Explore every episode of the podcast Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: PSALM 139

I was tiny

When You created me

But already then

You made great plans

that would come to be

You saw me when I was dust

Loved me already then

Called me Your child

Know where I have ever been

I was so small

No one else knew I existed

But You had a book

My days, You had written

From the tiny, small babe

Whom You looked on and smiled

To who I am today

I have always been Your precious child • Bethany Acker

• Isn’t it amazing to know that God created you? Before you were born, before your mom even knew she was pregnant, God saw you. And He had good plans for your life. Consider taking a moment just to think about that. How does it make you feel?

• Not only did God create you, but His love for you compelled Him to make the way for you to be in close relationship with Him through Jesus’s death and resurrection. If you want to know more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page.

For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well. My frame wasn’t hidden from you, when I was made in secret, woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them. Psalm 139:13-16 (WEB) 

READ: JOHN 3:1-8; 13:33-35; 1 PETER 1:3, 23

Have you ever had one of those moments when you realized you look a lot like your family? We’ve all inherited traits from our parents, like hair color, freckles, or height. And whether we were adopted or born into a family, we may also have other family traits, like facial expressions, mannerisms, or the way we carry ourselves. Sometimes people share so many inherited traits and look so much alike that it’s obvious they’re related.

And as Christians, we’re part of another family too—God’s family. When we put our trust in Jesus, the Bible says we were “born again” (John 3:1-8; 1 Peter 1:3, 23). We became God’s children. He freed us from sin, and through the Holy Spirit He put the characteristics that He Himself possesses into our hearts—traits like love, faithfulness, and patience, to name a few. When our lives reflect the character of Jesus, when what we say and what we do is motivated by His love, others can see that we’re God’s children. Of course, none of us will reflect Jesus’s character and love perfectly, at least until He returns. But we become more and more like Jesus as we grow in our faith. And as we develop the characteristics He’s given us and display them in our lives, it’s plain to see that we belong to Him.

Isn’t it so amazing that we get to share a family resemblance with God? Jesus is the almighty, holy, transcendent King of the Universe. Yet He humbled Himself to die on a cross for us, and then be raised to life so we could become part of His family. He invites us to share His resemblance and carry His name. What an incredible gift.

Once we belong to God’s family, His love overflows from us to the world around us. As we get to know Him better, He’ll help us grow to become more like Him. Our lives and the way we treat others can be a reflection of Jesus. Through us, people can see our heavenly Father’s love for them. And we can pray that they’ll want to become part of His family too. • A. W. Smith

• Have you noticed any Christians in your life who bear a striking family resemblance to Jesus? What is it like to be around them? How do they live?

• As we spend intentional time with God, we often find ourselves becoming more like Him. What are some ways you could spend intentional time with God this week through praying, reading or listening to His Word, and gathering with other believers?

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: PSALM 119:9-16; ROMANS 12:1-2; PHILIPPIANS 4:8

As we go about our everyday lives, we will inevitably see and hear things that bother us—from things people talk about and jokes they make, to stuff we come across online. Sometimes we know these things are wrong, but they seem unavoidable. It all ends up filling our heads, and even when we don’t want to think about that junk, it can still give us bad thoughts.

When bad thoughts come to our minds, just ignoring them usually isn’t enough. What helps is replacing them with good ones. Think about it this way: If a car’s radiator hose splits open, green liquid splatters all over the surface of the engine and smokes. You can’t leave the bad hose the way it is, and you can’t just take it out either. If you want the car to keep running, you need to replace the broken part. It’s the same with bad thoughts—they have to be replaced.

But where do we get good thoughts to replace the bad thoughts with?

If we know Jesus, we already have them. He’s changing the way we think. Whenever bad thoughts come, we don’t have to let them take control of our minds. Instead, we can set our minds on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-3). He loves us so much that He died on the cross to free us from sin, and He rose from the dead so we could know Him and live with Him forever.

Because of Jesus, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to actually reject bad thoughts and grab onto good thoughts instead (2 Corinthians 10:5). When we’re tempted to think hateful thoughts about someone, we can take those thoughts out and instead choose to focus on Jesus’s love for that person. When we’re tempted to lust after someone, we can replace that thought by considering how Jesus sees that person. When we’re tempted to see ourselves as worthless, we can remember the infinite worth God places upon us, which He showed when Jesus gave up His life for us. And, as we notice recurring patterns of specific kinds of bad thoughts, we can start to memorize Bible verses that address the particular lies and sins we’re struggling with. No matter what bad thoughts we encounter, they’re no match for the truth of Jesus’s love. • A. W. Smith

• Do you notice specific bad thoughts that keep coming into your mind? Who is a trusted Christian you could talk to about these, such as a parent, pastor, youth leader, or counselor?

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2 (NIV) 

READ: LUKE 19:1-10; ROMANS 15:7

Sometimes I find it difficult to take feedback from others. I put a lot of effort into what I do, so it can be hard to hear notes and criticism about the work I’m doing, whether it’s about my job, writing, singing, or just my personal life. And it’s even worse when the feedback comes with a rejection—like when I haven’t done x, y, or z, so I’m not qualified for whatever I was pursuing.

Back when I was looking for a job, I would hear phrases like, “Sorry, you don’t have the right experience,” or “We’re looking for someone with a different degree,” or “You should have become more specialized in this area.” Those rejections combined with negative feedback really stung.

But, despite knowing I will face rejection in life, I can take comfort in the fact that Jesus’s way is totally the opposite. Jesus loves us first. He doesn’t require us to do x, y, or z before He accepts us. His love for us goes all the way to death on a cross— and resurrection three days later. When Jesus was passing through the city of Jericho and He encountered a wealthy tax collector named Zacchaeus who cheated people out of their money, Jesus didn’t say to him, “Get your life together, change your career, and build a better reputation, and then maybe I’ll come over to your house for dinner.”

Absolutely not! Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “I must stay at your house today” (Luke 19:5). Jesus loves us as we are. When we put our trust in Him, He sets us apart as holy. As we follow Him, He works in us to make us more like Him, but different people have all sorts of starting points on their faith journeys, and at the beginning of all these journeys is the love, mercy, and grace of Jesus, given freely. Jesus loves you as you are, each and every day. • Naomi Zylstra

• Can you think of a time you faced rejection or harsh feedback? How did you deal with it? Sometimes feedback is helpful, sometimes it’s hurtful, and sometimes it’s a bit of both. Jesus wants to help us heal and grow through these experiences, and often He helps us through other Christians. Who is someone in your life who can help you sort through difficult feedback?

• How can knowing that Jesus loves us and accepts us first, before we could even love Him back, affect the way we love Him now? What about how we love and accept others? (Romans 15:7)

• What did Zacchaeus do after Jesus came to his house? How did Jesus’s loveaffect Zacchaeus?

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NIV)

My breath started to grow short, and I felt panic rising in my chEsther 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, andto a five-year-oldthis 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 requiredor expectedto 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)

Read Verses:

Matthew 7:9-Matthew 7:11; John 1:12-John 1:13; Hebrews 4:16

READ: EPHESIANS 4:29-32

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 sinsand they are manyhave been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. Luke 7:47a (NLT)

Read Verses:

Luke 7:34-Luke 7:50

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)

Read Verses:

Exod:33:11; Isaiah 41:8-Isaiah 41:10; John 15:15; James 2:23

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 boweven 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 usthe 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)

Read Verses:

Psalm 18

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 viewa 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 livenot 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 lifethe 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)

Read Verses:

Matthew 7:13-Matthew 7:14; Matthew 19:28-Matthew 19:29; John 1:1-John 1:5; John 5:24; John 10:10

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 springwe 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)

Read Verses:

Colossians 3:8-Colossians 3:17; James 3:8-James 3:12; Colossians 4:6

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 goodso 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 Jesuslike 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)

Read Verses:

Acts:16:16-Acts:16:26; Romans 8:31-Romans 8:39; Isaiah 40:31

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)

Read Verses:

Psalm 139:23-Psalm 139:24; 2 Peter 1:3-2 Peter 1:8; 2 Corinthians 3:18

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)

Read Verses:

Luke 24:13-Luke 24:35; Acts:1:1-Acts:1:11; 1 Corinthians 1:18-1 Corinthians 1:31

READ: JOSHUA 2; HEBREWS 11:29-31; JAMES 2:25

Rahab is one of my favorite people in the Old Testament of the Bible. We remember her because of her faith in God. Though she was not an Israelite by birth, her faith in the God of Israel prompted her to hide two Israelite spies in her home within the walls of Jericho. As a result of this act of faith, Rahab and her family were spared when the Israelite army conquered Jericho.

The Bible notes that not only was Rahab a Canaanite, but she was also a prostitute. We might be tempted to think of Rahab as “worse of a sinner” than other people—after all, she performed sexual acts for a living, something detestable in the sight of the Lord because He created sex to be shared faithfully by a husband and wife. But the truth is, all sin is heinous in God’s sight. Yet, because of God’s mercy, Rahab was the woman He chose to be the great, great-grandmother of King David, a direct ancestor of Jesus Christ the Messiah (Matthew 1:5).

Rahab became a believer in Yahweh, and this is what set her apart from everyone else in Jericho. They had all heard of the miraculous deeds of Yahweh—how He parted the Red Sea to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and then gave them victory over their enemies in Canaan—but only Rahab had the faith to act on her belief and say to the Israelite spies, “The LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below” (Joshua 2:11). One person in the midst of thousands of pagans put her trust in a God she knew of only through the words of others.

In addition to being honored with a place in Christ’s lineage, Rahab was also included in Hebrews 11, which recounts stories of people who acted in faith, so that her faith could be a testimony to others. And James 2:25 says Rahab was “considered righteous.” Rahab probably had no idea the blessings God would bestow upon her and how she would be remembered by Jews and Gentiles alike for thousands of years to come. Perhaps God includes this story of one woman’s steadfast conviction to show the riches of His grace and point forward to Jesus. Just as Rahab had faith in the one true God and was saved when Jericho fell, so now anyone who has faith in Jesus is saved from sin and death, made righteous in God’s sight, welcomed into His family, and will one day dwell with God and His people forever. • Eliana Canfield

• Have you ever felt disqualified to serve God because of your past? How might Rahab’s story speak into this? (If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 21:28-32; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:8.)

By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. Hebrews 11:31 (NIV) 

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 truththe 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 deathor 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)

Read Verses:

1 Corinthians 15:12-1 Corinthians 15:22

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 Holiesand only once a yearto 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 sinspast, 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)

Read Verses:

Romans 5:6-Romans 5:11; Galatians 1:4; Revelation 1:18; Matthew 27:45-Matthew 27:56

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 Himselfbecause He loves us. Before He gave up His spirit, JesusGod in fleshsaid, 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)

Read Verses:

Mark 15:24-Mark 15:34; John 19:13-John 19:30; Galatians 3:13; Matthew 27:35-Matthew 27:48

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, Jesusthe 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 JesusGod in fleshfulfilling 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)

Read Verses:

Exod:12:21-Exod:12:22; Exod:24:6-Exod:24:8; Leviticus 14:4-Leviticus 14:6; John 19:28-John 19:30; Psalm 51:7

I sense myself struck dumb with the overwhelming horror, walking without strengthdrawn by the crowddrawn 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 crowdtheir shouts and laughter a muddy din to my ears. Tears form but do not flow. My throat is dry and stuckI 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 helpI’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)

Read Verses:

Luke 23:26-Luke 23:27; John 3:14-John 3:16; Luke 9:18-Luke 9:23; Luke 18:31-Luke 18:34

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 flockthe 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)

Read Verses:

Psalm 23:1; John 1:29-John 1:34; John 10:11-John 10:18

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 Bibletime 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 joybeing 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)

Read Verses:

Psalm 149:1-Psalm 149:5; Ecclesiastes 2:24-Ecclesiastes 2:25; Ecclesiastes 8:15

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)

Read Verses:

Matthew 21:1-Matthew 21:11; Mark 11:1-Mark 11:11; John 12:12-John 12:16

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 painforever (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)

Read Verses:

Psalm 34:17-Psalm 34:18; Psalm 147:3

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 ita 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 hearta human heartbeating 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 treasureit 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 treasureone 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)

Read Verses:

Matthew 6:19-Matthew 6:24; Matthew 22:37-Matthew 22:40

READ: PSALM 145:17-19; ACTS 12:5-17

After we ask God for something in prayer, it can be easy to just move on without actually looking for His answer. We can get distracted by a thousand different things that steal our attention away—meanwhile His answer to our prayer is right in front of us.

We find an example of this when Peter is thrown in prison and the believers begin earnestly praying for him. God answers their prayers by sending an angel to free Peter and lead him right out of the jail. But when Peter gets to the house where they’re all still praying for him, they can’t believe it’s Peter at the door! Finally they let him in, amazed at what God had done.

Sometimes, when we don’t notice God’s answers to our prayers, we can get into trouble by trying to answer our own prayers. If God is telling us to wait on Him to work, and we insist on manufacturing our own solutions instead, it can only lead to trouble.

When we pray, how often do we look and listen for God’s answers? As people who’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have His Holy Spirit living in us. That means we can be in constant communication with God through prayer, and we can always expect some kind of answer when we pray. But it can be difficult to see those answers sometimes. Especially when we expect—or want—a certain answer and we’re not willing to accept any other. But maybe God will show us there’s something unexpected we can do about a situation that concerns us. Maybe He’ll show us an area of sin in our lives that we need to confess and give over to Him. Maybe He’ll simply offer us comfort. When we trust the Holy Spirit to help us be open to whatever answer God gives, we’re better equipped to notice what He’s doing in and around us. • A. W. Smith

• Can you think of a time you saw God answer prayer in an unexpected way? What happened?

• Jesus is with us in all our pain and concerns. He cares about us and promises to make all things new one day. How can remembering His faithful love help us listen and wait for His answers?

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer. 1 Peter 3:12 (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 hopethe promise of a new lifeand 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 eggbroken 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 eggbeyond 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, 11to 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 usbecause 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)

Read Verses:

Psalm 42; Psalm 71

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)

Read Verses:

Luke 5:12-Luke 5:16; John 11:1-John 11:45

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 churchthat’s His Job And He is a God of restoration and wholeness. He died and rose again for the churchincluding me. My job is just to follow Him. The churchincluding meis 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 correctionin 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 churchpeople who love Jesus and each other, following Him together. That is the church I love. Taylor Eising Do you see injustices in the churchplaces 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)

Read Verses:

Luke 19:41-Luke 19:48; Acts:2:42-Acts:2:47; 1 Corinthians 12:12-1 Corinthians 12:27

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 usdying 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)

Read Verses:

Ephesians 2:1-Ephesians 2:10; 1 Peter 5:6-1 Peter 5:11

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 ustransforming 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)

Read Verses:

Colossians 3:12-Colossians 3:14; Matthew 7:12; 2 Corinthians 5:16-2 Corinthians 5:21

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 faithand this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Ephesians 2:8; Romans 8:31-Romans 8:39

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 Spiritalso 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 Advocatethe Holy Spiritwho 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)

Read Verses:

1 John 5:13-1 John 5:15; Romans 8:22-Romans 8:30

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 usand 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 stateand 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)

Read Verses:

Hebrews 12:2-Hebrews 12:3; Psalm 112:6-Psalm 112:8; John 14

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 versewhat 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)

Read Verses:

Philippians 2:1-Philippians 2:11; James 1:9-James 1:18

“There’s no time, the voice on the radio says. You must come now. I look around the cockpit of the spaceshipmy spaceship. The control station, the thick, curved glass of the windows, the sleek engines quietly humming in the hull belowall 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 workmy ship, the data I’d collected, everything I’d accomplished to further human understanding of black holeswould 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 cockpitmy 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)

Read Verses:

Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 6:2; Philippians 3:7-Philippians 3:12

READ: ISAIAH 55:8-9; MATTHEW 19:26; MARK 9:14-27

I come to You, and I wonder if You can.

I have turned to others, and I have tried myself.

I question You, not sure if You understand my needs.

I doubt You, not sure if Your plan and my plan will align.

If I have tried already, how can things be different?

If it has been impossible for me, how can it be better?

If I leave it in Your hands, will I end up disappointed?

Am I making a mistake even just by turning to You?

You tell me that Your ways are not like mine.

You tell me that what’s impossible for humans is possible for You.

You tell me that all I have to do is trust You to work.

You tell me so many things, and I still have my doubts.

But You have compassion on me, even when I don’t trust You.

You’ve made me, and You’ve given me life.

God, take my unbelief—rip it away from me.

Let me know that You can, let me trust that You will. • Emily Acker

• Consider taking some time to reread Mark 9:14-27. A man brings his son to Jesus because the boy is possessed by an evil spirit. Jesus’s disciples are there, and they try and fail to drive out the spirit. When Jesus arrives, He talks to this desperate father, asking more about his son. Then the man says, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Jesus replies, “‘If you can?…Everything is possible for one who believes.” The father exclaims, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Then Jesus commands the evil spirit to come out of the boy, and He lifts the boy to his feet, healed. Have you ever felt like the father in this passage? How could it be freeing to know that we can be totally honest with Jesus about our desire to trust Him, and also about our doubts? Is there anything you want to ask Jesus for that seems impossible?

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24 (NIV) 

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 forgottenflowers 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 giftsand 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)

Read Verses:

1 John 3:1; Psalm 19:1; James 1:17-James 1:18

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, youlike Josephcan 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)

Read Verses:

Genesis 45:1-Genesis 45:15; Romans 12:17-Romans 12:21

Life is full of ups and downs. When everything seems to be going wellwhen we have friends and are at peace with those around us, when we have all the material things we need and are in good healthwe 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 lifein 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)

Read Verses:

Psalm 37; Hebrews 13:5-Hebrews 13:6

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)

Read Verses:

John 1:1-John 1:5; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Luke 4:1-Luke 4:13

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)

Read Verses:

Phlm; Luke 4:18

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)

Read Verses:

John 6:25-John 6:40; Philippians 2:1-Philippians 2:16; Romans 8:28-Romans 8:29

Have you ever had a heavy heartfelt 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 rEsther Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Matthew 11:28-Matthew 11:30

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 doand 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 sinpurposefully 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 Jesuswho 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)

Read Verses:

Psalm 32:5; Luke 15:11-Luke 15:32; 1 John 1:9

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 lifevictorious 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 communityfellow 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)

Read Verses:

Romans 6:1-Romans 6:12; Hebrews 2:14-Hebrews 2:18; James 4:7

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)

Read Verses:

2 Corinthians 1:3-2 Corinthians 1:5; Ephesians 4:31-Ephesians 4:32; Matthew 5:43-Matthew 5:48

READ: PSALM 139:7-12; LUKE 15:1-7; ROMANS 8:31-39

I spread mortar on the next brick. The thick sludge looks like grey toothpaste as I smother it on the porous red block. I set the brick firmly on top of the others and reach impatiently for the next one, scoop another trowel-full of mortar and slap it down. Another brick, and another, and another.

The wall is tall enough, and now I’m making it thicker. I lost track of how many layers of bricks I’ve put up. It doesn’t matter.

I don’t bother to focus my eyes on anything. I just keep going. I don’t feel anything. I just keep going. I’ve gotten pretty good at not feeling. It takes practice, but it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Detach. Disengage. Just keep going.

As I place the next brick, the wall thumps. Thumps? I pause with my hand midair. I listen. The wall thumps again. And again. And again. It’s getting louder. And suddenly I realize—something’s trying to get in.

I work quickly, my hands trying to keep pace with my racing pulse. I grab more mortar, more bricks, and focus on adding more layers to the spot where I hear the thumping. I can feel the wall shaking now. Just a little. But the pounding is getting stronger with every blow.

I’m working furiously now, trying to build the wall faster than it can be broken down. I have to keep myself away from what’s on the other side. Who’s on the other side. Detach. Disengage. Just keep going. What’s on the other side is the stuff of childish hopes. I won’t be a fool. I won’t let myself get drawn in—again. I used to think everything that was good and right and beautiful was possible and real. But now I’ve grown up. I know the truth. Don’t let yourself hope. Don’t let yourself feel. Don’t be tricked into trusting. Even the light casts shadows.

But then, I hear a crack. I look to my right, and suddenly the newest layer of bricks bursts open. And I see a hand. Reaching for me. Oh, that hand! It’s Him—it’s really Him! I grasp His hand, and every feeling I haven’t felt bursts open in sobs of pain and relief.

Jesus, my Jesus. My only Jesus. They told me you weren’t as good as I thought You were. They hurt my friends. They hurt me. They told me that’s what You wanted. They told me I didn’t really know You. And after a while, it hurt too much to hope.

I cling to His hand, His warm, strong hand. And He holds on to me. “I’m here. I will always come for you. Always.”

My sob catches in my throat, and all I can do is nod. I have so many tears left to cry, and yet, I can feel myself beginning to hope again. Then He says gently, “I’m not going anywhere. Now, how about I take down the rest of this wall?” • Hannah Howe

• Have you experienced things that made you feel like Jesus wasn’t as good as you hoped He was? Maybe you’ve seen a devastating natural disaster, or lost someone you love, or maybe people have said or done wrong things—whether people in the church or outside the church—that have hurt you or people you care about. Consider taking a moment to ask Jesus to help you notice how He is even now pursuing you with love.

• Jesus invites us to tell Him about all the hurtful, confusing, and infuriating things we encounter in this broken world—and He also provides trustworthy Christians in our lives who can help us process what we’ve experienced and get out of unsafe situations if needed. God sees how messed up things are, and He grieves all the world’s brokenness far more deeply than we do. He knows how bad our sin is, yet He wants to forgive and restore us. He longs to enfold us in His arms and bring healing to our hurting places. That’s the kind of love He has for us. That’s why He went to the cross and rose from the grave for us. He came “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10)...

“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)

Read Verses:

Psalm 9; Ephesians 3:17

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 sinkingthere’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)

Read Verses:

Luke 4:31-Luke 4:37; Luke 5:1-Luke 5:11