The Bible is full of stories of God doing amazing things for those He calls. One of the most famous seems to be good to be true, but it is!

Daniel, God’s man in exile in Babylon, insisted on worshipping the Lord, and not a human king. This was against the law. When those who were jealous of him urged the king to punish Daniel, the prophet was thrown into a lion’s den overnight.

And that was that. Or was it?

Next morning, the king was so anxious about Daniel, that he ran to the den and called out to him, to see if he was still alive.

Daniel 6:21-22 says, “Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

When life threatens to rip you up, remember that the Lord has you. God is on your side, knows where you are, and will hide you in the palm of his strong hand.

Believe that He will.

Let’s pray.

Lord, this story inspires us to rely on you when times are really bad for us. Thank you for being our rescue. Amen.

Have you ever gotten so tired of life that you wished you could disappear and start over somewhere else? Ever wish that fantasy would just pull you out of your circumstances? They make movies about things like that, but it’s not real.

John 14:2,3 says, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

How incredible that Jesus is actually going to do this for us someday. If you live long enough, the cares of life sort of wear you down and you need a good, long rest.

Good for us that our Lord cares enough for us that He has already gone ahead to prepare a place of peace, rest, and joy for each of us. It will be a real place, not just scouting a location for a film.

One day, in His perfect time, He will call you out of this groaning world. He will take you to a spot that has literally been prepared with just you in mind!

You’ll be home.

Let’s pray.

Lord, you are good to us in countless ways. We thank you so much for the heavenly home you have prepared for us. Amen.

 

 

When Richard Winters stood in the doorway of a huge glider in the pre-dawn over Normandy, France, he thought about a lot of things. The young Army captain was preparing for the invasion of Europe, to free the continent from the Nazis.

He know one thing first: he couldn’t survive on his own skill.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

A very disciplined soldier, Winters literally took these verses to heart. Each night after the invasion, he would pray and thank God for the good things in his life, and he only asked that he survive the next day. His prayer life and the calming effect of attending church in England during his training saw him through.

When battle came and chaos was all around him, Richard Winters stayed calm.

Are you calm? Do the stresses of life’s battles overwhelm you?

Stop relying on your own ideas and wisdom! Some of it is good and some of it is bad.

God’s wisdom is only good all the time. Ask Him for that wisdom in your life!

Let’s pray.

Lord, we have to stay steady in this life. Please continue to remind us that you are in charge and that you will see us through. Amen.

 

Have you ever tried to follow God in a half-hearted way? You know what that means. You like the idea of God, but His perfect will for our lives also can feel restrictive.

That’s the moment you are walking along the highway of life completely alone.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Notice the precise language in these beautiful verses. We are to trust Him with all of our heart. Don’t take your eyes off Him and follow your own choices. Be upfront that He is your peace. It’s then He picks you up, protects you, and carries you home.

Today is the day you’re thinking about all this. You’ve messed up. You’ve messed up in the most spectacular and disgusting way.

And it is exactly at this moment that God is ready to do the greatest miracle in your life. Tell him you’ve screwed up and have no idea where to turn.

There—you’re learning to completely trust Him. Commit your life to Him, and be consistent about it from now on.

Remember today: the turning point to an awesome future!

Let’s pray.

Lord, help us to reject our own flawed wisdom and rely totally on yours. Amen.

 

 

Life stories are full of redemption. Usually after the worst sins have been committed.

When he wrote a book about his past rebellions, Franklin Graham became known as the Rebel With a Cause. His story is about a prodigal that chased after the world and his own desires, but the son of Billy Graham is a modern parable.

He was lost, then he was found.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Graham’s experiences are so common, actually. He felt so burdened by his own sin that he wondered if he could come back. But the beginning of that return to the Lord is about God’s willingness to open his arms to us as we stagger back home.

Today, Franklin Graham leads a ministry that gives the proverbial cup of cold water to the world’s poorest people. Samaritan’s Purse is global in reach because the ministry founder looked in the mirror one day and realized his own wisdom was bankrupt.

Such a familiar story. Have you thought about your own bad choices as you look for a way back to God? Look up and look to the horizon.

He’s waiting there for you.

Let’s pray.

Lord, we are all prodigals at one time or another. Thank you so much for your grace! Amen.

 

The Bible tells us that King Solomon was a very wise man. He ruled over his kingdom from Jerusalem, and built the famous Temple there.

He was also very human.

This son of King David eventually let his wealth and power go to his head, and he began to follow other religions and almost seemed to enjoy sinning.

Yet God loved him. In his later years, Solomon realized how wrong he had been to rely on his own spiritual strength. And so what we have today as the Book of Proverbs was born. They come from a man weary of the cares of this life. A man ashamed of the mistakes he has made.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Proverbs is packed with amazing insight into being a good person…after one has been a bad person.

Solomon learned the hard lessons as he found his way back to a forgiving God. His mercies are eternal.

And that is a good lesson for us.

Let’s pray.

Lord, your patience with us is humbling, and appreciated. Amen.

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Have you ever known someone who inherited something of great value from an obscure relative? It happens.

The will is read by an attorney and all of a sudden, the beneficiary goes from struggling to pay the rent to needing a financial planner. It can be an exciting time, even disorienting.

The only downside to receiving a large inheritance is the knowledge that someday it will run out, or you die and can’t take it with you. That’s why the Bible’s revelations about eternal riches are so much more important.

Genesis 31:14 says, “Rachel and Leah said to him, ‘Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father’s house?’”

Let’s think of this as a parable. A man took the place of another and was executed.

He was no ordinary man, though. Only a few days after His death, the will was read.

He left it all to you!

Jesus Christ died for our sins and took the penalty for them so that we don’t have to. That is what the Gospel is, the Good News that we have riches in Christ, and they last forever.

Let’s pray.

Lord, your precious gift for each of us is something we did nothing to earn. You simply decided to put us in your will. We thank you forever for your grace and mercy. Amen.

 

 

Are you the kind of person everyone looks at and assumes you are strong and together?

You too, huh? Many of us look fine on the outside, but the human condition is often much different on the inside.

Proverbs 31:25 says this of a godly woman: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

But the thing is, God did not make us to have a spirit of fear. He never planned for us to suffer from depression or anxiety.

Look, life happens. Sometimes we just are rocked by circumstances. But God’s Word says that we don’t stay there. We keep our eyes on Him and He is our strength. It’s not even our job to find the strength to breathe and go about our day!

The person who endures a cancer diagnosis isn’t doing it on her own. When Christ dwells in you, He takes the burdens and promises that in the end, we will be healed.

If you look like a confident statue on the outside, but you’re about to lose it on the inside, take time to tell that to Jesus. Give Him your fears and doubts.

Let’s pray.

Lord, we are not in this alone. Your grace is sufficient for all our needs, every day. Amen.

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China in the 19th century was as remote and mysterious a place as has ever existed. Its countless villages, mountains, and hidden places were a challenge for inhabitants.

Imagine what it was like for a small Christian woman from Virginia!

Charlotte Moon, who went by the name that would become famous, “Lottie,” was a missionary to the Asian country for 40 years.

Proverbs 31:25 says this of a godly woman: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

Walking here and there to share the love of Christ with people, and to meet their physical needs, she encountered outlaws, wild animals, and hostility to her faith.

She never once backed down.

Incredibly, by the time she died in 1912, Lottie Moon weighed 50 pounds. She had given most of her own money and food to those in need.

In reality, she was a very strong woman!

Let’s pray.

Lord, give us a heart like Lottie Moon’s. Make us determined to live only for you, for your glory. Amen.

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Do you remember the last time you laughed? Do you remember the last time you laughed from sheer joy?

Many of us don’t. The weight of life presses down on us. It weakens us.

Proverbs 31:25 says this of a godly woman: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

Did you know that God means for you to be strong? He wants you to have dignity. You are a child of the King. You are a woman of faith. You are a man who seeks Him.

That beautiful proverb reminds us that it is God Himself who dresses us each day with the respect He has for us as His creation. You can meet today with boldness in who you are, not shaking with fear or worry.

Today, as you head to work, take as your own promise that the all-powerful, true God made you to succeed and live life to its fullest. When the enemy tells you otherwise, laugh in his face.

Let’s pray.

Lord, we are better than what the enemy tells us we are. Thank you for clothing us in strength and confidence each day. Amen.

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