Daily Devotion
February 13, 2026
1 Samuel 16:7 “For the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
God sent Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel, directing him to Bethlehem, to the home of a man named Jesse. Jesse had eight sons, and God told Samuel that He had chosen one of them. As Jesse brought his sons before the prophet, Samuel assumed it must be one who looked kingly—strong, resolute, and impressive. But God spoke the words of today’s verse to remind Samuel that His ways do not usually line up with our thinking. After Jesse presented his seven most likely candidates, Samuel asked if there were any more. Jesse replied, “There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep.” Samuel sent for him, and we know it was David, just a teenager, perhaps around fifteen years old, yet he was the one God had chosen. From this lesson, we learn that we cannot read the secrets of another person’s heart. We often judge by outward appearance because that is all we can see. Samuel was a powerful man of God, a prophet with unusual wisdom and great spiritual insight. Yet even he needed to be reminded to stop looking for what he thought was the right person and to yield his judgment to the Lord. God chose David not only for what He knew was in his heart, but also for how He planned to use him in the unfolding purposes of God. The first king of Israel, Saul, has been called the “people’s choice” because he fit the physical and superficial criteria the Israelites desired: tall, handsome, and commanding. They wanted a king who made them look strong before surrounding nations, and God allowed their desire. But God had a greater plan. He chose a young shepherd boy, and through him established a dynasty that led to the One called “The Son of David,” the Lord Jesus Christ. Even in David’s anointing, God was connecting the dots. David was born in Bethlehem and anointed there. About one thousand years later, God executed His plan perfectly when Jesus was born in the “city of David,” and He carried the promise given to Mary: Luke 1:32–33, “And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever.” May God help us not to judge people by how they appear, but to trust that He knows their hearts and that He has plans and purposes for people who may not meet our expectations. He looks into the heart and works out His eternal purposes in ways that often surprise us. Trust His wisdom, honor His choices, and be careful not to measure people by outward impressions alone.
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February 12, 2026
Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
We should read and study Hebrews 11 often, because it forms in us an understanding of how to approach and please God. We might push back against that statement by saying that the attributes of Jesus Christ that were imputed to us are the grounds of approaching and pleasing God. But before God reckons us holy, righteous, and fully acceptable, we must begin in faith. Just as Jesus Christ is the door to God and eternal salvation, faith is the door to Christ. Listen to the words of our Lord: John 8:24, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” Just as we can understand the reality of the material world around us through our senses of vision, faith is our spiritual sense that allows us to see the reality of spiritual things. The blessing of faith is this: when Jesus was here on earth, many people saw Him with their eyes, but would not believe His reality as the Messiah. However, we have not seen Him with our eyes, but by our faith we see Him, hear His words, and trust in His reality that He is the Son of God, the Savior. We are coming to God, not by our natural senses, but by our faith, and He receives us as His children because we believe. God is so pleased by faith that our Lord said in Mark 9:23, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” The Lord doesn’t want us to put intense pressure on ourselves, as if we have to produce some supernatural, powerful faith to walk in His ways. Instead, He compares the kind of faith that pleases Him to child-like faith. When we understand this principle and start making choices of faith, it becomes a step-by-step learning that takes us from where we view things, what we call reality through our natural senses, to where we begin using what God says in His Word about life and reality as our eyes, ears, and understanding. Faith becomes the “substance.” The word for substance, the Greek hupostasis, has primary meanings as “that which has actual existence,” and “the substantial quality, nature, of a person or thing.” In other words, reality. It’s not that we’re living our lives in blind leaps of faith, but that God’s truth is always real and true, even when it cannot be explained or understood by our earthly senses or reasoning. Faith is the substance, the reality and the evidence that, for us, God said it, we believe it, and that settles the matter. Faith is not wishful thinking or spiritual guesswork. It is the way God teaches us to perceive what is truly real. As we learn to trust His Word over our senses and circumstances, faith becomes our new way to live.
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February 11, 2026
John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
Jesus spoke these words on the night before He was betrayed, just hours before His crucifixion. They capture the essence of God’s plan of redemption and His purpose for His creation. They echo the Lord’s answer to the lawyer in Matthew 22, where He declared that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love one another, and that all the law and the prophets hang on these two truths. But after we are taught that the gospel calls us to love others, and that doing so fulfills what our Lord called “a new commandment,” how do we put this into action? Today’s verse references to Galatians 6:2: “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” This verse does not point us to the law of Moses, but to the law of Christ, the new commandment of love. So, the question comes to us: How can we show the love of the Lord to someone today? How can we be a blessing? The opportunity is here, and it is now. All around us are hurting, fearful, lonely, and discouraged adults and children who need the people of God to stand up, speak up, and show them God’s love. It is God’s love, yet He has placed this treasure of love and hope within us. We have the love, the words, and the power of the Holy Spirit to make a difference, because we represent the Name that brings hope, healing, and wholeness, the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. We do not merely tolerate one another; we love one another. The Holy Spirit brings our words and actions into alignment with God’s plan, and that plan is to carry out the purpose of this great salvation: be good to people, forgive, and overcome evil with good. We are not waiting for big, dramatic opportunities to fall into our laps. We love others in the details of their lives, in moments that may be quickly covered by time, but in the moment are golden opportunities for pleasant words, friendship, encouragement, and stepping in with the resources we have when needed. We love not only with our words, but in our actions, from a truthful heart (1 John 3:18). The world sends a message of hopelessness; we carry heavenly hope. The world is brimming with hatred and violence; we know the Prince of Peace. The world carries sadness and gloom; we have joy unspeakable. The world has many problems but no answers; we represent the One who can solve any problem.
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February 10, 2026
Galatians 5:25 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
If we are believers—if we have been born again from above—we are no longer alone. It’s easy for me to forget that I’m not the only one inhabiting this body. The Holy Spirit also lives here. That is the meaning of the first part of today’s verse, “If we live in the Spirit.” The Spirit has brought us to life, just as He brought Jesus back to life from the dead. Romans 8:11 says, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Every Christian is indwelt by the third Person of the Trinity, and we will either live our lives by His guidance or by the dictates of our old, sinful nature. The second part of today’s verse says we should “walk in the Spirit.” The word translated walk carries the idea of keeping in step, like a marching soldier moving in careful cadence. Many of our failures as believers—our weaknesses, our stalled growth—have their roots in not walking in the Spirit. Notice that Spirit is capitalized, referring to the Person of the Holy Spirit, not merely a mood or atmosphere, as when we speak of “the spirit of the pilgrims.” Walking in the Spirit is only possible when we are filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 reminds us, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” Here, a Spirit-controlled believer is contrasted with a person under the influence of alcohol. The alcohol moves and motivates the drunk, and the Holy Spirit moves and motivates the Spirit-filled believer. This filling is not a one-time event. The wording in the Greek makes it clear that it is a continual, ongoing command. It is imperative—not optional. Walking in the Spirit—making decisions, responding to others, ordering our lives under His direction—cannot happen when we are ruled by pride, vain glory, arrogance, self-will, stubbornness, or a desire for preeminence. God’s will for us is to remember that He lives within us. Our Christian lives are at their best when we are walking in step with His leading, sensitive to His voice, and willing to follow where He directs. The Spirit has given us life, and He desires to guide that life day by day. Walking in the Spirit is a continual choice, yielding, listening, and obeying. When we keep in step with Him, our lives reflect His presence, His power, His character, and His peace.
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February 9, 2026
Psalms 90:14 “O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”
After the last few weeks of arctic-like weather, bitter wind, and snow, it looks like the forecast for our area next week is some much warmer weather. If you live around these parts in East Tennessee, you might say with me, “And I’m glad”. We don’t use the word glad often, and when we do, it’s usually when circumstances have changed for the better, and we are relieved and glad. It means to brighten up, cheer up, and even be gleesome. One verse we all know that speaks of being glad is Psalms 118:24, “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it”. We quote it, but we don’t always follow through with the being glad part. Today’s verse gives us part of the key to being glad “all our days”: We look to the Lord early, before the enemy and our own ways of thinking contaminate our day. The trap of the enemy is to keep us focused on things that caused us sorrow or pain, and let the thoughts of those things become a fountain for our emotions. But as I have written in earlier devotions, we should have kept a journal or diary from the day we got saved and made a record of every answered prayer, every rescue from trouble, every provision, and every healing. If we could remember every comfort, every blessing, every miracle, every deliverance, every person God sent to help us, and every encouragement, it would make us glad. How about every moment of awe at something He has done or created, every flood of peace, every filling of the Holy Spirit, every victory, every presence of joy, every relief from sorrow, and every time He’s shown Himself to be a true friend, we might never stop shouting with gladness. How is it we can forget all that and focus on a few times we’ve been through a trial or faced unwanted circumstances? It’s time to begin remembering just how good He’s been and begin to praise Him privately and publicly. It’s time to lift up His worthy name and give honor to the one who has been good to us. You might say, people don’t want to hear that stuff, and it might get embarrassing. Well, let me tell you, they don’t want to hear the same sad stories of gloom and doom we’ve told them over and over for years: They’re most likely tired and bored with it. Tell them how the Lord has been good to you, and that He’ll do the same for them. Maybe He already has, and they’ve just forgotten it. And then, let the joy and gladness roll!
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February 8, 2026
1 Thessalonians 3:3 “That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.”
When we listen to the prayer requests of fellow believers in our churches, and when we scroll through messages from Christians around the world asking for prayer, it can be overwhelming to see the afflictions God’s people are facing. Some of it seems unbearable. Some of it doesn’t seem fair. We can be walking faithfully, trying to honor the Lord, trying to do what is right, and then, out of nowhere, trials, temptations, sickness, losses, and whirlwinds of trouble come crashing in. What makes today’s verse even more startling is the statement that “we are appointed thereunto.” Appointed to afflictions? That sounds almost contradictory to everything we know about being children of the King and heirs of God (Romans 8:17). Yet Scripture is honest: suffering is not an interruption to the Christian life; it is often part of God’s refining path. Jesus told His disciples, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The Bible says we are not to be “moved” by these afflictions. The word carries the idea of being shaken, agitated, unsettled, or frightened out of our spiritual footing. And that is exactly what trials are designed to do: to unsettle our faith, distract our focus, and weaken our resolve. But look around today. It is not only believers who are shaken; the whole world is trembling. Anxiety, depression, stress, addictions, broken families, violence, and social unrest dominate the headlines and the hearts of people. The foundations seem unstable. Yet in the middle of all this shaking, God calls His people to stand steady. That is why 1 Corinthians 15:58 still rings loudly: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” Our stability is not rooted in circumstances, governments, or emotions. It is rooted in Christ, who does not change (Hebrews 13:8). The storms may roar, but the Rock does not move. How do we remain steady when everything else is shaking? We stay anchored in Scripture, grounded in prayer, and connected to the body of Christ. We keep serving, loving, and witnessing, even when it feels hard. We remind our families and churches that God has not lost control, and He has not forgotten His people. Trials are not proof of abandonment; they are often tools of refinement. Afflictions may be appointed, but so is grace. Trials may be certain, but so is God’s faithfulness. And though the world trembles, the believer who stands on Christ stands on unshakable ground. Afflictions are part of the believer’s journey, but they are not meant to move us from our faith. In a shaking world, God calls His people to be steadfast and unmovable, anchored in Christ and His Word. Our trials refine us, but His grace sustains us, and He remains our sure foundation.
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February 7, 2026
2 Corinthians 6:17–18 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
These verses follow Paul’s warning in verse 14: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” Most often, when I have heard verse 14 referenced in church, it has been limited to dating or marrying an unbeliever. While that application is valid, the meaning is much broader. Though written originally to the church at Corinth, it speaks with the same authority and relevance to us today. When we read about the Corinthian believers, we see a church that did not look or live much differently from the unbelieving culture around them. God’s call to “come out” was a call to disassociate, to walk away from a culture marked by unrighteousness and darkness. That is not an easy choice—especially in our day, when the message of God’s love is often preached without acknowledging His hatred of sin. Scripture reminds us in Psalm 7:11, “God is angry with the wicked every day.” That truth stands in sharp contrast to a modern message that, at its core, presents a God who seems to overlook abuse, the mistreatment of children, gross injustice, and a level of depravity so disturbing we can hardly bear to think about it. A holy God does not ignore these things. I urge my fellow ministers, pastors, and all who walk under the banner of Christ to speak clearly and passionately against the rising abuse of children, the addictions that enslave so many, and what Hebrews calls “the sin which doth so easily beset us.” The sin that clings, trips us up, and refuses to let go. Our rightful disdain for legalism must never silence our responsibility to preach truth in love, to declare the mercy, grace, and compassion of God, while also warning that the wages of sin are real, and that Jesus came to set us free. The separation spoken of in today’s verses is not a negative thing. It comes with a beautiful promise. When we break stride with this world and turn our steps toward God, we are separating ourselves unto the Lord. That pleases Him so deeply that He says, “I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters.” This does not mean separation makes us children of God, but it describes a closeness of relationship—a tenderness and joy like that of a father embracing a prodigal child who has finally come home.
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February 6, 2026
Isaiah 28:12 “To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.”
God sent these words through Isaiah to the northern kingdom, warning them that their nation had fallen into the grip of alcohol. The Bible names the sin plainly in verse 3: “The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim.” The Lord then gives a sobering and graphic description in verses 7–8: “But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink… they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.” Seven hundred years before Christ walked the earth, people were already struggling under the destructive power of alcohol, and it was ruining lives, families, and spiritual discernment. Sin has never needed modern inventions to do its damage. Yet in today’s verse, the Lord declares a better way: a way of rest, a place of true refreshing, a quiet repose for weary souls. Tragically, when God pointed them toward that rest, “they would not hear.” They preferred the false comfort of indulgence over the restoring peace God offered. Often, sin hides its effects from us. We don’t immediately see how it wears people down, strips away dignity, and slowly enslaves the heart, while all the time promising happiness, escape, and relief. Jesus spoke directly to this hunger for rest when He said in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” That promise reaches beyond relief from the burdens of the Mosaic Law; it speaks of deliverance from the bondage of sin itself. Scripture is clear in Romans 6:16: “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” We cannot live in contradiction to God’s will and still expect freedom, joy, and peace. Sin is a master, and obedience determines our bondage. The great irony is that the more we believe the enemy’s lies, of good times, self-rule, and personal freedom, the more enslaved we become. The freedom he promises is always bondage in disguise. The alcohol addiction condemned in Isaiah’s day is still alive and well, and its fruits are visible all around us. Let us never forget that Scripture consistently condemns drunkenness and always points us to a better rest. God does not just forbid sin; He offers rest in its place. Every false comfort promises relief but delivers chains. True rest is found not in escape, indulgence, or control, but in yielding ourselves to Christ, whose yoke is easy and whose rest restores the soul.
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February 5, 2026
Nehemiah 8:10 “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
The world teaches us to pursue happiness, and that is a trap, because happiness never remains. It is temporary and fleeting. When happiness becomes the goal, life turns into a constant quest to find things, situations, and even people we think can create that feeling for us. We look for something outside ourselves, hoping it will produce a happy emotion within. The result is almost always the same: greed, an insatiable desire for more, and eventually discontent with what we already have. That truth shows up in the parable of the rich man in Luke 12. He was greatly blessed. His barns were already full, overflowing with evidence of prosperity. Yet instead of being thankful and content, and instead of sharing his abundance with those in need, he chose to build bigger barns and hoard his harvest. God said he would die that very night, and others would take possession of what he stored up for himself. Have you ever walked through an estate sale? The owner is gone, and all the things once treasured are laid out and sold to complete strangers. Everything they worked for, saved, and guarded was left behind. Scripture reminds us plainly in 1 Timothy 6:7, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” But joy, that small word, carries great power. When joy flows from deep within, it remains. Nehemiah tells us plainly, “the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Joy that comes from the Lord is not fragile or momentary. It is an ongoing miracle, steady like a spring of water. It can exist even alongside sorrow. A believer may grieve and still be full of joy. Because joy strengthens and remains, the enemy works constantly to attack it. He uses circumstances, people, and the world’s false promises to strike at the root of our joy. Yet the Lord has given us a path that cannot fail. Psalm 16:11 declares, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” It is life lived in God’s presence that opens the fountain of true joy. Peter echoes this truth when he writes, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8). This joy is not produced by circumstances, it is produced by faith and sustained by the presence of the Lord.
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February 4, 2026
Romans 13:12 “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”
The Holy Spirit breathed these words to remind us that what is spiritually referred to as “the night”, the era of an unbelieving world of sin and corruption, is almost over. “The day” speaks of the coming of the Lord and the ushering in of His kingdom. We are at a crucial point on the earthly timeline, and are about to see God close out everything we know as reality and reveal eternity. When we receive that as the truth, we want to cast off, push away, remove as if taking off a garment, everything that is a part of the darkness of this world. We cover ourselves with the truth of God and the things of God as if putting on an armor of protection: The armour of light. The Scriptures give us a list in the next verse that spells out things common to the works of darkness, paraphrased as: We should not have wild parties or be drunk. We should not be involved in sexual sin or any kind of immoral behavior. We should not cause arguments and trouble or be jealous. 1Thessalonians 5:5 says, “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness”. Our tendency as believers is to go to sleep spiritually. We can get worn down by the constant barrage of the world’s darkness and evil, and find refuge behind the walls of our churches. But the thought of putting on armour isn’t digging a religious hole and hiding in it. The enemy and his darkness will always come looking for us, and religion, church stuff, and passive avoidance will not protect us. The armour of light is the breastplate of Christ’s righteousness, the shield of faith, the sword of God’s Word, and the helmet of salvation. Jesus is called the light of the world, John 8:12, and we are called the light of the world, Matthew 5:14. While the world, apart from the Lord, is in darkness, Matthew 4:16, the Bible describes the Lord, the Captain of our salvation, in Psalms 104:2: “Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment”. God has not called us to blend in with the dark world, to apologize and offer excuses for our adamant stand against sin, or to cover our eyes and ears and hope things will get better. The armour of light is the equipment of a warrior, one who actively defends himself (herself) and their families against the swelling tide of evil.
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February 3, 2026
2 Chronicles 13:18 “Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers.”
This verse comes from a grievous and sorrowful time in the history of God’s people. The nation had been divided, ten tribes in the north, called the children of Israel, and two tribes in the south, called the children of Judah. A people once delivered from Egyptian bondage by the gracious hand of God, a people given the land promised to Abraham and his seed, were now locked in civil war. They were bound together by blood, covenant, and shared history, and yet they were hating and killing one another. When we step back and consider the weight of it all, we see how much had been thrown away. God’s promises were abandoned, their heritage was despised and a future filled with hope was exchanged for senseless violence, murder, shame, fear, and self-reliance. Civil war is often the most bitter form of conflict because it is a violent struggle between people who were meant to live together in peace and blessing. It tears apart the very foundation of what God desires for His creation: love for one another. Yet when the battle recorded here came to its end, Judah prevailed. Not because they were stronger. Not because they were more skilled. In fact, they were outnumbered and should have been defeated by every human measure. They prevailed, Scripture says, because they relied upon the LORD. The Hebrew word shaan, translated “relied,” carries the idea of leaning upon something for support. It means to trust in, to rest upon, to place one’s weight on another. It appears throughout Scripture to describe something, or someone, bearing a load that cannot be carried alone. The picture is simple and vivid: a shepherd leaning his full weight upon his staff because his legs cannot support him by themselves. That raises a searching question for my heart. I may believe that God exists. I may confess that He is all the Bible declares Him to be. But do I rely upon Him? Or, like the northern army who trusted in their numbers and strength, do I stubbornly lean on my abilities, my resources, my experience, or my own sense of control instead of Christ alone? Judah’s victory did not come from advantage, but from dependence. God does not ask us to stand strong in ourselves: He asks us to lean. Where we place our weight reveals what we truly trust. Today, may we look at not only what we believe about God, but whether we are actually resting the full weight of our lives upon Him.
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February 2, 2026
Luke 17:1-2 “Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”
Jesus spoke plainly in these verses. Offenses are not a possibility; they are a certainty. Wherever people gather, the possibility of friction follows. Words get sharp, motives are questioned, and feelings get wounded. But while offenses will come, the Lord places a solemn warning on those who cause them, especially when the harm is done to the vulnerable, the tenderhearted, or the growing believer. Some people seem unable, or unwilling, to stop wounding others with their words. They criticize as if it were a calling. They correct without compassion, expose without care, and speak as though they carry no responsibility for the damage left behind. Often, they stand close enough to be mistaken for friends. David knew that pain when betrayal came not from an enemy, but from a familiar voice (Psalm 55:12–14). Scripture gives us a clearer picture of what a true friend looks like. “A friend loveth at all times” (Proverbs 17:17). Not just when it’s convenient. Not just when agreement is easy. Real love does not seek to manage, diminish, or remake someone in its own image. It supports, prays, and walks alongside. Those who constantly tear others apart, magnifying weaknesses, rehearsing failures, or inventing faults, are not helping the body of Christ. They are becoming the very offenses Jesus warned about. We were not placed together to wound one another, but to strengthen one another. The church is meant to be a place where weary souls find safety, not another battlefield. Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:31-32 still set the standard: bitterness, wrath, harsh speech, and malice must be put away. In their place, kindness. Tenderheartedness. Forgiveness. This is the evidence of the Spirit at work. It is how the life of Christ shows itself through ordinary people. None of us are flawless. But we serve a perfect Lord, and we honor Him by how we treat His people. Jesus said that what we do to “the least of these,” we do to Him. There are more than enough offenses in the world without us adding to them. Our words, spoken or posted, should heal, steady, and strengthen. When offenses come, let us be helpers, not hurdles. Lifters, not contributors of pain. If God’s love and grace had not met us, none of us would be standing. Offenses are unavoidable, but becoming an offense is not. Let’s ask the Lord to guard our words and shape our responses so they reflect His kindness. We declare that starting today, we will choose words that build, forgive, and encourage, remembering that love for one another is the clearest testimony that we belong to Christ.
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February 1, 2026
Job 13:24 “Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?”
There are times when the Lord feels so near that everything else fades into the background. Prayer flows without effort. Worship feels less like words and more like awareness. You’re not asking for anything because your heart feels searched, known, and held in God’s hands. Those moments don’t follow a schedule, and they can’t be manufactured. They arrive quietly, sometimes when you weren’t even expecting them, and they leave you changed. Then there are other times when prayer feels powerless. Our words fall flat. We sit still, knowing we should call on the Lord, yet nothing seems to rise up from our soul. We start over, only to repeat the same phrases, as if we’re talking but not really praying. Our thoughts drift and our spirit feels restless and unsatisfied. That is the place where Job found himself when he asked why God seemed hidden and distant, even treating him like an enemy. It’s comforting to know Scripture gives voice to that feeling instead of pretending it never happens. God has never intended for our relationship with Him to become casual or routine. Any relationship that is taken for granted eventually loses its depth. When love is reduced to schedules and mindless patterns, it becomes weak and unfulfilling. God does not want to be reduced to religious habits or thoughtless autopilot responses. He does not want our attention only when we are desperate or afraid. His love toward us was not measured or minimal. It was costly. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” That small word carries enormous weight. His love was deliberate, deep, and sacrificial, and it remains the foundation of everything He desires with us. When God seems to withdraw, He is not being cruel or distant for its own sake. He is awakening desire. He is stirring hunger. Just as Jesus asked Peter again and again, “Lovest thou me?” the question was not for information, it was for restoration and to refocus on what it means to follow Christ. Love was the point. Relationship was the point. In those quieter, harder seasons, God is teaching us to seek Him for who He is, not merely how He makes us feel. And when His presence becomes clear again, it is sweeter, steadier, and more deeply rooted. He is shaping a heart that longs for Him above all else: Something we could never produce on our own. God’s hiddenness is not abandonment; it is invitation. He is stirring us up to rise above the mundane religious stuff many people erroneously think is the way of God. He draws us closer by teaching us to desire Him, not just His blessings. In the seeking, love deepens, and in His presence, the soul finds rest and restoration.
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