Are you confused and not sure what to do or where to turn? We can pray for you.

After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples were gathered together in a house. Jesus had already appeared to Mary Magdalene and eleven of the disciples, but Thomas had not been with them at the time. He refused to believe that his Lord had come back to life and demanded physical proof of His resurrection. When Thomas least expected it, Jesus appeared to the disciples once again in the same house, even though the doors were locked shut. He offered Thomas His wounds to examine, and gave him every reason to believe. Thomas, overcome by faith, praised Jesus and knew He had accomplished what He had set out to do.

The world is full of pressures and trials that test our commitment to the Lord, and the enemy knows our weaknesses and human pride very well. Often when we fail to live up to the expectations of the Christian life, we are tempted to give into our emotions and find a place to wallow in our shame. We try to hide our faces from God, out of fear and guilt, and lock the door to His perfect love and mercy. We put up all of our defenses instead of surrendering to our God, our Heavenly Father.

God knows our weaknesses and our temptations better than we do. He knows what we are able to handle, and what strengthens us. He knows how frail we are. While none of these are an excuse to sugar-coat our sins and mistakes, they are a reason to run to Him when we commit sins and make mistakes, and admit our faults to the One who has already forgiven us.

Jesus paid our debt on the cross in full. He bought us with His very own blood, the same blood which did not deserve to be shed in the first place. He has saved us, made us clean, and justified us in the eyes of God. We were never able to, and never will be able to, do any of that on our own. Our salvation does not change our human nature, but it does make us more aware of it. We are weak and we cannot function without Jesus’ mercy and grace. We must go to Him in His perfection and in humility, accept His forgiveness which He is faithful to give every time, and thank Him for it. We must also go to Him when we are doing perfectly well and thank Him for that too.

Don’t be afraid to unlock the door of love to Jesus. When He enters, He brings peace. He showed us that when He first knocked on the door and called our names. He has promised to do so throughout our time on His Earth, and He will do so again when He returns in complete glory and triumph. He wants to carry you, because you are part of His precious flock.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10).

Heavenly Lord, we thank You for Your faithfulness in forgiving us, and ask that You help us not to forget that we are secure in Your salvation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions: Why, when we fail to live up to the expectations of the Christian life, are we tempted to give into our emotions and find a place to wallow in our shame and try to hide our faces from God? When we humbly bow before God and ask for forgiveness, what is always the result?

About the author Megan Demelo

Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EDT.

Worry consumed her — the kids, the bills, talk of layoffs at work. Her stomach churned and the ache across her shoulders never seemed to go away. She knew she should trust the Lord with the challenges that shadowed her life right now, but it was so hard…so overwhelming. It was just devouring her.

Whenever we find ourselves eaten up with worry, fear, anxiety, or devoured by the pressures of the day, God tells us to take note. Being consumed is a red flag and God gives us directions for just such times.

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.  Be self controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith”(1 Peter 5:7, NIV).

There is an enemy of our souls and his goal is to devour us. God tells us to be alert. Take note when you are being consumed by something. Scripture tells us the enemy of our soul comes to kill, steal and destroy and we are to be watchful. Being consumed by fear, worry, gossip, a particular temptation or the pressures of the day will, at best, steal from you and rob you of peace in your soul and joy in the moment. At worst it can destroy health and relationships and your fellowship with the God who wants to help you.

So what do you do when you realize something is just eating you up? You resist as the scripture says. How do you resist?  You begin to see worry as a call to prayer, inviting God into your circumstance to direct you and give you wisdom.  You resist worry through prayer (Phil. 4:6).  You resist fear through Scripture, knowing God has said that He has not given us the spirit of fear (2 Tim. 1:7).  You stand firm in your faith knowing that the consuming downward spiral you find yourself in is not your Heavenly Father’s plan for you.

Think it through…
Do you believe God cares about you? Write a note to God thanking Him for His love and care for you. Your worry is a call to prayer. List the things that tend to devour you. Write out your fears, concerns and burdens in a written prayer to God. Release them from your heart and mind.

Pray it in…
Ask God to take the things on your list and to give you His peace in return. Be prepared to ask for His strength to resist your worries each time they threaten to overwhelm you. Exchange your worries, in prayer, for God’s peace.

Work it out…
The very next time you find yourself being eaten up with worry or fear… be alert and run immediately to God. Throw your cares into His lap and stand firm in the promises of your faith. Choose this response in the face of anxiety. Use worry as a call to prayer. God will enable you to face the challenge without being consumed by it. Run to Him today.

Questions: What do you do as worry starts to take over you life? Can you give up your worries to  God even when the problems overwhelm you? Why is it seemingly so difficult to give the worries over to the Lord?

About the Author Gail Rodgers

“He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God…” (Psalm 40:3).

As we listen to the people around us and even to our own thoughts and words, it seems that it is time to look afresh for the song in our hearts. God is the one who puts the music of hope and peace and love into our hearts and He alone enables us to navigate the twists and turns of life with true joy that is not conditional on our circumstances.

Time in His presence is the very first thing we need in finding afresh the music of our hearts.

There are also 5 simple, practical steps we can add to our days and encourage others to as we seek to lead those around us to higher ground.

L……Leisure
Make sure you schedule some leisure time for yourself.  Especially in the midst of economic change it is important to look away from the pressures now and then and find some refreshing leisure activity.  Get creative. Make it simple. Take the kids for a hike, cook a meal with your partner, have some friends over to play a game and laugh together, build something. Give yourself permission to take little leisure breaks.  It may seem trivial to think of it now, but it can become a lifeline during stressful times.  It will also help kindle the relationships that sometimes get strained with the daily challenges that face us. Plan mini breaks.

A……Affirm
Look around you and intentionally find the good. Affirm the positive things you see and hear.  Negativity is so easy to slip into and it can permeate you life like smoke permeates a forest. It clouds your thinking too. Affirm your loved ones regularly. When pressures in life mount up we tend to take it out on those we love the most. Be intentional in affirming the relationships you treasure and guard them in changing times. Look for the positive.

U…..U-turns
Allow yourself the freedom of making a U turn in life. If the direction you are going needs changing then make the change necessary. If you want a different job, take an online course and begin to work in that direction. If your marriage is feeling tense read some books on relationships, plan some positive times together or get some counsel. If your body is discouraging you make a plan to eat less and move more. Concentrate on the things in life that you have the power to change and focus some energy there rather than dwelling on the things you have no power over. Change what you can.

G….Give
Find ways to give. When life gets challenging our tendency is to hoard our resources. Give of your time to help someone out; coach a kid’s team, or do some repairs around the house. Give time to listen to those you love and hear the feelings behind the words. Give encouragement. Give kindness to strangers.  When you are feeling depleted, intentionally choose to give and you will be surprised at the refreshing it will bring to you. Be generous without using money.

H…..Hope
Dare to hope in tomorrow. Fan the flames of hope in your heart.  When hope feels scarce dare to hope in God to give you the strength you need when the road feels hard and rough. We all need hope in something beyond ourselves. God can provide that hope and that help when we simply ask Him to join us on the road of life and walk with us. He is the ultimate source of help and He is the one who can bring hope for tomorrow. Reach out for hope.

Lord, Help me to make time to be in Your presence where You can stir a new song in my heart. Help me to be an intentional influencer in these challenging days. Use me, Lord, to help those around me find firm footing in Your strength. Help me to bring joy to my corner of the world. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Questions: What step do you need to focus on yourself today? Are you making time to be in God’s presence so He can give you a new song in your heart?

About the Author Gail Rodgers

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Hiding Among the Trees, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog