where once there was none, promising us His presence, and promising

that the world will one day be made right through His death and resurrection (Revelation 21:1-5). • G. Kam Congleton

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• Read Psalm 72:14, Proverbs 11:9, and 1 Corinthians 13:4-6. God is not okay with injustice and mistreatment. If you are experiencing mistreatment—whether it be verbal, physical, sexual, or neglectful in nature—please reach out for help. In addition to telling a trusted adult, and if you don’t already have a therapist, one option is to use the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, call 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

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Even the darkness will not be dark to you... for darkness is as light to you. Psalm 139:12 (NIV)

Sometimes,

It feels like I’m swimming

In a river

Of my own thoughts.

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Sometimes,

It seems like

I’m overwhelmed

In a sea

That crushes me.

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Sometimes,

It feels like

I’m not swimming

I’m sinking

To the bottom.

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Sometimes,

I remember

That I have hope

That saves;

Hope in Jesus.

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And every time,

Hope dives

Into the ocean

And draws me

Out of my distress. • Rereloluwa Bajomo

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• What kinds of things make you feel overwhelmed? Have you ever felt like the author of this poem?

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• Read Psalm 116:1-7. How does God respond to our distress?

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• Jesus not only saves us from sin and death, He is also near to us whenever we are in trouble or afraid. Even when we feel overwhelmed, we can rest in the sure hope that He loves us and will never leave us. How could these truths comfort us when we feel distressed?

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I was overcome by distress and sorrow.... when I was brought low, he saved me. Psalm 116:3,6 (NIV)

When the snow begins to melt away and the cold disappears from the air, we know that a new season is here. Springtime comes with bright green buds on the trees, blossoming flowers, and so many more signs of life.

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The birds seem to chirp the loudest in the springtime, and the air smells crisp and fresh. Everything that seemed dead in the winter

comes to life again in beautiful and vibrant colors. Everything is new! Springtime can bring us joy for so many reasons, and it can also be a reminder of how much God can change us.

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Before we know Jesus, we are stuck in our old sinful way of life. We’re like the winter grass and trees, dry and dead. Without God’s grace, it’s like we’re out in the bitter winter wind that bites and stings. But when we come to Him, we are brought into the warmth of spring and made new.

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When we put our trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, God transforms our lives. Through Jesus’s death on the cross and miraculous resurrection from the grave, God makes us fresh and new. We have life like the springtime blossoms because of God’s great love for us.

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When we look around at the amazing transformation of springtime, we can thank God for how He has also changed us. • Bethany Acker

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• Read Ephesians 2:1-10. How does this passage describe us before we know Jesus? How does it describe us once we do know Jesus? (If you have questions about knowing Jesus, see our "Know Jesus" page.)

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• Even as Christians, we all do things we regret, but God is full of grace and mercy, and He wants to make our lives as beautiful as spring. Jesus’s death and resurrection have secured our righteousness before Him and our forgiveness, so Christians are blameless in God’s sight! And through the Holy Spirit, God is transforming us to become more and more like Jesus, empowering us to continue to turn away from sin, come to Him, and live in His holy and righteous ways. Can you think of any ways God has brought renewal in your life? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this!

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But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. Ephesians 2:4-5a (NLT)

How terrible does it feel when you try to reach out but no one is available or willing to listen to you? When you call up one friend and then another but none of them answer? How lonely do you feel when you try to speak up when you’re with your family or friends, but no one listens to you?

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How good does it feel when you make a connection? When you call someone and they pick up right away, or when you bump into someone and they ask about your day? How special do you feel when conversations pause because others want to hear what’s on your mind?

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It feels good to reach out and be heard. Any time you reach out to God, He is going to pay attention to you. You don’t have to worry about God being too busy for you. God is never caught up in all He has to do—He is infinite! He can always give you His undivided attention.

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God loves you so much, and He created you to be in relationship with Him. Even though our sin separated us from God, He made the way for us to be restored in our relationship with Him. Through Jesus’s sanctifying work on the cross, God has provided forgiveness for our sins. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you have full access to God. When you reach out to God, you can know that you will receive, not just a listening ear, but also empathy, because Jesus knows firsthand what it’s like to be human (Hebrews 4:14-16). He has felt the pain of being misunderstood, disregarded, and alone. He was willing to go through all that and more—because He loves you.

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There might be times when you feel like no one is there for you or ready to listen, but God sees you in those times, and He always wants you to reach out to Him. • Emily Acker

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• Can you think of a time when you felt truly heard by another person? What was that like? (Community was God’s idea! If you’re feeling alone, you can ask God to help you identify trusted Christians in your life who will listen to you, and who you can listen to in turn.)

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• How might knowing that God hears us—that He really understands us and cares about us, even before we say anything—make it easier for us to reach out to Him? (Psalm 139:4; Romans 8:26-27)

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In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. Psalm 18:6 (NIV)

Sometimes I forget to pray. And sometimes I forget to pray for a while. Life gets busy, or I don’t find myself with quiet alone time... and talking to God gets pushed aside. But praying is so important, especially during the busy times. It’s good to talk to God about what’s on my mind and be reminded of the relationship I have with Him.

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It can be hard to remember to pray, but Jesus gave us an example of how to make special time for prayer. He often went off by Himself, found a quiet spot, and spoke with the Father. Jesus did this many times during His ministry. Even when it didn’t seem like He had time to pray, that’s especially when He withdrew to be alone with the Father (Luke 5:15-16).

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One night, Jesus knew that He was going to be betrayed by one of His disciples very soon, and He took time to pray to the Father for the people He was about to die for. He asked the Father that they would be protected, sanctified, and unified in love (John 17:11-23). This is a beautiful demonstration of the sacrificial love that Jesus has for us—He prayed for us before His death. Jesus’s prayer reminds us of who He chose to die for and why He chose to go through with the brutal, humiliating, lonely death on the cross. It’s for us. Jesus knew that His death would provide the only way for us to be with Him forever (verse 24). And after Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended to the right hand of God, where He continues to pray for us (Romans 8:34).

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As we wait for Jesus’s return, we still get to talk with Him through prayer. And, like Jesus prayed before He went to the cross, we can pray before we go through hard things. As we take time for conversation with our Savior, He helps recenter us. He reminds us that He loves us, that He is with us through every challenge we face, and that He will help us face those challenges in love. • Naomi Zylstra

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• We can talk to God anywhere and anytime—He loves to hear our prayers, including the short, quick ones. Even so, why do you think God invites us to take time alone with Him to pray?

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• When in your day do you like to pray? How could you make a habit of praying at this time every day (or at least most days)?

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They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” Mark 14:32 (NIV)

I read an interesting Bible verse the other day: “The end of a matter is better than its beginning” (Ecclesiastes 7:8, NIV). Another Bible translation phrases it this way: “Finishing is better than starting” (NLT). I’m no ancient-language scholar, so I can’t go into the meaning of the original words and sentence structures, but this phrase captured my imagination...

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As I was sitting eating a snack and thinking about this Bible verse, I wondered, "Why is the end better than the beginning? Or, why is finishing better than starting?"

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When I’m working on a task, usually the goal is to complete it. The examples that came to my mind were a school assignment or a woodworking project. It makes sense that finishing these tasks would be better, and more satisfying, than starting them.

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But something else with both an ending and a beginning could be a journey, even a hike. The end is better, not just because you’ve arrived at your destination, but also because of all the experiences you’ve had along the way. Similarly, the end of a good book is better than the beginning, because the story is now more dear to you, the reader, than it was on the first page when all the characters were still just strangers who were starting to introduce themselves.

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As I mused about all these endings and beginnings, I started thinking about the Bible in this way. And I found it so hopeful, because if the end is better than the beginning, then the new heavens and the new earth described in Revelation will be even better than the Garden of Eden described in Genesis!

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When Jesus returns bodily to earth and restores His creation, everything will be better than it ever was before, because God is bringing His plan of redemption to completion. Even though we were once far away from God, strangers because of our sin, He brought us near through the blood of Jesus (Ephesians 2:13, 19). God has been glorified through the death and resurrection of Jesus, and since we belong to Jesus, God is also glorified through all of us! What a mystery and honor—to have the privilege of glorifying God with the rest of His creation, with the mountains and the animals and the stars! In the end, together we will cry, “ ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8, NIV). • Hannah Howe

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• As Christians, we get to look forward to the “end” of the world, at least as we know it. What do you imagine living forever with Jesus in restored creation will be like?

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The end of a matter is better than its beginning. Ecclesiastes 7:8a (NIV)

Crawling into bed, I snuggled under the blankets as clouds filled my mind. "Another day I’ve messed up," I thought, tears filling my eyes. "When will I ever get it right?" Despair filled my mind, making sleep impossible. I wanted to pray, but I was too scared to do it. Why would God want to listen to me after I had failed Him for the umpteenth time? I could just picture Him shaking His head with a groan as I stumbled forward to ask for forgiveness... again.

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I pulled my knees into my chest, and pulled the covers around tighter. Then, a voice spoke right to my heart... “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” It was a ray of sunshine from heaven. I had heard the verse (Romans 8:1) before, but never needed to hear those words as much as I did then.

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God doesn’t expect perfection from His children—and He does not condemn us. He knows that all humans sin, failing to love Him and one another (Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 3:23-24). Our sin grieves Him because He loves us and sin hurts us, but He also understands the struggle we go through. More than that, He gives us victory in our struggle—because His own Son, Jesus, lived through the same struggles we now experience, and He defeated every temptation. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have His Spirit in us, giving us that same power to resist sin.

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And even when we fail, not only does God understand, but He has already forgiven us through the death and resurrection of Jesus. “Therefore, there is now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1, emphasis added). As we come to Him, repenting from our sins and seeking His help, He gladly gives it to us out of love. We don’t have to be afraid of punishment because Jesus took our punishment upon Himself when He went to the cross... and nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). So, through each struggle, temptation, sin, and failure, He is still there, ready to help you through and ready to give you victory. • Lily Walsh

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• Do you ever feel like you’ve failed too many times to receive God’s grace? How does today’s Bible passage speak into this?

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• How can knowing that God gives us victory through Christ give us hope, especially when we fail? (If you want to dig deeper, read John 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:14-16; and 1 John 4:18.)

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Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (NIV)

Markus stumbled through the dense overgrowth, his breathing growing heavy. The weight of the illness inside him grew heavier with each step, but he knew he had to keep trekking... his life depended on it.

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Every person alive had been born with the same illness Markus had. Some didn’t mind the dense feeling it left inside their bodies, but Markus had been looking for a cure for as long as he could remember, something to ease the pain. There had been the journey to the Creek of Wealth, and the hike to the Lagoon of Lust, but none had worked. Their waters had numbed the pain momentarily, but quickly made it worse than it had been before. Markus knew that each cure he’d tried came from the Torrent of Sin. The varying distributaries sported different names and appearances, but each had the same outcome—slow and sure death.

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When Markus first heard of the River of Life, he could hardly believe it. He packed all his belongings and set out to find it. His friends laughed, likening his quest to the age-old search for the fountain of youth. But Markus knew it was something more.

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Pulling the map from his rucksack, Markus smiled. He was almost there. Pushing himself to keep walking up the path, he gasped as he took in the view at the top. A beautiful river spurted from a hill where a man stood. As Markus approached, the man opened His arms and said, “Come to me, and drink.” Markus sank down, drinking as much of the water as he could, then rolled onto his back. The weight of illness inside him evaporated, and he knew that this man had healed him. He would never be thirsty again. • Lily Walsh

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• In this allegorical story, who was standing by the River of Life? (Hint: read today’s Bible passages again.)

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How can we drink the water He gives? (Find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

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Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14 (NIV)

For a long time, people thought that Earth was the center of our solar system—until the late 1500s and early 1600s, when scientific advancements like the telescope proved that the sun is actually the center of our solar system.

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It must have been strange to be living in that time, to grapple with the new knowledge proving that our Earth isn’t the center of everything. Could you imagine being alive then? You used to think the Earth was the most important part of the universe’s happenings, but now you realize we’re just one tiny planet orbiting the sun. You might feel like an insignificant speck, like you’re powerless and don’t matter in the vastness of the universe.

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But realizing that the universe doesn’t revolve around us is actually a good thing. Just like how the sun is the center of our solar system (not Earth), we are not the center of our own lives: Jesus the Son is. The universe isn’t all about us; it’s all about God’s love and goodness, where we as humans find our center and purpose: “The heavens proclaim the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1).

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Looking at the sky and the grandness of the universe is humbling: it reminds us of how small and weak we are as humans, and it points to God’s awesome power as Creator and King of the universe. Things may seem chaotic to us, but we can have peace in remembering God is in control. God knows every star, and He knows us. He made each of us in His image, and He cares about us so much that He came to rescue us from death (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 5:8). Now, He welcomes us into life and purpose in following Him. We may be small and weak on our own, but when we offer our lives to God in following Him, He turns our weakness into strength and multiplies our impact toward His good plan (2 Corinthians 12:10). • Abby Ciona

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• Read John 8:12 and 14:27. What is one way Jesus brings us peace and comfort in a confusing world?

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• Where in your life are you tempted to put your own desires first instead of following Jesus? (Matthew 22:37-40)

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• What are some ways you could center your day around Jesus?

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When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT)

God is infinitely wise. Romans 11:33 says, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” The riches of God’s wisdom are so deep. He sees the end from the beginning, and His purposes will never be shaken (Isaiah 46:10).

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I got a glimpse of God’s wisdom recently when I reflected on how He has guided my career path. In high school, my dream was to become a lawyer. So for my university studies, I applied for law as my first choice and then education as my second choice. To my disappointment, I was accepted for education and not law. My dreams were shattered.

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But years later, when I was living in a foreign land, I realized my profession fit with my life even in a different part of the world. Since I was a foreigner, it was not possible for me to work as a lawyer, but I could work as a teacher—and I did. Proverbs 20:24 says, “A person’s steps are directed by the Lord.” I came to see God’s wisdom in directing my steps toward a career as a teacher.

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Now, I ask God to lead me in making all kinds of decisions. In Matthew 7:24, Jesus said everyone who hears His words “and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” As we build our lives, Jesus is the only solid foundation. His love for us is sure, and we can trust Him to guide us. Even when we make plans and those plans fail, He sits beside us in our disappointment and shares in our sadness. Through everything we face, He invites us to follow Him and rely on His faithfulness as He continues to direct our path. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

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• Have you ever seen God use disappointing circumstances for good in your life? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this.

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• How does knowing Jesus make it possible for us to have hope even when it seems like our dreams have been shattered?

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To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen. Romans 16:27 (NIV)

A few years ago, I visited Windsor Castle in England. It’s an old castle that looks like a palace inside, with grand staircases, enormous chandeliers, and antique furniture. The weekend I was there, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were at the castle, and I got close to where he was.

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The elevator for public tours exits onto a hallway that leads directly to the family quarters of the castle. As I got off the elevator, a woman from the castle staff walked by with a shopping bag. She told the guy who was helping me that Prince Philip had just asked her if she was getting groceries when he saw her bag. Apparently, he was in the room that I could just see at the end of the hallway.

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This experience gave me a fresh perspective on the Bible verses about our access to God. When I was at Windsor Castle, I was very close to where Prince Philip was, but I didn’t get to see him. I wouldn’t have been allowed to if I’d tried. Other people are allowed beyond that doorway—family, staff, and friends are given special access. But I wasn’t any of those things to him, so I wasn’t allowed.

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When it comes to the King of the universe, though, He gives me special access. Why? Because when He saved me, Jesus Christ gave me a new identity. Now I’m God’s child (John 1:12), His servant (Ephesians 3:7), and His friend (James 2:23). That means I can talk to Him at any time and for any reason.

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Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have special access to the King of kings. We can speak with Him anytime, knowing that He’s paying attention to us and wants to help us (Hebrews 4:16). How amazing is that! • Christina Joy Hommes

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• Is there a famous person you’d like to meet? Can you imagine what that would be like?

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• If you could meet Jesus in person today, what would you want to tell Him? The wonderful truth is that we can interact with Him—right now! Consider taking a moment to tell Him whatever is on your mind; He’s listening.

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But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13 (NLT)

God is everywhere.

When you’re sitting by a creek

bubbling in between rocks along the way.

When you wake up on an ordinary day.

When the sun is shining through your window at work or play.

When you are up on the mountain or in the valley below.

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Words of wisdom to remember

God knows and goes where you go.

God is in the sunshine and even in the rain.

God is with you all the way.

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When nothing is working out as you planned.

When you feel all alone.

Remember that isn’t so.

In the hard times when you feel low,

Remember God stays with you and will never go.

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In all the sights and sounds, God shines through.

He makes a rainbow after the rain.

He is with you. • Ruth Stephan

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• Read Psalm 139:7-12 and Jeremiah 23:23-24. What do you think it means that God is everywhere? (Some theologians use the word "omnipresent" to describe this attribute of God.)

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• If you know Jesus, God is with you personally (see our "Know Jesus" page for more about this). How can looking at the beautiful things God has created in nature remind us of His presence with us?

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“Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord. Jeremiah 23:24 (NLT)

Not worrying is easier said than done.

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I know that I can leave it all to God and that He is ultimately in control of everything going on in my life, but I still want to control it. I still want to feel that I have some power over any situation that I am in. But then, I just get stressed. I worry. I fear over all that is going on and all that could happen. This is a daily struggle. A moment-by-moment struggle. I need to constantly remind myself to give everything to God.

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In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus tells us to come to Him when we are weary, and He will give us rest. Similarly, Philippians 4:6-7 says, even when we are anxious, we can pray to Him about everything and rest in His peace, no matter how we are feeling. Because Jesus is Lord of all, and His Holy Spirit lives inside Christians, we can be still, even when the things around us are troubling.

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Worrying does us no good. I know this, yet I find myself getting anxious all the time. And every time I find myself getting anxious, I try to remind myself that I can go to God to find rest.

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No matter how long we are anxious, the good news is that God never gives up on us. Jesus knows firsthand what it’s like to be a human living in this stressful, broken world. He empathizes with our struggles, and He doesn’t scold us for worrying. Instead, He invites us to bring all our worries to Him, being totally honest about our thoughts and feelings. In His unshakable love, He has promised to be our rest and to be with us no matter what, and through His Word, His Holy Spirit, and His people (the church) He reminds us that He is with us—and that He gives us rest through His death and resurrection. Moment by moment, He is walking with us through everything we face, and one day He will put an end to all worry for good. • Bethany Acker

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• Sometimes, we experience worry that is too much for us to handle on our own, even by praying and reading the Bible. But God wants to help us with worry in lots of ways, including through other people such as medical and mental health professionals who can help us figure out if what we are experiencing is worry, clinical anxiety, or something else. It’s important to remember that we all need help from others, and it’s okay to be honest about our struggles. If you find yourself feeling afraid, stressed, or worried a lot of the time, or if your thoughts keep going to “what if” scenarios and you can’t seem to stop, who is a trusted adult you could talk to, such as a parent, pastor, teacher, or counselor? If you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

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• When you feel worried or anxious, do you feel like you can talk to Jesus about what you’re experiencing? Why or why not?

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• Read Mark 14:32-34 and Hebrews 4:14-16. How might knowing that Jesus empathizes with all our struggles make it easier for us to be honest with Him?

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Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (CSB)

Saying goodbye is my least favorite thing. And my honorary “niece” agrees with me.

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Last year, my husband and I bought a house with our dear friends from college—the parents of our aforementioned niece. We wanted to live in community and save money, and it has been such a joy for our two families to live together.

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While we were in the process of buying the house, we were still living in separate apartments, and I was babysitting my niece while her mom worked. On one particular day, when it was time to go home my niece burst into more tears than usual. We had been having so much fun together, and she didn’t want it to end.

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She was too little to understand, but I was desperate to find a way to comfort her. “Little one, I have good news for you!” I said. “Pretty soon, we’ll be living in the same house.”

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It really reminded me of Jesus’s promises to us. As Christians, we rest in two great promises: (1) that Jesus Christ is always with us, constantly present in our lives, and (2) that He will return someday to make all things new. Jesus is present with us even on the worst of days through His Spirit, His Word, and His people. And when Jesus returns bodily to restore the world, we will dwell forever with Him and our siblings in Christ on the new heavens and new earth. Then, we will be free from the sadness and brokenness sin introduced into our world. Free from the heartbreak of goodbyes.

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In Christ, no matter what we face, we can trust that our future is secure. Even death can’t separate us from God’s love because our Savior beat sin and death when He died on the cross and rose from the grave. Now that’s good news! • Kandi Zeller

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• What kinds of changes or disappointments have you experienced lately? How can the promises from today’s reading give you hope for both the future and the present? (If you want to dig deeper, read John 14:16-23 and Romans 8:38-39.)

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• If you want to learn more about what it means to know Jesus, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

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I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.” Revelation 21:3 (NLT)

If I were to tell you a secret, I think you would see that you shared in my secret. What if I were to tell you that I secretly struggle with having faith in God’s plans when things go awry? It’s true. As I go through this fun adventure we call life, I have my good moments when I raise my hand and proclaim, “God is so good!” But I also have my moments when the worry of life becomes too much, and I wonder if God can see me in this low valley that I’m in... and if He has time for me.

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It’s easy to hold on to God’s promises when life is going the way that makes sense to us, when things seem safe and predictable. But what about when things seem to go off track? If you’re anything like me, you might be sitting there imagining yourself having the perfect response and the deepest faith and trust in God, even when the world is falling apart. But let’s be honest for a minute. If the thing we feared most were to happen right now, what would our response really be? We would probably shake silently as we begged for it not to be true. We would probably pray and ask God to let this be a bad dream and let us wake up soon.

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When things are crashing down around us, the worry hits us without our consent and sends a round of crazy thoughts through our head. What happened to God, though? It didn’t take Him by surprise. It didn’t catch Him off guard. Instead, He’s sitting there with His hand outstretched saying, “Come to me, my child. Come home. I see your pain, and I am grieving your hurts with you. Let me give you the strength and faith you need to hold on and to keep your eyes on me. And even when you feel yourself slipping, I won’t let you go.”

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As you close your eyes and hear His gentle voice reminding you that you aren’t alone in this mess, you can rest in His promise: “For I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand, who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you’” (Isaiah 41:13). • Mary Garner

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• Consider taking a moment to imagine if the thing you feared most were to happen, but imagine God being there with you. How might God help you in that situation?

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• Read Matthew 14:22-33. When Peter didn’t keep his eyes on Jesus, what did Jesus do? How could this story give us hope when we feel overwhelmed by what’s going on around us?

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For I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand, who says to you, “Do not fear, I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13 (CSB)

Have you ever messed up and then felt like you needed to somehow hide from God? Adam and Eve felt that way in the Garden of Eden. They did something wrong, and they thought they could make things better by hiding from God.

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Not only does God see you even when you are trying to hide, but He loves you— even after you’ve committed a sin and done something you know you shouldn’t have done. He already knows it all. There is no need for you to hide from Him.

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We all mess up. When we do wrong, we might feel that we are unworthy and that God shouldn’t love us after what we’ve done. God always loves us though, no matter what we do or how badly we fail. God’s love for us isn’t based on what we have done, but on what He has done.

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In Jesus, God came to earth as a human and lived among us. He never sinned, but He took the weight of all our sin upon Himself when He went to the cross. He paid the price for our sin with His life, and then He rose from the dead, triumphant over sin and death! Through Jesus, God has given us the gift of salvation: He forgives all our sins, saves us from death, and restores us to relationship with Him.

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You don’t have to hide away when you’ve done something wrong. Instead, you can confess and repent of your sin: turn away from your sin and turn to God for forgiveness. Because of what Jesus has done, you can be totally cleansed from sin. And, because the Holy Spirit lives inside Christians, you can move on and follow God’s good ways, free from shame and guilt.

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You are loved with an unconditional love. You are cared for by the One who created you and really knows you. God’s love will always be a part of your life. • Emily Acker

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• Why do you think, as humans, we try to hide when we do something that we know is wrong?

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• Sometimes it’s hard to believe that God loves us even when we mess up. In moments like these, who are trusted Christians who can pray with you and remind you of God’s forgiveness through Jesus? How can you be this kind of friend to others? (If you want to know more about Jesus’s forgiveness, take a look at our "Know Jesus" page.)

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For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:23-24 (NLT)

Have you ever reached boiling point? You’ve been trying so hard to do the right thing, and in a weak moment, you sin. Your temper bubbles over, scalding hot. Your good intentions vanish, and you lose it, only later to be overwhelmed with guilt and failure. All is not lost.

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I’ve had those days when I’ve blurted out angry words. I’ve allowed harmful thoughts to fester rather than asking God to deal with them. Unforgiveness has strangled my heart when I’ve allowed others’ hurtful behavior or comments to control me. Other times, my head has been so preoccupied with worry that I’ve briefly abandoned God in my self-absorption. If, like me, you have a tendency to overthink things, these are some of the strategies I use to help me:

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Remember no one is perfect. In Romans 3:23-24, Paul reminds us that we all fall short of God’s glory, but He doesn’t give up on us. This is a hopeful message. I have to remember I am an imperfect and flawed human in a dysfunctional and broken world, just like everyone else. As a result, I will inevitably mess up and even repeat the same failures several times.

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Don’t dwell on past failures. While it’s wise to learn from what I’ve done wrong, dwelling on all my past failings isn’t what God wants for me. Instead, He gives me complete forgiveness through Jesus, and He promises to walk with me on my journey. Because Jesus died and rose again for me, I can believe in Him and receive His forgiveness.

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Most of all, I need to focus on Jesus. And not only after I’ve sinned, but also when I am tempted (Hebrews 12:1-3). The good news is that Jesus—who lived among us as a human but is also fully God—knows firsthand what it’s like to be tempted, and He understands my weaknesses (Hebrews 4:14-16). Jesus never sinned, but He took my sin and promised me that belief in Him is lifechanging. His Holy Spirit lives inside Christians, transforming us to be more and more like Jesus. Even though I will sin at times, He is always there for me when I stumble.

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Remember God’s love never changes. Although the stresses of life may weaken our resolve at times, God’s love never changes. He understands us deeply and will never stop loving or forgiving us. Isn’t that amazing news? • Cindy Lee

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• Do you ever get frustrated with your own imperfections or the ways you have messed up? Jesus invites us to come to Him and rest in His sure forgiveness. How could you practice this today?

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• If you’ve wronged someone, what could you do to make it right, such as apologizing?

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Oh, what joy for...[the] forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Psalm 32:1 (NLT)

It can be hard to sit back and be still. Some people will call us lazy if we do this. Some will say we need to get going and take action. There are times when we need to be still, though. There are times when we need to wait for God’s leading and direction. There are times when we need to hold back while God takes care of our battles for us.

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In this broken world, we are pushed to rush through life. Many of us feel like there is always something we need to be doing, and like we have to stay busy. But we can miss out on hearing God’s voice when we don’t slow down and take time to be still. God wants to communicate with us, and it’s easiest for us to listen to Him when we are quiet and still.

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Even though we might have a lot going on in our lives, it’s important that we take some time to slow down, no matter what’s happening. Jesus invites us to come to Him, to rest in His love and be refreshed in His presence (Psalm 23:1-3; Matthew 11:28-30). Even though we want to make sure we’re doing what we’re expected to do, and we don’t want to become irresponsible or lazy, it could be that the things we think we need to do aren’t actually God’s priorities for us. Remember that Jesus came so we could have relationship with God. We need to take some time to just breathe, and listen for God to speak. He communicates with us through His Spirit (who lives inside Christians), His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church), allowing us to hear the wonderful true story of Jesus’s rescue of humanity through His death and resurrection. • Emily Acker

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• When do you feel rushed? God has compassion on you, and He is never in a hurry. There’s enough time to take a deep breath, and rest in His love. What are some practical ways you could take time to be still with God, especially when life feels busy? (Luke 5:15-16)

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• God invites us to interact with Him through His Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people. While spending time with other Christians is important, why is it also important for us to spend time with God individually?

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• Read Luke 10:38-42. What was Mary doing? What might it look like for us to follow her example?

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Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7 (NIV)

In Luke 15, Jesus told a story of a prodigal son who asked for his own portion of the inheritance from his father instead of waiting for him to die, and the father granted it to him. Years later the son came back with nothing. Surprisingly, his father welcomed him back into the household with open arms!

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This parable shows us the extent of God’s unfailing love toward us, that at any point in time He is ready to receive us no matter what we have done. His love has no limits; His mercies endure forever (Psalm 136:1). Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead for us, we can always come home to God and be forgiven. No matter what we have done, God wants us to run to Him for help.

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A close look at the parable shows us that the young man felt so ashamed, and he thought he was unworthy to even be called the son of his father anymore. He acknowledged that he had sinned. He realized that by rejecting his father, he had missed it. But the idea dawned on him to return back home and ask to be treated as a servant. When the father saw his son coming, he ran to him and welcomed him back wholeheartedly despite all he had done.

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Beloved child of God, what have you done that you think is beyond God’s forgiveness? Instead of trying to analyze the situation, just go back to God. No matter the gravity or intensity of sin you have committed, God is ready to receive you back into the fold of His family. He has been waiting for you for so long. Just go ahead and come to Jesus, and you will receive forgiveness. Remember how

the prodigal son was restored back to the family as if nothing had happened. That’s how God works. If you return to Him, He will restore you better than before. The prodigal son was treated as a legitimate part of the family, and even given a welcome-home party, all because his father was overjoyed to have him back!

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If you are hesitating to go back to God, remember, He already knows that you have done wrong, and He doesn’t want you to stay in guilt and silence when there’s help available to you. Run to Jesus. He will enfold you in His arms, and your sins will be forgiven. • Shadrach Goni

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• Why do you think we often hesitate to come back to God when we sin?

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• How has Jesus made it possible for us to return home to God? (Find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

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“So he returned home to his father... his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.” Luke 15:20 (NLT)

Faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit, and it’s vital for every Christian, in every walk of life (Galatians 5:22). When we are faithful, we are rooted in motivations and desires that are in line with the Bible, and our feet are steady upon the solidness of God. But faithfulness is something I struggle with... a lot. I find it hard to do what I need to do, because the desires of my sinful nature are at war with the desires of serving God (Romans 7:15-25). Feelings of discouragement and tiredness make it even harder for me to keep walking the straight and narrow path. My struggles and weaknesses pull me into a spiral of hopelessness and leave me feeling like I’ll never actually progress in my faith. Having fallen many times in my life, I sometimes question if God has given up on me.

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While pondering these thoughts, I was reading Psalm 91 when something stood out to me. The psalmist writes, “His faithfulness is your shield and rampart” (verse 4). HIS faithfulness. Not mine. While I’m slipping and sliding on life’s path, God is steady. He’s firm. He’s faithful. Throughout our lives, we will always have sinful struggles and temptations, but God doesn’t leave us. He shields us, holds our hand, and promises to walk with us. Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave, everyone who puts their trust in Him is forgiven for all their sins. Not only that, but the Holy Spirit lives inside Christians, transforming their desires and empowering them to follow Jesus.

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Through our weakness, God doesn’t expect perfection or performance out of fear (1 John 4:18). But He does expect us to find strength in His faithfulness, letting Him take the reins and fight our battles with us. He gives us the strength to endure, and He shows us a way out of every temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). As we lean on His strength in our weakness, we learn how much we need Him. We grow closer to Him in love, finding absolute joy in walking with Him.

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When we feel tired and worn out from the fight, feeling like our faith is weak, we can lean on His strength. Remember—He’s the voice that whispers “I’m not giving up on you” when we are in our darkest struggles. His faithfulness will shield us, protect us, and strengthen us. Therefore, in our struggles we can confidently call the Lord “my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust” (Psalm 91:2). • Lily Walsh

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• What weaknesses do you have that make you feel inadequate for the path ahead? Consider taking a moment to bring these troubles to Jesus, trusting in His faithfulness and love.

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“If we are faithless, he remains faithful; for he can’t deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13 (WEB)

Ever struggled to focus on reading the Bible? You’re not alone! Today, I want to talk about one of my favorite ways to read and focus on God’s Word. It’s called "lectio divina," which is Latin for “divine reading.”

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This practice was used by Christians long before it was common for individuals to be able to read or have a Bible of their own. Lectio divina is a four-step process that allows us to chew on God’s Word, reflecting on the story of the good news of Jesus no matter what Bible passage we read, because the whole Bible centers around Jesus’s life, death, resurrection, and return. The four steps are read, pray, meditate, and contemplate.

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Read: Begin by reading or listening to a Bible passage out loud. After that, take a moment or two just to sit with what you’ve heard.

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Meditate: Read or listen to the same Bible passage out loud again, keeping an eye out for words or phrases that stick out to you.

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Pray: Read or listen to the Bible passage again. After that, take a moment to pray about the word(s) that stuck out to you. You can talk to God about what you liked or didn’t like, things you have questions about, etc.

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Contemplate: Read or listen to the Bible passage one last time. Finally, take a moment to focus on the word(s) that stuck out to you, resting in God’s love and in the unshakeable hope of Jesus’s life, death, resurrection, and return. • Kandi Zeller

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• Every word of the Bible points to Jesus. He is fully human and fully God, and He offers rescue from sin and death to all who put their trust in His death and resurrection. How can meditating on these truths help us as we read Scripture?

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“All the prophets testify about him [Jesus] that through his name everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins.” Acts 10:43 (CSB)

The book of Philippians is a letter written by Paul and Timothy to the Christians in Philippi. There are many uplifting verses and passages in this letter, and many Christians choose one of the verses in Philippians as a favorite. The reason Philippians 1:6 is my favorite verse (not only in this book but in the whole Bible) is because it assures me that God is able to sanctify me... and He is faithful to continue sanctifying me.

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Being sanctified means becoming more and more like Jesus. Sanctification isn’t something that we can do on our own if we just try hard enough or long enough. Like we can’t save ourselves, we also can’t sanctify ourselves. I love how Paul expressed confidence in God—not in himself or anyone else—to sanctify the Philippian believers. Yes, Paul knew that his preaching and teaching were important for their growth, but he recognized that he couldn’t force them to grow. God is the only One who can accomplish the work in our lives we call growth (1 Corinthians 3:6-8)! His Holy Spirit lives inside everyone who has put their trust in Jesus, transforming us to become more and more like our loving Savior (2 Corinthians 3:18).

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It’s sometimes frustrating when we don’t see growth in our lives. We might feel like God isn’t working hard enough or fast enough to make us more like Jesus. But the reality is that the work God is doing in our hearts won’t be finished until Jesus returns to raise us from the dead and restore His creation, finally freeing us from sin and its effects. Until that day, sanctification is a moment-by-moment process that lasts an entire lifetime. Yet, just as we have trusted God to save us from our sins, we can also trust Him to sanctify us. • Grace McCready

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• Are you ever frustrated with yourself for failing to live like you know a Christian should? How can remembering God’s promises of forgiveness through Jesus, and sanctification through the Holy Spirit, give you hope?

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• Read 2 Corinthians 3:18, Philippians 1:9-11, Galatians 5:22-25, and Ephesians 3:20-21. How can we follow Jesus while relying on the Holy Spirit’s power at work within us?

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And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

The following is a fictional story inspired by 2 Samuel 12:1-15 (when David was confronted by the prophet Nathan about his sin and what he did to Bathsheba and Uriah) and it also takes ideas from Psalm 139, which was written by David.

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I reach the abandoned well and climb down as fast as I can, checking over my shoulder to make sure no one followed me. All around me is an empty field. I’m finally alone. Deeper and deeper I

climb. Fifteen feet. Thirty. I scrape my knee on the stone wall, and my pants tear. The blood starts to trickle down my leg, but I keep climbing till I’ve reached the bottom, the depths. No one will find me here.

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I can’t face what I’ve done right now. How I lied to everyone, how I hurt her. I feel my stomach twist at the memory. If anyone else would have done what I did, I would make them pay for their crime. Yet, here I am, guilty and alone.

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Suddenly, I look up to the small opening at the top of the well. I’m so far down, it’s just a small circle of light now, but something enters the well. I watch as a leaf floats all the way down to the bottom. I catch it before it hits the silty floor.

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Written on the leaf are the words, “I see you. Even though your sin is great, I love you.” I feel the same gentle breeze that carried the leaf now on my cheek. Leaning my head back, I close my eyes as the tears start to fall. Deep down, I knew there was one person I could never hide myself from. • Naomi Zylstra

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• When our sin is exposed, we naturally want to hide. But God sees us, and He wants to restore us. Because Jesus died and rose again for us, those who put their trust in Him are totally forgiven for all their sins. What’s the difference between hiding in the dark and being sheltered by God’s love and forgiveness?

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• Even though David committed two horrendous sins in 2 Samuel 11, God still loved David. Through the prophet Nathan, God exposed David’s sin and called David to turn away from sin and turn back to Him. When David repented, God forgave him! There were still very real consequences for David’s sin, but God continued to show His love to David and to Bathsheba. How can David’s story give us hope when we sin? (If you want to dig deeper, read Psalm 51.)

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If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you... Psalm 139:11-12 (NIV)

Editor’s note: Today’s reading discusses abuse.

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Daniel. Esther. Peter. Paul. As a teenager, I knew them all. If there was a Bible trivia show, I could have been a champion. I went to church and knew Bible stories like the back of my hand.

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I knew about God, but I did not know Him.

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How about you? Do you know about God? Or do you know God? What’s the difference?

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While I had accepted Jesus as my Savior, I didn’t understand what it meant to have a relationship with Him. I didn’t know His Word, I didn’t know my worth in Him, and I didn’t know His promises and how to hear His voice over lies.

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In the midst of all of this, I had the good desires to be loved and to be a mom one day. So, when love came knocking, I opened my heart wide. This could have worked out well if my boyfriend had been a healthy individual, but he was not. Instead, he was abusive, emotionally manipulative, and a destroyer of my self-worth.

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At the time, I didn’t know God well enough to know His love for me, my worth in Him, and the promises in His Word. I didn’t know He would fulfill the desires of my heart as I delight in Him (Psalm 37:4). I didn’t know I could trust Him for all the details of my life, including relationships.

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When we know God and not just know about Him, it changes everything. His truths permeate our minds. His promises override our fears. His presence leads us through life’s big decisions. His Word becomes the lamp for our feet and the light for our paths (Psalm 119:105).

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God loves us so deeply, reaching out to us before we could love Him, dying on the cross for us (1 John 4:19). Our trustworthy Savior invites us into relationship with Him, so that we may be ever deepening in our understanding of Him and the good news that He has come to save and restore us. No matter what we experience, Jesus is present with us, including giving us wisdom to find safe people—who reflect His love—to reach out to when we experience abuse. • Erin Nestico

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• If you or someone you know is suffering from abuse, and if your situation is potentially life-threatening, call 911 (or the emergency number for your area) or go to the local hospital emergency room right away.

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If you need someone to talk to but are not in need of immediate help, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

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• Have you ever been hurt by a dating partner’s words or actions?* Have you hurt someone? There is hope through Jesus. He offers healing and forgiveness, no matter how terrible the situation may be. Who is a trusted Christian adult you can talk to as you seek to follow God’s good intentions for how people should treat one another, including setting up loving boundaries?

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• How is knowing God different from knowing about Him?

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• Jesus invites us into relationship with God, to know Him deeper and deeper throughout our lives. Would you like to pursue this kind of relationship with Jesus? If you have questions about it, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to? (If you want to learn more about what it means to know God, check out our "Know Jesus" page.)

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*If you are unsure about whether or not a dating partner is acting in an unhealthy manner, consider these questions: Is this person controlling, prideful, dishonest, or selfish? Is this person unable to admit when they are wrong? Do you both have a say in decisions you make as a couple? Has this person cheated on you? Are you scared to bring up certain subjects with this person because they will act in a violent and/or overly angry way? Do you live in constant fear of offending your partner? Do you find yourself talking yourself into trusting them? Does this person denigrate you verbally or make you feel bad about yourself? Does this person hurt you physically? If one or more of these questions resonates with your situation, reach out for help and check out the resources in the discussion questions above.

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Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3 (NIV)

I decided to search the island for a spring to quench my thirst. As I passed under vibrant green vines, there before me was a tiny pool of crystal clear-water surrounded by periwinkle blossoms. Cupping my hands in the water and lifting it to my lips, I drank and was refreshed.

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Suddenly, the surface of the water rippled, though no wind blew this far inland. I gazed intently as a picture formed in the water. I blinked twice—it was me! First as a baby, next as a toddler, then the day my parents proudly held the Growing Ceremony and our whole town came to celebrate. This went on and on, snapshots of my life, the good and the bad.

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Tears filled my eyes and coursed down my cheeks. "Could it be true? This feeling I’ve had all my life that Someone knows me... Someone cares about every intimate detail of my existence?" “Yes, My Child!” The answer was immediate, warm and soft. I knew in the depths of my soul that it was the Presence. “I created you, and I love you—you are wonderfully made.” My heart felt as though it would explode in joy.

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“I am the Author of Life.” A bright light swelled around me, and a large book gilded with gold appeared in the pool. “You see, all the days ordained for you were written in My book before one of them came to be. You were created to be in relationship with Me. I will never leave you or forsake you, my precious one.”

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The book flipped to the next page, but I found I could not decipher what was written on it. "Is this my future? Can I not know it?" I felt the Author’s smile surround me like an embrace. “I know the plans I have for you—they are to give you hope and a future. Your purpose is to seek me, and I promise that you will find me.” • Savannah Coleman

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• God made you and knows you completely. No matter how far you roam, nothing can separate you from His love (Romans 8:39; Hebrews 13:5). How can these truths give you hope as you look back on your past and forward to your future?

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• The purpose of our life is to know God—and He has made this possible through Jesus’s death and resurrection. Jesus is “the author of life” (Acts 3:15), and He will fulfill His purpose for us (Psalm 57:2). If you have questions about what it means to know God, see our "Know Jesus" page.

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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “...plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV)

I rose from my bed, thoughts swirling like tornado winds. "Does anyone really know me? What is the purpose of my life?" Resolution filled my veins like urgent flames. Today I would search and seek until I found the answers I needed.

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As I packed a sack of food for my journey, I had the sensation that Someone was watching me. This was nothing new, for I had felt this watchfulness my whole life, pushing it from my consciousness as one would shoo a pesky fly. But today, I allowed the sense to linger. "What if? What if there was Someone who saw my every movement, knew when I left my home, had an intimate knowledge of every activity—every thought."

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The sun was just breaking over the horizon, golden light cascading through the fields. I chose to journey toward the sea; the vastness of its waters called to me. This Presence, this Someone, surely had no hold on me where the endless miles of ocean roared.

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Traveling over the great sea in my small vessel, I was amazed to feel the Presence with me still. "Surely the darkness will hide me," I reasoned as the velvet night fell, ocean spray misting my hair. No, hours into my voyage, Someone was still with me.

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Amid the pre-dawn light, a small island winked in the distance. I felt weary from my journey and decided to rest on the shore. As my bare feet dragged over the grains of sand, a sudden thought sprang up in my mind: "What if the Presence thought of me every day, hour, minute... What if these thoughts amounted to more than all these grains of sand?" A gurgle of a laugh welled up in my throat. It was almost too wonderful to contemplate—perhaps I was dehydrated. • Savannah Coleman

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• Like the character in today’s story, do you ever wonder if there is more to life? Wonder what is the purpose of your existence?

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• In Psalm 139, David wrote about how God has an intimate knowledge of us. The God who made the universe knows when we wake, where we go throughout the day, and every thought that enters our minds. How does the knowledge that God knows everything about you make you feel?

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“Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?... Do not I fill heaven and earth?” Jeremiah 23:23-24 (NIV)

Jesus is often called the Messiah, but what does that name mean? And why is this name an important title for Jesus?

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"Messiah" means “Anointed One” in Hebrew. It was later translated as "Christ" in Greek. So, when people call themselves Christians, they are calling themselves followers of Christ, the Anointed One.

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Anointing was a sign of kingship and honor in the Old Testament. For example, the prophet Samuel anointed David because God had chosen him to be king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:13). The pouring of oil on someone’s head was a sign that set that person apart for service.

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Being the Anointed One means that Jesus is the Savior God promised throughout the Old Testament. He is the king who rules over all of creation and who frees all people who put their trust in Him. But what does He free us from?

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In Jesus’s day, the Israelites thought that, as king, Jesus would free them immediately from the oppression of the Roman empire. Although Jesus did not free them in the way they expected, He did free the Israelites, and the whole world, from the oppression of evil as manifested in our own sin nature and our propensity to sin. How? By dying on the cross and rising again three days later. This is good news: Jesus is the promised, set-apart, sinless king who conquers sin and death! He is the Messiah, the Anointed One. • Naomi Zylstra

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• What does it mean that Jesus was anointed and set apart?

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• Since Jesus is king, how does that affect how we as Christians see Him?

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To learn more about Jesus as king and what that means for all of us, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

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“But what about you?” he [Jesus] asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” Mark 8:29 (NIV)

One day, I was paging through my Bible and stopped on the book of Habakkuk. I had never read this book in the minor prophets before, and I found it fascinating. Habakkuk was a prophet in Judah who loved God. He would pray often, and one day he was crying out to God about the evilness of the people of Israel. Habakkuk knew that God was a holy God, hating evil, but the people had turned their backs on Him, worshiped idols, and refused to follow any of the commands God had set in place. Habakkuk couldn’t understand why God was just sitting around, seemingly not doing anything.

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Then God responded, explaining that He would use the Babylonians to execute judgment. Habakkuk was very confused by the way God intended to deal with His people. You see, the Babylonians were a ruthless people, conquering nations surrounding them and acting far more violently and wickedly than Israel did.

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Why would God use those people to punish Israel? Habakkuk wanted to know! In response, God assured him that, in His timing, the Babylonians would themselves be punished.

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So here was the situation Habakkuk found himself in: very soon God would raise up the army of Babylon to sweep over the nation of Israel—conquering them, killing many, and enslaving the rest. Habakkuk was innocent of the wrong that his fellow Israelites were being punished for, but he would have to endure the same hardship as those who did wrong.

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Yet this prophet knew that God was God and understood His holiness and judgment. No matter what happened in the future, Habakkuk knew he could trust in the greatness and goodness of his almighty God and in His promise that one day every wrong would be made right—a promise we now know finds its “Yes” and “Amen” in Jesus (Habakkuk 3:13; 2 Corinthians 1:20). • Doug Velting

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• Have you ever been disappointed with the plans of God? Read Hebrews 4:14-16. Why are we free to bring all our feelings (including disappointment and frustration) to God?

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• Read Revelation 21:1-5. As Christians, what hope do we have for the future because of Jesus?

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But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. Psalm 13:5 (NIV)

I started noticing the word "unrighteousness" in the Bible. I thought, why not use a stronger word like wickedness or depravity? Why just put an “un” in front of righteousness? But I’m not an ancient language scholar, and I assume Bible translation teams know what they’re doing. So, I let the question remain in my mind, holding it loosely to see if God might answer.

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And soon after, I noticed something. A young deer, lifeless, discarded on the side of the road. It was probably hit by a car on its way to the woods. Maybe it was following its mother but got scared and froze. Maybe the driver stopped. Maybe they didn’t. But now, the body that was once warm and breathing was now cold, its insides turned outward. Pink. Those innards, those intestines and kidneys, should have been tucked safely inside the deer’s belly. Kept warm by skin and fur. Instead, someone had draped an old coat over the dead body to hide its ugliness. But the wind snatched the coat away.

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Un-righteous. A perversion of what is right and good. Wholeness become un-wholeness. Life become death. Innocence become collateral damage. That’s what sin does. Sin takes what is good and lovely and turns its insides out. That’s what happened to the world when the first humans went their own way against God. All that God made, everything that existed, was good. But our sin made things un-good. Twisted. Broken. Violent. Un-righteous. Now, instead of doing good, we kill. We steal. We destroy. We let our greed trample the innocent. We revert to self-preservation and accusation. We do what is un-righteous.

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But God still loves His creation. He still loves us. And He came to save us. When Jesus lived among us, He embodied righteousness. All He did was good, through and through. No mixed motives, no “ends-justify-the-means” rationale. And yet, we killed Him. We turned His insides out, ripped at His flesh and exposed His blood to the sky. And He let us. Because He wanted to forgive us. . . and set His creation free from unrighteousness. Though Jesus’s body hung lifeless on a cross, though Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus wrapped Jesus’s cold corpse with spices and strips of linen before the tomb was sealed, death was not the end. Unrighteousness would not prevail. Because on the third day, Jesus the Righteous One rose from the dead. • Hannah Howe

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• Where have you seen unrighteousness in the world or in your own life?

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If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit in us, who empowers us to live righteously. And when Jesus returns, He will put an end to all unrighteousness and we will live with Him forever in restored creation. How can these truths give us hope?

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For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)

My heart throbs with each bound I take, my breath growing heavy. "Run, run, run," a voice whispers, and I struggle to obey. When I’d found that I had once again veered from the path called straight and narrow, I knew I couldn’t go back. Trying to leap over a rotting log, I feel my foot catch in the crevice. Pain shoots up to my ankle as I tumble to the ground. I whimper and bite my lip. The pain inside is worse than the pain in my leg, but I will not cry.

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“Why are you running?” Someone asks behind me. My throat closes up as I recognize the voice.

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"No..." I think as I sit up feebly. The feet before me are marred with nail marks. "No, no, no! Not here..."

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“Why, child?” He asks softly.

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“I have to get away,” I choke out.

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“From what?”

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“From You,” I sputter. “It’s too hard... I can’t keep falling and facing You again.” I bury my face in my dirty hands and sob.

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“It is hard,” He agrees, and I marvel at his lack of anger.

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“How could you know?” I feel my face heat up.

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“Because I walked the same path. I passed over every mountain, struggled through each valley. Child,” His voice cracks, “I know.”

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Tears fill my eyes, and I look at the ground. “I’m not strong enough.”

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He holds out His hand, and I can see an ugly nail mark on His wrist. “I am. Lean on me in your weakness, and I will sustain you. I will keep you from stumbling, and help you when you fall. I am your strength, and I have faced the trials you now walk in.”

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“I’ll fall again.” I shake my head.

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“My grace will sustain you.” He lifts me up. “I will fight for You. All you need to do is rest in my arms.” My tears start to slow. The heaviness in my chest is replaced by something warm and light. My grace will sustain you, the words replay in my mind. I know they are true. • Lily Walsh

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• How can knowing that God helps us in our weakness and trials change the way we view them?

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• Read Hebrews 4:14-16. Jesus is fully God and fully human, so He knows and understands every weakness and hurt we face. And through His death and resurrection, He has sealed our forgiveness. How can these truths make us more confident to come to Him in our weakness?

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“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

Things change here on earth so quickly. Your parents get divorced and suddenly you’re living in two homes. Your grandparent moves

into an assisted living community and no longer has the yard that they used to have. Your sibling graduates from high school and joins the military. You gain and lose people in your life as you grow

up. You have new opportunities and spend time in new places. You never quite know what a day is going to bring or what changes you are going to have to face.

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Change can be hard. It can be scary. But it’s good to remember that even as this world changes and we feel tossed around by all that’s happening around us, God never changes.

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In all times and circumstances, God is good. He loves us with an unending love. He is always there for us, even when we feel alone. While the world seems to move all around us, God remains constant. In Isaiah 54:10, the prophet records God’s words: “‘For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,’ says the Lord, who has mercy on you.”

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The leader of a country might change, but God doesn’t. The place where you lay down to sleep at night might change, but God doesn’t. Your parent might get into a new relationship, change their job, or change their appearance, but God stays the same. You can count on God to always be who He has revealed Himself to be, no matter how this world changes. • Emily Acker

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• Throughout our lives, we go through lots of changes, whether they be related to school, home life, relationships, or the overall state of the world. How can relying on God’s unchanging love make it easier for us to go through all kinds of changes?

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• Is someone in your life going through a difficult change right now? How could you share God’s love with them? Consider taking a moment to pray for this person and see if any ideas come to mind.

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Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (NLT)

I am lost

The world shatters

I am alone

Nothing matters

I am done

Reality has broken into a million pieces

And I am lost in the chaos

I am finished; the nightmare’s begun

Beaten and bruised; scarred and in pain

I stumble through the dark

I scream

Death is at my door

A knock at the window

Another Visitor

Life

The Light hovers outside

I invite Him into my heart

Death is gone

The nightmare has ended

Life slowly pieces my world back together

I am no longer alone

I have been found • Maria Achilleos

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• We live in a world full of evil, darkness, and death. At times we feel lost and hopeless. But even as our world falls apart, God searches us out. Through His own death and resurrection, Jesus saves us from death. When Jesus returns to raise all His people from the dead, we will live with Him forever, free from pain and sorrow. As we wait for that day, Jesus holds us close, and He takes all the broken and painful parts of our lives, working everything for good.

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• Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt as if God abandoned you? How could it be comforting to know that even Jesus felt this way when He was on the cross? (Mark 15:34)

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“For the Son of Man [Jesus] has come to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 (CSB)

Throughout history, people have asked the question, “Who is Jesus?” Some consider Him to be a good man, a prophet, a teacher. Others believe that He is in fact God, but consider Him to be distant, unknowable, unapproachable. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself the question, “Who is Jesus Christ to me?”

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I believe Jesus is the Son of God, my Savior and King, but He’s also my closest friend. The only One I can have complete and total faith in. The One who will always be there to listen to me when I need Him most. The One who understands me when no one else can. He is approachable, relatable, and I can talk to Him wherever and whenever.

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There are times when I feel a variety of emotions all at once: joy, anger, frustration, sadness, anxiety... but whatever my feelings are, I know I can go to Jesus with them, and He will understand me perfectly. When I want to talk to someone and no one is there to listen, Jesus is. When I feel alone and afraid and like no one understands, Jesus does. When my own confused feelings threaten to drag me down under and I need someone to lift me up, Jesus pulls me out of the mire and comforts me with His gentle touch. When I feel worthless, empty, uncared for and helpless, Jesus knows and calls me precious. He tells me that, to Him, I’m beautiful and loved, I’m the daughter He died to save.

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Who is Jesus? He is my Protector, Lover, Comforter, Savior, Friend.

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That’s who Jesus is to me. • Eliana Canfield

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• Since before the beginning of time, God had a plan to make the way for us to have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:4-5). He is the God of the universe, and yet He wants you to know Him personally! If you have questions about what it means to know Jesus, who is a trusted Christian you could talk to? (You can also find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

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• In Matthew 16:13-17, what questions did Jesus ask? How did Peter respond?

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• Why is it important for us to consider the question, “Who is Jesus Christ to me?”

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Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Psalm 73:25-26 (NLT)

One of Jesus’s names is the Lion of Judah. But what does this name mean? We have to go way back to the beginning of the Bible for this question, to the book of Genesis. The ancestors of the Israelites’ tribes were the sons of Jacob—who was later called Israel (Genesis 32:24-30). Among these brothers, Judah was elevated to be the brother who would be an ancestor of Jesus, even though Judah wasn’t the firstborn in his family.

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Before this happened, all the sons of Jacob ended up in Egypt when there was a famine. But here’s the shocking part: Joseph, one of the youngest sons, was already there. Years earlier, his brothers had sold him as a slave to Egypt, but, through a series of events with all kinds of twists and turns, Joseph ended up becoming second in command in Egypt. God had given Joseph the ability to interpret dreams, and through this gift, Joseph learned that a famine was coming. Thus, Egypt was prepared and had extra food to share.

Joseph’s brothers, unaware of what had happened to their brother since they sold him, arrived in Egypt asking for food, but they didn’t recognize Joseph. But Joseph recognized them and put them through an elaborate test: he demanded that Benjamin, the youngest brother, stay in Egypt as a slave. That’s when Judah showed that he had changed: he offered to take Benjamin’s place (Genesis 44). This offer of self-sacrifice also points to the sacrifice that Judah’s descendent—Jesus—would later make. Jesus, who is God, took our place on the cross, and His self-sacrifice fulfilled prophecies of a Savior that are found all throughout the Old Testament.

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Jesus, a descendent of Judah, had victory over His enemies through dying on the cross and rising from the grave. He is a voice for the voiceless and a shelter for those in need. He is our ruler and is the only One with the strength and power to conquer death. Jesus is called the Lion of Judah. The image of a strong and powerful lion is fitting for Jesus as a ruler. A lion is fearsome and is not easily defeated; it rules over the land and its creatures, just like Jesus rules in God’s kingdom. • Naomi Zylstra

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• Judah was just a human, and he sinned like all of us, yet God chose him to be the ancestor of Jesus. Why do you think Judah was chosen out of all the sons of Jacob?

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• How does Jesus’s kingship look different from any other king’s? What does it mean to be ruled by Jesus? (See our "Know Jesus" page to go deeper.)

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“See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed...” Revelation 5:5 (NIV)

When we are falsely accused, it’s natural to try to defend ourselves to prove our innocence. I used to try to defend myself by tarnishing the image of my accusers. But now at age sixty, I have learned to explain myself in a proper way, and to let God be my defender.

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I came to see this truth when someone I had helped made false accusations against me, causing a misunderstanding between me and a friend. I was so hurt because I knew I was not guilty, and I was tempted to speak evil about my accuser. But I decided not to, believing God would defend me. Indeed, He did! My friend learned the truth, and our relationship was restored.

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Deuteronomy 32:4 says God is just and faithful in all His ways. When people accuse us falsely, God knows the whole truth, and His justice will prevail in the end.

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In Mark 14:55-59, some of the Jewish religious leaders were trying to kill Jesus, so they had many people bear false witness against Jesus, accusing Him of things He hadn’t done, but then their witnesses did not agree. In this way, their accusations were shown to be false. Jesus did not defend Himself or try to show how bad these accusers were; instead, He entrusted Himself to God the Father and let Him handle the matter. Even when Jesus was sentenced to death, the one presiding over His trial, Pilate, said that Jesus had done nothing wrong (Luke 23:4, 14-15, 22). Jesus was willing to die a death He didn’t deserve so we could be made right with God. And death didn’t have the last word. After three days, Jesus rose from the grave!

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When we are falsely accused, we can certainly try to explain ourselves. We can also tell the truth about what other people have done. But we don’t need to try to show how bad our accusers are or paint a bad picture of them so people will believe us rather than them. Let us learn to trust the faithful and just God to be our defender even when people may fail to understand us. While our reputations may not be restored before Jesus returns, we can know that one day He will bring everything into the light and right every wrong. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

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• When people falsely accuse us, how does God call us to respond? (If you want to dig deeper, you can read about how Paul responded to false accusations in Acts 24-26.)

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• If anyone has done something wrong, it’s important to be open and honest about this, especially if a person is being hurt. If someone has hurt you or others, who is a trusted adult you can tell right away? (If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 23 and Galatians 2:11-21.)

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He [Jesus] was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Isaiah 53:7a (NIV)

The Revana people, including Layla, had been flying at near-lightspeed for close to three years to settle on the new planet they were missioned with terraforming. It was going to be their new home.

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Alerts started popping up all over Layla’s screen. As chief navigator it was her job to make sure everyone stayed on course to the planet. Layla scanned her screens and her face started to burn red. Mortified, she sank to the floor; she had failed her crew.

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Layla read her screen again. "Fifteen degrees? We’ll miss the planet entirely!"

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“It’s all my fault.” Tears started to leak out of Layla’s eyes. She got back up into her chair and put her head in her hands. "There’s nothing I can do to fix this," Layla thought to herself. "Even if I over-correct our course, we don’t have the fuel to make up for the lost distance."

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Suddenly, a message alert popped up on Layla’s screen. The preview message only read, “We can help.” Attached were the sender’s credentials, identifying it as an official freighter ship.

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Without hesitating, Layla accepted the message. Right now, she needed all the help she could get.

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“It appears your ship is off course and will collide with a nearby moon if not corrected,” a voice crackled over the system. “Do you need assistance?”

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“Yes!” Layla blurted. “How can you help us?”

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“Our ship is a t24 freighter, so we have a large hauling capacity. If you power down, we can tow you back onto course and help you avoid collision.”

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“That would be amazing, but why would you help us? You don’t even know us.”

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“I can see you’re a terraforming ship so you have civilians onboard, and the rule of our ship is to come to the aid of any vessel in need.”

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“Yes, we do have civilians. I... I made a mistake, and I couldn’t fix it in time with our fuel supply. We needed your rescue.”

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“We’ll be at your location within the hour.” The communication ended, and Layla began to power down the ship. • Naomi Zylstra

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•Have you ever felt like Layla? Throughout our lives, we get into trouble that we can’t get ourselves out of—either because of our own failures, or simply because we live in a world that has been broken by sin. But the good news is, God wants to help us, no matter how we got into trouble.

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• One of the primary ways God helps His people, is through His people! Has someone ever helped you when you really needed it? What did they do? Consider taking a moment to thank God for this, and maybe thank the person too!

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• The gospel is the good news about how God rescues us through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. Though none of us deserve to be rescued from sin and death, Jesus freely rescues everyone who puts their trust in Him. If you have questions about this, who are trusted Christians you could talk to? (You can also find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

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Yahweh helps them and rescues them. He rescues them from the wicked and saves them, because they have taken refuge in him. Psalm 37:40 (WEB)

I like to take walks with my dog almost every day. One evening, I passed a house that had so many flowers of all different colors, and it just made me so happy! A woman was outside watering them, so I told her I loved all her beautiful flowers. She responded with a big smile, “Flowers are the best thing ever!”

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As I continued walking, I thought about that. While flowers are definitely one of my favorite things, I don’t think they are the best thing ever. I think the best thing ever... is love. And generations of human history and storytelling seem to agree. People throughout the ages have been willing to do almost anything for love.

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Pondering this, I remembered a Bible verse: 1 John 4:16 says, “God is love.” Isn’t that a wonderful thought? The very thing we humans crave most of all... is God Himself.

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Every loving interaction we have with other people is only an echo of the beautiful love God has for us. Later on in the same passage, John writes, “We love because he [God] first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Out of love, God created us. And even though humanity has rejected our Creator, He never stopped loving us.

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And God’s love is not some ethereal, untouchable idea. God embodied His love for us by becoming human, living among us. Jesus came bodily to earth, and people could physically touch Him. And they could hurt Him—but only because He allowed it. Jesus was willing to be tortured and humiliated on the cross, because that’s what it took for our broken relationship with God to be healed. God’s fullest expression of love for us was the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus, God the Son, gave His own life for us so that we could live with Him forever.

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And love is more powerful than death. After three days in a tomb, Jesus rose from the grave—defeating sin and death forever! Now, everyone who puts their trust in Jesus is reunited with God, the One our hearts crave above all others. He made us for relationship with Him, and our hearts are finally satisfied when we are His once again. • Hannah Howe

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• Do you agree that love is the best thing ever? Why or why not?

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• How can loving human relationships give us glimpses of God’s love for us?

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And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. 1 John 4:16a (NIV)

"She does WHAT?" As we walked out of class, a friend told me something surprising. A boy at our school, who I’ll call “Henry,” had persuaded his girlfriend, “Vanessa,” to do his homework for him. When another student asked Henry about this, he admitted that every school night Vanessa completed not only her own homework but Henry’s too.

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I felt indignant on Vanessa’s behalf. Why should she carry this extra load? Why had she ever agreed to this? But then I wondered... How would I respond if a person I cared about—or a person I was in a long-term relationship with—pressured me to do something I wasn’t comfortable with?

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When we place our faith in Jesus and enter a loving relationship with God our Father, we receive His Spirit. In John 14, Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of truth,” promising He will be in us and guide us in God’s truth, no matter what situations, pressures, or temptations we face.

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In difficult situations like these, setting verbal boundaries can often help, giving us a way to sidestep pressure from others to do something we don’t believe God would want for us. We can say things like the following: “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” “No, that’s just not for me.” “No, I’m not comfortable with that.” Or you could make your parents the bad guys and say, “No way! My parents would go crazy if they found out!” Most parents and grandparents wouldn’t mind if it helped protect you from sinful and/or dangerous choices and situations.

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In our broken world, we face struggles of all kinds—temptation, pressures, and other challenging situations; even Jesus Himself faced these things (Hebrews 4:14-16). For this reason, we can know we’re not alone, no matter what we face. • Allison Wilson Lee

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• Read 1 Corinthians 10:13. As Christians, what hope do we have when we face temptation?

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• If you are being pressured to do something that is wrong or that you are not comfortable with, who are trusted adults you can reach out to—such as parents, counselors, pastors, or teachers?

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[Jesus] has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16 (NIV)

Have you ever felt deeply satisfied after enjoying a meal that you love? Have you found yourself eating slowly while savoring your favorite food, thinking about each bite and fully tasting it?

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In Psalm 63, David talks about how God satisfies us even more than good food does. David writes, “I have... beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you... I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you” (verses 2-5). When we experience the power, glory, and love of God, we praise Him because of who He is and all that He has done for us.

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What do you enjoy eating the most? A large dish of pasta? Ice cream piled into a cone? The food we eat can be enjoyable while we’re eating it and leave us feeling happy when we’re done with it. It can leave us feeling full and content. What God offers us is even better. His love for us—and the way He is there for us and looking out for us—can leave us feeling safe, secure, and satisfied.

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God demonstrated His power, His glory, and His better-than-life love when Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead so that we could be with Him forever. As Christians, we can know that God is with us, and we can look forward to the day Jesus will return bodily to earth and we will be fully satisfied in His glorious presence. In the meantime, God makes sure we have what we need to get through each day. He helps us find peace when everything in our lives is falling apart. He gives us someone to talk to when we are nervous or scared. He is there for us during the day and all through the night. He invites us to know Him personally through Jesus, and when we follow Him, we find a fulfilling life (John 10:10). He satisfies us like the richest and tastiest food. • Emily Acker

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• What are some of your favorite foods? In Psalm 63, why do you think David compares the satisfaction of eating good food to the way that God satisfies us?

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• When our lives are falling apart (like David’s was when he wrote Psalm 63) why is it important for us to take time to remember God’s power, glory, and love?

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I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. Psalm 63:5 (NIV)

When my friend invited me to her twelfth birthday party, I couldn’t contain my excitement! I anticipated the fun we’d have—playing games, eating cake, and swimming in her backyard pool. There was just one problem. My Campfire group planned to see a movie that same day, and I wanted to go. I couldn’t do both, so I had to choose. But how?

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Decisions can be hard. It feels like the older we get, the more tough choices we have! My 12-year-old choices may seem easier than what we face in high schooland beyond. But no matter how old we are, we can trust God to lead us through every choice we face.

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In Psalm 32, King David writes about how God guides us. He begins by describing his experience with forgiveness. David confessed his sin to God, and God forgave him—so David wants to share the wisdom he learned and encourage others to trust in the Lord to forgive and lead them. He says, “Therefore let all the faithful pray to you” (verse 6). And God will respond, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you” (verse 8).

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Chances are you’re facing a decision in your life right now. It may be about what to do this weekend, or whether or not to join a team, or what steps to take after high school. Maybe you’re deciding what to do about a problem you’re facing or a conflict with someone you care about. Whatever the decision, the wisdom of this psalm is still true today. God has His “loving eye on you,” and He will be with you every step of the way.

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When we turn to Jesus and confess our sin, we can rest assured that we are forgiven because of Jesus’s sinless sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from the grave. By putting our trust in Jesus, we get to live as children of God, which means we have His Holy Spirit in us, guiding us in our daily lives and helping us rely on God’s love through all the tough choices we have to make. • Kristine Brown

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• Read Matthew 22:36-40. Which two commandments do all the other commandments in the Bible depend on? How could these commandments help guide the decisions we make?

• Read Psalm 37. Verse 3 says, “Trust in the Lord and do good.” What examples does this psalm give of good choices? What about bad choices?

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8 (NIV)

When we lived in Guinea, West Africa, we witnessed the beauty of hospitality. There’s even a proverb that states: "An unexpected visitor is like an unexpected rain."

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We lived through two seasons each year: six months of rainy season, and six months of dry season. We always loved the “mango rains”—the rare, unexpected downpours that came out of nowhere during dry season. Children could be seen running through the rain, fully dressed, laughing with delight.

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Hospitality comes more naturally to some of us than it does to others. When you hear a knock on your door, but you’re not expecting anyone, how do you respond? Does it make you excited, or do you find yourself thinking something like: “Who could that be at this hour?” “Did anyone call to say they were coming?” “Everyone hide and be quiet—maybe they will go away!”

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In the Bible, God repeatedly calls His people to practice hospitality. Thankfully, He also gives us the ability to do so through the Holy Spirit. So, how can we practice hospitality? The Greek word translated “hospitality” in the Bible is "philoxenia," which basically means “loving strangers” because Philo=Love and Xenia=Stranger. Not at all like "xenophobia," which means fear of strangers or outsiders!

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In Matthew 25, Jesus says that when He returns bodily to earth, He will commend His people for inviting Him in when He was a stranger. But when they ask, “Lord... When did we see you a stranger and invite you in...?” (verse 37-38), He will answer, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (verse 40). So, when we welcome strangers (or outsiders), we show our love for Jesus!

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As Christians, we can show hospitality to others because God has shown the greatest hospitality to us. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, God has welcomed us into His family! Though we used to be outsiders and strangers, we are now “fellow citizens with God’s people” (Ephesians 2:19). From the abundance of love that God has given us, we can share with others.

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When you think of practicing hospitality, think of this picture: children standing in the rain, arms out, heads back, eyes closed, mouths open—sheer joy! • Daniel Dore

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• Can you think of a time someone showed you hospitality or philoxenia? What did they do?

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• According to today’s Bible passages, what might it look like to “practice hospitality”?

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Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:13 (NIV)

A storm is swirling around you, the winds howling. The rain falls hard from the sky, stinging you as it hits. Terrified, you cry out for help. Suddenly, something drapes over you. You are pulled close. You are covered in the shadow of the wings of God. Under the wings of your Savior, you find rest.

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Whether you’re going through actual physical storms in your life—taking shelter because of a tornado, hurricane, or blizzard—or you’re going through turmoil, stress, and grief, you can hide in the shadow of the wings of someone who cares about you.

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Whatever is keeping you from feeling relaxed, know that there is someone who is watching out for you. Know that there is someone who loves you. You are never alone. God is a safe refuge where you can always find shelter (Psalm 71:3).

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Life brings many struggles. We face many difficult situations and fears. But we have a safe place where we can go. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). He longs to gather us like a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings (Matthew 23:37). When we go under the shadow of His wings, we can receive the peace and rest that we need. • Emily Acker

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• What do you think it means to take shelter in the shadow of God’s wings?

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• Especially when life gets scary or hard, God invites us to come to Him. While our circumstances may not change right away, God has promised to always be with us, and He has sealed this promise through Jesus’s death and resurrection. Consider taking a moment to imagine yourself being sheltered under God’s wings. What do you notice? How do you feel?

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Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. Psalm 57:1 (NIV)

I’m great at trusting God... until I have to. Trusting God is easy when things are going my way, but when I face a challenge or when life isn’t lining up the way it’s “supposed to,” I start trying to take matters into my own hands. I find myself trying to take control—making plans a, b, and c—effectively putting myself in God’s place and saying, “I can do it better than You can.”

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Control can become an idol: something we put in the place of God. I often want control because I’m looking for safety and security, and these are good desires, but God tells us in His Word that He is the One who ultimately provides everything we need. If we try to rely on our own strength, wisdom, etc., we will always let ourselves down.

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God cares deeply about us, and He calls us to trust Him in all things and at all times. He has proven that He is worthy of our trust by the greatest act of love: Jesus (who is God the Son) gave up His life for us on the cross, and then He rose from the dead so that we could be saved from sin and death. Now, God asks us to put our trust in Jesus. He offers us eternal safety and security, and He wants us to rely on Him, not just for salvation, but for everything.

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But putting that amount of trust in Jesus can seem difficult when we can feel so removed from Jesus’s life here on earth two thousand years ago. Yet even now, Jesus is present with us through His Spirit, His Word, and His people (the church). The Bible reminds us that we are blessed and filled with joy for believing in Jesus, even though we haven’t met Him face-to-face yet (John 20:29; 1 Peter 1:8). As we put our trust in Jesus to save us, to give us eternal life, and to lead us, we can also trust that God will provide what we need for our lives right now, because He cares for us. • Naomi Zylstra

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• Are you ever tempted to idolize control or try to take matters into your own hands? While it’s good to make plans and think through our problems, ultimately, only God can take care of us. How could it be freeing to rely on and follow Him instead of trying to do things ourselves?

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• When life gets chaotic, how could remembering God’s love for us—expressed in the good news about Jesus—make it easier for us to trust Him with the things going on in our lives?

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (CSB)

On October 5, 1703, in East Windsor, Connecticut, Jonathan Edwards was born—the son of Timothy Edwards, a pastor, and Esther Edwards, his wife. Young Jonathan soon found himself surrounded by ten sisters, who—because of their average height of six feet—came to be identified by the townsfolk as Timothy’s sixty feet of daughters.

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Jonathan was a gifted child and progressed easily through his father’s rigorous home schooling and, at a young age, came to trust Jesus Christ as his Savior. From very early on, Jonathan was concerned about his relationship with God. At times, he worried about the possibility that he was not converted. His diary provided

him a tool for examining what God had done in his life. As he approached his nineteenth birthday, he even wrote his “Resolutions,” a series of instructions for life and guidelines for personal examination. For Jonathan, these resolutions became a spiritual discipline that encouraged him in his walk with Christ and were one of two great interests in his young life.

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The second area of young Jonathan’s interest was the creation around him. He was fascinated with the star-studded sky and God’s bountiful display laid out in nature. As he walked daily in the densely wooded New England countryside, he would spend hours contemplating the intricacies of a spider web or the wonders of creation all around him.

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But Jonathan’s curiosity and delight in God, His works, and His world lingered long beyond his teenage years. Edwards entered Yale College at age thirteen, later graduated with a master’s degree, and was eventually called to pastor a church in Northampton, Massachusetts.

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Like Jonathan Edwards, we as Christians can take great comfort in God’s love for us in Jesus, reveling in the beauty of the universe He made and knowing that He walks alongside us no matter what challenges we face in our walk with Him. • Mark Congrove

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• Jonathan Edwards grew in his faith by reflecting on his Creator while spending time in nature. Consider setting aside time each day to think about the wonders of creation. What are some ways you could take notice of some of the small details God included in His world?

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• Read Philippians 4:8 and Ephesians 5:15-17. How can setting goals further our walk with Jesus?

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Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16 (CSB)

Once there was a King whose wisdom and favor toward his subjects was renowned. From the highest mountain peak to the smallest village in the valley, the King’s care for His people and His justice in every area was praised. Day after day, the King’s people would approach His throne. The King had proven to be there in times of need, so they continued to ask for His help:

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“Oh Generous Ruler, my family and I have no food—could you spare some bread?” “My son, everything I have is yours. I will direct my stewards, and they will supply as much bread as your family needs. Just as you would not give your children a stone when they request a crust of bread, so will I fill you with good things when you ask.” (Matthew 7:7-11)

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“Just King, there is someone who has been hounding me day and night. My eyes can find no rest for fear that he will hurt me once again.” “Daughter, I will see that you get justice. Stay close to me, away from harm’s reach. I will provide trustworthy friends who will share your burdens, and I will heal your deep hurts.” (Luke 18:1-8)

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“Compassionate Ruler, my heart has been aching since the death of my loved one. My eyes leak tears day after day, and I feel like I just can’t go on.” “Come tome, I will be your comfort. I will weep with you and share in your suffering.” (2 Corinthians 1:1-11)

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“Merciful King, I have long struggled with my tendencies toward weakness in the area we discussed weeks ago. You offered to help, and I now accept. Walk with me as I try, in your strength, to do better?” “Dear child, I will always be here to help you in your time of need. And you can always rely on my sure forgiveness.” (Hebrews 4:14-5:10)

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“Powerful King, there is a thorn in my flesh. Three times I have pleaded with you to take away this torment. Will you finally do it?” “Beloved one, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. My power will rest on you, so that even when you are weak, you will be strong. And when my kingdom covers the whole earth, your thorn will be no more.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Revelation 21:4) • Savannah Coleman

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• As Christians, we have been given citizenship in Jesus’s kingdom because He has rescued and forgiven us through His death and resurrection (Colossians 1:9-14). We can come to Him any time, pouring out our hearts and our requests. How can knowing that Jesus is generous, just, compassionate, etc. make it easier for us to talk to Him?

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Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence... Hebrews 4:16a (NIV)

My grandmother had invited me to join her for a special event: the trip to the airport to pick up her brother, my uncle Barton. I felt

grown up accompanying Nanny to the airport, so I decided to wear my favorite outfit with my new navy-blue loafers for the occasion. But Uncle Barton’s flight was delayed several times that day. As we waited, Nanny and I walked all around the small lobby area over and over during those hours.

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We also walked to the restroom, to get a snack, to look out windows... and still Uncle Barton didn’t arrive. I needed to give my feet a break after my new shoes had rubbed blisters on them. So, I sat on a hard, plastic seat at the airport gate and took off my shoes. I felt so relieved to have the shoes off that I didn’t mind the people staring at me. I was too uncomfortable to care.

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But as painful as the waiting seemed, it was worth it. Uncle Barton eventually arrived for his visit, and we headed home. I’d been willing to suffer through the miserable waiting because I knew we waited for something worthwhile.

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In the Old Testament, the prophet Micah noticed the troubles around him and yet still watched in hope for God, His Savior. He was looking forward to the coming of the One who would be the light of the world, who would shepherd His people with compassion, and who would make the way for us to be forgiven for all our wrongdoing (Micah 7:8, 14, 18-19). Today we know that Micah’s words are fulfilled in Jesus: He is the Light of the World, our Shepherd who lavishes us with compassion. When we put our trust in Jesus, we have new life in Him—life marked by hope. We trust in the One who lived among us on earth, died on the cross, and then rose again so that we could be forgiven and brought near to God. We also trust in His promise to return and set things right. As God’s children who live in a broken, messy world, we can watch for the Lord like Micah did. Even now, we can wait with confidence that Jesus our Savior will return and restore His creation—just as He promised. • Allison Wilson Lee

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• Read Micah 7:1-7. What kinds of brokenness was Micah experiencing? What kinds of problems in your life or in the world around you cause you to long for Jesus to return? Jesus invites us to be honest with Him about all our pains and sorrows, knowing that He grieves with us and comforts us. Consider taking a moment to talk to Him now. (If you want to know more about what it means to know Jesus, check out our "Know Jesus" page.)

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But as for me, I watch in hope... for God my Savior; my God will hear me. Micah 7:7 (NIV)

Have you ever been in the kind of situation where you were just screaming out to God, painfully aware that you needed Him with you? Have you ever been hurt or scared, and you needed to feel His presence to keep going?

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Not too long ago, I was working in the kitchen when my finger slipped, and I was in a mess. I was panicking, worrying about how bad the damage was and whether or not I would have to go to the hospital to have my finger fixed.

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I was on the floor, with a towel around my finger, and I was whispering a prayer. “Please God. Please help. Please help, God.” I kept repeating those words, my heart beating fast.

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Eventually, I calmed down. I got things cleaned up and bandaged my finger. Healing took weeks, but it did eventually get better. My finger has a scar on it that reminds me that God was there for me in a difficult time.

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God is there for you, no matter what situation you’re in. He is ready to be there with you when you feel panicked. He wants you to cry out to Him. He is so near, and He has compassion on you. You don’t need to say a fancy prayer—simply reach out to Him. And even if you forget to cry out to God, you can trust that He’s there, always. • Emily Acker

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• One of Jesus’s names is Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Because God loves us so much, He came to earth in human flesh to live among us, to die for us, and to rise from the grave so that we could be with Him forever. Even though Jesus ascended to heaven, He promised His followers, “surely I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). We can reach out to Jesus anytime, and we can be totally honest about how we’re doing. He knows firsthand what it’s like to be human, to be in pain, and to experience hard emotions; He empathizes with us, and He wants to help us (Hebrews 4:14-16). How might knowing these truths make it easier for us to cry out to Him?

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• Can you think of a time you knew God was there for you when you were scared? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this.

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For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling... Psalm 116:8 (NIV)

She is leaving, and I feel so lost

I didn’t want it to be this way, but it is

Where are you, God?

I am hurting, but you’re not healing

I am falling, but you aren’t saving me

With the psalmist, I cry out

“How long, LORD?”

At night, I toss and turn in my bed

I open your Book, but I find no comfort

Then I see the words,

“God is our refuge and strength,

a helper who is always found in times of trouble.”

And I hear the words,

“I will never leave you or abandon you.”

Finally, I find peace

I close my eyes and sleep. • Lucy Viss

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• Have you ever felt lost because someone in your life was leaving? In times like these, God invites us to come to Him with all our pain and messy emotions. Even though people come and go throughout our lives, as Christians we can know that God will never leave us. Jesus is Immanuel, which literally means “God is with us” (Matthew 1:23). He has compassion on us, and He promises that He will always be with us (Matthew 28:20) and that He will one day put an end to pain and sorrow (Revelation 21:3-4).

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• Consider taking a moment to read the verses quoted in this poem: Psalm 13:1, Psalm 46:1, and Hebrews 13:5. How could these verses give us comfort in times of loss? Do you have any favorite Bible verses that remind you of God’s sure love when things are hard?

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But I have trusted in your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in your deliverance. I will sing to the Lord because he has treated me generously. Psalm 13:5-6 (CSB)

It was my turn to do laundry. At my house, wet laundry often gets hung out on a backyard clothesline to dry in the sunshine and breeze. Sometimes, though, we use our clothes dryer. But its timer broke years ago, so we have to set a separate timer when we use the dryer.

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One afternoon, I was using the dryer and a load of laundry seemed slow to finish drying. I restarted it and reset my timer. When the timer buzzed, I checked the laundry again. One towel remained damp. I returned it to the dryer to continue drying. Only I forgot to set a timer this time. For the rest of the day—and night—the dryer ran without me (or anybody else in my family) realizing it. The next morning,

I discovered the clothes dryer still in action. After stopping the machine, I snatched the towel out and stomped off to confront my family.

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When they all denied leaving the dryer on, I recalled I’d been the one to leave it running for almost eighteen hours. I sheepishly apologized for my unfair accusations, acknowledging my own mistake and my need for their forgiveness after the way I’d treated them.

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Being honest about our sins is part of living as a follower of Jesus. When we put our trust in Jesus, He brings us into a relationship with God and makes us part of His family. On top of that, we receive all the forgiveness we’ll ever need because He provided the payment for our sins when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. That means we can be honest about our failures because we know that God already sees all our sin, and He loves us unconditionally. Since we belong to Jesus, we can humbly acknowledge our mistakes and sins, take responsibility for them, and move forward in the grace He gives. • Allison Wilson Lee

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• While forgetting about a laundry machine is a mistake, lashing out against others in anger is a sin (Galatians 5:13-15). Thankfully, God wants to forgive our sins, and He also wants to help us when we make mistakes. How could these truths give us hope when we mess up?

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• As followers of Jesus, we are called to be humble, to treat each other well, and to forgive one another when we mess up. How does knowing Jesus make it possible for us to be honest with each other about our failures?

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Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:6 (NIV)

"Search me, God, and know my heart.” When my heart doesn’t know itself. When my thoughts and my feelings are so jumbled and confused that I can’t see the truth through the fog. Every day, O Father, search me and know my heart.

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“Test me and know my anxious thoughts.” When previously calm waters are ruffled by wind. When storms blow in and threaten to draw my focus from my Lord. When I’m restless and agitated and need Your peace. When I fail to trust. Every day, O Father, try me and know my anxieties.

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“See if there is any offensive way in me.” When I can’t tell right from wrong. When I feel guilty for wrong although I think I did right. When I can’t seek out my own motivation for my actions. When my desire is to do right, but I know that I sin. Every day, O Father, see if there is any wicked way in me.

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“And lead me in the way everlasting.” When my greatest desire is to glorify God. When I long to trust my Father with all I am, even though I know I can’t do it on my own. When my desire is for You, but I fall. Every day, O Father, lead me in the way everlasting. • Macy Lee

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•Today’s devotion is written in the style of a personal prayer, guided by a psalm. Have you ever tried to pray by using a Bible verse or passage as a model? Consider taking a moment to read Psalm 139:23-24 slowly, praying your own words to God in between the Bible’s phrases.

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• Do you ever find it difficult to be honest with God about your own failures and shortcomings? How could it be comforting to know that other people feel this way too?

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• Remember that God has already secured our forgiveness through Jesus’s death and resurrection. As we lay all of our thoughts, feelings, and struggles down at Jesus Christ’s throne in surrender to Him, we can rest in His deep love for us.

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Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)

Kyle hesitated as he came to the doors of the library before opening them and slipping inside. Book dust wafted in the air, illuminated by golden shafts of light that poured in from the tall windows. The rotunda of bookshelves surrounded a wooden desk, where an old woman sat in a wooden chair.

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Kyle bit his lip self-consciously as the woman smiled at him. “Come here, child,” she said in a grandmotherly voice. “Step into the light.”

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Kyle approached cautiously.

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“You’ve come for a book?”

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Kyle could only nod. "Reading is the only way I can escape my present circumstances, the endless consequences of past mistakes," he thought.

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The old woman scurried across the room and plucked a blue book off the shelf. The gold letters of the title lit up softly in the radiant surroundings: Kyle Meyers. "What?" Confusion filled his mind.

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“Go ahead.” The woman smiled. “Open it.”

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Kyle grasped the book and flicked through the pages. Memories of joy and sorrow—of each moment of his life—danced across the pages. The day he lost his first tooth... the birthday spent at the beach... the first band recital... then—

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“No!” he sobbed as he saw pictures of the moment he had regretted for years. He reached to tear it out, but the woman laid a gentle hand on his arm.

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“Keep going,” she whispered. Painfully, Kyle continued through the memories till he came to a page that reflected his own face.

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“The past mistakes and sins that plague us can be fuel used for regret and shame,” the woman said, “or they can be used to show how much God can change us! He will use those chapters of your life. And Jesus will walk with you every step of the way.”

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Kyle’s eyes filled with tears.

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“Let the Great Author take those pages and use them for something better than you could imagine!”

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Kyle looked back at the page and watched the tear stains on his face glow, then dissipate. As he closed his eyes, a smile of relief crossed his face. "Take these pages," he prayed as he held up the book. "They’re all yours, Lord." • Lily Walsh

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• Even though our sin might have lasting consequences, God is so good that He works good out of even our worst moments (Romans 8:28). How can this change the way we view our past?

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• Have you seen God use a mistake from your past to help you or the people around you? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this.

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• Why is it hopeful to know that God writes the stories of our lives, and He doesn’t give up on us? (Psalm 139:16; Ephesians 3:20-21; Philippians 1:6)

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...looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:2a (WEB)

Hannah took a swig from the can. It wasn’t like anyone cared what she did anymore. Her parents were caught up in dealing with her little sister’s illness; they wouldn’t notice if she came home drunk.

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“What are you doing?”

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Hannah startled at the sound of a voice. She spun in a circle but didn’t see anyone near her. “Who are you? Where are you?”

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“Hannah, what are you doing with your life? Stop.”

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As she heard the words spoken directly to her heart, Hannah felt comfort settle over her like a blanket. Still, she said, “Whoever you are, you know nothing about what is going on.”

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“There are people who care about you. Your parents care—even though they’re busy helping your sister. You can find someone to talk to about all of this. You are loved, and you are not alone.”

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Hannah lifted the can toward her lips but paused without taking a sip. She wasn’t sure if the voice was in her head or where it was coming from, but the words were getting to her. Her eyes filled with tears. “I just want my parents to pay attention. I want them to notice that I’m hurting too. I want them to remember that they have an older daughter.”

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“I love you. Bring your hurt to Me. I am here. Even though your earthly parents are not paying attention, I am. You are My daughter.”

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Hannah brushed at her eyes when she heard the voice again. Maybe she wasn’t as alone as she felt. Maybe she really was cared for and loved. • Emily Acker

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• Have you ever dealt with parents who were distracted? Maybe you had a sibling who was sick, or your parents were facing marriage issues or the loss of a job...

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• Read Matthew 28:20, John 11:33-36, Hebrews 4:14-16, and Revelation 21:1-5. Jesus knows what suffering feels like, and He came to the world to live among us, die, and rise again to make all things new and free from brokenness. He is with us through everything we face. As Christians, when we experience abandonment and loneliness, how can these truths comfort us?

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• When you feel alone, who are trusted people in your life (such as counselors, teachers, pastors, parents, etc.) that you can reach out to?

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[God] himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you. Hebrews 13:5b (CSB)

"If God is loving, why does He deal with sin so harshly?" It’s a great question. Before we go on, let’s remember that God is always the same, always keeps His promises, and is always good, even when we don’t understand (Romans 11:33-35).

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Judgement for sin may not seem nice, but it actually shows God’s love. Sin is going against God’s good design for life, and going against God’s plan ultimately leads to death.

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Since God is completely good and perfect, He must address evil and sin. Our sin breaks our relationship with Him and those around us, but God loves us so much that He made a plan to rescue us from sin. Jesus is fully God, and He became human and lived among us, eventually dying on the cross for our sins, taking our guilt upon Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through His own death and resurrection, Jesus beat sin and death, providing all who trust in Him with forgiveness and the promise of being with Him for eternity (John 3:16). He defeated the power of sin and evil: this is the best news ever (Luke 2:10)!

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God’s justice is also good news when we look at a world full of evil and suffering. Because we know that Jesus is King, we can have peace and comfort in remembering that evil will not go unaddressed. When Jesus returns to judge the world and make all things new (free from the effects of sin and death), there will be no more suffering (2 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 21:1-5).

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Love without justice is superficial, and justice without love is cruel. God’s justice shows that He cares about us and doesn’t want us to suffer or inflict evil on each other, and His love shows His grace and compassion. When we look to the cross, we see how bad sin is. Yet, when we look to the cross, we also see how amazing God’s love is. • Abby Ciona

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• Read Isaiah 42:1-7. This passage talks about God’s promised Rescuer: Jesus! How does it show that love and justice go together?

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• Read Proverbs 21:15. How is justice good news for Christians? (Hint: read Romans 3:22 and Ephesians 2:1-5.)

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I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise. Psalm 101:1 (NIV)

Three items: one dress, one skirt, one jumpsuit. These were the pieces I wanted to sell at a consignment shop. If they sold, the store owner would earn a profit, and I would also walk away with some cash.

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I located a consignment store and arranged to sell my items there. Then I called the store once a week to check if they had sold. Each time, I learned they hadn’t. After a few weeks, nobody answered my calls. I finally spoke to the manager, who I’ll call “Iris,” and she informed me that she had decided to cut back on store hours because profits were low. I didn’t understand but agreed to contact Iris later about whether the clothes had been purchased.

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After a couple more weeks, I passed by the shopping center, only to discover that the store was shut down and completely bare. I don’t know what happened to the clothes I tried to sell, but I never saw them again. I was frustrated and didn’t know how to fix the problem. Though I might have wanted to make Iris pay for what she’d done, I also wanted to consider how God would have me approach the situation.

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Having a relationship with God is possible through Jesus. He died and rose again so that we could be forgiven from all our sins. I had put my faith in Jesus, and that meant He had something to say about my mindset in these circumstances. Jesus taught His followers to be merciful and to pray for those who mistreat us, as God is merciful to us even though we all do wrong against Him. As His children, we have been set free to forgive others and let offenses go because God has forgiven us, and we can trust Him to carry out perfect justice. In the end, I chose to let those pieces of clothing go, acknowledging that God was still good even in this loss.

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As God’s children, we can trust Him to show us His kindness even when people mistreat us. As we follow our merciful Savior, He helps us be merciful to others. • Allison Wilson Lee

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•How could remembering that God has shown us mercy make it easier for us to show mercy to others? Consider taking a moment to pray for someone who has wronged you.

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• In certain situations, it’s important to pursue justice (the righting of wrongs), especially when someone has been hurt. If you’ve experienced an injustice, who is a trusted adult you could talk to?

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“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:36 (NIV)

One element in storytelling that I enjoy is called a “redemption arc.” It’s where we get to see a character who was evil, hurtful, or just made a lot of mistakes… turned to good and brought into community. This theme in stories has strong ties to Christianity and to God’s own story of redemption.

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In the Bible, Jesus is often called the Redeemer. But how does Jesus redeem us? Ever since humans first went their own way against God, we all became sinful, doing wrong against God and against one another. Our sin separated us from God, but He wanted us to be near Him again. That’s why He took our sins upon Himself on the cross. When Jesus died and rose again, He was the One who paid for our sins and brought us back into the folds of God’s grace. In books and movies, characters often redeem themselves, but for Christians, our redemption is a gift from Jesus, bought at the price of His own blood and suffering (Ephesians 1:7; 2:8).

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One way the Bible explains it is that we were slaves to sin, owned by our sin. But we were bought at the price of Jesus’s death on the cross, and now we are free! We get to be with our resurrected Lord and become part of God’s family, the church. Jesus has brought us back into His light, so we don’t have to hide in the shadows anymore (Colossians 1:13-14). Now, we can live free from the guilt and shame of our own sins, because we have been redeemed. • Naomi Zylstra

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• Can you think of a book or movie character who had a redemption arc? How did they change over the course of the story?

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• Have you ever done something you regret, and then wanted to somehow make up for it? While God does call us to turn away from wrongdoing and work to make things right, we can never earn God’s forgiveness or our place in His family. We are only redeemed by Jesus’s death and resurrection, not by any of our own efforts. In light of these truths, what might it look like for us to follow God out of love and gratitude, not obligation or fear?

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“I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.” Job 19:25 (NIV)

Join Natalie and producer Dylan (who dat? find out) for an update on George's next few months, plus a look behind the scenes on their experiences creating the Unlocked audio devotional. And Dylan's looking for feedback on the music that goes under the story narration: lame? awesome? indifferent? Email podcast@unlocked.org to him know.

God’s plan is good. We don’t have to worry when it seems like things aren’t going well. We can be patient because we can know that God is still good, and He is still on the throne.

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Remember people like Paul and Peter, who were put in prison for their faith in Jesus. Even when they were locked up and put in chains, they didn’t lose hope. They kept praising God. More than once, He got them out of dangerous situations so they were free again. Eventually, both Paul and Peter were imprisoned one last time... and put to death. But death will not have the last word, because Jesus has promised to return bodily to earth and raise us from the dead, and everyone who has put their trust in Jesus will live with Him forever in restored creation!

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God’s ultimate plan to redeem the world cannot be thwarted. Though our lives aren’t always easy, we have the sure hope of eternity with Jesus. Before then, we might not get relief from our suffering, at least not in the way we hoped, but He is still good.

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When Christians like Paul and Peter were released from prison, they could have gone on to live easy lives. They could have thought that they’d done enough for God and could just relax and try not to get caught again. But instead, they went on spreading the good news about Jesus: that He is the Messiah, and He died for us and rose from the grave so that all who believe in Him could be saved. Paul and Peter both continued to serve God despite the challenges they knew they would face because of it.

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Following Jesus is not always easy. While we might not go through the same things Paul and Peter did, this life on earth still isn’t perfect and people can be cruel. We will face many challenges that come, not just from other people, but also from sicknesses or any kind of setback. But with Jesus, we can get through it all. His love for us never fails. He has compassion on us, and “He comforts us in all our troubles” (2 Corinthians 1:3-11). God knows what’s best for us. He knows what’s best for His plan. And He is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). We can trust that no matter what’s in store for us, He will be with us. • Bethany Acker

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• Why do you think Christians like Paul and Peter continued to spread the good news about Jesus, even though they kept getting thrown in prison because of it? (Hint: read Acts 4:13-30.)

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• If you want to dig deeper, read Luke 21:12-13; Acts 5:17-32 and 26:29.

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“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I [Jesus] have overcome the world.” John 16:33b (NLT)

Who helped you understand the love of Jesus? For me, it was a woman I’ll call “Amelia,” a youth group leader I had at church. She provided conversation, encouragement, water, food, and sometimes a place to sleep if someone’s own home wasn’t a safe place. To be

honest, I remember her practical care more clearly than any Bible lesson she ever taught, and her faithful care and listening ear helped me grow in my Christian faith. She gave me a tangible picture of Christ’s love for me and for the church as a whole.

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It is interesting that God seems concerned that His people are known for their practical and even mundane care for each other: providing water, clothes, and visits in times of suffering. That’s probably why, just a few chapters before today’s passage, Jesus said that loving God and loving our neighbor are not only the two most important commandments, but also the motive behind every part of the Old Testament (Matthew 22:37-40).

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And Jesus fulfills the entire Old Testament. He embodies God’s love as the Good Shepherd who cares for us, who are His sheep (John 10:11). In Psalm 23, we see how the Good Shepherd provides His flock with water, food, and safe places to rest. As Christians, we are called to follow His example by caring for one another.

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So, even in the busyness of our days, let us remember that the gospel (the good news of Jesus) is made clear not just by our words but also through our love for each other. And this love comes from the wellspring of God’s deep love for us as shown when Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave to rescue us from sin and death. It is only when we rest in the love and work of our Good Shepherd that we may truly love others well. • Kandi Zeller

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• Who is a Christian in your life who has shown Jesus’s love to you? Consider taking a moment to thank God for what they’ve done, and maybe thank the person too!

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• What are some tangible ways you can show Jesus’s love to your siblings in Christ?

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• What are some tangible ways you can show Jesus’s love to those who don’t know Him yet?

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“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:35 (NLT)

With a sickening crunch, a piece of my tooth snapped at the back of my mouth. Shocked, I momentarily paused, anxious about how broken it would be. Carefully taking out the broken piece of the tooth, I realized it was a tiny fragment.

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"I can live with it until my next dentist appointment," I foolishly thought. "I’m booked in for a check-up in a couple of months anyway."

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How wrong was I? Within hours, I found that the jagged edge of my tooth was scraping my tongue. It was stabbing me so much that I struggled to speak properly and kept piercing the offending wound. I knew I would have to do something about it. I could not live with the pain.

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Thankfully, the dental clinic could fit me in. The dentist smoothed away the sharp edge and patched it up to stop the pain until my tooth could be fixed properly at my next appointment.

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Sometimes my own life has a jagged edge. In this imperfect world I live in, I constantly make mistakes and choose the wrong decisions. When I do, whether it’s a tiny or colossal error, it still has the power to hurt me or others. And when I sin, it also harms my relationship with God. The Holy Spirit prompts me and reminds me that, like my tooth, my relationship with God needs repairing.

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How wonderful that we have Jesus, who heals our broken relationship with God. Because Jesus took all our sins upon Himself when He went to the cross, and then defeated sin and death when He rose from the grave, everyone who puts their trust in Jesus is forgiven and brought near to God. Whenever we mess up, we can come to our loving Father, who is always ready to forgive us and restore what’s been broken. • Cindy Lee

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• Are you living with regrets for something you did wrong in the past? Whenever we experience guilt, Jesus invites us to repent: to turn away from our sin and come to Him for forgiveness and healing. Consider taking a moment to write down or simply reflect on particular sins you’ve committed, and then offer them up to God and thank Him for His forgiveness. Remember that no matter what you’ve done, you are deeply loved, and our loving Father will always forgive you and welcome you with open arms.

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• If you would like to know more about Jesus’s forgiveness, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

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For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17 (NIV)

Sometimes I feel like I am not enough. I feel like I am not trying hard enough or doing big enough things with my life. I feel bad for not being as successful as others. You may have days like that too. You might have days when you mess up and you feel like you’re not good enough. You might have days when you fail to get into the college you wanted to attend, or you don’t land the job you were excited about, or when you feel like the dreams you have for yourself don’t compare with the dreams your friends have.

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But our value in God’s eyes has nothing to do with what we have accomplished, or what we are hoping to accomplish. Our value in God’s eyes has nothing to do with the way we act or how perfect we are. Our value in God’s eyes is based solely on the fact that we are human and He created us in His image (Genesis 1:27). He loves us no matter what we do and no matter what we accomplish. As Christians, we know God’s love is unshakable because He became human and died and rose again for us, beating sin and death so that we could be with Him forever (Romans 8:38-39).

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God chose to love us before we even turned to Him, and that is a great sign of how He feels about us. We are enough because He loves us. We do not have to accomplish anything to be seen and cared for by Him. • Emily Acker

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• Jesus came to die for you while you were still a sinner and an enemy of God. In fact, God loved you so much that He chose to save you before He created the world—before you had ever done anything good or bad (Ephesians 1:4-5; 1 John 4:19). How might it be freeing to know that God’s love is not affected by what you do or don’t do, and that forgiveness for all your sins is accomplished through Jesus’s death on the cross, the ultimate expression of love?

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• We all need Jesus’s love and forgiveness. To find out more about what this means, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

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But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (CSB)

When did you become God’s? When did God first notice you and pay attention to you? The psalms talk about that happening before we were even born. Before we made our appearance in the world, we were already seen by God. We were already claimed by God. We already had God looking out for us.

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When we were babies, relying on adults for everything, God saw us. When we were young and we didn’t fully understand what it meant to know God, He knew us.

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God has such a great love for us, and He paid attention to us before we were even born. When you think about the life of a baby while they’re still in their mother’s womb, there’s not a lot of exciting stuff going on. But God still paid attention to us when we were small like that.

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When we start to wonder if anyone cares about us, the Bible can help us see just how much God cares for us. In Psalm 139, David writes, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb... My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place... Your eyes saw my unformed body” (verses 13-16).

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When we start to wonder if anyone really loves us, we can look to the Bible to see how God has always been loving us—even before we were born! • Emily Acker

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• Have you ever thought about how God loved you and paid attention to you before you were born? How might it give you comfort to know that He was watching over you—and your mother—even then?

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For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb...Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:13, 16 (NIV)

The Aramean army surrounded Samaria. No one could get out or go in. People were starving since no one could get past the Aramean army. Those outside the gates—lepers who were unclean since leprosy was a fatal skin disease—were also starving.

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Four lepers sat outside the gate. Trying to figure out a way to survive, they weighed their options. No reason to go back inside. No food in there. But if they sat where they were, they would die. No food outside the gates either. So, they considered going to the Aramean army to surrender. The army had food, but they might kill them. No good choices, but if the army accepted their surrender, they might live.

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When the four lepers entered the Aramean camp, no one was there. God had sent noises of chariots and horses to terrify the Aramean soldiers. When the soldiers heard what sounded like a great army, they had swiftly run away.

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The lepers discovered food, tents, horses, donkeys, and great amounts of gold coins. After eating, they gathered gold in their hands. But then they felt guilty. They had found great treasure from the enemy, yet they hadn’t gone back and shared their discovery with the others. Quickly, they made their way back to the city to tell of the great provision.

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Upon hearing the lepers’ news, the king believed it was a trap, so he sent some of his soldiers to investigate. They found the Aramean soldiers had gone, so they joyfully came down and raided the camp.

In our hardest times, God is there, just like He was there for the people of Samaria in today’s reading. He knows firsthand what we are suffering (Hebrews 4:14-16). And He made a plan to rescue us: Jesus died and rose again so that death and suffering would one day be no more (Revelation 21:1-5). Like the lepers who were rescued, let us share the good news of what Jesus has done for us! • Anna Gregory

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• Can you think of a time God showed His love for you in the midst of difficult circumstances? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this, and maybe even tell others about it!

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• When you are going through a challenging time, who are trusted people—such as pastors, parents, counselors, or teachers—who you can reach out to for help?

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My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Psalm 73:26 (NLT)

I struggle with anxiety. There are times when my anxiety gets to me and keeps me from being at peace. I can pray in those times and feel like it’s not helping at all.

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As Christians, sometimes we are made to feel bad for having anxiety. Aren’t we supposed to trust that God will take care of everything and just feel at peace? Well, for some of us, that is not always possible. Mental health issues are real issues, and they can significantly impact how we are feeling.

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When I’m feeling anxious—and praying and reading the Bible and trying to feel God’s presence isn’t working for me—I remind myself that just trying to trust God and turn to Him for help is “good enough.” God sees that I want to trust Him, and He doesn’t reject me (Romans 8:26-27). He is not judging me for feeling anxious. We can rest in true faith even as we experience anxiety.

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God knows that we can’t always control the way we are feeling. God is patient with us when our anxiety keeps us from fully trusting Him to work all things for His good purpose, even when things don’t turn out the way we want them to (Romans 8:28). Nothing—not even anxiety—can separate us from God’s love for us (Romans 8:38-39). • Emily Acker

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• When do you feel anxious? Are there especially hard times in your life when you find it difficult to trust God with all that’s going on?

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• Read Mark 14:32-34, John 11:35, and Hebrews 4:14-16. Jesus—who is fully human and fully God—feels emotions. How can this truth comfort us during times of anxiety or other strong and difficult feelings?

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• If you are experiencing anxiety, who are some trusted people in your life you can talk to—such as counselors, parents, pastors, or teachers?

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• If you are experiencing anxiety and you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

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Do not be far from me, my God; come quickly, God, to help me. Psalm 71:12 (NIV)

Do you ever hear the phrase “God knows the number of hairs on your head” and think to yourself, "Really? Why would God need to know that about me? Or why would He even care?"

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Psalm 139 talks about the intimate way God knows us. We are His creation, and He knits us together before we’re born. God cares about the small details in your life, and throughout His Word He has shown His love in the small things.

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For example, in the Old Testament, God had the Israelites wander in the wilderness for forty years before they could enter the land He had promised them. And during that time, God made it so their shoes and clothes didnot wear out. I’ve never had a pair of shoes last more than five or ten years, let alone forty. Even when the Israelites were wandering through the desert, God still paid attention to their needs, down to the very soles of their shoes.

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In the New Testament, Jesus (who is fully God) also demonstrated this special attention to the details of the lives of those around Him. Through one of His miracles, He made sure everybody in a hungry crowd had lunch. When Jesus performed the miracle of feeding over five thousand people, He showed the abundance of provision that will be in the new creation. Everyone who ate had enough, and there were even leftovers. Keep in mind, Jesus didn’t need to provide food for this crowd who’d been following Him. He could have sailed away from them in a boat, but instead, He had compassion on them. He chose to provide a meal for this crowd and display God’s love through service. • Naomi Zylstra

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• Can you think of a time when you noticed God caring about a small detail?

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• What do these two examples from the Bible (Deuteronomy 29:5 and Matthew 14:13-21) reveal about God’s love for us?

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...the Lord says, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet.” Deuteronomy 29:5 (NIV)

You win a contest. The rain holds out long enough for you to go outside with your friends. You have a loving family. You get a good grade on a school assignment... All those things could signal to others that you are “blessed.” Our world often associates blessing with being rich, comfortable, talented, successful, and happy. But is this really what it means to be blessed?

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In Matthew 5:1-12, Jesus teaches something called “The Beatitudes,” which means “Blessedness.” Jesus lists qualities of what it looks like to live a life of blessing, of following Him in “life... to the full” (John 10:10). Many of these blessed qualities are surprising: “Blessed are the poor in spirit”? “Blessed are those who mourn”? “Blessed are those who are persecuted”? What is Jesus saying?

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Especially at that time in history, no one would have thought people who were weak, sorrowful, or poor could be blessed. Blessing was about strength and wealth and status. But Jesus reveals that in God’s kingdom, things look different. His definition of blessing isn’t about how much we have or how happy our family is or how healthy we are. These are all good things, but blessing is about what matters most of all: knowing God through Jesus. This is the good news, that through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, we are rescued from sin and death, we get to live a purposeful life in restored relationship with God, and we have hope for eternal life with Him.

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Being blessed doesn’t mean our circumstances instantly transform to be better, but God transforms us through the Holy Spirit and helps us realize God’s blessings are all around us, even in the hard times. Because even on the hardest days, in all the highs and lows of the craziness of life, we can be deeply joyful and peaceful as we rest in God’s truth: He loves us deeply, and nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:35-39). We can learn to trust Him through all the challenges of life because our hope is beyond our present. God is always good, and He works even the hardest things toward His good plan. And all along the way, He helps us grow closer to Him.• Abby Ciona

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• In Matthew 5:1-12, who does Jesus say are blessed? Which of these lines do you think is the most surprising? Why?

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Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 (NIV)

When Jesus was born, He didn’t even have a crib. He was born where the animals were kept and laid in a manger.

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When Jesus was growing up, He was a carpenter’s son. He wasn’t rich. He didn’t live in a castle or have nice, expensive things. He had a humble life.

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When Jesus became an adult and started preaching, sometimes He spoke in the synagogues or in the temple courts, but He also taught people in a lot of other places too. Crowds followed Him to the countryside. One time when Jesus was teaching by a lake, the crowds were so large that Jesus got into a boat so He could be heard by those on the shore (Mark 4:1-2). He didn’t have a fancy church building or some nice place to preach in, but He met His audience where they were and didn’t mind where that was.

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Jesus wasn’t ashamed to sit down with sinners. He knew that we all needed saving. He was humble in every way from the time of His birth to His death.

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When Jesus was beaten and told to carry the cross, He could have refused. When He was nailed to that cross and left to die, no one could have forced Him to give up His life for ours, but He chose to (Matthew 26:39, 53).

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Jesus came humbly to the earth because of His love for us. God took on human flesh. He was born to the virgin Mary and raised as her and the carpenter Joseph’s son. Jesus was humble His whole time on earth, and He lived and died to take away our sins. When He rose from the dead, He defeated sin and death forever. Now everyone who comes to Him, the humble Savior, will be saved. • Bethany Acker

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• When you look at Jesus’s life on earth, what strikes you about how humble He was? How might knowing He endured so much, because of His great love for you, give you hope?

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• Jesus entered people’s everyday lives and invited them to follow Him. What might it look like for us to follow Jesus in humility, knowing that He Himself is humble? (Hint: read Philippians 2:1-18. If you want to dig even deeper, read Matthew 11:28-30; 21:5; John 13:1-17; and Hebrews 12:2.)

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And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross. Philippians 2:8 (WEB)

The universe is so large, the stars so far away in the night sky, and

yet the same God who made the stars also made us.

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When we start to doubt our worth or worry that there isn’t a reason for our lives, we can consider the stars in the night sky...and the flowers in the field. In Matthew 6:26-33, Jesus says the flowers do nothing to become beautiful, and yet they are. God made them that way. They remind us that we don’t have to worry about anything, whether in this life or what is to come, because the same God who cares for the flowers will also take care of us.

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God took the time to create everything in the universe, from the faraway galaxies to the flowers underfoot. He made all things good. He created a beautiful world, and that includes us.

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Whenever we start to wonder why we are here or what our purpose is, we can turn to Him. He made us, and He does not make mistakes. Each of us is so immeasurably valuable to God. He showed how much we are worth to Him when He came to earth in human flesh to live and die for us. But death couldn’t hold the loving Creator—Jesus rose from the grave! Each of us has life because of Him—He is the author of life. And if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have the sure hope of eternal life with Him.

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When we look to God, the Creator of the universe, we find out just how valuable we truly are. As we seek to follow Jesus with our lives, we can have peace in doing whatever He calls us to do. Any small task for Him is a worthy cause. He made the stars in the vast night sky, He made the flowers in the nearby fields, and He made us. • Bethany Acker

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• How can looking at the things God has made remind us of our own worth and value?

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• How might remembering that we are each created by God affect the way we treat one another?

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“And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers...he will certainly care for you.” Matthew 6:30a (NLT)

I have a confession. I used to hate the people who disagreed with me politically. It’s understandable to feel strongly about how we practice politics. Voting and activism have the potential to bring about much good in our communities. Politics can also be incredibly scary because we’re often dealing with life-and-death issues that affect us and our neighbors.

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Here’s the good news: Jesus understands what it’s like to be in the middle of scary political situations. His homeland was occupied by the Roman Empire, and injustice was rampant.

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But Jesus didn’t respond in violence toward those who threatened Him. In the same way, Jesus calls His followers to love our enemies—to pray for them and to respond to hatred with love and care for the needs of others, even our enemies (Matthew 5:38-47).

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When we join Jesus’s kingdom, we no longer put our trust in chariots or swords, weapons or symbols of power (Psalm 20:7; Matthew 26:52). Instead, our trust is in the living God, our Risen Savior Jesus Christ. He’s the One who beat sin and death through His own death and resurrection, and He’s the One who will return to make all things new—with every wrongdoing and injustice finally taken care of (Revelation 20:11–21:5).

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Today, when I’m tempted to hate people I disagree with, I remember Jesus on the night He let people take Him away to kill Him. When His enemies surrounded Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, He did not allow His disciples to lead a violent counterattack. Instead, Jesus stopped, healed one of His enemies, and moved forward in peace and truth, making the way for restoration through His very death... and eventual resurrection (Luke 22:49-52).

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As Christians, we don’t have to be afraid of changing political systems. Instead, we can remember we belong to an eternal and unafraid kingdom through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His kingdom is built upon love of God and neighbor, so no matter who is in power, we can continue to share the good news of God’s love through our words and actions (Matthew 22:37-40). In Christ, we are free to love our neighbors—and even our enemies—as we follow our unchanging and healing Savior. • Kandi Zeller

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• Have you ever been tempted to hate your political enemies? Consider taking some time to bring those thoughts and feelings to God. Your cares are never too big for Him, and He can help you process even your angriest thoughts in a way that is safe for yourself and others (1 Peter 5:7).

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• The psalms are filled with peoples’ prayers against their enemies, allowing them to process their hurts and trust that God is at work to bring about justice. Try praying Psalm 69 about your political enemies. What do you notice about the psalmist’s hope?

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• Amazingly, God is just as patient with us as He is with our enemies. According to 2 Peter 3:8-10 and John 3:16-17, why is God patient with us? What are some practical ways you can love your political enemies? (Matthew 5:38-47)

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Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7 (NIV)

Fireheart’s eyes sharpened as she beheld an opalescent creature on the highest peak of the cliffs, glinting like a thousand diamonds in the sun’s waning light. As she flew nearer, she noted with surprise that it was a dragon. Fireheart hovered above, waiting for a warning signal of flames or the flash of claws, but neither came.

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Softly, she landed next to the dragon. In his eyes, she saw her whole lifetime reflected. The fathomless depths of these emerald irises seemed to echo all her longing, reveal all her weaknesses, and yet, even as she felt completely known, somehow she felt completely loved by this shimmering dragon. It was impossible to tell how old or young he was, for he seemed to be from another realm entirely.

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Surely a dragon this majestic would know of the treasure! Fireheart opened her mouth and asked, her heart’s desires spilling out, “Do you know where to find the great treasure? I’ve heard the legends and searched far...but I cannot find it.” The dragon smiled knowingly, and his expression shook Fireheart to her core. “Who are you?” she whispered. “It is as though you have known me all my life, and my very soul feels complete as I stand here with you.”

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The dragon answered in an impossibly beautiful voice, “I am the one you have been seeking your whole life. Child, I am the treasure. Store up treasures no longer, for you have found me. Give your jewels and your gold away, and devote your heart to me. I will fill up all the places in your soul that are longing. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be. Fireheart, will you choose me as your treasure?”

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Joy welled up in Fireheart’s soul and spilled out of her eyes in the shape of tears. "Mother said I would know I found the treasure when I felt it in my heart," she thought, "and now it burns brighter than a thousand flickers of flame in my soul!"

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“Come, follow me and take hold of the life that is truly life.” • Savannah Coleman

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• In Mark 10, a wealthy man came to Jesus and asked Him how to inherit eternal life. How did Jesus respond? According to verse 21, how did Jesus see this man?

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• Have you ever felt like Fireheart, or like the man in Mark 10, who were desperately searching? What is Jesus’s invitation to us in today’s passages? (Mark 10:21; 1 Timothy 6:11-12, 17-19)

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“...the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:45-46 (NIV)

Legends passed down from generation to generation told of a treasure so pure and valuable that it rivaled all others. Fireheart made it her mission to obtain this treasure. When she was still the tiniest of dragons, tucked under her mother’s massive wing, she was told stories of the dragons who made it their life’s quest to seek the treasure. Where they had failed, Fireheart was determined to succeed.

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Stretching her sleek saffron wings, Fireheart stepped out of her cave into the morning sun. Rays of light glinted off her amber and ruby colored scales. Last night, she had unearthed the long-coveted strand of sea pearls that dragonkind had been searching for for centuries. As elated as the discovery had made her, Fireheart now felt that familiar emptiness squeeze her soul.

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“Mother, it must not be the pearls after all,” Fireheart contemplated aloud. Her Mother had long since passed, but every now and then Fireheart found it comforting to speak to her as if she was still by her side. “It would help immensely if I knew what I was searching for.” She snorted, and smoke billowed out of her nostrils. In the deep recesses of her memory, she could hear Mother’s musical laugh, quite dainty for her size. "Fireheart, you will know you have found the true treasure when you feel it in your heart."

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Salt spray from the sea showered Fireheart’s body as she dipped low, dragging her claws across the ocean’s surface. She then rose higher until her wings crested the misty lavender clouds of evening. The day had been filled with unfruitful searching, and she was growing weary. "I’ll rest, then continue searching tomorrow." • Savannah Coleman

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• Have you ever gotten something you really wanted, but then felt empty inside? Every created thing will ultimately leave us feeling empty. Only the Creator can fill the deep longing in our hearts. In Philippians 3, Paul says that knowing Jesus far surpasses everything else. Once Jesus revealed Himself to Paul, everything that Paul used to chase after paled in comparison to knowing Jesus, the One who loves us and gave His life for us on the cross and rose from the dead so that we could be with Him. What does Psalm 63:3 say about God’s love?

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• In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus tells us to store up treasures in heaven rather than accumulate earthly possessions and accomplishments. Following Jesus is the only way to a truly fulfilling and restful life (Matthew 22:36-40; 2 Timothy 4:6-8). What kind of treasure are you seeking?

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“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21 (NIV)

I once watched a video that asked an unusual question: “What year of life tends to be the best?” Pretty deep, right? Not surprisingly, the video didn’t come to a definite conclusion. Depending on what you think the answer is, you might either feel hopeless that the best of life is done, or disappointed when the future doesn’t end up how you hoped.

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When I began wondering about whether the past, present, or future would be the best part of my life, a certain Bible passage came to mind. It’s John 2:1-12, where Jesus is attending a wedding banquet that unfortunately runs out of wine. Just when the party is about to be ruined and end early, Jesus tells the servants at thebanquet to fill jars with water. He does a miracle, and when a sample is brought to the master of the banquet for tasting, the water has been transformed into wine!

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The banquet master was shocked. He didn’t know where the wine came from, but he praised the groom for saving the best wine for last. People didn’t do that: they used the good stuff first so that once people were satisfied, they wouldn’t notice the latter wine’s poorer quality.

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When everyone thought the wedding party was ruined and over, Jesus transformed ordinary water into extraordinary wine. He saved the best for last, showing that the end wasn’t really the end. In our lives too, when we follow Jesus the best is always yet to come. Because He died and rose again for us, we can look forward to the day He will return bodily to earth, raise us from the dead, and restore His creation! Even if our present is hard, when we fix our eyes on Jesus and remember God’s promises for an eternity with Him, we have purpose in our present to live for Him, and hope for the future through our struggles (Hebrews 12:1-3). Our loving God works everything toward His good plan, and He can bring miracles when we least expect it. We may think our lives are ruined, but even through challenges He is working out His great plan. • Abby Ciona

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• Do you more often long for the past or for the future?

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• How can Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection give us (1) peace about our past, (2) hope for the future, (3) and purpose in the present? (If you want to dig deeper, read Romans 8:18-39 and 2 Corinthians 4.)

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...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

Something I realized about the world recently is how seriously broken it is. I knew this before, but I didn’t have any profound personal experiences to help me understand what that truly meant. I can recall times of sadness and hopelessness during difficult circumstances in my life, but those feelings passed fairly quickly. Now, I see that brokenness amplified; it seems to be everywhere I look. Starting with the onset of COVID-19, the world as I knew it, bright and full of possibility, slowly grew dark as COVID-19 dimmed my optimistic perspective. Ironically, it was there in the dark that I could see the world’s brokenness so clearly.

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I learned to live in that darkness, the tension of seeing the world’s brokenness and being suddenly confronted with my own. In a way, COVID-19 has felt like a reality check. Beforehand, I was just minding my own business, living my sweet little life. I felt alright, not like I was seriously broken or weak. But when things changed and everyone was under “lockdown,” it was so weird. The fact that we—as a nation, as the world, as the human race—weren’t able to defeat this illness was terrifying. I didn’t realize until then just how incapable, weak, and broken we really are at the core.

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But that’s when I had to remember God. I had to remember that even though the sickness going around is bad, He’s still good. He has compassion on His creation, and He’s still working out His good purposes (Psalm 100:5). I had to remember Jesus said that though we will have trouble, He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Because God loves us, Jesus died and rose from the grave for us, and we can look forward to the day He will return bodily to earth and restore His creation. I had to remember that even though I am weak, He is my strength (Psalm 28:7). And as I recall His Word, He’s using it in my life daily, renewing my joy. • Emily Rondello

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• How have you seen brokenness on display, either in your own life or in the world around you?

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• Especially when we’re confronted with pain and suffering, God invites us to draw near to Him and receive His comfort. Why is it important for us to take time with God, remembering the hope He gives us in the gospel? (If you want to know more about the gospel, check out our "Know Jesus" page.)

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• If you want to dig deeper, read Psalm 77 and follow its model by telling God about the hard things you’re experiencing, and remembering who He is and some of the things He has done.

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“I [Jesus] have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” John 16:33 (CSB)

Some people might describe me as a goal-oriented list maker. And they would be right. So, it’s no surprise that I start a new year (sometimes the new calendar year in January, sometimes the new school year in the fall) with journal and pen in hand, writing out goals I want to accomplish. One New Year’s Eve, I sat thinking about hopes and dreams for the upcoming new year. But I had one thought I just couldn’t shake.

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Gazing at a fresh page in the calendar, I fretted about the ways I would inevitably mess up the new year. It hadn’t even arrived yet, and already I’d begun to regret and even fear the sins I would certainly commit. I became bogged down, knowing I would spoil the new year in no time.

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But for those of us who have entered a relationship with God through Jesus, believing in His death and resurrection and trusting Him to forgive our sins and provide new life, we can choose something better—better than living in regret over the past or in fear about ruining the future. We can live in freedom, resting in His sure love for us.

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Will we sin in the new year? Of course, and the Lord already knows this. He is not caught off guard by our failures, and He has already secured our forgiveness inJesus—forgiveness for our sins in the past, present, and future. The Lord extends compassion to us, separating us from our sins so that we are never joined with them again. So, we can hope, dream, and plan for each new year, knowing that our compassionate Heavenly Father does not treat us as our sins deserve—even the ones still in our future. • Allison Wilson Lee

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• If we know Jesus, we can be free from the fear of failure because His love and forgiveness don’t change, even when we fail. How can resting in these truths give us hope as we look forward to the future?

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• Whenever we sin (by doing or thinking anything that goes against God) He calls us to confess and repent, turning away from our sin and back toward Him. Are there any sins on your mind that you can confess and repent from? Consider taking a moment to come to God in prayer, resting in His sure love and forgiveness.

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He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12 (NLT)

In high school, I had a plan for my life, and I didn’t want anything to get in the way. I loved Jesus, but I didn’t want to surrender my goals to Him.

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My junior year, I had the chance to go on a trip with my church to Honduras. We had a week of medical clinics, building homes, and soccer games. But my favorite part was the relationships we built with our Honduran coworkers and neighbors. The last night of the trip, we sprawled on the driveway of the guest house with our new friends and stared up at the stars. I’ve never seen anything so magnificent as that sky.

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As we laughed and shared stories together, God revealed Himself to me in a whole new way through the night sky. I realized God was greater than I had ever imagined. Even the stars sang His praises, “for at his command they were created” (Psalm 148:5). And these stars were the same ones I’d be able to see again when I stood on my porch in Pennsylvania. It was too much to comprehend. We talk about being starstruck by celebrities, but I was starstruck by God. Stunned by the glory of His creation.

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Why had I held so tightly to my own plans? Wouldn’t my Creator know what’s best for me? What would it look like to surrender my goals to Him?

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Since that trip, my life hasn’t looked the way I expected. Every time I think I have a grasp on what’s coming, God shows me something different. Surrendering the future to God involves a lot of sacrifice, waiting, and trust. But it’s worth it. When we loosen our grip on our own goals and trust our Creator with all we have, we will find many gifts along the way. • Becca Wierwille

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• What aspects of God’s creation make you feel closer to Him?

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• While it’s good to have goals and plans, God calls us to follow Jesus first and foremost, and to entrust our dreams to His tender care. What are some goals you have a tight grasp on as you look toward your future? What might it look like to surrender those goals to your Creator?

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• Paul oriented his life around the gospel—which is the good news about Jesus restoring His people to relationship with their Creator and, ultimately, restoring His creation. In following Jesus, we find a full and satisfying life. If you’d like to dig deeper, read John 10:10 and Colossians 1:15-23. Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name.

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Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:26 (NIV)

Changing situations and changing circumstances often come with changing moods, like unease, irritability, or even irrational behavior. These changes may be due to the loss of employment, a loved one, or something else we once held so dear. We might lose something that used to occupy our time, or something that’s just always been there. When a part of our lives that has felt normal since childhood suddenly isn’t there anymore, life can feel empty.

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The apostle Paul experienced a lot of changes. He was one of the most educated people of his day. He sat at the feet of Gamaliel, one of the best teachers of the Jewish Scriptures (Acts 5:34; 22:3). No doubt Paul was envied by some who didn’t enjoy the same privileges he did.

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But when Paul came to faith in Christ Jesus (whose followers he had persecuted severely up till then) things took a different turn. That privileged position was no more. Now, as a follower of Jesus Christ, Paul was the one being severely persecuted for his faith. He went through very uncomfortable situations—sometimes because of persecution from non-Christians, and sometimes because of natural disasters beyond his control. Paul was shipwrecked more than once. There were times when he had very little to live on and he went hungry and thirsty. He experienced sleepless nights and shivered in the cold without enough clothing. He worked hard and for long hours. He was beaten with rods and imprisoned frequently (2 Corinthians 11:23-29). Sometimes Paul had more than enough, but other times he had less than enough.

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Through all this, rather than complaining and becoming bitter or even abandoning his faith in Christ, Paul says he “learned the secret of being content” with whatever he had and whatever circumstances he was going through (Philippians 4:12). And that secret was knowing Christ. Paul learned to bring all his anxieties to the Lord and to trust and depend on Him (4:6). But this is something he had to learn—it didn’t happen automatically. Because Paul had met the risen Jesus, he had hope that Jesus would return to raise the dead and unite heaven and earth. This is the message Paul constantly told the churches, and this is what drove him. In good times and bad, Jesus was the One who provided Paul’s contentment. As we go through life’s challenges, twists, and turns in this ever-changing world, we can learn to be content as we draw near to Jesus. Only He can bring true peace of mind and rest to our souls. • Charity Kiregyera

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• What might it look like to draw near to Jesus during times of change? (Read Philippians 4:4-7.)

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I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. Philippians 4:11b (NIV)

There are times when we feel like no one really loves us or cares about us. We might have a family member hurt us or cut us out of their life. We might go through a breakup or deal with teasing from people who we thought were our friends. There are times when we get lonely and feel sad, but God is there for us in those times.

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In John 15, Jesus talks about us being His friends. He talks about the love He has for us. He gives us hope we can hold onto when we are feeling lonely. Who better to have as a friend than Jesus?

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Even when others don’t accept us, God accepts us fully. He wants to be our friend, and He is the One who has made our friendship possible. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we get to be His friends. We never have to be alone again. In those times when people hurt us and when we feel rejected, God is there. Jesus is by our side, and He knows firsthand what it feels like to be hurt and rejected by people. He was willing to go to the cross for us and endure all that suffering, both physically and emotionally, so we could be in relationship with God. Even death could not stop His love. Jesus rose from the dead and promised to be with His followers—forever.

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When we feel all alone, Jesus is our companion in suffering. When we feel like the people around us are done with us and they don’t want to be in our lives any longer, we can reach out to God. He is always there, ready to wrap us in His arms of love. We are never truly alone or abandoned. • Emily Acker

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• When do you feel alone?

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• If someone has hurt you deeply, who is a trusted adult you could talk to about setting up healthy boundaries?

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• If you have questions about what it means to be in relationship with God through Jesus, see our "Know Jesus" page.

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Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. Psalm 27:10 (NLT)

Gazing up at the ever-darkening sky, people in the kingdom of Worne waited. How long had they looked for salvation? Where was the promise of rescue and freedom? All at once, there was a crack in the heavens, a blaze of light that burned stark against the night. Some shielded their faces in fear while others raised open palms toward the skies, waiting for a miracle. Then it came, falling soft as a spring rain: tiny golden seeds.

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A man, who everyone saw as strong and confident, knelt on a path where the seeds lay scattered. He heard the song of salvation and there the seeds lay, within his grasp. The man reached his hand out, then pulled it back. “No. I am capable; I do not need this seed.” His face impassive, the man watched as the seed was trampled on the path by others passing by.

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Filled with joy, a woman gathered seeds that had fallen among the rocks. As she hurried home, her foot caught a root and she tumbled to the ground. Searing pain shot through her arm. Bleeding, she bent to collect the scattered seed. A menacing growl from the dreaded creatures of the night sounded nearby. With one fleeting glance back at those seeds, she escaped into the night.

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A boy filled his pockets with the seeds, thinking that life would surely be different now. He passed by a cavern filled with sparkling gems. “Perhaps if I take a detour through this cavern, I will reach my destination faster.” The jewels were so close, there for the taking. He pocketed a gem. Around the next bend, the boy worried that one might not be enough. “I’ll just take a few more...” Hours later, the pockets he had filled with seeds were replaced with gems.

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“Salvation is here,” the girl breathed deep of sweet-scented flowers that had sprung up from the seeds she planted. Now, she gently picked the flowers and peace washed over her soul. “I won’t keep it to myself,” the girl determined. “I will share the seeds of salvation.” The girl set off into the afternoon sun, a bucket of seeds swinging from one hand and a bouquet of shining flowers in her arms. • Savannah Coleman

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• This story is based on a parable Jesus told about a farmer sowing seed. Why do you think the good news— about how Jesus, the promised Savior, died and rose again to forgive our sins and give us life with God—is meant to be received, enjoyed, and shared? What might it look like for you to embrace this good news today? (John 3:16; Colossians 1:13-14; 1 John 5:11-12)

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I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2b (NIV)

We have a friend saying goodbye and meeting a new friend on today's Unlocked Connection episode! Andrew has decided to step away from hosting Unlocked (listen to find out why), and Natalie introduces us to George Moss, a new friend taking over from Andrew. He's going to be an awesome host and we hope you can embrace him too. His first Unlocked episode will be in just a few days, kicking off the new year for us.

Take a listen to the episode and you might just find your next artist to check out too.

I grew up thinking I needed to hold it together. My teenage problems seemed minuscule next to extreme poverty and world hunger. But I did have problems. And they felt big to me.

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In John 16:33, Jesus says, “In this world you will have trouble.” He doesn’t say if; He says will. You will have trouble. Jesus’s statement has stood the test of time. Our brothers and sisters in Christ have experienced pain and sorrow, including Martha and Mary.

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Their brother, Lazarus, became very sick. The sisters sent word of his illness to Jesus. Jesus came but not right away. He arrived after Lazarus had died. Martha ran to Jesus at once, but not Mary. She stayed back, hidden and hurting, with the other Jews who had come to comfort the family.

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Martha approached Jesus with incredible trust and strength, declaring her confidence in His holy power. After Jesus spoke with Martha, He called for Mary, and she also came. She came, and she cried. She didn’t understand why Jesus hadn’t come and saved her brother, why He let the last breath escape from Lazarus’s lungs.

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Jesus knew the story wasn’t over, that Lazarus would breathe and walk and talk again, but He didn’t pass over Mary’s grief. Instead, He wept with her.

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It’s okay to feel sad and share our pain with others. It’s what Jesus did. Both Martha and Mary had incredible trust in Jesus and His ways, but that didn’t stop them from feeling grief. At first, Mary stayed back, not bringing her full self to Jesus. But He called, and she came.

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Jesus also calls to us. He is ready to come alongside us and weep amid any situation we find ourselves in. Jesus knows what happens on the other side of our grief—because He died and rose again, He will put an end to death, suffering, and everything else that causes pain and sorrow. But that doesn’t mean He expects us to pass over our current feelings. • Jenna Brooke Carlson

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• What feelings are you experiencing today? Do you feel like you can bring these to Jesus?

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• Why do you think we are sometimes hesitant to show others how we feel?

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• Who is one person in your life you can share your true feelings with? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.

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When Jesus saw her weeping... he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. John 11:33-35 (NIV)

He will never leave you

But will be by your side

Staying with you forever

He promises to stay the whole ride

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He will never forsake you

No matter how big a mess you make

You can confess your sins to Him

His patience will not break

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He will never forget you

You are His child

God is there for you forever

Even when things get wild

He will always love you

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He sent His Son

To live and die for you

On this earth, your life has just begun • Bethany Acker

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• In the Old Testament, God promised He would never leave His people, even though He knew they would continue to sin against Him. Then, in the New Testament, we see how God the Son came to live among us. Jesus is Immanuel—which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Because God loves us, He died and rose again to forgive our sins and provide the way for us to be with Him forever. Even though Jesus ascended to heaven, He is still with His followers through His Holy Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). When life gets messy—and when we mess up—how can it be comforting to know that God never stops loving us?

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• If you want to dig deeper, read Deuteronomy 31:6, 8; Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 4:15-16; 13:5.

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But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish. Psalm 9:18 (NIV)

The air was full of excitement. It was Christmas day, and everyone was preparing to go to church. I also prepared myself to go and worship among others at the small village church that had become the center of attraction on this day.

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Every Christmas, the church would be filled with worshippers. Everyone would be waiting to hear the story told again. In one way or another, everyone participated in telling the story of the Messiah’s birth, either in greetings or in singing those beautiful Christmas carols. Christmas day was indeed a special day to me. As a teenager, I would always wait in great anticipation to join with all the congregants in singing the Christmas carols as we celebrated the Messiah’s birth. Oh, the joy that we felt! Singing and praising Jesus Christ our Savior who was born on such a day for us!

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According to Luke 2:15-17, after the angel proclaimed the birth of Jesus to a group of shepherds, they decided to go to Bethlehem to see what had happened. There, they found Mary and Joseph and the newborn baby lying in a manger, just as the angel had told them. Then they told others what the angel had said about the child—that He was the Messiah, the Lord, the Savior they had all been waiting for (verse 11).

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Today being Christmas day, many people around the world are preparing to gather together to hear the story of the birth of Jesus proclaimed and to worship Him. Let us join with other Christians as we praise our Lord who came to save us, and let us also proclaim the good news of the Messiah’s birth to those around us! • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

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• Celebrating the birth of Jesus as the promised Messiah can happen anywhere and anytime! How can you celebrate this good news today? Even if you can’t gather with other Christians, you can know that your brothers and sisters are rejoicing with you all around the world!

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I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1 (NIV)

The night started just like any other night. A clear, star-lit sky. Sheep sleeping in the field. The shepherds finishing their evening meal around the campfire. Quiet talk about families and the price of wool. But this was no ordinary night.

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An angel of God coming to proclaim the coming of the Messiah, and the heavenly host glorifying and praising God! The shepherds going to Bethlehem to find the newborn Savior after the angels had left. The shepherds seeing the Messiah for the first time. This was no ordinary night.

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Have you ever thought about what these shepherds talked about when they left Bethlehem to return to their sheep? While it’s true the Bible never tells us about their conversation, it would be fun to speculate.

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They may have talked about the prophet Isaiah of long ago. How they remembered his writings: “The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’)” (Isaiah 7:14). And the prophet also said this child who is born this night will be called “Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (9:6).

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The shepherds may have shared their amazement with each other—how they, the outcasts of society, were to witness the fulfillment of prophecy. Prophecy that was first written 400 years ago, seen this very night. They may have talked about the angels singing praises to God, about the young mother, but mostly about the child—the Messiah coming to Bethlehem. God sending His Son as a baby, fully human, fully God. What a wonder, how amazing.

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Perhaps these shepherds didn’t realize they had a part in history. God intervening in human affairs quietly. Not in a big city, but in a small town. Not using government officials or religious leaders, but shepherds. Not in broad daylight, but in the dead of night. Perhaps these shepherds didn’t realize they had a part in God’s history, or perhaps they did. • Doug Velting

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• Read Luke 2:8-20 again, and then take a moment to imagine being one of the shepherds who experienced the events of that night... What sticks out to you the most? What fills you with awe and wonder? What questions do you have?

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When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:15 (NLT)

Bookends are those supports that keep books from falling over on a shelf or desk. By way of analogy, there are two events that “bookend” the life of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel accounts of Luke and Matthew: two angelic appearances, two unlikely recipients of the angel’s message, and two responses that teach us how to live in this Advent season.

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Angels appeared to two unlikely sectors of society: shepherds at Jesus’s birth (Luke 2:8-20) and women at Jesus’s resurrection (Matthew 28:1-10). In Jesus’s time, shepherds were looked down upon in society. Similarly, women were not regarded as reliable witnesses in those days. However, God saw fit to announce both the birth and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, to these marginalized people. Note the angel’s words to the shepherds: “don’t be afraid,” “look,” “good news,” “great joy,” and “glory to God.” And to the women: “don’t be afraid,” “come and see,” “go... and tell.”

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When the shepherds obeyed the directive to go and see the baby in the manger, they found it to be exactly as the angel had said. They left worshiping God and telling others what they had seen and heard. And when the women left the tomb with “great joy” (Matthew 28:8) they met the risen Lord Jesus and worshiped Him. Their testimony was followed by the eleven disciples receiving the great commission for every Christian to go and make disciples of all nations (verses 16-20). These bookends give us some clear examples to follow when it comes to our relationship to the Lord this Christmas season.

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Don’t be afraid. Look to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world. Believe in Him, praise Him, and go with great joy to tell all that the Lord has made known to you. • Cameron DeCou

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• Why do you think God chose unlikely messengers for these two essential moments in Jesus’s life?

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• What are some things God has done for you? How could you share these things with others?

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“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I [Jesus] have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (CSB)

This time of year, many people set out nativity scenes that depict baby Jesus in the manger to remind us of our Savior’s humble birth. My family’s nativity set was made of sturdy wooden pieces so the kids could touch the figures and play with them. Even children can understand something of the beauty and wonder of Jesus Christ’s birth (Matthew 11:25-26). But even though He was born in Bethlehem, today’s reading reminds us that Jesus, who is God the Son, has always existed. In fact, we owe all life to Him!

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In the beginning of John’s Gospel (his account of the good news), John uses the term “the Word” to refer to Jesus. Jesus has always been with God (John 1:2). And Jesus has always been God; all things that are in existence were created through Him (verses 1, 3). He became flesh—a human being—and lived among us (verse 14). But even as Jesus came to His creation, the world and the people tainted by sin no longer recognized Him (verses 10-11).

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In this short introduction to his Gospel account, John reminds us of why Jesus was willing to come to earth as a human being, and even be rejected by the people He created and loved. Verse 12 says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” This is the main point of the Christmas story—the main point of the gospel! Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He would die for their sins on the cross, and He would be raised again to give eternal life to all those who believe in Him. Jesus wasn’t just a baby in a manger; He is the Creator of the universe and the Ruler of all things, and He is the Savior we all need! • Laura N. Sweet

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• Read Hebrews 1:1-3. Why do you think John called Jesus the Word?

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• Jesus is both fully God and fully human. Why is it important for us to remember that Jesus is the eternal, glorious Son of God, especially at Christmas time?

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• If someone asked you about the main point of the Christmas story, what could you tell them?

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The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. John 1:14a (NIV)

When discussing Christmas with family or friends, I get a variety of responses when I say these words: “No cross, no cradle.” Some reply with a puzzled look, others have laughed saying the opposite is true. Every once in a while, someone will nod. They know exactly what I’m talking about.

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God became a real human and walked among us, but He didn’t choose to descend from atop a lofty mountain or emerge all muscled and powerful out of the sea. No, Jesus chose to take the route we’ve all taken... in order to inhabit the earth. He came as a baby. He had a mom, an earthly dad (or stepdad, depending how you look at it), and a heavenly Father. If it had all stopped there, we might never have known a single thing about Him.

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How wonderful it must have been to hear Jesus speak, watch Him heal, and listen to His prayers. He challenged the ruling and religious authorities, but He was also able to speak aid and comfort to the downtrodden and forsaken. The people must have thought He could be the promised warrior Messiah.

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But then came the cross.

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In Mark 8:31, Jesus began telling a different tale, one that included His suffering, rejection, and death. What was this? Not at all what the disciples or the people wanted to hear. But as each of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) tells Jesus’s story, we get to an undeniable truth. This wonderful, healing, gracious man was going to die.

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Believers know the reason Jesus had to die: to become the real Savior. A temporary ruler, a great president or general, would have come and gone like so many others before them. But Jesus? He died so that we could have eternal life. He saved us by rising from the dead.

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If Jesus had not done that, His manger-cradle that we celebrate at Christmas would have no significance. No cross, no cradle. • Susan Sundwall

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• What part of Jesus’s life and continued work gives you the most hope? How could you celebrate the gospel this Christmas... and beyond?

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• If you want to learn more about the good news (gospel) of Jesus, see our "Know Jesus" page.

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“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14 (NIV)

Christmas season is always something I look forward to. Excitement can be seen and felt everywhere I turn: music is coming from shops, and people are singing carols. The Christmas season brings to town upcountry folks, and the streets of the cities are full of people as the shopkeepers have brought in new merchandise just for the Christmas season. The atmosphere in people’s homes changes as well. This is a time when friends are invited to share meals and relatives who live far away are also invited for meals and fellowship. It’s a family reunion!

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The coming of Jesus from heaven to earth, which we celebrate during the Christmas season, truly changed the world forever. It changed human history! It gave the hope of a family reunion—the reunion of God and His creation. Though the world had become alienated from God because of humanity’s sin, God was reconciling the world to Himself through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus (Romans 8:18-25; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21).

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The celebration of Jesus’s birth brought excitement and singing in heaven before it did on earth. The angel who broke the good news of Jesus’s birth to the shepherds was joined by the heavenly host, and they praised God and said, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased” (Luke 2:13-14).

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And the giving and receiving of gifts during Christmas season is a reminder of what God the Father did for us over two thousand years ago. He gave us the greatest and best of gifts that ever can be given—His own Son, Jesus Christ! “Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). Jesus came from the Father to die for our sins, and because of His death and resurrection, He gives us the gift of everlasting life (John 3:16). Receiving this gift brings great joy to whoever puts their trust in Jesus. It also causes great joy in heaven, for Jesus says, “there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents” (Luke 15:10). • Charity Kiregyera

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• Do you have any favorite Christmas traditions? How might these traditions point to the good news of Jesus? (If you want to know more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page)

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• Read 2 Corinthians 9:13-15. How does receiving God’s gift (of knowing Him through Jesus) enlarge us to give generously to others?

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“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son [ Jesus Christ], so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NLT)

In the book of Malachi, we see God’s chosen people imploring Him to be gracious to them even while they keep disrespecting Him and showing contempt for His commands.

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By God’s law, they are to make unblemished animal sacrifices to God for their sins. Instead, they sacrifice blind, diseased, and injured animals. Even the priests offer God what they themselves do not want. God tells them He wants the whole tithe and offering from them, not leftover bits. He also calls out people who have broken faith by marrying unbelievers or divorcing their spouses without reason.

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The actions of the people suggest that what they want is a savior, not a lord. They seek a cosmic genie to do their bidding rather than the ruler of the universe to rule their hearts. They don’t want to love God and their neighbor, and so they break God’s commands, ignoring Him and disregarding the vulnerable in their midst.

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But God knows what’s going on in their hearts. In this last book of the Old Testament, He points to the Savior and Lord the people need: Jesus. Jesus will be the sinless, unblemished sacrifice people need to receive forgiveness for their sins and attain eternal life with God. God will make this sacrifice because He loves us. Jesus will die for us willingly, and once Jesus is sacrificed for the sins of all, the old laws with animal sacrifices will be fulfilled. People who put their trust in Jesus, believing He died and rose again, will be transformed by the Holy Spirit and be able to lead God-pleasing lives under grace and mercy, not sacrifice. • Ronica Stromberg

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• How does the book of Malachi make it clear that everyone has fallen short of loving God and loving their neighbor? (If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 22:36-40 and Romans 3:23.)

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• How does Malachi point to Jesus, the Son of God, who has made the only way for us to have a right relationship with God?

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“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6 (NIV)

I cannot fight this darkness deep

I cannot find my way

Help me, O my God

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The faithful, godly people

Have vanished from the world

Help me, O my God

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The poor and needy gasp for help

That’s nowhere to be found

Help them, O my God

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The wicked encompass the earth

They shout out, exalting all evil

Help us, O my God

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Your light has fought its way to me

Parting through the mighty sea

Help me, O my God

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The strength of God enables us

Helps us finish what we must

Help us, O my God

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Drive away the dark of night

Draw me ever to your light

Help me, O my God • Leah Najimy

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• What problems feel overwhelming to you today—either in your own life or in the world?

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• God invites us to be honest with Him about the suffering we see and experience, and to cry out to Him. God hears the prayers of His people, and He does help. He parted the Red Sea to save the Israelites (Exodus 14:29), and His Son came to earth to save everyone who would believe in Him. Jesus is the Light of the World, and the darkness can never overcome Him (John 1:4-5; 8:12). How might remembering the ways God has revealed His power and love in the past give us hope to bring our concerns to Him in the present?

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Hasten, O God, to save me; come quickly, Lord, to help me. Psalm 70:1 (NIV)

As a teenager, one of the reasons I didn’t believe in God was because I didn’t think God cared about my individual struggles. There were people in far worse situations who needed God’s help, so I didn’t think He cared about me. It certainly didn’t feel like He listened to me when I tried praying. There were times I would beg God for help, but I wouldn’t hear a sound.

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However, I found myself reading the psalms one day, and I came to Psalm 13. As I read the first few verses, I had never related to something in the Bible more in my life! The author, David, begins by saying, “How long, Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long will I store up anxious concerns within me...?” (verses 1-2).

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It appeared as if David understood me. For the first time ever, I could relate to someone in the Bible—that is, until I got to verses 5 and 6, when David says, “But I have trusted in your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in your deliverance. I will sing to the Lord because he has treated me generously.” How could David go from agonizing over his struggles and feeling like God wasn’t listening... to trusting, rejoicing, and singing to God?

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As I read David’s words, I realized that, even though he had struggles like me, David had a completely different relationship with God. He had a completely different understanding of God than I did. After reading Psalm 13, I decided I needed to figure out if God really cared, if He could be trusted, and see if I could gain the same understanding of God that David did.

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Years later, I would come to understand that God does hear our prayers and He answers them all. However, it just isn’t always how or when we want Him to answer them. But God always reveals Himself to those who seek Him (Psalm 9:10; Jeremiah 29:13). And He loves each one of us. He demonstrated this love when Jesus—God in flesh—came to live among us, die on the cross for us, and rise from the dead so that we could live with Him forever. Because God has shown us this unshakable love, we can trust Him with every prayer. Even when it feels like God is silent, His actions speak volumes. • Hunter Taylor

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• David experienced a close relationship with God. Through putting our trust in Jesus, we can start to have this kind of relationship with God too (read more on our "Know Jesus" page). How might David’s story encourage us to seek God for ourselves?

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How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? Psalm 13:1a (CSB)

One of my favorite Bible passages is Psalm 19. David, the psalmist, illustrates how God is a master communicator. This psalm has three parts:

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1) God speaks through creation;

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2) God speaks through His Word; and

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3) David’s response to both.

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First, we see that God speaks through His work of creation. God’s creation preaches at all times, in all places, and in every language (verses 1-6)!

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Second, God’s Word speaks to us even more clearly than creation. God’s Word restores life, gives wisdom, gives joy to the heart, enlightens the eyes, endures forever, brings pleasures and warnings, and gives great rewards (verses 7-11)!

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Finally, the psalm closes with David’s humble response: concern about the power of sin in his life and a desire to please God in all he does (verses 12-14).

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Like David, people throughout history have been able to look up at the stars and stand in awe of God—including Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States. Reportedly, Lincoln said the following while on a stargazing walk: “I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.” • Daniel Dore

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• When we spend time in God’s creation, how does God speak to us about His power and divine creativity?

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• While God communicates wonderful things through His creation, why is it still important for us to spend time in His Word, the Bible?

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• How is David’s response to creation in Psalm 19 a model for us today?

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The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 (NIV)

Isaiah 9:6-7 is part of an Old Testament promise of a Messiah: a Rescuer and King for the whole world! This passage lists tons of names that are ultimately fulfilled in Jesus. One of those names is “Wonderful Counselor.” We may not always think a lot about this name, but it has special importance for me because I meet with a counselor for my mental health. My counselor helps me process my thoughts and emotions and learn how to manage feelings of depression, anxiety, stress, and whatever challenges I am facing.

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Counselors are experts at understanding: they study how the brain works and are trained to listen and understand and help people move forward through struggles. Good counselors are compassionate, wise, and full of advice and guidance.

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Jesus uses my counselor to help me, and He is available too! Jesus is the perfect counselor. His eternal wisdom is beyond our understanding, and He invites us to come to Him with all our struggles. He is fully God, so He knows and understands us better than anyone else because He created us! Jesus is also fully human, so He knows what it’s like to live in a world broken by sin. However, although Jesus was tempted and suffered, He was obedient and faithful to God through it all. Hebrews 4:14-16 says that Jesus empathizes with our weaknesses, and He invites us to come to Him for help any time.

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Sometimes I feel alone in my struggles, but meeting with a counselor reminds me that I’m not alone and that people care for me. Most of all, Jesus reminds me that I am never alone. No matter the challenges we face, He loves us and will never leave us (Matthew 28:20). He died and rose again on our behalf, and even when nothing seems to make sense, we can rest in the truth that He has become wisdom for us (1 Corinthians 1:30), fully redeeming us and uniting us to Himself.

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Mental health is a long journey with ups and downs. But I know that God uses our struggles to open up unique opportunities to help and encourage others (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). He can use even the hardest times in our lives for His good purposes (Romans 8:28). • Abby Ciona

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• How is Jesus like a mental health counselor? How is He different?

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• We all go through seasons of life when we feel overwhelmed, and it’s okay to need help. When you are experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, or other challenges, who is a trusted Christian in your life who you feel comfortable talking to? If you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

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• In addition to getting help from friends and mental health professionals, God wants us to come to Him for help. When you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, do you feel like you can talk to Jesus? Why or why not?

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• God created the world good, but when humans went their own way against God, the result was death and decay and sickness—including mental illness. But God has not left us alone in our struggles. He has compassion on us, and He came to live among us and, ultimately, to heal the world of all brokenness. Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, we have the sure hope that Jesus will return to restore His creation—and, as His forgiven followers, we will get to live with Him forever, free from sin, death, and every kind of illness! As we wait for that glorious day, Jesus is with us. He identifies with us in our struggles, feels our sorrows as His own, and weeps alongside us. How might knowing that Jesus is your companion on the long journey of life, through all the ups and downs, give you comfort and strength? (Isaiah 41:10)

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For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor... Isaiah 9:6a (NIV)

Maybe you’ve heard the saying: God will never give us more than we can handle. I’d never thought much about that idea until I found myself in Guatemala, begging God not to let both of my grandparents pass away while I was gone.

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My grammy had been sick when I left for my semester abroad, and I’d said a different kind of goodbye to her. But now my pop-pop had cancer too? How could this be happening?

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“This is too much!” I cried out to God. “It’s more than I can handle.”

In that moment, God’s peace surrounded me like a hug. And I knew that even if it was too much for me to handle, I wouldn’t go through it alone. He was with me. My focus had been on trying to cope with the pain on my own, but instead, I had to surrender my suffering to God.

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The truth is, God never promises not to give us more than we can handle. In fact, before Jesus went to the cross, He told His disciples, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). And after Jesus rose from the dead, He told them, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). It is the strength of Jesus that allows us to continue forward through a broken world, not our own strength.

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I also think of Paul, who endured an immense amount of suffering to share the gospel (the good news about Jesus). Paul was imprisoned, flogged, beaten, shipwrecked, endangered, and the list goes on. Paul didn’t handle all this by his own strength. Paul depended on God.

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So even when the worst happens—when the mountains fall and the earth gives way, when we’re afraid of losing someone we love, when life just isn’t going the way we expected—we don’t have to worry about our own ability to handle it. God is our strength, and God is with us, always. • Becca Wierwille

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• Can you think of a time you felt like God was giving you more than you could handle? How did that impact your relationship with Him?

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• Read 1 Corinthians 10:13. How is this verse different from the phrase, God won’t give us more than we can handle? What would be a more helpful saying to tell people who are going through difficult things?

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“I [Jesus] have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)

I need help right now

The waves are about to wash me away

God, I need you right now

This pain is too much for me to bear

The sooner you help

The sooner I can start to heal

The sooner you help

The easier things will be

I can’t wait any longer

This hurts too much

God, I need you right now

This overwhelms me

Work quickly in saving me

Come right away to rescue me

Please, God, stop all this

The sooner you help, the better • Emily Acker

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• This poem is written in the style of a psalm. Whenever we are in distress, God wants us to cry out to Him. He invites us to be totally honest about how overwhelmed we feel—maybe even how abandoned we feel (Psalm 22:1). He hears our cries, and He cares for us. Can you think of a time you were in trouble and God helped you? What happened?

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• As Christians, we can know that God is with us—right now. Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). He came to save us, and He didn’t withhold Himself from any of our suffering. In fact, Psalm 69:21 could point to one of the ways Jesus would suffer on the cross for us (Matthew 27:48; Mark 15:36; Luke 23:36; John 19:29). And Jesus guaranteed our salvation by rising from the grave! Then, He promised His followers, “Surely I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus will return bodily to earth one day to right every wrong and heal all our hurts. Until then, how can remembering that Jesus is with us, and that He identifies with us in our suffering, make it easier for us to cry out to Him for help?

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• How do you need God’s help today? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him.

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Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. Psalm 69:17 (NIV)

Elisha is an Old Testament prophet, and God performed many mighty miracles through him. He healed Naaman of leprosy (2 Kings 5), raised a dead boy back to life (2 Kings 4), and stopped the Aramean army from doing violence (2 Kings 6). But in the midst of these stories, we also read about some of the small, quiet miracles God performed through Elisha—answers to prayer for the specific needs of his friends.

In 2 Kings 4, a prophet’s widow is in a desperate situation: she can’t pay her debts, and her two sons may be forced into slavery. The only thing the woman has is a little olive oil, and so Elisha tells her to borrow as many empty jars as she can from her neighbors. With her door closed, and only her sons as witnesses, the woman begins to pour oil from her small container...and miraculously fills every single jar she borrowed! Her financial worries are over as she then sells the oil.

In 2 Kings 6, a group of prophets is cutting down trees near the Jordan River, and a borrowed ax head (made of iron) falls into the water. How can they repay the man who loaned them the tool? But then Elisha throws a stick into the water, and the iron ax head miraculously floats so they can retrieve it, and disaster is once again avoided.

Sometimes, God answers prayer with spectacular, awesome displays of miraculous power, but most of the time the answers come in quiet ways. Even if these answers to prayer may not technically be miracles, they are still evidence of God’s power and His care for creation. It’s important to remember that we can bring all our prayers to God—not just the “big” stuff, but all the concerns we have for ourselves and others. In big ways and small ways, God delights to hear and answer prayer! • Laura N. Sweet

• Why do you think God included stories of “quiet miracles” in the Bible?

• Have you ever experienced God answering a prayer? What happened?

• What kinds of problems are weighing on you today? Whether they seem big or small to you, consider taking a moment to ask God for help with these things.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

It doesn’t matter when you pray. It can be early in the morning or the middle of the night. It can be on a good day or a hard day. It doesn’t matter when, God hears you no matter what.

It doesn’t matter where you pray. You can be at work or school when you talk to God, or you can be at home alone. You can pray while you’re in the car or having lunch with a group of friends. It doesn’t matter where you pray, God hears you no matter what.

It doesn’t matter how you pray. You can say a few simple words when you desperately need Him. You can get down on your knees and say a long prayer when you’re feeling grateful. You can pray alone or with others who share your faith in Jesus. It doesn’t matter how you pray, God hears you no matter what.

The book of Psalms is full of prayers, and many of the psalms were written by David. In Psalm 55, David says that when he cries out in the evening, morning, and noon, God hears him. And in Psalm 61, David says that even when he cries out to God from the ends of the earth, God hears him.

You never have to be afraid that your prayers will go unnoticed. God hears you no matter when, where, or how you pray. • Bethany Acker

• Have you ever felt like you needed to pray a certain way, or at a certain time, or in a certain place? Have you ever wanted to pray, but you didn’t feel like you could? How can today’s Bible verses encourage us to pray whenever, wherever, and however? Consider taking a moment to talk to God right now.

• As Christians, we have the joy of knowing God personally through Jesus. So, when we pray to God, we’re not just crying out to the all-powerful Creator of the universe, we’re also talking to our friend who loves us and came in human flesh to live among us. Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, everyone who puts their trust in Him can have a personal relationship with God. So, when we pray, we can know that God understands what we’re going through, and He cares about us deeply. How is praying to God (who revealed Himself through Jesus) different from praying to another god?

Evening, morning and noon I cry out...and he hears my voice. Psalm 55:17 (NIV)

A fragment. A shard. A useless bit of glass.
A piece among many. Split from the mass.
Silenced. Alone. No comfort in sight.
An endless abyss. As dark as the night.

A yearning. A desire. A never-ending prayer.
For comfort. For calm. For someone to care.
A piece among many. Split from the mass.
Silenced. Alone. A useless shard of glass.

An answer to my petition. Peace. Hope.
A light in the tunnel. A way to cope.
Comforted. Forgiven. Enveloped in love.
Joy. New life. On the wings of a dove.

A fragment. A shard. Now pure in His sight.
A piece among many. Refracting the light. • Gracee Terrell

• When do you feel alone?

• What is God’s recurring promise in Genesis 28:15, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 28:20, and John 14:16-18?

• God has compassion on us, and He doesn’t leave us to suffer alone. Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave for us, everyone who puts their trust in Him is forgiven, brought near to God, and becomes part of His family, the church. Together, we get to reflect His love to one another—and to the world! Who are trusted Christians in your life you can be honest with when you are struggling? How can you show love to each other in these times?

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13 (NIV)

Do you ever feel down when you see others doing big things? Do you feel like you would never be able to serve like they do or make as big of an impact?

Just because someone is better at something, or has found more success than you have, doesn’t mean what you’re doing isn’t good. We can’t base the value of our accomplishments on what others have done.

God has given you your talents and gifts for a reason. He knows the plans He has for your life. It’s not good to get caught up in what others have going on or try to compare yourself to them. God doesn’t make mistakes. He didn’t mess up when He made you. And He loves you—no matter what you’ve accomplished.

We might not always feel as smart or as talented as the next person, but we weren’t meant to compare ourselves to others. Our gifts are between us and God—and so is how we use them. We don’t have to prove ourselves to others. When we see other people succeeding while we’re still trying to figure things out, we don’t have to be down on ourselves. Instead, the Holy Spirit empowers us to celebrate other people’s successes with them! And we can come to Jesus with all our disappointments and frustrations, knowing that He is not disappointed or frustrated with us. As we rely on Him, He will guide us in how to use our talents and gifts to honor God and serve His people. • Bethany Acker

• In what ways do you struggle with comparing yourself to others?

• Romans 12 says that, as Christians, we are all part of the body of Christ, and just like a body has many parts with many different functions, so we are all different from each other. But we are still part of the same whole, and we all belong to each other. So, if one of us is honored, the rest of us can rejoice too (1 Corinthians 12:26). How could you encourage others when you see them using their natural talents or spiritual gifts to honor God and serve His people?

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. Romans 12:6a (NIV)

Imagine feeling so certain that if you did one simple thing, you’d have your deepest desire fulfilled. What if that desire was to be healed from years of suffering? And what if, after spending all you had on doctors, you heard about someone who could heal you, even when doctors couldn’t?

This is the story of the woman who believed that if she could only touch the hem of Jesus’s clothes, she would be cured. This woman was an outcast, shunned by others because of an illness that caused her to bleed continually. This made her unclean, so she couldn’t go to the temple or synagogue to worship God, and those who touched her or sat where she sat would also be unclean. But she hears about a Rabbi—some even called Him the Messiah—named Jesus. This woman sees Jesus’s power and believes she simply needs to get close enough to touch His clothing, and she will be well.

But how? The crowds are pressing in. Yet, desperate to be healed, she reaches through the throng of bodies to be transformed by the Son of God.

And she instantly feels a change. She feels her body healing, being renewed. And Jesus feels it too. He stops and says, “Who touched me?...I know that power has gone out from me” (Luke 8:45-46). Normally, Jesus is face to face with whoever He heals.

This woman, transformed by Jesus’s power, admits what she’s done and why. Jesus isn’t angry. He has compassion for her and all she’s suffered. He accepts her and blesses her, saying, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace” (verse 48).

Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah, the One God promised to send to save His people. And this event—with such power emanating from Him, and such knowing, and such compassion and forgiveness—reveals the love of God. Whenever we are suffering, Jesus invites us to come to Him, like this woman did. Lord, give us faith to reach out to you too. • Lisa A. Wroble

• Do you have a deep desire? Jesus invites us to come to Him with all our longings. Sometimes, He answers our prayers with a miracle. Other times, He reveals His love for us in a different way. But if we know Jesus, we are never alone in our suffering. And because Jesus died and rose again for us, we get to look forward to the day Jesus will return and suffering will be no more.

She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. Luke 8:44 (NIV)

Death feels so final and real. Death has been on my mind recently because I have a family member who is not in good health. Once someone passes away, we cannot get them back. But, death does not have to be the end.

Because God sent Jesus to die for us, death doesn’t have to be final. It wasn’t final for Jesus; He rose from the grave! And it doesn’t have to be final for us and those we care about. While we lose our
chance to be with someone when they die, if that person has put their trust in Jesus and we have too, we can see them again when Jesus returns and raises us from the dead.

Death can take someone from living here on earth, but, if they are a Christian, they are still held in God’s love, and He promises to give them new life. Death is in all of our futures (unless Jesus comes back during our lifetime), but we can be prepared for it. We can have a relationship with God through relying on Jesus for salvation, and we can look forward to the day He will raise us to eternal life. We can know that He holds us even in death. And we can share this hope with the people around us.

Death feels final, but it isn’t. When Jesus returns and raises us from the dead, it will be the start of a new life in restored creation, a life that will last for eternity. • Emily Acker

• Do you ever feel afraid of dying? Jesus Himself experienced death—both the death of people He loved (like his friend Lazarus, see John 11:1-44) and His own death on the cross. And Jesus overcame death, rising from the grave and securing our resurrection and eternal life with Him when He returns. How could these truths bring you comfort?

• When you have questions about death, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to?

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. Romans 8:38 (NLT)

Many people sought Jesus during His ministry on earth. Some went to Him to get healed, and some longed to hear from Him and see His miracles. Jesus said that He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). He even spoke as if He were a shepherd who would go out and search for a lost sheep (Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 15:1-7; John 10:1-18).

One such sheep was a man possessed by a legion of evil spirits (Mark 5:1-20). He was separated from his family. The Bible is silent as to what led him to such a sad and lowly state, but Jesus found the man when he was lonely, avoided, rejected, hopeless, and despised.

Nobody wanted him. Nobody associated with him. Until Jesus came. This man did not seek Jesus, yet Jesus crossed the lake to find him. Jesus traveled to reach out to him and set him free from evil spirits. And Jesus set him free without cost or condition. As Jesus cared for this man, He cares for us too.

Like the man who was possessed, we can know that Jesus pursues us with God’s never-ending love. Because Jesus died and rose again for us, we can put our trust in Him and have a relationship with God. If we are in Christ, we can be freed from evil’s control. The Holy Spirit empowers us to reject sin, and reminds us of the promise of the resurrection, that one day, we will be freed from sin and death completely.

So, no matter what we face—worries dragging us down, fears tormenting us, or other trials we experience in a world that’s broken by sin—we can know that Jesus is always with us. In Him, we find true freedom. We have peace even in the midst of struggles, and the promise of ultimate wholeness when Jesus returns and makes all things new. Like the man who was set free from demons, we can be completely freed indeed. • Golda Dilema

• What things around you cause you to feel like you are a stranger, despised, avoided, or lonely in this world? Consider taking a moment to talk to God about these things, knowing that He cares for you.

• Read Romans 8. How does Jesus’s love free us from the power of sin and death? How does His love give us hope for the future and comfort in the present?

“So if the Son [ Jesus] sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 (NIV)

Sometimes I struggle when I read the Bible. It sorts people into two groups: the righteous and the wicked. It says God blesses the righteous and punishes the wicked. That sounds kind of good, right? Justice. We should all want that. My problem is, I often don’t feel like the righteous guy. When I read: don’t covet (don’t want something that belongs to someone else), don’t lie, love God and people, and on and on...in my mind, I hear: "fail, fail, fail." And even when I try to improve, I’m never quite as good as that righteous guy. I’m pretty wicked.

Does this mean I need to watch out for God’s punishment? What do I do? This is when Jesus helps me. Hey, He’s our Savior for a reason, right?

Jesus hung out with a lot of wicked people: adulterers, fraudulent tax collectors, sinners. I’m like, “Yeah, I’m one of those sinners!” It makes you wonder, why would Jesus hang out with them? If God loves the righteous and is mad at the wicked, why wouldn’t Jesus avoid them or bring on some lightning strikes? The Pharisees, who worked hard to follow God’s commands and felt pretty righteous, wondered the same thing. They asked Jesus what He was doing. Jesus replied, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick....I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:12-13).

What? Jesus says He’s here for the wicked? Yup. Jesus is the Savior. He came to help people. Guess who needs help? Wicked sinners! And guess who’s a sinner according to Romans 3:23? Everybody! Guess who’s righteous? Nobody! (Not even the Pharisees.) The amazing truth of the gospel is that Jesus Christ, who never sinned, took our sins on Himself when He went to the cross, and then He rose from the dead, “so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). No matter how wicked we are, in Christ, we become the righteous. He takes our sin and gives us His righteousness. What a Savior, huh? • Carlita Southworth

• Read Matthew 9:9-13. What did Jesus say to the people who thought they were wicked? What did He say to the people who thought they were righteous?

• Jesus freely gives us His righteousness—it’s not something we have to earn. And once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we don’t have to sin anymore because the Holy Spirit in us enables us to turn away from sin and follow God’s good ways. How might Jesus be inviting you to follow Him today? What might it look like to follow Jesus out of love and gratitude, not obligation or fear?

God made him who had no sin [Jesus] to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)

I sat down for the umpteenth Sunday service. Same row. Same struggle. Same insecurity. Never perfect enough...or perhaps just never enough. I was exhausted by the hamster wheel of performance and anticipated leaving church just like I’d come in. Until...

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

"Did I hear that right?" I quickly turned my Bible’s pages to Galatians 5:16. "Aha!" I had read this verse beginning to end many times. But all this time, the way I lived it out was backward. All. This. Time. I had been living as though Paul’s letter to the Galatian church implored, “But I say, do not gratify the desires of the flesh, and then you can say you walk by the Spirit.” Catch the difference? It’s a big one.

I looked around to see if anyone else was ready to start a dance party. The truth was suddenly clear: I didn’t have to run faster. I could stop running! I didn’t have to hide. I knew God was inviting me off my hamster wheel...and out of my cage too.

Let me explain. For years, I walked with Christ (“by the Spirit”) like this...

Work really hard. Do better than others. Then you will be named valedictorian.

Work really hard. Do better than others. Then you will get the job.

Work really hard. Do better than others. Then you will win the scholarship.

Give and get. Work and receive. But Galatians 5:16 says the only power to overcome these insecurities and misplaced identities comes from Jesus Christ’s Spirit. It’s His power. We cannot catch it, claim it, or contain it apart from the work of Christ. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, the Spirit of Jesus lives inside you. “So I say, walk by the Spirit.” You don’t need to prove yourself. Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave for you, you are counted worthy in God’s sight. You are named Child of God. You already got the job. You already won. • Kelly Carlson

• Do you ever find yourself trying to power through a struggle in order to earn or prove your worth? God loves you so much, it was worth it to Him to go to the cross for you. In Christ, you’ve already received God’s acceptance (Romans 15:7; 1 John 4:19).

• Read Galatians 5:13-26. What are the acts of the flesh? What are the fruits of the Spirit? Why is it important that the only way we can resist the acts of the flesh—and instead produce the fruits of the Spirit—is by the Spirit’s power?

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16 (NIV)

Do you feel like the world is falling apart? Do you wish someone would have the courage to step forward and fix it? Nehemiah knew what that felt like. He was a cupbearer to the Babylonian king, living in a time after God’s people had been exiled for worshiping idols and rejecting God’s good commands.

Nehemiah was heartbroken when he heard the news that Jerusalem, the beloved city of God’s people, lay in ruins—homes reduced to rubble, the temple destroyed, and the walls broken down.

A city without walls had no defense.

Nehemiah wept and prayed for guidance, asking for forgiveness for the sinful things God’s people had done. Miraculously, God not only released him from his cupbearer responsibilities to the king but also provided protection along the way AND the materials to build!

Once Nehemiah arrived, he assessed the damage, which was worse than he expected. But Nehemiah was not deterred in what God had called him to do. Instead, he rallied the Jews, newly returned from exile in Babylon, and told them he had a plan, the materials, and most importantly, God’s approval. The people would work together to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls.

But Nehemiah faced repeated and discouraging opposition. Still, he trusted in God. He knew God had blessed the rebuilding project, and eventually the walls were rebuilt.

As Christians living life in this crazy world full of brokenness and lies, we find hope in Jesus when we read the Bible, God’s love letter to us. In the book of Nehemiah, we hear over and over again reminders and promises that point to Jesus: that God is with His people, no matter how hopeless the situation may seem, and that He is ready to restore and redeem those who repent, even though we have sinned. We are free to serve Jesus, knowing that we are never alone and that He promises to one day make all things new—free from sin and death. • Jarm Del Boccio

• When Nehemiah saw the brokenness around him, he talked to God. What is weighing on your heart today? Consider taking a moment to talk to God about these things.

• How can the promises of Jesus encourage us to pray about, and maybe even take action to help with, the situations that weigh on our hearts? (Matthew 28:20; 1 John 1:9; Revelation 21:1-6)

When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God. Nehemiah 6:16 (NLT)

Kyren adjusted her pendant so that the beam of light emanating from it illuminated the paper in her worn, leatherbound notebook. "Day 52. The darkness is all-consuming. Do I even remember what light looks like? Thank God for these pendants—but even they seem to be weakening after all this time in the deep. Still, we press on into the depths of the sea, deeper, perhaps, than anyone has gone before. We will fix our eyes on the One who made these ocean depths and remember that this night, though it seems everlasting, is only temporary—"

Ink splattered across Kyren’s page, interrupting her journaling with a harsh jolt of the underwater craft. Taryn burst into the room, his eyes wide. “Ky, the vessel is taking on water. We need to make repairs before it’s too late!”

The damage to the craft seemed extensive. Kyren paused to survey the inside of the hull and witnessed her people using their various gifts to assist. As several of them worked on reducing the water’s flow and repairing the fissure in the vessel with quick movements and keen minds, Kyren started emptying buckets into the emergency drain and prepared to use her gift.

Lifting her voice, she spoke truth over the atmosphere of chaos and fear: “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it! We will not lose heart! These troubles are but for a moment—the glory of eternity with God outshines all of this.”

Hours later, the group lay sprawled by the vessel’s massive window, gazing at creatures of the deep they had never before seen, some of which glowed bioluminescent in the dark. By working together and relying on the power of God, the damage to the vessel had been repaired. Relief was evident on every face that was, at last, resting. Kyren pulled her journal out and penned the words she would not soon forget:

"Miraculous, how the deeper we go, the more we see light. It’s all around us, these creatures of the deep, enabled to shine by the power of our Creator. No hardship can destroy our hope—for we have the Light of God in us through His Son. Though it is hard, we press on, for He is with us and in us.” • Savannah Coleman

• Like Kyren and her crew, do you ever feel like the dark is surrounding you and choking out every bit of light in your life?

• When we walk through inevitable hardships, it can be easy to give in to despair and forget that our God is with us through Jesus and in us through the Holy Spirit—and He is always for us. How can remembering God’s presence with us, and that He is greater than all the things we face, give us strength to keep going?

• If you are a child of God, you can rest in Jesus’s promise: the Light of God will overcome the darkness (John 1:5; 12). And the Light has a name: Jesus Christ. Because we are in Christ, no difficulty we endure has the power to crush or destroy us; because Jesus came to live among us, die on the cross, and rise from the dead for us, we have an eternal glory that outweighs everything we go through on this earth (2 Corinthians 4:7-9, 16-17). How could you remind fellow Christians of these truths in hard times?

• Can you find the verses Kyren quoted from John 1 and 2 Corinthians 4? (If you want to dive even deeper, read Psalm 112:4; 139:7-12; John 14:16-17; Romans 8:31; and 1 John 4:4.)

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NIV)

While I was reading Psalm 55 the other day, I was reminded of sixth grade. Most days, I did not want to go to school. I was a lot smaller that a lot of my classmates, and the hallways were packed full. As I struggled up the stairs in the current of backpacks, I often wished I could fly away. When I read Psalm 55, I found out David felt the same way.

When David was having a really tough time and he felt overwhelmed, he said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness. How quickly I would escape—far from this wild storm of hatred” (Psalm 55:6-8). But David couldn’t leave. He didn’t have wings. And neither did I.

When David couldn’t get away, when his heart was pounding in his chest, he turned to God and cried out for help. David told God all about the conflict, the threats, the cheating, and the violence going on all around him. Even David’s close friend—a friend he used to walk with on the way to worship God—was now taunting and insulting him. David told God about all of it, and God listened. He had compassion on David. And He didn’t leave David to struggle alone. Even when David was in distress, he wrote, “But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me...the Lord hears my voice. He ransoms me and keeps me safe...” (verses 16-18).

Throughout our lives, we find ourselves in places that feel negative, even hostile. For me, school was one of those places. Teasing among peers and even friends, suspicion between teachers and students, gossip, lockdown drills, fights in the hallways... sometimes it all felt like too much. But even in these places, God says that He is “our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

During my days at school, I prayed more prayers than I can count. And God met me in my distress. Slowly, gently, faithfully, He drew me closer to Himself and revealed His great kindness. He gave me the courage to keep going, and He provided safe places where I could find rest in the midst of the chaos and safe people I could talk to. I found what David said to be true: “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you” (Psalm 55:22). • Hannah Howe

• Have you ever felt like David did in Psalm 55? We all go through hard things, but if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can rest in the sure hope that nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39).

Oh, that I had wings like a dove... Psalm 55:6 (NLT)

As winter fades into spring, you might feel good about the transition. The birds are singing in the trees again, and the flowers are starting to bloom.

As fall fades into winter and the last of the colorful leaves abandon the branches, you might not feel so pleased. The world might feel too cold and dark during that time.

But spring will come again.

God created a world with many seasons. In addition to the weather and the changes we see around us, there are seasons we go through in our personal lives as well. There are seasons of joy that are as bright and beautiful as spring. Seasons when we feel like everything is going right and we have hope for the future.

There are seasons of darkness when it feels like winter. When we aren’t sure what’s happening. When we lose a loved one, or when we just feel scared about what to do next.

One thing that remains the same through summer, fall, winter, spring—and all the seasons in our lives—is God. He never changes. His love for us is steadfast, and His promises are sure. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” As people saved by Jesus, we can know that we are held securely in His love—always. He rejoices with us in seasons of celebration, and He weeps with us in seasons of grief, knowing that one day, He will put an end to death and there will be no more need for tears (Revelation 21:4).

When you feel down or sad or worried about anything in life, remember that God is with you through it all. The seasons are always going to change—better, worse, better. Things in this world never stay the same. But God does. God is the same in every season, and we can always rely on Him. • Bethany Acker

• What season does your life feel like right now: fall, winter, spring, or summer? Why?

• Can you think of a time God helped you through a transition or a hard season? How might remembering His faithfulness in the past make it easier to face the unknowns of the future?

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (NIV)

Love is not just a four-letter word. Sometimes we want to hear someone say, “I love you” and really mean it and show it.

My dear husband doesn’t say “I love you” very often. When he does say it, I know he truly means it. More than anything, he shows me he loves me. He drives me to the doctor, or he fixes things for me. If I’m afraid or upset, he wraps me in his arms and holds me tight. I know my husband loves me.

Jesus says He loves each and every one of us. His love is real, and He has shown it.

Jesus showed love by healing people who were sick. He searched for those who were lost and didn’t know God. He spoke God’s words, saying they too could be part of His eternal kingdom.

Doubters and cynics spoke unkind words to Jesus. There were haters who were afraid He’d tell them they were doing the wrong things. But Jesus—being God—knew what was in their hearts. And He spoke the truth in love. If they refused to listen and hear, He still cared.

Jesus proved God’s faithful and undying love for all of us when He died on the cross for us. He gave His life and rose from the dead to open the door to God’s kingdom. That is true love. To lay down your life for other people who might not even receive it speaks of a love we do not understand (Romans 5:6-8; Ephesians 3:19). It’s a love we truly do not deserve, yet He offers it.

And Jesus’s amazing love transforms us, making us more and more like Him. As the Holy Spirit works in us, we can act like Him so others can see how amazing His love is. • Anna Gregory

• Can you think of any ways God has shown you His love? Consider taking some time to write a few of them down, thanking Him for each one.

• Have you ever seen God’s love through His people, the church? What did they do?

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son [Jesus], that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (WEB)

Hating my father hurt. I had stomach-aches that doubled me over at times. But I tried to hide the pain. Mom shouldn’t have to worry about me, on top of everything else.

My dad left us and moved in with another woman. Mom said to forgive him, but I won’t. I can’t. I could hear Mom cry at night, and the anger I felt with each of her sobs grew inside of me. But gradually, Mom started to cry less. She started living normally. She even seemed happy!

“How can you be happy?” I asked. “Why aren’t you angry?”

Mom took a deep breath. “I still feel angry sometimes—lots of times—but God helps me.” She brought out her Bible. Yellow sticky notes poked from between crumpled, worn pages. “God’s Words comfort me. He lets me know I’m loved and cherished, and that He will never leave me. And as I’m honest with Him, His love softens my heart so I can forgive, as He does.”

“Well, I can’t forgive.”

Mom nodded. “None of us can, not without the help of the Holy Spirit.”

For weeks my stomach continued to hurt. One night I wandered into the living room and turned on a light. I saw Mom’s Bible. When I picked it up, the pages opened to one of her sticky notes. Luke 23:34: “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.’” Jesus said this about the people who crucified Him. He forgave those who whipped His back to shreds, pounded nails into His hands and feet, and let Him hang until He died. If Jesus could forgive them…could He forgive my dad? Could I? }God, I can’t forgive! Help me!" As I prayed those words, a calmness covered me. And, for just a moment, forgiving my dad felt a bit less impossible. • Bonnie Carr

• Have you ever felt like the character in this fictional story? True forgiveness is only possible through Jesus. He paid the price for all our sins by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. Since we’ve received Jesus’s forgiveness, we can forgive others. This doesn’t mean it will be easy, or that our anger will go away completely,
but the Holy Spirit empowers us to turn to God in our hurt and respond to others with His love. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean we need to have close relationship with them—in fact, loving this person might include setting up healthy boundaries. Who are trusted Christians you can talk to about what forgiveness might look like in your situation?

• How can pondering the price Jesus paid to forgive you help you extend forgiveness to others?

Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. Colossians 3:13b (CSB)

Are you hungry for justice?
Do you thirst for light in a dark world?
Are you desperate for a purpose to go on?

Are you searching for meaning in life?
Do you wish to be understood?
Are you longing to be loved?

Bring your hopes to the only One who can satisfy,
The Light of the World,
The King of Kings,
The Living Water and the Bread of Life.

He understands what you are facing.
He is with you in the storm.
He knows who you are and loves you as you are.
He will satisfy your needs and fill you with His holy life.

He will give you strength to carry on,
And overflowing grace to share with others.
You never have to hunger or thirst again. • Abby Ciona

• Read Hebrews 4:13-16. How does Jesus understand what we’re going through?

• Read Revelation 7:16-17 and 21:1-7. One day, when Jesus restores His creation, He will right every wrong and there will be no more pain or suffering. What is one way this truth can give you hope through challenges?

• In what ways does Jesus satisfy our deepest longings? (If you want to dig deeper, read Isaiah 58:6-11; Luke 4:14-21; John 1:5-9; 6:32-48; 7:38-39; 8:12; 1 John 4:19; and Revelation 17:14.)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6 (CSB)

I held the paper in my hand, reading the message in surprise. A telegram! I didn’t know anybody who sent (or received) telegrams, yet there I stood with one of my own.

I’d competed at a local level in a national scholarship program and then advanced to the state event. Participating at the state competition involved traveling several hours away from home and staying with a host family for a week. On the final evening of the contest, the telegram had been delivered to me. It came from Alice, a friend of my grandmother. She sent a note of support, reminding me that many people back home—some who I barely knew—cheered me on while I attempted to do my best.

Although I got several cards in the mail that week, I received only one telegram, and it’s the only “good luck” message I remember from that season many years ago.

The final recorded word that Jesus spoke to His disciples before He ascended was a message they wouldn’t forget either. The resurrected Jesus had instructed His disciples to meet Him on a mountain in Galilee, and when they had gathered there, He gave them what we often call “the Great Commission.” This included Jesus’s command to share the good news (or the gospel) with all the world, teaching others to follow and obey Him. And the Great Commission still applies to Jesus’s followers today. We also
have been commissioned to make disciples wherever we go—sharing with others the hope and purpose we have in Christ through faith. Because He has forgiven our sins, we get to have a relationship with God, living transformed lives through the Holy Spirit and looking forward to the day Jesus will return bodily to earth.

The telegram from Alice boosted my spirits during a challenging week because it reminded me that I wasn’t alone. The Great Commission also carries a reminder that God’s people (then and now) need to hear: Christ has “all authority…in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). As He calls us to live in service to Him, He also promises that He will remain with us, even to the very end. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Why do you think Jesus saved the Great Commission for His final talk with His disciples?

• Read Matthew 28:16-20. How might the Great Commission pertain to our lives today? What difference does it make knowing that Jesus promises to be with us always?

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…” Matthew 28:19a (CSB)

“Ugh,” my daughter said in disgust. Whole peppercorns covered Eloise’s broccoli alfredo and looked like mini meatballs floating on a sea of white sauce. The culprit: a broken pepper grinder. Lately, our pepper grinder had been breaking the peppercorns in half instead of grinding them. Now, the grinder lay in pieces, and I made a mental note to add a new one to the shopping list.

Eloise set the broken pieces on the counter. I thought about throwing it all in the trash as I headed out the door to my weekly small group. My husband was doing the dishes, so I decided to let him deal with it. To my surprise, the grinder was put back together when I came home. I twisted it and smiled in delight at the finely
ground pepper on my counter. We didn’t need a new grinder; the old one only required tightening and some TLC—Tender Loving Care.

What about you? Is there something in your life that seems broken beyond repair? Has a friendship ended? Has your chance at making the team evaporated? Have you given up on a dream? Or made a decision you regret?

As humans, we all make mistakes and we all sin. However, we are never out of God’s reach for His forgiveness, grace, or love. He never looks at what you’ve done and thinks you’re a lost cause. There is nothing that will make God stop loving you.

The most magnificent gesture of TLC in all human history is Jesus’s death on the cross for our sins. Because of His sacrifice, we are never broken beyond repair. When Jesus rose from the dead, He revealed that God is greater than every kind of brokenness—even sin and death. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, our sins are totally
forgiven, and the Holy Spirit is in us, healing the broken places in our hearts and transforming us to be more and more like Jesus.

If you feel broken, remember that God is ready to pick you up and put you back together. When you ask for His forgiveness and guidance, He’ll get you back on track. With His strength, you can ask others for forgiveness and work to make amends. With His love, you’re never broken beyond repair. • Erin Nestico

• Can you think of a time when you felt broken? Is there a broken area in your life right now?

• Have you ever been hesitant to come to Jesus in your brokenness? How can remembering His “tender loving care” give us hope to approach Him? (Hebrews 4:14-16).

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39 (NLT)

When you read Psalm 136, you might see why I’ve called it a psalm of thanksgiving. The first three verses say, “Give thanks.” This Psalm was written to be a group song of thanks, meaning that one person or part of the group would sing the first line, then the majority of the group would sing back, “His love endures forever.”

But what exactly is the psalm—or song—thanking God for? Each verse thanks Him for a specific thing in Israel’s history. The verses can be grouped together to find four main themes about God’s actions and character that the singers were thanking Him for.

First, in verses 1-9, they thank God for what He has made: the heavens, the waters, and the light. These verses praise God for being the Creator.

Second, in verses 10-16, they thank God for saving Israel from slavery in Egypt by striking down the firstborn, dividing the Red Sea, and leading the Israelites (along with many other people, see Exodus 12:38) through the wilderness. By saving them from slavery, God revealed that He is the Redeemer.

Third, in verses 17-22, they thank God for striking down their enemies so that Israel could live in the land that He had promised them as their inheritance. Israel praises God for being the great Conqueror.

Fourth, in verses 23-26, they thank God for remembering them, for freeing them from captivity, and for feeding all living creatures. They praise God for being the Deliverer.

God is not only the Creator, Redeemer, Conqueror, and Deliver for the people who sang this psalm many years ago; He is also all these things for us today! He created us and everything around us. Through dying on the cross and rising from the dead for us, Jesus—God the Son—redeemed us from sin, delivered us from death, and conquered all evil, and He will one day return to deliver all of creation from captivity to decay, brokenness, and death. What a thing to be able to thank Him for! • Kimberly Brokish

• Have you seen God acting as the Creator, Redeemer, Conqueror, or Deliverer—either in Scripture, in your own life, or in someone else’s life? Consider taking some time to thank God for who He is and what He has done.

• How could it be helpful to look back on your own life to remember the things God has done for you?

Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever. Psalm 136:26 (NIV)

There have been times in my life when I would hear hurtful words, especially when I made a mistake. But there were also moments when I would speak harshly and hurt others. I would be inconsiderate of them. I would be insensitive and fail to understand people.

I have been careless with my words. Whenever someone speaks unkindly to me, I have a tendency to speak with rudeness as well. I used to not care if I offended a person with my words. I only cared about airing my negative thoughts without minding if my words would offend the other person.

Now I realize that spoken words can open the door to new and better relationships, but words can also cause relationships to break down. The Bible tells us that words can give peace, but they can also spark disagreements and anger. Words can bring joy, but they can also bring sadness and bitterness. Words can give life or bring death (Proverbs 18:21).

Words have power. When you speak, you have the power to influence and impact your hearers. God calls us to use our words the way He does, to speak words that encourage. Speak words that empower. Speak with kindness. Speak words of comfort, healing, gratitude, and appreciation.

Jesus said, “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Matthew 12:34; Luke 6:45). If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, your heart is being transformed by His love. You are a child of God, and He has blessed you with a beautiful tongue to speak the right words. Soak yourself in the love and kindness of God. He will guide you with
kind words to say. As you rely on God, the Holy Spirit will give you the right words and help you speak gently and with respect. • Golda Dilema

• When people speak unkindly to us, it hurts. God invites us to come to Him with all our hurts and receive His healing love and kindness. Can you think of any hurtful words people have spoken to or about you? Consider taking some time to bring these words to God in prayer.

• Can you think of a time you hurt others with your words? You can confess all these things to God, knowing that Jesus’s forgiveness covers all your sin, and you can ask Him to help you speak in ways that are wholesome and build others up (Ephesians 4:29-32).

Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel. Proverbs 20:15 (NIV)

Military conflict breaks out. A tsunami hits. Justice is not accomplished. Christians are martyred. Violence escalates. At times, it seems there are unanswered ills that God is (at best) ignoring or (at worst) endorsing. This conundrum of God’s righteousness in the face of evil circumstances is not new.

The prophet Habakkuk wondered how God could allow wickedness among His people. God’s reply was inconceivable: He said the Babylonian empire would be an instrument of judgment upon them. But how could a holy and righteous God allow His chosen people—rebellious as they were—to be consumed by a people even more wicked (Habakkuk 1:12-13)?

Instead of answering Habakkuk’s questions, God revealed that there would be judgment against Babylon too. But, in the midst of all the brokenness and injustice, God made an important promise: “The righteous one will live by his faith” (2:4).

This statement is quoted three times in the New Testament (Romans 1:16-17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38), and it declares the gospel—the good news that Jesus Christ died for sinners, rose again, and offers new life and righteousness in Him to those who believe. This means that right standing with God (righteousness) is offered to everyone on the basis of faith. And persevering in the faith that God has given leads us to our eternal and lasting inheritance of life with Him: God’s people will dwell with Him forever, and all things will be made new, free from sin and death (Revelation 21:1-5). “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord’s glory, as the water covers the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).

So even when it seems like everything is lost, we can still rejoice in the God of our eternal salvation (Habakkuk 3:17-19). We can also pray for those who perpetuate injustice, knowing that even they can experience the gift of salvation, by God’s grace through faith (Romans 3:21-26). • Cameron DeCou

• Have you ever asked God why He would allow something bad to happen?

• When you are hurt or treated unjustly, who are trusted people in your life you can talk with about what you’re experiencing—such as counselors, parents, teachers, youth leaders, pastors, etc.?

For in it [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith. Romans 1:17 (CSB)

We often feel like we have to be a certain way or reach a certain goal because that’s what will make the people around us respect us. I have struggled with this. I feel like I need to be at a certain point financially, bringing in a certain amount of money, in order to not feel ashamed of my life and what I’ve accomplished.

The Bible talks about how people admire the rich and those who are able to save up a lot of wealth. But God makes it clear that no one will be able to take anything with them in the end. Money is not going to do us any real good when we die.

More important than money, Jesus reveals that God loves us unconditionally, and through Jesus’s death and resurrection, we can be set free from every kind of shame. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that God is already pleased with us, and we don’t need to accomplish anything to earn His acceptance.

So, we don’t have to orient our lives around getting the respect of the people around us. Instead, we can orient our lives around following Jesus. As we make decisions in our lives, we don’t need to try to get rich. Instead, we can look to God for guidance and wisdom in our finances. He calls us to rely on Him for all our needs as we seek to live according to His Word, and to store up treasures in heaven. Money and power are not going to last, and we are not going to be able to take any cash we earn now with us when we die. But if we follow Jesus, our lives can bear fruit that will last (John 15:16; Galatians 5:22-23). • Emily Acker

• Have you ever felt pressure to live a certain way in order to earn respect from others?

• Sometimes, we try to store up wealth to get people to accept us. Other times, we try to get more money or possessions because we want to feel secure. God sees our needs for acceptance and security, and He has compassion on us. He wants us to rely on Him for all our needs, instead of relying on money. Do you tend to want money more for acceptance or for security?

• What questions do you have about money? Who are trusted Christians you could talk to about these questions?

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Matthew 6:20 (NIV)

Jesus had the power to heal sickness. He had the power to forgive sins. He still does. You can trust Him with everything because He is great and powerful.

Jesus has compassion for the hurting, and He cares for you. He loves the broken. He forgives sinners. Jesus can heal people who are blind, sick, paralyzed, and hurting—and He can forgive our sins.

Jesus had the power not to die on the cross. He could have gotten away. He could have refused to do it. He could have left us in our sin. But He didn’t. Jesus, who is fully God and full of power,
allowed Himself to be hung on the cross because He loves us so much. He was willing to take our sins on Himself even though He didn’t deserve any of it.

Jesus endured the pain of the cross. He endured the full weight of God’s just wrath against sin. He was in the grave for three days because of our sins.

But then, He rose again.

Jesus had the power to do anything. He chose to love us.

We can see the power of Jesus when we read about all He has done in the Bible, and we can also see His power in all He has done for us.

Jesus can heal us, help us, and save us from our sins. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, all our sins are forgiven—past, present, and future. As His people, we can come to Him and receive His help at any time. And we can know that one day, Jesus will return and heal all our hurts, and we will live with Him forever. • Bethany Acker

• Read Mark 2:1-12. How did Jesus reveal His power in this passage?

• Is there an area of brokenness you’d like Jesus to heal—either in your own life or someone else’s? God invites us to pray about all these things. He might answer our prayers with a miracle, or He might show love to us in another way. But we can know that when Jesus returns, “‘There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).

• Why was Jesus willing to go to the cross? (If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 26:36-56; John 18:1-14; 1 Peter 2:24; and Hebrews 4:14-16.)

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV)

When life is busy, our minds are constantly full of things we have to do, places we have to go, and people we have to see. It’s very easy to find ourselves becoming a little self-centered. We never intended to live in our own little worlds, but that’s what life seems to demand right now.

In the event of Jesus feeding the five thousand (which is recorded in all four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), we find Jesus and His disciples trying to find a secluded place to rest after a busy series of days (Mark 6:30-32). But the crowds are eager to hear more of this great miracle worker’s teachings, and they follow the Master and His disciples. When Jesus sees the crowd, He has compassion on them (verse 34). Knowing these people are hungry, Jesus decides food is needed. He then turns to Philip and asks, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” (John 6:5). When Jesus asks where, I imagine Philip doing a quick calculation in his mind, figuring the impossibility of what Jesus wants to do. This disciple responds by saying there’s not enough money to buy food for the whole crowd. There are five thousand men—not even counting women and children! That means there could be more than ten thousand hungry mouths to feed. There’s no point asking where to buy food when there’s no money to buy food.

Then, I imagine Andrew scanning the crowd searching for something or someone to help solve this problem. He spots a boy with five loaves and two fish. What is this disciple’s response to Jesus’s question? He tells Jesus about the boy’s food then adds, “But what good is that with this huge crowd?” (verse 9). The need is massive; what can five loaves and two fish accomplish?

Jesus then quiets the people and gives thanks. As the crowd watches in amazement, those scant five loaves and two fish are handed out. The food keeps on coming until everyone has their fill—and there’s even some leftover!

It’s so easy to underestimate what Jesus can do. When life gets busy, we might feel like there aren’t enough resources to go around. But, as followers of Jesus Christ, we’re called to be attentive to the needs of those around us. Instead of living our Christian lives in our own little worlds, Jesus enables us to be compassionate and reach out to help those who need it, knowing He will provide. • Doug Velting

• Read John 6:1-13. What was Jesus’s disciples’ role in feeding the crowd? What did Jesus do?

• Especially when life gets busy, why is it important to take time to rest? (Mark 6:31)

Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. John 6:11a (NLT)

Do you ever think about eternity? As a little kid, I used to lie awake at night, thinking about what it would be like to live forever and ever and ever—with no end. An eternal life with God! There was no way to wrap my mind around the idea. No matter how many zeroes I put on the end of the number of years, it would still be just a beginning to eternity.

This is the perspective that the apostle Peter wanted his readers to have when they read his letter to them—we now call this letter “1 Peter.” In it, Peter is writing to believers in the early church during a time of suffering and persecution. Although he addresses their suffering in much of the letter, Peter wants them to remember their “living hope,” their eternal salvation and their “inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade…kept in heaven” (1:3-4). The “little while” that believers have to “suffer grief in all kinds of trials” (1:6) cannot be compared to the eternal salvation that awaits God’s children. Jesus will return and unite heaven and earth, and everyone who has put their trust in Jesus will live and reign with Him forever. Even now we can be filled with “an inexpressible and glorious joy” (1:8) as we rest in Jesus’s love for us and anticipate eternity with Him.

Peter also reminds his readers they are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession” (2:9). He encourages them to remember that, even if they suffer for doing good, ultimately they will be blessed for doing what is right. Since “the end of all things is near” (4:7), believers should live self-controlled lives that are marked by prayer. “Above all, love each other deeply,” Peter urges, “because love covers over a multitude of sins” (4:8).

Suffering is temporary. Our salvation in Christ is for all eternity! These themes in 1 Peter have encouraged believers ever since he wrote them two thousand years ago. • Laura N. Sweet

• Have you ever stopped to really think about eternity? What amazes you the most about eternal life with Christ—which is promised to everyone who has put their trust in Jesus, believing He died on the cross and rose from the grave for us?

• When we are going through hard times, why might it be helpful to remember that our suffering will only last a little while compared to living forever with Jesus in renewed creation? How might looking forward to Jesus’s return affect the way we live now?

In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

Why is this happening, God? When will it stop?” Tears fell as I poured out my heart and journaled to the Lord. I had prayed for a particular person in my life for years, but the grueling situation continued. My emotions ranged from despair to anger.

What emotions have you experienced lately? What about in the last twenty-four hours? Emotions encompass a wide range: love, happiness, fear, anger, hatred, and more. Our feelings are typically affected by the circumstances, people, or objects surrounding us.

The Bible is filled with people who experienced emotions of every kind. Their stories display a wide range of human experiences, and through them, I’ve learned that God can handle all our feelings. While He does want to hear our praises and happy emotions, He also longs for us to share our hearts, pouring out our negative feelings as well. We can see this modeled in the book of Psalms.

David wrote over seventy of the psalms, and he is described as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). In some of David’s psalms, he praises God and gives thanks for all He’s done. In others, David is full of lament, anguish, and despair as he questions God and wonders why his circumstances have not changed.

David had a personal, intimate relationship with God. He shared all his heart and didn’t hold back. God invites us to have this kind of relationship with Him through Jesus. God knows our hearts, minds, and the innermost thoughts of our being (Psalm 139:1-4). Even though He doesn’t need us to tell Him how we feel, He desires us to share everything on our minds.

Similarly to how human relationships grow with trust and communication, we also grow closer to God when we share our deepest thoughts. God longs for us to give our concerns to Him. He’s ready to handle our big questions. No matter what emotions you’re feeling today, God is ready to listen to everything you have to say. • Erin Nestico

• Why do you think God longs for us to pour out our hearts to Him?

• Are there any emotions you don’t feel comfortable sharing with God? Which ones?

O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8 (NLT)

When my alarm clock first went off,
I did not want to rise;
I laid within my bed awhile;
It held me like a vice.

A blackened cloud hung over me,
Of doubt and fear and pain;
I shut my eyes and thought I would
Not open them again.

It felt like I could not get up,
Nor could I face the day;
But then in my deep dark despair,
I heard my Savior say:

“Oh come to Me, dear weary soul,
And I will give you rest;
My grace is all sufficient for
Your every trial and test.

Oh come to Me and I will give
You peace and strength anew;
And when you cannot carry on,
Then I will carry you.” ⦁ Jacob Bier

⦁ Life can feel overwhelming at times, but Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and He wants to help us. In what areas of your life do you need His peace today?

⦁ Sometimes, depression can make it difficult or even impossible to get out of bed on our own. In times like these, Jesus does not scold us. He knows how badly suffering hurts—He endured it here on earth. He has compassion on us and invites us to rely on His love. One of the primary ways God helps us is through other people. If you are experiencing feelings of despair, intense emotional pain, or emotional numbness, who is a trusted adult you feel comfortable talking to? If you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

• If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. You can also talk with someone via web chat (suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat). If your situation is potentially life-threatening, call 911 (or the emergency number for your area) or go to the local hospital emergency room right away.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

We all have them: thoughts or desires that pop into our heads—some uninvited, others invited. There have been many times when, after such a thought, I was relieved that it was only in my mind and not flashing in lights for all to see.

On one occasion, a thought had been plaguing me for several days. I just wanted to be rid of it. This thought was not helpful and would not further my relationship with Christ or others. Although I had prayed about it many times, my heart felt restless. I knew the temptation itself was not sin, nor had I acted on it, but why would this thought not leave me alone?

That Sunday, my pastor talked about the importance of being real in our relationships. A few days later, I was having coffee with a close friend. As we shared the normal and the messy, I felt like God kept prompting me to share the messiest. But what would my friend think of me?

God reminded me that He sees all of me—including the parts I am most ashamed of—and His love for me is unshaken. I knew I needed to be open and honest with my friend, who also loves God. I took a deep breath and said, “Could I tell you a thought I’ve been having that I know isn’t good? I need someone to listen and give me some godly wisdom.”

After I told my friend, I felt such freedom. She listened, gave wise advice, did not judge, and committed to pray for me. I also asked her to keep me accountable to make sure I did not cross the line into sin. Being open and honest healed. • Savannah Coleman

⦁ Temptation is not a sin (Hebrews 4:14-16), and neither are intrusive thoughts, a common mental health struggle that happens when the brain overfocuses on something that horrifies or disturbs you. When a thought pops into your head, you are not bound by it. It’s just a thought. It only becomes sin when it begins to impact how you view and treat God, yourself, and others. Who are trusted people—such as counselors, friends, parents, or pastors—you can be open and honest with? How can you be a safe person for others, someone who will listen without passing judgment and offer to help shoulder a burden?

Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 (CSB)

Ready for Bible trivia? What is the longest chapter in the Bible? The answer: Psalm 119, with a whopping 176 verses! Though it’s long, this psalm is all about the importance of God’s Word and how much the psalmist loves God’s law that He gave to the Israelites.

A song about laws seems strange at first. We sometimes think of rules as annoying restrictions that keep us from doing whatever we want to do. But imagine a stop sign or a traffic light. Those things might seem frustrating at times, and we might think that they are getting in the way of our freedom. But without them, travel would be chaotic and dangerous. Stop signs and traffic lights point us to a better and safer way of sharing the road.

God’s law is like that. It holds us back from certain things to protect us from the danger and damage of sin. It points us to the new way of life God desires for us: to love Him and our neighbor (Matthew 22:35-40). Therefore, the psalmist loves the law because it’s good for God’s people.

It’s not surprising that the psalmist closes with a prayer, asking for God’s presence and help in following the law (Psalm 119:174-176). As humans, we constantly sin against, or reject God’s plan, and His laws make us realize how sinful we really are.

But that’s why Jesus came. He followed God’s plan perfectly—not to get rid of the law, but to complete the law so that through Him, we can be made right with God (Matthew 5:17-20; Galatians 3:10-22). Jesus’s fulfilled law is not based on rules, but on relationship: following Him out of love and trust. When we become Christians,
the Holy Spirit changes our lives and transforms us to be more like Jesus (Hebrews 10:15-24). That’s good news worth singing about! • Abby Ciona

• Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17. When we read Old Testament laws, we can know they were fulfilled in Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. How can laws that don’t apply to us anymore (like animal sacrifices) still teach us about following God and living a life centered around Him in all we do?

• Read Hebrews 4:12. God’s Word is powerful. How can it transform our thoughts, attitudes, and actions?

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. Psalm 119:18 (NIV)

Glistening gold, embedded with rubies, topaz, emeralds, sapphires, amethysts, and pearls—the throne beckoned for something, or someone, to sit upon it. What would suffice? What could fill the desires of my heart and be worthy of that royal seat?

First, I placed my family and friends on the throne. "Nothing is as precious as family and friends, surely. How selfless and thoughtful of me." As I poured my soul into them, the ebb and flow of relationships just did not satisfy. No matter how hard we tried, we always ended up disappointing each other in one way or another. I loved them, yes, but placing them on the throne had more distorted life than enriched it.

Next, I placed my dreams and goals on the throne. These pursuits were indeed worthy: to grow, better myself, and work hard. Sometimes I achieved and conquered, other times I failed, but I pressed on. Yet, no matter how many improvements I made, it was never enough. Sadly, I discovered that dreams and goals did not belong on the throne either.

Then, I positioned my religious works on the throne. I served at church, volunteered in my community, and gave to those in need. While the longing in my heart was subdued for a while, eventually I became burnt out and jaded. No, religious works could not fill this void.

Desperate and weary, I stared at the glittering throne. I was at a loss. Then, I felt a steady hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw Jesus, His eyes kind. “Will you trust me?” He asked. I hesitated, then nodded slowly…and Jesus took His rightful place on the throne of my heart.

He invited me to spend time in His presence. I found His Words to be sweet, life-giving, and convicting. When I spoke to Him, He always listened to me…and I learned in time to be still and listen to Him speak to me.

Living with Jesus on the throne of my heart not only transformed me, I watched as He slowly began to transform every part of my life. In relationships with family and friends, He helped me to love more deeply than I had imagined possible. My dreams and goals were no longer my own, but shaped by what God was doing in my heart. As I continued to serve others, I was sustained by the overflow of daily peace and strength that I received from Jesus.

As I spent time with Him, He guided me, leading me into both seasons of productivity and seasons of rest.

As I contemplated my life, one thing was abundantly clear: the only One who was worthy to claim the seat on the throne of my heart was Jesus Christ. • Savannah Coleman

• What are you tempted to place on the throne of your heart? How have these things let you down?

• Jesus—the One who died and rose again to save His people and restore His creation—is enthroned as King over all. But, we can choose whether or not we submit to Jesus in the context of our personal, loving relationship with Him. Why is Jesus the only One worthy to be on the throne of our hearts?

I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne…be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen!” Revelation 5:13 (WEB)

If only they took the time to really know me….

If only they took the time to ask how I’m doing…

If only they understood my interests and what I want my life to be about…

Do you sometimes feel like no one knows you or understands you? Do you feel as if your family members are so caught up in their own lives that they don’t really see you or notice when you are struggling? Do you rejoice alone when good things happen?

If you feel lonely, know that God sees you. If you feel like no one will spend any real time with you, know that God is there and He understands you. God knows your secrets. He sees your pain and your celebrations. And He cares. He grieves your hurts alongside you, and He rejoices with you.

God knows you in ways no human ever could. He created you, and He has been by your side through all you’ve faced in life.

At least He really knows me…

At least He pays attention to how I’m doing each day…

At least He understands my interests and what I want my life to be about…

He truly cares. He wants to know me. • Emily Acker

• Do you ever feel unknown? How does it make you feel when you think about God seeing you and knowing you?

• God loves you so much. He knows you completely, and He wants you to know Him. Because Jesus came to die and rise again, you can have a relationship with the God who made you. Consider taking a moment to talk to God about something that matters to you—it could be how you’re doing today, or something you’re
interested in, or even what you want your life to be about…God invites you to talk to Him about all of it. He always has the time to listen, and He always understands.

• God does not want us to be lonely. That’s why He built the church—a community of people who seek to know and love God and each other. Has anyone shown God’s love to you when you felt lonely? What did they do? How could you show God’s love to others who might be lonely?

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. Psalm 139:1 (NIV)

There are things in my life that I had once that I don’t have anymore. There are relationships that were once a big deal to me that were taken from me and are gone now. There are times when the pain of what I lost is very heavy…

And there are times when I realize that the fact that I feel pain means I once had something good. I look back on the things I used to have, and I realize I have memories because life used to be different. I can smile at some of the things I used to do and the events I got to experience.

I look back on the life I’ve lived because of the relationships I used to have, and I know those relationships made me a better person. I grew up because of all I went through.

I’m grateful to God. He is working all things together for His good purposes (Romans 8:28). He gave me special moments with people before I lost those people. He used situations in my life to help me become who I am today. Jesus has been with me through it all, and He will continue to lead me. • Emily Acker

• Have you had things come up in your life that hurt you but led to growth?

• Read Hebrews 4:14-16 and 1 Peter 5:7. How might the promises in these verses make it easier for you to bring your hurts to God? Who are safe people—such as parents, counselors, teachers, friends, or youth leaders—you can go to when you are processing hard things?

• Read Romans 8 and Revelation 21:1-4. In light of God’s good plans for the future, what promises are included for the present? How can these plans and promises give us comfort when we face difficult times?

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

Have you ever witnessed an incredible storm?

These amazing forces of nature can be mind-blowing—and dangerous. One of Jesus’s well-known miracles happened in this context.

Because of the hills surrounding the Sea of Galilee, this body of water was prone to sudden storms with fierce winds. When Jesus’s disciples were taking a boat to the other side, a sudden storm came over the high country surrounding the Sea of Galilee. Four of the disciples were fishermen and knew how to handle these situations, but even they panicked. And where was Jesus? That’s right, asleep in the stern, exhausted after a full day of ministry.

In a fearful state of mind, they shook Jesus out of a deep sleep and demanded, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?” (Mark 4:38). The disciples wanted Jesus to do something, even if they weren’t sure what it was. Jesus handled this situation as only Jesus could. “Peace! Be still!” (verse 39). He spoke to the untamable, unpredictable forces of nature with authority and certainty.

This rough sea became smooth as glass. On any body of water, it takes a period of time for rough waves to gradually become calm; storms don’t just vanish. But when Jesus commands, they do. The disciples witnessed something amazing about Jesus that day; He commands all of creation. He is God in human flesh.

We serve the same Jesus who calmed the storm on that day. His mighty power is still at work—in all of creation, and in every detail of our lives. • Doug Velting

• Can you think of a time you felt like Jesus’s disciples—overwhelmed, confused, and scared? You can bring all these feelings to Jesus, who loves you and died and rose again for you. In stormy times, how could it be comforting to know that Jesus reigns over all of creation?

• Jesus has promised that He will return one day to renew and restore creation, and His people will live and reign with Him forever (Revelation 21:1-5). He also promised that He will be with us always (Matthew 28:20).

• When things in our world seem out of control, or even deadly, how can Jesus’s promises give us hope?

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 (WEB)

Injustice is everywhere; just look outside. It’s hard not to see injustice. Why does God allow it? Humans have been wondering this for a long time. Psalm 73 was written by Asaph and records his struggles as he considers the wicked and those with callous hearts and evil imaginations. He sees how they are prosperous, healthy, and don’t have basic human burdens. Why would God allow this? Where is He? The wicked prosper while the innocent are trampled. Asaph wonders if he labored in vain to keep his heart pure.

But, in trying to understand all this, Asaph enters the sanctuary of God. “Then I understood their final destiny,” he says in verse 17. Asaph realizes that, though the wicked may seem safe and untouched, they will be judged. God comes as an avenger, and in the end, He will repay them for their deeds.

We can learn a lot from Asaph. We see all the injustice in the world and can’t help but wonder why God would allow it to happen. But when we understand the final destiny of evil, it’s easier to
comprehend. God will one day destroy all evil. He is the Just God. It would be against His character to ignore injustice. That’s why He sent Jesus to become human, die on the cross, and be raised from the dead. Through His work, He has defeated death and sin and evil, and one day He will return to destroy all injustice—permanently—and restore His creation.

We have all participated in evil and injustice. Everyone has been infected by the curse of sin. But the amazingly good news is that God provided a way for justice to prevail and for mercy to be given. He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the price for you so that if you believe in Him, you will be forgiven and restored. While evil may shudder at the thought of judgment, if we are in Christ, we can rest satisfied that God the Just will follow through, and His justice will prevail. • Emma Pamer

• Has something unjust ever happened to you, and if so, how did you feel? Jesus has compassion on us, and He invites us to tell Him about all these hard things, knowing that He also suffered injustice on earth, and He came to set things right. In addition to talking to Jesus, who are safe people—such as parents, counselors, teachers, friends, or youth leaders—you can talk to about these experiences?

• How can we find hope in the fact that (1) God is the avenger of evil and He will not let evil win, and (2) God is also merciful and forgives sinners through Jesus Christ?

And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice. Psalm 50:6 (NIV)

If you listen, you can hear it: the wind moving branches of trees long dead, these creaking bones that ache to live again. You hear it in the
weary words of a mother at the store, comforting her crying child. You hear it in words unspoken in the eyes of the man holding a cardboard sign on the side of the road. You hear it in the undercurrent of sharp voices and the wound of words too hastily spewed. All this need, all this thirst.

If you slow, you can hear it in your own heart: the beat of the broken. You can hide behind a smile; you can gloss over it with your busy or a facade of bravery. You can gather or give until your heart busts wide open, pouring out all this longing.

If you listen, He will speak. Most likely not in roaring tones of gusting winds or blazing flames, but in a still, small voice. In the silence of your slow, His presence comes. Like softly falling snow on hard ground, His love comes and settles on you like a holy blanket.

He invites you to draw near and “listen, that you may live” (Isaiah 55:3a). He will remind you of what you really need for life. Not a half-life, but a full, satisfying, abundant life (John 10:10). In His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). Children of the One True King have His everlasting covenant, His faithful love (Isaiah 55:3b).

When life crashes in and you wonder why—in your rushing, worrying, hurrying, and hurting—remember to listen. Seek the Lord and listen (Isaiah 55:6). Live in light of His presence and allow His Word to light up your path (Psalm 119:105).

When you listen, you hear it: God delighting in you…He sings His love over you (Zephaniah 3:17). Will you choose to come, to still, to listen—and truly live? • Savannah Coleman

• Jesus came so we could have life to the full—an abundant life (John 10:10). When He died and was resurrected for us, God’s old covenant with His people was replaced with a new and better one (Romans 3:20-24). When we choose to focus on His sacrifice for us, it will impact our lives not only on an eternal level but also on a daily one. What does it mean to you to know that the God who saves you also delights in you and sings over you (Zephaniah 3:17)?

• What are some ways you can be still from rushing this week and listen to the voice of God?

“Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live.” Isaiah 55:3a (NIV)

The nightmares had started again. It had only been a few nights, and already I felt like I was sleepwalking through the days—pure exhaustion from the moment I opened my eyes. As the shower water beat down on my weary head, I prayed a prayer of the strength-sapped: “God, help.”

Immediately, the words of Jesus filled my mind: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). How easy it is to forget, especially when you’re tired: the thing the weary need most of all is to come to Jesus for rest.

When I endure days or even weeks of that mind-numbing exhaustion, I tend to flit from one task to the next throughout the day, keeping physically busy until I’m about to drop. Sometimes, the one thing I fail to do is the very thing I need most of all: to find my rest in Jesus.

After several failed attempts to sit and open up my Bible, my rampaging thoughts stilled enough for me to sit at the feet of Jesus. As I read through Psalm 62, my heart lifted. I found my heart echoing David’s words: “Truly my soul finds rest in God…Yes, my soul, find rest in God…Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him” (verses 1, 5, 8).

The Bible has hundreds of verses about rest. Taking time to sleep and care for our bodies is important, and the rest that’s even more crucial for our lives is found in the presence of Jesus. In Luke 10:38-42, when Jesus visited Martha’s house, He encouraged her to remember the one thing that was more important than all the things she needed to get done: sitting at His feet.

Jesus offers us rest in His presence. As we spend time in His Word, in prayer, and with His people, He gives us the spiritual rest our souls crave. We can embrace the soul-rest God offers by pouring out our hearts to Him and allowing His unfailing love to fill us up. • Savannah Coleman

• When do you find it difficult to rest?

• Why do you think it’s important to spend time pouring out our hearts to Jesus and being reminded of His love, both individually and with other Christians?

• Sleep is an important part of our physical and emotional health. Sometimes, we need help in order to give our bodies the sleep we need, and that’s okay. If you’re having difficulty sleeping, who is a trusted adult you can talk to, such as a parent, counselor, or doctor?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I [Jesus] will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

God, not in my own strength
I can’t do this alone
God, not without your help
I am too weak to press on
God, not without your promises
I can’t keep going
God, not without you holding me
I am too weak to stand
God, I need you to lift me
My head has fallen
God, I need you to help me fly
My wings are broken
God, I need you to breathe into me
My breath is gone
God, keep my heart beating
Keep me close to you ⦁ Emily Acker

• Have you ever felt like the author of this poem? How could it be comforting to know that, even when we are at the end of our strength, God’s strength will never run out?

• When we feel like life is too hard and we are too tired, God has compassion on us. He doesn’t expect us to be able to do everything in our own strength—He invites us to come to Him and rely on His strength through the Holy Spirit (who lives inside every believer). Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, God has made a way for us to live in union with Him, constantly relying on Him for our every need. He will never leave us, even at our weakest points. When is it difficult for you to rely on God? Who can you talk to during those times?

• What promises does God give us in Isaiah 40:28-31?

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (CSB)

I am adopted. From what I hear from my parents, adopting me was not an easy task! Lots of paperwork, government background checks, and other miscellaneous things—it took them many months before they could adopt.

Adoption takes lots of money and time. It’s definitely not a calling for everyone, but when God does call people to adopt, it’s a reminder of the adoption we have in Christ.

As Christians, we are adopted into the family of God. This adoption is much different than when earthly parents adopt a child. It’s free for us, because Jesus paid the price by dying on the cross. In this adoption, there is no paperwork or money involved, and it’s simple—even a young child can be adopted into the family of God.

The only thing needed for our adoption is salvation, and it’s free to all who believe that Jesus is their Savior! When we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are adopted as sons and daughters of God. Because we are in Christ, nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39)! God loved us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross and rise from the dead so we could be His children. Praise Him for making a way for us to be adopted into His family! • Lilly Wiscaver

• Have you been adopted into God’s family by putting your trust in Jesus? If not, what’s holding you back? (For more about what it means to put your trust in Jesus, check out the “Know Jesus” page.)

• Can you think of any other ways earthly adoption reminds us of the adoption God has made for us?

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26 (NLT)

Sometimes, I don’t know how to pray for people. And that’s a bummer, because Jesus calls us to pray for others—for our friends, our leaders, and even our enemies (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:28; 1 Timothy 2:1-4). But how do you pray when you have no idea what to pray?

One thing I’ve started doing is using some of the prayers in the Bible as a guide. After all, they are in the Bible. One of my favorite prayers is found in Ephesians 3. Paul is writing to Christians in Ephesus, and in the middle of his letter he includes a prayer. At the heart of it is a desire for his brothers and sisters in Ephesus to know Jesus’s love.

I like to insert the name of the person I’m praying for into this prayer, and then read it aloud or silently as my own prayer to God. And, because Paul mentions that he kneels before God the Father at the beginning of this prayer, sometimes I kneel while I read these verses:

“I kneel before the Father…I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you [ _____ ] with power through his Spirit in your [ _____’s] inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts [ _____’s heart] through faith. And I pray that you [ _____ ], being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you [ _____ ] may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:14-19).

So, the next time you want to pray for someone but you’re not sure what to say, consider using a prayer from the Bible as a guide. As we ask according to God’s will, we can rest assured that He hears us (1 John 5:14-15). • Hannah Howe

• Have you ever wanted to pray for someone, but you weren’t sure how? Read Romans 8:26. How could it be comforting to know that the Holy Spirit prays for us, even when we don’t know how to pray?

• Who is someone you could pray for right now? Consider taking a moment to read a prayer found in the Bible (such as Numbers 6:24-26; Ephesians 3:14-21; Philippians 1:9-11; or Colossians 1:9-14) and pray these words for this person.

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people. 1 Timothy 2:1 (NIV)

In our day-to-day lives, we meet different people who affect us in different ways. Some say and do things that break our hearts and cause us tears. Some of the people who hurt our feelings are those closest to us—our friends, schoolmates, and even our parents.

There are other things that break our hearts—broken relationships, sickness and disease, and the loss of loved ones. When these things happen, we might feel all alone in our sadness, like nobody cares. Sometimes, we get in our beds and cry ourselves to sleep. We ask the Lord many questions, and we wonder why God allowed such things to happen to us.

But, in times of pain and heartache, the Lord knows and feels our pain. As we see in John 11, Mary was very sad because of the loss of her brother, and when Jesus saw her crying, He was “deeply moved in spirit and troubled” (verse 33). He felt her pain. And when He was shown where Lazarus had been buried, Jesus wept.

Jesus felt for Mary as she grieved this loss. However, Jesus did not stop at crying. He healed Mary’s pain by calling Lazarus from the grave.

When we are hurt and our hearts are broken, it can seem like no one understands our pain. When we see others around us laughing and happy, we might not see any reason to be happy ourselves. In such times, let us remember that our Lord understands our feelings, and He is ready to heal our pain.

So, when our hearts are broken and we are in tears, let us run quickly to Jesus, and He will help us. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• What kinds of things have left you broken-hearted? Jesus invites us to tell Him about what we experience (even though He already knows) and pour out all our messy questions. As we come to Him, He brings healing to our hurts. And, if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can look forward to the day He will return and raise us from the dead, and all our pain will be forever healed.

• As Christians, God calls us to empathize with other’s pain and “mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15; 1 Corinthians 12:26). Have you ever experienced someone doing this for you? How could you do this for others?

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled…Jesus wept. John 11:33, 35 (NIV)

When I talk about my mom, it’s easy to become emotional. After losing my mom in 2020, I wondered at the ways she mirrored God’s grace. In moments when I stood guilty, I knew I was still loved by Mom.

Growing up in my house, we saw this grace in action—and to be honest, sometimes it got a little personal. For example, when arguments broke out between me and my brothers, she was on it. First, she separated us, allowing everyone to calm down. Then, she let each of us tell our side of the story. Next, she brought us together and quietly pointed out how we had hurt, or perhaps manipulated, the other person.

Finally, came the part I dreaded: we faced each other and apologized. This meant not only saying “I’m sorry,” but following it with: “Will you forgive me?” Sometimes, just uttering the words “Yes, I forgive you” was the hardest part. Other times, swallowing my pride and saying “I’m sorry” was harder.

But Mom dealt with our pride by reminding us how Jesus humbled Himself to die on the cross for our sins—not His—because He loves us. Second Corinthians 5:21 says: “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” Because Jesus Christ willingly died for us, and then rose from the grave, we have the sure hope of experiencing His grace…and extending that grace to others. When I remember Christ’s humility, how much easier it is to let go of the grip of resentment.

God’s inexplicable grace leads us to experience His forgiveness—a forgiveness so strong, we can pass it on to others. • G. Kam Congleton

• Have you experienced God’s forgiveness by trusting in Jesus? (Read more by checking out the “Know Jesus” page.)

• Even after we’ve experienced Jesus’s forgiveness, it can still be difficult to forgive others. But God is patient with us, and He invites us to rely on His power and love to forgive. How might remembering what Jesus has done to forgive us help us to forgive others? (Remember, if someone has hurt you deeply, forgiving them
doesn’t mean you need to be in close relationship with them.)

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13 (NLT)

We can serve God in many different ways—in our families, at church, at school, and beyond. But sometimes, we can get discouraged when we feel like our service is not appreciated. We might feel like the prophet Isaiah when he said, “But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose” (Isaiah 49:4).

For instance, we might help someone in need and never hear a “thank you” from them. I know a young man who helps an elderly lady, but she never seems to voice appreciation; instead, her words sound more like complaining, and this has been so discouraging to him.

There have been times when we’ve tried to encourage others to come out of sin, to be committed to God, and to come to church…but we haven’t seen results, at least not right away, and this has also been so discouraging. In situations like these, we sometimes think that God Himself does not appreciate our service, so we feel like giving up because it seems all our efforts are being wasted.

But God takes notice of everything we do for Him. Going back to Isaiah 49, after Isaiah complained of having labored in vain, he said, “Yet I leave it all in the LORD’s hand; I will trust God for my reward” (verse 4). The words of Jesus in Mark 9:41 are similar; Jesus says that a person who gives just a cup of water to one of His followers will not lose their reward.

We can continue doing the Lord’s work—and not give up—as we remember that every little thing we do for Him matters, as it says in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” So let us be encouraged that our labor in the Lord is not in vain, even when things don’t seem to be going right every time we serve, because God takes notice of everything we do for Him. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• Have you ever tried to serve others, but it didn’t seem to be doing any good?

• When you’re feeling discouraged, how could it be helpful to remember that God appreciates your hard work, even when others don’t?

For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Hebrews 6:10 (NLT)

By day, the town of Goshen was like any other. People went to work, children went to school, and families gathered to share a meal at suppertime. But after dark, everything changed. Doors were locked and drapes were pulled tight over windows. Because here, the dead ruled the night.

They came from the ground and from the sea, their howls and moans and screams filling the darkness. They wanted one thing—the living. They coveted their beating hearts and longed to feel air rush through their lungs once again. And though death had severed them from such joys, they wanted them all the same and went searching for them every night.

But the living had been given protection. Every evening, before the sun went down, they would sprinkle lamb’s blood in the doorways of their homes. Any house sealed with blood, the dead could not enter. But the sound of their horrifying cries continued throughout the night, and people huddled away from the windows, covering their ears against the terror outside.

One day, a man no one had seen before walked into Goshen. He went from house to house, knocking on each door. “Who are you?” people asked when they saw him.

“I am the Lamb of God,” he said. He showed them the bloody wounds in his hands. “Will you trust me?”

One by one, the people looked down at the blood, then back to his face. “Yes,” they replied.

Then the man dipped his finger into his own blood and touched it to each of their foreheads. “No more sprinkling blood in the doorway,” he told them. “No more hiding in your houses at night. I have power over death and have sealed you with my blood. Death can never rule you.”

That night, when darkness came, doors and windows remained open, letting in a cool, fresh breeze. There were no sounds of terror from the dead, for death could no longer hold its captives. Instead, the dead were raised to true life and the serenades of crickets wafted through the air as people poured into the streets. Men and women gazed up at the stars as children chased fireflies across the grass. Their fear of death and darkness was gone, for now an eternal light glowed inside them. They were the living people of God. • Courtney Lasater

• Read John 11:25-26 and Romans 6:23. Why do those who trust in Jesus have no reason to fear death?

• Do you ever feel afraid when you think about death? You can talk to Jesus about this and ask Him to give you His peace as you remember the sacrifice He made to save you from sin when He shed His blood on the cross.

• While we will still experience death, we can find comfort knowing that Jesus has defeated death through His resurrection and will someday return to raise us to eternal life. How can this truth affect the way we view death now?

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ…cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! Hebrews 9:14 (NIV)

How quickly the grass changes.
From green to brown to covered in white snow
How quickly the trees shift
First orange, then bare and gray
How quickly the air cools
From warm and balmy to cold and crisp
How quickly our appetites change
Craving something warm and hearty
Summer goes away
Seasons change
Our God remains the same
His love never leaves
His love never fails
He sees what is going on and has a plan
Our lives change
Seasons change
God remains the same • Emily Acker

• Do you have a favorite season? Does the changing of seasons impact you?

• So many things in our lives change. We might enjoy some of these changes, and we might dread others. Do you ever feel like your life is moving and changing so quickly that you feel out of control? Take heart, God always remains the same. His love for you does not change. And Jesus has promised to be with you no matter what (Matthew 28:20). How might these truths give you courage?

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (CSB)

We all have times in our lives when we mess up and things are not right. We all have times when we feel guilty and dirty. We want to make things better, but we aren’t sure what steps we need to take. God is there in those times. He is all about second chances and new beginnings. You don’t have to live with the weight of what you’ve done. He can take away your guilt and shame and make things new.

We can see how God gives new life in nature. For example, a caterpillar goes into the process of becoming a butterfly not knowing what all is about to happen. An insect that had to crawl to get around is given beautiful wings and the chance to fly. God gives new life to that insect, new opportunities, a new future.

No matter what you have come through, by putting your trust in Jesus, you can have a new beginning. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, you can receive forgiveness for every wrong thing you have ever done—and ever will do. You can receive hope after pain. You can smile again after going through grief. You can trust God to bring about real change in your life and give you a new beginning, like a caterpillar gets after morphing into a butterfly. • Emily Acker

• Have you ever felt like you needed a new beginning?

• Can you think of a time God’s transformative power brought hope to a seemingly hopeless situation? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this!

• Even when we go through hard things, Jesus wants to walk beside us, heal our hurts, cleanse us from sin, and give us hope in Him. Who is a trusted Christian in your life who can remind you of these truths when life gets messy—like it does for the caterpillar who’s still inside the chrysalis?

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead… 1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

The science of astronomy studies the heavens—planets, moons, stars, and more. In 1571 a boy was born in Württemberg, Germany who became one of the most famous and influential scientists and astronomers of all time. His name was Johannes Kepler.

Like many of us, Johannes was awed by the beauty and mystery of a clear starry night. As a young boy, he was fascinated with the sky and saw two things that made him want to know more: the great comet of 1577 and a lunar eclipse in 1580. He grew up in the church and soon believed that he was called by God to glorify Him as he studied His creation.

Johannes studied many different disciplines, including mathematics, astronomy, and theology. He believed he could come to know God more fully by observing the things He had made. He felt he had a divine duty to explore and discover the nature of God’s creation and share it with others so they could give God the glory too.

Johannes was the first scientist to correctly explain planetary motion. He also explained that ocean tides are caused by the moon. He was even the first to formulate eyeglasses specifically for nearsighted and farsighted people. But these are only a sample of his work; his list of accomplishments is long.

Everything Johannes discovered, explained, or described in the world of science was for the glory of God. He said, “The wisdom of the Lord is infinite as are also His glory and His power.” We are still benefiting from Johannes Kepler’s faith and discoveries today. May we all stand in awe of the Lord like Johannes did. • Susan Sundwall

• What mysteries in the heavens do you think still need to be explored?

• How do new scientific discoveries about the universe make you feel about God?

• How does learning about the universe help us stand in awe of Jesus? (Colossians 1:15-20)

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 (NIV)

In and out,
I remind myself
There’s no air in this room
My lungs collapsing
Pathogens attacking
Brain on fire

Keep it in,
I remind myself
This will have to end
But, great tears rolling
Body trembling
Petrified with fear

A voice, a call
Whisper of hope
“Look up child”
says my Lord
His golden sunbeam
A ray of hope

This sparkle of faith
The ember
spreading warmth
In Him, I’ll be healed
My future’s bright with hope • Corinna Kahrs

• This poem describes what anxiety can feel like. Have you ever experienced something similar?

• If you’re feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, you’re not alone. Jesus knows what it feels like to be overwhelmed (Matthew 26:36-56; Mark 14:32-34; Luke 22:44). He was willing to face the terrors of death for us—because He loves us. You can talk to Him whenever you feel afraid. In addition to talking to Jesus, who is a trusted adult you can talk to? If you’re not sure who to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

• Because Jesus rose from the grave, everyone who has put their trust in Him can look forward to the day He will return and fully heal our hurts—including anxiety (Revelation 21:1-5)! Until that day, Jesus has promised to be with us through everything we face (Matthew 28:20). And He gives us healing through prayer, mental health counseling, medication, and community. How can these truths give us hope?

Neither death nor life…will be able to separate us from the love of God. Romans 8:38-39 (CSB)

In reading the narrative of David and Goliath, I noticed a small detail, and it got me thinking. The first seven verses of 1 Samuel 17 detail Goliath’s very impressive appearance. Verse 5 mentions his bronze scale armor, which weighed more than one hundred pounds. Notice the word scale? That caught my attention. It reminded me of the serpent in the book of Genesis and the dragon that appears throughout the book of Revelation.

Goliath embodies evil, and his behavior certainly serves as a reminder of other Bible passages that reference the work of Satan (which means “the Accuser”). Goliath shouts abusive and demeaning words at Israel’s army. He taunts their weakness and challenges anyone to come fight him, one on one, in a duel to the death. It’s a winner-take-all proposition, and none of the Israelites seem interested. Verse 11 describes Saul’s men as “dismayed and terrified.” Despite their weapons and training, no one wants to fight the giant man dressed in scale armor.

Only the shepherd and eventual king, David, is willing to step up. Not only does David slay Goliath, he cuts off Goliath’s head (verse 51). David’s victory echoes the ancient promise God spoke over the serpent in Genesis 3:15: “He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” David, the shepherd (and future king), did what no one else had been able to do. In victory, he cut off Goliath’s head and defeated Israel’s enemy. He silenced the serpent-like foe forever.

At its core, Genesis 3:15 is clearly a Messianic promise that anticipates the victorious death and resurrection of Christ. Satan thought he had the upper hand when Christ went to the cross. But Jesus defeated Satan’s plan to subvert God’s work of reconciliation with His creation. Christ’s death and resurrection accomplished what we cannot. Jesus overcame Satan’s plan, and He offers hope to
believers that we, too, will overcome death. • Mike Hurley

• David defeating Goliath foreshadows how Jesus, the ultimate Champion, would one day defeat all evil. What other parallels do you see in this story between David and Jesus? (John 10:11; Revelation 17:14)

• How did the serpent use words in Genesis 3:1-5? Throughout Revelation, there are images of an evil dragon, who we learn is “that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan” (20:2). At the end of Revelation, we finally see the future promise that Jesus will destroy all that is evil and unjust. What hope can this promise bring us?

So the Lord God said to the serpent, “…he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15 (NIV)

I’m fourteen, and something I need to be constantly reminded of is that I don’t need to rush life. I always want my way—I want what’s next. I want to drive a car, have a boyfriend, be married, and have kids. I think I’m ready for a real job and college, but the truth is, I’m not. I’ve only just finished middle school, and I still have four years in high school to go. I need to be reminded every day that God is not in a hurry, and He knows what’s best for me—and for everyone else in my life. God understands everyone’s needs, and He knows what we’re ready for.

And even when we get impatient and mess up, God keeps working out His good purposes. When we look back on decisions we’ve made and think, "I shouldn’t have done that," we don’t need to panic. God can take our mistakes and make a beautiful work of art. God has anticipated our actions, and nothing we do can ruin His ultimate plan: Through Jesus, God has promised to be with His people, and one day Jesus will return bodily to earth and restore His creation—and we’ll get to live with Him forever! In the meantime, He lovingly guides us, and He helps us learn from our experiences.

Some days we need fresh perspective, which can come in random and unexpected ways, but God gives us what we need, when we need it. He is never too early, and never too late. His timing is different from ours, “But,” 2 Peter 3:8-9 says, “do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” To God, eternity cannot be counted in hours and days. His understanding is infinite, and we can trust Him to work all things for the good of His people, in His good timing. • Sophia Augustine

• What are you looking forward to in the next few years? Do you find it hard to wait for these things?

• Can you think of a time in your life when something didn’t go your way, but looking back you saw how God used it for your good? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this.

My times are in your hands. Psalm 31:15a (NIV)

We live by a lake in the northwest. If we awoke from a twenty-year-long nap, like in the story of Rip Van Winkle, and we didn’t know what month it was, we could guess by looking at the lake. Different seasons bring us different wildlife, mostly waterfowl.

Canada geese drop in to rest each spring and fall as they head north or south. They fill the skies, obeying God’s call to go where He has prepared a place. Later, white-backed mergansers come in their dozens and stay the winter, chasing fish and snails that multiplied all summer. Round black coots, painted wood ducks, and buffleheads all spend the late winter finding different food in and around the lake.

In summer, they’re replaced by gangly cormorants and green-headed mallards with fluffy ducklings. Hummingbirds, swallows, and woodpeckers return too. Each is called here in their season to receive the bounty God provides. They hear, trust, and come.

“Listen” is one of the most frequent commands in the Bible. In the NIV, the word "listen" appears more often than "trust," "praise," "obey," and even "worship." However, the word "love" exceeds them all. As you listen for God’s call, listen especially for love. God invites us to trust His love for each of us, which He perfectly expressed in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God the Father tells us to listen to Jesus, who is God the Son (Mark 9:7). And as we follow Jesus, our loving God helps us to love one another.

As you spend time in God’s Word and listen to the “gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12) that He speaks just to you, remember that the lake God has for you may be different from the one He has for your friends. Every year, I watch different geese fly past us for weeks. They don’t all stop by our lake because they each get a unique call. Similarly, all Christians are called by the same God, but our lives will not look the same. God has given us each unique paths. And, as we listen to Him, we can trust that the God who cares for the birds will also care for us. • Rick Taylor

• How do we learn to listen to God? If we know Jesus, the Holy Spirit is in us, reminding us of everything Jesus has said and helping us discern God’s voice (John 14:26). We also need to talk to trusted Christians and help each other answer questions like: "Does this agree with the Bible?" "Does this glorify God the Father and God the Son(John 16:12-15)?" "Does this bring the fruit of the Spirit and hope (Galatians 5:22-23; John 10:10) or condemnation and fear (John 3:17; Romans 8:1)?" "Who are trusted Christian mentors or peers you could talk to about this?"

All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. Psalm 104:27 (NIV)

In most crime shows there is at least one episode involving something counterfeit: currency, artwork, even identities. While many of these shows depict the criminals using state-of-the-art technology to create their fakes, they are really just using the newest toys to commit the oldest crimes. People have needed a way to spot forgeries for ages. But how do they do it?

I once heard a story about an FBI agent who talked about methods of spotting counterfeit money. Holding up a crisp twenty-dollar bill, the agent said the best way to catch a fake was to study this—the real thing. They don’t study the endless ways something could be made counterfeit; they study the details of the real thing.

In the Bible, teachers like Paul were constantly warning fellow Christians about false (or counterfeit) teachers. So, should we go around assuming no teacher can be trusted? That won’t work, because the Bible makes it clear we need mentors, teachers, and trusted friends to help us grow. Instead, we can learn from the FBI’s counterfeit-spotting techniques. To recognize a fake, we need to study the real thing, aka the Bible.

In the book of Genesis, we can learn about the first counterfeit truth ever told to Eve and Adam (chapter 3). Because humans listened to a lie and rebelled against God, our relationship with our Creator was broken. But that wasn’t the end of the story. Throughout the Old Testament, God prepared to send His Son, Jesus Christ, who is called not only “the truth,” but also “the way” and “the life” (John 14:6). Jesus didn’t just teach us about the way to be made right with God, He literally made the way for us through His death and resurrection. The gospel is the greatest treasure, and we surely wouldn’t want a counterfeit of it. • Abigail Scibiur

• How does focusing on Jesus help us recognize counterfeit teachings?

• The Christians in Galatia started following a false teaching, so Paul reminded them of the true gospel—the good news about Jesus dying and rising from the dead to forgive us and make us right with God. Paul explained these truths and urged the Galatians to reject false teachings (Galatians 1:6-8; 3:1– 4:7). Who are trusted Christians in your life who could help you discern false messages by comparing them to the gospel? Do you have any questions you could ask them about now? (You can also learn more about the gospel on the "Know Jesus" page.)

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (NIV)

Are you a morning person? I am an early bird, and I love to start most days with a brisk walk. I greet the people I meet with a “Good morning!” Not everyone answers, and some look downright grumpy. I used to feel offended when people would look the other direction when I smiled at them, but then I realized it may not be a “good morning” for everyone. My cheery greeting could be taken negatively by someone who’s struggling, as I’m reminded in an obscure proverb: “A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning will be taken as a curse!” (Proverbs 27:14). Sometimes, we have good intentions behind what we say, but it’s the wrong time or place. That’s why it’s important to be considerate of others—we may not know what struggles they’re going through.

It is strange, though, that I often throw around the phrase “good morning” even if the morning hasn’t been good for me—I may have slept poorly, or I might be stressing about a busy day ahead, or I could be feeling depressed. I might have even struggled to get out of bed.

But we have good news: whether we are morning people or not, God’s mercy and grace are new every morning! Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, He gives us a fresh start every day. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He enables us to live each moment with Him, and even on the worst days, He gives us access to His strength, peace, and hope. Each day is full of good gifts from God and reminders of Jesus’s unfailing love. He is good all the time, even when our circumstances are not. • Abby Ciona

• Do you consider yourself an early bird, a night owl, or something in between?

• Why is it important to be considerate of others’ needs when we share encouragement?

• How might remembering that God’s mercy is new every morning give you comfort and strength to face the day?

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

When I was in fifth grade, I made a unique request of my mom. For my birthday, I wanted a homemade cake with homemade icing. Specifically, I asked for frosting made of peanut butter and jelly.

Once in a while, my mother would whip up a cake for dessert and, if she didn’t have a can of store-bought frosting, she would mix some of her homemade jelly with peanut butter from the kitchen cabinet to ice the cake.

It always satisfied my brothers and me. So, why not ask for it for my birthday? I’m sure Mama would have purchased icing if I’d wanted it. But I desired the homemade concoction.

On my birthday, we sliced into the three-layer golden cake lathered in Mama’s peanut-butter-and-jelly goodness. Mama probably used an entire jar of her homemade blackberry jelly to create what I’d requested. And my siblings, grandparents, and I all dug in with gusto.

Surely, I could have marked my birthday without the special cake I’d craved. But I believe Mama wanted to delight me at my celebration, and I think she delighted in giving me what I desired.

Similarly, God is a good Father who loves to give good gifts to His children. For those who’ve trusted in His Son, Jesus, for the forgiveness of our sins, we have the privilege of approaching God with all our requests. Of course, God won’t grant us every specific thing we ask for, yet God tells us we can ask for what we want, trusting that He is a generous giver.

If I had not requested the peanut-butter-and-jelly cake from Mama, I probably wouldn’t have gotten it that year. But I asked, and she provided. Similarly, we can come to our heavenly Father and present all of our requests. • Allison Wilson Lee

• God has created so many good things—like tasty food! He loves it when we enjoy His good gifts, and He invites us to be honest about our desires. Have you ever wanted something but felt hesitant to ask for it? Do you have any longings that feel too big or too small to bring to God?

• As we grow in relationship with God through Jesus, we desire more and more of what God desires—for His kingdom to come, for His will to be done, for His righteousness, peace, and joy to spread through every nook and cranny of creation! God invites us to pray for all these things along with our other desires. If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 6:9-10 and Romans 14:17.

In every situation…present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6b (NIV)

Humans are flawed, but God is not.

Humans mess up, hurt us, or abandon us, but God never will.

Humans pretend to love, run out of love, and turn love into hate, but God isn’t like that.

You are precious to God. He is a perfect Father. He loves you like no other.

When humans disappoint or hurt you, you can remember that there is someone who cares about you so much more than they ever could.

Even when you mess up, God still loves you. In fact, God loves you so much that He gave a great sacrifice for you. He sent His only Son, Jesus, into this broken world to suffer and die for you. And Jesus rose again on the third day, giving you salvation, the greatest gift you could ever receive: by putting your trust in Jesus, you can be forgiven, become God’s child, and have the sure hope of living with Jesus forever.

So, remember that while humans are flawed and mess up all the time, God never does and never will.

God knows you. He created you. He purposefully made you. God’s love for you is real, and it is never going to disappear.

Humans can do all kinds of things to hurt you, but God wants a good life for you. He is always with you, and when you call to Him, He hears you. God is the perfect Father, and He will never fail you. • Bethany Acker

• What does it mean that God is the perfect Father?

• If you have questions about what it means to become God’s child, who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to? (You can also find more information on the "Know Jesus" page.)

• If you want to dig deeper, read John 1:12; 8:12; 10:10-11; Acts 2:21-24; and Romans 10:9-11.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)

Years back, my nephew told what he had experienced. His mother, who at the time was not a Christian (she has since been saved), was trying to take him and his sister to a witchcraft-worker supposedly to get protection. The girl refused, but the boy went. When asked later why he had agreed to go, the boy responded, “but God says to obey your father and mother.”

While God commands us to obey our parents (Ephesians 6:1-3) and other authorities, these authorities are supposed to honor those who do right and only punish those who do wrong (Romans 13:1-4). So, when human authorities demand we do evil and break the commandments of Almighty God, who is the Highest Authority, we should not obey them.

The apostles of the Lord Jesus, Peter and John, refused to obey the religious authorities who commanded them—more than once—to stop speaking in the name of Jesus. Peter and John were arrested after performing miraculous signs and sharing the good news of Jesus. The Jewish religious authorities told the two apostles not to
speak or teach in the name of Jesus again. “But Peter and John replied, ‘Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?’” (Acts 4:19). So they continued to preach the message that “Jesus is the Messiah” every day (Acts 5:42).

In the Old Testament, two Hebrew midwives—Shiphrah and Puah—were commanded by Pharaoh to kill all the male children at birth. These midwives were faced with a choice: to obey the human authority, the pharaoh, and kill Hebrew baby boys, or to obey God, who is the Highest Authority. They chose to obey God. The midwives disobeyed Pharoah’s orders and delivered the babies alive! God was pleased and dealt well with these women (Exodus 1:15-21).

Then, three Hebrew boys—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—disobeyed King Nebuchadnezzar’s orders to worship a golden statue, even though Nebuchadnezzar threatened to throw them alive into a burning fiery furnace. They knew God could save them from the furnace, but even if He didn’t, they told the king, “we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up” (Daniel 3:16-18). The boys chose to continue worshipping the only true and living God. And God rescued them from the fire. • Charity Kiregyera

• Have you ever faced a situation where you had to choose between obeying God and obeying a person? When you find yourself in such a situation, you need help and support, counsel and encouragement. Who are trusted Christians—such as pastors, parents, and church elders—you can go to for help?

The apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” Acts 5:29b (NLT)

Thick and impenetrable silence hung over the village. For as long as the villagers could remember, no one had spoken a word, not even a whisper. A command from an enemy kingdom forbade anyone in the village from uttering a sound. While many villagers had grown accustomed to the forced silence, one girl increasingly found the muteness of the village unsettling. Fadiya could not understand how sound could be wrong when the warbling songs of birds filled the air and the leaves of the forest whispered in the breeze. The silence was all she had known in the village, but Fadiya felt like a prisoner to the quietness around her.

Then one day, as she was walking through her beloved whispering forest, Fadiya discovered a wooden shed and went inside to investigate. The place was empty except for a bookshelf. On it stood an ancient book: “The Song Maker’s Tune.” The title instantly caught her attention, and to her surprise, the book was filled with a song-like poem describing someone named the Song Maker. She learned He sang the world into existence. He had created the birdsong, rustling leaves, and humming bees. Imprisoning silence was not His design. Instead, the Song Maker had entered the world many years ago to set the people free. He died for them, entered the utter silence of the grave on their behalf—and then rose again with a
triumphant shout of joy! One day, He would return to sing a new world into being. Fadiya, delighted by the music overflowing in her heart, soaked in the words from the book, engraving them in her memory.

The next day, while her family was in the market square, Fadiya mounted an old wooden cart and lifted her voice to the words of “The Song Maker’s Tune.” Her heart burned as she sang of His love and sacrifice. Every face turned toward the cart as her words cut through the quiet like a knife. The silence had been broken by the freedom of the Maker’s song. Cheers rose around the square as villagers responded to the hopeful message of the music. No longer would they be imprisoned by the forced silence of the enemy. The Song Maker had set them free. • Sophia Bricker

• In this allegorical story, Fadiya found freedom from the imprisoning silence of the enemy when she encountered “The Song Maker’s Tune” telling of the salvation He brought to His people. In the Bible, we see that God created the world through speaking—or perhaps singing (Genesis 1:1-31; Psalm 33:6). Though our sinful rebellion separated us from God and brought brokenness into the world, God came to restore and to set us free from slavery to sin. How has Jesus brought us freedom? (Read more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

• God invented music and singing! Did you know that God sings over us (Zephaniah 3:17)? Why do you think God calls His people to sing to Him and to each other? (If you want to dig deeper, read Psalm 147:1; Ephesians 5:19; and Colossians 3:16.)

• Did you know that creation sings? How might spending time in nature help us know God better? (If you want to dig deeper, read 1 Chronicles 16:33; Psalms 65:13; 96:12; and 98:8.)

• When we experience the goodness of God’s love, it’s only natural for us to want to share the good news of Jesus with others! What is one of the ways you’ve personally experienced God’s goodness and love? If you can’t think of anything, you can ask God to reveal His love to you anytime.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. Romans 8:2 (WEB)

One of the first missionaries, Paul, left Titus on the island of Crete to oversee the new churches there and appoint elders in every town. Titus may have been young, or at least younger than Paul since Paul refers to him as “my true son in our common faith” (Titus 1:4). In the book of Titus, which is really a letter, Paul advises Titus on how to handle false teachings and immorality in the church.

Many people in the Cretan churches claimed to know God, but their actions denied Him (1:16). We can guess what some of their sinful actions were by noticing what Paul warns against: teaching false beliefs for dishonest gain, engaging in foolish controversies and quarrels about the law, getting drunk, behaving violently, gossiping and slandering others, stealing, saying “Yes” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and living in envy and hatred of others (1:7, 11; 2:3, 10, 12; 3:3, 9). Yet, the Cretans’ sin is no worse than anyone else’s sin. In fact, Paul writes, “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another” (3:3).

But the good news is, God mercifully saves us from hell and offers us eternal life through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon us. He didn’t save us because of anything good we did or will one day do; He saved us because He loves us. And once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are able to live in a way that honors our loving God.

Accepting the grace of God and the salvation message teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness (2:11-12). Although Paul’s letter is short, he stresses the need for self-control five times (1:8; 2:2, 5-6, 12). And self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The Holy Spirit works in us, helping us to exercise self-control and live godly lives by loving God and loving one another (Matthew 22:36-40).
• Ronica Stromberg

• Why do you think Paul emphasized self-control in his letter to Titus?

• God doesn’t expect us to be able to say “No” to sin without His help. How do God’s love and mercy toward us make it possible for us to live self-controlled lives?

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. Titus 2:11-12 (NIV)

“Put on” is a phrase we use every day. Because on a daily basis, we do the physical act of putting on clothes and shoes in order to be clothed.

Just as we get clothed physically, we also need to get clothed spiritually. In Ephesians 4:24, we learn that, in Christ, we put on a new nature. In Colossians 3, we see that our new nature is being formed into Jesus’s image, giving us a nature that is after God’s nature.

Since our new nature is likened after God’s holy nature, we reject and turn away from sin, anything that goes against God or hurts our neighbor. For instance, in Colossians 3:9-11, we are admonished not to lie to one another because the new nature we have put on does not lie. It “is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (verse 10), and God does not lie (Numbers 23:19).

God is the One who clothes us with His holiness and righteousness. As soon as we become a Christian, we are given a new “outfit.” In order for us to put on the new nature, we have to put off the old one. In Christ, we have the Holy Spirit, empowering us to choose to live in holiness and righteousness in our words, thoughts, and deeds. God walks alongside us and gives us grace as we put on the new nature and as we are being formed more and more into Jesus’s image. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• Reread Colossians 3:1-17. What things are not from our new nature in Christ? What things are from our new nature?

• How do Jesus’s death and resurrection give us a new identity?

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Galatians 3:27 (NIV)

"Wouldn’t these magnets make great souvenirs from my trip?" I thought, browsing the little shop high above the ground. My summer of serving with inner city ministries in New York was drawing to a close, and my friends and I had wanted to visit the Empire State Building one final time. We stopped by the gift shop before leaving, where I spotted magnets depicting classic New York City landmarks.

I selected a few to give as presents but then inadvertently dropped one. Hitting the floor, it broke. I gathered up the two cracked pieces and chose a replacement for it as well. Reaching the cashier’s counter, I set down the items I wished topurchase—along with the broken one. The clerk pointed out that it was damaged; I explained I’d caused the accident and would pay for the broken souvenir as well as the ones I wanted to bring home.

But the cashier told me I didn’t have to pay for it. The store made allowances for the occasional broken piece of merchandise; they would cover the cost. Amazed, I thanked her for being understanding about my mistake.

When people surprise us with grace—affording us better treatment than we deserve—it can remind us of God’s grace toward us, which He revealed in His gift of eternal life to all who trust in His Son, Jesus, for the forgiveness of their sins. While I had the ability to pay for the busted magnet, I don’t possess the power to pay for my own sins.

By putting our trust in Jesus, who died on the cross and then rose from the grave for us, we experience God’s grace and mercy—not being treated as our sins deserve, but instead getting to participate in His everlasting kingdom as one of His beloved children. As we grow in love for God, we can share this astonishing grace and mercy with others. Just as that cashier showed me many stories above the
streets of New York. ⦁ Allison Wilson Lee

⦁ Have you ever been surprised by the grace another person showed you? What did they do?

⦁ When we consider the mercy God showers on His children, how could that inspire us to show mercy to others?

For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift. Ephesians 2:8 (CSB)

There was a point in my life when I was so ashamed that I didn’t want to associate or talk with people. I had messed up so badly that I didn’t see myself as fit to be with others. I was so down that I didn’t have the confidence to face people. I thought I was so wrong and a great sinner, even though I was already a Christian at the time.

When we mess up, in big ways or small ways, we often feel ashamed. We may think it would be better for us to be away from people or disappear. A failure can cause embarrassment, feeling bad about ourselves, and doubting ourselves. Shame can be used by Satan to push our spirits down. When we feel ashamed, we might start to doubt God’s forgiveness. When we focus on our shame, we start to forget the love of God. When we let shame occupy our minds, we forget who we are in the eyes of God.

What can you do to respond to shame? You can remember Jesus on the cross, who shed His blood for you, taking away your shame. And you can be assured that the blood of Jesus has covered your shame. Every time you sin and you’re filled with shame, you can ponder Jesus’s sacrifice, mercy, and grace for you. Jesus took all your sins upon Himself and paid the price for your wrongdoing with His life. Then God raised Him from the dead, triumphant over sin and death. Now, if you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you are totally forgiven.

God does not want you to live in disgrace and shame. He came to set you free! He invites you to live life with Him, and because He has set you free from shame, you can walk forward with faith and dignity. You are a child of God who bears the name of the Lord, who has completely taken away your shame. • Golda Dilema

• When we do something wrong, we often feel guilty. We can respond to guilt by repenting—turning away from sin and toward Jesus. But sometimes, we feel like we haven’t just done something bad, but like we need to hide or like we are irredeemable. Thankfully, we can bring all these feelings to Jesus. He loves us unconditionally and forgives us fully. Do you feel guilty about anything today? Consider taking a moment to talk to Jesus about it.

• When you feel overwhelmed by shame, who is a trusted Christian who could pray with you and remind you of who you are in Christ? (Romans 8:1; Colossians 1:22; 1 John 1:9)

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. Psalm 34:5 (NIV)

I confess the things I did.
And the things I didn’t do but should have done.
I confess letting anger explode
And bitterness smolder inside.
I confess that I strayed off the path of following you.
I missed the mark of the goodness you planned for me.

I lay down my pride and envy, selfishness and jealousy.
My independent nature thinks I can live without you,
But you’re the only source of life.

Both my actions and attitudes are infected with sin.
My heart needs transformation.

I confess, I know I’ve done wrong.
I turn away from my sin and turn back to you,
And you are already running to me in love.
You forgive me.
You give me new life, a fresh start.
And you lead me in becoming more like you. • Abby Ciona

• Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that God has already forgiven all our sins—past, present, and future—through His death and resurrection (Romans 8:1). And the Holy Spirit lives in us, transforming us to become more and more like Jesus and helping us turn away from sin. Why do you think God calls Christians to confess our sins frequently?

• Oftentimes, we sin because we don’t feel safe or loved, and so we try to rely on ourselves or other created things instead of coming to God and entrusting all our needs and desires to Him. But God knows our hearts even better than we do, and He has so much compassion for us. How can examining the needs and desires behind our sin help us turn to God?

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us…1 John 1:9a (NIV)

God doesn’t despise our brokenness. He doesn’t look down on us when we are hurting. He doesn’t think less of us because we are broken.

God loves the broken. He offers healing to the hurting. God is a comfort in times of trouble and sorrow. God doesn’t despise us when we are broken. He is there to help. He offered His love to us while we were still sinners, as it says in Romans 5:8, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” He knows how broken and messed up we can be, but He is still there for us. Because God loves us so much, He let Himself be broken so that we could be whole (1 Corinthians 11:24).

When you are feeling broken, you don’t have to be ashamed. You don’t have to turn away from God; you can turn toward Him. You can ask Him for help and healing. You can know that, even in your brokenness, He loves you just as much as ever.

So many times in the Bible, we are reminded of how much God cares for the broken. In Matthew 11, Jesus tells the weary and burdened to come to Him for rest. Even though our sin separated us from God, He came in Jesus so that we could be forgiven and brought near to Him.

God doesn’t despise our brokenness, and He loves us always. We can count on Him to be there for us through all the hard times, as the Bible reassures us that He loves us no matter how broken we are. • Bethany Acker

• Have you ever felt broken?

• When we are in pain, we often feel alone. But Jesus identifies with us in our brokenness. He knows what it’s like to be human. He was broken…for us. When we come to Jesus, we’re coming to someone who understands our pain. He looks at us with deep compassion. He feels our sorrows as His own, and He holds us. And one day, all brokenness will be healed in the light of His presence. As we wait for that day, we can bring all our brokenness to Jesus. How might knowing that God doesn’t look down on us when we are hurting make it easier for us to come to Him?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I [Jesus] will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

Not five days had passed since we began our journey, and already we had seen trouble. My brother and I dragged our tired bodies down the road, our dented swords hanging limply in their scabbards and our stomachs moaning with hunger. I remembered how Supreme Agape told us that we would have troubles—many of them—and that the journey would be far from easy. Even so, this particular hardship made me feel so defeated and inexpressibly weary. Ren, my brother, placed his hand on my shoulder and whispered, “Nothing can separate, Jayla.” It was our code of courage, our call to continue the journey despite everything thrown at us. I must remember.

The next day dawned with clear blue skies, and my heart lifted as we continued on our way. Ren was his usual jovial self, making jokes and attempting to bolster my spirits from the troubles we had encountered. I didn’t know then that late in the day it would be my turn to remind and encourage.

There was severe famine everywhere, and our reserves of food were gone. Large eyes in the gaunt faces of those we passed haunted us. Ren was already practically a giant for his age, which I teased him about incessantly. But the lack of food was wearing on him most of all, and it broke my heart to see him so weak. So, to cheer him up, I did what he couldn’t do, a wild dance of absolute ridiculousness, and yelled, “Nothing can separate!” Hungry as Ren was, he laughed at my antics. He must remember.

Weeks later, I clung tightly to the cliff high on the Great Mountain. Heights were never my thing, and I honestly felt death would be preferable to continuing upward. Ren’s arm was injured from a prior sword fight, and he was struggling just as much as I was. Through labored breaths, I said, “Supreme Agape told us to cross the mountain, but I don’t know if we’re going to make it, Ren.” I tried to ignore the clouds swirling around my ankles.

Just when we were about to give in to complete despair, a warm, golden light surrounded us. A voice—so pure and beautiful it brought tears to my eyes—sang over us: “Nothing can separate you from my love.” I knew His voice. Supreme Agape. We remembered. • Savannah Coleman

• In Greek, the word "agape" means love (the New Testament of the Bible was originally written in Greek). Why do you think Jayla and Ren call God Supreme Agape? (Hint: read 1 John 4:16.)

• Before Jesus went to the cross, He told His followers, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). As Christians, we can trust Jesus to be with us until the day our journey ends—and beyond—because even death cannot separate us from His love. Just as God raised Jesus from the grave, He will raise us all on the last day, and those who put their trust in Jesus will live eternally with Him, free from all suffering and sorrow. How can remembering God’s unstoppable love for us give us hope in the midst of hardships?

• We were never meant to journey through life alone. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are part of His family (the church), and fellow Christians are our brothers and sisters. Who has God brought alongside you during this leg of your life journey? How can you encourage each other and remind one another that nothing can separate us from Jesus’s love? (If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to reveal trustworthy companions in His good timing.)

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Romans 8:38a (NLT)

You have done it all, God
You created the sky, the earth
You saved me when I was still a sinner
You have written my name in heaven
You have done it all, God
You created goats and pigs
You made grass and trees
You have made beauty on earth
You have done it all, God
You have fed the hungry
You have healed the hurting and sick
You have touched the earth
You have done it all, God
You do something new each day
You are worthy of our praise
You reign above in heaven
I worship you every day
All that I am wants to praise you • Emily Acker

• When you consider some of the things God has done, what impresses you the most? Do you ever want to pause in your day and praise Him? Consider taking a moment now to praise God for something He has done.

• God is the all-powerful Creator, and He is also our loving Savior who came to be with us in Jesus. How does this set Him apart from other gods?

• If you want to dig deeper, read Genesis 1:1; Psalm 104:24; 146:5-7; Matthew 9:35-36; 14:14-21; Luke 10:20; John 1:14; Romans 5:8; 8:34; and James 1:17.

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:3 (NIV)

Psalm 23:1 says, “The Lord is my shepherd.” Did you know you can read this verse many times, and it can reflect something a bit different each time? This happens if you emphasize a different word each time you read the verse.

When the word “The” is emphasized, it highlights how He is THE Lord. He is the One and the Only God. He is the Savior of the world. How amazing is that?

When the word “Lord” is emphasized, it indicates that the omnipotent, all-powerful, all-knowing Lord is our shepherd. The Lord, who created everything around us, is our shepherd.

When the word “is” is emphasized, notice the present tense of the word. The verse does not read, “The Lord was my shepherd.” It says, “The Lord is my shepherd.” He is our Shepherd now. He wasn’t just with David when he wrote this psalm; He is also with all of us now.

When the word “my” is emphasized, it reflects that the Lord is our personal Shepherd and Savior. He is way above and beyond our understanding, but He wants a personal relationship with each of us. He wants us to recognize Him as our personal Shepherd who we can draw close to and trust to guide us.

When the word “shepherd” is emphasized, it reflects that He not only loves us and guides us but that He also guards us, as a shepherd guards their flock. Like David killed a bear to protect his flock of sheep in 1 Samuel 17:34-35, God is powerful and willing to protect us.

Our Shepherd protected us from everlasting death by humbling Himself to come down to earth as a baby, to grow up and live among us, and to die for us. Jesus died on a cross and rose from the grave so that each of us can put our trust in Him and have eternal life instead of eternal death. That God is our personal Shepherd. • Kimberly Brokish

• Read John 10:11. How has Jesus revealed that He is the Good Shepherd?

• Which word in Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my shepherd,” sticks out to you the most today? Why?

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Isaiah 40:11 (NIV)

In the book of Esther, a Jew becomes queen of a gentile (or non-Jewish) nation that stretches from India to Cush (the upper Nile region). This kingdom is headed by King Xerxes. But Esther is not his first queen. The book begins when King Xerxes gives an enormous banquet for all his officials and the people of the land. At the end of the banquet, he commands his queen, Vashti, to come to him so he can display her beauty to the people. But Vashti refuses, so the king deposes her from her position as queen and replaces her with Esther—after choosing her from among many other beautiful girls who were taken to his palace. He doesn’t know Esther is a Jew.

But one day, there’s trouble. Mordecai, who is Esther’s cousin, sits at the king’s gate to find out how Esther is doing, and he refuses to bow to a high-ranking official named Haman. In his anger, Haman determines to kill Mordecai—together with all the Jews in the kingdom. Mordecai learns of Haman’s plot and sends a message to Queen Esther instructing her to go to the king and plead with him for her people’s rescue. Esther is at first unwilling to appear before the king, knowing that whoever intrudes in the king’s inner court uninvited must be killed.

So Mordecai sends a messenger back to Esther with these words: “If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). Esther then agrees, instructing all the Jews to fast with her before she goes to the king. When Esther appears before him and pleads for herself and her people, the king listens. The genocide plan fails, Haman is impaled, and Mordecai is promoted!

The book of Esther shows us that God loves His people, and He is able to deliver them from trouble using any means. God is sovereign. Even though there was a plot to exterminate Jewish people, God worked through Esther to save them. Generations later, God came to save His people from sin and death—permanently. Because God loves us, Jesus died and rose again for us. We can become part of God’s family by putting our trust in Jesus. And, as a part of God’s family, when a need arises and we are in a position to help, we can do so because God’s love is in us, and He will give us the courage to do whatever He calls us to do. • Charity Kiregyera

• If God can work through any means, why do you think He often works through His people?

“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14b (NIV)

Years back, I shared a house with a friend. This friend had a niece who also lived with us. For some reason, this girl harbored a dislike for me. Whenever something went wrong in the house, she was quick to point out that I was the one responsible when, in fact, I was innocent. This behavior of hers irritated me a lot, and I in turn developed a dislike for her.

But this state of affairs didn’t leave me with peace in my heart, so I decided I was going to approach the situation differently. I decided to do what the Bible says: to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). That meant loving this girl with the love of God.

God loved us when we were still sinners and hostile to Him. We were God’s enemies because of sinning against Him, but God demonstrated His love for us when He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us. Then Jesus rose from the dead, making the way for us to be reconciled to God. Because God loved us first, His love is available for us to respond to. When we put our trust in Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we accept His offer of forgiveness for our sins.

As Christians, we are no longer God’s enemies; we are His friends. And we’re empowered by the Holy Spirit to love others like God loves us. We can walk in love, even toward people who treat us unfairly. When we love with the love of God, we will endeavor to treat people kindly in spite of their wrongdoing.

When I began to act in love toward my friend’s niece, she also changed her attitude toward me. She stopped accusing me of things I hadn’t done, and she actually became friendly to me. I’ve since realized that showing people love sometimes changes them for the better. As I’ve endeavored to walk in love toward unloving, hostile, and negative people, I’ve seen them begin to respond positively. It’s like pouring hot water on ice. Cold, hard characters can be melted by the warm love of God. • Charity Kiregyera

• Have you ever been accused of doing something that you hadn’t actually done? What was your reaction?

• How do Jesus’s love for us, and the power of the Holy Spirit in us, make it possible for us to love others— even those who treat us unfairly? (Remember, loving after a deep hurt might include setting up healthy boundaries.)

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 (NLT)

We live in a culture that’s full of division—division that leads to differences in ideas, differences in politics, and even to war. We hear terms like cultural warfare, cancel culture, and cultural bias. These phrases are interlaced when it comes to decisions about education, voting rights, safety, and health. It can feel like there are more problems than there are solutions. It’s daunting.

When I seek peace, I find it in nature. A hike in the woods makes me feel balanced. I’ll sit on a rock or find a small clearing and listen to birdsong, babbling creeks, and the whispering wind. I observe the rich shades of green trees and grass, the earthy brown dirt and branches, and the playful blue sky and crisp running water. I breathe it in.

In nature, God shows us unity. All those parts of the landscape—the colors, the sounds, the various materials—are pieces of a whole. In nature, diversity lives in unity. While a fallen tree rots, a new flower blooms. Every part plays an integral role. Seeing all the pieces thriving together as one ecosystem brings me peace.

God invites us to learn from nature. We are all created by God, kept alive by His power, on this planet, at this time, to honor and love Him. He made us each different on purpose. And we can thrive, all of us, when we put God first. This is only possible through Jesus. His death and resurrection have made the way for us to be united to Him and to each other. As Jesus’s people, we are called to follow Him and be part of His work of unity, knowing that one day He will return bodily to earth and fully restore His creation—including relationships between people.

In the meantime, my goal toward unity is to love God and live by His Word. As I remember the wholeness I experience in nature, I know that my small piece will be to love others as God loves me, and hopefully my piece brings a bit more peace to the whole. • Kelly Bakshi

• Why is it a worthy goal to love and respect people you disagree with?

• When the world seems out of control, how can getting alone with God help us stay centered?

Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Colossians 3:14 (CSB)

“Jax!” Celine pointed eagerly to her microscope. “Come look at this.” Jax put down the test tube he was holding and walked over to her. Thanks to the artificial gravity in the station, he could move quickly. Outside, where there were no magnetized floors tugging at the flecks of iron embedded in his uniform and boots, walking would have felt like hopping from one side of a swimming pool to the other. Things got done much more efficiently on Enceladus at one g.

“What is it?” Jax was practically bouncing with excitement when he reached Celine. “Did you find something?” Celine pointed to the slide clipped under the microscope lens and said, “Take a look at these rocks.” Jax stopped bouncing. “Rocks!” He peered into the microscope, then laughed. “Yep, those are rocks, all right.” He sighed. “You got me all excited thinking you found something, you know—alive!” Celine shrugged and a gave a half-hearted apology. “Sorry to disappoint you. But those rocks are exciting—they look different from the other ones we’ve sampled. I think they’re made up of different compounds.” Jax raised his eyebrows and said, “Um, I think I missed the part about why rocks with different compounds are exciting.”

“Because it means we could be one step closer to finding life. Not all
microorganisms on Earth prefer the same food or environment. If there’s life on Enceladus, it probably works the same way. Microbes may need a specific type of environment to survive—one we haven’t found yet.” Jax plopped down onto a lab stool and said, “Okay, I guess that is pretty exciting.” He spun around on the stool’s wheels. Gravity was awesome. But Enceladus’s tiny gravity—less than one percent of Earth’s—could be fun too. There was a game of low-g volleyball he was hoping to get in on later. “If there is life on Enceladus, I hope we find it.”

“Me too.” Celine sighed. “But sometimes it seems like a hopeless search.” Jax nodded slowly then said, “I feel that way too sometimes. But then I remember that, whether we ever find anything on Enceladus or not, I’ve already found life—the life that really matters. Any disappointments in this life can’t compare to that.” • Courtney Lasater

• Read the verse below. What life do you think Jax is talking about at the end of the story?

• In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” How can knowing Jesus help us weather life’s difficulties and disappointments?

And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. Colossians 3:4 (NLT)

As Celine peered through the window of her submersible, she could see the edge of Saturn’s rings looming through the gap in the ice above her. “I’m approaching the fissure, Jax,” she said into her headpiece. “Ready to surface.”

Jax’s voice crackled in response. “I see you, Tiger Three. Come on up, Celine.”

As the submersible emerged through the fissure in the ice, Celine had to shut her eyes tight against the glare. Even though Enceladus was much farther from the sun than Earth, the thick layer of ice that covered this moon’s surface made it the most reflective object in the solar system. After spending several hours in the dark ocean beneath the ice, the daytime brilliance felt like knives slicing through her vision.

Once her eyes had adjusted, she steered over to where Jax was waiting at the edge of the ice. When she was within reach, he grabbed the handle on the front of the submersible and hoisted her out of the water. The moon’s gravity was so small that he barely had to use one hand. Once she was grounded, Celine opened the hatch. Despite her heated space suit, she could feel the icy blast of the moon’s air—if you could even call it air—and she quickly followed Jax into the warmth of the station.

“Find anything interesting today?” Jax asked as he pulled off his helmet.

“I took some samples near one of the ocean vents,” Celine said as they walked through the station hub. Voices crackled through the air as other search teams radioed back and forth. “We’ve sampled there before though, so I doubt we’ll find anything.”

“You never know,” said Jax. “All we need is one little microorganism—one tiny proof of life from somewhere other than Earth.”

“You think we’ll ever find it?” asked Celine.

Jax shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe not. But I like to think that God created life somewhere in our solar system other than Earth because He knew how excited we’d be to find it one day.”

Celine smiled. “I like to think that too.”

“Well, that’s why we’re here—no better place to start looking than Enceladus.” Jax pointed to the sample box Celine had brought from the submersible. “Let’s go fire up the microscope and see what we’ve got.” • Courtney Lasater

• Do you ever wonder if there’s life elsewhere in the universe? Does thinking about this excite you? Scare you? Why?

• Read John 1:1-3. Who are these verses talking about? (See John 1:14-18 and Colossians 1:15-22 for the answer.)

• We don’t know if there’s life out in the universe somewhere, but if there is, God created it, just like He created life on Earth. He is Creator and Lord of the whole universe. And God reveals Himself to us in Jesus. Jesus is the Word who created all things at the beginning, and because He came to live among us, die on the cross, and rise from the dead, we can have a relationship with our Creator through putting our trust in Jesus. How can knowing Him help you when you’re faced with the unknowable?

The LORD merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. Psalm 33:6 (NLT)

A big bowl of stew is a comforting food when you’re hungry on a cold day. It’s a great meal to share…unless you put poisonous ingredients in it! If you like strange stories, today’s reading is one of the strangest ones in the Bible. During a famine, a hungry guy finds gourds and throws them in a pot of stew at a meeting of prophets. Unfortunately, the gourds weren’t safe to eat, and the people panicked—eating this stew would kill them! But Elisha, God’s prophet and messenger, threw some flour in the pot, and just like that, the stew was safe to eat again.

On the outside, this story could be seen as a dinner disaster and a warning about food safety. However, there’s more to it than that. This story reminds us that God brings life out of death. He provided nourishment in a famine. When the food was inedible, God, through Elisha, miraculously made it safe to eat so the prophets could live.

We can also see glimpses of the gospel—the good news about Jesus—in this story. The world is like the stew. God made everything good, but when humanity rejected God—choosing to disobey His one command by eating the fruit from the forbidden tree—our sin brought death into the world (Genesis 3). Ever since then, we continue to sin, and we search for satisfaction in things that look good, like the gourds, but in the end, these things lead to death. We try to save ourselves through our own self-reliance and self-righteousness, but we can only find life in God.

The good news is, God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to give us eternal life (John 3:16). Jesus calls Himself “the bread of life” (John 6:35)—and bread is made with flour, which is what Elisha threw in the stew. Jesus willingly died so we could live with Him forever, and in His resurrection, He defeated the power of sin and death. Jesus is alive, and He can bring healing and hope even in the parts of your life that seem the most poisoned by sin.

Jesus’s life satisfies us and, like a good meal, strengthens us to follow God. Sharing Jesus’s life is a lot better than sharing a bowl of poisoned stew! • Abby Ciona

• Where have you seen the poisoning effects of sin—either in the world or in your own life?

• Though we live in a world poisoned by sin, Jesus has promised to return and renew His creation. Until that day, He promises to be with us no matter what. Where do you need Jesus’s healing and renewal today? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about this.

• If you want to dig deeper, read Exodus 15:22-27 and John 2:1-12. How are these accounts similar?

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” John 11:25 (NLT)

It’s okay to not be okay.

It’s okay to admit that you don’t have the answers.

It’s okay to struggle.

Just know that God has your back.

If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, nothing can separate you from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39). Through all the moments when you feel afraid, He is there. He knows your biggest fears, and He knows the challenges you will face. He has the answers to life’s biggest questions.

It’s okay to not feel okay. In these moments, God doesn’t condemn us. Instead, He invites us to turn to Him. When we start to question life and the purpose and meaning of it all, we can turn to the author of life for answers (Acts 3:15). Even though we struggle through this life at times, we are never alone. Even though we feel afraid at times, we don’t have to be afraid. God is compassionate and gracious, and He reminds us of His faithful love and care for us.

In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us we don’t have to worry about tomorrow. We are free to follow Him, knowing God will provide everything we need along the way. Then later, in Matthew 10, Jesus tells us that God is so kind, He even cares for sparrows—and we are worth much more to God than a whole flock of sparrows!

Over and over again throughout the Bible, God reminds us how much He loves us. And through Jesus, He is always going to be there for us. It’s okay to admit your fears and take them to God. He always has your back, and He will never let you down. • Bethany Acker

• Have you ever felt like it wasn’t okay for you to not be okay?

• Psalm 103:13-14 says that God is “tender and compassionate…For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.” How might it be comforting to know that God doesn’t expect us to hold it all together, and He invites us to turn to Him when we feel weak and afraid?

“What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.” Matthew 10:29 (NLT)

Have you ever been on the brink of a major transition? New schools, new jobs, new homes, new friends—these changes can be good, but they can also be painful. People might ask you how you’re feeling, but it can be hard to put those feelings into words. Transitions can be bitter and sweet, all at the same time.

My family has a move coming up. We’re not moving far, and we’re moving back to the place I’ve always called home. But at the same time, I’m leaving a place that’s become home. Friends and a community I’ve come to love dearly.

Change is hard.

But as we prepare for this transition, I find joy, hope, and comfort in this good news: Jesus is with us, and He never changes. We can put our trust in Him.

On the eve of a move like this, I might’ve once felt like my whole life would be completely uprooted. But as God has revealed His truth to me all throughout His Word, I’ve come to know that He never changes, even when our lives and our world are constantly in motion. He is consistent through all of life’s inconsistencies.

Psalm 102:27 says, “But you remain the same, and your years will never end.”

In Isaiah 40:8, we’re reminded that even as the earth crumbles, God’s Word is everlasting: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

And Hebrews 13:8 tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

These truths can change the way we live, because we don’t need to fear what tomorrow will bring. We don’t need to worry about whether transitions will be good or bad. God is with us, and He will never fail us.

So, no matter what transition looms on the horizon, we can trust that God is with us. And we can find joy in His promise to be our constant. ⦁ Becca Wierwille

⦁ What kinds of transitions have you gone through in your life? How have you seen God’s faithfulness throughout these changes?

⦁ What transitions are coming up in your future?

⦁ Consider taking a moment to thank God for His faithfulness in the past, and then tell Him about some of your dreams and/or worries for the future and ask for His help.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

Have you ever felt like an outsider because of your faith? Maybe people judge you, or even avoid you, because you are a Christian. Sometimes, it feels like having faith is a burden—especially when you’re striving to act the right way in the midst of temptations and distractions. It’s hard when others misunderstand you, and even harder when you lose friendships or feel ostracized by people who don’t share your faith. You might even be ridiculed for believing in Jesus. You might wonder if you are battling alone. Be encouraged. You are not on your own.

Faith in Jesus is something to be treasured. Think of the last few years: the terrible pandemic, floods, forest fires, violence, and the constant disharmony in the broken world we live in. Through all these events, in the destruction and despair, I have been reminded that I am blessed to have faith—it really is a precious gift.

If a crisis occurs, I know I have a loving Father who sent His Son, Jesus, to save us. He has walked the steps of suffering before me. People opposed Him, misunderstood Him, and ridiculed Him. He endured it all because He loves us. And He is with me through everything. He is willing to listen to me, even when friends cannot listen to me because they have their own tangle of worries knotted up inside them. He provides calm in the chaos around me. Even though I am a natural-born worrier, and sometimes my imagination stirs up troublesome thoughts in my mind, I know I can chat with Jesus and reveal the problems in my heart to Him.

There is so much sadness, hatred, and fear in the world, but through all these terrible situations, God is there waiting for us, ready to guide us through our lives when we open our hearts to Him. Faith isn’t a burden, but instead a precious gift that sets us free. ⦁ Cindy Lee

⦁ Do you ever feel frustrated when people don’t understand your faith? Jesus understands what you’re going through. Consider taking a moment to pray for these people and pour out your heart to Jesus. He loves you, and He always listens.

⦁ Being in relationship with Jesus means that when you go through hard things, you will never be alone. It also means that your eternal future is secure because Jesus has forgiven you. How might these promises give you hope in the midst of suffering?

⦁ Have you put your trust in Jesus? What questions do you have? (Find more by checking out the "Know Jesus" page.)

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8 (NLT)

Quick update before we kick off the new quarter of Unlocked devotionals:

Andrew introduces Natalie, our new host for Unlocked because...
...Emily has an exciting announcement!

Make sure to listen October 2nd for Natalie's first episode of Unlocked. We're so glad to have her!

At a young age, I was afraid of God. I grew up being taught that God is perfect and would be angry at me when I commit a sin or break His commandments. I had learned that God, in His anger toward me when I sin, would punish me.

And it’s true that, in Scripture, God does sometimes get angry, especially when His people continue to go against His good laws and refuse to turn back to Him. Sin hurts people, so it makes sense that a loving God would get angry at sin. When Jesus Christ came, He revealed who God is. If we are in Christ, God no longer holds His anger against us (Romans 8:1).

The apostle John, who was one of Jesus’s close friends, wrote that “God is love” (1 John 4:16). God is the author of love. He loves you, and He sent Jesus to come and save you. He knows that you’re not perfect and have sinned. That’s why Jesus came to die for our sins. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, God has taken your sin upon Himself and forgiven all of it: He accepts and loves you because you are His child and He is your Father.

We can also see God’s patient love throughout the Old Testament. When He commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh and Jonah disobeyed Him, God was patient with Jonah. He saved and restored Jonah, even as He saved and restored the people of Nineveh.

The next time you sin, remember that God loves you so much that He sent Jesus. You can repent from your sin and rest in His patient love and forgiveness. ⦁ Golda Dilema

⦁ Do you sometimes fear what God is about to do to you when you make a mistake? In response to the sin of humanity, God did not condemn us. Instead, He sent Jesus to save and restore us by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. God loves you and wants wholeness for you. What might it look like to rest in this truth, even as you seek to follow God’s good ways?

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love. Psalm 103:8 (CSB)

When life starts to get crazy, sometimes we dart between one task and the next. When you get toward the end of the school year and there is a lot you need to accomplish, or when you’re at work and your shift is about to be done but you haven’t finished everything you need to, you might get stressed and start running around. In trying to complete things more quickly than you usually do, sometimes you end up making messes.

When we are stressed, we tend to get anxious and start moving faster. We try to fix things and get work done. The last thing we want to do is be still and let God move. But it can be helpful to remember that there are times in the Bible when God asks us to be still and let Him work. A good example is when the Israelites were leaving Egypt, and Pharaoh’s army came after them. The people were terrified and cried out to God. Then Moses said, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:14). Then God parted the Red Sea, and the people walked through on dry ground.

It can be difficult to “be still,” no matter what we are facing. But God is with us through it all. As we turn to Him, He reminds us that He loves us and He is powerful (Psalm 62:11-12). Even when life gets busy, we can take a moment to be still with God and rest in His peace. And, once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit living inside us, guiding us and helping us discern when it’s time to act (and how to act) and when it’s time to rest.

Sometimes, God invites us to let go of a situation and trust Him to take care of things. It can be hard to believe that God will actually work things out and He doesn’t really need our help to do it. But, then again, He is God. The same God who parted the Red Sea.

The next time you feel stressed, instead of running around and pushing yourself too hard, why not take a breath and ask God for help? ⦁ Emily Acker

⦁ What do you tend to do when life gets crazy? How might God be inviting you to “be still” in these times?

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

If you’ve been dating someone for a while and you really like them, you may start asking yourself, “Is this love? How do I know?” The Bible has tons to say about loves of all kinds, including romantic, friendship, and familial. The Bible also says, “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). Jesus demonstrated God’s amazing love for us by dying on the cross for our sins and rising again so that we can be saved and live with Him forever. Overcoming death and sin is a huge demonstration of love, but how do we relate Jesus’s love and actions to those of our significant other?

Love should look like Jesus. Does your partner treat you and others with compassion, mercy, kindness, patience, selflessness, and humility—the way Jesus treated those around Him? It sounds like a tall order, but true love includes all those things. Yes, none of us are perfect, so we won’t display all these attributes of love all the time, but the Holy Spirit moves us toward them. As we seek to follow Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit’s work should be present in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23). It might be easier to ask, “Does my significant other value becoming more like Jesus each day? And do I become more like Jesus when I spend time around my partner? Would my partner give in a self-sacrificing way?”

The person you’re dating might be fun to hang out with, but if you’re thinking about marrying a person, your relationship should reflect the relationship that Jesus has with His church. Jesus demonstrated a deep affection for us, His people, and He hasn’t abandoned us to be on our own. He invites us to rely on His help and guidance in every decision we face.

If you’ve made it to the end of this devotion and you’re still not sure about any of this, that’s okay! Dating and falling in love isn’t always a straight path, but you can trust that God’s love for you will always be a steady relationship. ⦁ Naomi Zylstra

⦁ Who is someone you love (such as a friend, family member, or significant other)? How does this love reflect the love Jesus has for us?

⦁ What does self-sacrificing love look like to you?

⦁ The Bible tells us that Christians should not seek to marry non-Christians (1 Corinthians 7:39; 2 Corinthians 6:14). Why do you think this is the case?

But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8 (NLT)

What does it mean when Jesus called Himself the vine? He gave His disciples this picture on the night before He went to the cross, saying, “I am the vine; you are the branches” (John 15:5). Jesus as the vine is a great metaphor for our relationship to our Savior. Jesus being our vine means that we can draw love and strength from Him, like a branch that is connected to a vine can draw water and nutrients to sustain growth. Jesus wants to stay in connection with us, and when we remain in Him, we see growth in our lives. Jesus also offers us support as our vine. A branch that is connected to its vine won’t blow away or break off in a windy storm.

When life gets windy and we are connected to Jesus, we can remember who we are in Christ and what our purpose is in Him. Remembering that we belong to Christ is a great way to center ourselves when life is getting chaotic. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit reminds us that we can reach back to our connection to the main vine, rest in His strong love, and reconnect with our purpose.

And what is this purpose? To bear the fruit of love. Just a few verses after calling Himself the vine, Jesus commands His disciples to love each other like He has loved them. But He makes it clear that they cannot do this without Him, saying, “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me” (verse 4). And Jesus has already shown us what bearing fruit can look like. Our vine has already demonstrated His love for us. Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross and rose again, beating sin and death, because of the deep love He has for us. And because of His sacrifice, we can now bear the fruit of love too. ⦁ Naomi Zylstra

⦁ What does it mean to bear good fruit as a Christian? (Take a look at Galatians 5:22-23.)

⦁ Why is it important to remember that we can’t bear this good fruit on our own? What do you think it means to “remain” in Jesus?

“My command is this: Love each other as I [Jesus] have loved you.” John 15:12 (NIV)

God knows why things are happening the way they are in our lives and in this world. We can look at everything going on around us and wonder how it’s all going to make sense in the end. We can see bad things taking place and wonder if God might be surprised or if those bad things might mess up His plans.

But God is not surprised by anything that happens. Not in your personal life, the country you are living in, or anywhere in the world and beyond. He knows what the future holds, and He cares about every detail. He knows how everything is going to work out in the end, and He is intimately involved in the mess. Through Jesus, He offers healing and invites people to know Him, trust Him, and follow Him. He is good, and His love endures forever (Psalm 136:1).

God can take the bad and use it for good. He can transform even the horrible things into beautiful things. God knows what you are going to go through, and He has compassion on you. When you are suffering, He is grieving alongside you. And if you come to Him, He will comfort you, strengthen you, and even help you grow through your struggles.

We serve a God who is not surprised by anything. We can rest easier when we remember that God holds His people securely in love and He has promised to right every wrong. We can know that God is ultimately in control, and He is going to make things work out just how they are meant to work out in the end. On the last day, Jesus will return. The Risen King will restore His creation, and all His people will live and reign with Him forever. Nothing can stop His kingdom from coming. Even when we don’t understand what is going on, we can trust God because He is trustworthy. ⦁ Emily Acker

⦁ When is it hardest for you to trust God? In these times, we can look to Jesus, who revealed God’s deep love and kindness when He died on the cross. When we see hurt and confusion and corruption and violence in our world or in our lives, we can come to Jesus with all our frustrations, sorrows, fears, and questions. His goodness and love are sure, and He will reveal Himself to those who seek Him.

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Psalm 33:11 (NIV)

To be in the shadow of God is everything. This world is a scary place; there are so many rules, expectations, and dangers waiting for us around every bend. It’s more than scary—it’s paralyzing. Like a deer in oncoming headlights, instead of escaping to safety, we might freeze and feel the full impact of the world crashing in. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

If you have committed your life to Christ, you have escaped from disaster. And in doing so, you haven’t just run to safety. You’ve gained hope, joy, and glory. When you surrendered your life to Christ, you were added into God’s family. Your life was HIDDEN with Christ in God.

When your life is hidden with Christ, your place with Him is secure. You will have trouble—that is promised—but you won’t be alone. You are held by Jesus, the One who overcame the world (John 16:33). And because Jesus died and rose from the grave, His followers have the sure hope of living with Him forever.

As Christians, our lives are now united with Christ and should be in alignment with His way. Think about it. When someone belongs to Jesus, their life is not their own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We follow God’s ways, not out of an impersonal sense of duty, but because God loves us and He is the source of goodness. Obeying Him allows us to experience His goodness more and more. Yet, even as we learn to follow God with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will not do things perfectly. But Christ covers us, so when God the Father looks at us, He sees the righteousness of Christ and does not count our sins against us (2 Corinthians 5:21).

When your life is hidden and covered by God, you can dwell with Him and rest in His shadow. He promises to be with you in hardship. Imagine it. If you’re in someone’s shadow, it means they are bigger than you, covering you, and they are close beside you. When you realize you are in God’s shadow, the world no longer seems as paralyzing. When you are a Christian, God is close beside you and covering you all the way. ⦁ Emma Pamer

⦁ What things do you see in the world that make you feel paralyzed with fear?

⦁ Can you think of a time you felt free, safe, and/or comforted in God’s presence? If you haven’t experienced this, you can ask God for it. He loves to answer these prayers!

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1 (NLT)

I like to feed hummingbirds. As I was researching how to feed them well, I found that many websites say to watch for stragglers at the end of the warm season. This year, we’ve had a couple stragglers. It’s November when I write this, and I am still putting out food and it’s still disappearing. I keep thinking these hummingbirds are lost and one day they’ll wish they were someplace warmer.

In Luke 15, Jesus tells a story about another straggler. The Prodigal son left home with his father’s money in his pocket. Now no one would tell him what to do—he was free to make his own choices. He did exactly as he wanted to…until he had spent every bit of his money. Alone, abandoned by his partying friends, he was hungry, thirsty, and had no place to sleep.

Then he found a job feeding pigs, which was about the lowest job anyone could find at that time. Pigs were seen as nasty, dirty creatures that would eat about anything. The Prodigal found himself feeding them pods. The hogs gobbled them up. The Prodigal stared at the pods, wondering what they tasted like. He might have been so hungry that he ate some. As his belly moaned and he could barely stand the smell of the pigs (or himself), he thought of his father. Realizing that maybe he could still be a servant in his father’s household—a place where he could have something to eat and somewhere to sleep—he started toward home.

As the Prodigal approached his father’s house, he found his father waiting. Most of us might assume he wouldn’t be welcome. (And in fact, his older brother grumbled and complained when he came back.) Yet his father hugged him close, offered him a bath, clean clothes, and food—and welcomed him back as his son. Not a servant, but his son.

Jesus welcomes us—rebellious stragglers though we are—into His arms and into His household. And He asks us to welcome fellow stragglers who are lost. Jesus will take them in, offer them new beginnings, a place in His family, and love that overwhelms. ⦁ Anna Gregory

⦁ Have you ever felt like the younger brother in this story: lost, dirty, and broken? Jesus invites you to bring these feelings to Him and rest in His love.

⦁ Have you ever felt like the older brother in this story: wary, suspicious, and perhaps jealous of outsiders coming into the church? You can bring these feelings to Jesus too and ask Him to help you extend His love and stragglers.

“For the Son of Man [Jesus] came to seek and save those who are lost.” Luke 19:10 (NLT)

God created the changing seasons Colored leaves, sunny skies So much autumn beauty I look at it and wonder, “how small am I?”

But God sees me in the beauty I’m not too small for Him He created each unique leaf And in me, a light that will not dim

God knows what is best Each season comes and goes He’s with me when it feels fast And I want the spinning of the world to slow

His plans are all laid out He holds the world in His hands I can trust Him this and every season Enjoy the beauty, and follow His plans ⦁ Bethany Acker

⦁ What is your favorite season?

⦁ Sometimes, life can feel overwhelming, especially in times of change. In moments like these, how could it be comforting to know that God, the Master of the seasons and the sky, sees us and loves us?

“As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.” Genesis 8:22 (NLT)

I’m in my forties, and one thing I wish I’d known when I was a teenager is that it really is true when people say God loves us just as we are. We don’t have to earn His approval.

In the book of Isaiah, God was speaking to the Israelites, but He is also speaking to us today through these same words. Isaiah 43:4 says that we are precious and honored in God’s sight, and He loves us.

Thankfully, God’s favor isn’t based on what we do. Since the first humans went their own way against God, we are all sinful. We can never be good enough. We can never do enough. We can never be perfect enough. It’s just not possible. As humans, we are all flawed. But the wonderful news is that we don’t have to be good enough…because Jesus is.

Jesus lived in perfect obedience to God the Father. Because Jesus is fully God and fully human, and He never did wrong, He was able to pay for our wrongdoing by dying on the cross and rising from the dead for us. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

The love God has for us is powerful! His love can move mountains, heal broken hearts, and transform lives (Colossians 3:12). And His love for us is “just because” we are His! He longs to show us His love and be a part of our lives—just as we are, right where we are.

You may ask yourself, “But what about those little flaws and imperfections I have—not to mention all the big flaws? Don’t they change things?” The wonderful answer is NO! God knows everything about you, and your sins and shortcomings do not diminish His love in any way! Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Because His love is not based on what we do but on what Jesus has done, we can rest in this assurance. ⦁ Leslie L. McKee

⦁ Have you ever questioned whether God really loves you? Lots of people feel this way—even people who have been Christians for a long time. You can bring this to Jesus in prayer. He won’t be offended. You are God’s precious, beloved child, and He doesn’t give up on you.

⦁ Have you put your trust in Jesus? Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

“Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you…” Isaiah 43:4 (NIV)

I’m twenty-six years old, and I wish I had known sooner that God wasn’t the maker of my depression.

When ninth grade rolled around, I faced depression like I never had before. I didn’t think I could experience such strong and unsettling emotions while being a follower of Jesus. The part that confused me most was where the extreme sadness came from. Not able to find the answer myself, I’d ask God why He would allow such anguish to hurt me daily.

Being a child of God, one misconception I had was that Christians had to be joyful all the time. Mind you, that is far from the truth. I’d question if I was abnormal because the way I was feeling was not joyful. Was I insane? Was I not doing something right in my relationship with God, and that’s how this started?

Because of this, I started doubting the authenticity of my faith. This was before I knew how much influence Satan, sin, and brokenness have on this world.

The enemy seeks to destroy Christ-followers such as myself. God created the world good, but when people rebelled against God, sin and brokenness infected everything. One version of this brokenness is depression.

But, despite all the brokenness and evil in the world, God is the giver and maker of peace and joy. It’s through Him and the good gifts He provides (including things like mental health professionals and medication) that we can overcome our struggles. That doesn’t always mean the depression will go away, but it does mean that Jesus walks with us and brings us comfort and strength in the midst of it. He never abandons us.

Though Satan continues to steal, kill, and destroy, God works miracles around the enemy’s conniving schemes. Jesus is far greater than the enemy, and His victory came through His death and resurrection—when He defeated sin, death, and brokenness on our behalf. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, God gives us a crown and a blessing in place of ashes and mourning (Isaiah 61:3).

God has already won the battle. When we pay attention, we can see His provision in the midst of the sufferings we face. He is with us in our trials whether they’re in smaller dosages or larger quantities. He provides comfort and strength. He is the maker of joy and peace, not of depression. And someday, we will see His ultimate triumph when Jesus returns to get rid of all brokenness—including depression—forever. ● Brenna Covelens

● Have you ever felt like Christians are supposed to always feel joyful—and that it’s not okay for us to feel any other way?

● Sometimes, God brings about full healing from depression and other types of brokenness we encounter. But other times, depression is a lifelong struggle that won’t fully go away until Jesus returns. Even when the hurt is here to stay, Jesus is with us, weeping with us. He never leaves us. As we draw near to Him, He wraps His arms around us and never lets go. Have you ever felt Jesus’s presence in the midst of pain? What was it like?

● God does not want us to face depression—or any other kind of brokenness—alone. Christians can bring each other hope and comfort in hard times, pointing each other to Jesus. When you are struggling, who can you reach out to? If you know someone who is hurting, how can you come alongside them?

● If you have been feeling depressed and need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. Isaiah 61:3 (NLT)

If you ever feel left out or mistreated, if people talk about you instead of talking to you, you are not alone. It can be hard to deal with the pain of rejection or getting less than what is fair, but it can be comforting to know that you have a God who designed you, created you in a special way, and loves you.

God knew what He was doing when He made you. He gave you the hair color and texture you have—the hair others might not like, but God does. He gave you the smile you have—the one you might feel self-conscious about, but He loves to see. He gave you your personality—the one others might tease you for, but He is delighted by.

You were designed in a certain way. You were put on this earth for a certain reason. You are not an accident or a mistake.

We all have days we feel rejected and hurt. God is there for us on those days. He sees what we’re going through and has compassion on us. He created us, He made us special, and He loves us. ● Emily Acker

● What is one thing you like about the way God made you?

● When it’s difficult to remember that God made you on purpose and He delights in you, who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you remember? How can you be this kind of friend to others?

● Jesus knows what it feels like to be rejected and mistreated. He was betrayed and abandoned by His friends, insulted by unjust rulers, and mocked by crowds of people who had sung His praises only days before. Jesus endured all of this…for us. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that God will never reject us, never mistreat us. How might this truth give you comfort?

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. Psalm 139:1 (NIV)

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved stained glass windows. When sunbeams reach through colored glass and paint the room with rainbows, something inside me stirs. These mosaics of color awaken my heart to wonder.

I think beauty draws us closer to the heart of God. Something inside us craves beauty, and if we listen closely enough, we’ll discover a longing for God deep within us. It seems so fitting to me that some church buildings use stained glass in the spaces where we gather to worship God. After all, He is the One who spoke light into being.

I didn’t know until recently that some churches used colored glass windows for a very specific purpose: to teach the stories of the Bible to people who couldn’t read. Stained glass has been crafted by different cultures in different parts of the world since ancient times, and during the Middle Ages, Christians in Europe started incorporating this artform into their church buildings. At this point in history, few people could read, and usually only wealthy people had access to books. But even though most common people couldn’t read the Bible for themselves, they could learn about the stories of the Bible through artwork.

I love how these medieval Christians served each other, not just by making simple drawings that would serve as a teaching tool, but by making something beautiful. They invited everyone to know God, the author of beauty, and created a special place where all could worship Him. • Hannah Howe

• How can making art be an act of service to the community?

• How can art, even art that doesn’t depict biblical stories, reveal truth that points to Jesus?

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights... James 1:17 (WEB)

One of the most enduring tales of all time is the story of a wish granted. Whether it’s the three wishes of a genie’s lamp in "Aladdin," the ironic twists of "The Monkey’s Paw," or just a discussion among friends, we love the possibility of getting something we want, a chance to make life better. Money? Fame? A particular skill? Healing? There are too many options to list, which is probably why people throughout history have pondered, “What do you want?”

In the Bible, Jesus sometimes asks people the same question. And when the Son of God asks this question, it’s a story worth considering. We’re going to take a closer look at one of these times, which is recorded in Luke 18. Jesus is approaching Jericho with a throng of followers. A man who is blind sits by the road, begging. This man is an outcast with many needs. He can’t see; he has no money and no job. He’s basically a loner in society with nothing going for him. The road to Jericho is dangerous, and this is where he sits and begs.

When he hears that Jesus is passing by, he begins to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (verse 38). The crowds tell him to hush, but he shouts louder. Then Jesus stops and asks the man, “What do you want me to do for you?” (verse 41). It may seem obvious. The man responds, “Lord, I want to see.” Then Jesus heals him, and immediately, he can see.

What’s interesting to me is the man’s response after his eyes are healed. He could have gone home. He could have traveled around to see the sights and people he had never seen. He could have run from this dangerous place. But no. Verse 43 tells us that he “followed Jesus, praising God.” Not only that, but “when all the people saw it, they also praised God.”

On His way to the cross, Jesus gave sight, both physically and spiritually, to a man who was blind. Because of what Jesus did, the man and the crowd began to see Jesus differently. Jesus was more than a cosmic genie granting the whims of random people. Jesus was, and is, God in the flesh, come to restore His creation. He is the Messiah and the Son of God. When the healed man and the crowd saw what Jesus had done, they praised God. • Mike Hurley

• Why do you think this man wanted to follow Jesus after He healed him?

• If you want to dig deeper, you can read two other gospel accounts of Jesus healing blindness outside Jericho in Matthew 20:29-34 and Mark 10:46-52. You can also read about two other times Jesus says, “What do you want?” in Mark 10:35-45 and John 1:35-42.

Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” Luke 18:40-41 (NIV)

Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to make an important decision, but you weren’t sure how to go about it? Do you sometimes fear that taking a wrong path would cost you—maybe jeopardizing your happiness or your relationships—and yet you’re not sure of the right path to take?

Often times, we find ourselves in situations where our knowledge and understanding is limited, and we don’t know what to do, or even where to start. If we’re going to make good decisions, we’ll have to apply wisdom. Wisdom is like a lamp that illuminates the way where there is darkness. And the Bible tells us that God is the source of wisdom (Proverbs 2:6).

We see this in 1 Corinthians 1:30. Paul writes to people who have put their trust in Jesus: “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.” Jesus is our wisdom, and through His death and resurrection, we can be in relationship with God.

And God wants to help us. In James 1, God invites us to ask Him for wisdom, and He promises to give it to us (verse 5). So whenever we need to make a decision, we can ask God for help. One of the ways God guides us is through His Word, the Bible. James goes on to say, “Humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says” (verses 21-22).

This passage echoes something Jesus said: that a person who hears His words and does them is like a wise man who built his house upon a rock (Mathew 7:24). So if we live according to God’s Word, then our decisions will be built on a firm foundation.

When we are at a crossroads of decision-making, wondering which way to go, we need not grope in the dark. God is there, ready to light the way (John 8:12). Let us accept God’s offer of wisdom so we can make good decisions in every situation. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• Where do you need wisdom? Consider taking a moment to talk to God about this.

• Are you ever afraid of making the wrong decision? There are some situations in our lives where there isn’t a right or wrong choice. And no matter what happens, as Christians, we can know that Jesus will be with us through everything we face. How might this truth give you hope?

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5 (NLT)

They were beautiful, but wild and seemingly untamable. These horses of mine galloped across the white sands, surging at times into the foaming sea. A jet black mane and a tail that looked like wispy smoke trailed behind my stallion, Fear. He wasn’t always unruly, but when that glint appeared in his coal black eyes, I knew it would be near impossible to catch him.

Passion pawed at the waves with a shining hoof, whinnying in delight as the salty spray hit her white face. The water glistened on her coat bright as a freshly polished pearl. Passion could be so fulfilling at times, but there were other occasions when she could not be reined in.

I reached up to stroke Sorrow on her soft, gray muzzle. Her dappled coat swirled like drops of rain in a cloudy sky. Joy, her sister, was seldom separate from Sorrow. Joy’s golden back was warm to my touch in the sun, and she nickered softly when I spoke to her.

Rage thundered by, tossing his red mane. His eyes were rolling and wide. There were times when he scared me most of all, when I didn’t know if I could ever control him. I knew in my heart that I could not keep my horses in check on my own. Thankfully, I was not alone.

The Trainer wrapped His arms of love around Fear, calming him. When Passion was eager to gallop and explore, the Trainer taught her how to navigate all kinds of terrain with wisdom and discernment. Joy and Sorrow were never so beautiful as when they were walking close by the Trainer. They were intertwined in this inexpressible dance that made me want to laugh and cry all at once. The Trainer was never afraid of Rage as I was; He held him in gentleness and strength.

As the setting sun glinted off the waves, I knew in the depths of my soul that I was not alone. The Trainer was near. I would hold His promise of peace close, knowing He would guard my horses. With the help of the Trainer, I could do what He called me to do with the strength that He gave. • Savannah Coleman

• In this story, the horses represent our emotions, which are tamed by God the Trainer. We all have times when our thoughts and feelings seem unmanageable. God gave us emotions, but sometimes they can overwhelm us and threaten to control our actions. When do you find it difficult to handle your thoughts and feelings?

• As children of God, we can rely on His help. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He transforms our minds through the renewing power of His Word and His Spirit. He promises that He will be near us; we have His strength in all situations. How might it give you hope to know that you never have to face your emotions alone?

• As we grow in our relationship with Jesus, He helps us to better understand and deal with our emotions (Matthew 11:29). When fear, sorrow, or rage threaten to consume us, we can choose to give our anxieties over to God by telling Him about what we’re experiencing and asking for His help. What emotion(s) are you feeling right now? Consider taking a moment to talk to God about what you’re experiencing.

• Sometimes, our thoughts can be troubling. God invites us to focus on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:6-8). (If you can’t think of anything that fits these descriptions, try thinking about God Himself, because He is all these things! Jesus reveals God the Father, so reading about His life in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John is a great way to find out what God is like.) God promises that His peace will guard our hearts and minds as we come to Him (verses 7, 9).

• If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your emotions, it’s okay to talk about this. Who is a trusted Christian in your life who could listen to you, pray with you, and encourage you? If you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26 (NIV)

In James 3, we are given metaphors for what our "tongue" (or the words we say) is like. James says our words have inherent power, and that power can be used either for good or evil.

He explains the power of the tongue with two analogies: the bridle of a horse (verse 3) and the rudder of a ship (verse 4). Have you ever ridden a horse? Horses are large, powerful creatures, but they can be turned this way and that by a small bridle. In the same way, large ships made of wood are driven by powerful winds at sea, but a single pilot can control a ship by turning a thin rudder.

The bridle and the rudder are comparatively small, yet they possess great power. In the same way, the tongue is one of the smallest parts of the body, yet it packs enormous power.

The tongues of Adolf Hitler and Winston Churchill during World War II illustrate the inherent power of the tongue. On the one hand, Hitler’s passionate, angry speeches appealed to the worst in people, stoking the fires of resentment until they flared up into war and genocide. On the other hand, Churchill spoke boldly over the radio to the people of England, uniting them to resist Hitler and work together for the good of their neighbors. The tongue is a small, simple thing, but its inherent power is capable of much. We must be wise in how we use it. • Jacob Bier

• How can we be wise in how we use our words? Jesus said, “What you say flows from what is in your heart” (Luke 6:45). Without Jesus, all of our hearts are corrupt, but if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, believing He died and rose again, His Holy Spirit begins to transform our hearts to be more and more like His. As we rely on His love for us, we can use our tongues for good (John 15:1-17; 1 John 4:14-16).

• Throughout the Bible, God commands His people to pursue justice for the oppressed and to love our neighbors. What are some practical ways we can do this through our speech?

The tongue can bring death or life. Proverbs 18:21a (NLT)

Have you ever heard such wonderful phrases as these?

"You are precious to me."

"I love you."

"I am with you."

"Do not fear."

Do you know anyone who would speak so tenderly to you? This is how the God of heaven speaks over His people. And even more. He says:

"I have created you."

"I have redeemed you."

"I have called you by name."

"You are mine."

"I will be with you."

"I am the Lord your God."

All these affirming, loving statements come from the same passage in the Bible, Isaiah 43. Can you dare to believe that God cares for you this much?

To let these words sink in, you might try reading these verses again for yourself. If you’re ready, you can thank God for each phrase. You don’t have to read everything word-for-word; you can make it personal. If you’d like a guide, try praying this way:

"Thank you, God, that I am yours. Thank you that I am precious to you. Thank you for loving me and being with me. You created me, redeemed me, and called me by name. Thank you for your promise to be with me, calming all my fears. Thank you, O Lord my God!" • Daniel Dore

• When you feel lonely, abandoned, hurt...how could the words in today’s reading, spoken by God Himself, give you comfort?

• Do you know anyone who needs to hear such life-giving words? Which one of the truths from Isaiah 43:1-5 could you share today?

But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1 (NIV)

Not everyone has great parents. Not everyone has a family history they are proud of. If that’s you, know this: God loves you no matter who your parents are. They might be criminals. They might be people you aren’t proud of and never want to be like. But if you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you have been adopted into God’s family.

You are God’s child.

No matter who your ancestors are or what they have done, you don’t have to be like them. If you know Jesus, you are set apart. You are different. You can look to Jesus and follow Him instead. Through His death and resurrection, He has made you new and enfolded you into His family. And His Holy Spirit lives in you, showing you God’s love, guiding you in His good ways, and empowering you to turn away from sin and live in love.

You are more than the sum of your parents’ genetics. You are more than your family history. You are God’s child.

It doesn’t matter who people expect you to be or what you may have always imagined you would be. The truest thing about you is that you are God’s child. You can take your direction from Him. You are free to live your life how He calls you to and not worry about the expectations of others. This may take some hard work, but you can rely on Jesus and lean on the people He has put around you to help you discern God’s guidance and let go of unhelpful expectations.

When you realize that you are God’s child, you can stop worrying about living this way or that. You can stop stressing about not doing enough or not accomplishing the same things as your parents or siblings or others. You can start looking at yourself through His eyes instead.

God created you. He made every unique part of you. He knows you. You are His child, and you are precious to Him. The Maker of the universe formed you in your mother’s womb, and He has always had His eyes on you. He made you for a reason.

No matter who your parents or ancestors are, you are God’s child. • Bethany Acker

• While our family is an important part of who we are, it’s not all we are. When you get stressed about the expectations of others, how could it be freeing to remember that you are God’s child?

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1a (NIV)

Horatio G. Spafford was a lawyer, an investor, and a follower of Christ who suffered many tragedies in his life. Spafford’s son (also named Horatio) died of scarlet fever at age four. And in October of 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed all his investments along Lake Michigan.

Two years later, in 1873, Horatio thought it would be a good idea to travel with his family to England, where their friend D. L. Moody was holding rallies. Unfortunately, Horatio had to stay in Chicago to attend to some business matters, but he sent his wife, Anna, and their four daughters (Annie, Maggie, Bessie, and Tanetta) on ahead, promising to follow in a few days.

Horatio’s wife and daughters sailed on the SS Ville du Havre. During the voyage, on November 21, the SS Ville du Havre was hit by an iron sailing vessel and sank within twelve minutes, killing 226 people. When the survivors landed in Europe, Mrs. Spafford sent a telegraph to her husband that began with the words, ”Saved alone.” After he received the telegraph, Horatio sailed to meet her in England at once.

Horatio had asked the captain to tell him when they were near the spot where the SS Ville du Havre sank. When they were over the area where his daughters drowned, Horatio said these words: “When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say: It is well, it is well with my soul.”

These are the words of his famous hymn “It Is Well with My Soul.” Horatio wrote the hymn while on board the ship. In the midst of his pain, Horatio trusted Jesus to hold his four daughters in His loving arms. And Jesus was holding Horatio too. • Sarah Jordan

• Because sin has entered the world, terrible things like death, suffering, and brokenness exist everywhere. This is why Jesus came. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus covered the payment for our sin and defeated Satan, sin, and death. One day, He will return to get rid of all suffering forever. In the meantime, if you have put your trust in Jesus, He lives in you through the Holy Spirit, weeping with you and comforting you in hard times. How might these truths affect the way we walk through suffering?

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

I can’t. But God can.

I am weak. But God is strong.

I am afraid. But He can make me brave.

I can’t do it alone. But I don’t have to be alone.

In my darkness, God is my light.

In my pain, He gives healing.

I love the verse in Isaiah that says if we hope in the Lord, we will soar on wings like eagles. We will not grow weary or be faint. God will give us strength.

Sometimes, we need to be weak so that we can see God’s strength. Sometimes, we need to fall down so that we can remember how good it feels to be lifted and held by Him. I can’t do all the things I want to do. In many ways, I don’t have the ability to change my circumstances or make my life turn out how I want. I don’t have the strength to do big things. Not on my own.

I can’t do a lot of things. But God can. When I feel weak, He invites me to turn to Him. When I feel alone, His Holy Spirit reminds me that I am never alone. Jesus came to be Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), and He died and rose again so that everyone who puts their trust in Him could become part of God’s family—including me. My God is always with me, looking out for me, giving me healing, and being the light in my darkest moments. I can’t, but God can do all things. • Bethany Acker

• Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the things you can’t do? How can times of weakness help us grow closer to God? (Take a look at 2 Corinthians 12:9.)

• Sometimes, life feels like it’s just too much. Yet, through Jesus, God gives us comfort and the strength to do what He calls us to do. One of the ways God helps us is through Christian community. Who are trusted Christians in your life who you can be honest with when you are struggling?

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

When God created the world, He saw that it was good (Genesis 1:31). But when the first humans went their own way against God, sin and brokenness messed up that goodness. While we are still made in God’s image, and we like to try to create good things too, we will never reach perfection in our broken world. We make mistakes. We mess up.

For example, I love to write, and a big part of that process is rewriting. I could rewrite a thousand times and never be completely content with my work. It’s easy to get frustrated with myself. Why can’t I get it right? Why can’t it be perfect?

But when Jesus came, He taught us a new way—not one of perfectionism, but of gentleness. He came to His people, as the prophet Zechariah foretold, gentle and riding on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). Jesus taught His followers to come to Him for rest, because He is “gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:28-30).

As children of God, we are called to clothe ourselves with gentleness—to let our gentleness be obvious to those around us. We can’t do this in our own strength, but the Holy Spirit helps us (Galatians 5:22-23). Often, learning to be gentle with others starts with learning to be gentle with ourselves.

Have you ever tried—and failed—to do something perfectly? Have you ever gotten frustrated with yourself? Have you ever struggled to forgive yourself after making a mistake? You’re not alone. I’ve been there. It’s easy to hold grudges against ourselves. But Jesus promises redemption. He has shown us the ultimate gentleness and forgiveness. We can be gentle with ourselves because He is gentle with us. We can forgive ourselves because He has forgiven us. He took our sin upon Himself when He was nailed to the cross, and He defeated sin and death when He rose from the dead.

One day, our gentle Savior promises to bring forth a new heaven and a new earth. There will be no more sin, no more brokenness. But for now, let’s make the most of our broken world. Instead of striving for perfection, we can rest in Jesus’s forgiveness and live in the way of gentleness and grace. After all, that’s how we will show people glimpses of Jesus Christ. • Becca Wierwille

• Do you sometimes feel like you need to be perfect or do something exactly right?

• How might knowing that God is gentle with us help us to be gentle with ourselves and others?

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:5 (NIV)

This morning as I was reaching for my Bible, I was soul-weary from a week of grief and tears. I needed to be saturated in the truth. Then, a picture popped into my mind so instantly and clearly, I felt sure it was from God. The picture was of an IV line threading from my Bible into my arm.

Doctors use an IV line (or intravenous line) to give a patient fluids or medicine. The small tube feeds straight into a vein. When our bodies are sick or dehydrated, an IV can give us the help we need. Similarly, when our souls are weary and the world feels like it’s crumbling around us, we can cling to the encouragement that comes from God’s life-giving words.

When Jesus—the very Son of God—came to live among us, He embodied the truth of the Word. After Jesus had fasted for forty days and nights in the wilderness, He was weary. When the devil came to tempt Him, Jesus used Scripture to combat every attack (Matthew 4:1-11).

Later, in Matthew 24, Jesus said that although heaven and earth will pass away, His words never will (verse 35). Jesus explained that the Temple, the place where God’s presence dwelled among His people, would be destroyed, but His words would endure. God has come to dwell with His people, no longer through a building but through flesh—Jesus Christ. He went to the cross and rose from the dead so we could be with God forever. And Jesus will return to reign over the new heavens and new earth—and God will dwell with us in a whole new way. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have unfading hope. We can rest in the knowledge that the enduring Word of God will not return void but will accomplish everything God intends (Isaiah 55:11).

By reading the living and active Word of God, we have access to the truth our souls so desperately need. We can ask God for His mercy to help us in times of wondering and weakness. He will equip us with everything we need for life. Watch God’s transformative power as His truth flows through your veins. • Savannah Coleman

• Do you have a favorite Bible verse, passage, or story? Why is it meaningful to you?

• Have you ever felt refreshed while reading the Bible? Have you ever felt frustrated? Most people experience both—even people who have been Christians for a long time! Who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to about the Bible?

Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. Romans 15:4 (NLT)

Two of your closest friends are whispering to each other, glancing at you every now and then, giggling. What thoughts enter your head? Does your mind spin something negative without knowing the truth of the situation? Spoiler alert: Your friends were actually planning a surprise birthday party for you!

Over a few days, you send multiple texts to a family member and even try to call them, but they never get back to you. Where does your mind go? Do you spend the days anxiously wondering if something you did or said upset them, only to discover their phone was acting up?

Our minds play games—and not always the fun kind. How can we rein in those thoughts that whiz through our brains faster than the speed of light? If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you are a child of God, and you have the Holy Spirit’s power in you to help you take your thoughts captive before they start making destructive pathways in your brain. It won’t be easy since our minds tend to drift toward the worst-case scenario, but with God’s help we can “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). In Colossians 3, Paul says, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (verse 2). As followers of Jesus, we can practice thinking differently than we did before Jesus was the Lord of our lives. Jesus died for all our sins and rose again victorious; we have been raised with Him by believing in His sacrifice. Therefore, Christ is our life (verse 3), and we can practice dwelling on thought patterns consistent with our new self (verse 10).

When our minds play games, Philippians 4 reminds us that we have God’s peace to guard not only our hearts but also our minds in Christ Jesus (verse 7). When thoughts enter, we have a choice to let them spread chaos or to evaluate them before they marinate in our minds. Verse 8 is the ultimate mind monitor: Is this thought true? Is this thought pure? Is this thought lovely? Is it admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy? When troubling thoughts threaten to take control of our minds, we can turn to Jesus and behold Him—He is always true, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of our praise. And His love for us is sure. • Savannah Coleman

• When our minds play games, how could it help to remember what Jesus has done for us?

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

I’m twenty-eight years old, and I wish I had realized sooner that God is my truest friend. As a teen, I was told that everyone could make friends easily. But in school, I felt as if I was the only one who couldn’t. I desperately wanted to, but I had a hard time finding true friends. I would make friends only to have them walk out of my life, sometimes permanently.

This took an emotional toll on me. When really nice people would come into my life, I actually expected to be treated poorly. I expected them to leave me just like everyone else did.

I went through so much heartache, I would sometimes forget that Jesus was— and is—my truest friend. He is someone I can always talk to and always rely on, no matter who walks in and out of my life. Jesus is the One who will never leave me or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5).

Jesus never abandoned me to figure out life on my own, and He never will. He wants me to remember that He is always with me, even when my friends walk out of my life. No matter how people see me, He sees me as His beloved child. I’m thankful I can call Jesus my best friend. • Alexis Wohler

• Have you ever had trouble making friends? Community is important to God, and He hurts with you when you are lonely. Consider taking a moment to pray and ask Him to bring people around you in His good timing.

• When you feel left out or like you don’t have enough friends, how might Jesus be inviting you to come to Him and receive His comfort? (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 (NIV)

Do you often think about what is to come...tomorrow, next week, or next year?

None of us know what is to come. It’s up to God to know. He holds the future, and He will be with us when we get there. We can trust Him because He’s good, and “His faithful love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1). As we rely on God and follow Jesus, we don’t have to worry about the future. Instead, we can be free to focus on the present.

If we take a look at our lives, we might start to notice some of the ways God is blessing us right now. Let’s not forget to enjoy these good moments because we are too focused on the future.

Let’s not miss out on the good things happening right now because we are consumed with thoughts about what could happen later. For example, the people who are in our lives now might not be with us tomorrow. Perhaps God has put them here now for a reason. We can ask God to help us see what opportunities He is giving us, and we can rely on His strength to focus on being present where He has placed us.

Every blessing comes from God, and we can praise Him for giving us so many good things (Ephesians 1:3; James 1:17). We can also thank Him for the promise that He will be with us in the future (Hebrews 13:5). Since Jesus died and rose from the dead for us, nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39). And because of that, we have nothing to worry about. • Bethany Acker

• God is powerful, and He loves us. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He will be with us no matter what. How might these truths give you comfort as you look toward the future?

• What about the future is exciting to you? What are you concerned about? You can bring all these things to Jesus in prayer. He loves to listen to you, and He will guide you as you seek Him.

• Do you ever have a hard time focusing on the present? When worries about the future feel overwhelming, who could you talk to—such as a parent, counselor, pastor, or friend?

This is the day the Lord has made; let’s rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 (CSB)

I sometimes struggle with the fact that God offers the same kind of grace and love to someone who has hurt me as He does to me. I mean...that person doesn’t deserve all that, do they?

Maybe you are the kind of person who goes out of your way to do nice things for others. And then you have someone in your life who only thinks about their own needs. Does it bother you when you realize that God loves them just as much as He loves you, and He wants to accept them into His family too?

We are all equal. We might feel like we’re better than some of those around us. We might feel worse. But we all have the same value in God’s eyes.

The death of Jesus on the cross was not just for me or you or certain people who are “good” or “worthy” of being saved. There was a criminal dying on the cross next to Jesus’s, and he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

The truth is, we are all sinful. We could never do enough good things to earn God’s grace. That’s not how grace works. God loves us with a never-ending love, a love that isn’t affected by what we do right or what we do wrong. And when we realize this is how God loves and accepts us, it becomes easier for us to accept others...and to admit our own faults.

We are not better than others. We struggle too. We need God’s grace. Without Jesus giving His life for sinners, we would not have the hope of eternity. We are just like those who hurt us, those who look out only for themselves. All of us are unworthy. But Jesus is the Worthy One (Revelation 5:1-12). He went to the cross and rose from the dead so that EVERYONE who puts their trust in Him can be counted worthy in God’s sight. • Emily Acker

• Do you ever struggle with thinking that you’re better than others? Jesus invites us to bring these thoughts to Him. He won’t condemn us; He will help us turn away from sin and live in His love.

• Do you sometimes feel like you’re not worthy of God’s love and forgiveness? You can bring these thoughts to Jesus too. According to today’s Bible passages, what does Jesus say about you?

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. Titus 2:11 (NIV)

God can do all things. There are countless passages in the Bible about amazing things God has done. The Exodus is a good example. God rescued the Israelites, along with many other people, from the ruthless rulers who had enslaved them in Egypt. God sent plagues until Pharaoh let the people go, and then God went ahead of His people in a pillar of fire and cloud to guide and protect them. When Pharaoh’s army came after them, God made a path through the Red Sea by piling up the water so His people could walk through...on dry ground! It’s just crazy to think about. Think about the sea; have you ever made piles of water while at the beach? Of course not! Only God can. God can do all things.

In Joshua 6, the Israelites faced off with Jericho. The people of Jericho were already scared of the Israelites. They were really scared of God, because they had heard about how God parted the Red Sea for His people. Neither the Israelites nor anybody are anything without God. He told Joshua to lead the Israelite army around the city of Jericho once each day for six days. On the seventh day, God told Joshua to march around seven times. Joshua and the people listened, and the walls fell! God can do all things.

In John 11, when Jesus arrived at His friends’ home, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Both Mary and Martha told Jesus that their brother Lazarus would have gotten better from his sickness if Jesus had been there. Jesus replied, “Your brother will rise again” (verse 23). Martha thought Jesus meant Lazarus would rise on Resurrection Day—which is the day of Jesus’s second coming when everyone will rise from the dead and those who believe in Jesus will live with Him forever. Later in the passage, Jesus was with Martha at Lazarus’s grave. Jesus told her to roll the stone away. She had no idea what Jesus was doing, but she obeyed. Then Jesus prayed out loud to God, and Lazarus walked out of the grave when Jesus commanded! God can do all things. • Josh Wager

• Do you have a favorite story about something amazing God has done, either from the Bible or from your own life?

• If you want to dig deeper, read Exodus 1:8-22, 12:37-38, 13:17–14:31, 15:8; and Joshua 2:1-24, 6:1-20.

Jesus looked at them and said, “...with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 (NIV)

College preparation is daunting. You outline the roadmap to your future—a blueprint setting a foundation for your life. Thus, you strive to place every step perfectly in order, as though you were scaling a mountain and had to plan each foothold to reach the summit.

In high school, I applied to a wide range of colleges, considering numerous paths, though I’d always planned to study English. By the midpoint of senior year, I believed I’d found the college for me, which offered two English tracks. Meanwhile, I had been exploring other colleges. And then, at one local university, I was amazed by the sense of connection and community I felt. A traditional English major program, however, was not offered.

I was torn; I had to choose my original blueprint, didn’t I? Ultimately, I made the choice that was best for me, enrolling in the university with a great community but no English program. Initially, I was overwhelmed by designing a new course of study personalized to my dreams. But, as I let go of knowing all the details— leaving my worries in God’s care and trusting that He works all things for His good purposes—everything naturally fell into place, and new opportunities arose that I had not foreseen.

It wasn’t a traditional English program like I’d imagined, but it exceeded my plans. I learned so much about myself, discovering new subjects I was passionate about. I cultivated a meaningful educational pathway through listening to God as I took steps into the future, resting in His immense love for me.

I don’t have to worry about ordering every specific step of the future. I can rest knowing Jesus is with me now. He has already triumphed over death, rising from the grave. With faith in His goodness, I can let go of the fears weighing me down and savor the amazing journey of walking with Him. • Kathryn Sadakierski

• As Christians, we walk with Jesus through our lives, which means we can talk with Him as we make big decisions, and we have the freedom to adjust course as we notice what opportunities God is giving us and as we learn more about the ways He has made us. Think of a time when God surprised you with a new opportunity. How did this help change you for the better?

At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ... Colossians 4:3 (CSB)

I might feel weak, not ready to face the bullies I see around me. I might feel weak, not prepared for a health battle in front of me. I might feel weak, unable to stand up for myself. I might feel weak...but I serve a God who is strong.

You will have days when life gets to you and you feel weak. You will have days when you are tired. But even on those days, God is strong, and He is prepared to be there for you.

Again and again, the Bible talks about God giving us strength (Psalm 18:30-36; Ephesians 3:14-21). When we are worn out and we don’t feel ready for the things that are coming up in our lives, we can ask Him to make us strong.

The Bible talks about God being there for us. Sometimes, all it takes to feel stronger and ready for anything is knowing that someone is with us and we don’t have to deal with things on our own.

When I am weak, God has the chance to show me just how strong He is.

When I am weak, I can grow closer to God and accept the help He offers.

When I am weak, God can work through me.

Being weak does not always have to be a negative thing. • Emily Acker

• Can you think of a time you felt weak? Do you feel weak today?

• Has God ever surprised you with the kind of help He gave you when you were weak?

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV)

"This better be worth it,” I muttered through gritted teeth. The straps of my backpack bit into my shoulders, making each step feel heavier than the last.

"Malik said it would be just around this bend. If he’s wrong, I’m gonna tell him to carry this stupid weight all this way." I knew it didn’t actually work that way—nobody could carry somebody else’s weight—but the thought made a wry smile stretch across my face. If Malik was right, soon I’d finally be able to put this weight down. I’d been carrying it for a long, long time.

I followed a bend in the trail, and a gasp escaped my mouth. I saw it. "This. This has to be the place." Straight in front of me stood a glorious building made of precious gold, shimmering silver, and glittering gems. It seemed to shine in the afternoon light.

I pushed open the heavy wooden door, and inside I found a man. While His simple clothing wasn’t nearly as glamorous as the building around Him, He still seemed radiant. Before Him sat a large basket.

“Welcome, Dominic.” He smiled. “I’m so happy to see you.” He glanced at my backpack. “That looks heavy. Would you like to put it down?” He asked, waving a scarred hand at the basket. I remembered Malik’s words when he told me that He would take whatever I put in the basket.

“Y-yes, I think I would.”

“Here, let me help.” He gently lifted the bag from my back and opened it on the floor, exposing its contents. Inside, I saw my life. Rocks of various shapes and sizes, each one labeled—mistakes, regrets, and hurts mingled with my talents, achievements, and prized relationships. I knelt to the floor, and one by one, I placed each rock in His basket.

I expected to feel lighter, and I did, but a heaviness remained in my heart. I just couldn’t shake it. Giving Him the contents of my backpack didn’t feel like enough. Confused and desperate, I began to panic. "Why do I still feel this way? What else do I have?"

In my desperation I looked up at Him, and in His eyes I saw...love. And suddenly, the answer was clear. Before I quite knew what I was doing, I got to my feet. He seemed to read my mind and beamed as He held out a hand to help me balance.

Then, I got into the basket. • Taylor Eising

• What is weighing heavily on you today? Consider taking a moment to imagine all these things as heavy objects. What are these objects, and what do they represent? Do you feel like you can give these things to Jesus? Why or why not?

• Because God cares about us, we can cast all our burdens on Him (1 Peter 5:7). Jesus, in His grace, gives us the faith to drop all our worries at His feet and rely on His love. How can the truth that Jesus cares about us—and every part of our lives—make it easier for us to entrust our troubles to Him?

• What do you notice about Jesus in this story? Why do you think the author depicted Him this way?

• Why do you think Dominic got into the basket?

You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. Psalm 51:16-17 (NLT)

How should we react when negative and unkind words are spoken to us or about us? Do we react in anger to defend ourselves or get involved in arguments in order to clear our reputations? Do we meditate on these hurtful words and hold grudges?

Years back, I would respond to such words in a rude way, either to defend myself or to hurt the people who had spoken hurtful words to me. I would meditate on the negative words so much that I would end up with bitterness in my heart.

Then, I came across Philippians 4:8. In this passage, God’s Word tells us to think and meditate on good things. I began to see that I was doing a wrong thing by meditating on wrong words.

Instead of storing up the cruel words of others in our hearts, we can meditate on God’s Word. We can rest in the truth that He loves us immeasurably and rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). And when we are secure in the love God has for us—a love fully revealed in Jesus’s death and resurrection—that love overflows into how we respond to the unloving people around us.

In our day-to-day encounters with people, we hear unkind and negative words. In these situations, we are tempted to fight back, to hate and hold grudges. But such a reaction will lead us to sin against God and each other. James 1:20 warns us that the sinful anger of humans does not work toward the righteousness of God.

Instead of reacting in sinful anger, we can rest in the love Jesus has for us and for those around us, and we can let that love direct our speech. Through the Holy Spirit’s work in us, we can be “slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). Let’s follow the example of Jesus: when He was insulted by others, He did not insult them in return but instead trusted God, who is the just judge (1 Peter 2:21-23). • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• When we hear gossip or unkind words about ourselves, we often want to get revenge. How could remembering Jesus’s love for you (and those who hurt you) bring peace and healing?

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 (NIV)

Miriam was a prophet, a leader, and a singer. In Exodus 15, she led the women in a dance to the Lord on the day He saved them from slavery in Egypt by parting the Red Sea and defeating the army that pursued them. In this instance, she used her mouth for good, to sing praises to God.

However, in another incident (Numbers 12), Miriam used her mouth wrongly. She and Aaron spoke against their brother, Moses, because of the Cushite woman he had married. The same mouth that had sung praise to God was now backbiting and judging Moses, the servant of God.

The Bible says, “the Lord heard this” (verse 2), and He summoned Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to the tent of meeting, where He came down in a pillar of cloud and spoke to Miriam and Aaron. The Lord corrected them and spoke what was true about Moses. Then they repented of their sin, and God was merciful to them.

We sometimes find ourselves doing what Miriam did. In one situation, we use our mouth for good, and in another, we use it for evil. We use the same mouth to praise God and to slander, criticize, and belittle others. James 3:10 says, “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” James 4:6-12 urges us to turn away from sin, including slandering and condemning others, and instead submit to God humbly. This command comes with a promise: “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (verse 8).

We are able to come to God because Jesus took all our sin upon Himself when He went to the cross. Jesus—who always used His mouth for good and not for evil—let people insult Him and slander Him and judge Him unjustly. Jesus is fully God, yet He showed the utmost humility (Philippians 2:5-11). He laid down His life. And then He rose from the dead—so everyone who puts their trust in Him can be forgiven of all their sins. As Christians, we are called to follow Jesus as our example. With the Holy Spirit’s power, let us endeavor to use our mouths as Jesus did, for good and not for evil. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• Have you ever been hurt by someone’s words? Have you ever hurt someone else? How can Jesus bring healing and restoration to these wounds?

Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. James 3:10 (NIV)

Confess your sins All the wrong things you do He won’t condemn But He will make you new

When you are weary Remember the words He’s spoken Come to Him He heals the broken

God’s Word is powerful He’s never lied He loves the sinners To them, His grace applied

Confess your sins Let Him heal you Come to Him Let Him make your life new • Bethany Acker

• When we do wrong, we don’t have to try to hide our sin. God already knows, and He wants us to come to Him and receive His forgiveness—instead of hiding in shame and fear. This forgiveness is possible because Jesus died on the cross, taking the full weight of our sin upon Himself, and then rose from the dead, beating sin and death once and for all. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, all our sins have been forgiven—past, present, and future. Because our forgiveness is secure, we don’t need to be afraid to confess the full extent of our sins to God and ask Him to help us turn away from them. In fact, confessing our sins is one of the ways we draw near to God. Are there any sins weighing on you today? You can bring these to Jesus in prayer.

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9 (NLT)

We are living in a world where unconditional love is hard to find. This is the kind of love that has no conditions, where one person will always love the other person, no matter what they do. Unfortunately, many relationships are based on conditional love, on what one person can get from the other, what favors they can offer each other or what happiness they can give each other.

In school, I wanted to be friends with the students who commanded respect from others, those who had a voice that could be heard in our circles. My motive for getting in such relationships was that I wanted to gain their favor, not that I really loved them or valued those relationships. And so, my love was conditional because, if they were to lose their social positions, I would no longer value them as friends.

Back then, I did not understand what true love is. But today, I want to love people—not because of what I can get from them but with genuine love—the kind of love God has shown us. Because God loved us, He gave His Son, Jesus (John 3:16). He did not love us for what He could get from us. Instead, God showed His love by giving Himself up for us (Ephesians 5:25).

God’s love is unconditional. What does this look like? Jesus showed us. On the night before He went to the cross, He took the position of a servant and washed His disciples’ feet, knowing that they would soon desert Him. And then He commanded them to love each other as He had loved them (John 13:14-15; 15:12). Jesus showed us the full extent of God’s love when He died on the cross and took our sins upon Himself, and then rose from the dead, defeating sin and death forever. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that we are held securely in His love. And when we rest in God’s unconditional love for us, it becomes possible for us to love others.

Philippians 2 says, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (verse 5). This means not doing anything out of selfish ambition, not looking out only for our own interests but also for the interests of others (verses 3-4). Because God loves us, we can love one another (1 John 4:19). • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• How might knowing that God loves you unconditionally help you love others unselfishly?

• If someone has hurt you deeply, you don’t need to be in relationship with them. Instead, love might look like setting up healthy boundaries. Who is a trusted adult you could talk to about this?

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son [Jesus], that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)

"Where is that pearl?" Mira worriedly wound a strand of her long, lavender locks around her finger. She swam up to a glistening sea anemone and peered around it carefully. Nothing! “Hey girl!” Mira whipped around to see the freckle-filled face of her best friend grinning back at her. “Lena! You scared my tail off!” Mira huffed, smoothing her turquoise scales. Lena laughed and said, “What are you looking for so intently? I don’t think you would have noticed a flotilla of swordfish!” Mira grabbed Lena’s arm. “You’ve got to help me—I’ve lost the Pearl of Protection!”

“Wait—you’ve lost the very pearl that protects all of Merlantis from enemy invaders...and now it’s out there just waiting for the Ligores to find it?” Lena’s face grew pale. “Keep your voice down!” Mira shuddered. The Ligores were the fiercest kind of tiger sharks known to mer-kind. Their jaws had been known to slice a mer-tail in half, their manes barbed with stinging tentacles that would render the victim immobile for up to a day. “Sorry—I’ll help you search.” Lena swam quickly over to the coral reef, her fuchsia tail blending with the bright colors of the reef.

Hours later, Mira and Lena hovered at the edge of Skelton, the ship graveyard of the deep. “If the Ligores stole the pearl, they would hide it here.” Mira tried to keep the fear from seeping through her whispered words. Lena nodded solemnly, and they swam forward together.

Deep in the hull of the third ship they searched, Mira noticed a board sticking up from the floor at an odd angle. She motioned Lena over, and they tugged until the board came free, revealing a pouch that looked as though it had been crafted from Ligore skins. Grimacing, Mira pulled on the strings that she hoped were not entrails. Inside lay the glistening Pearl of Protection. “Once it was lost, but now it is found.” Lena breathed with a victorious smile. Mira enclosed the smooth pearl in her palm. “Oh Lena, I’m so thankful we found it! Let’s get this beauty back to Merlantis where it belongs...then we can celebrate!” • Savannah Coleman

• In Luke 15, Jesus told three parables about something lost: a sheep, a coin, and a son. In the first two instances, the people who lost things searched until they found them. But in the parable of the lost son, the father was eagerly waiting to welcome his straying son home with open arms. God the Father rejoices when the lost are found (verses 6-7, 9-10, 22-24, 32)! How might this truth give you hope?

• Just as Mira and Lena searched for the pearl until it was found, and the people in Jesus’s parables searched for what was lost, God never stops seeking those who are lost. He desires that all people come to Him (2 Peter 3:9). He is the God who provides a home for the lost, safety for those in danger, and rest for the weary. He sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue us from bondage and set us free by dying on the cross and rising from the dead (Ezekiel 34:27; Luke 4:17-21). If you haven’t put your trust in Jesus, are you ready to come to the One who provided a way for you to be found? (Romans 10:9-13) If you have questions about this, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to? (You can also find more information on our "Know Jesus" page.)

• Jesus also told a parable about how the kingdom of heaven is like an extremely valuable pearl. He said, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:44-46). As God seeks us with deep love, He also longs for us to seek Him. Why is knowing God more precious than anything else?

“For the Son of Man [Jesus] came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 (NIV)

Sometimes, even the best-laid plans don’t work out. There’s nothing wrong with planning, and, in fact, it’s healthy. However, what I have learned since I was a teen is that God is working His purposes through all things, even when my own plans fall apart.

Trust me, I know personally the pain of a lost dream and plan.

My fiancé was someone I really loved. We seemed perfect for each other in every way, but ultimately, when we were planning our future, we felt God pulling us in separate directions.

It hurt...bad. There aren’t words to express the anguish of a broken heart.

But do you know what? Because he and I mutually and maturely ended our relationship, I finally took notice of another man who’d always been there for me. This young man helped me through this hardship and many others. Years later, I married him, and we now have four beautiful children together.

It’s good to plan some things, but even when our lives don’t go according to our plans, we can know that in Christ—no matter what we face—God loves us and is working all things out for His good purposes. • Jordyn Johnson

• Reread today’s Scripture passage. What are some of the good plans God is working out for His children? How can these promises comfort us in the face of disappointment and heartbreak?

• Who are trusted people—such as counselors, parents, pastors, or friends—you can talk with when you’re facing disappointment and heartbreak?

• Do you know someone who has been disappointed by a failed plan recently? Consider taking a moment to pray for them. You might even ask God to help you bring them comfort today.

The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart from generation to generation. Psalm 33:11 (CSB)

Living creatures thirst for water. Thirst is the kind of feeling that makes one unsettled until water is found to quench it. As humans, we also experience spiritual thirst—the kind of thirst God alone can satisfy.

In Psalm 42, the psalmist compares his longing and thirst for God to that of a deer for water. When a deer has an overwhelming longing for water, it can’t settle till it finds it. In a similar way, the psalmist had such longing for fellowship with God that he could not find rest elsewhere. He realized the only true and living God was the God of his life (verse 8). His innermost self desired God more than anything in this world. And he desired to live a righteous life before God.

Like this psalmist, we are living in a world full of sin, where we are surrounded by evil and evildoers. When we long for God, for His holiness and righteousness, we are longing for Him to make things right and whole, to bring justice and restore this broken world. In Mathew 5:6, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Jesus will satisfy them Himself because He is the source of living water (John 4:13-14; 7:37-39). He alone is the source of life and the Savior of the world.

As we get to know Jesus, we long for more and more of God, to worship Him and be near Him. He is the giver of living waters, and He will quench our thirst and give us full satisfaction in our souls. Let us desire more and more of God. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• Have you ever felt a longing for God? Maybe you felt a desire to be closer to Him. Maybe you ached for some part of creation to be brought under His good reign. The wonderful news is God longs for these things too! And He invites us to come to Him and ask.

• God has provided the way for us to know Him through Jesus’s death and resurrection. According to John 7:37-39, how does Jesus give us living water?

Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation. 1 Peter 2:2 (CSB)

If I could just reach a little farther Stretching as much as I can I see that hand reaching toward me I feel myself falling away Down I go Save me! Just like that, I am grabbed He pulls me up I am rescued I am warm and wrapped in peace One cry to Him One catch when I was falling away I am okay now He is with me He holds me and whispers to me I have been saved • Emily Acker

• No matter how hard we try, none of us can save ourselves (Ephesians 2:1-9). But God is so near, ready to save us as soon as we cry out to Him. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, God made a way for us to be forgiven and live with Him forever. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are held securely in God’s love. Have you put your trust in Jesus? If not, what questions do you have? Who is a trusted Christian in your life you could talk to about these things? (You can also find more information on our "Know Jesus" page.)

• God doesn’t just want to save us from sin and death; He also wants to help us whenever we are in trouble. What hard things are going on in your life right now? Are you ever hesitant to cry out to God for help?

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved...For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9, 13 (NLT)

Most of us don’t enjoy waiting; it feels like a boring, passive exercise. Just the word "waiting" might stir up images of sitting in a doctor’s office with nothing to do. Or maybe it feels like the endless days before summer vacation, staring out the window or watching the clock. Waiting seems like a non-activity.

As Christians, we wait for many things. We wait for God’s perfect timing and for His promises to be fulfilled. Most of all, we are waiting for the return of Jesus. But this waiting is not a passive, sitting-on-our-hands kind of waiting, whiling away the time until He appears. In Luke 12, Jesus told a parable about servants waiting for their master to return home. Like these servants, we are called to be “dressed for service” (verse 35), actively serving God as faithful and wise managers who God has left in charge of caring for His creation (verse 42).

Christ’s return is a sure thing, and as we look forward to it with hope, there is much for us to do in His service until He comes. God calls us to share in His joy by being part of the good things He is doing. We can engage in good works (which usually look like helping others), in prayer, and in sharing the gospel—which is the good news about Jesus. And we don’t do these things in our own strength; rather, we rely on the Holy Spirit and work together with fellow Christians. We are called to see ourselves as servants until our Master returns so that He will find us actively working for Him.

Notice the special promises that come with this active waiting: Jesus says, “The servants who are ready and waiting for his [the master’s] return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!” (verse 37). The God of the universe reverses the roles of master and servants. Jesus showed this on the night before He went to the cross, when He took the position of a servant and washed His disciples’ feet. Then He told them to serve one another in the same way and to love each other as He had loved them. When Jesus returns, He will reward His faithful followers who loved well. What an honor for His people! Jesus will put these faithful servants “in charge of all he owns” (verse 44). In the life to come, He will give greater responsibility to those who have served Him in this world. So let us wait actively as we rest in this sure hope: Christ is coming again! • Laura N. Sweet

• How might remembering the way Jesus has lovingly served us help us to lovingly serve one another? (If you want to dig deeper, read John 13:1-17, 34-35 and Philippians 2:1-13.)

“The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!” Luke 12:37a (NLT)

Sparrows are the most common birds in the world, and almost every type of sparrow is small and beige with brown streaks. It’s no surprise that many people, even experienced bird-watchers, have trouble telling them apart! That’s why bird-watchers don’t just look at outside appearances to tell species apart. Even though many birds look the same on the outside, different species of birds often act differently from each other. They may also sing different songs or live in different habitats.

The look-alike birds remind me a bit of being a Christian, a follower of Jesus. Sometimes, we can look like Christians on the outside, but we might not act like Jesus at all. We might say that we follow Jesus, but the “song” we sing—our words and actions—might say differently.

Jesus saw this in His day too. He criticized the Pharisees and the religious teachers who said they followed God and looked very religious on the outside, but inside they were full of greed and pride (Matthew 23:23-28). Though they taught people about following God, they didn’t follow their own teaching (Matthew 23:1-4)!

The fact of the matter is, no matter how religious we act on the outside, the only way for us to be made clean from sin is through Jesus. He died and rose again to forgive us and make us right with God. The Bible says that when we become followers of Jesus, He makes us new and changes us (2 Corinthians 5:17). We should not conform to the way of the world or go back to our sin but be transformed to become more like Jesus.

Jesus loves us deeply, and He calls us to follow Him through every aspect of our lives. He said all God’s commands can be summed up by these two: love God and love your neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40). So don’t be afraid to be different from the world—stand out for Jesus and show His love in your thoughts, words, and actions. • Abby Ciona

• Are you ever tempted to make yourself look religious? You can bring this to Jesus in prayer.

• Jesus forgives sinners—including Pharisees like Nicodemus and Saul/Paul. If you’d like to dig deeper, read John 3:1-21, 7:45-52, 19:38-42; Acts 7:54–8:3, 9:1-30; and 1 Timothy 1:12-17.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 (NIV)

I’ve watched people in my life struggle. I’ve watched them deal with health issues. I’ve watched them leave jobs, not knowing what was next. I’ve had my own struggles. Life isn’t always easy, and sometimes it’s hard to understand why things are happening the way they are.

God created the world good, but when the first humans sinned, the world became filled with death and sickness and conflict and pain. But God didn’t give up on us. He came to restore what we broke.

Jesus—God in flesh—took our sin upon Himself when He died on the cross. Then, He rose back to life, beating sin and death once and for all. Because of what Jesus has done, we can look forward to the day He will return to restore creation— then there will be no more health issues, no more struggles, no more heartache (Revelation 21:4). In the meantime, God does not leave us to fend for ourselves. He sends His Holy Spirit to be in everyone who has put their trust in Jesus.

We have a God who wants to be with us. We can try to make it through each day alone, or we can lean on God. We live on a planet where life is difficult, and we have to deal with things that are hard and weigh us down, but we can choose to rely on the One who is over everything and God of all.

Why do we sometimes forget—or even ignore—the fact that God is always there to support us? We don’t have to make plans without looking to God first. We don’t have to try to figure out what to do all on our own. When we need to go to the hospital, we don’t have to go by ourselves. We don’t have to walk a single step alone. Through it all, we can talk to God.

We can come to God at any time. He loves us, and He invites us to rely on Him for guidance and support. At the first sign of trouble, we can turn to God. • Emily Acker

• Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Why do you think God wants to be with us?

• Have you ever experienced God guiding or comforting you in some way? If so, consider taking a moment to thank Him. If not, you can come to God anytime and ask.

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:4 (NIV)

"Perfect timing!” I exclaim as my family walks in the door just as I finish baking cookies. Usually, “perfect timing” is what we say when things happen when we want them to, at our convenience, according to our planning and preferences. But what about when things don’t work out according to our timing or terms? When disappointments pile up, or we miss out on opportunities? What about when our prayers feel unanswered, or we feel stuck in life?

When we look at the Bible, we see that God’s timing often looks very different from the timing we have in mind. Take Abraham and Sarah, for example. God promised them a son when they were more than ninety years old! After years of waiting, even in their old age, God gave them a son, Isaac, and his descendants became the people of Israel (Genesis 21:1-7).

Then there’s Job. He faced immense suffering and lost wealth, health, and family, but he was patient and trusted God and once again experienced God’s overflowing blessing. Job’s story reveals that “the Lord is full of compassion and mercy” (James 5:10-11).

Finally, when Jesus heard that His friend Lazarus was sick, Jesus waited two days before starting the journey to Lazarus’s home in Bethany. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Everyone thought Jesus was too late to save him. But Jesus went to the tomb and shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And Lazarus came back to life (John 11:43-44)!

These stories remind us that God is always on time: never too early, never too late. Waiting isn’t easy for any of us, but God is with us in times of waiting, steadfastly loving us. And if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He helps us to become patient like He is patient (Galatians 5:22). Through the Holy Spirit, He teaches us, reminds us to surrender control, and helps us trust in Him. Through waiting, He helps us grow in faith and learn to live in the present, trusting God with our future because His plan is bigger than ours. We might think God is slow to fulfill His promises, but that isn’t the case; rather, God is patient with us, “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8-9). He sees things from an eternal perspective, all part of His great story. • Abby Ciona

• Do you ever question God’s timing?

• In John 11:4-7, why did Jesus wait to go to Lazarus?

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:6 (NIV)

Do you have a constant contact list on your phone? Mine includes my family and some close friends. I’m constantly texting, calling, or emailing these people with my schedule updates, plans, and schoolwork questions. We are in touch all day with the minutiae of pick-up times, homework assignments, and random things like funny videos.

My constant contact list is my inner circle. They know my whereabouts, my habits, and my humor...and I know theirs. My constant contact list brings me a sense of security. We don’t necessarily have long talks or big adventures every day, but the short, frequent texts and calls make me feel included and cared for.

I pray in text message format too.

I pray constantly,

about everything,

every day.

When I’m worried, I let Jesus know.

When I see something beautiful, I thank Jesus.

When I’m hoping for something, I ask Jesus for it.

These prayers are not formal or long or even out loud,

but they are constant and help me connect with Christ.

He and I know that the lines of communication are always open.

Whenever I’m talking, He’s listening.

And by conditioning my thoughts to prayer,

It has gotten easier for me to hear His Word.

My ongoing dialogue with Christ opens my heart to His guidance,

And I know I am never alone. • Kelly Bakshi

• If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you can be in constant contact with God, who loves you more than you know. Jesus has made this possible through dying on the cross and rising from the dead (Mark 15:37-39; Hebrews 4:14-16). What would you like to talk to God about? Maybe you have some anxieties or fears on your mind? Maybe something made you smile recently?

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

"I’m afraid my cousin is dying,” I confessed with a catch in my voice. I clutched my Bible as I sat in an upstairs room in our church building with a small group of young adults. The class leader had called for prayer requests before he led into that day’s study. While holding back tears, I expressed worry and sorrow about my cousin’s worsening battle with cancer.

Instead of concern, though, I was met with awkward silence. The handful of other people in the class wouldn’t meet my eye. Some fidgeted. Then, into the silence, the teacher announced, “Let’s open our books.” My heartache had been overlooked, and I got the message I should keep my sadness to myself instead of burdening others.

But, in Christ, there is another way to walk alongside each other during trials. When we turn to Jesus for forgiveness of our sins, we receive new life, a new relationship with God as our Father, and a new place in the family of God.

In His Word, the Lord shows us how to interact with those in His family—our brothers and sisters in Christ. He invites us to bear each other’s burdens, including mourning with those who mourn—sharing the load of grief with fellow believers (Romans 12:15; Galatians 6:2).

Jesus Himself carried our burdens all the way to the cross. He subjected Himself to the pain and weakness of human life so that He could rescue us. He showed us love and compassion. Now, as His followers, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to follow God’s command to offer that same love and compassion to others (John 15:12). • Allison Wilson Lee

• Has God’s Word or the presence of Jesus ever comforted you in times of grief or loss?

• How can you extend Christ’s compassion to others just by listening when they open up to you?

• Have you ever been hurt by a church community? You can share your experience with Jesus, the One who knows our suffering (Hebrews 4:14-16). As you share with Jesus, you can talk with Him about who might be a good person to process your experience with—such as a pastor, parent, counselor, or friend.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15 (NIV)

Of all the interesting things Jesus did, one of the most intriguing was that He stayed on that cross.

Growing up, I remember childhood adversaries who would taunt, “I bet you can’t...” Of course, the first thing any of us want to do when challenged this way is to prove we can. It can be so hard to ignore the taunts of others.

Jesus knows what that feels like. As He suffered on the cross for our sins, His enemies taunted Him to get down from the cross. Jesus had just spent years showing God’s glory to the world, and then His friends deserted and betrayed Him. Now He had a chance to stop His suffering and really prove God’s power. We know Jesus could have freed Himself in an instant because He had said earlier, in Matthew 26:53, “Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?”

This is amazing. Jesus could have climbed down from the cross, but He chose not to. Why? In verse 54, Jesus went on to say, “But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”

And those Scriptures needed to be fulfilled because our salvation depended on it. It was for us that Jesus ignored the taunts and took the pain. It was for the people taunting Him. Jesus loved us more than He loved His own life. And He fully proved His power by rising from the dead, defeating sin and death on our behalf, and guaranteeing that, when He returns, His people will rise from the dead and live with Him forever. Who but God? • Heather Tekavec

• Have you ever loved somebody so much that you would suffer greatly to help them? Jesus loves you so much that He suffered the cross for you. How might this truth give you hope?

• What significance do Jesus’s death and resurrection have for us? (Find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

Because of the joy awaiting him, he [Jesus] endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Hebrews 12:2b (NLT)

"Gone. Passed away,” Distorted, disturbing words. Swallowing back pain Stinging eyes, blurred. I think of you.

Gone! Stumbling away, Heart pounding. I can’t talk Searching a quiet space, To silence my thoughts. I think of you.

Gone. I didn’t know you Your dreams, your hopes But your loss rips through Deep within my soul. I think of you.

Gone. A community mourns Praying, Broken, torn, Jesus binds our wounds, We remember you. • Cindy Lee

• Have you suffered a loss in your family, school, or community? Even if you didn’t know the person well, like the narrator of this poem, shock and grief can leave you feeling overwhelmed or even numb. This is normal, and it’s okay to need time to process.

• Jesus understands our pain. He wept when Lazarus died, even though He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead that same day (John 11:35, 43-44). How might it give you comfort to know that Jesus grieves with us?

• As God who became human, Jesus knows the brokenness of the world we live in, and He came to make things right. Jesus has defeated death by dying and rising from the grave, and when He returns, death will be no more (Revelation 21:4). On that day, everyone who has put their trust in Jesus will be raised with Him. Yet, even as we cling to this sure hope, we can also be honest about the pain we’re experiencing now. Jesus invites us to come to Him with all our sorrows, questions, frustrations, and fears. In our grief, we may not feel His presence, but Jesus is always close to us. How have you experienced brokenness lately? Consider taking a moment to tell Jesus about what you’re feeling.

• One of the ways God comforts us in our troubles is through community (2 Corinthians 1:2-9). In times of grief, who is a trusted adult you could talk to—such as a counselor, parent, or pastor? If you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 (NIV)

My mom taught first grade at a local elementary school. One year, the group of students in her class included a girl named Rosa. But Rosa struggled to pronounce the letter R. When she introduced herself, the other kids thought she’d announced her name was “Wosa.” Throughout the early months of that school session, the other first graders referred to this little girl as Wosa. I don’t think they intended to tease or embarrass her; they were simply confused.

Eventually, Rosa’s patience wore thin. She’d tolerated the mispronunciation of her name for far too long. So, during class one day, she passionately declared, “My name’s not Wosa—it’s Wosa!”

Our names belong to us in a special way; they’re closely connected to our identities. When our names are misused or misspoken, it feels personal, maybe even insulting. And when others use our names intentionally to connect with us, we take notice.

The Bible tells us that God calls His people by name—and He even calls them His own. The Lord’s voice beckons us into relationship with Him. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, summons His sheep by name to follow Him. When we turn to Jesus as our Savior—the One who died in our place and rose from the dead so we can have forgiveness—we begin a relationship with Him. We can recognize the voice of our Savior and follow where He leads. The Lord calls us to be joined with Christ and become His own—and He never mispronounces our names. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Can you think of a time someone misspoke or misused your name? Jesus knows you by name, and He speaks your name with love. How could this truth encourage you?

• If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you have been enfolded into the people of God, grafted into the family tree of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—who God named Israel (Galatians 3:27-29). Take a look at Isaiah 43:1 (below) and try replacing Jacob and Israel with your own name. Then read it aloud slowly. What do you notice?

Now this is what the Lord says—the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel—“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1 (CSB)

Did you know that you are gifted? When you become a follower of Christ, He gives you at least one spiritual gift to edify the body of believers. In Romans 12, Paul wrote to the church in Rome and reminded them of God’s love for them and of the different gifts they were given. These gifts were to be used in humble service toward their fellow Christians.

The end result of using our gifts is building one another up. Romans 12:6-8 lists some of the gifts we can have, including serving, encouraging, and leading.

Is there an area you know you are particularly gifted in? Perhaps God has given you a heart for getting down in the trenches and serving those in your community who may otherwise be overlooked. Maybe you thrive on being that voice of encouragement to others around you who are suffering, who might even be going through some trials that are similar to ones you’ve walked through in your own life. Do you display leadership qualities that could be used to rally others around a worthy cause?

The Holy Spirit has graciously given us various gifts to use for God’s glory and for the encouragement of His people (1 Corinthians 12:4, 11). If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, His Holy Spirit is in you, and you are a part of His body of believers. Like a body has many different parts, we are all different and we all need each other.

If you feel like you don’t have a clue what your spiritual gift(s) may be, you can spend some time in prayer, asking God to reveal ways you can serve His people. You can also talk to some family members or friends you trust and ask them what kinds of qualities they see in you and how they think you are gifted.

In many cases, our talents or the things our hearts bend toward can play a role in our spiritual gifts as well. For example, if you love praising God through song or instrument, ask God how you can use your musicality in the place He has you. If you don’t have a specific talent in mind, you can try out different areas of service in your church or community and see what fits your soul. • Savannah Coleman

• What is the purpose of spiritual gifts?

• What questions to you have about spiritual gifts?

• How might God be giving you opportunities to serve His body, the church?

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 1 Corinthians 12:7 (NLT)

CRASH! You failed. Again. You are sad and mad at the same time, not to mention humiliated. We have all experienced failure: making a low grade on an assignment, forgetting to complete a promised task, giving in to temptation to sin, etc. Usually, we can handle the minor failures. Though embarrassed, we carry on. But what about when we have a sinful failure? The painful knowledge of our actions seems to be more than we can bear. Our humiliation is crushing. Conviction of our sin against God is stabbing. What can we do in times of failure? Let’s look at a few people in the Bible who failed.

Jonah disobeyed God’s instructions to go to Nineveh. So God sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah. What did Jonah do when he found himself trapped in the slimy belly of a fish? He repented, gave thanks to God, and went straight to Nineveh as soon as he was expelled from the fish. (Then Jonah sinned again, and God called him to repent again, but that’s another story.)

David sinned deliberately and grievously. What did David do when the prophet Nathan delivered a convicting parable and exposed David’s sin? David repented, gave praise to God, and rose from his sorrow to tell others of God’s mercy.

Peter denied that he knew Jesus. What did Peter do when the eyes of Jesus zeroed in on him at the crowing of the rooster? Peter wept tears of repentance. After Jesus died and rose from the dead, He reinstated Peter. And then Peter boldly spoke of his love for his Savior.

Even when these people failed completely, God did not give up on them. And because of His love, they didn’t give up—they got up! God raised them up from the despair and humiliation of failure. Because Jesus took all our sins upon Himself when He died on the cross and rose again, we can be forgiven. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we do not have to wallow in sadness or anger at ourselves. We can look to God, receive His forgiveness, and return to the path of righteousness.

Don’t give up! Repent, rise, and joyfully return to serving God and others! • Rebecca Moore

• When we realize we have sinned, Jesus invites us to repent—which means turning toward God and away from our sin (anything we do or think that goes against God). He is eager to forgive us and reassure us of His love. Is there any sin you would like to repent from now?

• If you want to dig deeper, read Jonah 1:1–3:3; 2 Samuel 11–12; Luke 22:31–34, 54-62; John 21:15-19; Acts 2:14-41.

I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Psalm 32:5b (NLT)

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Judah and relocated some of the Jewish people to Babylon. God gave special wisdom to three of these young men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They impressed the king, and he placed them in positions of authority. All was well until the king built a golden statue. Everyone was ordered to fall flat and worship the statue when certain music was played. Failure to comply would result in death inside a furnace.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew if they worshipped the statue, they would violate the commandments of the one true God. So, when the music played, everyone fell down and worshipped the statue. Everyone except Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who remained standing. The king found out and gave them another chance. He said, “If you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” (Daniel 3:15). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego respectfully told the king they would never serve his gods or worship his statue. The king became furious. He had Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego tied up and thrown into the fiery furnace.

As they were thrown into the fire, they didn’t say a word. They didn’t curse the king. They didn’t say, “God’s going to get you, King, and the ones who snitched on us too!” They could have. The Bible says they were tied but not gagged. But they didn’t fight back. Instead, they said, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:16-18).

So, what did happen inside the furnace? Daniel 3 tells us King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up and said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods” (verse 25). Some biblical scholars think the fourth man was Jesus; others think it might have been an angel. Whoever it was, this fourth man certainly points to God’s activity and presence. And when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fiery furnace, they were completely unharmed and didn’t even smell of smoke. • Kathy Irey

• In Daniel 3, how did God show His power and love to His people and to those watching?

“...the God we serve is able to deliver us...” Daniel 3:17 (NIV)

How do you feel about libraries? They’re one of my favorite places! As the library doors swoosh open, I love breathing in the familiar scent of book pages and seeing the colorful spines lined along the shelves. I don’t even have a favorite section; I love them all—from history to literature to comparative religion to fiction. Libraries are the best.

But libraries got even more exciting for me when I found out that Jesus—my Savior—has a librarian of sorts. The Bible tells the true story of Jesus, who is God, and how He died and rose again to beat sin and death. But the Bible isn’t just one book: it’s a whole library. It’s made up of many different types of books written by lots of different people, and the Holy Spirit oversaw the writing of all the Scriptures. The Bible includes history, law, poetry, prophecy, songs, letters, and more.

But how did people know what books to put in the Bible? Enter Jesus’s Librarian.

The Holy Spirit guided the people who wrote the Bible in a very special way called “inspiration,” which literally means the breath of God’s Holy Spirit guiding people. Then, He guided people in helping choose which books belonged in the Bible, His library. The people who chose the books in the Bible knew about the story of Jesus and listened to the Holy Spirit to figure out which books proclaimed that story well.

That’s how we can know the Bible is true. God wrote it, using human people who trusted in and listened to Him. And we can see evidence of that truth in the unity of the Bible. Even though there are lots of different books, genres, and writers, it all tells the same story: Jesus died and rose again to beat sin and death!

I love that God is so creative that He used a library to tell us the great story of His kingdom. And I love that this story has a happy ending, with Jesus coming back to make all things new—free from sin, death, and suffering (Revelation 21:1-5). • Kandi Zeller

• What’s your favorite book of the Bible? Why?

• What questions do you have about the Bible?

• Who are trusted people you could talk to about these questions—such as pastors, parents, youth leaders, or counselors?

“He [Jesus] is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.” Acts 10:43 (NLT)

I recently planted sunflowers and realized the nature of the great outdoors reflects God’s nature. Consider the seasons: there’s an objective order to them—it’s always hottest in the summer, and birds migrate to warmer places in the fall. There’s a right and wrong time for things to happen. Yet there’s also a flexibility. For example, there aren’t set days for sunflowers to bloom. Although it would be wrong for them to bloom in winter (because they would freeze), they could pop their heads up any day of mid-summer or fall.

This is a lot like God’s commands. While His standards of righteousness are just and objective, there is more than one way to follow God faithfully. For example, God commands His people to honor their parents (Exodus 20:12). Objectively, you shouldn’t kill your parents or be otherwise hateful. But, graciously, God doesn’t say you have to serve them breakfast in bed every day to fulfill His command to honor parents. You might help fix their car instead—there’s no one set way to show honor.

But even so, we all break God’s objective standards. We all sin. Yet, He has made it possible for us to receive a clean slate. God extends mercy to us through Jesus. Because Jesus paid for our sin by dying on the cross and rising from the dead, everyone who puts their trust in Him can be forgiven. Our sin separated us from God, but because of what Jesus has done, we can be with God again—our loving Creator who is both just and gracious.

There are other touches of God’s nature on earth. The relationship between husband and wife is meant to show how Jesus and the church love each other (Ephesians 5:21-33). The relationship between parents and children is meant to show God’s protection and nurturing (Matthew 7:9-11). Our thirst for water reminds us of our desperate need for God (Psalm 63:1).

This whole world is meant to reflect and glorify God and remind us of His love. Sadly, it is broken with sin, and so the pictures it’s supposed to paint are often distorted. Some spouses divorce. Some parents are abusive. Some water gets polluted. But this does not mean that God is not good or His love for us is not sure; rather, these things all point to the tragedy of sin. As Christians, we know Jesus will one day return and make all things well, and we will see His glory in a whole new way. • Lizzie Joy

• How can looking at God’s creation help us learn more about Him?

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 (NIV)

Levi was not a popular guy; in fact, most people didn’t like Levi at all. In Jewish society during Jesus’s time, tax collectors were despised as the lowest of the low. They worked for the enemy—Rome. They cheated their own people, and they got rich doing it. That was the kind of man Levi was—but he wasn’t that different from us. Like us, he was a sinner who needed Jesus.

But God was working in his heart. When Jesus extended a simple invitation to Levi, “Follow me,” Levi did just that, leaving his tax collecting booth, his job, and his sinful past behind him. This complete obedience was evidence of his faith in Jesus. Levi became a follower of Jesus and, eventually, one of the twelve disciples. We know him as Matthew (Matthew 9:9)!

Levi knew others who needed Jesus, and he invited them to his house to have dinner with the Savior. These people were just like Levi—tax collectors and sinners. Levi wanted them to meet Jesus; maybe they would be saved from their sins too. But the Pharisees (Jewish religious teachers) who witnessed Jesus eating with this crowd were shocked. "Why would Jesus hang out with such sinners?" Jesus answered them by saying, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners” (verse 17).

Of course Jesus wanted to be with people like Levi and his friends. He loved them, even though their lives were empty and wasted because they followed sin, and not God. They needed their hearts healed from sin—they needed “Dr. Jesus” to save them and make them right in God’s eyes. These were the ones who needed Jesus.

And so do sinners like you and me. • Laura N. Sweet

• Levi’s abandonment of his job and his past showed his complete change of heart and his faith in Jesus. How did inviting his friends to meet Jesus also show that change?

• Did the Pharisees see themselves as “healthy” or “sick”? What didn’t they understand about their own sin?

• According to Romans 3:22-28, why do we all need Jesus?

Jesus...told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Mark 2:17 (NLT)

During the summer after finishing high school, I had the opportunity to fulfill a dream: leading my all-state marching band as drum major. Along with other musicians and dancers in this group, I flew for many hours across many states to Honolulu, Hawaii. Once there, we performed in multiple venues and enjoyed free time in a beautiful destination.

What would you guess were the most memorable experiences of that trip? Tropical beaches, beautiful food, the parade we marched in with spectators cheering for us? Surprisingly, no. My most special memories of that time centered around the laundry room in the dorm where we stayed.

At the end of each day, finished with rehearsals and touring, we headed to our dorm. After dinner, we gravitated to the laundry room. It provided space for all of us to hang out where we had permission to be together. We talked and laughed and ate lots of candy bars. I have photos of gorgeous sunsets. But the pictures that bring a smile to my face are the ones of my buddies sitting atop washing machines and clothes dryers making goofy faces for the camera.

What about the laundry room made it significant? It gave us a place for community, a place to be together and build friendships. God is a relational God, and He created us for relationships. First and foremost, He yearns for us to be in relationship with Him. Even though humanity has rejected God, He came and made a way for us to be reconciled to Him. When we trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, we begin a relationship with the God who loves us.

And God also made us for connection with others. We’re not meant to do life alone. We’re stronger when we have others to walk with us through life. As I interacted with new friends who also loved Jesus, I felt boosted in my own faith. As you invest in relationships, you can be there to encourage your friends when they stumble—and you can receive their help when you need to be strengthened too. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Why do you think God calls us to invest in friendships?

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice. Proverbs 27:9 (NIV)

When I wake up in the morning Let each breath be love When I go out and about Let my actions spread your love When I come home again Let me love those around me When life gets hard Let your love surround me When others hurt me Let me respond with love When I am scared Let your love comfort me When I lie down at night Let me know that I am held in love • Emily Acker

• Love is a defining mark of Christianity. When Jesus came, He revealed God’s wonderful love for the world (John 3:16). If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are held securely in His love. And because we are His followers, our lives should be centered around loving God and loving others (Matthew 22:37-40). Why do you think love is so important to God?

• Have you ever made an attempt to live in a more loving way? While this is a great thing to do, it’s important to remember that we can’t do it in our own strength and wisdom. Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” And so He calls us to remain in His love (John 15:4-5, 9). How might resting in Jesus’s love for us help us act lovingly toward others?

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:14 (NIV)

Before, I used to think I was weak. I was not proud of myself. I looked down on myself because of my imperfections. I did not consider myself beautiful, talented, significant, or important. I had a broken family. I was lacking. I envied people. I thought I was not loveable or likable.

How do you see yourself? Do you see how wonderful you are? Because that is how God, the perfect and almighty God, made you. In fact, He made you in His very own image. Because of this, you are infinitely valuable. It’s true! You have a beautiful place and a unique position in this world. You are pleasantly unique. You are dear to God, and you are loveable.

If you have been drowning in doubts about your worth, these are lies from the devil. Do not believe him! Do not fall for his deception. You can know with certainty that you are precious because Jesus came to save you. He died and rose from the dead to rescue you from sin and death. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you are perpetually blessed, and you are a gift to many. Believe the Spirit of God when He says you are a beautiful person.

Yes, there are ways we all fail, but you are still loved beyond measure. Believe the truth that you were made in God’s image and likeness. You are a child of God. And through the power of the Holy Spirit, you can learn from, obey, and enjoy spending the day with God—your Father—and you can show His love to others. Embrace the truth that you are accepted and forgiven by God, and therefore you can forgive others. Through Jesus, you can be strong, compassionate, and able to help others. The truth is that Jesus lives in you. Believe it and live it, for that is who you really are. That is the truth about yourself. • Golda Dilema

• Do you struggle to love yourself the way Jesus loves you? You can ask Jesus to show you how much you are worth to Him. In addition, who are trusted adults you could talk to about this?

• How can loving ourselves and knowing the truth about ourselves help us to love others?

• If you’d like to dig deeper, read Psalm 139:14; Ephesians 1:3-5, 2:10; and 2 Corinthians 5:20.

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 (NLT)

Sometimes, thinking about the future makes me feel stressed. I can get caught up trying to figure out what I’m going to do, and I can miss out on a lot.

One of the most important things I can miss out on when I’m only thinking about the future is the present. I might not notice the ways God is already working in my life. And if I am so focused on the future that I don’t see the present, I will have a hard time trusting God.

Why? Because I will not see the work He is doing right now. But when I slow down and look for signs of God working in my life in the present, I’m reminded that I can trust Him to continue to work in the future. When I don’t let myself focus on the here and now, fear starts to take over for me. Worries—about what might happen, what I should do, what I shouldn’t do—pile on top of each other. It’s easy to forget that God already knows the future, and He will be working out His good purposes then—just as He is now.

God does so much in my life each day. As I pay attention to how He is caring for my needs, guiding me, and helping me grow, I am reminded that I don’t need to figure out how He is going to work in the future. As I look ahead, I can have confidence because I know that God will be with me. • Emily Acker

• Do you ever feel stressed when you think about the future? While it can be good to consider what might happen and plan what we might do, there are lots of things we can’t know—or control—about the future. But if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He will always be with us and nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:28-39). How might this truth give you hope?

• How have you noticed God working recently? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this.

“And remember, I [Jesus] am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b (CSB)

I’ve been to many funerals. I’ve yet to see the deceased rise up from the coffin and thank me for coming. I suppose there are scenes like this in horror movies, but movie-makers have ways of making you believe things like that can actually happen.

Jesus was never in a movie, but He used His real power and mercy to raise people from the dead. There’s a riveting scene, recorded by both Mark and Luke, when Jesus brings a twelve-year-old girl back to life. Her father, Jairus, came to Jesus, fell at His feet, and pleaded with Him to come heal his daughter because she was dying. Jairus was a very prominent man in the synagogue, and he must have been desperate to even consider this wandering healer named Jesus as a solution to his daughter’s peril. Needless to say, Jairus was probably beyond anxious.

To make matters worse, as Jesus was on His way to Jairus’s house, a woman in the crowd with a bleeding disorder of many years touched the edge of Jesus’s robe. The whole procession stopped as Jesus perceived healing power going out of Him. Jesus wouldn’t move on until He had spoken to this woman face to face.

I imagine Jairus was close to pulling his hair out at this point. A lowly peasant woman had stopped the progress to where his daughter lay dying. What was Jesus thinking! But our Lord calmly assessed the situation, knowing the hearts of all involved. He comforted the woman, and not long after, He arrived at Jairus’s house, held the hand of the deceased girl, and uttered these words: “Talitha koum!” which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” (Mark 5:41).

You may find yourself pacing the floor or getting depressed waiting for God to act. We are impatient creatures. But God does see, and He does act. Even though the twelve-year-old girl died before Jesus arrived, it wasn’t too late. Jesus raised her from the dead. In a similar way, all seemed lost after Jesus died on the cross. But the story wasn’t over. Jesus rose from the dead—beating sin and death once and for all!

We may not see the healing we ask for in this life, but when Jesus returns, He will raise all His forgiven followers from the dead, and we will live with Him forever—free from all suffering and sorrow. And as we wait on Him, He holds our hearts. So stay calm, and trust the One who loves us. The day of your healing will come. • Susan Sundwall

• What do you think it will be like when Jesus raises us from the dead? (John 6:40)

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 (NIV)

The air was cold and bitter as Taylor trudged up the mountain path. She was after a rare flower; this flower was the last hope of saving her village from a deadly illness.

The flower only grew in the harsh northern mountains. Many had gone before Taylor and had returned with nothing but broken bones and crushed hopes. But unlike the others, Taylor was following God through the mountains. She prayed constantly for His help in her quest, and she listened for His leading.

The wind picked up, and it began to snow. Taylor could hardly see the path before her. "Oh Lord," she prayed in her heart, "please help me find this flower, and please save my people from death. In Jesus’s name I pray." Taylor finished her prayer with the words of her Lord: "Your will, not mine, be done." She remembered how He had prayed in the garden, knowing He was about to be executed. Jesus was willing to go to the cross because it was the only way to save His people from death. This was God’s will. But it was not the end. Three days later, God raised Jesus back to life—defeating death once and for all.

The wind began to settle, the snow slowly started to let up. Taylor spotted a grass clearing ahead. She rushed toward it. In the center of the clearing, a single beam of sunlight shone on a pure white flower. Even the stems and leaves were white. The flower’s pollen was red. Taylor thought the pollen looked like the blood of Christ, the blood He shed for her sins, though He Himself was pure and sinless. Taylor knelt down. “Dear Jesus, thank you for dying for me. Thank you for letting me find this Flower of Hope,” she said softly. Taylor took the flower and started back down the path. • Sarah Jordan

• God is merciful. Though we all deserve death because of our sin, He came to forgive us and give us life. Jesus lived among us and healed countless people, revealing God’s heart to restore His creation. In love, Jesus died and rose again for us, to heal us from sin, death, and evil. One day He will return to fully heal the world of all the brokenness caused by sin. As we wait for that day, we get to be part of His ministry of healing—which points to the good news. We can pray for miracles, pray as we care for people who are sick, and pray as we search for ways to cure diseases and reduce suffering. How might God be inviting you to be part of His healing work today?

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. Matthew 9:35 (NLT)

Have you ever asked a question and received an answer that began, “Well, in a perfect world...”? What would your perfect world be like? No pain or sorrow? Everything beautiful and fun?

When God made the world, He made everything good. There was beauty everywhere, and no pain anywhere. Adam and Eve were placed in that good world, one that brought glory to God and joy to Adam and Eve. But all that changed when Adam and Eve sinned. Because they rebelled against God and broke His one command by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the world was broken.

Does that make you angry at Adam and Eve? There was one rule, and they broke it! You might feel like saying, “Try a bazillion rules! That’s about how many we have now, thanks to you, Adam and Eve!”

Do you think you would have done better? Would you have obeyed God if you were in their place? I don’t know you, but I know me. I would have broken that one rule. I think we all would have. The Bible says, “Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23). Everyone sins—from Adam and Eve down to me and you.

And there are consequences for sin. Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” But the good news is, that’s not the end of the story. Even though humanity rebelled against God, He still loves us. And God sent His perfect Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the awful price for sin. God took our sin upon Himself when He died on the cross, and He beat sin and death when He rose from the dead. He did it for world-breakers—sinners—like me and you. To all who come to Jesus and repent from sin, He gives eternal life instead of death. And when Jesus returns, He will restore our broken world, and there will be no pain or sorrow; everything will be beautiful and good again (Revelation 21:1-7). The wages of sin may be death, “but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). • Rebecca Moore

• Where have you seen the effects of sin in our broken world? Consider taking a moment to pray for God’s healing in this area, knowing that one day Jesus will fully heal every hurt.

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son [Jesus], so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NLT)

I remember when I got sheepskin winter boots in middle school. That might not seem significant, but they weren’t just any winter boots. Everyone at school seemed to have them. When you got them, it was like you joined a club. My mom knew how badly I wanted a pair of these boots, and she found a less expensive, off-brand version for me. I couldn’t wait to wear them. Once I had those boots, it felt like my life could begin again.

How often do we want something so badly that we believe our lives are on hold until we have it? When we are so focused on wishing we had something we don’t have, we can easily miss what’s right in front of us. This causes us to miss opportunities to enjoy what we do have.

I wish I had known back then that my life wasn’t on hold without those boots. And my life wasn’t made complete when I got them either. I would have been fine even if I never got a pair. God wants us to enjoy a full life today, no matter where we’re at—it’s His gift! In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Notice what Jesus doesn’t say. He doesn’t say, “They may have life, and have it to the full...when they ace their social studies test,” or “...once the person they’ve been crushing on finally notices them” or “...when they score the most goals on the soccer team.” Instead, Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” PERIOD. There is no disclaimer. I believe one of the chief ways the enemy tries to steal, kill, and destroy is through making us believe God is holding out on us, but it’s not true!

God loved us so much that He gave His Son, Jesus, so that we could have life (John 3:16; 17:3). Only He can fill our deepest needs and desires. But, because our world has been broken by sin, we look to so many other things to fill us. In John 10, Jesus says that He gives fullness of life to His followers in an unexpected way: by laying down His own life for theirs. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and He rose again so that we could enjoy life-giving relationship with God. To everyone who puts their trust in Jesus, God gives a full life today. • Emily Rondello

• Have you ever felt like your life wouldn’t be complete until something changed or you got something you wanted?

• What is one good gift God has given you? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this!

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 (NIV)

If you have ever watched a baby sleep in the arms of an adult, you might have an idea what peace looks like. If that baby starts to squirm, if they start to get uncomfortable, the one holding them adjusts their position—or the baby’s— and the baby settles down again. Even when that child is screaming and fussing, the loving adult consoles the child until they can find deeper rest.

God longs to hold us in this way. Isaiah 26:3 talks about God keeping us “in perfect peace.” We can have peace with God because Jesus came to die and be raised to life for us. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are held by someone who is bigger and stronger than we are. We are held by someone who cares about us and will make sure that we can have peace. We are held by someone who knows what we need.

When life gets crazy, sometimes we cannot imagine what it feels like to be at peace. We have so much going on and are so anxious that we cannot even consider relaxing, cannot even fathom believing that everything is going to work out. God holds us in those times.

We can be at peace like a baby in the arms of someone who cares about them. We have a God who is holding us, and He is bigger and stronger than anything we will have to face. We can trust that God will take care of things, and we can relax. • Emily Acker

• Can you imagine God holding you like a caring adult holds a sleeping baby? What do you like or dislike about this mental picture?

• Do you ever feel like you need to do something to earn God’s love or His peace?

• We all have times when we find it difficult to relax or feel at peace. When you feel this way, who is a trusted Christian in your life who could listen to you, pray with you, and encourage you?

• If you’d like to dig deeper, read Psalm 131:1-3 and Romans 4:23–5:2.

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)

Have you ever been to a candle shop or watched people make candles? There are so many variations in candles! It seems like the possibilities are almost limitless. Differences in size, shape, color, design, fragrance, intended use, rate of burn—all these contribute to the huge variety in candles. But there is at least one thing all candles have in common: they are meant to burn and give off light.

I think we are a lot like candles. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:14-16).

God created us as individuals, and no two of us are alike. Our various traits—our strengths, talents, abilities, spiritual gifts, and even weaknesses—were given to us so that we could glorify God. He delights in us, and He invites us to share His love with others. Do you meet people easily and make friends quickly? You might be able to befriend people who don’t know Jesus and show them God’s kindness. Do you like working behind the scenes, organizing, and planning? You could use your abilities to help operations in your church go smoothly and create opportunities for people to hear the gospel—the good news about Jesus. Do you like to preach or teach? Meet the physical needs of others? Encourage people who are despairing? Whatever gifts and abilities God has given you, He will empower you to use them to do good to others.

Let people see God’s love through you. Let them see God’s mercy, grace, peace, and kindness. Shine brightly! Shine, not to show others how good you are, but to show them how good our God is! • Rebecca Moore

• Has someone in your life been a light to you, helping you know God better by the way they lived? Consider taking a moment to thank God for that person—and maybe thank the person too!

• What are some of your strengths? How might God be giving you opportunities to use your strengths to serve others?

“In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:16 (NLT)

Do you ever have those days when you try to pray, but it seems like God just isn’t listening? What can we do when those moments come? We might be tempted to give up in despair, or we can choose to push through and keep seeking. I encourage you: be a seeker!

God’s Word has plenty to say about seeking—and for good reason. We all go through times when it seems like God is closing His ears to our cries. I think we need to be reminded to keep seeking Him—instead of just focusing on our feelings or our circumstances.

In Psalm 105, the psalmist urges us to praise the Lord and tell others what He has done. When we glory in His name, our hearts can let go of the things that trouble us. We can rejoice as we seek Him, no matter what surrounds us. This psalm reminds us to “look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always” (verse 4).

Psalm 119 urges us to keep God’s commands and seek Him with all our hearts. We may not always feel God’s presence, but we can still choose to seek Him and obey Him regardless of how we feel. One of the main ways God reveals Himself to us is through the Bible. He invites us to hide His Word in our hearts and meditate on His ways. When we open His Word, we can pray along with the psalmist, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (verse 18). God loves to answer this prayer, and He longs for us to come close to Him (Luke 13:34).

Many people like to quote Jeremiah 29:11, when God speaks to His people exiled in Babylon, saying, “For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” However, the following verses are also powerful: “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you” (verses 12-14). God promises that, when we come to Him, He will listen to us. When we seek Him, we will find Him.

Jesus echoes this amazing promise in Luke 11 when He says, “Seek and you will find” (verse 9). And then, only four chapters later in Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables about how God seeks us. When you feel like you just can’t seek anymore, think about how God seeks after you and pursues you. He never gives up. He is always waiting for you with open arms. • Savannah Coleman

• How might reflecting on God’s passion for you give you the courage to seek after Him?

“For the Son of Man [Jesus] came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 (NIV)

As you get older, the problems in your life can seem to get bigger and scarier.

When you were younger, there might have been someone who would take on your struggles for you, but now you have to face more of these challenges without help from others. Yet, God is still in control, even when your problems seem like too much to handle. You are never alone.

When life is heavy, we only have to turn to God in order to get some relief. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Jesus has compassion on us, and He calls us to follow Him instead of striving on our own. Because of what Jesus has done—dying on the cross and rising from the dead—we can be with God. Once we put our trust in Jesus, He sends the Holy Spirit to live inside us as our Helper, Counselor, Comforter, and Advocate. The Holy Spirit reminds us of everything Jesus has said and transforms us so we can love others as Jesus has loved us.

When I feel like I have to do things on my own, I need to be reminded that God is there and I am never really alone. Even if I don’t have a human to turn to for help, I have a God who goes with me through all that I have to face.

Nothing is too heavy or difficult for God. When you are faced with struggles, you can turn to God for help. Your life is probably not going to be easy. Most of us face some type of hard times. But even though we will have trouble in this world, we have an unshakable hope because Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33). And He has promised, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). When you are in the midst of a difficult experience, you can know that God is with you. • Emily Acker

• Do you ever feel all alone in life? We don’t always get the support we need from the people around us. But God sees us, and He loves us. We never grow out of needing Him, and He never gets tired of being there for us.

• What problems or struggles are you facing today? How might God be inviting you to rely on His help in this situation?

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 (WEB)

I was young when my grandmother passed away. I loved her, and she loved and cherished me. We had good times together. I valued being with her. She accepted me for who I really was. She cared for me. She was the best grandmother to me.

When she passed, I was in deep sorrow. I was not prepared for her to go. She became ill, but I never thought it could lead to death. When she was gone, I became like a flower that had lost its fragrance. I missed her very much. Joy had turned to sadness, and I grieved for many days.

When someone you love passes away, remember that God did not want to take your joy away. God created everything good, but sin and brokenness came into the world when the first humans chose their will over God’s. While it can be easy to blame God or be bitter toward Him when a loved one dies, know that God grieves with us, and He is going to bring about an end to death. Jesus defeated sin and death when He died on the cross and rose again, and He will return one day to raise us from the dead and crush death underneath His feet forever.

When you are in sorrow, remember that Jesus promises new life. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, nothing can separate us from God, the owner of our souls who loves us deeply (Romans 8:38-39). God’s Spirit holds us, even in death.

When you are sorrowful, you can cherish the memories and moments you and your loved one had together, and you can thank God for how He has blessed you with the life of this person. When you are sorrowful, come to God, and He will comfort you. • Golda Dilema

• How might it be comforting to know that Jesus is with you as you grieve?

• What are some ways you can bring comfort to those who are grieving? (Romans 12:15)

• Death is a terrible thing, but it is not the end. All of Jesus’s followers will be with Him in the happiest, loveliest, and most peaceful place for eternity. He will wipe our tears, and there will be no more suffering (Revelation 21:1-7). How might this truth give you hope?

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once more. Psalm 71:20-21 (NIV)

Abraham is known for his obedience, faith, and trust in God. When God called Abraham (or Abram) to leave his homeland, he obeyed. It took a lot of trust for Abraham to leave his native land, not knowing where he was to go (Hebrews 11:8). He left his father’s house and relatives and went with his wife, Sarah (or Sarai), to Canaan. This was a point of strength in Abraham’s walk with God.

However, in another incident, Abraham seemed to lose his faith and trust in God. When there was a famine in the land of Canaan, it was a time of danger and uncertainty. Abraham decided to go to Egypt, and he told Sarah to lie—to say that she was not his wife. Abraham was afraid the Egyptians would kill him and take Sarah, since she was a beautiful woman. So Sarah was taken into Pharaoh’s palace. This was a point of weakness in Abraham’s walk with God, as he failed to trust God to protect him and Sarah.

So we see a man who once walked with God in obedience, faith, and trust, now relying on his own strength and wisdom. He wasn’t relying on the God who had promised to bless him. But God remained faithful. He rescued them by inflicting diseases on Pharaoh and his household. And God continued to keep His promises.

In our own walk with God, there are times when our faith in God seems so robust that we can trust and obey Him in whatever He tells us to do. But, at other times, we are filled with fear. Especially in times of danger and uncertainty, we might doubt that God is really good and trustworthy. When we stop relying on God, we fall into sin—saying and doing things that go against God’s good ways. But even when we mess up, God remains faithful to us.

When we are afraid, we can turn to Jesus. His love for us is sure. Before He went to the cross, He said, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27). We can rely on Jesus to keep His promises. He rose from the dead— defeating sin and death once and for all—and when He returns, we will live with Him forever. Until then, He gives us the Holy Spirit, who helps us learn to trust Him even in times of uncertainty. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• Even if we mess up, we are not failures. How might Abraham’s story give you hope?

• When it’s hard to trust God, who are fellow Christians who can encourage and pray with you?

If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful. 2 Timothy 2:13a (NLT)

Sunshine and blue skies Fresh air and cool breezes Sparkling smiles and rosy cheeks Flowing hair and tight-knit curls Who would think of all of this?

Green grass and blue lakes Snowflakes and hailstorms Human interaction and good talks Giggling babies and wild toddlers Who would think of all of this?

Seashells and sandy beaches Raindrops and rainbows Soft fur beneath my hand Great big dogs and tiny bunnies Who would think of all of this?

You thought of us as you created earth You did things your way You made great things You created the earth in a unique and wonderful way Who would think of all of this? • Emily Acker

• Are you ever amazed at all God has created? What is one of your favorite things God has made?

• Did you know everything has been made through Jesus, who is the Word and the Son of God? (John 1:1-5; Colossians 1:15-20) How might this affect the way we view Jesus?

For by him [Jesus] all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him. Colossians 1:16 (WEB)

I try to make the right choices, but I know that I am messing up on a daily basis. Even though I call out to God over and over again and try to let Him guide me, I still make mistakes, and I still sin.

No matter how hard we try, we just can’t be perfect. But the good news is, God doesn’t wait for us to be perfect to love us. He offers His grace in the midst of our mistakes. He is accepting even when we are messing up.

On the journey of life, taking a wrong turn seems scary and dangerous when I am all alone. But I am not alone. I know that God is there to turn me around and make things right, and the assurance of His presence helps me feel so much better.

God’s grace is bigger than we could ever imagine. We run out of patience with those around us, but God is always patient with us. God’s love is there for us even when we mess up. Human love can be conditional, but God’s love is not.

God revealed the depths of His love on the cross. I am so thankful Jesus died for my sins and rose from the dead so I could be forgiven. Nothing can separate me from God’s love because Jesus has covered all my sins—past, present, and future. I am so thankful God has chosen to show grace to me over and over again. That grace is so powerful. It can truly change my life and save me. • Emily Acker

• Do you ever feel like you are one wrong step away from God giving up on you? God’s grace is not based on what we do but on what Jesus has done for us (Ephesians 2:8-10). So His grace is always big enough to cover our messes.

• Who are trusted Christians in your life who can encourage you and remind you of God’s love, even when you fail? How can you be this kind of friend to others?

From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. John 1:16 (NLT)

Sometimes, I read the Bible to study it, paying attention to who wrote each passage, who they were speaking to, what was going on historically and culturally, what the big ideas and themes are...stuff like that. When I read the Bible during my quiet time, I often like to have my journal open in front of me so that I can write down verses that stick out to me. Then I can underline and circle words and phrases, or write down thoughts, questions, frustrations, and prayers. I find that writing helps me focus as I engage with the Bible and connect with God.

But there are other times when I don’t use my journal. Lately, when I have felt weary and frustrated, I will read a passage (usually a psalm) slowly, one phrase at a time, in rhythm with deep breaths. This practice helps me settle myself, slow down, let the words sink in.

Here’s an example. Psalm 23 starts with the words, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” So, I might close my eyes, open my hands so they’re facing palms-up and resting on my knees, and repeat the words in my head as I breathe slowly:

(Inhale) The Lord is my shepherd,

(Exhale) I lack nothing.

Sometimes, I do a whole verse in one breath. But if a word or phrase sticks out to me, I might breathe with it slower or repeat it a couple times. For example:

(Inhale) The Lord is

(Exhale) my shepherd

(Inhale) ...

(Exhale) The Lord

(Inhale) is

(Exhale) my shepherd

I might breathe through the whole psalm, or maybe just a verse or two. This slow practice has helped me calm and quiet myself, and re-center my heart and mind on God. When I spend time with God, I’m reminded of His goodness and love...and that makes it a lot easier for me to trust Him. As God’s truth washes over me, He cleans off the ick that has gotten stuck to me as I’ve gone through life, and He “refreshes my soul” (Psalm 23:3). • Hannah Howe

• How do you like to read the Bible?

...we meditate on your unfailing love. Psalm 48:9 (NIV)

There are times when someone in your life seems to need you in some way. Maybe someone new starts at your school and they are struggling in a class that you understand well. Maybe your sibling hurts their leg and struggles to get around with their crutches. Maybe you see a coworker going without anything to eat during their lunch break.

When we see a need in someone else and we have the ability to meet that need, we can show God’s love by offering help. Throughout the Bible, God has compassion on people who are poor and struggling, and He helps them—often through the obedience of His followers. Today, God is still there for those who are going through hard times, and He can work through us to help the people around us.

People go through a number of different struggles. We will all experience hard times until Jesus returns to restore our broken world, but God has not left us alone. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are part of God’s family, and He calls us to love one another as He has loved us.

The more we are available to help others, the more we can touch this world and make it a better place. And remember, we aren’t supposed to do any of this in our own strength or wisdom. As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit, who is our Counselor and Helper. The more we follow God’s lead and rely on His strength to do the right thing, the more we will shine His light. When we look out for the needs of those around us, we make a difference. • Emily Acker

• Have you ever felt God’s love because someone helped you?

• Can you think of someone in your life who is hurting? How could you look out for their needs?

Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 (CSB)

Different things can happen that leave us in need of healing. Sometimes, we are injured physically, and we know we have a long journey ahead of us. Those times can be scary, and we might fear that our bodies will not heal as they are supposed to. There are also times when we are injured emotionally, when something happens in our lives that makes us feel hopeless or scared for the future.

But there is always hope. God is a God of healing. Our world is broken because of sin, but when Jesus—God in flesh—came and lived among us, He healed all kinds of hurts (Matthew 9:35; Luke 4:17-21). He took our sin upon Himself when He went to the cross, and He rose from the dead—beating sin, death, sickness, and every kind of brokenness. Pain will not have the last word. Jesus will heal all of creation when He returns. And He gives us glimpses of that healing when we come to Him. Whether we have been hurt physically or emotionally, God has a way of saving us and making things better. Even in the midst of pain, He gives us hope.

I injured my finger recently. The injury was pretty scary at first. It took me a couple days to calm down and notice the healing that was already taking place. It took weeks for my finger to start looking the way it used to, but every time I looked at my finger, I saw God working. The healing that He was bringing about amazed me.

Sometimes, God brings healing naturally or through the people around you— such as friends or medical and mental health professionals. No matter what you have gone through, God can heal you. Who better to turn to when you need to be healed than the One who is all-powerful? • Emily Acker

• Have you ever seen your body heal from an injury, even just a small cut or a bruise? How does the way God designed our bodies reveal His kindness?

• Have you ever prayed for healing, either for yourself or someone else? We can always ask God for healing. Sometimes He heals right away, other times gradually. God works in all kinds of ways—through miracles, medical care, therapy...and when Jesus returns, He will fully heal all of creation, including us! If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can look forward to that day (Revelation 21:4).

• What needs healing in your life—a relationship, an injury, a broken heart? God knows what you’re going through and has compassion on you. You can bring your hurts to Him in prayer. God also gives healing through community (the church). If someone has hurt you, tell a trusted adult right away.

O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for you alone! Jeremiah 17:14 (NLT)

When I was a kid, I thought I had just about everything figured out. God was good. Evil and suffering were a result of sin, not a result of God. But then I got older...

In the middle of my teen years, I began to see the effects of sin a little closer to home. Suffering (and every emotion that came with it) was no longer an abstract idea about the world; it became my world. An event happened in my life that ripped my reality in two. Life suddenly got more complicated.

I felt numb at first. "Did that really just happen?" And then I felt mad. "Why did that just happen!?" Throw in some bitterness, relief, sorrow, and confusion for good measure and you’d have what I was feeling at the time. Doubt flooded my mind. "Am I strong enough to face this?"

It was in this dark period of my life when I rediscovered 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Paul relays a real and present struggle that torments him. He tells the Corinthians that he repeatedly cried out to God, pleading for his Lord to take the struggle away. Jesus said in reply, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (verse 9).

So Paul embraces his suffering, delighting in his weakness and difficulties. He says, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (verse 10). How powerful an idea! Paul understood that, because of Jesus’s death and resurrection, we can be honest about our weaknesses and rely on Him for strength.

Applying this concept to my own life, I see that, no, I am not strong enough. My situation is too heavy for me to bear. But Christ is my comforter. He weeps with me. He is my strength when I don’t have any. And He will use my experiences to His glory. And, someday, He will return to get rid of all sin and suffering permanently. • Emma Pamer

• Can you think of a time you felt like a situation was too heavy for you to bear?

• During painful times, Jesus doesn’t sit at the end of the difficult season, waiting for you to catch up with Him. Jesus walks with you and weeps with you. He does not abandon you—and He never will. That is why we can embrace suffering—not because suffering is good (it’s not) but because Jesus Himself endures our suffering with us, giving us comfort and strength.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

I live long-distance from my best friend, and sometimes, it’s terrible. I miss her tons, and even though we video chat often, I usually go months without seeing her in person. The Bible stresses the importance of having a good Christian community, but what do you do when a part of that community is close in your heart, but not close on a map?

Take a look at John 11. Jesus demonstrated love for His friends when He visited Mary and Martha after their brother Lazarus had died. Jesus took time to mourn with His friends and listen to what they had to say. And then He performed a miracle and raised their brother from the dead! This miracle was just a preview of the resurrection all Christians will have when Jesus returns—because Jesus overcame sin and death through His own resurrection.

Before Jesus ascended back into heaven, He promised His followers that He would always be with them (Matthew 28:20). As I look at Jesus, I know I can still be a presence in my friend’s life, even if I can’t always physically travel to her.

Because the Holy Spirit lives inside Christians, we have a special connection with other people who have put their trust in Jesus. In a letter to Christians in Colossae, Paul writes, “For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit” (Colossians 2:5).

One of the ways my friend and I stay present in each other’s lives is by praying for each other often. If I have an event that I’m anxious about, I’ll ask her to pray for me and vice versa. When we video chat, I listen earnestly to what she has going on in her life, and she does the same for me. We both offer support and advice when the other one needs it. Being friends over a long distance is difficult, but we both try to practice Christ-like love, even from far away. • Naomi Zylstra

• Is there someone you love who lives far away? What’s one way you can show them that you love them?

• When we miss people we love, Jesus invites us to tell Him about it. He mourns with us, and He listens to everything we have to say. How might it give you comfort to know that Jesus is this kind of friend to you?

For though I [Paul] am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit... Colossians 2:5 (NIV)

In the book of Acts, there is an account of Peter being rescued from prison by God. After an angel guided him out of the prison, Peter went to a house where fellow believers were praying for his release from an unjust stay in the Roman jail. This account also tells of a girl named Rhoda who answered the door when Peter knocked. The Bible does not tell us any more details about this girl. What was going through her mind that night? It’s fun to imagine how she would have told her story...

Hi, my name is Rhoda, and I am a servant in the house of Mary. We were gathered there late one night to pray for Peter. You see, Peter was arrested and thrown in prison. We were afraid the government leaders were going to have him killed. As we were praying, I heard a knock on the door. I went to answer and asked who it was. The voice on the other side said it was Peter. Recognizing that the voice was actually Peter’s, I ran back and told the others that Peter was at the door! Nobody believed me. I kept trying to tell them it was Peter until we all heard the knock again, and this time everyone went to the door, and there was Peter! We were all amazed. He told us how the Lord sent an angel to rescue him from prison. We all rejoiced and were very thankful.

After I went to bed that night, I started thinking about what had happened. Why hadn’t I let the poor man in when he first knocked? We were all praying for Peter’s rescue from prison, and yet when God answered our prayers, we were amazed. After all, I remember when Jesus was going from town to town and healing people who were sick. I remember the time when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. And I remember when Jesus Himself rose from the dead! Yet we were all amazed when God rescued Peter from prison. Lord, you never cease to amaze me. Thank you for answering our prayers. Thank you that I can trust you to do more than I could ever imagine. • Doug Velting

• Have you ever been surprised by how God answered a prayer?

Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” Acts 12:13-14 (NIV)

My favorite verse in the Bible is Isaiah 54:10. It assures me of God’s unfailing love for me that will never be shaken and of His covenant of peace that will not be removed. It shows me that God’s love for me is more certain and stable than the mountains and the hills. Even if these are shaken and removed, God’s covenant of peace is a sure one.

In the book of Isaiah, Isaiah the prophet said God would punish the Israelites for their sin. Because they did not obey God’s commandments but instead rebelled against Him, worshipping idols and acting unjustly, God would send them into exile. But then, because God is compassionate, He would bring restoration, forgiveness, and healing after the punishment. Not only would God rescue Israel from exile, but He would also send the Messiah who would bring peace and safety to Israel and beyond. The Messiah would be a light to the nations. He would suffer for sin, and through His suffering, our wrongdoings would be taken away.

This verse was a message of hope and comfort to the Israelites, the original audience, when they were suffering in captivity because of their sin. God said, because of His unfailing love, He would never leave them.

What does this promise mean for us today? At times, we may feel overwhelmed with the fear of abandonment by friends and even family. We crave safety, protection, and a sense of connection with people who love us—and these are all good desires. Yet, because our world has been broken by sin, the people in our lives will fail us. But even then, God will be with us (Psalm 27:10). He loves us with unfailing love, and He will not abandon us.

In the New Testament of the Bible, we see the promise of a Messiah fulfilled. Jesus—who is God in flesh—came and suffered for our sins by dying on the cross. Then He rose from the dead, beating sin and death once and for all. Hebrews 7:22 tells us that Jesus guarantees the covenant of peace and love. Because I’ve put my trust in Jesus, this covenant assures me of God’s unfailing and everlasting love for me. Let us be encouraged to know God’s love for us will never fail and His covenant of peace stands forever. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• What feels shaky in your life today? How might God’s promise in Isaiah 54:10 give you hope?

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10 (NIV)

I like to give the things in my life names. I name my car, my plants—and I even brainstorm future pet names. Names can carry a lot of weight and significance, so what does it mean that God calls Himself "I AM"?

In Exodus 3, God speaks to Moses through a burning bush that—miraculously— does not burn up. When Moses asks God what His name is, God replies, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you...The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation” (verse 14-15).

When God uses the name "I AM," He sets Himself apart from any other god the Israelites may have been worshipping. This is not a god of fertility or the sun, this is the God who rules over everything. This is the God who existed before the Israelites were even a people, and He will continue to exist after they rebel against Him and are sent into exile generations later.

God presents His unchanging nature in His name. The Hebrew name for God, Yahweh, sounds like “I am” in Hebrew. This name was so sacred to the ancient Israelites that they would often substitute God’s name for "Lord," or "Adonai," in Scripture texts. This is why you see the name "LORD" in all caps in the Bible.

God has lived up to His name. He showed His unchanging love and grace in the sacrifice of sending Jesus to die on the cross and rise again for us. And God continues to show us His unchanging love by sanctifying and transforming us each day. So, whenever the future is uncertain, we can know that our God remains unchanging in His love and grace. • Naomi Zylstra

• Why is it important that God is unchanging?

• Besides His name, how else does God set Himself apart from other gods?

• One of the ways Jesus revealed His identity was by saying, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58). Why do you think Jesus said this?

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7 (NIV)

The city of Atlantis was real.

My forehead pressed against the thick glass window of the submarine, and I could only gape as the shining city came into view. The best we could have hoped to find was the crumbled ruins of a once great city, now resting at the bottom of the ocean. We never could have anticipated this.

The city was fully intact, safely enclosed inside a clear dome that protected the buildings, vegetation, and people from the freezing water of the ocean’s depths.

The captain of our sub made contact with the natives of Atlantis, and they welcomed us into their city through a special double-door chamber that drained all the water from around our vessel so we could breathe the sweet air inside the dome.

The city was bright and colorful. Flowers grew along the bustling streets filled with people laughing and selling goods like fresh produce and clothing. Children chased each other through the crowd, not a care or concern on their faces for the darkness that lay just outside their city’s dome.

The Atlantians threw a feast in our honor, and we took turns asking dozens of questions, them about the world on the surface and us about their life at the bottom of the ocean.

“How is it possible?” our captain asked, gesturing to the city around us. “How can all of this exist in an environment as dark and cruel as the deep sea?”

It was the question we had all been asking since laying eyes on the remarkable city.

The queen of Atlantis smiled warmly and raised her arms, gesturing to the dome around us all. “I imagine the explanation is much the same as the explanation for how your submarine allows you to travel to such depths. Outside this dome, so deep in the sea, there are thousands of pounds of pressure. Outside the safety of our dome, or a vessel like yours, the water would crush us, killing us instantly. But this dome exerts a pressure equal; its materials are stronger even than the pressure that lies beyond it. And it is because of the pressure within,” she placed her hand on her heart, “that we are able to withstand the pressure without.” • Emily Tenter

• If you’re a follower of Jesus, you have received the Holy Spirit, the One who gives us the power to withstand the pressures we face every day—loss, illness, decisions about the future, conflict with friends or family, etc. What pressures are you experiencing right now?

• Sometimes, it feels like the problems of this broken world and the powers of evil will crush us, but Jesus is stronger than everything. Because Jesus beat death, sin, and evil through His own death and resurrection, nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). How might this truth give you hope?

• Inside the dome, the city of Atlantis was bright and full of life. When we trust in Jesus, what does He fill us with? (Romans 15:13-15)

• How does the Holy Spirit help us endure, even during difficult circumstances? (Colossians 1:9-14)

• Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit guiding or encouraging you? As we learn to listen to the Holy Spirit, it’s important to remember that God does not contradict His written Word, the Bible. Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you discern what is from God and what is not?

...this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed... 2 Corinthians 4:7-8 (NIV)

I grew up studying in a religious school. My parents were respected in our small town. They were kind, generous, and accommodating. I looked up to them, and I loved helping the needy. However, I did something terrible when I was a teenager. I ended up bullying a poor classmate of mine. She was silent as a lamb. She did not retaliate. I did not see her angry. I was not aware that I was already bullying her. I just thought I was making fun of her.

One day, I came to realize that what I did was wrong. I realized I was hurting and shaming her. I was guilty of bullying. I was troubled and upset by what I had done. I realized I was being insensitive and narrow-minded. That hit me hard in my conscience. Regret followed me, and I was not at peace. Joy left me. I said to myself, "I should not have done that. I am not perfect, but I am compassionate, or so I thought." Even after acknowledging that I had bullied someone, it was hard for me to forgive myself.

What do you do when you mess up? Come to Jesus. God knows everything about you—including everything you’ve done wrong—and He loves you. No matter what you’ve done, He wants to forgive you. When Jesus, God the Son, died on the cross, He took the punishment our wrongdoing (or sin) deserves. Then He rose from the dead, beating sin and death forever.

If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, all our sins have been dealt with. God does not condemn us. So we do not need to condemn ourselves. Instead, we can come to Jesus, confess what we’ve done, and rest in His complete forgiveness. God does not want us to be trapped in regrets and negative feelings. He helps us realize our sins so that we can confess them and live in His good ways instead. And He gives us the power to do so through the Holy Spirit. He will help us move forward. He will bring healing and make us whole again. • Golda Dilema

• Do you ever have a hard time forgiving yourself? In moments like these, come to Jesus.

• In Psalm 32, David describes how awful he feels after doing wrong. But when he confesses his sin to God, he is set free from guilt! Then David talks about how God shows us the way to go. When we do wrong, God might call us to do something to make it right, such as apologizing. Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you discern what to do after you mess up?

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.” Isaiah 1:18a (NLT)

I’m twenty-eight years old, and one thing I wish I would have known about God as a teenager is that He made me unique and special.

I was born three months premature, and I had a stroke at birth. I’ve struggled to gain weight ever since. Kids would be mean to me and call me anorexic because of how skinny I was. (Anorexia is a very serious eating disorder that should never be joked about.) I would try to explain my situation to them, but it never seemed to help. Everyone would either laugh at me or say that I was lying about my story. It got to the point where I just stopped explaining myself, and I wouldn’t say anything when the kids in school made fun of me.

I felt embarrassed and ashamed of myself. I wish I had known sooner that God made me special and unique in His own specific ways. I know now that God made me on purpose, and He loves me deeply. He loves me so much that Jesus became human to die for me and rise from the dead, defeating sin and death so I can live with Him forever when He returns. In the meantime, He empowers me to share my testimony to help others who need encouragement or are going through similar circumstances. Because Jesus is so good, He can use even the hard things in our lives to connect people to Himself.

I’m still small for my age, but I know God has worked in mighty ways to help me share His good news with everyone around me. I’m thankful for God’s incredible grace. He showed me that even though some kids made fun of me, my worth doesn’t come from them. It comes from Jesus. • Alexis Wohler

• Have you ever struggled to gain weight? Have others made fun of you for any reason?

• When people are mean to you, Jesus weeps with you. He knows your hurts, and He cares for you. How might Jesus be offering you comfort and healing?

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

"Am I fake?" Has this thought ever crossed your mind? You are not alone. When someone decides to become a Christian, they might be surprised to discover they still struggle with sin. Even if they are working hard to follow Jesus and reshape their life choices and patterns, mess-ups inevitably happen. Trials come. The old you may be tempted to join in with thoughts and actions that don’t honor God. But the new you (with Jesus at the center of your life) wants to reject your past and strive to live in God’s good ways. This can feel like an internal battle.

Because the world is broken, we experience hurt every day, and it’s easy to become enraged, bitter, or apathetic. The way we react to these struggles— whether with hatred, a fiery retort, or impatience—can leave a burning question in our heart: "Am I a fraud? Why am I so upset? I’m supposed to be a Christian."

Don’t despair. This is perfectly normal. The apostles were tempted and had imperfections—think of Peter’s fiery temper and how he cut off Malchus’s ear in John 18:10—and yet they were present with Jesus. We all face temptations, and when we recognize them, we may feel discomfort, but Jesus promises He will never leave us. His Spirit is in us and working to restore us, day by day shaping us to become more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18).

You are not a fake Christian if you lose your temper or say something wrong—you are a human Jesus loves. Even though you are being transformed, following Jesus isn’t easy. Making changes is a lifelong choice that doesn’t happen instantaneously, but you are not alone in the process. You are on a spiritual journey with Jesus. Remember that artwork doesn’t become a masterpiece right away; it happens in stages with a few brushstrokes here and there until a beautiful picture is made. As Christians, we are all God’s masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10).

So keep going. Persevere because through it all you have a heavenly Father who loves you dearly, the Holy Spirit who helps you in your weakness, and Jesus who took all your sins upon Himself when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you are totally forgiven, and nothing can separate you from His love. • Cindy Lee

• Do you ever feel like a fake or a fraud?

• As Christians, how can we come alongside each other when we sin? (Galatians 6:1-5)

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:14 (NLT)

Imagine you wake up one morning and begin to get ready for the day. When you look at yourself in the mirror, you are horrified by what you see: you have a massive case of bedhead, eye crust is piled up in your eyelids, last night’s dinner is stuck between your teeth, and you look like you haven’t showered in days. Would you shrug it off and start your day without cleaning up first? No way!

When we read the Bible, it’s like looking into a mirror. The Bible reveals who God is and also who we are. It tells the story of God’s love for all people and the whole creation and how He is redeeming the world through Jesus. Part of what the Bible shows us is how sin operates in the world, and it even exposes our sin and shows us our need for God. Throughout the Bible, God invites us to live in His good ways—which must be centered around putting our trust in Jesus. Just as it wouldn’t make sense to look in the mirror and then not do anything about your appearance, it doesn’t make any sense to read the Bible and not be affected by it.

James tells us that the person who reads the Bible and never does what it says is deceiving themselves—they are tricking themselves into thinking that everything is okay when it’s definitely not! It can be difficult to read the Bible and become convicted of sin. But as we come to understand our sinfulness, we also gain a deeper appreciation for the work of Jesus on the cross. He took all our sins upon Himself and died in our place so that we could be forgiven. But that wasn’t the end. Jesus rose from the dead, beating sin and death and promising to return to heal all the effects of sin. If we have put our trust in Jesus, we can know that all our sins are forgiven. Now, Jesus is calling us to follow Him, and that means being both hearers and doers of the Word. • Jacob Bier

• In John 14:15, Jesus says that obedience is a sign of our love for Him. We don’t obey God to earn His love— He already loves us completely! Rather, we obey God because He loves us and He is transforming us through Jesus. How might this truth affect the way you read the Bible?

• When we realize we have sinned, Jesus invites us to come to Him. As we turn away from sin and back toward God, He forgives us and empowers us to live in His good ways. Are there any sins you would like to confess to God?

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22 (NIV)

Do you yearn to break free from the chains of your past? Are you weary of running Or wearing a mask? Pain, guilt, shame, and despair Ugly, heavy—it’s too much to bear

Hope shines through the dark When all else seems lost He took all our sin When He bore the cross No longer slaves, no need to fear His burden is light; God’s presence is near

Will you receive the freedom He gives? Grace is for all; healing is here Joy, forgiveness, peace for the taking A new creation in Christ in the making • Savannah Coleman

• Do you ever feel like you’re running, or like you’re wearing a mask?

• Jesus came to free us—not only from sin and death—but also from shame and fear. From the beginning, God had a plan to send His Son, Jesus, to save us. When Adam and Eve sinned, death reigned—pain, guilt, shame, and despair were the rule of the day—until God abundantly provided the gift of new life through Jesus Christ. This gift is for everyone who puts their trust in Him (Romans 5:17-21, 10:9). Have you made the decision to put your trust in Jesus? (If you’d like to know more about what this means, see our "Know Jesus" page.)

• Once you belong to Christ, He begins a good work in you that He promises to bring to completion until the day He comes again (Philippians 1:3-11). Jesus invites us to live in His freedom and abundance. As you spend time in God’s presence, He will deepen your knowledge of Himself and equip you with everything you need to follow Him. How do you like to spend time with God?

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

We have all experienced the pain of betrayal, unkind words spoken, and possibly even more serious hurts inflicted by someone against us. What is the natural response when people wrong us? Retaliation is often our first instinct. But is that the loving, Christian response? When someone wrongs us, God calls us not to do them harm in return. Instead, we are to do them good. Now, that sounds hard. What “good” can we do to someone who has hurt us?

Take a look at the life of Joseph in the Bible. Because Joseph was his father’s favorite son, Joseph’s brothers hated him and continually spoke harshly to him. They hated him so much that they sold him into slavery to get rid of him, and Joseph was taken to Egypt. That is a very serious offense, and, for many years, the brothers thought they had gotten away with it. Joseph was gone, and no one would ever know why.

Fast-forward a few years. A famine came to the land where Joseph’s brothers lived. They showed up in Egypt looking for food. Ah! Here was Joseph’s chance! Joseph, though once a slave, now had great power in Egypt and could imprison his brothers or require grave consequences for their actions against him. Instead, Joseph forgave them! And he met their need for food with abundance. He returned love for their spiteful sin, and his loving actions led to a restored relationship with his brothers and the survival of their entire family.

Joseph’s actions foreshadowed the radical forgiveness that Jesus gives us. We have all done wrong, but God Himself took the punishment for our sin when Jesus died on the cross. And Jesus rose from the dead, so now everyone who puts their trust in Jesus is restored to relationship with God! Though we all deserve death, He gives us life.

When someone sins against us, we can forgive them as God has forgiven us— because the Holy Spirit empowers us to do so (Romans 8:9-12). In response to evil, we give good. We act in love. We let go of anger and resentment. With God’s help, we hope and pray that the offender will repent, and we choose to retaliate with good. • Rebecca Moore

• How could you do good to someone who has wronged you? (Remember, when people hurt us deeply, forgiving them doesn’t mean we have to form close relationships with them.)

See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. 1 Thessalonians 5:15 (NLT)

I recently had an experience that still makes me smile each time I think about it.

I was carrying my five-month-old nephew while his two-year-old brother was running around in the house. We made a game of the younger one chasing the older one, and soon both boys were shrieking with laughter. It made me so happy to see the two interact and enjoy one another while they were still so young. When I got home, I said that I wanted to remember those moments forever.

God gives us special times with the ones we love. He allows us to see and do things that create memories we cherish. I thank God that there is a time for joy along with a time for tears. As Ecclesiastes 3:4 says, there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh.”

Life can get really heavy. I have a lot weighing down on me right now. But God mixes in a lot of good as we go through each day, giving us a break from our pain and the chance to smile and laugh. • Emily Acker

• What is a special memory you hold onto?

• Has God ever given you a happy moment when you really needed it? Consider taking some time to enjoy this memory and thank God for it.

• When Jesus came to earth as a human and lived among us, He experienced everything we do—the sorrows and the joys (Hebrews 4:14-16). When Jesus returns, there will be no more sorrow or pain (Revelation 21:4). But until then, He is with us through everything we experience, grieving our hurts and delighting in our joys right along with us. How might these truths give you comfort?

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 (NIV)

When you mess up or wander away from God, you might feel like that’s it. You might think, "The things I’ve done are too much. God couldn’t forgive me."

But that is not true. The amazing thing about God’s grace is that it’s not too late for you. There is still hope for you even after you mess up. God knows none of us is perfect. Ever since the first humans went their own way against God, we all sin and do wrong. But God didn’t give up on us. Though we all rejected Him, He still loves us. That’s why He sent His Son, Jesus, to this world, to live and die and rise again for us. Jesus died on the cross to take away our sins.

All of us have sinned. All of us. We have all fallen short of deserving anything from God—but He gives incredible grace to us anyway. Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)”

When you have messed up, even in a big way, it’s not too late. You can repent by turning away from sin and coming to God. You can ask for His forgiveness, and He will give you new life. God can make all things new. He can help you leave the past behind.

God’s grace truly is beautiful and amazing. Because of what Jesus has done for us, we can live without shame from the past (Psalm 34:5; Romans 8:1). We can live freely, knowing that God is with us, and we can look forward to eternal life with Jesus when He returns. Thank you, God, for your grace. • Bethany Acker

• Have you ever felt like what you’ve done is unforgivable, like there’s no going back? Take heart. Jesus’s death on the cross was for you, and His grace is big enough to cover your sin—all of it. It’s not about what you’ve done; it’s about what Jesus has done.

• If you’d like to know more about God’s grace and what it means to put your trust in Jesus, who is a trusted Christian in your life you could talk to? (You can also find more information on our "Know Jesus" page.)

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) Ephesians 2:4-5 (NLT)

Your friends don’t always understand what has you upset. You are unique, and when it comes to things that hurt you and your feelings about what is going on in the world, not everyone will be affected the same way you are. When you feel misunderstood, know that God sees you.

Your family might get uncomfortable when you cry. They might try to stop you or tell you that things really aren’t as bad as you think. Your hurts are real, though, and so are your feelings. God sees your pain when others don’t understand how you are feeling or don’t have the patience to deal with you.

When you feel like your pain is yours alone and no one is going to stand by you or help you through it, know that God is there. He sees your tears, and He cares about you. He values you. He hurts for you. Jesus identifies with your pain, and He weeps alongside you. Jesus grieves what you grieve.

God is not ashamed of you when you cry, and He is not going to tell you to stop. God knows what types of things bother you. He understands you. You can reach out to Him when you feel alone in your pain. He will never turn you away. • Emily Acker

• Do you feel alone when you are hurting? Sometimes, other people don’t know how to be there for us in our pain, and this can make us feel even worse. In John 11, when Jesus’s friend Mary was crying because her brother Lazarus had died, Jesus did not tell her to stop. Even though Jesus knew He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, Jesus wept with Mary (verse 35). In the same way, Jesus weeps with you when you are hurting.

• Jesus understands your pain because He has been through similar pain (Hebrews 4:14-16). He was willing to be wounded so that you could be healed (Isaiah 53:4-5). How might this truth give you hope?

• In 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, Paul talks about God comforting us, and then he reminds us we can comfort others “through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” How could receiving God’s compassion for us help us show compassion to others?

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. Psalm 147:3 (CSB)

While hiking on a trail in the Smoky Mountains, my husband and I needed to make a decision. The sign had said the trail was only a few miles—but it didn’t say we were headed uphill through rough terrain. Hot and weary, we considered going back, but once we realized how far we had already come, we rallied and kept hiking to the trail’s end.

The book of Hebrews was written to weary people who were encountering difficulties as they followed the way of Christ. While we don’t know the identity of the writer of Hebrews, he or she is clearly someone who knew and understood God’s Word. This author is encouraging Hebrew (or Jewish) Christians who are discouraged by the persecution they are facing as believers. They are tempted to return to their old way of life, but this would be a terrible mistake. Point by point, the author of Hebrews shows how Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant. When God was revealing Himself to the Jewish people throughout the Old Testament, everything was leading up to Jesus.

The book of Hebrews shows us that Jesus is greater than anything or anyone. He is greater the angels (chapter 1). He is greater than Moses, who was a faithful servant—but Jesus is faithful as God’s Son (chapter 3). Jesus is greater than the Old Testament priests (chapter 5) and the sacrifices they offered for sin, because Jesus offered His own blood as the very last sacrifice and obtained “eternal redemption” (chapter 9, verse 12) for His people.

Because Jesus is greater than all these, the writer of Hebrews calls on believers to persevere and continue to walk in faith. Chapter 11 gives examples of Old Testament believers who did just that. People like Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Rahab, and others are listed as heroes of the faith who persevered during difficult days, even though they did not experience the fulfillment of God’s promises in their lifetimes (verses 13, 39). Hebrews calls us to do the same—to persevere, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (chapter 12, verse 2). • Laura N. Sweet

• Do you ever get discouraged about following Jesus? Ever think about turning back? Who are trusted Christians in your life you can be honest with when you feel this way?

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

"Go in peace,” the worship leader said at the end of my first chapel service at my Christian university. I had never heard the phrase before, but after hearing it at every following chapel, I learned that some churches close every service with the words “go in peace.” It was amusing at first to anticipate this catchphrase, but then I realized just how powerful those words are.

It made me wonder, what does it look like to actually go in peace?

First, before you go in peace, you have to come into peace. God invites us to refocus on Jesus, the Prince of Peace, in the middle of the craziness of the world (Isaiah 9:6). Coming into peace is drawing near to God and listening to Him, whether through prayer, reading and reflecting on His Word, doing a Bible study or worship night, or attending a church gathering.

In Luke 7, a woman “who lived a sinful life” came to Jesus and, weeping, anointed His feet with perfume and wiped them with her hair (verses 37-38). While some people looked down on her, Jesus defended her. He said that her sins were forgiven, and He explained that her actions were done out of love for God. Then He told her to “go in peace” (verse 50).

Like this woman, we can come to Jesus knowing that He will accept us. When we admit our sin to Him and accept His gift of eternal life through His death and resurrection, we too can go in peace knowing that we are forever loved by God. Our peace comes from knowing we have a secure future with Jesus. Through faith, we have an unshakeable hope wherever we go, no matter what the future holds.

It’s peace during a challenging exam or a bad storm. It’s peace in health challenges and family struggles. It’s peace in war and persecution. It’s peace that passes understanding.

Our world is broken by sin and full of chaos, but with Jesus, we can have peace no matter what we face because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). • Abby Ciona

• Can you think of a time you came into God’s peace, either by yourself or with others?

• Read Colossians 3:12-17. According to these verses, what does it look like to live in the peace that Jesus has given us? Who can you share Jesus’s peace with today?

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)

We tend to feel confident when the people in our lives respect us and celebrate our accomplishments. We feel good when we do big things. But when we are struggling and no one seems to notice us, we might start to question our value.

As humans, we want to impress others and to be accepted by them. It’s hard when we feel like no one sees us. In those times, it’s important to remember that God sees us and He loves us.

God created you just the way you are. The parts of yourself that you like, the parts of yourself that you don’t like—He made every part of you. He created you in His image, and Jesus said, “You are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows” (Matthew 10:31). God showed how precious you are to Him when Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead so that you could be accepted into God’s family. You have value because God made you and He claims you as His own.

God sees you every day, whether you are accomplishing big things or just getting through each hour. You don’t have to do anything special to capture the attention of the One who made you. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you can know that you are God’s precious child, a child He celebrates. • Emily Acker

• Do you ever feel like you need to do something impressive to get people to notice or value you?

• God says that you are precious to Him, and you don’t need to do anything to earn His love. Jesus has already done everything that was needed by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. How might this truth free you to follow God in love and gratitude? • If you want to dig deeper, read Genesis 1:27; Romans 15:7; and Ephesians 5:1-2.

But to all who believed him [Jesus] and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 (NLT)

Recently, I was on a flight from Chicago. Shortly after takeoff, we reached our cruising altitude. The pilot warned us about some possible turbulence. "No big deal," I thought. Suddenly, the plane dropped. A lot. It probably lasted barely two seconds. The oxygen masks didn’t even fall from the ceiling. But there was an audible gasp from the passengers as our stomachs seemed to fly upward. The guy next to me turned a ghastly white. Up till that moment, I had felt a bit sleepy, but the rush of adrenaline canceled my nap.

I was reminded of the adrenaline-filled incident in Mark 4 when the disciples and Jesus are traveling by boat across the Sea of Galilee. A sudden storm erupts, and the disciples, many of them experienced fishermen, panic when water begins to gather in the boat. Unlike my brief adrenaline rush, I’m sure the disciples worked feverishly to right the small boat. They rowed hard against the storm, but they seemed to be losing.

And Jesus? Mark tells us Jesus was asleep on a cushion in the boat. That may seem hard to believe, but I’m sure He was exhausted after days of teaching, healing, and traveling. Besides, we fear what we cannot control. Thus, Jesus had no fear. No aspect of creation fell outside His dominion—sickness and death, all aspects of nature, demonic powers—all of them are subject to Jesus’s power. Colossians 1:16 tells us that “in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth.” The next verse adds, “in him all things hold together.”

Whether it’s airplane turbulence or the turbulence of our own lives, we fear the unknown. But the cross of Christ can overcome that fear. I can’t control the events of life, but I know the One who can. I can panic at the waves or turn to the One who overcame death and secured my salvation. Trust Him with your life, and He will secure it as surely as He calmed the waves and settled the storm. • Mike Hurley

• We all have times when we feel afraid (Psalm 56:3). In these times, God invites us to rely on His sure love for us (1 John 4:13-19). How might knowing that Jesus is greater than everything help us to have courage even when things feel out of control?

For in him [Jesus] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:16-17 (NIV)

I have days when I wonder, "How am I going to get through this?" It feels like the things I need to do and the steps I have to take are too much for me. I wonder if I will be strong enough to keep moving forward.

But in the times when I feel like I am not enough and that I am too weak, I can reach out to God. When I don’t have the power to take on the things that I need to do, I turn to the One who made me and who definitely has more power than I have. The One who loves me and who came to be with me.

God knows that we need Him, and He wants us to come to Him for help. The Bible makes it clear that we don’t have to be ashamed of our weaknesses. Rather, God says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

On the days when you feel the weakest, God is there, ready to be strong for you. In the times when you don’t know if you are going to make it, God is still working. He wants to come beside you and give you strength.

God strengthens us through the Holy Spirit. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit in you, empowering you to do what God calls you to do. Sometimes God will call you to press on through difficulties, and other times He will call you to take a rest. Whatever the case, He will be with you through it all.

How amazing is it that we serve a God who not only sent His Son to save us but who is also willing to step into our lives and help us? How amazing is it that He will be strong for us when we cannot be strong on our own? • Emily Acker

• Can you think of a time you felt weak and God helped you? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this.

• Where in your life do you need strength today? Do you feel like you can talk to God about this?

The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Exodus 15:2a (CSB)

I used to have a little baby bird that I raised all on my own. Her parents neglected her since she was disabled and not as strong as the rest of her siblings. I fed her many times a day, including getting up twice a night (even on school nights) so that she would get enough food to become strong. She needed a lot of care, but I was willing to put in the effort to try and save her life. Even when I thought that my bird might not be able to survive, I never gave up on her. So, day by day, little by little, my bird became stronger. With the right amount of care, she was able to become a perfectly healthy bird.

In the same way, Jesus doesn’t ever give up on us either. When nobody else believes in us, Jesus stays right by our side. He is always there for us, whether we’re doing great or we’re at our absolute worst. He will continue to help us, and we don’t need to do anything to earn that help. Jesus is the God of healing and miracles. He cares about all our hurts, and He came so that we could be made whole. He will be with us, and He will continue to love us and care for us, no matter what. • Hanna Leopold

• Have you ever felt like that baby bird? How might it give you hope to know that Jesus never gives up on you?

• If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can look forward to the day He will return and put an end to sickness and pain forever. There is so much brokenness in our world, but Jesus has come to restore. Even now, God is bringing healing and wholeness all over creation. And He invites us to be part of this good work, extending kindness and compassion wherever we go. How could you show God’s love today?

He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless. Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles... Isaiah 40:29-31 (CSB)

If we are honest, at one time or another we all have doubts about our faith, what God is doing in our lives, or God’s character.

In Mark 9, a man brought his son, who had been possessed by a demon since childhood, to Jesus for healing. The father said to Jesus, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us” (verse 22). Jesus replied, “Everything is possible for the one who believes” (verse 23). The father immediately cried out, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (verse 24). Jesus did not rebuke this father for his doubts. Jesus healed his son. What a beautiful picture of how Jesus cares for us in our suffering and doubts! In times of doubt and questions, we can echo this father’s simple yet powerful words: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” God won’t rebuke you for your honest cries to Him, He will pull you close and remind you of who He is.

Another day, Jesus miraculously walked on water, and He invited Peter to join Him. So Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus! But when Peter saw the waves and began to sink, he cried out to Jesus to save him, and Jesus did—immediately. Peter was in the middle of the miracle of walking on water when he had doubts. And Jesus gently reminded Peter that He was with him. Peter trusted Jesus to save him in the midst of his doubt.

After Jesus’s resurrection, Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus appeared to them, and Thomas said that he would not believe Jesus had risen from the dead unless he saw Jesus with his own eyes. Instead of leaving Thomas drowning in a pool of doubt, Jesus appeared to him and gave him what he needed. Even though Jesus’s disciples walked with Him and saw His miracles firsthand, they still had doubts (Matthew 28:16-17).

When that inevitable doubt comes knocking, what should we do? We can cry out to Jesus. He wants to reveal Himself to us. He wants to help us know Him. And as Christians, we have the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). When we are afraid, we can remember that God is with us—He is our strength and help (Isaiah 41:10). We can fix our minds on God’s truth (Philippians 4:8) and remind our hearts that nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:39). • Savannah Coleman

• Even when Thomas was doubting, he stayed with the other disciples. Who are trusted Christians in your life you can be honest with when you are doubting?

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24b (NIV)

I recently learned of two newborn babies who died, mere days and weeks after being born. Having a baby of my own, learning of such tragedies breaks my heart. I look at my sweet baby boy and hug him a little tighter, thankful for the gift of a healthy baby.

But I can’t help but ask, “Why, Lord? Why is there so much sorrow and grief and suffering in this world? Why is life filled with such heavy things as babies dying?”

As I mulled over these things, the Lord reminded me of Romans 8, a passage that spoke comfort to my own heart a few years ago when I walked through my own season of heartache. This passage describes our world as being “subjected to futility” and being in bondage (verses 20-21). You see, the world as we know it now is not the way God originally created it to be.

When God created the world, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed” (Genesis 1:31). But when humans went their own way against God, everything changed. Humanity became sinful, and the world groaned under the curse of their sin.

But take hope! It won’t always be this way. Revelation 21:3-5 declares that the day will come when once again, there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more grief and pain. No more sin. We can be sure of this hope because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead—defeating sin, death, disease, and sickness once and for all, and making a way for everyone who puts their trust in Him to be forgiven. When Jesus returns, every wrong will be made right.

However, we’re not there yet. We still live in this world that is marked by the heartache of the effects of sin. Perhaps you have personally experienced the great sorrow of losing someone you love dearly. Suffering in this life is real. We cannot deny it. But as we suffer, we can cling to the hope of what is yet to come: one day, God will make all things right. • Angela Stanley

• Where do you see brokenness? How can God’s promise to make all things new give you hope?

• Do you feel like you can talk to God about the sorrows you experience? God sees all the brokenness of His creation, and He is filled with compassion for us. Through His death and resurrection, He made the way for us to come to Him. He invites us to process the hurt, grieve the wrongness with Him, and receive His peace (Romans 15:13).

Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.” Revelation 21:5 (CSB)

Abeo sat alone in his room. He heard laughing and talking coming from downstairs.

“Are they singing?” He laid back on his bed.

He’d told everyone that he wanted to be alone. He really wished that they would miss him down there, though. There was part of him that hoped someone would come up by him and insist that he join them.

The night went on and no one came to get him. None of his family’s guests came up to tell him goodbye before they left. Abeo stretched out on his bed, tears welling in his eyes. He was lonely when he was with people, but even lonelier when he was alone in his room. All he wanted was to be loved and to know that he was accepted.

Reading in Psalms the next day, Abeo could understand the pain of the psalmist and how he felt alone in the world. As the psalmist cried out to God, Abeo cried out right along with him. He wanted to feel God’s presence. And then, Abeo started to feel that God was there with him. He started to feel God’s love and compassion. Sitting by himself in his room, suddenly Abeo knew that he wasn’t alone. • Emily Acker

• Do you ever feel alone, even when others are around? In times of loneliness, God invites you to come to Him.

• God created us to be in relationship with Him and with each other. But when humans went their own way against God, our relationship with Him was broken. Because we live in a world that’s been broken by sin, we all experience loneliness and have difficulty navigating relationships. Yet God doesn’t leave us alone. He came for us. He took on flesh to dwell among us. Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has made a way for us to be restored to relationship with God. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you can know that you are loved and accepted by the One who Created you—and you are part of His family, the church! God calls His people to love and accept each other (Romans 15:7; 1 Peter 1:22). How might God be giving you opportunities to reach out to others who are lonely?

All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. Psalm 38:9 (NIV)

The psalmists weren’t afraid to admit when they were afraid. They even talked about feeling abandoned by God. Some of my favorite psalms are those that cry out desperately to God. You can feel the writers’ authenticity. You can feel their struggle. It’s easy for me to relate to what was going on with them.

These psalms remind me that God is not against our honesty. He knows what is on our hearts anyway (Psalm 139:1-4), and He invites us to tell Him when we are afraid or when we are feeling alone. When Jesus was in agony on the cross, He cried out in the words of Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46). In the same way, we can be honest with God.

We can also talk to others about the way we feel. When we are frustrated with life, when we feel like God has abandoned us, it’s important that we reach out to other Christians who will listen to us and pray with us. As the body of Christ, we are called to encourage one another and remind each other that God is trustworthy and compassionate.

Like the psalmists, we all go through struggles. At times, we find ourselves wondering why God is doing the things He is doing. In these times, the psalms can give us words to express our hearts to God, and they can help us remember His goodness and praise Him again.

We don’t need to be afraid to ask for help, prayer, and encouragement when we need it. Like the psalmists, we can be honest with God, and with one another. • Bethany Acker

• Can you think of a time you felt discouraged, alone, or afraid? Did you feel like you could talk to God during that time? Why or why not?

• Who are trusted Christians in your life you can be honest with about what you’re going through? And how can you be a good friend to others when they are struggling?

For you, Lord, rescued me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. Psalm 116:8 (CSB)

Do you get frustrated with the amount of stuff accumulating in your space? For some of us, it’s easy to get things...but not as easy to get rid of those items when they are no longer being used.

Although the Israelites in the Bible did not necessarily have the issue of accumulating too many possessions, it’s possible that the root cause of their problems was similar to my own when it comes to material possessions.

Soon after God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, they needed food. To provide for His people, God sent bread, known as manna, from heaven. Each morning, the Israelites were to gather just enough to last for the day; the exception was on the sixth day of the week when they were to gather enough for the seventh day as well. But when some of the people gathered too much and kept it until the next day (besides the seventh day), the manna bred worms. Because they kept the manna overnight, the very thing they had needed one day became a burden the next.

God was inviting His people to depend on Him daily. The Israelites simply needed to trust God and follow His instructions, and they would have enough food to eat (without having to deal with worms).

Similarly, God invites us to trust Him daily. Though we should not be wasteful, we sometimes hold on to things too long. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that you have accumulated, maybe it’s time to get rid of some of it and trust God to provide for your needs in the future. • Jennifer Miller

• We don’t need to hoard because God cares for us, and He provides for His people. When have you seen God provide for a need in your life?

• Are you holding on to something you don’t need that could be a blessing to someone else?

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.” Exodus 16:4a (CSB)

I swam to an old sea cave before the battle. Our odds of winning were beyond scary. Soon my kingdom could be enslaved to the Sinades again. There was already talk of surrender. Once inside, I removed my helmet and wept the salt into the water. My armor clanked as I fell to the sea floor. I was not equipped for this. How could I possibly save my people?

I knew what I must do. I began untwining the straps that held my armor to my scales and placed it in a pile. Once I was unburdened from my armor, I closed my eyes and whispered, salt still streaming from my eyes. “Oh Lord, Protector of the sun and sea, this armor will do me no good. Only you can affect what is needed. I surrender this armor to you.” I breathed slowly, remembering our history. “You have been the one leading us. You are the one who died and rose from the dead to let us live in your freedom.” I floated in silence, letting this warm truth envelop me. “Save us once more so that we may raise the seas to your glory.”

"You trust me?" I felt the question ripple through the waters. I could only nod.

"Sink your armor." With a gulp, I pushed my armor down a dark crevice in the cave. It sank into the depths from which things never returned. Then I heard, "Now go." Fear quivered down my fins as I looked at my bare arms. I clamped my eyes shut. “Oh, please Lord, give me your armor lest I fail and die!”

"Oh, dearest child. See, I have given you my armor."

“Where is it?” I looked again at my bareness.

"I sunk it beneath your skin. It will protect you."

“No one will see it.”

"That is how they will know that it was I who rescued you. Now go." I trembled but began to leave. I stopped at the mouth of the cave. I almost smiled. “They will certainly laugh...both sides.” I could hear the smile in the Protector’s voice. "They always do." • Abigail Scibiur

• We live in a broken world, and the enemy is out to destroy us (1 Peter 5:8). But Jesus came to save us. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has guaranteed His victory over the evil one. Jesus fights our battles for us, and He also gives His armor to His followers. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit in us, empowering us to take our stand against the devil. Yet, our help always comes from Jesus, not ourselves. How might this truth give you comfort?

Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Ephesians 6:10 (CSB)

My heart aches for unity in the church. I see so many divisions—Christians disregarding each other, judging, shaming, excluding...and I feel powerless. Unity seems impossible.

One day I shared my feelings with my church small group, and then one of my friends shared John 17:20-26. In this passage, Jesus was sharing the Passover meal with His disciples, a hodge-podge group of fishermen, tax collectors, political radicals...you get the picture. Jesus knew that in mere hours, one of them would betray Him, another would deny Him, and the rest would abandon Him. So, what did Jesus do? He prayed for them. And not just for the people who were following Him that day, but also for everyone who would believe in Him in the future. That includes us. It brings tears to my eyes when I realize Jesus prayed for us, for me, thousands of years before we were born. He knew us even then. He knew that we would all betray Him, deny Him, and run away from Him...and yet He loved us (Ephesians 1:4-6).

When Jesus prayed for us, He prayed that we would be unified, that we would be one like Jesus and God the Father are one. Wow. When I look at the hodge-podge group of people who make up the church, many who I don’t agree with or even understand (and who don’t agree with or understand me), who have opposing perspectives on politics, how to interpret Scripture, and how to love others well—I think, "How could we possibly be unified?" But the freeing thing is, it’s not up to us to unify ourselves. God is the only one who can. And He wants to. He gives the Holy Spirit to those who’ve put their trust in Jesus, and the same Spirit empowers each of us to love and serve each other like Jesus loves and serves us. Unity in the church is possible because God’s love is stronger than anything. Jesus’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead have covered over every wrongdoing, every offense, everything that separates us from God and each other. We will experience complete unity when Jesus returns, and it will be beautiful. But I believe we also get to experience some of that unity here and now as we live in God’s love.

My friend from small group told us she’d begun reading John 17:20-26 daily and praying Jesus’s prayer along with Him. So, I started doing the same thing. As I read, I am agreeing with Jesus’s prayer, agreeing with what God wants to do, and asking Him to do it. • Hannah Howe

• Where have you seen unity or disunity in the church? Consider taking a moment to pray.

“I pray also for those who will believe...that all of them may be one...” John 17:20b-21a (NIV)

June 4, 1942. Commander Mitsuo Fuchida, leader of the Pearl Harbor attack, was steaming across the ocean on the aircraft carrier Akagi, alongside the powerful Japanese navy. Six months after crippling the United States Pacific Fleet in Hawaii, he was poised to destroy another target—the US airfields of Midway.

Fuchida felt invincible—except for a ruptured appendix. After surgery, he was recovering on the flight deck, when he saw American Dauntless bombers diving straight for him. “Hell-divers!” a lookout screamed. A one thousand-pound bomb rocked the ship. During the attack, Fuchida broke both of his ankles. The explosions and fires eventually brought the Akagi to a watery grave, along with three other carriers and over three hundred of Japan’s best planes and pilots.

Fuchida, unable to walk, was rescued and taken to a nearby destroyer. He later found that everyone else in the sick bay, which he left before the attack, had died from a direct hit.

On August 5, 1945, Fuchida was ordered from Hiroshima to Yamato. The next day, the United States’ atomic bomb flattened Hiroshima. Fuchida had barely escaped. Later, he accompanied a search party to assess the damage. One by one, every member of his group died from radiation poisoning. Only Fuchida survived.

After the war, Fuchida became very bitter. He hated the Americans for destroying his country. One day, he read a tract that led him to the Bible. Soon he came to Jesus’s words, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Fuchida realized Jesus was praying for him! Then, Fuchida began a new life with his Savior.

Until his death, Fuchida was an international evangelist, preaching the power of Christ to replace hatred with love. • Jonathon Baker

• Have you experienced Jesus’s radical forgiveness? If you want to learn more, our "Know Jesus" page.

• Do you have any hatred or bitterness in your life? How might Christ’s prayer of forgiveness make a difference to you?

But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:16 (NIV)

Have you ever been reading a Bible passage and a certain word or phrase keeps popping up over and over again? That happens to me with the word good when I read the book of Titus, and it’s why I think one of the main themes of Titus is “doing what is good.”

The book of Titus is known as one of Paul’s pastoral letters. Paul wrote it to instruct and give advice to Titus, who had been put in charge of organizing the churches on the island of Crete. In this letter, Paul gives Titus advice about choosing church leaders, about how those in the church should relate to one another, and about avoiding false teachings and division among believers.

Paul also focuses on the link between belief and behavior. Good works are evidence of a heart that has been changed through faith in Jesus. Doing good does not make you a Christian, but the more you get to know Jesus, the more you will desire to do what is good. Paul emphasizes this as he tells Titus that those who believe in Jesus should:

Love what is good (Titus 1:8).

Teach what is good (2:3).

Do what is good (2:7).

Be eager to do what is good (2:14).

Be ready to do what is good (3:1).

Be devoted to doing what is good (3:8, 14).

Yet even as Paul urges these Christians in Crete to do good, he also makes it clear that God’s kindness and love toward us are not dependent on anything we do. Rather, God saved us because He is merciful. Our own goodness can never be enough to save us from sin and death, but God—in His infinite goodness—sent Jesus to die and raise from the dead so that we could live with Him forever. When we confess our sins to Him and put our trust in Jesus to save us, He changes our hearts so that we overflow with His goodness. Then He calls us to share that goodness with others. • Marie Cleveland

• Have you ever tried to “do good” to earn God’s approval? In Titus, we see that God loves us no matter what we do. How might this knowledge affect the way we go about “doing good”?

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. Titus 3:4-5a (NIV)

As a daughter of missionaries, I had memorized John 3:16 in both English and Portuguese. I knew that God loved me and that Christ had died for me. But it still felt like a generic kind of love. So, God loves me. But with what kind of love does He love me?

In a letter to the Christians in Galatia, Paul declares, “When the fullness of time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as children” (Galatians 4:4-5). We see here the purpose for Christ’s death and resurrection: to adopt us as God’s children.

What does it mean to be adopted? Adoption is the process that makes a child, who was not originally part of a family, now part of that family. When a child is adopted, they can take on their new family’s name and identity.

The legal process of a child becoming part of a new family provides an incredible picture of what happened to me when I trusted Christ as my Savior: I was adopted into—made part of—God’s family. As Galatians 4 says, Christ died for my sins (every evil thing I’ve done, said, and thought—past, present, and future), and He rose from the dead so that I might be adopted as God’s child. I became part of God’s royal family. I went from being an enemy of God to being His precious child and a joint heir with Christ (Romans 5:10; 8:17).

If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, believing that He died for your sins and God raised Him from the dead, God has also adopted you. Once you were not a part of God’s family, but now you are His child, beloved and precious. With what kind of love does God love us? With the love of a father. • Angela Stanley

• Have you put your trust in Jesus and been adopted into God’s family? If you have questions about this, who is a trusted Christian in your life you could talk to? (You can also find more information on our "Know Jesus" page.)

• How might knowing that God loves you as His child affect how you understand His love?

See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1a (WEB)

People can push us down and mess with our minds. When others treat us wrongly, we can get into a dark place mentally and be scared to keep moving forward. When we have enemies coming against us, it can be hard for us to stay positive or keep our trust in God.

In Psalm 143, we can see that David felt the same way. He writes, “The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead” (verse 3). And in this dark time, David cries out to God: “My spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed...Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails” (verses 4, 7).

David knows that the people who have been pushing against him have affected his energy and the way he feels about life. He doesn’t want those people to destroy him. So David cries out to God, wanting to receive the hope and strength he needs to keep living. He tells God about his enemies, and he also remembers God’s unfailing love, saying, “I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done” (verse 5).

Even as David asks God for help, saying, “Show me the way I should go...Rescue me from my enemies...Teach me to do your will...preserve my life” (verses 8-11), David also expresses his trust in God with words like, “To you I entrust my life...I hide myself in you” (verse 8-9).

There are times when life will get to us, and certain people around us will make us feel like quitting. When we are tired and worn out, we can cry out to God like David did. We can ask God to show us how good He is and remind us that He is always with us (Matthew 28:20). As Christians, we can rest in Jesus’s compassion for us and rely on the Holy Spirit to teach us and remind us of all Jesus said (John 14:26). And we can look forward to the day Jesus will return to right every wrong. Just like David knew that he could rely on God and trust Him to be faithful, we can too. • Emily Acker

• What do you have going on in your life right now that is making your spirit weak? How might God be inviting you to come to Him?

Rescue me from my enemies, Lord, for I hide myself in you. Psalm 143:9 (NIV)

"Laila, don’t go in!” I yell, as my friend opens the door of an abandoned hut in the hills. “You can’t.”

Ignoring my pleas, she whispers, her dark eyes staring back at me, “It’s not what you think. I have to, and you will too.” Within seconds, the door creaks shut behind her and is locked. I bang on the hut, calling her name, but there is no response. Prowling around, I realize there are no windows, only a sign: "The Hurting Room."

“God, please let her come out of there,” I pray, wishing I’d understood her instructions. How long I wait, praying, heart thumping, I do not know. The door springs open. I step inside, but Laila has gone.

“Laila,” I call. “Laila. Are you in there?” No reply. I’m inside a charcoal room. My skin prickles and my head pounds. Then, surging inside, my body creaks with physical pain, every illness I’ve ever had manifests itself inside of me. Unable to think, nausea rising up inside, struggling to cope, the physical pain subsides.

Next, mental anguish wraps itself inside of me. Conversations bounce around the empty room. Tears from a time before fall again, and rage burns within until every emotion spins itself inside and outside of me.

“Make it stop—please stop!” I cry out, my voice shaking. “God, help me.” A bright light outshines the darkness. The charcoal gray transforms to yellow, then gold. I shield my eyes for a moment. My bruised skin is anointed with overflowing oil. The love swirling around me cancels out the pain and sadness.

“I will take your hurts, I will wear them like scars on my skin and transform you,” echoes the light. “Hurt no more. I was crucified to bring you life. I am He who heals.” For a few moments, or maybe hours, I lie in the presence of the Healer and don’t want to leave.

“Arise, be free,” whispers a voice in my soul. I stand up. Healed. The hut has disappeared. Laila stands next to me, a radiant smile on her face. • Cindy Lee

• Because we live in a world that has been broken by sin, we all experience pain and suffering. But Jesus died and rose again to bring us healing. When we come to Him with our pain, He grieves with us and turns our suffering into hope (Romans 5:3-5). Where do you need healing?

O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for you alone! Jeremiah 17:14 (NLT)

Four different authors wrote accounts of Jesus’s life (called Gospels), and three of them recorded one of my favorite stories about Jesus: His interaction with a woman who bled for twelve years. This woman had spent over a decade suffering physically, but on top of that, in that culture she would’ve been considered “unclean.” She probably felt isolated, lonely, and hopeless. But then, she saw Jesus in a crowd. She edged her way toward Him until she was close enough to touch Him. She thought, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed” (Matthew 9:21). So she touched Him.

The Gospels of Mark and Luke tell the rest of the story in a similar way. After the woman touched Jesus’s cloak, she was immediately healed. Jesus knew someone had touched Him, and He asked, “Who touched me?” Then the woman fell at His feet and shared the truth with Jesus and with the crowd. Jesus told her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace” (Luke 8:48). Matthew’s Gospel gives us less detail. In his account, after the woman touches Jesus’s cloak, Matthew writes, “Jesus turned and saw her” (Matthew 9:22), then told her that her faith had healed her.

I like to think Jesus knew right away who had touched Him. That He wanted the woman to come forward, but He saw her through the crowd. He saw her years of suffering. He saw her need to be healed, but also her need to be seen and known and loved.

Have you ever felt like this woman? Like you’ve been waiting for healing for so long, but you’re not sure it will ever come? You are not alone. Jesus sees you. He’s waiting for you to fall at His feet and give Him your hurting heart. He is the God of healing. He fills our broken places with peace and love. All we need to do is reach out and touch His cloak. • Becca Wierwille

• Have you ever experienced a time of loneliness, isolation, or suffering like this woman? What fears or anxieties do you think she might’ve had?

• While we can always ask God for healing, sometimes it won’t happen the way we want it to right away. But God always meets us with love and compassion when we come to Him. And we can know with certainty that when Jesus returns, He will fully heal all our hurts. Where do you need hope today? How might God be inviting you to reach out to Him?

Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. Matthew 9:22 (NIV)

Do you find yourself reaching for the tissues at the end of a movie? Are you someone who chokes up when you hear a tragic news report? I am. Do you sometimes feel ashamed for shedding tears that you want to hide away? Believe me, I can empathize.

Growing up, I was (and still am) very sensitive about everything and anything. There were certain shows I would avoid—anything to do with animals was a definite no—because I couldn’t cope with the emotions welling up inside of me. Music would have me swallowing back tears, and novels would have me sobbing in the night when everyone else was asleep. The news, especially concerning the elderly, would touch a nerve and stick with me for days.

For a long time, I was ashamed. When I was particularly saddened by something, I would walk away or switch something off. I was jealous of those people who didn’t cry easily. In fact, I wished I was like them because I believed they were tough. Emotions were an embarrassing weakness that I wanted to hide but somehow couldn’t. My tactic was avoidance.

Now, I’ve come to understand that being sensitive isn’t something to be ashamed of, and it can actually be a strength. You have a deep understanding of sorrow because you have experienced it yourself. It can be helpful to remember Jesus experienced and understands sorrow too (Hebrews 4:14-16). And remember that God made each of us wonderfully unique, and all different personality types are needed in the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). Some don’t cry easily and can keep people calm in a crisis, while others can create a compassionate space for people to process their emotions. We all need times we can think deeply, as well as times we can laugh. God created us to use our differences to love and serve one another. • Cindy Lee

• What kind of temperament has God given you? How might you be able to serve others?

• If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your emotions, it’s okay to ask people for help. If you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8 (NLT)

While talking to one of my friends, I was refreshed by their honesty about a current situation: “I was angry...but God can handle our feelings.” There is often the temptation to put on the mask of perfection or plaster on a smile when our world feels like it’s falling apart. My friend understood: God does not want us to stuff our feelings inside and suffer silently, He wants us to be real. He desires all of us: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Romans 8:1 breathes life into whatever we may be going through: in Jesus, there is no condemnation. As children of the King, we are His forever, and our spirits testify to this truth along with the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14-16). We have a God who desires that we come to Him with all our burdens and worries because He cares for us so deeply (1 Peter 5:7).

There was a woman in ancient Israel who got real with God. Hannah had been longing for a child of her own for years, and her soul was consumed with grief. While worshipping at the Lord’s house, Hannah poured out her tears, bitterness, and anguish before the Lord. She was so raw and real that Eli, the high priest, accused her of being drunk. In response to the accusation, Hannah replied, “I was pouring out my soul to the Lord” (1 Samuel 1:15).

We will all walk through inevitable times of darkness, but we can follow the example of Hannah and countless others who have gone before us. We can pour out our hearts to God. The Psalms give ugly-beautiful raw pictures of many who suffered and chose to bring their struggles to God. Psalm 88 is filled with phrases such as: “I am overwhelmed...my eyes are dim with grief...darkness is my closest friend.” In the midst of all this realness...is beauty. Verse 13 says, “But I cry to you for help, Lord...”

Not only does God hear our cries, He accepts us fully. May we allow this knowledge to draw us close to Him in our times of suffering and struggle. May we pour out our hearts to Him and choose to praise Him in the middle of the mess. • Savannah Coleman

• Do you tend to try to hide your pain and struggles from God or from those around you? Remember that God can handle your feelings—anger, sorrow, confusion, and everything in between. He simply desires that you cry out to Him.

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8 (NIV)

Wandering, lost, and alone. How long have I been like this? My sins are against me, sapping my strength. Bones wasting away, I groan in agony. Those I had trusted in betrayed and enslaved me—quite honestly, my own evil heart enslaved me. This heart is as hard as stone, my transgressions heavy from the time of my birth.

Have mercy, God. Wash away my sins! Your love is great, your mercies are endless! I confess my evil ways, my tendency to roam, my search for meaning and satisfaction in everything that is not You.

What will I, this stubborn sheep who has strayed so far, offer my Shepherd? I know He will not turn me away when I come to Him—He will not despise a heart full of brokenness and sorrow for my sins. Create in me a heart of purity, my God! Make my heart steadfast; cover me with Your forgiveness. Remove my heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh!

My Shepherd turns to me with love in His eyes, arms open wide. I hear Him whisper to my soul, “I will gather you back...I will cleanse you from everything impure...I will give you a new heart, a new spirit...I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Are you willing to lay down your idols?”

I contemplate the things I once thought would fill me, those pseudo-gods. My soul aches with emptiness and longing, and I know—I know. “Will it hurt?” My voice is barely a whisper. Sorrow shines in His eyes. “Yes. But I already endured the deepest pain for you.” It is then that I notice the nail scars in His hands.

I nod, and He reaches deep. His hand finds my lifeless heart—a cold mess of hardened tissue, muscle, and valve. I gasp as He removes this mass of stone from my chest. I watch as the Shepherd covers my heart of stone with His nail-scarred hands. He breathes on those hands, my heart inside. Then, I hear it, the unbelievably sweet sound of a heart beating, deep and even. He opens His hands and therein lies a new heart—a heart of flesh. • Savannah Coleman

• Ezekiel prophesied that God would save His people through Jesus—He is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for us, His sheep (John 10:11). What do you think it means that God will remove our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh?

“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 11:19 (NIV)

Are you getting enough sleep? So many of us are sleep-deprived; studies show we are tired at school, tired at work, and tired when we are driving our cars. During our teen years, most of us need eight to ten hours of sleep every night. That’s hard to get if we are worried or stressed about the day ahead. We may push stress to the back of our minds during the day, but at night, our minds circle around our problems. Sleep and worry do not mix. Yet God has compassion on us. He invites us to give our worries to Him in prayer. He not only hears us, He helps us with the problems we face.

Psalm 3 was written by King David when he was fleeing the rebellion led by his son Absalom (2 Samuel 15). David was literally running for his life! As the psalm begins, David cries out to God about the danger he is facing: “Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!” But by verses 4 and 5, David is reminded that the God he trusts is faithful: “I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.” David was able to rest at night, even when he was in danger. He gave his troubles to God, knowing that God would help him.

If you are troubled by worries and fears at night, you are not alone. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you can know that God is with you, even in the darkness. He is more powerful than anything that troubles us, and He invites us to give all our concerns to Him. And the Holy Spirit helps us remember God’s goodness and rest in His love. Some Christians make it a practice to come to God in prayer before bed, or meditate on Scripture or a song of praise as they drift off. Some find they can rest easier after they have a time of reflection and confession at the end of the day. No matter what is going on in our lives, we can trust God will help us with whatever the new day brings. And we can rest in His promises. • Laura N. Sweet

• What kinds of thoughts keep you up at night? Worries, guilt, regret, fear...? God invites us to come to Him with all these things, and to rest in His love, forgiveness, and protection.

• Sleep is an important part of our physical and emotional health. Sometimes, we need help in order to give our bodies the sleep we need, and that’s okay. If you have difficulty sleeping, who is a trusted adult you can talk to, such as a parent, counselor, or doctor?

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8 (NIV)

God strengthen me Sometimes I feel so weak God guide me Sometimes I feel so lost God hold me Sometimes I feel alone God care for me Sometimes I can’t care for myself God save me I cannot save myself Jesus, your sacrifice is enough for me I know you gave everything Let me cling to your salvation I want to be yours I want to be with you God keep me going until you return I want to honor you • Emily Acker

• Do you ever feel so weak and empty, like there’s no way you can face what lies ahead without God’s help? God didn’t intend for us to try to get through life on our own. Rather, He came to save us, and He invites us to rely on Him for everything. Consider taking a moment to talk to God about whatever is weighing on you today. He longs to help you and to reassure you of His love.

• Jesus died and rose again to be with us—and to save us from sin and brokenness. How can His sacrificial love bring you strength and comfort in hard times?

‘And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ Acts 2:21 (NIV)

In first grade, my teacher picked a leader for our class each day. The leader’s primary job consisted of taking the daily collection of lunch money to the school office. Additionally, the leader had the chance to select a classmate to join them on the trip to the office. We six-year-olds felt important marching the large envelope of coins and bills to the secretary who sat behind her desk, keeping the school running.

Once my friend, who I’ll call Daniel, chose me as his lunch money buddy on his day to serve as class leader. We delivered the funds and began our walk back to the first-grade hall. But Daniel took a detour. I followed. Then he knocked loudly on another teacher’s door before skipping away. I stood alone at the door, confused and practically paralyzed. When the teacher opened her door, she scolded me and then turned away. I stumbled down the hall, rejoining Daniel and entering our own classroom.

I don’t believe my friend’s intention that day was to get me in trouble. But his actions did lead to my embarrassment and a tongue-lashing from a teacher. Without knowing where Daniel was leading, I followed. It’s a mistake I wish I hadn’t made.

While human leaders often disappoint us, God is always a trustworthy leader. When we put our trust in Jesus, the Son of God, for the forgiveness of our sins, we begin a relationship with Him, and He places His Spirit in us. The Spirit of God desires to lead us in decisions big and small. God realizes that we don’t do a good job of leading ourselves. Sometimes, we don’t know what to do, where to go—and sometimes, we follow the wrong leaders. When we look to God for wisdom and understanding, He will faithfully guide us. Our good Father wants to direct us down His good paths. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Can you think of a time you followed someone and later regretted it?

• Are you facing any decisions that seem overwhelming? How might God be inviting you to follow His guidance? Who is a trusted Christian you could talk to about this?

He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. Psalm 25:9 (NIV)

"I must be the worst evangelist in the world," I thought, as worry knitted itself inside of me. In church, I preferred being at the back, behind the scenes. Everyone around me was confident, talkative, and quickly put themselves on the frontline. I had heard about the Holy Spirit transforming the disciples from quivering cowards to strong, bold preachers...but still my mouth was clamped shut.

I wore my Christianity inside and avoided the limelight. I didn’t vocalize my beliefs because I was acutely aware that many people treated faith with derision and ridicule. Sometimes, I felt entirely alone, surrounded by worshipers in church who were not in my age group and wondering what on earth I could possibly have to offer others if I wasn’t prepared to open my mouth. What could I do to reveal God’s love for us, to share how He sent His Son, Jesus, to heal the broken relationship we had with Him?

It was then that I discovered—while I might not shout out in prayer, preaching, or singing—I loved reading and knew the written word had the power to change lives. My gift wasn’t to try and be like everyone else. They had their skillset, and I had mine.

My inner panic was slowly unlocked, and I found a freedom to express myself through writing what was in my heart. Joy filled up inside of me when I realized I could do something after all. You can too. If, like me, you are worried about speaking out, you don’t need to feel guilty or afraid. God’s love for you doesn’t depend on what you do, and He invites you to rest in His love and rely on His strength to use the gifts He has given you. The way we all preach is through loving the people around us, no matter what we happen to be doing at the time. There are different ways of speaking, preaching, and professing your faith. Maybe you will speak up through art, dance, acts of kindness, or having a quiet strength through adversity. Don’t chase what isn’t yours, but catch the skills our loving Father has given you. • Cindy Lee

• Do you ever feel like it isn’t okay to be quiet? God made some of us to be naturally quiet, and He invites all of us to be quiet sometimes. It’s good to take time to think and reflect.

• If you are naturally loud and extroverted, how could you support the quieter people in your life? Consider asking them, and remember to take time to listen to their ideas.

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)

The next morning, we continued down the forest path. After a couple hours, we came to a clearing on the top of a hill. I set down my pack with a grunt. My shoulders were sore where the straps had been digging in. He gestured to my pack and said, “That’s a heavy load.” I stooped down to check the straps and buckles. “Has to be,” I replied. “Why?” He asked.

I looked at Him for a moment, then started pulling things out to show Him. “I need all these things.” Tools and rope and food and clothes and flint and kindling and more...I took everything out and laid it on the ground all around me. Finally, I looked up at Him again. He surveyed all my things, carefully picking up each object. Sometimes, He smiled, other times His eyes grew sad. I watched Him and held my breath. “I know—I know,” I said. “It’s too much. But I don’t know what I’ll need.” He looked at me with the tenderest compassion. “That’s a heavy load.” I could feel tears starting to roll down my cheeks. Where did I set my kerchief? He held out His own clean kerchief to me. Hesitantly, I took it and blew my nose.

“Would you like something to eat?” He asked. My eyes darted to the last of my stale bread, and my stomach made a noise. He continued, “How about some soup?” I looked all around, but He didn’t seem to have anything with Him. He smiled, then reached inside the folds of His cloak and pulled out two steaming bowls. I took one uncertainly, but then I smelled it—leeks and carrots, my favorite. I muttered a thank you and took a sip. It was perfect.

As we ate our soup, He leaned back and looked up at the sky, where clouds were skuttling across the great big blueness. I looked too. It was...peaceful. I finished my soup and let out a contented sigh. He smiled at me again. I was starting to like His smile. “You know,” He said, “you don’t have to carry that heavy pack anymore.” I felt a pang of guilt, and something deeper—fear? But I looked at Him and said, “I don’t know how not to.” He reached for my hand and held it. His hand was strong and kind. He said, “You’re traveling with me, remember? Do you trust me?” I looked at my pack, then at our empty bowls. Finally, I said, “I—I don’t know. I want to trust you.” He nodded and said, “That’s enough.”

I took a deep breath. “Okay,” I said, and realized I was smiling. • Hannah Howe

• Sometimes, it feels like we are never enough. Never prepared enough, strong enough, smart enough...But Jesus is always enough. How might God be inviting you to rely on Him today?

“Come to me [Jesus], all you who are weary and burdened...” Matthew 11:28a (NIV)

After a while, I kept walking. Mercifully, the sun continued its course in the sky and no longer beat down on me. I pulled a crust of stale bread from my pack and ate as I walked. I tried to remember an old hymn to turn my thoughts to praise, but I was too tired to sing.

Then I realized night was falling. The path sloped downward, and soon I was surrounded by trees. "Great," I thought. "I guess I chose the wrong way. What now, God? Should I go deeper into the forest? Should I turn around? What do I do!" I strained to get a better look at the path, the terrain, anything—but it was so difficult to see in the dark. My breath came faster. I rubbed at my eyes and realized I was crying. I sat on a rock, my head in my hands. I was so tired. So tired.

“Dear one,” the words came on the breeze. “I’m here.” I wanted to hear more of the voice, but I held back. I had to figure out what to do about the path, and the voice would just lull me to sleep. How was I supposed to fix this mess? I was such a fool! “Dear one.” The voice was closer. And then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I shivered at the warm touch. I hadn’t realized until now that I was cold. “Dear one, I love you.” I buried my head deeper in my lap. “How? How could you love me?” I could hear the bitterness in my voice.

“I love you,” He said again, with such tenderness that I looked up at Him. When I saw the compassion on His face, the tension I’d been holding in my shoulders released. I felt like I might collapse, but He caught me, gently, and held me in a warm hug. I didn’t want to pull away, and He didn’t want to either. He just held me. And slowly, ever so slowly, my tired limbs began to warm. I cried. Eventually I told Him about the hot sun and the confusing path. I told Him I was angry at Him. He listened, and He kept holding me. Finally, I had said all that was inside me to say, and I felt...lighter.

Then He whispered, “Dear one, I am the way.” My breath caught in my throat as I recognized the verse. He nodded, knowing my thoughts. “You’ve been asking me and asking me which way to go...” It was so clear to me now. All I wanted was to be near Him, to be loved by Him. Could I really be loved? He smiled, then said, “I want you to be with me. The way...is with me.” • Hannah Howe

• When was a time you felt lost? Jesus seeks us when we’re lost (Luke 19:10). He died and rose again so that we could be close to Him. How might God be inviting you into His presence today?

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” John 14:6a (NIV)

The sun beat down on my back. Was I going the right way? Sweat poured down my face, stinging my eyes. I had known the journey was going to be hard, but I didn’t expect it to be—confusing. As I trudged down the path, I squinted to see what lay ahead. Was that? No. Not again. A moan escaped my throat as my feet came to a crossroads. Another choice. I dropped my pack to the ground. This would take all my energy.

I knelt on the dusty road and prayed, "Lord, you are Sovereign. I want to honor you in all I do. Help me choose." The sound of water found my ear, and I looked up. There, only a few steps from the path, was a stream. I stumbled over to it and drank. The water was cold and delicious, cooling my travel-weary throat and rinsing the dust from my fingers. I felt my muscles start to relax; the water felt so good.

"No," I thought. I snapped myself to a standing position. That was enough. I didn’t have time for more than that. I needed to make the decision about the fork in the road. It was my fault I didn’t start my journey earlier in the day. It was my fault I didn’t have time to rest by the stream. I was too tired. If I lingered, it would just get harder to move on.

So I pulled my weary self back up to the road, with one last longing glance at the stream. "Which way?" I asked again, impatient this time. I squeezed my fingers to my temples, squinting down each path. "Which one?" I was exhausted. So exhausted. Couldn’t He see I was exhausted? I needed an answer—now! Maybe He was letting me use my intellect. I searched for clues. The path on the left had berry bushes, but I couldn’t tell if they were good for food or if they’d make me sick. The path on the right had no berry bushes. I chose the right and asked God for strength.

“Wait.” I heard a voice like wind. “Go back to the stream.” I hesitated. Then the voice said, “Come to me. Let me refresh you.” I was confused. "But what about the journey?" I asked. “There’s time,” the voice replied. “Take a rest.” After a moment of deliberation, I walked back over to the stream and drank deeply. • Hannah Howe

• Jesus is the Good Shepherd who guides us, and He gives us living water (John 4:10-14; 7:37-39; 10:10-18). Through the cross, He has made it possible for us to enter His rest. How might Jesus be inviting you to rest in Him today?

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. Psalm 23:2-3a (NIV)

Have you ever been at school, with nothing to eat, and felt so hungry? Have you been on a diet or had to fast for a doctor’s appointment? It isn’t fun when we can’t satisfy our physical cravings, and it’s even worse when we can’t meet our basic needs. On a deeper level, we all want to feel satisfied and whole. We want to feel complete. And it can be frustrating when life does not satisfy us at all.

Have you ever tried to get happy by buying something new, or even going on a trip? Have you looked for fulfillment by taking on a new project? There are times when nothing we do makes us happy. The fact is, nothing this world offers can make us whole, and it makes sense that we feel incomplete.

Throughout the Bible, God makes it clear that He is the only one who can fully satisfy us. He created us to be in relationship with Him, but we have all rejected Him and gone our own way. That’s why we’re left feeling empty. But God loves us, and He chases after us. He came to live among us and restore our relationship with Him.

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). When we follow after Jesus, we are made complete. As we trust in Him, God fills us with joy (Romans 15:13). And He helps us when we are in tough places. God knows everything we need, and He provides for us as we seek Him (Matthew 6:32-33). No matter what we do, we will never be able to find joy or completeness on our own. Only God will satisfy us. • Emily Acker

• Do you ever feel empty inside, like you’re missing something?

• How has Jesus made it possible for us to have life to the full? (Read John 10:10-18.)

• One important way God satisfies our needs—both physical and emotional—is through Christian community. Who are trusted Christians you can share life with?

The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11 (NIV)

Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.” God made the vast heavens with the glorious light of the sun and the calming reflection of the moon. And to top it off, He sprinkled the sky with innumerable twinkling stars that bring us delight at night. He created countless planets and galaxies beyond our solar system, and here on Earth, He created plants that offer feasts of fruits and bounties of flowers. And the animals! He made mighty tigers and tiny mice; cruising whales and dashing minnows; horses and dogs, beautiful and faithful. And God made people. He made Adam and Eve in His own image to have fellowship with Him. God made us to glorify Him.

Why does God bring glory to Himself? Is that even okay? Isn’t it like bragging? The Bible is clear that God does not sin. When Scripture talks about God doing something to glorify Himself, it means that God is showing us who He is—what His attributes are, what He can do, and how much He loves us. He wants us to know Him.

Do you realize that we do something similar? We reveal things about ourself when we play a musical instrument, create works of art, play a sport, whiz through mathematical equations to discover an answer, or use whatever knowledge or talent we have.

But people aren’t sinless like God is. A person might have a sinful, boasting attitude and do things simply to show off. And we usually show off when we feel like our needs for love or affirmation aren’t being met. God sees these needs, and He wants us to come to Him so that He can fill them. As we follow Jesus, He helps us use the gifts God has given us to glorify Him. He calls us to serve others like He serves us (Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Peter 4:10). Jesus humbled Himself by becoming human and dying on the cross—and He raised from the dead, defeating sin and death forever. This resulted in God being glorified!

When God glorifies Himself, He is simply being God. He is the sinless, mighty, loving, beautiful God. His works are glorious, and so is He! • Rebecca Moore

• How does God reveal Himself through creation? What is one of your favorite things He made?

• How can studying history or science or music or art help us know God better? How can we invite others to know God through these things?

They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” Isaiah 6:3 (NLT)

"I hope this isn’t a prank," Jacob thought, waiting in the park by the daisies, just like the unusual parchment in his hand instructed. "It would be typical of me to fall for it."

Glancing around, he expected someone to jump out and shout, “Gotcha!” But there wasn’t anyone about. Wanting to turn back home, he took a deep breath before calling, “I’m here.” No one replied. Without warning, the sky turned black until he was catapulted through time and space. He found himself in a cave, and echoes reverberated around him. “I’m no good. Why am I useless? I can’t do this. Why can’t I be like everyone else?” He pushed his fingers in his ears. The grating insults, churning inside of him, were familiar. With each word, the bitter smell of sulfur spread through the air. “How can I? I’m too dense to understand this. God, why did you make me this way?”

Burying his nose in his sweater, gagging at the stench that was worsening as each vitriolic comment pierced the air, Jacob could not escape from the sound of his own voice from the past. “Am I in hell?” he cried, shaking, tears pouring down his face. “Please stop this. Oh, Jesus, God, help me.”

The words quieted down and then stopped. Bitterness evaporated, and a radiant light transformed the darkness. Out of nowhere a voice called to him, “I created you. These poisonous words about you—they’re not true. Listen to my voice instead. I do not condemn you.”

“Please help me,” Jacob pleaded. The cave became warmer. Rainbows filled the air. “I love you. I made you on purpose. You are precious to me—so precious that my Son, Jesus, took your place on the cross to save you and give you eternal life. I have silenced every accusation against you. You are an important part of my kingdom.”

Mesmerized, Jacob witnessed God’s words fill the room with dazzling rainbows, showering him with blessings, until finally the cave disappeared and he was staring at the daisies in front of him. Peace soothed him. In his hand he still gripped the paper, but the message had changed: "You are loved." • Cindy Lee

• Have you ever believed lies about yourself like the ones in this story? You can take some time with God, asking Him where those lies came from and remembering what He says about you.

Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. Proverbs 16:24 (NLT)

Anna shifted her legs. Sitting in the crowded marketplace was hot, but she had come with many other people wanting to hear from this man named Jesus, who some said was the Messiah. Dust blew across her lap as a man stood up. Anna almost gasped, recognizing an expert of the law. She listened intently as he and Jesus spoke. “Who is my neighbor?” the expert asked.

Jesus described a man attacked by robbers, and Anna looked around at the people sitting near her. “By chance a priest came along.” Anna smiled. A priest! Of course a priest would help him! “But,” Jesus said, “when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by.” Anna’s eyes widened. How could a priest be one of the bad guys?

“The priest cannot touch anything unclean; he must have thought the man was dead,” a lady beside Anna whispered to her neighbor. Anna nodded. That would make sense.

Jesus continued, “A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.” Anna frowned; it didn’t make sense for a Temple assistant—a Levite—to ignore a man in need. Who would be the one to help this man? Whoever the hero was going to be, they must have been very wise.

“Then a despised Samaritan,” Jesus started. Anna heard loud gasps from the people around her. A man in front of her looked angry; he stood up and left. Anna watched a couple more people stand up and leave. "A Samaritan?" Anna thought. Samaritans were the enemy; it was hard to believe they would be the one to help the poor man! Anna turned her attention back to the story.

“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

“The one who showed him mercy,” the expert in the law replied reluctantly.

Jesus told him, “Yes, now go and do the same.” • Kimberly Brokish

• This parable would have been shocking to Jesus’s audience. The Israelites thought the Samaritans were totally corrupt, but the Samaritan in this story showed God’s love and care. Have you ever received God’s love and care from unexpected places?

“But I [Jesus] say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” Matthew 5:44 (NLT)

Hebrews 12 encourages us to run the race that God has set before us, which is possible when we keep “our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (verse 2). Not only did Jesus start the race and finish the race, but He ran it faithfully—for us. He didn’t take His eyes off the end result, the prize. He was able to face anything that came His way, even enduring an excruciating death. Why? Because it was all worth it to Him.

The prize was greater than the race.

The prize was greater than the pain.

The prize was greater than the shame.

The prize was greater than the rejection.

The prize was greater than the cross.

He saw us—His people, His creation—and thought, "They’re worth it." Look at the second part of verse 2: “Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.” Isn’t that beautiful? Jesus was looking forward to the joy of reuniting us to Himself, of healing His creation that has been broken by sin.

What about us? If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we get to look forward to living with God in His new world, where we will be free from sin and death. That is our joy that is set before us. In this life, we have hurt, we have pain, we have sorrow, we have defeat, we have discouragement, we have______. Fill in the blank. But that’s not the end of our story—and praise God for that! We have pain for a season, but thank you, Jesus, that joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). Because we belong to Jesus, we can know that He is right alongside us in the pain. And the Holy Spirit empowers us to endure the hurt, the sadness, the brokenness...knowing that the prize will be worth it all. We can look forward to the end of our race, being with Jesus and hearing Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23). He loves us, and He won’t leave us. • Mary Garner

• Jesus ran the race for YOU. How can this give you hope?

And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Hebrews 12:1b-2 (NLT)

If you were at the starting line, about to run a big race that you had spent months training for, would you wrap weights around your ankles? Would you tie them around your waist? Would you wear a backpack full of weights? Would you carry them in your hands? Of course not! Why? Because running a race is hard enough, and if you want to win, then you want to be as light as possible so that you can move faster and easier. Weights of any kind would just slow you down and wear you out faster.

Hebrews 12 compares the Christian life to a race. Verse 1 says, “Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” What are these weights? The Bible says that sin—anything we do or think that goes against God’s good ways, that doesn’t flow from faith in Him—will cause us to trip. And at one time, all of us were completely weighed down by sin. But praise God, He has set us free from the power of sin! Jesus “personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right” (1 Peter 2:24).

If we’ve put are trust in Jesus, we are totally forgiven, and we are called to lay aside the sin that hinders us from running the good race. To lay aside our weight and sin isn’t a one-time thing, and I think we forget that. As Christians, we continue to struggle with sin. But because the Holy Spirit lives in us, we can daily turn away from sin and back to God. Every day, we can ask ourselves, “What is causing me to trust myself more than Jesus?” The author of Hebrews reminds us to run with patience and endurance because the race is difficult. Yet God is with us through it all. He is dedicated to us, and He empowers us to be dedicated to Him. • Mary Garner

• What weights are getting in the way of you trusting and following Jesus? Consider spending some time talking to Him about these in prayer and asking Him to help you lay them down.

• Sometimes, hobbies, relationships, etc. can get in the way of us following Jesus, but usually the problem is sin, such as the love of money, the seeking of power or status, etc. Who is a trusted Christian who can help you discern what is and is not a weight in your life?

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)

Ever feel like you can’t do anything right?” I groaned to my friend. I had just dropped by Susanne’s house to chat. Earlier that day, I had gone shopping for a birthday present for my sister. I chose a full-length mirror to hang on her bedroom door—the perfect gift for my fashion-conscious little sister. A slim wooden frame surrounded the mirror, giving it a decorative quality.

But after purchasing it, I’d left the mirror in my car for the remainder of the day. On my way to visit Susanne, I noticed something different about the mirror. In the heat of August in Mississippi, the glue holding the frame to the mirror had melted, and the frame had become completely detached. I just knew I had ruined the present. Susanne sympathized with my feeling of failure. She too sometimes felt defeated and unable to do anything right. I would guess we all experience that from time to time.

But there’s good news. As Christians, we can know that we are loved, accepted, and forgiven even when we don’t “get it right.” In fact, nothing we do (or fail to do) can separate us from God’s love because Jesus—God in flesh—laid down His life for us and rose from the dead. Once we put our trust in Jesus, we get to be in relationship with our heavenly Father, not because of anything we’ve done, but because Jesus has made us right with God!

Yet, what we do does matter. Our actions, our choices...they aren’t meaningless. In fact, the Bible calls us God’s "handiwork" and teaches us that we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). While nothing we do in this life will be perfect, as God’s children, we have the privilege of partnering with Him in sharing and showing the love of Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit, He empowers us to “do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). And even when we mess up, He gives us grace. When we sin, His forgiveness is still sure. And when we make mistakes (like leaving a mirror in the car), He doesn’t shame us.

It turned out I didn’t ruin the present after all. That mirror held a spot on my sister’s bedroom door for many years. She extended grace for a less-than-perfect present. And our Father extends grace for our less-than-perfect lives. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Can you think of a time someone showed you grace after you messed up—either by making a mistake (which is not a sin) or by doing something wrong (which is a sin)?

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)

When God created the world, He gave Adam and Eve the task of caring for the earth. God gave them confidence, strength, and the ability to make decisions. And they had lots of decisions to make—starting with naming all the birds, livestock, and wild animals. I had enough trouble choosing names for my childhood pets. I can’t imagine picking names for every animal.

But when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, their ability to choose brought disobedience and shame. They lost their nearness with their Creator. What now? Would people choose to serve God or follow idols? Would they trust in God or be overcome with doubt? Would they live by faith or worry about every decision? Lately, I’ve had a tough time making decisions. I waste time deciding on plans. I type out a text, then second-guess my word choice. I worry about what to wear, or what to have for dinner, or which decision will work out best in the end. Maybe you’re with me. Maybe you’ve spent so much time trapped in your indecision that you wish someone would just tell you what to do. But we have this gift: God has not abandoned us. The world is broken, but God offers redemption. He sees our struggles and our worries. He came to be with us and to redeem what has been lost and broken. Because Jesus died and rose again, we can enjoy nearness with our Creator again. When we can’t make up our mind, we can rest in His love and lean into His help.

In Matthew 6, Jesus speaks to our worries, and He says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, His Spirit is in us, helping us to make choices that honor God, choices that love Him and others. And so we can put our decisions in God’s hands. We can trust Him to guide us, even when we don’t hear a clear answer about which path to take, because “we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). We can believe that, in His love, God will lead us well. We don’t have to sit trapped in indecision. We are redeemed, confident, and strong in Him, and He has given us the ability to make decisions. • Becca Wierwille

• What sorts of decisions tend to be most difficult for you?

• Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you listen for God’s guidance?

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment. 2 Timothy 1:7 (CSB)

Our broken world is full of unfairness. You might have a sibling who your parents have always treated as their favorite child. No matter how much you try to impress your parents and get them to see what you can do, their eyes are always on that sibling. This can leave you feeling frustrated or even heartbroken.

Maybe you have someone who was always a friend to you...until someone new started at your school. Now that person has moved on from you and all their plans revolve around their new friend. This can be hurtful, and it could make you doubt yourself and your value.

But God showed how valuable you are by giving His Son for you. Jesus came to live among us, and He knows what it’s like to be treated unfairly. His friends abandoned Him, and the authorities treated Him like a criminal—even though He had done nothing wrong. But Jesus was willing to go to the cross, to die a death He didn’t deserve, and to raise from the dead—all so that you could become part of God’s family.

People might treat you unfairly for any number of reasons, but the way other humans treat you has no impact on how God feels about you.

God loves each of us with the same kind of love.

God holds your hand, and He is there for you.

God gave His Son to die for you.

God sees the pain you are in, and He cares about you.

While life on this earth is not fair and humans often mistreat each other, you can trust that God is going to love you always, and He is never going to mistreat you. • Emily Acker

• Can you think of a time you were treated as less than someone else? How might it be comforting to know that Jesus experienced this too?

• When we are treated unfairly, God has compassion on us. He invites us to cry out to Him in our pain and remember how He feels about us. Consider taking a moment to come to Jesus in prayer.

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)

Every morning the people of the village would gather for the reading of the scrolls. They were called the doom scrolls because they always contained bad news. Though no one much liked the morning routine, they couldn’t bear to stay away. They’d watch silently as the village reader carefully unrolled a scroll and read what was written inside—news of a distant war or a deadly illness sweeping across the land. Then people would shout and groan and shake their heads. After all the scrolls had been opened, the villagers would shuffle their separate ways, their hearts heavy and full of angst.

One day, a young man passing through the town came to the morning reading. He listened with the other villagers as the first scroll was read. “A fire swept through the fields of Hessanon just a few miles from here, and all the crops have been lost.” Then a voice cried out, “The fires will come here next!” Another shouted, “With no grain, we’ll all starve!” The sound of cries and groans began to swell. “We’re doomed!”

But the young man closed his eyes and spread his arms wide. “Lord,” he prayed in a booming voice, “be with the people of Hessanon. Remind them that you are the God who saves, and let them feel your love and peace. Show us how we can be your hands and feet and offer them help.”

The cries of doom came to a halt as people turned to look at him in surprise. After several moments of silence, one woman said, “We have barrels of grain stored in our cellar. More than we need.” Then a man said, “And I have a pony and a cart.” Heads nodded in agreement, and plans were quickly made to bring several carts of food to Hessanon. As the reader continued with each piece of news, the usual moans and groans were replaced with prayers and plans to bring help to those who needed it. When the last scroll had been read, the people dispersed in small groups, a sense of purpose drowning out their angst. Their broken world desperately needed hope, and they knew the One who offered it. They had work to do. • Courtney Lasater

• Many of us continuously scroll through bad news, and it can leave us feeling depressed and hopeless. How does Jesus provide a way for us to stay informed without succumbing to doomscrolling? Read Philippians 4:6-8 and Revelation 21:1-5.

“I [Jesus] have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)

It is not always easy to talk to others about Jesus. Yet all around us, there are people who need to hear about Jesus, and sometimes, they even invite us to share the gospel with them. How can we have the courage to do so?

Two of Jesus’s followers, Peter and John, found themselves in this kind of situation. After Jesus ascended, they met a man in the temple who could not walk and was asking for money. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” (Acts 3:6), and the man was healed! All the people there were amazed, and Peter began to speak to them about Jesus.

But the Jewish religious leaders “were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead” (Acts 4:2), and they put Peter and John in jail overnight to question them the next day. As Peter and John stood before the council, they did not shrink from witnessing about Jesus, but they courageously declared the gospel. This would not have been easy to do if God had not given them the courage, especially because the people on the council were the highest-ranking Jewish religious authorities.

After Peter spoke, the elders and the rulers of the people were astonished, because they knew Peter and John were common men, uneducated. How did these two fishermen, who had no formal training in the Scriptures, gain the courage to say that they witnessed the death and resurrection of the Messiah? Then the council recognized that these men had been with Jesus.

Peter and John had been close to Jesus during His ministry on earth. And after Jesus ascended, He sent the Holy Spirit to be in them. Because of this, they had the confidence and the courage to speak about Jesus (Acts 4:8). We can also have the courage to witness for Jesus, because the same Spirit is in us, as people who have put our trust in Jesus (Ephesians 4:4). Like the disciples, we can spend time being in the presence of our Lord. And this will cause us to gain confidence and boldness to be His witnesses to those who do not know Him.

How do we spend time with Jesus? There’s no formula, but reading the Bible and praying are a good place to start. As we experience God’s love, we will have the courage to tell others about Him, because we have been with the Lord. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• In Acts 4:23-31, what did these people, the first Christians, pray for? How did God respond?

...they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13b (NIV)

I was hungry. Lost. Out of options. So, I decided to go, go and try. I knew I didn’t deserve his help. I was not sure I even had the courage to ask. I knew I could not look him in the eyes. I practiced what I would say to him on the long, hungry walk. I would tell him I was unworthy...unworthy to be called his child. Then I would ask to be his servant. At least if I was his servant, I would have food to eat and somewhere to live.

After many days, I found myself in familiar country. Soon, I saw his place out in the distance. And then, then I thought I saw someone coming up the path. The sun was setting behind them, so I couldn’t tell who it was. They were running... Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. I felt my stomach tighten and wondered if I should run. But wait, there was something familiar in the silhouette. It was my father, and he was running to me. Before I could say anything, he put forth both of his hands and grabbed my arms and pulled me close. He kissed me affectionately on my cheeks and then pressed my face to his chest. I think he was kissing my hair.

Through the emotion tightening my throat I tried to say my speech, but he interrupted me, calling to the servants and giving them directions. He guided me back to the house. Servants came and put his best robe on me. As it wrapped around me, I felt wrapped in his love. I began to relax for the first time since I had left so many years ago. Then they put a ring on my hand and shoes on my feet. And then he even told them to prepare to celebrate because I had come home.

I was home. Everyone knew I did not deserve his kindness or his love, nevertheless I was loved. Surrounded in love. He had watched for me. He ran to me. He embraced me. I was loved. • Jeri Howe

• This story is based on a parable Jesus told in Luke 15:11-32. Many people focus on the son in this passage, but try reading it focusing on the father and his love. What do you notice?

• Now read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. How does the picture of the Father’s love in Luke 15:11-31 compare with Paul’s teaching on love? What aspects of love in these two passages make you curious? Which stir longing in you?

• Do you want to come home? You can right now. You can come home to God the Father who made you. Jesus has made it possible through dying on the cross and raising from the dead. If you put your trust in Jesus, the good news is that you can be adopted as God’s child—today. Simply pray and tell Him you want to come home and receive His love. (See our "Know Jesus" page for more.)

• If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you can ask to experience God’s pursuing, embracing, never-failing love anytime. We can ask for this with confidence because Romans 5:5 says, “Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” If you’re ready, take a moment to pray and ask God to reveal His love for you.

“So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20 (NIV)

I have a family member who is going through health stuff right now that has completely changed the way she lives. Before this flare up, she was able to do all the things most of us take for granted, such as going for a run or spending a whole day at the zoo. Right now, she struggles to do the little things, like putting on a pair of socks or lifting something off the floor. It hurts me to watch her struggle on a daily basis, and I get scared, thinking that she might just give up.

I pray for my family member every day. I pray that God will see her through this time. I see the little ways God is helping out. I see how God is using this time to help us feel closer to Him. I see how struggles can be opportunities for us to communicate with Him and rely on Him.

I hate that this world has struggles, but I know that God is with us in each one that we face. One day every pain and difficulty will be gone. My family member will be free of her pain. You will be free of yours. I will be free of mine. I thank God that He has created a future for us that is something to look forward to. • Emily Acker

• Do you have struggles that feel like too much, or do you have a family member with those kinds of struggles? How can looking toward Jesus’s return—when He will raise all God’s people from the dead and we will live with Him in renewed creation—give you hope?

• God is so good that He can use even something as terrible as suffering to draw us closer to Him. Can you think of a time you felt close to God? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this.

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)

I see her struggle and it hurts I believe it hurts you too, Jesus Help her understand that you know Help her see that you are in control Let her hold on a little longer Let her become a little stronger I see her push through another day My heart breaks to watch her, so I pray I have no real control You are the One ultimately in control I want the best for her You want the best for her Help her see that we care about her Help her be brave and not fear Help her as she struggles It hurts for me to watch • Emily Acker

• Have you ever had a family member go through something so difficult that it broke your heart just to watch them? Have you had a friend face an illness where it felt like God had abandoned them?

• God cares deeply about our suffering. He doesn’t stand far away from our pain, rather He came near and experienced it with us. He endured the cross, even to the point of death. And then He rose from the dead, defeating death forever. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can look forward to the day He will return and fully heal every hurt. In the meantime, He promises to be with us—grieving our hurts alongside us and caring for our needs. Can you think of a time you were struggling, and you felt God’s presence? If not, you can ask Him right now to let you know He’s with you. God often reveals Himself through the community of believers and through His Word.

• Who is someone in your life who is struggling? Consider taking a moment to pray for them.

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. Psalm 46:7 (NLT)

Our world throws around the word "love" a lot. We love chocolate; we love sports; we love our friends. But what does love even mean?

God’s Word, the Bible, helps us understand what love is. True love comes from God because “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul paints a vivid picture of love: it is patient, kind, humble, generous, forgiving, and never gives up. God shows His perfect love in all He has done for us. God loves us so much that even when we rejected Him and lived in sin, He sent His Son Jesus to die for us so that everyone who puts their trust in Him can have eternal life and be with Him forever.

Because God loves us, He has freed us from the guilt and enslavement of sin, and one day we will live forever without sin. As Christians, we are totally forgiven, and now God calls us to live according to His good ways. It wouldn’t be loving for God to say, “Go ahead and sin,” because sin hurts us and those around us. Instead, when we live in His love, we keep God’s commands (John 14:15). And God doesn’t expect us to be able to do this in our own strength; rather, the Holy Spirit empowers us to obey Him.

In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus summarized what following Him looks like in two commandments. The greatest commandment is to love God and follow Him with our lives. The second commandment is to love others as we love ourselves. Jesus calls us to show His love to everyone, even our enemies and those who are different from us (Matthew 5:44). After all, this is how God loves us. While we were God’s enemies, He restored us to relationship with Him through Jesus’s death and resurrection (Romans 5:10). Because of what Jesus has done, we can live in God’s love for us.

Our human love fails, and our ideas of love are broken and distorted by sin. But God’s unconditional love never fails. Nothing—no sin, no power, no person—can separate us from His love (Romans 8:31-39). • Abby Ciona

• Can you think of a time someone showed you genuine love?

• How might God be inviting you to receive His love today? And how might He be giving you opportunities to share His love?

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 (NLT)

There are times when we are in the midst of a really heavy and difficult situation, and something happens that causes us to laugh. We could be mourning someone we lost, but a memory of them brings us joy or is funny to us. God knows what it takes to get us through tough times, and He is always there to give us the help we need.

When we have anxiety, God is there to console us and give us joy. When we are sad, He is there to wipe our tears and maybe even provide us with a little humor to keep us going. When we are down, He reminds us that the world is in His hands and everything is going to work out. In the end, Jesus will return to dwell with His people, and “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).

And Jesus also promised His followers, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). We are never alone in any kind of difficult situation. God is always with us. He knows what we are going through, and He is helping us. It can feel good to know that, as we seek God, He is going to provide for us, no matter what we face, and He will always make sure that we have moments of peace and joy in the midst of all the struggles. • Emily Acker

• Have you ever felt God with you in a really hard time?

• God invented laughter and humor! Can you think of a time you were struggling but something funny made you feel a little better? Consider taking a moment to thank God for this.

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. Psalm 94:19 (NIV)

The outrage on the judge’s face multiplied, and he spit his next words. “The penalty for her sin is death. You cannot waltz in here and demand that justice not be served.” The man beside me took a long breath, and in a sad voice said, “I know.” My heart sank, and I covered my face in my sin-stained hands.

“That’s why I will take her place.”

"What?" I thought.

“What?” The judge echoed my own thoughts.

“Execute me instead,” the man said. His face was pained, but his words were sure. The judge thought it over for a moment, then the cruel smile returned to his face. “Very well.” He lifted his hand to call in the guards. "No," I thought. I spun in my seat and grabbed the man’s hand at the same moment the guards took hold of his arms. His warm hand squeezed my fingers, and then he was yanked away from me.

“No!” I jumped after him, but a guard shoved me down. I hit the ground, and the air was knocked from my lungs. I heard fabric rip as the guards struggled to push him from the room, and when I looked up, one of the guards had torn the man’s shirt clean off. And then the room was silent again.

The man had no mark. None. No concealed sin. His skin was flawless, unblemished. This man was completely innocent.

He didn’t fight them as they dragged him from the room. I could hear his grunts as they beat him on the other side of the doors. Immediate execution had been my sentence, and that was now this man’s fate. I sat in the courtroom. I couldn’t move as the guards carried out his sentence. I knew when it was finished, because the sky outside the courtroom window darkened and a chill filled the room. A groan passed through the earth, and it began to rain.

Days later, I walked home from the market and passed in front of the courthouse where I’d waited to die. I stopped in front of it and looked at the cold, marble pillars. So starkly perfect compared to the sin marks that still clung to my skin. I turned away, but voices stopped me. In the distance I could hear people shouting, their voices growing louder and more frantic. Then, from down the street, a crowd of people sprinted past me. Their faces a mixture of panic, confusion, and fear.

“What’s happening?” I asked one woman who stumbled in front of me.

“They executed a man a few days ago,” she said. “And now he—his grave is empty! His body is gone. Stolen, maybe. But everyone is saying he’s...well, they’re saying he’s...”

“What? What are they saying?”

Her face paled, but I didn’t miss the thrill in her eyes. “He’s risen.”

A smile spread across my lips. “He’s risen.” I looked down at my hands, and my tattoos were gone. • Emily Tenter

• Have you experienced the saving power of Jesus, or are you still bearing the stain of your sin? If you’re not sure, who is a trusted Christian in your life you could talk to? (You can also find more information on our "Know Jesus" page.)

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NLT)

The jury was silent. The judge’s face turned red with anger. “I’ll ask you again. Who do you think you are, bursting into this courtroom?”

The man who had just run in from outside was still looking at me as the judge spoke, but his attention slowly shifted back to the judge. “What is this woman’s offense?” he asked. The judge barked a laugh that held no humor, only cruelty. “What is her offense? Just look at her!” The jury rustled, and dark chuckles rose at the man’s silly question. There was no arguing that I was guilty. To humor him, the judge held up a long scroll of paper, filled with all of my sins. “Would you like to take a look for yourself?”

My cheeks burned as the judge held the paper out to the man who stood beside me. But he didn’t take it. I clasped my hands together, the skin on them covered with thick swirls that I knew reached up my arms and crawled up the sides of my neck. Then I looked at the man beside me. He wore plain clothes, but his arms were exposed, and there was no tattoo marring his brown skin. I saw no marks on his neck, or on his feet. Who was this man?

He never looked away from the bloodthirsty judge. “The mark of sin is on this woman, yes. Perhaps the individual on this jury who bears no mark of their own should be the one to carry out her execution.”

Silence.

No one moved. The judge’s mouth had fallen open, and the jury sat staring with wide eyes at the man who dared to barge in and speak in defense of such a lowly sinner. I saw the judge and jury shift beneath the thick robes they wore. Robes intended to conceal any marks on their own skin and make them appear holy before the courtroom.

The man didn’t say anything else; he only waited in the uncomfortable silence. After what felt like an eternity, one of the jurors, an old woman, stood from her seat and left the room. • Emily Tenter

• This story is an allegory of John 8:1-11, when Jesus was confronted by the religious leaders regarding a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. What did Jesus tell them in verse 7?

• In light of this, how does Jesus call us to view people whose sins are obvious to us?

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3:23 (NLT)

I crossed my arms over my stomach self-consciously, trying to hide the tattoos that condemned me. I’m not sure why I bothered. Everyone in the courtroom had seen all they needed to.

Every citizen bore the sin mark, but some were more visible than others. And my tattoos were a grim stain that covered my hands and arms, even crawling up the sides of my neck. I’d had the mark my entire life. I’d never lived a single day without it. But as I’d grown older—as I succumbed to my selfish desires, my greed, my lust—the mark had grown. It had stained my skin so that anyone could see.

The judge sat high on his perch, draped in crimson robes and wearing a twisted expression of disgust as his eyes flicked down to my stained hands. The jury was the same. Two perfect lines of scowling faces. Each juror was wearing a clean pressed robe, reminding me I was at their mercy.

I sat in my creaky chair, and I felt naked beneath their scrutiny. This couldn’t be happening. The judge stood slowly from his seat, gavel in hand. “You have been found guilty of all charges and are hereby sentenced to immediate execution.”

It felt as if the floor was falling out from beneath me as he lifted his gavel to seal the sentence. But before the wood of the gavel connected with the block, the double doors at the back of the courtroom were thrown open. I spun around in my chair, and through the blur of my own tears I saw a man racing toward the judge.

“Wait!” he shouted. He stopped beside my chair. There was sweat on his brow, and he was out of breath. How far had he run?

The judge’s face contorted in fury. “How dare you! This is a closed courtroom!”

The man looked over at me. He must have seen the fear and desperation in my eyes, the tears that threatened to spill over, the humiliation and shame. His own eyes filled with compassion and love. But why? Who was this man? And what could he do to save me from what I rightfully deserved? • Emily Tenter

• Can you remember a time when people knew you were guilty of sin? What did that feel like?

• We all sat guilty under the law, but Jesus raced in to save us. How might this give you hope?

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (NLT)

It’s not often that I eat out, but this one time in February was especially memorable. I was in the drive-thru of a burger joint with my mom. “Want anything?” she asked. I said no, but when I smelled my mom’s perfect burger, I changed my mind. Thankfully, she was patient and turned around. But the restaurant got my order wrong; they gave me extra buns. I shrugged my shoulders and was prepared to dive into the juicy burger when my mom spotted something that hadn’t been on the drive-thru curb before: a bird.

Immediately, I knew why I had those extra bread buns. God had given them to me to feed the poor bird on that frigid day. It was a literal picture of when Jesus said, “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” (Matthew 6:26). I got to live out that verse!

This encourages me in two ways. First, like Jesus said, if God loved that bird enough to place me at the right spot at the right time with the right resources to feed it, what does that mean He’ll do for me or you? We’re worth more to God than any bird, and we can depend on God to take care of us. He promised, and He meant it!

Second, while we often worry about God providing for us, sometimes we forget that God might be taking care of others through us. God may give us extra that we can use to bless others. Usually, I feel like I’m the one that others bless. But in feeding that bird, I was reminded that God will always make a way to use my resources, whatever they are, to give to others. And what a blessing it is that I get to give! • Lizzie Joy

• One of the primary ways God provides for the needs of His people is through His people. Can you think of a time God cared for you through someone else’s resources?

• What resources or skills do you have that you could use to bless others?

“Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” Matthew 6:26 (NLT)

A friend changing schools. A sibling getting married. A family member moving to another time zone. It’s hard when people we care about leave the rhythms of our everyday lives. Even if we’re happy for them, even if we know the change will be good for them, it can still leave us feeling like part of our lives is missing. Yet God’s love and goodness remain. So how does God meet us in these times? And how can we lean into His help?

Mourn the losses. I’ve found that it helps me to take some time to be alone with God and process the things that I will miss when the person is gone. From the big things to the small things, God cares about all of it. As I continue to tell Him about the losses, the Holy Spirit reminds me that God is with me, grieving my hurts alongside me. Sometimes the sadness feels like too much for me to hold, and in these moments, it’s been such a comfort to know that Jesus can hold all my sorrow (Isaiah 53:4).

Notice the fears. Another thing I’ve started doing is letting myself consider what about this change makes me feel uneasy. "Will the other person be okay? Will I be okay? Will our relationship fall apart?" As I notice each of my fears, I can bring these to Jesus. So much is out of my control, but nothing is out of His. God helps me remember that He will continue to provide, to draw us to Himself, and to show us His goodness and love.

Acknowledge the envy. Sometimes, I feel envious when I am the one left behind while others get to do something new and exciting. But I can bring this envy to God and tell Him how I’m feeling, and even ask Him to give me a glimpse of what He’s doing in my life in this season. As I come to Him, He reminds me that He is trustworthy to guide me in good paths (Psalm 23:3).

Find ways to connect. When I look to the future, it helps me feel more hopeful when I consider ways I can be intentional about staying connected with the people I love. When something makes me think of them, like a song or a joke or a pretty tree, I can tell them. I can send letters, messages, or packages. Maybe we can find a new rhythm, like having a phone or video call once a week. In the Bible, we see that Christians often wrote letters to each other, sharing good news and bad news, asking for help and advice, encouraging each other, and expressing their love for one another and their desire to see each other again. • Hannah Howe

• Does one of these four sections stick out to you? What caught your attention?

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life... Psalm 23:6a (NIV)

God is capable of miracles. He can do anything. When we start to worry about what is going on in our lives, our country, or the world, it helps to remember that nothing is impossible for God. No matter how dark and hopeless things may seem, God can turn them around. Just look at the miracles He has done before.

When Moses and the Israelites needed to cross the Red Sea, God made a path right down the middle for them.

When two men who were blind came to Jesus, He healed them. He also drove demons out of people and healed those who couldn’t walk, and He even brought the dead back to life.

Anything is possible with God (Mark 10:27). He is bigger than anything in our lives, our country, or the world. Health problems, family issues, wars...God is bigger than all of it. Throughout time, God has done miracles. He has saved us and shown us His love over and over again. He has been kind to His creation.

One day, God will unite heaven and earth—the ultimate miracle. When Jesus rose from the dead, this was just the beginning of new creation. When He returns, everyone who has put their trust in Jesus will be raised from the dead to live forever with Him! Then, “There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).

As we wait for God to renew creation, things won’t always go our way. Sometimes, we long for a miracle that doesn’t happen. But we can still trust Him—and we can always hold on to hope through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). In everything, God is working for our good, and nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:28, 38-39). Remember that God knows what is best, and He is bigger than anything. • Bethany Acker

• Have you ever asked God to do a miracle?

• Do you have a favorite story in the Bible that reminds you of God’s goodness and power?

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Hebrews 10:23 (NLT)

Do you sometimes feel insignificant? Perhaps someone made a remark that hurt you deeply. Criticisms regarding your intelligence, background, appearance, or beliefs can be distressing. Or you might live in a household where praise is sparce, and it seems like nothing you do is good enough. We all have different circumstances, yet low self-esteem can attack any of us unexpectedly, leaving us feeling fragile.

Physical symptoms of low self-esteem include headaches, tiredness, slumped shoulders, and frowning. Emotional signs can be tears, anger, negative comments, or detachment from things we usually enjoy. When people reject us, it can shake our confidence. But it’s important to remember that, when someone criticizes us, what they say may not be true. People make snap judgements based on human opinions, and these comments can hurt. So what can we do?

We can run to God, our Creator who loves us. He knows the truth about us. He says we are precious and uniquely made (Psalm 139:13-14). He has a purpose for our lives. God loves us so much that, even though we all do wrong and mess up, He made the way for us to be saved (John 3:16-17). He gave us His precious Son so that we might live. Jesus—who is fully God and fully human—willingly sacrificed His life for ours, and God raised Him from the dead.

If God, who is divine and infinitely loving, has done something so amazing for us, then that indicates how cherished and valued we are. So even when feelings of insecurity attack us, as Christians we do not have to be downcast, but instead we can remind ourselves that God forgives us. He loves us. He guides us. And He invites us to live a joyful life with Him. He heals our deep wounds and strengthens us through the Holy Spirit—who lives inside Christians. Yes, we will all be broken and imperfect until Jesus returns to make us new, but God declares we are wonderful to Him. What a celebration that is! • Cindy Lee

• When do you find it difficult to believe that you are valuable or worthwhile?

• Who is a trusted Christian in your life who can remind you of what God says about you and pray for you when you’re having a hard time? How might God be giving you opportunities to be this kind of friend to others?

I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well. Psalm 139:14 (WEB)

My fingers shook. The rough rock walls around me didn’t afford many hand holds. My feet pressed against the sides to keep me from falling down this cold, dark shaft. My knees were scraped, my hands bloody. I lifted my head again to look at the scrap of light far above me. No one was coming. My arms started shaking, my feet were slipping. All I could think was, "Help."

"Let go." Did I hear the words bounce off the rock shaft, or did I just think them? An empty place moaned in my chest where I wished hope was. The light above me grew dim as my vision blurred. I could only hold myself up for so long. I’d tried climbing up every way I could think, but every time I tried, I just seemed to fall farther and farther...down this dark hole.

"Let go." There it was again. I couldn’t think straight. How long had it been since I’d had a drink of water? My breath rattled. I strained to push myself up, but I had no strength left. Was that crackling I heard? My right foot shifted—and I plummeted a few feet deeper. Pain seared my left arm where the rock wall tore at my skin. “Why?” I moaned.

"Let yourself fall." Okay, three times. Maybe that was me, maybe it wasn’t. But what other options did I have? Either wait for my muscles to give out completely or pull my limbs close to my body and hope I didn’t lose any. I shuddered. “Are you sure about this?” I asked the voice.

"Trust me," it replied. I let out a sigh...then let myself fall. Fall. Fall. SPLASH! I bobbed up to the surface with a gasp—I was floating. I didn’t even need to kick to keep my head above the...was this water? It glowed a soft blue-green. Wait. I leaned my head back and let my feet float up to a laying-down position. The cave ceiling was covered in blue-green stars. “Bioluminescent,” I breathed. Beautiful. And the ceiling was moving—or I was. That was more likely. Downstream I floated, watching the beauty above me. My muscles weren’t shaking anymore. I even felt relaxed. My arm didn’t hurt—what? I lifted my arm from the water and saw new skin where it had been bloody and raw. A laugh bubbled out of me and echoed off the cavern walls.

"Let me carry you." The voice was comforting, and I felt myself drifting to sleep. When I woke up, I heard the trickling of the current, drips from stalactites, and the voice whispered, "It’s time." Then I felt myself being moved to the rocky bank of the underground river. I pushed myself up out of the water with surprising ease.

"This way." I turned and saw a glowing path that shimmered along the cave floor. One step at a time, I followed the path carefully. The path started to grow dimmer. "No!" I dropped to my knees in dismay. "Look up." The voice was gentle. Then I noticed the path wasn’t darker, the cave was getting lighter. I rushed forward as the light grew brighter, until I could see an opening in the rock. I ran into the warm light of day. • Hannah Howe

• Have you ever felt like you were stuck in that dark hole?

• We all have times when we get in trouble, either because of our sin or simply because we live in a broken world. Throughout the Bible, God makes it clear that we cannot save ourselves, but He wants to save us. There is nothing we could do to earn God’s kindness, yet, through Jesus, He generously gives us mercy and makes us new. When do you find it difficult to accept God’s kindness?

• Oftentimes, the way out is not taking matters into our own hands or trying harder but humbly acknowledging that we can’t do it...and leaning into God’s help. And He is so good—along the way He brings healing to our weary souls. How might God be inviting you to rely on Him today?

When I said, “My foot is slipping!” Your loving kindness, Yahweh, held me up. Psalm 94:18 (WEB)

Does silence ever make you uncomfortable? It makes me uncomfortable sometimes. Especially when I am trying to get to know a new friend. I often feel nervous when there is a lull in the conversation, leaving an awkward silence. And although it is not a sin, we probably all know someone who talks like silence is a sin. For some reason, it seems we like to avoid silence. Yet, I have found that silence can be an ultimate sign of comfort.

In my closest relationships, I find that I don’t feel awkward when there is silence between us. I don’t feel pressured to perform or guilty that I am not entertaining them. I feel safe around someone when I know it is okay not to speak—when I can just sit and enjoy being in their presence. To me, it’s a sign of a healthy relationship when silence becomes comfortable.

In the same way, I think it’s easy for us to feel pressure or discomfort when God seems silent. God always loves to hear us talk to Him in prayer, and He always answers in His perfect timing. But I wonder if the times we feel like God is silent are actually opportunities for us to rest in the assurance of our relationship with Him. Jesus came to earth to make right our broken relationship with Him and give us an opportunity to be with Him again. And I think part of restoring that right relationship could be obtaining a comfortable silence—a peace in God’s presence and character. • Abigail Scibiur

• Do you feel uncomfortable when it seems like God is silent? Why do you think you feel uncomfortable in those times?

• If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that we are totally secure in His love (John 10:28-30). How might this truth give you hope in times of silence?

• Do you agree that “comfortable silence” is a sign of a healthy relationship? Do you feel like you have that kind of relationship with God? Who is a trusted Christian you could talk to about practices that might help you grow closer to God?

“The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will be quiet in his love...” Zephaniah 3:17 (CSB)

It was the event of the season! I eagerly awaited my invite...but it never came. Before this event was even a possibility, I had poured into this person. God laid it on my heart to encourage, pray, and uplift—and I did just that for well over a year. When a friend of mine was chattering excitedly about the event, I was happy for her, but my own ego was bruised. What was wrong with me? Why was I not invited? I risked a quick sniff of my armpits—maybe I smelled?

Later that day, I began to analyze all my interactions and conversations with this person, coming up with zero reasons why I would not merit an invitation. Since others who had known this person for half the amount of time I had were getting an invite, something had to be wrong with me. That was when I felt like God spoke to my heart: “What is your motivation for love?” The realization cut deep—somewhere along the line, my original motivations of encouragement had morphed into entitlement.

Perhaps it’s time we all took a hard look at what motivates us to show love to others. Are we pouring into others to gain special privileges? Are we showing kindness simply to receive kindness? Are we giving so we will look good in the eyes of those around us? Are we serving so we can cash in when a need arises?

The only one with ultimately pure motivations is God. We did nothing to deserve the sacrifice of His Son, yet He loved us without expecting anything in return (1 John 4:9-10). The way Jesus loves us is selfless, and this is the way of love He calls us to emulate (verse 11). Our motivation for love should be because “he first loved us” (verse 19).

In our relationships with those around us, may we have the same mindset of Christ: humbly putting others first without seeking anything in return (Philippians 2:2-5). May we daily choose to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness, with love as the binding agent (Colossians 3:12-14). • Savannah Coleman

• Can you think of a time you showed kindness to someone for the wrong reasons? God knows we are sinful and selfish—yet He loves us. That’s why Jesus came to save us, humbly laying down His own life so that we could live. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are totally forgiven, and the Holy Spirit transforms us to be more and more like Jesus. When we rely on His strength to help us in our weaknesses, He transforms our motivations and helps us be sincere in our love.

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NIV)

No one enjoys getting hurt, but because we live in a world that has been broken by sin, we get hurt often. Sometimes, this hurt comes from other people. The ones we trust the most, and are closest to, can really mess with our life. People can push us around and use us. They can break our heart and disappoint us. Daily life holds a lot of pain. Jesus experienced that pain while He was on earth, and He understands what we are facing.

Before it came time for Jesus to go to the cross and die a very painful death, He asked God if that was something He really had to do. He knew the pain He was going to feel, not only from what was physically going to happen but also emotionally, as people would insult Him and mock Him—and even His closest friends would betray Him, deny Him, and run away from Him. Jesus knew that going to the cross meant that He would endure all of God’s wrath for the sins of the whole world. And His Father would not reach down and stop the pain from happening. Even though Jesus knew God would raise Him from the dead after three days in the tomb, He was still in agony on the night before He went to the cross (Matthew 26:38). But He was willing to endure it, because it was the only way to save us—to forgive our sin and heal our broken world.

A few days earlier, Jesus was deeply sad when His friend Lazarus died. Even though Jesus knew He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, He wept alongside His friends.

Pain is a part of life, but we serve a God who understands our pain. A God who is there for us in the midst of suffering. A God who became human and endured immense pain—because He loves us. A God who has promised that He will right every wrong and put an end to pain forever (Revelation 21:1-6). If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that when people hurt us, when they make life miserable for us, God stands with us. He helps us. He soothes us. He empowers us to forgive those who have wronged us. And He walks with us through the pain. • Emily Acker

• What is causing you pain today?

• If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you are never alone in your pain. Jesus is with you, and you are part of His family, the church. How does God invite us to receive comfort from Him and from fellow Christians? (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

• When someone hurts us deeply, what might healthy boundaries look like? If you’re not sure, who can you ask, such as a pastor, parent, teacher, counselor, coach, or youth leader?

• If you’ve been hurt deeply and need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

• If you or someone you know is suffering from abuse, and if your situation is potentially life-threatening, call 911 (or the emergency number for your area) or go to the local hospital emergency room right away.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

In John 5:1-9, Jesus goes to Jerusalem, to a place called the pool of Bethesda. The author, John, who was probably with Jesus at the time, tells us there were “a great number of disabled people” (verse 3) at the pool of Bethesda. Some of these people were blind, some couldn’t walk, and some were sick. All, apparently, were looking for some kind of miraculous healing by the waterside. John records that Jesus speaks to one man in particular—and heals him!

So why does Jesus choose to heal this man? He certainly isn’t well-connected. He tells Jesus that he has no one to help him into the pool—no friends, no family. He is not a special or “holy” man—in fact, Jesus warns him after he is healed: “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you” (verse 14). Really, we see no obvious reason why Jesus chooses this man for healing instead of others waiting at the pool of Bethesda.

And maybe that’s the point.

This man has nothing at all to recommend him as a “candidate” for grace. He is powerless, sinful, alone in the world and helpless to save himself. But Jesus comes along, finds this man in his misery, and graciously heals him. “At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked” (verse 9).

The ways God works are often mysterious to us, and we may never understand why Jesus healed this particular man on this particular day. But we can see a picture of God’s grace in this one man’s healing. He is like every lost sinner, and every last one of us. Ephesians 2:12 puts it this way: “You were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.”

Like the man sitting at the pool of Bethesda, we are all hopeless and helpless; there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. But God extends grace to us. He loves us, and He came to be with us. Jesus, God in flesh, brings healing to our brokenness. He died and rose from the dead because it was the only way to save us from our sins. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are no longer separated from God. We are totally forgiven, and we get to look forward to the day Jesus will return and permanently heal all our brokenness. What a picture of grace! • Laura N. Sweet

• Have you ever felt like you didn’t deserve God’s help? How might John 5:1-15 speak into this?

...he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. Titus 3:5a (NIV)

"Praise the Lord!” the man yelled. “Here comes the authoress!” The man was Pastor D. L. Moody, a well-known teacher an evangelist, and he was introducing one of the most prolific hymn writers in the United States of America, Fanny Crosby. Her hymns had touched and inspired millions who attended his church revival meetings. She only found herself on stage because there was no other seating available, but Moody was delighted to have her there.

Fanny was born in Putnam County, New York, in 1820. In infancy she developed a bad cold, causing inflammation in her eyes. A doctor applied mustard plasters, which some thought caused damage, and Fanny lost her sight. At the New York Institution for the Blind, she became a teacher and wrote song lyrics and other poetry. In addition, she had the honor of becoming the first female voice heard publicly in the United States Senate Chamber in Washington, DC. She even read one of her poems there. How awesome is that?

In 1858, she married a fellow scholar, Alex Van Alstyne (who was also blind), and they had one child. But when their child died in infancy, Fanny was badly grieved. Her hymn “Safe in the Arms of Jesus” is believed to be the result of that grief. In the lyrics of this beautiful hymn, she expresses how wonderful it is to be close to Jesus, “Safe on His gentle breast / There by His love o’reshadowed / Sweetly my soul shall rest.” She also looks forward to the day Jesus will make all things new, when we will be “Free from the blight of sorrow / Free from my doubt and fears.” How many other suffering parents were comforted by that hymn?

Fanny wrote an astounding eight thousand hymns. She gave all credit for her gift of hymn writing to the Lord. She also worked relentlessly to serve people who were impoverished and living in the inner city, most of whom were immigrants. She was an amazing woman for whom things could have turned out so differently. Instead of despair, she chose to draw near to her Lord and Savior. The next time you hear “Blessed Assurance” or “Pass Me Not Oh Gentle Savior,” remember the woman who wrote them, Fanny Crosby. • Susan Sundwall

• No matter what your circumstances are, God has given you gifts that are important in His kingdom. What are some ways you can serve Jesus in your context?

• Have you ever experienced Jesus’s love and closeness through worship music and hymns?

Sing a new song to the Lord; let the whole earth sing to the Lord. Psalm 96:1 (CSB)

Sleep hasn’t come easily to me lately. One of the most calming things I have found to do in the night, when my mind won’t shut down or I am dealing with anxiety, is to open the Bible app on my phone and read a chapter or two.

In the night, when the world is quiet and I am all alone, I can feel a different kind of worry and a different kind of darkness. Yet, in the night, when the world is quiet and I am all alone, I can also experience a different kind of concentration and I can make the most of a different kind of silence.

When I read my Bible in the night, I not only have the chance to forget the worries that are on my mind, but I also have the opportunity to really focus on what I am reading without anyone interrupting me. When I read my Bible in the night, I have the chance to understand things in a new way. Jesus came to set us free from sin and death, and all the brokenness that comes along with it. Jesus wants us to come to Him for help whenever we are feeling distressed.

I want to sleep well. I pray and ask God for good sleep each night. But there is something to be gained through waking in the night and having the chance to get closer to God in the quiet. Like a kid going to their parents’ bed after a bad dream, I turn to God for comfort. • Emily Acker

• Has reading the Bible ever helped you when you were feeling stressed?

• Sleep is an important part of our physical and emotional health. Sometimes, we need help in order to give our bodies the sleep we need, and that’s okay. If you have difficulty sleeping, who is a trusted adult you can talk to, such as a parent, counselor, or doctor?

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I [ Jesus] will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (CSB)

I live far from the ocean, but I loved each trip that I have been able to take to it. I love watching the waves come in and hearing them hit against the shore. I love the color of the water. I love walking in the sand.

I also enjoy trips to local parks and the opportunity to just be out in the sun. I love the green leaves that show up on trees in the spring, and I appreciate the beauty of the orange leaves that come out in the fall. I love the blossoming trees and the flowers that open up when the weather gets warm.

I love much of what nature offers, and I love that God created this world for us to enjoy. I am thankful to God for the fresh air coming through my window right now, and the view that I have as I sit and write.

This world is amazing, and the God who created it is worthy of our praise. The God who created this world really knew what He was doing, and there is so much for us to discover as we travel, spend time outside, and even look out the window.

I am grateful for all I have seen of this world so far. I am eager to get out and see more of this world, and I am intent on praising God for all of it. • Emily Acker

• What is one of your favorite things about nature?

• Why do you think God invites us to enjoy the things He has created?

How countless are your works, Lord! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Psalm 104:24 (CSB)

I happen to live in a coastal area that is very windy. Oftentimes, the strong winds cause a lot of destruction by blowing away house roofs and destroying trees and crops in the gardens. At one time, the winds ravaged my maize garden, leaving the maize plants bent. So, I had to get sticks to support them so they would not fall flat and get completely uprooted.

However, I have noticed one particular tree that is never shaken by the winds— the palm tree. When other trees are torn out by the wind, the palm tree remains in its position, unmoved because of its deep roots that give it stability.

On our own, we are all like maize, easily bent and broken by the winds of life. But Jesus makes us like the palm tree. Proverbs 10:30 says, “The righteous will never be uprooted.” While all people do wrong and none of us can be righteous, Jesus—God in flesh—came to die on the cross for us and raise from the dead so that we could “become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). When we put our trust in Jesus, He dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. His power holds us fast. In Him, we are “rooted and established in love” (Ephesians 3:17).

In life, there are many winds that blow against us and cause us to fear, or even to wonder if God is really good. From strained relationships, to illness in our families, to financial hardship and natural calamities...so many things cause us stress and threaten our stability. When we feel like we are being blown away by the strong winds of life, when we need an arm to lean on for support, God is there. He holds us up (Isaiah 41:10), and He empowers us through the Holy Spirit to stand firm (Ephesians 6:10-13). He also makes us part of His family, the church, so we can help hold each other steady when the winds come.

As Christians, we can be encouraged that we are deeply rooted in Christ, and we have our stability in Him. No matter how strong the winds may blow, nothing can move us from our position in Him (John 10:27-30). We will stand, and when the winds have stopped blowing, we will remain in our position in Christ Jesus (Matthew 7:24-29). • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• What has been causing you stress lately? Jesus invites us to bring all these things to Him in prayer. We can lay them at His feet, knowing He is big enough to take care of them all.

• What helps you when you’re stressed? Who is a trusted Christian you feel comfortable talking to about what you’re going through, such as a pastor, counselor, parent, teacher, or coach?

The righteous will never be uprooted. Proverbs 10:30a (NIV)

The New Testament talks about power in the gospel. We might be tempted to think the gospel just has to do with getting saved—"I believe the story about Jesus, and then when I die I get to go to heaven." This view almost makes the gospel seem irrelevant for life.

Why do we need the gospel’s power? The gospel (the “good news”) is about so much more than what happens after we die. It’s about Jesus defeating the brokenness that has invaded His good creation, restoring His people to new life, and defeating death forever as He reigns as King. It means the hurt we see in the world, the sins that overtake us, and Satan’s evil work will all be crushed beneath the scarred feet of Jesus Christ. The gospel is powerful!

In Paul’s letter to the Christians in Ephesus, he talks about this gospel power. One reason God gives us power in the gospel is because we live in enemy-occupied territory. The Christian has three enemies: 1) our own sinful desires; 2) the sin that has invaded the world, including lies, false philosophies, and sin-driven peer pressure; and 3) Satan, the prince of the power of the air, our great accuser who prowls around seeking someone to devour (Ephesians 2:2-3; 1 Peter 5:8).

How am I, with my little arms, going to fight against my sinful desires, the world’s broken system, and Satan and his forces? There’s no way on my own. But in the gospel, I am not on my own. I have put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14) and the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11). He is always working His good purposes. He brought us victory through His life, death, and resurrection, and He promises to return to fully establish His kingdom, defeating sin, death, and Satan forever. With the same power that raised Christ from the dead at work in me (Ephesians 1:19-20), I can have victory over sin, the brokenness in the world, and the devil.

Paul prays for the church in Ephesus, not that they would get power, but that they would know the power they already have (Ephesians 1:15-19)! If you know Jesus, you already have His power. The Holy Spirit dwells in you, empowering you to follow Jesus and to rest in the hope of the victory He has already won. • Jeff Weddle

• Why do you think God would want to give us power?

• Where do you see brokenness at work in the world? In yourself? How can Jesus bring hope and healing to these places?

I pray...that you may know...his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:18-19 (NIV)

The chaos pressed around me, weighing down each step. The air was thick with it—tendrils of black vapor darting this way and that. I trudged forward, barely able to see even a foot in front of me, following the voice. Somehow, the soft voice had cut through the ever-present shrieks of pain and evil that filled this world. I didn’t know what the voice was or where it came from. All I knew was how desperately I needed it. My weary heart craved peace, and something deep inside me knew the voice had it.

My stomach lurched as I heard a splash with my next step. Water quickly soaked my boot. I took one more step, and the world shifted. Silence. Sweet, sweet silence. That was the first thing I noticed. My shoulders relaxed. I hadn’t even realized how tense they were. Next, as my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw the pond. Gentle sunlight shimmered on the water that started at my feet and continued just to the edge of my vison. A smile tugged at my lips as I felt the sunlight warm my face. How long had I been starving for it?

Then, I saw Him. My heart started to leap with joy, but I quickly quieted it. He was a stranger. Why should I trust Him? He strode over to me, feet sloshing in the shallow water. “You look weary,” He observed, a kind smile brightening His face.

"That voice..." I wondered silently. "Is it Him?" “What is this place?” I asked sharply.

“Peace,” He replied, “Rest. Wholeness. Whatever you want to call it.”

I turned, examining an invisible wall holding back the chaos. “Why can’t it get in?”

“Well, some of it can,” He said gently, eying a spot on my shoulder. A whisp of chaos clung to me. Now that I noticed it, I heard its screech. “May I?” He asked, reaching out His hand.

I saw He had an odd scar near His wrist.

"What is He going to do with it?" I thought. "Who can grasp smoke?" Curious about this stranger, I nodded. He winced as He wrapped His scarred hand around the whisp. I expected His hand to move right through the smoke, but the whisp seemed to solidify. It stopped moving for a moment, then started thrashing wildly, screaming even louder. With a grunt of effort, He ripped it from my shoulder and hurled it back out into the chaos. My mouth gaped open as I crumpled into the shallow water. “What...what happened?” I asked weakly, trying to stop my head from spinning. It felt like a piece of me was missing.

He reached down and helped me to my feet, His hands rough but warm. “I’m sorry that was so painful. Evil often has a deeper grasp than one might realize. And removing anything so deeply entwined with yourself, even something that’s killing you, can hurt.”

As He spoke, the pain inside me began to dull. I felt lighter...mostly. Something in me still wanted that missing piece. I examined His face more closely. "If He can remove that from me..." I thought. “Did you make this place?”

His kind smile returned. “Yes, I suppose you could say that.”

Questions piled up in my brain, quickly moving from suspicious curiosity to anger. “But...If you can do that—if you can just chuck chaos away and make—make, well, this.” I gestured around me to the pond, my voice rising. “With all of its peace or rest or whatever you said it was, then why on earth wouldn’t you just get rid of ALL the chaos?” Before I quite knew what I was doing, I found myself making demands of this stranger. My arguments devolved into phrases from childhood. “Make it go away! Make it all just go away!” Sorrow, long buried under years of toughness and survival instinct, wormed its way to the surface. Choked sobs interrupted my demands, echoing over the pond. Grief upon grief washed over me. Surrounded by all this goodness—the pond, the sunlight, the quiet—I realized just how bad the chaos really was, and just how deeply it hurt me.

I felt a hand on my back. In my grief, I had apparently sunk back down to the ground, water soaking my jeans. He sat there with me. When my emotions were spent and my breathing slowed, I finally looked up at His face. Tears flowed down His cheeks. “I know your pain, dear one.” His voice broke as He spoke, and fresh tears fell from His eyes. “Someday, I will make it all go away. Someday, peace and wholeness will flood the whole earth. But not yet. There is still work to be done.” His eyes steeled, and anger briefly flashed over His face. “But,” He continued, “no matter how bad things get out there, this place will always be here. Here you can find strength for the journey. You can rest and remember who you are. Bring your hurt to me, and find healing. And when you leave, I will go with you.”

I nodded, though I wasn’t totally sure I understood. Without really knowing why, I leaned my head against His shoulder. “Can...Can I stay here a little longer?”

I could hear a smile in His voice. “Yes, dear one. Please stay as long as you need.” • Taylor Eising

• As we wait for Jesus to return and make all things well, we experience brokenness and chaos. How might knowing that Jesus is with us, in the midst of all this, give us hope?

The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46:11 (NIV)

When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them the gift of a peaceful home. He planted the garden in Eden, and Genesis describes the garden as lush and pleasant, filled with trees and watered by a river. And God saw that this place He had created was good. Adam and Eve could rest in the Garden of Eden, knowing the peace of God’s love surrounded them (Genesis 2:8-15).

But when Adam and Eve disobeyed their Creator, their world got messy. Pain and suffering and death entered the scene. God banished Adam and Eve from the garden, but He never stopped loving them. Even after they became His enemies, God cared for their needs by making clothing for them (Genesis 3:21-24). Through the generations, God kept calling His people to return to Him.

Today, we live in a messy world. When we listen to the news or watch people tear each other apart on social media, feelings of unrest can quickly take over our hearts. Fear and anxiety can rule our days. We try to take control, but we end up hurting ourselves instead. And peace? That can feel about as far away as possible. This is no Garden of Eden.

But no matter what bad things happen, God is here. His promise to His people is that His presence goes with us. He gives us rest. We don’t have to be in the Garden of Eden to experience the power of God’s love. We don’t have to be in the garden to know His perfect peace, because Jesus, the Prince of Peace, came into our broken world. He said, “Come to me...and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

In Psalm 46:10, God says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” As Christians, we can be still because the Holy Spirit helps us slow down our thoughts, our worries, and our need to control our situations. We can trust that God is with us always. Redemption is here. Jesus invites us to rest in His love. All we have to do is accept His invitation. • Becca Wierwille

• Our world is messy. What sorts of things in your life bring you feelings of fear or anxiety? How might God be inviting you to rest in His love today?

• When you are having a hard time being still, who is a trusted Christian in your life who you can be honest with? If you know someone who is struggling, how could you listen with compassion and pray for them?

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14 (NIV)

Parents can promise anything to a child. And that child can believe that promise. Sometimes, parents do not, or cannot, keep their promises, but there is one who always keeps His promises, and that is God our Father. Here are some of His precious and treasured promises:

God promised to send the Messiah to save His people and defeat the devil. Throughout the Old Testament, God gave prophesies about the Messiah. At just the right time, He sent His Son to live among us—fully God and fully human (Galatians 4:4). Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, just as God promised He would. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can rest knowing that our eternal future is secure. Jesus will return bodily to earth, raise us from the dead, and set creation free from all brokenness, sin, and death.

In the meantime, God promises to give strength to His people (Isaiah 41:10). In Judges 6:11-16, the angel of the Lord called Gideon a mighty warrior—even though Gideon thought that he was weak. God enabled and strengthened Gideon to lead the Israelites and defeat their oppressors. In the same way, God will strengthen you to do what He calls you to do.

The Lord promises to guide His followers. God guided Noah in building the ark (Genesis 6:13-22). God will lead and guide you also. He says in Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”

God promises to give you rest. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

The Lord promised to love you. His love for you will never fail. Paul wrote in Romans 8:39 that nothing will separate you from the love of Christ. He will be with us no matter what (Matthew 28:20).

God has made many more promises in His Word. He has kept His promises in the past, He is keeping His promises today, and He will still keep His promises in the future. So we can trust and rely on Him, knowing that He cares for us. • Golda Dilema

• Does one of these promises stick out to you?

• How might God be inviting you to rely on Him today?

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

We all experience ups and downs, but sometimes, what we are experiencing seems so much harder than what we see others experiencing. Sometimes, we feel like our pain is greater, that our loss is worse. Other times, we might feel like our pain is small compared to others, and we hesitate to acknowledge that we are experiencing feelings of loss. Some will lose their parents when they are young, some will grow old and still have their parents around. Some have a close relationship with their family, some do not.

Whatever you are going through, you might feel like you are alone, but there are people out there who genuinely care about you. There are people out there who will listen to you, have compassion on you, and grieve because of all that you have had to live through. There are people who will help you see God and the way He cares about you.

When life is dark and heavy, we don’t have to deal with things on our own. We have a God who loves us, and He came to earth so that He could be with each one of us. Because Jesus died and rose again, we can draw near to God and receive His healing. He sees our burdens, large and small, and He wants us to give them to Him.

One of the ways God lifts our burdens is through community (Galatians 6:2). As you experience loss and heartache, reach out. Let someone help you through this time. Let someone pray for you when you feel too weak to pray for yourself. Find a trusted adult, such as a counselor, pastor, parent, teacher, or coach, and let them help you push through. Let them help you experience God’s love. Let them help you find hope for your future. • Emily Acker

• We all go through painful experiences, and sometimes, we are tempted to compare our situation with others. Yet God invites us into a different way: receiving His compassion for us and extending this compassion to others. Have you told God about the hurt you are facing? Have you talked to someone who cares about you? If you’re not sure who this might be, you can ask God to help you identify someone in your life who you can be honest with about your struggles.

The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 (CSB)

When the dark came, because it always does, I found that I had no light. Perhaps I lost it when I crossed the river. Still, I would trust in the name of the Lord and rely on my God. As I made my way through the blackest night, I felt His comfort surround me. I relied on His presence until the night gave way to the first light of day.

Coming around the next bend, I found myself facing a crowd of people. They held every sort of weapon, and the malice on their faces made my blood run cold. One by one, they advanced upon me, shouting accusations and wielding their weapons. I wanted to curl up in a ball and cover my ears, but God gave me His strength to endure. “They will not prevail!” His words rang out, and then I heard the echo of His voice on the day that changed all days. “It is finished” rumbled over the land with such power and light that it shattered every weapon. The people I had once feared were silenced.

Hours later, upon reaching the foot of the mountains, I felt like weeping with relief. Perhaps my journey was nearing the end. Suddenly, the ground began to shake beneath my feet. The vibrations grew so intense that I was knocked to the earth as boulders smashed around me. A scream of terror rose from my throat as I watched the mountains crumble and the hills around me seem to move.

But then, unfathomably, everything was instantaneously still. I could see the destruction and hear the rumbling enveloping the landscape around me, but it was as if I were encased in a protective sphere of calm for a few blissful moments. And there was His voice, falling on my ears like a warm summer rain: “My unfailing love for you will not be shaken.” I knew then, whatever I had to walk through, my God would deliver me. • Savannah Coleman

• The things you have to go through in life will be hard (John 16:33); at times you will feel shaken to the core. Remember that one thing remains: God’s unfailing love for you. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you can know that nothing can separate you from His love because Jesus has died and risen again (Romans 8:35-39). What darkness are you walking through today? How might Jesus be inviting you to rely on Him? (John 8:12; Hebrews 13:5-6)

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10 (NIV)

The vast landscape stretched before me, unending. Mountain peaks jutted harshly against a darkening sky and rivers churned angrily. Taking a deep breath, I paused to tighten the laces of my shoes. “I know You have created me and called me by name—I am Yours.” The wind snatched my words away, but my heart felt a bit lighter as I carefully made my way down the rocky slope.

At the roaring riverside, my stomach clenched in fear. “Must I pass through?” I pleaded to the One who loves me like no other. In the depths of my soul, His whisper echoed: “I will be with you.” The water was ice cold, and I could not catch my breath—but miraculously, the currents never went over my head.

My mouth twisted into a grim smile when I approached a forest ablaze. Smoke billowed from the tops of trees, and the heat was so intense I stopped my journey forward out of sheer instinct. “I can’t do this—I will be burned!” I cried aloud. “I am making a way.” His words swelled louder than the flames raging before me. “I will help you, I will sustain you, I will carry you, I will rescue you.” Every promise was balm to my aching heart. Emboldened, I picked up a twig charred by the fire. With the tip covered in ash, I wrote on my hand: “The Lord’s”.

He brought me through the flames unharmed—I danced with joy and sang: “In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength!” When my feet grew tired and my dancing slowed, He showed me the way I should continue on my journey. I was so thirsty, my tongue felt like sand. When I felt as though I could not bear it any longer, He had compassion and there before me was a sparkling stream of clear water. I drank until I was satisfied. • Savannah Coleman

• Throughout the Bible, God showed His great love to His people, rescuing them again and again. His promise, “I will be with you” (Isaiah 43:2), foreshadowed the coming of Jesus—who is Immanuel, “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23). Jesus is the Promised One, the ultimate Rescuer who saved us from sin and death by dying on the cross and raising from the dead. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you can know that you are His forever (John 10:27-29). What hard things are you facing today? How might God be inviting you to rely on Him?

• If you want to dig deeper into Jesus’s promises: Isaiah 44:1-5; 45:24; 46:4-10; 48:17; 49:10-13.

“...when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned...For I am the Lord your God...” Isaiah 43:2b-3a (NIV)

My breath started to grow short, and I felt panic rising in my chest. While my parents were taking a nap on a warm Sunday afternoon, I was playing dress-up in my bedroom. The jacket I’d shoved my arms into had fit just fine the year before, but now I had obviously outgrown it. I’d become thoroughly, completely stuck, and—to a five-year-old—this problem seemed insurmountable. "What would I do?"

Thankfully, my dad finished his nap just about that time. He opened the door to discover me struggling to free myself from the confining jacket. But he didn’t leave me on my own to find a way out. Daddy stepped into the room and reassured me, then gently tugged the coat from my shoulders. Finally, I could breathe easily. I could not have extricated myself from that scary situation without Daddy’s help.

When we put our trust in Jesus, we begin a relationship with God as His children. We get to experience the care and tenderness of the best Daddy. We’re never required—or expected—to face problems alone, because He remains with us always, guiding us over the hurdles and through the challenges. Once we’ve entered that loving relationship with God the Father, we continue to grow in Christ, but sometimes, we start believing the lie that we should learn to manage our issues on our own. “Isn’t that what growing up means?” we may wonder. “Learning to figure out how to solve my own problems?”

But God never intends for us to navigate messes, mishaps, or mistakes in our own strength or knowledge. As His children, we have an open invitation to come to Him and call on Him, drawing close with our tears, our fears, and everything in between. And, like any loving Daddy, He is eager to help us when we do. • Allison Wilson Lee

• What problems feel overwhelming in your life at this moment? Do you feel like you can talk to God about these? Why or why not?

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

As the aerobics class finished, I grabbed my bag and stormed to the locker room. "Why, God?" I pleaded. "Why do I have to deal with this?"

Near the end of the workout session, the instructor had made a rude remark about a member of a popular boy band. Over the microphone she had been using to call out exercises, the aerobics teacher had referred to this person by a homosexual slur. She laughed and, a few minutes later, wrapped up the session.

None of the other class members seemed surprised by the teacher’s comment. But I sensed the Lord nudging me to speak up. I didn’t want this responsibility. It was too complicated. I understood God’s teaching about the kind of marriage that honors Him: gospel-centered marriage between one man and one woman. Our feelings might point us away from God’s best for our lives, but His instructions about sex and marriage remain (Ephesians 5:31-33). So, how should I address this with the aerobics instructor—especially when I believed she might also be a follower of Jesus?

A couple days later, I attended a class with the same instructor. At the end of the session, I waited for the room to empty and then approached her with shaking hands and a quavering voice. I asked if she remembered her comments about the singer and then told her I was a Christian. I mentioned I had certain beliefs about marriage and sexuality, but I also believed God tells us to treat others with love— including in our speech. She listened well, seemed embarrassed about her previous nasty remark, and thanked me for bringing it to her attention.

In pursuing this difficult conversation with my instructor, I sought to love her by telling her the truth. Because of the grace Jesus has shown us, we can demonstrate His forgiveness and do good to all people, even those we might disagree with. Because, in love, Jesus died and rose again for my aerobics instructor...for the boy band singer...and for me. • Allison Wilson Lee

• How do you think God teaches us to treat others who don’t believe what we believe?

• Read Galatians 6:10. How should we approach Christians who are speaking in unwholesome ways? How does the forgiveness Jesus gives affect the way we have those conversations?

• What are some of the difficulties in balancing speaking the truth while doing so with love?

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Ephesians 4:15 (NLT)

A Pharisee (a Jewish religious leader) named Simon invited Jesus to supper. When Jesus arrived, Simon didn’t offer Him water to wash His feet or head. Dirty feet in sandals and itchy heads need water to wash off the dust. It was also customary for the host to offer their guest a kiss on the cheek, but Simon did not greet Jesus this way.

As they sat for supper, a woman slipped into the dinner. Though she wasn’t invited, she searched for Jesus. Finding Him, she knelt down. Taking her beautiful jar of expensive fragrant oil, she poured it over His feet. As she wiped His feet with her hair, she kissed them. Simon was probably wondering who let this sinful woman in. He knew her reputation, and he definitely did not invite her. But Jesus interrupted his thoughts. “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

Simon answered, “Go ahead, Teacher.”

Jesus told a story about a creditor who had two debtors. One owed him a lot of money, the other less. The creditor forgave both their debts. Then Jesus asked Simon, “Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”

Simon answered: probably the one who owed him the most.

“That’s right,” Jesus replied. While Simon didn’t offer Jesus water for His feet or greet Him with a kiss, this woman washed Jesus’s feet with her tears and kissed them. Though Simon did not provide olive oil to anoint Jesus’s head, she anointed His feet with rare perfume. Jesus explained that her many sins were forgiven, so she showed Him much love. • Anna Gregory

• Simon called this woman a sinner, but Jesus called her forgiven. Have you experienced God’s forgiveness? If you have questions about this, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

• Out of her love for Jesus, this woman kissed His feet and dried them with her hair. Have you ever felt compelled to express your love to Jesus? What did you do?

“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love.” Luke 7:47a (NLT)

Do you have a best friend? A best friend is a precious gift from God. And do you know that God wants to be your very best friend? Jesus came so that we could be in close relationship with God.

While a human best friend cannot always be with you, God can. He is with you every hour and every moment. And He is happy to be with you. Before Jesus ascended back to heaven, He told His followers, “Remember, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20).

God feels for you. He knows whatever you are going through. A human friend cannot always help you when you have a problem, but God is there to walk you through it. Whenever you are sad, God will weep with you, as Jesus wept alongside Mary and Martha (John 11:35). And He will make you joyful again (Psalm 30:11).

You can talk to God anytime. God spoke to Moses as a friend. You can talk to God about anything, and He will listen to you. God is delighted when you talk to Him as a father delights in his child. God likes listening to your prayers and to whatever you want to tell Him. He will not reject you or push you away. He understands you and is considerate of you. He accepts you for who you really are.

God knows about your goals and dreams, and He cares about each one. As you seek Him, He will guide you and provide for all your needs. He will be with you all the way. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you can know that God is your very best friend. He loves you dearly. He will never leave you. You can count on Him. • Golda Dilema

• Do you sometimes feel like God is distant from you? Who are trusted Christians who can pray with you when you are feeling this way?

• Are you aware that you are special to God? You can ask God to reveal this truth to your heart anytime.

And the scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend. James 2:23 (CSB)

There are times when I feel weak. Physically weak, because I haven’t slept well. Emotionally weak, because someone has been fighting me. Spiritually weak, because I haven’t felt as close to God as I would like to feel. When I am exhausted, tired, weak...I don’t feel up for the projects in front of me.

There is a beautiful picture in Psalm 18 of God saving us, giving us strength, and equipping us for all we must face. Verse 33 talks about God giving us the steady feet of a deer walking along a mountainside. Verse 34 talks about God preparing us for war and making sure that our hands are strong enough to handle a bow—even a bow of bronze, which no human could possibly bend. We do not have to rely on our own strength; we have a God who rescues us and wants to give us His strength.

God is so amazing; He even uses our weaknesses for His good purposes. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul is describing a struggle in his life, and then he shares what God told him: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can have the same confidence as Paul, because the Spirit of God is living in us—the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11)! Therefore we can say, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Have you ever felt God fill you up with strength when you felt like you couldn’t go on? Have you ever reached out to Him from a hospital bed, a classroom, or a bedroom floor? We don’t have to be strong on our own. God is all-powerful, and He invites us to rely on Him. We don’t ever have to face life without Him. • Emily Acker

• When do you feel weak? How might God be inviting you to rely on Him in these times?

I love you, Lord, my strength. Psalm 18:1 (NIV)

All his life, Devon had been surrounded by walls. He had been born on the spaceship, just like countless generations before him. There were stories of a place humans had come from long ago called Earth, where there was open air and water that stretched as far as the eye could see. But that’s all they were. Stories. Tales told to children before they went to sleep. On the ship, air and water were carefully monitored and recycled. One wrong move and they could be gone forever.

As the ship hurdled through space, all Devon could see outside was the ever-present blackness sprinkled with the fine glitter of distant stars. If the ship ever had a target destination, it had long since been lost. Now all that stretched before them was cold, empty darkness.

Then, one day, a message popped up on an old console. "Earth-like planet detected. Adjust coordinates immediately." Most people on the ship scoffed at it. “Earth is a myth,” they said. “There’s never been anything but the spaceship.”

But a few of the passengers read the words on the screen and believed. Devon was one of them. He and the others banded together and got a small spacecraft sitting in the hull ready for voyage. He sobbed as he hugged his family goodbye, then he and the others boarded the tiny ship and launched into space, away from the only home they had ever known.

They followed the coordinates. For weeks they saw nothing but darkness. Then a star in the distance began to grow brighter. Finally, a tinge of blue-green light came into view—a planet orbiting the star.

When they landed on the planet, they stumbled out of the ship into warm, permeating light. Devon’s lungs burned as he sucked in the fresh, fragrant air. He and the others laughed and whooped as they ran along the edge of the great expanse of water. They gave names to the strange creatures they found crawling in the dirt and fluttering in the air. Devon realized this was how humans were meant to live—not confined to a spaceship but roaming free on a big, beautiful planet. As the giant star dipped below the unseen edge of the water, he finally sat down, exhausted. He was home. • Courtney Lasater

• In John 10:10, Jesus says He came to earth so that we could have life in abundance. He became human, died on a cross, and rose again to give us life—the life we were meant to have before sin broke us and our world. What do you think abundant life through Jesus looks like? Have you experienced your life being changed by Him in any way?

• Have you had to leave behind anything from your former life in order to follow Jesus and embrace the new life He has given you?

“I [Jesus] have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” John 10:10b (CSB)

I remember before putting my trust in Christ, my speech was just unedifying. Insults and curses always rumbled out of my mouth. But after discovering these Scripture passages and through the help of the Holy Spirit, I began to pay attention to each time harmful words wanted to go out of my mouth.

Sometimes, our words hurt people. But Jesus can bring healing. In James 3:8-12, we are admonished to desert every ill word we speak. James says fresh water and salty water can’t come out from the same spring—we can’t be a blessing and a curse at the same time. How sad it is that we use the same mouth to praise God and insult people.

But if we put our trust in Jesus, He forgives us and cleanses us from every sin. And as we trust in Christ and lean on the Holy Spirit, He can help us tame our tongue to keep it from unleashing unpleasant words. The truth is our words can kill, but they can also heal. Isn’t it amazing that our words can help and heal others?

Scripture also encourages us to always say things that will be helpful to others, words that will edify them and bring out the good in them. Beloved, through Christ our words can be seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6), which means they can add taste and value to the people who listen to us. Our speech should not be bitter like saltwater, but rather flavored with grace like a good meal.

When we speak words, we don’t know how far they will go and who might be listening. So let us speak Christ with every word we say. • Shadrach Goni

• Have you ever been hurt by someone’s words? If you’re still hurting, you can bring your pain to Jesus and ask for His healing.

• Has anyone ever said something to you that brought healing and joy to your heart?

• If you struggle with using hurtful words, you can take some time with Jesus, talking about it with Him and resting in His forgiveness. Through the work of the Holy Spirit in you, He can help you love others with your words.

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. Colossians 4:6 (NLT)

When we’re in a hard place, it feels like the darkness will last forever, but it won’t. The Bible tells us there is a time for everything in life. A time for joy and, unfortunately, a time for pain (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). Because we live in a broken world, we all experience hurt and loss. But the pain won’t last forever. One day we will begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Yet, it can be hard to hold on to hope when you’re in a dark place. You might be in physical pain or dealing with emotional hurt. Maybe you have a lot of uncertainty or anxiety about life. However you’re struggling, God invites you to come to Him.

God is good—so good that He came to be with us in the pain, in the brokenness, in the struggle. Jesus is God in flesh. He lived among us, “a man of suffering, and familiar with pain...he took up our pain and bore our suffering” (Isaiah 53:3-4). On the cross, Jesus took all the sin of the world on Himself so that He could heal our brokenness, and so that everyone who puts their trust in Him could be brought near to God. Because Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, we have the sure hope that He will return and bring heaven to earth.

As we wait for this day, we can remember that God promises He will wipe away our tears (Revelation 21:4). Remember that Jesus is with us, and He also promised that God will send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to be in Christians (John 14:16-17, 26). Remember the words of the prophet Isaiah, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31).

It can feel like the darkness will last forever, but it won’t. One day we will see how God got us through the hard times in our lives. And right now, we can cling to Jesus—like Paul and Silas did. Even when they were stripped, beaten, and chained up in prison, they “were praying and singing hymns to God, and other prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25). As Christians, we have the same Holy Spirit inside us, strengthening us. We can praise God in the darkness, and we can praise Him when He brings us into the light. • Bethany Acker

• When you feel discouraged, are there verses or stories in the Bible that lift you up? Does one of the verses above resonate with you?

• Can you think of a time you were going through something hard, but you knew God was with you? What did that feel like? Consider taking a moment to thank God for this.

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. Isaiah 40:31a (NIV)

When I clean my house, I only use all-natural cleaners. Now, before you start thinking how earth-conscious I am (although that is a great reason to use natural cleaners), there’s a deeper reason. When I was about four years old, my baby sister got into a cabinet and put a cap of the skull-and-crossbones kind of cleaner into her mouth. Even though I was young, I clearly remember riding in my dad’s car behind the ambulance and praying, “God, please don’t let my sissy die!”

Thankfully, my sister is just fine today. But this experience left an imprint on my soul: a fear of cleaning chemicals. For years, I wondered why I had anxiety when I helped someone clean their house with different products. When my kids were babies, I was super-vigilant and called the poison control number several times, none of which resulted in anything dangerous. Now, it makes sense.

We all have habits that we default to, even ones that may not seem rational. Sometimes, we can look back in our past and find the “trigger” where these behaviors started to form, while others may be buried deep in our souls and take some digging to uncover. Why does our younger sibling’s whining set us on edge? Why do we have a compulsion to make sure our hair is just perfect? Why do we have extreme anxiety when we are running late? Whatever your “default” is, there may be an underlying reason lurking in your past.

This can start to feel overwhelming, but there is so much hope. If you are God’s child, you are imprinted in a different way. You have His imprint on your heart and soul, reminding you that you are His forever (John 10:28-29; Ephesians 1:13; 1 John 3:1). God promises that in Christ, you are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). He will complete the work He began in you until the day He comes again (Philippians 1:6). You have the power of the Holy Spirit, who comforts you, teaches you, and reminds you of everything Jesus has said (John 14:26). You can tell your heart that you are not just a product of your past. You are imprinted by the God of the universe who made you in His image (Genesis 1:27). • Savannah Coleman

• How can we extend patience to others when they get stressed by things that don’t make sense to us?

• Have you ever had a knee-jerk reaction of anxiety, anger, fear, etc.? It feels so frustrating when you don’t know the cause behind your reaction. And sometimes, it’s even more frustrating when you do know the reason for your “trigger,” but you can’t seem to change your reaction. The scars from our past or the pain we have buried deep within us can leave us feeling helpless. But in Jesus, we have hope that He can heal our brokenness. And He can do that through His Spirit living in us, the truth found in His Word, and the love of His people. He has also equipped counselors and therapists to help people heal from past hurts. If you feel ready, you can take some time with Jesus to explore past hurts, knowing that He is even now transforming you more into His image (Romans 8:28-29).

• If you’ve noticed patterns of fear or anxiety in your life, and you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)

Easter is a divine mystery, a celebration that leaves us with questions we don’t understand. How could God love us so much He would send Jesus to die? How did His body change when He rose from the dead? Why didn’t He stay on earth a little longer to spend more time with His disciples?

We might not be able to answer these questions fully until Jesus returns. Like Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:25, “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” God’s ways are not our ways. God doesn’t fit into our human understanding. But we can ask God to open our eyes to see how He is working around us.

I love the story of Jesus’s walk with two of His followers on the road to Emmaus. Jesus’s followers were discussing all that had happened since Jesus was put to death on a cross, and they felt confused and lost. Wasn’t Jesus supposed to bring redemption? How was His death part of the plan? And how did His body disappear from the tomb?

Jesus met them where they were. They didn’t recognize Him, but He walked with them, listened, and explained the Scriptures. They invited Him to stay with them, and He joined them at the table. When He broke bread, their eyes were opened to the truth, and they recognized Jesus. Then He disappeared.

We often take a bit to catch on, don’t we? We don’t always understand how God is working. We don’t always recognize the Holy Spirit’s presence. But God is here. He is with us. He is doing a great work in our hearts. And we can trust in His works of redemption. • Becca Wierwille

• Why do you think Jesus’s followers didn’t recognize Him on the road to Emmaus? (Luke 24:16) What did they do after they recognized Jesus? (Luke 24:30-35)

• Has there been a time in your life when you didn’t understand what God was doing in the moment, but looking back you can see how He was present and working?

Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight. They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:31-32 (CSB)

For Christians, Easter is all about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But some people have fuzzy or unclear ideas about what that really means. They might see the resurrection as a symbol for new beginnings and second chances. Some churches even teach that the resurrection means “the spirit of Jesus lives on in His people.” They don’t proclaim the actual, physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus.

Does it make a difference? For the early Christians, the fact that Jesus literally rose from the dead was the foundational truth—the single most important teaching of Christianity. One by one, the apostles were put to death because they refused to back down from their testimony that they had seen the risen Christ. They endured gruesome deaths, such as being stoned, crucified, beheaded, speared, axed to death—or even worse. But they refused to take back what they said because they knew it was true, and God’s love compelled them to share this good news.

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15:17-19 that our own hope of eternal life after death is dependent on this very truth: “If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.”

The good news of Easter, however, is that the resurrection of Christ really happened. After being dead for three days, Jesus was raised from the dead by God the Father, and He was seen by hundreds of witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:6). He had a physical body that could be touched (John 20:27). This same resurrection power will raise all believers from the dead someday, with new resurrected bodies of our own.

Yes, the bodily resurrection of Jesus matters. For without the bodily resurrection, there is no gospel. • Laura N. Sweet

• Why is Jesus’s resurrection essential to the gospel? (For more information, see our "Know Jesus" page.)

• Have you ever thought about what it will be like to have a resurrected body when Jesus returns? To be fully human but without physical flaws, health issues, or sins?

And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 1 Corinthians 15:14 (NLT)

When Jesus died, He did what no one else could do. From the prophets of old to the priests in the temple, none of their deaths could have accomplished what Jesus’s death was able to. Although God worked mightily through many people throughout the generations, none of these people could do what was required for humanity to be saved.

All four Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) describe how Jesus died on the cross and the humiliation He went through. His death and resurrection are the most significant thing that could ever happen to humanity because He brought us total victory from sin and its power. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark tell us that when Jesus breathed His last, the curtain (or veil) of the temple “was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:37-38).

This curtain weighed hundreds of pounds and separated the Holy of Holies, where God’s presence dwelled, from the rest of the temple. From the days of old, only the High Priest could go into the Holy of Holies—and only once a year—to offer sacrifices to God to atone for the sins of the people. Yet even the priest had to atone for himself first before atoning for others. But now, through Jesus Christ’s perfect sacrifice, we can be forgiven and made right with God.

So now in Christ we have access to God. Our sins have been atoned for. The veil that separated us from having direct fellowship with God has been torn by God Himself. Now anyone who puts their trust in Jesus can have access to God on a daily basis and for unlimited time. This was God’s good plan. He created us to be in relationship with Him, and even though we broke that relationship through sin, He has restored us. Now we have been completely brought back to God. • Shadrach Goni

• Why was Jesus the only one who could save us? (See our "Know Jesus" page.)

• If you are struggling with any sin, remember that Jesus Christ has defeated Satan "long time" and "big time." Jesus’s sacrifice was enough to forgive all your sins—past, present, and future! Furthermore, when we read from the writing of the apostle Paul in Romans 5 and 6, we find an emphatic explanation to the church in Rome about how the death and resurrection of Christ have given us victory over sin. Who is a trusted Christian in your life who could encourage you to say no to sin and remind you of God’s love even when you mess up?

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Romans 5:10 (NIV)

After all Jesus went through at the hands of His accusers, they proceeded to have Him crucified on a cross. This was a form of execution developed by the Roman Empire. It was a long, painful, shameful way to die. And according to the traditions of Israel, it was one of the worst penalties given to a criminal, as Deuteronomy 21:23 says, “Anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse.” They treated Jesus as the worst of criminals, though He had done nothing wrong.

Everything Jesus did on earth has great significance, and His crucifixion has special significance to all those who have accepted Him. Jesus was willing to be put to death on the cross to ensure the redemptive work that would restore humanity back to relationship with God. The sins of humanity have been nailed to the cross— those things that held us captive have been defeated (1 Peter 2:24).

As Jesus was dying, He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). In that moment, Jesus was bearing the sins of the whole world and suffering God’s holy judgment. This was the only way to save us, because God is just and doesn’t uphold iniquity. Yet He was willing to take our sin on Himself—because He loves us.

Before He gave up His spirit, Jesus—God in flesh—said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). This means everything needed for you and me to be redeemed has now been met. We can be free from the dominion of Satan and sin. There’s new hope for all people who identify with Jesus because all that caged and kept us bound has been dealt with and taken to the cross.

The apostle Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” So you see, beloved, the same thing is true of all Christians today because Jesus has dealt with the curse that held and bound us. On the cross, He became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). He defeated the curse— and defeated death itself. Hallelujah! Glory to God! • Shadrach Goni

• Why is it significant that Jesus was put to death on a cross rather than dying another way?

• Are you ready to identify with Jesus and put your trust in Him to save you? If you still have questions, who is a trusted Christian in your life you could talk to? (You can also find more information on our "Know Jesus" page.)

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. Galatians 3:13 (CSB)

Have you ever heard of hyssop? Hyssop is a plant with long, hairy leaves that grew in ancient Israel. And it shows up several times in the Bible.

First, in Exodus 12:21-22, God tells the Israelites to dip hyssop branches in lamb’s blood and spread it on their doorframes during the first Passover. This happened while the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, and God sent ten plagues to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. The final plague would kill every firstborn son, but the son would be spared if his house’s doorframe was painted with lamb’s blood.

Later, in Exodus 24:6-8, Moses and the Israelites make a covenant with God, promising to obey His commands and follow Him. As a sign of this covenant, Moses took a hyssop branch (see Hebrews 9:19), dipped it in the blood of young bulls, and used the hyssop branch to sprinkle the blood on the Israelites around him. This blood signified that the people belonged to God. Then, we see in Leviticus 14 that priests used hyssop branches to sprinkle people with water or a bird’s blood to make them ceremonially clean (so they could enter God’s holy temple).

And finally, we come to John 19:29. After centuries of animal sacrifices that brought God’s people temporary holiness, Jesus—the final and perfect sacrifice— was on the cross. Beaten, bloody, and exhausted, He asked for a drink. A Roman soldier took the dried stalk of a hyssop plant, attached a sponge soaked in wine vinegar to the stalk, and lifted it up to Jesus.

And as the Roman guard stretched up to lift the hyssop stem toward Jesus’s bloody lips, I have to wonder if he looked like an Israelite father reaching up to paint the top of his doorframe with a bloody hyssop branch, trusting God to be merciful. I wonder if he felt Jesus—God in flesh—fulfilling centuries of prophecies and purity laws as He took every ounce of brokenness and uncleanness onto Himself. I wonder if he knew that God’s people would never need a hyssop branch again.

He probably didn’t. But we do. • Taylor Eising

• Because Jesus took our sins on Himself, died, and rose back to life, we can be free from sin and death. Have you put your trust in Jesus? What questions do you have? (See our "Know Jesus" page.)

• Have you ever felt sinful or unclean? Jesus can cleanse any sin. You can talk to Him today.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 (NIV)

I sense myself struck dumb with the overwhelming horror, walking without strength—drawn by the crowd—drawn to be with you, my Lord, no matter where this ends... I had hoped... I had thought... But my dirty legs carry me amidst this angry and rollicking crowd—their shouts and laughter a muddy din to my ears. Tears form but do not flow. My throat is dry and stuck—I cannot swallow. My heart, too exhausted to hurt, is held in a tense, quiet ache. It is dying with you, my Lord. All my hope... All my love... Dying with you. As they prod you on...you’re so weak. You fall again and again. I can’t move to help—I’m just part of the current. It seems surreal. A man, a man picks up your cross. He carries it for you. You walk on...blood flowing down your legs... I walk in the path of your bloody footsteps. Where are you taking us? We followed you. We follow you still. None of us say a word, our eyes fixed on you. We can’t look away. Oh Lord, Oh Lord, Oh Jesus. Let it not be. Yet somewhere inside me I know it must be. This is where it all led...from the very beginning...somehow. • Jeri Howe

• Even though Jesus had foretold what was going to happen to Him, His followers didn’t understand His prediction. How might it give you comfort to know that Jesus walked that long, painful, sorrowful walk to the cross because of His great love for you?

And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Luke 9:22 (NIV)

Out of all the animals mentioned in the Bible (and there are over one hundred), sheep are the stars. They are found in the book of Genesis on through to Revelation. They are led by shepherds who go ahead of the sheep, calling them to follow. Their babies are lambs.

In the Old Testament, God instructed the Israelites to sacrifice lambs for the sins of the people. A lamb, with its soft nose and fluffy wool coat, was a picture of purity and holiness. In John 1:29, Jesus is called the Lamb of God by His cousin, John the Baptist. John announced that Jesus is the One who “takes away the sin of the world!”

But Jesus’s connection to sheep doesn’t stop there. Sheep were part of a herd and were under the constant care of a shepherd who ensured they were fed, watered, and kept safe from harm. They could be hunted by wolves, or become wounded, or fall into rushing water where their wool became so waterlogged, they could drown.

In John 10:14, Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd. He knows each of His sheep by name. That’s you and me. Jesus is both the Lamb of God and the Good Shepherd, all at once. He is both the perfect sacrifice and the perfect caretaker of His flock—the church.

Sometimes, we call people sheep when we think they are blindly following a person or an idea we think is bad. But if we, as trusting sheep, follow only the Good Shepherd and accept the sacrifice of the Lamb of God for the forgiveness of our sins, we are the most blessed flock in the world. Jesus will always shepherd His people in all that is best for us. He calls us by name to follow Him, and He seeks us when we’re lost.

At Easter we celebrate the abundant life the Good Shepherd gives us. We rejoice in the ultimate sacrifice of the beloved Lamb of God, who died on a rugged wooden cross long ago for His precious sheep...and then rose again to lead us into new life. • Susan Sundwall

• What do you like or dislike about being compared to a sheep? Why do you think God says that we are like sheep, and He is the shepherd?

• Is it easier for you to picture Jesus as the Lamb of God or the Good Shepherd? Why is it important that He is both?

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11 (NIV)

The Bible is full of celebrations! Moses, together with the Israelites, celebrated their escape from slavery in Egypt after God brought them through the Red Sea (Exodus 14-15). Later, the Israelites celebrated the victory of David and his warriors. God also gave His people several festivals that are described in the Bible—time set apart to thank God, rest from work, and enjoy His gifts (Leviticus 23). If there is anyone who loves celebrations and happy gatherings, it’s God!

God is the author of merriment and celebrations. Jesus often attended gatherings and even made His first miracle turning water into wine at a wedding (John 2:1-11). Later, Jesus fed over 5,000 people to their satisfaction (Matthew 14:13-21).

God loves making people happy because He loves us. God gives us good gifts— the important things and even the small things (James 1:17). Making us joyful is one of the ways God makes us feel loved by Him.

God is not a killjoy. He invites us to do things that will make us happy, and He guides us in what these are. Sometimes, we may think that sin will make us happy, but in the end, sin hurts us and those around us. When we turn away from sin and follow Jesus instead, we find true joy. Jesus said, “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance” (John 10:10). If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are forgiven, and as we yield to His Spirit in us we are freed from the power of sin. And we have the greatest joy—being united with the God who loves us!

God likes it when we feel the joy of being blessed by Him. He gives us family and friends so we can enjoy living with them and spending time with each other with glad hearts. In addition to our natural families, God has also made us part of His family, the church. Together, we can enjoy and be happy with everything God has given us, thanking God for blessing us. • Golda Dilema

• What are some of your favorite ways to celebrate?

• Why do you think God instructs His people to celebrate together?

Let Israel celebrate its Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King. Psalm 149:2 (CSB)

Christians around the world celebrate the triumphant entry of our Lord Jesus Christ as we remember Jesus riding on a donkey into the city of Jerusalem. This is popularly known as “Palm Sunday,” because the people went out to meet Him with palm branches, and it is exactly one week before we celebrate Jesus’s resurrection on Easter.

Why do we celebrate Palm Sunday? Why is it important to our lives, and what are its spiritual implications?

When we set aside time on Palm Sunday for the remembrance of Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, we are also remembering the fulfilment of promises, proclaimed by prophets of old thousands of years back. One of these prophecies was from Ezekiel, who said that God left the temple but would return one day. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, this was God’s long-awaited return. God has confirmed to us that none of His words will ever fall to the ground (Joshua 21:45; 1 Samuel 3:19; Isaiah 55:11). What God proclaimed for us will surely come to pass, no matter how long it takes.

We can also see that Palm Sunday is called a “triumphant entry.” This is because Jesus was prepared to triumph over the devil, who had held humankind captive for ages past. Though the people did not know it, Jesus knew He was about to suffer in the flesh for the sins He never committed. But above all, He would triumph.

Before Jesus entered the city, He instructed His disciples to bring Him a donkey colt, and He rode on it. Thus, He fulfilled another promise: that the king of Israel would come “riding on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). Jesus is the King of all kings (1 Timothy 6:15). He is worthy of all honor, dignity, respect, and reverence. No wonder the people were shouting, “Hosanna! Hosanna!” • Shadrach Goni

• Palm Sunday shows us that God always fulfills His promises. What promises did Jesus fulfill when He entered Jerusalem?

• How did Jesus triumph over Satan, sin, and death? (Find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

They took palm branches and went out to meet him. They kept shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord —the King of Israel!” John 12:13 (CSB)

Every hurt that Spills from your eye, Slips down your cheek, And falls from your chin, Is caught. Is treasured in a bottle. By a loving Father Who values His children’s tears, Knows why they cry them, And draws them close. Yes, the hands marked with nail scars, Are drawing you, Broken as you are, Closer to His heart, Into a heavenly embrace. • Eliana Canfield

• What hurts have you experienced lately?

• God knows each of your sorrows and always wants to comfort you when you’re hurting. Jesus carried all your sorrows when He went to the cross (Isaiah 53:4), and when He rose from the dead, He guaranteed His promise to return and put an end to all pain—forever (Revelation 21:4). But in the meantime, Jesus grieves your hurts alongside you. How might it give you comfort to know that God values your tears, and He invites you to take time to grieve?

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8 (NLT)

Aurelia looked at the tattered map in her hand, then up at the mountain. This was it. The place she had been searching for all her life, ever since she had heard the tales of the lost treasure of Cordoro as a little girl. According to the legend, the inhabitants of Cordoro had traveled far and wide in search of priceless treasures and hidden them deep inside this mountain. Then some unknown tragedy had befallen the city, and Cordoro and its treasure became nothing more than a fable. But Aurelia had believed the stories and dedicated her life to finding the lost city’s hidden treasure. Now it would soon be hers.

She followed the map to a cave, then lit her torch and made her way along its dark, twisting passages. Then she saw it—a door. She turned the ancient handle, and the heavy metal groaned as it cracked open. She stepped inside and held her torch high. The sight that met her brought her to her knees. Gold. Gold as far as her eyes could see.

She found a row of torches on the wall and lit them one by one. Light filled the room, and mounds of treasure glinted back at her. She laughed and threw herself into a sparkling heap, letting a handful of coins seep through her fingers.

That’s when she heard it; a low hum that seemed to pulse through the pile of gold. Curious, she began to dig, and the faint, rhythmic sound became louder. As she plunged her hand into a nest of diamonds, she felt something soft and wet. When she pulled it out into the light, her screams reverberated off the walls of the cavern. It was a heart—a human heart—beating in her hand. She hurled it away from her with all her might, but the pulsing only grew stronger. It wasn’t the only one. She could now see that each pile of gold had its own heart beating within it.

So this was the cause of Cordoro’s downfall. The mountain didn’t just hold the inhabitants’ lost treasure—it held their hearts too. Aurelia ran for the door as fast as she could, leaving the treasure of Cordoro and the hearts devoted to it behind in the cold depths of the mountain. When she finally stumbled into the sunshine, tears of relief flowed down her face. Cordoro’s treasure had lost its grip on her heart. Now she was free to seek a greater treasure—one she had ignored in her lustful quest for gold. A treasure that brought life instead of death. • Courtney Lasater

• All sin, including greed, leads to death. But through Jesus’s death and resurrection, He forgives us, gives us new life, and transforms our hearts and desires. How might this truth give you hope?

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21 (NIV)

Late evening sunlight filtered through the tree leaves as I walked the wooded path, breathing deeply. Looking down, I saw pieces of a broken bird’s egg, shards of sky blue scattered in the dirt. My heart sank, and for a moment I felt tears surge. This egg was once filled with hope—the promise of a new life—and here it was, dashed to pieces. Hope shattered.

As I continued down the trail, I thought about how often my hopes end up like that poor bird’s egg—broken and unfulfilled. I contemplated several years back when I felt the most hopeless. Upon waking up one morning when I was 30 years old, I could hardly stand, much less walk, due to severe pain in my feet. This began a long struggle of intense pain, visits to top clinics and doctors, the endless search for relief and answers. No answers were ever found. After suffering greatly for a year, I was finally able to walk a mile for the first time due to a lumbar sympathetic nerve block.

Here I am, six years later, walking! I still struggle with some pain and discomfort. There is no name for what I have, but I can walk. I am able to stand to make dinner for my family, or take a trip to the store, or walk up a hill. All these things I do not take for granted, for there was a time when I thought I would never be able to do them again. My hope was like that egg—beyond repair.

Yet, God reminded me of Psalm 71:14, “As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.” How can we cling to hope when we feel overwhelmed by our current circumstances, ambushed by physical pain, emotionally crushed? The answer is found in Psalm 42:5, 11—to put our hope in God and keep praising Him. Our hope is sure because Jesus has risen from the dead. He endured terrible pain for us—because He loves us. He grieves our hurts alongside us, and when He returns, He will put an end to our suffering forever. And even now, He is with us, comforting and strengthening us.

When we choose to place our hope in God instead of our health, physical comfort level, ease of circumstances, etc., He will fill us with the only thing that can truly satisfy and renew us: Himself. • Savannah Coleman

• Have you gone through or are you currently going through a season where you feel hopeless?

• If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you have full access to the God of hope and the joy and peace He offers. What do you think it means to “overflow with hope” (Romans 15:13)?

May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you. Psalm 33:22 (NIV)

We have friends who have prayed for a miracle for years. But they haven’t yet received their miracle. They haven’t heard an answer from God. Why do some people get miracles, while others seem to spend their lives waiting? It’s easy to feel like God answers some prayers and ignores others. But what if our Creator has a different way of moving mountains? What if there is a reason for the waiting?

One of my favorite Gospel stories is the account of Lazarus. Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. But when Jesus heard Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two more days. If I had the ability to heal someone I loved, I think I would leave to see them as soon as I heard the news. But Jesus waited. And there was a purpose in waiting.

When Jesus got to Lazarus, he had been dead four days. Jewish people believed the soul stayed near the body for three days. But Jesus waited until people would’ve thought Lazarus had no hope of rising again. Then, Jesus raised Lazarus back to life. By waiting, Jesus proved His power over the grave. He foreshadowed that His own coming death would have no hold on Him.

Not all stories end like Lazarus’s. We live in a broken world filled with suffering and pain. Jesus healed many people while He was on earth, but not everyone had the chance to meet Him. We don’t all get the miracles we hope for, and we may never know the reasons why.

But Jesus is the resurrection and the life. And one day, everyone who has put their trust in Him will be raised from the dead. We will live with Jesus, free from every sickness and sorrow. Until that day, the Holy Spirit helps us to trust Him. Trust there is a reason for the waiting. Trust an answer is coming, even if it’s not the one we’ve hoped for. Trust God is with us, even when life feels terribly hard. Because God is always the God of miracles, even when we don’t understand how He is working. • Becca Wierwille

• Have you ever prayed for a miracle, either for yourself or someone else?

• How might it be comforting to know that Jesus weeps with us as we wait for Him to make all things new, including our bodies? (John 11:33-36)

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 (NIV)

Have you ever been mad at the church? I know I have. And sometimes, that’s okay. Now, when I say “the church,” I mean all of God’s people around the world and throughout history. And I absolutely LOVE the church. Walking alongside my brothers and sisters in Christ as we live into our new God-given identities is one of the greatest blessings I can imagine. Without the church, I would not be who I am today.

But sometimes, I get furious at the church. I see corruption, power trips, greed, false teaching, apathy, assault, division, and so, so much sin and brokenness. And it hurts. It leaves me wondering how we wandered so far away from the gospel. Where is Jesus in all of this?

In these moments, Jesus grieves too. We see this in Luke 19:41-48. When He saw the lack of peace among God’s people in Jerusalem and the corruption and greed in the Temple, He was overcome with grief and anger. And in Revelation 2-3, Jesus demonstrates His anger, grief, and love as He critiques seven specific churches. Jesus reminds me that He is angry at sin, yet He has mercy on sinners who turn to Him. He shows me that I’m not the one in charge of fixing the church—that’s His job. And He is a God of restoration and wholeness. He died and rose again for the church—including me. My job is just to follow Him.

The church—including me—is broken. It always has been, and it will be until Jesus returns to make all things new. And until then, I will probably always be angry at the church’s sin, because there will always be sin to be angry at. But I pray that this anger flows out of love. A deep, deep love for the church and a desperate desire to see the church whole and holy, healed of every hurt and sin. And I pray that my anger is always wrapped in humility, knowing that I am just as sin-stained as everyone else and my judgment is far from perfect.

While I may not be able to fix the whole church, Jesus can help me bring healing— which sometimes includes correction—in my circles. As I follow the Holy Spirit’s leading, He shows me where people are hurting and how the gospel can bring them hope. And He uses the people around me to bring healing to my heart. This is the beauty of the church—people who love Jesus and each other, following Him together. That is the church I love. • Taylor Eising

• Do you see injustices in the church—places we lost the gospel? You can bring these to Jesus.

• What have you seen in the church that you love? How does this reflect the gospel?

Let’s consider how to provoke one another to love and good works. Hebrews 10:24 (WEB)

I examined the scroll. The instructions were clear, but sometimes hard to interpret. I nodded my head confidently as I rolled up the scroll and stuffed it into my satchel. I would need to make my way through the Whispering Forest, cross Chelsey’s Chasm on the second bridge, then travel through the Ash Trenches.

Simple enough, but not easy. Still, my steps had a joyful bounce. I was glad the Son of the High King had periled through our country to clear a path for us. A friend from my village had given me the instructions spoken by the King Himself, and I had started the journey right away.

“Be sure to follow the path exactly,” he had said. Then he whispered, “And beware the Prince of the Air.”

All shuddered when speaking of the thief prince.

I was deep in the forest when a raspy screech startled me. Crimson-beaked black birds crowed, “Away! Away!” I had to catch my beating heart. I suppose those birds had always been there, but I noticed them more now.

I made it through the forest, the birds still following me, screeching, “Away! Away!” When I came to the first bridge, I was so relieved. I almost set foot on the bridge thinking, "A way across!" But then I laughed as I remembered I needed to cross on the second bridge. Once I found it, I crossed the chasm and started toward the Ash Trenches. This was the part I feared the most.

“Away! Away!”

The landscape became rocky and hazardous the closer I got to the trenches.

“Away! Away!”

Finally, I came to the first trench. Its walls were steep and jagged, and the birds were silent for the first time.

"Away! Away!" I heard inside my head. I looked around the trench and saw the rocky plains. I started backing away from the trench. Maybe I was supposed to go away from here and instead go through the plains?

I tripped on a rock and fell on my satchel. I remembered the scroll. I checked it quickly.

“Yep. The way is through the trench.” Abigail Scibiur

• Jesus faced every temptation we do, and He overcame them all (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus was the only one who could live without sinning, and He has compassion on us. Because of God’s great love, He gave His life for us—dying on the cross and raising from the dead so that we could be totally forgiven and free from sin. He calls us to follow His good ways, but even when we do give in to temptation, Jesus extends His grace and mercy to us (1 John 2:1). When we are experiencing temptation, how might it be comforting to know that Jesus understands what we’re going through and wants to help us?

• We face various challenges that come in many forms on our journey with God. What specific tools has God given us to help us combat these challenges? (Ephesians2:1-10)

• Throughout our lives, the enemy tries to lead us away from where God is leading us. But as we follow Jesus, He empowers us to overcome the pull of the enemy. Can you think of a time you didn’t know what to do, but then something in the Bible helped you?

• Many temptations are hard to spot in the moment. How does the Holy Spirit help us in these moments? (John 14:25-26)

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:7-8 (NIV)

In high school, I became a vegetarian and avoided eating meat for a number of years. I often skipped school lunches since they usually featured a main dish that included meat. And I only took the time to pack a lunch once in a while. By the end of most school days, I’d feel famished, sometimes having eaten nothing since breakfast. On the afternoons when marching band practice followed a full school day, I could barely wait for rehearsal to finish so I could go home and scrounge up a snack.

My friend Tracy also marched in the school band, and she had a free period at the end of the day. So, Tracy had time to go to her own house between classes and band practice. Sometimes, she microwaved a cheese pizza while she was home and then brought me a slice when she came back to school for rehearsal. Every time I saw Tracy approach me carrying her baton in one hand and a triangle wrapped in aluminum foil in the other, I was overjoyed! Even though I wasn’t actually perishing, in that moment I felt rescued from starvation by Tracy’s kindness.

In Colossians 3:12-14, the apostle Paul urges the Christians in Colossae to clothe themselves with compassion and kindness, among other virtues. And these virtues don’t come from us. Rather, because we belong to Jesus, we are able to love others because God’s love overflows from us. God showed us the ultimate kindness. He rescued us, people who were perishing, by giving His own life for ours. Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead to forgive us and restore us to relationship with God.

If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit is in us—transforming us and making us new. As new creations, we possess God’s power to clothe ourselves in attitudes and actions that flow from a heart transformed by Jesus Christ. This is what my friend Tracy did. She was not just a classmate but also a sister in Christ, and she put on kindness toward me by sharing that delicious, meat-free pizza on a handful of afternoons. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Can you think of a time someone was kind to you? What did they do?

• How might remembering Jesus’s kindness to us help us be kind to others?

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

Sometimes, I wonder how God loves me so much. Me. A “normal” person. A messed-up person. A person who sins. What have I done to deserve what He gives me? How can I show Him how much His love means to me?

The Bible talks about God “quieting” us with His love (Zephaniah 3:17). When the world is crazy and we can’t find peace, His love is there. Jesus gives us His peace (John 14:27). When we are tired but we can’t calm down, He is there with us. He invites us to come to Him, and He will help us relax (Matthew 11:28-30).

God knows we can’t do anything to earn His love. We sin. We mess up. We are not worthy of the abundant life Jesus came to give us. Yet God sacrificed for us despite all of that. It was because of His love that God gave Jesus as a sacrifice for us (John 3:16). Jesus was willing to die a death He didn’t deserve so that we could be with God forever. And because Jesus rose from the dead, we can know that God’s love is more powerful than anything.

The Bible talks about God’s love being steadfast. It’s always there for us. When people abandon us or hurt us, we don’t have to worry that God and His love are going to disappear. As followers of Jesus, we can know that His love is always with us (Psalm 23:6).

I cannot imagine my life without the love that God has shown me and continues to show me each day. I know I don’t deserve that love, and I am so thankful for the gift of love that God gives me. • Emily Acker

• Can you think of a time you felt loved by God? If not, you can ask Him to reveal His love to you anytime.

• Have you ever felt like you needed to do something to earn God’s love? How might today’s Bible verses speak into this?

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God... Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)

Have you ever been in a situation where you couldn’t pray? You are not alone. Why does this happen, and what can we do? Living in a world that has been broken by sin means that problems often arise, and we experience moments of crisis and times of suffering. Worry, anxiety, and grief can be destructive, leaving an emptiness. Sometimes, praying feels impossible.

If you are ill and aching, your heart may desire to pray, but the pain is too intense and your mind becomes distracted. You may be on medication and so are unable to focus. No matter what kind of situation you find yourself in, it’s okay to ask someone else to pray for you. You can also be open with God and tell Him you are struggling to pray. Remember that He knows the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).

There are times in life when grief and sadness can tear your heart in two, making your emotions raw. You may be angry if you have suffered a tragedy. Share your grief with the Holy Spirit—also known as the Comforter (John 14:16). Remember that Jesus is fully God but also fully human, and He understands your pain (Hebrews 4:15). He invites you to come to Him, even when you’re angry with Him. Expressing your grief and feelings to God is a form of communication.

When there are no words, for whatever reason, you can sit or lie down in the silence. Say nothing. Listen to God. Trust our loving Father who knows your needs. He invites you to rest and enjoy being in His presence. Our willingness to be close to God is a form of prayer even if we can’t articulate the words. And, as Christians, we have an Advocate—the Holy Spirit—who will always intercede for us, praying on our behalf.

Speaking, singing, listening, asking other people to pray for you, or simply sitting in God’s presence are all ways of praying to God (Psalm 62:5). This might go against your perceptions of prayer, but just spending time with God is enough. He knows what you need and will direct you. • Cindy Lee

• Have you ever felt like you couldn’t pray? What did you do?

• Consider taking a moment to pray for someone in your life who is struggling.

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Romans 8:26 (NLT)

Do you wake up at night worried sick about the future? You are not alone. Fear and anxiety are rife. Stress has become a natural ingredient in peoples’ lives, regardless of their age. News from around the world provides a daily diet of issues to worry about. Communities and families all bring different problems. Concerns about school and decisions about next steps can cause unease. Family issues such as sickness, addictions, and broken relationships can incite worries. It’s easy to become despondent with so many thoughts swirling inside.

When fear consumes us, it’s impossible to think clearly. Worry strangles us like a nagging voice waiting for us to lose our cool and make hasty decisions we later regret. But there is hope. As the author of Psalm 112 recognized, trusting in God means that we do not have to fear bad news. Instead, as we look to God we can rest in His secure love for us—and for the world. God cares deeply about His creation, and He came to be with us.

When Jesus was walking around on earth, His disciples struggled with worry and stress the same as we do. They felt overwhelmed with their own problems even though they saw Jesus face-to-face and spent lots of time with Him. In John 14, Jesus recognized their fears, and His message for them was the same as it is for us today. Comfort and hope. When we are troubled, Jesus wants us to turn to Him and trust in Him and our Heavenly Father. In a world full of pain and confusion, Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).

Jesus is the only One who can save us from the sin and brokenness of the world we inhabit, and He will. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we get to look forward to the day He will return and restore His creation, and we’ll live with Him forever. In the meantime, He sends the Holy Spirit, who helps us give our problems to God and rest in His love. When we follow Jesus, we have everything we need, and we can rely on Him to guide us through our difficulties. By fixing our attention on Jesus, rather than our worries, we are focusing on the One who will rescue the world from its troubled state—and who empowers us to bring some of that healing wherever we are. Our circumstances won’t be trouble free, but He will help us through them. • Cindy Lee

• What is worrying you today? Consider bringing these things to Jesus, remembering His love.

“Peace I [Jesus] leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 (NIV)

Growing up, church attendance, youth group, and church camp were all regular parts of my life. However, I never really read my Bible or talked about my faith outside of “church stuff.” I probably would’ve told you that I believed in God if you asked, but I wouldn’t bring it up and I definitely didn’t live like it.

After my junior year of high school, I got a job at my summer camp as a maintenance assistant. When we arrived, I started hearing the staff talk about their “life verse.” These verses meant a lot to them, so they memorized them and used them to describe their lives. I didn’t know many Bible verses other than John 3:16, but I felt like I needed one. After searching online for “Bible verses on trials,” I settled on James 1:12, “Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

Now, one of the most important things to understand when reading the Bible is the context of any verse or passage you read. In order to understand what it means for you, you usually have to understand what the author was intending when they wrote it. I didn’t know that, and honestly, I didn’t really care. I thought this verse told me I was blessed for making it through all the difficult things in my life, and God was even going to reward me!

But James 1:12 is actually about those who love God receiving the “crown of life” or the resurrection to eternal life. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, believing that He died and rose again, we’ll get to live and reign with Him forever when He comes back! James hung out with Jesus, and he gives us some incredible wisdom and insight for living the Christian life. We will experience trials, and God will help us be steadfast. Our focus should be on His faithfulness.

Years later, I began using Philippians 2:3-4 as my new life verse. These are both great passages, but my purpose behind using the James verse was misguided. I was using it to elevate myself. Now I want to remember that Jesus calls us to elevate others! • Hunter Taylor

• Do you have a favorite Bible verse? Have you looked at the context of this verse—what verses are surrounding it, what book of the Bible it’s in, who wrote it and why, etc.?

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4 (CSB)

"There’s no time,” the voice on the radio says. “You must come now.”

I look around the cockpit of the spaceship—my spaceship. The control station, the thick, curved glass of the windows, the sleek engines quietly humming in the hull below—all of it is my design. I spent years building this spacecraft, painstakingly attending to each detail so it could do what no other ship has done. I put my heart and soul into this ship. How could I leave it behind?

But then I look out the window at the black hole looming before me. A star-sized abyss that light itself cannot escape. Luminescent gas swirls around it, but the glow abruptly stops at the black hole’s edge as its inescapable gravity pulls everything around it into eternal darkness.

I can feel the black hole’s gravity wrapping around every cell of my body, pulling me closer. I thought my spacecraft would be able to withstand the gravity at this distance, but I was wrong. I’m being pulled in, speeding toward the darkness, and it’s only a matter of time before I’ll be swallowed up forever.

“Your ship isn’t fast enough to escape this level of gravity,” the voice says. “But mine is.”

I turn to face the opposite window, where another spaceship hovers adjacent to mine. I can see the faint outline of a figure sitting in the cockpit. It must be the man whose voice is coming through my radio, telling me he can save me.

He speaks again, his voice calm but firm. “You need to come aboard my ship now.”

I look at the screens and blinking lights around me. All my work—my ship, the data I’d collected, everything I’d accomplished to further human understanding of black holes—would be lost forever. But then I look out at the black hole again, feeling its gravity more acutely, and I realize it’s all going to be lost anyway. Nothing can escape a black hole.

Except for this man, whose voice is crackling over my ship’s radio. He can escape it. Somehow, infinite gravity and darkness are no match for him.

“Alright,” I say, turning my back on the computers, the cockpit—my whole life’s work. “I’m coming.” • Courtney Lasater

• According to Romans 6:23, we cannot escape the gravity of our sin, which leads to certain death. But Jesus can save us. He offers us the gift of eternal life! Romans 10:9 says, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

• Have you ever given up something to follow Jesus? Was it worth it?

• If you haven’t put your trust in Jesus, what is holding you back? You can come to God with your questions, frustrations, fears...anything. When we seek God, He reveals Himself to us (Jeremiah 29:13). Who are trusted Christians you could talk to about questions you have?

• If you want to know more about who Jesus is and what He’s done, see our "Know Jesus" page.

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Philippians 3:8a (NLT)

At the beginning of every spring, I get stressed. The long, harsh winter is finally coming to a close. I know the flowers will start blooming soon, and I worry that I’ll miss it. That I’ll miss seeing the crocuses peek up through the grass...before they’re mown over. That I’ll miss seeing the flowering trees full with blossoms... before the next windy or rainy day strips off the petals. I find myself anxiously looking all around me whenever I go outside, desperate not to miss a hint of the beauty I’ve been starved for all winter long. When I do see something alive and growing, I fear I can’t appreciate it enough, can’t take in the vibrance enough. I’m afraid of missing it.

But this past spring, I paid closer attention to this feeling. And I noticed something hopeful. The blossoms stayed on the trees longer than I expected them to. Not only that, but when one kind of flower finished its bloom, another kind would show itself. I’d forgotten—flowers don’t just bloom in spring. Every season has its own kinds of flowers.

Lately I’ve been reminded that God is the giver of all good gifts—and He keeps giving them! If I miss one of His gifts today, I haven’t exhausted His grace. He keeps giving good things, every day! It’s who He is. Goodness just flows and bursts out of Him, like flowers erupting from every nook and cranny of the springtime soil.

If you haven’t guessed already, change isn’t easy for me. But it has been so helpful for me to realize that God brings beauty in the midst of change. In every stage and phase of life, He is generous. He cares about my needs, and not just physical needs like food and clothing, but also my need for beauty and wonder. He knows what my heart needs, and He delights to delight me. He longs to comfort me. To draw me near to Himself and share His good gifts with me.

And God helps me enjoy His gifts. Instead of fretting that I will miss out, I can rest knowing that I am beloved and delighted in by God, the giver of all good gifts. • Hannah Howe

• What good gifts have you noticed God giving you lately? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for one of these!

See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children— and we are! 1 John 3:1a (CSB)

In the book of Genesis, Joseph was the favorite son of Israel, also known as Jacob. And his brothers hated him because of it. One day, they did an evil thing to Joseph and threw him into a cistern. Joseph pleaded for his life (Genesis 42:21), but they cruelly sold him as a slave to some Midianite traders. Joseph was then sold to an Egyptian official named Potiphar, and God gave Joseph success as he served in this household. Then Joseph was wrongly accused and imprisoned, but with a sudden turn of events, he was put in charge of the whole land of Egypt, and God helped him prepare for a famine that was coming.

When famine came into the land of Joseph’s family, his father, Jacob, sent his other sons to Egypt to buy grain. When Joseph met them, they didn’t recognize him, and he spoke harshly to them. After he had tested them, Joseph revealed his true identity and wept. He did not reject or resent his brothers. There was no bitterness in his heart. Instead of repaying them for the wrong they had done to him, Joseph accepted them. He treated them well. He forgave them. He willingly made peace with them. Joseph was at peace with God, and he was able to give that same peace to his brothers, even providing for their needs.

Joseph’s forgiveness foreshadows the great forgiveness Jesus would bring to the whole world. Jesus paid for all our wrongdoing by dying on the cross and raising from the dead. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have peace with God (Romans 5:1). And He calls us to love others as He loves us, not taking revenge but doing good to our enemies (Romans 12:17-21).

When someone wrongs you, God empowers you to forgive. Through Jesus, you can walk in the way of peace. Following Him is the path that brings healing, love, and joy. When Jesus was hanging on the cross, He chose to forgive the people who crucified Him (Luke 23:34). He paved the way for peace. As you follow the way of Jesus, you—like Joseph—can live at peace with others. • Golda Dilema

• When do you find it challenging to live at peace with others?

• Remember, forgiving someone does not always mean being in close relationship with them. If you have questions about how to have loving boundaries after someone has hurt you, who is a trusted adult you can talk to?

“And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me [Joseph] here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.” Genesis 45:5 (NIV)

Life is full of ups and downs. When everything seems to be going well—when we have friends and are at peace with those around us, when we have all the material things we need and are in good health—we feel good and acceptable. But when these things are lacking or we think we don’t have enough of them, we feel forsaken or abandoned, even by God Himself.

In Psalm 37, we have the testimony of an old man who had walked with God for many years through different stages of life—in his youth, in middle age, and now as an old man. His name was David, and he was the second king of Israel. He says, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread” (Psalm 37:25). In his own life, David had experienced war, loss, violence, and death threats, yet He knew God was his protector, provider, and healer. He saw what happened to people who followed God, and people who didn’t. In the same Psalm, he says, “Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous” (Psalm 37:16-17).

What does it mean to be righteous? Psalm 37 gives several examples, but simply put, being righteous is being right with God and honoring Him in everything we do. But we can’t be righteous on our own. Apart from Jesus, we are all “wicked,” and our sin leads to death. Yet God loves us, and Jesus died and rose again so that we could “become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can follow His good ways even as we rest in God’s promise: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

When it seems like we do not have enough, we can remember that God cares about our needs (Matthew 6:31-34), and we can ask Him for help, remembering that He gives us strength to be content in every situation (Philippians 4:11-13). When things are not going well and we start to wonder where God has gone, let us remember the testimony of this old man David, for God is with us in every situation and He will never leave us alone. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• Have you ever felt forsaken by those around you, even by your own relatives? (Psalm 27:10)

• Do you sometimes feel like God has forsaken you? You can be honest with God about this. As you come to Him, He will reveal Himself to you. He is trustworthy and good, and He loves you.

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken... Psalm 37:25a (NIV)

What is it I see going o’er the fields? Some shadow, beast, or ghost?

Swooping down low. Ensnaring its prey. My escape from it I cannot boast.

It has armies...no, legions! They will try to get you to follow. To listen to its lies and in your anger, fear, and shame to wallow.

It captures you, draws you in. Tells you, “Everything is alright.”

Its traps are hidden, its temptations are strong. But truly I tell you, One can win the fight!

There is a light that can push back this shadow. A weapon that can defeat the beast. This light, this weapon, is all but a secret. You can take it, wield it, conquer shadow at least.

There is a book, an ancient book, in which this weapon is held. Read it, use it, trust it. And a solid faith you may wield. • Gracee Terrell

• We live in a broken world where evil brings destruction every day and lies coax us away from God. The temptations we face are strong, but Jesus is stronger. He is the Light of the World. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, His Holy Spirit lives in you, giving you the power to fight against temptation. What weapon does God give us? (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12)

• Jesus defeated sin and death once and for all when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. He promises that He will return to heal our broken world, and sin and death will be no more. In the meantime, God has given us His Word, the Bible, and community with fellow Christians so we don’t have to fight alone. When you feel overwhelmed by sin and brokenness, who are trusted Christians in your life you can go to?

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:5 (NLT)

Jehu Jones Jr. was born enslaved in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1786. His father, Jehu Jones Sr., was trained as a tailor, and he was so skilled that the elite class in Charleston requested his exacting work. He was allowed to charge his customers a fee. He asked his slave holder if he could purchase his own manumission (freedom). The slave holder agreed, and Jehu Jones Sr. and his family became “Free Blacks.”

“Free Blacks” weren’t enslaved, but their freedom was still limited. If a free Black person left Charleston, they weren’t welcome to return. If they did, they could be jailed. Jehu Jones Sr. opened the most fashionable hotel in Charleston and became prosperous. But even with his success, he was not allowed to leave his property unless he was accompanied by a white escort. “Freedom” was precarious.

One important difference between an enslaved and a free Black person was the right to learn how to read. The Jones family optimized that freedom. Jehu’s brother Edward became the first southern Black person to graduate from college in the United States of America. Jehu Jr. became the first Black Lutheran minister, and he started the first Black Lutheran congregation in the USA.

Jehu Jr. faced many challenges and injustices. He went to New York to become an ordained minister and was arrested when he returned to Charleston. He had to relocate immediately to avoid being imprisoned and quickly said goodbye to his wife and children, including his three-day-old baby. Eventually they all ended up in Pennsylvania. Once there, Reverend Jehu Jones Jr. received very little aid to build a church, and he worked relentlessly to gain funds.

Jehu continued to serve God, speaking at various congregations and encouraging those who were sick and poor. He was a leader in Black communities and beyond. He never stopped spreading God’s Word. Jehu may have been born enslaved, but only God was master of his spirit and faith. Even when the world was against Jehu, Jesus was with him. God worked through Jehu to bring many to Himself. The power of the gospel could not be kept in chains. • Kelly Bakshi

• God hates when people are mistreated, and He is always working to bring freedom. Jesus announced, “Captives will be released...the oppressed will be set free” (Luke 4:14-21). How does Jesus give us hope and endurance, even when others are conspiring against us?

“He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released...that the oppressed will be set free...” Luke 4:18 (NLT)

Do you ever wrestle over what God’s will is for your life? When I graduated high school, I was quite anxious about choosing the “right path.” I grappled with decisions about college, wrote lists of pros and cons, prayed and sought God in tears. Since then, I’ve had other large decisions where I responded similarly.

Lately, I’ve felt like God has been prompting my heart to dig into what His will is for us, not just in daily decisions or even the life-altering ones, but overall. First and perhaps most obvious, God wants all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4). This is the crux of life, the very heartbeat of our existence. When a crowd of people asked Jesus what God required of them, Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29). The apex of God’s will is that everyone who looks to Jesus has eternal life (John 6:40).

Under the canopy of being in Christ, what then is the will of God? I believe His will is to make us more like Jesus Christ. This can be accomplished in many different ways, none of which need to be labeled “the right” or “the wrong” way, as I once fretted. If we belong to Jesus, He promises to work in and through us to fulfill His good purpose (Philippians 2:13). And He equips us with everything we need to do His will (Hebrews 13:20-21).

God’s plan for His children is to give us hope in Jesus and a future with Him. He wants us to remain in His love, and from this place of connection with Him, to love others (John 15:9-17). As we are transformed by the renewing of our minds and seek to live according to God’s Word, we will be able to determine what His will is (Romans 12:1-2). Through Jesus, we have “everything we need for a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3), and we can rest in this promise. • Savannah Coleman

• Have you ever felt like there was one “right” path for your life? How might today’s Bible passages speak into this?

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son... Romans 8:28-29 (NIV)

Have you ever had a heavy heart—felt the physical effects of your sadness weighing you down? You are not alone. I have felt this way too. Worries, painful experiences, anxiety, grief, or guilt can burden you. It feels as if your emotional state is sinking physically into your body.

Craving solitude, I dragged myself on long walks. Alone time in the fresh air helped, and during these strolls, or at night before sleeping, I would share my deepest thoughts with God. Nothing happened straight away. It was a long process, but even though my emotions were painful, I believed that God was always on standby ready to listen and my worries were His.

Our Heavenly Father knows us and loves us deeply. He didn’t create us to sit suffering in terrible silence, allowing anxieties to rattle around inside our minds. He created us to enjoy fullness of life with Him (John 10:10). And even though we live in a world that has been broken by sin, God doesn’t give up on us.

Jesus came to allow us to have a relationship with God and to reassure us that He is always with us, always ready for us to reach out to Him. Jesus was born, died, rose again, and ascended to bring new life to this broken world. Jesus’s sacrifice, His substitution for our sins and punishment, shows the immensity of God’s love (John 3:16-17). Jesus’s death on the cross is a profound act of selflessness that is mindboggling to understand, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true or relevant. When Jesus died in our place and rose from the dead three days later, He changed everything. He gave us grace and forgiveness, and He sealed His promise to heal all brokenness and defeat all evil. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are never alone. Jesus grieves our pain alongside us, and He heals us.

Surrendering your heart to Him disperses the pain inside. It is a reminder that you don’t have to go through whatever trial you happen to be facing alone. In my own life, the walks, the talks in a quiet room, the tears shed before bed... helped me unburden myself and calmed my soul. I also found that God provides trusted people in our lives to help us. When we surrender our hearts to God, when we come to Him in simple trust and faith, something precious happens. He untangles the sadness within us and restores us piece by piece. • Cindy Lee

• Can you think of a time you felt a heaviness or sadness within you? These emotions are painful, but God loves us more than we could dare to imagine, and He wants to help us.

• If you are experiencing worries, painful experiences, anxiety, grief, or guilt...you’re not alone. Who are trusted adults in your life who could help you process these things?

• If you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I [Jesus] will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

In Luke 15, Jesus tells a parable where a father has two sons. The younger son asks for his inheritance, even though his father is still alive. The father does not scold his son but willingly and freely gives him the inheritance, although it was not the usual thing to do—and the way the son treated his father was very rejecting.

The son soon goes to another country where he spends everything on wild living. When his last money is gone and there is a famine in the land, he feeds pigs just so he can live. He then comes to realize that he made a mistake by leaving his family. He decides to go back to his father and ask to take the role not of a son but of a servant. He journeys home humble.

When the father sees his son from a distance, he runs toward him, then embraces and accepts him as if no offense was made. Even though his son’s actions hurt him, the father does not hold this against him but rejoices that he is home.

Like the son in this parable, we all mess up. Since humans first went their own way against God, we all sin—purposefully doing wrong. So often we do not think through decisions, or we merely follow our passions instead of following the God who loves us. But God invites us to come home to Him by putting our trust in Jesus—who died and rose from the dead to forgive us for everything we’ve ever done (and ever will do) against God.

Once you know Jesus, you can rest assured that God will not reject or scold you, even when you mess up. Like the father in this parable, He will not criticize or resent you. He will run to meet you and hug you. Like the son, all you need to do is humble yourself before God and come back to Him. • Golda Dilema

• When you mess up, do you find it difficult to forgive yourself or to ask for forgiveness?

• Do you ever feel like God will be harsh with you for messing up? You can be honest with Him about this and ask Him to show you what He is really like. Consider taking some time to sit with Jesus in prayer and imagine the father’s reaction to his son coming home in Luke 15:20-24.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (CSB)

One morning, while out for a nature walk, I observed a group of tiny sparrows mobbing a large hawk perched in a tree. Why did they do that, when the hawk was so much bigger than them? Well, while the hawk looked harmless perched in a tree doing nothing, the sparrows knew it was a threat to their safety, their young, and other animals. The sparrows didn’t want a dangerous predator looming over them, so they continued to swoop and dive at the hawk until it finally flew away.

Watching the sparrows chase away the hawk reminded me of sin in our lives. The violence of these birds is just one instance of the brokenness that entered creation when humans first went their own way against God. Like the hawk, sin may not seem dangerous, but its impact is huge, and even a “small” sin can have devastating results. Our sin affects more than just us; it hurts those around us. Sin is rebellion against God, the One who loves us and created the world good. Our sin brought death and suffering into the world, and every one of us has sinned, fallen short of God’s goodness (Romans 3:23; James 1:14-15).

But God made a way for us to be free from sin through His Son, Jesus. He came to live among us and reveal God’s love for us. He lived without ever sinning, died for our sins, and rose back to life—victorious over sin and death. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are forgiven and brought near to God. Because of our new life in Jesus, we don’t have to live under the tyranny of sin anymore.

So what can we do when sin and temptation threaten our lives? We can be like the sparrows and chase them away! Because the Holy Spirit is in Christians, we have the power to turn away from sin and follow Jesus instead. And God also provides community—fellow Christians to walk alongside us, help us be aware of the influences that surround us, encourage us to choose our actions wisely, and remind us of God’s unfailing love and forgiveness. If something in our lives keeps causing us to sin, we can get rid of it. When temptations come, we can follow Jesus’s example and fight off temptation with Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11). Sin may seem like a powerful enemy, but Jesus overcame sin and temptation. Because His Holy Spirit gives us His strength, we can too. • Abby Ciona

• When we are tempted to sin, how does God help us? (1 Corinthians 10:13)

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 (NLT)

Who is my enemy? I feel like anyone who hurts me in some way is an enemy in that moment. I know I get hurt a lot, so I get lots of opportunities to pray for my enemies!

How can I do this? Asking God for wisdom in how to pray is step number one. Each of my enemies has a different personality and different needs. Even when I don’t know what they need, I can ask God to bless them anyway (Romans 8:26-27). Only God, who made that person, fully understands why they are treating me in such a mean way. There is a saying, “Hurt people, hurt people.” Most of the time when someone hurts me, it’s because they’ve been hurt. And I may not be the cause of their hurt. They could be lashing out about something that happened days, weeks, or even years ago that still hurts them.

Another way I can pray for my enemy is to think about how I feel when I’m hurt and someone comforts me. Then I ask God to comfort that person, either in the same way I would want to be comforted or in a way that meets their specific needs. I can even ask God to help me comfort them if that’s what He is inviting me to do.

It’s also important to share with God when we’ve been hurt and tell Him how we’re feeling. He cares about our hurts, and He wants to heal us just as He wants to heal the person who hurt us. When I’m hurt, my first response is often anger. Feeling angry is NOT sin. Instead, the Bible tells me: “Don’t sin by letting anger control you” (Ephesians 4:26). When I get angry and retaliate by hurting the person who hurt me, I am sinning. But when I get angry and make the decision to give my hurts over to Jesus and pray for my enemy, I am acting like Jesus.

Jesus showed us this same forgiveness while He was on the cross, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Even while we were His enemies, Jesus made a way for us to be fully restored to relationship with God (Romans 5:10), and now He works in us, empowering us to forgive even our enemies. • Sharon J. Morris

• Who are you struggling to forgive right now? A friend? Family member? Teacher? Yourself? Consider spending some time sitting with Jesus in prayer, asking Him to heal you and the person who hurt you.

• Navigating broken relationships can be complicated. If you aren’t sure what forgiveness looks like in a particular situation, who can you ask for guidance?

“But I [Jesus] say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” Matthew 5:44 (NLT)

"No one cares what happens to me,” you mumble, wrinkling up the paper you’d been writing on. “What’s the point of even trying?”

We’ve all had times when it felt like it was us against the world. We had a problem we needed to tackle, and we didn’t feel any support from anyone as we tried to take it on. We’ve all had times when we’ve felt alone and like no one really understands what we’re going through or cares about what happens to us.

In times when you feel like no one cares, God does. In times when you feel like you’re battling alone, God is with you. There is no one better to have on your side than the God who sees all that is happening and is with you no matter where you go. There is no one better to have on your side than the One who made you and cares about you deeply.

We face many tough situations in this life, but we have a God who goes to battle for us. In Psalm 9, David writes about God defeating his enemies for him, and that same God is on our side when we feel alone. This Psalm looks forward to when God would come and live among us. Jesus defeated the enemy when He died on the cross and rose from the dead to save us. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know He is with us no matter what. And we can look forward to the day Jesus will return, and sin and all its effects will be no more. Until that day, the Holy Spirit reminds us God is present with us in every moment, including this one. • Emily Acker

• Do you ever feel like it’s you against the world and no one is around to support you?

• Can you think of a time you felt sure God was with you? If so, consider taking a moment to thank Him for this. If not, you can ask Him to let you know He’s with you anytime.

Yahweh, your God, is among you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 (WEB)

The night had been long. Simon felt bone-weary as he cleaned his fishing nets. There on the shore, surrounded by a large crowd, was Jesus. This man had already healed many. He taught with such authority; He had even driven out a demon who called Him “the Holy One of God.”

Simon was wondering what Jesus would do next, when Jesus stepped into Simon’s boat...and looked at him in a way that made Simon feel seen and known. Jesus asked Simon to move his boat to the shallows. Shrugging, Simon complied, and Jesus sat down and continued teaching from the boat. When Jesus finished speaking to the people, He turned to Simon and said, “Put out into deep water, and let the nets down for a catch.”

Feeling like he needed to clean the wax out of his ears, Simon shook his head in bewilderment. No one fished during the day. He said, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Simon signaled his partners, James and John, and together they lowered their nets into the water.

After a moment, James yelled, “John, Simon, look!” They peered over the side of the boat and gasped. “There’s already a bunch of fish in the nets!” The boat began to tip at the sheer number of fish flowing into the nets, their bodies shimmering in the morning sunlight.

John signaled more of their partners in a separate boat for help. The muscles in Simon’s arms strained as he gripped the net with all his strength. “The boats are sinking—there’s just so many fish!” James threw his head back and laughed in wonder. Simon looked at Jesus and fell at His feet. Surely this Jesus was more than just a man. • Savannah Coleman

• This story is how one author imagines Luke 5:1-8. Why do you think Simon did what Jesus asked?

• What did Simon say when he fell at Jesus’s feet, and why do you think he said that? What did Jesus say in response? (Luke 5:8-10)

• Who is Jesus? Simon (later renamed Peter) followed Jesus, and God revealed His true identity to him. Simon Peter was the first of the disciples to say that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-18). To find out more about who Jesus is, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. Luke 5:11 (NIV)

We were all lined up for the egg toss contest. Jack threw our team’s egg, and...SPLAT! The raw egg hit my new pink blouse and broke. As it slid down the front, it left a long trail. Jack laughed so hard, his body spiraled down to the ground like water draining out of a sink. He didn’t seem to mind that the "splat" meant we had lost the egg toss contest.

Jack and I were part of the same church youth group. It wasn’t unusual for him to fall. Unsteady on his feet, he had difficulty walking. None of us knew what caused this. He never said, and we never asked. We just accepted it. And Jack. When he fell, we had learned not to try to help him up. Our role was to wait until he got up on his own. After that, we all continued with what we had been doing.

One year, our youth group’s weekend camp retreat included a foot-washing service, following the example Jesus gave us when He washed His disciples’ feet on the night before He went to the cross. We proceeded in silence as our guest speaker read Scripture aloud. My partner and I sat in chairs facing each other. “I have to be really gentle and careful,” I told myself when I saw Jack’s feet in front of me. Praying the entire time, I wondered how I would get the towel under his feet to wash them. Could Jack move his feet to help? If I rotated them, would I break a bone in his legs? I thought about only washing the tops of his feet. That wasn’t the answer either. Jack was one of us. I would treat him that way. There was only one option left. I got up out of my seat and knelt on the cold concrete floor. I reached under Jack’s feet and thoroughly washed and dried them.

I washed dozens of feet that day. Only once did I feel fully like a servant. When I left my chair—and my comfort zone—and got on my knees to wash Jack’s feet. • Kathy Irey

• When Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, what did He tell them? (John 13:1-17)

• Why do you think Jesus calls His followers to serve one another in love? (Galatians 5:13) How might God be inviting you to serve other people in your life today?

• Do you have mobility issues or have friends who do? It’s always a good idea to ask someone what they’re comfortable with or if they want help. People with mobility issues usually know what would be the most helpful, so you don’t need to be afraid to ask.

Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others. 1 Corinthians 10:24 (NLT)

There was a golden engraving on the massive wooden door in front of me: “House of Wisdom” it read. Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the door. Inside, my eyes were greeted by a plush entryway, red velvet under my feet, and glistening ruby walls. A curved, golden staircase stretched up farther than I could see. “Come higher,” a soft whisper beckoned. The rubies sparkled on the walls, pulling at me. Perhaps if I just pocketed one or two...I was tempted, but that still small voice was greater. Ignoring the urge to indulge in the temporary treasure, I ascended the staircase.

At the top of the stairs, there were two closed doors. My heart felt conflicted within me—which one to open? I knelt on the carpet and breathed a prayer: “Show me the way.” The door to my left was made of ornate topaz, the one on the right of simple wood, but strongly built. As I watched and waited, I heard the voice call from beyond the wooden door: “This is the way. Walk in it.” Emboldened, I twisted the knob and entered through the wooden door.

The room I entered was filled with treasures. I marveled at bowls overflowing with amethysts, a pearl as large as my fist, a mirror inlaid with sapphire. In the center of the room was a throne made of emerald, and on it was a book. The voice echoed through the room: “What is wisdom? Choose wisely.”

My heart pounded in trepidation—what if I chose the wrong thing? What was wisdom, really? I approached the book and knew at once it was the Word of Life. My fingers brushed the feather-light pages of the Word and I read: “The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10). Sweet relief flooded my soul. “This. This is wisdom,” I spoke with confidence. Immediately, the Word was transformed into a Lamb. As the Lamb gazed into my eyes, I felt my entire soul was bare before Him. I fell down in worship. The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, is the true treasure. To seek and find Him is the greatest form of wisdom. • Savannah Coleman

• In this allegorical story, the search for wisdom leads to Jesus, who is the Word of God and the Lamb of God. In the Old Testament, the Jewish Passover lamb pointed to Jesus (if you want to dig deeper, read Exodus 11-12). While animal sacrifices had to be made again and again to pay for people’s sin (or wrongdoing), Jesus’s death on a cross took the punishment for the sins of the whole world. And when Jesus rose back to life, He defeated sin and death once and for all! Jesus knows us fully, and He loves us completely. If we’ve put our trust in Him, we are forgiven, and we get to enjoy life with God. First Corinthians 1-2 tells us that Jesus Christ is our wisdom. As we worship Him, He leads us in wisdom.

• When Jesus came to earth and lived among us, He was born into a common family, not a royal one. When Jesus grew up, He worked as a carpenter and He was not wealthy. Why do you think Jesus, who is fully God and fully human, came to earth in this way?

• While God doesn’t promise Christians worldly wealth in this life, He gives us something far greater. Through Jesus, “we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom...” (Ephesians 1:7-8). And when Jesus returns, we will live and reign with Him in renewed creation! In the meantime, God invites us to ask Him for wisdom (James 1:5). According to James 3:13-18, how can we tell when wisdom is from God?

Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure. Proverbs 24:3-4 (WEB)

The rich scent of trees and earth fill the deep woods. Waves of alternating warm and cool breezes wash over your skin as you step from the shadows to the sunlight and back again.

Bright eyes of a cherished friend sharing a story. Wide smiles and wrinkled hands of the ones who have been there for years. Holding on to these moments that slip by far too quickly.

Rushing out the door, heart squeezing. The list is never-ending, the clock keeps on ticking. Hurrying by the friend struggling with a load to carry. Taking air in your lungs, but not breathing deep. Not allowing your fingers to linger on the cat’s soft fur or the rough bark on a tree you pass.

Being present is...a struggle. We all have demands on our time, deadlines to make, life to live. But even as we feel the push and pull of hurry, we don’t have to be mastered by it. Being present in the midst of daily life is a choice...one we have to practice. We can make time to see, hear, feel—just be in the moment God has given us. Choosing to slow down and really feel the sun on your skin, breathe deeply of a flower, gaze into the eyes of a loved one—these choices are honoring to the God who has given us good gifts (James 1:17).

God wants to give us an abundant life, a full life (John 10:10). He sent us His one and only Son, Jesus, so that we could experience the freedom and fullness of life with Him. His invitation is, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Throughout His Word, God reminds us to meditate on His unfailing love for us (Psalm 48:9). If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He has freed us from a life ruled by rush and worry; instead, He calls us to seek His Kingdom first and focus on today (Matthew 6:31-34). Through the Holy Spirit, He helps us to be present and rest in the presence of Jesus. • Savannah Coleman

• Like David did in Psalm 19, you can allow your heart to take in the beauty of God’s creation and consider His unchanging goodness. What is one of your favorite things God has made?

• God created us to have sweet relationship with Him, to lovingly linger, to gaze at His beauty and enjoy His creation. How might being present to our surroundings help us grow closer to God?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I [Jesus] will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

Have you ever been content, then out of nowhere a problem or difficult situation replayed itself in your mind? You are not alone. One day, during some solitary time with God, a troubling memory flashed inside. It clouded my mind, and heaviness rested in my heart as I relived a particular trial I’d had. The remembrance of praying, blindly moving forward in trust, and the sheer slog of persevering returned. As I struggled through these feelings, a thought entered my heart: Difficulties can give you strength and determination. They can help you empathize with others and be a testimony.

The sadness threatening to ruin my day was replaced with hope that God is working for the good of His people in all situations (Romans 8:28). God can take stressful times, whether caused by school, a loss, a challenging event, or even trauma...and use them to provide us with blessings not only for ourselves, but for others too. God can use this terrible experience to bring about something good, like helping us grow in empathy and understanding. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can rely on Him to give us courage to walk through the challenges in our lives. And as we walk with Him, He draws us into a closer relationship with Himself.

As we walk with Jesus, our experiences, both positive and negative, can assist others. Bad things happen because sin has invaded God’s good world. And sin has invaded our hearts, so we all rebel against God, hurt each other, and mess up. But the wonderful news is that Jesus came to heal all this brokenness through His death and resurrection. And because of His work in our lives, the trials we face can become landmarks, reminding us that God’s love is steadfast, and He gives us strength beyond our imagination so that we can follow Him even in the midst of difficult situations. This can serve others as they witness how Jesus is working in our lives and find hope. Let’s not allow the scars of our lives to define us, but instead use them to tell others about God’s healing, extending the same comfort that God has given us. • Cindy Lee

• Have you ever felt encouraged by seeing how Jesus worked in someone else’s life?

• Are you going through a challenge right now? How might God be inviting you to receive His comfort today? Who is a trusted adult who could help guide you through this time?

...we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:4b (NIV)

One of the biggest issues I struggled with in middle school was the overwhelming pressure to find an identity. Most of my friends had their “things”—hobbies, talents, or interests that seemed to define them as a person. I had a few interests and practiced several activities, but I thought that because I hadn’t locked into one skill and perfected it, I was missing out. As it turned out, I had been consuming lies about my identity that I hadn’t even been aware of.

During my first year of high school, I went to a Christian summer camp. This experience is one of the most valuable of my life, not just because I had fun, but because I redefined what identity meant for me as a Christian. As I listened during our chapel gatherings, this caught my attention: If your hope and confidence are based on achievement, then when you fail, your feeling of significance—and your happiness—will crumble.

If you remember anything when you feel lost, remember this: You are not an athlete, an artist, an academic, or any other temporary label. These may be things you do, but they are not who you are. According to the Bible, you are a child of God. You do not have to perform for God’s love and affirmation. You already have it. You don’t have to be afraid of failure. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you are already forgiven and faultless in God’s sight. Through Jesus, God has already made you victorious. And you are part of His people, the church—you never have to earn a place in God’s family!

Don’t listen to identity lies. Because you are a child of God, I know that you have God-given talents. They may not be something physical, like painting or playing sports; they may be gifts of encouragement, compassion, patience, or the ability to make others feel accepted. Whatever your talents are, you can be free to embrace them joyfully, without being weighed down by the pressure to perform. If you know Jesus, your identity is secure in Him—and nobody can shake that. Talents may come and go throughout your life, but Jesus’s unconditional love will last forever. • Sophia Grogg

• Do you feel the need to become better than others at particular hobbies or activities, even if they aren’t competitive skills? God invites us to talk to Him about these pressures.

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1a (NLT)

There are times when it feels like God isn’t paying attention to the things that are going on here on earth. The author of Psalm 74 felt this way too and begged God to reach down and help those who were being mistreated and oppressed.

When we feel like the world is in chaos and God isn’t seeing things, we can be honest with Him and tell Him our frustrations. As we come to Him, He assures us that He does see what’s happening, He reminds us that He is always working, and He promises that He will bring about justice in the end. When Jesus came and lived among us, He revealed that God loves us deeply and wants to be intimately involved in the mess of the world. Jesus had compassion for the oppressed, He brought healing and hope, and He took all the world’s suffering on Himself when He went to the cross. When Jesus rose from the dead, He defeated sin and all its effects.

If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, God invites us to be part of the good things He is doing. When we see people suffering on the street, God invites us to cry out for Him to do something. We can ask God to heal their hurts and help them. When we hear of people dying all around the world, we can cry out to God for help. We can ask Him to move in power and stop violence, and to show Himself to people so that they do not die without knowing Him. As we notice and pray, God might give us opportunities to bless people, or He might just be calling us to pray for them and trust Him with the rest.

When we hear of injustices and people who are hurting, we can cry out as the psalmist did. We can ask God to pay attention to the things going on here on earth, knowing that He sees, He cares, and He responds to the prayers of His people. • Emily Acker

• Do you ever feel like God isn’t paying attention? How might today’s Bible passages speak into this?

• What hurts do you see in the world today? Do you feel like you can talk to God about these?

Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. Psalm 54:2 (NIV)

I love when God speaks to me in new ways. Have you ever been reading a passage of Scripture that you’ve read a number of times before, but something new stands out to you, and you feel like you’re reading it for the first time? That happened to me today.

Sometimes I start to skim through passages when I think I already know what they offer. “Yes, yes,” I say. “I know what’s about to happen, and I know what the whole point of this is going to be.” I feel like I’m saving time by just hurrying through these sections.

When I slow down, though, and I’m willing to listen to what God is speaking, He often reveals messages in a fresh way, even if the passage is one I’ve heard countless times. Sometimes He helps me see a verse that I’ve never noticed before. Or He helps me understand things in a way that I didn’t previously. A message in the passage I’m reading can be applicable to a specific situation that I’m in, and I can grasp its meaning more deeply. Hebrews 4:12 says, “The word of God is alive and active.” The Bible is breathed out by God, and He has many, many messages to share with us.

When Christians read the Bible, we have a special connection to what we read because the Bible is about Jesus—and we know Him! The central message of the Bible is the gospel: the good news that God saves us through Jesus’s death and resurrection. Once we put our trust in Jesus, He sends the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth (John 16:12-15). Throughout our lives, He continues to unfold His wonderful mysteries to us as we seek Him. • Emily Acker

• Have you ever read something familiar in the Bible and been tempted to skip over it? Why might it be important to revisit familiar passages?

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

The builder surveyed the land eagerly. His arms were strong for the task, his mind sharp. Every builder knew a strong foundation was the most crucial element, and this house was no exception. Jars of cement mixtures labeled in colorful script glinted in the morning sunlight, begging to be chosen. The builder gripped a jar with calloused fingers: “Family,” he read. After a moment’s pause, he opened the jar and lifted his shovel. No one could deny the importance of family. Surely this would be a solid foundation.

Months passed and the structure grew, admired by all who passed by. The builder was tempted to hang up his hat in satisfaction, for it seemed his work was complete. But then, the storm came. The rain poured down in torrents and the winds blew relentlessly against the beautiful house—and it fell with a mighty crash.

In the years to follow, the builder, never one to give up when things got difficult, resolved to find the one foundation that would survive even the deadliest of storms. He chose an emerald green jar titled: “Wealth.” He tried a glistening gold one with the word “Approval” etched in the glass. In desperation, he seized one that read “Strength,” but this too resulted in catastrophic failure and the collapse of all his hard work.

Blinking back tears of defeat, the weary builder rummaged through the remaining jars half-heartedly. In the midst of all the shimmering colors vying for his attention lay a clear, solidly constructed jar. It wasn’t fancy, and its glass didn’t catch the light, but the builder knew it was well-made. The word on it was written in bold scarlet red: “Jesus.”

As people meandered by the builder’s finished house, there were few exclamations of beauty. The years passed with several devastating storms ripping through the land. With each tempest, many were drawn to see how the builder’s house fared. Those who regarded the house agreed it was not the most prominent or majestic, yet one thing was indisputable: this house had a solid foundation. • Savannah Coleman

• This story is inspired by a parable Jesus told. Family is important, good friends are a blessing, and improving your health and mind are worthy pursuits, but Jesus gives the only foundation that can stand the test of time. He alone can save us. What are you building your life on?

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24 (CSB)

"It’s over!” The shocking words crush you. “I’m breaking up with you.” Your emotions are in turmoil. What can you do? First of all, don’t bottle up the suffering, as this is damaging in the long term. Instead, acknowledge your pain. Take time to adjust. People tend to respond to breakups in a few different ways:

Sadness: The end of a relationship can feel like a bereavement. When you’ve become accustomed to spending time with someone and sharing your plans and dreams, losing them can create an aching void.

Deflation: Sometimes, after we experience a rejection, feelings of emptiness and low self-esteem can follow. "What is wrong with me? Why am I not good enough?" We might start wondering if we are inadequate.

Anger: It’s common to feel frustrated or bitter with yourself and/or the person who broke up with you. Thoughts can spiral. "Why was I such a fool? Why did you break up with me?"

So how can you cope in the aftermath of a breakup? Allow yourself grieving and alone time. Jesus took time to be alone with God. He took time to weep. And Jesus has compassion on you in this moment. He loves you with an unchanging, never-give-up kind of love. He invites you to come to Him and receive His comfort. And if you’re feeling angry, you can talk to God about it. Remember that anger comes with energy, so it helps to channel this energy into something positive like exercise, a sport, or a new project.

Breaking up with someone can be devastating. It hurts, and it can be hard to move on. Remember, you are loved deeply by the Creator. He made you on purpose and wants the best for you. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you can know that God will never abandon you. His love is divine and unfathomable. He understands your brokenness, your pain, and your innermost thoughts. As you look back on memories with the person you dated, you can rely on His comfort. And as you move forward, you can follow His trustworthy leading. • Cindy Lee

• What questions do you have about dating? Who is a trusted Christian adult in your life you feel comfortable talking to about dating? (If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.)

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. Psalm 147:3 (CSB)

Joseph is only seventeen when his story begins—and he is having serious problems! Joseph is the youngest of eleven brothers and his father’s favorite. Even before their father has a colorful coat made just for Joseph, his brothers clearly hate him. Maybe the way Joseph talks about his “special” dreams is simply the last straw.

One day Joseph’s brothers spot him in the distance, coming to check on them as they tend the flocks. Realizing they are alone in the wilderness, they quickly plot to kill him, but thanks to Reuben, the oldest brother, they decide to throw him into an old well instead. Most of them are willing to let him die. But wait—a better opportunity! Along comes a caravan of traders, pleased to purchase a healthy young slave in exchange for twenty pieces of silver.

Thus, Joseph now finds himself in Egypt, a slave to an officer named Potiphar. However, “the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did” (Genesis 39:3). Potiphar notices Joseph’s good work and trustworthy character and places him in charge of his entire household. Things are looking up! Then, another disaster. Potiphar’s wife lusts after Joseph and demands, “Come and sleep with me” (Genesis 39:7), but he refuses her, saying he cannot violate his master’s trust, nor “sin against God” (Genesis 39:8-9). Probably feeling insulted and angry, she lies about Joseph, and Potiphar throws him into prison. Great—first slavery, now prison!

Yet, “the Lord was with him [Joseph] and caused everything he did to succeed” (Genesis 39:23). Success? In prison? Yes, even in terrible situations God is there and He is working. Joseph was eventually released from prison, and he became second in command to Pharoah! Through interpreting dreams, God helped Joseph prepare for a famine that was coming, and when Joseph had a chance to pay back his brothers for what they did to him, instead Joseph forgave them and provided for their families. God worked through Joseph to save His people.

And Joseph’s life foreshadows Jesus’s life. Jesus was betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, then treated as a criminal even though He had done nothing wrong. By dying on the cross for our sin and raising again, Jesus provided the way for all people to be saved. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He empowers us to be trustworthy and invites us to be part of what He’s doing. And just as God was with Joseph, He is with us—our most trustworthy Friend. • G. Kam Congleton

• How does Joseph’s life reveal that God is worthy of our trust?

The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did. Genesis 39:2a (NLT)

Guilt is hard. Sometimes, Satan will try to convince us that we are guilty of something terrible when we really aren’t. This “bad guilt” tells us the lie that we are irredeemable, unlovable people. We can become discouraged and paralyzed, unable to do anything good. But in these times, we can come to Jesus, give our struggle over to Him in prayer, and rest knowing that we are made clean and new by Jesus’s death and resurrection.

There are also times guilt can be helpful. The Holy Spirit uses “good guilt” to gently show us a specific way that we’ve disobeyed God. When our attitudes, words, or actions damage our relationships with others or God, good guilt shows us that we need healing and restoration.

In Psalm 51, we see David’s good guilt. He had done something evil: he used his position as king of Israel to bring Bathsheba to his palace, have sex with her, and then have her husband killed. When David realized the evil of what he had done, he wept and repented, and he looked for ways to make things right. While David still had to face the consequences of his actions, his good guilt led him to restoration with God and others (2 Samuel 11-12).

We also see good guilt in 2 Corinthians 7. This is the second letter Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, and his first letter contained some pretty strong words about ways they were not following God. Paul knew that disobeying God’s good commands would cause a lot of hurt, so it broke his heart to see that these people he loved were sinning. After reading Paul’s first letter, they felt good guilt, and as they repented and turned to God, the Holy Spirit helped them follow God more closely. So when Paul wrote this second letter, he rejoiced with them!

Guilt never feels good. But good guilt leads to good change. While bad guilt (or false guilt) imprisons us in shame, good guilt spurs us on to pursue healing. It pushes us closer to Jesus and to each other. The Holy Spirit never tells us we’re irredeemable, instead He invites us to come to Jesus, who always forgives and restores. • Taylor Eising

• Do you feel guilty about anything right now? You can spend time with Jesus in prayer anytime, asking Him if this is good guilt or bad guilt. If it’s good guilt, you can confess your sin to Him, rest in His forgiveness, and ask Him to guide you in how to move forward. If it’s bad guilt, you can bring it to Jesus and ask Him to remind you what’s true about you (Ephesians 5:25-27).

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NIV)

There will always be people who bring you down, and you can choose one of two responses: revenge or love. Some people say hate your enemies, but Jesus calls us to love and pray for our enemies—like He did. When Jesus was submitting Himself to die on the cross, there were people mocking Him, beating Him, and spitting on Him. How did Jesus handle this? He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). This boggles my mind. Most people would try to strike back. So why didn’t Jesus?

Because Jesus is the Son of God, fully God and fully human, who lives in perfect obedience to God the Father. God loves us, even though we all sin against Him. He loves us so much that He sent Jesus to rescue us from sin. By enduring death and raising to life again, Jesus made a way for us to be forgiven and live with Him forever! Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, His love changes us, and His Holy Spirit is in us, transforming us to be more and more like Jesus. While the enemy tempts us to try to get revenge when people cause us pain, God calls us to handle these situations differently. Through Jesus, God empowers us to shine His love.

There was a girl in my class who spoke harshly, and she was rude to everyone. But, through God’s grace, I still chose to be kind to her. Every day, I asked her how she was doing. I also invited her to come to church with me. One day, she thanked me for being so kind to her. I found out later that she had some really hard stuff going on at home.

I’ve come to realize that most people hurt others because they are hurting. God sees all this brokenness, and He has compassion on us. As Jesus’s forgiven followers, we’re called to have empathy and compassion for others. We can shine His love to people even when they are harsh, because God empowers us to love everyone.

While you may never know the hurt behind someone’s rudeness, you might be the only person in their life who treats them with kindness. Remember God’s great love for you and how He empowers you to shine His love to everyone. • Talia Dahlman

• How does God’s love make it possible for us to love others?

• If someone has been cruel to you, God hurts with you and offers healing through Jesus. How might knowing that God cares about justice help you not take revenge (Romans 12:17-19)? Who are trusted Christians who can help you discern when and how to set up healthy boundaries?

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Matthew 5:44 (NIV)

Fleeing from my mind, My fractured soul How far I run I do not know.

Attacking my heart, Emotions, burning Branding me within, Fear inside churning.

Alone, I shout out, “LORD, HELP ME,” Falling down, I pray, “Jesus, please save me,”

Silence...until My tears tumbling down, Barriers crumble within, Peace is found.

Fragmented soul You, Jesus, restore. Sadness turns into joy, Healing me once more. • Cindy Lee

• When life is too much for us, when our thoughts are churning inside us, it’s natural to feel like running away. But Jesus, our loving Savior, invites us to run to Him (Matthew 11:28-30). He died and rose again, and He will free us from the anguish inside our souls as we draw near to Him. What is weighing on you today? How might Jesus be inviting you to come to Him?

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. James 4:10 (NLT)

Their opinion meant the world to me. Their acceptance was what I craved. Their attention was what I longed for. I was an outsider with the popular girls. They laughed at me, not with me. They talked about me, not to me. Their rejection was the framework I built my self-worth on. I was nothing to them, so I thought I must be nothing at all. I based my value on others’ opinions and not on God’s.

God is the Creator of everything. Adam and Eve found wholeness and acceptance in God’s eyes as they lived in the garden of Eden. Looks, hairstyles, and their lack of clothing did not concern them. It was only after they went their own way against God—and sin entered the world—that they became aware of their nakedness and attempted to hide from God. Since that time, humans have struggled with self-worth and acceptance. We long to be liked, noticed, appreciated, and deemed worthwhile...and we look to other humans to satisfy this longing.

Jesus didn’t come to earth to be popular and accepted by the world. On the contrary, He was persecuted, despised, and rejected by people (Isaiah 53:3-6). He came because God loves us. Our sin separates us from God, but He longs for us to be close to Him again. He wants to accept us into His family. Jesus’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead are what allow us to be reconciled to our Holy God. When we put our trust in Jesus to forgive our sins, we become holy and blameless in God’s eyes (Ephesians 5:25-27), and we become part of His people.

Once you are redeemed by Jesus, you are invited to communicate with the Creator of the universe. He is the one who made you—carefully, purposefully. His opinion is what matters. As you grow in relationship with Him, you will find peace in His steadfast love and acceptance. The world may laugh, people may jeer and judge, but the Lord’s Word and His promises stand forever. He loves you with an unending love. You are precious in His sight. And Jesus knew you were worth dying for. • Erin Nestico

• When have you felt like an outsider?

• Have you made others feel like outsiders? God loves you, and He invites you to come to Him, confess your sins, pray for those you’ve hurt, and rely on Him to help you love others.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7 (NIV)

I pulled the borrowed blue coat tighter around me and followed our guide. I hadn’t expected the weather in Iceland to feel so cold in May.

After graduating from college, I’d ministered for a year in Romania and then returned to my hometown. When my younger brother completed his own degree, we went on a backpacking adventure around Iceland. First, we spent a few days near the capitol then traveled to a town near the Arctic Circle. We joined a group exploring an area called Lake My’vatn. We climbed in dormant volcanic craters and observed snow melting at the edges of creeks flowing with geothermally heated water. I marveled at the glory of God’s creation.

However, the most awe-inspiring display of the Maker’s creativity that we witnessed was the waterfall Godafoss, “waterfall of the gods.” Our guide explained the history of this colossal cascade of water: Around the turn of the tenth century, there was a massive meeting of the pagan parliament and the Christian parliament that could have easily turned violent. They couldn’t agree on whether Christianity should become the national religion. Eventually they all decided that Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði, a pagan priest and leader in the pagan parliament, should make the decision. After a day and night in silent contemplation (some sources say he spent this time under his fur cloak), he said that Christianity should be the national religion but that people may practice paganism privately in their own homes as long as they didn’t practice publicly.

Although he himself had been a pagan priest, Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði chose Christianity. According to legend, he then expressed his own faith conversion by throwing his Norse idols into Godafoss. Beginning his life in Christ, this man flung his idols where they could never be retrieved.

God’s power—stronger than that tremendous surge of water—takes us out of sin and brings us into life in Christ when we trust Him for forgiveness. God’s might overcomes our idols, whether they are physical representations of false gods or other created things we pursue when we doubt God can satisfy our needs and desires. Christ’s victory, shown in His death and resurrection, conquers our idols and brings us into the life that is truly life. • Allison Wilson Lee

In Acts 19:8-20, we see that “many of those [new Christians] who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all” (verse 19). Why do you think these new Christians burned their old sorcery books?

• Is there anything in your life that is keeping you from following Jesus with your whole heart? Who is a trusted Christian you could talk to about this?

“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 (WEB)

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, the devil started by challenging Jesus’s deity: “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread” (Matthew 4:3). Because Jesus is God, He could have turned the stones into bread. (And because Jesus is human, He was very hungry after not eating for forty days.) But Jesus didn’t need to prove that He is the Son of God. He simply answered, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1-14), and He used God’s written Word to resist the devil’s temptation.

Sin, or going our own way against God, leads to death, so it makes sense that a loving God would not want us to sin. On our own, we can’t resist temptation. Only Jesus could do that, and He set us free from the power of sin when He died and rose from the dead. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are totally forgiven for all our sin, and God empowers us to stop sinning. His Holy Spirit is in us, helping us turn away from sin and instead come to Jesus. He empowers us to stand against the devil with our offensive weapon: “The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

We can become more familiar with God’s written Word (the Bible) by reading it for ourselves and talking about it with other Christians. God calls us to be in community, reminding each other of His faithfulness and encouraging one another to resist temptation. And God gave us a promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

Sometimes I submit to temptation because I don’t look for the “way out” that God has promised me. Yet I can always ask the Holy Spirit to help me be aware of when the devil is tempting me, and I can rely on Jesus to help me resist that temptation. God will do this because He is faithful to keep His promises. • Sharon J. Morris

• Sometimes we sin because we don’t trust that God will satisfy all our needs. When Jesus was in the wilderness, how did God meet His needs?

I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11 (NLT)

Before I entered middle school, I felt confident I’d join the school band. And I did, playing a trumpet that had belonged to my uncle. Performing with the county-wide honor band was a special memory from that year. By the next fall, our band welcomed a new director, and he envisioned expanding the brass section of our band. Specifically, he sought to add some new French horn players.

I’d known other trumpet players who had moved on to the French horn. It could be an easy transition for me, and I wanted to help meet the needs of the band. Making this choice may seem like a small matter to some people, but not to me. I felt paralyzed as I considered this decision. Didn’t I enjoy the trumpet? Would I even play it anymore if I switched to a different band instrument? Was I obligated to make this change because my band director had asked me? I labored over this choice, crying many tears as I wrestled with what to do. Eventually, I elected to switch from one brass instrument to the other. But I wish I’d known then that the help I needed was not so difficult to find.

When we put our trust in Jesus, believing that He died and rose again to rescue us, we begin a relationship with Him and get access to the Lord Himself. As His children, we have an ever-present invitation to go to His throne and pour out our hearts (Hebrews 4:16). We can ask Him to help us work through every decision we face because He loves us and invites us to keep in step with His leading.

All those years ago, I might have chosen to stick with the trumpet instead of switching to the French horn. Either way, God would have led me and walked with me. He never wanted to withhold His help from me—no matter how I struggled with the decision—and He doesn’t want to withhold His help from you, either. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Are you struggling with a decision? God cares about every part of your life, and He offers His help freely. You can talk to Him about what’s going on in your life anytime.

• How might remembering we are God’s children make it easier for us to come to Him when we’re struggling?

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6 (CSB)

I started following Jesus at age thirteen, and I constantly got comments such as, “I can’t believe you’re so young yet have a strong faith!” And yes, those comments are lovely, but they secretly struck my nerves. They made me feel belittled. The way people said my faith inspired them was in a tone that suggested my faith shouldn’t be this important to me yet. Even though this probably isn’t what those people meant, doubts started forming in my mind, and one night, I was sick of it. I cried out to God, asking Him why He chose me at this age.

I felt bad for questioning God’s plan and went to read my Bible app on my phone. It just so happened the verse of the day was 1 Timothy 4:12, which starts out, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young...”

God had answered my prayer. Why did I believe Satan’s lie that I was too young for a relationship with God? Scripture clearly says otherwise. God is infinitely greater than the enemy of our souls—and what He says about us is true. We are called to obey God, no matter what others might think about us! And a few ways to do that are listed at the end of 1 Timothy 4:12: “...in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

I love to write, and I can write about the goodness of Christ. Jesus died for us so He could be with us. And He rose from the dead, forgiving all who put their trust in Him and defeating Satan and his lies forever. Because of what Jesus has done, God sees me and smiles. He says, “There’s my child,” not, “Oh yeah, there’s that young one who follows me. I forgot about her.”

God never belittles you because of your age. He wants YOU, and you are not too young to have a relationship with Him. • Lily Davito

• In 1 Timothy 4, Paul is writing to Timothy, who is not only a young Christian but also a leader of the church in Ephesus. Like Timothy, you also have gifts to offer the church—God’s family. How might God be inviting you to set an example for Christians of all ages?

• Can you think of a time you felt belittled? God wants to heal your hurts, and He invites you to come to Him with all your frustrations, doubts, and questions.

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)

Oftentimes, we do not think before we speak. We can be quick to speak and slow to hear (James 1:19). We tease, tell jokes, and ramble on about things without thinking. And these things may be totally fine, as long as we are not being mean with our words! But we may not often think about the dangers of speaking thoughtlessly. A harshly spoken word can hurt the person we are speaking to. Thoughtlessly spilling secrets can damage a relationship.

First Peter 1:15 says, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.” And this includes how we use our words. It sounds impossible! All we say is supposed to be holy? What does “holy” speech look like? Holy speech builds people up. It shows others who Jesus is through love, gentleness, and truth. We embody holy speech when we encourage a friend, lifting their spirits and bringing them joy! Holy speech can also look like offering gentle words of sympathy that soothe a hurting heart. But how do we do this all the time?

The truth of the matter is, on our own it is impossible. But we are not on our own! When we believe in the Lord and trust in Jesus to save us from sin and death through His own death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit then comes into us. He lives inside of us! He renews us and forms us more and more into Jesus’s holy likeness, from our thoughts to our speech to our actions. He helps us glorify the King of the Universe through all our words.

Let us press on to the day ahead of us with this knowledge: through Christ living in us, we can say things that build others up. We can think before we speak. We can glorify God through our words, and we can encourage others to do the same. • Marie Mitton

• Can you remember a time when a person’s words had a strong effect on you?

• Words can hurt people, but they can also heal. Have you hurt someone with your words? If so, you can take some time to sit with Jesus and lay your guilt down at His feet in prayer. He loves you deeply, and He always forgives. Then, you can ask Him to bring healing to the person you hurt, and maybe you will get to be part of this healing.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

Thoughts waging war upon this tortured soul I want to be thankful, I long to have hope But some days the darkness won’t seem to end My eyes are bone dry, my faith feels thin

Send forth Your truth to cut through the attack Remind me I’m Yours and I never will lack Your unfailing love, compassion, and grace Keep me here kneeling and seeking Your face

When each step is pain, Despair overwhelming Remind me that You are the God who sees Somehow You’ll work this all out For my good And Your ultimate glory— You promised You would

Lord, find me waiting For wisdom I plead Give me Your courage Your perfect peace • Savannah Coleman

• Have you ever felt like the author of this poem? We all go through seasons in our lives when the mental or physical pain feels beyond what we are capable of enduring. When oppressive thoughts threaten to overwhelm us, we can be honest with God. Jesus knows firsthand the pain we’re facing, and as His followers we can ask Him for help whenever we need it.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NIV)

Flames danced atop golden candelabras, reflecting light from crystal goblets. The marble table was laden with exotic fruits, slices of cheese, and steaming mounds of something that filled the room with a heavenly, mouth-watering scent. The Master smiled and stretched his arms wide. “It is ready! Invite them in.” The servant bowed his head in joyful eagerness, then rushed out to do his Master’s bidding.

But later, the servant entered his Master’s home, a look of bewilderment etched on his face. The Master looked up with eyes of a knowing sorrow, tinged with anger. The servant spilled out each excuse that had been uttered by those who were graciously invited. “Master, why? Have they not been waiting all their lives and then some for this very banquet? And now, to shun your most bountiful invitation...I do not understand.”

The Master’s eyes blazed with conviction. “Go! Invite all the people to my banquet!” The servant paused on his way out the door. “Good Master—all?” He replied, “Yes! Invite those who are poor, who cannot walk, who are blind...Search the main and the back roads, leave no stone unturned—I want my house to be full!” The servant’s face split into a wide grin and he bowed low. “As you wish, Master.” He made ready to leave. “And one more thing.” Master’s softened voice compelled the servant to turn around. “Tell them to come as they are.”

Soon, laughter rang out from the open windows of the Master’s house. If you were to glimpse inside, it might be shocking. Reclining around a table, some dressed in rags, many rather unsavory and broken-looking people enjoyed a banquet with the Master. No matter their status, their dress, their past mistakes, their current physical ailments, their addictions and scars—the Master had invited them in with open arms.

If you were to listen closely, you might hear praise pouring from the servant’s lips. “Ah, yes, my Master! Is he not the most generous and kind? He sees the need and meets it. He looks beyond the outward appearance and focuses on the heart. He cares for those who are sick and downtrodden and opens his arms to those who are poor. He has made a way for all to come in!” • Savannah Coleman

• This story is based on a parable Jesus told in Luke 14 when He was eating at a religious leader’s house and had just healed someone. What sticks out to you in this story (or the parable)?

...the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. Romans 10:12 (CSB)

People can do good, but there is only one person who did good all His life, and that’s Jesus. Even though He is fully God, Jesus came to live among us. He interacted and celebrated with different kinds of people, including the outcasts of society. Jesus was moved with compassion for a widow who had lost her son, and Jesus brought him back to life. Jesus healed a Canaanite woman’s daughter who was possessed by a demon, even though this woman was not a Jew (Jesus’s ministry started with the Jews and later expanded to all people groups). He healed a great number of people, always without payment. Jesus had compassion for thousands of people and fed them without condition. He did not condemn a woman caught in adultery; He forgave her. Greatest of all, Jesus died for our sins, even though we were His enemies, and He rose from the dead—making a way for us to live forever with Him!

Jesus did other wonderful things mentioned in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). One of Jesus’s close friends wrote, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25).

In everything He does, Jesus reveals the heart of God the Father. He is good, and He made us in His image. We were created to love others as Jesus does. We were made to be kind. And even though sin has tainted our ability to do good, Jesus came to restore what’s been broken. As forgiven followers of Jesus, we can love others like Jesus loves us. His Holy Spirit is in us, empowering us to be kind, to forgive, and to bring hope.

There are many ways for you to do this each day. Wherever you are—at home, at school, at work, in the community—you can help others. You can show people respect. You can share what you have. You can pray for others and invite them to draw closer to the Lord, the One who answers prayer. Once you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you can always choose to be kind because God has planted kindness in your heart. • Golda Dilema

• How can remembering Jesus’s love for you help you love other people?

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12 (NIV)

"All that I’ve done...all the people I’ve hurt... there is no way I’m still worthy of being saved. Jesus might have died for some, but He definitely didn’t die for me.” She wiped at her eyes with a shaky hand. “There is no way I could be forgiven for all I’ve done. No way.”

“Shh...” Her grandmother touched her shoulder, her hand warm. “Nothing you do can take you too far away from God. Jesus died for all, not just some. You can be forgiven.”

“I took too long. I should’ve turned to Him a long time ago.” She shook her head. “I knew that I could’ve turned to him when I was younger. I knew I could’ve asked for forgiveness then.”

“Sweetheart, it’s not too late.” Her grandmother cupped her granddaughter’s chin in her hands, gently lifting her gaze to see the compassion in her ancient eyes. “The God I serve wants you to know it’s never too late. To a criminal on a cross, Jesus said that paradise was waiting. Moments from death, this man was offered forgiveness.”

“I’m not good enough.”

“You don’t have to be. Jesus is enough for you.”

“I don’t know how to pray.”

“I can help.”

“I’m scared.” She pulled away from her grandmother, turning her gaze down again. “Like, really, really scared.”

Her grandmother embraced her. “There’s no reason to be scared, sweet girl. Oh, Jesus, come be with my granddaughter right now.” • Emily Acker

• Have you ever felt unworthy of being forgiven and loved by God? Many people feel this way, yet Jesus’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead are enough to pay for all our wrongdoing. He forgives everyone who puts their trust in Him. Who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to about this? (For more about God’s forgiveness, see our "Know Jesus" page.)

Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. Psalm 80:19 (NIV)

Have you ever found yourself desperately praying for someone in a situation that seems helpless? Perhaps it’s a parent who isn’t following Jesus, a sibling struggling with addiction, or a close friend who is hurting. You pray, but nothing seems to be happening, except personal exhaustion. Your hope is sapping dry.

If this is you, Jesus’s invitation to you is to rest in Him (Matthew 11:28-30). God loves you and the person you are praying for. Through Jesus, you can pour out your burdens to our loving Father, who always listens. Remember, you are not the problem. And you are not the answer either. In many situations, people have to take personal responsibility to seek healing. You cannot hold yourself accountable for their problems, like divorce, addictions (alcohol, narcotics, gambling, pornography...), or if a person doesn’t put their trust in Jesus.

What you can do is ask for advice from trusted adults. There might be community groups or tools available to help the person in your life who is struggling. And know that God hasn’t forgotten your prayers. Remember, your safety is important to God and the people who love you. If you’re being dragged into a dangerous or complex situation, get help. Our world has been broken by sin, which is why society, people, and relationships break down. But as Christians, we have hope; Jesus will walk with us through these tough times, and we can extend this hope to others.

God cares deeply for the person you are praying for, and He loves you too. It’s okay that there’s a limit to what you can do. Sometimes you aren’t able to help or provide the right answer. In these times, you can rest in God’s love and leave it in His hands, knowing that the same God who rose Jesus from the grave is by your side, and He will one day restore all His people and all of creation to wholeness. • Cindy Lee

• Are you trying to help someone in a complicated situation, or are you in one yourself? Who is a trusted adult, such as a teacher, pastor, counselor, or relative who could help you? If you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

For the Lord your God...will go with you; he will not leave you... Deuteronomy 31:6b (CSB)

I was a very shy kid and struggled to fit in at school. At home, my older brother teased me endlessly. Yet, I knew my family loved me. I also knew Jesus loved me and was always with me. By middle school I was also teased at school because I was tall and my pants weren’t quite long enough, plus my clothes weren’t the “cool” brands. I also got teased because I attended church and my favorite necklace was a gold cross my mom gave me for Christmas. Despite the teasing, I knew that I belonged to God and that Jesus loved me even if my peers didn’t accept me, let alone share my faith. I felt that on some level God understood my struggles; after all, He created me and took on flesh in Jesus Christ.

But by high school it became harder to remember that God was always with me. I wanted badly to fit in and began to buckle under peer pressure. What could it hurt? Was having a little fun a bad thing? Wouldn’t Christ understand me and all my human flaws?

In college, when my roommate teased me for attending a Christian group on campus, I started going to church less often, and I felt less and less lovable, especially by Christ. I felt ashamed for praying only when I needed something—like a good grade on a test. I felt like I was drifting further from the love of Christ.

Finally, my pastor from back home reminded me that our Heavenly Father never leaves us even when we turn away from Him. He wants nothing more than to love us, to forgive us, and to have us return to Him. In one of the parables Christ told, a lost son returns home after going astray, and the father and the community rejoice! Christ also told a parable of a shepherd going out to find one lost sheep. When we go astray, Christ comes after us. And when we return to God, He rejoices! • Lisa A. Wroble

• Have you ever felt like you were drifting away from God’s love? Even when we pull away from God, He keeps loving us. How might God be inviting you to come to Him today?

• Have you experienced or observed something that caused you to wonder if God is good? In these times, we can look to Jesus, who revealed God’s deep love and kindness when He died on the cross. Now the risen Jesus invites us to come to Him with all our questions, frustrations, and fears. He can take it.

I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3b (NIV)

Have you ever tried to solve a Rubik’s Cube? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried and failed to unscramble this complicated mess of colors. It amazes me that there are people out there who can decipher this puzzle. I once saw someone solve a Rubik’s Cube in less than fifteen seconds!

I think life is much like a Rubik’s Cube. Time and time again, I have struggled against the obstacles of life, doing everything in my power to put things back together, to fit all the colors into place. But each time, all I manage to do is jumble my life even more. So what can we possibly do when the Rubik’s Cube of our life gets more mixed up than ever?

The answer is: turn to the One who can help. Jesus Christ, the master puzzle solver, is the only one who can sort out the problems of life. When I try to solve my troubles on my own, I quickly become overwhelmed. But Christ invites me to give all my worries and cares to Him. Instead of trying to figure out my problems on my own, I get to follow Jesus one step at a time. When I let Him carry my troubles, I can rest in the safety of His protective and guiding hand. His power alone can sort out the cares that threaten to overpower me.

Right now, God is working to bring about His good purposes. Even when I can’t understand what He’s doing, I can look forward to the day Jesus will return to earth to right every wrong, heal every brokenness, and restore all of creation. And I can know without a doubt that no matter how mixed-up, cluttered, and confusing life may get, God holds me in the palm of His hand. Because I belong to Christ, I no longer have to worry about solving the puzzles on my own. When I cast my cares on Him, I can be sure that He will take care of me. The Rubik’s Cubes of life are no puzzle to God. • Eliana Canfield

• Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the struggles of life? Consider taking a moment to bring your problems to God and ask for His help.

• How do you usually try to solve your problems? Remember that God doesn’t expect us to be able to figure things out on our own. He calls us to be in community and help one another. Who are trusted Christians in your life you can be honest with when you feel overwhelmed?

...casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 (CSB)

We all struggle, and it can be both heartwarming and strengthening to know that someone is praying for us during those times. Have you ever been in a really tough situation and found yourself just wishing that someone would pray for you? Maybe you didn’t feel like you could even find the strength to pray for yourself, and you just hoped that someone was talking to God about you.

When you are struggling and you want to know the feeling of someone else praying for you, you might be interested in reading the first half of Psalm 20. This is a blessing of sorts, with the writer talking about how he wants God to bless the reader. In the second half of the psalm, the writer proclaims that God can—and does—work things out for His people. And there are other places in the Bible where you can find prayers people have prayed for you. Jesus prayed for all Christians in John 17:20-23. Paul prayed for “all the Lord’s holy people” in Ephesians 3:14-21.

When you are struggling, find someone you can go to who will pray for you. Don’t be ashamed to let others know you are having a hard time and you want prayer. You could also read Psalm 20 and let the words wash over you. No matter what you’re facing, you have a God who loves you, and He will have the victory. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, He has defeated sin, death, and brokenness forever. And Jesus has promised to raise you from the dead when He returns to make all things new. If you’ve put your trust in Him, you will get to dwell with Him forever in perfect creation. This is the victory Christ offers you. And He will never disappoint. • Emily Acker

• Can you remember a time someone prayed for you? How did it make you feel?

• Who can you pray for today? Consider asking God to bring someone to mind.

Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. Psalm 20:6a (NIV)

In kindergarten, I owned a pair of sturdy brown shoes with thick, black shoelaces. My mom often insisted I wear them, but I hated them. I thought they were hideous and felt embarrassed to wear them. They also did not fit me well. More than once, I was enjoying the playground swings, pumping to swing higher and higher, only to witness those shoes slip off my feet and soar through the air. That brought on more embarrassment, of course. Still, occasionally my mom would pull out that pair of shoes and encourage me to wear them.

One summer day, my brother and I took a walk in the woods after a rainstorm. We played near a pond where the soaked dirt had turned into muddy soup. Another downpour began, and we hurried home. In our rush, one of those despised heavy shoes—almost the color of the soil—slipped into the muck. The soggy mud quickly swallowed it, and in the rain I didn’t stop to retrieve it. I walked home with one bare foot and one (now useless) shoe. I secretly rejoiced that I could finally rid myself of that loathsome footwear.

Those ugly, ill-fitting shoes remind me of something else we should throw off. Once we come to live in Christ and receive forgiveness for our sins, God calls us to live in His love and to cast off the habits and distractions that prevent us from faithfully following Him. Jesus Christ died and rose again so that we could be free from the power of sin. He helps us throw off the sin that entangles us and everything that hinders us from running in His good ways. Those attitudes and behaviors don’t fit us anymore once we have become God’s children. Instead, we can clothe ourselves with Christ, who helps us honor Him with our lives and reflect His love to others as we run in His good ways. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Is there a sin in your life that God is inviting you to throw off? How is it possible for us to turn away from sin and run in God’s good ways instead? (Hebrews 12:1-3)

• According to Colossians 3:12-17, how does God see us once we’ve put our trust in Jesus? What does God call us to clothe ourselves with?

...let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)

There is a truth that is unfolding before me: God is holy, and He requires holiness of us. For years, I never saw this truth. I became a Christian at age eleven and through the years I have been in church, but I never really considered the issue of holiness. I thought I was okay since I was not committing “big sins.” I had categorized stealing and murder as big sins, while I labeled telling lies, gossiping, and evil imaginations as small sins.

But James 2:10-11 says that the One who commands us not to commit adultery is the same God who commands us not to commit murder. That means if a person avoids one sin and commits another, that person is a sinner. This Scripture opened my eyes to see that all sin is a big deal to God. Whenever I do something that God forbids me to do, I am sinning against Him. I now realize that the things I considered small sins defile a person just as much as those I termed big sins.

By definition, sin is opposite to God’s goodness. Sin hurts everything it touches and points to the brokenness that invaded God’s good creation when humans rebelled against God. But because God loves us, He sent Jesus to put an end to sin, to forgive us, and to heal our brokenness. Jesus—the only human who could be holy—died and rose again for us. If we have put our trust in Jesus, He has forgiven our sins, and He also empowers us to live holy lives, set apart for God’s good purposes.

On my own, I cannot be holy. Yet Jesus Christ is my holiness, and He has made me right with God (1 Corinthians 1:30). If I am to walk forward in holiness, as Jesus calls me to do, I must rely on His strength to resist sin. And when I fail, I can come to the Lord for forgiveness, and He will continue to help me turn away from sin. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• Are there some sins in the secrecy of your life that you’ve thought God overlooks? God promises Christians full forgiveness through Jesus, and He also promises to help us turn away from sin. Who are trusted Christians in your life who could remind you of God’s love and forgiveness and also encourage you to resist the temptation to sin?

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)

CLANG! Raymnd’s sword clashed against the training dummy, his flowing movements getting faster and faster. SWOOSH! Raymnd was determined to become one of the strongest, fastest knights there was. As he trained, his thoughts wandered to the king. Raymnd ached to be accepted by the ruler of Fidem, King Justain. Though he would never speak it aloud, Raymnd wanted more than anything to become a close friend to the king, like a son to him.

Raymnd slashed at the straw dummy harder and harder, his determination driving him. If he could finally be good enough—even though he didn’t know what good enough was—he might be able to impress the king. If, and only if, he could work hard enough to reach that point.

Just then, Raymnd’s tired arm gave out and he dropped his sword. He sighed, then yelled, “I’ll never be good enough!” to no one except the dented armor and mangled post in front of him. Suddenly he heard a cough behind him and spun around to see Tye, the king’s steward. “The king requests your presence immediately. It’s urgent!” He motioned for Raymnd to follow.

Raymnd tugged nervously at his gloves, but hope sparked in his eyes. "Maybe the king finally noticed how much I’ve been training," he thought. When Raymnd entered the marble throne room, King Justain stood up from his golden throne and smiled. Raymnd knelt, pressing his fist to his chest.

“Why have you been training and working so hard?” asked the king. Raymnd didn’t know what to say. Was the king displeased with his progress? “My son.” The king’s words took Raymnd’s breath away. “I already love you. Don’t you know that the High Prince has already knighted you through his own efforts and sacrifice? Through Him, my love and acceptance are yours. There is nothing you need to do—ever—to earn your place in my kingdom. In fact, I view you as my own son.” The king opened his arms and embraced Raymnd. Tears of relief streamed down Raymnd’s face. All this time, all his work was unnecessary. Not only was he accepted as a knight, he was even loved as a son—freely—by the king. • Carissa Vruggink

• In this story, King Justain represents God and the High Prince represents Jesus. Have you ever felt like Raymnd did, trying to do things to earn God’s approval instead of enjoying being with Him? How might God be inviting you to come to Him today?

...for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works... Ephesians 2:8-9 (WEB)

I used to love writing letters to my pen pal. Whenever her letters showed up in my mailbox, I had the thrill of ripping into them, excited to hear what was going on in her life. The Apostle Paul wrote two letters to the church in Corinth. In his second letter, Paul calls the Corinthian Christians living letters, not written in ink but written on human hearts. When people looked at these Christians, they could see the penmanship of the living God.

To understand what Paul means in this passage, it helps to look at the Old Testament. God made a covenant (or promise) with His people, the Israelites, when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). Following God’s good laws was necessary if the people desired to have a right relationship with God. After God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on stone tablets, Moses came down from Mount Sinai, his face radiant with God’s glory. Having been in the presence of the God of the universe, Moses was reflecting the glory of God. But the people were afraid, so Moses wore a veil to cover his glowing face (Exodus 34:27-35).

Then, even though the Israelite people knew God’s laws, they continually broke them and sinned. Yet God, in His mercy, appointed priests to make animal sacrifices to cover the people’s sins. Generations later, when God sent His Son Jesus to die for us and raise again, we received a new and better covenant that would cover our sins once and for all (Hebrews 7:22-28). No longer do we need to make sacrifices or have a priest intercede on our behalf—we have direct access to God the Father because of the precious blood of Jesus Christ. As Paul told the Corinthian church, when we place our trust in Christ alone to save us, the veil is removed; we now have unveiled faces that reflect the very glory of the One who is in us (2 Corinthians 3:16-18).

If you are a Christian, you are a living letter to everyone around you. The more time you spend in the presence of the One who created you and loves you beyond measure, the more you will be transformed into Christ’s image. The glory of God is in you, and His light is shining in your heart (2 Corinthians 4:6). Who will read you today? • Savannah Coleman

• Do you know anyone who shines God’s glory? How does their life point others to Jesus?

You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are Christ’s letter, delivered by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God—not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 (CSB)

Have you ever gotten to a point where you wondered if you’ll ever have a good friend? Well, that was me in high school. I hardly had any friends, and the ones I had never really paid much attention to me. I was the youngest in my class and I always felt so out of the loop, so lonely. Sometimes I wrote about it in my notebooks, but I didn’t feel better. Then I started getting bullied and things got worse. Nobody stood up for me and I felt so alone.

I’m eighteen years old now, and one thing I wish I’d known about God when I was in high school is that He never leaves me alone. That’s right, God was always with me. Always watching, always guiding, and always cheering me up. I just forgot to look toward Him. Sure, I was a Christian, but I neglected the one friend who never left me alone. Jesus was always there.

Now let’s move forward to my first year at university (I’m in my third year now). It was my first time away from every member of my family. I was three hours away from home, and I felt truly alone. But this time, I remembered my heavenly Father and how He never leaves me, and things got better. I stopped feeling terrible.

Now when I feel lonely, I write to my heavenly Father and tell Him how much I love Him, and I end up feeling so much better. He even reminds me about the people who love me and care so much about me.

If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you are never alone. • Rereloluwa Bajomo

• Jesus knows what it feels like to have friends who don’t stick by you (Matthew 26:47-56). He sees you when you’re hurting, and He wants to comfort you. Have you ever tried talking to God when you felt lonely? What was it like?

• How might God be giving you opportunities to reach out to people around you who are lonely?

“Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (CSB)

"I wish God understood how hard this is for me,” you whisper. You’re trying to live right, but the temptation to do wrong is really strong. “This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do.”

In the book of Hebrews, we are told that we serve a God who understands our weaknesses and our temptations—Jesus is a human, and He faced everything we do. As His forgiven followers, we serve a God who knows just what we are going through and just how hard it is to do what’s right. We serve a God who knows that there are things all around us that are trying to pull us away from our faith and away from God’s good ways.

We serve a God who invites us to come close to Him to receive the help we need to resist temptation, and grace when we mess up. We are told to get close to the One who was tempted but still did not sin. The One who loves us so much that He suffered and died to forgive our sin. The One who rose again because He is more powerful than sin and death, and He wants us to be with Him forever.

Until Jesus returns to earth, there are always going to be temptations around us, but God sees us even in those times when we are tempted. He understands, and He cares. And He wants to help. • Emily Acker

• What temptations get to you the most? Do you feel like God understands what you are facing?

• Who are trusted Christians in your life who you can be honest with about the temptations you are facing? How can you remind each other of Jesus’s love and the power He gives us to resist temptation?

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)

Hey, Jesus, we need to talk. I have to tell you about someone we both know. She tries to follow you, but she tends to gossip. She doesn’t make up lies or say cruel things, but she shares information she has heard about other people. She indulges in conversations based on rumors.

Sometimes, she tells secrets. Friends trust her with their private lives, and she betrays them. When she’s sharing the information, she feels connected to whoever she’s talking to, as if by spreading the gossip, the listener is in her inner circle. Yet, she knows it’s wrong. And she hates feeling untrustworthy.

But since she spreads gossip, other people are inclined to share gossip with her. They know she’ll be an eager listener. This makes her feel connected to whoever she’s gossiping with, but the connection isn’t authentic. The friendship is hollow.

Jesus, the person I’m talking about is myself. If I were to gossip about myself, that’s what I’d say, I’m ashamed to admit. I feel small and petty after I gossip, so I ask you to please “set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).

I no longer want to dish the dirt; I want to ditch the dirt. I want to stop hurting people. I want true friendships, and the only way to foster that is through love. Thank you for loving me. When I speak honestly with you, I remember how much you love me, how you died on the cross and rose from the dead for me, and I feel safe. I want to emulate your example. Help my words spread light, not gossip. • Kelly Bakshi

• If you know Jesus, your value and worth are totally secure in Him. You are loved beyond measure. How might knowing that God loves you affect the way you speak about others?

• Because of Jesus’s death and resurrection, we can bring any struggle to Him in prayer. He wants us to be totally honest with Him about our sins and shortcomings, and He looks at us with compassion and forgiveness. Consider taking a moment to open your heart to Jesus, inviting Him to heal your hurts and transform you more and more into His image.

Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. Proverbs 17:9 (NIV)

King David was called a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). He is remembered as noble, a man of character and courage. In many instances, he obeyed God, but David also sinned just like you and me. We can read about two heinous sins David committed in 2 Samuel 11-12. When David should have been out fighting with the Israelite army, he stayed in his palace and had sex with Bathsheba while her husband, Uriah, was away at war. When Bathsheba told David she was pregnant, David tried to cover up what he’d done. So David ordered that Uriah be killed in a battle. God did not tolerate the sins of David, and He sent the prophet Nathan to rebuke David. When David acknowledged his sin and turned back to God, God forgave him.

When you fall into sin, no matter how terrible the sin is, remember that God will forgive you just like He forgave David. This radical forgiveness is possible because of Jesus. He died on the cross and rose from the dead to pay the penalty your sins deserve and give you new life. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, not only has God forgiven you, He has also taken away your guilt and shame. Isaiah 1:18 says it this way: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

Although God is perfect, He reaches out and accepts us even when we do wrong against Him. As forgiven followers of Jesus, we can know that nothing we do will ever make God abandon us. He loves us, and we are His children. When we fall into sin, God will help us come to Him in humility, and He will raise us up once again. When we struggle with guilt and shame, we can remember how Jesus took all our sins on Himself on the cross, and He prayed to God to forgive us. • Golda Dilema

• Do you ever feel pulled down by guilt or think God won’t forgive you for something you’ve done? What does David’s story reveal about God’s forgiveness?

• If you want to know more about God’s forgiveness through Jesus, see our "Know Jesus" page.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NIV)

The book of the Bible called Song of Songs is...confusing. It uses all kinds of metaphors and imagery that make no sense to us twenty-first-century readers. And, to make it more confusing, scholars have argued about how we should read Song of Songs for centuries. Is it a love song between husband and wife? Is it all a metaphor for God and Israel? Or Christ and the church?

Most scholars agree that on some level it’s all three, but it’s primarily a love song between a husband and wife, celebrating the goodness of sexual love, marriage, and desire. So, if it’s primarily a love song, what’s it doing in the Bible?

Song of Songs belongs in the Bible because sexual love, marriage, and desire are all good gifts from God. They are an innate part of the way He designed us. We are wired for intimacy.

Sexual love is a powerful thing. It drives the husband and wife in Song of Songs to run all over town, searching for each other. They describe one another’s beauty in a long series of metaphors that don’t make a lot of sense to most modern-day readers. But these metaphors, mostly mentioning gardens, precious jewels, and expensive perfumes, point to the bounty found in Eden in Genesis 1-2, where the goodness of God’s creation was unmarred and in full bloom.

And these good gifts point us back to God’s goodness, which is revealed in Jesus. The strong desire demonstrated by the husband and wife in Song of Songs echoes Jesus’s strong desire to live in union with His people, the church. He loved the church so much that He became human to live a perfect life on our behalf and take our sin upon Himself on the cross. Then, He rose again to defeat sin and death so we can live in union with Him forever when He returns. And in the meantime He sends His Holy Spirit, who lives inside every believer and constantly reminds us of God’s pursuing, never-ending, ridiculous love for us.

So, while Song of Songs is primarily a human love story, it points to God in the same way that every love story does. Sexual love in marriage is a beautiful gift, and its beauty is only an echo of the beauty of the Giver. • Taylor Eising

• God designed sex for marriage as a way for husband and wife to show how they have given their whole selves to each other completely, freely, and faithfully. This union points to how Jesus has completely, freely, and faithfully given His whole self to His bride, the church. And because Jesus loves us so much, He offers forgiveness for any sin. If you’ve sinned sexually, how could it be freeing to lay these sins at Jesus’s feet and rest in His grace? How can you rely on Him to help you walk in obedience to His good plans for sex?

• For an unmarried person seeking to follow God’s plan for sex, sexual desire may not feel like a blessing. In fact, it might feel more like a curse. God has created us with sexual desire (and that’s a good thing!), but Satan can take this good gift and twist it for evil purposes, tempting us to lust and misuse God’s good gifts. If you wrestle with these feelings, talk to Jesus about them. You can talk to Him about anything. He isn’t embarrassed to talk about sex—He invented it! In addition to talking to God, who is a trusted Christian you can talk to?

As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. Ephesians 5:31-32 (NLT)

Do you find it hard to love people as Jesus tells us to? I know sometimes I do, and it is especially hard to love people who have hurt you. In John 15:12, Jesus tells us to love people as He loves us. If we know Jesus, we can love others because He lives in us through the Holy Spirit, and His love overflows from us to the people around us. But sometimes sin gets in the way. Sometimes, instead of loving people, we judge them harshly for little things.

I remember one particular time when I should have loved someone, but I thought that, because of their actions, Jesus wouldn’t love them, so I didn’t. I was horribly wrong. Jesus will always forgive a person who turns to Him, no matter how bad the sin was. God deeply loves the person who hurt me. I ruined relationships because of my lack of love. But even though I thought I lost this person, God has brought them back to me. Now I can show this person love so that they can see God through me.

Jesus is the light in the darkness (John 8:12), and He calls us to share His light. We can do this by loving people. I still struggle with loving this person because they hurt me so much, and that’s okay. Jesus offers me grace as I continue healing. And, when people hurt us deeply, forgiving that person doesn’t always mean we need to be in close relationship with them. Sometimes the most loving thing we can do is set up healthy boundaries.

Jesus’s love is so good, and He gives us the opportunity to share it with everyone around us. He can bring healing to even the most broken relationships. • Kari Cuddie

• Can you think of a time you experienced the goodness of Jesus’s love? If not, you can ask Him to reveal His love to you anytime.

• When someone hurts us deeply, what might healthy boundaries look like? If you’re not sure, who can you ask (maybe a parent, teacher, pastor, counselor, youth leader...)?

• If you’ve been hurt deeply and need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” John 15:9 (NIV)

"You’re not good enough and nothing is ever going to change that." The words rang through his head over and over again. "Forget trying out for the team." He turned and dashed out of the school.

The things others say about us can stick with us and cause us to have doubts about our abilities— or even our worth. We are quick to believe the hurtful comments others make about us, and those comments can affect the way we live.

But your value has nothing to do with the way other humans see you and everything to do with the One who created you. No matter how talented you are—or how lacking in talent you are—your worth is based on what God thinks of you, and nothing else.

You are valuable because God has said so. He made you in His image, and He loves you. In fact, you are so valuable to God that He was willing to suffer immensely for you. Jesus knows what it feels like to endure people’s hurtful comments. When Jesus went to the cross, people mocked and insulted Him. But Jesus, in His great love, forgave them. It was worth it to Him to die for these people—and for us. But nothing could keep Jesus in the grave. God raised Him back to life, and He will also raise Jesus’s forgiven followers back to life someday.

If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, He has given you a new identity. Not only are you made in the image of God, but you are also forgiven, justified, and a child of God—because Jesus has called you His own. And you get to look forward to eternity with Him, where hurtful comments will be no more. When people mistreat you, come to Jesus. Let Him remind you how He feels about you. When you can’t get the words of other humans out of your head and you feel like giving up, take some time to remember who made you and what He thinks of you. He knows your true value. • Emily Acker

• Who is a trusted Christian in your life who can remind you of your worth in God’s eyes, even when you have a hard time remembering for yourself?

Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7b (CSB)

Some people spend long hours looking into their family history. They want to find out where they came from, who came before them in their family, and which countries they have a connection to. You might have tried to look into your family history, and you might have struggled as you tried to trace things back as far as you could. Most people eventually get stuck at some point.

Yet ultimately, humans all come from the same ancestors. The same family. While it can be exciting to find out which parts of the world our ancestors called home, it’s also pretty amazing that we all came from Adam originally. (The name Adam literally translates man.) God made humans in His image (Genesis 1:27). God gave us life, yet when humans went their own way against God, death came (Romans 5:12, 19).

But God didn’t give up on humanity. Because He loves us, God came to give us new life. Jesus is fully God, but He is also fully human. The Bible calls Adam the “first man” and Jesus the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45-47). Jesus did what no other human could do—Jesus defeated death and made a way for us to be forgiven and made right with God. Because Jesus died on a cross and God raised Him from the dead, God will also raise all of us from the dead who have put our trust in Jesus!

If you are frustrated because you don’t know how to track your family lineage or you don’t have the information you need to find out who your ancestors are, take heart. You are a descendant of Adam, as I am. And as Christians, we have an even deeper connection with each other through “the last Adam.” People from all over the world who’ve put their trust in Jesus are part of His unified family. And the entire Bible is the story of our family. From Genesis to Revelation, we are being told our family history in Christ Jesus. • Emily Acker

• Have you ever tried to find out where your family comes from? Why is this important to you?

• Do you sometimes long to feel a connection to a particular place or people group? How does Jesus help satisfy this longing in the family of God?

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22 (NIV)

God is our help. How amazing is that? The Bible tells us so many times that we can rely on God. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He is always with us (Matthew 28:20). In Deuteronomy 31:6 and then again in Hebrews 13:5-6, we are told that God will never leave us. Never. He is always on our side. In 1 John 4:4, we are reminded that God is great, and He is in us through the Holy Spirit. He is far greater than those in the world. He is bigger than our enemies and anything that we could face.

God is our help when we are in trouble. God is our help when we have decisions to make. God is our help every day. So many Bible passages talk about the way God cares for us, and the Holy Spirit reminds us that He will continue to take care of us. Whenever we are afraid, we can cling to God.

In times when everything seems to be falling apart in our lives, we can find comfort in God’s words to us, like Psalm 46, which begins, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” God, the Creator of the universe, is our help. God, the One who can do anything, decided to create us. And love us. And die for us. He loves us “with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3), and not even death can keep Him from saving us. Jesus, our loving God, rose from the dead. We can rely on God to be our help. Always. • Bethany Acker

• Do you have a favorite Bible verse that reminds you God is your help? If not, do any of the verses mentioned above resonate with you? Why or why not?

• How do you need God’s help today? (Remember, we never have to feel bad for needing help. In fact, God WANTS us to come to Him for help.)

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 (NIV)

Tragedies wrap themselves around my heart Clinging tighter. Constricting Squeezing and squeezing and squeezing until I can’t move. Can’t breathe. Can’t think

Locked in place by overwhelming hurt Anger. Grief. Shame. Take your pick Each one amplifies another Louder and louder and louder until I hear nothing. But chaos

People shouting And oppressing. And killing And dying. And hurting Creation screaming HOW LONG, O LORD?

Another voice whispers a Story An old, old Story Told a million times in a million ways The story of brokenness set right Death turned to life

A King in a cradle Walked the earth in earth-coated sandals Creator covered in creation Crucified. Died. And buried

And, for a moment, my heart pauses here Lingering Though it knows it’s not the end Because my heart needs to know That my King’s heart knows pain Loneliness. Hopelessness Death itself

Then the rock rolled My heart begins to beat again He walked. The tragedies wince He smiled. Evil trembles

The Story wraps itself around me Like a blanket Covering my hurt My panic My fear

It hugs me tight Encircles me with love And proclaims “Tragedy is not the end. All will be made right. Chaos will be stilled. Death reversed. Hurts healed. The King is coming.” • Taylor Eising

• What hurts do you see in the world or in your life right now? How can the gospel bring hope to these hurts? (Hint: read what Jesus said in Luke 4:14-21.)

• If you know Jesus, His Holy Spirit lives in you, comforting you and empowering you to follow Him. How might God be giving you opportunities to bring healing to hurting people around you?

• Someday, Jesus will return to get rid of all sin, death, and brokenness forever. How could this sure hope affect the way you live now?

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. Isaiah 61:1 (NLT)

My absolute favorite story in the Old Testament is about these three Israelites, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were taken as prisoners to Babylon when they were teenagers, and how God was with them every step of the way.

King Nebuchadnezzar built a humungous gold statue of himself and declared that everyone in his kingdom was to bow down and worship it. He threatened that anyone who did not would be “thrown into a blazing furnace” (Daniel 3:6). Yet Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down. When they were brought before the king, I love how they declared their faith in God: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18).

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego believed that God would deliver them. Although they didn’t know how they could survive the fire, they trusted in God’s ability. And they declared that even if God did not spare their lives, they would STILL serve and worship Him alone. What awesome determination! Because God had always been faithful to them, they trusted Him and were loyal to Him above all others.

The king was furious and “ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual” (Daniel 3:19). When they were thrown into the furnace, the soldiers who took them were killed by the fire, but the king said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods” (Daniel 3:25). And when the three Israelites came out of the furnace, they didn’t even smell of smoke! Who was the fourth person who had been walking around in the furnace with them? Some scholars believe it was Jesus!

I love how the ropes that bound the three friends were burnt off. When we follow Jesus, our Rescuer, the sins that bind us are destroyed, burnt off, and we become freer to serve the God who goes with us THROUGH the fire! • Sharon J. Morris

• How might God be inviting you to follow Him today?

“Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has...rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” Daniel 3:28b (NIV)

God is always at work. But because we are just human and we can only see a small portion of the big picture, sometimes we get so discouraged when it feels like things are falling apart...because we don’t know what’s going to come next. But God does. God knows what needs to work out and what needs to fail. He knows what is best for us in the end.

God’s power is amazing. So often we underestimate the things that He can do through us when we are at our weakest. In our pain, He has compassion on us; He comforts and strengthens us. When we feel like we have nothing left to give, He can still do great things through us. Even in our disappointment, we can share the hope of Jesus with others.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Specifically, God is planning to renew His creation...including us! If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we get to look forward to living in renewed creation with Him, where all our deepest desires will be fully satisfied in His wonderful presence.

Until that day, life can be really hard as we experience the brokenness caused by sin. But we can rest because God knows the desires of our hearts, and He cares about us deeply. He knows what is best for us in the end, and He is worthy of our trust. We can leave it all to Him. And when we lay our lives before Him and ask Him to work through us, we get to be part of the good things God is doing here and now!

Life isn’t always easy, but we can trust that everything will turn out according to God’s ultimate plan to save the world. So often we underestimate God and His power. It’s mind-boggling that He can use every situation for good. He knows much more about what is going on than we do, and He is always working to defeat evil, heal brokenness, and draw us close to Himself. • Bethany Acker

• Can you think of one way you’ve seen God work in your life? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (NIV)

In high school, I wanted to be like my friend Alyssa. Alyssa has a passion for loving others. She’s outgoing and good at making friends. I admire how she and her family often travel to serve communities that are struggling.

I’ve been out of high school for seven years now, and I wish I’d known sooner that God gives us different gifts. While love and service are important to all of us who follow Christ, my gifts are different from Alyssa’s. I love and serve differently than she does. And that’s okay. God didn’t create us all to be preachers. He didn’t create us all to prophesy on street corners. He didn’t create us all to be teachers.

No, in His great grace and love, God has given us each unique gifts that we can use to love and serve Him. The Bible says the church is the body of Christ. Everyone who has put their trust in Jesus is part of the body, though we are all different (1 Corinthians 12:27). There is great freedom in this truth. Imagine how boring the world would be if we all had the same gifts. Imagine how challenging it would be for the church to move together as one body.

In Romans 12:6-8, Paul writes, “If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”

Friends, we are free to love God and love others with the gifts God has given us. We don’t have to love and serve the same way. Like a body, the church needs different parts, and it needs people with different gifts. Let’s embrace the gifts God has given us as we become the hands and feet of Jesus in a broken world. • Becca Wierwille

• Have you ever wished you could be more like someone else? Consider taking a moment to thank God for how He made this person, and also thank Him for how He made you.

• What natural abilities and spiritual gifts has God given you? How might God be inviting you to use your unique gifts to serve others?

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. Romans 12:6 (NIV)

Many of us hear it all the time: “I’m going to church tomorrow,” or “I attend this church.” But what is the church? It isn’t a place we go or something we do; it’s who we are. If you’re a Christian, you are part of the church (1 Corinthians 12:27)! God’s family is made up of all Jesus’s followers from all over the world, regardless of their background or where they meet.

Acts is a great book of the Bible to read if you want to learn more about the church. It tells the history of the first Christians after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. If you think church history is boring, think again. Acts is full of action—including riots, shipwrecks, and miracles—as the first Christians continued Jesus’s mission: sharing the good news about how Jesus came to save us, and helping each other follow Him (Matthew 28:18-20).

The book of Acts starts in Israel, where Jesus’s disciples were staying, but when Jesus sends them His Spirit, things change (Acts 2). These Christians, empowered by the Holy Spirit, begin to speak in all different languages about the wonderful things God has done, and the good news about Jesus spreads from Jerusalem and the Jewish people, throughout the entire world and to all people.

Acts goes on to show the early church gathering as a family in Christ, giving us a powerful example of what Christian community can look like. They love others and serve those in need, and they spend time together worshipping God and learning more about Him through Scripture. No matter what the church faced, whether persecution, threats, imprisonment, questioning, or execution, the church only grew stronger. Nothing could stop Jesus’s kingdom from spreading, and it will continue to spread until He returns!

Today, we get to continue the mission Jesus gave us thousands of years ago: sharing the good news of Jesus with the world through loving God and loving people (Matthew 22:36-40; John 13:35). • Abby Ciona

• Throughout history, people in the church have gotten things wrong and acted in ways that don’t align with God’s Word. This grieves God, and He calls His people to repent. When you see things in the church that don’t align with God’s Word, how can you draw attention to these things? Who are trusted Christians you can talk to?

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (CSB)

From naan in India to tortillas in Mexico to baguettes in France, bread has been a staple food for thousands of years all around the world. Bread plays a central role in the food of almost every culture, and it’s even an important part of the Bible.

In the Old Testament, God’s chosen people, the Israelites, were traveling in the desert after God rescued them from slavery in Egypt. They didn’t trust God though, and they complained and worried about the lack of food in the wilderness. But God showed them grace and mercy, and He provided them with a miraculous bread called manna. Every morning, He would send down manna from the sky with special instructions for the people to gather only enough for each day. When some people tried to save extra manna for the next day, it would go moldy (except on Friday, when they were to gather twice as much because there would be no new manna on Saturday, the Sabbath). By instructing the people to collect just enough every day, God was inviting them to rely on His provision for each day and to trust Him with the future.

Just like God provided His people with bread in the Old Testament, He provides for us today—and it’s even better than bread raining from the sky. In the New Testament, after Jesus multiplies bread to feed a hungry crowd, He reminds the people of the story of the manna in the wilderness, then adds to it. Jesus calls Himself the bread of life. Just as God provided His people with manna from heaven to save them from hunger, so Jesus came from heaven to save us from our sins. Before Jesus went to the cross, He foretold His death by breaking bread and giving it to His disciples, saying, “This is my body.” When we take communion, we remember how Jesus died for us (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). And Jesus rose from the dead, providing for our ultimate need: forgiveness of sin. As His followers, we can look forward to the day He will also raise us from the dead! Bread may take away our hunger for a while, but when we put our trust in Jesus, the bread of life, we have something far greater: eternal life with the One who loves us. • Abby Ciona

• Why did Jesus compare Himself to bread? Why do you think God uses everyday things to help us understand what He is like?

• If you want to know more about eternal life with Jesus, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35 (WEB)

Have you ever baked bread before? It’s a long, time-consuming process of mixing, kneading, rising, and baking. One of the most important ingredients in breadmaking is leavening, often yeast. Though yeast is small, it makes a huge difference in bread. Without yeast, bread is flat and dense. Even a little yeast goes a long way, and when you mix it into the dough, it impacts the entire loaf and makes it grow in size.

Yeast is a small thing that makes a huge impact on its surroundings. The Bible talks about how our words and actions can be like yeast, affecting the people around us. In Luke 12:1-3, Jesus warns about the “yeast” of some of the religious leaders, the Pharisees, and the dangerous influence of their hypocrisy.

In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul says, “Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?” (1 Corinthians 5:6). In this passage, Paul is telling the church in Corinth that they need to discipline fellow Christians who continue in their old sinful ways of life, in hopes that these people will repent. Paul goes on to caution against associating with people who call themselves Christians but continue to indulge in sin.

In another letter, Paul says, “This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough!” (Galatians 5:9). Paul is refuting a false teaching that was going around in Galatia. He tells the Galatian Christians that it doesn’t matter whether or not they are circumcised, but rather, “What is important is faith expressing itself in love” (Galatians 5:6).

These three examples all compare yeast to harmful influences, but did you know that Jesus also compares the kingdom of God to yeast? Jesus said the kingdom spreads like yeast through the dough. And we get to receive the kingdom through putting our trust in Jesus and following Him. • Abby Ciona

• Why do you think Jesus said the kingdom of God is like yeast?

• How can we recognize hypocrisy and false teaching? A good place to start is by comparing it to the gospel, which is characterized by love and centered around Jesus (see our "Know Jesus" page).

“...the Kingdom of God...is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.” Luke 13:20-21 (NLT)

Blustery winds ferociously blew the trees. Sitting on the train, waiting for it to leave the station, I was mesmerized as bending branches were pulled by the wind. Powerless, they could not resist or move in any other direction. They had no choice but to bow with the wind, helpless.

Sometimes our lives can feel the same way. We are propelled toward a path we do not wish to follow and find ourselves in challenging situations. Trials in our family, peer pressure, exams, or choices about our future can consume us. We might think it is impossible to avoid or resist the direction we are hurtling toward. But there is always hope. God can set us free.

God is stronger than all our troubles. In the midst of chaos, He gives calm. He can change our course, transform our mindset, give us courage when we are terrified. In Psalm 139, David recognizes God’s power and omnipresence, and he describes how God is with him in a very personal way. David acknowledges that when we are scared, we may want to flee from trouble, or even from God, but God loves us more than we will ever understand. He wants to rescue us from living fearful, anxious lives. He sent His son, Jesus, to be “God with us” (Matthew 1:23) and restore the broken aspects of our lives—and the brokenness of all creation. Even when we run away from God, He comes after us in never-failing love. He is always with us, inviting us closer to Him, promising to help us even if we struggle to comprehend why. We may not be able to run away from the messiness of life, but we can always reach toward Jesus, arms outstretched to receive His loving embrace. • Cindy Lee

• What feels out of control in your life today? How might Jesus be inviting you to experience His love and peace, even in the midst of this?

• When you’re feeling overwhelmed, who is a trusted Christian in your life who could listen to you, pray with you, and encourage you? If you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? Psalm 139:7 (NIV)

I have to admit, the last thing I wanted to do was teach Bible camp. Give up a week of my summer? For a bunch of little kids I didn’t even know? I attended church, sure, but it’s not like I was a Bible expert. Couldn’t they find someone more qualified? But my friend encouraged me to try it, so I thought, "Fine. It’s only a week. I’ll help."

When camp started, I was surprised. Some of these kids had never even heard of Jesus before! As one cute little face looked up at me and told me his family had never been to church, I thought, "I might be the only face of Jesus that these kids see today. Maybe that they have ever seen!" Suddenly my sense of purpose deepened. I wasn’t just a glorified babysitter. I was introducing these kids to Jesus.

I didn’t need to be a Bible expert for these kids. All I could do was let them see Jesus’s love shining through me. If I could offer a friendly face and a kind heart, maybe they would start to know that Jesus is kind and He cares about them. Something as simple as a positive interaction with me might be all it would take to spark their faith! I mean, if they went home saying they loved Bible camp, those happy memories would plant a seed. They might come back next year. And the year after that. Maybe they’d even start coming to church. Maybe they’d teach Bible camp someday...and lead a whole new group of kids to Jesus!

You never know where saying yes to God will lead. • Bitsy Kemper

• Have you experienced Jesus’s love through someone in your life? What did this person do that showed you what God is like?

• When we experience God’s love for us, sharing that love with others comes naturally. Can you think of a time when God revealed His love for you? If not, you can ask Him anytime.

So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NLT)

"This is madness,” I sigh, trudging uphill through the snow, my face burning, the rucksack dragging me down. I’d hoped that going to Aunt Alana’s cabin would be a retreat from the worries churning inside, but regrets still plague my thoughts.

“Maya,” a melodic voice cries out my name.

“Hello?” I call.

No one’s there. But then the snow starts melting rapidly. A gleaming light reveals a banquet on a picnic table.

“Maya, I’m here.”

I turn. A man’s dark eyes shine, and his ebony hands grasp my rucksack as I sit down at the table with him. Too nervous to eat, I stare at this stranger.

“You have regretted far too long,” he says, pouring out the rich hot chocolate.

"How do you know?" I think to myself, sipping the drink, warmth flooding through me.

“Inside your rucksack are the shells of regret,” he says, opening up the bag and handing me a conch shell. “Listen to your voice.”

I put the seashell to my ear. "Oh, why didn’t I listen to Skylar? She might not have moved schools," I hear.

My breath catches in my throat, and he hands me a second shell. "I wish I’d told my Nana how much I loved her."

The memory stings, and I reach for the third shell. "If only I’d gardened for Miss Patel when she broke her arm. I let her down."

More and more shells reveal hidden worries. But then, the shells crumble and turn into shimmering raindrops around us. I gasp, “How...?”

My host smiles. “Your failures have been covered by the love of One greater than you. Maya, you belong to Jesus, and His forgiveness releases you from guilt.”

“But...” I stammer. “I let them down. I let them all down.”

“Yes, but even so, God was still working in their lives. He never stopped caring for them. He loves your Nana and Miss Patel and Skylar so much more than you ever could. And His love for you is deep and sure.”

Tears collect in my eyes. “I don’t know how to move on. I feel stuck.”

“God will help you. Tell Him your problems, your mistakes, your sins. Remember, you are imperfect, but Jesus is the perfect One. He died and rose again to forgive you and relieve your guilt. You can rest in His forgiveness and grace.”

His soothing words break down the regrets I’ve clung to. He smiles and disappears. The scene around me changes. Picking up the rucksack with ease, I spot Aunt Alana in front of the snowcapped cabin.

“Maya.” Aunt Alana hugs me. “Come on in.”

On my lips I can still taste the hot chocolate, but the regrets and bitterness have vanished. • Cindy Lee

• Psalm 51:17 says, “God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart.” Can you think of a time you felt regret? How might God be inviting you to come to Him?

“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I [Jesus] will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (WEB)

Where do you find yourself on the introvert-extrovert spectrum? People who are more extroverted tend to value their time with other people because the interaction and conversations give them energy. People who are more introverted tend to value their time alone, away from other people, because that’s what fuels them. On which side do you tend to find yourself?

In the stories of Jesus in the Bible, we often find Him taking time away from the crowds and even His disciples to be completely alone with His Father. Why did Jesus do this? Did He just need some time alone from the constant pressure of the crowds wanting to see Him do miracles? Was He a more introverted person who needed this time away more than others?

We can’t determine from Scripture if Jesus was an introvert or an extrovert, but one thing is clear: Jesus put a high value on His time alone with God! During that time, He could have been healing dozens of sick people. He could have been teaching people important truths about God. But He very intentionally stepped away from it all to pray. While Jesus was Himself fully God (and fully human), He still took time to be alone with God the Father. We get a glimpse of one of Jesus’s prayers when He was in Gethsemane. Jesus knew He was going to be betrayed soon, and He took three of His friends with Him when He prayed in the olive grove. Jesus was in agony as He prayed that, if there was any other way, God would take away the suffering Jesus was about to endure. Still, Jesus prayed, “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Luke 22:42). And God sent an angel to strengthen Jesus so He could endure suffering and death as a sacrifice for our sins. And just as God promised, Jesus rose from the dead!

Through His actions, Jesus taught us the necessity of choosing to get alone with God. That may be hard for some of us who prefer not to be alone—ever! And even those of us who are more introverted have a hard time devoting that alone time to being with God. But while spending time with people can be draining, spending time with God is different—God fills us and refreshes us in His presence. The more you learn to step away from everything to be alone with God, the more you’ll see that His love fills your deepest needs. • Mandy Desilets

• Have you ever spent time alone with God? What was it like?

• What keeps you from making time to be alone with God? What questions do you have?

But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. Luke 5:16 (NLT)

I didn’t use to think about God very often. But did you know that God is with us throughout our day, even if we’re not thinking about Him?

When I was in high school, I really struggled with what people thought of me. Did people even want me around? As I read through the Scriptures, I read about the Creator of the Universe and how much He loves us and chases after us. The same God who breathed the galaxies into existence wants a personal relationship with me, and He wants a relationship with you too! That’s why Jesus came. He is literally called Immanuel, or “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

The more I read my Bible, the more I find verses and passages talking about how God is always with us. In Joshua 1:9, Joshua was about to enter the Promised Land with all of the Israelites, which meant entering into battles with much bigger and stronger armies. But God said that He was WITH them, so they could take courage and didn’t have anything to fear. God tells us the same thing today. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we don’t have to fear or be stressed because God is always with us.

Generations after God spoke to Joshua, God spoke to His people through the prophet Zephaniah—which is one of my favorite names in the entire Bible! In Zephaniah 3:14-20, we get a glimpse of how God will save the people of Judah from exile...and how God will save the world through Jesus. This passage reminds us that, even when all seems hopeless, God has always been and always will be in control of everything. Verse 17 says, “...your God, is among you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.” Not only is God with us—He’s happy to be with us!

This last verse is from one of my FAVORITE Psalms: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). When life is hard, sometimes it feels like we’re walking through “the valley of the shadow of death,” but even then, God is with us, ready to comfort and help us.

As I look back on my life, God has always been with me. When things were good, He was there. When things were bad, He was right there too, whether I was thinking about Him or not. I wish I knew that sooner, because I spent a lot of time thinking I was alone. • Hunter Taylor

• When do you feel alone?

“...your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (WEB)

On the night before Jesus went to the cross, He washed the feet of His disciples. This was a very unusual act that surprised them, especially Peter, because only servants were required to do this, and they would only wash the feet of those higher than them. Jesus soon after explained what He’d done. He said, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you” (John 13:13-15).

Jesus served His disciples by washing their feet, and in turn He told them to serve each other. Jesus is humble, considerate, kind, gentle, forgiving, and loving...and Jesus produces these same character attributes in His followers.

Like the disciples, you are also a child of God if you’ve put your trust in Jesus by believing in His life, death, and resurrection. And you are called to lovingly serve others like Jesus has lovingly served you. This is an important part of being in God’s community.

There are lots of ways you can serve. God has given each of us the ability to serve and help other people. Sometimes He calls us to do things that are considered lowly, like washing feet, and there are also times when God calls us to serve by using our talents, or things we’re naturally good at doing.

What are you good at? What do you enjoy or love doing? Whatever talents you have, God gave you such a talent for you to enjoy—and to share with others! How might God be giving you opportunities to use your talent to serve other people? If you’re feeling hesitant to serve, remember that God will equip, enable, and empower you to serve others as you rely on His love. • Golda Dilema

• It can be challenging to follow Jesus’s command to serve. When do you feel reluctant to serve?

• How are Jesus’s commands to serve and to love related? (John 13:1, 34)

“For even the Son of Man [Jesus] came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 (NLT)

My Gran collected crystal animal ornaments. They would be on display in the living room looking ordinary most of the time, until the sun shone on them. Immediately the sun’s rays transformed the crystals—prisms of light would radiate across the room in dazzling displays of color. All the crystals had needed was the sun to show off their potential beauty. They changed from ordinary to extraordinary.

When someone becomes a Christian, a transformation takes place. The old ordinary self is renewed. Some people have immediate, dramatic, lifechanging experiences and are instantly cured of addictions or experience a revelation. Others do not, yet there is a powerful change inside of every believer. Through Jesus’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, He promises new life to all His forgiven followers. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He has forgiven our sin (every evil thing we’ve ever done and ever will do), and His Holy Spirit is in us. He continues to transform us to be more like Jesus. Through Him, we can be more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled than we ever imagined possible (Galatians 5:22-23).

When you become a Christian, people may not understand why you’ve changed, and you’ll still struggle with sin and go through hard things, but in all these trials you’re never alone. Jesus understands the difficulties of being human, the everyday challenges of life, and the deep sorrows of death. He came to defeat sin, death, hell, and Satan and to establish His kingdom. Jesus heals brokenness, and when He returns to earth He will fully restore creation.

And right now, Jesus is with us through struggles and dreams. He is at the heart of all things good (James 1:17). When we trust in Him, He gives us the strength and grace to endure difficult situations. He gives us determination to keep going and be who God has created us to be. As we follow Jesus, His good news shines through our lives. • Cindy Lee

• What is one thing you like about the way God made you?

• How might God be transforming you to be more like Jesus?

For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NLT)

The teacher was at his wits’ end. His search for truth had led him to understand some of the gospel, but he could not escape the never-ceasing pull of “a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions” (1 John 2:16). He felt helpless and frustrated beyond measure. He sought solace in the garden behind his home, as a stroll in a verdant setting can sometimes quiet a soul’s turmoil. But not so on this day. In anguish he cried out, “How long, oh Lord?!” And he began to weep. Then the strangest thing happened. He heard a child singing, “Tolle lege, tolle lege,” which is Latin for, “Take up and read.”

His prayer had been sincere, and he heard this as the form of an answer, so he grabbed the nearest book—his Bible—and opened to Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome and read these words: “Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires” (Romans 13:13-14).

Instantly, he was flooded with hope and joy and placed his faith in Jesus. Thus was the conversion of Augustine of Hippo in the year AD 386. He went on to become one of the most influential theologians and philosophers in Western history. Though Augustine was not perfect, God worked through him to help the church develop a deeper understanding of the gospel.

God’s Word has the power to change you—to renew you and give you life. Jesus is called the Word made flesh (John 1:14), and the Bible contains His written words to us. Jesus came and lived among us, died, and rose again because He loves us. He has the power to change anyone. It doesn’t take a dramatic afternoon in a garden to experience this in your life. Augustine spent a lot of time in the Bible before his conversion and a lot more time afterward. So whether you are a non-Christian, a new Christian, or have believed in Jesus many years, "tolle lege;" take up and read. • Cameron DeCou

• The Bible is a vital part of every Christian’s life because it’s one way God reveals Himself to us. When you have questions about the Bible, who can you ask? What resources could help you?

The Word [Jesus] gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. John 1:4 (NLT)

Growing up in my village with my parents was a joyful and fulfilling experience. But I realize now that there are many things I did not bother to observe keenly during those years. My mum reared some local chickens at home, but I did not take an interest in observing their behavior. Years later, as an adult living on my own, I decided to rear local hens myself. After the hens hatched their eggs, I kept the mother hens and their chicks together in one shelter during the night, and then in the morning I let them all out at the same time.

One morning after opening the shelter, I stood by the chicken house door just to see what would happen to the now mixed-up chicks. "Would the chicks recognize their particular mothers, or would they just follow any of the mother hens?" I wondered. Then I observed that each mother hen, as she came out of the shelter, was letting out certain sounds. To my surprise and amazement, each chick began to run in the direction its mother’s sounds were coming from. Each chick knew and recognized their own mother’s sounds immediately. In no time at all, each hen had her own chicks with her.

Something similar happens with humans. A newborn baby learns to recognize their mother’s voice as she continually talks to them. As a result, the baby learns to differentiate her voice from others’ voices even without seeing her physical form.

Jesus said His sheep hear His voice, recognize it, and follow Him. We learn to recognize His voice as we spend time with Him in reading His Word and waiting in His presence in prayer. His written Word is His voice speaking to us. He also speaks to us through His Holy Spirit, who lives inside Christians. Because Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), when He speaks to us we experience peace in our hearts. • Charity Kiregyera

• Why do you think Jesus compared Himself to a mother hen in Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34?

• How can you tell whether it is the Lord speaking to you? When God speaks to us, He does not contradict His written Word, so the more we become familiar with the Bible, the easier it is to recognize His voice. And even when Jesus convicts us of sin, He brings hope and peace, not condemnation and fear (John 3:17). As we learn to listen to God’s voice, why is it important to be in community with fellow Christians?

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 (NIV)

Sickness, accidents, conflict, persecution. Our world is broken, and hardship is inevitable in our lives. But how should we respond to hardship? Paul, the apostle, was familiar with suffering. After experiencing blindness and being shipwrecked, he was put in prison, deserted by friends, and had seen fellow Christians fall away from their faith. To top it off, he knew he was going to die soon. So, while Paul was under house arrest, he wrote a letter to Timothy, a young man who Paul had mentored and who was now a leader in the church in Ephesus.

Paul was experiencing persecution, but he knew that God was with him and would be his strength (2 Timothy 4:16-18). Paul knew that God had always been faithful and always would be. No matter what happened next, Paul had the hope of eternal life with Jesus (verse 6-8). Even in suffering, Paul was able to encourage Timothy to persevere in the faith, stay strong in Jesus, and continue to lead the church and share the good news of Jesus (verse 5).

When we face struggles, as followers of Jesus we can find comfort in knowing God is with us in our struggles. He grieves our hurts alongside us and gives us strength to keep going. God is so amazingly good that He even uses something as horrible as suffering to help us grow closer to Him and rely on Him. And just like Paul encouraged Timothy through hard times, we can reach out to others and encourage them, even when we ourselves are in the midst of struggles (as Paul pointed out in another letter, see 2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

No matter the challenges we face, we can find strength and hope by resting in Jesus, who endured the cross because of the joy He knew was coming (Hebrews 12:1-3). In a similar way, we can know that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed when Jesus returns (Romans 8:17-18). • Abby Ciona

• What struggles have you been experiencing lately? No matter how big or small your suffering seems to you, God cares about all of it, and He invites you to tell Him about it.

But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that I might fully preach the word and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 2 Timothy 4:17 (CSB)

Have you ever been the target of a bully? In today’s passage, Daniel gets a dose of what a bully with clout can do. About two years have passed since Daniel and his friends were taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar as teens. Now, something else occurs that places them in grave danger: Nebuchadnezzar has a distressing dream and demands that his “wise men” (magicians/sorcerers) explain it. The catch is, he doesn’t tell them what his dream was. He demands they first tell him what he dreamed, then give the interpretation (Daniel 2:8-9). Ouch!

The magicians plead with the king to tell them the dream, but Nebuchadnezzar is convinced that if he does, they will simply concoct a meaning. Naturally, they are at their wits’ end. “No one on earth can tell the king his dream!” they reply (verse 10). But Nebuchadnezzar is used to getting what he wants and believes he’s the most powerful guy in the world. He becomes enraged (i.e., throws a tantrum) and orders the execution of ALL wise men in the kingdom!

Unfortunately, this includes Daniel and his friends—Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—who were appointed royal advisors. When the captain, Arioch, arrives to execute Daniel, the Bible records that Daniel responded with “wisdom and discretion” (verse 14). Take note of Daniel’s actions: 1) He asks why the king ordered such a decree. 2) He goes to the king and requests more time; the king complies. 3) Daniel returns and asks his friends to pray and implore God to reveal the dream, because Daniel knows God is the One who really rules the world, not Nebuchadnezzar, and God is personally involved in the world He created.

That night God reveals the dream to Daniel in a vision. Talk about relief! Daniel hurries to Arioch; Arioch rushes Daniel to the king. After making it clear that God alone possesses the wisdom to reveal secrets, Daniel describes the king’s dream in detail, then interprets it (verse 31-45). In the end, Nebuchadnezzar is astounded and ecstatic. He says, “Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret” (verse 47). Nebuchadnezzar promotes Daniel as ruler over the province of Babylon and chief over the wise men—and gives glory to God! • G. Kam Congleton

• While Daniel responded to Nebuchadnezzar’s bullying with calmness, sometimes God calls us to respond to injustice differently. Why do you think God calls us to respond to different unjust situations in different ways? What questions do you have about this? \

Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. Daniel 2:20 (NLT)

Have you ever moved? If so, was it sudden or was there time to prepare and say goodbye to friends? Moving can create a lot of mixed emotions. It may be exciting in one way—yet produce anxiety in other ways. Leaving familiar people and places is never easy.

Today we are tracking Daniel, a teen who experienced a sudden move—so sudden, in fact, it’s more accurate to say that Daniel was kidnapped. As the story unfolds, we find that Daniel and other young Jews from Jerusalem have been taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Not only are Daniel and others abruptly snatched away from family and home, but they are also chosen to undergo specialized training: a three-year regimen designed to teach them the history and language of their captors, the Babylonians. Talk about rubbing it in! To make things worse, the trainees had to eat a special diet ordered by the king. This diet was supposed to be the best food available, but the problem was, Daniel and his friends were Jews, and obeying God’s laws meant avoiding certain foods—foods that were on the royal diet.

But God was already giving Daniel and the others favor and wisdom, and they trusted God. Notice two things about Daniel’s reaction. First, he “determined not to defile himself” (1:8). Second, Daniel respectfully asked for consideration. At first, he got a “No” from the chief of staff, Ashpenaz, who feared for his head if he disobeyed the king. But Daniel did not give up. He waited and then asked the attendant under Ashpenaz for a trial period of ten days eating vegetables and water. Daniel asked, “Please test us...see how we look” (1:12-13).

That phrase “see how we look” illustrates Daniel’s confidence in God. He trusted that as they obeyed God, the difference would be evident and their dilemma would be resolved. And it was! At the end of the ten days, Daniel and the other Jews looked healthier and stronger than all the others. Not only that, but God gave these four young Jews special wisdom and understanding, and they became the king’s most capable advisors (1:17-21). Through His people, God demonstrated that He is above any other authority. As Daniel and his friends faced challenges, they relied on God, who continued to be faithful to them. • G. Kam Congleton

• What challenges are you facing today? How might God be inviting you to rely on Him?

But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. Daniel 1:8a (NLT)

A paradox is a phrase that seems to be self-contradictory, backward, and impossible—like “less is more” or “this sentence is false.” Paradoxes might seem confusing, but they make you think and often reveal deep, important truths.

The gospel, which is the good news of Jesus, is a story full of opposites, and the book of 2 Corinthians beautifully illustrates many of the paradoxes of following Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God, who is both fully God and fully human. He had all power in heaven, but in order to save us from our sin, He came to earth as a human, limited and weak. He is King of everything, yet He came to serve. Though He never sinned—never did anything wrong—He died and took the punishment our sins deserved. He let people do wrong to Him so that He could cleanse us from all our wrongdoing. And from His death, He brought life. Jesus rose from the dead and gave eternal life to everyone who puts their trust in Him.

When we choose to follow Jesus, we get to participate in the seemingly backwards gospel. Though this life is hard, when we fix our eyes on God’s promise of eternal life and live in the faith He gives us, our perspective changes. We find life in death and see that even if we have nothing in the present, we have everything in eternity. We have joy in suffering, comfort in struggles, and hope in trials. When we are weak, we can find strength in God. Even amidst uncertainty, we have confidence, boldness, and freedom because of what Jesus has done for us.

Now, as Christians, we get to be Christ’s ambassadors, comforting and supporting each other and sharing the good news of the paradoxical gospel with the world. • Abby Ciona

• What hard things are you facing today? When we come to God, He provides the comfort, hope, and strength we need to do what He calls us to do. Consider taking a moment to talk to God about whatever is on your mind.

• Where might God be giving you opportunities to comfort and support others today?

• If you want to dig deeper into the theme of paradoxes in the Bible, check out Matthew 20:1-28, John 12:23-25, and Philippians 2:6-11.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV)

I couldn’t wait to go to camp—two whole weeks without parents or teachers telling me what to do. When I arrived, it did not disappoint. I met my bunkmates and our counselor, and we headed down to the lake. Tanner, who’s from North Carolina, showed me how to do a flip off the dock. Later that night, marshmallow and chocolate melted in my mouth as we made s’mores around a fire. I taught Angus, one of my bunkmates all the way from Australia, how to roast a marshmallow to a perfect golden brown.

Then, a few nights in, it hit me. I missed my dog. I missed my mom’s blueberry pancakes. I missed my dad’s corny jokes. I missed playing video games with my little brother. I was lying in my bunk during lights out, and in the darkness I felt painfully alone. I wanted to go home. My heart hurt, and I felt empty. Had I made a mistake coming to camp? I felt overwhelmed and wondered if I’d taken on a task I was not prepared for. I whispered a prayer to God.

At breakfast the next morning, I told Tanner that I missed my dog. Suddenly, everyone at the table started talking about their pets. We shared their names, funny stories, and inevitably learned about each other’s families too. And I didn’t feel alone anymore.

My bunkmates have since become some of my best friends. God heard my prayer that night, and He gave me comfort through friends. No matter where I go, I know God will be with me. • Kelly Bakshi

• Throughout our lives we continue to face difficult things, like family issues, moving, starting a new school or job, etc. When we feel overwhelmed and alone, it can help to remember how God has been there for us in the past. Can you remember a time God helped you?

• As Christians, we can know Jesus is always with us. He cares about all our needs, including relational needs, and He invites us to ask Him for help. How do you need God’s help today?

...if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. Psalm 139:8 (NIV)

My favorite verse in the Bible is Jeremiah 1:5. This is what God said to Jeremiah when He called him to be a prophet: “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Just like with Jeremiah, God knew me before I was born, and He had a plan for my life while I was still in the womb. Life becomes meaningful when I know that I am not just an accident on planet earth.

In the book of Jeremiah, we see God calling Jeremiah into ministry as a prophet to the people of Judah. This call was according to the plan God had made for his life before he was born. Jeremiah became God’s spokesman, calling the people of Judah to repent from worshiping idols and turn back to God. He warned them of the coming disasters and the Babylonian exile that would come as God’s judgment on them for their sin if they did not repent. However, Jeremiah not only pronounced judgment, but he also gave Judah a promise from God, a promise of restoration after seventy years of exile.

God’s interaction with Jeremiah and His people foreshadows the restoration God is going to bring to the whole world. Since humans first sinned against God, humankind was doomed to face God’s judgment. But through Jesus, God has given us the hope of salvation. Jesus came to reveal God’s loving plan for the world, to save us from sin and death, and to heal all brokenness (1 John 4:14). Jesus willingly died for our sin, and He rose back to life! Now anyone who turns to God and puts their trust in Jesus is free from sin and judgment and is restored to relationship with God! As we receive God’s plan for salvation, God continues to unfold His plan for us.

According to Ephesians 1:4-5, God knew us before the foundation of the world, and He chose us in Christ. Adopting us into His family gave Him great pleasure! In Galatians 1:15-16, Paul writes, “But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace.” God was pleased to reveal Jesus to Paul, and God called Paul to share this good news. As Christians, we can know God’s plan for us is to be saved through Jesus. Let us then walk in God’s plans and purposes for our lives as His chosen ones. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• According to Ephesians 1:4-14, what is God’s plan and purpose for us?

• According to Ephesians 2:10, how is it possible for us to “do the good things he planned”?

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 (NLT)

Ashley stopped in front of the school doors and took a deep breath. Over winter break, her stomach had grown considerably larger, and it was impossible to hide it anymore. But if she didn’t go in, she would be late for class. "Who cares?" She thought. She wished she could just leave, but where would she go? She pushed through the swarm of teenagers to her locker. As she hung up her coat, Ashley felt a shiver go down her neck. She glanced over her shoulder and saw a group of girls from church—staring at her. One of them whispered, another giggled. Ashley’s face burned. She grabbed her binder, shoved her backpack into her locker as fast as she could, and started walking toward her first class on the far side of the building. Hugging her binder, Ashley kept her head down, but she could still feel the eyes on her belly. Then she heard someone cough, “Preggers,” and a group of guys snickered. She would not cry. She would not cry.

“Hey Ash, I’ve been looking for you.” Miles came up alongside her. Ashley breathed a sigh of relief and tried to smile, but that’s hard to do when you’re trying to keep tears from leaking out. “You sure you want to be seen with me?” she said.

Miles held her hand gently. “Hey, I’m not leaving you guys to fend for yourselves. You’re an awesome mom, and I’m pretty set on being an awesome dad.” Then Ashley did smile. As they walked through the halls together, the glances still stung but not quite as bad.

“This morning,” Ashley said, “I was reading Psalm 23, and that’s what this feels like.”

Miles tilted his head. “Which part?”

Ashley pulled a crumpled paper from her pocket. “I wrote it down: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...” She offered the paper to Miles, and he read the rest. “...I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

Ashley nodded. “That verse is the reason I came to school at all today. But when my friends won’t even look me in the eyes, it’s hard to remember God is with me. So, I guess, thanks for being here. It helps me remember that God still cares about me.”

Miles rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. Sorry you have to go through all this. Sorry we didn’t...that I didn’t help us stop. I—I want to be here though. With you. I don’t know what it looks like to follow Jesus now, but I want to.”

“Me too,” Ashley said. “Maybe we could talk to Pastor Carlos?”

Miles pulled out his phone. “Yeah, I’ll text him right now.” Ashley stopped and Miles nearly bumped into her.

“Oof!” He steadied himself. “Sorry, are you okay?”

Ashley laughed. “I’m not that fragile.” She bumped his arm with a smile. “This is my class, and you should probably head to yours if you want to be on time.”

Miles put his phone in his pocket. “Sent! Okay, can I walk you to your second class after?”

“But won’t you be late to your class then?”

Miles shrugged. “Maybe, but this is more important.” He squeezed her hand and whispered, “I’ll be praying for you.” She whispered back, “You too.” • Hannah Howe

• While the characters in this fictional story didn’t follow God’s good plan for sex and marriage, God still loves them and their baby, and He is still working in their lives. People often make fun of us when we mess up, but God never makes fun of us. Instead, He wants to help us when we fail. How can you come alongside someone who is struggling and remind them God loves them?

• God created sex for marriage—embodying the total, permanent union of one man and one woman. And this union points to the union of Jesus Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:25-33). How might the gospel affect the way you view sex and marriage?

• If you’ve sinned sexually in any way (including lust), and you want to confess this to God and follow His good plan for sex and marriage, there is so much hope. Once you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you’ve been washed clean of every sin, and the Holy Spirit empowers you to turn away from sin. If you want to pursue gospel-centered sexuality, who are trusted Christians who could support and guide you, such as pastors, counselors, parents, or other mentors?

• No matter what the circumstances are, a baby is always someone to celebrate, a wonderful new person who God has carefully created in His image (Psalm 127:3). God’s timing is perfect, and He will provide for all our needs when we seek Him (Matthew 6:25-34). If you think you might be pregnant (or if you know someone who might be), you can talk to someone confidentially at OptionLine anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (chat: optionline.org, or call/text: 1-800-712-4357). They will listen with compassion, help you think through your options, and they can connect you with resources near you, such as pregnancy testing, medical assistance, and parenting support.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me... Psalm 23:4 (WEB)

I worry, a lot. I worry about mistakes I’ve made in the past, and I worry about the future. I worry that my actions and insensitivities may have hurt people I care about. I worry that I have not handled my responsibilities well enough. I worry that I say the wrong things, or that I haven’t said enough. I worry about being a good friend, family member, and teammate.

I even worry about things that I have no control over. When we have safety drills in school, I worry about a shooter breaking in. Other times I think, "What if my dog runs off and gets hit by a car? What if one of my family members gets sick and dies?" What if, what if, what if...

What if I can change my thoughts? One thing I don’t have to worry about is whether or not God loves me. Jesus, who is fully God and fully human, faced the worst possible worry of all when He went to the cross. He suffered and died, and He did that for me. Then Jesus rose from the dead, making a way for me to be forgiven and live with Him forever. God is more powerful than everything—even death. His Holy Spirit reminds me that I am one of His. I am loved and protected.

When the Israelites were about to enter the land God promised them, the Lord said to Joshua, “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). When I begin to worry, I remind myself that God is with me and I am never alone. I can give my worries to Him and take solace in His ultimate protection. When I drop my worries at the feet of the One who loves me, I feel lighter, and I can spread the light of Jesus all around me. • Kelly Bakshi

• What is worrying you today? God invites us to talk to Him about these things and ask for help.

• If you are feeling overwhelmed by worry, you’re not alone. It’s okay to ask people for help. If you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked, for the Lord is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap. Proverbs 3:25-26 (NLT)

Silent.

I cover up the darkness within. If I do not speak of what is hidden, I think that none shall know. But in my silence I inwardly groan and waste away. It is as if a heavy hand presses down upon me, sapping my strength like the blazing heat of summer.

Naked.

I am only deceiving myself. My guilt is already known and uncovered before the One who knows me better than I know myself. I rip away the covering and acknowledge the darkness within. All is exposed, uncovered, revealed. I know, am aware of, and renounce the evil.

Covered.

I no longer falsely cover my guilt. The One who carried, lifted up, and bore my sin away has me covered. I am forgiven, and He calls me...

Blessed.

This poem is inspired by Psalm 32. The author (King David) felt horrible when he tried to cover up his wrongdoing, but when he confessed his sins to God, God forgave him. Trying to cover our sins doesn’t work. But Jesus doesn’t merely cover our sins (as Psalm 32:1 prays), but even more, He forgives and removes them “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12).

God took the punishment for our sins on Himself. Though Jesus never sinned, He allowed Himself to be uncovered. He was humbled, stripped naked, and lifted up on a cross in order to carry our sins. Jesus died, but He rose again—defeating sin and death forever. Now He asks us to uncover the ugliest places in our lives to Him through acknowledging and confessing our sins. When we humble ourselves, He will lift us up and remove the guilt and shame. Then we will know the blessings of forgiveness instead of the despair of guilt. • Marie Cleveland

• Can you think of a time you experienced God’s forgiveness? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this.

• Is there something in your life you’ve been trying to cover up?

How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! Psalm 32:1 (CSB)

Filling a basin with water in the upper room, our Lord Jesus Christ washed the feet of His disciples. He then tenderly dried each foot with a towel He had hung around His waist. This included the two feet belonging to Judas. Christ knew Judas would betray Him in a few hours. Still, He washed Judas’s feet, telling His disciples, “And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet” (John 13:14). Christ used the basin and towel to demonstrate His healing, cleansing love for us and to call all of us to demonstrate that love to one another.

The next day, after Christ’s arrest and trial, another man used another basin and towel for a different purpose. In front of a screaming mob, Pontius Pilate used them to try to wash away his responsibility for Christ’s death. To prevent a political uprising, Pilate ordered that Christ be beaten, and then he handed Him over for crucifixion. Pilate allowed people to execute Christ, who he had found not guilty (John 19:1-16).

Two basins. Two towels. Jesus used His to make His disciples clean and renewed, free from the stains of sin. Pontius Pilate used his basin and towel to try to do the same for himself. But it didn’t work. Jesus alone has the power to wash us, to free us of all sin. Only His death and resurrection can make us clean and forgive our wrongdoing. And Jesus offers this forgiveness to each of us freely and lovingly. • Kathy Irey

• Jesus’s love and forgiveness is more powerful than any sin. What needs to be restored and made new in your life today? Consider taking some time to bring this to Jesus in prayer.

• How can you remind those around you of Jesus’s love and forgiveness?

“I [Jesus] have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” John 13:15 (NLT)

There are many challenges people face every day. The world we live in is dysfunctional, torn apart by imperfection. Sin has twisted God’s good creation, but Jesus came to heal the brokenness we inhabit. Because of Jesus, we have hope, and we get to share this hope with each other.

When one of my friends was facing some challenges and was desperately in need of cheering up, I decided to email her some encouragement—and a few funny animal pictures to make her laugh. What I didn’t expect to receive a couple weeks later was a gift. After the initial awkwardness of, “Oh, you shouldn’t have, but thank you so much,” I excitedly tore open the wrapping paper to discover a sequel to a novel we’d both enjoyed reading. It was such a lovely surprise, and I was touched by her thoughtfulness—especially the kind thank-you message inside her card.

I was overjoyed that my actions had helped my friend. I was reminded that simple acts of kindness, no matter how small, can mean so much to us. Plus, writing an encouraging email also made me feel uplifted. When we have a desire to reach out, we shouldn’t ignore it. Oftentimes the Holy Spirit puts these good desires inside us, and He also helps us do what God calls us to do. Let’s continue to build each other up and encourage one another like Jesus taught us. • Cindy Lee

• Life is hard, but we can remind each other that we’re not alone. Can you think of a time someone encouraged you in a meaningful way? What did they say or do?

• Who is someone you could encourage today? Consider asking the Holy Spirit to help you think of a way to show kindness to them.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (CSB)

People make promises but often fail to fulfill them. Sometimes people change their minds about the promises they’ve made, or lie about them, or even forget they made a promise at all. Other times, promises are broken because of human limitations or unforeseen circumstances. There are many reasons people cannot always be depended upon to keep their promises.

But when God makes a promise, He always fulfills it. Because He is not limited in any way, God cannot fail to do what He has promised. He does not lie or forget what He has said. So it doesn’t matter how impossible it may seem for God’s promise to be fulfilled; it will come to pass because God has said so.

One example of this is when God promised that Abraham and Sarah would have a child together (Genesis 17-18). Although Abraham and Sarah were very old and, naturally speaking, it was impossible for them to have a baby, that didn’t stop God from keeping His promise. Sarah gave birth to Isaac at just the time God said she would (Genesis 21:1-3).

God gives us promises through His Word, and we see many of these fulfilled in Jesus. In the Old Testament, God promised to send a Messiah to save us. Jesus is that Messiah. Because God loves us, He came and willingly died for us, and then He rose from the dead three days later, just like He said He would (Matthew 28:6). We can rely on Jesus to do what He says He’ll do. As Christians, we can know He will be with us through the Holy Spirit, and He will return one day to judge the world justly, raise us from the dead, and restore creation!

As we wait for Jesus to return, we can rely on God’s promise in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” And the Holy Spirit helps us believe what God says, hold on to His promises, and wait for their fulfillment. God is dependable. When the winds of unbelief and the waves of doubt come, God will still keep His powerful and precious promises to us. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• How are God’s promises different from people’s promises?

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? Numbers 23:19 (NLT)

When anyone becomes a Christian, it’s easy to become despondent when suddenly things go wrong. The dreams you had of walking in Jesus’s footsteps and showing others what He’s like can quickly turn sour when you lose your temper or do something you later regret.

When this happens, don’t give up or despair. It’s easy to think, “I’m not good enough. I’m supposed to be a Christian, and I’ve really messed up. What will people think?” Or, “Does this mean I won’t go to heaven? Have I blown it? Should I give up now?”

However, this is the wrong mindset. Yes, we are given a fresh start and a new heart when we put our trust in Jesus. But this does not for one minute mean we will become perfect in this life. Perfection is impossible, because ever since the first humans sinned by going their own way against God, we are all broken and flawed. Our sin separates us from God, and this is why we need Jesus. We don’t have the capacity to be perfect on our own.

What we do have is an advocate who acts as the mediator between us and God (1 Timothy 2:5). When Jesus was born and lived among us as a human, He brought hope to the world. For generations, God’s people had been looking forward to the Messiah—the promised rescuer. When Jesus died and rose back to life, He made a way for us to be in relationship with God. And when Jesus returns, all His forgiven followers will be totally restored from all brokenness. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, His perfect love covers all our imperfections.

So when we mess up, God doesn’t want us to berate ourselves and just feel terrible. Rather, His Word says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret” (2 Corinthians 7:10). When we fall short, God invites us to take a step back, acknowledge our weaknesses and wrongdoing, and admit that we need Him. Through His Holy Spirit, God helps Christians daily to repent and follow Him. Even though we will continue to mess up until Jesus returns, God still works through our lives to help others. We can be free to follow God out of love, knowing that our eternal life with Him is secure, not because of what we do, but because of what Jesus did. • Cindy Lee

• We are not perfect. Trying to be perfect causes pain. How might remembering that Jesus covers our imperfections help us come to Him when we fall short?

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17 (NIV)

Many of us have taken care of plants at some time, whether a little succulent, a pot of herbs, a flower bed, or a field of vegetables. Some of us are more successful gardeners than others, but whether we’re good at growing plants or not, there’s a lot we can learn about our lives from gardens. In John 15:1-9, Jesus describes Himself as a vine and His followers as branches growing from that vine, with God as our gardener. Just like a branch needs to stay connected to its vine to live, it’s only by staying connected to Jesus that we experience fullness of life and thrive in all seasons.

One essential part of gardening is pruning. When you prune plants, you intentionally cut off branches and leaves. It may look harmful for the plant, but in fact, it helps the plant grow better. A pruned plant is stronger, healthier, and more fruitful. Pruning shows a gardener cares for the plant, and so does God’s pruning in our lives.

We all go through pruning seasons, hard times where we face challenges and experience loss. But we can find comfort and hope in knowing God our Gardener prunes with a purpose. As we abide in Jesus, God is working in us, transforming us to be the people He created us to be. As we remain in Jesus’s love, we grow in faith and love and our lives produce good fruit. • Abby Ciona

• What hard things are you facing today? How might God be inviting you to rest in Jesus’s love?

• While we can go through hard things that prune us, we must be careful not to equate pruning with trauma. A truly traumatic event—such as abuse—is like a tree taking an ax to the trunk. Can God use trauma in our lives? Absolutely, but it’s a different category than “pruning.” It can be helpful to remember that, no matter what we experience, God is always with us and He grieves our hurts alongside us. Through Jesus, He gently and faithfully heals all our wounds as we come to Him (Isaiah 53:2-5). If you have questions about this, who is a trusted Christian adult in your life, such as a teacher, counselor, pastor, parent, or coach you could talk to?

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV)

When difficulties come, it’s easy to give in to worry and fear. When problems arise, we can find ourselves shaken, beaten, and hurt. The Israelites experienced this when God was rescuing them from slavery. They were stuck between the Red Sea and the Pharaoh’s army. But Moses told the Israelites, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:14). Then God sent an angel to block the Pharaoh’s army, and God parted the sea, “and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left” (Exodus 14:22). On that day, God rescued His people. And they only needed to be still.

Sometimes when we’re in trouble, God calls us to do the same. When all seems lost, don’t get discouraged or give up. You need not fight because God will fight your battle for you. Just like the Israelites were helpless to save themselves from the Egyptian army, we were all helpless to save ourselves from sin, brokenness, and death. So God sent Jesus to rescue us.

When Jesus was crucified, He did not fight back. He let people beat Him, spit on Him, whip Him, and nail Him to a cross like a common criminal. It didn’t look like He was winning His battle, but God, in the stillness of Jesus, fought the battle against sin and death. And God raised Him back to life on the third day.

Whatever battle you have, whatever is troubling you, whatever is pushing you down or causing you pain, remember that God is fighting for you. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you are held securely in His love and He will never give up on you. Though we will endure many pains and sorrows like Jesus did, He is always with us. Through it all, God provides peace. Sometimes, it’s through stillness that He brings victory.

If you are a Christian, Jesus’s Holy Spirit is in you, and He helps you to be still before God. The same Jesus who calmed the stormy sea is the God who gave us His peace (John 14:27). Nothing is impossible for Him. You can be still because He is the almighty God and nothing is too hard for Him to do. Most of all, you can live in stillness because God loves you and He will do whatever it takes to help, save, and protect you. You can trust Him, knowing that He can do great things in your life. • Golda Dilema

• Do you feel like you’re fighting your battles alone? What problems storm and trouble you?

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10a (NIV)

As Christians, how should we approach science? From forests to soil, seas to sky, planets to microorganisms, to you and me, God’s creation is incredible! God calls us to be caretakers of His creation, and to best take care of something and appreciate it, we have to understand it.

But first, we have to acknowledge that our human interpretations and understandings of the world are imperfect and incomplete. Until Jesus returns, we will never fully understand how the natural world works, just like we will never fully understand the Bible. But that shouldn’t stop us from studying and exploring what God has given us. When we come across something that doesn’t make sense, it helps to remember that God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). If there seems to be conflict between our interpretations of science and our interpretations of the Bible, there’s probably something we’ve missed—or haven’t discovered yet. Sometimes, it might seem like science disproves what God says, but this is just because we don’t know all there is to know. As we search for answers, we can rest on God and His Word. The Creator knows everything about His creation, and He is master of all (Psalm 24:1). We need to remember that the Bible is not a science textbook; it’s God’s story of redeeming the world through Jesus.

Science helps us understand God’s creation, and that helps us learn more about God—His creation reflects His character. The complexity, detail, structure, beauty, and imagination in creation all point to the awesome One who crafted it. But creation also shows the brokenness caused by sin. God made all things good, but when people went against God, death and decay and violence entered the world. But God wanted to restore all of creation, including us. So Jesus, God the Son, came to live among us as a human. Out of His great love, He suffered and died for us. Yet death couldn’t hold the all-powerful Creator. Jesus rose from the dead, and anyone who puts their trust in Jesus will also raise back to life when Jesus returns to make everything new!

Far more important than knowing exactly how the world works or how everything was created is knowing the One who created it all. God made everything with a purpose: to glorify Him. The God who is in complete control of the universe wants us to know His love deeply. As Christians, we can explore, appreciate, and care for God’s creation through science, recognizing that God is the Creator and Restorer of everything. • Abby Ciona

• Where have you seen God’s goodness in creation? Where have you seen brokenness?

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Psalm 19:1 (NLT)

Kiara slammed her mug of coffee on the blue diner counter, defeated. She had just spent the last of her sratos on what was most likely her last meal for a long time. She’d thought there was no way she’d run out of the intergalactic currency. She sighed, thinking about all she had done with the fortune of sratos her rich dad had given her when she demanded her share of the inheritance and left home. Wild parties, a new spaceship...the list went on until she’d spent the very last of what she had. She’d worked at the diner for a while, but when a recession hit, they fired her. Asking for help only earned her threats and sideways glances. And now...well, she didn’t know what to do other than become homeless.

Kiara drained the coffee in her mug, then dragged herself out of the small diner and down the street. She thought about going back to her dad and asking for forgiveness, but the idea pricked her pride. She walked until her stomach growled, and she remembered the meals her dad provided for his workers every day. Shaking her head, Kiara crossed to the other side of the street. No, she really did need to go back to her dad. She headed toward the spaceport where her ship was docked—well, she called it a ship anyway. She’d traded in her new ship and now her mode of transportation was a retrofitted escape pod that felt like it was about to fall to pieces every time she took off. Kiara walked up the ramp to her “ship” and climbed into the leather pilot’s seat. Maybe she’d ask to join his brigate of hired workers that took care of his large estate.

“Better that than becoming homeless,” she muttered to herself as she set her course for her homeworld of Kelticas.

When Kiara dropped out of hyperspace and landed near her dad’s estate, her pulse quickened. She was nearly in tears as she walked a familiar path, thinking of all that she would say to him when she saw him. Nearing the mansion, Kiara felt overwhelmed by shame. Just then, she heard a joyful voice shouting her name. “Kiara! How I’ve missed you, my daughter!” Kiara’s dad ran up and hugged her tightly, tears running down both of their faces.

“Come, we must celebrate!” He took her hand, leading her into the mansion. “You are home!” • Carissa Vruggink

• This story is how one author reimagined a parable Jesus told in Luke 15:11-32. Jesus talked about the joy in heaven when a sinner repents—turns away from wrongdoing and comes home to God. We have all done wrong against God, and Jesus is the only way we can come home. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus offers forgiveness to anyone who puts their trust in Him. What sticks out to you in this story—either in the author’s retelling or in the original parable?

“Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting.” Luke 15:10 (WEB)

"You’re not part of the team. You can’t come with us. You’re not invited.” Has anyone said something like this to you? It hurts when others make it clear you are not welcome. We all want a place to belong. Whether in a family, church community, with friends, or on a team, having a place to belong gives us a sense of value. It’s a reminder that someone cares for us. And the truth is, God created us to live in community and have the purposeful work of caring for His creation together. But when humans went their own way against God, this good design was broken. Now we experience exclusion, which breeds feelings of isolation and low self-worth.

But even amidst all this brokenness, God didn’t abandon us. Jesus came to be with us, and He made a way for us to be in close relationship with God and each other again. Through dying and raising back to life, Jesus has done what it takes to reverse the damage caused by our sin. One day, He will right every wrong. In the meantime, even though we may be rejected by friends, organizations, or family members in this dysfunctional world we inhabit, Jesus will never reject those who come to Him (John 6:37). He wants to include us in the family of God, and He doesn’t discriminate based on our background, appearance, gender, class, age, or anything else. Jesus knows our hearts, and He wants to satisfy our deepest desires.

Even if everyone else disowns us, Jesus promises us the security of relationship with Him. When Jesus knew that His death was near, He told His disciples, “I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you” (John 14:18). And Jesus kept His promise. After He rose from the dead, He returned to His followers. Then He ascended to heaven so that He could send them His Holy Spirit. And Jesus offers us this amazing relationship with Him today. When we put our trust in Jesus, we become part of God’s family, and no one can snatch us away from Him (John 10:28-29). • Cindy Lee

• Can you think of a time you were left out, excluded from something? Jesus knows what it feels like to be rejected (Isaiah 53:2-6), and He grieves our hurts with us.

• If you realize you’ve purposely excluded someone else, Jesus invites you to turn away from wrongdoing and instead rely on His forgiveness, wisdom, and strength to treat others with kindness and dignity. Consider taking a moment to pray for the person/people you’ve wronged.

Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. Psalm 27:10 (NLT)

It’s okay to not know what is to come.

It’s alright to go into a new year or phase of life without plans or expectations.

My expectations don’t always happen anyway. My plans aren’t always for the best.

But when I look to Jesus, when I ask Him to guide my life, everything will turn out alright.

It’s scary to not know what to expect in this life. It’s hard to just move forward without knowing what waits on the other side. It’s overwhelming to think about all that could happen, all that we need to do, or all that could go wrong.

But no matter what happens, I know that Jesus will be with me. That is the greatest comfort in my life.

Did Peter know he would be imprisoned and even killed for his faith in Jesus? No, but God was with him through it all.

Did Esther know she would be taken into the king’s harem and made queen, or that God would call her to risk her life to save her people? No, but she was able to have courage with God’s help.

Our lives might not always be easy, and the future might not always be clear, but when we have faith in Jesus and trust Him, we can make it through anything that is to come. • Bethany Acker

• What are some of your plans, expectations, or fears for the future?

• When we think about all the unknowns of what is to come, it’s not as frightening when we remember that God will still be with us when we get there. Consider taking a moment to imagine God’s presence with you and how He might help you, even if the thing you dread most were to happen.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

Your mission will be riddled with perils. Make no mistake, this exoplanet is uncharted territory—there are no illusions about our exploration team making it back to our home planet safely.” Commander Sholer crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze penetrating the souls of the group gathered around him. “Anything to add before we embark?”

Tylana adjusted her Rememlet tighter against her lavender skin. Her gold eyes blazed bright as she pressed the top button on the Rememlet. A soft chiming sound began emanating from the device. She spoke aloud, “Commander, I have something.” When all eyes turned toward her, Tylana swallowed her nerves down, standing straighter. “I was reading the Sacred Manual, and I believe Metsuda brought something to my heart that has helped me become closer to Him. Implementing this into my life has helped me feel more prepared for this perilous mission; through it, Metsuda has given me great clarity...and even bravery.”

“Tylana, please, share this with us!” Chandi, one of her closest friends, curled her silver hair around her finger in anticipation. Tylana smiled, encouraged. “You all know how important it is that we read the Sacred Manual and spend time in the presence of Metsuda? Well, I know this too. Only, with all our recent discoveries and missions across the galaxy, I found myself getting away from the good message, even at times forgetting the great love of Metsuda, the very love that compelled Him to give up His life for us.” Several heads nodded in agreement.

“But Metsuda, who lives forever, is so kind to me, and He wants to help me be in connection with Him. He knows that I like systems, and I believe He helped me develop this new system that I call ‘Challenge 15.’ I programmed my Rememlet to go off at a certain time every day. When it chimes, it reminds me to take 15 minutes to complete 5-5-5: five minutes of reading the Sacred Manual, five of praying to Metsuda, and five of praising Him. As I draw close to Metsuda, He is transforming my heart and equipping me for what He asks me to do.”

Commander Sholer smiled—a rare occurrence indeed! • Savannah Coleman

• Do you have any systems for spending time with God? Have these been helpful to you?

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21 (NIV)

I. ran a marathon once. In case you are unfamiliar, a marathon is 26.2 miles of running. That was in the year 2000, and I’ve never even considered running another one. I’m completely convinced it’s because I didn’t create a celebratory moment at the finish line. I’ve found that if I don’t celebrate something that’s worthy of celebration, I’m less likely to want to do it again. But if I make a big deal about the big moments in my life, I’m more likely to continue in these paths.

In the book of 1 Samuel, in chapter 7, there’s an awesome story where all the people of Israel turn back to the Lord, get rid of their idols, confess their sins, and recommit to serving God and Him alone. Then they find out the Philistine army is coming to attack them, so the Israelites cry out to the Lord to rescue them. Verse 10 says, “The Philistines arrived to attack Israel. But the Lord spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven that day, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them.”

Then the prophet Samuel set up a stone near a boundary where the Israelites defeated the Philistines. After this battle, the Philistines didn’t even touch the Israelites. In fact, the Israelites took back some of the land that had been taken from them. The stone Samuel set out is called Ebenezer: Stone of Help. But the stone is not the thing. The important thing is that Samuel and the Israelites created a moment to recognize what God did and set up a memorial as a reminder of His faithfulness. The reason the Israelites conquered their enemies that day was because God answered their cry for help. The stone was a visual reminder of how God rescued them.

In the “marathons” of life, it’s important for us to take time to celebrate God’s help. Set up an Ebenezer if you need to. Whether it’s a stone or a feather or a marshmallow, it doesn’t matter. Whatever it takes, celebrate God’s faithfulness. Remember times God has helped you, and also remember how Jesus came to save you by dying and raising from the dead. He loves you and wants you to cry out to Him. As you seek God through Jesus, He will give you the courage and perseverance to continue running strong in the paths He has for you. • Andrea Bowden

• Can you think of a time God helped you? How can you celebrate His help today?

Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!” 1 Samuel 7:12 (NLT)

A baby cries because the crib is too large, and they don’t feel secure until they are in the arms of their parent. A toddler reaches for the hand of an adult when a loud noise frightens them. A young child turns from strangers and clings to their parent. An older child grasps the hand of the adult beside them on a rollercoaster.

Children are willing to cling to the adults in their lives without shame. They know they need help and are willing to reach out for others. Perhaps this is one of the reasons Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it” (Luke 18:16-17). Jesus provided a way for us to be adopted as God’s children through His death and resurrection. God wants us to come to Him for help. We also see this in Hebrews 4:16, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

Yet sometimes our pride can stop us from reaching out for help, both from God and from other people. It can be difficult to ask a friend for support, to ask an adult for guidance when we don’t know what to do, or to admit when we feel scared. It can even be tough to turn to God for help. We might think we have to figure things out on our own. We might feel ashamed.

But the truth is, no one can get through life without help. God designed us to depend on Him and be in community with each other. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have full access to God through His Holy Spirit living in us, and we are part of His family, the church. God is with us through community, and He provides other people who will pick us up when we get knocked down. And we also get to help others! As Christians, when we go through difficult days, we are never alone. Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, and He will never leave us. We are part of a community created by Jesus, and God is always with us, guiding and loving us. • Emily Acker

• When do you find it difficult to ask for help?

• Who are trusted Christians in your life you can be honest with about your struggles?

• How might God be giving you opportunities to help other people who are struggling?

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! Psalm 121:2 (NLT)

Dull gray eyes stared back at me in the mirror. Unimpressive, unimportant, unseen. That’s how I felt—invisible. Would anyone notice if I were gone? Would anyone really care? Contemplating my apparent superhero power of invisibility really lifted my spirits. Sighing deep, I tried to stop the tears from leaking from my eyes.

As I turned my back on the mirror, wondering if I even wanted to face one more day, I noticed a small bird perched on a branch right outside my window. I edged forward slowly for a closer look. The bird seemed to stare straight into my soul, unafraid, as I moved closer to the window. It was a tiny sparrow. Deep in the recesses of my heart, a memory stirred. Something I had heard when I was a child: “Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

I could not even recall where I had heard this or even how old I had been, but the words in my mind blazed brighter than the sunrise. I snatched my phone off the bed and searched the words. They came from Matthew 10:29-31, and they were in red. Further investigation revealed that the red words were the words Jesus spoke.

Sinking onto my bed, I gazed out the window and let the tears spill. This time, they were not tears of discouragement or dolor. No, these were tears of joy and promise. I was not invisible. I was known, wanted, loved, and forever seen. • Savannah Coleman

• When we feel hopeless, Jesus sees us and cares for us. Where do you need hope today?

• If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You can also talk with someone via web chat at suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat

• If your situation is potentially life-threatening, call 911 (or the emergency number for your area) or go to the local hospital emergency room right away.

• If you need someone to talk to but are not in need of immediate help, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:31 (NIV)

Consider the birds, Whose magnificent wings Propel them through the air. No human voice could match Their song, and their beauty’s Beyond compare. Consider the lilies, As they color the fields, And wonder at how they grow. Flowers do not work, Or look after themselves, Yet they’re clothed by a heavenly glow. The God of all nature, Creator and King, For both roses and sparrows provides. Seek first, then, the kingdom, The kingdom of God, And He’ll surely remain by your side. • Christian Davis

• The God of all nature revealed Himself to us in Jesus. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, through His death and resurrection, we can know that He is always with us. How can looking at God’s creation remind us that He is trustworthy?

• Jesus calls us into a life of rest as we rely on God for all our needs. And life with Jesus is also meaningful and fruitful as we seek God’s kingdom. How can relying on God for our needs free us to follow Him?

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Matthew 6:33 (CSB)

He takes a whole mass of nothing, a void of empty, and fills it with light—and life!

This is our God.

When His heart breaks over evil and sin consuming His precious creation, He seeks out the faithful and delivers them. After the waters roar and the mountain peaks are covered, He covers us with the promise of His unending love—a rainbow.

This is our God.

Despite the continuing cycle of disregard, disobedience, and idol worship, His compassion is moved at the cries of His children. He splits the seas in two, He guides by fire and cloud. He provides manna from heaven even amidst the whining and the wandering.

This is our God.

In hard places where there is no water, He makes streams come forth. The jugs of oil that have run dry, He fills to overflowing. When all hope seems lost and God seems silent, He is working on our behalf. When bones are dry and scattered, He breathes life and puts the pieces back together.

This is our God.

When the whole world cried out for saving, for a way back to God, He sent us Himself. Opening the womb of a virgin, making room where the animals were kept when there was no room elsewhere, opening our hearts to His Son.

This is our God.

The very heart of the Father among us: He turned the water into wine, touched the unclean, healed the sick and the broken, healed us by His death on the cross for our sins.

This is our God.

“Father, forgive them,”

This is our God.

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

This is our God.

The tomb is empty!

This is our God.

“I am with you always,”

This is our God. • Savannah Coleman

The time came for the baby to be born. Luke 2:6b (NIV)

Last Christmas, our pastor used the hymn “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” as inspiration for a sermon. In the third verse, eighteenth-century preacher Charles Wesley wrote lyrics about how Jesus was born to give us second birth. But what does it mean to have second birth?

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command, sin and death entered the world. God’s good creation was stained by the brokenness of humanity. And without Jesus, we also deserve to die. But God sent Jesus to our world as a baby, vulnerable and helpless, born in the place where animals were kept. Our Creator became like us. He got down to our level. He was born on earth so that we can be renewed, revived, and restored. So that we can be born again.

God reveals glimpses of this new life throughout the Bible. In Ezekiel 37, the prophet Ezekiel shares a vision he had of a valley filled with bones. The bones were dry. Dead. Void of life. And yet, God asked Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?” (Ezekiel 37:3). As unlikely as it seems that dry bones could come to life, Ezekiel had a good response: “Sovereign Lord, you alone know” (Ezekiel 37:3). And then, God did what only God can do: He brought renewal and life to something that seemed long dead and gone. The bones rattled and came together, tendons and flesh and skin covered them, breath entered the bodies, and God brought them to life once more.

Without Jesus, we are like those in the valley of dry bones, alone and void of life. But like Jesus told Martha right before He raised her brother Lazarus from the dead, Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Jesus was born so that we could experience a rebirth of our own. A rebirth from hopelessness to hope, from emptiness to joy, from death to life. And just as God raised Jesus bodily from the dead, He will also raise us—His forgiven followers—from the dead!

And so, this is what the good news of Christmas is all about: a God who would send His own Son to be born on earth, so that if we put our trust in Him, we can receive life to the full. Jesus was born so that we can be born again. • Becca Wierwille

• In what areas of your life do you need God to bring renewal? How might Jesus be inviting you into His fullness of life today?

• If you want to dig deeper, take some time to read John 3:1-21. What do you think Jesus means when He tells Nicodemus, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (verse 3)?

“I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10b (NIV)

For many years, my family celebrated Christmas at my grandparents’ home in northern Wisconsin, where winter is typically very cold and snowy. One year my dad thought it would be fun if he and I hiked out into the woods and cooked breakfast over a fire. We got lost. Then we couldn’t start the fire. We were mocked by our family upon our return. We learned though, and the following year everything went well. Except it was so cold, I kept moving my feet closer and closer to the fire until I noticed my boots were melting! Again, I was mocked.

Another year, some other family members joined us and pretty much made fun of the whole thing, saying, “We could have stayed home, been warm, and had better food.” No one really understood why my dad and I did this tradition. Mostly we were made fun of. But those mornings are some of my favorite memories of my dad.

People often make fun of what they don’t understand. You’ll notice this when you follow your Heavenly Father as well. He sent Jesus into this world to save people from sin and death, to forgive us and give us new life. Jesus revealed the Father and proclaimed His kingdom, which was totally foreign to the way the world was going. Most people didn’t get it, and they rejected Him. Even Jesus’s brothers didn’t understand. Many people mocked Jesus, especially people from His hometown. Even His own disciples rarely seemed to understand what Jesus was up to.

Don’t be surprised if following Christ makes you look weird! It will, and the world that doesn’t understand will mock you. But Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (Matthew 5:11). When people make fun of you for following Jesus, remember that He knows how you feel. And even when others don’t understand, it’s okay. You can still enjoy being with your Father! • Jeff Weddle

• Without Jesus, none of us would want to spend time with God, let alone follow Him. We need Jesus to give us faith to move us from mocking Him to trusting Him. When you find yourself mocking others, how can Jesus’s grace bring you comfort and move you toward compassion?

• Why did Jesus Christ come to save people who didn’t understand or like Him? (Including us!)

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)

Every Christmas, I hear about the “wise men” coming to Bethlehem to see baby Jesus as recorded in Matthew 2. But why is this historical event important? Who were the wise men and how did they play a key role in the Christmas drama? Let’s take a closer look at the wise men.

The Bible gives us very little detail about these people. How many were there? Did they ride camels? Were they kings? The correct name for the wise men, based on the original Greek text, is Magi. The next question is: Who or what are Magi? Some believe the Magi were a priestly tribe of an ancient people called the Medes, in the part of the world where Iran and Iraq are now. The Magi were very well educated in astronomy and mathematics and very powerful politically. One of the main jobs of the Magi was to crown kings.

The next question is: Why did the Magi get involved with baby Jesus in Bethlehem? Their story might be tied to the events of Daniel in the Old Testament. When some of the Jews were in exile in Babylon, God helped Daniel (a Jew) to interpret King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream when the Magi could not (Daniel 2:26-28). Then the king said, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery,” and he made Daniel chief of the Magi (Daniel 2:46-48). In this way, God helped Daniel to have tremendous influence over the Magi. It is very possible he taught them Old Testament prophecies about the promised Messiah. So, when a group of Magi saw the star and traveled to Jerusalem hundreds of years later looking for the king of the Jews, they might have known the teachings of Daniel. (Also, at that time in history, it is more likely these wealthy travelers rode horses, not camels.)

The Magi were the first people to worship Jesus as King. This detail about Jesus’s birth was especially important to New Testament author Matthew because he emphasized that Jesus is the King who God had promised generations before. By causing a star to rise, God led these ancient Magi to proclaim Jesus as King. • Doug Velting

• Since Jesus is the King of Kings (Revelation 1:5; 19:16), how might this affect the way we worship Him?

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2 (NIV)

For as long as Sapphira could remember, the world had been at war. For years she had defended her small kingdom against the fierce advances of the Hadyssian empire, and so far they had remained free, as had her sisters’ kingdoms to the north and to the south. But every time her armies returned from battle, the soldiers were fewer and more ragged than before. It was only a matter of time before the Hadyssians would overtake them and her beloved country would fall under the rule of the ruthless King Felix.

But when she saw a new star glowing bright in the western sky, Sapphira knew something had changed. She summoned every astrologer in her court, but none of them could explain the sudden appearance of this great light or what it meant. After she sent the last astrologer out the door, one of her servants approached her and bowed low. “Your Grace, the God I serve has revealed the meaning of this star to me. It lights the way to a child born in the country I come from—a child who will one day rule as the greatest King of all and bring peace to the entire world.”

Peace. No more Hadyssians. No more King Felix. Sapphira could hardly imagine a peaceful world. Yet her heart was filled with hope, and she ached to see this newborn King with her own eyes. “Where is this child?” she asked the servant.

His eyes dropped to the polished stone floor. “Zion.”

Sapphira gasped. Zion lay deep in the territory of King Felix. If the Hadyssians found out who she was, she would be killed, and her kingdom would fall. But it was a risk she was willing to take.

Sapphira immediately sent messengers to her sisters, who quickly sent word back: “We’re coming too.” They arrived in her kingdom a few days later bearing costly gifts for the child. When everything was loaded onto the camels, the three queens took off their crowns. They would not be traveling as queens, but as commoners. Sapphira placed her golden crown with the other gifts. It would make a fitting gift for a King. Then, as evening fell, she and her sisters mounted their camels and began their journey to find the child of peace, guided by the bright light of the star in the distance. • Courtney Lasater

• We currently live in a world ruled by evil (1 John 5:19), but Jesus promises peace to each person who puts their trust in Him (John 14:27), and one day He’ll bring peace to the whole world when He returns as King (Revelation 21:1-4). Have you ever experienced the peace of Jesus in a world full of trouble? What was it like?

• How is Jesus different from other kings?

• What do we gain by putting our trust in Jesus? (Find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

“I [Jesus] have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NLT)

On a rainy African day, we flew in a small plane from the city of Monrovia, Liberia, to a small airstrip in the northern part of the country. This ninety- minute flight saved us two days of travel on muddy, washed-out roads. The most amazing part was rising above the rain clouds and emerging into the glorious light of the sun. From underneath the clouds, it was all dark, rainy, and gloomy—the belly of the storm.

Do you ever experience life like this? A gloomy underside where all seems dull, dreary, and hopeless? You might know the sun is always shining...somewhere above the clouds. But have you ever witnessed it with your own eyes? It’s one thing to know it intellectually, another to see it firsthand.

When Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms, He experienced the light of God firsthand. Simeon had been “eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel” (Luke 2:25). God led him to Jesus and gave him these amazing words to proclaim: “...I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” (Luke 2:30-32).

Like rising above the clouds in an airplane, Simeon, in his old age, finally saw God’s promised Savior with his own eyes. Light has come into this dark world, and His name is Jesus. Not just that day long ago when the Savior was born, but every day since then, Jesus is the Light of the World. Yes, even today! No matter how hopeless it may seem under the belly of the storm you are going through, Jesus is the ever-present light over it all. • Daniel Dore

• Is there something you have been waiting for? Longing to see with your own eyes?

• What promise did God give to Simeon? What promise does Jesus give to His followers?

• Jesus came to rescue us, and He is more powerful than any darkness. What darkness are you experiencing today? Jesus understands, and He is inviting you to come to Him.

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12 (NLT)

One person in the New Testament I admire is Joseph. He isn’t mentioned much in the Bible, but his actions had a tremendous impact on humanity. Who was he? How did his role influence Christianity today?

The Bible tells us Joseph was a descendant of King David, and he was pledged to marry a woman named Mary. But when Joseph found out Mary was pregnant before their wedding, his thoughts must have been wild with varying emotions. There are so many responses Joseph could have had. Yet even though the culture he lived in was harsh and strict—especially when it came to sexual sin—Joseph chose to treat Mary with compassion. He didn’t want his fiancée to be humiliated or worse, executed. Instead, rather than allow her to be shamed or killed, he thought about divorcing her later.

But a dream from an angel changed his initial plan. The angel revealed that Mary was miraculously pregnant through the Holy Spirit and told Joseph not to be afraid to marry her. So instead of divorcing Mary, Joseph took on the role of supportive husband and loving stepfather. He stood by Mary, and together they cared for Jesus as he grew up. Joseph took care of his family by fleeing to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-23) and following the Jewish feasts (Luke 2:41-52). As a carpenter, Joseph probably taught Jesus his trade (Matthew 13:55-57; Mark 6:3). Since there is no record of Joseph being present at Jesus’s death, many assume he died before then. Yet Joseph got to be part of God’s plan of redemption.

Joseph allowed God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to step in and drastically change his plans. Joseph followed God’s law, and every time God spoke to him in a dream, he obeyed. By accepting and caring for Jesus, Joseph got to be part of God’s plan to bring salvation to this broken world. • Cindy Lee

• Do you sometimes feel like you’re behind the scenes or in the background? Rest assured you are not forgotten. How might God be inviting you to be part of His plan of redemption?

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21 (NIV)

When Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem with the newborn Jesus, there were shepherds in a nearby field. Suddenly an angel appeared and told them about the baby Jesus—the Savior they had all been waiting for had come! The shepherds ran down to the village to see this sight. Immediately after they had seen Jesus, they went and told others this amazing good news. That is being a missionary.

When Jesus was put to death on the cross, there was a great earthquake. The Roman officer and his soldiers who witnessed Jesus’s execution and the earthquake made this proclamation: “This man truly was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54). They told what they had seen and heard. That is being a missionary.

This happened not only at Jesus’s birth and death but also after His resurrection. The women who came early to the tomb were met by an angel who told them Jesus was not dead, He was alive! The women ran to tell others this good news. That is being a missionary.

The shepherds who marveled at the birth of the Savior were missionaries. The soldiers who witnessed the power of the Son of God, even in death, were like missionaries. The women who were shocked to find the empty tomb were missionaries. How? By running to tell other people about the good news God had showed them. Who is a missionary? Anyone who has personally experienced the good news of Jesus.

Jesus came to save us, sinners who can’t save ourselves. This news is too good not to share! All it takes is seeing, going, and telling others. That makes it seem possible for us to be missionaries too, doesn’t it? • Daniel Dore

• How did you hear the good news about Jesus? (If you want to know more, check out our "Know Jesus" page.)

• Have you experienced God’s love in your own life? How?

• Who is someone in your life who might not have heard the good news about Jesus? If you’d like to, you can take a moment to pray for this person. You can even ask God for an opportunity to tell them about Jesus.

After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. Luke 2:17 (NLT)

Mary paused her vigorous kneading of the bread dough, her thoughts whirling. She was pledged to be married to Joseph. He was a good man who had shown her only kindness, but lately her life moved faster than the river’s currents after a spring rain.

Suddenly, there was a being standing before her. Mary trembled and clutched the edge of the table for support. Then the being spoke. “Greetings...the Lord is with you.” The angel’s words were like a shaft of sunshine. “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.”

The angel Gabriel proceeded to tell her that the God she loved and served was sending His Son into the world—the very Savior they had all been longing for. Mary herself would be the one to carry the Son of the Most High in her womb. Mary took a deep breath and whispered, “How? I am a virgin.” Gabriel didn’t hesitate to reply, and Mary felt emboldened as he answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you...no word from God will ever fail.”

Mary could not even begin to grasp how this would change her life, let alone the entire world. But somewhere deep in her heart, she knew she didn’t need to understand it all, she just needed to be willing. “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary said aloud. “May it be so.”

Days later, Joseph wrestled with sorrow and anger in his heart. He’d thought Mary was the one for him—how could he have been so blind to her true nature? Love. He did love her, and if she was exposed for sexual sin, she could be stoned. Joseph couldn’t bear the thought of Mary being hurt, so he decided to divorce her quietly.

That night, an angel invaded Joseph’s dreams with an astounding proclamation: the child inside Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit! This child, Jesus, would save the people from their sins. Joseph awoke in a cold sweat. He didn’t have all the answers, and he wasn’t even sure how this would impact his life, but his love for God compelled him to be willing. He did what the angel told him to do and accepted Mary as his wife. • Savannah Coleman

• Today’s story is how one author imagines God helping Mary and Joseph to do what He called them to do. Can you imagine how you would feel if you were in Mary’s or Joseph’s place?

• Why do you think Mary and Joseph were willing to follow God, even in a messy situation?

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:38 (NIV)

The holiday season isn’t always a time of joy. Stress can push at us from all sides—family, school deadlines, Christmas preparations, etc. Life is shaky. And not just for us. While Ahaz was king of Judah, his life was pretty shaky too. Both Syria and Israel (what was left of it after it split from Judah) were ganging up on his kingdom. In response, Ahaz put his hope in the king of Assyria to save Judah, even giving him gold and silver from the Lord’s temple (2 Kings 16:7-9).

But God invited Ahaz to put his trust in Him instead. Speaking through a prophet, God gave Ahaz this encouragement: “Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah” (Isaiah 7:4). God wanted Ahaz to know that despite the smoldering national threats surrounding him, Ahaz’s life was securely in God’s hands.

The Lord went on to tell Ahaz some powerful words that continue to ring true for us today. “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all” (Isaiah 7:9). Like Ahaz, we cannot stand firm through our troubles unless we rely on God and put our hope in Him above all others. When we take our focus off God, we are easily overcome with worries. The key to remaining steady is pressing into relationship with God and leaning on His grace when we fail.

Did I mention God gave Ahaz a promise? “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Immanuel was on His way. Hundreds of years later, a virgin named Mary became pregnant through the Holy Spirit, and she gave birth to the promised Son, Jesus (Matthew 1:18-25). His name means “God with us.” He lived among us and, out of love, gave His own life for ours.

If we put our trust in ourselves, friends, or kings to save us, we’ll be let down. The only one worthy of our trust is God, who sent His Son to be our Savior. Jesus’s birth, life, death, and resurrection made a way for us to enjoy God’s nearness. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He helps us stand firm in our faith—and He forgives us when we mess up. Immanuel keeps us steady in a shaky world. • Eliana Duran

• What is causing you stress today? Consider bringing these things to God, who loves you dearly.

• What are some ways you’ve seen God’s faithfulness in your own life?

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)

We’d all love to be wise sages, knowing exactly what to do each time a major life decision pops up. However, that kind of wisdom can take time to develop. Time spent in God’s word and time living through life. But what about the decisions you need to make in a month, next week, or right now? You don’t always have the time to discern what to do on your own.

The good news is, God loves His children deeply and doesn’t leave us high and dry when it comes to accessing His wisdom. God has given us great wisdom in His Word, including watching the life and decisions of Jesus as He lived on earth. Definitely look in God’s Word for yourself, but also don’t be afraid to ask for help! That’s where Christian community comes in. You may not have the years and Bible knowledge to make the wisest and most informed decision, but you likely have people in your life who have knowledge and experience that you don’t! God can speak through these people as they listen to you and to Him.

This happened in the Old Testament with King Rehoboam. He needed to decide how to handle taxes in the kingdom after his father Solomon passed away. Rehoboam asked for some time to decide, and he started in the right direction by consulting his father’s old advisors about what he should do. They gave him sage advice, telling him to take it easier on the people. Then Rehoboam asked his friends the same question. Now, these friends were around forty, which sounds old, but they were described with similar wording to that of younger boys, so these were not mature friends. (Remember, age doesn’t automatically grant wisdom.) These friends told the king to be even harsher with taxes. Rehoboam eventually went with the advice of the immature friends, and this foolish decision allowed the kingdom of Israel to fracture in two, with Rehoboam’s rival, Jeroboam, becoming the king of the other kingdom.

When you have a big decision to make, don’t be afraid to ask for help. As you listen to people’s advice, look for solutions that agree with God’s Word, and lean on the Holy Spirit (who lives inside Christians) to help you discern what God is calling you to do. • Naomi Zylstra

• What’s your process when you need to make a big decision?

• Who are wise people in your life who exemplify the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)?

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. Colossians 3:16 (NLT)

The Incredible Sparkle, superhero and defender of Glimmer City, couldn’t tell whether her constant shivering came from the cold or from the raw terror she felt coursing through her body. Behind her, the roof extended mere inches before dropping ten stories to the busy street below. Looking forward frightened her even more. Her nemesis, Dr. Danger, stood smiling wickedly a few feet away. Injured and cornered by the villain, Sparkle tried not to flinch as she stared down the barrel of Dr. Danger’s most powerful ion blaster.

“You can’t win! You’ll never match the power I possess. You had the chance to kill me earlier, but you didn’t go through with it. Coward! You don’t have what it takes. I never back down from a fight, and I always get what I want!”

Danger was monologuing? Again? Despite her fear, Sparkle almost rolled her eyes at the predictable speech. She had to think of something, anything she could do to get the upper hand. A word clicked in her mind. Something Danger had said gave her an idea. Would it work?

Slowly, Sparkle kneeled down on the roof, staring silently at her opponent.

“What on earth are you doing?” Danger’s eyes widened and her proud smile faltered.

“Blessed are the meek,” Sparkle said in a calm, clear voice, “for they will inherit the earth.”

Danger arched her eyebrows but didn’t move. “What? What are you talking about?” The villain shifted her eyes from side to side.

Sparkle continued, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

“Mercy? Don’t expect that from me!” Danger’s words sounded confident, but her hand shook as she held her weapon tighter.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God!” Sparkle raised her voice and stood up quickly. Danger jumped at the sudden movement and took a step back, just in time for a giant net to drop from the sky on top of her! As police officers ran toward them and a helicopter landed, Sparkle smiled and delivered a monologue of her own:

“You think giving mercy shows weakness, but it actually takes strength. Causing pain to others who have hurt us is the natural response. Killing you would be the easy way to end this. But it takes far more strength to let go of the trigger or to forgive someone who has hurt you. That doesn’t come naturally. In that way, mercy is a kind of superpower. The greatest hero this world has ever seen never used violence against people, but instead He saved all of humanity, armed only with grace and forgiveness. Hatred will disappear someday, but love and mercy have the strongest saving power of all!” • Andi Potter

• In this allegorical story, Sparkle mentioned the greatest hero this world has ever seen: Jesus. How has Jesus shown mercy to you?

• Do you know anyone like Dr. Danger, who never backs down from a fight, who will do anything to get what they want? How can you show mercy to these people?

• Do you think the Incredible Sparkle got her name from Philippians 2:15, or some other way?

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)

Curling up with a gripping read is something I love to do, and I’m blessed to regularly receive novels from family or friends so that I rarely have to buy one. For ages, after reading them, I would keep these precious books on shelves or in boxes in the loft...until I realized that I would never have time to reread them. Holding on to all these books without passing them on felt selfish; I was allowing them to gather dust instead of letting someone else delight in them.

Knowing the novels were far better off with a new reader, I started giving them to friends, passing them on to charity shops, or leaving them in designated bookcases in train stations for commuters to enjoy. At first it was difficult to give them away, but now it’s second nature. And instead of looking back at the books I have read, I anticipate my next read.

In a similar way, God entrusts us with gifts and talents to share with others. Sometimes we may be afraid to allow other people to see our gifts, and so we hide them away, but that isn’t what God intended. He doesn’t want our talents to become dusty and forgotten. Instead, like the books I have, they should be shared to help others and give them joy.

God has given each of us gifts and talents, some we might not even recognize. And to Christians, Jesus also gives spiritual gifts. Even though we may be scared to share what God has given us, we can rely on the Holy Spirit (who lives in us once we’ve put our trust in Jesus) to help us. As we share the light of Jesus, we can trust in Him to reach out to the broken and lost through us. • Cindy Lee

• Take a moment to reflect and thank God for your gifts. If you are unsure what they are, who is a trusted Christian in your life who could pray with you and tell you what they notice God doing in and through you? How could you share your gifts with others?

• Are you afraid to use any of your gifts? Why?

• In Jesus’s parable, why do you think the master (who represents God) said to his first two servants, “Come and share your master’s happiness” (Matthew 25:21, 23)?

• Consider taking a moment to reflect on how others have shared their gifts with you and to thank God for the impact they’ve had on your life. You could even thank this person and encourage them!

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

Darkness. That’s all I’d ever seen. I’d heard countless people’s voices. I’d tasted numerous kinds of food. However, I didn’t actually know what humans looked like. I’d never seen one. I’d never seen the fruit I ate or the money I begged. But I knew the weight of the thin, round coins, and I could identify the fruits from their different shapes and sizes and textures. As you can see, I was blind, but one day all that changed.

It was just an average day. I was sitting at the city gates on my cot, begging. I listened carefully when I heard people talking around me, and it sounded like they weren’t moving away anytime soon. From what I gathered, one of the men was their Rabbi. This teacher said something about “night is coming” and “light of the world.” I scoffed. That was nothing I was interested in. I focused my attention on the busy noise all around me. Then, the strangest thing happened. I felt gentle hands put something pasty over my eyes.

What was happening? At that moment, the familiar voice of those people’s teacher said those words I will never forget: “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.” Shocked, I did as he said and, somehow, slowly I got there. At least it wasn’t that far. I ducked my head under water, and then the most extraordinary thing happened. I saw the clear blue sky and the blazing sun. I saw brown donkeys and tan camels. I saw all sorts of humans and the murky water I was standing in. Best of all, I could finally see light. I could see! No words could explain my joy that day. Truly, that teacher had the power of God. • Teah Wipf

• This story is how one author imagines Jesus’s encounter with a man who was born blind. (You can read the rest of the story in John 9:1-41.) This man didn’t ask to be healed, and he didn’t know who Jesus was, but Jesus healed him anyway. What does this show us about Jesus?

• How did Jesus reveal Himself as the Light of the World to this man in particular? (Hint: Not only did Jesus heal this man, but He also found him later and had a conversation with him.)

This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 1 John 1:5 (NLT)

Let’s face it...relationships can be hard. Maybe you and your mom had another fight and you both used harsh words that hurt the other person. Maybe your best friend won’t talk to you and you don’t know why. When relationships are good, life seems to be good, but when relationships go bad, life seems really bad. We don’t usually start our day wanting to hurt people, but sometimes we might say the wrong thing or do something stupid that hurts someone else.

Remember something important when you want to repair that relationship: your foundation in that repair is love. This love is not just the feeling of love, but this type of love recognizes the importance of the other person in the broken relationship. Sometimes you focus on your hurt, your anger, and what that person did to you— and this is an important part of healing. But to love is to recognize other people’s hurt and anger as well.

Jesus exemplified this love perfectly. Romans 5:10 tells us that our sin has made us enemies of God, but He loved us so much that He restored our broken relationship with Him through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. And, if we know Him, He empowers us to extend this love to others through the Holy Spirit.

As you work to heal this relationship, ask yourself: Why did that person lash out at me? What hurts might they be experiencing? Is there something I can do to make things right?

Sometimes a person will hurt you and refuse to admit it. In cases like these, you might need to set up some healthy, loving boundaries. Talk to a trusted adult in your life to figure out what that might look like.

As Christians, Jesus gives us the courage and wisdom to step up and apologize when we are in the wrong, and He helps bring healing to broken relationships. As we work toward forgiveness and reconciliation, we can rest in the secure hope that Jesus will always love us, no matter what. • Doug Velting

• What has caused brokenness in your relationships? How could you bring these hurts to Jesus and follow His wisdom in repairing them?

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:11-12 (NIV)

Our world is full of turmoil—torn apart by wars, filled with pain and brokenness. And yet, despite all the chaos, we continue to rise. Abba’s Own, we call ourselves. No longer are we enslaved by the Dark Shadow. We are free. Before Abba called us as His own, our sins consumed us, our minds were leading us to death. Seeing our need, Abba sent His only Son to sacrifice Himself for us. Believing in Him, His blood shed to save, we were enabled to have a right standing with Abba—adopted as His children forever, bearers of His glory.

Abba chose us to be like His Son, the Light Bringer. This is what we strive for. While we look ahead for our full restoration, we groan with longing. We know our weakness in body and spirit, and we wait for the glorious freedom from death and decay that Abba has promised. He helps us in our weaknesses by deploying the Voice of Truth, who is as much a part of Abba as the Light Bringer Himself, a trifecta of unwavering power. The Voice of Truth and the Light Bringer plead with Abba on our behalf, in complete harmony with Abba’s will.

How wondrous! Abba is for us! Who can stand against us? He who gave His own Son as a sacrifice for our sins—He has already given the ultimate. Considering this as Abba’s Own, we remind one another that He will surely give us everything we need. Here is the question we contemplate: Can anything separate us from Abba’s love? Today we wrestle, amid suffering and trials of numerous kinds, seldom finding reprieve. Does this mean He no longer loves us?

We have concluded a resounding “No!” Even in the middle of all this, we know that overwhelming victory is ours through the One who loved us! Abba’s Own are convinced that nothing in all creation can separate us from His love for us. There will be wars, agony, sorrow, and fear, but nothing—not even the Dark Shadow or death itself—will be able to separate us from Abba’s love that was revealed to us through the Light Bringer. We are Abba’s—for eternity. • Savannah Coleman

• Does all the tragedy and chaos in the world make you weary? If you know Jesus, you are not alone or hopeless. You are part of His people, and He lives in you through the Holy Spirit, giving encouragement and strength through the gospel. How does God carry us through hard times?

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39 (NLT)

When I was about twelve years old, I started struggling with germaphobia. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a major perfectionist, and I stressed and worried about a lot of unnecessary things. Then I began to wash my hands so much that they were constantly cracked and bleeding. I worried about getting sick or something bad happening, and I tried to use my own power to keep those things from happening. I was constantly stressed and sad.

Eventually my mom sent me to a counselor, which really helped. I also realized a big part of my problem was that I was trying to control my life by myself. As I tried to control my life, I was constantly anxious, and I was becoming sick. I realized I couldn’t do life on my own.

When I was overwhelmed with anxiety, God’s love for me didn’t change. He had compassion on me. He got my attention and drew me to Himself. I realized that, even though I trusted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I wasn’t trusting Him to take care of me. I wasn’t entrusting full control of my life to Him. And I wanted that to change.

As Christians, we have a choice: Will we acknowledge our loving God’s full control of our lives? If we choose to rely on Him and follow His leading, we get to see God work in our lives for His good purposes. Through my experience with anxiety, I came to trust God more, and I started to give Him full control of my life. I realized there are some things I cannot control, but God can. And I can pray about these things, knowing that God is big enough to take care of them all. • Parker Ryan

• While making a choice to trust in God and give Him control won’t magically take away anxiety, it is a step in the right direction. It’s also helpful to know that God is with us, even when we experience anxiety, and He doesn’t condemn us (Romans 8:1). Whenever we feel stressed or worried about something, we can pray about these things. We can lean on Jesus, the One who hurts with us and understands our anxiety fully because He experienced it Himself (Luke 22:39-44). And we can seek help from friends, family, and professionals who can remind us of His great love for us. Ultimately, we can look forward to the day Jesus will return and fully heal all brokenness, including anxiety.

• If you are feeling overwhelmed by stress or worry, you’re not alone. If you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

• Worry, fear, and mental illness are common because God’s good creation has been broken by sin. But Jesus took all this sin on Himself when He went to the cross—because He loves us. Through His resurrection, He is making everything new and well. When Jesus returns, He will put an end to all mental illness. How could looking forward to this restoration give you hope?

• If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, His Holy Spirit lives in us, and He provides comfort and healing as we seek Him. (And one of the ways He does this is through community with fellow Christians.) Can you think of a time you experienced God’s comfort or healing in some way?

• Jesus experienced anxiety personally, not just so He could empathize with us, but also so He could save us from anxiety. Sometimes He calms our anxiety in the moment, and when He returns, He will banish anxiety forever. Whenever you feel afraid or anxious, you can turn to Jesus. No matter what, He loves you. He is holding you. And nothing can separate you from Him (John 10:28-29; Romans 8:38-39). In moments of anxiety, how could it help to remember that Jesus will never leave you?

• It can be helpful to know that feelings of stress or anxiety aren’t necessarily bad. These feelings act like messengers, letting us know when something is wrong that might need to change. When we pay attention to these feelings, the Holy Spirit can help us identify broken areas that need Jesus’s healing. How can paying attention to what makes us stressed help us grow closer to God?

• When it’s hard to discern what you can control and what you can’t, who is a trusted Christian you can talk to?

• How can you show God’s compassion to others when they are feeling stressed or worried?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

As I watch the snow fall outside my window, I notice all it is covering up. Just yesterday, my sister remarked that nothing really looked beautiful. The trees were gray and free of leaves. The little snow that was on the ground had already been trampled and made dirty. The world was in need of something new.

Then comes the fresh snow. Crisp. Light. Perfect little puffs. It falls from the sky in clumps, making quick work of covering the ground. Clean. Pure. The gray trees are becoming white. The ground doesn’t have a single track on it.

The Bible talks about us being made clean like snow. Think about the things we have done to get dirty, the wrongs we have committed. And then think of being covered in snow. Being made like snow. That’s what Jesus does when He forgives us. He gave Himself up for us so that He could wash away all our wrongdoing and make us new (Ephesians 5:25-27).

God can truly take what is dirty and make it beautiful and clean. And He is willing to. With each one of us. • Emily Acker

• When do you feel dirty and in need of washing (either physically or spiritually)?

• Anyone who puts their trust in Jesus can be made clean. What did Jesus do to make this possible? (See our "Know Jesus" page.)

• Consider taking a moment to imagine yourself becoming as pure as the fresh snow.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 (NIV)

Fear is one of the most discouraging forces against us. Fear can emotionally and spiritually make a person weak. Fear is a joy-stealer. It can hinder us from doing what God calls us to do. But remember, fear is temporary. Fear will pass. And when Jesus returns, fear will be gone for good. Until that day, when we are afraid, we can know that God is with us. He is bigger than our fears. The Lord will help us overcome them.

When the servant of Elisha saw a vast army with horses and chariots surrounding the city where they were staying, he was filled with fear. But Elisha told him, “Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16). Then Elisha prayed, and the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw that the hills all around them were full of chariots of fire that God had sent. In the end, God prevented violence, and the army that was trying to capture Elisha instead went away peacefully.

Fear may come, but God is there to protect you. As you rely on Him, He will not let your fears defeat you. God will drive away all of them.

We can defeat fear by remembering the victory Jesus won by His death and resurrection. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He has saved us and totally forgiven us. Nothing can take us out of His powerful and loving hand (John 10:28). When we feel afraid, we can focus our attention on the victories God has won in our lives in the past. We can win over fear by fixing our eyes on what God is about to do, rather than thinking about what frightens us. As we trust in God and put our faith in Him, the scary things in this life don’t seem as threatening, because God is so much bigger (Romans 8:31). • Golda Dilema

• When do you experience fear?

• Can you think of a time God helped you when you were afraid?

• What does God say is the reason we don’t have to be afraid?

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (CSB)

"Behold, I will do a new thing.” Isaiah stood on a hill overlooking the once great city of Jerusalem. His shoulders were bent with age, his long beard a tangle of gray. It had been years since he first spoke the prophecy of Israel’s downfall...and of the Messiah. The promised Rescuer had not yet come. Still, Isaiah clung to God’s words like a lifeline: “Behold, I will do a new thing.”

Israel needed newness. They needed something beyond themselves, something greater. They had failed so many times, turning their backs on God, running in the opposite direction and straight into a life of slavery at the hands of their enemies. Yet even despite their unfaithful wanderings, God promised them a Savior.

Isaiah squinted over the horizon, beyond the peaks of Jerusalem, over the lush countryside, to the sun dipping out of sight. Dusk was falling. A brisk wind rustled the treetops. "A new thing." The words sang in his memory. After hundreds of years of captivity, of endless sacrifices, and of countless prophecies, the hope of a Messiah assured him that one day they would be free from their greatest enemy. Sin. The evil that twisted everything would one day be gone forever. And this promise was not just to Israel, but to all the nations.

“Blessed are you, oh Adonai,” Isaiah murmured, “that you remember your people and offer us a way of escape and redemption if only we will accept it.” Isaiah let his gaze wander the horizon, remembering the toils of his life as a prophet. His journey was nearing its end, but there was the promise to wait for, and all of Israel would be waiting—breathless, anxious, and hopeful. Until his final breath, so would he. • Anita Seavey

• We are all like Israel; we fail, turn our backs on God, and run away from Him and straight into the trap of sin that brings only death. What sins are you struggling with today?

• Because God loves us, He did a new thing: He sent the Messiah, Jesus, to rescue us from sin and death. How is Jesus the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy? (See our "Know Jesus" page.)

“Behold, I will do a new thing. It springs out now. Don’t you know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19 (WEB)

Tuesday is my favorite day of the week because I get to sing with my friends in choir. I used to mentally divide my whole week into days that were Tuesday and days that weren’t. The non-Tuesdays only served to get me to Tuesday. I was on mental pause for 86 percent of my week because I was centered on the Tuesday ahead. While looking forward to something isn’t a sin, my fixation on Tuesdays caused me to forget that the other days also had value and purpose.

All my life, I have obsessively anticipated things—holidays, parties, the next meal, everything! Life was only meaningful when it was eventful. The worst part was, I would be so focused on something, I didn’t know what to do with myself once it was over—or worse, canceled! So I just focused on the next upcoming thing instead of being mentally present. But once God helped me realize what I was doing, I prayed and took steps to change my focus. While I still enjoy Tuesdays, I no longer block out the rest of the week. Now, every morning, I take a moment to connect with God and center myself on Him by praying, “Today is a beautiful day because it is Your day, and it’s going to make me more like You.”

Perhaps you struggle with something similar. Maybe you’re anxious about your future or long for past times. But this season of your life, however difficult or drawn-out, has purpose. Because you, a being intentionally designed by God to glorify Him, have purpose. God is shaping you now to become more like Jesus. He might even be growing your patience and trust in Him while you wait for the next thing! This season of your life will pass. Ultimately, this life and all its brokenness will fade away. As Christians, we know this world is a shadow of what it will be when Jesus returns and brings Heaven with Him. Now that’s something to look forward to! In the meantime, we can rest in knowing that He is with us in each moment. • Lizzie Joy

• Do you ever find it difficult to focus on the present? What helps you in moments like these?

• Have you felt like this time of your life doesn’t have purpose? What does God say?

• How can Jesus’s promise of eternal life with Him help us focus on living with Him today?

This is the day the Lord has made; let’s rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 (CSB)

Have you ever had a debate with someone who belonged to a different Christian denomination? Maybe it was about baptism, styles of worship, whether to attend church or not, and if so, whether it’s important to go on a certain day of the week. Or perhaps you have never socialized with people from a variety of churches. Some Christians can be hesitant to interact with brothers and sisters from different groups, and sadly, an opportunity for fellowship is lost.

If you’re unsure about befriending Christians from other denominations, the first step is acknowledging what’s in your heart and bringing these concerns and questions to God. Next, rather than arguing over all the things you disagree with other Christians about, take some time to focus on the beliefs you have in common—that you believe in God the Father, His divine Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Other truths Christians are united on are that Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth as a baby, was born of a virgin, lived among us as a human, suffered and died for us, and rose from the dead! His sacrifice offers hope and grace for our broken world. These core beliefs (which are found in the Apostle’s Creed) are the foundation of the Christian faith. As we consider the gospel, we can rejoice together in the hope and wisdom Jesus gives!

The UK, where I live, is very secular. As many surveys and the census have indicated, church attendance has had a huge decline and more people than ever describe themselves as having no affiliation to any church, religion, or belief system.

The world needs Jesus. So let’s come together in unity, based on the Bible’s teachings, and be open to sharing the good news about Jesus in whatever way we can. When Christians bicker, it doesn’t help anything. Instead, let’s celebrate what Jesus has done, accept each other, praise God together, and help to heal the denomination divide. • Cindy Lee

• What questions do you have about different Christian denominations? Who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to about these things?

• Personal relationship with Jesus is an essential part of the Christian faith. If you’d like to know more about how Jesus has made this relationship possible, see our "Know Jesus" page.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7 (NIV)

What does it mean to live as a Christian in a non-Christian world? Many of the first Christians were asking this question, and God provided answers that still hold true for us today.

For example, God inspired Paul to write a letter to the Christians in Corinth, and he addressed specific problems they were facing. These issues had to do with divisions, sexual immorality, lawsuits, quarrels, the Lord’s Supper, worship, and spiritual gifts. Paul also explained some theological points, including the resurrection—how our faith hinges on the fact that Jesus died and rose from the dead, and He will one day raise all His forgiven followers from the dead too (1 Corinthians 15). Paul also clarified that our freedom in Christ doesn’t mean that we do whatever pleases us, but rather we should seek the good of others (1 Corinthians 10:24). And Paul answered questions these Christians had about married and single life (chapter 7). Ultimately, Paul taught the church that love is always the primary driver and conclusion of how we live out our faith in Christ (chapter 13).

To Paul’s original audience, this letter was an answer to their questions and a guide for how to live. The same kinds of problems that arose in the Corinthian church continue to arise in the church today, and God equips us to handle them according to His Word. He calls us to set an example “in speech...in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). As we seek to walk with Jesus in every area of our lives, His Holy Spirit guides us to solutions to the problems we face.

As people who are chosen by God and precious to Him, we are called to conduct ourselves wisely and to “live such good lives” among non-Christians that the world will see the light of Christ (1 Peter 2:12). Today, we still face theological issues in the church, and we continue to wrestle with questions. But when Jesus returns, all our questions and disagreements will be settled in Him, for Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1). Whenever we have questions, we can bring these to Jesus, listening for His guidance and resting in His sure love for us. And through Jesus, we can walk in love toward one another. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• What are some of your questions about Christianity? Who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to when you have questions?

• What problems do you see in the church today? How might you be able to help address these?

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

Marching up to the battle line Gleaming armor so sublime Ready to fight Satan’s evil Held in this dark His army, oh so stark

God’s army was strong Heads held up in this throng Hearts brave and bold Our story unfolds

Victory is ours The strong hearts empowered Chase away the evil No longer feeble Because we belong to the King • Summer Joy Coleman

• Our battle is not against each other, and it’s not against ourselves; our fight is against the spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12). Although the battle is fierce, the good news is that, through Jesus’s work on the cross, God has fully equipped us with everything we need to fight because He has already defeated sin, brokenness, and death on our behalf. We can be strong and courageous, knowing that God is with us wherever we go (Joshua 1:9). Battles may be won and lost, but we know who wins in the end: Jesus Christ (John 16:33). Victory is ours!

• How have you experienced Jesus fighting for you?

“For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” Deuteronomy 20:4 (CSB)

"State your name and business,” the guard at the gate of the prison ordered. “And be quick about it!”

Onesiphorus swallowed hard. “My name is Onesiphorus, and I am seeking Paul of Tarsus. Can you tell me where he is?”

The soldier narrowed his eyes. “Are you an accomplice of this Paul? He is our prisoner and a notorious enemy of Rome.” Onesiphorus did not back down. “He is my friend. I must find him! If you can, please take me to him.”

“Very well, I’ll let you see him. But watch your step, or you might find yourself sharing his cell.” The soldier turned on his heel and led Onesiphorus down the prison corridors.

“Paul!” Onesiphorus cried when he saw the haggard face of the missionary.

“Onesiphorus?” Paul looked up and could hardly believe his eyes. Then a new light lit up his face. “Onesiphorus!” He reached toward his smiling friend. “Glad you came, brother.”

• • •

We don’t know much about Onesiphorus. He is only mentioned briefly in one of Paul’s letters to Timothy, yet his story is inspiring and exemplifies the way God calls us to love and show mercy. As Paul describes what Onesiphorus did for him, you can almost hear the tenderness in his voice. When Paul was imprisoned in Rome, Onesiphorus searched everywhere for him, then visited and encouraged him often, even though this was a dangerous thing to do.

Like Onesiphorus, we are called to love sacrificially. God calls us to love and serve others even when it means giving up something important, like safety, reputation, or comfort. As Christians, we love this way because Jesus loved us first (1 John 4:19), and He commands us to love one another as He has loved us. Jesus showed the greatest love by laying down His life for us. As His followers, we’re called to have a love that sacrifices. No matter the cost. • Angela Faith

• What does it mean to lay down your life for someone (as mentioned in today’s Scripture passages)? How did Jesus lay down His life for us? (Check out our "Know Jesus" page.)

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 1 John 3:16 (NLT)

The story of the Israelites’ journey through the desert to the land God promised them is striking in many ways. One of my favorite parts is in Numbers 9:17, “Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp.”

By night, God would lead the Israelites in a pillar of fire, and by day He would lead them in a cloud. It was a stark reminder of God’s intimate presence with His people as well as a visible cue guiding the Israelites to their next destination. Should they camp another day or week or month? Look for the cloud. If the cloud moves, follow.

It sounds so simple. Often we wish we had a cloud to follow, some visible sign in the sky to show us God is with us and to show us what to do and when to do it. Yet, where the Israelites had a cloud, we have the Holy Spirit. In John 14, Jesus promised His disciples that though He was leaving, He would be with them through the Holy Spirit, guiding and teaching them. The cloud example in the Old Testament points to the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives now.

Recently, my wife and I contemplated a move to California. It’s where I was born and raised, and it had long been a dream for both of us to move there. Through a series of events, we both saw the cloud moving. We were excited. Then we realized the cloud was moving not to California but to Texas. So here I sit in my new house, a new Texan. When the cloud moves, when the Spirit makes it clear that it’s time to move, you want to follow the cloud. We followed.

Christ made a way for us to be in relationship with Him through His life, death, and resurrection, and He didn’t stop there. He promised a Helper—the Holy Spirit— to be with us always. Jesus has not left us as orphans. Even as we await His return, He is with us. • Mike Hurley

• Why did God provide a cloud for the Israelites to follow?

• Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit leading you to make a decision? What was it like?

• If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, He is always with you through the Holy Spirit. How could this affect the way you make decisions about the future?

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I [Jesus] have told you.” John 14:26 (NLT)

The sun descends on the horizon, and the thought comes: "Did I do a good enough job today"? Almost every night, I would evaluate this question. I realize now that this was kind of like asking myself: "Do I deserve to sleep?" Most days, my answer was no. And I would feel defeated, exhausted, and sad. Disappointed in myself. Desperate to try harder tomorrow.

But then one day, this little parable caught my attention. Jesus is describing what the kingdom of heaven is like. As He’s been going around teaching and healing people in towns and villages near where He grew up, Jesus has been announcing “the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 10:7). This is one of the parables Jesus told: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches” (Matthew 13:31-32).

This last phrase caught my attention. Some translations use the word rest instead of nest. So this tree is a place where birds can rest. I really like that. God is providing a place of rest. And it’s a place we get to be part of. I get to rest, and I also get to invite others into this rest. But how is this possible? Do we only get to rest once we’ve done enough? No. That would actually be the opposite of good news. The truth is: rest is a gift from God. We can’t earn rest—we could never do enough. Jesus didn’t say, “Once you’ve fulfilled all the Father’s commands, and done a lot of things to bring glory to Him, then you can rest.” Nope. Jesus definitely didn’t say that. He actually made it pretty clear that the only one who could possibly fulfill all God’s commands...was Him (Matthew 5:17).

Jesus did say, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus is the One who offers rest. He gives it freely to anyone who has put their trust in Him, believing that He died and rose back to life. His rest is always available to all His forgiven followers, including me. At the end of the day, I don’t need to ask myself: "Did I do enough?" Instead, I get to rest because Jesus has done enough, and I am His. • Hannah Howe

• Do you ever feel like you don’t deserve rest? If rest is a gift from Jesus, what might change?

“Come to me...and I [Jesus] will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (CSB)

Torchlight flickered in the dark, casting shadows on faces, reflecting golden light off the water—beautiful, and wrong. My mother’s body was laid in the funeral boat and covered with flowers. Someone said, “It was her time to go.” The comment stung me, just like all the other well-meaning condolences.

Their voices still prattled on in my head. “She lived a good life. She’ll be watching over us from above. The Creator missed her too much to let her stay here with us.” Something inside me snapped. My ears started ringing. My vision grew blurry. My mouth opened and said, “You know nothing.” It was barely a whisper. No one heard me. My breathing got faster, heavier. I lifted my head to the sky, and out of my open mouth came...something true.

It was not a wail. It was not a cry. It was not a yell. It was uglier. It was fiercer. It was raw. It was real. It burned my throat, but it felt right. Right. The only thing that had been right in days. Because everything was so, so wrong.

Some of the people were staring at me. Some looked away. But one face met mine. Soft eyes, gray hair. This woman saw. She knew. Then she opened her mouth and joined my song. Together we shrieked to the night—of the wrongness, of the death that stole my mother. I screamed faster, and my howls became sobs. The woman was beside me now. She held my hand. I didn’t pull away.

I don’t remember the people leaving, but this woman stayed. She wept and moaned with me as the waves rushed and fled over the pebbles. All the heaving in my middle induced my stomach to empty, and the old woman held my hair. Then she rocked me. Slowly, tenderly. She hummed a lullaby and stroked the hair from my clammy face. My breathing started to slow. My exhausted limbs loosened. My tears made spots on her skirt.

“There is One who grieves with us,” she said softly, lifting her face to the stars. “He is the One who holds your mother, and He holds you.” We sat together under the sky’s beauty, and then she sang an old song I had nearly forgotten. “The Great One is with us. He came. He faced death alone. For us, He came. For love, He came. And His return will be death’s undoing.” • Hannah Howe

• Can you think of a time you experienced loss? How did others respond?

• How could you come alongside people who are grieving?

Mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15b (NIV)

Snowflakes falling, Christmas coming Born in a manger No longer strangers To God our Father Who sent His Son To live among us And rescue us from danger

Our sinful, flawed, and helpless selves The weight of shame and crushing doubts Fled like the shepherds ran that night To the baby wrapped in LIGHT

Gift of love for you and me Born to die upon a tree To bear the burden of our sin So that we could belong to Him Receive this gift He offers free LIFE with God eternally He came, He died and rose again Death could not keep its hold—and then

One sweet day we’ll rise with Him Watch with joy, He’ll come again Together, wait in hope and sing: “Glory to the King of Kings” • Savannah Coleman

• Today is the beginning of advent, which means “coming.” How can we find hope in both Jesus’s first coming (as a baby) and His second coming (when He’ll return)?

The Word became flesh, and lived among us. John 1:14a (WEB)

Once, I visited someone with a seven-year-old daughter. Her father would play with her every evening after work and then ask her what gift she wanted him to bring the following day. The little girl would excitedly mention a number of things she wanted. However, day after day, the father would not bring anything home for her. When I was visiting, the father played with his daughter as usual and then asked what she wanted him to bring her. But this time, the little girl responded, “Daddy, don’t ask me that again because you never bring anything.”

Turning to her father, I asked, “Is what she has said true?” The father admitted that it was true. To him, it was like a joke. The girl would eagerly await his return, hoping he would bring what he had promised. But the father was making promises without any intent to keep them.

This human father acted dishonestly, which is not the way God intended for us to treat each other. Sadly, in our broken world, sometimes people don’t keep their promises. At times, this is because of unforeseen circumstances. As human beings, we are limited in our understanding of events. We cannot predict accurately the twists and turns that can come with our tomorrows. At other times, promises are not kept because the promiser—although they knew they were not in a position to keep them—made promises simply to gain favor and acceptance.

But when our Heavenly Father promises us something, He always keeps that promise. God is loving and faithful and just, and we can trust Him to act according to His character in every situation. God Almighty never comes across unforeseen circumstances. He knows the end from the beginning, and He is not out to impress or gain favor from us, His own creation! And since God does not lie, we can count on Him to keep His promises. Through Jesus, He kept His promise to provide us with a Savior, and He will keep His promise to return and redeem all of creation, getting rid of sin, lies, and broken promises forever. • Charity M. Kiregyera

• Can you think of a time someone did not keep their promise? God knows what it feels like to be hurt by a broken promise (Luke 22:31-62), and He grieves our hurts with us.

• Can you think of a time you failed to keep a promise you made? No matter how many times we fail, God will keep His promise to forgive us through Jesus’s death and resurrection (1 John 1:9).

God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19 (NIV)

Being cared for is one of our deepest needs as humans, and caring for others is a noble thing to do. The reason we care for others is because God cares for us. All throughout the Bible, we see examples of God caring for His people. When Jesus came to earth, He further revealed God’s caring nature. One example of this is how Jesus cared for His disciples. After He sent them out in pairs to the surrounding towns to share the good news of the kingdom, heal sickness, and cast out demons, they returned to report back to Jesus. But “so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat” (Mark 6:31). So Jesus told them to come with Him and go somewhere else to take a rest.

Jesus’s love for us should inspire us to care for others. Here are a few practical things we can do to care:

• Appreciate and thank others. Express gratitude for their kindness, love, and support toward you and others (1 Thessalonians 5:11-15). Give them a call, a note, or send a message.

• Accept people for who they are, their uniqueness, even their weaknesses. Accept them even when they make mistakes and stumble, for God accepts you even when you fall because Jesus’s death and resurrection have covered all your failures and shortcomings (Romans 15:7).

• Be present with people, especially when they need you. Your presence can let them know you value them and they’re not alone. Giving your time to family, friends, and loved ones can help them feel loved and remind them of God’s nearness (Romans 12:15).

• Believe in people (1 Corinthians 13:7). Your affirmation can help others become courageous, see themselves differently, and do the good things God has given them to do (Ephesians 2:10).

• Give and provide for other’s needs. While donating and volunteering are great ways to care, remember that people’s needs are not always material. It could be that someone needs your listening ear, your support, your advice, your comfort, or your encouragement. • Golda Dilema

• Can you think of a time someone cared for you? What did they do? What did it mean to you?

• How might God be giving you opportunities to care for people in your own life?

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:10 (NIV)

It was the end of my freshman year in college when I got a glimpse of what it looks like to give thanks to God in all circumstances and to be content with His gifts. I’d been feeling sorry for myself because all my friends were off on spring break. Even my family was on vacation in Florida, but I had final exams coming up and had to stay in town to study. I decided to study on the patio in the sunshine. At some point, I noticed an elderly neighbor struggling to rehang a bird feeder, so I went over to help. She said, “Thank you. God sent you over.”

I laughed, but she said, “No, really. God is good. I woke with a pain in my back, but I thanked God anyway.”

Thinking this was odd, I asked, “Why?”

She responded, “Because God is good to me in all things. I have a pain when I wake, well, at least I’m still alive. And later, as I move, the pain goes away. So, I thank Him for that too. And now, you came to help me...”

“So you thank God for that too,” I said. She nodded and, to be silly, I added, “Well, I thank Him for your bird feeders because I love watching the birds they attract.” Soon we were thanking God for everything in her yard, then for the people we loved and for all the tiny things in our everyday lives. It felt silly, but it also felt good.

Something clicked in my heart that day. I went back to my textbooks and no longer felt jealous of my friends and family on a beach somewhere. Jesus taught us to pray by first giving thanks. The more I gave thanks, the more I saw God at work in my life in minute ways. And I discovered that gratitude also primes our hearts for deeper prayer and connection with our Heavenly Father. • Lisa A. Wroble

• How has God provided for you in small ways? If you’d like, you can take a moment to express your gratitude to Him for these things.

• How could thanking God help us connect with Him in deeper ways?

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

When I lived in Peru for a few months, some days I felt like I didn’t belong. I was a tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, one-armed American. I stuck out among my Peruvian neighbors. No matter how many people welcomed me into their homes and their city, I knew I was different.

This experience has given me new empathy as I consider my own neighbors. We don’t all look the same. We don’t all speak the same. We don’t all wear the same kinds of clothes or enjoy the same traditions or eat the same foods. But these differences in appearance and in culture are not something to be ashamed of—they are something to be celebrated. When I was a teenager, I wish I would’ve learned to see diversity as a celebration of God’s creativity.

I love Revelation 7. Even in a book that can be challenging to interpret, the diversity of God’s people could not be clearer. In his vision, John sees people from every nation, every tribe, and every language worshipping Christ and crying out, “Salvation belongs to our God.”

Our God. Not my God. Not the God of this one country or people group. Not the God of people who only speak a certain language or celebrate certain traditions.

Our God.

The story of the gospel is so much greater than what we can wrap our minds around. God came for all people who will give their lives to love Him. The differences between us are a celebration of His creativity.

So how can we look down on those who are different? The love and respect we give others shouldn’t depend on where they’re from or what language they speak or their political perspective. What matters is how we love people, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. Because in the end, we all stand before the same God—the Resurrected King who gave His life to save and unite us to Himself and each other. • Becca Wierwille

• How can we celebrate diversity as a witness of God’s creativity?

• What are some ways we can love each other well and see God in every person—people who are like us and people who are different? (We’re all made in God’s image, so non-Christians can also reflect aspects of God’s nature! Though not to the same extent as Christians, who are God’s children and have the Holy Spirit.)

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne... Revelation 7:9 (NIV)

Job 19:25-27 is my favorite passage in the Bible because it assures me of seeing my Blessed Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, when He resurrects His people from the dead. This fills me with joyful hope and great expectation. I have something amazing to look forward to!

The book of Job starts by recording heavenly debates between God and Satan. God is pleased with Job’s integrity, but Satan argues that Job only reveres God and stays away from evil because God has prospered Job and protected his possessions. Then God permits Satan to test Job by destroying his property, killing his adult children, and making him deathly sick. Throughout this ordeal, Job suffers extreme pain and loss, and he doesn’t know the reason for his suffering. Neither do his friends, but they incorrectly presume Job has sinned in some way. That must be why he is suffering. Even Job’s wife urges him to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9).

Yet Job longs to believe that God is just and good. In the middle of all this suffering, Job says, “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!” (Job 19:25-27).

Even though the book of Job was written hundreds of years before Jesus came and stood upon the earth, God inspired Job’s words to point to Jesus’s coming. Jesus’s death and resurrection guarantee that He will return and raise all His forgiven followers from the dead. He will make everything new, and we will suffer no more.

This passage in Job gives me hope. Even when I experience deep pain and loss, I know that I will see Jesus one day. The dying and decaying of my body cannot prevent me from seeing Him. Even though Christians and non-Christians experience physical death alike, a Christian dies with hope—the hope of meeting our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, who Himself died but rose again and lives forevermore. Jesus is alive, and He helps us persevere in hope. At the end of the day, we are all accountable to God. And if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can be confident that we will see Him in the flesh, and He will welcome us with love. • Charity M. Kiregyera

• When you’re facing hardships, how could looking forward to seeing Jesus give you hope?

But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought! Job 19:25-27 (NLT)

Night falls, and in the quiet, the thoughts come: "What did I do today that matters? Could I have done something differently in that situation? If this was my last day on earth, would I be happy with the way I spent it?" But how do we know if what we did matters? As children of God, what we really need to know is what matters to Him.

In John 15, Jesus has just comforted His disciples and promised the Holy Spirit. Now, He tells them to remain in Him (verse 4-7). Jesus gives us a beautiful word picture: He is the vine and we, His followers, are the branches. If we remain in Him, our lives will bear good fruit. But we cannot be fruitful on our own; we need to be connected to the vine. Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing truly worthwhile (verse 5).

So, what does it look like to remain in Jesus? A good place to start is reflecting on His Word (verse 7) and remembering His commands (verse 10), the greatest of which are to love God with all we are and to love one another (verse 17). Jesus said, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (verse 11). This joy He invites us into is not dependent on our feelings, our circumstances, our accomplishments, or our failures. Rather, His joy is rooted in the unchanging character and unfailing love of God.

The author of 1 John 2:24-28 is the same disciple who recorded Jesus’s words about the vine and the branches. John uses the word remain four times, and he urges God’s children to “continue in him” as we wait for Jesus to return (verse 28). When we live our lives in connection with God, seeking Him and engaging in community with fellow Christians, we can be confident that God will guide and bless our actions. When we are walking with Jesus, we get to do things that matter. And when we mess up, God invites us to come to Him. The Holy Spirit will help us repent from any sin. We can rest in Jesus’s sure forgiveness because His death has paid for all our wrongdoing. Jesus calls us to remain in His love, and from this place of connection with God, to love others. • Savannah Coleman

• If the main goal in any situation is to remain in loving connection with God and to love others, how might this affect the way we live?

• In moments when we’ve fallen short or failed, how can we come to God and rest in His love?

“Remain in me, as I [Jesus] also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4 (NIV)

There was a time when there was no rain in Israel for three years. God did this because King Ahab and Israel had acted wickedly. So God sent the prophet Elijah to say there would be no rain or even dew for a long time. Because of the drought, food was scarce. Life was hard. But God had a plan to heal the land, and He guided Elijah in what to do. Elijah prayed for rain to come. God listened, and He sent rain just as He had promised (1 Kings 18:1, 41-46).

Like the Israelites, we may encounter difficulties because of our sin or simply because we live in a fallen world. Yet the same God Elijah prayed to is the God we can pray to today! Like Elijah, we can listen to God, pray to Him, and make our requests known to Him (Philippians 4:6-7). You can tell God your needs and desires. He will listen to you. Speak to God about your longings and dreams. Tell Him your goals and plans. Thank Him for the good things happening to you and the blessings He gives you. Talk to Him about your concerns, worries, and fears.

He always listens to you because you are His child. He is not just your God, He is also your Father. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you have been adopted into God’s family! Because Jesus’s death and resurrection made it possible for us to be in relationship with God, we can come to Him confidently and receive what we need (Hebrews 4:14-16).

When you can’t find the right words to say, don’t shy away from talking to God, because He listens to what your heart is saying as well (Romans 8:26-27). Each day, all day long, He is always eager to listen to you. Be assured He will respond according to His love for you and in His perfect timing. • Golda Dilema

• Do you sometimes have difficulty talking to God? Do you find it hard to express to him what is in your heart and mind? How might Romans 8:26-27 give you comfort?

• If it’s true God is always eager for us to talk to Him, how could this affect the way we pray?

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15 (NIV)

Some Bible stories are easy for me to relate to. When Simon Peter and his friends go fishing for a long period of time and catch nothing, I feel their pain. They most likely expected to catch a lot of fish but came up completely empty. Keep in mind these are professional fishermen who stayed out all night. They are tired, dirty, and probably grumpy from throwing and retrieving empty nets all night long. I imagine their pride was more than a little hurt from a night of failure in their chosen occupation.

While they’re cleaning their empty nets on shore, Jesus is there teaching the word of God to a crowd. Then Jesus gets into Simon Peter’s boat and, after He finishes teaching, tells Peter to return to the deep water and drop their nets. Peter replies, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets” (Luke 5:5). With Jesus in the boat, they start catching so many fish, their nets begin to break! They call to their friends for help, and soon both boats are so overloaded with fish, they begin to sink!

Peter responds to this haul of fish by falling at Jesus’s feet and exclaiming, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!” (Luke 5:8). At first glance, Peter’s response may seem odd. Why would he say that? Peter has just encountered God in the flesh. He is filled with amazement and awe, and at the same time, he is acutely aware of his own sinfulness. Standing before the Messiah, Peter knows He is unworthy.

Jesus doesn’t correct Peter’s statement. But Jesus doesn’t go away from Peter either. Instead, He wants Peter to follow Him and be part of what God is doing. So it is with us. The gospel reveals our sinfulness, but Jesus’s death on the cross pays the price for our sin. And His resurrection from the dead invites us into new life! When Peter sees the Lord before him, he confesses his sin, drops his nets, and follows Jesus. The Lord gives us the same call today: confess your sins, drop anything that’s keeping you away, and follow Him. • Mike Hurley

• Why do you think Jesus revealed Himself to Simon Peter and the others in this particular way?

• Why do you think they were willing to leave everything and follow Jesus?

“Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people.” Luke 5:10b (CSB)

Matthew 27 describes one of the most heart-wrenching episodes ever recorded. After hours of physical beating, the Son of God, the promised Messiah, is now on trial before Pilate. He is there because Judas, one of His disciples, has betrayed Him. The other disciples, some of whom declared their allegiance to Him only hours before, have scattered. Now Jesus stands alone before Pilate, the Roman governor who is supposed to uphold the rule of law. On three separate occasions, Pilate states that he finds Jesus “not guilty.” But despite knowing Jesus’s innocence, Pilate yields to the crowd and condemns Jesus to death (John 18:38-19:22).

After a grueling night of physical, mental, and emotional pain, Jesus is finally nailed to the cross, an excruciating form of execution. The Scriptures tell us He made seven different statements from the cross, but none as dramatic as His cry in Matthew 27:46, when He quoted Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” In this very moment, Jesus was bearing the sins of the world. The perfect Lamb of God, unblemished and without fault, accepted the guilt and shame of our sins.

Jesus and the Father had always enjoyed perfect fellowship. But now, carrying the sins of the world, Jesus stood in judgment from His Father. No wonder Jesus had prayed earlier in the Garden of Gethsemane, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39).

As horrible as the experience had been up to this moment, suffering His Father’s wrath was surely the low point of Jesus’s suffering. But this was the only way to fulfill the holy justice of God and open the door of relationship that our sins had closed. In love, Jesus provided the perfect, ultimate sacrifice. And after three days, God raised Jesus from the dead! Jesus’s willingness to suffer the Father’s just wrath allows us to be adopted by the Father. Because Jesus cried out from the cross, “Why have you abandoned me?” we can now shout in the joy of adoption, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). • Mike Hurley

• How does what Jesus did on the cross reveal God’s love for us? (Check out our "Know Jesus" page.)

• If you’d like to dig deeper, read Acts 2:22-36 and Romans 8:15-39.

Jesus called out with a loud voice...“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Matthew 27:46b (NLT)

Maybe you’ve heard that, in Philippians 4:13, the Bible teaches that you can do anything you want if you believe hard enough. So, if you want to be an engineer, but you hate math, this verse could teach that, with enough faith and prayer, you will become an engineer. But is that really what this verse means?

Unfortunately, many people use God’s Word in the wrong way and claim teachings that are not there. While it’s absolutely true that God can make miracles happen, that isn’t what this verse is teaching. To understand this verse better, we have to look at it in its own context.

When reading Scripture, we can’t just pull one verse out without looking at the verses before and after. In this case, you can’t tell what verse 13 teaches without knowing verse 12. When we look at verse 12, we see that Paul (the author of Philippians) was talking specifically about receiving the strength to live in times of great poverty and times of plenty.

God sent Paul to tell people about Jesus and start churches throughout the western part of Asia and eastern area of Europe. But the job was not easy. Many of the Jews wanted to kill him, and the Romans eventually would. There were times he ran for his life and went hungry, and there were also times he stayed at a friend’s house and had plenty. In all this, Paul relied on the strength God gave him to handle the bad times and also to be thankful when life went well. No matter how much or how little Paul had, God gave him the ability to be content. So while many people think Philippians 4:13 means that God will strengthen us to succeed, the context actually reveals that God will strengthen us to be content, whether living with abundance or loss.

How is this possible? 2 Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He is always with us, and His presence is enough to carry us through every situation we face. • Doug Velting

• How has God helped you when times were difficult?

• What are some ways you can celebrate and share with others when you are in times of plenty?

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:12-13 (NIV)

One of my favorite Bible stories is when Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus. After the Lord raised her brother, Lazarus, from the dead, she took an expensive flask of perfume, worth nearly a year’s wages. It was likely the most expensive thing she owned, and she used it to anoint Jesus’s feet, gently wiping His feet with her hair.

Mary may have been scared to do what she did. Her actions were not typical of the women of her day, and some thought her actions were wasteful (John 8:4-6), yet she did it in sincere worship of Jesus. And He honored her gift. God isn’t always concerned with what we think would be practical. While Mary’s perfume could have been sold to benefit the poor, that’s not what God had in mind.

Mary likely did not understand what the scope of her actions would be, but Jesus did, and He explained them to everyone in the room. Through anointing Jesus, she was symbolically preparing Christ’s body for His burial. We don’t know what the scope of our actions will be, but God does. And we can trust that He will use our gifts for His good purposes.

As forgiven followers of Jesus, we can follow the example Mary set...she had a gift, and she used it for her Lord. We can do the same; each of us has a gift from the Lord, and He calls us to use our gifts in sincere worship of Jesus. When we look at all Christ has done—dying and raising again to free us from the power of sin and death—we, like Mary, might search for any gift we could possibly offer Jesus. These gifts could be material, like Mary’s perfume, or spiritual, like the gifts God provides through the Holy Spirit.

Don’t let the watching eyes and criticisms of others stop you from accomplishing what God has for you to do with your flask of perfume; it’s your gift to Him. Sometimes, God invites us to use our gifts in ways that we don’t think are practical. But He calls us to trust Him anyway. And, sometimes, the best way for us to use our gifts is by doing something extravagant to celebrate His goodness. • Lily Walsh

• What gifts has God given you? (These could be talents, possessions, spiritual gifts, etc.)

• How might God be inviting you to use your gifts in worship to Him? You can ask Him for guidance and wisdom about this anytime.

There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 1 Corinthians 12:5 (NLT)

Is God calling you to be a missionary?” Our pastor asked the question while he introduced the visiting missionaries from Sierra Leone. I sat in the hard pew and watched the couple walk on stage to share what God was doing in their mission work. I tuned out and blankly watched the slideshow of places and people that meant nothing to me. I was pretty sure God was not calling me to be a missionary or a pastor. Those thoughts had never entered my mind.

Where did that leave me? And, if you’re like me, where does that leave you? It has taken me forty years to learn what I wish I knew as a teenager: God has a purpose for every life He has created. As a teen, I thought God only had a purpose for people He called to do something big. Like live in a foreign land and speak in a foreign language to tell others about Jesus. The rest of us were relegated to attend church, be good, get a job, and live an ordinary life.

I was mistaken. It has taken heartache, wrong choices, and a renewed relationship with God for me to realize He has a divine purpose for each of us in His kingdom. He has equipped everyone with a unique combination of talents, strengths, and desires. No one is insignificant in God’s eyes. We don’t have to be foreign missionaries to spread the good news about Jesus and His death and resurrection, or to share God’s love with the world.

What’s in your future? What career(s) will you have? Electrician? Doctor? Store clerk? Designer? Farmer? Scientist? Parent? Where will you live? Who will you be in relationship with? The possibilities for your life’s influence are endless because our amazing God is limitless. You are a useful, worthwhile, one-of-a-kind kingdom citizen. God has a purpose for your life tailored specifically for you. As you seek Him and follow Him, He will lead you along the paths He desires for your life. • Erin Nestico

• What are some of the talents, strengths, and desires God has given you? How might He be inviting you to contribute to His kingdom today? What about in the future?

• As you continue to discover what God has put in you, who are trusted Christians in your life who can pray with you and help you notice what God is doing in and through you?

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

Before Jesus left this earth, before He rose from the dead, even before He went to the cross, He made a promise to His disciples. He let them know that they would see Him again one day. We can hold on to that same promise and know that Jesus is preparing a place in His kingdom for us— and more than just a place, a room.

What a special thing. If you’ve never felt very special here on earth, if you’ve never had your own space or anything that was truly just your own, Jesus said there are many rooms in His Father’s house, and He was going to prepare one for you. Try to image that...Jesus, getting a room ready for you. You are greatly loved by our God, so much so that He is setting up a special place for you.

Yet, while we wait for Jesus to return, we experience brokenness every day. This brokenness is caused by sin, either directly or indirectly. Our lives are affected by our own sins and the sins of others. Apart from Jesus, all people are caught in a cycle of sin. Life here on earth is often unfair. We don’t value other people as we should. We mistreat each other, ignore each other, and show favoritism—giving better help to some people rather than others. Even though God made us each wonderfully unique, there are many times when we just don’t feel special.

But you do not belong in a broken world. God created this world good, and one day, Jesus will make it whole again. And if you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you will get to be part of renewed creation! Jesus has a special place for you in His kingdom, and when He returns, you will reign with Him. You can look forward to your future with Him because He is trustworthy to keep the promises He gives. • Emily Acker

• What kinds of brokenness have you experienced lately? How might looking forward to Jesus’s return give you hope?

• Consider taking some time to imagine Jesus personally preparing a place for you.

“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” John 14:2 (CSB)

CRACK! CRASH! Ivy gazed in horror at the chaos around her. Everywhere she turned, everywhere she looked, there was turmoil—she couldn’t escape it. The very earth was trembling as mountain caps collapsed and fell.

Ivy clutched at her head. Peace. She needed peace. Quiet. Stillness. Where could she find that on this crumbling earth? Another earthquake shook the ground, and Ivy fell. "Everything is wrong!" she thought.

Ivy wrapped her arms around her head again and cried. She could never escape the chaos, the noise. She could never find peace.

Then, through the turmoil, she heard a still, small whisper. “Go to the Rock,” the voice said. “Go to the immovable Rock that is higher than you. There you will find peace.”

Ivy looked around. There were mountains and rocks higher than her everywhere. But she could only see one that wasn’t shaking like the rest. She ran toward it, pushing through swarms of people running the other way.

When she finally reached the Rock, she started to climb it desperately. But it was steep, and her feet slipped. She kept going, trying to claw her way up until her legs were scraped and her strength was drained. Help me, she cried out inwardly, not even sure who she was asking. But then, she felt a hand grasp hers. She looked up to see someone helping her climb. She felt renewed strength enter her body, and she began to climb the Rock again.

Finally, she made it to the top and collapsed, catching her breath. Then she stood and gaped in awe. On top of this rock, it was lush and green and full of people. She looked out and saw that on the ground all around the Rock, there was turmoil. But up here, there was quiet. There was stillness. There was peace.

“This Rock will never fall,” she heard the voice whisper again. “Trust in It. It will never fall. Be still.” • Natalie Crowe

• Have you ever felt like everything in the world is wrong and there is no peace? Pandemics, political unrest, environmental catastrophes, relationships falling apart...it’s all too much! But in the midst of chaos, God is always trustworthy. Jesus made a way for us to enter God’s rest through His death and resurrection. If you’d like, you can take a moment to imagine coming to Jesus, either like Ivy came to the Rock in today’s story or another way.

• How might you be able to invite others to trust in Jesus and experience His rest?

From the end of the earth, I will call to you when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2 (WEB)

He never got over being excited about the resurrection of Jesus. It was the central event of his life. Nearly every minute of every day throughout the year, his enthusiasm was obvious. His name was Rev. William J. Irey. I’m very thankful he was my dad.

A lot of ministers and a lot of Christian parents approach the Christian life as dull, boring, and somber. Living in their homes is a dreary, restricted life. Dad was different. Our home was filled with laughter. Living the Christian life filled him with joy. It was the same way for Mom, but she just wasn’t as boisterous about it. People knew when Dad was around.

When he talked about the resurrection, he’d nearly bounce for joy! And when Easter rolled around, he’d all but burst when he’d shout from the pulpit, “He is risen! He is risen indeed!” I used to say to myself, “One of these Easters, he’s going to fly right out of the pulpit.”

When Dad died young, we were left heartbroken. We also clung to an unshakable belief in Christ’s resurrection because we had witnessed the all-consuming joy it can bring to a person’s life. Because Jesus Christ rose from the dead, we know that when He returns, He will raise all His forgiven followers from the dead to be with Him forever.

Even though my dad isn’t with us anymore, I still say of Christ, “He is risen! He is risen indeed!” I urge you to embrace this essential truth. There is no more important event for your life. If you believe, it will change your life. • Kathy Irey

• Do you know anyone who makes the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus the focus of their life? How does this affect the way they live?

• In your experience, does the Christian life seem to be joyful or full of restrictions? Why?

• God loves variety, and He created people with a variety of temperaments. Do you tend to be more expressive, like this dad, or more calm, like the mom? What does joy look like for you?

“He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” Matthew 28:6 (CSB)

God created you and me. Even though He is divine and infinitely greater than us, He wants to accept all of us into His family. Being accepted doesn’t just give us a good feeling; acceptance is one of our deepest needs as humans.

When God made the first humans, He was very pleased with us. But when humans went their own way against God, He was grieved because, in His holiness, God cannot accept sin, and people became separated from Him. Yet God longed for us to be near Him again, so Jesus, God the Son, came to live among us. His death and resurrection provided the only way for us to be made acceptable to God. And Jesus also showed us how He calls us to accept one another.

To accept others is to welcome them without judgment or resentment. Accepting them despite their differences, flaws, mistakes, and past or present situation is a noble thing to do. Jesus, being the perfect human and the perfect God, accepted His disciples and other people without any demands. Jesus repeatedly ate with outcasts, those considered notorious sinners and traitors. He wanted them to choose Him, and many of these people did eventually turn to God and away from their old, sinful ways. But Jesus accepted them before they made any changes in their lives.

Jesus revealed that God loves us unconditionally. He gave His own life so that we could be faultless in God’s sight. In the same way Jesus accepts us despite our faults, He calls us to accept others, no matter who they are or what they’ve done. Jesus calls us to accept one another the way He accepts us.

When we accept others, we bring praise to God. He created us to be in community and, through Jesus, He has provided the way for us to accept each other wholeheartedly. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have been accepted into God’s family, and His Holy Spirit lives in us, empowering us to accept one another as Christ accepted us. Remember that when we accept others, we imitate Jesus and reflect His love and compassion. • Golda Dilema

• When is it difficult for you to accept others? In moments when it’s hard to follow the way Jesus accepted people, how can you remember Jesus’s love and acceptance toward you?

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7 (NIV)

I’ve been learning so much about the world. I had no idea Satan had his fingers so curled. It isn’t much like the time of my childhood, What was once sweet now reeks with wormwood.

I find no rest in what I used to enjoy. The world seemed a bit brighter when I was a boy. The more I walk these streets and watch the news, The more I feel doubt about what I learn in the pews.

But then I turn to You, oh Lord! Your path narrow as an Icelandic fjord, Your wisdom comforts me when I lie down, And in the morning I still see that I wear a crown!

So now Lord I know I will see your face, When Satan still seeks for my disgrace. You have never left my side, my King... And you are as close to me, as a bird to its wing. • Alexander Childs

• Have you felt stressed or even overwhelmed by the news or by learning more about the world we live in? God cares about the world’s hurts, and He is near to those who are suffering (Psalm 34:18). Jesus came into our broken world, and He suffered with us. His death and resurrection guarantee that one day, He will make all things new! In the meantime, He is with us (His forgiven followers) through His Holy Spirit, His Word, and His people. And He is always working to draw people to Himself, to heal all kinds of brokenness, and to set people free.

• God invites us to come to Him with our frustrations and sorrows, even (and especially) when we’re having doubts about Him. He can take it. What is weighing on you today?

For with much wisdom is much sorrow; as knowledge increases, grief increases. Ecclesiastes 1:18 (CSB)

Darkness. Mena jolted awake, jumping up off the prickly grass. Where was he? “Is anyone there?” he called out to the emptiness. Silence responded. A memory flashed inside him, of the recent burning anger when he’d yelled, “No one cares! Nothing makes a difference! It’s all a waste of time.” Now he was alone. Sweat trickled down his face. "Oh Jesus, help me," he prayed. "What’s happening? Am I in hell?"

“No,” echoed a warm voice, startling him. “Humans are often deceived into believing that their actions are worthless. But God wastes nothing. Acts of kindness, faithfulness, trusting in Jesus, suffering for Him...God enables His children to do all these things, and through them He demonstrates His love to the world. Watch. Have faith.”

An image of Mena as a child running up to a lonely boy appeared above him. “Let’s play together!” his younger self said, then disappeared, creating a spark in the sky.

“Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll always love you,” his ten-year-old self whispered, hugging his father after Mom left unexpectedly. The memory evaporated, leaving a light shining above him. Mena watched more forgotten memories take shape. The people he’d helped, the kind words he’d spoken, illuminated the sky. Memories of defending others, of sharing smiles and laughter, shimmered as a beacon of light. Maybe it hadn’t been a waste of time after all.

“You believed in Jesus’s message, acting on it in a broken, damaged world. It was never you accomplishing these good works, but God was doing good through you, bringing love and hope to people who needed it—people just as broken as you. This is a glimmer of God’s amazing love for us all. He sent Jesus for you, to heal the rift between you and Him. Now you get to be part of sharing His good news. Never give up hope, Mena. Even if no one else notices or cares about what you do, God does. You are His precious child. He loves you now and forever.”

Mena sobbed as the stars shone around him. When the tears stopped, his heart was lighter. “God,” he whispered. “Thank you for reminding me that what I do matters because of you.” The stars spun around and disappeared into daylight. • Cindy Lee

• Can you think of a time you felt like your actions didn’t matter?

• Consider asking God to bring to mind moments when you shined His light to other people.

“But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.” John 3:21 (CSB)

Your classmate or coworker enters the room, cringing. Her face is flushed and her eyes sparkle with unshed tears. A group of people start smirking, nudging each other and staring at their cell phones at a video of her at a party. Although you don’t really know her, you realize she is suffering. Maybe you’re a Christian and you believe that Jesus taught us to love others and help the distressed. So what do you do? There are typically a few kinds of responses:

Ignore it. She’s not your friend. Someone else can help her. It’s none of your business, and if you keep out of it, no one will bother you. Judgmental thoughts might sneak inside your heart: "She brought it on herself. She should have been more careful."
Join in. Curiosity burns inside you. You can’t help it. What did she do in the video? You forget about kindness and compassion. After all, you’re only human, and you want to fit in.
Take a risk. As a Christian, you understand what it’s like to be an outsider. You empathize with her because you know you’re no better than she is and your own sin is just as bad as whatever is on the video, but Jesus befriended you anyway. Jesus always reached out to the broken and lost; He identified with those who were hurting, and He calls us to do the same (1 John 4:19). Your approach will be different, depending on your personality. You might defend and support her publicly. Or you might come alongside her quietly, maybe with a smile, a small gesture of encouragement, or by offering to listen to her.

And you can always pray. God might even give you ideas of ways to help her. Your job is not to judge her actions but to love her like God loves her. After all, Jesus died and rose again so that we could be free from condemnation and shame (Psalm 34:5; Romans 8:1). As followers of Jesus, we get to share this good news through our actions and words. • Cindy Lee

• Have you ever been ridiculed? Jesus has (Matthew 27:28-44), and He understands what it’s like to be mocked and even despised. If you or someone you know has suffered an attack of privacy, know that God has compassion on you and grieves with you.

• Why do you think listening to people is often the first step in helping them?

• If you or someone you know is going through a messy issue, who is a trusted Christian adult you could talk to, such as a counselor, pastor, relative, or teacher?

“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I [Jesus] have loved you.” John 15:12 (NLT)

Growing up, I didn’t like the word "testimony." In Christian circles, this word is often used when people tell others about what God has done in their lives. It seemed to me like the people who told their testimonies usually had epic stories of how God saved them from really hard things, like addiction—which is AWESOME! But sometimes, I felt like my experience was small compared to theirs. For a lot of my life, I felt like I didn’t really have a story to tell.

But this verse caught my attention: Psalm 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.” It seems like everyone God has redeemed is called to share, not just the people with “big” stories. I wonder if we get to know our God better when we listen to each other, because God works in so many ways. We also get to celebrate together that God is good and “his love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1)! As Christians, we all have a story to tell because Jesus rescued us. Even the Psalms point to Jesus, the rescuer God promised to send to save us.

And each of us doesn’t just have one testimony. Because the moment we first decided to put our trust in Jesus is not the only time we’ve experienced God’s goodness and love. Throughout our lives, we all continue to get in trouble, both because rotten things happen to us and because we mess up. And God is our help through all of it. We can cry out to Him again and again. The more we seek God the Father, the more we follow Jesus, the more we listen to the Holy Spirit...the more ways we’ll experience His goodness and love!

If you’re not sure how to tell your stories, take a look at the model in Psalm 107. Over and over again, one line keeps coming up: “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress” (Psalm 107:6). This psalm has a repeating structure: (1) People were in trouble. (2) They cried out to God. (3) God rescued them in a powerful way. (4) The people thanked and praised God. Any time God helps you, it’s worth celebrating!

Your story matters. Even if it’s messy or short, even if it seems boring or small to you, even if you don’t know all the details...because your story is about Jesus! Through Him, the same God who rescued these people in Psalm 107 is the One who rescues you. • Hannah Howe

• Have you ever heard someone share a testimony that impacted you? What was their story?

• In your own life, what is one way God has helped you?

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story... Psalm 107:1-2a (NIV)

As humans, we hate the idea of being trapped. We crave freedom because God created us to be free. Yet, we often feel trapped in our broken lives. We are held back by fear, anxiety, doubt, and regrets. Our minds are imprisoned by our own thoughts. We can’t dig our way out of our failures on our own. We can’t set ourselves free from the brokenness, sin, and lies that have invaded God’s good creation.

But one thing I wish I’d known about Jesus when I was a teenager is that He alone has the power to set us free. The freedom Jesus gives us is not like the freedom the world claims it can give. In John 8:31-32, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The people listening were confused. They said, “But we are descendants of Abraham. We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free?’” (John 8:33).

And Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free” (John 8:34-36).

The conversation went on as Jesus pointed out lies they had been believing. Like the people Jesus was talking to, we have also believed lies, and those lies have led us into sin. We’ve messed up. We are slaves to sin. And apart from Jesus, we can’t NOT sin.

But when we put our trust in Jesus to set us free, we will be “truly free” (John 8:36). When we belong to God, we are free to live as the people He created us to be. Jesus’s death and resurrection put Satan’s lies to death, and He gives us the opportunity to live in His truth and freedom instead of lies and sin.

We don’t have to seek freedom in our own strength—we’ll never find it there. Freedom is found only in the name of Jesus. • Becca Wierwille

• What lies have been holding your heart lately? Are you ready to ask God to set you free?

• Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you notice where you might be believing lies? How can you come alongside others when they start to stray from truth? (Galatians 6:1-2)

Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Romans 6:17 (NLT)

There are many sad things in this world: death, sickness, and isolation, to name a few. We can all get overwhelmed by this sadness from time to time. When that happens, Psalm 23 can be a source of great comfort. King David, the author of this psalm, begins by stating that because God is our Shepherd, we have everything we need. When we are in difficult times or when people turn against us, we can still have the joy and peace we long for because we can say, “The Lord is my shepherd” (verse 1).

David continues in this psalm by describing how God, the Good Shepherd, satisfies our needs and calms our spirits. Sheep feed on green pastures, and once they have been fed, sheep lie down and rest. Sheep are easily frightened by splashing, running water, so they need quiet waters to drink from. Like a good shepherd, God knows what we need, and He guides us.

Sheep have a habit of wandering off. They need a shepherd who knows where the good pastures are and where the quiet waters await, who can guide them along the right paths. The sheep know they can trust the wise guidance of the shepherd. “For his name’s sake” is God’s seal, His guarantee (verse 3). If you’ve put your trust in Jesus (who is God the Son), you have a loving Shepherd who has promised not only to lead and guide you but also to lay down His life for you (John 10:11).

In verse 4, David writes about a sense of deep, impenetrable darkness. Sorrow or hurt could be your area of darkness. This psalm reassures us that, even in these places, our Good Shepherd is with us, protecting us. And, in verses 5 and 6, we see that we will celebrate our incredible blessings with Him, forever.

When we are overwhelmed by the sadness in this broken world, we can take comfort in knowing that, through Jesus’s death and resurrection, our Good Shepherd has overcome all the sad things in this life, and He will one day stomp them beneath His feet. • Doug Velting

• In what areas of your life are you experiencing sadness right now?

• God cares about our physical needs, and He also cares about our spiritual needs. Jesus, as the bread of life and the source of living water (John 6:25-59; 7:37-39), provides us with refreshment in times of sadness. How might God be inviting you into His refreshment today?

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. Psalms 23:1 (NIV)

I have three observations about the people (and there are lots of them!) who we can read about in the Bible. In a span of over two thousand years, there are hundreds of people mentioned.

Observation #1: There is someone like you somewhere in the pages of Scripture. There are young and old and in between, rich and poor, male and female, folks of various nationalities. Personality types run the gamut from introvert to extrovert, passive to aggressive, stable to unpredictable. Various characters may be tempted (and sometimes consumed) by money, sex, power, drugs, or freedom. They value family, health, God, love, friendship, safety, or nation, just to name a few. Personally, I relate to Noah and Thomas, and I’m sure you can find someone you can relate to as well.

Observation #2: Every one of those people—every single one—falls short of righteousness (except Jesus, but more on that later). From the murderous to the envious to the pagan who sacrifices to false gods to the New Testament Pharisees... everyone has sinned, done wrong, and fallen short of the glory of God. None of us has any advantage when it comes to achieving God’s standard of perfect righteousness. We have all failed God’s standard, and it’s not even close. The result of our sin is death. We call that the bad news.

Observation #3: Through Jesus Christ, God has provided the remedy, and it’s open to all. Jesus, being the only one who could live righteously, was the only one who could save us. Because God loves us, Jesus willingly died and rose again so we could be made right with God. This is VERY good news indeed. You don’t have to be a certain height, skin color, or age. There is no financial charge, no test of intelligence. Galatians 3:28 clarifies that the gospel isn’t limited to a particular group. Romans 5 elaborates on how we have all sinned, YET the righteousness of Christ is available to all who embrace the gospel. “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Regardless of what you’ve done or who you are, it’s never too late. • Mike Hurley

• Have you found anyone in the Bible you can relate to? What about them resonates with you?

• If you want to know more about what it means to put your trust in Jesus, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:23-24 (NLT)

The power of the gospel, as Paul explains in a letter to the Christians in Corinth, comes not from eloquent reasoning or polished argumentation but from Jesus’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. God’s nature is so magnificent and complex that we could not even begin to understand Him. That’s why God revealed Himself in Jesus.

Human logic and reasoning are not enough to bring someone to Jesus Christ, and even our greatest thoughts are foolishness compared to the thoughts of God. And yet, the Bible is very clear that God calls Christians to mature in our faith by studying His Word, contemplating what He has said and done, and seeking a deeper understanding of His will so that we can know Him better and follow Him closer. And when we want to know what God is like, we look at Jesus.

The cross, Christ’s sacrifice, the forgiveness of sins, the need for repentance, and the resurrection are all incredible truths that should shape the very foundation of our lives. These basic doctrines are essential to an understanding of what it means to know God, because the only way to be saved is through Jesus. But these core truths are not the entirety of Christianity.

As we grow older and mature in our faith, we should strive to deepen our understanding of God’s Word. Maturity, wisdom, understanding...none of these things just magically happen. They require an active and continued dedication to the study of God’s Word and a heart that is willing to seek instruction. The purpose of digging into the Bible is to change the way we live. When we live out what the Bible teaches, we might look foolish to others. But the more we live by faith by obeying the Lord and resting in Him, the more we mature in faith.

Remember that God calls us not only to study the Bible and listen to Him individually, but also to engage with other Christians He has placed in our lives, especially those who are older and wiser than we are. God calls Christians to instruct and build one another up in our faith and also to humbly listen to correction. As we mature, we become more effective witnesses of God’s glory. • Christian Davis

• Because God loves us, He wants us to know Him deeply (Matthew 22:37). How does the Holy Spirit help us understand things we couldn’t understand on our own? (John 16:12-15)

Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind. 1 Corinthians 14:20 (NLT)

Have you heard the expression “have faith”? What does it mean to have faith? One biblical example is a woman whose name we never hear. She is simply called the widow of a prophet. When her husband died, he left behind some debt. In those times, someone in debt often hired out themself or their sons to the creditor until the money was paid back. However, in this widow’s case, the creditor waited until the prophet’s death to get his money back. He had something harsher in mind—instead of taking the widow’s sons as hired servants, he wanted them as slaves.

The widow “cried out” to the prophet Elisha for help. When Elisha asked the widow what she had in her house, she replied she had only a small jar of olive oil. Elisha told the widow to gather as many empty jars as she could from her neighbors and then fill all the jars with oil from the small jar she had. She did exactly as Elisha instructed. She didn’t hesitate or even question how she would be able to fill all those jars. She didn’t ask how this would help her sons. She simply had faith that the Lord spoke through Elisha, and she immediately did as he said.

After all the jars were full, the Bible says the oil stopped flowing. Then the widow went and told Elisha what had happened, and he told her to sell the oil and pay off her debts, and then she and her sons could live on whatever was left. Because this widow acted in faith, her sons were saved from slavery and their debts were paid off. Not only that, but there was also money left over to provide for her and her sons.

God did an amazing miracle that day, and God continues to provide for His people in lots of ways. He even sent Jesus to pay the debt our sins deserved so that we could live with Him forever! As forgiven followers of Jesus, we can come to the Lord for help whenever we’re in trouble, and we can thank Him for His blessings. • Kimberly Brokish

• Why do you think the widow went to Elisha when she was in trouble?

• God blessed the widow beyond what she asked by providing money for her family to live on. Can you think of a time God blessed you beyond what you asked?

Now to him [God] who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—to him be glory... Ephesians 3:20-21a (CSB)

Who is really in control? Is it me? The voices on the TV? Who has things figured out? Is it a professor? A well-trained scholar? Who will fix things? Is it a political leader? A much-loved ruler? When no humans can do it What no humans would attempt You step in God Be in control, figure things out, fix things • Emily Acker

• Do you ever find yourself feeling scared because of things you read or see in the news? Do you wonder if there is anyone good out there, anyone trustworthy who is taking care of things? Today’s Scripture reminds us that God is the ultimate ruler over everything, and He helps us.

• Jesus came to save the world. What did He do that no one else could have done? (See our "Know Jesus" page.)

• As we live in a broken world, how might remembering that Jesus will return—and make all things fully right—give us hope?

• What kind of brokenness are you experiencing today? How might God be working out His good purposes in these situations? How might He be inviting you to be part of what He’s doing? If you’d like to, you can take a moment to ask Him.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

Editor’s note: Today’s reading discusses suicide*

If you ever want to see God’s power and glory right by His compassion and gentleness, read 1 Kings 17-19. Elijah experienced the full gamut of God’s character in these chapters.

Elijah was a prophet (someone who spoke to God’s people on His behalf) in Israel at a time when Israel was praising the false god, Baal. In chapter 18, Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to an epic showdown on a mountaintop to prove who was the true god—Baal or the Lord. So 450 prophets of Baal built an altar, put a bull on it as an offering, and asked Baal to send down fire to burn up the offering. They danced, begged, and yelled for hours, but nothing happened. Then, Elijah built an altar to the Lord, put a bull on it, drenched it with water, and prayed a simple prayer. God immediately poured out fire from heaven, consuming not just the bull but also the wet wood and stone of the altar, definitively proving that the Lord, and He alone, is God. Then God sent down rain, ending a three-year drought Elijah had prophesied.

The queen, who worshipped Baal, threatened to kill Elijah. He ran for his life. Exhausted and terrified, he prayed, but not for God to save him. He prayed for God to end his life (19:4).

Elijah, who had just seen God’s amazing power at work in one of the most epic good vs. evil showdowns in history, felt suicidal. He felt alone, hopeless, and empty (19:4, 10). And here we see God’s tenderhearted compassion and gentleness. He gave Elijah food, water, and rest (19:5-6). God gave Elijah His very own presence, showing Elijah that, while He can and does reveal Himself in earth-shattering miracles, His presence is also a gentle whisper (19:11-12). When Elijah felt utterly alone, God showed him there were others who love God and follow Him (19:18), and He provided Elijah with a successor named Elisha (19:16).

When Elijah felt suicidal, God did not berate him or tell him to pull himself up by his bootstraps and move on. Instead, He lovingly provided for Elijah’s needs, reminded Elijah of His gentle presence, and provided him with community.

Sadly, suicide is prevalent in our world because sin has broken God’s good creation. If you struggle with suicidal thoughts, know that you are not alone. Jesus is right there with you in your hurt. He hurts with you, and through His life, death, and resurrection, He offers hope, even in situations that seem hopeless. Jesus feels all of your deepest hurts, and He came to heal those hurts. He cares for you, and He sees you with compassion, gentleness, and overwhelming love.

If you are experiencing feelings of hopelessness or suicidal thoughts, tell a trusted adult immediately. One important way God brings healing to our hearts is through Christian counseling. The path to healing is long and sometimes painful, but Jesus will walk every step with you. Don’t try to walk this path alone. Find loving, supportive people to help you through this process. We aren’t supposed to endure our pain alone—we were designed for community.

If you feel like you can’t reach out to others because you are a burden, know that this feeling is a lie from the pit of hell. The enemy wants to isolate us from community, but God’s truth is so much more powerful than the enemy’s lies. The truth is this: you are made in God’s glorious image, and for that reason you are beloved and incomparably valuable, and there is nothing you can do to change that. You are worth people’s time, attention, and care—even when the people around you don’t act like it. You are so precious to God that He sent Jesus to give you new life so that you could live in loving relationship with Him. Jesus did this by dying and raising again. You are an important part of His kingdom.

Someday, Jesus will return to remove all hurt and death from our world permanently. Until then, we can rest, knowing that the God who sent down fire from heaven to show us His glory and power is the same God who lovingly sits beside us in our hurt, weeping with us and providing us with healing and help. • Taylor Eising

• If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You can also talk with someone via web chat at suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat

• If your situation is potentially life-threatening, call 911 (or the emergency number for your area) or go to the local hospital emergency room right away.

• If you need someone to talk to but are not in need of immediate help, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

• How have you seen God’s gentleness in Scripture, in your own life, or in the lives of others?

• If you are feeling depressed or suicidal, usually something in your circumstances has to change to help you heal, like how God gave Elijah community and rest. If you are feeling discouraged and burnt out, what are some circumstances in your life that might have to change?

I lie in the dust; revive me by your word. Psalm 119:25 (NLT)

Ash rained from the sky like a grim snow, the crimson lands desolate. A permanent red haze stained the horizon, darker than the sunrise. I could only guess it was time for the sun to rise. I hadn’t seen the actual sun for years; ash and the ubiquitous red glow of the beast choked out the beautiful golden orb.

"But no longer," I thought. I adjusted my armor—the armor He gave me from His very own armory. His words echoed in my head, “I will be with you always.” I tapped my scabbard. It was time the beast fell.

I strode down the dusty road out of town, eyes set unwavering on the mountains the beast had claimed as its home. Soon the road crumbled into dry stone fragments, the red-brown sands slipping through their cracks like lava. The path became steep until all around me was mountain. And then there it was: the beast’s cavern.

As I approached, the beast grinned in welcoming. “Hello, child. Are you bored?” Its eyes turned red, and a red mist spilled from its lips. “Come—let me entertain you.”

My eyes widened, and I cringed as the mist hit my armor. But nothing happened—my thoughts remained clear. "He protected me, just like He said He would," I thought with a smile.

The cocky curl in its lip turned to a snarl. “You wear His armor. Traitor!”

The beast lunged. But, as if I was guided by an invisible hand, I dodged nimbly, then I felt my sword swing—hard. The blade ripped open the beast’s scaly chest and a terrible scream opened its maw. The beast collapsed to the red stone, body shuddering with every breath.

“You think you’re safe?” the beast rasped. “My master will send more beasts to your land. Bigger! Stronger!”

“I know.” I sheathed the sword. Stared down at the dying beast. “But I now serve a new Master—one who defeated you, and He will bring an end to your master as well.”

The beast laughed. “We’ll see.” Despite its confident words, a slight glimmer of doubt sparked in its eyes. I turned and walked out of the cavern, hope beginning to thump in tune to my heart. On the horizon, the red haze and ash dimmed, revealing the golden glow of the sun. • Linnae Conkel

• This story is an allegory of how God is stronger than all the powers of darkness, and through Jesus, He equips us to stand firm when the enemy tries to lead us away from Him.

• Did you know the armor in Ephesians 6 is like the Messiah’s armor in the Old Testament (Isaiah 59 and elsewhere)? How might it give you comfort to know that Jesus is the One who defeats evil? How might it give you courage to know that His death and resurrection have secured His victory?

• In Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul talks about the spiritual armor God equips Christians with to help us stand against the enemy’s schemes. What do the six pieces of this armor signify?

• Have you ever felt like the enemy was attacking you or clouding your judgment? You can bring these battles to Jesus by submitting to God and resisting the devil (James 4:7-10). As we align ourselves with God’s truth, He protects us from the lies of the enemy.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:11 (NIV)

If one person has known God for a long time, does that make them somehow superior to someone who has just met God? Does the fact that one grew up in a Christian home make them any better than a friend who grew up without really knowing about God? The short answer is no.

If you have known God for longer than someone else, you might be more knowledgeable about God. You might have advice to share, and you probably have a better understanding of what the Bible has to say on different topics than someone who has just started reading the Bible.

On the other hand, if you have just recently come to God, you might have a greater appreciation for all that He has done for you because it is so fresh in your mind. As the years pass, we tend to take the gift of eternal life for granted because we have known about it for a long time. But someone who has just discovered the good news will be filled with joy because of what Jesus has done for them. When longtime Christians interact with someone who has just experienced the gospel for the first time, they can be reminded of just how good the good news really is! We get to share this joy as we remember and celebrate together that God saved us!

Longtime Christians might be more familiar with God because they have been talking to Him for a while. For example, they might have been aware that God was there for them when they were a young child in moments when they felt scared. As we talk to God more and more, our friendship with Him grows, and after a while we feel ready to talk to Him about anything.

A newer Christian might have a certain awe of God that leads so naturally to worship. While they’re just beginning to experience relationship with God, they might have a great respect and reverence for Him.

All are made equal when they come to God. A longtime Christian is not somehow better, and neither is someone who has just recently put their trust in Jesus. When Jesus hung on a cross, He saved a sinner on the cross next to Him who was about to die, and that person is just as saved as someone who has been in relationship with God since they were a toddler. • Emily Acker

• Have you ever felt like some Christians are more valuable than others, like some have a special place in the eyes of God? How might today’s Scripture passages speak into this?

• What are some reasons it might be important for new and longtime Christians to be in community with each other?

For God does not show favoritism. Romans 2:11 (NLT)

Part of being a Christian is sharing the gospel with others. Many of us are familiar with Matthew 28:18-20, which some call “the great commission.” We know the good news: that Jesus saves and forgives us, sinners who can’t save ourselves. He came to earth as a human and made a huge sacrifice out of love for us. He died, and then He rose again! It’s some pretty great news! But how do we tell others?

It can be awkward to bring up the good news about Jesus around others, especially when a lot of people have preconceived ideas about who Christians are and what they believe. My college pastor had some great advice about this, and I’m going to tell you what she told me.

The key is love. And trust. This is not about lecturing people or shouting the gospel at them. This process begins with demonstrating the love of Christ to people you interact with. This includes having relationships with people. Even more than being a good friend and a good neighbor, you can share life with people who aren’t Christians.

Keep in mind, we don’t just have relationships to convert people; that wouldn’t be genuine. Instead, we honestly share life as equals, as friends. Being in community with people means learning from them and receiving their help, even as you offer what you have. And this is way better than dumping good news and leaving.

After being in each other’s lives for a while, you may have opportunities to share the good news naturally in conversation with these friends. Because they’ve probably noticed you acting lovingly toward people, even people who are mean to you, they might be more likely to listen to what you have to say. Then you can begin to plant seeds of the good news. You get to share the “why” behind how you have hope, and that “why” is the gospel. Through it all, God is with you, guiding and equipping you through His Holy Spirit in you.

Remember, God can use simple acts of love and small conversations to grow good fruit. Also remember that people might reject Christ, and that’s not your fault. This approach is about planting seeds and watching God help them to grow. • Naomi Zylstra

• How did you learn about the gospel?

• How have you seen other people share the gospel? Was it effective?

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere...” Acts 1:8a (NLT)

The Bible says to be “strong and courageous” many times. In the NIV translation, there are at least ten verses with this phrase. But what does it mean to be courageous? Shiphrah and Puah give us an example. Their names are mentioned only once in the Bible, and their actions are described in only seven verses. Yet their short story is one of immense bravery and courage.

Shiphrah and Puah were midwives during the time Moses was born. The Israelites (also called Hebrews) were slaves in Egypt, and the Egyptian leader (Pharaoh) thought the Israelites were too numerous. He worried they would fight against him if they continued to multiply. So Pharaoh told Shiphrah and Puah to kill all the baby boys who were born to Hebrew women.

Can you imagine? These Israelite midwives may have loved their job assisting women in childbirth, but now Pharaoh, the king of Egypt himself, was ordering them to kill some of these defenseless babies.

But Shiphrah and Puah followed God, and they knew that killing babies would go against God. So they did something incredibly brave—they ignored Pharaoh’s order and allowed the baby boys to live. The ruler of the most powerful nation in the world had given them this command, yet their allegiance was to the Ruler of the Universe, not to any human or nation. Because they followed God, these women had the courage to completely disobey Pharaoh. They could have faced any kind of punishment for their disobedience...losing their jobs or even their lives. But they did it anyway.

When Pharaoh found out about this, he asked Shiphrah and Puah why they had done such a thing. The clever midwives told him the women had given birth before they arrived. God saw that Shiphrah and Puah followed Him, and He blessed their actions. Through their bravery, countless lives were saved (probably including Moses’s), and Israel was ultimately delivered from slavery. These women got to be part of what God was doing, paving the way for Jesus to be born centuries later—the One who would deliver the whole world from slavery to sin and from death itself. • Kimberly Brokish

• Why do you think the midwives were willing to risk their lives by disobeying Pharaoh?

• What can we do when we feel like we lack courage? (Acts 4:23-31)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

The Bible is filled with stories of individuals and groups who were displaced, either because they chose or were forced to live somewhere other than their original home. It began with Adam and Eve leaving the Garden of Eden, but it doesn’t stop there. Abraham went to live in Canaan, a land where he knew no one. Jacob took his family on the run from his own brother. The Israelites escaped Egypt and then wandered in the desert for forty years before settling in Canaan. Naomi moved to Moab because of a famine, and then Ruth moved back to Israel with her. David hid in caves while Saul searched for him, Elijah was an outcast, and Daniel was taken to a foreign land as a teenager. The ultimate displacement was when Jesus, God the Son, left heaven and came to earth as a man.

I was pondering these people as recent events have unfolded. Even as an older Christian, the past year has been disorienting, unsettling, and even depressing at times. We have endured (and continue to endure the effects of) a pandemic. Both orderly protests and chaotic riots have taken place. In the United States, we reached the end of a contentious election, yet political tensions continue. Life for many of us has been perplexing, as it is for displaced people. But remembering these stories from the Bible can encourage us as we grapple with uncertainty.

And in the midst of all this trouble, I have to remind myself often of how God views me. While I’m certainly a citizen of the United States and live every day in this realm, the truth doesn’t stop there. Philippians 3:20 encourages us to recall that “our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Heaven is never characterized as confusing, disorienting, or depressing. It is a place of great peace and joy. Heaven is secured for us, forgiven followers of Jesus, through the cross. Jesus even told His disciples, “You do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world” (John 15:19).

Citizenship in heaven doesn’t eliminate our problems on earth. But it gives us perspective that while we live on earth, our hope is with Christ beyond this world. When Jesus returns, He is going to bring heaven to earth and make them one. This troubled world will one day be made new and whole, and we will live together with Jesus forever! • Mike Hurley

• What trials have you faced in the past year or two? Which were the most difficult for you?

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20 (NIV)

One thing I wish I knew earlier in my teen years is that what I do will never be perfect. I am imperfect and sinful, and I need Jesus in my life!

A few years ago, I was stuck in a cycle, something I like to call the “perfection cycle.” Everything I did, I’d strive to do perfectly. I made sure nothing was out of place. The worst parts about this cycle are (1) you base your worth on how well you performed a certain task and (2) this promotes “me” thinking and leads to prideful thoughts.

Here’s an example: One of my favorite classes in middle school was geography class. I would strive to do my best in that class—and there’s nothing wrong with that when you’re working for God (Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters”). However, over time, I let that class become my worth. Whenever I did well on a test, I would feel proud and boast about how well I did to my friends and family. But, when I didn’t do as well, I would feel really upset and jealous of someone who did better than I did.

But God is so good, and He revealed the underlying lie I was believing: I was trying to be perfect in order to feel loved and accepted. But that’s just not possible! Here’s the thing: We are a broken and sinful people, ever since the Fall in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). There’s nothing we can do to get ourselves out of the pit of sin we’re in! Thankfully, God sent His Son, Jesus, who lived a perfect, sinless life and died on a cross in order to take God’s just wrath for our sin. Then God raised Jesus from the dead, defeating sin and death for good! This action bridged the gap between us and God, and when we put our trust in Jesus, we’re saved from sin and united to God through the Holy Spirit. We also find complete love and acceptance in Christ, which is what we crave because it’s what God created us for! Isn’t that better than trying to become a perfect human? • Carissa Vruggink

• Have there been times in your life you’ve tried to be perfect in order to be loved and accepted?

• Jesus freely chose to die on the cross to free us from our cycle of sin and death, which we could never do! For more about Jesus’s free gift of salvation, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

The princess sat alone in her tower. There was nothing to hope for anymore, nothing to look forward to. Just day after day of loneliness and longing, serving the dragon who held her captive. As her mind swirled into a sea of despair, she glanced out the window, fully expecting to see the same dark fields and dying trees. But today, something was different. There riding toward her was a prince on a beautiful white horse!

“I’ve come to rescue you!” He yelled.

“But the dragon that guarded my tower...what of it?” the princess called down.

“I have slayed it once and for all! You are no longer its slave. Come out of the tower, and you can live with my Father, the King!”

“But I don’t know how to get down!” The princess felt fear creeping into her voice.

“Leap! I’ll catch you!” The prince held out His arms.

“But...but I’m scared!” Even as she said it, His presence started eroding her fear.

“You can trust me. I will catch you.” His voice was steady; His gaze didn’t waver.

“But what if you’re not really a prince? What if you’re lying?” she cried, still unsure.

“Princess,” He said gently, “don’t you understand? You don’t have to serve that evil dragon because I have defeated him. My Father loves you, and He wants to adopt you into His family as his very own daughter!”

The princess thought for a moment as the prince’s words settled in her heart, quieting her doubts. “I am loved,” she whispered. “I don’t have to live here or serve the dragon.” Suddenly, she found herself leaping out of the oppressive tower into freedom and new life. • Lily Walsh

• In this story, the prince represents Jesus and the princess represents us. How did Jesus defeat Satan to save us? (Check out our "Know Jesus" page.)

• Is there anything keeping you from receiving what Jesus has already done for you? Who are trusted Christians in your life you can go to with any questions you may have? (Jude 1:22)

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:13-14 (NLT)

Jesus reveals God’s great compassion for us. As God in the flesh, Jesus had a special connection with the people He met. He truly cared for them and was interested in their problems, and He helped them in many ways. As He traveled from town to town, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God, Jesus healed many people from illness and disease.

In Matthew 14, King Herod ordered the execution of John the Baptist. John was Jesus’s cousin as well as His friend, and when Jesus heard of John’s death, He went by boat to a quiet place, probably to grieve. The people from the surrounding towns heard where Jesus was, and they followed Him. When Jesus reached the shore, a crowd was waiting for Him. Seeing the people, Jesus had compassion on them, and He healed those who were sick.

When it was starting to get dark, Jesus’s disciples suggested He send the people away so they could buy food for themselves. But Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16). The disciples told Him they had only five loaves of bread and two fish. But Jesus said, “Bring them here to me” (Matthew 14:18). And He broke the food into pieces so that— miraculously—there was more than enough to feed over five thousand people! Again, this is another example of the enormous compassion of Jesus.

Not long after this, Jesus displayed the full measure of God’s compassion when He let people put Him to death on a cross. He loved us so much that it was worth it to Him to take the punishment our sins deserved. When Jesus resurrected from the dead, He returned to His followers and instructed them to continue His ministry.

If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, God calls and empowers you to be compassionate. The Spirit of Christ lives in believers and helps us to be Christlike, to pay attention to the needs of people around us, to care about others’ needs, and to do something about those needs. As we follow Jesus, we get to be part of what our compassionate God is doing. • Doug Velting

• Can you think of a time when someone had compassion on you? What did they do?

• What opportunities might God be giving you to act compassionately toward others?

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Matthew 14:14 (NIV)

As humans living in a broken world, there are times when someone we love stops being part of our lives. You might be in a dating relationship, only to break up and have your significant other cut themself out of your life. Maybe you have a parent who has abandoned you. Other people in your life may or may not be around as you grow older. Some of them are going to leave as they enter the next season of their lives, and some might be forced to move away. And some of the people you love are going to pass away before you do. All these losses are painful. Where is the hope in the midst of broken relationships?

We have no guarantee that a human who is in our life today is going to be there for us tomorrow, but we can know that God will always be there for us. The Bible makes it clear that God’s love for us never changes. He is always there for us, just like He was yesterday, just like He will be tomorrow. God is never going to stop loving you, and He is never going to die, because Jesus already died—and then He rose from the dead!

And Jesus knows what it feels like to be abandoned. When He was arrested, “everyone deserted him and fled” (Mark 14:50). Even His closest friend, Peter, denied he even knew Jesus. But Jesus never stopped loving Peter or any of His disciples, and He will never stop loving you.

You are so important to God that it was worth it to Him to send Jesus. God didn’t want you to be separated from Him, so Jesus gave up His own life so that you could be brought near to God (Ephesians 2:13). Jesus, who was Himself abandoned, saves abandoned people. Even as you experience abandonment and hurt, you can know that God will always love you. • Emily Acker

• Have you ever had someone drift away from you—or cut you out of their life completely?

• How might it give us comfort to know that Jesus was abandoned and He will never leave us?

“And surely I [Jesus] am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b (NIV)

I close my eyes and I pray Lord, fill my thoughts today When I open my eyes again Don’t let me turn away Don’t let me ignore you As I move forward with my day I want to be consumed Each moment as I move I want to be attuned I want each breath to be in you • Emily Acker

• In Psalm 63, King David talks about earnestly seeking and longing for God, and David expresses confidence in God’s faithfulness. Today’s author also longs to remain in close connection with God, and they rely on God’s help to do so. As Christians, how does Jesus give us the secure hope that we’ll always be connected with God the Father? (John 10:14-18, 25-30)

• As our relationship with God grows deeper, we long for Him more and more. Have you ever felt a longing to be close to God? What did you do?

• Like this poet, we may realize that our best intentions at the beginning of the day often fall flat. We can do nothing apart from God. But through faith in Jesus, we can cling to Him, and He provides guidance and power through His Spirit, who lives inside Christians. Looking at Psalm 63, in what ways does David actively orient himself toward God? How does God make it possible for David to praise Him (verses 3, 7, 8)?

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. 1 Chronicles 16:11 (NIV)

The last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, can seem brutal, as if God has lost all his patience and love for Israel. Yet this book is very important, as it would be the last direct words the Israelites would hear from God for over four hundred years. The time of Malachi was grim: the Israelites felt abandoned by God. He had promised that His presence would return to Israel when they rebuilt the temple (Zechariah 1:16-17), but that promise seemed like a cruel joke now. Failed crops and a prolonged drought only added to the people’s discouragement. Their fervor for God was diminishing. They intermarried with nonbelievers, in addition to committing unjust divorce (Malachi 2:15-16). To top it all off, they treated their sin with apathy, offering blemished, weak animals for sacrifice and keeping the best cattle for themselves (Malachi 1:13).

They doubted God’s goodness and assumed that His patience for sinners meant He didn’t care whether they were good or evil (Malachi 2:17). But through the prophet Malachi, God reminds His people of His love and faithfulness. He tells them His promises are never broken. God also conveys His righteous anger toward the Israelites’ polluted sacrifices and weak, half-hearted faith. However, even as He reminds them of His coming judgment, God also offers them another chance. He ends the book by restating that He will heal the people with the “sun of righteousness” (Malachi 4:2). This prophecy was not fulfilled immediately, but it was four hundred years later...with the coming of Jesus Christ, the light of the world (John 8:12).

As Christians, we might doubt God’s love in our lives when we see the twisted sin and brokenness of the world; however, the Lord offers the same promises to us! Jesus came to heal what causes our brokenness (Luke 4:14-21). He died and rose again to be the ultimate, perfect sacrifice for our sins. And He is coming back again, and He will make all things new. Though we may not live to see His coming, we can rejoice that it will be fulfilled one day. The Lord is faithful, and His promises are true. This hope gives us joy to serve Him in our actions and words, knowing that He will always keep His promises. • Lily Walsh

• How can remembering God’s promises give us hope for the future?

• Do you have a favorite promise from God that gives you joy to serve Him?

The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 (CSB)

What makes you angry? Lots of things make me angry. Sometimes, I don’t even know why I feel angry, and I try to figure it out. Other times, I do know why, but I don’t think my anger is justified. Either way, I usually end up feeling frustrated...and it becomes a whole huge angry mess. What are we supposed to do when we’re angry?

One day I was going for a walk outside, and I noticed that I felt angry and I didn’t know why. But then I remembered hearing someone say that being angry is not wrong; however, the right thing to do with anger is to submit it to God. I didn’t really know how to do that. So, I thought I’d just start by acknowledging my anger to God. I don’t know if I used words in my prayer, but the posture of my heart was this: "God, I’m angry. I don’t even know why. Here it is."

And then, I immediately had this sense that He knew. And He understood. And just knowing that He knew made me feel less angry. I even started to feel calm. For no reason except that I had come before God.

Isn’t our God so merciful? I’m filled with gratitude when I ponder how patient He is, how compassionate, how gentle. My anger is not too much for God. It may be too much for me, but that’s okay. I belong to God, and He sees me. He wants to take the things that are too heavy for me to carry. Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Maybe submitting my anger to God is simpler than I thought. Maybe all I need to do is come to Him. • Hannah Howe

• When do you feel angry? Have you ever felt like you weren’t allowed to be angry?

• Sometimes anger is a good thing that can lead us to pursue justice and holiness. But it’s not healthy for us to stay angry for long. What helps you when you’re angry?

Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger. Ephesians 4:26 (CSB)

Music and laughter filled the air, but Jamesh’s heart was filled with darkness. He jabbed the shovel into the ground, vigorously ripping up the soil. “He runs away for months,” Jamesh growled, “squandering his inheritance and acting like a pig, while I stay here and work. And when he comes home, Father throws a party!” He looked up at the house and glared. “Nobody ever threw a party for me.” Jamesh gritted his teeth and continued digging. In his rage, he never even heard the footsteps of his father approaching him.

“The feast is about to start,” Father said gently.

“I’m not going to celebrate the reckless acts of your irresponsible son,” Jamesh snapped.

Father winced. “Jamesh, we’re not celebrating your brother’s foolishness.”

Jamesh threw the shovel down and yelled, “Then tell me why you have killed the prize calf, given him the finest clothes, and sing songs and dance! I stayed here all these years, but not a single party was thrown in my honor!”

“Oh, my son.” Father breathed. “This celebration is not one of merit, but of grace. We don’t celebrate his sin, but we celebrate because he came home! Your brother was as good as dead, but now he is alive!”

“I would rather he had died than show his face again,” Jamesh snarled.

Father’s face was pained. He started to walk back toward the house, then paused. “My love for you is not based on your work, but because you are my son.” Father walked away, and Jamesh continued hacking at the earth. He was glad the darkness hid the tears that ran down his face and soaked into the parched soil beneath his feet. • Lily Walsh

• Today’s story is how one author imagines the older brother’s experience in Jesus’s parable in Luke 15:11-32. Have you ever felt like Jamesh?

• We are all equally stained with sin, and God offers each one of us grace. Is there anybody in your life you’ve passed judgment on because of their sins?

• What was the father’s invitation to his son? How might God be inviting you to come to Him?

• If God’s love for us is not based on what we do, how might this change the way we live?

He turned...the parched ground into flowing springs. Psalm 107:35 (NIV)

I’m in my fifties, and one thing I wish I’d known about God when I was a teenager is that He understands perfectly what it is like to be popular and to be unpopular. Jesus experienced both during His ministry.

When Jesus was feeding people and healing them, crowds hung on His words and followed Him from town to town. Everyone was talking about Jesus. He often had to take off on a boat or head into the wilderness to get away from the crowds and find solitude to pray. When He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey colt, people almost literally rolled out the red carpet for Him by spreading palm branches and their own cloaks before Him, calling out, Hosanna! “Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:9). Jesus was at the height of His popularity then, but only days later, people turned against Him, calling for His death and choosing to free a murderer, Barabbas, from a death sentence instead of Jesus (Luke 23:18-25).

Popularity can change in a moment, but God never changes. His love is everlasting. He does not judge our worth by how many likes we get on social media or our ability to hang with a certain crowd. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, His love frees us to pursue Him and His will for our lives, instead of having to bend every which way to try to keep up with what’s trending. What a comfort to know that our Lord even understands what it feels like to be hated. Nothing we experience is beyond His understanding or empathy. No matter how popular or unpopular you are today, God knows you. He loves you. And He longs for you to be in relationship with Him through Jesus. • Ronica Stromberg

• At this moment in your life, do you feel popular, unpopular, or somewhere in between? How might it be comforting to know that Jesus experienced both?

• In John 15:18-20, what does Jesus tell His followers is the reason the world hates them?

• If you’re a follower of Jesus, you may feel out of place in some situations, and that’s okay. When you feel like this, what are some ways you could remember Jesus and rest in His comfort?

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me [Jesus] first.” John 15:18 (NLT)

In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” I’ve heard of people working on trying to be loving and joyful and faithful because they want to make sure others can see the fruit of the Spirit in them. But this can do more harm than good, because it’s easy to become more focused on how we look and act than how close we are to Jesus. I think our lives should be less about working for these fruits and more about being so close to Jesus that these fruits supernaturally result in our lives.

Let’s take a closer look at the metaphor of fruit. During Jesus’s ministry, He said He chose us to bear lasting fruit, but this fruit doesn’t come from us. Rather, Jesus is the vine and we—His forgiven followers—are the branches. He said, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me” (John 15:4). The way to remain in Jesus is to remain in His love by following His commands (John 15:10).

When a branch is connected to the vine, it’s given everything it needs to grow and produce fruit. Similarly, when we seek to grow closer to God, and as we rely on the Holy Spirit to help us follow His good ways, we are given all we need to grow and produce fruit.

God’s Spirit lives in us if we’ve put our trust in Jesus. We rely on Jesus’s death and resurrection to save us, and the Spirit transforms us to be more and more like Jesus. Think about it this way: God is love, and He has given us His love and the ability to love. God is joyful, and He invites us into His joy. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and He has given us His peace. God is fully patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled...and He is transforming us so that we are these things too. The fruit comes out in our lives supernaturally when we are fully devoted to God and walking in His love. We can’t produce fruit without Him. And we must not try. • Emily Acker

• How might a life focused on relationship with Jesus look different from a life focused on fruit?

• If you want to dig deeper, check out Isaiah 9:6; John 14:27; 15:1-17; Romans 8:29; 1 John 4:8.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

How do you show someone God loves them? One of the best ways is by serving them. As we look out for others and take care of some of their needs, we can point to the God who cares about them.

If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we’ve tasted God’s love for ourselves, and we know how good it is (1 Peter 2:3). Now we can help others see that they are loved too. When we take time to serve people who are struggling, we’re taking time to offer a glimpse of God’s deep love for them. On the night before Jesus went to the cross, He commanded His disciples to love and serve each other like He loves and serves us. When we do, everyone should be able to see the people of God working together in love (John 17:20-26).

When we have compassion for others and provide for their physical needs, our actions proclaim the truth that everyone is deserving of love, because everyone is created by God. Therefore, everyone should know what it feels like to have someone care about them. Oftentimes, when we serve from a posture of humility and respect, people’s lives begin to change—and not just the people being served but also the people serving. So let’s show love to others, and watch God work. • Emily Acker

• Have you ever felt the love of God when someone else did something to take care of you?

• How does Jesus reveal God’s love through service? (John 13:1-17; Philippians 2:1-11)

• What opportunities might God be giving you to share His love with others by serving them?

Serve one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:13b (NIV)

When my two sons were little, I biked all three of us around by pulling them in a small trailer attached to my bicycle. They rode in comfort, safe and shielded from the sun. One afternoon, I pedaled us to the store. After doing our shopping, we started home. But as we were leaving the shopping center, I ran into a curb and tipped my bike over. My children were unharmed, but I fell onto the concrete and skinned my hands—along with my pride. As soon as I tumbled over, two teenage boys ran up to ask if we were okay. Their faces showed sincere concern as they leaned down to check on me. Even though I didn’t need much help, the boys’ compassion had an impact on me.

At times, adults have unfairly labeled teenagers as self-centered or lazy. Adolescence is a time of growth as we figure out who we are and what we value, which is a good thing, but it can be easy to focus only on our own needs and desires. But God has so much more for us during this season of transition.

In today’s passage, Paul is reminding Timothy to set an example for other believers, even older ones, by the life he lives. As a young person, you can display love, faith, and purity that are worthy of emulating—both by teens and adults. That afternoon when I crashed my bike, I watched two young men model care and concern for others in their conduct toward me.

If you’ve put your trust in the risen Jesus, the same Holy Spirit who lived in Paul and Timothy is living in you! As you lean into relationship with God, He equips you to lead by example in your own life. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Do you ever feel discounted or minimized as a teenager? How?

• In what ways do you hope to lead by example?

• How does God equip us to live a life worth emulating? (Ephesians 4:1-6; 2 Timothy 3:15-17)

Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT)

Sometimes it feels like everything we do is focused on the future. Many of us spend years in school trying to get good grades, hoping that one day we can get into college. We easily make the mistake of thinking our present lives aren’t meaningful, that we just have to get to the next level in order to be happy or satisfied. Especially for high school students, college sometimes feels like the ultimate goal, the prize waiting for us after we cross the finish line.

Unfortunately, finishing high school is not the finish line. Many people decide not to go to college at all, and those who do are eventually faced with the next objective: getting a job. College, just like high school, feels like a stepping stone. Once again, students work hard and study so that, hopefully, they can get a job after graduation, or maybe get into graduate school.

And this mindset doesn’t end after college. Many people spend their entire lives focused on moving up, getting ahead, making it to the next level. This might look like the dream career, the dream family, or the dream home...but there’s a problem. If all we ever do is focus on the future, we miss so much. Because achieving our goals won’t really make us happy. The only way to find true contentment is in relationship with God through Jesus. That’s what we were created for—being loved by God and loving Him back. Even though we all rejected God, Jesus came to provide a way for us to be near Him again by dying for us and raising from the dead.

A life devoted to loving Jesus and following where He leads will be a joyful life, because God is the source of joy! And even if we don’t achieve our original goals or get what we thought we wanted, we can still be content, because we’re held in love by the One who created us.

Our future lies not in a good education, or a good job, or in anything else of the world. Rather, our future lies in our relationship with God. The only way to escape the next-level mentality is to embrace God’s love for us and live in joyful obedience to His Word. As we get to know Him more and more, He transforms our desires and shapes our dreams. When we follow Jesus, our lives become more meaningful than we ever could have imagined. • Christian Davis

• What might your life look like if you prioritize embracing God’s love over the “next level”?

But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 1 Timothy 6:11 (NLT)

When you were young, who did you go to for comfort? Who was strong enough to hold you and carry you? Who made you feel the safest? Who made every hurt go away?

As we grow older, we lose some of the bonds we had when we were younger. We don’t sit on the laps of grandparents or snuggle with aunts and uncles. We might not get the same comfort from those people as we did when we were little. We might even feel like we’re too old to be comforted—or worse, that no one is large enough to hold us and our problems now.

But God is there for us like trusted adults were there for us when we were younger. Even if we’ve lost some of the people we were close to during childhood, even if we feel like adults can’t help us with the kinds of problems we’re facing, even if we’re too big to sit in anybody’s lap...we never grow out of God’s lap.

Our wounds may be different now (a kiss on a boo-boo works for a baby or toddler, but how do you heal a broken heart after a breakup?), but God’s love is the same. He longs to enfold us in His arms, to soothe our every hurt, to listen to us cry. He won’t scold us for being childish. He won’t tell us to just get over it. No, God identifies with all our hurts, no matter how big or small they may seem to us. Jesus knows firsthand what it’s like to be human, including what it’s like to grow up. Even if the adults in our lives don’t have solutions for our problems, God does. He understands all our problems, and He is always there offering us comfort. • Emily Acker

• How have your relationships with trusted adults changed as you’ve gotten older?

• Even though humans can’t be our savior (that’s Jesus’s job), God still calls us to be in community with fellow Christians. In fact, this is one of the ways we receive God’s comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). And when people disappoint us, God remains trustworthy. How has Jesus made it possible for us imperfect humans to be in community? (1 Corinthians 12:12-27)

• In what area of your life do you need comfort today? If you’re ready, take a moment to imagine crawling up onto God’s lap and receiving His comfort.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 (NIV)

Editor’s note: Today’s reading discusses abuse

During our teenage years, many of us start dating. This is a big step, and while dating can be fun and wholesome, it can also be confusing and damaging. After I experienced several rejections as a teen, I was thrilled when a high school romance came my way.

God created all things good, including love. The love between Adam and Eve was sinless before the fall. They didn’t argue or hurt each other. Until sin entered the picture.

Today, we live in a broken world. Dating brings two broken humans together in relationship. This can be healthy or unhealthy.

God intended love to enrich our life, not destroy it. Sadly, many people use dating relationships to control and abuse others, whether physically, emotionally, or sexually. While many teens (and adults) experience dating violence, this is not the love God intended.

The enemy tries to convince us we are worthless, which can be easy to believe if we don’t feel wanted by people. That’s what he did with me as I remained in an abusive relationship. I was afraid to be alone. I was afraid to be viewed as a nobody. I feared no one else would be interested in me.

But the truth is this: I am not worthless, and neither are you. Jesus died on the cross for you because you are priceless to God. He loves you with an everlasting love. He came to the world, died, and rose again to save you from your sins and give you abundant life (John 10:10; Romans 5:8). He desires healthy, loving relationships for you, and He will help you cultivate these as you seek Him.

When someone hurts us, our first reaction is usually to pull away from relationships. But Jesus longs to enfold us in community and help us heal. He provides caring people who love Him and will love us well. Jesus provides the answer to loneliness in His body, the church.

Are you afraid of being alone? Do you fear no one will love you? Rest assured, you are loved by the Creator of the universe, you are held in His arms, and He is with you always.

Have you been rejected by others? God always wants to be in relationship with you. Have you been hurt? God is with you, grieving your hurts alongside you and offering healing. Have you felt unwanted? God always wants you to come near to Him.

If you’ve been hurt by a romantic partner, tell a trusted adult immediately. And turn to God, tell Him how you feel, and let Him heal your hurts. Let His words and His truth be louder than the enemy’s lies. Let His love embrace you as you trust in His plan and His timing for your life, including relationships. • Erin Nestico

• If you or someone you know is suffering from abuse, and if your situation is potentially life-threatening, call 911 (or the emergency number for your area) or go to the local hospital emergency room right away.

• If you need someone to talk to but are not in need of immediate help, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

• Have you ever been hurt by a dating partner’s words or actions? Have you hurt someone? There is hope through Jesus. He offers healing and forgiveness, no matter how terrible the situation may be. Who is a trusted Christian adult you can talk to as you seek to follow God’s good intentions for how people should treat one another, including setting up loving boundaries?

• What questions do you have about dating?

• Who is a trusted Christian adult in your life you feel comfortable talking to about dating? (If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.)

• What could you say to a friend who is in an unhealthy relationship but is afraid of being single?

• If you’d like to dig deeper into today’s topic, check out Isaiah 53 to see how Jesus knows what it’s like to be unpopular and abused, and how He suffered to take away our suffering forever when He returns. You can also look at Romans 8:26-39 to see how God grieves with us and helps us, and Hebrews 4:14-16 to see how Jesus empathizes with what we’re going through and God always invites us to come to Him.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 (NIV)

It is surprising how we can be so spiritually blind about certain matters. For a long time, there was an area of my life where I was spiritually blind. For years, I acted contrary to the truth of God’s word. As a teenager, I had bias against one particular tribe in my country. I disliked everything about the people of that tribe, their language and customs. Though their language was widely spoken in the city I was living in, I did not want to speak it. I saw them as a proud people, and I did not want anything to do with them.

But now, at age 61, I see this tribe differently. I now understand God wants me to love all humankind as He loves us, and He calls me to relate to everyone in a godly way. God himself loves all humankind so much that He gave Christ to die for us and raise from the dead—not only to save us from death (John 3:16) but also to make us one in Christ. He has broken down the dividing wall between people of different nationalities, races, and tribes, even as the Bible says that in Christ Jesus, there is no Jew, no Greek, but we are all made one in Christ Jesus.

I now realize that I missed out on some blessings I could have experienced by being in fellowship with people of this tribe. Today, I do interact with them, and some of these people are a great blessing to me.

I realize that as a teenager, I acted in ignorance. Now that I know God loves all humankind, from all races, nationalities, and tribes, I choose to look at all people through the eyes of God, to relate to them and treat them as God would have me do. It will help us all if we begin to look at all humankind as God’s creation and to understand that Christ came to break down the dividing walls. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

• Do you sometimes feel like you don’t want to relate with people of a different race, nationality, or tribe other than yours? When you get such feelings, do you act according to your feelings?

• Have you ever been mistreated because of your ethnicity? How did you respond?

• When we realize we’ve done wrong, God invites us to turn around and come to Him (Psalm 139:23-24; Acts 3:17). If you’re not sure how, who is a trusted Christian you can talk to?

From one man he [God] made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth. Acts 17:26a (NIV)

Sin can be a scary thing. You don’t have to read the Bible for very long to come across passages where God condemns sin. Even as Christians, we fall into sin again and again, and this can make us feel isolated from God. Is God’s wrath upon us when we have sinned?

As our loving Creator, God is the source of all goodness, and sin twists His good design. Sin hurts everything it touches, and God hates the brokenness sin brings on the world and the suffering it causes.

When the first humans sinned by going their own way against God, our relationship with God was broken and it became impossible for us to live sinless lives. Yet God wants to repair the relationship we broke—and repair all the brokenness caused by sin. So God did the unthinkable. He took the punishment our sins deserve...on Himself. This is the good news: Jesus died and rose again to save us, sinners helpless to save ourselves. God longs for all people to put their trust in Jesus so He can forgive us and bring us close to Himself.

Once we’ve been saved, it’s easy to think obedience should be easy now. After all, we have the Holy Spirit—God Himself is living in us and empowering us to follow Him! But God never promises us the Christian life will be easy. Actually, Jesus warned His disciples that they would face opposition in the days to come. What Jesus does promise us, however, is that He will be with us every step of the way, and His forgiveness is enough to cover all our failures.

God loves His children, no matter what we’ve done. No sin you have ever committed is too much to drive God away from you. His love is steadfast, and He grants us mercy that pardons our sin again and again. As we continue to struggle, awaiting the day our fight with sin will finally be over, God will be steadfastly loving us, even in our darkest moments. • Joseph Brink

• Do you think God understands our struggle with sin? Why or why not?

• God is a perfect judge, but He also freely offers mercy. How might this truth challenge you?

• Do you ever feel frustrated with yourself for sinning? You’re not alone! (Romans 7:17-8:4) For more on forgiveness, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15 (NLT)

When darkness covers the sunshine When I start to feel anything but fine When I’m too worried to be still Be my peace

If I fall down and struggle to stand again If I fear too much to begin If I am consumed with being like everyone else Be my peace

When my life feels out of my control When the future is too difficult to behold When every step feels too hard to take Be my peace

When I lie awake at night When I’m struggling to find the light When every day, I cry out to you Be my peace • Bethany Acker

• When life is overwhelming, God has compassion on us. He sees, He cares, and He invites us to come to Him. How might God be inviting you into His peace today?

Just hours before Jesus went to the cross, He told His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). How is the peace Jesus gives different from the peace that comes from circumstances? (You can also look at John 16:33.)

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? Psalm 13:2a (NIV)

When we exercise regularly, our muscles grow stronger and our whole body becomes healthier. On the other hand, lack of exercise leads to muscle weakness and poor health. It’s like the old saying goes: “use it or lose it.” In 1 Timothy 4, Paul says that bodily exercise is beneficial, but training in godliness is even more important. Paul cautions Timothy about false teachings and urges him to share the truth with brothers and sisters in Christ. In my own life, I want to know and follow the truth, and I’ve developed a daily habit that really helps me.

The first thing I do in the morning after getting up (and before starting any chores) is to spend some time alone with God in prayer. Then I read a few verses from the Bible, and throughout the day I endeavor to keep on meditating on the Scriptures I read in the morning. Later in the day—usually right before I go to sleep—I read a longer passage from the Bible. I’ve found that this exercise of reading and meditating on the Bible helps me mainly in two ways:

1) It helps me keep my mind from meandering into unhealthy areas.

2) When I’m facing a tough situation or a challenge and I need God to intervene, verses or Scripture passages I’ve read and memorized come welling up from my heart. Often, these verses speak into my particular situation, and I realize God is giving me help and guidance.

As I’ve focused and acted on God’s Word, I’ve seen good and godly results and solutions in my life. This daily practice of spending time in the Bible has helped me learn to sense the Holy Spirit’s leading as He illuminates Scriptures in my heart. As I’ve pondered God’s Word day after day, my knowledge of His truth has grown. And as I respond to the truth with faith in my Lord Jesus Christ, my walk with Him grows stronger. • Charity M. Kiregyera

• Have you ever experienced a time when something from the Bible helped you in your own life?

• Do you have any habits for reading the Bible? Do you find these habits helpful, or would you like to try something new?

• While it’s important to spend time alone with God, it’s also important to be in community with fellow believers. Who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to about the Bible?

Train yourself in godliness. For the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:7b-8 (CSB)

Tears fall freely down my face as I stoop to gaze into this hole of death. I came early in the morning because this tomb holds the body of my Lord...or did. I let my knees hit the ground at the entrance of the hollowed-out rock, let sobs shake my body. Suddenly, a burning light strikes my swollen eyes. My heart races, and I see two angels standing in front of me.

“Dear woman, why are you weeping?” one asks.

“They have taken away my Lord,” I answer. "My only Lord...," I thought, "the one who healed me from demons and cleansed my sin-sick soul."

Footsteps sound behind me, and I turn. Bleary-eyed and dizzy, I see a man walking toward me.

“Please!” I beg. “If you have taken my Lord away, tell me where He is so I can go get Him...” I end in sobs as I turn back toward the place where Jesus’s body had been laid. I feel darkness, death, and the hate of men smoldering like rancid fog out of the tomb. My eyes gaze transfixed upon it, unable to look away.

“Mary,” a voice says gently. I gasp as my heart skips a beat. I know that voice! I turn to the man with urgency, and a cry escapes my mouth as my eyes meet His. Light, life, and the love of God radiate from His face. "My Lord is alive!" • Lily Walsh

• Today’s story is how one author imagines the moment Mary Magdalene first saw Jesus after He rose from the dead! As we can read in today’s Bible passage, Mary was heartbroken when she couldn’t find Jesus’s body. Why do you think Mary felt so close to Jesus?

• Why did Jesus need to die—and raise from the dead—to save us? (Check out our "Know Jesus" page.)

• While we wait for Jesus to return, we live in a world filled with death and hate. How might remembering that Jesus defeated death give us hope?

• If you want to dig deeper, you can read more about Mary Magdalene in all four Gospels. A few passages that relate to today’s story are Luke 8:1-3, Mark 15:40-47 and 16:9.

Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” John 20:18a (NLT)

She was tormented by demons.

Mary, a woman of Magdalene...or so she had once been called. Now she knew herself by a different name: possessed, enslaved, hopeless. She tried to fight the darkness. Countless times she ran from its grip, but the demons were always faster.

"Weak," they cackled at her efforts. You’re ours now.

She was an outcast. Cursed and broken beyond repair.

Until He came.

"Mary." He called for her, His voice echoing in the cavernous prison that entrapped her soul. Mary shrank from His voice. She had gone too far to be saved now.

"Mary." He spoke and the demons trembled. It was the carpenter, the teacher from Nazareth.

"Jesus." Mary groped in the darkness, trying to answer Him, her heart screaming for mercy and desperate for grace.

"She is ours!" The demons shrieked. "She’s gone too far to be loved!"

His voice answered. "No!"

The chains binding her soul shattered, dropping her breathless and crumpled at His feet. Her body shivered, her heart pounded, and her eyes dared to rise from the dust to His face. He heard her. He found her. He loved her.

Jesus met her gaze and grasped her by the hand, pulling her to her feet. “No.” His word vanquished every shadow. “This one is Mine.” • Anita Seavey

• Today’s story is how one author imagines the day Jesus rescued Mary Magdalene from seven demons. As we can read in the Gospels, Mary followed Jesus after He healed her. How has Jesus revealed God’s love for broken people?

• We are all broken and sinful, and we all need Jesus just as desperately as Mary did. Have you ever felt like you’re too far gone to be loved? To be free? To be whole? What does Jesus say?

But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:4-5 (NLT)

The comm link buzzed. “Osaka Karaoke?” Command Center’s usual check-in code. Sara gave the expected response in a choked whisper, “Apple Osaka Karaoke” (A-OK). What else could she say? They only checked to make sure she was alive and in her right mind. And if she wasn’t—well, there wasn’t much they could do. The buzz sounded again. “Grey Falcon, repeat.”

She cleared her throat and said it louder this time. “Apple Osaka Karaoke.” She pressed her index finger against her thumb, ending the communication the chip in her hand allowed. She couldn’t take this anymore. Even the name of the space station—Lighthouse—showed how lonely it was. So did her code name—Grey Falcon. No one ever saw those birds. She felt like a bird alone in a titanium cage orbiting above Saturn.

“Space station duty,” she’d been told. They were short on astronauts, she knew that. But still, it seemed cruel to send her there without a crewmate. How could anyone stand a whole rotation cycle—three months—out here alone? She’d heard rumors about space madness. It had only been two weeks, but that was enough for her. She couldn’t take it anymore. It was so quiet. The days were endless, meaningless—hours upon hours, mostly spent staring at the ice and rock debris of Saturn’s rings. Watching for...something, anything. They told her watching was important, but they hadn’t told her why. That was classified. She lifted her gaze from the layers of orange and white storm clouds below, to the endless expanse of darkness beyond.

“Hello?” she called, then laughed. What was she expecting? Someone to say hello back? There was no one there!

"Call to me and I will answer you." The words slipped into her mind. Sara paused, heart pounding. She knew who it was. The God she’d forgotten about. On purpose. She snapped off the monitor glasses she usually wore while observing. The rings of Saturn in all their diaphanous splendor slipped into view. A reminder that He had created this. A reminder that she wasn’t really alone. That she’d had someone to talk to all along. And still could. A warmth began to spread through her. Maybe it was time they talked again. • Linda Washington

• Can you think of a time when you felt alone? Through Jesus, God has provided a way for us to be in relationship with Him, and there’s nowhere we can go where His love can’t reach us.

‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)

Golden sunsets, late-night campfires, cozy flannel blankets, apple picking, pumpkin spice...an excited thrill rushes through my veins when that first gust of autumn sweeps over the prairie, leaving gold and crimson in its wake.

I always wonder if artists like me observe creation differently than most. Rather than simply marveling at a job well done, I look at God’s masterpiece and want to know how He pulled it off. The aspiring painter in me schemes how to imitate a grove of maple trees in acrylics. My writer’s heart smells campfire smoke and hears laughter and wonders how to capture that feeling on paper.

Every autumn, surrounded by fathomless color and a palpable sense of change on the wind, I want to gasp out loud. The pure, raw beauty of the world leaves me feeling so incapable, so inadequate, so awestruck.

I cannot count how many times I have stood in the middle of a pasture surrounded by wildflowers or stared up at the endless expanse of stars in a night sky and been left with an incredible assurance of my Savior’s power and an overwhelming realization of His goodness.

Then I remember—the same hand that crafted this breathtaking world crafted me as well. The same God who sets the atoms dancing knows me by name and calls me precious.

The love I have to offer in return seems feeble in comparison, yet not only does God accept my love, He wants it. I am His most intricate and beloved creation.

When I think about that for a long moment, feelings of discouragement and fear don’t stick to me as easily. I remember the God who made all things beautiful and good. I remember how He gave His life so that we could live with Him forever.

He invites us to come to Him, to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). Take time to go outside, capture a sense of wonder, and remind yourself that the same God who breathed the stars into existence made you as well! • Anita Seavey

• When we feel forgotten, discouraged, or insecure about ourselves, how might marveling at the glory of God’s creation help remind us of who God is—and who we are?

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

Lord, my head is full of Your beautiful truths. Knowledge about the gospel, Scriptures, the trinity, the sacraments, salvation, and more are packed into my brain, lovingly placed there by pastors and professors and parents and authors and friends. I marvel at these amazing things.

And yet, when these truths make the long trek down from my head to my heart, they too often find the door bolted shut. Locked. Barricaded. Because my foolish heart won’t accept these things that seem too good to be true. My heart, ever suspicious, shuts out the truth.

The cross is too gruesome for my foolish heart’s gaze, so it looks away. Your resurrection is too glorious for it to behold, so it hides in the comfort of familiar lies. These lies have been holding my heart since childhood, telling it that Your love comes only from obligation, that Your goodness is for everyone except me, that I must be good in order to be loved, that the gospel is foolishness—not because it is outdated or cruel or backwards, but because it is simply too good to be true. And my foolish heart believed them.

My head protests every lie, tearing them down with Truth—that, because of the gospel, I am loved without measure, holy in Your eyes, and close to Your heart. I have put my trust in Jesus, and that truth does not rise and fall with my feelings. But my foolish heart is unconvinced. It clings to the lies as though they are its most prized possessions, and the king of lies rejoices.

Lord, cancel his party. Destroy the grip these lies have on my heart. Break down the barricades I have built, and let Your truth make its home in my heart. Let the path between my head and my heart become a well-worn highway as these mind-blowing truths move in and take up residence. Help the knowledge of You permeate everything in me, making my foolish heart alive and new by Your wisdom. • Taylor Eising

• Can you think of a time when a truth you knew in your mind didn’t feel true in your heart? While putting our trust in Jesus is more important than feeling these truths, it’s okay—and even good—to want to feel them. And we all experience these disconnects sometimes. God is patient with us, and as we seek Him, He gently frees our hearts from lies.

• Today’s devotion models how we can tell God what we’re feeling and ask for help. If it’s really true that God invites us to be honest and messy with Him, how might this affect the way we pray?

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT)

Change happens rapidly, in the blink of an eye. Spring, summer, fall, and winter all seem to go so quickly, as time flies by.

Nothing seems to stay the same in this world consumed with sin and woe. And life can grow weary to the one who has had to let dreams, plans, and loved ones go.

Amid the falling autumn leaves, melting white snow, and fading flowers which wither in time, there is One who remains constant in this world of change.

Among the grief, turmoil, and pain, only the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit remain the same. Neither the past, present, nor future can alter God’s wondrous love which lasts forever after.

Mountains may shake and buildings may crumble, but my God will always be the same, no matter what the seasons of change may bring. • Sophia Bricker

• How might knowing that God does not change help us stay grounded when everything around us is changing?

• God’s love for us is perfectly expressed in Jesus, who died on the cross to pay for our sins and rose from the dead to give us new life. In what ways has Jesus revealed God’s love?

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (NLT)

Milestones in our lives, like graduations or birthdays, can stir up wishes for our futures. Excited about a fresh start, we dream about opportunities and make plans. On the other hand, change can also stir up fear. We might feel overwhelmed by what lies ahead.

While dreaming about our future and reflecting on our past can be good, they can also make us feel discouraged. Sometimes dwelling on regrets or unfulfilled desires can cause us to miss the blessings right in front of us. So how can we have joy in the present?

God holds the future, so we can have peace in every moment. And God holds the past, so we can be free to live in the present without being haunted by regrets. Through Jesus’s death, we are freed from the wrongdoing of our past. And because He rose from the dead, Jesus has victory over death and evil. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He has secured our eternal future with Him in renewed creation! As we abide in Jesus, we have hope and peace no matter what our future brings (John 15:1-11; 16:33).

It also helps to know that God is doing great things right where we are, right now. He has put us here for a reason, with unique opportunities and blessings. We don’t know what the future holds, and we can’t change the past, but God is in complete control of all time. He is fully trustworthy, and He is always working for the good of His people (Romans 8:28). If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, His Holy Spirit is in us, helping us to follow God and trust Him with every detail of our lives. As we seek God, He provides what we need each day (Matthew 6:11, 33).

So no matter what tomorrow holds or what happened yesterday, God offers us a fresh start in a new day. When we choose to follow Jesus, making the most of the opportunities God gives us, we find joy in living each day with Him! • Abby Ciona

• Do you ever get caught up in memories or regrets from the past? God cares about your past, and He grieves your hurts with you. And God also offers freedom. If you want to know more about the forgiveness and hope made possible through Jesus, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

• What are some of your hopes or worries for the future? Your life is precious to God, and He welcomes you to come to Him with all of your questions, concerns, longings, and passions.

This is the day the Lord has made; let’s rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 (CSB)

When I am afraid, the truths of Scripture demonstrate again and again that I can put my trust in God. In the Bible, God gives us many reassurances of His love and faithfulness. When we are stressed and uncertain about where life is going, we can find peace in God.

Even when we don’t feel God’s presence, even when our fears are getting the best of us and we feel paralyzed, we can tell God about it. The Psalms remind us we can call out to God anytime something is weighing on our hearts or minds. He hears us in our desperation, doubt, and pain. The Psalms also remind us that God is the One who saves us. God is good, trustworthy, and kind.

When I am afraid, I can put my trust in God because He has proven Himself to me and to the generations before me. He not only created the world, but He sustains it. He saved His people time and time again. He sustained the Israelites through famine, brought them out of slavery in Egypt, brought them out of exile in Babylon, and kept fighting to draw them to Himself. Along the way, God enfolded more people into the nation of Israel: people from Egypt, Jericho, Moab, and others. He revealed what He is like through prophets, who foretold God’s plan to redeem not just Israel but the whole world.

Ultimately, God sent Jesus, His Son, down to earth to live among us as a human— and to die, because that’s what it took to save the world. We don’t need to be afraid because Jesus died and rose back to life to save us from sin and all of its effects. Jesus, who is God, defeated sin and death on our behalf so we could live in union with God, who is the source of all goodness.

Scripture reminds us that we do not need to fear; instead, we can rely on God through faith in Jesus. The Bible shows God’s goodness and love for us. It reveals that we can trust in Him and call out to Him at all times. • Bethany Acker

• When you are afraid, how can the Bible remind you of God’s love and faithfulness?

• In what ways has God worked in your life and shown that He is trustworthy and kind at all times?

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3 (WEB)

Why did Jesus have to die? That’s a big question for us today, and I bet it was an even bigger question for Jesus’ disciples when He started talking about His upcoming death and resurrection. They were Jesus’ closest friends, and they didn’t understand what He was saying.

Peter really didn’t like to hear Jesus talking about His own death, so he pulled Jesus aside and rebuked Him. But Jesus wouldn’t have it, and He rebuked Peter instead. Peter didn’t yet understand how Jesus was going to establish God’s kingdom.

When Jesus died by public execution, His disciples panicked. Some said they never knew Him. Others sank into despair. Jesus had prepared them, so why couldn’t they understand? They believed Jesus was the promised Messiah, but their perspectives were limited. They couldn’t comprehend God’s plan to defeat death.

It’s easy to be hard on the disciples, but we are often like them, lacking perspective and understanding. We look at what’s happening in our lives and our world, and we panic. We struggle to see how God is working. We sink into worry and despair.

But Jesus is here. He loves us. And He conquered the grave, raising from the dead after three days, just like He had promised! When Jesus showed Himself to His disciples (execution wounds and all), they were overjoyed! After Jesus ascended,

He sent His Holy Spirit to be in them, just like He had promised, and then they truly understood the good news: how Jesus Christ, fully God and fully human, died and rose again to give us new live. As His forgiven followers, they began urging people everywhere to put their trust in Jesus.

We might not understand God’s ways or see how He’s working in the midst of all the brokenness we experience. But we can trust Him. He is the victor over sin and death and keeper of His promises. God prepared for ages and generations to save humanity through Jesus’ death and resurrection, and even now He is working in all things “for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Our God defeated death. What do we have to fear? • Becca Wierwille

• How might it be freeing to know that Jesus doesn’t expect us to understand without His help?

• In Christ, death does not have the final word. Jesus will return to resurrect His people to live eternally with Him. How does this promise give you hope today?

Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? 1 Corinthians 15:55 (NIV)

Reading today’s verses, I wonder how I would respond if I were arrested and put on trial for my faith. I hope I would respond like Polycarp—a believer from the second century church.

According to church historians, Polycarp was a “second generation” Christian who heard the gospel from the apostle John. He became a leader in the church of Smyrna, which often faced heavy persecution from the Roman Empire. When Polycarp was in his eighties, he had to flee Smyrna and go into hiding, but the Romans found him anyway. When soldiers came to the door, Polycarp let them in and then called for food and drink for his enemies. He went with them peacefully to his public trial in the stadium of Smyrna.

The Romans required citizens to sacrifice to the emperor, but Polycarp would not. He refused to worship Caesar (who was merely a man) and deny that Jesus was Lord.

“I will throw you to the wild beasts!” the consul said.

“Send for them,” Polycarp answered.

“I will send you to the fire!” the consul threatened. “Swear allegiance to Caesar and I will release you. Curse the Christ!”

Polycarp replied, “Eighty and six years have I served Christ, and he has done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my King who has saved me? You threaten the fire that burns for an hour and then is quenched; but you know not of the fire of the judgment to come, and the fire of the eternal punishment. Bring what you will.”

Polycarp wasn’t afraid of those who could kill the body but not the soul, and he trusted Jesus to raise his body from the dead when He returns. Polycarp followed the example of his Savior: “Because of the joy awaiting him, he [Jesus] endured the cross, disregarding its shame” (Hebrews 12:2). Someday all believers will share that joy for all eternity, when Jesus returns to bring His kingdom to fruition here on earth and we get to live with Him forever. • Laura N. Sweet

• Why did Polycarp say he remained loyal to Jesus? What does this reveal about God?

• Polycarp’s peace and courage came from God, who lived inside Him through His Holy Spirit. And, if you know Jesus, the same Holy Spirit lives in you! How might this truth encourage you?

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” John 11:25 (NLT)

Have you ever cleaned up something really grimy? My parents own a used car lot, and when I was growing up, sometimes I would do some cleaning around the shop to earn extra money. The office was never too bad, but the garage? You couldn’t even see the countertop! All you could see was oil, grease, and other gunk that piles up when you’re working on cars. It was so satisfying to wipe away all of that junk to reveal the nice countertop that had been there all along.

Sometimes, when we look at the world, it’s like looking at that countertop in the garage: all we can see is grime and grease. The world is caked in sin, suffering, and death—injustice abounds, hatred flourishes, and confusion reigns. It’s easy to think that the darkness is winning.

But the truth is, all sin will one day be blown away in the wind like it’s nothing—powerless. That’s what we see in Psalm 1:4—the brokenness of the world is like chaff, which is a part of wheat. It’s a thin skin that surrounds the wheat kernel. It’s pretty useless to humans, and part of the harvesting process includes throwing the wheat kernels in the air so the wind can blow away the chaff. Then, you’re left with the nutritious, life-sustaining wheat kernel.

That’s the hope Jesus brings. Even though the curse of sin has coated this good world in junk, Jesus has broken that curse permanently. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He defeated suffering and death, and He promises to return to blow it all away like chaff in the wind. Until then, we can rest in His goodness and participate in His kingdom-building work—including wiping grimy countertops. • Taylor Eising

• What are some injustices and hurts that you see in the world? You can bring these to God in prayer, knowing that He cares.

• How does knowing that Jesus will set everything right someday affect the way we live now?

• Any time we rely on the Holy Spirit to help us follow God’s call to care for creation (Genesis 1:28), love our neighbor (Mark 12:31), seek justice (Micah 6:8), or any of God’s other commands, we are participating in God’s kingdom-building work. We can do this in many ways—through jobs, relationships, school, ministry, and much more. What talents and passions has God given you? How can you use these for His kingdom?

No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. Revelation 22:3 (NLT)

I could feel it. The lethal virus that threatened humanity coursed through my veins. My chest tightened, making it difficult to breathe. It would only be a matter of time before the virus wormed its way into my heart and successfully shut down my body for good. I knew my days were numbered. I sensed the sickness seeping into my mind and polluting my innermost being. I couldn’t bring myself to accept it, but what choice did I have? My fate was sealed. There was no cure. I sank to the ground, crippled by despair.

It was there that He found me. A Stranger knelt beside me. With a gentle touch, He raised my head and said, “Would you like to be made well?”

I laughed bitterly. “That is impossible. There is no cure.”

“I am the cure,” He replied.

"What could He possibly gain from such an outrageous claim?" I wondered.

“You were born with the virus embedded within you,” He said. “It cannot be removed by human means, but there is a way you can be free. My blood is clean, untouched by this disease. It will overpower the virus and heal you from all its effects. I offer it freely. It is yours to take, if you choose.” "Mine to take?" I thought. "Surely there was something more I must do to earn such treatment." He seemed to know my thoughts as He said, “I want to help you. That’s why I came. I gave my own blood so that you could live. All you have to do is be willing to receive my offer.”

I knew then what He said was true, and I sprang up, stretching out my arms, ready to receive. Then He lifted His hands...they were bleeding. He winced in pain as He sprinkled His own blood on me. I stared in disbelief, then my aching body was suddenly filled with warmth. A steady flow of strength and life radiated throughout my entire body. I could feel the darkest parts of my mind becoming clean, new. This bleeding Stranger defeated the virus in me once and for all. I was cured. I looked up at Him in amazement, and He smiled. “Follow me.” • Deami O.

• Today’s story is an allegory. Sin is like a deadly disease that has been passed down since the first humans went against God, bringing death, sickness, and brokenness into God’s good world. Sin separates us from God, who is the author of all goodness. But God doesn’t want us to be separated from Him. He sent His Son, Jesus, who willingly died and rose again to provide us with a cure. Have you received His new life? (If you’re not sure, check out our "Know Jesus" page.)

“I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10b (NIV)

No matter where you are in your faith, the book of Romans offers an amazing explanation of the foundations of Christianity. The core truths of knowing and following Jesus are life-changing.

Romans is a letter written by the apostle Paul to Christians in Rome. The church was made up of Jewish and non-Jewish (Gentile) Christians, and they were confused about how they as Christians fit into God’s story. Paul wrote to clear up confusion about God’s plan of salvation for all people (not just Jews).

Paul starts by emphasizing that everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). Not just Gentiles, not just Jews, no matter how good or how bad they might believe themselves to be—everyone. The only way we could be righteous is by following God’s law perfectly, but none of us can follow the law completely because we are all sinners by nature (Romans 3:19-20).

The great news: Jesus, the Son of God, the only one who could follow the law perfectly, came to live among us, die the death we all deserved, and raise to life— defeating sin, death, and brokenness forever! Now, if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can all be saved. If we believe in Jesus, He has forgiven us and promised us His eternal life! It doesn’t matter who we are or what we’ve done: God extends this amazing gift to every one of us.

Yes, there will be difficult times as a Christian: we will face temptation, persecution, and hardships. But God is working all things for good, and our present sufferings are nothing when compared to the hope we have in Jesus (Romans 8:18-39). He freed us from sin and death, and when we accept God’s gift of eternal life by putting our trust in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:39). • Abby Ciona

• Have you ever felt like the good news of Jesus wasn’t for you? How might today’s reading speak into that? (You can read more about the good news on our "Know Jesus" page.)

• What difficulties are you facing today? How might the hope Jesus offers give you comfort?

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NIV)

After searching for hours, he finally found her sitting on the hill, squinting to see in the distance, past the fields and vast emptiness to the old place. “Do you think we’ll ever get back there?” she asked. “To the tree?” He had tried. Many times. He shook his head and said, “They will never let us back in.” She lowered her gaze. “Then we will die.” He nodded. That’s exactly what they had been told would happen.

“But He loves us,” she said. “Why would He want us to die? Why won’t He just let us eat from that tree and live forever?” The man surveyed the land where they now lived. Wilderness. Hard work. Storms. And thorns. So many thorns. “Do you really want to live here forever?” he asked. “Like this?” He rubbed the callouses on his hands.

She shivered. It wasn’t like the garden paradise here. They were often cold and usually hungry. Everything ached all the time. She was tired and scared. “No. I want to live there. Back in paradise. Like we did before the mistake.” A coolness overshadowed them. It always did when they remembered the mistake that changed their lives. But oh, that fruit had tasted delicious. Her mouth watered, until she remembered the strange foods from the thorny field that they had tried to prepare for breakfast this morning. Her stomach turned sour.

“Maybe if we’re very good for a long time,” he said, “maybe He’ll open the gate to paradise again someday.” She smiled sadly. Good? Every day out here they argued. Sometimes they even yelled at HIM. Sometimes she lied, and they often fought over small things. She had seen him whip some of the animals in his anger. No, they could never be good enough to earn their way back to paradise.

The woman wrapped her hands around her growing belly while the life inside her wiggled. “Or,” she said hopefully, remembering His promise, “maybe He has a better plan.” • Heather Tekavec

• Why were Adam and Eve sent out of the garden (Genesis 3)? What did God promise (3:15)?

• God loves His people, and He didn’t abandon us after we went our own way against Him. How did God fulfill His promise? (Read Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 2:7-14, 23:32-43).

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman... Galatians 4:4 (NLT)

"God is so _____.” What word would you put in that blank? Holy? Good? Big? All these are true! But one word I haven’t thought of putting there until lately is beautiful. I don’t often think of God as beautiful, but according to Scripture, He is!

In Psalm 27, David talks about how desperately he wants to be with God, “gazing on the beauty of the Lord.” I often think of beauty as something trivial—after all, I can’t see any practical purpose for it, and at times it can be sinfully misused. But God doesn’t seem to think beauty is trivial. In fact, He intentionally infused creation with beauty.

We see this in Genesis 2:9. God created trees to produce food, but He also created them simply to be pretty. I love that! And, in Exodus 28:2, when God is giving His people instructions on how to create clothing for the priests (whose job was to be His representatives on earth), He specifically says that these clothes are supposed to be beautiful.

Then, if we move on to Exodus 35:30-35, we come to one of my favorite passages in the Bible. This is the first time in Scripture that we see God filling someone with His Holy Spirit to help them accomplish a certain task. And who are the people the Holy Spirit fills? Artists. Specifically, Bezalel and Oholiab, who were skilled craftsmen called to build the Tabernacle—a beautiful dwelling place for God to be with His people.

God is the source of all beauty. Just look at the beauty He put into creation! And, through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, God has filled His people with the same creative Holy Spirit that equipped Bezalel and Oholiab to build the tabernacle. As God’s image-bearers, we can bring Him glory and honor when we create something beautiful. And every time we behold something breathtaking made by God or His image-bearers, we can thank our beautiful God. • Taylor Eising

• There are so many ways to create beauty, like painting, photography, filmmaking, building, making music, dancing, writing, sewing, gardening, drawing, or cooking (that’s my favorite—it’s art you can eat!). What are your favorite ways? How do these bring glory to God?

• What part of creation do you find the most beautiful? What does it tell you about God?

I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking him in his temple. Psalm 27:4 (CSB)

Modesty gets a bad reputation. And some of that is totally fair! People have weaponized modesty to shame others, to tell them their bodies are sinful, or even to blame people who have been the victims of sexual assault. But this is not what Jesus intended for modesty.

At its core, modesty is a heart posture. It’s a mindset that says, “I am fully satisfied in who I am in Jesus, so I don’t need to draw attention to myself by the way I dress. My identity comes from Christ, not the approval of others.”

Paul addresses this issue in a letter to Timothy. Wealthy women in Timothy’s church were attending prayer meetings in their finest gold and jewels, flaunting their wealth to bring attention to themselves. He tells them that’s not the point of their prayer meetings—instead, they are gathering to “pray for all people” and to “ask God to help them” (1 Timothy 2:1).

These Christians’ hearts were focused on themselves, not the people they were praying for. Instead of rejoicing in their message to the world, that “there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5-6), they were concerned about their social standing.

When our hearts are fixed on Jesus, He shifts our priorities. Jesus became human not to gain human approval but to save us. He died on the cross for our sin and rose again from the dead to unite us to Himself and the Father. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He lives in us through the Holy Spirit, transforming us into who He calls us to be. If we are satisfied and secure in His incredible, ridiculous love for us, why would we dress ourselves for human approval?

Satan will continue to tempt us, trying to get us to selfishly, fearfully crave human attention instead of clinging to our security in Christ. But, in those moments, we can look to Jesus, who embodied perfect modesty as He hung naked on the cross, and we can know that His love is the only thing that truly satisfies. • Taylor Eising

• As Christians, we glorify God, not ourselves. What are ways your life points others to Jesus?

• When we are secure in Christ, we are free to obey Him out of love and gratitude instead of trying to live up to the world’s standards. How does this freedom demonstrate the gospel?

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NLT)

The Bible features stories of imperfect people—just like us—interacting with Jesus. The woman at the well, the man on the cross next to Jesus...these people were seen by a holy God, and they were recognized as people worthy of His attention.

When we mess up, we feel the need to hide from God. Some of us never want to go back to Him because we feel too guilty. We may even feel like the mistakes we’ve made have created a separation between us and God that can never be repaired.

What is it that makes us think we are somehow worse than those people in the Bible? Even though they did wrong, they were found by Jesus, and He offered them hope. What makes us feel like the sins we’ve done are somehow worse than the other sins that caused Jesus to be nailed to the cross?

Satan uses shame to try to create distance between us and God, but Satan is a liar. There is nothing we can do that can push us out of the reach of Jesus and His love. His forgiveness is too big! It was our sin that Jesus took on the cross. His death paid for it all, and when He rose from the dead, He conquered sin and death forever! He offers us new life, free from sin and shame. His grace is always available to us. Jesus sees us, and we don’t have to hide from Him. • Emily Acker

• Do you struggle with shame, feeling like you’re inherently bad or worthless? How does God offer hope through Jesus (Psalm 34:5)?

• Do you feel like certain things you’ve done make you unforgivable? If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you are totally forgiven and forever part of His family! (Read more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (NIV)

"Wish I could join in," Juan thought bitterly, nursing his sore ankle while his friends played soccer in the park. "Everyone’s changing. Cole has left church, and Tre constantly demands his own way." Loneliness crept inside Juan as he held on to his brand-new sketchbook. "Lord, help me," he prayed. "I don’t fit in anymore."

A gust of wind blew open the sketchbook, and a drawing of Cole appeared with a message: “Personal tragedy last summer. He’s not sure anymore if God is good. He’s struggling, but he’s afraid to open up because of his broken heart.” Juan rubbed his eyes and stared. Within seconds, the drawing disappeared. He glanced at his friends, who were still absorbed in the game. A memory of Cole arriving at school after summer break flashed in his mind, how Cole quickly earned the reputation of class joker. How could Juan have guessed Cole was hiding pain?

Then, Tre’s picture appeared on the page with the following words: “Oldest son from a large family. He has to sacrifice a lot for his younger brothers. Sometimes he feels neglected. He has a loving and generous heart.”

Juan dreaded what would be revealed about him. The pages rustled. A sketch of Juan sitting alone in the park appeared with the words: “My loved and valuable son, I care about you deeply. I also care about your friends. You all need me. Let me be the judge. Look at the cross and remember how I took the judgment for each of you. Let me teach you how to love.” Juan put his hands on his head and prayed. "Lord, I’m sorry," he prayed. "I judged them so harshly. I didn’t know they had hidden problems. I can only imagine how hard it would be to have a terrible tragedy or such a huge amount of responsibility."

“Won’t be long, Juan,” his friends shouted. “Once we finish this game, let’s all grab something to eat.” Waving back, Juan knew what he wanted to do. "Yes, Lord," he prayed, "I want to love my friends instead of judging them. Help me follow you." • Cindy Lee

• Do you struggle with judging others? It’s easy to fall into, especially when we feel left out. But only God knows a person’s heart. How does knowing Jesus help us love instead of judge?

• Have you been judged or treated unfairly? Jesus understands you deeply and offers hope by His saving grace and mercy. You can take your concerns to Him, remembering His tender love for you.

...Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13b (CSB)

When people do wrong to us, what is the first thing we want to do to them? Usually, it’s not something good. But as Christians, we know that God loves us with an enormous love, and He also calls us to love others. Even when people do wrong to us, we do not have the right to do wrong to them. Why? Because we did wrong to God. We sinned against Him again and again, and we still do! Because God is the source of all goodness, He requires justice: payment for all the wrong we have done. Yet, because He loves us, God was willing to pay for our wrongs Himself by sending His own Son, Jesus, to die the death we all deserve. Jesus, who never did any wrong, let Himself be killed in our place; then He rose from the dead and defeated sin and death! When Jesus comes again, He will right every wrong, and whoever has put their trust in Jesus will live with Him forever. His forgiveness means that sin no longer separates us from God.

So how do forgiven followers of Jesus live? When someone asked Jesus which of God’s commands is the most important, Jesus said, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:34-40). And when He says “neighbor,” He means everybody—including our enemies (Luke 6:35).

If we say, “I love God” but hate someone who is part of God’s family, we are not being truthful (1 John 4:20). Instead of hating, God calls us to do good to other people, especially those in God’s family (Galatians 6:10). At the very least, this means we don’t harm people. And at the very best, we create ways for everyone to be included as we follow Jesus alongside each other.

Most of us have both positive and negative feelings toward the people we love. While it may not be easy to get along, we should always respect, encourage, and be kind to one another. Jesus said everyone would know that we are His disciples if we love one another (John 13:35). Love is important for everybody and anybody. God loves the whole world (John 3:16), and as Jesus’ forgiven followers, we have His Holy Spirit in us, empowering us to love people like God loves us. When our hearts are full of God’s love, there is no room for hate. • Jendayi Owens

• When is it hard for you to love others? How might remembering God’s love for you, and for the people around you, help in these times?

We love each other because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NLT)

I think of Andrew, Peter’s brother, as a seeker. When Jesus told His disciples to give the crowd of over five thousand people something to eat (Matthew 14:16), Andrew looked for a solution. I imagine him saying, “Jesus, here is a lad with five barley loaves and two fish. Not enough to really feed this crowd.” But Andrew pointed the boy out anyway. When they offered Jesus what they had, He multiplied the food to be more than enough! Sometimes, the things God wants to do seem impossible to us, but when God invites us to do something for Him, He provides a way.

God gave me the desire to write for Him. I discovered words are powerful, so I learned to listen to people’s stories...people like my friend Jane, who loved rainy days. Jane’s husband was a farmer, and rainy days were his days off. When it rained, they got to go to town together. Jane was always prepared to go if it rained. Her story reminds me of Andrew. When Jesus said to him, “Come, follow me,” Andrew dropped what he was doing and followed Jesus (Matthew 4:18-20)!

I also learned to listen for God’s voice speaking to me. When I read the Bible, I am in awe of Jesus and how He told stories that still speak to people’s hearts today. But Jesus didn’t just tell stories...He is the hero of the entire story of the Bible. He came to rescue us through His death and resurrection. And now, He invites us to follow Him and take part in His amazing story.

In my own life, I wanted to tell people about Jesus, but I used to be terrified to speak to almost anyone who was not my family. So God provided people who helped me overcome my shyness, allowing me to speak and write for God.

When God asks us to do something for Him, He will provide the training. As we rely on Him and seek His wisdom, He prepares us for what He calls us to do. Jesus never really sends us out empty-handed. • Anna M. Gregory

• Do you feel like God is inviting you to do something to share His love? How might God be providing ways for you to do what He’s calling you to do?

• How can you set aside time to seek God in His Word? Who are trusted Christians who can help you discern God’s wisdom and encourage you to follow Him?

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 (NLT)

If you grew up in church, it can be easy to take God’s Word for granted. And sometimes, the Bible can seem like just a bunch of weird stories and rules that make life boring. But the Bible is indeed special; this book is God speaking to us!

God inspired people who listened to Him so that they wrote what He wanted to say. The Bible is the words of God Himself, and because this book is God speaking to us, it is a unified whole. Think about this: the Bible was written over a period of time of about 1,500 years by more than forty different authors. These authors came from various occupations, such as David (a king), John (a fisherman), Matthew (a tax collector), and Daniel (a prime minister). These authors wrote in different places: in prison (Paul), in the desert (Moses and others), and in palaces (King Solomon). These pages were written on three different continents (Africa, Europe, and Asia) and in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek). The contents of the Bible deal with many controversial subjects, yet the Bible is a unit. From beginning to end, there is one unfolding story of God’s plan of salvation for the people of the world and for the entire cosmos. The whole Bible works together to point to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—who is the Word of God in human form.

If you don’t think this is amazing, choose ten people from your local area who share the same background, all speak the same language, and have the same cultural thinking. Then sit them down and ask them to write their opinions on numerous controversial subjects, such as the meaning of life. When they have finished, compare what they wrote. Would they agree with each other? Probably not. The Bible did not have ten authors, but forty; it was not written in a day, but over 1,500 years. These writers had different educations, cultures, and languages. Yet, all the words of the Bible are in complete harmony and tell of a glorious and wonderful Creator God who rescues humanity from sin and offers eternal life in renewed creation. • Doug Velting

• What are some examples of how the Bible is one unified story? If you can’t think of any, who is someone you could ask?

Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. Romans 15:4 (NLT)

As a child of the eighties and a teen of the nineties, I’ve seen computers come a long way. My Granny was one of the only people I knew who had a computer in the late eighties and early nineties, and I was awed by the math and geography games I could play on it.

To start the computer, Granny had to insert two different rigid floppy disks with the adeptness of a DJ, then wait for the computer to read one disk, translate it to the other side, and slowly warm up. On that old machine, I wrote stories and first imagined myself a real-life writer.

I would love to be able to show my kids the games I played on that computer. Unfortunately, my modern-day laptop would have no way of understanding how to read one of those rigid floppy disks any more than I could converse with you in an ancient runic language. There’s gold in there, but I can’t access it or share it.

If you know Jesus, as you grow in your understanding of Scripture, you may find yourself in a similar situation. All around you, you’ll see people struggling and despairing of hope, while you have a sure hope you can stand on, even when life is really hard. And that sure hope comes from Jesus. As you abide in Him and study His Word, you enjoy blessings like peace and wisdom. You ache to translate the riches you’ve discovered to people in such need, but it seems their operating systems are so dissimilar to yours, there’s no way to communicate.

Ah, but with Jesus, there is always hope. God “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). God’s wisdom can only be revealed by His Spirit. He opens doors no one else can open, making it possible for people to understand the truth—to put their trust in the good news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. As Jesus’ forgiven followers, we have His Holy Spirit inside us, who guides us as we seek God through Jesus. He knows what words and actions will be able to translate His love to different people. As Christians, we have the mind of Christ that can bridge those gaps and get truth to those desperate for it. And God promises to give wisdom freely to anyone who knows they lack it and simply asks (James 1:5). So let’s ask, then share. • Rebekah Dorris

• Jesus is the source of true wisdom, and, if you know Him, He lives in you through the Holy Spirit. How might this knowledge affect the way you share the gospel?

...so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. 1 Corinthians 2:5 (NIV)

Do you have a best friend? I do. She’s wonderful, and what’s awesome is she lives one door down from me! I’ve known her my whole life, but that doesn’t mean everything was always perfect. We’ve had many ups and downs, but we haven’t left each other’s sides. And for a long time, it was just me and her. She was the only best friend I had, and she is still my best friend...But now, I have another best friend. His name is Jesus.

When He was with His disciples, Jesus said, “I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father” (John 15:15). If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He calls us friends! Isn’t that amazing? Jesus, the almighty God of the whole universe and King of everything, wants us to be His friends!

A friend can be defined as someone you share a bond of mutual affection with. "Mutual" isn’t a word that would describe a one-way relationship. In my opinion, Jesus has shown His side of mutual affection in our friendship in countless ways. The climax of Jesus’ affection was when He died a terribly gruesome death (a death we all deserved to die), and He rose from the dead to make a way for us to be in close relationship with God forever. It was all worth it to Him because He wants to be best friends with us.

How do we live in friendship with Jesus and show our affection toward Him? Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus—believing in His life, death, and resurrection—one way to express our love back to God is by talking with Him. It might feel weird at first, but try venting to Him. Literally tell Him everything going on with you. Yes, He already knows, but tell Him anyway. Admitting your struggles to God is often the first step toward relying on His strength and entering His rest. He is a great listener. Talk to Him at any time, even if it’s not serious. (I’ve literally told Him about a really funny joke I heard.) Jesus wants the true you. He wants to be your best friend. And even though our friendship with Jesus is still different from our friendships with other people, and it’s hard that we don’t get to see Jesus in person, we can look forward to when Jesus will return and we’ll get to be with Him (in the flesh) forever! • Lily Davito

• How is being friends with Jesus similar to being friends with a neighbor? How is it different?

• How has Jesus shown the kind of relationship He wants to have with us?

Though you have not seen him [Jesus], you love him... 1 Peter 1:8a (CSB)

When someone has mistreated or hurt us, it feels like we have a right to hate that person. Even if we know the Bible teaches we should forgive, sometimes we just don’t want to.

One of the ways Jesus taught about forgiveness was by telling a parable where the king represents God and the servants represent us. The king in the story wants to make sure his finances are in order, and he discovers a servant owes him ten thousand talents. A talent is worth six thousand denarii. Since a working man received one denarius a day, one talent was equal to about twenty years’ wages. This servant owes ten thousand of these, a debt of over two hundred thousand years’ wages! It’s obvious the servant cannot pay back such an enormous amount of money. When the servant pleads with the king to be patient with him, what is the king’s response? The king has compassion and cancels the debt! Why would he do that? It is in the king’s character to be compassionate. Love and mercy are who the king is.

Now, this servant whose massive debt has just been forgiven finds a fellow servant who owes him money. How much? A hundred denarii, or a hundred days’ wages. Did you notice that the second servant’s plea is the same as the first servant’s plea to the king? The first servant has the legal right to jail the second servant who can’t pay his debt, but does he have the moral right?

That is the entire point of this parable. We owed a massive debt of sin to God, the holy King of everything. We could never pay back our debt. But God forgave our debt by paying it Himself: Jesus died on the cross for our sin, and He rose from the dead to give us new life! If we’ve put our trust in Jesus and received His forgiveness, He commands and equips us to show fellow sinners the same mercy He showed us. The sin others commit against us is incredibly small in comparison to Jesus’ mercy. And His Holy Spirit is in us, transforming us to become more and more like Jesus, the forgiving King. Once we receive forgiveness from God, we have no right to refuse to forgive others. • Doug Velting

• Are you struggling to forgive someone? God sees your hurt, and it’s a big deal to Him because He loves you. It cost Jesus greatly to forgive you, but it was worth it to Him. How might remembering how Jesus forgave you and relying on His Holy Spirit help you forgive others?

• In some cases, after we forgive someone, we still need to have healthy boundaries with them. Who are trusted Christians you can talk to about when and how to put up loving boundaries?

...forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. Ephesians 4:32b (CSB)

No other love we can experience will ever compare to the love Christ Jesus offers. We may get glimpses of love shown by others, but it will never compare to what Jesus has to offer. His love is so pure, strong, measureless, fulfilling, and satisfying. He completely understands us. He has provided for us when we fail. He always longs for us to be in relationship with Him.

John 3:16 displays a simple yet profound layout of God’s love toward us. The world needed a Rescuer because God’s good creation was broken by sin when the first humans went their own way against God. When we were all hurtling toward death because of sin, God intervened. Because God loved the world He created, He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, who is fully God and fully human. Jesus willingly sacrificed His own life on the cross to forgive sin, and He rose from the dead—defeating all sin, death, and brokenness. Whoever believes in Christ Jesus will be saved and have eternal life—living with God forever. Believing in Jesus means putting our trust in the person of Jesus, with all that He has accomplished in His life, death, and resurrection.

Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are forgiven and free. And we can be sure that nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love, no matter what sin we’ve committed. God’s grace is enough; Jesus took the penalty for all our past, present, and future sins on the cross. And when Jesus returns, He will resurrect us from the dead and renew His creation!

As believers in Jesus, we are forgiven, loved, and redeemed—and this truth affects the way we live. Jesus said in John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.” Christians aren’t slaves to sin anymore (Romans 6:15-23). Because Jesus’ Holy Spirit is in us, He empowers us to follow Him, saying no to sin and instead living in God’s good ways as His love overflows from us. But no matter how many times we fail, Jesus’ forgiveness is always enough to guarantee our eternal future with Him. • Rebecca Miner

• The good news of Jesus is a wonderful mystery that God reveals to us through His Word. You can read more about the good news on our "Know Jesus" page.

• When we understand that we need the gospel, this naturally flows into a desire to share the good news with others! What opportunities might God be giving you to share the gospel?

For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (CSB)

The Book of Ruth is known for the loving relationship between Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi. But while these two women demonstrate both love and unity, there were barriers that Ruth and Naomi had to cross along the way. Looking at how they crossed these barriers can help us get a picture of how Jesus crossed every barrier to live in union with us. Now we, His church, can embody this unity with each other. Let’s take a look!

The Family Barrier: Ruth and Naomi were related by marriage—they didn’t grow up in the same household. Their backgrounds and families were different. Like many of today’s blended households, they had to decide to think of one another as family. Naomi took the lead in this; in Ruth 1:11-13, she called Ruth and Orpah her daughters. Naomi saw them not as outsiders but as her own flesh and blood. Naomi’s inclusion of Ruth allowed them both to cross over the family barrier. Similarly, in Christ, we are God’s children (Romans 8:14-17)!

The Cultural Barrier: Naomi was Jewish, and Ruth was a Moabite. Their respective countries were enemies, and their cultures were very different. But Ruth desired to be part of God’s people, and she embraced Naomi’s faith. This pictures the unity God’s people experience in Christ. We were enemies with God, but through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can live in unity with Him (Romans 5:9-11). Jesus has broken down cultural barriers—and it’s a good thing too. Cultural diversity makes the body of Christ richer and should not be a barrier to love.

The Age Barrier: Ruth and Naomi were a generation apart, but their bond could not have been closer. And we can see that Jesus doesn’t look down on young people either. He even welcomes children to Himself (Mark 10:13-16). In the church, cross-generational relationships can benefit old and young. Like Ruth and Naomi, age differences should be no barrier to love.

Ruth and Naomi give us an example of how God’s love makes it possible for us to cross barriers to bring unity and understanding. And we can look to Jesus, who crossed every barrier to make a way for us to live in relationship with God and one another in perfect love and unity. • Laura N. Sweet

• Does it seem easier to love people who are like you? Why may this be true?

• How do family, cultural, and age differences actually deepen and enrich our relationships?

“Where you go I [Ruth] will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” Ruth 1:16b (NIV)

Broken, I come now They are not sorry Broken, I come now They damaged me in the darkest way Broken, I come now Each day a new sorrow Broken, I come now Still living in pain

Lord, heal my heart When no apology has been said Lord, heal my heart When the pain is deep Lord, heal my heart When the injuries are many Lord, heal my heart As I wait for Your return • Emily Acker

• Because He loves us, Jesus made a way for us to be near God, the compassionate Healer. He came to be with us and identify with our hurt. He endured the cross and rose from the dead, offering forgiveness to all who put their trust in Him. He offers healing now, and when He returns, He will raise us from the dead and fully heal all hurts. Are you ready to come to Him?

• If you’ve experienced a deep hurt and need someone you can talk to about it, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. Psalm 6:4 (NIV)

Maybe your parents just got a divorce. Maybe someone you love died. Maybe you moved and started going to a new school, and you miss your friends. Maybe you feel alone in your pain.

We live in a broken world where bad things happen, and because bad things happen, we hurt and feel the emotional pain this sinful world brings. We may wonder why God doesn’t shield us from all these hardships. After all, God loves us, so why doesn’t He protect us from all this hurt?

We may never know the answer before Jesus returns, but we do know that sin and all its effects (like pain, death, sickness, mental illness, and brokenness) entered the world when Adam and Eve first sinned (Genesis 3). So does God just sit in heaven not caring at all when we hurt because of humanity’s sin? No, no, no! God’s response to our sin, pain, and brokenness was to send Jesus, His perfect Son. Jesus, who is God, experienced everything it means to be human in this broken world—hurt, pain, rejection, and even death. Then He resurrected from the dead, totally defeating all sin, death, and brokenness! He sent His Holy Spirit to be in His forgiven followers, and He promised to return to renew this broken world and get rid of all sin and death, permanently.

If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you are God’s child. He loves you more than you can know. He is with you through your pain and the tough times of your life. God longs for you to depend on His comfort to bring you through the times of hurt.

When we are hurting, sometimes God seems so far away. Even Jesus Himself felt abandoned by God on the cross (Matthew 27:46). But God has a great love and affection for you, and He has a deep desire to stand by you in your pain.

God is a God of compassion and a God who comforts. Read the passages in 2 Corinthians again. These verses reveal that as God comforts us, He also equips us to comfort others. The most important thing we can do as Christians is to receive God’s love, especially through the body of Christ (fellow Christians), then overflow His love to others. In the same way, as we receive God’s comfort, we can comfort others. And we can look to Jesus, who knows firsthand about pain and suffering. • Doug Velting

• Are you experiencing hurt right now? If you’re ready to bring your hurt to God in prayer, He is always ready to receive you. He longs for you to draw near to Him and be honest about your pain so He can comfort you and give you hope.

• Sometimes, the pain feels like it’s too much. Many people in the Bible experienced this, just take a look at Psalm 22. This psalm also anticipates Jesus and the pain He would endure because He loves us. How might it comfort you to know that Jesus suffered so He could be with us and, when He returns, remove all suffering forever?

• Often, God comforts us through other people. Who can you talk to about your hurt? If you’re not sure who to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3 (NLT)

I feel them before I see them. They slither over my feet, wind their way up my jeans. Smooth yet sticky. Tendrils like tar that move like worms, like snakes. I try to pull them off, kick the tendrils away. But every time I shake one from my skin or my clothes, it whips back, clings tighter. The tendrils come faster. It’s like one great octopus has claimed me for its meal. More tentacles attach themselves to me. Grabbing my arms, worming between my fingers, slithering down my throat. I grab at them, desperate to breathe. My eyes widen in terror.

Then I see something, through the tangle of tentacles. Someone. He’s not that far off, and He’s looking at me. A place deep inside me stills. All I know is I want to be closer to this man.

The tentacles can sense something is different, and they cling all the more, jab me and pull me. But I can still see the man. He’s waiting for me. I lift one foot and take one step in His direction. Somehow, the tentacles can’t hold my foot anymore. I move my hand, reaching it forward, and the tendrils flee from my fingers.

The remaining tar tendrils constrict—I can feel them in my lungs. But strangely, I’m not afraid. The man speaks. “Come.”

I can’t help but smile. As I start walking toward Him, the tendrils loosen and release. They slip off, unable to hold me the more I walk toward this man. They can’t come near Him.

Now I’m running, running to this man who holds my gaze. His smile is contagious. I feel like laughing! He reaches out for me and pulls me into an embrace. • Hannah Howe

• Today’s story is an allegory. Jesus, the Light, is stronger than any darkness—evil, sin, temptation, addiction, fear...all these latch onto us because we live in a world broken by sin and the enemy wants to destroy us. But Jesus came to set us free. His love, perfectly expressed on the cross, disintegrates all darkness. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He has rescued us! And He continues to help us as we wait for His return, when He will permanently banish all darkness. How do Jesus’ death and resurrection make it possible for us to be with Him and follow Him? (Take a look at our "Know Jesus" page.)

• What darkness are you facing today? How is Jesus inviting you to come to Him?

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 (NIV)

God is “the source of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3). He sees every tear we cry. He is always with us, even in the times when we feel alone. Many of the Psalms talk about heartache and pain. The psalmists cry out to God for help in times of weakness and fear. They testify that He gives comfort to the weary. And God knows what is on our hearts and minds all the time, even when we keep our feelings to ourselves.

When we are sad about a loved one dying or being diagnosed with a sickness or disease, God knows about it, and He cares. When Lazarus died, Jesus wept with his sisters, Mary and Martha, even though He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead (John 11:35). When we are heartbroken because of a broken relationship, a lost opportunity, or any kind of pain, God knows about that too. And He groans along with us in our pain (Romans 8:26).

Jesus, the Son of God, came because life isn’t supposed to be this way. As “a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief,” He carried our suffering (Isaiah 53:3-4). Because Jesus loves us, “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross” (1 Peter 2:24). And Jesus defeated sin and death when He rose from the dead so that we could be with Him forever! As we look forward to the day when Jesus will come back to heal all brokenness and wipe all our tears away, we are not alone. Jesus sends His Holy Spirit to be in all those who’ve put their trust in Him. And He calls the Holy Spirit the Comforter (John 14:26).

God always knows what we are thinking and feeling. He knows about our disappointments and our greatest heartaches. God offers us comfort and peace in every moment. We can count on Him to be there for us through all the pain we face. • Bethany Acker

• All of us experience heartache, yet we’re never truly alone. Who are trusted Christians in your life who can comfort you, mourn with you, and remind you that God is near even in the midst of suffering, sorrow, and loss?

• How can you extend the comfort Jesus has given you to those around you (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)?

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Revelation 21:4 (NLT)

Other people talk about dreams they have and plans they’ve made for their future. I listen to them and I wonder..."what is my plan? What do I really want for my life? Is there some big goal I am trying to reach?" It makes me feel scared and disappointed when I realize that I don’t have exciting plans like others do. Maybe you feel the same way.

But regardless of where we are in our lives or how much we have planned out, we can know that God has a plan for us. God sees our futures, and He knows every detail about how our lives are going to look. Through every high and low, God will be with us. And if we’ve put our trust in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we can know our eternal future with Him is secure.

While it can be exciting (and wise) to plan for the future, I don’t have to worry about making my own plans. I can lean into God’s plan for me. He’s better at the whole planning thing anyway, and I can trust that He is always working to bring about good. A life devoted to Him will be meaningful, no matter what it looks like. Ultimately, my identity is not in my plans but in Jesus Christ, “who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

As you get closer and closer to adulthood, people may ask you about your plans. If you have no other answer for them, it’s ok to say you’re not sure, but you’re asking God to guide you and help you honor Him with your plans. And it’s a relief to know that you can follow God right now, right where He’s placed you, knowing that Jesus is with you. God guides with future plans even as you make the most of every opportunity in front of you today. • Emily Acker

• Do you have lots of plans for your future? Are you not even sure what you’re going to be doing next week? Somewhere in between? God loves you no matter what kind of planner you are! And, as a forgiven follower of Jesus, you are an important part of His kingdom.

• How might it comfort you to know that God knows your future and will always be with you?

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)

When I was working at a bank, a lady came to the door. I tried to explain that the inside doors were shut but she could still go through the drive-up. She didn’t understand what I was trying to say. She left, not knowing she could’ve done what she came to the bank to do.

I felt horrible. I thought, "I should have opened the door and made sure she understood before she left! I failed."

But God still loves me when I fail. And I’m not the only one. Peter failed many times. He even denied Jesus before they hung Him on the cross. Three times Peter denied he even knew his Savior, and Jesus still took Peter back into the fold. After Jesus rose from the dead, He assured Peter that He still loved him and wanted him to do the work God set for him to do. Jesus told Peter, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17). Jesus wanted Peter to continue to show His love to others, telling people how much Jesus loves them and how He gave His life for them.

As a forgiven follower of Jesus, I want to help others understand how much He loves them. Jesus wants everyone to put their trust in Him, to come in and become part of His family, and to live and reign with Him forever. And there are so many who still haven’t come in.

Every single one of us has failed. But no matter how bad the failure, Jesus still has plans for our good (Romans 8:28). Jesus’ death and resurrection are enough to cover all our sins, and because He is so amazingly good, He can even use our failures as opportunities to show His love.

When you fail, Jesus still loves you, and He still wants you. Every time you fail, Jesus wants to bring you close to Himself, reassure you of His love, and empower you to be part of the good work He is doing. • Anna M. Gregory

• What failures are you mourning right now? How does Jesus comfort us in these times?

• If you know Jesus, you are not defined by your failures. Your identity is found in Jesus and His death and resurrection. When you start believing the lie that you are defined by your failures, who are trusted Christians who can remind you of the truth?

It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. Lamentations 3:22 (WEB)

We train for lots of things in our lives. We might train to play an instrument or train to get a good grade on a test at school or train to win a race. I ran track for two years in high school. I left practice exhausted, but I felt stronger. The physical training was good for me, even on the days when I didn’t feel like moving.

I love Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 4, as he writes to the young pastor Timothy. Paul reminds Timothy—and, in doing so, reminds us—that while physical training is of some value, it’s nothing compared to godliness.

No matter how strictly we stick to our workout schedules or to our other training, our muscles, endurance, and skill will eventually fade. But when we train our hearts and minds in Jesus Christ and His life, death, and resurrection, we remember the promises He’s given us for this life and the one to come. And this spiritual training has value that will never pass away.

But how do we train our hearts and minds in Jesus’ promises? First, we have to realize that growth is possible only through the work of the Holy Spirit. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, His Holy Spirit lives in us and transforms us to be more and more like Jesus. He empowers us to pursue godliness instead of sin. But if we do sin, Jesus’ forgiveness still holds true (1 John 2:1).

There’s no picture-perfect workout plan to help us pursue godliness, but God’s Word is filled with instructions on how we can live more like Jesus. In 1 Timothy 4, Paul reminds us to receive God’s creation with thanksgiving. To nourish ourselves on the truths of the faith by diving into God’s Word. To serve those around us. To love those on the outskirts of society.

So let’s train for the promise, knowing God will be with us every step of the way, in the present life and in the life to come. • Becca Wierwille

• What are some things in your life that you spend a lot of time training for? How is that training similar to training for godliness? How is it different?

• Take another look at today’s Bible passages. What examples can you find for ways we can train our hearts and minds to be more like Jesus?

• Who encourages you to pursue godliness in your life, reminding you of the truths of the gospel? Who can you encourage with these same truths?

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8 (NIV)

When you feel like giving up, where do you look for inspiration to persevere? The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians by an unknown author. The audience was struggling to keep their faith amidst persecution, and some of them thought that the laws and sacrifices of their old faith were easier than following Jesus. Hebrews reminds readers that Jesus is greater than anything else and encourages us to persevere, because following Jesus is worth it.

The writer starts by reminding us that Jesus is greater than anything else, comparing and contrasting Him to the Old Testament laws and sacrifices. The sacrifices covered the sins of the people and allowed them to enter God’s presence, and the laws taught the people how to live in God’s good ways. But no one could follow the law perfectly; it only revealed our sinfulness. The sacrifices covered sins temporarily but couldn’t take sin away permanently.

Jesus, on the other hand, is greater than the temple and the Old Testament law (Hebrews 9). He followed the law perfectly, and He died on the cross as a perfect sacrifice to wash away our sins. Since Jesus rose again to life, His sacrifice is for everyone who puts their trust in Him, allowing us to be with God forever!

The author of Hebrews then lists many Old Testament heroes of faith (Hebrews 11). These people were sinful like us, but they trusted God and persevered even when it was hard and even when they didn’t understand God’s plan.

Hebrews concludes with a call for us to persevere. None of these heroes saw God’s promise of salvation fulfilled, but we live knowing that Jesus has gained the victory! Therefore, we can persevere by keeping our focus on Jesus.

No matter what struggles you’re facing, God is faithful. His promises are unshakable (Hebrews 12:28). He is greater than our problems, and He is with us in the midst of our struggles through His Holy Spirit, His Word, and His people. Jesus is greater than anything. • Abby Ciona

• If you know Jesus, His sacrifice is enough to cover all your sins—permanently. He has made you holy in God’s eyes. How is His sacrifice greater than the sacrifices in the Old Testament?

• What makes it possible for us to persevere in our faith (Hebrews 12:1-3)?

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

When God created the first humans, Adam and Eve, they didn’t criticize each other. They were content to love each other without making judgments. But when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sin entered the world, appearances began to matter. They were ashamed of their bodies.

We see this fixation on appearance throughout human history. The account in 1 Samuel 16 is a great example. When God told the prophet Samuel that He had chosen a new king of Israel, Samuel probably had assumptions about what the new king would look like. The current king, Saul, was tall and handsome—and Samuel probably guessed the new king would be too.

But when Samuel arrived at the house of Jesse of Bethlehem, God crushed those expectations. Seven of Jesse’s older sons passed before Samuel, but God didn’t choose them. God chose David, the youngest son. A shepherd boy was destined to be the future king of Israel.

Generations later, when Jesus came (fully God and fully human) to live among us, He didn’t look very impressive either. Born in Bethlehem out of wedlock into a lowly family, Jesus “had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2). Yet Jesus is the King of Kings who created His people (John 1:3) and loves them so dearly that He died and rose again so that they could be forgiven and live with Him forever.

While we wait for Jesus’ return, we continue to deal with issues of appearance. So often we make assumptions about people based on appearances or what they seem capable of or how we feel about them. In truth, only God knows people’s hearts, and only the redeeming love of Jesus can break the cycle of judgment.

All people have stories. All people have hurt that comes from living in a broken world. All people’s hearts long for redemption. As Christians, we can repent from judging others and instead rely on the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to look at the heart, like God does, so we can share His limitless love with those around us. • Becca Wierwille

• When we’re tempted to judge others, how can remembering Jesus’ compassion toward us help us extend compassion to others?

• Have you ever experienced the judgments of others based on your appearance? How might knowing how God sees you give you comfort in that sort of situation?

“People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7b (NIV)

One of my favorite Bible passages is Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep. I’m amazed by the idea of a God who loves His children so much that He will leave the ninety-nine to chase down one. Just picture this story for a moment and imagine what you would do if you were the shepherd. You have one hundred sheep, and you lose one. Do you choose to leave behind the rest of your flock—all ninety-nine sheep—to pursue the one who is missing?

If this were me, I don’t think I’d leave behind ninety-nine healthy sheep to chase after one sheep who may or may not still be alive. But the shepherd in Jesus’ parable goes after the lost sheep, carries it back on his shoulders, and celebrates its safe return with great joy.

This parable is Jesus’ response to the Jewish religious leaders who muttered against Him for hanging out with notorious sinners, like tax collectors (who overcharged to fill their own pockets) and prostitutes. These people were rejected by the religious community, but not by Jesus. He says, “there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:7).

In correcting the religious leaders, Jesus reveals the heart of God. He always wants to save people who’ve gone their own way against Him, who’ve gotten lost. God longs for everyone to repent, to turn around and come to Him. That’s why He sent Jesus—the Good Shepherd—who rescues us sinners and brings us home to God. We all need Jesus, and if we’ve put our trust in His life, death, and resurrection, all heaven rejoices that we are His forever!

And as Jesus’ forgiven followers, we get to follow Jesus’ example. Instead of shunning fellow sinners, we get to welcome those with messy, hurting hearts because Jesus longs to bring us all home. Because Jesus first loved us, we get to show overflowing grace and love to others!

And when we are lost and hurting, Jesus will leave the ninety-nine to draw us back to Him and reunite us with the flock. • Becca Wierwille

• Why did Jesus hang out with people who others rejected? (Check out Mark 2:13-17.)

• How does the strength of God’s love for you make it possible for you to love those around you?

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?” Luke 15:4 (NIV)

Breathing deeply, I ran along a dusty ridge at twilight. This strange planet was rocky and laden with traps. My commanding officer had warned me not to take shortcuts but to think clearly about where each path would lead. He said this trail’s end contained wormholes to other worlds; my training would help me choose wisely.

I swerved around a boulder and saw a faint glow. Reaching the precipice, I skidded to a stop and discovered three large stone faces. Their mouths were taller than me, and their eyes glowed brighter as I neared.

“Welcome, friend,” said the first face. “Yearning for something? Tell me your desires.” He smiled, showing a full set of stone teeth. Something inside me ached to step closer.

The center face rolled her eyes at him, pulling my attention. Then she said to me, “You’re too important to waste your time on him. I’ll give you a kingdom to rule.”

But the first face’s smile only widened. “Is not the purpose of power to increase one’s pleasure? I specialize in human delights. I’ll take you where your cravings lead.”

“Are you the wormholes?” I asked.

“We are,” the first face replied. “So, what pleases you? Money? Love? Just step inside.” He opened his mouth wide. The desire inside me surged stronger.

“You know nothing of love,” the third face suddenly said to him. This new face squinted His eyes and looked at me. “I have called you. I have a purpose for you deeper than yourself.”

“Lame!” called the second face. She spoke to me, “His purposes will never cause people to envy your position and power. You want respect! You want to be worshiped! Choose me. Step through here.” She opened her mouth.

But I walked to the third face. “What purpose do you have for me?”

“I want you to be with me and enjoy me forever, for I am good. Following me means laying your own life down and serving others. In my kingdom, you will grow in wisdom and have steadfast peace, even when the trails are rough. Then, when the time is right, you will reign with me forever.” He opened His mouth.

A force started dragging me toward the first two faces. “Help me,” I begged the third face. Instantly, I entered His mouth and rode the wormhole to a new life. • Michelle Cochran

• This story is an allegory of 1 John 2:15-17, which describes different types of temptations. As a human, Jesus faced all these temptations just like we do, but He never gave in (Matthew 4:1-11; Hebrews 4:14-16). Jesus lived a life that honored God the Father and served others. He did not strive to make a name for Himself or bring Himself fleeting pleasure. He even chose death on a cross so our sins could be forgiven, and He rose from the dead to offer us new life. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, He has forgiven all your sin, and now His Holy Spirit is in you, helping you to follow Jesus. You will always have temptations in this world, but Jesus offers you the power to walk away from them and choose Him instead. What temptations are you facing today?

• How might knowing and memorizing the Bible help you recognize deception and sin? How might “keeping our eyes on Jesus” help us follow Him instead of giving in to temptations (Hebrews 12:1-3)?

• If you want to know more about what it means to put your trust in Jesus, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

For consider him who endured... Hebrews 12:3a (CSB)

I. am here, Oh, my Maker, surrendered to You. Fill me with Your love in all that I do.

I am here, my Defender, You save me from fear. Hold me in Your hand and wipe ev’ry tear.

I am here, My dear Father, You hold me so tight. Keep me in Your arms. I’m loved in Your sight.

I am here, Saving Stronghold, to praise Your great name. For by Your great grace You keep me from shame. • Macy Lee

• God always loves us and is here with us, calling us to Himself. Through Jesus, we can respond to God. We can come to Him anytime and receive His help. Which of the above stanzas resonates with you today? Why?

“Look! I [Jesus] stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” Revelation 3:20 (NLT)

Does the gospel affect how we treat the planet? I began wrestling with this question a couple years ago, and God has shown me so much of His goodness as I’ve sought Him.

This planet is good. God created everything with a purpose. He made this wonderful home for us, and we can live in it with joy.
We are called by God to be stewards of this good creation—to reign over it with love and care. It’s one of the first commands given to humanity (Genesis 1:28)!
God cares deeply about how we treat His creation. In Leviticus 25:1-7, He commands Israel to give the land a sabbath rest every seven years, which means that His people would have to completely depend on Him while the land got a chance to rest, regrow, and replenish. Unfortunately, Israel disobeyed God’s good commands, and God sent them to exile in Babylon. And, in 2 Chronicles 36:20-21, we see that one of the reasons the Israelites were exiled was for God to give the land the sabbath rest the Israelites always denied it. God takes this seriously.
When Adam and Eve sinned, brokenness entered all of God’s good creation, bringing death, hardship, and suffering. But, through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, He brought salvation to all of creation. If we’ve put our trust in Him, He promises to resurrect us from the dead so we can live eternally with Him. Jesus will one day return to restore all of creation—including His people! He will get rid of sin and all of its effects, like death, disease, and famine.

This earth is where Jesus—God in human flesh—came to dwell and make His home with us. Because of this, I’m learning how to care for this planet well. That’s what God calls all of us to do—love this place like He loves it and tend it out of joy and gratitude, not fear or guilt. Jesus’ work on the cross means we can work toward caring for creation well, even as we rest in the secure hope that He is the only One who can ultimately save the planet. • Taylor Eising

• What is your favorite part of creation? How does it reflect God’s glory?

• When we care for creation the way God intended, it makes life better for everyone! It helps the ground produce more healthy food and plants create more oxygen for us to breathe. How does this show love to our neighbor? How can caring for the planet point others to Jesus?

Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Genesis 1:28 (NLT)

Have you ever wondered why God created us with bodies? Why aren’t we just disembodied spirit creatures floating around everywhere? Why do we need bodies?

We may never know the answer. But we do know that our bodies are important to God—otherwise, He wouldn’t have made us this way. He created us as bodies, He loves us, and He dwells in us through the Holy Spirit if we know Jesus.

Think about that for a minute. Jesus came to earth as a body, died on the cross as a body, resurrected as a body from the grave, and ascended to heaven as a body. And if you know Jesus, the totally holy, all-knowing, all-powerful God of the universe dwells in your physical body. Not only that, but when Jesus returns, He will resurrect your permanent, everlasting body from the grave to live with Him forever in renewed creation.

And if our bodies are as much us as our souls, and our bodies matter that much to Jesus, let’s consider what that means for how we treat our bodies. If Jesus loves us enough to die on the cross to resurrect us—body and soul—then it makes sense for us to love our bodies through:

Exploring and enjoying different nutritious foods.
Finding fun ways to move and strengthen and stretch our bodies.
Setting aside time to rest so our bodies can be restored.
Listening to the advice of medical professionals like doctors and therapists because God has given them wisdom and knowledge to help us be healthy.
Avoiding harmful substances.
Living out a gospel-centered sexuality that recognizes God’s intent for sex to be an expression of marriage between husband and wife.

All these are acts of loving our bodies and worshiping the God who created and sustains us. They are reminders of God’s goodness, which He infused all of creation with. And they point us to Jesus, who promises to perfectly restore our bodies when He returns. • Taylor Eising

• What kinds of healthy foods do you enjoy? What is your favorite kind of exercise?

• Since your body is not a container you live inside but is as much you as your soul is you, how might this affect the way you live? Why does it matter that Jesus cares about your body?

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

Prayer is something Christians are called to do, and a lot of Christians comply without thinking. But what is prayer, and why do we do it?

Usually when I think of prayer, I think of long phrases, gracious requests, and powerful missionary stories. If you’re anything like me, it’s hard to live up to that standard. But prayer is not just some chant that we recite, nor is it a formula where we have to say all the right stuff. Prayer is simply talking to God. Even if we already know this, we often turn prayer into something burdensome, or we go to the other extreme and just mark it off our checklist.

But prayer is a special time of communication with God. A very personal and beneficial time. In Matthew 6, Jesus says our words don’t have to be anything fancy and God already knows what we need before we ask Him. But then, why ask? Why should we pray if God already knows what we need? It’s a bit of a mystery, but what we do know is that God responds to the prayers of His people. He invites us to depend on Him for small everyday things, huge concerns, and everything in between. When we pray, we recognize our dependence on God and experience relationship with Him, which He made possible through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

There are many reasons prayer is important, such as confessing our sins and saying thank you to God for all He has done, but one of the things that makes prayer so essential to a Christian’s life is that it provides a way for us to give our burdens to God. Our lives are often full of pain, injustice, and difficulties, but prayer reminds us that we are not alone. God wants us to come to Him as we are—not with flowery speeches, but with all of our frustrations, worries, and tears. The Psalms are filled with desperate pleas and angry cries, but the book of Psalms always circles back (as prayer often does) to what the psalmists know to be true: God is faithful, powerful, and full of compassion. Prayer reminds us of how great and wonderful God is and that we can put our trust in Him. • Deami O.

• Have you ever felt pressured to pray a certain way or felt like your prayers weren’t as “good” as other people’s? Remember that you don’t have to talk a certain way or pretend to be something you’re not. God wants to hear anything you have to say, and He loves you just the way you are. What would you like to talk to God about today?

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

There are times in my life when I have hard thing after hard thing stacked on top of one another. I have something stressful going on with my work, and then I have a tense relationship with my family. I am sucked into all the bad news about the world, and then I also have a headache or a backache. Everything combines until it feels impossible to keep moving. In moments like these, I remember that I need to call out to God.

I rely heavily on God’s comfort and guidance when everything in my life is adding up to be too much for me to handle on my own. I am so thankful that He invites me to put all my burdens on Him—not only when I’m overwhelmed but all the time. When I am stressed out or in pain, when I am physically or emotionally tired, He is there with me. God knows what I’m struggling with, and He cares. In fact, He cares so much about me that Jesus came all the way to earth, died, and rose again to save me. The new life Jesus invites me into is one of rest, relying on Him and submitting to His gentle and humble leadership. Because I have put my trust in Him, I know that I am never alone. His Holy Spirit is in me, comforting me and empowering me to follow Jesus. He never leaves my side, and He is waiting to carry my heavy load.

There are good and bad moments in my life, as I am sure there are good and bad moments in your life. It is amazing to me that God stays the same through them all and He is always right there, waiting to help. • Emily Acker

• When you feel like all the things going on in your life add up to be too much for you to carry, remember God doesn’t expect you to be able to handle it all by yourself. What are some practical ways you can make time to come to God in prayer and give your worries over to Him?

• One way God provides help is through other people (Galatians 6:2). Who are some people in your life you can turn to for help when you’re feeling overwhelmed?

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 (WEB)

Do you want to serve God with your life but have questions about what that looks like? If so, you may be encouraged to learn about Susanna Wesley. She never published books or held a formal leadership position, but her daily work inspired and guided those around her, contributed to the growth of two prominent spiritual leaders, and helped spur on an entire revival movement.

Susanna lived in England in the late 1600s. At age nineteen, she married a minister named Samuel Wesley. They had nineteen children, but nine of them died young. They also had very little money and many large debts, and their house burned down two different times. Despite these hardships, Susanna always worked hard to educate her sons and daughters. She wanted to ensure they would all know not only how to read and write but also how to love and serve the Lord. She wanted them to know the gospel—to rest in the knowledge of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and to let that knowledge transform every area of their lives.

Susanna’s children studied for six hours a day from the age of five. Each night she took one of her children aside for private discussions to encourage their spiritual growth. In a letter to her husband, Susanna wrote, “I cannot but look upon every soul you leave under my charge as a talent committed to me under a trust.” She saw the value in each of her children and devoted much time and energy to their upbringing. Susanna also took seriously her own relationship with God, setting aside time to read the Bible and pray “alone” with her kitchen apron over her head!

As her children grew up, God worked in their lives in amazing ways. Her son John became a theologian and evangelist. Another son, Charles, wrote thousands of hymns. Churches still sing many of Charles’ hymns today, such as “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” and “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.” John and Charles Wesley also led a revival movement.

If you feel discouraged about your ability to serve God, remember Susanna Wesley. You can serve with whatever talents you have, wherever you are, right now! • Andi Potter

• List some things you love to do or are especially good at. How might you use these gifts to serve God and His people, today or in the future?

• Who is someone in your daily life, such as a classmate, coworker, or family member, who you could encourage or pray for today?

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 (NIV)

Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books of the Bible, and Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 are some of my favorite verses. It’s true that Ecclesiastes can be a complicated book; however, its message has been one of the most helpful truths I have learned in my life.

Before we can understand the point of Ecclesiastes, it helps to know a few things about its structure. The author remains anonymous, but the character who speaks during the majority of the book is an unnamed teacher. Some believe this teacher was Solomon, the son of King David, or someone adopting Solomon’s persona for teaching purposes. Whatever the case, it’s helpful to know that Solomon was the most prosperous king of Israel, amassing so much wealth that even silver was considered worthless (1 Kings 10:21; 2 Chronicles 9:20). Not only was Solomon incredibly wealthy, but more importantly, he was the wisest person to ever live. When God gave Solomon the opportunity to ask for anything, Solomon asked for wisdom (1 Kings 3:5-15). So God blessed Solomon with more wisdom than anyone before him, and anyone since.

The book of Ecclesiastes addresses the quest to find satisfaction. People chase after pleasure, status, wealth, careers...but it’s all "hevel," a Hebrew word meaning “vapor” or “smoke”; it’s all fleeting, impossible to grasp. Most of us feel like if we just had “fill in the blank,” then we would be happy. If I just had a career plan I loved, if my family just had more money, if I just had more friends, if I just had a boyfriend or a girlfriend, if I was just more successful...then I would be happy. You see, Solomon had it all, and it still wasn’t enough.

Ecclesiastes teaches that, while it’s good to find temporary satisfaction in the fruits of our labor, nothing in this world can ever ultimately satisfy our souls. True contentment comes only from living in right relationship with the Creator, and this is only possible through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. As Jesus’ forgiven followers, we can experience true joy, peace, and satisfaction in God. When we choose to respond to God’s love for us by putting our trust in Jesus and following His good ways, we experience contentment as a gift from God. • Jonathon Fuller

• A posture of gratitude helps us enjoy God’s good gifts, like a beautiful day or a good meal shared with loved ones. How is a life of gratitude and contentment possible through Jesus?

When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity. Ecclesiastes 12:13 (CSB)

As a test pilot for spacecraft, I was in control. If the beryllium alloy hull became too hot, I knew how to cool it. If the inertial reference came out of alignment, I knew how to calibrate it. If toxic gases infiltrated the air system, I could run a detect and purge them. I studied each craft’s schematic, and I had a plan for every contingency.

However, my personal life was crumbling like asteroids impacting the moon. How could I be promoted for my skills but fail at the rest of life? My relationships were falling apart, and I was falling further and further behind on my goals.

The expanse of space with all its brilliant colors surrounded me. I was alone. Perhaps I could create a master plan for how to fix my life. Sheer will could solve problems, after all. Yet, much as I’d tried before, my life had never been perfect. Why did I think I could shape my life into what I wanted? Every time I fixed a problem, another one arose.

Then I felt a presence around me, something bigger than me. Soft words spoke to my heart: "Will you trust me?"

“Who are you?” I said. A warmth enveloped me.

"Your Creator. I made these starry host, and I made you. I know your deepest needs."

Tears welled in my eyes. I couldn’t even identify my deepest needs. “What do I do?”

"Trust me. Get to know me. Spend time with me. I will live in you and guide you step by step. I knew it had to be the God of the universe."

“Yes, Lord.” I felt a calmness in my core. I could never make my life perfect, but I could trust someone who controls the planets’ orbits to control my life. • Michelle Cochran

• God is the Creator and Ruler of all. He created us out of love for relationship with Him. But because humans sinned and were separated from God, Jesus came to rebuild the relationship we destroyed. Now, we can know Him again. Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, He offers us new life, different from and better than anything this broken world has to offer. The life He invites us into is one of humility. It’s not an easy thing to give someone else control and give up our own way. But God is here. He knows everything, and He understands your life. He is completely good, and He wants what is best for you (Romans 8:28). Are you willing to trust Him?

• What might it look like to spend time with God and get to know Him?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 (NLT)

Jada sat on the bathroom floor, sweating and scared, staring at the timer on her phone. She didn’t know how she would explain this after she got the results. "How did we let things go so far? she thought. "What happened to following God’s plan for sex and marriage? What will Zach say?"

The timer went off, and she reached up to grab the plastic stick from the counter. She had tried so hard not to look at it while waiting. Holding her breath, she examined the results.

"Wait a minute..." She frowned, picking up the packaging the stick had come in. "That means...All this stress..." Jada drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Even if I’m not pregnant, what Zach and I did was still wrong." She hugged her knees and dropped her head down, choking back tears of shame and relief.

Her mom knocked on the door, and Jada opened it without thinking. She fell into the arms of her mother—the one who had been there for her when her dad abandoned them and who had comforted her each night she had cried for him. Jada clung to her mom, ignoring the fact that she was going to see the test and know about all she’d done.

“It’s okay. You’re okay.” Her mom rubbed her back. “Oh, sweetheart, we’ll figure this out. We’ll make a home for this baby.”

“No...I’m not...” Jada tried to explain things, but her tears kept her from speaking.

“We’ll figure this out,” Mom said. “God has shown grace to me many times, and He will show grace to you and Zach and your little one.”

Jada squeezed her eyes shut. "Grace?" she thought. "I don’t deserve grace."

After a few minutes, Jada pulled back from her mom. “It was negative.”

“Oh.” Mom’s brows lifted.

“But it could have been positive, Mom,” Jada said quietly. “I am so sorry.”

She stroked Jada’s hair and said, “Negative or positive, God’s grace is enough.”

“You’re not mad?” Jada asked. “You told me about God’s design for sex and marriage, and I didn’t...”

“God’s grace, Jada,” Mom said tenderly. “We all need His forgiveness. When we come to God, He is so willing to forgive, to restore what’s been lost and heal what’s been broken. What Jesus has done is enough to forgive all your sins, including this one. You’re still His. He loves you, and He doesn’t leave you, no matter what.”

Grace. After all the shame. All the guilt. Could God really forgive me? Held there in her mom’s arms, Jada sensed God’s invitation to come and be held by Him. Grace sounded like just what she needed. • Emily Acker

• Have you ever done something that caused you to feel a deep sense of shame? Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we see that God’s grace runs deeper than our shame. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are perfect in God’s eyes, all of our sin washed away (you can read more about this on our "Know Jesus" page). How could this truth free you to follow Jesus with love and joy?

• God created sex to be the act of marriage—the total, permanent union of one man and one woman. And that union points to the union of Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:25-33). How does the gospel affect the way you view sex and marriage?

• If you’ve sinned sexually in any way and want to start over in following God’s good plan for sex and marriage, there is so much hope. Once you’ve put your trust in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, you’ve been washed clean of every sin, and the Holy Spirit is in you, equipping and empowering you to run away from every sexual sin—including lust (1 Corinthians 6:18; 10:13). If you are part of an unmarried couple wanting to step back from sex and empower each other to pursue gospel-centered sexuality, who are trusted Christians who could support and guide you, such as pastors, counselors, parents, or other mentors? If you struggle with lust or any other sexual sin, who are trusted Christians you can talk to?

• No matter what the circumstances are, a baby is always someone to celebrate, a wonderful new person who God has carefully created in His image (Psalm 127:3). God’s timing is perfect, and He will provide for all our needs when we seek Him (Matthew 6:25-34). If you think you might be pregnant (or if you know someone who might be), you can talk to someone confidentially at OptionLine (chat: optionline.org or call: 1-800-712- 4357). They will listen with compassion and help you think through your options, and they can connect you with resources near you, such as pregnancy testing, medical assistance, and parenting support.

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:1-2 (NIV)

Not every day of our lives is going to pass by without issue. We all know that. We know to expect trouble and that there are going to be times when life is really hard. Where is God when things start to fall apart?

He is there in the drama.

Some of us face issues with family members. They are constantly fighting with us, nothing we do pleases them, or they abandon us and we can’t even get in touch with them. Where is God when our own families are hurting us?

He is there in the drama.

Some of us have health issues that cause us to struggle, and we are always tired and never at our best. Some of us are scared about our futures and wonder how we will get by financially. We wonder why God isn’t making life easier. Where is God when we are suffering?

He is there in the drama.

God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, into this broken, messy, painful world to be with us. He lived through what we’re going through: family issues, intense suffering, and ridicule. While God might not take away all the mess we face until Jesus returns, He is right there with us as we walk through it. Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, He gives us hope. As we struggle to figure out what moves to make, He has answers for us. Life on earth isn’t always going to be easy. We all know that. But God is there in all the drama. • Emily Acker

• If you or someone you know is suffering from abuse or neglect, or if the situation is potentially life-threatening, call 911 (or the emergency number for your area) or go to the local hospital emergency room right away. If you need someone to talk to but are not in need of immediate help, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

• When life is really hard, how might knowing that God is right here in the mess with us through His Holy Spirit, His Word, and His people encourage us (Romans 5:3-5; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11)?

The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 (CSB)

Clean water is a vital component in keeping our lives functioning and healthy. We use it for so many things: quenching our thirst, cleaning our bodies, washing dirt from surfaces, and nourishing our crops. We travel over the surface of water to explore the earth or search for food. Our fruits and vegetables are mostly water. If you place a drop of clean water under a microscope, you can see it is teeming with the life that we all need.

In John 4:10-14, Jesus spoke of living water as He stood by a well with a Samaritan woman. Just like the Samaritan woman, we all long to know how to have this living water that satisfies endlessly. Jesus never said or did anything without purpose, so what could He have meant by living water? Later, in John 7:38, Jesus talked about living water again and said, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” When Jesus offered living water, He was speaking of the Holy Spirit, the reservoir of God’s life within us, who Jesus would give to His followers later.

Jesus knew what He was doing when He used water as an example to reveal the abundant life He offers through the Holy Spirit. We need water to live. Without Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we would all die, alone in the desolation of our sin. But if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He quenches our spiritual thirst like a drink of cold water reviving us in an empty desert. This abundant life, this living water, is teeming with every good thing, just like that small drop under the microscope. It is not stagnant or full of harmful bacteria but is fresh and flowing as a mountain stream.

God is the source of all good things. Jesus promised, “To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life” (Revelation 21:6). Like the Samaritan woman, all we need to do is put our trust in Jesus to accept His beautiful gift. • Susan Sundwall

• It can be difficult to accept that we’re helpless to save ourselves from death, like a traveler stranded in a huge desert. It requires humility to receive help rather than try to earn our way out. How might it be freeing to know that God wants to give us life to the full, even though we can never earn it? (To find out more about this good news, check out our "Know Jesus" page.)

• What does the Holy Spirit produce in the lives of Christians who live according to the Spirit (Romans 8:5; Galatians 5:22-23)?

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:3 (NIV)

I read this passage and was struck by how many ways Jesus refers to Himself as the bread of life. Take a minute to read John 6:28-58 and count how many times Jesus refers to Himself as bread or says that He should be eaten.

How can Jesus be bread? How can we eat His flesh and drink His blood? It sounds cannibalistic. (Actually, one of the earliest criticisms of Christianity was because of a rumor that Christians were eating human flesh at their gatherings.) To understand Jesus’ teaching, it helps to look at the Old Testament. The temple sacrificial system called for a perfect animal with no blemish to be a blood sacrifice. Lambs, bulls, and even turtledoves (if the person was poor), were all brought to the temple alive, then sacrificed on God’s temple altar to atone for sin (Leviticus 9:1-4). God decreed the meat should be roasted and served as food for the priests as their portion (Leviticus 6:25-29). Because priests didn’t farm or make things to sell, the food from sacrifices gave them their nourishment, sustaining their life physically and pointing to life spiritually.

Jesus, who was perfect with no blemish of sin, became our final sacrifice for sin when He died on the cross. In John 6, Jesus was expressing that He is like the manna that nourishes and gives life. Similarly, eating His body as bread when we take communion is akin to the temple priests eating animal sacrifices. We take in Christ’s body and blood poured out for us instead of an animal sacrifice. Jesus promises us: “Whoever eats my flesh, and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:54). This is true because once we’ve put our trust in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, our sins have been atoned for. Christ substituted His own body for the animal sacrifice. His brutal death became an amazing and loving gift—His sinless body given for our sins. After Jesus died, He rose back to life, defeating sin and death completely! Now, communion is a beautiful reminder of Christ as the Lamb of God and the Bread of Life, who gave His life so we could live with Him forever. • D. Robin Newman

• What did Jesus do right before He talked about being the Bread of Life (John 6:1-24)? What questions did people ask Him (John 6:25-31)?

• Does communion ever seem strange or irrational to you? What questions do you have?

• If you want to dig deeper, you can read more about communion in Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:1-20, and 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven.” John 6:51a (NIV)

What shakes you? Peers? Pandemics? Politics? Perhaps your family has moved. Maybe you’ve lost someone close to you. Your school situation may have changed. When the world around us shakes, how does Jesus make it possible for His followers to be unshakable?

In Hebrews 11, this New Testament author describes the stories of many people who put their faith in God. The next chapter, Hebrews 12, begins by calling all these people “a large cloud of witnesses” whose testimonies cheer us on and encourage us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the One who makes our faith perfect. From Abel to Rahab, we read about men and women whose lives were shaken, and yet they stood firm in Christ and acted in faith, knowing that God is greater than anything.

In the Old Testament, when Moses was about to receive the ten commandments on Mount Sinai, the people saw lightning and smoke as the Lord descended in fire. The mountain trembled—and the people with it (Exodus 19:16-18). Moses was the only one who was allowed to approach God, so everyone else remained at a distance. The people could not stand before a sinless and holy God. Because they couldn’t follow His good ways, priests had to continually make sacrifices for their own sins and the sins of the people (Hebrews 7:27).

But when God sent His Son as the perfect sacrifice for all sin, He established a new and better covenant (Hebrews 8). When Jesus let Himself be put to death, the very earth shook (Matthew 27:50-54). And when He rose from the dead, Jesus revealed that His sacrifice was enough to cover all our sins and give us access to a kingdom that cannot be shaken. If we’ve responded to God’s love by putting our trust in Jesus—relying on His once-and-for-all sacrifice—we belong to God and are citizens in His kingdom.

Because His love for us is unshakable, God uses all the trials we endure in this life for His good purposes, and through it all, His Holy Spirit helps us reflect Christ and become more like Him. Our faith’s goal is our salvation—and that is unshakable because its foundation is on Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3-9). No matter what we face here in this broken world, our future with Christ is set and will never be shaken. • Savannah Coleman

• When life is shaky, how can relying on Jesus and leaning on the church help you feel steady?

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28 (CSB)

Anxiety is not always cured just by taking a deep breath or going on a nature walk. While these things—along with getting enough sleep at night, eating well, and praying—can help, sometimes they’re not enough. If you are still feeling anxious, know that you’re not alone.

There is no reason to be embarrassed about your anxiety. We live in a broken world where things are difficult and confusing. God made our minds and our bodies good, but since the first humans sinned, all kinds of death and sickness entered the world, including mental illness. Whether it’s having unending thoughts about “what-if” scenarios, feeling like we’re in danger even when we’re not, or some other form of anxiety, God has compassion on us and offers us help. One way God helps us is through other people.

If you have anxious thoughts all the time, or if you cannot find the calm and peace you seek, it’s ok to ask for help. God has given us each other to comfort, encourage, and help one another. Some people can also give advice on how to deal with anxiety in healthy ways, such as counselors and pastors. God provides people you can talk to about what you’re experiencing.

Also know that God is not unaware of your anxiety. In fact, God knows about anxiety because He lived through it. Jesus experienced anxiety while on earth, especially as He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, knowing He would soon face death (Luke 22:39-44). Psalm 22 even offers us a glimpse into what it was like for Jesus as He experienced a high level of anxiety on the cross as He bore the sin of the world. Jesus cares about what you’re going through. He’s been there. He knows. He sees you and everything that is going on in your life.

When we seek God, He helps us. Sometimes He helps through other people. Sometimes He gives a moment of peace or reveals a truth in His Word that offers hope. We can talk to God when we feel anxious, being honest about what we’re experiencing and asking for help. Sometimes, thanking God for His blessings can help us remember that He is loving, powerful, and trustworthy. When life feels overwhelming, we can also take a break and spend time with friends, and we can reach out for help when we need it.

Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we can know God’s love for us is stronger than anything, including anxiety. When Jesus returns, He will heal all mental illness for good! In the meantime, we don’t have to be afraid to admit when we’re feeling anxious. Many people feel the same way, and with help from God and each other, we can move toward a life of peace. • Bethany Acker

• If you’d like to talk to someone about anxiety but you aren’t sure who to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

• God lives in perfect community as the Trinity (three Persons in One), and we are made in His image. Because of this, we are designed to live in community. And, if we know Jesus, the same Holy Spirit lives in each of us, uniting us around the gospel. It’s because of this unity that we can be open and honest with each other about our struggles, including struggles with anxiety. Who is a trusted Christian you can talk to about your questions? How can you listen with compassion when other people tell you about their struggles?

• Even if you don’t struggle with clinical anxiety, we all feel anxious from time to time because we live in a broken world. What things are you worried about right now? If you’re ready, you can take some time to bring these worries to God in prayer.

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. Psalm 94:19 (NIV)

When I travel away from home, I often still attend church by visiting a church near my destination. It’s always been a good experience of getting a different perspective, but there was one time when I was so distracted that I couldn’t focus on the sermon.

It wasn’t because every wall and ceiling of the church building was adorned with art, even though it was. It wasn’t even because the preacher was speaking in a language that was foreign to me, even though he was. Instead, I was distracted by the thoughts in my own head. I wondered why I had a slightly deformed spine. I wondered why I had to deal with all the health problems I had. If I was just a bit more normal, I wouldn’t have to deal with so much pain. I spent the sermon asking God why.

When the service ended, I exited through a side door that led to the church’s belltower. I wonder if the builder of that tower also asked God why he couldn’t be as normal as the other architects. He tried building a normal belltower, but as he added more levels, he noticed that the tower started tilting. The ground was too soft to support such a tall structure, but he was still obligated to finish. After the blundering bell tower’s completion, the architect chose to remain anonymous out of embarrassment.

Little did he know that over the next nine hundred years, millions of visitors would come to this little town just to see the uniquity of this belltower. I figured that if God had a plan for the accidental Leaning Tower of Pisa, then He also has a plan for my imperfections. • Jessica Lippe

• Why do you think God allows people to have imperfections?

• Because we live in a world broken by sin, we all have imperfections and hardships—some more obvious than others. God cares about our suffering so much that He sent Jesus to live among us, give His life for ours, and be raised from the dead. Now, if we’ve put our trust in Him, He is with us in the midst of our sufferings through the Holy Spirit. One day, when Jesus returns, He will make all things well and new! How might this sure hope give you comfort?

• Have you ever asked God why you have a specific struggle in your life? Sometimes God shows us a reason, and other times He provides comfort and hope through His presence with us. Who has God brought into your life who you can talk to about this struggle?

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV)

Do you ever feel like you don’t have the words to say in prayer? Have you ever been overjoyed and just want to sing the Lord’s praises? If you’re looking for something to help you express your emotions to the Lord, check out the book of Psalms. I guarantee there’s at least one chapter out of the 150 that you can relate to.

Psalms are songs, poems, and hymns written by various authors in ancient Israel. These were written down and collected so that God’s people could sing them together. Psalms help us express our emotions before God through worship and prayer, and they help us remember God’s faithful love, matchless power, constant presence, and promises. Though the circumstances we experience may be different from the Psalms’ original readers, the purpose of the Psalms in expressing human emotion crosses the borders of time, making these writings relevant to us even today. Isn’t it amazing that thousands of years later, we can use these same texts for the same purposes?

Not only are the Psalms useful for expressing our joys, sorrows, frustrations, and requests to God, but they also point to Jesus time and time again. Jesus Himself quoted them often throughout His ministry. A few noteworthy psalms that foretold Jesus are 22, 34, and 69. Psalm 22 outlines much of the agony Jesus would face when nearing His death, even specific details such as the taunts of those around Him while He hung on the cross and the casting of lots for His clothing (verses 8 and 18). And, in His perfect obedience to God the Father, Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 while nailed to the cross, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46). When Jesus rose from the dead, His followers saw that He is the Messiah His people had been waiting for all along—the promised Savior the Psalms point to again and again.

God gave us the Psalms as a gift to help us express ourselves to Him and know Him better. Whether in joy or sadness, we can approach our Father in prayer and worship whenever we need. • Emily Rondello

• What kind of psalm would help you express a prayer before God today? One of joy? Sorrow? Longing? Frustration? Repentance? Request?

• Even when we don’t know how to express ourselves to God, He understands us anyway (Psalm 139:1-6; Romans 8:26-27). How might this truth free you to come to God even when you don’t know what to say?

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 136:1 (NLT)

"God, why can’t you hear my prayers?” I shout, storming into nowhere. “Why did Mom have to leave us?” Clenching my fists, I start to run. The brilliant sun dazzles me, except it isn’t the sun but a man who shines like lightning, standing in front of me.

“Jordan,” the man says my name. His compassion dissolves my anger, and he continues. “You think God isn’t listening to your prayers, but it isn’t true.”

"How do you know!" I try to say, but the words stick in my throat. My hands tremble.

“Don’t be afraid, Jordan. Trust.”

My body is weightless, floating until I’m in a deep valley filled with vibrant flowers. Waterfalls cascade down the hill. Butterflies mingle. Melodies echo.

“This is the valley of prayers. Jesus receives them, and God hears them all,” he says. “Some prayers are songs, some are flowers growing up to heaven, others are tearful waterfalls and sweet perfumes. All are answered. God knows what’s best, whether it’s a yes, a no, or gifts of courage and comfort.”

“Where are my prayers?” I ask and suddenly hear the echo of my voice begging God for Mom to come back. Prayers like raindrops falling into the waterfall.

“No one knows why God answers the way He does. But He loves you, and He will never leave you. Remember that when all was lost, He sent His Son, Jesus, to heal humanity’s brokenness and save everyone who puts their trust in Him. No matter what happens, know this: Jesus will walk with you through this journey. Even when you think Jesus isn’t there, He is with you through His Word and His Spirit inside you, giving you strength and caring for your hurts as you seek Him.”

Tears blur my vision. “Oh, Jesus, help me trust you,” I pray. “Help me through this.”

A flower sprouts at my feet; I stare at it in wonder.

Then the man says, “He will. Don’t be troubled, Jordan. God has a wonderful plan for you. Remain hopeful. He cherishes you.”

I stay bathed in beauty and love for what feels like moments before floating back up to earth. My body is refreshed. The sun fades beneath the horizon as I walk back home, but there is peace in my soul. • Cindy Lee

• Do you ever feel like God doesn’t hear your prayers?

• What is troubling your heart today? God cares, and He waits eagerly for you to come to Him. Even now He is working His plan of renewal (John 5:17), and He will make all things fully right when Jesus returns. Until then, He promises to be with us through all the heartaches of life.

• Are you waiting for the answer to a prayer? Do not be afraid. God listens. He has heard your cry, and He will help you whatever the outcome is. How might knowing that God hears you affect the way you pray?

You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. Jeremiah 29:12 (WEB)

For as long as I could remember, I wanted to be a police officer. During my senior year, I was accepted into one of the best law enforcement programs in the country, but I was experiencing something I had never experienced about my future plans: doubt.

I had just finished my first summer working at a camp, and I saw God do some incredible things. Prior to camp, I barely believed that there was a God, let alone tried to live for Him, but after camp everything changed. Jesus had drastically changed my heart in those eight short weeks. I even felt like He was leading me to pursue ministry after high school! But that forced me to ask a difficult question: “What about my dreams of being a police officer?”

I was torn. "Do I do what I’ve always wanted to do, or do I pursue something I know nothing about?," I thought. What do you do when you don’t know what to do? For starters, I called my youth pastor and asked for his help. He advised, “Pray for wide-open doors or doors to be slammed in your face. If you think a door is open, walk through it. If you feel peace about it, keep walking.”

When we don’t know what to do, we can ask God for wisdom, guidance, and opportunities: open doors and closed doors (if you’re stubborn like me, you may also need doors to slam in your face). Most importantly, we can listen for answers. When I began to ask God for direction in this situation, I immediately realized that I was seeking MY plan for my career, not HIS plan. When I asked what His plan was, everything started to become clear.

In life, we are faced with challenging circumstances and difficult decisions all the time. In his letter to the early church, James confirms this almost immediately and tells us how to respond: with joy! James tells us that God uses these trials to strengthen our faith, and if we lack wisdom, we can ask God and He will give it to us generously! If we’ve put our trust in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, His Holy Spirit is in us, providing a never-ending source of wisdom. God is waiting for us to ask for His guidance and direction. When I started to pray for HIS plan rather than MY plan, doors started opening and peace was flowing! • Hunter Taylor

• While God calls some of us into ministry careers, He also calls many of us to follow Him in different ways. How might the gospel shape the way we view the future and make decisions (Matthew 6:33)?

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him. James 1:5 (CSB)

Have you ever felt like you didn’t have any friends? I moved about two years ago, and I still have a hard time making new friends. I sometimes have dreams of meeting the perfect friend who loves the same things I do, has my same interests, and maybe has experienced some of the same situations I have. But I never seem to find the perfect friend like I dream of.

One night, as I was praying to God, I realized that I will never find a perfect friend. Every person is different, and throughout our lives, we will have different friendships. Yet we all have one thing in common—we are sinners in need of God’s mercy and love. And God doesn’t give up on us. He wants us to be in friendship with Him, so He made a way for us to be forgiven. Jesus calls us His friends, and He made the ultimate sacrifice by taking our sins and dying on the cross, then resurrecting from the dead to defeat sin and death so we can be with Him forever when He returns. Until then, He has sent His Holy Spirit to be in everyone who has put their trust in Him.

After I realized that only Jesus can be my perfect friend, I was excited. He is available whenever I need to talk to Him, and He always wants to listen to me. Through His Holy Spirit, Jesus is with me throughout my day, He gives me wisdom and strength when I need it, and He comforts me when things are hard. God doesn’t just want to give me the resources I need. He wants to be my resource. He wants to be my friend.

The Bible says that God designed us for community and that friendship is important. God even offers us wisdom in choosing our friends. We all need a good friend, but it’s important to remember that we will never find a perfect friend. Sometimes, you may feel like you don’t have any friends. But in those times, remember that you’re not alone. Jesus is near. And keep praying for God to guide you to another friend in His perfect timing. • Aubrey Hairr

• Have you ever thought of God as a friend? What might it mean to be friends with God?

• Have you been hoping for a friend? Is there someone in your life you might have overlooked because they didn’t seem like a “perfect friend” or because they’re different from you?

• While we are called to be kind to all people, what is different about being friends with someone? How can you be a good friend (Proverbs 13:20; 16:28; 17:17; 22:24-25; 27:5-6)? How has Jesus been a good friend to you?

“No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 (CSB)

The Bible is really repetitive. I don’t mean that it’s boring—far from it! But throughout the Old Testament, God sends people called prophets to speak to the Israelites on His behalf. And, while they did predict future events, the prophets were mostly sent to tell Israel what they already knew: follow God’s good law. The prophets would call on the Israelites to remember the Lord and all He has done for His people.

When God tells us to remember something, He doesn’t mean “Store this away in a dusty compartment in your brain.” Rather, He’s saying “Keep this truth in front of you all the time. Tie it to your forehead. Talk to others about it. Let the reminders of My love change your life.”

Amazingly, this is also how God remembers us! When the Bible talks about God “remembering” something or someone, it doesn’t mean He had forgotten about it. Rather, when God remembers, it means that He is paying special attention. And, as we see in Isaiah, God remembers us this way—we are always before Him.

Remembering is a purposeful action. It’s kind of like remembering that you have a doctor’s appointment—it doesn’t do much good to know you have a doctor’s appointment if you never actually go to it. In the same way, remembering the truth of who God is and what He has done for us will lead us to action.

So, what exactly should we be remembering? First and foremost, we remember Jesus. When He gave communion to His disciples, Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Every time we take communion, we pay special attention to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and we look forward to the day of His return (Matthew 26:29). When we keep this gospel truth in front of us continually (not just during communion), it changes the way we look at everyday life. It’s a truth that never gets boring, no matter how many times you repeat it. • Taylor Eising

• Why do we need reminders about who Jesus is? What are some ways you can remind yourself and others about the amazing truth of the gospel?

• How might remembering the gospel change the way you interact with others? What about the way you view responsibilities, tasks, and fun activities?

Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Deuteronomy 6:7-8 (NLT)

When I am oppressed Pushed down When I can’t lift my own head When I am controlled Held back When I can’t go my own way When my enemies are winning With cheers When I can’t celebrate When I am destroyed I’m done God, hold me up Fight for me today Push on God, guide me through • Emily Acker

• Do you ever feel like the author of this poem? What makes you feel that way?

• How might it comfort you to know that, even when we feel trapped and depleted, God is our strong helper?

• Jesus knows all our hurts, and He hurts with us. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He is with us even in our darkest moments through His Holy Spirit inside us. And He invites us to bring our hurts to Him in a practice called lament. In lament, we tell God what hurts and express all our anger, fear, hurt, and frustration...and we ask Him to do something about it, trusting in His unfailing love and resting in the knowledge that He will act—either now or when Jesus returns to make all things right. We can find examples of lament in the Psalms (Psalm 13, 38, 42-43, 88, 130, and many more), in Jesus’ prayers (Luke 22:41-44), and in many other places in the Bible. Because Jesus went through hurt, He can empathize with us and heal our hurts. Because of what He has done for us on the cross, Jesus is our refuge. Take some time to lament to God, being honest with Him about your hurts and resting in His love.

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Psalm 9:9 (NIV)

I felt ugly when I was young. I did not see any beauty in me. I had low self-esteem. I was not confident. And I did not think I was special. I did not feel smart or intelligent. I felt shy and vulnerable. I did not want to be around people. I thought there was nothing likeable in me that would draw people to me.

Have you ever felt like I felt? As I grew older, I began to learn what God says about me in His Word. These things are true about you too: It is written in the Bible that you are wonderfully made. God made you in His image—to reflect His glory and goodness. God is wonderful, kind, patient, beautiful...and because you are made in His image, you get to be those things too. You are one of a kind. You have a beautiful nature. You are unique. You are special because the God who created the universe is the God who perfectly made you, and He loves you.

However, we live in a world broken by sin, where we are all broken, and we all do wrong. Sin separates us from our loving Creator and distorts the good way God made us. But Jesus came to make us new. Through His life, death, and resurrection, we can be reunited with God. As Jesus’ forgiven followers, we get to discover how God truly made us when we abide in Him (John 15:4-5). His Holy Spirit is in us, transforming us to be like Christ and restoring us to the ways God made us to be.

God has planted talents and abilities in you that you may shine and be a blessing to others (1 Peter 4:10-11). Through Jesus, He has given you self-control so that you can make good decisions (2 Timothy 1:7). He has also given you a kind, loving, caring, considerate, gentle, joyful, and forgiving heart (Galatians 5:22-23). You have a body that can do good things for you and other people. You have senses that were made to behold the beauty of nature and of others around you. And God has brought you to places where you can make a difference.

Know that God made you with a purpose, and you can reflect His love to others. You were made wonderful so that you may (as the Westminster Shorter Catechism says) glorify God and enjoy Him forever. • Golda Dilema

• Do you sometimes look down on yourself? When it’s hard to believe that what God says about you is true or see the good ways He’s made you, who is a trusted Christian you can talk to?

• How does knowing the way Jesus views you affect the way you view others?

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14a (NIV)

Going out to look for one sheep when there are a number of others in need of care seems a little crazy. What if something happened to the other sheep while the shepherd was off looking for the one that was lost? It can be hard to imagine anyone caring enough about me or you to go out and look for us while also taking care of dozens of others like us.

In God’s eyes, our value is equal to the value of the people around us. As much as it might not feel that way sometimes, it’s true.

When we are lost, God cares enough to seek us out. If you are trying to hide from God because you are doing things that go against His good ways, know that He sees you and He wants to rescue you.

God was willing to give up everything for you. He gave up His only Son, Jesus, to die so that you wouldn’t have to. Then Jesus rose again from the dead, defeating sin and death to make a way for you to be brought home to God’s family. God wants you to be with Him forever because He loves you.

If sending His Son to die and raise from the dead wasn’t enough to prove that God loves you, think about the shepherd with the sheep. While he could have stayed with his ninety-nine sheep, he went off to find the one and complete the family. Nothing is too hard for God, and He will do big things to get your attention and to look out for you. • Emily Acker

• Do you ever wonder if you are as valuable as other people—if God loves you specifically and not just because He loves the whole world? How might today’s passage speak into that?

• Do you feel lost sometimes? Maybe you’ve been making bad choice after bad choice and are pushing God away. How might God be reaching out to you today?

• To learn more about what Jesus did to make a way for you to be with Him, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I [Jesus] will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

One of my all-time favorite group games is capture the flag. The goal, obviously, is to capture the other team’s flag. But, if you get tagged in the other team’s territory, you are captured. You must follow the tagger to jail and wait there until someone from your team comes to rescue you. You have been taken captive!

In the city of Colossae during Paul’s day, a fierce battle was taking place. This wasn’t a battle with swords and shields, however. It was a battle over the hearts and minds of the people. Some were seeking to challenge and subvert the gospel and influence the new believers to follow other ways instead of relying on Jesus, who rescued them by His life, death, and resurrection.

Paul warns the Colossians against these false teachings by explaining that if they abandon the truths of God’s Word, they will be taken captive. Paul describes the false teachings as “empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense.” While Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), the enemy is “the father of lies” (John 8:44), who sometimes contradicts the Bible outright and other times twists words to make it seem like the Bible says something that it doesn’t. Believers are often tempted to listen to these false ideas, but if we forsake biblical truths and replace them with lies, we’ve been taken captive. Only Jesus gives us freedom by the gospel.

As believers, we are called to carefully consider the big-picture ideas behind what the world teaches and compare them to the gospel. We are constantly bombarded with all kinds of messages about what is right and wrong and how to live a good life. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming trying to discern who to listen to. But once we’ve put our trust in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, His Holy Spirit is in us, and He helps us sift through every message with the filter of the gospel. When we embrace the truth of God’s Word, He helps us avoid being captured by the empty and deceiving ideas of the world. • Jonathon Fuller

• What false teachings were the Christians in Colossae encountering (Colossians 2:1-23)?

• Even if we get sucked into believing something false, God doesn’t give up on us. As Christians, we’ve already been rescued by Jesus, and nothing can change our eternal destiny with Him. We can ask God to help us know the truth and rest in knowing that He is faithful to help us.

Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. Colossians 2:8 (NLT)

Anytime there’s a meteor shower, comet, or planet sighting, I’ll walk down to the lake across the road at night and check it out. The last time I walked to the lake, a couple family members joined me. Most people know that a flashlight would help a person walk a quarter mile in the dark. My family members are not most people! I was the only one who brought a flashlight. So, I decided walking in front would be the best way to shed light for everyone. But by the time the fourth person in line came, the light wasn’t much help. This person was tripping and yelping every thirty seconds or so. It sounded painful.

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.” Notice the psalmist doesn’t say that God’s Word is a lamp to everyone who is behind me! If each person walking to the lake had carried a flashlight, there would have been no tripping or yelping.

But it’s easy to say, “Carrying a flashlight is a pain. I’ll just follow someone who has a light.” Maybe we think we’ll know the way because our mom or dad knows the Bible, or we’ll avoid pitfalls because our pastor knows the Bible. Maybe our favorite theologian knows the Bible and we listen to them, so we’ll be fine. Certainly our branch of church history got it right, so we’ll just follow along.

But that’s not the way it goes! Maybe other people’s lights can help us see that there’s a better way (Matthew 5:16), but at a certain point, we need to pick up the Word of God (the light) for ourselves. Jesus—who is the Word and the light of the world—came so that we could know God intimately, without having to go through sacrifices or religious leaders. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we have been brought near to God. As we pursue relationship with Him, He helps us know Him personally, not secondhand through someone else.

When we use God’s Word to light the path in front of our own feet, the Holy Spirit helps us understand the Bible and know God better. While it’s wise to listen to other Christians who know the Bible and ask for help, it’s ultimately our own responsibility to spend time in God’s Word and become familiar with it for ourselves. • Jeff Weddle

• Does someone in your life love studying the Bible? What have you learned from them?

• Have you ever heard someone teach from the Bible, but you wonder if their interpretation is actually what the Bible says? Who is a trusted Christian in your life you can talk to about this?

Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105 (WEB)

Just like when He led the Israelites of old, God is also leading us to a promised land. When Jesus was on earth, He made a promise to all those who would believe in Him, saying, “I am going to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).

Throughout the whole Bible, God reminds us of the promised land He is preparing for us. Our promised land is more than a land flowing with milk and honey. It’s renewed creation, with no more death, no more sorrow, and no more crying (Revelation 21:4). It’s the perfect, eternal home that God’s children have been longing to see for centuries!

Yet, just like the children of Israel, we have all strayed. We have failed to follow God perfectly, continually breaking His good laws.

There is good news, though. The same God who led the Israelites forty years through the wilderness is leading us too. He is a God of forgiveness, of second chances, of love, of mercy, of grace. He is the same God who sent His Son to take the punishment for our sins on the cross and raise again from the dead so that we could enter the promised land. In our weakness, God is still faithful!

So we keep our eyes on Jesus as He guides us to the promised land. In His strength, we can hold fast and keep going. Then, when that wonderful day comes and Jesus returns to bring His kingdom to fruition here on earth, we’ll be home! What a glorious day that will be! • Macy Lee

• How does God’s faithfulness to the Israelites in the past give you hope for the future?

• To read more about how Jesus made a way for us to live in the eternal “promised land” forever with Him, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Revelation 21:4 (NLT)

In the Old Testament, God promised to give His people a land to call home. He made a covenant (a promise) with Abram, promising him that he would have so many descendants that they would become a great multitude. He also told Abram that his descendants would be forced to serve in a foreign land for many years, but after that time, the Lord would bring them out of captivity and into the Promised Land—a land “flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8)—which basically meant the land would be a place of abundance.

This promise was repeated many times throughout the Old Testament. Even when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, God was with them, leading them to the Promised Land. Even when the Israelites complained in the wilderness and rebelled against God, He led them on in love. It took four hundred years in slavery and forty years in the wilderness before the promise was fulfilled. But God never lies. In His good time, His people crossed the Jordan River and entered the land they had looked forward to for countless years.

God had remained faithful in their unfaithfulness, and they were finally able to enter the land they had been promised long before that generation was born! But God wasn’t done yet. He also promised that one of Abraham’s descendants would be a new King—a Deliverer—who would save His people from sin and death (2 Samuel 7:11-16). God sent His Son, Jesus, to live a life of perfect obedience to God, die in our place on the cross, and raise from the dead, making a way for us to live with Him forever. Because God faithfully brought the Israelites to their Promised Land, we can trust that Jesus will faithfully save us. • Macy Lee

• How do you see God’s perfect timing at work in leading the Israelites to the Promise Land? What were the Israelites’ reactions as God led them through the wilderness?

• God always keeps His promises. What does that mean for us today?

“I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you.’” Joshua 1:3 (NLT)

Kindness. How many times have you heard that word? Growing up, I heard it all the time: “Be kind to people.” But what exactly is kindness? One of the best biblical examples I can think of involves David and a man named Mephibosheth. In the days of David, when a new family became king, all family members of the old king would be killed. Crazy, right? Well, when King Saul and his son Jonathan are killed in battle, David becomes the new king.

Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth. David, as the new king, was expected to kill all of Saul and Jonathan’s relatives, including Mephibosheth. But instead of doing that, David asks if any of Saul’s relatives are left who he can show kindness to. David had made an oath to Jonathan, who was his closest friend. When Saul wanted to kill David, Jonathan swore he would help David escape, and David swore he would show unfailing kindness—like God’s kindness—to Jonathan and his family (1 Samuel 20:12-17). So now David invites Mephibosheth to come to the palace. Not only that, but David also gives Mephibosheth everything that belonged to his grandfather Saul. Imagine being Mephibosheth, who went to the palace probably expecting to die but was instead given back the land of his ancestors. David also told Mephibosheth that he was to eat at the king’s table, an honor usually reserved for the sons of the king.

I can’t think of a better example of kindness than David’s kindness to Mephibosheth. In that time, it would have been perfectly legal and considered just for him to kill Mephibosheth, but instead of doing that, or even just letting Mephibosheth live, David treated him as a son.

David’s kindness foreshadowed the amazing kindness God has shown His people. When we were God’s enemies, helpless to save ourselves, Jesus showed us the ultimate kindness by dying for us. (Who dies for their enemies?) Not only that, but God welcomes us into His family as His children, even His heirs. Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, He not only saves us from the death we deserve, but also welcomes us to eat at His table with Him. • Kimberly Brokish

• What are some ways people have shown you kindness? How has God shown you kindness?

• Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus—who perfectly embodies kindness—His Holy Spirit is in us and empowers us to be kind, even to our enemies (Matthew 5:43-44; John 15:4-5; Galatians 5:22-23). How might remembering and receiving God’s kindness to you help you show kindness to others?

So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family that I can show the kindness of God to?” 2 Samuel 9:3a (CSB)

One night, Jesus did something unexpected. When it was time to eat the traditional Jewish Passover meal, Jesus took off His outer clothing, wrapped a towel around His waist, then filled a pan with water and proceeded to wash His disciples’ feet.

Because they wore sandals as they trudged across Israel and Samaria, their feet got dirty and stinky. It was customary that if you went to someone’s house, they offered water to wash the heads and feet of those who came in.

Jesus was the guest of honor who had come to Jerusalem as king only days before (Matthew 21:1–9). However, Jesus taught His disciples that He didn’t come to be served but to be a servant (Matthew 20:28). Jesus, the Son of God who came from heaven to earth, washed His friends’ disgusting feet with His hands and dried them with a towel. He did the job willingly. Then He explained to His disciples that He was giving them an example to follow.

Do you think you would wash your siblings’ feet? Would you wash their heads or rinse the dust from their hair? As servants of Jesus, we are called to serve each other with love and humility. Sometimes this means literally washing feet, but it might also look like other tasks that are considered lowly, like washing dishes, sweeping floors, sorting through trash, or cleaning up after someone else makes a mess. When we do these things without grumbling, we echo what Jesus has done for us. He deserves the place of highest honor, yet He humbled Himself—even to the point of dying in one of the most shameful ways possible. Then He rose back to life, defeating death and sin for good! All because He loves us and wants us to be with Him forever.

As Jesus’ forgiven followers, we get to do whatever work God has placed in front of us as though we were doing that task just for Him. Serving God often looks like serving others, and when we serve people, we get to share Jesus’ love. And perhaps, when we show love by being faithful servants, we will also encourage others to want to know the God we serve. • Anna M. Gregory

• To get the full story of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet, read John 13:1-17. How might it comfort you to know that Jesus, out of His great love, stepped into your mess and gunk to save you? What might it look like for you to step into someone else’s mess and lovingly serve them?

“And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.” John 13:14 (NLT)

When I pray out loud with friends, some of them begin by saying, “Hi God.” At first, this struck me as odd and maybe even disrespectful. After all, God is the Creator and Supreme Ruler of everything. But I realized it actually makes some sense to talk to God in this casual way because God wants to be in this kind of relationship with us: personal, everyday friendship. And knowing that He is also the amazing, glorious, almighty King of the universe makes that friendship even more incredible!

Think about it. When Jesus—who is fully God and fully human—was living on earth, people hung out with Him. They went for walks and ate snacks and laughed at jokes together. Jesus wasn’t serious all the time.

Jesus came to live with us, and this is still the kind of relationship God wants to have with His people. He wants to share everyday things with us. We can talk to Him about anything and everything. Prayers don’t need to be fancy or impressive, because we’re talking to our friend. It’s also pretty cool that we can pray anytime, because God already knows our thoughts. It’s like telepathy but better! He invites us into a lifestyle of sharing with Him, of being open and constantly interacting with Him (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

And even though God already knows everything we’re experiencing, and He knows everything we’ll ever say before we say it (Psalm 139:1-4), God still invites us to talk to Him. In fact, He loves it when we talk to Him! Because He loves us. One of the reasons Jesus came was to show us who God is, what He’s like, and what kind of relationship He wants us to have with Him. When Jesus let Himself be killed on a cross, He showed that God loves us so much that He’s willing to die for us. And Jesus’ death was powerful because it paid the price for all of humanity’s wrongdoing. Jesus came back to life and showed Himself to His friends because He wanted them to know Him and be with Him forever.

God made a way for us to be in close relationship with Him, no matter what we’ve done. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that God has totally forgiven us, and nothing can separate us from Him anymore. He is always so near, so eager for us to reach out to Him. When we talk to God like a friend, I think it makes Him really happy. • Hannah Howe

• How have you heard people start conversations with God? How do you like to talk to God?

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 (NLT)

Some of my Christian friends like to start praying by calling God “Father,” and they aren’t the first! When Jesus’ disciples asked Him how to pray, He taught them a prayer that many Christians have since memorized (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4). This prayer begins by calling God “our Father.” Isn’t it amazing that when Jesus came, He revealed the kind of relationship God wants to have with us? Not only is God the Creator and Supreme Ruler of everything, God also desires close relationship with us—that’s why He sent His Son, Jesus. He wants to adopt us as His very own kids.

When Jesus prayed, sometimes He called God "Abba" (Mark 14:36), which is an Aramaic word that Jewish people (both children and adults) used for their fathers. We don’t have a word quite like this in English, because "Abba" has connotations of both intimacy and respect. Later in the Bible, Paul says that we who have put our trust in Jesus can also call God "Abba" (Romans 8:14-17).

Some people at my church call God Abba, and others call Him Papa or Daddy. Calling God our dad makes sense when we remember how Jesus said that the faith God desires is like the faith of a little child (Matthew 18:3; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:17). When you think about it, we humans are so much smaller and less powerful and less intelligent than God, but He is so tenderhearted toward us, like a loving parent toward their small children. We depend on God for all of our needs, even more than an infant depends on their parents—every breath we breathe is a gift from God. The beautiful part of this is we don’t need to be embarrassed about feeling young or small with Him (1 Kings 3:7-9). He already knows us completely, and He wants us to be His. That’s why He sent His Son, Jesus, to provide us with forgiveness and adoption into God’s family (Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5).

As His adopted kids, we can come to God with confidence, knowing that He always wants us to come to Him (Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 4:16). • Hannah Howe

• If you could talk to God about anything, knowing that He’s just so happy you are with Him, what would you talk to Him about?

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15 (NLT)

One of my friends was walking through a difficult time. While I was reading in Ezekiel 22, a phrase from verse 30 tugged at my heart: God said, “I looked for someone among them who would...stand before me in the gap...but I found no one.” The people of Israel were full of wickedness: worshipping idols, acting in impurity, etc. God told the prophet Ezekiel how He looked for someone, anyone to rebuild the wall of righteousness, but no one was found.

Idolatry doesn’t just look like praying to physical idols. There are other ways we can be so consumed with our own lives that we value other things above God. I thought about the busyness of my life, and how even good things could at times keep me from standing in the gap for others who need it. Right then, I chose to lay aside my plans and instead pray for my friend who desperately needed God’s help.

James 5:16 tells us that “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” As Christians, we are called to be alert and ready to pray for all God’s people (Ephesians 6:18). We can follow the example of Epaphras, who wrestled in prayer for his fellow believers. We can pray that they “stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured” (Colossians 4:12).

There is One who stood in the gap for us, when we could not save ourselves. In our sin, we needed a Savior, and God sent us Jesus. The prophecy in Ezekiel was ultimately pointing to Jesus, the only One who could live righteously. He paid the ransom for our souls through His own life, death, and resurrection; He is the One Mediator between God and humans. God desires that every person be saved and that all come to know the truth. Let’s stand in the gap for others, remembering how Jesus stood in the gap for us. • Savannah Coleman

• Has someone ever “stood in the gap” and prayed for you in a difficult time?

• Who might God be calling you to pray for today? Take a moment to set other things aside and pray for them.

I urge then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people... 1 Timothy 2:1 (NIV)

Christians understand the incredible life-changing power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection bring each believer new life. This is truly good news. How far would you go to share this news with people who didn’t know it?

While reading about church history, I came across one of the greatest names of all time: Mesrop Mashtots. I believe it is impossible to improve upon this name.

Not only did Mr. Mashtots have a cool name, he did incredible things to share the gospel. Mashtots wanted to translate the Bible into the Armenian language. Only one problem: there was no alphabet, so there was no written Armenian language to work with. But this didn’t stop Mashtots. He traveled around Armenia paying attention to the common sounds of their language. He hired a calligrapher to link Greek letters to the sounds and developed a thirty-six- letter Armenian alphabet.

Alphabetizing the language didn’t solve the problem though, because no one could read it. So, get this: Mashtots persuaded the government to establish an Armenian school system to teach everyone how to read his new alphabet!

In order to get Armenians a Bible, Mashtots invented their alphabet, began a school system, and then gave them a Bible in their own language! I find this all to be absolutely incredible—how is there no international Mashtots holiday? We could sit around playing games with invented alphabets and eat tater tots.

Today, Armenia still credits Mashtots for making the nation literate. He didn’t stop there though. He went on to create the Albanian and Georgian alphabets! Truly this man knew the awesomeness of the gospel and was consumed with a desire to share it. • Jeff Weddle

• Even if God doesn’t call you to work in Bible translation or international missions, you can still spread the gospel by living faithfully wherever He puts you. Maybe you’ll contribute through science, construction, stay-at-home parenting, food service, ministry, health care, office work, etc. All these are part of God’s kingdom! Where has God placed you? How can you use the opportunities and skills He’s given you to share the gospel of Jesus with those around you?

And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” Romans 10:15 (NLT)

Hollywood blockbusters sometimes portray supernatural events with big orchestral scores, thunder, lightning—the works! But the supernatural “special effects” at the crucifixion were so much more than dramatic artistry. These events, which no one could have engineered, had a special significance as Jesus willingly gave Himself as the sacrifice for sins.

Darkness over the land: Matthew writes that, in the middle of the afternoon, “darkness came over all the land” for three hours (Matthew 27:45). Hundreds of years earlier, God had judged Egypt with total darkness when the Pharoah refused to let the Israelites go (Exodus 10:21-23). But this time, it was Jesus who was being judged, taking on the curse of sin for the whole world in His body on the cross so everyone who puts their trust in Him could be set free.

The earth shook and the rocks split: After the darkness lifted, the ground quaked and rocks broke. Such a cataclysmic event as the death of the Son of God shook the earth to its roots! The Creator was on the cross. And Creation recoiled.

A partial resurrection: Matthew records the following eerie sign: “the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life” (Matthew 27:51-52). This event seems to be a sort of mini-resurrection, an example of what will occur when Christ returns to earth. The fact that these resurrected saints were seen by many people later confirmed the disciples’ report that Jesus rose from the dead three days later!

“Surely he was the Son of God!”: Even those who didn’t know the Scriptures that foretold Christ, like the Roman centurion, realized these supernatural signs demonstrated that Jesus was no ordinary victim of public execution. The centurion testified: “Surely he was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54).

Only the Son of God could live the righteous life and die the sacrificial death required to save us. He alone could rise victoriously from death to proclaim a supernatural salvation for you and me. • Laura N. Sweet

• What did these signs reveal to the Romans who were crucifying Jesus? To the Jews who were watching? To Jesus’ followers?

• How did God the Son show His power and mercy on the day He allowed Himself to be killed?

• Why did Jesus give His life for ours? (Read more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

“Surely he was the Son of God!” Matthew 27:54b (NIV)

Years ago, a friend invited me to a huge Christian conference. It was amazing! In an arena filled with people worshipping God, I felt so uplifted and inspired.

I was filled with excitement after hearing people discuss the power of God’s Word and how they had read the whole Bible in a year, and I desired to achieve the same result. After all, as an avid reader, surely I could succeed. How wrong was I?

A year later, I was far away from achieving my goal. I had committed to reading the entire Bible, but my pace was much slower than I’d planned. I could have just given up then, believing that I’d failed. But I felt like devouring huge chunks of the Bible—and then forgetting it all—wasn’t the way the Holy Spirit wanted me to read His Word. I needed to take baby steps. It wasn’t easy, and it took me five years, but I eventually finished reading my whole Bible!

Maybe you have a goal in your heart to deepen your relationship with God. Maybe you feel frustrated, like I did, but you know this is still something you want to do.

It’s natural to feel discouraged and sometimes even a sense of despair in this broken world we inhabit, but the good news is that God sent His only Son, Jesus, to save us in our brokenness. His life, death, and resurrection have covered all our failures and shortcomings. Our relationship with Him doesn’t depend on our achievements—He is constantly pursuing us with His inexhaustible love! And He wants to help us live a life that honors Him. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit living inside us as our helper, comforter, and advocate. His pace may be different from what we had in mind, but we can trust that God’s way is best. Whenever we have any worries, we can rest in His faithfulness and trust in the God who is our help. Hang in there, and keep drawing near to God. • Cindy Lee

• Sometimes, God invites us to read long passages of Scripture to get a bird’s-eye view of what He’s doing. Other times, He invites us to dig deeply into a small portion of Scripture. How do you like to study the Bible?

• What benefits do you see in reading the Bible with other believers? And reading it by yourself?

• Have you ever been frustrated with yourself for failing your own expectations? As Christians, we can offer up these frustrations to God. He has compassion on us, and when we seek Him, He will guide us and give us the courage and patience to follow Him (Psalm 32:8-11).

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

White flowers in the meadow I pretend they are your grave Remembrance pulls me back in time To our younger days

Wildflowers by the dozens Red and orange in the sun That race to fill our buckets full I don’t even know who won

In my mind I hear your laughter Close my eyes and see your smile Thank God that we had you If only for a while

When grief comes round the corner Though tears may ebb and flow I’ll cling tight to Your promise To the hope of heaven hold

On that day I see You Every question will fade away Jesus, hold my grieving heart Until I see Your face • Savannah Coleman

• Have you lost someone you love? Grieving is an important, ongoing part of healing. And God grieves with us. But because Jesus Christ died on the cross for us and rose again, we don’t have to grieve without hope. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have the hope that He will return to bring heaven to earth, resurrect us from the dead, and all His people will live with Him forever!

“...there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain...” Revelation 21:4 (NLT)

"Do you see this vase here?” she asked. “Could it be called by any other name than what it is?”

“No,” her father replied.

“Well, neither can I be called anything other than what I am, a Christian.”

Perpetua, a devoted follower of Christ, uttered these words in the year 203 AD, mere days before she was asked to recant her faith. The faith she would eventually die for.

When Perpetua was brought before the governor, she refused to deny Christ or offer the required sacrifice to the emperor. As a result, she was sentenced to death in the arena. While awaiting her punishment in her prison cell, she was allowed to nurse her infant. Her father, who did not know Jesus, begged her to renounce her faith for the sake of her child, but she would not.

Only days later, Perpetua and a group of other brave Christians were led into the stadium and attacked by wild beasts in front of a roaring crowd. Though they didn’t die from their wounds, the faithful group was later killed by the sword.

This account of Perpetua’s and her friends’ uncommon bravery inspired me. I can’t imagine the terror this young woman faced, and yet she stood firm in her faith, never backing down, though the consequence of such a decision was death. What gave Perpetua such courage? Where did her confidence come from?

Perpetua was aware of and comforted by God’s presence. Though she was undoubtedly afraid, Perpetua stood on the promises of God. It wasn’t Perpetua’s determination or confidence in herself that carried her through her last days, but her confidence in her God. She knew that He is stronger even than death— Jesus defeated death by His own death and resurrection. Although death is a heartbreaking result of brokenness in the world, we don’t have to be afraid of it because we know that Jesus will return to resurrect us from the dead to live eternally with Him.

If you ever find yourself in a difficult situation, remember that Jesus is always with you, and His promises will always stand firm. • Eliana Canfield

• Sharing the gospel begins with understanding that you need the gospel and then understanding that others do too. How can you lovingly share the gospel with those who don’t know Jesus?

Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Romans 8:34 (NLT)

Have you ever wondered what David’s older brothers did while he fought Goliath? While the Bible doesn’t tell us, can you imagine a conversation between two of them?

“Guess who volunteered to fight Goliath?” Shammah ran up the hill to his older brother.

“Who would be that crazy? Did you see how big that guy is?" Eliab scoffed.

“Our little brother David,” Shammah replied.

“What! All he knows how to do is take care of a few sheep. He doesn’t know anything about fighting or being a soldier.”

“David killed a lion and a bear once when they were attacking Dad’s sheep,” said Shammah.

Eliab turned angry. “That lion and bear didn’t have swords or armor. This is different.”

“Well,” Shammah said quietly, “David does seem to be close to God...”

“This is real life!” Eliab glared at his brother. “Goliath is going to kill David, and we and our families are going to be enslaved by the Philistines. We have to talk David out of this.”

“Too late, look!” Shammah pointed into the valley. “That’s David going out to fight.”

“Oh no.” Eliab froze.

Shammah watched David closely. “He does look brave, doesn’t he?”

“Brave men die as quickly as cowards. And look, he only has his staff and his sling.”

Shammah ignored his older brother. “Look, he’s picking up some stones from the creek.”

“What are we going to tell Dad?” Eliab moaned.

“Shh...David and Goliath are talking.” Shammah strained to hear.

David’s young voice echoed over the valley. “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty...”

Shammah exclaimed, “Do you think our God could really be more powerful than all the Philistine gods?” Then Goliath moved forward to attack, but David ran toward the battle line, slipped a stone into his sling, and let it fly...Goliath jerked his head back, then fell to the ground, dead. Shammah jumped up and cheered, but Eliab was speechless. • Doug Velting

• How might God rescuing Israel foreshadow Jesus rescuing His people (John 10:11-18)?

“All those gathered here will know that...the battle is the Lord’s.” 1 Samuel 17:47 (NIV)