October Devotions: Reminding Your Heart of God’s Goodness
Photo by Gaelle Marcel
MONDAY
God Has a Good Future in Mind for You
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer. 29:11 NIV)
Do you believe that Jeremiah 29:11 applies to your life? Why or why not?
When we know that God has good things in mind for us, it changes our outlook. “Oh. If He has good things for me, then I get to relax. I get to trust Him instead of trying to convince the world that I deserve good things. I don’t have to fight for those things—I just get to trust Him and follow His leading.”
Today may your heart come to know:
How much your heavenly Father loves you
That He’s your Father, not just other people’s Father
That He really does have amazing plans for your life
God is not far away from you. He’s right here, and His tender love is present to heal your heart and help you see the world around you the way He does.
Today’s journaling question: Do you truly believe that God has good things for you? Spend a few minutes with Him and ask Him about His plans for you.
May your Monday be blessed, and may you experience the Lord’s love in everything you do today.
TUESDAY
God Has Grace and Mercy for You
So now we come freely and boldly to where love is enthroned, to receive mercy’s kiss and discover the grace we urgently need to strengthen us in our time of weakness. (Heb. 4:16 TPT)
God is mercy and grace, and that’s what He offers to you. No matter what, that will always be your story—His grace and mercy.
When you mess up, when you say the wrong thing and feel like a fool, when you regret a decision, when you wish you could go back and change something—Hebrews 4:16 is still on the table. Your heavenly Father loves you, and His grace and mercy are for you.
Today’s journaling question: When you realize you made a mistake, is it easy for you to forgive yourself? Or do you reject yourself instead? Today spend a few minutes with the Lord, and ask Him how He sees you.
May your Tuesday be blessed, and may you come to realize God’s grace in a new way.
WEDNESDAY
Reminding Yourself What God Is Like
I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Ps. 16:8 NASB)
We’re human, and sometimes we forget what’s real. So on a regular basis, it’s important for us to remind ourselves of who God is and what He says. We can put those things “in front” of us, like King David did.
“This is what God is like! I choose to remember His heart today. I will hold on to the good things He’s said to me, even when I don’t understand.”
Today’s journaling question: What is one thing about God that’s special to you? Maybe it’s His Father-heart. Maybe it’s the way He’s kind to animals (Jonah 4:11) or the way He loves people who don’t deserve it (Luke 23:43). Spend time with Him, and ask Him to show you more about that special thing and how much it’s true about Him.
May your Wednesday be blessed, and may you come to see Jesus more and more clearly.
THURSDAY
God Loves Going on Adventures with You
Go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you. (Gen. 12:1–3 NLT)
When was the last time you went on an adventure?! Sometimes it’s good for us to venture outside our normal, everyday routines. It’s good to see new things. To do new things. To go exploring. To trust God in new ways.
That’s really what an adventure is—being willing to trust Him while experiencing new things.
Today’s journaling question: What is something fun you could do with God? Something new? Something you don’t normally do with Him? Maybe it’s as simple as checking out a new coffee shop, ordering a drink you’ve never had before, and sitting with Him for a while. Maybe it’s going on a hike with friends or going on a prayer walk around a certain neighborhood. Choose something fun to do, and then go on an adventure with Him. Take your journal with you, and ask Him why He likes adventures.
May your Thursday be blessed, and may your heart rejoice in “new things” with God!
FRIDAY
He’s Good Even When Your Plans Change
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Rom. 8:28 NLT)
This year didn’t turn out the way any of us expected, but when our plans change, or even when they look like they could change, we don’t have to be afraid. We can relax in the Lord as we live in the blessings He gives us.
Our heavenly Father loves us, and His plans for us are good and full of hope. So when things change, we can expect Him to be with us and help us. He causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him. Even changed plans.
He greatly enjoys surprises and upgrades. Living life with Him is an absolute delight. We just need to remember to let Him hold our plans for us and to bring us what’s good, according to His timing.
Today’s journaling question: Do you need a fresh glimpse of God’s goodness in your life? Ask the Lord to tell you about His goodness, and journal what He says.
May your Friday be blessed, and may your confidence in the Lord rise up strong.
SATURDAY
He’s Your Peace in Unfamiliar Times
Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take. (Prov. 3:5–6 NLT)
When God is involved in our lives, and we want Him there, and we are willing to do what He says—we get to walk in His peace.
His peace has the ability to change situations from being points of fear to being points of grace, where we get to see Him more clearly.
In His peace, we realize that plans don’t matter as much. It isn’t that our plans lose their value, but with God, even when our plans change, we still get to have the desires of our hearts. He can take any situation and turn it around. He can always take what the enemy meant for evil and make it into something that saves lives and changes nations. He’s that powerful and wonderful.
Today’s journaling question: Think of one thing that’s changed in your life this year. Ask the Lord what He’s doing in the midst of that change, and journal what He shows your heart.
May your Saturday be blessed, and may you know the Lord’s peace at a deep level.
SUNDAY
He Will Do Exactly What He’s Promised
I, only I, am Yahweh, and there is no Savior-God but me.
I am the only one who revealed this to you.
I saved you, foretold the future, and brought it to pass.
It was not some foreign god who did this!
You are my witnesses that I am God,” declares Yahweh. (Isa. 43:11–12 TPT)
God is faithful at a level we just don’t understand. Some of us have seen human faithfulness—but He is more than that. Some of us know what it’s like to have a parent fight for us and defend us and take care of us—but He is more than that.
Everything He does is abundant life (John 10:10), and His words NEVER return to Him void (Isa. 55:11). They never fall flat or dry up. They are spoken in perfect faithfulness, and they will come to pass in perfect faithfulness.
Today’s journaling question: What has the Lord promised you? Write one of those promises in your journal, and remind yourself of it daily from a place of peace and not anxiety. “This is what God told me, and I can trust Him to lead me and fulfill this promise in His timing.”
May your Sunday be blessed, and may your heart OVERFLOW with the hope of God.
Interested in reading more about dating, relationships, and your walk with God? Here are a few articles on related topics:
For more information on sex, marriage, and finding the person who is right for you, get a copy of Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more. You can also order the book in Spanish.