READ: MARK 10:46-52; 1 PETER 2:9

"Mom, look!” The whole drive home from the eye doctor, I kept pointing at the world outside the car window. For the very first time, I could read the billboards over the interstate and make out the vibrant green leaves on the trees. Everything that was once dull and blurry had become bright and detailed.

But as the weeks and months went on, my glasses grew smudged and dusty—an inevitable byproduct of sticky fingers and many childhood adventures. So, I would climb down the stairs to my dad’s office and pull out a small bottle of glass cleaner from his desk. A few swipes of a rag later, the world was clear again.

In a similar way, the moment I made a decision to follow Jesus, a veil was lifted. The whole world around me became clear, vibrant, and beautiful. But over time, my spiritual vision became clogged and dusty again. Sin, struggles, shame—all of these smudged my spiritual glasses.

In order to see myself, the world, and God clearly, I have to step into His presence and reacquaint myself with the truths of His Word. When we stop cleaning our spiritual glasses, we forget how clear and detailed the world can be. Soon all we see are smudges and dust. But God waits patiently for us to turn our gaze to Him so that we might see clearly again. • Janise Holmes

• If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, believing that He died and rose again to save us from sin and death, we have His Holy Spirit living within us. The Holy Spirit transforms us and helps us see everything through the lens of the gospel, or good news. How does the gospel affect the way we see ourselves, the world, and God? (For more about the gospel, check out our "Know Jesus" page.)

• We all have times when it’s hard to see clearly, especially when we’re hurting or weary or when we’ve experienced something really hard or confusing. But God longs to remind us of the truth of His love. What are some ways you can be intentional about spending time with God this week and being refreshed in His presence through reading or listening to His Word, talking with Him in prayer, and gathering with His people?

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2 (CSB)

READ: PSALMS 25:16-20; 28:6-9; 38:1-8; 138:1-8

One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 138:8. It says, “Yahweh will fulfill that which concerns me. Your loving kindness, Yahweh, endures forever. Don’t forsake the works of your own hands.” This verse is incredibly comforting to me, and it genuinely applies to every aspect of my life.

In the psalms David wrote—including Psalm 138—he alludes to God, or Yahweh, saving him from his enemies, and he expresses his gratitude for God’s goodness. As I read Psalm 138, I can’t help but think of the enemies God has saved me from: sin, shame, and separation from Him. Because Jesus sacrificed His life for mine, then rose from the grave, I can be forgiven from sin, set free from shame, and reconciled to God. There’s no reason for me to fear anything now!

But I still have so many concerns and fears. I agonize over almost everything—from my schedule to my personal goals to my relationships— rather than entrusting them to God. It’s difficult for me to rely on Him, even though I know how much He loves me.

Learning to trust God is a lifelong process—a process that will only be complete when Jesus returns and makes all things new (Philippians 1:6). But it helps to remember that His lovingkindness is greater than our past, present, and future concerns. He’s able to conquer the concerns we’ve spent hours, days, and even years worrying about. Because He conquered our greatest enemies on the cross, we can trust Him to conquer everything else we fear. • Grace McCready

• Can you think of any ways you’ve seen God’s loving kindness in your life? Consider taking a moment to remember and thank God for these things.

• Learning to trust is not simply an individual activity. God places us in community with His people (the church), and it’s in this community that we learn to trust Him together. Who are Christians in your life you can be honest with about your concerns—people who will listen well, pray with you, and point you to Scripture?

• What are your deepest concerns right now? Consider taking a moment to bring these to God (1 Peter 5:7). He may not answer our prayers the way we expect, but we can rest assured that He is working in all things for the good of those who love Him, transforming us to become more and more like Jesus. And on the day Jesus returns, all our concerns will be done away with! In the meantime, we can rest securely in His love, knowing He is always with us. (Romans 8:18-39)

Yahweh will fulfill that which concerns me. Your loving kindness, Yahweh, endures forever. Don’t forsake the works of your own hands. Psalm 138:8 (WEB)

READ: ROMANS 8:18-39; REVELATION 21:1-5

Think of your favorite T-shirt. How long have you had it? How much have you worn it? Is it the same now as it was on the day it was first made? Probably not. Why? Because of something scientists call entropy.

Entropy is something we’re all familiar with, even if not by that name. It’s one of the laws of physics that states how, over time, order gives way to disorder. When it comes to T-shirts, that means the fabric wears down and the threads can’t hold tension as well, until one day you realize your favorite T-shirt is stretched out and full of holes. And for living things, like the human body, it means that we age, and our bones, muscles, and organs gradually become weaker and more susceptible to disease until one day, the body can no longer function properly…and dies.

Entropy is everywhere—it’s even present in the fabric of the universe itself. Scientists tell us that in a number of years—a number so huge it’s impossible to fathom—entropy will cause the universe to die too. How that will happen exactly is a topic of debate, but one day, scientists say, everything at the subatomic level will break down, and the universe will be no more.

Now, there are lots of reasons why Christians need to be discerning when it comes to what scientists say about the universe, because not all scientists view it as God’s creation or believe what God says about it. And God has said something amazing about the universe.

In the Bible, Jesus says that when He returns, He will make all things new. He won’t just give us new, immortal bodies and make a new earth free from sin and death—He will make the heavens new too. The fabric of the universe will no longer be defined by a tendency toward disorder and decay. Instead, all of creation—even the laws of physics—will be made new and eternal. So, while scientists debate how the universe might end, we can take comfort knowing it won’t. Jesus promises to intervene and put an end to entropy for all eternity. • Courtney Lasater

• Have you heard things about humanity, the world, or the universe that make you feel hopeless? When we were hopelessly lost in our sin, Jesus intervened on our behalf at the cross (John 3:16-17), and He promises to intervene again one day when He returns to make everything new—all because He loves us. Consider taking a moment to pray, bringing Him any messages of hopelessness or despair you’ve heard. You can always ask Him to remind you of the hope and peace of His promises.

And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:5 (NLT)

READ: PSALMS 55:16-18; 57:1-11

I’ve had days when I’ve cried out to God again and again because I cannot face all that is going on in my life without Him. It takes humility to admit that I need Him to get through my life, and that I especially need Him to step in when things aren’t going well.

I have had days when I’m at my computer, and I close my eyes and cry out to God. On those same days, I might get down on the floor and shed tears, or pray to God while I wash the dishes. I am acutely aware of my deep need for God when I am struggling, and I reach out to Him for help.

In Psalm 55, we read that David also had those kinds of days. In verse 17, he mentions crying out to God in the morning, at evening, and at noon. He had days when he needed to constantly bring his distress to God.

In this psalm, David describes not only how he cried out to God when facing difficult times but also how God rescued him. I have had that happen in my own life. Not only have I felt the presence of God when I’ve been struggling, but I have also seen Him take care of my problems so that I no longer have to deal with them.

It’s good news that we can cry to God over and over again. We can cry out for help as we eat our lunch, or when the pain is too much, and we reach noon without an appetite. We can ask for God’s help in the evening and all throughout the night when sleep won’t come. Just as David did, we can go to God again and again and know that He hears us. • Emily Acker

• As Christians, we can be sure that God is with us all throughout the day and night because Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God is with us” (Matthew 1:23). He died and rose again to bring us near to God. He always wants us to cry out to Him, and He can truly empathize with our struggles because He knows what it’s like to be human (Hebrews 4:14-16). Can you think of a time when something bad happened in your life or in the world around you, and you turned to God to seek His help? What was that like?

• The more we choose to turn to God in our distress, the more it becomes second nature, something we do without thinking. And God never gets tired of hearing from us! Consider taking some time to tell God about whatever has been weighing on you lately.

I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. Psalm 57:2 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 6:25-34; 18:1-4; 19:13-15

When I was a young child, I didn’t worry about the future or what I was going to do next. I was focused solely on the present, and I relied completely on my parents to guide me. They prepared my meals, drove me places, and bought me clothes and toys. My complete dependence on my parents created an unavoidable humility within me. I relied on their help and support in almost everything. I didn’t know much as a child, and I had complete faith and trust in my parents to provide for me.

In Matthew 18, Jesus’s disciples ask Him, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” (verse 1). The disciples aren’t asking about God. They’re thinking about themselves. In response, Jesus calls a little child to Him. Then Jesus says, “Unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven” (verse 3).

What does it mean to become like a little child? Jesus isn’t telling us to become immature, He’s telling us to think back to when we were completely dependent on someone else. Jesus wants us to have complete dependence on Him! That’s what it’s like to become as humble as a child—admitting there’s a lot we don’t know, and fully relying on God for everything. Faith like a child is believing that God loves us, and He will provide for all our needs.

Earlier in the book of Matthew, in chapter 6, Jesus tells us not to worry about the future or what to do next. He calls us to focus on the present. And when we do look to the future, we can rely on God to guide us. It’s easy to get prideful and try to depend on ourselves for provision, but that never ends well. Instead, God invites us to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness (verse 33), remembering that He has already provided us with salvation through the perfect life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. So now we can have humble faith that God will continue to provide for us! • Elizabeth Cooper

• What might it look like for you to practice humility like a child? What is one specific thing you can depend on God for?

• God provided Jesus as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. And He also provided us with His Holy Spirit so we can always be with Him. It’s not because of anything we do that we can enter God’s kingdom. It’s all because of Jesus’s sacrifice. For more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page.

Then he [Jesus] said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.” Matthew 18:3 (NLT)

READ: JUDGES 6:1–7:25; ROMANS 5:6; 2 CORINTHIANS 12:8-10

Have you ever made excuses to God? Blamed God when bad things happened? Feared what others would think if you obeyed God’s voice? I have. But so did Gideon, and God worked through Gideon to rescue an entire nation. When the Israelites were oppressed by the Midianites, the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and called him a “mighty warrior” (verse 12).

But Gideon’s response is not what you’d expect from a typical hero. First he asks why God would let the Midianites oppress them, and he accuses God of abandoning them (Judges 6:13). Bold words! Then he moves on to excuses. Gideon says he is the weakest of the weak, not the mighty warrior God told him he was. Gideon essentially says, if God finally wanted to rescue Israel, it would have to be through anyone except him. And, because Gideon doubts that the angel of the LORD is who he says he is, Gideon asks for a miraculous sign. It’s not until God consumes Gideon’s offering with fire that Gideon finally starts to believe.

But Gideon is not all-in yet. When God tells him to cut down his father’s altar to the false god Baal, Gideon obeys—but he does it at night, when nobody can see him, because he is afraid. Then, after summoning the Israelite men to arms, apparently he still has some doubts, because he asks God for two more signs. Yet God works through this unlikely hero—who accused God of abandonment, who reluctantly obeyed, and who had very little confidence—to save Israel. Not with the 32,000 men he had originally summoned, but with only 300, because God wanted His people to know that they were saved by Him, not by their own strength.

Even though Gideon was scared, struggled with doubts, and had far fewer resources than his enemy, he obeyed the Lord. And because of this, God worked through Gideon to save Israel from their enemies. So be encouraged that no matter what doubts you may have, or how scared you may be, or how many excuses you can come up with, God will work through you if you keep saying yes to Him, despite your fears and doubts. • Emily Gwaltney

• We all have weaknesses, but God is so good and merciful, He works in and through us even with our weaknesses. Remember, Jesus took on our weakness when He became human, died on the cross, and rose again. Because He loves us, we can trust Him with all our weaknesses. And once we know Jesus, He lives in us through the Holy Spirit, offering His strength. What are some of your weaknesses? Consider spending some time in prayer, bringing these to God.

God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 1 Corinthians 1:27 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 139:1-18; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:16-17

Who am I? What is my purpose? Do I matter? If you’ve asked these questions, you’re not alone. When describing ourselves, we often list physical attributes such as age, height, hair color, and ethnicity. Or we may list hobbies, accomplishments, or skills that we are proud of. Perhaps we discuss our family heritage, or other relationships that we look to for meaning. Often, we depend on our own feelings, perceptions, and the opinions of others to determine who we are.

But what happens when these subjective feelings change? Do our identities depend on sometimes-shaky relationships? What happens when, as we age, abilities that used to seem effortless are lost? When our hair turns gray or falls out and our skin wrinkles with the wear of time, what then?

Sometimes we define ourselves by mistakes made in the past. Failures, wrongdoings, mix-ups—they become more than actions forgiven and forgotten. They become who we are.

But we are more than this.

Our true identity is known by our Creator in the deepest way possible. We were created by the Living God, woven together in our mother’s womb by His hand (Psalm 139:13). He says, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Luke 12:7). We bear the image of our Maker. And even though we all sin against God and against each other every day, if we believe that Jesus died in our place and rose again to give us new life, surrendering to Him as Lord of our lives, we can receive our new identities as forgiven, beloved children of God. This is the unchanging rock we can hold onto, and it’s here that we find our true selves. Through Him, our mistakes and sins need no longer define us. We can be sure that, “if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). • Julia Faith Steward

• If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, God has wiped out your past, present, and future sins through Jesus’s death and resurrection. He has given you a new identity as His beloved child. And He has also given you a new purpose: to glorify Him. How can the knowledge that God Himself knew you before you existed, and created you just as you are for His good purpose, affect how you view yourself? Consider spending some time in prayer, asking God to help you see yourself more fully as He sees you. (Genesis 1:26-27; Ephesians 1:17-18)

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 1:1-3; 92:12-15; ROMANS 4

Arbor Day has come around again, prompting us to take notice of an important part of God’s creation—trees! It’s good to appreciate all the good things trees provide us with, like clean air, food, wood, beauty, and shade. On a trip I took to southern California, I noticed that even in the desert, palm trees can flourish. As their spindly trunks stretch upward, their green fronds soak up sun rays. And where I live, cedar trees are slow but steady growers, persevering through countless storms that come their way. In fact, Psalm 92 recognizes the strength of these trees, saying that righteous people will flourish and remain steadfast like palm trees and cedars.

But what does it mean to be righteous? Righteousness simply means having a right relationship with God, and the Bible is clear about how this works. Romans 4:5 says, “People are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners” (NLT). How amazing is that? When we believe and put our trust in Jesus, who is God the Son, He puts the wrongdoings of our past behind us and welcomes us with open arms.

Moreover, as we grow in our relationship with God the Father, our behaviors and actions change. To go back to the previous analogy, we become like trees rooted in God’s goodness. As a result, we begin to bear the fruit of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23, NLT). In this, the psalmist’s words are fulfilled: “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him’” (Psalm 92:12-15, NIV). • Emma Schoessow

• We are saved by faith in Jesus’s death and resurrection, not by works. But as we learn to walk with the Holy Spirit, God will lead us to do good works. As Jesus says, “A good tree produces good fruit” (Matthew 7:17, NLT). If we embrace our right relationship with God by spending time in prayer, reading His Word, seeking relationship with His people (the church), and being obedient to His Holy Spirit, we will display the fruit of righteousness through what we do. Consider taking a moment to ask God to help you notice the ways He is inviting you to pursue His righteousness in your life. (Matthew 6:33)

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon. Psalm 92:12 (NIV)