As for the saints (godly people) who are in the land, they are the majestic and the noble and the excellent ones in whom is all my delight.

Psalm 16:3 (AMP)

David writes about godly people in today’s scripture, describing them as the majestic and the noble and the excellent ones. If we want to live up to this description, we begin in the mind. A noble and excellent life starts with noble, excellent thoughts. Paul echoes this idea in Philippians 4:8: Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s Word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart] (AMP).

God has called all of us to be excellent in all we do. In this way, we represent Him well to the people around us. Examine your thoughts today and embrace only the ones that are excellent.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me to think excellent thoughts so I can live an excellent life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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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 (NIV)

Do you have a friendship with God? I pray that you do, for that is God’s desire! Yes, He wants to be your friend! We may see God in many different ways. Perhaps as a Father, a Master, our Lord, our Helper—and He is all of these things, but He uses the term “friend” as a way of saying that He desires a close and intimate relationship with each of us.

I think a lot about this invitation of friendship, and I’ve gathered all the biblical information I can about what that means and how to develop it. I like the thought of “doing life with God.” We should involve Him by inviting Him into all that we do and developing a conversational relationship with Him. God wants to talk to you, and He will talk back. He speaks to us in many ways and through many different avenues, but He does speak, and we should expect Him to. How can we possibly be the friend of God if we don’t have conversation?

The Bible is filled with records of people who prayed, and it is also filled with numerous accounts of God speaking to His people. Jesus said that His sheep know and hear His voice (John 10:27). We learn to hear from God by studying His Word and by experience. I encourage you not only to talk to Him about everything, but to learn to listen and expect Him to speak to you.

God is your friend, and He has promised to be with you always, until the end of time! You are never alone!

Prayer of the Day: My God and my Friend, thank You for inviting me into a close friendship with You. Help me and guide me into a deep, personal, and intimate relationship with You. Teach me what it means to be Your friend and help me grow in this friendship each day. Draw me closer to You, help me know You more deeply, and teach me to love You more fully, amen.

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And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

Matthew 24:12 (NKJV)

Today’s scripture comes from a passage in which Jesus is talking about signs of the end times. Some may be familiar to us, such as wars and rumors of wars…famines, pestilences, and earthquakes (Matthew 24:6–7 NKJV). But He also says that the love of many will grow cold (v. 12 NKJV) because of lawlessness and wickedness on earth.

The pressures of rampant evil, difficult circumstances, and frightening situations, and the stress of living under such tumult produce an atmosphere charged with strife and trouble. This causes us to turn inward, trying to protect ourselves and solve the problems that affect us. It also makes it easy to allow ourselves to become hard-hearted and ignore Jesus’ instruction to Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13:34 NIV).

When love grows cold, negative emotions take over. We become angry, resentful, jealous, suspicious, fearful, and susceptible to other negative feelings. We become self-focused rather than focused on how we can help the people around us.

In many verses of Scripture, we read that we are to love other people. Loving one another is one way the world will know we are Christians (John 13:35).

In the midst of a wicked and stressful world, let’s be sure to keep our love relationship with God strong. That will not only help us, but it will also empower us to keep our hearts tender and our love warm for others. When love is warm, we feel peace and joy, and we can share that peace and joy with others. This is what the world needs.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, no matter what happens in the world around me, help me keep my heart from growing cold and help me stay stirred up in my love for others.

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I have set watchmen upon your walls, O Jerusalem, who will never hold their peace day or night; you who [are His servants and by your prayers] put the Lord in remembrance [of His promises], keep not silence.

Isaiah 62:6 (AMPC)

Today’s verse instructs us to remind God of the promises He has made to us, and one of the best ways to do that is to pray His Word back to Him.

God’s Word is extremely valuable to Him and should be to us as well. After all, He speaks to us clearly through His Word, and it is a trustworthy way to hear His voice. In fact, the Amplified Bible renders Psalm 138:2 as I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name! This verse indicates that God magnifies His Word even above His name. If He honors it to that extent, we need to make a priority out of knowing the Word, studying the Word, loving the Word, getting the Word deeply rooted in our hearts, esteeming the Word more highly than anything else, and incorporating the Word in our prayers.

When we honor the Word and commit ourselves to it as I have just described, we are “abiding” in it (John 15:7). Abiding in the Word and allowing the Word to abide in us are directly related to confidence in prayer and to having our prayers answered. When we pray the Word of God, we are less likely to pray for things that are not God’s will for us. Jesus Christ is the living Word (John 1:1–4), and as we abide in the Word, we abide in Him—and that brings unspeakable power to our prayers.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me to be fully confident when I pray. I’ll need Your help as I learn to pray Your Word back to You, reminding You of Your promises. I want to walk in wisdom and obedience in everything I do, amen.

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For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

Romans 7:19-20 (NIV)

We have everything we need to live the life God wants us to live (2 Peter 1:3), but we must learn to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Once we are born again, we may sometimes feel we are two people, and at times we do what we don’t want to do—and we don’t do what we do want to do. We see in today’s scripture that this also happened to the apostle Paul, and we know there is hope for us. Even after we become Christians, we can still do the wrong things we have always done, but the good news is that we also have the ability to do the right things, and the Holy Spirit will help us. We are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:6 NIV).

Galatians 5:16 does not say “Try not to walk in the flesh so you can walk in the Spirit,” which is what most of us do. It says that if we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. In other words, if we focus on doing the right things, there will be no room for the wrong things. When we focus on the positive, we will have victory. In relationships, if we focus on everything we find wrong with the other person, we will not be able to love them. But if we focus on what is good in them, we will soon pay little attention to what we don’t like as much.

Prayer of the Day: Holy Spirit, help me focus on walking with You and to focus on Your Spirit, rather than the struggle. Thank You for giving me the power to do what’s right today and every day, amen.

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Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!

Philippians 4:4 (AMP)

Many serious things are going on in this world, and we need to be aware of them and prepared for them. But at the same time, because of the Spirit of God in our lives, we can learn to relax and take things as they come without getting nervous and upset about them. Thankfully, with God’s help, we can learn how to enjoy the good life He has provided for us through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. We do not need to worry or be afraid. God is in control!

Twice in Philippians 4:4–7, the apostle Paul tells us to rejoice. He urges us not to fret or have any anxiety about anything but to pray and give thanks to God—not after every difficulty is over, but in everything.

In spite of all the troubling things going on around us, we can maintain positive, joyful attitudes. Our daily confession can be based on Psalm 118:24 (AMP): This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Prayer of the Day: God, no matter what challenges I face today, I thank You that I can rejoice and be glad. Thank You that my joy is not found in my circumstances—my joy is found in You. Help me keep this joyful attitude in everything and at all times, amen.

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He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.

Isaiah 40:29 (NKJV)

Do these words sound familiar to you? Powerless. Defenseless. Helpless. Hopeless. Maybe they are familiar because they describe ways you have felt in the past or ways you feel right now. Anyone who has been abused, wounded, or victimized may know exactly how these emotions feel.

The good news is that even if these words describe you today, they do not have to define you in the future. When you ask God to heal your soul and you follow as He leads, you move from being powerless to being powerful, from being defenseless to realizing that God is on your side, from being helpless to having the Helper, the Holy Spirit, living in you, and from being hopeless to being filled with hope and faith. As He heals you, you walk out of sorrow into joy and out of weakness into strength. You exchange every negative thing you have suffered for all the good things God has for you.

You are not weak and helpless, and there are things you can do to protect yourself against further hurt and damage to your soul. Choose your companions in life wisely and confront people who treat you cruelly and disrespectfully.

In some cases, abuse is so severe and abusers are so dangerous that the best course of action is to get away from them. People who abuse others because they are bullies, though, will often back down when confronted. In fact, they typically do not respect people who meekly accept or submit to their bad behavior. Although standing up to them may be difficult at first, it is usually the only way they will stop abusing. Many of them secretly wish someone would challenge them and stand up to them.

When we choose to stand up to people who bully or abuse us, we should do so after praying and seeking God for the right time, the right place, and the way we are to deal with them. We should certainly use wisdom and also decide in advance that we will behave in godly ways, no matter how ungodly the other person may act.

The only way we will know how to handle this kind of situation properly is to rely on God to guide us and to be obedient to what He teaches us. I had to learn to stand up for myself, and although it was difficult to do, it was worth it. I urge you not to give in to the fear that might be trying to hold you back. God will give you the courage and strength to do what He guides you to do.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, heal my soul and give me courage to stand against abuse. Help me exchange weakness for Your strength and walk in obedience to You, amen.

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Adapted from Battlefield of the Mind

He said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus. But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]! Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat knelt and worshiped Him, saying, Truly You are the Son of God!

Matthew 14:29-33 (AMPC)

Let’s take a closer look at this story. Peter believed and stepped out, and then doubt filled his mind, and he started to sink. His rational mind reminded him that people can’t walk on water. As soon as his mind turned from the spiritual and supernatural, he failed.

Jesus had already said, Take courage . . . Stop being afraid! (v. 27 AMPC). Those few words were meant to assure the disciples that both the presence and power of Jesus were there to take care of them. Yet only one man responded—one out of twelve.

Peter stepped out and started walking toward the Master . . . then he faltered. He focused on the storm instead of the presence of Jesus, who was only a few feet away from him. As soon as he diverted his attention, doubt and unbelief pressed in on him.

I’ve often wondered if his feet slowly sank into the water or if he instantly plunged downward. The Bible account doesn’t give us that information, but it does tell us Jesus’ response. He grabbed Peter and saved him from the waves, the wind, and the storm.

Even that’s not the end of the story. After Jesus and Peter climbed into the boat, another miracle took place: The storm ceased. It’s easy to spiritualize this incident and point out that whenever Jesus is with us, the storms of life cease and peace fills our hearts. That is true, but this was a real storm, not a figurative or spiritual one, and the winds instantly stopped.

Matthew makes a point of telling us what happened after the storm. During the storm, Peter exercised faith. He believed and he proved it. The others watched and listened, but there was no response from them.

I believe they were still so scared that they hadn’t even moved. They heard Jesus’ voice telling them not to be afraid, but still they didn’t do anything. No one else moved or spoke a word.

Verse 33 (AMPC) tells us that after the storm, the other disciples knelt and worshiped Jesus. I would certainly hope so! Look at the miracles they witnessed. The storm came, the winds blew, and Jesus came to them, walking on the water. He tried to calm their fears by saying, Stop being afraid, but they were not ready to hear Him. Only after Peter exhibited his faith and Jesus calmed the storm were they able to say, Truly You are the Son of God! I’m glad they were able to say those words—finally. It shows that the message got through. But what took so long? How much proof did they need before they were ready to worship?

How much proof do you need of Jesus’ love and presence in your life?

Prayer of the Day: Lord Jesus, sometimes I’m like one of the fearful disciples, requiring all kinds of proof before I can believe You. How many miracles do I need to see before I can call You the Son of God? Help me to be more like Peter, ready and willing to walk with You in any and all storms of life. Thank You for loving me and encouraging me to follow You in faith, amen.

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Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.

Matthew 7:13-14 (The Message)

Many people are trapped in a mediocre lifestyle. They seem to lack personal motivation, so they are easy targets for those who promise an easy way to success that requires little effort on their part. They do just enough to get by, but they never go the extra mile.

Living that kind of life is a poor substitute for the real rewards in life that can only be found in being a person of excellence, which was God’s plan for you from the beginning.

Learn the truth about God’s good plan for your life and vigorously pursue it. You will sense a wonderful fulfillment, and the fruit of your life will be abundant and bring glory to God.

Prayer of the Day: God, help me reject the easy way and vigorously pursue the excellent life You planned for me. Let my life bear fruit that brings You glory, amen.

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He who honors those who fear the Lord (who revere and worship Him); who swears to his own hurt and does not change; [he who] does not put out his money for interest [to one of his own people] and who will not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.

Psalm 15:4-5 (AMPC)

There are times when I make a commitment to do something that later I regret. Then I try to figure out some way to get out of doing what I said I would do. I argue, “God, surely You don’t want me to do this thing and miss this other great opportunity.”

The only thing the Lord ever says to me is, “You gave your word, Joyce. Be a woman of integrity, and I will bless you.” If we are people of integrity, God will bring other good opportunities around another time with even more blessings.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me keep my word even when it costs me. Make me a person of integrity, trusting You to bring greater blessings in Your time, amen.

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[Therefore, I do not treat God’s gracious gift as something of minor importance and defeat its very purpose]; I do not set aside and invalidate and frustrate and nullify the grace (unmerited favor) of God . . .

Galatians 2:21 (AMPC)

I know what frustration is like because I spent many years living a frustrated life. I knew who God was, but I knew very little of His grace and how to live in close relationship to Him. I have since learned that when I get frustrated, it’s almost always because I am trying to make something happen in my own strength instead of waiting on the Lord to make it happen. If I am frustrated, it is a sign that I am acting independently instead of relying on Him and receiving His grace.

Are you frustrated? In your relationships? In your career? In your walk with the Lord? Are you wrestling with an area of your personality that is causing you problems, or is there a specific habit in your life that you can’t break?

Frustration comes from trying to do something you cannot do on your own. God is the only One who can make things happen for you in your life. You will be frustrated if you try to do things without Him. But the minute you say, “Lord, I can’t do this on my own, so I turn it over to You. I am willing to do anything You ask me to do, but I will need Your grace (power) in order to do it”—when you sincerely pray that prayer, you will begin to enjoy the rest of God.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I can’t do this on my own, so I turn it over to You. Help me stop striving in my own strength and rest in Your grace, amen.

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I said, I will take heed and guard my ways, that I may sin not with my tongue; I will muzzle my mouth as with a bridle while the wicked are before me.

Psalm 39:1 (AMPC)

The psalmist David prayed a lot about his words. He said, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14 AMPC). Set a guard, O Lord, before my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips (Psalm 141:3 AMPC). We can see from these scriptures that David was determined not to sin with his tongue, but at the same time, he relied on God for strength to follow through.

One of the things we should ask God each day is to help us speak right things. Our words are very important, and they should be used for God’s purpose. We should desire to be mouthpieces for God, speaking His Word faithfully.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me guard my mouth and tame my tongue. Give me strength to speak words that please You and honor Your Word, amen.

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Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.

Psalm 103:1–3 (NKJV)

It is important that we do not forget all the benefits with which the Lord blesses us. Praise Him for them regularly and thank Him often. Even in the midst of other activities, we can praise God in our innermost being, thanking Him for everything He does for us.

He forgives all our sins, and that is marvelous. He also heals all our diseases. This does not mean that He heals all of them miraculously, but I do believe that all healing comes from God. God still does miracles today, but He also uses medical technology and medicine, which I believe He gave human beings the wisdom to create.

Sometimes we pray for healing, and it comes quickly. At other times it takes much longer than we would like. In December 2017, I became very sick. I was diagnosed with severe adrenal fatigue and told to rest for 18 months. The recovery actually took longer than 18 months, but thankfully I now feel very well. Over the years, God has healed me from many different things, and I trust Him for healing no matter how long it takes or how it comes.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I believe You are the Creator of all healing, and I trust You for healing. I am grateful that You forgive all my sins, and I praise and thank You.

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…There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24 (ESV)

The title of today’s devotion may seem like a strange question. I ask it because I think many people are not comfortable in an intimate relationship with God. They may approach Him as one who is far away in heaven, and they may not feel they are worthy of intimacy with Him. God referred to Abraham as His friend (Isaiah 41:8), and He spoke to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend (Exodus 33:11 ESV). These people were not perfect. They made mistakes just as you and I do, but they had an intimate relationship with God.

I encourage you to be comfortable talking with God about anything. After all, He already knows everything about you, and He loves and accepts you unconditionally.

The more open you are with God concerning everything in your life, the closer to Him you will feel. I believe God is calling you closer, and I pray that you will enter into His presence knowing that you are welcome there.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I want to be as close to You as I can be. Help me not to be ashamed or to feel uncomfortable in any way in Your presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth!

Revelation 3:16 (AMPC)

When our relationship with Jesus is new, it is often filled with passion and enthusiasm, but it is possible as time goes by to let it become commonplace and dull. That is a serious mistake!

We should keep ourselves stirred up and not allow ourselves to become so familiar with the amazing things that God does for us that we are no longer enthusiastic about them. Once I recall asking God, “Why don’t You do the exciting things in my life that You once did?” and He said, “I still do the same things, but you have become accustomed to them and are no longer amazed!” Let’s not be lukewarm but instead let’s keep our passion for Jesus.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, please don’t let familiarity steal my passion for You, because I definitely want to be intimately familiar with You. Help me stay amazed by the amazing work You are doing in my life and keep my enthusiasm for You burning bright, amen.

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You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Exodus 20:17 (NIV)

When you read today’s scripture, you may think, “My neighbor doesn’t have an ox or a donkey!” But the point of this verse, which is one of the Ten Commandments, is not as much about oxen or donkeys as it is about being happy with what we have instead of jealous of what others have.

Jealousy is a dangerous emotion. It makes us miserable on the inside and can do great damage to our relationships with the people around us. It can also have a negative impact on our health as well as on our relationship with God.

When we are jealous of others because of what they own—their houses, cars, jewelry, clothes, or other possessions—it is usually because we are unhappy with what we have (or don’t have). For example, someone who speaks badly of a person’s nice new car—commenting that it’s too expensive or that the owner must be frivolous or foolish—may really be saying, “I’m not happy with my car. I want your car.” The same can happen with houses, clothes, and talents other people have as well as other areas of life.

Have you ever heard about a blessing someone else received and thought, When is that going to happen to me? Instead of being unhappy or jealous when God blesses someone with something you would like to have, you can train your mind and emotions to be happy for them. You can let their blessing be an encouragement to you, believing that what God did for someone else, He can also do for you.

Prayer of the Day: Next time I am tempted to be jealous, Lord, remind me to be encouraged by the ways You bless other people, knowing that You will also bless me in the way that is best for me, according to Your perfect timing.

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God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth (reality).

John 4:24 (AMPC)

We communicate with God through our spirit. Jesus said in our verse for today that we must worship God in spirit and in truth. Being totally and completely truthful with God is one of the ways we can develop intimacy with Him. He knows everything about us anyway, so there is no reason to not be totally honest with Him.

Tell Him how you feel, what you have done wrong, and what your desires are. Talk to God honestly as you would a good, trusted friend. There are times when I know God wants me to do a thing and I tell Him honestly that I don’t want to do it, but that I will do it in obedience to Him and because I love Him. Pretense and a close relationship with God will not work. A friend of mine once told me that although she knew she should give financially into the kingdom of God that truthfully she did not want to. She was honest with God and told Him, “I will do it, but I don’t really want to, so I am asking you to give me a desire to give.” This woman eventually became very generous and did it with joy. Only the truth will make us free (John 8:32). God’s Word is truth. He says what He means and means what He says.

When we do something wrong we must be totally honest with God about it. Call sin what it is. If you were greedy, call it greed. If you were jealous, call it jealousy. If you lied, call it a lie. Ask God for forgiveness and receive it by faith. When we worship God, we must do so from the spirit and do it with all truth, sincerity, and honesty. If we feel a friend is being untruthful, we often say, “Get real,” meaning that we are asking them to stop pretending and just be honest. I think God wants the same thing from us.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me worship You in spirit and truth. I need You to teach me and show me how to be completely honest with You about my heart, my struggles, and my desires. Thank You for helping me, amen.

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For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:15–16 (NKJV)

When we know we have sinned, we often feel we don’t have the right to ask God for anything. If we do ask Him for something, we ask sheepishly or we don’t ask for much. It is wonderful to know that Jesus understands us and our weaknesses, and He doesn’t reject us because of them. It is hard for us to imagine Jesus being tempted in all the same ways we are, but He was, although He never sinned.

According to today’s Scripture verses, we are to go boldly to God’s throne and ask for what we want and need, and He will hear and answer our prayer. He doesn’t answer us because we are good, but because He is good. When we pray in Jesus’ name, we are presenting to God all that Jesus is, not all that we are. I urge you to start praying more boldly than ever before because God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV).

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for inviting me to come boldly to Your throne despite my weaknesses and my many faults. Please help me pray with confidence, and to trust Your goodness, rather than my own, amen.

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Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him].

John 3:18 (AMP)

The enemy often opposes you most when God is preparing something significant in your life. As a result, he will pull out all the stops to distract you or make you doubt God’s plan. Rejection is one of the ways the enemy will do this. If you’ve ever been turned down for a date, denied a home loan, dismissed when you’ve offered an idea, or excluded from a friend’s party, you know the pain of rejection.

Rejection is so difficult. It can make us feel disappointed, ashamed, angry, or unworthy. But we don’t have to stay there! The enemy often uses rejection to discourage us and keep us from stepping confidently into God’s plan. But when we renew our minds with truth—like John 3:18 and Ephesians 1:6—we remember that in Christ, we are never rejected but fully accepted in the Beloved!

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me overcome rejection when it happens to me. Help me always believe the best of people and not assume they are rejecting me when that might not be the case at all. Let me be more concerned about how I am treating others than I am about how they are treating me, amen.

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The LORD our God said to us in Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey…”

Deuteronomy 1:6-7 (ESV)

The Israelites spent 40 years making a journey that should have taken them only 11 days. They kept going around and around the same old mountains but never making any progress. Do you ever feel like you are doing that? Do you keep coming up against the same problems over and over and just don’t seem to know how to get past them? In Horeb, God had spoken to them: You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey (Deut. 1:6–7 ESV). Then He went on to say, See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore to your fathers (Deut. 1:8 ESV). I think God is telling us that it is time to press forward and start enjoying the good life He has for us.

One thing that can happen when our soul is wounded is that we can get stuck in life. We can become discouraged about ourselves and about the future. We can easily end up simply trying to survive each day. But that is not the way God wants us to think! He wants us to think about the fact that He wants to heal us and make us strong and whole—and that He has great plans for our future. He wants you to be full of hope, expecting good things to happen to you.

The truth is that God always has new and better things ahead for you. The reason the Israelites made no progress for so long is that they had what I call a “wilderness mentality”—certain mindsets and ways of thinking that kept them from moving into God’s promises and the future He had for them. Examples of the kind of wilderness mentality you might struggle with include: “God loves everyone else more than He loves me.” “My past will always be a problem for me.” Or, “My dreams will never come true.” Any negative, doubt-filled thoughts in your mind will keep you stuck right where you are.

Have you “stayed long enough” at a certain place in your life? Maybe it is a place of abuse or betrayal or deep disappointment. It could be anything that has caused you to feel like you can’t move forward or like your life is going nowhere.

It’s time to renew your mind according to God’s Word (Rom. 12:2) and make a decision to choose your thoughts carefully. Think in ways that agree with God’s Word, which says His plans for you are good and will give you hope for your future (Jer. 29:11). Let me encourage you to decide today that you have stayed long enough in the same place. Take God’s advice to the Israelites, and “turn and take your journey.” Leave your wilderness and wilderness mentalities behind and move toward the great things God has ahead for you.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I refuse to stay stuck any longer. Renew my mind, heal my soul, and help me move forward into the good plans and hopeful future You have prepared for me. You are so good to me and I love You, amen.

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