Category: Daily Devotion

Kyle Hearn

1 Corinthians 15:51-57 

⁵¹ Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” ⁵⁵ “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; ⁵⁷ but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Worldly Worry vs Heavenly Hope” 

This incredible heavenly hope displaces our worldly worry. What worry consumes you right now? This passage shows us when worries consume us, sin entangles us and death appears to finish us, they do not have the final say! Those are all momentary compared to the eternal victory of immorality that is our hope! What is keeping you from focusing on this today? Pause for a moment and reflect. Is your mindset one of heavenly hope or worldly worry? 

What takes you away from the eternal perspective and toward worldly worry or even towards worldly sin? Romans 12:2 tasks us with renewing our minds to have this hopeful heavenly mindset. Can you imagine living eternally healed, perfect, and sinless through Christ? What else gives you so much hope?! I encourage you to grab hold onto eternal hope, thanking Jesus, because, without Him, we would be like those without any hope. 

Having hope in this, a miracle we can’t fully understand, as to when or how the body-changing miracle happens, takes faith. Hope and faith pair together like two sides of the same coin. Today, will you hope in the unseen things of Christ, not in the things of this world?  Confess to God where worry consumes you and where you’ve put your hope outside of Christ. Jesus wants to replace your worldly worry with heavenly hope. For those who beat themselves up for sinning, Jesus gives victory over sin. For those that fear death, or that there is nothing beyond death, Christ gives eternal life as you trust in Him! Life is moving quickly as we pass on to eternity where our new bodies and new hope await. Are you consumed by heavenly hope now instead of worldly worry? 

Prayer:  Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, I praise you for the miracles you will do in changing me from morality to immorality. I confess I’ve had more worldly worries than heavenly hope and ask you, by your Holy Spirit, to give me more faith. I love and trust you. Show me who needs more hope today that I may encourage them in Christ. Amen.

Maegan Garcia

1 John 4: 13-14 

¹³ This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. 

Living in such a corrupt world, I sometimes wonder, or question, am I saved? Is there any hope for me? Especially after all that I have done. The very simple answer is, YES. When you know Jesus and you’ve accepted Him as your Savior, there is always hope. Now, there’s one huge roadblock and you can call him what you want; prince of darkness, the enemy, the adversary, etc. His one job is to make sure that you don’t get to where Jesus wants you, which is eternal life with Him in Heaven. 

When Jesus makes you a promise and when He has a plan for your life, nothing can stop it. Numbers 23:19 says “God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” 

The living Word of God is telling us that He’s not going to go back on His word. Which in turn tells us that the enemy cannot stop the promises of God once spoken. Now what he can do and what he will try to do is steal your hope and disrupt your faith in those promises. The prince of lies will whisper to you that God has forgotten you, that there’s no point in waiting, that He’s abandoned you. But just as 1 John 4:13-14 says the spirit of the Lord lives in you. He has connected us with Him. From eternity to eternity, He is God. No one can snatch you out of His hand and no one can undo what He’s done (Isaiah 43:13). 

All our hope in life and in our salvation is placed in Jesus Christ and nothing the enemy can say will stop that. 

Prayer: Jesus, I thank you. For your constant reminder that whatever happens around us, whatever lies the enemy is trying to spew at us that you are the King of kings where the hope of our salvation and refuge is placed. I ask that you take any stronghold that may be holding my mind captive and make them bow in obedience to your authority and that you fill me with your Holy Spirit and that it is the only guiding light in my life. Thank you for your love and your protection. In Jesus’s mighty and matchless name, I pray. Amen.

Janita Goldman 

1 Timothy 4:10
¹⁰ This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.

To really understand this passage fully, I believe you must read 1 Timothy 4:1-10.  When you read it, you see that Paul is giving Timothy instructions on how to fight the Lord’s battles. Because there will always be false teachers and naysayers about God, Paul is telling Timothy he must work hard and struggle against them. I believe this is a message for all believers.

What I want to share with you is how important hope is to us all. Many times, when the word hope is used in the Bible, it seems to be synonymous with the word ‘belief’. However, whether you believe in the living God or you don’t yet believe, I don’t think you can live without hope.

When we lose hope, what do we have to look forward to? We become frightened, we think we are alone, and we may become anxious, depressed, and lose our desire to live. Who better to put our hope in than Jesus Christ? Jesus came to this imperfect world to show us the way to God, the Father. Jesus taught us how to live, how to trust, and how to believe that we could have a personal relationship with God. Jesus encourages us to trust God.

Before we can give our lives to God, we must have hope. The hope of being accepted, of being forgiven, and of being loved by God. Without hope, we cannot arrive at the place where we can truly believe in the truth of the promises made by God and about God. Hope turns into belief when we become children of God.

It is because I believe that I can hope for others. It is because I believe in an all-powerful, forgiving, and loving God that I have hope that is bigger than worldly hope. I have hope for those people who have not yet turned to God, those who have put their faith in the world. God wants us to worship and praise him, but this is not a one-way street. God also wants us to know and feel his powerful forgiving love. God wants us to turn to him when we are frightened and feel alone. God wants to live in each of us through the Holy Spirit.

Read your Bible and pray for understanding, talk to other believers, talk to your pastor, and go to Bible study. Do not be frightened to admit that you are struggling to hope in the Lord. Every believer started out not having a relationship with God. Yes, sometimes it is difficult to believe but pray to God and ask him to give you the hope you need. Never forget, God loves you.

Prayer:  Lord God thank you that we can always turn to you in hope. I thank you, Lord, that we can trust you to love us. We need only ask and believe that you forgive us for all our sins. Please help us to turn away from sin and hope in you. Amen

Holly Armstrong

Psalm 62:5-6 NLT

⁵ Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. ⁶ He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. 

Waiting is not easy and, in our world and culture, it is becoming a lost art. Americans as a society are quite impatient. We no longer want to wait quietly for the person at the red light in front of us to put down their phone the millisecond the light turns green. We no longer want to sit tight for the package to be shipped to our house, for we expect the Amazon delivery person to ring our doorbell the second we select ‘purchase’. We no longer want to wait for our favorite show’s next season to be produced, but we demand Netflix to instantly deliver to us all nine seasons so we can binge happily from our living rooms. We hate waiting, and as a society, we all crave instant gratification and immediate answers.

But, sometimes we are forced to wait. If you are a parent, then you have needed to wait the nine months of pregnancy to meet your beautiful new child. Or, if you are an employee, you have needed to wait after you have worked for two weeks before receiving your paycheck. If you are a student, you have needed to wait for your teacher to grade your exam or essay to learn the grade you received. And we have all needed to patiently wait for our dinners to be cooked each night.

As Christians, we really should practice our waiting skills. With God, we often need to wait.  Praying to our Heavenly Father is like sending Him a text message. We can instantly see the ‘delivered’ and ‘read’ notifications, for He immediately hears us when we speak to Him. But then, we see those three little dots appear on our screen that a reply is being typed. And that’s it. “Well, God? What’s the answer?” we think to ourselves. And it can irritate us to no end, for sometimes all we see for hours, days, weeks, months, and even years are only those three little irritating dots. 

In those times, we need to patiently remember that God hears us. He cares. He IS working behind the scenes. He IS formulating a response. But all we can do is wait. And, we have two choices in the waiting, to be patient or impatient. The impatient ones vomit angry words in God’s direction, just like a quick-tempered driver in traffic. However, those who have practiced the skill of waiting, sit back with HOPE and ANTICIPATION because they know fully well that God’s answer will be perfect and given at the perfect time. And they are given the blessing of peace for their patience.

Prayer:  Friends, my prayer today is that you can experience that peace that comes from placing your hope in a God who cares enough to answer you. He is your rock, your salvation, and you can trust Him to reply. You may just need to sit back and patiently wait. 

Karen Clark

Psalm 147:11
¹¹ but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love.

The promise given in this verse is grounded in God’s love for us. His chesed – His kindness and mercy – His steadfast love – is what gives us the grounding that we need for tough times. His steadfast love is mentioned so many times in the Psalms. It is God’s character, a love that does not fail or give up. It is a love that is not dependent upon our faithfulness. It is WHO God is. Faithful. THAT is what we can hope for. 

What is our role in this hope? It is to fear Him. Not be afraid of Him, but to give Him His rightful place in our lives, and to show respect, reverence, and honor to Him as God. This is what He takes pleasure in! When we give God His rightful place, we have hope, certainty, and the rest in His unfailing love!

This does not mean we have to struggle, to be strong, to “work” to please God. He is not looking for great strength or power (His delight is not in the strength of the horse – v.10), but for those who put their trust and hope in Him. That is the “BUT” in this passage!

How does that translate to my life today? It is acknowledging who God is, holding my hands open to allow His work to be accomplished IN me and THROUGH me. It is knowing that His love will not fail, despite my weakness or failures. It is being true and faithful to Him, in everyday decisions and activities. Then, I can proclaim with the hymn writer: 

Not to the strong is the battle,

Not to the swift is the race;

Yet to the true and the faithful

Victory is promised through grace.

Prayer:  Father God, I hold my hands open to receive Your steadfast, unfailing love today. Work in me. Work through me. May all that I do and say reflect my love and trust in You. Amen.

Heidi Tringali

Romans 12:12
¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

I vividly remember the day my mom was diagnosed with cancer. Although many of my friends had traveled the same journey, I had no real understanding of their pain, fear, or sadness until I experienced it myself. We must feel and experience some things firsthand to truly grasp their magnitude. Major life events like the loss of a loved one, an unexpected diagnosis, a broken marriage/relationship, betrayal, or the loss of a job strip us down to a raw, helpless place that perfectly aligns us to turn to God for hope, patience, and faith. 

Every life experience we have is a refining process performed by the gentle, loving hand of God. Although it may not always feel gentle or loving, we, as Christians, place our hope in a God who is our consistent provider and protector. That truth allows us to truly find joy in hope, even in our darkest times. 

Patience doesn’t develop when things are going smoothly. It is through the trials of life that patience is perfected. When we are in a tough season, God calls us to be patient. Why? Because patience is a key ingredient to all good things and God desires good things for us. 

Prayer doesn’t always have to be a formal, on your knees, bow your head moment. Prayer can be more like an ongoing conversation with your bestie. Faithful in prayer means choosing to pray first and often. It is the quiet time driving in your car when you see something God specifically set out for you and you thank him for it. It is that moment when you are scared or uncertain and you cry out to him. It is when you are bursting with pride and choose to give him all the glory. 

One of the byproducts of challenging times is that they equip us with a new perspective that makes us better people. Whether we are in a tough spot or a routine moment, we can be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. 

Prayer:  Thank you, Lord. Thank you for the tough times and the easy times and mostly thank you for your word that continuously prepares us for the glorious day we will see You face to face. Until then, thank you for the guidance of Your gentle hand that allows us to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. In Jesus’s name, we pray. Amen.

Isaiah 40:31

³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Wait, wait, wait! This seems to always be something we are doing. When we are young, it is waiting for a driver’s license. As we get older, waiting for graduation, a spouse, a job, whatever is next in life. It seems we are always wishing our lives away for the next best thing or for whatever is coming next. In our passage, our hope is not in what is next, or the next best thing. It is saying, “Stop, hope in the Lord to renew and give you strength.” Too often we are in such a hurry, we don’t wait on the Lord. We want it in our time and in our way and we wonder why we are tired, worn out, and lack hope. Isaiah is saying when we wait on the Lord, when we stop, He will lift us up. Where is our hope? In Him or in the world around us and our busyness? Are we always looking to move on? Always running?

Look at what the Lord promises when we stop and rest, placing our hope in him and not our own strength or the world’s. He will refresh us – and lift us up. It is our hope in Him that will renew us when we want to give up on life, in our struggles, and when we are tired. When we wait in the Lord, we will not be tired, and we can walk through anything. This doesn’t mean we won’t be physically tired or weary, but that God will give us strength to be able to carry on. It won’t always be easy, but He will renew us when we place our hope in Him. 

Let’s look to the Lord as our renewer and giver of life, where we place our hope. We need to pray for this day in and day out, because the burdens of life will overwhelm us if we don’t place Him first.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to rest in you, to put my hope in your renewal. Help me to seek your face when I lay down and rise in the morning. When I am tired and worn, renew me, lift me up, and help me know that I can carry on because of your strength, not under my own power. Thank you, God, for you are my hope… not the world around me. Amen.

Erin Lindler

Matthew 11:28-30

²⁸ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

In this passage, we read about a promise from God. He’s telling us to come to Him with our pain, mistakes, and burdens we carry and He will provide us with rest. That is a promise that I have faith and hope in. Christ knows that walking in this life is not easy. That we will face trials, tribulations, and temptations all along the way. Even Jesus was faced with temptation, but He had hope in His Father. He states that we are to take His yoke upon us because He is gentle and humble at heart. That’s another promise from Him. By saying He is gentle and humble at heart, we know that we will not be judged by our mistakes. Just like when Jesus died on the cross for our sins, this passage says that by taking His yoke, our burdens are now light. 

As followers of Christ, our main burden or worry in life is to expand God’s kingdom and through this passage, He is telling us to let Him worry about the rest. By sharing this scripture, we have the power to provide freedom from our past and hope for a better future. That we can walk in life with Christ and find rest in Him. 

I know when we are in the midst of all life has to throw at us, that it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Having hope in Jesus is that light. He is the rest we are looking for. How amazing is it that we are able to share this word with others? We are able to tell anyone struggling that God’s got you. It might be a simple phrase but why overcomplicate God’s promise? This promise is not a closed invitation. It says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens.” God’s kingdom is not closed to anyone, He is calling all of us to Him.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, I pray that all Your children hear this message of hope. That we all lay our burdens at your feet and find rest. You are the ultimate protector and provider. I lift up anyone struggling with any burdens in life. That they take your yoke upon them to ease the pain. I pray that this scripture and devotional are able to provide hope for a lighter path ahead. It is in your holy name we pray. Amen.

Valentina Barnes

Romans 15:4

⁴ For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

Reading the passage Romans 15:4, I reflected on what hope means for a Christian and what it is based on. I also thought about how much the promises in the scriptures have helped my life. The first thought that came to my mind was Jesus, and then I asked myself the question, “What is the main hope of a Christian?” It is knowing that Christ already gave victory on the cross. How do we know this? We know it through the scriptures and the revelation that the Holy Spirit gives us through them. The Bible is the word of our Father written on paper; it is a divine gift for his children. 

When I was writing this devotional, the Lord led me to think about going on a road trip to a new place in which I have great expectations because I have heard positive and beautiful things about that place. But since it is a new destination, I have no idea how to get there. So, I would need a GPS to guide me in the right direction. A GPS guides us, it was created and prepared before we started the trip and it will guide us along the best path. It avoids places with a lot of traffic, it indicates the time of arrival, and even warns us of car accidents. Some GPS systems tell us where there may be police or if there is any adverse weather. But it promises to get us to the right place and this led me to think that the Bible is the GPS of our life. The Bible is how we get to the right place in the best way. Although the path is not 100% clear to us, it is already written in the Bible and it continues to guide us to reach our destination. It brings us to where our hope is, which is eternal life. The Father took care that every word in the Bible was written with a reason, and we must remember that as Psalms 119:105 says, it is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.

Prayer:  Father, thank you for your word! I ask that it be You giving us hope and through that, Your Holy Spirit fills us with patience and joy while we go down the road in which You deliver truth to us, guide us, and give us consolation, in the name of Jesus. Amen!

Stephen Moeller

1 Peter 1:3-4

³  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  ⁴ to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

What is hope? What is the hope in this passage? and why is it living?

Hope is much like waiting. There is an anticipation for something to happen or for a promise to be fulfilled, it is something to look forward to and to focus on. In Hebrews 11:1 there is a definition of faith that describes our faith as the assurance and confidence of that which is hoped for. Faith goes hand in hand with hope. Therefore, this “living hope” is a foundation for our faith and is simple to find. In fact, God, through Peter, dictates about it in verse three and elaborates on it later in the complete chapter. He thanks God for sending us Jesus and for the mercy needed to send Jesus to a sinful world. He says God has CAUSED us to be born again because Jesus died and defeated death. Here is the hope; we have the choice to have an intimate relationship with our God which leads to new life. I will put it this way, if Adam’s choice was what led to death through sin and separation, our choice to accept Jesus as our perfect sacrifice and savior is our way back into relationship with God. The choice is now up to us. Our God wants a relationship with us; He wants us to come to rest in Him. Even greater than resting, He wants us to hope in Him every day, bringing a foundation to our faith. Jesus defeated the death of sin so that we would have this hope. In our sinful and broken world, I find my ONLY peace and solitude comes from the hope in the one who saved me from death. The phrase I often remind myself with, for hope, is “I can go back to God ”. I don’t use this phrase for a “free pass” to not turn from my sin, but instead use it because it is true. My only hope from the sin I live in is Jesus Christ, along with the victory He accomplished that I could not. That is a living, undying, freeing hope.

Prayer:  Father God, great are You to bring us hope in our world. Thank You for being so steadfast that we can have peace, freedom, and rest within Your presence. My confidence and prayer is that we can always look to You for hope, and that we will continue to wait on You. We pray not only for the continuance of waiting, but also to grow in our assurance in what we hope and know You’ve promised. Thank you, God. Lord, I pray that we would be able to live within this living hope, so that not only those close to us would see and experience hope but those not close, and not only those who are not close but those who are enemies to us or who have set themselves apart from You so passionately. Thank you, Jesus, for saving us and for giving us the opportunity to know You, Lord. All this in Jesus’ name it will be so. Amen.