If you need encouragement during difficult times, someone is always here to pray with you!

The summer between my 3rd and 4th year of university I worked at Yellowstone National Park. It was a great summer, full of adventures and new experiences.

On a day off, I had signed up for a day long class in rock climbing. I was successfully making my way up the side of a mountain when the instructor surprised me with an unexpected challenge, when he said, “I want you to push yourself off and fall on the rope!” Questioning why he would ask me to do this, I hesitated, and he wisely pointed out that, “You will never be a good rock climber until you can trust that the rope will hold you. Push yourself off and fall on the rope.”

I was afraid.  Obviously, my trust was in my ability to use my hands and feet to scale the mountain.  The rope was a secondary source of security, in case I slipped (which I did not plan to do!). I eventually did let go of my hand holds, and I’m here to tell you that the rope held!

There are times when God seems to say the same thing to me as my instructor did that day. “Take the step, release your hands on what you are holding and see that I’m trustworthy.” The writer of the Psalms wrote, “O taste and see that the LORD is good; how blessed is the person who takes refuge in Him!” Psalm 34:8

Just as I would never be a good rock climber without experiencing that the rope will hold. The same is true of my spiritual life. I will never be a responsive Christ follower if I am unwilling to let go of whatever I am grasping when God says, “Let go, trust me.”

Are you willing to let go of the things that give you security? We can only experience God’s goodness when we take those, sometimes scary steps that take faith. Do you trust God is able to hold you securely when you let go of the things that provide comfort or security? What step is God asking you to take? Could it be he is asking you to let go of a relationship, finances or a position … A thought that comforts me is God holds the universe together it is likely He can provide all I need to hold life together … Enjoy the adventure!

Father God, Help me today to truly trust You and to let go of the things I have been putting my trust in. You alone are able to hold me securely! Thank you.

Questions: What step is God asking you to take today? What are the things we look to, other than God, for our security?

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon, published in “Mornings & Evenings,” entry for August 27th, PM.
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2009.

“Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.” Psalm 31:5, KJV

These words have frequently been uttered by faithful people in their hour of departure. The object of a person’s main concern in life and death should not be their body, or their wealth, but their spirit. This is your most precious treasure, and if it is safe, all is well. How can your current physical maladies compare with your eternal soul?

A believer will commit their soul to the hand of God. We came from Him, are His own. He has sustained us, and He is able to keep us. And so it is appropriate that He should receive us back to Him.

All things are safe in God’s hands. What we entrust to the Lord will be secure, both now and until the end of days towards which we are fast approaching. It is peaceful living, and glorious dying, resting in the care of heaven. At all times we should commit all we have to Jesus’ faithful hand. Then, even when life hangs on a thread, and adversities multiply as the sands of the sea, our soul will dwell at ease, and delight itself in quiet resting places.

“Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.” God’s redemption is solid ground for having confidence. David didn’t know about Jesus’ death and resurrection as we do, but even his imperfect knowledge cheered him. And won’t eternal redemption even more sweetly console us? Past deliverances assure us of present assistance. What the Lord has done, He will do again. He never changes. He is faithful to His promises, and gracious to His saints. He will not turn away from His people.

“Though Thou slay me I will trust, Praise Thee even from the dust, Prove, and tell it as I prove, Thine unutterable love.

Thou mayst chasten and correct, But Thou never canst neglect; Since the ransom price is paid, On Thy love my hope is stay’d.”

Question: Have you committed your life to God?

Mark discusses the importance of his family, and how he has left his work behind by the time he gets home. The source of his mature outlook on life is his faith. “I can’t say that I’m a ‘spiritual man’ but leave [God] out of any decisions I make,” he said. “That doesn’t make any sense.” In this way he follows many other famous football stars of the past, such as Spencer Tillman, Rolf Benirschke and fellow coach Joe Gibbs.

But a person will often say that they are ‘spiritual’ and yet leave God out of their lives entirely. As Mark points out, that’s a silly approach when you think about it. If God does exist, do you think He might have some pertinent insight into your life? That if there really is a God who knew you before you were born and designed you for a purpose, that getting to know this same God might help you to become the kind of person you were always meant to be?

After you have watched the video above, consider the following:

Take a look at your life. How would you describe it?

Contented? Rushed? Exciting? Stressful? Moving forward? Holding back? For many of us it’s all of the above at times. There are things we dream of doing one day, and there are things we wish we could forget. In the Bible, it says that Jesus came to make all things new. What would your life look like if you could start over with a clean slate?

Are you ready to discover your purpose in life?

Jesus came, and died, and rose again to wipe the slate clean. He was scourged, tormented, and finally nailed on the cross for humankind’s sins – this was all part of God’s plan to bring you and I back into relationship with him. God wants to be a part of your life. He wants to give you a new kind of freedom: The freedom to become the kind of person you were always meant to be. Is this the life for you?

God loves you and created you to know Him personally. He longs for you to have the kind of full life you were always meant to have. So why do people not experience this kind of life? People are lost and separated from God, so we cannot know Him personally or experience His love. Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for our sin. Mark Washington explains it this way in the video: “I am a sinful man. There is a sin nature in me that has separated me from God.” But Jesus (“Emmanuel,” meaning “God with us”) died in our place, taking the punishment we deserve for our sins, and then he rose from the dead, proving his triumph over sin!

We must individually trust Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know God personally and experience His love: “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12)

We trust God through faith. You can trust Christ right now by faith through prayer! (Prayer is just talking with God.) God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?

If it does, pray this prayer right now, and Christ will come into your life, just as He promised.

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8

“Speed Kills.” Or so says the billboard to encourage drivers to slow down. Thousand are killed every year on the nation’s highways due to excessive speed. But as I drove along and thought about the billboard message, I thought how speed can kill the body, but slowness can kill the soul.

Perhaps there is no more dangerous time for our spiritual life than when our brain is coasting, idling or in neutral. It is like going to sleep at night with the door unlocked. There is no telling what will sneak in and harm us.

Our most vulnerable moments are the unguarded ones, not the ones where we are focused on a mission and going ninety miles an hour with gusts to a hundred and twenty. What I think about in my unguarded moments reflects what my mind dwells upon and ultimately decides what kind of person I become.

I need to discipline and exercise my mind just as I do my body. If I fill my body with garbage then it turns to garbage. My mind is no different. What I dwell on in those neutral moments is a good gauge of what is in my heart. I need to be cautious and what I allow in my mind. The best way to exercise and guard my mind is to contemplate those things that are pure, lovely and of good repute.

I should not allow the world to fill my mind with ungodly thinking and focusing on the “things” of this world. The best way to keep the evil one and his devices from entering my mind is to guard its door with scripture and prayer and by focusing on that which is true, noble, just, pure, lovely and good.

The things I allow my mind to focus on will determine the way I live and if I focus on the evils and temptations of this world, I take down my guard and can be led into sin like a sheep to slaughter. If I fill my mind with the things of Christ, then I will become Christ like and if I fill my mind with the evils of this world then I become like the rest of the world.

Beware of neutral…. It’s a killer!

Lord, I know that whatever I fill my mind with is a matter of choice, my choice.  Please help me to be aware of those times when I am vulnerable and help me to guard my mind. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Question: How is a person’s physical life (how they take care of their body) analogous to their spiritual life?

About this Author: John Grant

“Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.” (Psalms 119:35)

I recently took an unplanned detour. Stopping to get gas in unfamiliar territory, I found myself on a one way street heading in the opposite direction from where I needed to go. It was rush hour. The intersections were busy with preoccupied drivers, and everyone knew where they were going, except for me. Lane changes were out of the question. A series of wrong turns deepened my plight, and I soon realized there was no getting back to the exact point where I first made the wrong move.

But then I remembered my GPS. Unused and unplugged, it hid beneath the passenger’s seat, just waiting to be asked the question, “How do I get back on the right path?”

Our spiritual lives are similar to this. A few ill advised steps to the right or the left quickly turn into massive detours; unplanned and full of obstacles. But we keep moving, never recognizing how lost we are until we finally stop to look back. We no longer recognize our surroundings. Unintentionally perhaps, but because of our own choices, we left the people who once traveled with us far behind.

But just like the GPS underneath the passenger’s seat, there lies the Bible, just waiting to be asked the question, “How do I get back on the right path?”

My GPS and my Bible only point me in the right direction when I choose to use them. Many might say my Bible is filled with nothing but rules. But I know better. If I follow what it recommends, I will make fewer mistakes. I will hurt less. My family and loved ones will hurt less. My Bible tells me to embrace life; to “go, and sin no more.”

My GPS tells me to make a U-turn. Stop following this path that leads in the opposite direction from where I want to end up. “Turn around when possible,” it cautions repeatedly.

They both recognize the dangers of being lost and alone. Thank goodness.

Dear God,

Sometime I make the wrong turn. I am slow to realize what happened and why. But I thank you for never giving up on me. I thank you for creating a path just for me that will lead to eternity. I pray that you give me the strength to follow. I thank you for the Bible, our GPS systems, and for each other. All are needed for this journey.

In Jesus name, Amen

Question: Where do you turn to get your life “back on track”? What passages of God’s Word bring you comfort?

About the Author: Janet Morris Grimes

Soul Cravings Webcards. These are an easy way to invite someone to be mentored. Pin them on notice boards, leave a few in a waiting room or hand them out to friends. Order here >>>

“Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Philippians 2:12-13

Once you decide to get serious about becoming like Christ, you must begin to act in new ways. You’ll need to let go of some old routines, develop some new habits, and intentionally change the way you think.

The verse above shows the two parts of spiritual growth: “work out” and “work in.”The “work out” is your responsibility and the “work in” is God’s role. Spiritual growth is a collaborative effort between you and the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit works with us, not just in us.

This verse, written to believers, is not about how to be saved, but how to grow. It doesn’t say “work for” your salvation, because you can’t add anything to what Jesus already did!

For example, during a physical workout, you exercise to develop your body, not to get a body. When you work out a puzzle, you already have all the pieces – your task is to put the pieces together. Farmers work the land, not to get land, but to develop what they already have.

God has given you a new life; now you’re responsible to develop it “with fear and trembling.” That means to take your spiritual growth seriously, because it will determine your role in eternity. When people are casual about their growth in Christlikeness, it shows they don’t understand the implications.

Question: What does it mean to be “working out” our salvation?

About this Author: Rick Warren

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon, published in “Mornings & Evenings,” entry for August 27th, PM.

Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2009.

“Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.” Psalm 31:5, KJV

These words have frequently been uttered by faithful people in their hour of departure. The object of a person’s main concern in life and death should not be their body, or their wealth, but their spirit. This is your most precious treasure, and if it is safe, all is well. How can your current physical maladies compare with your eternal soul?

A believer will commit their soul to the hand of God. We came from Him, are His own. He has sustained us, and He is able to keep us. And so it is appropriate that He should receive us back to Him.

All things are safe in God’s hands. What we entrust to the Lord will be secure, both now and until the end of days towards which we are fast approaching. It is peaceful living, and glorious dying, resting in the care of heaven. At all times we should commit all we have to Jesus’ faithful hand. Then, even when life hangs on a thread, and adversities multiply as the sands of the sea, our soul will dwell at ease, and delight itself in quiet resting places.

“Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.” God’s redemption is solid ground for having confidence. David didn’t know about Jesus’ death and resurrection as we do, but even his imperfect knowledge cheered him. And won’t eternal redemption even more sweetly console us? Past deliverances assure us of present assistance. What the Lord has done, He will do again. He never changes. He is faithful to His promises, and gracious to His saints. He will not turn away from His people.

“Though Thou slay me I will trust, Praise Thee even from the dust, Prove, and tell it as I prove, Thine unutterable love.

Thou mayst chasten and correct, But Thou never canst neglect; Since the ransom price is paid, On Thy love my hope is stay’d.”

Question: Have you committed your life to God?

About this Author: Charles Spurgeon

“The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.” 1 Samuel 10:6

These were some of Samuel’s words to Saul when he anointed him as king, God’s chosen leader over Israel.

God’s promise to Saul was fulfilled, as we read just a few verses later:

“As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these sign were fulfilled that day.” (1 Samuel 10:9)

“You will be changed into a different person.”

Doesn’t that sound glorious?

How wonderful it would be to have my failings and insecurities removed and to be remade into a different person. The idea captures my imagination and stirs me with longing.

The good news is that the invitation and the promise of change have been extended to every one of us. Jesus didn’t die so that our lives could be improved or upgraded; He died so that we could be transformed – a completely different person.

Paul put it this way, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

That promise of newness is for each person who accepts Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for their sins.

Sometimes the evidence of change is instantaneous, other times it appears more gradually, but the truth remains the same – if God’s Spirit lives in us we will be changed.

Thank you Gracious God, that I am a new creation in Christ. Thank you for washing away the old and filling me with Your Holy Spirit. Help me to live in the reality that I am a different person.

Questions: How has God changed you? How does the hope of change encourage you? How does believing that God has changed you affect your daily life?

About this Author: Suzanne Benner

Daily audio podcast: Hear today’s daily devotional Changed read aloud, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

“The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.” 1 Samuel 10:6

These were some of Samuel’s words to Saul when he anointed him as king, God’s chosen leader over Israel.

God’s promise to Saul was fulfilled, as we read just a few verses later:

“As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these sign were fulfilled that day.” (1 Samuel 10:9)

“You will be changed into a different person.”

Doesn’t that sound glorious?

How wonderful it would be to have my failings and insecurities removed and to be remade into a different person. The idea captures my imagination and stirs me with longing.

The good news is that the invitation and the promise of change have been extended to every one of us. Jesus didn’t die so that our lives could be improved or upgraded; He died so that we could be transformed – a completely different person.

Paul put it this way, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

That promise of newness is for each person who accepts Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for their sins.

Sometimes the evidence of change is instantaneous, other times it appears more gradually, but the truth remains the same – if God’s Spirit lives in us we will be changed.

Thank you Gracious God, that I am a new creation in Christ. Thank you for washing away the old and filling me with Your Holy Spirit. Help me to live in the reality that I am a different person.

Questions: How has God changed you? How does the hope of change encourage you? How does believing that God has changed you affect your daily life?

About this Author: Suzanne Benner