Devotions

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God’s Will for You Is Not a Multiple-Choice Test
April 10, 2025
by Abby McDonald

“Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’” John 14:5 (NIV)

I was lost and in the middle of a lake. Easing my grip off the throttle, I let the jet ski come to a stop and looked at the islands around me. The problem was they all looked the same. Saying a prayer and giving my best guess about our dock’s location, I headed left.  Seconds later, I heard a voice behind me. From the passenger seat, my teenage son said, “Where are you going? You need to go right.” 

At that moment, I realized he was a better navigator on the open lake. We entered the no-wake zone several minutes later, and I breathed a sigh of relief.  Reflecting on this experience reminds me of seasons of life when I felt lost, wondering which way to turn. I longed for God to give me a sign to tell me I was headed in the right direction. I envisioned God’s will as something like a multiple-choice test: If I didn’t pick the right answer, I would end up in unfixable turmoil.  But as I learned more about God through His Word, I discovered He is for me. And when someone is for you, they want you to flourish.  In today’s key Bible verse, Jesus had just given His disciples some confusing news. Not only was He going to die, resurrect and go to heaven, but He would later return to take them with Him. He told them that He would prepare a place for them and that they would know how to get there. But Thomas understandably said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (John 14:5).

It seems like a pretty logical question, right? Like many of us, Thomas wanted a clear path. God, just give me a map to get there, and we’ll be good! Specific directions make us feel safe, as though the outcome is guaranteed. But, friends, Jesus is our guarantee.  Jesus confronted Thomas’ limiting belief with one simple statement: “I am the way …” (John 14:6a, NIV). 

The way isn’t found by picking A, B or C. Jesus Himself is it. He is the path we long for.

As we surrender our need for a road map, we find freedom in the One who holds all our tomorrows in His hand.

What does this surrender look like? It can look like trading our black-and-white answers for knowledge of God’s character and His Word. It can look like laying down our need for another sign and instead trusting the direction He’s given us.  Friend, Jesus says His sheep know His voice (John 10:27-28). Let’s claim this truth and live like children who know it.

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Leaving Behind the Broken Past
April 11, 2025
by Karen Wingate 

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13b-14 (NIV)

I froze in horror at the sound of breaking glass. When my husband put away a dish in our China cabinet, the top shelf, which held an array of heirloom serving dishes, crashed into the shelves below. My husband was not hurt, but shards of glass lay everywhere.  We catapulted into cleanup mode, but I was devastated. The dishes were beyond repair or replacement one had shattered into mere crumbs. Sweeping family memories into my dustpan, I wanted to weep as if in mourning.  But then I remembered I had a business video meeting that started soon. I had to hand the dustpan to my husband and walk away.  One of the most bitter moments of life is when something you treasure is gone forever. A sports injury permanently alters an active lifestyle. A cancer diagnosis prohibits childbearing. We lose a perfect job or ministry. When dreams shatter into crumbs, the loss can paralyze and numb us to new desires. But life moves forward, and we half-heartedly move along because we must.  Is it possible to put the past behind us?

The Apostle Paul told his friends in Philippi, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13b-14).

Paul moved past his past because he recognized that God’s eternal purposes for him in Christ were more important than his Jewish heritage or “heirloom” moments listed in Philippians 3:3-6. He embraced the new season God had waiting for him.  So how do we move forward when life feels all but over? The Bible clarifies how we can reclaim hope for the future:

1. Look for replacements with eternal value. Elsewhere, Paul encourages us to “set [our] hearts on things above, where Christ is” (Colossians 3:1, NIV). Centering our focus on aspirations with enduring purpose makes it easier to release the things that don’t last.
   
2. Fix our eyes on Jesus. Jesus endured the pain of earthly life and death on the cross because He had a greater goal in mind our salvation (Hebrews 12:2). Ask God what His greater goal is for you.
   
3. Be reassured God’s plans for us are good. You can trust God’s goodness and wisdom when you move forward. He wants the very best for you (Jeremiah 29:11).Confidence that God can remake the past empowers us to walk away from our shattered dreams even if, right now, it doesn’t make sense and is oh so hard. Letting go of the past frees our hands to grasp the future God has in store.
   

Do you stand over the shards of shattered hope? 

As you step forward in faith, ask God to show you what He has waiting for you.

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Jesus, May You Find Me Always Waving My Palm Branch for You
April 13, 2025
[url=https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/our-writers/jennifer-dukes-lee]by Jennifer Dukes Lee

“‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, ‘Who is this?’ And the crowds said, ‘This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.’” Matthew 21:9b-11 (ESV)

Editor’s Note: Today’s devotion is part of our Holy Week series! Journey with us as we experience the power of Jesus’ love, remember His sacrifice, and walk in the victory of His resurrection. We pray this series prepares your heart for the joy of Easter. Subscribe now.

On Palm Sunday mornings when I was young, the children at my church walked through the aisles waving palm branches in honor of Jesus. I imagined myself among the crowd that welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem, shouting, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9b).

Still, even as a kid, I sensed the celebration was short-lived. In my young heart, I thought, I want to stay here on the streets with the palm branches where everyone is cheering for Jesus!  But that long-ago parade didn’t stop on the streets. It led to the cross. The triumphant “Hosannas” would fade into the angry shouts of “Crucify him!” (Matthew 27:22-23, NIV).

As an adult, I still wave palm branches at church on Palm Sunday mornings. When I do, my heart holds two emotions at once: joy and sorrow.  Joy because I understand what Jesus did for me. Sorrow because I’m aware that He knew the cost.  That’s what breaks my heart: Jesus knew.  Even as the palm branches crunched under the feet of the donkey He was riding, He knew where this parade was headed. He knew who’d betray Him and who’d deny Him. He knew Sunday’s palm-waving fans would scatter by Friday. He knew what pain and suffering awaited Him.  And still He went.  Jesus had determined from the beginning that He would love us to His death so we could be given true life.

The magnitude of Jesus’ sacrifice is incomprehensible. The depth of His love is incomparable. And the breadth of His goodness makes Him absolutely irresistible.

When He entered Jerusalem that day, everyone asked, “‘Who is this?’ And the crowds said, ‘This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee’” (Matthew 21:10-11).

How do we answer that question today: Who is Jesus?  

I answer with all my heart:
You are my Savior that’s who You are.
You are my Friend, my Redeemer, and the reason my life has meaning.
You are my purpose, my passion and my pathway to peace.
You are the one true King.

This Palm Sunday, I lay down my palm branches on a different kind of road the road that leads to my heart. I need Jesus to work in my heart every single day as He continues to change me from the inside out. I don’t want to be counted among those who denied Him, betrayed Him or hid when the stakes were high. I want to love Him at all costs. May Jesus always see my branch waving high for Him alone.

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Devotions
Learning How To Sit and Remain
April 19, 2025
by Kia Stephens

“Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.” Matthew 27:61 (NIV)

Editor’s Note: Today’s devotion is part of our Holy Week series! Journey with us as we experience the power of Jesus’ love, remember His sacrifice, and walk in the victory of His resurrection. We pray this series prepares your heart for the joy of Easter. Subscribe now.

On Silent Saturday, Jesus was dead and buried. The finality of this moment must have overwhelmed the disciples. They were sandwiched between the intensity of Jesus’ death and the doubt of His resurrection. Everything was silent and still, and they were likely unsure what to do next. This moment reminds me of an experience I had with silence.  “Your assignment is to ask God what He wants you to know and then write it down.” 

This was the homework from my therapist. She wanted me to sit in silence with a pen and paper until God responded.  What?

I was uneasy immediately. Usually, I did all the talking when I spent time in prayer. Not to mention that I’ve never been the most patient person in the world. Exactly how long was I supposed to stay on my knees waiting for Him to speak?

Despite my apprehension, I obliged her request. Initially, I was able to tolerate the stillness for about five minutes. The next time, I fell asleep on the floor. The third attempt was met with more sitting, restlessness and silence. Day after day I sat, questioning whether the thoughts in my head were from me or the Holy Spirit.  I wanted this exercise to be quick something I could check off my to-do list. But this task was not to be rushed. It required me to sit and remain.  After Jesus’ death, we see Mary Magdalene’s willingness to be still. Once Jesus was crucified, Joseph of Arimathea asked for His body. He wrapped Jesus’ body in clean linen cloth and placed Him in a new tomb. Then Matthew 27:61 says, “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.”

Whether they were weeping or in a state of shock, they remained devoted to Jesus equally in life and death.  There was nothing Mary Magdalene wanted from Him, yet she chose to sit in the presence of her Savior. What Christ had already done was enough for her to love Him. In Luke 8:1-3, we learn Jesus had cast seven demons out of her. As a result, Mary Magdalene devoted her life to following Jesus wherever He went, even to His grave.  Mary Magdalene was faithful in the stillness. The uncertainty of tomorrow was not her concern. She simply sat mourning at the grave of her Lord.  This type of stillness is a lesson I learned several months after my therapist-assigned homework. While writing in my journal, I suddenly realized God had been answering my question throughout the year. He had given me revelation and insight regarding specific areas of my life.  I assumed His response would be immediate, not realizing it would be in His timing. Maybe God was waiting on the posture of my heart to mirror Mary Magdalene's: one of longing to sit and remain in the presence of our Savior.

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When You Need a Faithful Father
April 22, 2025
by Lynn Cowell

“How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 36:7 (NLT)

What comes to your mind when I say the word “father”?

At one time, I would have responded with two words: “provider” and “distant.” That’s how I’d describe my dad. He was a consistent father, working hard to provide for me and my seven siblings. But working so much left him unable to be an attentive dad like I needed and maybe he wanted.  As I grew up, this concept of fatherhood transferred to how I pictured my heavenly Father. While I chose to trust Jesus as my Savior, I didn’t know God as the loving, flawless Father He is. Thankfully, scriptures like today's key verse helped me understand Him:

“How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 36:7).

The deepest love began filling the emptiness of my heart. I could see God had all the time in the world, and He had time for me. He wasn’t bothered by me, and I didn’t have to be at my best when I came to Him!  Jesus tells us that when we see Him, we also see the Father (John 14:9). In Mark 10, Jesus surrounded Himself with little children, tenderly modeling His Father’s kind, nurturing, vulnerable and present love. Sometimes children can be messy or germy with runny noses but if these children were, Jesus wasn’t bothered. “And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them” (Mark 10:16, NIV).

Psalm 139:5 similarly says, “You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head” (NLT). 

This is the tender, compassionate and attentive love I wanted to know more deeply. Seeking out scriptures that showed this fatherly heart of God created a desire to be near Him. As I drew close, God’s fatherly love began healing my heart wounds.  UUnderstanding the whole heart of God began filling the hole in my heart. When I saw Him not as a magnifying glass constantly looking for my wrongs but as Love Himself, it set my heart free. I saw my Abba Father (Mark 14:36) as trustworthy for my today and my future.  As you learn more about Father God and draw near to Him, you’ll find He is more kind and loving than you ever imagined. Soaking in His Scriptures can correct any misconceptions you and I may have of what a father is.  Does this mean He gives us everything we want? 

Not exactly. A good Father only gives what He knows is best for His child (James 1:17). He does give us unconditional love both when we get things right and even when we sin. This is the fatherly heart of God, whose love is flowing continually toward you and me, perfect and unrestricted.

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Holding On to God When Life Feels Messy and Unclear
April 24, 2025
by Ashley Morgan Jackson

“… Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” Genesis 32:28 (NIV)

“When God is doing a deep work, there is a lot you can’t explain. There’s a knowing yet no plan. There’s unshakable hope yet endless tears. There’s gratitude while learning grit. You don’t know what comes next, but you do know this: Whatever He is doing, you’ll never be the same.”

I wrote those words in the middle of a season that felt impossible. I felt God calling me away from a job I loved, yet I had no idea what came next. In the days after, I felt stuck and painfully uncertain. I held on to God with all I had, but His plans seemed hidden. I craved clarity, but all I had was the faint sense that He was still at work despite my panicked heart.  Maybe you’re in your own in-between season where God’s plan feels hard to grasp. And yet you’re determined to hold on to Him. These are the moments when we wrestle with Him.  When you wrestle with someone, it’s up close and personal. It’s messy and exhausting and demands all you have.  Consider the way God came to wrestle Jacob in Genesis 32. Jacob found himself stuck between leaving his past and stepping into God’s call for his future. God could have intervened in any way, but He chose to wrestle. For Jacob, this was an act of clinging to the One he struggled with while releasing the outcomes he had tried to control his whole life.  Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

But the wrestling itself wasn’t the point. After a long night of grappling, Jacob demanded a blessing and God gave it to him: “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome” (Genesis 32:28).

When the struggle ended, Jacob walked away with a limp but also with a new identity. Jacob wanted God to remove the challenge, but God wanted him to be changed.  Friend, your wrestling isn’t wasted. Like Jacob, your struggle will mark you not with defeat but with God’s transforming work. I know this because I’ve lived it.  The season that once left me feeling lost and unsure was the very place where God met me. I didn’t get the clarity I wanted, but I got something I needed: a deeper trust in Him. The wrestling was never about where I was going; it was about who I was becoming.  You may not know what comes next, but you can trust this: God’s not just working on your circumstances. He’s also working on you. Your struggle isn’t proof of God’s absence but a sign of His nearness. Hold on! When you come through this, you’ll see you were never alone.

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Do You Even Still Love Me, Lord?
April 29, 2025
by Tracie Miles


In the darkest hour of night, as shadows from the window splattered ominously across my bedroom walls, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
So many worries weighed heavily on my heart. Many loved ones were dealing with heartbreaking issues, none of which I could fix. Mistakes, shortcomings and sins of my own also threatened to steal my peace.  I began to pray, pouring out my concerns, desperate to hear from God the answers my soul longed for. But then I paused. Am I even worthy to be lifting up all these prayer requests?

I listed my wrongs one by one as they came to mind all those reasons I felt unworthy because that seemed like the right thing to do to prepare my heart to approach God. I was seeking His forgiveness. Right?

As I did so, I had another startling thought:  Do You even still love me, God?

I instantly began to lecture myself for thinking this. I know better. I know God’s promise of unconditional love is true. And I know what the Bible says about His forgiveness.  But still have you ever been there?

Wondering if God still loves you, despite everything?

Isaiah 54:10a reminds us of His unconditional love: “For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain.”

At the time this verse was written, God was angry at the Israelites because of their sin. He told Isaiah to prophesy about war and exile that would take place as discipline for their rebellion against God. However, God still loved them, despite their actions and choices. Even though the seemingly most stable and solid parts of the earth may fail, God's love for His people would be immovable because of His unwavering compassion.  After my night of questioning, eventually I dozed back off to sleep. When I woke up in the morning, I rolled out of bed and headed to the coffee maker. Waiting for it to brew, I turned to the spiral-bound calendar sitting on my counter and flipped the page over to the correct day’s date.  My heart skipped a beat.  The calendar includes faith-based encouragement, and the quote for that specific day read:  Remember today: The Lord loves you. He celebrates you, and He’s so glad you’re His.  A little tear formed in my eye. “Thank You, sweet Jesus, for telling me You love me in such a tangible way,” I whispered under my breath.

No matter your hardships, your shortcomings, your sins, mistakes or regrets … God still loves you. He celebrates you, and He’s so glad you are His too.  Ask God to reveal more of His love to you, and He will. It’s a prayer He delights to answer.

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Why Discipling Our Kids Starts With Delight
May 5, 2025
by Chris Ammen

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 (ESV)

As a longtime children’s pastor, I’ve rewritten our ministry’s curriculum many times, but one part has always remained the same. It’s a scripted conversation I have with every child who comes through our program, so I’ve logged well over 1,000 of these by now. Here’s how it goes I ask the child to tell me about a friend who likely doesn’t go to church or have a relationship with Jesus. What are they like? 

Why are they friends? What do they enjoy doing together?

Then I say: “Imagine you and your friend are hanging out one day, and they say, ‘You and your family are Christians. You believe in Jesus, read the Bible and go to church. How would I become a Christian?’” I ask the child, “What would you tell them?”

Ninety-five percent of children respond with something like this: “I would tell them they’re a sinner who needs to repent and receive the forgiveness God offers through His Son’s death on the cross.”

This is a good answer, but I believe it’s not a great answer for one simple reason: The gospel does not begin with sin. Instead, it begins with delight. How we begin when we talk about the gospel changes everything.  Many believe the gospel begins in Genesis 3: The serpent convinced Adam and Eve that God was not as good as they might have thought He was. The first couple fell prey to the lies, sin entered the world, and God cursed the serpent, saying One would come to crush his head. This is good news. But it is not great news if we ignore the two chapters before Genesis 3 and why Genesis was written in the first place.  Moses wrote Genesis to forever record the true story of God’s creation, covenant and faithfulness, which simultaneously corrected any false narratives ancient Israel encountered from the surrounding nations. What did these Israelites hear in Genesis 1-2?

Our God made all things. There are no little gods who made the stars, water and animals. One God, our God, made it all. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
Our God does not struggle. He creates by speaking. Nothing hinders Him.
Our God made us very good. We are the pinnacle of His creation.
Our God is the center of the story, not us.
Our God delights in us. We are not slaves.

The gospel begins with delight. This isn’t a creative reformulation of the gospel. It’s simply how God chose to tell the story. God’s story of good news does not begin with us. It begins with Him, with what He freely wants to do, not under compulsion or pressure from anyone or anything. It’s clear as day to any reader that God wants to both delight in us and have us know that we are His delight.

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Relax in Every Circumstance
May 6, 2025
by Tracie Braylock

“Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]” John 14:27 (AMP)

As an operating room nurse, I worked alongside a team that ensured that sterile surgical procedures took place. Before each procedure began, we searched for, identified and eliminated even the smallest impurities that could contaminate the sterile field.  This care and intention minimizes the risk of infection for the patient, protects the surgical staff from exposure to potential illness, and reduces complications so that patients can heal and recover quickly. But these techniques also make me wonder what it would look like if we applied the same attention to detail to keeping stress and worry from contaminating our lives. Could we scrub away our stress more effectively if we immediately called out to God (Psalm 118:5)?

What if we allowed ourselves to be vulnerable, sharing our pains and heartaches with the “team” of people in our lives so we could carry each other’s burdens instead of suffering alone (Galatians 6:2)?

What would happen if we searched for, identified and eliminated the chaotic, negative and untrue thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5) that could contaminate our days before we even rise from our beds each morning?

How much faster would we heal and recover from our worries and fears if we cast all our anxieties on Him (1 Peter 5:7)?

In John 14:27, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]” 

God’s Word reminds us that no matter what we are facing, we can relax in Him in every circumstance.  Friend, God is fully aware of your stresses and challenges, and He has gifted you perfect peace a sense of spiritual serenity that isn’t fleeting or dependent upon external factors and that cannot be taken away by worldly circumstances.  When stress, anxiety, burdens and fear attempt to contaminate your life, you can cry out to God, cast every care upon Him, and then relax, knowing He cares for you. Your hope and reassurance in Christ go beyond what this world can offer.  Today, fix your mind on Jesus, regularly communicating with God through prayer and meditation, surrendering to Him and relying on His power to navigate you through every situation. With His help, you can cultivate and experience perfect peace and enjoy God’s loving presence in your life.

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A God-Given Superpower
May 13, 2025
by Ann Wilson

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

Words.  They are weighty and carry the power to build someone up or tear them down.  Sadly, while I’ve used my words for decades in my home mainly to instruct, remind and correct, I’ve also used them to criticize my loved ones, especially my husband. After all, wasn’t it my job to make my family and husband better? 

I thought I was motivating him to become better by pointing out the things he was doing wrong.  When I began listening closely to the words I was saying to myself, they were very similar: critique, shame, disappointment and condemnation.  But I wasn’t actually motivated by my inward degradation, and I couldn’t imagine my family was either. I wanted to be like a magnet drawing my family together, but I was unintentionally pushing them away. My words and thoughts needed to change!  Our most authentic selves are expressed through the words we say or those we don’t say when we could.  When we work on our words, we work on our hearts. In much the same way that opening your wallet to give to someone in need causes you to become a more generous person, opening your mouth to speak life to those around you causes you to become a godlier person and consequently a more positive and more contented person as well. This truth is expressed in our key Bible verse:  “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body” (Proverbs 16:24).

Positive words do more than just reflect feelings; they affect the soul and health of the hearer. And they also do the same for the speaker.  When I realized my words were less like nurturing raindrops and more like shocking lightning strikes, I started finding opportunities to use this power for my husband and family’s benefit and, yes, also for my own. I began watching and weighing my words, and just as Scripture says, more than my language changed. My heart changed as well.  I prayed, God, show me the greatness in my husband. Amen.  I had conditioned my brain to see only the negative for decades. But as I prayed that prayer daily, God answered it. I began seeing the good and eventually the great! Now I began to speak life.  My friend and I were accountable to one another to be “life speakers.” She started journaling all the good things her husband was doing, things she never noticed before. For his birthday, she gave him the journal. He sat and wept as her words of life swept over him. He didn’t see himself as being an excellent husband or dad, but her words of encouragement motivated him to be better!  Friend, that’s the power we carry as women who have the Holy Spirit within us!