April 15, 2026 · 5:42 AM

Guard Your Mind

Some friends and I were discussing how what you think affects your entire life. It has an effect on your emotions, your actions, your wellbeing and even your relationships. Yet somehow, we rarely try to regulate or control what we’re thinking. It’s no wonder that Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (NKJV). This is why the lies that go unregulated in your mind often feel like identity. There’s power in positive thinking, but God wants to do more in your life than to have you think positively. He wants to transform you from the inside out. That begins with what goes on in your mind.

Romans 12:2 says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (NLT). What’s beautiful about this is that it is an ongoing thing in your life that is not behavior modification. It’s a transformation of who you are from the inside out. It happens both instantaneously and progressively at the same time. It’s a work that God does in us, but it’s also something we have to let Him do in our lives. It starts with deciding to regulate what we think about and what we’re dwelling on.

Philippians 4:8 says, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” What Paul describes here is mental stewardship. It’s not something that is passive. Just as we are to take every thought captive, we are also to fix our thoughts on things that point us back to Christ. I question the thoughts that come after I capture them. Are the true? Do they line up with what the Bible says? If not, I don’t allow my mind to dwell on them. It’s about being intentional with what I allow in my mind because that the area God uses to transform my life into His will. Our enemy wants to control that battleground too. Don’t surrender that ground. Choose to be intentional with your thoughts and watch how God transforms every aspect of your life.

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April 14, 2026 · 5:52 AM

Praying For A Miracle

For the first several years of my son’s life, he would cry at restaurants when the staff sang “Happy Birthday.” He also would act like you were hurting him by brushing his hair or by patting him on the back. We finally found out he was allergic to gluten, dairy and eggs, and they were heightening his senses. We had to make dietary changes. For years we struggled to find the right food wherever we went. One day we were at a family member’s house and said he couldn’t eat what they made. After we explained why, he asked if we liked living that way. He anointed my son with oil, prayed and asked if we all believed. We did. Then he asked for a glass of milk. It didn’t affect him. We then took him back to the doctor for more testing, and it was verified. He was no longer allergic to those items.

In Luke 5, Jesus was teaching inside someone’s house. Every room was packed by people listening to Him. People were even gathered around the house listening through doors and windows. That’s when a group of friends showed up carrying their paralyzed friend on a stretcher. Since they couldn’t get to Jesus through a door or window, the climbed onto the roof, tore a section off, and lowered their friend down to Jesus. He saw the faith of his friends, forgave his sins and healed him. Verse 26 says, “Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, ‘We have seen amazing things today!’” (NLT) I love this miracle because it was the determination and faith of others that helped him be healed through Jesus, and the testimony spread pointing others to Jesus.

James 5:14-15 says, “Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.” I believe this verse is still true today. I’ve seen it with my son and with others. If you need a miracle, seek a minister or mature Christian to pray in faith. I’ve found there are times we need to rely on the faith of others to place our need before Jesus. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. If He did them in the Bible and for others in the past, He can do them today and in the future. Keep believing and praying for a miracle. I believe He will do it.

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April 13, 2026 · 5:50 AM

Trust What’s Inside

At one of the jobs I’ve had, I was sent to a month of training. After that month of training, I went to the store to have one week of shadowing someone and then a week of them helping me as I typed everything in. I’ll never forget that next week. My boss told me that I was going to be on my own helping customers, but if I had any questions throughout the day, they would help me. I was terrified wondering about messing up. I told him I needed more time working with someone else because I wasn’t ready. He said, “Yes you are! Trust the training. You’ve got this.” He was right. Everything I had learned helped me get through my day successfully.

In Deuteronomy 30, Israel was about to walk into the Promised Land. God told them that they were going to fight and that they were going to experience all the blessings He told them about, and all the curses. During those times, all they had to do was return to Him and they would experience blessings again. I’m sure they didn’t feel ready to go and take the land. They had been wandering for forty years. When the moment arrived, God told them He would make them successful. They wondered how they would follow His orders and if was too far away from them to remember. Then in verse 14 God said, “No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it” (NLT). They needed to trust what they had been taught. It was inside of them.

In Jeremiah 31:33, God says again, “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days, I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Each of us have a calling on our life. God asks us to step out and obey, but He proceeds it with a time of preparation. When the times comes, don’t let fear rule the day. Don’t let insecurity hold you back. God has given you what you need in order to accomplish it. He had written His Word on your heart and given you the instructions you need. You don’t need to know all the steps in order to get started. You only need faith to take the first one. Trust what He’s spoken and trust His Word. It’s inside of you and the Holy Spirit will remind you what He said and give you the words to say too.

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April 10, 2026 · 5:56 AM

Redeemed

When I hear the word “redeemed,” I think of coupons and I hear a song about not being able to get Heaven in roller skates (iykyk). However, when this word was used in the New Testament, it had an entirely different meaning than I imagined. The word meant to buy a slave at auction and then to set them free, never to be sold again. When you were redeemed by Christ, you were a slave to sin. You were bought with a price so that you could be free from the Law of Sin and Death. You were made right in God’s eyes. What an incredible picture of a word we barely use, but is found throughout the Bible. You have been redeemed! Walk in that freedom today and live your life as one who’s been bought, freed and restored.

Here are some Bible verses on being redeemed:

1. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,”

Revelation 5:9 NKJV

2. The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Psalm 34:22 ESV

3. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Galatians 3:13-14 ESV

4. For you know that you were not redeemed from your useless [spiritually unproductive] way of life inherited [by tradition] from your forefathers with perishable things like silver and gold, but [you were actually purchased] with precious blood, like that of a [sacrificial] lamb unblemished and spotless, the priceless blood of Christ.

1 Peter 1:18-19 AMP

5. But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.”

Isaiah 43:1 NKJV

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April 9, 2026 · 5:30 AM

True Direction

When I was in my teens, I learned how to use a compass and follow a course. My favorite memory of that was being handed a five mile course through some woods I wasn’t familiar with. I went through creek beds, up hills and through some dense woods. I found each marker right where it was supposed to be. To stay on course, I looked ahead to a fixed object and made my way to it. I learned that on short distances, the compass worked well. However, if I were to use that compass to go to the North Pole, I would end up about 500 miles away because compasses follow magnetic north and not true north. Magnetic north shifts constantly and often causes travelers to lose their true direction over time.

In Genesis 6, the world was only a few generations in when sin took over. Mankind had quit following God and had started following their own way. Each person had their own version of north and that led them away from their creator. Verse 12 says, “God looked on the earth and saw how debased and degenerate it was, for all humanity had corrupted their way on the earth and lost their true direction” (AMP). When true direction is lost, you need a compass and a fixed point to find your way back. Mankind wanted neither and God sent a flood in order to start over hoping we wouldn’t lose our true direction again.

Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value].” The way you and I keep our true direction in a world that has lost theirs is to keep our focus on heavenly things. We must set our sights on the truth of God’s Word that never changes. When each person has their own truth, we lose our true direction. We end up following our paths instead of His. Don’t let the distractions and worries of this world throw you off course. Put God’s Word in your heart, fixate on it and follow it no matter what. Our true direction is heaven, so let’s keep our eyes fixated there as we navigate this earth.

Photo by Ali Kazal on Pexels.

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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April 8, 2026 · 5:19 AM

Return To The Shepherd

A sheep’s greatest need is not food and water. Their greatest need is a shepherd. They cannot survive without one. They naturally flock together, but without a shepherd they tend to get distracted at times and wander from the heard. They’re also a defenseless breed. Without a shepherd to protect them, they are easy targets for predators. Also sheep must be sheared at least once a year. Without a shepherd doing that, their wool will get matted up and become too heavy to bear. They will either succumb to the weight of it or get sick from the diseases that wil be acquired from the matted wool. The last reason why sheep can’t survive without a shepherd is because they wouldn’t be able to find pasture or water for themselves. Without a shepherd they would eventually starve to death.

In Mark 6, Jesus and the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee. Verse 34 says, “When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things” (ESV). Jesus saw the people and knew they couldn’t survive without a shepherd and needed spiritual food. After teaching them, the disciples saw they were hungry and asked the Good Shepherd to send them away to find their own food. Jesus, who was trying to teach the disciples how to shepherd people, told them to feed these sheep. They replied they didn’t have enough money to feed them all and they only had five loves of bread an two fish. In the Good Shepherd’s hands, that was enough to care for a flock of five thousand. These sheep need their shepherd to provide spiritual and physical food.

Zachariah 1:3 says, “Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.” Have you wandered away from the flock and the Shepherd? We all do it at times. We get distracted by the cares of this world and we sometime put a greater priority on earthly things. You need the Good Shepherd if you’re going to survive. You need the flock of your local church as well with God’s under shepherd. You can’t survive on bread alone. I know because I’ve tried it before. God is calling to each of us, searching for us to bring us back into His flock. We need His loving care so we are not weighed down by the cares of this world. We need to return to Him so we can find lie down in green pastures and rest beside streams of water. Our natural place is with Him. If you’ve been separated for whatever reason, call out to Him today and return. He is a loving shepherd who won’t be mad at you. Instead, He has compassion for you each time He sees you and wants to be your shepherd.

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April 7, 2026 · 5:54 AM

Stop Going In Circles

I’ve been in leadership long enough to know you can’t expect different results by doing the same thing. I’ve coached and counseled people telling them that what they are experiencing today is a result of the processes they have in their life or organization. There are times when I point out a behavior or process that they need to change, that people willingly do it. Others will defend their position or attack me because that position is something they’re so dug in on that they won’t change. I try to explain if they want to change results, they have to change behaviors. You can’t simply change the direction by going in circles. At some point you have to break the cycle, break the pattern and break the behavior.

In Deuteronomy 2, the Israelites had been wandering in the wilderness for forty years. They had their own pattern that kept them there for so long. They would feel inconvenienced on the way to the Promised Land, then they would complain, then they would talk about how their life was better in Egypt, God would discipline them and provide, and then they would repeat it. Their sin and struggle had kept them there wandering until all those who had refused to go to the Promised Land had died. Now a new generation had grown up and God was preparing them to go take the land. In verse 3 God says, “You have circled this mountain long enough; turn northward” (AMP). For forty years, nothing had changed until they changed direction.

When we follow where God leads and change what He’s convicting us of, we don’t just change direction. We change destination. When we quit circling the things that are important to us and start doing what’s important to Him, we change our destiny. We all have mountains we’ve been circling that are keeping us from the Promised Land that God wants to lead us to. We just have to quit excusing our behavior, repeating what has failed and respond to what God has asked us to do. Your mountain won’t move until you change direction and turn north. Don’t just be a hearer of God’s Word. Be a doer. Today is your Deuteronomy 2:3 moment. Stop circling. Break the pattern. Follow where God leads. It won’t be easy, but it’s better than going in circles.

Photo by Akhmed Chalandarov on Unsplash

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April 6, 2026 · 5:46 AM

Shifting Your Trust

One thing I’ve learned is that the longer I worry about a situation, the less strength and energy I have. It’s like my body allocates all its resources to try and get me out of whatever mess or situation I find myself in. People will say, “Give it to God,” but I never understood how to until I read Philippians 4:6-7. It says, “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life” (MSG). When I dwell on worry, it zaps my energy because I’m trying to fix the situation. When I let it cause me to pray, I hand it off to God and give Him the responsibility to fix it.

In 1 Samuel 1, we’re introduced to a lady named Hannah. She was married to Elkanah along with another woman named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not. All she wanted in life was to have a child. Each year they traveled to the Tabernacle to worship. Elkanah offered his sacrifices and gave meat to his two wives. Hannah worried so much about not having kids that she couldn’t eat until one day when she decided to let her worries become her prayers. Eli, the priest, told her to go in peace and trust that God would grant her request. Verse 18 says, “‘Oh, thank you, sir!’ she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad” (NLT). She’s a great example of what Philippians 4:6 looks like in action. In due time, God granted her prayers and gave her a son named Samuel.

In Psalm 28, David was going through a tough season. The first part of the chapter is him telling God about his problem. Then in verse 7 he says, “The Lord is my strength and my [impenetrable] shield; My heart trusts [with unwavering confidence] in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I shall thank Him and praise Him” (AMP). Just like Hannah, he experienced a shift in his confidence when he gave it to God. Their circumstances weren’t changed in that moment. What did change was who they trusted to handle it. Worry is a symptom that comes from us trying to solve a problem and it’s beyond our abilities. Peace is the symptom of trusting God to do what we are incapable of. Let Him displace worry and thank Him in advance for what He’s going to do. Your circumstances won’t change immediately, but there will be a shift in your attitude when you shift your trust to God.

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April 3, 2026 · 6:01 AM

Paid In Full

After Jesus had hung on the cross for several hours, His last words before He died were, “It is finished!” The Greek word written in the Bible is “tetelestai.” What it fully means is, “Paid in full. Nothing left owed.” It was a declaration that the price for our sins was paid in full by the spotless Lamb of God. Our record of wrong doing is wiped clean through His shed blood on the cross. While it looked like one of the darkest days in the history of the world in the moment to the onlookers, Jesus was letting them know He was fulfilling His purpose of taking away the sins of the world. Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved. For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved” (GNT). No matter how badly or how much you have done wrong, there is forgiveness for you because Jesus paid your debt in full.

Here are some Bible verses that show your sins were paid for on Good Friday:

1. For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT

2. In Him we have redemption [that is, our deliverance and salvation] through His blood, [which paid the penalty for our sin and resulted in] the forgiveness and complete pardon of our sin, in accordance with the riches of His grace.

Ephesians 1:7 AMP

3. Blessed and happy and favored are those whose lawless acts have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered up and completely buried. “Blessed and happy and favored is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account nor charge against him.

Romans 4:7-8 AMP

4. You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honor and glorify God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:20 AMP

5. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

Colossians 2:14 NLT

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April 2, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Submitting To The King

Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week that leads up to Easter. Mark 11 records that Jesus rode into town on a young donkey that had never been risen. As He entered Jerusalem, the people began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” People we’re waving Palm branches and laying them in the streets for Him to ride over. The palm branches in that culture represented victory. The other thing the people did was recorded in verse 8. It says they laid their garments in the street for Him to ride over. It’s an interesting picture to me. Why place their garments on the ground?

In 2 Kings 9:1-13, Elisha had one of the prophets sons go to Jehu with a private message. He was to tell Jehu that he was now the king of Israel, to anoint him with oil and then to run away as fast as he could. When Jehu came back out, his friends asked what that was about. When he told them, they got excited. Verse 13 says, “Then they quickly spread out their cloaks on the bare steps and blew the ram’s horn, shouting, ‘Jehu is king!’” (NLT) It’s the only other time I can find where this happened for a king. It’s also something we read over and miss if we read it with a western lens.

In that culture, the bottom of your foot is significant. If you point the under side of your foot at someone, you’re signifying that they are beneath you like dust. For the people to take off their garments and put them under the feet of Jehu and the donkey of Jesus, they were submitting to their authority as king. The garments represent their concerns. Remember in Matthew 6 when Jesus said He clothes the fields and that we shouldn’t be concerned about what to wear? Each of us have concerns we wear like a heavy garment. It’s time that we submitted them to Jesus by placing them at His feet. We don’t need to carry them anymore. We need to submit to His authority and ability to provide for us as our king.

Photo courtesy of Microsoft Copilot.

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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