Devotions

[Lost Soul]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/03/14/when-youre-scared-to-pray-boldly?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8jJh8xTmiK95BOnWRRDvs8hjWATkh2XQHZsC6IeVvFUkGqYm5BKy0PN5sBfglChxPCp5DW9L_IH9RlOeCisKLjMXgiCA&_hsmi=295289205&utm_content=295289205&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

When You’re Scared To Pray Boldly
March 14, 2024
by Lysa TerKeurst

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16b (NIV)

I’m sometimes scared to pray boldly.  It’s not at all that I don’t believe God can do anything. I absolutely do. I’m a “wild about Jesus” kind of girl. Wild in my willingness, obedience and adventures with God.  My hesitation is more rooted in doubt about myself and my ability to discern the will of God. Because sometimes God chooses not to do things. And if His will is “no” while I am boldly praying for a “yes,” it makes me feel out of step with God. You too?

I so desperately want to stay in the will of God that I sometimes find myself praying with “but if” clauses. God, please heal my friend but if it's Your will to take her, I will trust You. I wonder why I don't just boldly pray, God, please heal my friend, and then stand confident that my prayers are not in vain no matter the outcome.  The reality is that praying boldly boots us out of a stale place of religious habit into authentic connection with God Himself. Prayer opens our spiritual eyes to see things we can't see on our own. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16b).

So prayer does make a difference a life-changing, mind-blowing, earth-rattling difference. We don't need to know how or when. We just need to kneel confidently and know that our simple, short prayers extend wide, high and deep.  If you’ve been wrestling through some unanswered prayers recently, keep pressing into God. Keep praying. Don’t pull away. He isn’t ignoring you; He’s listening. He loves you too much to answer your prayers at any other time than the right time and in any other way than the right way.  Letting that truth slosh over my soul snuffs out the flickers of hesitation. It bends my stiff knees. And it ignites a fresh, bold wildfire within me. Not bossy and demanding but bold, as in, I love Jesus with all my heart, so I want to show up and try again. Pray again. Ask again.  Jesus said, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:6-8, NIV).

Friend, what do you need to pray boldly about today? Don’t listen to fear go ahead and ask again. Not so that we can cause God to move according to our plans but so that we can position our souls to be able to see Jesus move in any way He pleases.

[Lost Soul]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/03/15/do-you-wonder-if-youre-raising-your-child-right?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz---JfbyhYJnX3TWwKZp2jIMRDh9azGOHJWqOVMj7k9nibEL_OiOqfJekN2MXTyiypTB13kAArnPc_dwPdSo8Z_B34RMXg&_hsmi=295288917&utm_content=295288917&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Do You Wonder if You’re Raising Your Child Right?
March 15, 2024
by Ruth Schwenk

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:14-15 (NIV)

After almost 22 years of parenting my four children, I still find myself asking the same questions at times. Am I too strict?

Am I too lenient?

What could I do to better protect, teach or guide them?

There is no shortage of internal pressure we put on ourselves as moms plus external pressure we feel from those around us.  Parenting is hard. Comparison can become a habit. But as Christian parents, let’s remember that God calls us not to measure ourselves and our children against the world’s standards but against His. While we all face different circumstances, there's one priority that really matters in our parenting: Making sure our children know who Jesus is.  The Apostle Paul was not a parent, but he was a spiritual mentor to Timothy, a much younger man whom Paul considered to be his “true son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2, NIV). There is an interesting detail in what Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:14-15:  “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (emphasis added).

While we don’t know exactly what Timothy’s childhood looked like, we know he was taught the Bible from a young age. God’s ways and God’s Word were a priority in his upbringing.  It reminds me of what the English writer and pastor J.C. Ryle wrote in an 1888 sermon: After encouraging parents to teach their kids God’s Truth, he closed by reminding them to train their kids for eternity. This phrase, “train them for eternity,” has both stuck out and stuck with me over the years. Simply put, it’s a reminder to teach and train children for what really matters.  When to-do lists are long and activities are endless, it is easy to get distracted and lose sight of eternity. But if we are raising children, our priority is to diligently and graciously train them to grow up to love God and others. And one of the greatest joys we have, like Timothy’s family had, is to help our kids know the Scriptures.   This is what it means to raise our children right. To guide them, encourage them, and help them see that living for Jesus really is the good life.

[Cocopops]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/03/18/the-one-kind-of-friend-we-all-need-to-have-and-to-be?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9cevecmZLrukNNN3_KHi0aZ5zKCy9ycTv1Ai5CJjxaBHmnq-MVuVJsDkbyqt7-YsBQ08F2nktmTd0U5l6yD87f6gtGAA&_hsmi=296353891&utm_content=296353891&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

The One Kind of Friend We All Need To Have — and To Be
March 18, 2024
Jennifer Dukes Lee
by Jennifer Dukes Lee

“… since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most

As I look back on life, I recall moments when I wasn’t sure if I fully believed that God was who He said He was.  Those moments unfolded in hospitals, in cemeteries, and in my own bed when my crying kept me awake. I quickly forgot the truth I had previously learned and wholeheartedly believed about God’s faithfulness.  My forgetfulness happened frequently enough that I made up a term for it: “re-forgetting.” And when I re-forgot what I knew about God, I needed someone else to help me “re-remember.”  When we are at our lowest, we all need someone to remind us that what we learned about God on the mountaintop is still true in the valley.  Today, I want to be that kind of friend to you. Maybe you are in a “re-forgetting” kind of place. Let’s look to the Gospel of Luke to re-remember.  Did you know this particular Gospel was written as a personal letter from one friend to another?

Luke was writing to his good pal Theophilus. He told his buddy, essentially, “Look, I’m going to write down all the details about Jesus’ life, in a really orderly way, because I want you to know that this stuff is actually true.”

He wrote this in Luke 1:4: “so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”

I have needed a friend like Luke many times.  A friend who will help me when I have gospel amnesia.  A friend who will remind me that what Jesus did is more than a cool story; it is a revolutionary turning of the tables, redeeming all the brokenness in the world and in my life.  Luke was that kind of friend to Theophilus. And we can be those kinds of friends to each other.  Today, maybe you’re heartbroken. Maybe what you were taught about Jesus doesn’t feel as true as it once did.  No matter your circumstances, let Luke remind you of “the certainty of the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:4).

[PippaJane]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/03/27/the-heart-check-we-need-to-stay-on-track?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--9fDd6vt5zxQxZpXachJIgD-h3wRaHNZGgxzCNJJSU7prLE9XZbmw-sXBuMaQ6qoQ3lgq7Apiwjj7YExShI3MTfRTEDA&_hsmi=298116209&utm_content=298116209&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

The Heart-Check We Need To Stay on Track
March 27, 2024
by Meredith Houston Carr

"From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus." Matthew 26:16 (NLT)

Editor’s Note: Today’s devotion is part of a special series for Holy Week! From March 24 (Palm Sunday) to March 31 (Easter Sunday), each devotion will focus on the events leading up to Jesus’ resurrection. We pray these words will prepare your heart and mind for the celebration of our risen Savior.

I waited in the long checkout line, impatiently tapping my shopping cart, which was overflowing with school supplies. I wasn’t in the mood to chat, but the gal behind me peppered me with questions, so I explained how our church organized a school-supplies drive each year. She gushed with admiration of this ministry, and I politely agreed. But conviction gripped me moments later.  This was a great ministry, but my attitude about it wasn’t great! I’d allowed the overwhelm of the busy back-to-school season to harden my heart. Outwardly, I complied yet inwardly, my spirit grumbled.  Right there in the parking lot, I confessed to the Lord the sorry state of my soul and prayed for a renewed heart.  This experience reminded me how easily we can fall into doing the right thing with the wrong spirit. And we’re not the only ones we see this in Scripture too. Judas, the apostle infamous for betraying Jesus, spent years walking and talking with Him up close and personal. He was there when Jesus performed miracles and changed lives. He was there when Jesus taught crowds and called out religious leaders. Judas walked the walk, building God’s Kingdom alongside Peter, John and the other disciples. But as today’s key verse details, his heart reached a fateful turning point:  “From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus” (Matthew 26:16).

We shudder at this scripture and wonder how he could do that! But a closer look at Judas’ life reveals a sobering truth: Physical proximity to Jesus wasn’t enough. We can even build His Kingdom outwardly, but inwardly we are tempted to build our own. It’s the proximity of our hearts to Jesus that determines whether we give in to this temptation.  Interestingly, Judas’ decision to betray Jesus came on the heels of the poignant occasion when a woman anointed Jesus with expensive perfume (Matthew 26:6-13). Jesus said this moment would be remembered forever, but Judas resented her charity and grumbled against it. He witnessed a lavish display of generosity firsthand yet his heart was hard.  Similarly, we can keep our lives busy with church activities, Bible studies and service projects, but if our hearts don’t align with the gospel mission, we’re setting ourselves up to fail. Like Judas, we can only fake it for so long.  As Easter approaches, let’s take a moment to conduct a heart-check and ask ourselves a couple of questions to stay on track:

    Is my heart more aligned with Jesus' mission or my own?
    Does my heart prioritize the same causes that Jesus does?

Dear one, asking God to show us our hearts isn’t easy. But perhaps that’s just what we need to continue walking faithfully with Jesus!

[PippaJane]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/03/28/a-choice-to-serve?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8CoHx_GEiD3GgQO9S9iO5IG9OnLK-xjws9QRswaCqrIgJmdznbRfbv8_9rJGRVoEMA6kjfUA56PSMW9-KeqqZo5AJq0Q&_hsmi=298116596&utm_content=298116596&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

A Choice To Serve
March 28, 2024
by Kia Stephens

“After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” John 13:5 (NIV)

Editor’s Note: Today’s devotion is part of a special series for Holy Week! From March 24 (Palm Sunday) to March 31 (Easter Sunday), each devotion will focus on the events leading up to Jesus’ resurrection. We pray these words will prepare your heart and mind for the celebration of our risen Savior.

“What do you want your family, friends and colleagues to say about you at your funeral?”

I was in a mandatory staff workshop, hoping the time would pass quickly. But this question got my attention.  I thought about the list of achievements and accolades I hoped to accomplish by the end of my life.  But in the end, this is what I hoped people would say: “Kia was a loving mother, a devoted wife and a faithful friend.”

The goal of this exercise was to help participants focus on living with the end in view. I believe this also may have been Jesus’ mindset on Holy Thursday.  Jesus knew His time on earth was limited. He could have used the day before His death to recount the miracles He had performed, review parables He wanted His disciples to remember, or list the people He had healed.  But instead of making the end of His life about Himself, He made it about others:  “So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him” (John 13:4-5, NIV).

When Jesus removed His outer garment, revealing the robe closest to His skin, He demonstrated unusual vulnerability. His outer robe identified Him as a rabbi, but He exchanged that title for the title of slave or servant, someone who washed the feet of a wealthy master when he returned home from traveling.  Washing feet was not the job of a Savior, but Jesus willingly did it for the man who betrayed Him and the men who would disown Him. He washed their dirty, smelly feet as a selfless act of love and servitude. With a basin of water and a towel wrapped around His waist, Jesus washed feet that walked everywhere in open-toed sandals.  In His final moments with the disciples, Jesus modeled the way He wanted to be remembered: not as a king expecting to be served but as a slave humbly serving.  Jesus knew men and women all over the world would one day choose to place their faith in the God who left heaven and came to earth to serve. He knew that applause, admiration and acclaim would not impact these souls, but His taking on the nature of a servant would. He had His death in view, and our lives are forever changed by His choice to serve.  Our Savior’s decision to clothe Himself in humility is an invitation for us to do the same. Christ invites us to die to ourselves daily through serving others.  No matter the accomplishments we amass or the accolades we receive, we can choose to take on the nature of a servant, just like Christ. A decision to do so will drastically change the world.

[PippaJane]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/03/29/for-joy-jesus-endured?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_gemXBZOXvQ-n8KMdNb3Z17_VW-BD8ZA41Fp5MWPse8C5yo6GgaOFhD2t0wJZmmEMkfye3XZT_BchKwbme5jOq29rRGA&_hsmi=298116378&utm_content=298116378&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

For Joy, Jesus Endured
March 29, 2024
by Sarah Freymuth

"... let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)

Editor’s Note: Today’s devotion is part of a special series for Holy Week! From March 24 (Palm Sunday) to March 31 (Easter Sunday), each devotion will focus on the events leading up to Jesus’ resurrection. We pray these words will prepare your heart and mind for the celebration of our risen Savior.  It comes as a whisper. A spoken thought in the crowd. What to do with this man who claims to be King?

Two words resound, swim through the sound waves to consume the sea of people gathered:  “Crucify him” (Mark 15:13-14, ESV).

Octaves rise, and tempers boil. This man with gentle eyes claims to be the Messiah. He promises to save Israel, to lead His people. But He has not given the masses the change they believed was coming. Instead, He speaks of living water (John 7:38) and a narrow gate to a wide-open eternity (Matthew 7:13-14). He preaches about loving neighbors and turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-40).  The religious leaders won’t have it, and with a resigned sigh, Pilate acquiesces to the crowd's demand. Jesus is sentenced to die.  The convicted Comforter is led away, and soldiers flog and mock Him. A twisted crown of thorns. A scarlet robe. Sneers of, “Hail, king of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:29c, ESV).

And then the cross. To “crucify” means to put to death by nailing or binding the hands and feet to a cross. It means to destroy the power and dignity of the condemned, to mortify, to treat cruelly. They beat nails into Jesus' skin, strap Him to pieces of wood. They tell Him that if He is truly the Son of God, He will get Himself off of that cross (Matthew 27:39-43).  But the Son stays silent, His breathing ragged, labored. He hangs not to prove a point or amaze the crowds. He hangs for joy.  What joy is there in jeers, bruises and abandonment?

What kind of love compels Jesus to stay on that terrible cross?

A love that endures.  “... Jesus [is] the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

For the joy set before Him, He endured pain, humiliation and solitude because He knew that through His sacrifice, we could have life with God forever. Jesus hung for us, to pay the price for everything we’ve done wrong or will ever do wrong. He took the punishment we deserve, experiencing anguish like we have never known and will never know if we trust in Him for salvation. In Christ, we have right standing with God once and for all.

Jesus’ love compelled Him to endure the cross and empowers us to endure our own difficult situations. Our Savior sympathizes with us because He has gone through suffering and death and has come out on the other side. We, too, have an assured hope of coming out on the other side because Jesus has already gone before us.

Imagine this moment: Jesus lifts His eyes to heaven, breathing shallowly. With the air left in His lungs, He releases His spirit (Matthew 27:50). It is finished. He has made a way for us to be reconciled to God. Joy awaits all who believe in Him.

Words cannot describe what Jesus went through to save me. I can’t even fathom the darkness and hurt that fell upon Him, the weight He carried

[heartbroken]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/03/31/there-is-space-for-all-your-emotions-this-easter?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_ZFZsOGGIgRbUqb0Vvu5_7tLo9SFvpJ02nfW_qQJfi9OCGDLdcylDBAvIrF9koP0O8IqsHLKC9lkVOQAkaKXGZCHsuBg&_hsmi=298116620&utm_content=298116620&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

There Is Space for All Your Emotions This Easter
by Rachel Marie Kang

“But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb.” John 20:11 (ESV)

Editor’s Note: Today’s devotion is part of a special series for Holy Week! From March 24 (Palm Sunday) to March 31 (Easter Sunday), each devotion will focus on the events leading up to Jesus’ resurrection. We pray these words will prepare your heart and mind for the celebration of our risen Savior. 

One year ago, I drove 600 miles to visit my grandfather’s grave. As I stood there, torn between emotions and shivering in New York’s below-zero wind chill, I couldn’t even shed one tear.  When I think back to this moment, I remember oscillating between grief knowing I’d never again hug my grandfather on this side of heaven and joy as I reflected on his life and legacy.  This Easter, I know I’m not the only one who feels an intermingling of sadness and joy. I know I’m not the only one carrying gratitude for all that is good while simultaneously cradling grief for all that is lost and seemingly still being lost.  We rejoice, celebrating our risen Savior.  We grieve as this month marks the fourth anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic.  We rejoice, praising God for healing, provision and redemption.  We grieve as relationships strain, illnesses increase and wars wage on.  We’re wounded, yet we wonder. We hurt, yet we hope. We feel afraid, yet we stand in awe both of life and of Christ. This is what it means to be human our hearts are a holy holding of every God-given emotion.  It’s like when Mary Magdalene wept outside Jesus’ tomb, the stone rolled away and His body gone. “But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb ...” (John 20:11).

She wept, unsure of where Jesus’ body lay. She wept, possibly replaying flashbacks of Jesus’ suffering on the cross. She wept, likely bewildered by the chaos and confusion of it all.  Still, while Mary wept, she also wondered: “and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb” (John 20:11).

She wondered, looking again to see if her Rabbi was in the tomb. She wondered, seeking a glimmer of hope. She wondered, keeping faith though she wept through grief.  And the risen Jesus, with two simple questions, made a sacred space for Mary’s story. He asked her, “‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” (John 20:15, ESV) as if to acknowledge both the hurt she felt and the hope she held.

Perhaps this is what I needed that day as I stood at my grandfather’s tomb someone to make space for it all.  This Easter, maybe your heart is holding equal parts hurt and hope. You’re afraid and in awe of all you carry, whether from stories in the headlines or in your own home.  Whatever emotions you carry into this day, know that Jesus not only saves you from your sins, but He also simply sits with you in your joy, grief, fear and wonder.  Jesus is the One who overcame the grave and the One who comes close to us.  Jesus is the One we praise and proclaim until hallelujah His Kingdom comes.

[heartbroken]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/04/01/take-courage-in-the-storm?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_4UZo74wc8QfAkvtnp-WkOxZi8J_ft9DYBWELaqC0e2vHz3piSEVKjuaXlvKXzUkN1B9byRikxBnRXoDSz7BfEqUPQcQ&_hsmi=298904979&utm_content=298904979&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Take Courage in the Storm
April 1, 2024
Sarah Freymuth
by Sarah Freymuth

"But Jesus immediately said to them: 'Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.'" Matthew 14:27 (NIV)

Already it’s a squall of a day emotions all tangled, deadlines looming before I even begin on my projects, and a constant worry in the back of my mind that God may not be in a hurry to help me out of my latest fear.  My spiritual boat is battered, far from the safety of shore. How I long to take control of it all, but the waves come fiercely, tossing my heart about.  When life’s storms rage, we can feel absolutely helpless, as if one more wave will knock us out of the boat and into the water. We get frantic and afraid, wondering if we’ve been forgotten.  But somewhere among the mist and moonlight, a figure appears. Moving toward us on top of the waves. As if nothing ruffles Him. His eyes are fixed on us, His hand turned toward us. Who is this who faces the swelling water and slashing rain and does not falter?

“Take courage! It is I,” Jesus tells us in Matthew 14:27. He says, “Don’t be afraid.”

Jesus has come for us. His steps are steady, purposeful. He knows exactly where we are in our storms and will stop at nothing to see us through. The winds of struggle may blow straight at us, fierce and menacing. But Jesus comes straight to us, standing on top of what we fear.  There is nothing we can’t face when the Lord who stilled the sea longs to still what rages within us. He comes to be with us, stepping right into our storms without hesitation. This is who He is.  He even invites us to step out of the boat and onto the waves, in direct opposition to our hearts’ terror. He calls us with one simple word: “Come” (Matthew 14:29a, NIV).

And we have the chance to let our faith be bigger than our fear, to walk toward the One who stands with hands outstretched. The God who walks on water to meet us will not let us sink.  Do you believe He is willing to walk into your storm, into the waves that roil? Do you trust Him enough that when He extends His invitation, you get out of the boat in faith?

Friend, we are safe in His arms.  God directs our steps and makes them secure. We don’t have to worry about where we’re going because we know who guides us. It’s OK to admit we’re afraid or out of our element. The more out of sorts we feel, the more we can lean into God, who gives us all we need along the way. He is walking toward us in the storm; let’s allow Jesus to calm the seas of our hearts.

[Lil angel]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/04/02/god-has-not-forgotten-the-people-you-love?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8Qm4r9GACpVs1E2M4ZADbXW0bQx2ehbYXeyaFkLUgcfndxACK3ObbCELY1HLQwIsjyOQdWnUpS4-D7iXenGpypNDWAYA&_hsmi=298905053&utm_content=298905053&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

God Has Not Forgotten the People You Love
April 2, 2024
by June Chapman, COMPEL Training Member

“But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.” Psalm 13:5 (ESV)

Please save her, Father. I beg You to open her eyes to Your love for her. Please shine Your light in dark places, and incline her heart to follow Jesus as Lord.  On my knees, through tears, I begged God for my friend’s salvation. I’d brought her name to Him for years and not just hers. My list of names was very long, indeed.  I’m still praying for many friends and family members to come to faith. I’m praying they recognize their separation from God and accept His free, gracious gift of salvation. I desperately desire for God to call these lost sheep to Himself.  But waiting for that day feels so hard.  As I was praying for my friend that night, grief and worry threatened to consume me. Eventually, I had to face some hard questions. I trusted that God heard my cries, but had He forgotten my loved ones?

Had He forgotten the names I’d placed before Him?

In Psalm 13, the psalmist, David, wondered if God had forgotten his concerns too. He was wrestling with sorrow in his waiting and desperately called out to God just as I do. “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1, ESV).

David begged for change and the Lord’s intervention, but the time had not yet come. Rather than giving in to defeat, allowing disappointments or disillusionment to crush him, David did something unexpected.  He said, “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:5-6, ESV).

In the face of his fear, David resolved to trust God’s steadfast love. He rejoiced in salvation, recognizing it as a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). He knew the Lord cared for him, and so he sang even in his waiting.  Our Father cares about all people as His image bearers. He formed us in the womb and has numbered the hairs on our heads (Psalm 139:13-16; Luke 12:7). If we care so greatly for our loved ones, how much more can we trust our Father to care deeply and compassionately for each of them as His creations? We can rest in the truth of 2 Peter 3:9 today:  “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” (NIV).

In the Lord’s timing, He established David as king of Israel. Fourteen generations later, through David's family line, Jesus was born. Through David’s patient waiting, the Lord was working out all things for good.  God loves your friends and family immeasurably. He hasn’t forgotten them. He’s patiently, powerfully and mercifully pursuing lost hearts so that many might come to know Him. In the meantime, we can trust and rejoice in His steadfast love.

[Lil angel]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/04/03/trusting-jesus-in-the-midst-of-broken-dreams?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8U-YEPrRlYycNAJisjuQMxi9-EtFRcz3YYCv2JgFrUA3ir2hO9FOuni-7u0lH3I415c5dmbbKdXaukdk6aOmnbZ8XwFg&_hsmi=298904730&utm_content=298904730&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Trusting Jesus in the Midst of Broken Dreams
April 3, 2024
by Kat Shultis

“Then Jesus said, 'Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?'” John 11:40 (NIV)

One afternoon, after a doctor’s appointment, I sobbed in my closet. It was my third season in a row as an elite runner with a new injury, and I was seeing many doctors each week to figure out my health issues.  My body was failing me, so I felt like a failure, even though I was working harder than ever to be healthy and happy again. It felt like all of my dreams for the future were crashing to the ground, along with who I thought I was.  My dad, who had heard me downstairs, came and sat with me in the closet, empathy in his eyes.  “Why me?” I asked him. “Why do I have to go through this?”

He replied, “I don’t know why, but throughout the Bible, God allowed His closest friends to experience pain.”

Then he reminded me of the story of Lazarus.  Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, loved the Lord intimately. But when Lazarus got sick, the Gospel of John tells us Jesus waited days before going to Judea, and by then Lazarus had died.  “When Jesus saw [Mary] weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled” (John 11:33, NIV).

Jesus was moved by others’ tears even though He knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead. Jesus had told His disciples verses before, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up” (John 11:11, NIV).

But He physically wept with the sisters before He performed the miracle.  “‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked. ‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied. Jesus wept” (John 11:34-35, NIV).

By raising Lazarus to life, Jesus brought much glory to God. “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (John 11:40).

That day in my closet, I battled to surrender my will. My desire for my running dreams to come true felt stronger than my desire to trust God. God was walking me through something deeply painful, but I just kept asking Him for a pain-free life.  Eventually I realized that while I didn’t want hard things, I wanted God’s will for my life and for Him to receive glory more than anything else. So I asked Him to lead me where I would need to fully trust Him, where I could not walk on my own.  Since that day, I’ve experienced a deepening sense of God’s goodness, kindness and love. God was always doing something in my life; I just had to trust Him enough to stay with Him through the storms. I’m praying you, too, can enter into this kind of trust even in your pain and disappointment. May we give our lowest for His highest.

[PippaJane]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/04/08/words-like-honey?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--CcEY3iwmp79XZgzsY13Yj0-IQ-rB3CUJyKw1WKKFjMOF14l0OiMdKtd0VC3oukKY3RhI2bDRlWPnmSfLf1M5moubOnA&_hsmi=300297978&utm_content=300297978&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Words Like Honey
April 8, 2024
by Tracie Braylock

"Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." Proverbs 16:24 (ESV)

In February 2020, before the world transformed before our eyes, I committed to writing every day and sharing those words on social media. My goal was to encourage those who’d read my writing, offering hope, brightening days and sometimes challenging perspectives.  Today, I use this writing practice as a form of meditation, an intentional way to be still and hear from God before sharing His love with others. Throughout the process, I’ve grown to trust that my words will reach whoever needs them, wherever they are in their lives and wherever they are in this world. Although I’ll never know the full impact of this practice, I do know the words I've shared have helped some navigate hard times and experience a sense of peace.

Still, there are certainly times when I don't feel like my words are enough when I wish I could do more to help others or hurry along the healing.  I work as a nurse, and many times, in traumatic or life-altering circumstances, all I can do is offer a word of encouragement or simply show up and be present with those going through healthcare crises.  But when those moments arise, instead of becoming frustrated with my small offering, I remind myself of Proverbs 16:24: “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”

To me, this scripture is a constant reminder of the power of words, which can invite God to transform us and our situations and contribute to our physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health.  As we celebrate World Health Day, I hope this scripture now becomes a reminder for you as well. Know that right where you are, you can use your words to encourage, speak truth, express gratitude, ask intentional questions and offer prayer. You can make an impact on those you know and love as well as the countless others who are on this journey of life alongside you.  Whether you write a note to a friend or share a kind word with a stranger, your God-honoring words can contribute to the holistic health of humanity.  If you’re concerned about what words to say, ask God to meet you in your desire to share gracious words. Then lean in and listen. What is it that you need to hear right now?

Which words is your soul longing for?

When you find the words you need to hear, consider that maybe someone else needs them too.

[PippaJane]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/04/09/because-jesus-got-up-so-will-i?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-89CaGSqNe7JB2KcvOVFFUhJbNHjV48BqdZpOR6H_TEHcY51k0wCBglPxIXFzaLXVXqBEhjXKxhDXq-bXmvRRpDoiX-Vw&_hsmi=300298808&utm_content=300298808&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Because Jesus Got Up, So Will I
April 9, 2024
by Ashley Morgan Jackson

“He is not here; he is risen, just as he said.” Matthew 28:6a (NIV)

I heard the words “the car is gone” and rolled over in bed to see my husband standing stunned in the doorway. There is nothing quite like a jolt of adrenaline in the morning to replace your coffee. We suddenly realized our vehicle was no longer where we had left it.  This season in our lives had been filled with so many hard things, and here was another incident to add to our ever-growing list. We went through all the motions, filed the police report, and began to figure out how we would manage our busy family with one car when, to our shock, the car was found!  We were jumping up and down, praising God! Our prayers were answered.  But only days later, the car was stolen again.  If this weren’t my life, I wouldn’t believe it either. Sometimes life feels ridiculous, inconceivable and just plain unfair.  Maybe for you, it’s a hurting heart, a ruptured relationship or a broken home. During hard seasons, our hearts ask, How could God’s plan include so much pain?

Our agony tells us a story with no ending and no hope. The only thing we know is that we are down, and we don’t know exactly how to get back up.  But we don’t have to look further than the cross to realize that the most beautiful gift we were ever given came through pain. Instead of taking His place on a throne, Jesus was nailed to a cross.  Did His first disciples also wonder how this could be God’s good plan?

Of course (Matthew 16:21-22; Luke 24:19-21)!  But, friend, Jesus’ pain was not the end of His story, and your pain is not the end of yours either. When the disciples ran to the tomb looking for Him, an angel spoke words that still bring us hope to this day: “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said” (Matthew 28:6a).

Because of Jesus, we have hope. We don’t have to pretend our pain isn’t real.  It is real. But we don’t have to let our pain keep us down. Against all odds, against what was reasonable or rational, despite all that stood against Him, Jesus rose again!  My husband and I never did get our car back. Life doesn’t always get wrapped up in pretty bows like in the movies. But what I can tell you is that our God is faithful. We made it through, and while we didn't know why we lost our car (twice!), we decided to trust God.  As you and I continue to meditate on Jesus’ resurrection in the days and months after Easter, let’s hold on to the confidence that because Jesus got up, in His strength, we can too.

[PippaJane]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/04/10/rest-before-youre-ready?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--6fRx4N7NJCayDj0cvcnslanCSq-1A03LMUGdas5mZyZS3uWyamX8fLDTooNRRushKmY_EFUP_gtzu6lS1i8Dz-p4oBQ&_hsmi=300298074&utm_content=300298074&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Rest Before You’re Ready
April 10, 2024
by Jess Connolly

“God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning the first day.” Genesis 1:5 (NIV)

This is for every woman who feels like she has to get it all done before she rests.  Many of us are waiting until we’re “done” or “finished” with our work before we rest. But that moment is not coming until the end of our lives.  We’re convinced that the laundry has to be done, every text has to be answered, every kid nurtured, and every important email responded to. Before we rest, we need to have a grip on the next week, plan the next thing, and finish the dishes.  This is why I’m incredibly grateful for the very first vision of rest, which God cast in Genesis.  Just after God created day and night, literal light and darkness, He did something interesting. Right here, in the foundation of everything, He switched the order: He shifted from the day-night pattern to night and then day.  “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning the first day” (Genesis 1:3-5, NIV).

This is life-changing for those of us who feel we need to earn our rest.  When our intentional and creative God spoke day and night into being, the original sequence was day and then night. But in Genesis 1:5, it’s like He pulled out the Uno reverse card and suddenly referred to the two as “evening, and morning.”

One possible inference here is that for the humans who inhabit God's creation, night and rest come first. And then work. This isn’t to say we’ve completely misunderstood God’s intention for Sabbath at the end of the week (Genesis 2:2). But it does point to the truth that we can’t work from an empty tank.  From the very beginning, we see God easing our fears and concerns about whether we’ll ever be able to earn our rest. There is no list to finish before we take the gift of rest that’s offered to us by a good and loving Father. There is evening and morning; there is rest and then work. In God’s structuring of the created order of everything, we might say He intentionally sequenced rest to come before any kind of waking activity.  So we break ties with the lie that we can't rest until after our work is completed, and we receive the truth that we won’t be able to work well until we rest.  When we rest, we take God at His word, trusting that striving can cease.  When we rest, we tear down the false idols of people-pleasing, fear and perfectionism.  When we rest before the work is all done, we declare God’s faithfulness louder than our own fruitfulness.  His Kingdom comes when His will is done, and His Kingdom comes when His daughters rest.

[PippaJane]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/04/19/proclaiming-jesus-by-serving-with-joy?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9I8o4gvIy56MDL6t8YP4nUva2G6HU1zkjnjTWc56sQLLjQlV6vhfoGQcMMxDHAKfUOtmy7x9PiNAxsiCNAPYggw6fYFA&_hsmi=300318690&utm_content=300318690&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Proclaiming Jesus by Serving With Joy
April 19, 2024
by Shala W. Graham

“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)

My strong belief in serving others is a quality I learned from my mother.  When I was young, I remember a time my mother pulled up to a stoplight as I rode in the car with her, and I watched her give to a person standing beside the road. “This is my good deed for the day,” she said.

Her example set an expectation to do good daily.  In September 2023, I finally got to take my mother to her home country, the Philippines, after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled her flight in February 2020. Over those three years, Mom experienced kidney failure and required dialysis, so we coordinated with healthcare providers for her to receive treatment during her long-awaited visit.  But after one of her treatments, Mom wasn’t feeling well and needed to rest instead of traveling with me to serve at a local church for the weekend.  Twelve hours after I left that morning, she still hadn’t gotten out of bed to eat and take her medicine. I wondered if I needed to return early since we had no family in that town who could help. But then I remembered the house manager, Joy, who had been so kind to us during our stay so far. I sent out a cry for help!  Within an hour, Joy came to my mom, cooked her fish and rice, and had her take her medicine. I didn’t want to inconvenience Joy by asking her to serve Mom again the next day, but I prayed for God to provide and committed not to worry.  Around noon, I received a message saying Joy had made my mom breakfast and lunch. To say I rejoiced was an understatement!  Joy’s service to my mother was a timely example of the scriptures taught at church that Sunday:  “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen” (1 Peter 4:10-11, NLT).

In ancient Israel, the gift of hospitality was highly valued. Christians were to be prepared to welcome guests, provide food and serve without complaining: “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9, NIV).

Similarly, Joy diligently used her spiritual gifts as she served my mom until I returned that evening. She did it with all her strength, and her joyful service gave God glory!  Friend, would you keep your eyes open and your heart ready to serve those around you, whether that be with your time, energy, possessions or finances?

Your service might just be the answer to someone’s earnest prayer.

[PippaJane]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/04/29/how-to-be-confident-in-your-next-decision?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_OyJc1aL0rmWYIc3idK7liAziXiAQMbAWgShVOmkLkLf8NWgzdpVLJbO-xSUoQNYNoHzBzzHThSH1CzM3HGNlNUpP1CA&_hsmi=303007567&utm_content=303007567&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

How To Be Confident in Your Next Decision
April 29, 2024
by Alicia Bruxvoort

“Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.” Proverbs 4:13 (NIV)

I walked out of the café, clutching that piece of paper like it had the power to change my life.  A few months earlier, my husband and I had graduated from college and embarked on an overseas move. We’d taken a crash course in a language we didn’t speak, secured housing in a city we’d never visited, and embraced jobs with cultural challenges we’d never faced.  And we were floundering.  We were navigating the biggest transition of our life and we found ourselves sinking beneath the weight of everyday decisions. We longed for help, but we didn’t know where to find it.  Chances are you know that longing too.  Life can feel like an endless string of choices to be made and options to be weighed. Sometimes the heft of it all kidnaps our confidence and saps our strength.  But when I met up with a co-worker at a local café, she pulled a piece of paper from her purse and laid it on the table between us. “I remember how overwhelmed I felt when we first moved here,” she said with a kind smile. “So I wrote down everything I could think of that might help you.”

I scanned her blue-inked scrawl through a haze of tears and marveled at the generous gift. The page held answers to questions I’d yet to ask and directions for decisions I hadn’t known how to make.  I was so thankful for this friend's advice. In fact, her well-timed words reminded me of an even more important source of help for the daily challenges that come my way.  God’s Word is full of enduring guidance for our everyday lives. The Bible isn’t just filled with age-old stories to inspire us; it’s packed with practical wisdom to counsel us. And if we ask God to reveal His Truth to us as we meet Him in the pages of His Word, we’ll find direction for our everyday decisions.  Perhaps that’s why Proverbs 4:13 urges us to “hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.”

The words “hold on” paint a picture of clenching something tightly so it doesn’t slip away, much like I clutched that faintly lined paper when I left the café long ago.  If we take hold of Scripture with this kind of intentionality clinging to its Truth as we move through our days we’ll be armed with wisdom for the challenges we face, endowed with confidence for the choices we make.  Because God’s Word doesn’t just point us to the glory of heaven; it equips us to walk across the grit of earth too.  And when we allow the Lord’s guidance to direct our everyday steps, we discover the Bible really does have the power to change our lives, one word of wisdom at a time.