Devotionals - Thoughts About God

Hearing from God

Devotionals — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 07:06:25 +0000

“Speak, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:10

The other day I was asked, “How do you hear from God through His word? Although I try to read the Bible, it seems dry and old.”

Let me share what I have learned in this adventure of hearing God through His word.

Pray first. Always invite God to speak to you. “Speak, your servant is listening.”

Engage in what you are reading. What is the story, the picture, the promise, the warning, or the setting that stands out to you? Pause and ponder.

If you are reading Psalm 23 spend some time on, “He makes me lie down in green pastures”. Think about where you might find ” green pastures” today. What might that look like?

Pray again. Allow God’s Spirit to speak to your spirit and personalize His presence and message to you.

Lord, in the maze of my hurried day show me the places of rest that You have prepared for me. Help me see the quiet places you offer to experience Your presence – on my break, as I ride the bus or drive, as I converse. May my spirit be lead by Your Holy Spirit to find the moments of quiet, in the midst of busy, that keep me connected to You. Thank you that You desire to walk closely with me today. May I hear Your voice through Your word as I make time to read and ponder. May Your Spirit speak to my heart as I engage with You as I go. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

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God is Father to the Fatherless

Devotionals — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 07:03:21 +0000

Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” A glimpse of God’s goodness changes us. If He is only slightly stronger than us, why pray? If He has limitations, questions, and hesitations, then you might as well pray to the Wizard of Oz.

Psalm 68:5-6 says, God is “a father to the fatherless. He sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity.”

Pray with me!

Dear God. Today remind me today that you protect me. Be my father and defender. Defend those who’re weak and afraid and feel forgotten. Show up in their lives today. Thank you for giving me a spiritual family that can never be taken away. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

At any point you’re only a prayer away from help!

By Max Lucado
From: Before Amen
Used by permission

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://maxlucado.com/about-max/

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God Is Our Loving Father

God our Father

Alphabet Of The Father Heart of God

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Children and Parents

Thoughts_About_God — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 07:06:49 +0000

“And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” Malachi 4:6(ESV).

A friend of mine was preaching yesterday. His text was on John the Baptist. He made the connection between the verse in Luke 1:17 and the corresponding verse reference in Malachi given above. What struck me was something quite simple within this verse in Malachi.

I had never noticed before this aspect of Fatherhood. Something within said that there is a danger, where parents are too busy for their children, that it can have effects on the family and on the society both present and future. The sins of the parents will be visited on the children, a self-fulfilling prophecy for the people, with a curse as consequence for the land.

I talked to my wife about this thought and in reply, she mentioned an article in her magazine entitled something akin to: “How to be a mother in 60 minutes a day“. It raised the question in my heart “Why are we so keen to have families and yet not give them the priorities given in scripture?” Yes, we need money to live but at what a cost?

Jesus was keen to receive the small children, wants us to come to Him with the uncluttered and wholehearted faith of children. They are important to Him because they are just the same in spirit as those of us who are older, in a more capacious container. Why then is the bus-I-ness (ie. being too busy for too long) of work creating an acceptability of absenteeism that is in danger of consuming the society we hoped to grow and be a part of, where there is no space for more.

I think about my own parenthood. How has this been influenced by my history? How, in turn, am I influencing, have influenced, my children? How will this influence my children’s children?

Matthew 18:3 (ESV):- and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

PRAYER: LORD, I thank You that You do not treat us as our sins deserve because we come to You in the name of Jesus the Christ. Hallelujah!
LORD today, deliver us from this evil: being too busy for our loved ones. Thank You that You are never too busy for us. Grant that we may live a good example of what may be a right balance between worship, work and play in our lives.
LORD, You love the childlike simplicity of the Young. Heal those of us who have hurts and burdens that we carry with us which make us too busy to be able to care. Amen.

by Rod Marshall
Used by Permission

FATHERHOOD

A Call to Fatherhood

Godly Fathers – a Biblical perspective

Leaving a Legacy for Christ

What My Dad did Right

A Good Dad is “There” for His Children

Ten Things to Teach your Son about True Manhood – by John Grant

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My Daddy is a Man

Thoughts_About_God — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 07:03:42 +0000

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise–the fruit of lips that confess his name” (Hebrews 13:15)

Our daughter Val and her family were getting ready to go home. They had spent Halloween evening with us and we had a lot of fun. My husband set up a game of croquet downstairs using the legs of the chairs in place of the wire hoops; we watched fireworks and had freshly baked brownies with hot chocolate.

They were ready to go when Bronson, my grandson, announced, “My daddy is a man”

The statement seemed to come right out of the blue, but he communicated much more than the words he spoke. His words and the way he said them said, “I love daddy. I think my daddy is wonderful! I’m so proud of my dad. I am secure and happy because I have a good dad. My daddy is strong and my daddy loves me.”

Yes, he said all these things and more when he looked at us and said, “My daddy is a man.”

What are you communicating to the world about your heavenly Father? Is it praise? Do you complain about how He is treating you? Do the words you use to talk about God tell everyone that you think He is wonderful? Think about it.

Father, give us the grace to communicate to others how very much You love us and how wonderful we think You are. Thank You so much for caring about us. Amen.

By Katherine Kehler
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Tap Into the Source

Devotionals — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 07:06:22 +0000

“I am the vine; you are the branches; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 (NIV)

Life tends to get busy. I had a meeting with two women in our home yesterday and we shared some of what our week was like. Let’s just say our plates were full. (A third friend called to cancel, because she simply hadn’t managed to finish up her work in time for the meeting.)

I don’t mind being busy, but I always want to have time for the people and activities that are truly important in my life. When life gets full, I find it crucial to know my priorities.

I was reminded again of that when visiting a friend’s house recently. When her husband opened up his computer, the following words flashing across his screen: “Tap into the Source.”

I can’t do anything disconnected from my Source. My Source offers me peace in the midst of chaos. My Source offers me strength when it feels like I have nothing left to offer. My Source offers grace beyond what I deserve.

My Source offers everything I need for every situation I may encounter. My Source feeds my soul.

Thank you, Jesus, that you are my “Source” of everything I need for today. Amen.

By Idelette McVicker
Used by Permission

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Being in God’s Thoughts

Devotionals — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 07:03:00 +0000

“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!” Psalm 139:17

Divine omniscience (God’s all-knowingness) gives no comfort to the ungodly mind, but to the child of God it overflows with consolation. God is always thinking about us, never turns aside His mind from us, and always has us before His eyes. This is precisely what we want and need, because it would be dreadful to exist for a moment beyond the observation of our heavenly Father.

His thoughts are always tender, loving, wise, sensible, and far-reaching. They bring to us countless benefits, so it is a choice delight to remember them. The Lord always did think about His people, and so comes their election and the covenant of grace by which their salvation is secured. And He will always think about them, and this will result in their final perseverance by which they will be brought safely to their final rest.

In all our wanderings the watchful glance of the Eternal Watcher is always fixed on us, and we never roam beyond the Shepherd’s eye. In our sorrows He observes us incessantly, and no painful moment escapes Him. In our trials He perceives all our weariness, and writes in His book all the struggles of His faithful ones. These thoughts of the Lord encompass us in all our paths, and penetrate the innermost region of our being. Not a nerve or tissue, valve or vessel, of our bodily organization is uncared for. All the little ones of our world are in the thoughts of the great God.

Dear reader, is this precious to you? Then hold steadfastly to it. Never be led astray by those philosophic fools who preach about an impersonal God (deism) or talk of self-existent, self-governing matter (naturalism). The Lord lives and thinks about us, this is a truth far too precious for us to ever abandon. Catching the attention of an important person is valued so highly that those who have it counts their blessings. But if that is so, how much more valuable is it to be constantly in the thoughts of the King of kings! If the Lord’s thoughts are on me, all is well, and we may rejoice evermore.

Have you considered that you are constantly in God’s thoughts? Does this truth give you comfort and confidence?

by Charles H. Spurgeon
Used by Permission
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2011

Another Man’s Righteousness

Devotionals — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 07:06:39 +0000

“When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ On hearing this Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’” Mark 2:16-17

Yesterday, I buried my dad. I always knew if I lived long enough, this day would come.

Yet I could never prepare for the moment I watched him being lowered into the ground. My heart sank, knowing I would never see him again in this life.

His last year on earth was very hard to endure, but I saw him keep his faith to the end. I have great comfort in the middle of great sorrow. I love you, Dad.

My father was a good man who led and took care of his family. Yet, in the middle of his life, he realized his hope for heaven must be based on another man’s righteousness. Dad knew Jesus didn’t come for the righteous, because there are none. No one will be declared righteous by law-keeping. So, we must faithfully yield to Christ and receive the righteousness that comes from God (Philippians 3:8-11).

What about you? Are you trusting in your own ability to please God?

Is your hope for heaven based on your goodness outweighing your badness? Do you believe God will let you into heaven since you tried your best to do what’s right?

Remember that God requires perfection. That is why he made Jesus

“who had no sin to become sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Soon someone we love will be saying goodbye to us. On that day, may we be found in another man’s righteousness.

Thank you, Lord, for having compassion for us by taking our sins upon the cross that day. Our hope for heaven is impossible without your substitutionary work. Amen.

By Rich Vega
Used by Permission

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You Taught Us How to Love

Devotionals — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 07:03:38 +0000

“We have spoken freely to you, …our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.” 2 Corinthians 6:11

We may often feel that God does not answer our questions quickly enough.

But I do have a clear memory of a time when He answered very rapidly. It happened after I had just started a new job.

Day after day, I arrived at work eager to forge relationships with other staff members. I knew I worked well as a team member. I was excited to serve. Yet I encountered such aloofness from my coworkers that I became wounded.

One sunny morning in late September as I was reading my Bible, I paused and asked, “Lord, why did you put me there?”

“I put you there to love.” His clearly articulated purpose shocked me.

Your heart may be open and your actions loving, but the other person’s heart may not be. But God can and does change hearts.

When I moved on from that particular job, one woman’s tribute to me was: “You taught us how to love.”

Who knew? Well, God most certainly did!

Lord Jesus, thank You that through all the unremarkable days in our ordinary lives, Your love is active in us through the reality of Your resurrected life in us, even when we are not aware of it. We are so grateful. Amen.

By Sue Braid
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Not Hard at All

People Need Loving

Messy Scribble

The Dynamics of God’s Word in Your Heart

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Clouded View

Devotionals — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 07:06:38 +0000

It can happen in a matter of minutes. A beautiful sunshiny day can become overcast, gloomy, and dank. A wet fog rolls in and blankets everything. It clings to you as you strain to see beyond a few feet in front of you. You feel closed in, almost claustrophobic. Your hands are tempted to swoosh it away like you would debris when swimming in a river or lake. But it closes back in after a millisecond.

Life imitates nature, doesn’t it? I know there have been times my outlook was quite sunny. My world was just about perfect and I felt happy, accomplished, blessed. Then a situation or circumstance hit. Suddenly I felt as if I was encased in a fog. All sense of direction lost. I couldn’t see my way. My dreams and plans vanished in the thickness of the now.

Peter, John and James experienced this. I’d read the transfiguration story in the Gospels many, many times. But recently, Luke 9:34 leaped out at me. And God whispered a lesson to me. Because you see, I’ve been in a fog lately.

Jesus took these men up on the mountain to pray, as told in Luke 9:28-36. It must have been a gorgeous vista. Their Lord had gone up into the mountains to pray before, but always alone. Now He invited them. Not all of the twelve, just these three. Can you see their proud l struts, their smiles? What could be better? Then they see Jesus’ countenance change into a dazzling white as the two most important, holy people in their tradition, Moses and Elijah, descended to be by his side. Wow. Talk about a Kodak moment! But they didn’t have that modern invention. No phones for selfies. So, Peter suggested they do what their patriarchs had done when encountering God breaking through to earth. Build an altar. Erect a tabernacle. Mark the moment.

“As he [Peter] said this, a cloud came and overshadowed them and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.” (Luke 9:34). In rolled the blinding fog. Their view of the holiest thing they’d ever witnessed blocked off. The moment gone. Their breaths stolen.

But God didn’t leave them there. “A voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’” (vs.35). Focus not on yourselves, but on Jesus. Erase your self-oriented thoughts. Let Him lead you. This isn’t about Jesus acknowledging you, it’s about you acknowledging my Son.

The good news is that God doesn’t leave us either. Even if we can’t see Him though the circumstances that are clouding our faith, He can still break through to comfort us, correct us, and lovingly guide us back to what we need to be focusing upon–Him. Just as He did for me as I read this passage in Scripture.

Fogs don’t last forever. The sun will break through again. But in the meantime perhaps we are supposed to stop and no longer rely on our own abilities. Instead, let us listen for God’s directive voice. Then when the sun does break through and we can see again, like Peter James and John in verse 36, let us continue to focus on Jesus alone.

By Julie Cosgrove
Used by Permission

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FURTHER READING

“Eye” Problems

Not Against Flesh and Blood

Comfort in Times of Uncertainty

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The Value of Pain

Devotionals — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 07:03:53 +0000

The Value of Pain

You can’t bring a cup of cold water to someone if you’ve never thirsted
You can’t heal a heart if your heart’s never been broken
You can’t forgive a sin that you’ve never done
Or you never thought you could do
Put that bandage away it’s too small to cover the wound
– from “Cup of Cold Water” by John Fischer

When it comes to standing in someone else’s shoes and feeling what others feel, the most frequently neglected area in which we do this is in the area of pain.

We live in a society obsessed with pain relief. Doctors, druggists, chiropractors, psychiatrists and psychologists are all banded together in this fight against the common enemy: pain – both physical and mental. Rarely do you hear that pain might be a good thing, but it can be. It may not be good in and of itself, but it can be good in what it accomplishes. What can pain accomplish?

Pain opens us up to our real need.
Pain helps us identify with others.
Pain reminds us of our limitations.
Pain can open up your heart, if you let it.
Pain grounds us in our humanity.
Pain is a big part of love; you can’t live or love without it.

All those country songs about love and heartbreak may not be so trite after all. If love doesn’t hurt, then it’s not very deep. Ask Jesus about the pain of love, and He could point to a cry still rattling around the universe, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”
(Mark 15:34)

We spend billions of dollars trying to get ourselves pain-free, when pain is perhaps one of the most important ways we can touch another human being. It’s one thing to share the same joy – high five at a football game over a touchdown, or share a kiss on New Year’s Eve – it’s another, deeper thing to share the same pain.

Some people are convinced that they are alone in their pain – that no one else has experienced the pain they feel – until someone comes along who has, and suddenly, they are not alone any longer. It doesn’t make the pain any more bearable, but it does make a relationship possible.

I pray that my heart never heals from these wounds. If you understand this statement, then you understand the value of pain.

by John Fischer
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Help with Hard Times

Hope for the Hopeless

From Victim to Victory – Physically and emotionally abused as a child, Sharon stopped crying at 6 and stopped talking at 9.

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The God Who Stoops… And Stands

Devotionals — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 07:06:52 +0000

“Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, ‘Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?’ — ‘No, Lord,‘ she said. And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I. Go and sin no more.’” John 8:10-11 (NLT))

Condemnation – the preferred commodity of Satan. He will repeat the adulterous woman scenario as often as you permit him to do so, marching you through the city streets and dragging your name through the mud. He pushes you into the center of the crowd and megaphones your sin:

This person was caught in the act of immorality … stupidity … dishonesty … irresponsibility.

But he will not have the last word. Jesus has acted on your behalf.

He stooped. Low enough to sleep in a manger, work in a carpentry shop, sleep in a fishing boat. Low enough to rub shoulders with crooks and lepers. Low enough to be spat upon, slapped, nailed, and speared. Low. Low enough to be buried.

And then he stood. Up from the slab of death. Upright in Joseph’s tomb and right in Satan’s face. Tall. High. He stood up for the woman and silenced her accusers, and he does the same for you.

He “is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us” (Romans. 8:34 MSG). Let this sink in for a moment. In the presence of God, in defiance of Satan, Jesus Christ rises to your defense. He takes on the role of a priest. “Since we have a great priest over God’s house, let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, because we have been made free from a guilty conscience” (Hebrews. 10:21–22 NCV).

A clean conscience. A clean record. A clean heart. Free from accusation. Free from condemnation. Not just for our past mistakes but also for our future ones.

“Since he will live forever, he will always be there to remind God that he has paid for [our] sins with his blood” (Hebrews. 7:25 TLB). Christ offers unending intercession on your behalf.

Jesus trumps the devil’s guilt with words of GRACE.

By Max Lucado
Used by permission

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://maxlucado.com/about/

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It’s All about You, Jesus

Devotionals — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 07:03:38 +0000

“For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey him, and then helping you do what he wants” Philippians 2:13

We are all on a spiritual journey. Some of you have just begun to realize that there is a spiritual dimension to your lives, others are searching for the Truth, and still others have yielded their lives to the Lordship of Christ and are learning how to walk in the power and direction of the Holy Spirit.

When I was in my mid-thirties, I realized that I was not even close to experiencing the abundant Christian life that is offered to us. My mother had just passed away, and I knew she was now in heaven. However, even though I had received Christ into my life when I was twelve, I wasn’t sure I would go there if I should die.

Then someone invited us to attend a conference hosted by Campus Crusade for Christ International. There I learned a wonderful spiritual principle that changed my life. As the above verse states, I learned that I (and you) can’t live the Christian life. It is impossible. And I learned that’s precisely why we need Christ in us! Christ died for our sins, rose again (exercising power over death), and then He sent His Holy Spirit. The Spirit comes into our lives when we accept Christ and is always available to give us the power we need to follow Him.

What a liberating truth! God not only asks me to live like Jesus, but He gives me everything I need to do so. I just have to admit my helplessness (many times a day) and ask Him to help me want to (love my enemy, be bold in witnessing, be patient, etc.), and then He changes me from the inside. It is not about me; it is all about Him.

I tried out this concept shortly after the conference. I was not a morning person — I tended to be grumpy. The Holy Spirit pointed out to me that I was having a terrible influence on my family before they left for work and school. He also showed me that His power is not limited to after ten in the morning. I prayed, “Lord, You have made me and know everything about me. You know I am a grouch in the morning; please change me to a cheerful person.”

After a few months, my husband said to me, “Katherine, I sure appreciate your cheerfulness in the mornings.” Wow! The Lord changed me. And He continues to — whenever I admit that I need Him and ask Him to change me.

How about you? Why don’t you try it? You will like it.

By Katherine Kehler
Used by Permission

If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus, you can learn how to start one at this link:
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Everyone Needs Jesus

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