May 13, 2026

God’s Leading

“Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.” Isaiah 46:9

Do not forget God’s leading in your past so you can face your future confidently through faith. Remember the trials which God has brought you through so you can muster up enough courage to step forward in faith knowing that the Lord is with you regardless of whatever circumstances are in your future. We have nothing to fear for our tomorrow when we recall how the Lord had abolished our fears in the past. The Lord who saved you yesterday is the same today and in your future.

Too often we forget God’s leading in our life and every new obstacle is faced without the intentional remembrance of how the Lord has brought us through similar obstacles. May we not forget that He is God and there is no other.

Let’s pray today in praise and thanksgiving for what our Lord has done and will do.

May 12, 2026

Aging with Jesus

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Isaiah 46:4

In our older years of emotional uncertainty and physical difficulty, we need the Lord’s help. As simple tasks become more challenging, the One who created us will not forsake us, rather our Lord will help us. His Spirit is drawing closer to us now so as we grow older our faith in Jesus will grow stronger, making it easier to depend on Him day to day.

If we would only trust in the Lord in our youth it will be easier to trust in the Lord in our old age. As we get older, it is important that we don’t forget the Lord’s leading in our past, so we will face our future trusting in the Lord.

Let’s pray today that our youth will put their faith in Christ so when they are old they will depend on Him.

May 11, 2026

Keep it Simple

“Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.” — 1 Samuel 17:40

The small shepherd boy, David, stood before the giant Goliath with a simple slingshot and a few stones. He wasn’t wearing Saul’s battle armor nor did he have any type of military armament, just a slingshot with five small stones.

Of course, the story points out that David told Goliath that he came against him “in the name of the Lord of hosts” (1 Samuel 17:45) but with his faith in God he faced the giant with something as simple as a slingshot and five small stones.

The lesson for you should be becoming clear that when you are facing threatening giants in your life, keep it simple. With faith in the Lord, respond to the giant before you simply. You don’t need the newest, the greatest, the brightest, or the whatever. You just need your faith in God and simple that is already near you.

This week as problems arise, don't complicate the solution. Trust in the Lord and simplify your approach to solve it.

Thoughts to Action

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” — Romans 12:2

A writer from the 1930’s once told the story of a wealthy family whose interior decorator suggested placing an ornate fancy hanging bird cage under a stairwell to fill in the empty space. The family said they did not want a bird, but the decorator sold them by lining the bars of the cage with beautiful flowers. The family loved the placement of the ornate cage, but after several weeks they called the decorator back and said they can no longer look at the ornate bird cage without seeing an actual bird so they asked the decorator to please get them a bird for the cage.

The family’s no-bird resistance changed because every time they saw the cage, they were forced to think about a bird being there. What we think upon becomes what we act upon. The lesson here is simple, we must be careful about our thoughts because they will certainly become our actions.

This week be more intentional about your thinking and the choices you make in what you dwell upon.

Death is Certain

“It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.” — Ecclesiastes 7:2

The real message in this verse is not that we ought to spend more time at funerals than at parties, but that we all need to remember that death is our end. We can try all we want to avoid thinking about it, we can schedule our calendar with every party our social circles offer, but we cannot put our head in the sand when it comes to planning for our afterlife.

There should be no surprise when we find ourselves drawing our final breath. There may be a surprise in how it comes about, whether it’s because of an unexpected disease or a traumatic accident, but death is certain.

Before you start remaking your personality into a solemn, serious, or grim projection in order to follow the verse, remember that this is written by the same person who wrote that there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4). So don’t obsess about the certainty of dying, plan for it, but until then laugh and dance a little.

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“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” — Proverbs 17:22

In today’s world, we all run the risk of crushing our own spirit with the anxieties of life. We carry concerns regarding our home, about paying the bills, our marriage, our children, and our jobs.

Sometimes we have to narrow the view from the big picture and focus on the little things that bring us a “a cheerful heart.” When our mind is fixed on the big picture of our own world’s overwhelming stress, it’s easy to feel despair and hopelessness.

However, if we intentionally slow down and take in the moment, it’s easier to see the good, the positive, things that make you laugh, reasons to smile, and the encouraging things that help create “a cheerful heart.” When we intentionally change our thinking away from our worries, we’ll fight off the inevitable health problems.

A Cheerful Heart

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” — Proverbs 17:22

In today’s world, we all run the risk of crushing our own spirit with the anxieties of life. We carry concerns regarding our home, about paying the bills, our marriage, our children, and our jobs.

Sometimes we have to narrow the view from the big picture and focus on the little things that bring us a “a cheerful heart.” When our mind is fixed on the big picture of our own world’s overwhelming stress, it’s easy to feel despair and hopelessness.

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However, if we intentionally slow down and take in the moment, it’s easier to see the good, the positive, things that make you laugh, reasons to smile, and the encouraging things that help create “a cheerful heart.” When we intentionally change our thinking away from our worries, we’ll fight off the inevitable health problems.