October 2, 2026 · 5:51 AM

Strength To Stand

When things start to go wrong, what do you do? I usually start bracing myself and start taking a defensive posture. When I do that, my plan is to face the situation in my own strength even though I’ve found out several times that I’m not strong enough. What I need to do is to seek God’s strength. His strength is made perfect when our weakness is exposed and proves not to be enough. His strength will help us in the battle to stand our ground after we’ve been through it all. Physical strength isn’t enough when you’re fighting spiritual battles. You need God to strengthen you. So if you’re facing something right now and your strength is failing, ask God to give you His strength to still be standing when you’ve made it through.

Here are some Bible verses on receiving God’s strength:

1. We pray that you may be] strengthened and invigorated with all power, according to His glorious might, to attain every kind of endurance and patience with joy.

Colossians 1:11 AMP

2. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 NIV

3. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be].

1 Peter 5:10 AMP

4. Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 NKJV

5. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting comfort and encouragement and the good [well-founded] hope [of salvation] by His grace, comfort and encourage and strengthen your hearts [keeping them steadfast and on course] in every good work and word.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 AMP

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October 1, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Complete Faith

I grew up hearing the stories of George Mueller. He was a man of faith who lived in the early 1800’s and cared for over 10,000 orphans in his lifetime. One morning the head mistress of the 300 children in the orphanage told him that the kids were dressed for school, but they didn’t have anything for breakfast or any money to purchase it. George told the kids to sit at the tables and they put out their place settings. He then thanked the Lord for providing food. Just then the local baker knocked on the door. He said he couldn’t sleep and thought the kids could use some bread. He baked all night and brought it to them. As soon as he left, there was another knock at the door. A milkman said his cart broke down just outside and he needed to get rid of the milk before it went bad. George kept a prayer journal and in it had over 50,000 times when God answered his prayers.

In Joshua 3, the Israelites had left the desert and were ready to enter the Promised Land. After a three day fast, the people consecrated themselves before entering. While Joshua was praying, God said, “Give this command to the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: ‘When you reach the banks of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop there’” (NLT). In order for them to be able cross the Jordan, they had to step into the mud and the water. When the priests, carrying the Ark of the Covenant, stepped into the water, God then stopped the river so they could pass through on dry ground. When everyone had crossed, the priests stepped out of the middle of the river and it began to flow again.

James 2 tells us how our faith and actions are interlinked. He used Abraham putting Isaac on the altar trusting God to provide as an example. In verse 22 it says, “You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.” In almost every example I can find, people acted in faith before God answered their prayer. Not only did they ask God to provide or to help, they sat the kids down to eat, they stepped into a raging river and they tied up their son and raised the knife. Faith and action are interlinked. What is the step of faith God wants for from you for the prayers you’re asking Him for to be answered? Don’t just pray and believe. Act! Let your actions make your faith complete.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.g

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September 30, 2026 · 5:57 AM

Speaking With Salt

Have you ever ordered food at a restaurant, tasted it, and found it was too salty? What about a plate of food that lacked salt? Which did you send back? The one that had too much salt. Why? Because you can add salt to unflavored food, but when there’s too much salt, you can’t take it out and the food is inedible. It’s the same way when we’re speaking with one another, especially those we disagree with. I’ve seen some ugly words in posts from people who disagree politically, religiously and even with sports teams. When there’s too much salt, the other side sends it back. They don’t listen, but instead reject it. There’s no problem with disagreeing, but the amount of seasoning you use in your words determines if it makes them thirsty for more or if they return it.

In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream. Verse 2 says, “So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed” (NIV). They couldn’t, so they kept asking him to tell them his dream and they would interpret it. Their exchange went on and got so heated that he decided to have all of them in his kingdom put to death. When they came for Daniel, he asked why there was such a harsh decree. Verse 14 says Daniel spoke with wisdom and tact, and he was taken to the king to ask for some time to interpret the dream. He went to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to ask for prayer that God would reveal the dream to him. When God did, he went back to the king to tell him the dream and interpret it. How he spoke to the king made all the difference and he saved the lives of many people.

Colossians 4:5-6 says, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Outsiders here refers to people outside of the faith in Jesus. It also says we should make the most of these opportunities when we talk to them. We should use wisdom and tact in our words the way Daniel did. While the other people attacked the king for what he was asking, Daniel used grace and speech that was seasoned with just enough salt to reach the king and to get him to listen. Let the Holy Spirit guide your conversations with people of different faiths or of no faith at all. He will help you to speak with salt so that others will be drawn to what you say instead of rejecting it.

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September 29, 2026 · 6:05 AM

Living Letters

When I’m watching videos and someone starts with, “You guys have been asking me about this,” or “I’m obsessed with this,” I keep scrolling. That person is being paid to tell me it’s a good product. When I read reviews on Amazon or Google, I trust them more, but I still sort by most recent and run them through AI filters to look for fake reviews. However, when someone I know tells me about something that has changed their life or I can personally see the results, I trust that the most. Who do you trust more: a paid spokesperson or someone whose life you can actually see results from? Influencers talk, but the lives of people you see reveal the truth.

In 2 Corinthians 3 Paul says our lives are living letters that others can read. In verse 3 he writes, “Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This ‘letter’ is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts” (NLT). The Gospel is most visible when it is embodied in our daily life. Other people are watching how you react, what you say and how you live. Has Christ made a difference in you? Has He changed your life so that you live, speak and act differently than the world? As someone once said, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words whenever necessary.”

Ezekiel 36 says that God will give us a new heart. Then in verse 27 He says, “And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” When we invite Him to be the Lord of our life, He changes us from the inside out starting with our heart and then by renewing our mind. This internal transformation of going from old to new results in a life that is changed and read by others. They can see the results of Christ living in me and you because we become new creations. Each of us are living letters that show what’s on the inside. What are people reading when the see your life?

Photo by Bingqian Li from Pexels.

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September 28, 2026 · 6:05 AM

Guarding The Truth

If a stranger walked up to you, showed you a briefcase with $100,000 in it, asked you to watch it for a few minutes and walked away, how would you guard it? In 2012 Ally Bank set up hidden cameras and did just that. People were nervous holding that big of a deposit. Some double checked the money was real. One guy set the briefcase down beside him, but was so nervous, he put his leg over it to protect it. Ally Bank said that of all the people they handed the briefcase to, none of them took the money. Every one of them guarded it. No one really challenged them and they thought no one was watching them so it wasn’t hard to guard. We would probably do the same, yet do we guard the truth and gifts God has deposited in our lives?

In 1 Kings 22 kings Jehoshaphat of Judah and Ahab of Israel were about to go to war with Aram to take back one of their cities. King Ahab summoned a bunch of prophets to ask if he should go to war. They all told him yes and that they would be victorious. Then King Jehoshaphat asked for a prophet of the Lord. Ahab told him of one, but said he never prophesied anything good. They requested him and he mocked the other prophets and said the same thing, but the king demanded the truth. The prophet told him he was going to die in battle and that he was being deceived to go into battle. The king and other prophets got mad at him for speaking the truth. The king even put him in jail over it until he returned. The prophet didn’t change the truth because of the circumstances. Instead, he doubled down on the truth God had spoken to him. King Ahab died in battle just as the prophet said.

2 Timothy 1:14 says, “Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you” (NLT). God has entrusted each one of us with the truth of His Word and with spiritual gifts. Are you just sitting on them or burying them in the ground? Do you compromise them when it conflicts with culture or the expectations of others? Or do you stand firm on them the way the prophet did no matter what the outcome? We have the ability through the Holy Spirit to guard the precious deposits God makes in our lives. The more we value it the more intensely we will guard it. Don’t neglect God’s gifts, His promises or the Truth that He has entrusted to you.

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September 25, 2026 · 5:58 AM

The Work Of Reconciliation

To me, one of the most incredible things Jesus did was the work of reconciliation. It’s mentioned several times in the New Testament how He reconciled us to God. What He did was remove the hostility that existed because of sin, mended the relationship that was broken and brought us back into,alignment with God’s plan. He removed what was between us when He sacrificed Himself for our sin. I like to say that forgiveness takes one person, but reconciliation takes two. He took the step to move toward us and clear our accounts. When we accept Him as our savior, we move towards Him and restore the relationship. Now we have been given the ministry of reconciliation by leading people to be reconciled with God.

Here are some Bible verses on the work of reconciliation:

1. Therefore, it was essential that He had to be made like His brothers (mankind) in every respect, so that He might [by experience] become a merciful and faithful High Priest in things related to God, to make atonement (propitiation) for the people’s sins [thereby wiping away the sin, satisfying divine justice, and providing a way of reconciliation between God and mankind].

Hebrews 2:17 AMP

2. For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Romans 5:10-11 NIV

3. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.

Colossians 1:19-21 NLT

4. For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.

1 Timothy 2:5-6 NLT

5. But all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ [making us acceptable to Him] and gave us the ministry of reconciliation [so that by our example we might bring others to Him].

2 Corinthians 5:18 AMP

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September 24, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Eliminate Hopelessness

In the 1950’s a professor did an experiment where he placed rats in water to see how long it would take for them to drown. Several died within minutes. He then decided to introduce hope into the experiment to see if that changed anything. He placed more rats in the water and waited until they were giving up. Once they began to drown, he reached in, grabbed them and held them a few minutes before placing them back in the water. This time they didn’t give up. They continued to swim for much longer than before. He wrote that the rats quickly learn that the situation is not hopeless and when hopelessness is eliminated, they do not die.

When Abraham was 75 years old, he had given up on having kids. He began to reason and come to terms that everything he had acquired in life would go to his servant. He was hopeless at that point, but God visited him and told him he would have a son. Abraham was excited and believed God. However, a year passed without Sarah getting pregnant. Then another. Soon a decade passed. Then another. Because God eliminated hopelessness, Abraham continued to believe. When he turned 100, his wife finally became pregnant and had a son. They named him Isaac, which means laughter. God did the impossible for a couple and all they could do was laugh when He did.

Isaiah 40 was written to Israel while they were in captivity in Babylon. They were on the verge of giving up. God spoke to them on verse 31 and said, ”But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak“ (GNT). If God can give a 100 year old a baby and deliver an entire nation from captivity, He can meet your need. He will eliminate hopelessness from your situation and give you strength to keep going. When God is involved, it is never too late, never too far gone and never too hopeless. One word from Him and the situation will turn around. Receive His strength today to keep going and to trust Him.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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September 23, 2026 · 6:04 AM

Before Fear Leaves

The Bible is full of people who made excuses when God asked them to do something. Moses told God that he had a stutter and couldn’t talk to Pharaoh. When Gideon was called a mighty warrior and told to go rescue Israel, he countered that he was from the weakest tribe and the least important family. Even after Jeremiah was told God knew him and called him to be a prophet to the nations before he was born pushed back saying that he was too young up be used. Johnathan pretended to go, but went in the opposite direction. None of their excuses seem unreasonable, but God doesn’t look for excuses when He asks for our obedience.

God didn’t deny that Moses had a stutter. Instead He asked Moses, “Who created the mouth?” He then reassured him that He would give him the words to say. To Gideon, God reinforced that he should go no matter what and comforted him that He would go with Gideon. God was then very direct with Jeremiah. He said, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you” (NLT). I think we all know what happened to Jonah. God sent a storm to get Jonah and then a large fish to take him back the other direction. In each of these cases, God didn’t remove the fear or thing that hindered them. He met them where they were and they moved forward before their fear disappeared.

Paul addressed this same issue in 2 Timothy 1:7 which says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” Moses didn’t need to become a public speaker. Gideon didn’t need a full army. Jeremiah didn’t need to wait until he was older. Jonah didn’t even have to want to go. However, each of them had to recognize the fear didn’t come from God and that He had equipped them with the power to accomplish what He called them to do. Where have you been making excuses instead of taking the next step in what God has called you to do? It might not be as big of a job as these guys, but it still requires the same faith and obedience before the fear is gone. Just like God was with them, He will be with you. Step out in faith and obedience today.

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September 22, 2026 · 5:58 AM

Conflicting Desires

In Luke 15, we find one of Jesus’s most famous parables. The Prodigal Son tells the story of a young man who asked for his share of the family inheritance from his father before his father died. Even though it was against custom and that he was rejecting his place in the family, the father gave him what he wanted. The son went away and squandered the money and was broke when a famine came. The son came to his senses and returned home seeking forgiveness and a place as a servant. However, the father, who gave him what he wanted even though it was in conflict with his desires, saw him a long way off, ran to him and restored his place in the family.

In 1 Samuel 8, the nation of Israel asked the prophet Samuel for a king rejecting God’s plan for them and their place in His family. In verse 7, God told Samuel, “Do everything they say to you, for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer” (NLT). God then warned them what would happen if they had a human king instead of God as their leader. They said they would live with the consequences and God granted their request even though it was in conflict with His design. It wasn’t long before everything God said would happen came true. They learned the hard way that wanting God’s blessings without His leadership leads to problems. For generations they followed the pattern of falling away, repenting and returning.

Each one of find times in our life where we are like the prodigal or Israel. We want to choose our way instead of God’s because our desires are in conflict with His design. Like He did in the Bible, He will give it to us so we can learn the hard way that His way is better. When it happens in my life, I think of Acts 3:19-20. “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord.” When we repent of choosing our way over His, He is faithful to forgive us, bring us back into relationship and give us times of refreshing. If you’ve squandered what He’s given you and you’re ready to return, He’s looking forward to your return and to restore you.

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September 21, 2026 · 5:45 AM

Confronting The Problem

Several years ago I took an assessment at work. It had some unflattering things to say about me on it. I made light of it and joked with the instructor on one of them. She said something back that hit a nerve and got me upset. I lost my cool in front of my peers. The instructor said, “Maybe it’s not wrong.” Now, on top of not liking what it said, I was upset that I lost my cool. I called my wife from my hotel room to tell her what it said and what happened. She simply,y asked, “Well, is it true?” I retorted back, “It doesn’t matter if it is!” She quietly said, “Maybe it does. Why don’t you take some time to figure it out.” I looked at everything and it was true. It turns out I was mad because the truth exposed something in me and I had a choice to confront the problem or the one who had delivered the message. I chose poorly during work, but that night, I chose to confront the problem.

In 2 Samuel 12 David was confronted by the prophet Nathan over his affair with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband to cover up his sin. The truth offends what he was doing behind closed doors was exposed. Instead of rejecting it, he said, “I have sinned against the Lord.” He didn’t try to make excuses, defend his actions or blame someone else. He then penned Psalm 51 where he asked God to forgive him. In verse 10 he wrote, “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me” (NLT). When the truth exposed him, he asked God to give him a new heart and spirit that was able to overcome temptation and sin that was pulling him away from a life that pleased God.

Proverbs 9:8 says, “Do not correct a scoffer [who foolishly ridicules and takes no responsibility for his error] or he will hate you; Correct a wise man [who learns from his error], and he will love you” (AMP). When God confronts something in you, do you take responsibility for your error and learn from it or do you try to justify it? God brings conviction so we can grow and be more like Jesus. When we push back on the truth that He brings, we push back on the things He wants to do in our lives. Wise people, like David, understand correction is part of the growth process that God has for us. It is beneficial for us to receive it and to learn from our error. What is God pointing out in you right now that He wants you to change? Instead of pushing back and confronting the truth, ask God to help you confront the problem so you can become more like Him.

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