Tag Archives: Spiritual Growth

January 4, 2026 · 6:00 am

Daily Devotional: January 4 – Here Comes Trouble

LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me! – Psalm 3:1

Does your resolve to follow God mean you won’t experience trouble? No! The bible makes this clear very early on through the story of Cain and Abel. Cain rose up against Abel because Abel followed God and pleased Him. Cain was jealous that God was pleased with Abel and blessed Him and so he decided to strike him down. Abel did not go looking for trouble, but trouble found him! As God blesses you, you too will become a target of people who are envious, jealous, angry, or otherwise hate you for no other reason except that you are the object of God’s blessings. Jesus mentions that we will experience trials and tribulations; He does not say that we may…yet He says that we should be of good cheer because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Therefore, be sure to seek help from the One who has overcome when trouble comes. This is what king David did when he encountered persecution. He cried out to God (Psalm 3:4) and remembered that salvation belongs to God (Psalm 3:8). Though trouble will come, it does not have to overcome you.

I will fight my battles on my knees in prayer

Leave a comment

Filed under Devotional

Tagged as , , ,

January 3, 2026 · 6:00 am

Daily Devotional: January 3 – Serve and Rejoice

Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling – Psalm 2:11

What does it mean to fear? To fear does not mean to be afraid. Rather, it means to be in awe and to respect; it is described as gazing intently or paying very close attention. Therefore, to serve the Lord with fear means that we look to Him and pay close attention to His instructions and desires. When we serve the Lord with fear, we find that we end up rejoicing with trembling. We do not tremble because we are afraid, but we tremble because we are stunned by how good He is to us; we are shaken at the realization of how underserving we are of His goodness. An example of this type of joyful trembling is what happened when Peter and his fellow fishermen went fishing with Jesus. He was stunned and rejoiced greatly at the great catch but also fell down on his knees in recognition that he was not deserving of the Lords abundant goodness towards him. Do you want to tremble at God’s goodness towards you this year? If so, choose to serve Him with fear.

I won’t serve God haphazardly but with great care and attention

Leave a comment

Filed under Devotional

Tagged as , , , ,

January 2, 2026 · 6:00 am

Daily Devotional: January 2 – Ask Away

Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession – Psalm 2:8

Do you know that God wants you to ask Him for things that seem too big and impossible for you? Your refusal to ask is not a sign of humility, it is a sign of lack of awareness of your position in Christ or lack of awareness of God’s great desire for you! The bible says that we don’t have because we don’t ask (James 4:2). If we don’t receive something from God, it shouldn’t be because we haven’t asked but rather it should be because we have asked amiss. Don’t short-circuit God’s blessing in your life but let God decide how gracious He wants to be to you. God the Father said to His Son that if He asked, then He would give Him the nations and the ends of the earth. We are sons and daughters of God through the sacrifice of Jesus. What does He have in His heart for us that we have yet to receive because we haven’t asked?

I will not be afraid to ask God for the things I truly desire

Leave a comment

Filed under Devotional

Tagged as , ,

January 1, 2026 · 6:00 am

Daily Devotional: January 1 – The Right Start

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night – Psalm 1:2

Want to have a great year? Your secret weapon is meditation! The picture of meditation the bible gives us is one of chewing the cud. The Cambridge dictionary explains that it means to think slowly and carefully about something. This year don’t just rush through the bible for the sake of saying you have done your daily reading. Take your time to contemplate, ruminate, and investigate the word of God. Make sure that you digest the word of God fully and get the most out of your reading. When you do, you will find yourself becoming spiritually healthier and that the word speaks to you in new ways that speaks to your life. As the Psalmist says, you will be like a tree planted by the river of water that brings forth fruit in its season whose leaf does not wither, and whatever you do will prosper (Psalm 1:3).

I won’t treat the word of God like fast food but like fine dining

Leave a comment

Filed under Devotional

Tagged as , ,