As a new season begins, it’s easy to carry old fears, unhealthy habits, and painful memories into the future without realizing how much they affect your peace. Proverbs 4:7 reminds us that wisdom and understanding are worth pursuing above everything else. God invites you to reflect on what you’ve experienced, recognize what He has taught you, and release the burdens you were never meant to carry forever.

Preparing for a new season isn’t just about decluttering your home or organizing your calendar. It’s also an opportunity to examine your heart, strengthen your faith, and seek God’s wisdom for the road ahead. Through prayer and reflection, you can learn to hold on to the lessons from difficult seasons without continuing to carry their worry. Discover how to surrender yesterday’s burdens to Jesus, recognize the blessings in your life, and move forward with greater clarity, gratitude, and confidence in God’s direction.

Highlights

• Why reflecting on past seasons can help you recognize what is weighing down your heart and mind

• What Proverbs 4:7 teaches about pursuing God’s wisdom above material possessions and regrets

• How to release past worries to Jesus while holding on to the valuable lessons you’ve learned

• Practical ways to declutter your home, calendar, habits, and spiritual life as a new season begins

• Questions to help you identify your priorities, recognize meaningful relationships, and understand what brings lasting peace

• How prayer and gratitude can help you appreciate God’s blessings and prepare for what comes next

• Why moving forward in faith means keeping your eyes on the future rather than remaining stuck in the past

Click to Listen to Signs of Life: UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org

Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture.

UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org

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Full Transcript Below:

What Are You Carrying into the Next Season?

By: Lia Girard

Bible Reading:

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.

Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

— Proverbs 4:7 (NIV)

As a Christian, I'm very familiar with the truth that Jesus’ yoke is light. That taking his teachings to heart and living by them is liberating. He offers each of us the continual opportunity to cast our cares on him and trust him for the outcome. I know this can relieve me of weighty mental and spiritual burdens. 

Yet I still have to make myself stop and take inventory. Because I can collect a lot of worries along my way. I can wind up choosing to carry around some unnecessary things season after season, or year after year ... because I haven't learned to let go of their memory. What’s more, their buildup can start to control the way I’m living now. 

Have you ever noticed this habit in yourself? It’s natural. Each of us accumulates experiences that wind up causing a multitude of effects in our lives and hearts. However, thanks to new mercies, tomorrow is always a new day, and a new year is always ahead. 

Wherever and however you live, you may encounter seasons when it feels right to examine your life spiritually and physically to prepare for the months ahead. In any of these time passages, you may decide to declutter your home, your calendar, your perspective, or your heart. Even though life up to now may have cost you time, money, or peace, Proverbs 4:7 advises that the best thing to bring forward with you is the wisdom you find in it all. 

This isn’t to say you can’t own boxes of seasonal decorations or keep special items. It’s to encourage you to explore what might be weighing you down, and then decide what you’ll carry. Parsing through all you’ve gathered seasonally is a practical way to discern wisdom. You can then lay things of the past at the feet of Jesus, and move forward enlightened.

You can also look to the book of Proverbs for direction. A large portion of this treasury was authored by King Solomon to teach us the value of wisdom. He asserts that wisdom is “the principal thing” to gain in life and urges it above all else. 

I find it interesting that a leader who likely had amassed a family and a comfortable life doesn’t advise you and me to hold on to things, riches, or regrets. In fact, he says that wisdom is worth the cost of all you have. Throughout Proverbs 4, King Solomon explains that the wisdom you gain (otherwise known as the valuable lessons that are maturing you) can guard your heart, keep you on the right path, and protect you from ruin. 

So, what has this past season taught you about what you value most? Have there been special places, people, or purchases that have entered your life or continue to shape you? Have you noticed a habit or commitment that’s making a positive impact? What does all of this show you about what kind of life brings you peace, and what kind of person you desire to be? 

As you look forward to what’s next on your calendar, I hope you make time to answer questions like these for yourself. And then you can, as Proverbs 4:25 advises, “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you,” and keep on learning. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As a new season approaches, consider these ideas:

• Mark off time to bring your past burdens to God in prayer and ask for His wisdom
• Pencil a decluttering day on your calendar and donate at least one physical item from your life that no longer serves you and could serve someone in need
• Try to articulate the lesson learned from a hard season and commit to holding on to the wisdom, not the worry
• List three things, blessings, or relationships that you truly love and thank God for them
• Make yourself a promise to spend a little less money on purchases and a little more time with people who need you, including yourself 

Further Reading:

Isaiah 43:18-19

2 Corinthians 5:17

Romans 12:2

Philippians 3:13-14

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How do you praise God when life hurts, prayers seem unanswered, or circumstances feel overwhelming? It’s often easy to worship God when life is going well, but praising Him through grief, disappointment, fear, and uncertainty requires a deeper kind of faith. Hebrews 13:15 calls Christians to offer God a continual sacrifice of praise through Jesus—not because every situation feels good, but because God remains worthy of our trust and worship in every season.

A sacrifice of praise means choosing to turn toward God even when your emotions make worship difficult. Through prayer, Scripture, and songs of worship, you can bring your pain to God rather than facing your struggles alone. The story of Job reminds us that we may not always understand why suffering happens, but we can continue trusting God’s character and faithfulness. When you shift your focus from the size of your problems to the greatness of God, praise can help strengthen your faith, renew your perspective, and remind you that His presence is with you through every storm.

Highlights

• What Hebrews 13:15 means when it calls believers to offer a continual sacrifice of praise

• Why praising God during pain and uncertainty requires intentional faith

• How Job’s response to suffering demonstrates trust in God during devastating circumstances

• Practical ways to worship God when you feel discouraged, overwhelmed, or distant from Him

• How praise can shift your focus from your problems to God’s goodness, power, and faithfulness

• Why you can trust God even when you don’t understand why He allows difficult seasons

• How prayer, worship, and praise songs can encourage you to persevere and find renewed hope in Christ

Click to Listen to Signs of Life: UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org

Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture.

UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org

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Full Transcript Below:

The Power of Praise

By Alexis A. Goring 

Bible Reading:
“Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.” - Hebrews 13:15 (NLT)

Lately, God has been teaching me to worship Him through tough times and praise Him through my problems. He is teaching me how to turn my pain into prayers because He is always listening and He has all the resources I need.

God led me to the verse in Hebrews 13:15, which tells us, as followers of Jesus Christ, to “offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God”. But what does that mean? Let’s explore this and learn how to apply Biblical advice to our daily lives. We can start by understanding what it means to offer a sacrifice of praise. 

According to Google, “A sacrifice of praise is the act of thanking and honoring God during difficult times, even when you do not feel happy or grateful,” and “In ancient times, a sacrifice cost the worshipper something valuable, like an animal or grain. A ‘sacrifice of praise’ means your worship costs you something, too. It requires you to put aside your sadness, pain, or complaints to focus on God's goodness.”

In addition, the search results said, “It is easy to praise God when life is good. A sacrifice of praise happens when life is hard, but you praise God anyway because of who He is, not just what He does. A real sacrifice requires giving up something valuable. In this context, you sacrifice your right to complain, your self-pity, or your temporary negative emotions to honor God. Scripture defines this sacrifice as verbal acknowledgment—using your words, prayers, and songs to confess and magnify God's name rather than staying silent in despair. The command is not to praise only when it is convenient or emotional, but to maintain a steady posture of trust in all seasons.”

The key characteristics that define offering a sacrifice of praise are that it is costly because “it takes real emotional and spiritual effort when you are hurting or grieving.” It is intentional because you “choose to praise God based on who He is, not based on your current feelings or life circumstances.” And it is continual because “the Bible says to offer this praise continually, meaning it does not stop when hard times start” (Google AI Overview). 

Examples of offering a sacrifice of praise in our modern-day life include, but are not limited to: Praising God after losing your job, becoming ill, or having your heart broken by someone you love, choosing to thank God for everything instead of complaining to Him when your burdens feel too heavy, and nothing seems to be going right. You can also choose to go to church and engage in the worship service and pray to God, even when you feel tired and depressed or distant from Him.

A Biblical example of offering a sacrifice of praise is in the Bible story about Job. It is a true story about a righteous and wealthy man who lost everything and almost everyone he held dear—from his children to his livestock—yet he chose to keep his faith in God and trust Him through this deep suffering. According to Job 13:15 (NKJV), he said this about God: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.”

Sometimes God may not tell us why He allows suffering in our lives, but He does tell us in His Word (The Holy Bible) that we can trust Him and He will work everything out for our good (Romans 8:28). God taught me that knowing Him is better than knowing “why”. It is a lesson I am still learning today. 

In closing, I’d like to discuss how praise has power. Simply said by a Google search with AI Overview, “Praising God has power because it shifts our focus from our problems to His greatness, inviting His presence and realigning our hearts with His truth.” I’m learning that when we choose to praise God, then we turn the worry of our problems into worship of the One who knows all and can solve every problem. Worshipping God invites His Presence into our situation and can give us perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Praising God through the storms of life helps us to stop magnifying our problems and instead, magnify God, who is the problem-solver. 

Finally, praising God can serve as a weapon in spiritual warfare. We can receive a breakthrough by taking our pain to the Throne of God (Hebrews 4:16) and asking Him to defeat the forces of darkness and shine His Light into our lives. He’s ready and willing to intervene on our behalf. Praising and worshipping God through the trials of life reminds us that God’s strength is greater than any obstacle we may face. We can overcome anything with His help.

Before you go, please read “What Does a Sacrifice of Praise Mean?” by Robert Hampshire. I also suggest you read my devotional about the Bible story of Job to learn how God taught me that knowing Him is better than knowing why He allows suffering in our lives: “When You Want to Know Why.”

Lastly, I’d like for you to listen to and reflect on these five songs (listed below):

Song of Reflection #1: “Praise is What I Do” by Shekinah Glory Ministry. Listen to it HERE.

Song of Reflection #2: “Praise You in This Storm” by Casting Crowns. Listen to it HERE. 

Song of Reflection #3: “Total Praise” by Richard Smallwood. Listen to it HERE.

Song of Reflection #4: “When You Praise” by Fred Hammond. Listen to it HERE. 

Song of Reflection #5: “Overcomer” by Mandisa. Listen to it HERE.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Next time you feel defeated or depressed, will you try praising God through your pain and offer Him a sacrifice of praise?

Further Reading:

Psalm 42:11

Psalm 50:23

Psalm 107:22

James 1:2-4

1 Thessalonians 5:18

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direction, He can renew your strength, deepen your faith, and fill your life with hope and peace. Like a well-watered garden or a spring that never runs dry, your renewed relationship with God can also become a source of encouragement and life for the people around you.

Highlights

• How to recognize spiritual dryness and find your way back to a vibrant relationship with God

• What Isaiah 58:11 promises about God’s guidance, provision, and spiritual renewal

• How the restoration of Beaver Marsh illustrates the possibility of new life after damage and neglect

• Why prayer, Scripture, and listening to the Holy Spirit are essential for discerning God’s direction

• How taking small steps of obedience can help you experience God’s restoration in everyday life

• Why relying on God rather than trying to solve every problem alone can bring renewed strength and peace

• Practical questions to help you identify spiritually dry areas of your life and begin following God toward renewal

Click to Listen to Signs of Life: UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org

Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture.

UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org

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When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! 

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Full Transcript Below:

God Will Guide You Back to Life

By: Whitney Hopler

Bible Reading:

“The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” – Isaiah 58:11, NIV

Walking along the boardwalk at the Beaver Marsh in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, I was amazed at how this thriving wetland had come back to life. For decades, the site was a junkyard filled with old cars. In the 1980s, inspired by a shared desire to care for God’s creation, community volunteers and park staff came together to haul away tons of trash and clean up the landscape. Then, beavers reintroduced to the area built a dam across a nearby canal, which naturally flooded the land that had been a marsh years ago. Dormant seeds that had been waiting for water activated and started growing into marsh plants again. What was once a damaged dump transformed into a thriving wetland filled with water lilies, birds, turtles, beavers, river otters, and more. The Beaver Marsh is a wonderful reminder that no matter how damaged something appears, it can be restored when people follow God’s guidance to take good care of it.

Just like the land at the Beaver Marsh was dry before it was restored physically, you might feel dry spiritually right now – finding it hard to find God. Spiritual dryness can feel like walking through “a sun-scorched land” like Isaiah 58:11 describes. You can become stressed and exhausted, just like you would if you were physically walking through a dry desert without water. But if you seek God with all your heart, you’ll find him, and you’ll be blessed by being able to perceive God’s guidance. This verse promises that God will satisfy your needs and strengthen you. In the process, you’ll be like “a well-watered garden” – just like the Beaver Marsh is thriving. Since God gives you Living Water spiritually, you can rely on him for whatever you need to thrive.

You can start thriving when you stop trying to solve your problems on your own and instead invite God to show you the way to solutions. To find God’s guidance, you need to prioritize talking to God in prayer and listening to God in meditation. You can just pray something simple, like: “God, please help me know what to do today.” But talking to God is only half of the conversation. When you meditate on God’s messages to you in the Bible and listen for God speaking to you through His Holy Spirit, you can find the guidance you need. Then, when you put that guidance into action and follow where God guides you, you’ll see restoration happen in your life. Whenever you do what God asks – even by taking a few small steps in the direction where God is leading you – you’ll experience God’s answers to your prayers.

As you follow God’s guidance day by day, your life will start to bloom like a well-watered garden. A garden with plenty of water stays green and growing even on hot days. Following God helps you make good choices, saves you from getting lost on wrong paths, and helps you thrive in every part of your life.

God also promises that you’ll become like a fresh water spring that never runs out. All the hope and peace God gives you will flow through your life like a spring and spill over into the lives of your friends and family.

When you listen to God and follow his guidance, you can step out of spiritual dryness and come back to life spiritually through renewal and revival!

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As you consider how seeking and following God’s guidance will help you thrive, reflect on these questions:

• What areas of your life currently feel “sun-scorched” and how can you seek God’s help to bring those situations back to life with his living water? 
• How do you feel most connected to God’s guidance day by day? 
• What is a recent piece of wisdom from God that you feel called to act on right now? 
• What makes it challenging to follow God’s guidance instead of relying on your own plans, and what helps you trust God as he leads you? 
• What changes do you notice in yourself when you choose to seek and follow God’s guidance?

Further Reading:

Psalm 23:2-3

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Psalm 32:8

Proverbs 3:5-6

Psalm 32:8

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Why can the fall season bring both beautiful memories and painful reminders of loss? Autumn’s changing leaves, cooler weather, and familiar traditions can stir up feelings of gratitude and joy, but they can also bring grief, loneliness, and memories of difficult experiences. If fall is a challenging season for you, you don’t have to ignore your pain to appreciate the beauty around you. God’s love remains present through both joyful memories and sorrowful days.

Deuteronomy 32:7 encourages us to remember the past and learn from the generations before us. Reflecting on meaningful memories can remind us of God’s goodness, even when life feels heavy. Whether you’re remembering loved ones, processing grief, or hoping to create happier memories this year, you can invite God into the process of healing. By slowing down, spending time in nature, connecting with others, and noticing the beauty of His creation, you can begin to experience His comfort and recognize His faithfulness throughout every season of life.

Highlights

• Why autumn can bring both cherished memories and painful reminders of loss

• How to find God’s beauty and goodness even when the fall season feels difficult

• What Deuteronomy 32:7 teaches us about remembering the past and learning from earlier generations

• How reflecting on happy memories can offer comfort during seasons of grief

• Why God’s love remains constant through both joyful and sorrowful experiences

• Practical ways to create new fall memories through nature, relationships, and prayer

• Encouragement to invite God into your healing and discover fresh hope during a difficult season

Click to Listen to Signs of Life: UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org

Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture.

UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org

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When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! 

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Full Transcript Below:

The Beauty and Memories of Fall
By Vivian Bricker 

Bible Reading:
“Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you” (Deuteronomy 32:7). 

What comes to mind when you think of fall? The beautiful flowers, the cooler weather, or Thanksgiving? Fall holds cherished memories for many, but perhaps fall also brings up painful memories for you. Maybe you are reminded of the death of a loved one, or a painful experience at work, home life, or within your family. Even though fall may carry a heavy weight with it, we can still stop and admire God’s beauty. His love is richly poured out on us, even if we cannot see it at the time. 

This fall, slow down and listen for the crunch of the leaves below your feet. Stop and watch the leaves fall; take special note of the colors: the vibrant red, yellow, and orange leaves surrounding you. These are all blessings from God, even if the season may be sorrowful. 

Allow God to heal your wounds with His love. Fall time may continue to be painful; however, God’s love will always prevail (Romans 8:37-39). He is with you through every dark, gloomy autumn day as well as every sunny, beautiful day. Through the good and the bad, He goes before you. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

The Bible tells us, “Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father, and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you” (Deuteronomy 32:7). The “days of old” can refer to your present life as well. Think about the happy falls – the ones full of memories, love, and joy. 

When the days grow dark, reflect upon these brighter days. Perhaps your parents used to take you outside to jump in the leaves after they fell from the trees, or you would take a nature walk together. God’s fingerprints are across the fall season; you might just have to slow down, take in the moment, and reflect upon His grace. 

If you cannot recall a happy memory of fall, ask the Lord to help you create a few this year. You could pray, “Dear Jesus, in the past, fall has only been full of pain. I dread when fall comes around each year because it is a reminder of everything and everyone I have lost. Despite this challenging time, help me to heal and form happier memories. Bring loved ones into my life who will make me smile, laugh, and see the beauty of You again. In Your brilliant Name, I pray, Amen.”

Never underestimate what God can do in your life; He can make a way when there is no way. Challenge yourself to also connect with others and nature this fall season. Go out to an apple orchard, take a hike somewhere beautiful, or take time to simply sit in your garden. Talk to God while you are out in nature and allow His beauty to move your soul. His love, grace, and blessings will be poured abundantly into your heart. 

What memories do you associate with fall time? Are they happy or sorrowful? What new memories do you want to form this year? 

Further Reading: 

1 Kings 19:11-13

James 1:17

Zephaniah 3:17

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you ever wish you could change parts of your past, your circumstances, or the things that make you feel inadequate? It’s easy to believe that our weaknesses, disappointments, family struggles, or painful experiences make us less useful to God. But the Bible reminds us that God doesn’t require a perfect past or impressive qualifications to work through our lives. He calls us to trust Him and take the next step in faith, even when we don’t feel equipped.

In Judges 6:15-16, Gideon questions how God could use someone with his background and limitations, but God responds with a promise: “I will be with you.” This powerful reminder shows us that our usefulness to God depends not on our strength, but on His presence. Although we don’t have to pretend painful experiences were good, we can trust God to redeem our stories, shape our character, and use even the parts we wish were different to grow our faith and help others.

Highlights

• Why we often view our weaknesses, painful experiences, and limitations as reasons God cannot use us

• What Gideon’s story in Judges 6:15-16 teaches us about trusting God when we feel inadequate

• Why God’s presence matters more than our qualifications, abilities, or past experiences

• How difficult seasons can develop compassion, humility, wisdom, and deeper dependence on God

• Why trusting God’s redemption doesn’t require us to pretend painful experiences were good

• How 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 reminds us that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness

• Encouragement to stop treating your past as a disqualification and trust God to use your story for His purposes

Click to Listen to Signs of Life: UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org

Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture.

UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org

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Full Transcript Below:

God Can Use the Part of Your Story You Wish Were Different 

By Sarah Frazer

Bible Reading:
And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.” And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” - Judges 6:15-16

If God had handed twenty-four-year-old Sarah a list of everything she would eventually be responsible for, she might have handed it right back. As a young new mom, I had no idea the journey God would put me on as I started out through motherhood.  I did not feel particularly equipped to bring a newborn home that spring morning, but I did. 

As the years moved on, I found myself adding more and more children (we ended up with five). Homeschooling was next on the agenda, and then God gave us a special-needs daughter. After that, God moved our family to a foreign country, then moved us back. So many parts of my story I have wished to be different. There were moments of tears and heartache. In those times, I didn’t really see how God would use this part. Of my….

Most of us have circumstances, weaknesses, disappointments, and limitations we would change if we could. We assume that these unwanted parts of our life make us less useful to God. So many years later, I’m learning that we often believe God needs a more qualified version of us, but in reality, He only needs a willing heart. 

Gideon looked at his own story and saw reasons God couldn't use him. God saw something entirely different. In Judges 6:14-15, we read that God calls Gideon to rescue the Israelites from the Midianites. Gideon’s immediate response was to list all of the reasons why he shouldn’t be God’s leader. Gideon essentially asks, How could someone with my background possibly do this?

We do something similar when we look at our past, personality, family circumstances, weaknesses, disappointments, or lack of resources. We often see our limitations as disqualifications. But. God didn’t change Gideon’s story before he called him. God’s answer to Gideon is the same answer God gives us. Judges 6:16 says, “But I will be with you.” 

Notice that God didn’t correct Gideon's assessment of his circumstances. What Gideon said was true. He was who he said he was. God didn’t change anything about Gidoen’s family, background, or resume. It would be God's presence—not Gideon's qualifications—that would make the difference.

God doesn't need to rewrite your past before He can use your present.

The Bible is filled with the truth that God works with those who are weak. God does not use us despite our weakness, but through our weakness. He does this so His strength is visible and He gets the glory! 

Not only that, but parts of your story have provided deep spiritual growth in your life. There might be things you learned, experienced, and grown in while facing the hardships that you wouldn’t have otherwise done. If you removed the hard parts of your past, you might not have developed the compassion you now have. Or maybe you learned dependence and humility in a deeper way. God certainly grants us wisdom and faith while going through storms. 

We may not always understand why God allowed something, and we don't need to call painful things good. But we can trust that God is able to redeem what we would never have chosen.

Your weakness does not limit God's strength. Gideon's confidence couldn't ultimately come from discovering something impressive about himself. It came from God’s presence. If God is asking you to do a new type of work, step into a new role, or take on more responsibility, remember that it isn’t about “being enough.” It is all about God's promise: “I will be with you.”

When our usefulness in God's kingdom rests more on His sufficiency than ours, we find that we are already equipped for what God is calling us to do. 

Maybe there is a chapter of your life you still wish you could rewrite. You don't have to pretend it didn't hurt or wish it had happened differently. But you also don't have to believe it disqualifies you.

The God who looked at Gideon in all his weakness and said, “I will be with you,” is still the God who works through imperfect people and imperfect stories today. If I could sit beside that twenty-four-year-old version of myself today, I wouldn't hand her a list of everything coming. That would be overwhelming! Honestly, I wouldn't even give her a warning. Preparing for hardship doesn’t often help. Instead, I would simply say: God is with you. He always has been and always will be.

Looking back, I can see that God didn't always change the circumstances I wished were different. Instead, he used them to change me. Yes, some will be hard, but in the hard things, there will be so many good things. God’s goodness shines so bright when we rest in His character!

Friend, those parts of your story have made you who you are. God does not make mistakes. Even if you wish you had a different background, different abilities, different circumstances, or even a different personality, God is ready and willing right now to use you. He has created you with care and love. Nothing He does is a mistake!  

Gideon's story reminds us that God isn't searching for the person with the perfect résumé. He is looking for people willing to trust Him. Whatever God places in front of you today, you don't need to know whether you are strong enough. You only need to remember the promise that was enough for Gideon: “I will be with you.”

Intersecting Faith & Life:

What parts of your story do you wish were different?  Do you use these things as excuses not to follow God’s call in your life? Today, ask God to help you trust that He is with you. His presence is enough. 

Further Reading:

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 

Exodus 4:10-12 

Psalm 139:13-16

Ephesians 2:10

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Letting God rake away what is covering your heart means inviting Him to reveal unhealthy attitudes, heal old wounds, and clear away anything keeping you from growing closer to Him. Through prayer, Scripture, repentance, and honest reflection, we can begin releasing the burdens we were never meant to carry alone. Although this process may feel uncomfortable, God’s loving correction brings freedom and creates room for spiritual renewal. As you surrender your heart to Him, you can experience His grace more deeply and make space for the peace, joy, and growth He desires for your life.

Highlights

• How emotional wounds, bitterness, fear, and distractions can keep us from drawing closer to God

• Why examining your heart is an important part of spiritual growth and renewal

• How God can reveal hidden attitudes and burdens that need healing

• Why surrendering painful experiences to God can open the door to greater peace and freedom

• How prayer, Scripture, and repentance help us clear away spiritual obstacles

• Why allowing God to change your heart requires honesty, humility, and trust

• Encouragement to let God remove what is holding you back and make room for deeper faith and lasting spiritual growth

Click to Listen to Signs of Life: UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org

Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture.

UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org

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Full Transcript Below:

Letting God Rake Away What Is Covering Your Heart

By: Lia Girard

Bible Reading:

I could ask the darkness to hide me

and the light around me to become night—

but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.

Darkness and light are the same to you.

– Psalm 139:11-12, NLT

I love the way fallen leaves in autumn cover landscapes across many parts of the world. It feels like a song of sweet surrender, as vivid colors float everywhere, then fade into nutrients for the soil. Carpets of fall foliage on lawns, parks, or fields always look so purposeful and romantic to me.

But when we live in modern, manicured places, we often rake these leaves into piles, either composting them for reuse or disposing of them. It’s a common seasonal sight, though I’m still not sure if it’s better to rake or not rake the leaves that grace our lives. It’s always interesting to me that we don’t need to rake wild forests. They remain entirely in God’s hands. 

However, when it comes to my heart and yours, let’s consider that God may do some spiritual raking. Because sometimes we want to hide ourselves, our feelings, our habits, our lack of faith, from God. That’s why Psalm 139 lays out clearly that God sees everything, anyway. 

In fact, Psalm 139:11-12 proclaims that “even in darkness I cannot hide from you.” This entire psalm rejoices that you can turn to God and ask him to search you, bring you into His light, and lead you on the path of everlasting life.

The freedom you gain when you let God “uncover” you is also celebrated in 2 Corinthians 3:16, when Paul says, “But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” Paul is referring to how Moses would cover his face with a veil because the glory of God he reflected was too much for his followers to receive. So, in his New Testament letter, Paul teaches that you and I have been reconciled to God through Jesus. You can let God lift the veil, rake away what you’re hiding under, and fully receive the Holy Spirit within you. There’s no need to bury yourself in secrecy.

Not only will God rake away what’s covering hearts, but he will also dig deeper to pull up stones and plant new life. When Ezekiel 36:26 tells us, “and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a new heart of flesh,” it refers to God’s miraculous power to completely transform a hardened heart that has become cold, inflexible, or impenetrable. 

This hardening could be the result of self-protection over many years of pain. Or, it could be a heart turned away from reconciliation by unforgiveness. Or, it could be a refusal to share fears and feelings with God. Ezekiel 36:26 is God’s reminder to you and me—that he sees our struggles anyway. 

So, even if you don’t see a way to cultivate peace in your own heart, or feel courageous enough to be exposed, God’s promise here is that he can do the work for you, if you let him. You and I can bring our hurting, hiding, hardened hearts to God, and welcome his healing. He will rake away what’s weighing you down, warming and softening your heart. 

So the next time you’re working in the yard, or marveling at leaves, remember: John 15 says God is your gardener. Let him rake, prune, and shape you ... so that you will bear much fruit for His glory.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As you consider the beauty of changing seasons, or the work of raking away anything that’s covering something underneath, reflect on these thoughts: 

• What can you ask God to reveal to you about anything that may be weighing you down?
• Can you recall a time God pruned you and you were better off for it?
• If your heart is hurting, how might you pray for God to heal it?

Further Reading:

Hebrews 4:12-13

Psalm 33:13-14

1 John 3:20

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How can you know when to trust your own instincts and when to wait for God’s guidance? When conflict, difficult decisions, or emotional situations arise, self-reliance can cause us to act or react before seeking God’s wisdom. Judges 1:1-4 offers a powerful picture of what it looks like to turn to God first, ask for His direction, and faithfully follow where He leads.

Following Christ doesn’t mean we will always know exactly what to do or receive an immediate answer. God often guides us through Scripture, prayer, the Holy Spirit, and the wisdom of other believers. As we consistently seek Him in everyday circumstances, we become more attentive to His direction when bigger challenges arise. Learning to follow Christ requires practice, humility, and trust, but we can rest in the assurance that we don’t have to figure out every step on our own.

Highlights

• Why self-reliance can lead us to act or react before seeking God’s guidance

• What Judges 1:1-4 teaches about turning to God for direction

• How prayer and Scripture help us develop greater spiritual discernment

• Why God’s guidance may come through Scripture, other believers, or the Holy Spirit

• How practicing dependence on God in everyday situations prepares us for bigger challenges

• What James 1:5 teaches about asking God for wisdom without fear of criticism

• Encouragement to trust Christ’s leadership rather than trying to figure out every step on your own

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Full Transcript Below:

Faithfully Led by Christ
By: Jennifer Slattery

Bible Reading:
After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites?” - Judges 1:1.

Some of my deepest relational wounds were self-inflicted. I’m presently dealing with the painful aftereffects of a situation I created through self-reliance. That’s not to say I never prayed for God’s guidance, or that I didn’t try to follow His lead. I did, frequently. But I also acted on my emotions and perspectives far too often, particularly during times of conflict. 

Because of this, at times, I did and said things that hurt the other person and damaged our relationship. In fact, when I consider some of my most painful experiences, I recognize that I brought many of them on myself by acting before receiving God’s guidance, His perspective on the situation, or His strength to love others as He loves me.

That’s one reason I find the book of Judges so comforting, because it highlights God’s grace despite humanity’s persistent rebellion. 

The people started their new season in the Promised Land well. The Israelites appeared to keep their focus on God and His will, even for some time after Joshua, their former leader, died. 

Having witnessed God’s miraculous provision and protection during their desert wanderings, these men and women seemed to recognize how much they needed the Lord’s support. At this point in their history, it appears they didn’t have a strong, central leader—no president, king, or military commander—to follow. 

Yet, rather than relying on themselves, they turned to their true, ever-faithful King, the Almighty. They sought His guidance, and He provided, stating in verse 2, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.”

Verse 4 records the result: “Judah went up, and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands, and they defeated ten thousand men at Bezek” (Judges 1:4, NASB). 

This reminds me of the promise recorded in James 1:5, which reads, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (NIV).

Intersecting Life & Faith:

Scripture invites me to come to God with all my concerns, questions, and confusion. When I do, God never responds with frustration or criticism. Instead, He welcomes me close, often comforts and strengthens my soul, and provides the wisdom I need to navigate life’s complexities with discernment and grace. 

Sometimes, I “hear” His directions in that moment. Most often, however, His guidance comes later, in His perfect timing, whether that's through Scripture, a conversation with another Christ-follower, or a growing but gentle conviction from the Holy Spirit.

I’m learning, I’m most apt to recognize His voice when I practice connecting with Him while tuning my spiritual ears to Him. This intentionality and consistency in everyday experiences help me recognize His voice in situations that feel “high stakes”—like with the relationship I mentioned at the beginning of this devotion.

In my present, healing-but-not-yet-whole situation, the Lord provided understanding of the other person’s fears and their hurts I wouldn’t have known otherwise. This reduced my tendency toward defensiveness while increasing my ability to remain focused on the real issue, rather than outward behavior (symptoms). He’s also shown me ways some of my past actions caused harm, along with how I can interact differently in the future. 

Not only have these divine insights facilitated relational healing, but they’ve also dramatically reduced my angst by reminding me that I’m not alone. I don’t have to figure out each step; I simply need to follow the One who has promised to lead me to His very best (John 10:10).

As I consistently turn to Christ and yield to His Spirit within, I’m better able to follow the example provided in the opening of Judges. As I do, something beautiful occurs. God’s faithfulness deepens my trust and increases my desire to seek His guidance before acting or reacting.

Again, this takes practice, intentionality, and consistency, as many of us have spent our entire lives strengthening our self-reliance. Thankfully, we’re not traveling this transformation journey alone. The God who led ancient Israel into the Promised Land longs to guide us through our challenges, big and small, as well. 

Consider: How might responding to God's guidance in everyday situations increase your ability to recognize His direction when facing life's bigger battles? And if this is an area you long to grow in, I invite you to join me and my cohost Carol McCracken on the Faith Over Fear podcast for our upcoming series on hearing God. Because the Lord is leading us. The question is, are we alert and responsive to His guidance? 

Further Reading:
Proverbs 3:5-6
Psalm 25:4-5
Galatians 5:16, 22-25

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How can you pass your faith on to the next generation? Sharing stories about God’s faithfulness, answered prayers, and the ways He has carried you through difficult seasons can have a lasting impact on children, grandchildren, and younger people in your life. Your testimony doesn’t have to be dramatic or perfectly presented to encourage someone else to trust God.

Psalm 78:2-4 reminds us of the importance of telling the next generation about God’s power and the wonderful things He has done. The faith stories you share can help younger people see that God is not only part of Bible history—He is active, present, and trustworthy today. Whether you’re talking around the dinner table, spending time with family, or encouraging someone at church, everyday conversations can become opportunities to share your faith and leave a spiritual legacy that points others toward God.

Highlights

• Why sharing stories of God’s faithfulness can strengthen the faith of the next generation

• What Psalm 78:2-4 teaches about telling others what God has done

• How stories of answered prayer can inspire younger people to develop their own prayer lives

• Why you don’t need to be a Bible scholar or public speaker to share your faith

• Practical ways to talk about God with children, grandchildren, and younger people in your community

• How your testimony can help younger people connect God’s faithfulness in the past with hope for their future

• Questions to help you identify opportunities to encourage someone younger through your own story of God’s work

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Full Transcript Below:

Tell the Next Generation

By: Whitney Hopler

Bible Reading:

“I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old – things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.” – Psalm 78:2-4, NIV

My paternal grandmother, Lena Wyckoff, told me many memorable stories about how God worked in her life before she passed away at age 98. She emphasized how God was close by her side through everything she experienced – in good and bad circumstances alike. Grandma’s long life was full of highs and lows. She enjoyed lots of love in her life from family and friends, yet she was widowed young and suffered a lot as a single mother afterward. She faced many challenges, but she overcame them all with God’s help. Along the way, Grandma stayed close to God through prayer and recorded the details of how God answered her prayers. She shared wonderful stories with me about the power of prayer and God’s faithful answers to prayers. Thanks to Grandma’s stories, I was inspired to build my own prayer life with God.

Think back to the stories you heard when you were growing up. Maybe a parent, a grandparent, a Sunday school teacher, or a close friend sat with you and shared about how God was working in their lives. They told you about the prayers God answered, the times God brought them through difficult seasons, and the wonderful ways God showed his love. Those stories were not just nice memories from the past. They were living seeds of faith planted into your heart to help you understand who God is and how well he cares for you.

In Psalm 78:2-4, the Bible reminds you that you have an important role to play in God’s plans by passing along the stories of how God has worked in your life. God wants you to share his praiseworthy deeds, his power, and the wonders he has done with the next generation of people, like your descendants, and other younger people you know.

You don’t need to be a biblical scholar or an experienced public speaker to share inspiring stories of God at work. All God asks you to do is be an honest witness of how he has worked so far in your life. You can do so well just by sharing genuine stories about God in your everyday conversations with the people you know. God will bring you lots of opportunities to tell the next generation about him. You can tell stories whenever you’re spending time with your children and grandchildren – especially during family meals, when everyone is paying attention to family conversations. You can also share your stories with young people you know from your church and other places in your community. Get to know a few younger people as friends, offer to pray for them about the concerns they share with you, and share stories of how God has helped you in similar situations.

When you share your stories about God, you help younger people make connections between God’s faithfulness in the past and the hope they need for the future. Every time you share a story of God’s wonderful work in your life, you help a younger person see that God is real, active, and trustworthy today. You help them realize that the same God who performed wonders in the Bible, and who guided believers throughout history, is ready to guide them in their own lives right now.

Never underestimate the power of your positive influence on the next generation when you share your stories about God. Even the simplest stories you tell younger people about God’s wonderful work in your life can help them learn and grow closer to God.

So, ask God to help you notice the opportunities he gives you to share your faith stories, and to share the Gospel message in fresh ways through those stories. Your stories have eternal value!

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As you consider why it’s important to share stories of God’s wonderful work with younger people, reflect on these questions:

Who in your past faithfully shared God’s wonders with you, and how did their words inspire you to grow closer to God? 

• What’s one story of how God answered your prayers that you can share with someone younger this week? 
• What fears might hold you back from sharing your faith stories, and how can you rely on God to help you overcome those fears? 
• How can you make plans in your schedule regularly to talk about God with the young people around you? 
• Who is a young person in your life right now who needs encouragement? How can you pray for that person today and share an encouraging story with him or her?

Further Reading:

Joel 1:3

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Psalm 145:4

2 Timothy 1:5

Psalm 71:18

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What has God grown in you this year? As the year comes to a close, it can be easy to focus on what remains unfinished, what didn’t go as planned, or where you wish you had grown more. But reflecting on your year through the lens of faith can help you recognize the spiritual growth, lessons, answered prayers, strengthened relationships, and deeper trust in God that may have developed along the way.

God often grows something meaningful in us through ordinary days, difficult seasons, waiting, disappointment, and unexpected opportunities. Like gathering a harvest, taking time to look back can reveal how God has been shaping your character and drawing you closer to Him. Reflecting on His faithfulness can help you celebrate progress you may have overlooked, give thanks for what He has taught you, and carry those lessons into the year ahead with greater faith and purpose.

Highlights

• How to recognize the spiritual growth God has cultivated in your life this year

• Why we can overlook meaningful growth when we focus only on what remains unfinished

• How difficult seasons, waiting, and disappointment can produce lasting spiritual lessons

• Practical ways to reflect on answered prayers, changed priorities, and deeper faith

• Why remembering God’s faithfulness can strengthen gratitude and hope for the future

• How to gather the lessons God has grown in you rather than simply moving on to the next season

• Encouragement to look back with gratitude and trust God with what He will grow next

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Full Transcript Below:

Gathering What God Grew in You This Year

By Melinda Eye Cooper

Bible Reading: 

So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. - 1 Corinthians 3:7 NIV

An interesting thing happened this year. Two tomato plants grew in the exact spot we’d planted them last year, but they shouldn’t have. My husband had pulled the plants out of the landscaping last Fall when they were done producing.  

We planned on putting a couple more plants there again this year because they’d grown well in that shaded spot beside the house. But strangely, in spring, when we began preparing the landscaping for flowers, two healthy-looking plants were growing in the exact same place we planted them the year before. 

“Are these tomato plants?” he asked after he finished pulling weeds, preparing to plant flowers. Thankfully, he didn’t pull them out thinking they were some kind of weed.

I examined the two healthy plants and couldn’t stop the excitement in my voice. “They sure are. Wow.” 

“That’s really weird. I pulled those out last fall when they were done making tomatoes,” he said. 

We were shocked but happy we didn’t have to buy any plants.

We checked with some family members to find out if tomato plants will just automatically grow back the next year in the same place. One person told us that it had happened to them before but the tomatoes that grew back were small and not as good. 

With this knowledge, we didn’t have great expectations but were curious about these mysterious plants, so we kept our eyes on them, making sure they were watered. 

Those plants grew absolutely huge and took over the landscaping on that side of the house. They produced the best crop of tomatoes we’ve ever grown. All without us even doing a thing except for giving them some water, and my husband tied them up to keep them off the ground, for the most part.

Apparently, the plants found the perfect spot to grow. 

We gathered tons of tomatoes. I learned how to use a water bath to can them. Some are in the freezer. I gave many to neighbors, and ate a lot of delicious bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches and fresh salads. No store-bought tomato can compare to the heavenly taste of a homegrown one. They’re just better in every way.

God really knows how to grow good things. 

And thankfully, He does the same thing with us. 

In the referenced Scripture, Paul is speaking about church growth. I love how Paul says God makes things grow. That statement is so true. We can try all we want, but without God, we’re not going to grow well. We may get head knowledge, but true growth is a changed heart, and the most important thing. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

When we seek God by reading the Bible, speaking with Christian friends about questions we have, or going straight to God in prayer, we’re growing spiritually. It is a slow process, for sure. 

What God produces within us through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit is really good stuff – the fruit of the Spirit. 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Like I gathered an unexpected bumper crop of tomatoes, and figured out the best way to use and preserve them, how can we do this with what God has grown in us? 

(I’m so glad you asked.) 

This good fruit of the Spirit is incredibly beneficial and is evidence of God’s work in our lives. He’s changing us, helping us become more like Jesus, slowly but surely as we grow. 

Speaking to each of these fruits would probably be a long devotion or even a book. So, I’ll keep it short and sweet. 

One way we can know God has grown something good within us is when we can forgive someone we love for causing us pain and continue to love them through forgiveness. We don’t allow bitterness or resentment to take hold. 

We gather what God grew in us and give them some grace and mercy as He has given us. 

God has a purpose in pain, and often it is the catalyst for our own spiritual growth. 

Not to say we forgive and forget what happened, but that we recognize none of us is perfect, and we all make mistakes. And with genuine forgiveness on our part, we can move forward a little wiser and love others in a better way. We choose to show love and forgiveness even when it’s hard. That can be a big point of growth. 

We’re a work in progress, and thank goodness, God’s growing us to be more like Jesus. We’re changing for the better. 

With Jesus deeply rooted in our hearts, we’re planted in the right spot. 

God will nourish, and we will surely flourish. 

Father, thank You for the powerful Holy Spirit and for His help in life. I need Him every moment of every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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What does it mean to say, “The Lord is my portion”? When life feels uncertain, we can be tempted to measure security by what we own, accomplish, or can control. But Scripture points us toward a deeper source of contentment: God Himself. When we recognize the Lord as our portion, we can find hope and stability even when circumstances change or the things we depend on are taken away.

Making God our portion means trusting that His presence, faithfulness, and promises are enough. It does not mean we will never experience loss, disappointment, or uncertainty, but it gives us something circumstances cannot take away. Instead of placing our hope in temporary possessions, relationships, success, or earthly security, we can turn our hearts toward God and remember that He remains faithful in every season. When the Lord is our portion, we have reason to hope, persevere, and rest in His goodness.

Highlights

• What it means to make the Lord our portion and source of hope

• Why earthly possessions and circumstances cannot provide lasting security

• How trusting God can bring contentment during seasons of uncertainty or loss

• Why God’s presence and faithfulness are greater than anything we can gain or accomplish

• How to shift our hope from temporary things to the promises of God

• Why recognizing God as our portion helps us persevere through difficult seasons

• Encouragement to find lasting hope and stability in the Lord rather than in circumstances

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Full Transcript Below:

The Lord Is My Portion 

By Cindi McMenamin

Bible Reading:
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I wait for Him.” (Lamentations 3:24 NASB) 

Life was going well, and I had been assigned to write an article called “10 Ways Your Life Looks Different When God Is Your Portion.” I read through every verse in the Bible about God being our portion, our refuge, our reward. And I prayed that God would make me a person who saw Him as my portion. 

As I was writing the article, I also prayed for insight about the hurts and disappointments people would be experiencing as they read the article, so it would be a comfort and encouragement to them. I thought of my mother, who was sinking into depression as her husband was sinking deeper into the disease of Alzheimer’s. I thought of a reader who had just lost a dear friend. I thought of someone who may just be receiving the news that they’d lost their longtime job.

 “God, give me Your words that people will most need to read for their hearts to be encouraged,” I prayed. 

I turned in the article and didn’t think about it for a couple of weeks. Until the day came that the article was published. I read through it once again, emailed a link of the article to my mom so she could read it, and prayed that everyone who encountered it would be encouraged. 

And then it happened. 

I received an email that same morning with devastating news, and in an instant, I knew God had arranged for that article to encourage me. He was using all those verses I had read and studied earlier in order to write that article, not just help others, but to move me to a place where I saw Him as my ultimate reward.  While life was going well, it was easy to think that I was already seeing God as my portion. But when I had lost something dear to me, I suddenly had to take inventory of what was most important.  

Immediately, the lessons I wrote about came to my mind: Because the Lord is my portion, I don’t need to worry about my provision, my future, or whether or not I have an inheritance. Because the Lord is my refuge, I can feel safe in His care, regardless of uncertainties.  Because He is my reward, I can find contentment in life, and focus on my blessings, not my burdens, and the things I seem to be losing. And because He is my portion and my very great reward, I can surrender the need to succeed and find my identity in Him, not in what I do. 

Tears came to my eyes as I realized that more than needing the good news I was expecting in that email, God knew I needed to see Him as my portion and my very great reward. 

Intersecting Faith & Life: 

What would you consider your greatest reward? Is it your children and grandchildren? Is it the legacy you’ve worked for all your life? Is it the retirement that awaits you or the commendation you waited years to earn? Is it your ministry or the satisfaction you feel after serving others or bringing about some good for someone? 

God’s Word is true when it tells us we will only find the desires of our hearts if we delight ourselves in the Lord (Psalm 37:4). And Asaph, the psalmist, knew the true rewards of this life when he sang these words to his Maker and Sustainer in Psalm 73:25-26: 

“Whom do I have in heaven but You?
And with You, I desire nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (NASB). 

When the Lord becomes your greatest treasure and reward, you will never find yourself lacking. 

Thank You, Lord God, for loving us so much You know what we need eternally, not just temporarily. Help us to see You as our greatest portion and our most treasured reward, and may we be satisfied with nothing less.  

Further Study:
Psalm 16

For daily encouragement in seeing the Lord as your portion, see Cindi’s book, The New Loneliness Devotional: 50 days to a Closer Connection with God. 

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God does not ask us to fight spiritual battles in our own strength. His love reminds us that we belong to Him, while His Word gives us the truth we need to recognize and resist the enemy’s lies. Through prayer, Scripture, faith, and dependence on Christ, we can stand firm when temptation, fear, doubt, or discouragement comes. Victory does not come from believing we are strong enough on our own, but from trusting the God who loves us and is faithful to strengthen, protect, and sustain us.

Highlights

• How God’s love gives us confidence when facing spiritual battles

• Why spiritual warfare requires dependence on God rather than our own strength

• How recognizing the enemy’s lies can help us stand firm in truth

• The role of prayer and Scripture in resisting temptation and discouragement

• Why remembering that we are deeply loved by God changes how we face spiritual warfare

• How faith in Christ helps us overcome fear, doubt, and spiritual opposition

• Encouragement to trust God’s power when the battle feels bigger than you can handle

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Full Transcript Below:

God’s Love Empowers You to Win Spiritual Battles

By: Whitney Hopler

Bible Reading:
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39, NIV

I remember visiting my mom in the hospital and bringing her a magazine. It was opened to an article about God’s angels when her nurse noticed it sitting beside her bed. That led to a conversation I’ve never forgotten. He told me that several years earlier, while he was in rehab for alcohol addiction, he had gone through intense spiritual battles. During seasons when he spent a long time praying, God sometimes allowed him to see something that’s usually invisible. The nurse said he could actually see both holy angels and fallen angels around him as battles between good and evil were taking place. It was scary to witness spiritual warfare that’s usually unseen, but he also said it filled him with hope because every time he prayed for help, God responded with love by sending holy angels to fight on his behalf. Looking back, the nurse was convinced that, because God never stopped loving him, he was able to win those spiritual battles. The nurse praised God for lovingly empowering him with everything he needed to break free from alcohol addiction.

Whether or not you ever see angels and demons with your physical eyes, the Bible makes it clear that spiritual battles are real. Every day, you face temptations, discouragement, fear, lies, and attacks that try to pull you away from God. Sometimes the battles are obvious. At other times, they happen quietly in your thoughts, your emotions, or the choices you make. The good news is that you never have to fight these battles by yourself.

Romans 8:38-39 promises that nothing can separate you from God’s love – even demons and the most intense spiritual battles you go through. There is absolutely nothing in all creation that is stronger than the love God has for you through Jesus Christ.

When you know that God’s love is constantly there for you, you no longer have to live in fear. Evil wants you to believe that you’re alone, forgotten, or beyond hope. But those are lies. God’s Word tells you that God’s love is much stronger than every spiritual attack on you.

Love is at the core of who God is. Since God loves you completely, he does much more than just watch you struggle from a distance. God comes close to you and strengthens you in all the ways you need strength, so you can win your spiritual battles.

The nurse I met told me that God’s loving care gave him the strength to keep choosing the next best step as he fought spiritual battles. Over time, God’s love empowered him to win the entire war he faced with addiction.

What battles are you fighting right now? Maybe you’re fighting anxiety, bitterness, temptation, loneliness, shame, or some other enemy. Maybe you’re praying for a loved one who seems far from God. Don’t give up! The God who loves you is still at work, even when you can’t see what he’s doing.

Because you’re loved by an all-powerful God, you can keep fighting with courage and confidence – and you can expect to win every single one of your spiritual battles.

So, choose to rest in God’s powerful love for you. Bring every fear that worries you to God in prayer. Remind yourself of God’s powerful promises to you. Keep trusting God to guide you through your battles one step at a time. No matter how challenging the spiritual warfare in your life becomes, nothing can separate you from God’s love. Remembering that reality will give you the strength to overcome every spiritual battle in your life.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As you consider how God’s love empowers you to win spiritual battles, reflect on these questions:

• What spiritual battle are you facing right now that you need to rely on God’s strength to fight?
• How does knowing that nothing can separate you from God’s love give you hope?
• What lies have evil attacks tried to make you believe, and what truths from God’s Word can help you fight those lies?
• In what areas of your life do you need to rely more on God’s strength instead of your own?
• How can you encourage someone else this week with the reminder that God’s love never lets them go?

Further Reading:

Ephesians 6:10-12

1 John 4:4

James 4:7

Psalm 34:7

2 Corinthians 10:3-4

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