I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.—Psalm 32:8 (NIV)
God’s guidance is like the soft whisper of a gentle breeze, present even when you don’t realize it. In quiet moments of your life, His loving presence steers you toward the path of grace, leading you to become the best version of yourself.
Lord, thank You for Your promise to guide and counsel me. I trust Your wisdom and direction.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ––Ephesians 6:11
In the taut crime thriller The Usual Suspects the central character, Keyser Soze, drops an iconic film line: “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist.” A recent Gallup poll shows that only 59% of American adults believe in the devil—a drop of ten points since 2020. I’m not sure how anyone can look at all the misery happening on our planet and NOT believe in a devil. But that’s the way Satan likes it.
How do we deal with the fact that Satan is alive and well in America—and the world? First, we need to believe the Word. He’s real. Second, we need to apply the weapons we’ve been given for battle. We put on the breastplate of righteousness, notch the belt of truth, don the helmet of salvation, cinch up the shoes of peace, pick up the shield of faith, and wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:14–17). We’ve read about these accoutrements before, but did you ever notice that the armor is all offensive? It’s all designed for a frontal assault. This means we take the fight to the enemy—we get angry and we get on our knees. We release the power of heaven in our homes and on our families and against the hell-hot arrows the enemy fires at us.
The spiritual armor of God does you no good if its gathering dust on the floor of your prayer closet or if you are running from the battle—where your backside is completely exposed. Don’t lay in the trenches, waiting for the enemy’s attack. Get up and into the Word; charge the enemy’s position in prayer; commission the armies of heaven—the Holy Spirit and His angels—to war for you. The battle is real. Stand and fight.
Father, help me be strong in You and mighty in Your power.
The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt.” Exodus 3:7
Today’s Scripture
Today’s Insights
Moses’ burning bush experience (Exodus 3) involves what’s known as a theophany, “a theological term to refer to either a visible or auditory manifestation of God” (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology). The sight or sound grabs one’s attention, but the message is what’s paramount. God assured Moses: “I have indeed seen the misery of my people . . . . I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers and I am concerned about their suffering” (v. 7). Another example of a theophany is when God appeared in fire and smoke at Mount Sinai (19:16-20).
Today’s Devotional
The acclaimed painting Let My People Go by Aaron Douglas uses vibrant colors of lavender, green, and gold, along with traditional African imagery, to tell the biblical story of Moses and connect it with black Americans’ struggle for freedom and justice.
The painting portrays God’s appearance to Moses in a burning bush when He revealed that He’d seen the plight of the Israelites in Egypt. The artist uses a beam of light to symbolize God and His message, ‘So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt’ (Exodus 3:10).
In Let My People Go, Moses kneels in obedient submission to God’s instructions, but the eye is drawn to the dark waves and horses trained for war surrounding him–reminding viewers of the struggles the Israelites would face as they left Egypt. But the beam of light shines brightly as a reminder that God would be with the Israelites.
The emotions evoked by the painting resonate because the struggle against injustice continues; many use their power to oppress men, women, and children around the world. As those who are suffering cry out for God to be “a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble” (Psalm 9:9), we can plead with God to respond to their cries for help. And, like Moses, we can be willing to act on behalf of the oppressed.
Reflect & Pray
How might you pray for oppressed people? How might you learn more about caring for those suffering from injustice?
Heavenly Father, please make Your presence known to all those who suffer unjustly.
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For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)
Fear is everywhere, and everyone has to face it at some point. It’s afflicted humanity since the beginning of time, and it will be an emotion people deal with for as long as they live. Although fear will never totally disappear from our lives, we can manage it as we choose to face it and resist it with God’s help.
We would be surprised if we realized how often our reactions to people and situations are based on fear. We respond out of fear much more than we think. In fact, some people spend their entire lives allowing fear to dictate their decisions and reactions to circumstances. This keeps them from being who they truly want to be and causes them to feel dissatisfied and unfulfilled.
If you are one of these people, let me encourage you to acknowledge your fear, because it is a real emotion, but also to move forward in spite of it. Courageous people do what they believe in their hearts they should do, no matter how they feel or what kinds of doubts and fearful thoughts fill their minds.
Fear will try to stop you from doing what God has called you to do and what you’d like to do. Don’t allow fear to prevent you from living your life to the fullest or to push you around while you simply put up with it. Decide today—with God’s help—that you’ll face fear head-on, overcome it, and do everything you can to live the life He has planned for you, free from fear.
Prayer of the Day: Lord, when I feel fear, help me choose not to let it dictate my decisions or stop me from living the good life You want me to live.
“A leader is a dealer in hope”
TikTok went offline Saturday night after the Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law requiring its Chinese owner to sell the app by Sunday or face a ban. Then, after President-elect Trump said he would issue an executive order today to delay the ban, the company began restoring service.
This is just one example of the power to be conferred on Mr. Trump when he takes the oath of office at noon today (EST) as our nation’s forty-seventh president.
Other stories in this morning’s news:
Each story illustrates the crucial power of leadership. What is at the heart of that power? According to Napoleon Bonaparte, “A leader is a dealer in hope.”
As Mr. Trump returns to the White House today, let’s consider Napoleon’s assertion and its implications for our nation and our future.
“Everyone needs to feel we can come back”
Acclaimed Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan spoke for many when she wrote:
People need hope. Five years of the pandemic, its aftermath and angers, of cultural furies, of inflation and endless politics—people feel beat, like they were through something bad and still aren’t sure what it was. Young men and women need to feel, as they enter American history, that they’re part of something rising, not falling. The latent optimism the young always feel—they need to know it’s grounded in something real. Everyone needs to feel we can come back, turn it around, light the world, be the beacon again.
Psychologist Dan J. Tomasulo reports that hope is vital to better physical and mental well-being, noting that hopeful people tend to live longer and happier lives with “passion and zest that fuels their energy.” His article advises that the secret to hope is “focusing on what you can control.”
In his 1993 inaugural address, Bill Clinton similarly asserted, “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.”
However, Albert Einstein reportedly said, “You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it.”
Which is right?
What we need “more than anything else in the world”
In The Sacred Journey, Frederick Buechner observed:
When it comes to putting broken lives back together—when it comes, in religious terms, to the saving of souls—the human best tends to be at odds with the holy best. To do for yourself the best that you have it in you to do—to grit your teeth and clench your fists in order to survive the world at its harshest and worst—is, by that very act, to be unable to let something be done for you and in you that is more wonderful still.
The trouble with steeling yourself against the harshness of reality is that the same steel that secures your life against being destroyed also secures your life against being opened up and transformed by the holy power that life comes from.
He adds:
Surely that is why, in Jesus’ sad joke, the rich man has as hard a time getting into Paradise as that camel through the needle’s eye, because with his credit card in his pocket, the rich man is so effective at getting for himself everything he needs that he does not see that what he needs more than anything else in the world can be had only as a gift. He does not see that the one thing a clenched fist cannot do is accept, even from [God] himself, a helping hand.
In light of the unprecedented challenges we face, our nation’s ultimate hope is in the God whose help we need most. You and I can therefore love America best by praying and working for Americans to love and trust our Lord and thus be empowered to love and serve each other (Matthew 22:37–39).
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, many of his brilliant quotes will be cited by writers such as myself. Here’s one of my favorites: In his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Dr. King stated,
“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.”
But he knew what we need to remember: “unarmed truth” and “unconditional love” must come from the only One who is “the truth” (John 14:6) and whose very nature “is love” (1 John 4:8).
The president of three meters
Only one American is president of the nation. Few of us have the power to guide our cultural future. How can you and I be conveyors of the hope our country needs?
Meik Wiking, who leads the Happiness Research Institute in Denmark, cites the importance of trusting employees as vital to workers’ happiness. He uses the example of staff at the Tivoli Gardens amusement park in Copenhagen, where they follow the three-meter rule: you are CEO of everything within a radius of three meters. If you see trash within your three-meter radius, you pick it up. If you see a guest looking for something, you stop and ask if you can help.
You and I are president of the three meters around us.
Will you serve well today?
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Quote for the day:
“This is Christian hope, that the future is in God’s hands.” —Pope Francis
by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.
“Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.” (Psalm 65:9)
The 65th Psalm speaks especially of God’s great work of “providence” as supplementing His primeval work of creation. The latter was completed in the six days of the creation week (Genesis 2:1-3). The work of providence, however, still goes on, perpetually reminding us of God’s care for His creatures. “He left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17).
God’s providential concern, however, extends not only to men and women. “He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle” (Psalm 104:14). “So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts….These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season” (vv. 25, 27). “Behold the fowls of the air:…your heavenly Father feedeth them” (Matthew 6:26).
Note that He is not their heavenly Father, He is your heavenly Father—yet He feeds them! He is merely their maker and provider; yet a single sparrow “shall not fall on the ground without your Father” (Matthew 10:29).
He even provides for the inanimate creation, “upholding all things by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3). The omnipotent God of creation is thus the ever-sustaining and ever-caring God of providence.
Still, some choose not to believe, even though “that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen…so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20). HMM
No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. —John 3:3
Being born again of the Spirit is an unmistakable work of God, as mysterious as the wind, as surprising as God himself. We do not know where it begins; it is hidden away in the depths of our personal lives.
Being born again from above is a perennial, perpetual, and eternal beginning. It is a freshness all the time in thinking and talking and living, the continual surprise of the life of God. Sometimes, we are fresh for a prayer meeting, but not for cleaning boots! If this is the case, it’s a sign that something isn’t right between our souls and God. If we’ve ever found ourselves grumbling, “I have to do this thing or it will never get done,” we’ve let staleness creep in.
Consider the moment you are in right now: Do you feel the spark of eternity, of life itself, lighting you from within? The spark never comes from our own efforts. Obedience keeps us in the light, but it doesn’t fill us with vibrant, vital, untiring life. This can only come from the Spirit. To keep in touch with the Spirit within, we must jealously guard our relationship to God. Jesus prayed that we would be one as he and the Father are one—with absolutely nothing in between (John 17:21).
Keep every area of your life continually open to Jesus Christ. Don’t pretend with him. Are you drawing on any other source than God himself? If you’re depending upon anything but him, you will never know when he is gone. Being born of the Spirit means much more than we generally take it to mean. It gives us a new vision and keeps us absolutely fresh for everything, thanks to the perennial supply of the life of God.
Genesis 49-50; Matthew 13:31-58
Wisdom from Oswald
Our danger is to water down God’s word to suit ourselves. God never fits His word to suit me; He fits me to suit His word.Not Knowing Whither, 901 R
For he knoweth our frame . . .
—Psalm 103:14
It is significant that our first astronauts, while being trained for their moon flights, were required to give twenty answers to the query, “Who are you?” Take the same test yourself. When you have made your list and run out of things to add, ask yourself if you have truly answered. Do you really know who you are? Scientists agree that our desperate search leads all humans to seek heroes and to imitate others, to “paste bits and pieces of other people on ourselves.” We make love as some actor would. We play golf in the style of Jack Nicklaus. Part of this process is natural, for we learn by imitating others. The tragedy is that the person we assemble is not genuine. “Who am I?” you cry as you roam the world looking for yourself. Consider this: there are three of you. There is the person you think you are. There is the person others think you are. There is the person God knows you are and can be through Christ.
Prayer for the day
Lord, help me to break through the façade and know myself as You do.
Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.—Isaiah 1:17 (NIV)
We honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who fought for justice, equality and love. As you reflect on his life, consider how you can contribute to a world filled with love and justice. Let God’s love inspire you to stand up for those in need, promoting peace and compassion in your community.
Lord, help me follow the example of Dr. King, seeking justice and spreading love in a world that desperately needs it.
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. ––Mark 1:35
Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. ––Mark 1:45
The phrase, “Three steps forward, two steps back” is one that often gets an eye-roll. We’ve all heard it a million times. Or, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” The thing is, we’ve heard them a lot because there’s truth in them. Am I right? (Admit it though: they aren’t half as bad as “work smarter, not harder,” which makes us want to punch the person saying it.)
While much of the Christian life is about standing one’s ground and advancing, there’s also a time and a place to retreat. A classic example of this is when Jesus visited home town of Nazareth, where He grew up. When He taught in their synagogue, the local leaders were furious, claiming blasphemy when He proclaimed He was Messiah. Things got ugly:
All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. ––Luke 4:28-30
God’s Son walked among them and their response was to kill Him by tossing Him off a cliff! No wonder He made Himself disappear. It’s a classic example of Jesus retreating when the circumstances warranted it. Jesus, of course, typically retreated for spiritual reasons—to be alone to spend time with His Father.
What we learn from Jesus is that there is a time for advancing—for “walking across the room” to help someone in need, for standing up for the defenseless, for proclaiming our faith, etc. But there is also a time to pull back. Some situations include:
Father, show me the time to retreat, regroup, or recover. Also, give me discernment when it’s time to move forward. Thank You that Your Holy Spirit is here to guide me in each circumstance.
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
Today’s Scripture
Today’s Insights
The book of Romans tells us that all humanity is sinful (3:23). We were once enemies of God (5:10) and objects of His wrath (1:18; 2:5). But “God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight . . . through Christ Jesus [who] freed us from the penalty for our sins” (3:24 nlt). In Romans 5:1-11, Paul points to the intensity of God’s love for us. First, “we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (v. 5 nlt). Second, while we were still His enemies and sinners, God gave us His one and only Son to atone for our sins (see 1 John 4:9-10), save us from God’s wrath (Romans 5:9-10), and restore our relationship with Him: “So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God” (v. 11 nlt)
Today’s Devotional
“Did your sin also put Jesus on the cross?” That’s the question Dutch painter Rembrandt seems to be asking in his 1633 masterpiece, The Raising of the Cross. Jesus appears in the center of the picture as His cross is lifted and put in place. Four men are doing the lifting, but one stands out in the light surrounding Jesus. His clothing is different; he’s dressed in the style of Rembrandt’s day, wearing a cap the painter often wore. A closer look at his face reveals that Rembrandt has put himself into the painting, as if to say, “My sins had a part in Jesus’ death.”
But there’s another who also stands out. He’s on horseback, looking directly out of the painting. Some see this as a second self-portrait by Rembrandt, engaging all who observe with a knowing glance that seems to ask, “Aren’t you here too?”
Paul saw himself there, and we may also, because Jesus suffered and died for us as well. In Romans 5:10, he refers to himself and us as “God’s enemies.” But even though our sins caused Jesus’ death, His death reconciles us to God: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (v. 8).
We stand with both Rembrandt and Paul: sinners in need of forgiveness. Through His cross, Jesus offers us what we could never do for ourselves and meets our deepest need: a new beginning with God.
Reflect & Pray
How were you once God’s enemy? In what ways can you live as His friend today?
Dear Jesus, thank You for giving Yourself for me. Please help me to live in Your love today.
Listen how the grace of God transforms us.
Do not say to your neighbor, Go, and come again; and tomorrow I will give it—when you have it with you.
Proverbs 3:28 (AMPC)
When God tells you to help someone, it’s easy to put it off. You intend to obey God; it is just that you are going to do it when—when you have more money, when you’re not so busy, when Christmas is over, when the kids are back in school, or when vacation is over.
There is no point in praying for God to give you money so you can be a blessing to others if you are not being a blessing with what you already have. Satan will try to tell you that you don’t have anything to give—but don’t believe Him.
Even if it is only a pack of gum or a ballpoint pen, start using what you have. In the process of giving, you will discover you don’t need money to be a blessing to others.
Prayer of the Day: Father, I thank You for the many blessings in my life. Please help me to strive to be a blessing everywhere I go, with whomever You place in my path, and to be generous with whatever I have to give.
Adversarial politics and the “steadfast love” of God
The confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, began yesterday before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Democrats grilled him, while Republicans largely seemed to indicate their support. This is unsurprising, of course—if Kamala Harris had won the White House, the politics would have been reversed.
The adversarial nature of our governmental system must be frustrating to those who experience it. However, the Founders intended a system of checks and balances in their belief that, because we are flawed and fallen, none of us can be trusted with unaccountable power over others.
As a result, we have prosecutors and defense attorneys in our courts. Our capitalistic economic system thrives on competition that benefits consumers. Competition improves students and athletes as well. Not to mention our never-ending battle with nature for physical survival, from gravity that can break our bodies to diseases, predators, and disasters that can kill us.
It seems that adversity is a foundational fact in every dimension of our world. It is therefore understandable that we would see the Creator of our world in the same way.
This was certainly my experience for many years, even after I became a Christian. I’d like to tell you that story in the hope that it can encourage you in your story today.
Zeus with a scale?
I grew up not going to church, but I always had a sense that God is real. However, I thought of him as a kind of Zeus atop Mt. Olympus, a judge with a giant set of scales—the good went on one side and the bad on the other, and the way the scales tipped determined where you went, either to heaven or to hell.
Even when I became a Christian at the age of fifteen, I pictured God in his holiness and omnipotence more than in his mercy and love. I know that he loves me because “God is love” (1 John 4:8), but I also know that he is “holy, holy, holy” (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8) and that I am a sinner by virtue of my inherited sinful nature (Romans 3:23; 5:12; Psalm 51:5).
In my fallenness, I am less a good person who sometimes does bad things than a bad person who tries to do good things. David observed, “There is none who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:3). Paul’s admission is mine: “I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:18–19).
I am grateful that God forgives all I confess to him (1 John 1:9), but my default subliminal picture of him has typically been of a holy Lord who is consistently displeased with my failures and shortcomings.
But this is not so.
“They all ate and were satisfied”
The psalmist said of God, “You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15). Here we learn that God wants to bless us and therefore takes the initiative to give us his best.
This is why David exhorted us, “Oh give thanks to the Lᴏʀᴅ; for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” (1 Chronicles 16:34). It is why God can say to his people, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you” (Jeremiah 31:3, my emphasis). It is why we read that nothing “in all creation” is “able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).
This is not because we deserve his grace, but because this is the kind of Father he is: “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4–5). Paul asked, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31–32).
Our Father wants only the best for his children. Accordingly, when Jesus fed the multitude, he didn’t just give them enough to survive another day: “They all ate and were satisfied” (Matthew 14:20, my emphasis), something that I would imagine seldom happened for many of these impoverished people. He turned water not just into wine but into “good” wine, far exceeding the expectations even of the “master of the feast” (John 2:9–10).
And what we experience from his hand in this broken world cannot compare to what is waiting for us in paradise: “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). In the meantime, our Lord is “able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20).
As “the bridegroom rejoices over the bride”
I say all of that to say this: I am learning to see God as a Father who loves me so unconditionally that he rejoices over me as “the bridegroom rejoices over the bride” (Isaiah 62:5) and “takes pleasure” in me as his child (Psalm 149:4).
If I love my children and grandchildren so deeply that they bring delight to my heart, how much more does my Father delight in me (Psalm 18:19)?
If I want only their best, how much more does he want only my best (cf. Psalm 37:4)?
If I find joy in blessing them, how much more does he find joy in blessing me (cf. Psalm 16:11)?
However, our Lord honors the freedom with which he created us and thus can give us only what we choose to receive. A longtime friend who has experienced much of God’s blessings summarizes his faith this way: “He leads, I follow.”
Can you say the same today?
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Quote for the day:
“My brethren, it is in proportion as you get near to God that you enter into the full enjoyment of life—that life which Jesus Christ gives you, and which Jesus Christ preserves in you.” —Charles Spurgeon
by Henry M. Morris III, D.Min.
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
This stunning statement is founded on the unalterable attributes of the triune God (Romans 8:31-35). God Himself secures our salvation; who then can possibly undo His work?
God Himself is the giver and the protector of our salvation.
What can possibly undo the work of the omnipotent and omniscient triune Godhead and Creator of all things? It is utter foolishness to yield our eternity to the Savior and then conclude that our feeble efforts could somehow thwart a work of eternity. HMM III
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that . . . we too may live a new life. —Romans 6:4
No one enters into the experience of entire sanctification without going through a “white funeral,” a burial of the old life. If this crisis has never taken place, if you’ve never put your old life to death, sanctification is nothing more than a vision. It is a death followed by one resurrection—a resurrection into the life of Jesus Christ. Nothing can upset such a life. It is one with God for one purpose: to be a witness to him.
Have you come to your last days really? You may have come to them many times in your thoughts and dreams; you may have grown excited at the thought of being baptized into death with your Lord. But have you actually done it? You cannot die in excitement. Death means you stop being, stop striving. Do you agree with God to stop being the kind of striving, eager Christian you’ve been up to now? We circle the cemetery all the time, refusing to actually go to our deaths.
Are you ready to be buried with Christ, or are you playing the fool with your soul? Is there a moment you can identify as your last? Can you go back to it in your memory and say, with a chastened and grateful spirit, “Yes, it was then, at that ‘white funeral,’ that I made an agreement with God”?
“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). When you realize that sanctification is what God wants, you will enter into death naturally. Are you willing to do it now? Do you agree with God that this day will be your last? The moment of agreement depends on you.
Genesis 36-38; Matthew 10:21-42
Wisdom from Oswald
The Bible is the only Book that gives us any indication of the true nature of sin, and where it came from.The Philosophy of Sin, 1107 R
When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
—Psalm 61:2
When you become a Christian, it doesn’t mean that you will live on a perpetual “high.” The Psalmist David went down to the very depths, and so did the Apostle Paul. But in the midst of all circumstances God’s grace, peace, and joy are there. The tears will still come, the pressures will be felt, and so will the temptations. But there is a new dimension, a new direction, and a new power in life to face the circumstances in which you live.
Listen to a one-minute message on hope in the midst of suffering.
Lea este devocional en español en es.billygraham.org.
Prayer for the day
David and Paul have given me the example of trusting You, Lord, even in the excruciating valleys of life. Like them, I praise You.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.—Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV)
Turn to this verse when you feel afraid or anxious about the future. Just like walking through a snow-covered path where each step is obscured and uncertain, you may feel unsure about the direction your life is taking. Still, God’s Word reassures you that if you trust Him and submit to His guidance, He will lead you along the right path, even when you cannot see what lies ahead.
Lord, as I navigate the snowy paths of life, strengthen my faith so that I can face uncertainties with courage and confidence.
See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. ––2 Corinthians 7:11
Let’s dig deeper into the two different types of sorrow. Here are my definitions:
Worldly Sorrow – Sadness, regret, or sorrow that is flesh-based, focused on material consequences, and leads to shame and spiritual death.
Godly Sorrow—Sadness, regret, or sorrow that is God-based, focused on eternal outcomes, and leads to health and spiritual redemption.
Paul had to get in the face of the Corinthian believers. They were living in a very pagan city and were struggling to maintain moral lives. His concern led to chastisement, which led to their repentance. He highlights the fact that their godly sorrow produced truthfulness, honesty, a desire to get right with God, and deep concern over what they’d been doing.
Sorrow—in everyday terms, sadness and regret—is an unavoidable part of life. The question for God’s man is this: how will we respond when sorrow hits us? How will we react when the conviction of the Holy Spirit falls on us after we stray? When we run, hide, or otherwise sidestep the truth, it leads to what God calls “death”—the death of our desire to please God, and the death of our spirit itself.
Make no mistake, the inevitability of sorrow means we walk on a razor’s edge between allowing it to drag us down into the pit of despair and denial, or surrendering to God’s process, which is to heal us, renew us, and redeem us.
Don’t let Satan suck you down into the pit of worldly sorrow—practice the attributes of responding to life’s difficulties with godly sorrow:
Acknowledge when you have sinned, and come before His throne;
Keep short accounts in your relationships, and when problems arise, swiftly work to repair the damage;
Ask the Holy Spirit to filter the troubles and trauma that come at you through His lens, rather than the world’s. All of us will encounter sorrow—it’s just a matter of when and how. The only choice we have is how will we respond when sorrow comes.
Father, help me to take my failures and troubles to You, and may You use godly sorrow to redeem and restore me.
Enoch walked faithfully with God. Genesis 5:24
Today’s Scripture
Today’s Insights
The metaphor of walking with God is a prominent theme in the Bible. Walking describes a life of obedience and submission to His instruction. Genesis 5 says that “Enoch walked faithfully with God” (vv. 22, 24). This imagery is also used throughout the book of Deuteronomy to remind Israel to follow the law by walking in it (5:33; 8:6; 10:12; 11:22; 19:9; 26:17; 28:9; 30:16). In chapter 6, we see the explicit origin of this idea. Verses 4-9 are referred to as the Shema, which means “hear,” the first word in this section of Scripture: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (v. 4). In the Shema, Israel is encouraged to make God’s law central to everything they do. Observant Jews today still recite this prayer daily. Other examples of walking imagery appear in the Psalms (see 1, 15, 119, 128) and in the New Testament (see Colossians 3:7; 1 John 1:7; 2 John 1:6).
Today’s Devotional
For years, fitness experts have stressed the importance of running for cardiovascular health. But recent scientific studies have demonstrated that daily walking also has a range of health benefits. According to the US National Institute of Health, “Adults who took 8,000 or more steps a day had a reduced risk of death over the following decade than those who walked only 4,000 steps a day.” Walking is good for us.
Throughout the story of the Bible, walking is used as a metaphor for communing with God. In Genesis 3, we’re told how God walked with Adam and Eve “in the cool of the day” (v. 8). Genesis 5 shares the story of Enoch, who “walked faithfully with God 300 years” (v. 22). One day Enoch’s regular time spent with his Creator led to him being taken directly to be with God (v. 24). In Genesis 17, God invited Abram to “walk before” Him as He renewed His covenant with him (v. 1). And Jacob, near the end of his life, described God as his shepherd and spoke of his ancestors who had “walked faithfully” (48:15). In the New Testament, Paul instructed us to “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16).
Like Enoch and the patriarchs in Genesis, we can walk with God daily. We do so by surrendering our lives to Jesus and being guided by the Holy Spirit. That’s the path to true health.
How’s your walk?
Reflect & Pray
How would you describe “walking with God”? Today, as you reflect on Scripture, how will you follow and obey it?
Father, please forgive me when I’ve chosen not to walk with You but pursued my own agenda. Help me keep in step with You.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them.
Psalm 139:16 (AMPC)
Be determined to enjoy the abundant life that Jesus Christ desires for you to have. The devil will always try to set you up to get upset. The busy activities of today’s society can make life seem like a blur. Most people have a lot of stress, continuous pressure, and really too much to do.
Set priorities. Start your day with God. Be determined to follow His lead all day, and you will enjoy every day of your life—not just on weekends, vacations, or sunny days when the weather’s perfect. Walking with God will give you pleasure and relaxation even when things aren’t going your way.
Prayer of the Day: Father, I am so very grateful that Jesus came that I might have abundant life. When the day is stressful and my joy feels low, help me to remember that You have promised I can enjoy my life. Thank You for the joy, peace, and security I find in You.
DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION 