We can’t live in a fantasy world and call it faith. All God’s people go through hard times. It is unbiblical to teach that children of God already have everything they need! When we face oppression and hardships, we can and should ask God to revive us! He restores our strength, peace, and joy so that we may keep walking in His light.

Let’s cheer for our Good Shepherd! Or does that idea sound crazy? We get loud and excited for sports and politics—why not for the Lord? We have very good reasons for worshiping Him: He loves us and guides us! Jesus has good plans for us—that’s worthy of a loud amen!

Just because something is old doesn’t mean it’s wrong. As the saying goes, “Nothing new is true, and nothing true is new.” It’s important that we hold onto the truth of God’s Word and not be swayed by “new” church ideas. And when we learn something "old" from the Bible, we have to pass it on so the next generation can keep growing in the truth!

Remember hearing about how God parted the Red Sea? Today He can split whatever we’re facing straight down the middle like that sea. We just have to take the first step of obedience. We can’t be overwhelmed by the unknown—when God leads, He knows exactly where He’s going, and He’ll always bring us through.

Division can cause more damage to a church than addiction. Instead of celebrating the wins of other Christians, many of us demean brothers and sisters in Christ in the name of denominations or races. But Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Every day we can choose division or peace—let’s not fight and fuss.

No one knows when Jesus will return—so let's not play the game of trying to predict the day. That hurts the name of Christianity! Rather, we should have peace in knowing that God is on the throne right now. While human rulers wobble and waver, God rules steadily over heaven and earth. Now that’s a comforting thought!

Not everything is a mountaintop experience. But sometimes we learn more from difficult circumstances than we ever could in times of blessing. Our Lord is the God of the mountain and the God of the valley—He is faithful to help us every minute of every day!

We tend to get caught up in the problems of today—so much so that we forget about the joys of heaven to come! But like the old hymn says, “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.” Let’s get alone with God today and have conversations on heavenly things—no more tears or darkness there!

When rain falls, it makes things clean. The Spirit of God can be like a falling rain, washing away our worries and burdens—and enabling us to bear fruit for His glory! The Spirit can also be quiet and consistent like morning dew. The Bible uses different forms of water as metaphors for God because the Lord brings refreshment and cleansing. God, refresh us today, please!

Take a moment to reflect on the past: was there an older person in your life who aided you in your walk with the Lord? If so, you were blessed! But not only should we appreciate the faith of the generations before us; we also must fill those roles for the generations to come! Whether it be our children, grandchildren, or younger people in our churches, let’s share about God’s goodness with them.