Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

Explanation:

The definition for the word trust is assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something, one in which confidence is placed. Trust is often really hard for us to do. We all have had moments and experiences in our lives where someone betrayed our trust or disappointed us. In this season when the things going on around us don’t make sense, it feels really hard to trust anyone or anything. As a human, trust is a hard thing.

In these verses, we are encouraged to trust in the Lord with ALL our heart. But when trust is so hard, how in the world do we do that? First of all, we recall God’s faithfulness in the past. We look to the stories of His people that we find in Scripture, and we remind ourselves of His faithfulness throughout our lives. And second, we don’t lean on our understanding. As humans, we have limits, and we can’t fully understand all God is doing behind the scenes. But we can still trust that His plan and His ways are better. We can’t rely on our past experiences with imperfect people, but we can trust that a perfect God will do all He says.

Because of God’s nature, because of who He is, we can confidently trust Him in all seasons with all things. He is faithful and will remain true to His promises. Trusting God and being obedient to Him will always lead to life, even in seasons when it doesn’t make sense. We can walk in confidence, knowing He is working all things for our good when we walk in obedience, and trust the outcome to Him.

Application:

1. Why do you have a hard time trusting God?

2. What is a situation in your life right now where you are leaning on your own understanding and not trusting God?

3. How can you change that?

4. How do you think the process and outcome will look different if you choose to trust God with all your heart?

Devo Plus:

Check out Hebrews 11 to recall stories of how others trusted and had faith in God, and how God was faithful because of their obedience.

Prayer:

God, as humans it is hard for us to trust. Others disappoint us, and often what we see on this earth feels like chaos and confusion. But what we recognize is that we can, in fact, trust You. You are holy, You are perfect, and You are always faithful. Please remind us of this today, that You are a God who can be trusted, who will always lead us to life. You are a God we can trust in the good seasons and the challenging ones. Help us this week to learn to put our faith and trust in You. Amen.

James 1:2-4​ (ESV)

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Explanation:

The book of James was written to help encourage believers to stay in the faith and overcome the obstacles experienced in this life. It’s easy to become impatient during a trial, and want to escape the problem prematurely. James tells us by doing that, we will miss out on God’s most precious work. If we let God work through the trial, we can expect a more completeness that should resemble God’s own heart.

At the beginning of these verses, you’ll notice James states, “Count it all joy” when we go through trials. I can tell you that this season we are in right now...this trial is surely testing my faith. Honestly, I’m frustrated at how I have handled a lot of it. I know my faith is being tested, but I also know there is sure to be goodness from all of this because God promises it!

God’s strength will make it possible to endure life's tough times, even now. I can look back at many of the trials that have been laid before me, and see how they have produced a more steadfastness to my faith. I’ve endured hardships that I sure wish I hadn’t had to. But those difficult seasons of life have grown my faith, and changed my heart to look more toward eternity than what this life can offer me. I want to endure well. I want to be changed to have a heart like God. I will continue to let God move in me to refine my faith.

I pray that for you as well. Let God do His work in you during your trials…even if you have to give it back to God every minute. When the difficulties come, we can be sure there is a reason why God is allowing it. Keep handing it over! His promises tell us it will be worth it.

Application:

1. What trial or trials are you going through right now?

2. How can you let God work?

3. Pray and ask God for strength to endure through this time.

Devo Plus:

Read the rest of James 1. Try to apply some of the scriptures to your daily life. Journal the results.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, when difficulties come our way, may we be ever ready to grab Your hand and let You lead us through! Be with our words and our actions, and create in us clean hearts to persevere through the difficult seasons and trials laid before us. Be our strength. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

2 Samuel 5:17-25 (NIV)

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?"

The LORD answered him, "Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands."

So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me." So that place was called Baal Perazim. The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.

Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the LORD, and he answered, "Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army." So David did as the LORD commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

Explanation:

Our steps of faith honor God by showing that we trust in Him. That faith can be seen in many different ways. Our passage today sets a great example of seeking God’s will and way first, before we step out into anything. David sets this example in war, in big decisions that will have great ramifications. But it applies to all our ways, no matter how small. Scripture promises that if we ask God first, He will make our paths straight.

God did not set our world in motion and take His hands off. Just as He knit us together in the womb and called us by name before we had one, God knows every detail of our lives before we do. He understands how our decisions will play out, how our impulses will have a ripple effect, how our words will heal or scar, even how our social media posts will linger in the minds of others. All these things matter to the Lord, and we can seek His will BEFORE them all. That goes against culture, where we’re told we should be one step ahead, on the ball, and self-made. The world, even our small part of it, will notice when we seek Him first: His voice, His will, and His leading. And seeking Him first will bring honor to His name.

Application:

1. Practice makes habit. First, ask God to bring Himself to mind, to stir you so that you remember to simply ask Him for His will before every situation.

2. Make a habit of starting each day, even before you get out of bed, by reading scripture, even if it’s only one verse. Try a proverb before your feet hit the ground, not only to train yourself to put Him before your day, but to start each day with a word from the Lord, so His word can shape your day.

3. Scripture says to meditate on the words of the Lord, whether you are standing, sitting, or walking along the way. Make a practice of filling your “idle” time with scripture and prayer.

Devo Plus:

• Proverbs 3:5-6

• Talk about the commandments again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. (Deuteronomy 6:7)

Prayer:

Jesus, You are beautiful and faithful and kind. Thank You for giving us the Word to hear You through, to lean into for guidance, and to light our way. Holy Spirit, stir our hearts so we would think first to ask Your will and way in everything. Thank You that You are faithful. We love You. In Jesus’s faithful name we ask it. Amen.

1 Samuel 17:32-37 (NIV)

David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

Explanation:

Goliath had been mocking the Israelite armies for more than a month. He was huge and scary. They could all see by just looking at the giant, he could win any battle. No one wanted to engage in combat with him. Then along came David, bringing food for his brothers. He saw Goliath and couldn’t believe Goliath was challenging the army of God. David saw the giant no differently than a lion or a bear among his sheep, and he handled those threatening situations before. David had a 100% belief that God would help him. David slings the stone, the giant goes down, and David cuts off Goliath’s head with his sword.

What’s interesting to me is, isn’t this the story of our lives as well? We face something that terrifies us. A giant. And because we know we would lose, we run, delay, and avoid. When all along, we need to remember God’s power and strength He offers us in every situation. When we are on the same page with God, then we know which side of the battle we should be on. We should know that with God's help, we can remove the opposition. We can face our fears… and God will help us. It is in those times that we can be blessed and play a part as David did. It’s also cool that we can help others to overcome their scary problems. We need to remember…the Lord will deliver.

Application:

1. What are the scary things currently in your life? What things are you doing to remind yourself of God’s power and strength?

2. Do you know of people in your life who are dealing with scary things? What can you do to help them focus on God’s power?

3. What habits are you establishing to keep your eyes focused on God and His power and strength?

Devo Plus:

Continue reading the story of David and Goliath: 1 Samuel 17:45-50. Remember, it’s faith over fear: “By faith [Moses] left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.” Hebrews 11:27 (NIV)

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help me to stay focused on You when life gets scary. Thank You for always being with me. Thank You for Your overcoming strength and power. Help me to be an encourager to others as well.

Daniel 1:8-9, 12-15 (ESV)

But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs,

“Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food.

Explanation:

Sticking with your principles (or convictions) is a difficult thing. I hold to the opinion that it is good and right to eat healthy, that is…until pizza or ice cream are in front of me. When faced with the option to choose good tasting over my conviction, it is easy to give into the pressure of the moment. In regard to food, the consequences of one decision to eat unhealthy may not bear immediate (if any) consequences, but this practice of giving in to temptation can have dire consequences over the long haul, and even immediate consequences in other parts of our lives.

Today’s story is one that involves food, but it has a deeper context, too. For Daniel and his young Jewish friends, who have been freshly imported to the nation of Babylon, this choice in diet was reflective of a commitment to their God, Yahweh. Eating the king’s food would have likely included meat sacrificed to idols, which would have been blasphemous for a Jew. Daniel chose to stick to his convictions, stick his neck out, and remain faithful to God, even in their new Babylonian world. It was a scary situation, because if they did not appear to be as healthy as the other young advisors, they (and their overseer) would most likely be killed. For Daniel, it was not a roll of the dice, but a deep love and trust in Yahweh.

Trusting God fueled Daniel’s obedience in scary times, and it is what can fuel ours.

Application:

1. What is one thing that stood out to you in this passage?

2. Have you had moments when you have compromised your convictions lately?

3. What areas of your life do you find it easier to compromise on?

4. Is there something God has been asking you to do but you are afraid of doing?

5. What is one thing you can do to make that a priority today?

Devo Plus:

Read another story of Daniel’s trust in God in Daniel 6.

Prayer:

God, following You is scary sometimes. You ask us to do things that could be dangerous for us, socially and even physically. We need help to have the courage, conviction, and love to be obedient. Lead us, guide us, and give us courage as we learn to trust You more and live out of love for You.

Matthew 26:36-39 (ESV)

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Explanation:

In this moment, Jesus is preparing for His death. He is troubled and full of sorrow, because He is completely aware of what is about to happen. So, He gets away by Himself and spends time praying to His Father, asking God to take this cup from Him. The cup Jesus is referring to is the pain and suffering He is about to endure. He is asking God to take away the judgment, the pain of the crucifixion, and ultimately, His death.

But what stands out the most is that, even in His moment of trouble and desperation, Jesus cries out and says, not my will but Yours, Lord, be done. This is not the path Jesus wants to go, but He knows that God’s will and ways are better. Jesus is about to be beaten, whipped, and crucified, yet He submits to the will of the Father, because He knows something greater will come from it.

I know there have been a few moments in my life when I have had to submit my will to the will of the Father. One of the biggest moments that stands out to me was the season of waiting to have a child. Not only did we lose a child due to an ectopic pregnancy, God made us wait to have one. We prayed countless prayers, we cried many tears, we struggled to understand God’s purpose and will in that season. But we continued to trust in His perfect plan. I have a child in heaven I will never get to meet on this side of earth, but I trust that God knew what was best. I had to wait for God’s perfect timing for my daughter to be born, because His ways are higher and His plan is better. During that season of waiting, I didn’t understand what God was doing, but looking back now, I get it. I grew in that season; I learned to surrender my will, my wants, and my desires to Him. I learned to trust that God’s will for my life is way better than my plans.

Friends, it is hard to submit to the will of the Father. But just like Jesus, when we do submit, we can trust His plan really is better. We can trust He knows what He is doing. We can stand in confidence He will be faithful through it all.

Application:

1. What wants and desires in your life right now don’t match up with God’s will?

2. Why is it so hard to trust in and surrender to God’s will?

3. How might God’s will be better for you than your will?

4. What steps do you need to take in order to release your current situation to God?

Devo Plus:

Take some time today to listen to the song “I Surrender” by Hillsong. Use this song as your prayer today, submitting to the will of God for your life.

Prayer:

God, we recognize it is often hard to surrender our wants and our desires to You. We often struggle to understand and to release our lives to Your plan and Your will. Will you help us today? Remind us that Your ways are higher, that You are faithful, and that Your plan is perfect and for our good. Often, we don’t understand what You are doing, so in those moments of confusion, will You please reveal to us the good You are working out on our behalf? God, we want to trust that Your plans and purposes are best. Remind us of Your faithfulness today. Amen.

Proverbs 29:25 (ESV)

The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

Explanation:

One of my all-time favorite shows to watch is called Alone. This is a competition show that takes contestants and drops them in the wilderness to see which of the them can survive the longest. One of the key skills that each contestant must master is how to acquire food. Each contestant has a unique set of skills in this area. One of the skills you commonly see being used is snaring. Snaring is using a long piece of wire with a loop at the end to catch an animal around the neck as it is walking along. When an animal gets caught in the snare, it is stuck. Not to be overly morbid, but the snare can injure or even kill the animal as well. Bet you didn’t wake up today expecting to get a lesson in survival skills, did you? I wanted to provide you with this image because we can use it as a reference for understanding what today’s reading is communicating.

Just like an animal caught in a snare, someone who consistently allows their fear of man to direct their lives can find themselves frequently feeling stuck. In this psalm, King David, who was someone who consistently found himself in situations where fear of man could have been a concern, knew the potential dangers that awaited the person who feared man over God. Notice he says “lays” a snare, meaning that at any point in time, it can catch us and leave us in a worsened state. For instance, fear of man can limit your fullness of life by keeping you in a constant state of worry, concern, and anxiety. It can also rob you of joy and stunt potential growth opportunities. Whereas, a life that resides in the power, truth, and trust of God is one that can yield fruit in all ways. There is safety in walking hand in hand with God, the One who truly has the power over your life. Don’t let fear dictate your every step; let what you know to be true of God lead your way.

Application:

1. How do you find yourself fearing man in your life?

2. How has that fear been a snare for you at times?

3. Why do we trust in God?

4. What safety is there in following God over following your fear?

5. How can you trust God, starting today?

Devo Plus:

Read Galatians 1:10. How can fearing man also lead to the desire to please man? How can both of these be taxing on your life?

Prayer:

Jesus, I want to trust in You. I do let my fear of others get in the way sometimes, but I am reminded today there is such safety in walking hand and hand with You. Help me, like David, to know any snares I am laying for myself, and warn me when I am about to be snared. I need Your wisdom and guidance always, above my own emotions and fears. Thank You for always being my refuge and strength.

1 Samuel 26:7-12 (ESV)

So David and Abishai went to the army by night. And there lay Saul sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the army lay around him. Then Abishai said to David, “God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.” But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?” And David said, “As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord's anointed. But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water and let us go.” So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul's head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.

Explanation:

In this passage, God is testing David’s faith, character, and dependence on God. God has placed Saul’s whole camp under a deep sleep, and David has a perfect opportunity to take Saul’s life. Abishai is playing devil’s advocate, pressuring David, and even making him think that God has provided this perfect opportunity for him. David understands an important truth, that God is his defender. David knows that Saul’s end would come, but it was not up to him to determine. It was the Lord’s decision. David then takes Saul’s water and spear, so that Saul would know David had been there and could have taken his life, but chose not to.

I can struggle with being in control. I like to know what to expect, and if I have plans, I want them to go as I planned. If everything in my life happened exactly like I expected, I would never need God. This is why God places us in situations like David’s, to allow us to lean into Him and to surrender ourselves to Him. We are NOT in control. This can be a hard pill to swallow. Every day, we have to surrender everything to Him, and let Him decide the ending.

Application:

1. Why is it so important to hand over control to God?

2. What are you trying to control that you need to surrender to God?

3. What are some practical steps you can take to make this a daily routine?

Devo Plus:

Make a list of all the things you are trying to control and need to surrender to God. Pray and ask God to take these things from you, and then rip that list up and throw it in the trash.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for being present in our lives. Thank You for wanting to provide for us and for wanting to be in a relationship with us. I ask that You help us surrender anything we are trying to control. I ask that You help us to make this a daily routine, and to free us from the desire for control. Give us Your indescribable peace. Thank You for all the countless ways that You bless us. It is in Your mighty and powerful Name we pray. Amen.

1 Samuel 24:3-7

At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave!

“Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the Lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe.

But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.” So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul.

Explanation:

Saul is king because God anointed him to be king. He wasn’t voted in or birthed into his position. He was Israel’s first king, and in time, David would become Israel’s second king. Saul could only see David as competition, hated him, and wanted him dead. On the other hand, David continued to view Saul as God’s pick, which was the perspective that formed his reactions and responses to Saul’s cruelty toward him. David stayed bedrock in his acknowledgment of God’s will in Saul being king, which demonstrated David’s deep trust in God.

God has promised David he will be king, but instead of great preparation in the palace, the way kings are prepared today, the reigning King Saul becomes fixated on killing David. David is prepared for kingship through crushing years of physical distress and emotional turmoil, learning God's provision and faithfulness. It is through this devastating season of probably seven years that David is stripped of everything except his relationship with God.

Here in the cave, David has a chance to end the agony and step into the kingship he was promised. Here is the short cut. It’s time to make it happen, his men tell him. Even though the opportune situation is enough to convince David’s men that it’s time to claim his destiny, David is much more concerned with God’s timing than his...God’s will instead of his.

Application:

1. Our passage demonstrates the danger of listening to ungodly counsel or using circumstantial evidence as defining God’s will. What was the difference between David’s heart and his men’s hearts?

2. David obviously knows his honor, security, and future are safe in God’s hands. How freeing is that? In the midst of high drama and the adrenaline of always being on the run for his life, David’s heart stays at peace, and he is able to rest in God’s timing to bring about his future. God could trust David to let Him do the promoting instead of taking things into his own hands. Is there any situation in your life that you are trying to MAKE happen?

Devo Plus:

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Prayer:

God, I need Your protection and provision. Help me to rely on Your perfect timing and leading. May my ears hear Your voice over the counsel of naysayers, and may my heart be inclined toward Yours in such a way that I stay in rhythm with Your will and Your ways. Deliver me from evil, and lead and guide me in your ways. I want to learn them, obey them, and find victory in them. I need Your help to operate in a way that teaches me to pursue Your heart. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

Matthew 10:28-32 (NLT)

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.”

Explanation:

The context of this passage is Jesus’s command to preach the message of salvation without fearing what people think of our bold faith. Earlier in the story, Jesus had sent His disciples out to the surrounding towns to proclaim the gospel, and He gave them specific instructions on how to react to the responses they received, whether positive or negative.

Along with His instructions, Jesus was teaching His followers what matters most in this life—our relationship with Him. Out of this relationship flows the confidence we have to speak unashamedly about our faith, the trust we have that God will be with us when we share our faith, and the peace we have which the unsaved world can sense when they are around us. We are to have no fear of anything mere mortals can subject us to, only fear of what God can do if we remain silent while people are dying, separated from Him for eternity.

Too often, we get sidetracked fearing what people can do to us in a world that is growing more wicked by the hour. Jesus always gives us the right perspective on fear. If we call Him our Lord and Savior, then we have nothing to fear when He prompts our hearts to tell a lost or hurting soul where to find true peace.

Application:

1. Is sharing your faith with unsaved people on your list of things you fear the most?

2. Christians tend to think if we don’t speak up about our faith in the workplace, then we are not bold in our faith. Is that true? Can you be a solid witness for Jesus Christ at your job without preaching?

3. Have you ever shared the message of salvation to someone in response to the Holy Spirit’s prompting? What was the result?

Devo Plus:

Matthew 10:1-27 gives us the context of this passage.

Prayer:

Ask God to give you the boldness you need to share your faith, and the sensitivity to know when and who to share it with.