READ: PSALM 34:18; ISAIAH 41:10; MATTHEW 5:4; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-4 Editor’s note: Today’s devotional reading discusses sexual abuse. As an eleven-year-old, I was shy and awkward. My father moved out that year. Everything felt embarrassing. One day, my father came to school unannounced. He took me on a weekend trip and molested me. Then he [...]

READ: PSALM 46:1-11; LUKE 19:10; JOHN 8:12; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-11 Feeling so downLaying on the groundTears fall from my eyesThen I get a surpriseA hand on my backComforting, not an attackSomeone to dry my tearsBe with me in my fearsHelp me get up againWalk where I’ve never beenJesus, there for meIn ways I never knew [...]

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13; 2 TIMOTHY 2:22; JAMES 1:12-15; 4:7 What sins do you struggle with the most? In other words, in what situations do you find it’s harder to love God and your neighbors through your words, thoughts, and actions? In Matthew 22:37-40, we see that the life Jesus invites us into is one [...]

READ: PROVERBS 11:14; 12:15; 15:22; 20:18 Do you have people in your life who want to give you advice, like parents, teachers, pastors, counselors, or coaches? They want us to listen to what they have to say, and often we can be tempted to shrug them off, but there may be a lot we can [...]

READ: PSALMS 42:1–43:5; 46:1-5; MATTHEW 26:37-38 Sometimes, you cry tearsThey fall as hard as the rainIt feels just like a stormThis life, full of painBut just as quickly, the sun appearsA smile comes to your faceJoy in your life againIt’s a beautiful time and placeGod is with you through these momentsThe ups and downs of [...]

READ: PSALM 55:22; MATTHEW 11:28-30; 1 PETER 5:6-9 It’s natural to worry. We humans just do it, pure and simple. And the Lord, knowing how distracting chronic worry can be, lovingly offers His children a remedy because He wants to set us free from the cares that clutter up our minds and petrify our hearts. [...]

READ: PSALM 27:7-10; JOHN 14:18-20; ROMANS 8:31-39 It can feel terrible to feel all alone in the world. Whether you’re going through a time when you don’t have a lot of friends in your life or you feel like you can’t connect with others when you’re around them, loneliness can hit you hard and upset [...]

READ: LAMENTATIONS 3:19-22; ROMANS 12:15 Have you ever heard of lament? In Christianity, lament is the practice of telling God about your hurts, anger, and disappointments—and asking Him to do something about it. Sometimes we find it hard to lament something we have lost. We tend to prefer laughter to crying, joy to anxiety, celebration [...]

READ: PSALM 46; MARK 4:35-41 Have you ever heard the meteorological term supercell? It’s an unusually large storm cell, and its clouds form the shape of a huge anvil. This kind of weather system has separate updrafts and downdrafts, and it produces severe wind and thunderstorms, large hail, and even tornadoes. A supercell can be [...]

READ: GENESIS 2:1-3; MATTHEW 11:28–12:13; LUKE 5:16 Are you running on empty? Are you overburdened with clubs, hobbies, schoolwork, sports, church activities, part-time jobs, or other commitments? In our fast-paced world, it can be easy to say “yes” to too many things and fill our lives so full, there’s no room left for rest. The [...]