Week of June 24, 2019
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez
MONDAY
Jesus Knows What You Need
John 21:4–6 (NLT)
At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?”
“No,” they replied.
Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.
Jesus knows what you need…and He also knows what you love. The desires of your heart and the things you’ve been searching for are important to Him, and He can tell you exactly how to find what you seek.
What do you need today? A new car? A new computer? A new job? A promotion? More money? Whatever you need, ask Jesus to help you the way He helped the disciples when they were trying to catch fish. They didn’t catch a thing—until He told them where to go.
Jesus knows what you need and where you need to go to find it. As you look to Him and listen for His voice, He will teach you the way of blessing.
Today’s prayer: Lord, thank You for a new day and new opportunities. Please hold my hand and guide me today because You’re the One I trust. In the name of Jesus, amen.
May your Monday be blessed!
TUESDAY
Do You Feel Like You Can’t Get Ahead?
Judges 6:1, 3–4, 6 (NLT)
The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years… Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel, camping in the land and destroying crops as far away as Gaza. They left the Israelites with nothing to eat, taking all the sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys… So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.
God is the most important thing we have. When everything is going well, He is our hope. When everything is falling apart, He is our peace—the one thing we can always count on.
If you’re going through a difficult time, turn to God and set your problems in His hands.
Don’t let your problems fill your vision until they’re the only things you see. That place—the spot right in front of your eyes—is reserved for God (Ps. 16:8 NASB). As you look at Him and trust Him to come and help you, you will experience what Israel experienced—that God is big, and He is powerful, and He can conquer all your enemies.
Ask Him for help, and pay attention to His voice.
Today’s prayer: Lord, please deliver me from enemies that are too strong for me. I give You this problem today: ___________. I trust You to take care of me completely and show me what to do. In the name of Jesus, amen.
May your Tuesday be blessed!
WEDNESDAY
God Is Worthy of Your Trust
Matthew 14:31 (NLT)
Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
Have you ever assumed something was true, only to find out later it wasn’t?
Sometimes our emotions run wild, and they try to tell us things that aren’t exactly “real.” Because of fear, doubt, shame, etc., we start to think we can’t trust God—that it would be better to handle things ourselves instead of waiting for a divine “outside source” to come and save us.
But God is worthy of our trust in every single situation, even when we feel fear-filled more than faith-filled.
In Matthew 14, Peter did something impossible—he climbed out of the boat and started walking on water. As long as his eyes remained on Jesus, he did great. He started having problems only when fear grabbed him.
But even then, when Peter started panicking, Jesus was right there to save him. He’s right here to save you, too.
Put your full faith in God, because He cares for you.
Today’s prayer: Lord, thank You for Your tender, gentle heart that doesn’t cast me aside when I’m struggling with doubt and fear. Help me keep my eyes on You even when I’m afraid. I know You’re the One I need. In the name of Jesus, amen.
May your Wednesday be blessed!
THURSDAY
God, Your Refuge
Psalm 46:1–2 (NIV)
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.
When we’re caught in impossible situations, it can feel like all hope is lost. “What can I do now? Where can I turn? Is there any possible way I can change this outcome?”
Sometimes there isn’t anything we can do but trust God to save us.
As followers of Jesus, you and I don’t have to live the way the world does. It’s impossible for us to lose “everything” because what matters the most to us is eternal. He lives in Heaven and cannot be taken away from us.
God is the mighty fortress where we can hide when we’re scared.
He is the rock of our lives, the one thing that cannot be shaken.
When we are in trouble, He is right here to help us.
He is our strength, not the world—which makes us very strong indeed.
If fear is pounding on your door today, don’t answer its knock. Turn away from fear and set your gaze on Jesus. Put your attention on His truth and start speaking it out loud, because this will help your heart.
Remember, the One who is with you is RADICALLY greater than the thing you fear.
Today’s prayer: Lord, I believe and declare You are my refuge and strength. I know You are with me, and I trust You to help me with this problem I’m facing today. May Your good, pleasing, and perfect will be done in this situation. In the name of Jesus, amen.
May your Thursday be blessed!
FRIDAY
Jesus Takes Your Shame
Luke 8:43–44, 47–48 (NIV)
A woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped…
Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
When we’re dealing with something that makes us feel ashamed, it can be hard to trust God in that area. We feel like that place inside us is bad, dirty, or embarrassing and that people will ridicule us for it.
So we try to take care of our shame on our own instead of bringing it to Jesus, who loves shame-filled people more than those people expect.
It had to be difficult for this woman to talk about her problem in front of a crowd. But that problem no longer existed! Her story changed in a moment. She touched Jesus, and the very thing that was “incurable” melted in His power.
Do you struggle with shame? Do you feel like you aren’t “whole”? Take that thing—whatever it is—to Jesus and expect Him to heal you in ways the world said were impossible.
Today’s prayer: Lord, I am tired of dragging shame around with me. You see exactly what I’m struggling with, and today I bring this thing to You so it can melt in Your hands. In the name of Jesus, amen.
May your Friday be blessed!
SATURDAY
Hope When Things Go Wrong
Romans 8:28 (NIV)
We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Sometimes things just go wrong.
A job unexpectedly ends. A boyfriend or girlfriend breaks up with you. A parent doesn’t come through when you need them. There are times when life seems to be on fire—and not in a good way.
In those moments, it can feel like there’s no way out. “This is it. Everything is over.”
But that isn’t true. God is working on your behalf, and if you cling to Him and the sound of His voice, doing what He directs you to do, you’ll get to see Him do amazing things.
It might not look exactly as you planned—but it will be good, because He is good and He’s with you.
Today’s prayer: Father God, thank You for working out everything to my benefit. I choose to trust You even when times are hard. Help me to keep my eyes on You, because You are my choice. In the name of Jesus, amen.
May your Saturday be blessed!
SUNDAY
God Is with You
Psalm 121:5 (NLT)
The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
Right now—this very moment, as you’re reading today’s devotion—you have the gaze of God. He is watching over you. Even on those dark, friendless nights when it seems like the world has forgotten about you, one Person has not forgotten about you at all.
The world says that trusting in an invisible God is not wise. We often feel that worldly “pressure” from time to time when we’re going through hardships.
“Am I SURE about this? Can I REALLY trust God? Can I trust Him with my finances? Can I trust Him with this person I’m falling in love with? What if He doesn’t come through for me?”
God is the rock eternal—an unshakeable force. Even when we’re struggling with doubt, or we feel deserted or lonely or left behind, He’s steady in our lives. He is the solid ground beneath our feet. He watches over us with faithfulness and stands guard to keep us safe and protected.
Today’s prayer: Father God, I want to see You clearly. Please pull away anything in my vision that keeps me from seeing You as You are. Thank You for staying with me even in those seasons when I thought I was alone. I trust You with my days. In the name of Jesus, amen.
May your Sunday be blessed!
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