Have you ever noticed that, for the most part, older people seem to have a stronger, more sure faith? I realized, reading our verse, that it really doesn’t have to do with their age as much as it has to do with their EXPERIENCES with God. Take a look at the first part of our verse. “But the LORD has become my fortress.” How do you build a fortress? Answer? One rock at a time.
When we’re young in our faith, we don’t have many experiences with God to draw from. That means we don’t have many “rocks” in our fortress. But after many years of God acting on our behalf, answers to prayer, and incidents of God’s redemption and protection, we have entire WALLS of rocks. When trouble comes, we don’t fear as much because the fortress of our faith in God is big and strong. When we only have a few rocks, it’s easy to grow fearful or for panic to overtake us. Sure, some older people haven’t leaned into God much, though they’ve been around Him for years, and their faith may still struggle. But for those who trusted the Lord and have found God true and faithful time after time, their fortress is STRONG.
So, what can we do to make OUR fortress of faith stronger? Let me suggest a couple of things. First, go back and gather your own stones of faith. Sometimes we have experiences with God we’ve just forgotten. A forgotten incident of God’s provision and power is as though it never happened at all. Read that last sentence again. That’s why God told His people time and again to write His works down and to commit them to memory. I’ll bet if you took even fifteen minutes to sit and simply write down all the times you can remember God answering prayer, giving you displays of His Power, or intervening on your behalf, you’d have a whole lot more rocks of faith than you have right now.
Another thing you can do is borrow some rocks of faith from others. Sit with some people who have walked with God and let them share some of the ways God has worked miracles for them. As they share their stories, they are handing you a rock for your fortress. THEIR rock of faith becomes YOUR rock of faith. That’s why God told us to tell these stories to our children. We build a fortress for them by telling them what God has done for us! Every time I sit with someone and they share how God healed, provided, or performed a miracle for them, my heart is lifted, and my faith is increased. Their rocks become MY rocks.
If you're struggling right now, my guess is you could use a few more rocks of faith. Spend some time with God, remembering what He’s done. Spend some time with others telling you their stories. Gather enough rocks, my friend, and you have more than just a bunch of stones. You’ve got yourself a FORTRESS! That’s God’s Word for you today.

Do you ever have doubts? Do you have some right now? It’s okay. We all have them from time to time. We have doubts about why God allows certain things to happen. We have doubts about whether or not God really does hear our prayers. If we’re honest, there are even times when we doubt if God exists. Most of those doubts come out of life throwing us curves we weren’t expecting, or times when we’re experiencing some great pain or loss. Mostly, the doubts come out of our emotions, not what we really think or believe.
That’s why I love what the psalmist says here. “When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.” Notice that God doesn’t try to reason with the doubts. Nor does God answer the doubts with facts or logic. This is a great lesson we can all learn from. You don’t respond to emotions with information. You respond to emotion with something that will help heal the heart. So, what did God offer the psalmist? Comfort. God didn’t try to explain away the doubts. He simply came alongside the one struggling and gave soothing peace. And that’s what people who are struggling really need.
Maybe you need that today. Maybe the last week or two has put you back on your heels or caused you to be anxious and afraid. Maybe you’ve experienced a loss, had a setback, or walked with a good friend through some trauma in their life. And all of this has caused you to look to heaven and ask, “Why?” But it’s not really an answer you’re looking for. It’s a Presence. It’s a need to feel God near. It’s not as much your mind looking for a reason or an explanation as much as it is your heart needing some reassurance.
Reach out to God today. Not for an explanation from Him, but for an experience with Him. As you do, I’m praying in advance that God will meet you where you are in the middle of whatever it is you are going through. I’m praying that He will wrap His arms around you and calm your troubled spirit. I’m praying that God will lift all the heaviness that you are carrying and breathe into you renewed hope and cheer. I’m praying that God will meet you right there, with all of your doubts. Though you may not get all the answers that you’re asking for, I’m praying that God will give you something better. A peace that passes all understanding. Because it’s His Peace that calms our panic. And that’s when our doubts disappear. That’s God’s Word for you today.

There is a common mistake that many people make. They let their feelings dictate their actions. When they feel down, they isolate rather than get around people who might lift their spirits. When they’ve had a setback, they fixate on that setback rather than focusing on all the other good things that are going on in their lives. When they are going through a dry time spiritually, they will tend to put down their Bibles, disconnect from their small group, or stay away from church. Doing that is self-defeating. Actually, it’s worse. We help the Enemy in his plan to keep us living discouraged and defeated lives!
Let’s flip this around. Don’t FEEL your way into actions, ACT your way into feelings! Take a look at the prescription the psalmist gives. “It is GOOD to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to the Most High.” Why is it “good?” There are many of reasons! When you give thanks, you are making yourself think about all the things that you have to be thankful for. You remember the blessings. You remember the answers to prayer. You think about all the incredible people God has placed in your life. As you give thanks, you begin to FEEL THANKFUL!
It’s the same with praise. When you praise God, you are thinking about how good He is. You dwell on His amazing grace. You think about His incredible faithfulness. You sing about His power and glory. As you’re praising Him, something wonderful happens. You begin to FEEL that praise! There are times in worship where I’m singing a song, and I just can’t stay seated any longer. I have to stand and raise my hands. I feel like shouting and dancing. But I rarely start off feeling like that. I simply start praising God. And the more I praise Him and think about who He is and all He’s done, the feelings start washing over me. I don’t feel my way into worshipping. I worship my way into feeling.
I don’t know what kind of day or week you’re having, but this much I know. Dwelling on problems and troubles will only magnify your feelings of doom and gloom. Don’t emotionally self-destruct like that. Don’t help the Enemy get the best of you. Don’t wait until you feel like seeking God to start leaning into Him. Begin giving thanks for all that He has done. Begin praising Him for all that He is. Do it not only because He deserves it, but because YOU deserve it as well. You don’t feel your way into action. You act your way into feelings. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Have you ever been afraid of the dark? Most of us have. Especially late at night after watching a scary show! We’re smart enough to know that it was just a movie, and that a monster with claw hands really isn’t outside looking for a way to get in. But we’re afraid anyway. What if there’s SOMETHING out there? That’s at the heart of what fear is all about. Fear isn’t really as much about what we see. It’s what we DON’T SEE. Fear doesn’t paralyze us by the things that we know nearly as much as by the things we DON’T KNOW. It’s the “what if’s” that cause our hearts to pound and our blood pressure to rise, not the “what is.”
Think about it. Losing your job isn’t nearly as terrifying as FEARING you’re going to lose your job. Your girlfriend breaking up with you isn’t nearly as nerve-wracking as FEELING as if she’s going to. Dealing with the news from the doctor doesn’t create as much anxiety for us as WONDERING what that news is going to be. Once we SEE, once we KNOW, we can deal with it. It’s when we’re in the dark about it that our imaginations run wild and the terror sets in. So why in the world would the psalmist tell us to “not be afraid of the terrors of the night?” Because he knows something we forget. God can see in the dark!
God can see clearly what we cannot see. God knows fully and completely that which we know nothing about. He not only sees where this job is going, He knows about the NEXT JOB that’s coming. He not only sees what’s going on with that insecure relationship, He knows who it is we really need in our life. He not only has a full diagnosis of what that medical issue is all about, He’s already drawn up a plan of healing and recovery. The dark is not dark to Him. He is not surprised, not caught off-guard, and never, ever found unprepared.
So, if you find yourself “in the dark” today, put your trust in the Lord. He’s right there in the dark with you. He’s bigger than whatever imaginary Freddy Krueger you have in your mind. He’s capable of handling your job, navigating you through your relationships, and taking care of medical issues. You don’t have to be afraid of the terrors of the night because The Light is right beside you. Put your trust in Him. Give Him your fears. Give Him your imaginary monsters. Give Him all your anxiety about the future and all of its troubles. You can lie down and rest tonight because God is keeping watch for you. And He can see in the dark. That’s God’s Word for you today.

“This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” – Matthew 6:9 (NIV)

“A Bible that’s falling apart is usually owned by someone who isn’t.” I love that quote. And it’s quite true. God gave us His Word for lots of great reasons. It gives us the beautiful story of Redemption. It tells the history of God’s people and the Incarnation of Christ. It gives us a basis for our doctrines and beliefs. It is the most tangible understanding that we have about God and how He works. You know what else? It’s full of PROMISES. And those promises are POWERFUL!
The psalmist says those promises are our “armor and protection.” God’s faithful promises can guard our hearts when we’re being tempted. They can strengthen our faith when we’re beginning to doubt. Those promises can lift our hope when we’re sliding into those dark, despairing places. God’s promises are handles to hang onto. They are buoys to keep us afloat. They are spiritual oxygen to a suffocating soul. They are our place to stand when everything gets shaky.
What promise do YOU need today? Are you feeling alone? Then claim Matthew 28:20: “I am with you ALWAYS…even to the end of the age.” Are you feeling overwhelmed? Here’s 1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your cares upon Him, because He cares about you.” Are you doubting yourself? Are you feeling as if you can’t do what you feel God is calling you to do? Commit this one to memory: “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)
Do you feel as if you’ve blown it one too many times? Do you feel as if there’s just no way God can forgive you for what you’ve done? “Come now, let’s settle this, says the LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18) Are you feeling unwanted or unloved? Then claim 1 John 3:1: “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!”
Precious, powerful promises. Just for YOU! If you’ve felt under attack lately or just worn out by all that you’ve been through or facing, I want to encourage you to spend some time reading and reflecting on the promises of God. Those promises are your armor. They are your protection. When your spiritual legs are growing weak, they give you a firm place to stand. Wear your Bible out discovering those promises. That way life won’t wear YOU out! That’s God’s Word for you today.
(Feel free to post YOUR favorite promise in the comments as an encouragement to others! Or, if you receive this devotional by email, text your favorite promise to someone who might need to hear it.)

I have to confess to you that the whole AI (Artificial Intelligence) thing scares me. And it scares me for LOTS of reasons. Let me just talk about one of those reasons today. Though AI can give us a ton of information, it can’t give us the One Thing that I think we need the most. Revelation. AI can’t tell us what God thinks. And what God thinks is vital.
In our passage today, God invites Jeremiah to seek Him and ask Him about what’s coming and what he ought to do. That’s revelation. God is telling Jeremiah that only He can reveal things that Jeremiah doesn’t understand and couldn’t possibly know. AI could have told Jeremiah about what’s going on or what has happened in the past. But it couldn’t tell Jeremiah what God was up to or what God was going to do in the future. Only God can reveal that. AI can give you some good ideas about things. But God can give you Divine Ideas that have His blessing.
Remember when Moses was up on the mountain some years after fleeing Egypt for killing a man? God spoke to Moses through a burning bush and told him to go back to Egypt, walk into the court of the most powerful king on earth, and tell him to let God’s people go. That’s called a Divine Idea. Moses would never have thought that idea up, no matter how long he would have been up there. And I promise you, AI would have never come up with it either. To know God’s will, follow God’s path, do God’s work, and see God’s power, you have to seek God!
I remember a couple of years ago, I was wrestling with a pretty important issue. I wasn’t sure how to handle it. So as I walked and prayed that week, I confessed my ignorance to God and asked for His guidance. Boom! God gave me an idea in that time of prayer that I acted on, and the result was beyond whatever I could have asked or imagined. God continues to humble and amaze me.
Please hear my heart. I think the unbelievable opportunity that we have in this life is the one that we take for granted the most and utilize the least. To seek the heart and mind of God and let Him speak into our lives and decisions. James 1:5 says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.” I couldn’t agree more. If you need some information, feel free to ask AI. But if you need answers, wisdom, or guidance about anything of substance, seek God. He’ll give you what AI can’t. Revelation. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Paul Wood from Lodi, California, had been having a hard time. He was losing his balance and having trouble walking. He started having massive headaches that wouldn’t go away. He was finally referred to a neurosurgeon who ran some tests and took some scans. The doctor thought he might be experiencing a brain bleed. The news was even worse.
The scans showed a large tumor in Paul’s brain that the doctors believed was most likely malignant. Paul’s response to the doctor astounded him. “I’m going to be okay.” Paul had faith that God could heal and WOULD heal—either here on earth or in heaven. He shared the news with his church and put the process in the Lord’s Hands.
The day before the scheduled surgery, the doctors ran more scans to get exact measurements on the tumor to determine how it had grown and what their approach would be in surgery. To their amazement, the tumor was gone! Doctor Richard Lee, Paul’s surgeon, said, “We do tests, and we have medical technology, and we try to come up with some conclusion. We’re like detectives. But sometimes things happen that we can’t explain.” But Paul had an explanation. “It’s a miracle of God, and that’s how He planned it.” I’m not going to argue with that.
When Jeremiah prayed the prayer that is our passage today, he was in prison, and Jerusalem was under siege. But Jeremiah rested in his confidence in the Lord. He didn’t know what his future held. But he did know The One who held his future! That was where his confidence was, and that is where his faith would stay. If God can create the heavens and the earth out of nothing, then there wasn’t any circumstance or situation beyond God’s ability to work.
Maybe some of us are in a tight place today. Maybe like Paul Wood or Jeremiah, our future doesn’t look so good. Do YOU believe today that God can work in your situation? Do YOU believe today that the God who holds the whole world in His Hands holds YOU? Maybe Jeremiah’s prayer is a good prayer of faith for ALL of us to pray today. “O Sovereign LORD! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!” And all of God’s People said, “Amen!” That’s God’s Word for you today.

Years ago, I read a book called “The Cross and the Switchblade.” It was the story of a gang member in New York City named Nicky Cruz who was led to the Lord by an evangelist named David Wilkerson. Nicky, who was neck-deep in gang life, was not an easy convert. There were lots of conversations with Wilkerson before God finally broke through. I remember one of the conversations where David Wilkerson was telling Nicky that God loved him and that he loved him. It was so convicting to Nicky that he told the evangelist that if he came near him, he would kill him. Wilkerson’s response was, “Yeah, you could do that. You could cut me up into a thousand pieces and lay them in the street, and every piece will still love you.” What an awesome story of the power of God’s love!
Our passage today is God reminding His People of His everlasting, unfailing love. They are now in exile, suffering for their sins. Many probably wondered where God was or if He had forsaken them. He reminds them that His love is the One Constant that they can always count on. No. Matter. What.
God still loves you. I can’t help but believe there are some of us who need to hear that today. Sometimes, when we’ve blown it, we probably wonder if God still loves us. We’re reminded today that He does. Sometimes God doesn’t answer prayer the way we want Him to, and, in our disappointment, we might doubt His love. But it’s still there. Sometimes life hits us hard. Setbacks. Health issues. Losses. Trouble with people. Problems at work. All of these things can feel as if God is out to get us. But He’s not. It’s all a part of living on this fallen, chaotic planet called Earth. No matter what’s going on, God still loves us.
I’m reminded of Paul’s immortal words in Romans 8. “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” So take heart, my friend. No matter where you are or what you’re going through. God still loves you. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Sometimes God is so amazing that it takes my breath away. His willingness to forgive, even the darkest sin or a whole life of sin, is amazing. But it doesn’t stop there. Out of the soil of grace and brokenness comes His incredible ability to redeem and restore. When we give Him all the broken pieces of our shattered lives, He can remake them, reshape them, turn them into lives that are beautiful, precious, and purposeful. And you know what’s crazy? He starts those plans for redemption and rebuilding before we’re ever ready for them!
Take another look at our passage for today. God is reminding the people that He calls them to seek Him wholeheartedly. And if they will, He tells them they will discover Him in all His Grace and Glory. He then goes on to give them a glimpse of the lives He will make out of them—seventy years in the future! Think about that for a moment. Even as the consequences for the people’s sins are just beginning, God is already planning for their restoration. That’s just a Ridiculous Grace at work!
But I’ve seen it happen again and again. I’ve seen God take people who have totally trashed their lives with drugs, alcohol, or gambling addiction and break those chains and set them free. Then, restore those lives, remake those lives, and turn them into leaders who help others find their way to freedom as well.
I’ve met people who grew up in horrible families where the abuse was unimaginable. People who grew up being told they were commodities, not people, and were simply to be used and discarded. People who grew up believing they were worthless, damaged, unloved, and unworthy. And I’ve watched as God helped them to discover His Healing Love and the wonder of how He makes beauty out of ashes.
God’s ability to forgive, heal, and restore knows no limits. He can bring us through grief and loss, divorce and rejection, joblessness and financial disaster, and health crisis and disability. Time and again, what many have thought was “the end” was just a new beginning. Wherever you are on your journey through life, know this: Before your crisis or disaster or failure even begins, and your life falls apart, God is already working on your reconstruction. Even when it’s seventy years down the road. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Today’s passage is my Life Verse. It’s the scripture that has become the description of how I want to live in my walk of faith with God. God says that it’s the key to discovering all of who He is and all that He has for us. His hope in speaking it here in Jeremiah is His desire that His People, now in exile for their disobedience, will return to Him. God desires that this time they will come wholeheartedly.
Can we be honest for a moment? We don’t often do that, do we? Come wholeheartedly, that is. Like the people of Judah, many of us come offering God only pieces of ourselves. Some of us want just enough of God to believe that we’ll escape hell. We don’t really want the fullness of His Holiness. We just want enough of Him to escape judgment. We go through many of the motions of the life of faith, but we’re withholding what God wants most: To be the First Love of our lives.
Others of us withhold parts of our lives that we struggle to make God “Lord” over. Some want to hold onto their unhealthy habits or addictions. Some want to hold onto relationships that they know are not pleasing to God. Still others hold back their money, their business dealings, or their negative or critical attitudes. Sometimes we justify it by claiming to be “as good as anyone else.” And we’re right. We’re as good as any other half-hearted Christian. But that’s not what God wants.
Still others of us withhold parts of ourselves that we really don’t want to deal with. Our abuse as children. Trauma we’ve never gotten over. A loss that still weighs us down with grief. We’re often like the person too afraid of the dentist to let them take care of that tooth that is abscessing. In the words of Rick Warren, God can’t heal what we won’t reveal. So we keep that wounded part of our life to ourselves, rather than letting God in to do His healing work. Listen very carefully to this. God wants to be Lord over our pain as much as He does over our sin. It’s a TRUST issue.
Listen to the Word of the Lord again. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” What would it look like for you to live out that passage today? What part of your life are you withholding? What are the secret places, the private places, the painful places that you need to surrender over to the Gentle Hands of God? God doesn’t want just a part of you. He wants ALL of you. Come wholeheartedly today. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Several years ago, I read a really insightful book called “Failure: The Back Door to Success.” The big idea of the book was how God uses failures, setbacks, and shortcomings as part of the way He works out His plans for our lives. It’s built on the principle that Jeremiah talks about in our passage today and what Paul writes about in Romans 8:28 when he says, “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes.” There are a couple of HUGE truths in these scriptures that we need to remember.
One simple, powerful truth is this: God’s paths are BEST! I know that seems so obvious, but it’s truly not. Look at the first line of God’s word to Judah in our passage. “You will be in Babylon for seventy years.” This was not what God wanted! All the way up to the Babylonian invasion, God PLEADED with Judah to turn back to Him. He wanted to protect them. He wanted to care for them. He wanted to help them become the people that He could bless beyond measure. But THEY chose a different path. Now they would suffer for seventy years because of it.
That leads us to the second truth. Though we often choose paths of our own, God will keep working. He will keep reaching out to draw us back to Himself. He will keep reminding us of His love, His grace, and His power to redeem and restore. And, if we turn to Him, He will use the painful path we have chosen to guide us back to HIS path and the good work that He wants to continue to do in our lives. Seventy years was a long time to struggle, and it probably seemed like “the end” for many of the people. But it wasn’t the end. It was just the painful detour that God would now use to guide them back to the plans He had for them. Plans with a future and a hope.
Take this to heart today. Choose God’s paths. They will lead you to life. They will also keep you under His protective care. But if you find yourself suffering today from the path you’ve chosen, turn back to God. He still has good plans for you. He still has a future for you. If you will lean into Him, He will be with you on your painful path to guide you back to where you need to be. He really can work in all things. Even in the messes we make for ourselves. That’s God’s Word for you today.

“A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.” – Proverbs 25:28 (NLT)

On May 8, 1902, there was a horrible volcanic eruption on the island of Martinique in the eastern Caribbean. The entire city of Saint-Pierre was wiped out. Nearly 30,000 people. The truly sad thing is that they had plenty of warning and ample time to get off the island. The mountain had been rumbling and spewing gas for weeks. It was giving all the signs and symptoms of something bigger coming. So why didn’t they flee?
Well, even though people were warning the city of an impending eruption, many city officials told the people they were safe. “Nothing to worry about,” the newspapers said. Because there was an important election in a few days, city officials actually prevented people from evacuating. The Governor, trying to give assurance to the people, stated on May 7 that he and his wife planned to take an excursion closer to the mountain the next morning. That next morning, just before 8:00 am, the mountain blew apart. It destroyed everything and everyone in its path in just a matter of minutes.
Why don’t we listen to warnings? What is it about human nature that makes us think we’re so smart that we don’t need to heed wise counsel? Why do we believe that WE will be the ones to beat the odds, dodge the bullet, or escape the consequences? When I read our passage today, my heart just sank. The people were about to be captured and taken into captivity for 70 years. The impact on their lives and their culture would be catastrophic. And it didn’t have to be that way! Look at what Jeremiah says. “For the past twenty-three years…the LORD has been giving me his messages. I have faithfully passed them on to you, but you have not listened.” 23 YEARS!! That’s how great the love of God was for His People. That was how patient He was. For 23 years, He begged them, pleaded with them, and warned them through His prophets to turn around. But they refused. So they experienced the consequential volcano of God’s wrath.
Please hear my heart. With all the love and compassion within me, I say this. Don’t be stupid. Don’t allow yourself to become so filled with pride and self-deception that you wait for the volcano to blow. If God is calling you to repent, then REPENT. If God is warning you not to take a certain path, then don’t take it. If God is telling you to change your attitude, change your ways, or change your relationships, then DO IT! God loves you and wants what’s best for you. He cares enough to speak to you through His Spirit, speak to you through His Word, and speak to you through His Messengers. Turn to Him now and let His Grace, His Compassion, and His Protection envelop you. The people on the island didn’t have to die. Judah didn’t have to be exiled. Don’t be stupid like them. Heed the voice of the Lord before the volcano blows. That’s God’s Word for you today.

As I walked and prayed one day this week, I thanked God for not giving up on me. In those times when I wasn’t listening. In those times when I put myself first. In those times when I got too busy to seek Him, cry out to Him, or take time to even acknowledge Him. In those times when I made it more about MY kingdom rather than HIS Kingdom. In those times when I outright disobeyed Him. As I walked through those times in my mind, I was absolutely in awe of God’s Faithfulness. I’m alive today, flourishing today, and who I am today, only because of Him. He just never quit.
That was the resounding message that Jeremiah gave the people from the Lord. Their banishment to Babylon was not the end. It was simply a detour caused by their disobedience. They had broken the heart of God by turning away from Him and dug a hole for themselves that was going to be hard and painful. But listen to the resilient love of the Lord that won’t let go. “I will watch over and care for them, and I will bring them back here again. I will build them up and not tear them down. I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them hearts that recognize me as the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly.” Despite their unfaithfulness, God was going to remain faithful to them. He just wouldn’t give up on them.
That’s God’s promise to you today, no matter where you are on your journey of faith. If you’re neck deep in sin, with God nowhere on your mind, He still hasn’t given up on you. If you’ve failed Him again for the umpteenth time, He still hasn’t given up on you. If you’ve drifted away and realize you’re a long way from where you want to be, God hasn’t given up on you. Cry out to Him. Turn back to Him. Confess to Him all your sins, all your failures, all your doubts, and all your fears. God’s arms are open wide for your return. You see, even if YOU have given up on you, He never will. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Several years ago, I coached a pastor who lived in Australia. He had planted a church there, and I was assigned to help guide him in leading the church to growth and effectiveness. Because Australia is on the other side of the planet, I only visited him once. But we had video calls on Skype twice a month. It seemed so weird to me that I could see him and talk to him in real time, even though he was half a world away. I often told people that I loved talking to him because he assured me that the world wasn’t going to end today. After all, it was already tomorrow there! And the video technology gave me a sense of presence. Even though I was here, I was also there.
God gives us that same assurance in our passage today. He reminds His people that, unlike the local gods who are just idols on the shelf, He is truly present. AND He is very far away. God lets them know that He is both imminent and transcendent. He is right there with them in the midst of all they’re going through. He sees all that they are doing, and there is nothing that is hidden from Him. He is also everywhere they go. There is no mountain they can climb, sea bottom they can swim to, or cave they can hide in that He is not there. He is omniscient and omnipresent. In other words, He is everywhere and knows everything.
Camp on that thought for a few moments today. God is with you at this very moment, no matter what you’re doing or what you are going through. He can’t be blocked from being with you, and you can’t be hidden from Him. All those places you’re going to go today? He’s already there. Since His Presence fills the earth, He will be there waiting for you when you arrive. He’s Here. And He’s There.
Those prayers you are praying? He’s right there beside you, listening carefully to every word. Because He is also All-Knowing, He even hears the cries of your heart you can’t find words for. And those people you are praying for? He’s already with them. As you pray for Him to be with them with His grace and healing and power, He is already there. And He is ministering to them in response to your petition.
He’s an Amazing God, isn’t He? He hears, He sees, He knows. He is fully Here, and He is already There. Even if it’s the other side of the world. And He doesn’t need Skype or FaceTime to accomplish it! That’s God’s Word for you today.

I love this passage of scripture! It is not only a prophecy about the coming of Christ, but it also reminds us of an incredible truth. God is STILL doing miracles! The people of Jeremiah’s day always looked back in history to identify the great works of God. How God led them out of Egypt. How God guided them through the wilderness. How God led them across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land.
But this passage tells them about what He IS doing and is going to do. Despite God’s warnings, the people will be overcome and taken into exile as a result of their sin. They will suffer more than they’ve ever known. But God will not abandon them. He will soften the hearts of those over them and bring them back to the land that He gave them. It will be more than just a miracle of God’s grace and restoration. It will become a new point of reference to God’s power and sovereignty. They won’t have to look back to the “olden days” to see God. They’ll be given a New Miracle that all future generations can see.
God is still at work! Can you see it? Many of us can look back and see the things He did for us long ago, but can you see the miracles He’s done recently? Yesterday, as I walked and prayed, before I asked God for all the ways I needed His help, I began to thank Him for all that I’ve seen Him do. I thanked Him for His great grace for the years long behind me, but then I began to name and thank Him for all the ways I’ve seen Him work in RECENT years. It hit me hard how active God’s Hand has been. Not because I deserve it, but simply because of how GOOD God is!
I challenge you today to think of how you’ve seen God work in THESE days. Let your mind remember the answers to prayer that you’ve seen, the doors and opportunities that have opened, and the healings that have happened. God just wasn’t at work in the days long behind us. Though we are thankful for the great works of God in the past, let’s thank Him for the great works He’s doing and WILL do! God is STILL doing miracles!! That’s God’s Word for you today.

Today, I have been working on my sermon for next Sunday on Self-Control. It’s the last message in my series on the Fruit of the Spirit. What’s interesting is that as I was working on it, I realized the term “self-control” is really a bit misleading. The “self-control” that Paul is talking about in Galatians 5 is actually surrendering to “God-control” in every area of our lives. It’s not us having more willpower. It’s recognizing we need more of HIS power! That’s why Paul prefaces the list of the fruit of the Spirit with this statement, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives…” We need His strength, not more of our own.
I thought about that as I read our passage today. Jeremiah prophesies here about the coming of Jesus. He will be the King whom Israel and Judah long for. He is The One who can do what no other king has done. He will be the Good Shepherd. He will be Just and Right and Good. And He will be our Savior. What a beautiful prophecy about our Lord.
But I want you to catch His Name. “The Lord Is Our Righteousness.” In other words, Jesus is not only the vehicle through which we are made right before God, but He is also the Only One through whom we can LIVE righteously before God. I am not saved because of anything I’ve done. I am saved only by putting faith in what Jesus has done for me! Likewise, I can’t live a righteous life. No matter how much I desire to do right, to be obedient, or to exercise self-control, I can’t. But Jesus can! Just as He has erased my sinful past, He can live victoriously through me each day as I stay humble and surrendered to Him. I am not a righteous man. But I AM wrapped in the robes of my Righteous King! To Him be all the glory!!
Soak this in today. You who have been beating yourself up because you “just can’t get it right,” hear me. You never will. You can never make yourself righteous enough before God or yourself. But the good news is that you don’t have to! This Righteous King, of whom Jeremiah prophesied about, has come to do what you cannot. Surrender your heart and your past to Him. HE will make you righteous. Surrender your life and yourself daily to Him and to the control of His Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus has come, His Spirit lives in us, and HE is “The Lord Our Righteousness”! That’s God’s Word for you today.

There’s an executive I’ve gotten to know who has obtained a fairly high position in his organization. Many people, on the outside looking in, would say that this man is successful. But what’s interesting is that as I’ve talked to other people in his organization, no one seems to like him. Most regard him as rude and a bit obnoxious. Others have said that he is a bit of a bully. Still others have claimed that he takes credit for other people’s work. Would you call that “success”?
God points out to King Jehoiakim that there’s more to success than power and money. Jehoiakim was trying to build a great palace for himself. He wanted to be known as a great king. But he thought only of himself and treated his workers and his people like dirt. He not only didn’t follow the Lord, but he was also unjust and unfair in his dealings with others. Nobody liked him. And God wasn’t happy.
God uses Jehoiakim’s father, Josiah, as an example of what a successful person really looks like. Josiah was obviously wealthy as a king, but he wasn’t greedy. He was content with what he had and was grateful for God’s blessings. He was a just king. He was a fair king. He was humble before God and generous with those in need. People loved King Josiah. They not only obeyed him, they respected him. And God was pleased with Josiah.
So, what is success? Success is being faithful to God and grateful for what He blesses you with. It is also having the love and respect of the people who know you the best. Having a corner office and a high income is nice, but is it really worth it if everyone thinks you’re a jerk? Is it truly worth it to climb the ladder to the top, but then get to the end and not hear the words, “Well done,” from the Lord? Be a Josiah, not Jehoiakim. Success is not what you achieve. It’s who you ARE. And it’s who God made you to be! That’s God’s Word for you today.

Do you like rollercoasters? I’ve found that I like them less the older I’ve gotten. My body doesn’t react as well to zooming up and down and being tossed side to side anymore. Call me an old fuddy duddy, but paying $50 to get on rides that make me throw up isn’t my idea of “fun.” Can I get an “Amen?”
Our emotions can be a rollercoaster. Jeremiah discovered that. It was “high” to know that God had called him to be a prophet to the people. In fact, it was probably overwhelming. But there were also deep lows that Jeremiah experienced. People rejected him. He got thrown in jail. He got sneered at and ridiculed. Our passage today shows the rollercoaster ride Jeremiah was on. He praises God in one verse and curses the day he was born in the next. When I read it, I laughed and thought to myself, “My friend, you need a therapist!”
But truthfully, we ALL experience that rollercoaster in our walk of faith. There are days when we feel God near and days when He seems a million miles away. There are miracles that we witness that blow our minds, and then times when God doesn’t answer that leave us brokenhearted. There are times we feel invincible and unstoppable in our walk with God. There are other times we feel powerless and weak. Up, down, back, and forth. For some of us, the highs and lows are higher and deeper, and maybe even more frequent. But the rollercoaster of emotions takes all of us for a ride eventually.
But our emotions don’t change the truth. They only change how we FEEL. God isn’t any closer when we’re “high” or further away when we’re “low.” He’s right here, right now, every minute of every day. We’re not more loved by God when He performs miracles than we are when He says, “No,” to us. Just like we don’t love our children more on Christmas morning with all the gifts than we do when we make them sit in “time out.” And the rollercoaster of emotions doesn’t change the fact that God is still on His Throne.
One last thing. God gave us these emotions, so He understands them. So it’s okay to shout, sing, or jump up and down when you’re on a high and you’re filled with joy. God gets it. But it’s also okay when you’re sad, disappointed, and brokenhearted. God gets that, too. Either way, God understands the ride you’re on and is right there beside you in that car through every mountain and valley. Just remember this one thing: The ride doesn’t change who He is, who you are, or what you mean to Him. He is still God, and He is still on His Throne. You are still His Child, and you are loved, whether you’re happy with Him or mad at Him. So wherever you are on this rollercoaster today, just keep holding onto God. Faith is not about feeling. It’s about believing. It’s about trusting. And it’s about staying committed. Regardless of what part of the ride you’re on. That’s God’s Word for you today.

“Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” - Matthew 11:29 (NLT)

Last night, I watched a video of a guy who had been in my youth group preaching a message at a church in Texas. It was so cool seeing the man of God the Lord had made out of him. As he preached, he shared a message that was actually on a topic he had called me about some weeks ago. In his personal Bible study, God had moved his heart about the need for repentance in the lives of believers, and not just confession. On the phone, he talked about how it seemed that God had been bringing this topic up in conversation after conversation. Now he had the opportunity to preach it to a whole audience of people. Though he knew some people didn’t really want to hear about repentance, he couldn’t help it. Like Jeremiah, it was the “fire” in his bones that he just had to get out. And he was “cooking!”
What’s the fire in your bones? What is it that God has prompted in you that you just can’t seem to get away from? For some people, it’s a deep sense of calling. There are many stories of individuals who walked away from jobs or opportunities that were quite lucrative to engage in ministry that paid them little to nothing. Still other people started down paths of one vocational career, only to have God redirect them to a different path altogether. Some of you right now are nodding your heads because this is YOUR story. When someone asks you why you’re doing what you’re doing, your reply is, “God put me here.” You know this is what you have to do.
One of the discoveries Jeremiah made was that letting that fire out didn’t mean you would get lots of applause or positive responses. In this section of scripture, Jeremiah actually argues with God because he’s being harassed for being a prophet. But God simply calls us to obedience and faithfulness. We are to then trust Him with the outcomes and results. Getting focused on outward affirmation only leads to pride or depression. Let the fire out and then leave it with God.
So I ask you again. What’s the fire in YOUR bones? What’s God put in you that you need to let out? What gifts have you been burying? What passions have you been squelching? What nudges of the Holy Spirit have you been avoiding? Is it a ministry you know you’re called to do? Is it a book you know you’re called to write? Is it a testimony you know you’re called to share? Don’t hold back on what God wants to do in you and through you. When God sets your bones on fire, let it OUT! That’s God’s Word for you today.

My wife and I just took care of our oldest granddaughter for 12 days. With her autism, it’s no small task. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a wonderful picture of innocence. At almost 18, she has the mind and reasoning of a small child. She delights in cartoons, drawing, playing “dress up”, and loves chasing rabbits. She’s two-legged cuteness. That is, about 90% of the time.
She is also sneaky, sneaky, sneaky. She’ll wait until you’re out of the room or not paying attention, and then she’ll slip into the kitchen and get something out of the refrigerator or pantry that she’s not allowed to have. When she leaves to go home, she is always trying to steal some of Wanda’s knick-knacks, jewelry, or anything else that catches her eye. We have to conduct a TSA-style checkpoint at the door and make her empty her pockets, purse, and backpack, just to ensure she’s not robbing us blind. She seems as innocent as can be, but make no mistake. She’s as deceptive as the best of them!
But that’s the story for all of us, isn’t it? God reminds us in our passage today that “the human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.” In other words, we’re all masters at deception. Especially when it comes to deceiving ourselves. It goes all the way back to the Garden. Adam and Eve deceived themselves about the consequences of eating the forbidden fruit. Abraham thought he could get away with lying about Sarah being his sister. Moses thought he could get away with murder. It’s not hard for us to rationalize and justify our actions, words, or attitudes. Small things and big, our hearts can be unbelievably deceitful.
But God reminds us also that He KNOWS our hearts. We may fool others and ourselves, but we can never fool God. That’s why it’s important for us to invite God not only to know our hearts, but to expose our hearts to us that we might see ourselves as He does. That was the intent behind David’s words in Psalm 139: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” When God helps us see what He sees, the deception ends. We live in truth. And the truth sets us free. Let’s do a TSA check with God today. Let’s open all the pockets and backpacks of our hearts and ask Him to help us see what He already knows. Don’t let your heart fool you. It may appear innocent, but it’s more deceptive than you know! That’s God’s Word for you today.

My father was a man of unwavering faith. Not the “God-is-going-to-give-me-everything-I-ask-for” kind of faith. But the kind of faith that stays strong and committed, no matter what is going on. I think he got that faith from his father.
My grandfather worked in a factory but also traveled around the Ohio area preaching in churches. One time he was asked to preach a week-long revival at a church several miles away. He agreed to do it, but he wasn’t sure the car would make it. The U-joints were going out, and he knew the car could break down any day. So he asked my father and some of the other sons to gather around the car with him. They laid their hands on the car, and my grandfather prayed that God would hold the car together until the revival was over, and he could get it fixed.
My grandfather drove back and forth each night, faithfully fulfilling his commitment to the church. On the last night of the revival, he drove the car home, pulled it up into the yard, and when he turned it off, the transmission fell off and onto the ground. God did EXACTLY what my grandfather had prayed for.
My grandfather trusted in God. As Jeremiah says in our passage today, he made the Lord his “hope and confidence.” He had no confidence in the car; he knew it was about to break down. But he had complete confidence that if God had called him to do this revival, then God could see him through. And He did.
How about YOU? Is God your “hope and confidence?” Do you trust the Lord, fully and completely, with everything? Many people waver at the first sign of trouble. When things get hard, some people complain and wonder where God is. But people who are rooted are immovable. They trust God in bad times as well as good, and in lean times, as well as in times of plenty. Rooted people have a depth to their faith that reaches all the way to reservoirs of God. Hard times, tough situations, and broken-down cars can’t make them throw in the towel. Their fruit just keeps on growing no matter what. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Some years ago, I had a friend who was really sharp. He had a great mind and, as an engineer, developed some pretty cool stuff. He was also a committed Christian, husband, father, and leader in the church. But something happened. Maybe it was the success. Maybe it was the desire for greater success. Or maybe he just got blinded to what was really important. Whatever it was, he lost his grip. He lost his grip on God. He lost his grip on his values. He lost his grip on his family. He lost his grip on the most important things in life and chased after the other “gods” this world entices us with. Wanting to “have it all,” he lost it all. For those of us who loved him, it was absolutely devastating.
That’s the heartbreaking warning God gives Judah in our passage today. God had a future for them. He had a land that “flowed with milk and honey” that was theirs. They had the promise of God’s protection and blessing upon them. They had a special relationship with God, unlike any people anywhere in the world. Then they lost their grip.
They stopped chasing after God. They stopped remembering all He had done for them. They lost their grip on the commitments they had made to Him. They lost their grip on the ingredients of living a blessed life. They let go of their grip on their covenant with the Almighty to become like the people in the lands around them. In doing so, they let God’s Promises and Blessings slip right out of their hands. It was incredibly foolish and horribly sad.
How’s YOUR grip? I’ve discovered that we don’t usually throw things aside that are important quickly. We just get busy, distracted, or drawn away a little bit each day. We slowly stop spending time with God in His Word, in prayer, and in worship. We slowly become more obsessed with our jobs, our hobbies, our interests, or other people, rather than our spouse or our family. We become more excited about being “liked” by a particular crowd than being favored by God. Most of us usually don’t just abruptly toss aside what we call our priorities. We just let them slide out of our hands. Get a grip.
Take a moment today to ask yourself the question, “What is really important to me?” Then ask this follow-up question. “Am I giving these important things the time, attention, love, and care that they require?” If you’re honest, you may find that you’re not holding on as tightly to some of these things as you once were. If so, take a moment to ask God to help you renew your commitment to the things that really matter. Don’t wait until you lose it all to wake up to what’s really important in life. Get a grip. That’s God’s Word for you today.