READ: ISAIAH 30:20-21; 61:1-3; ROMANS 8:18, 38-39

Throughout my life, God has been faithful to provide me with wonderful women to disciple me in my walk with Christ. One of these women was Kathryn, a wife and mom in her thirties who championed the communications ministry at my home church. Kathryn was a spiritual firecracker. She shared the hope of the gospel wherever she went, prayed fervently for those who did not yet know Jesus, and poured herself out for Christ and His church. And she intentionally poured into me from the time I was in middle school.

Several months ago, Kathryn was diagnosed with a serious form of cancer. The news rocked my world, along with those of Kathryn’s husband, children, and others at our church. Yet, it was no surprise to see the tremendous strength Kathryn displayed through the journey as she shared the gospel with medics and continued to faithfully testify of God’s goodness to her.

Within two months, the cancer took Kathryn’s bodily life. When this unexpected period of suffering came about, I clung to the sovereignty of our God, but I wondered how He would bring beauty out of this circumstance. Though I knew Kathryn was with Jesus, it was the most painful loss I had ever experienced.

A few days after Kathryn’s death, I was evangelizing on the streets of New York City, and I encountered a number of people that day who were wrestling with deaths in their own lives. God used the hardship I was going through to directly share His message of hope with others who were grappling with grief. He used the physical death of one of His children to birth spiritual life in people who had not yet believed in Him.

Friends, I encourage you: our God redeems the darkest circumstances and uses them for His glory. If you are suffering right now, ask Him to show you His heart, and watch Him bring beauty out of your pain. • Chelsea Leigh

• In Luke 4:16-21, Jesus said He had come to fulfill the words of Isaiah 61. He promises to trade our ashes of despair for beautiful joy. Through dying on the cross and rising from the grave, He made the way for us to be with God—and when He returns, all His people will live together in renewed creation, free of suffering forever! Until that day, He grieves our pain with us and reminds us that He is always at work. How can we draw near to God in times of suffering?

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)

READ: PROVERBS 3:5-6; MATTHEW 6:25-34; EPHESIANS 2:10

During our teen years, it can feel like the pressure is on. Whether it’s making a career decision, choosing a college, or getting ready to stand on your own two feet, the approaching adult life can be terrifying. There is so much to think about and so many people telling us we need to decide. I’ve struggled with all three of those decisions and more.

Here’s the secret though—God knows exactly what He has planned for me, and He’s going to guide my feet along paths that will lead to my good and His glory (Psalm 23:1-3; Romans 8:28-29). Every moment I spend overthinking the future is wasted, because ultimately, I want to be where God wants me to be— both in the future and the present.

Jesus made it pretty clear that we don’t need to worry about what tomorrow will bring—much less years down the road. Instead, we are called to live in the moment. We’re called to make the most of where God has placed us by pressing in to relationship with Jesus and ministering to those around us (Ephesians 5:15-20). Contentment won’t come in the far-off future, when everything is perfect and settled. Spoiler alert—it never will be. Instead, we have the perfect opportunity to learn contentment in the present, because Jesus is with us right here, right now (Philippians 4:11-13).

Worrying about the future distracts us from the good things God has for us in this stage of life. The future is important, but it isn’t ours to worry about— God will guide our feet and light our paths as we seek Him (Psalm 119:105). Let’s entrust our futures to God’s care, and let’s walk in the good deeds He has for us to do right here, right now. • Hannah Ruth Johnson

• Are there any future decisions that feel particularly daunting to you right now? Consider taking a moment to pray, entrusting these to the Lord and asking Him to help you know what to do in His perfect timing.

• It’s not wrong to make plans for the future, but we get into trouble when we’re so focused on the future that we forget to pay attention to what God is doing in our lives today. How might God be inviting you to do His kingdom work right here, right now? In what ways might He be giving you opportunities to shine His light in your everyday life? (Matthew 5:14-16)

You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail. Proverbs 19:21 (NLT)

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 9

I blinked at my phone screen and swallowed the lump in my throat. How could this have happened? I had donated $65 to a Christian charity the month before, back when I was employed, and now I had just received a receipt claiming I had donated another $65 this morning. $65 pulled straight out of my savings rather than my “extras” stash.

I discovered that, either by clerical error or my own mistake, I had been signed up to donate $65 monthly rather than as a one-time gift. I emailed the charity asking them to switch my gift to one-time, but I didn’t ask for my gift back. That just felt wrong.

As this drama ensued, I was on the way to see a visiting relative. When we first arrived, I struggled to maintain focus, but I felt God nudging me to be fully present. There was nothing that could be done about the $65 now. I just had to trust Him.

At the end of the visit, my relative handed me a red packet. These are traditionally given in Chinese culture during the Lunar New Year festivities, but that had passed months ago.

“Since I haven’t seen you in so long,” he explained with a smile.

When I opened it later, I found $100 inside! Nearly double what I had accidentally donated. And I knew, with both conviction and hope, that God was providing for me. Even though my generosity had been unintentional this time, He blessed it.

Whenever I wonder about whether to give, I remember God’s provision. Everything I have belongs to God, and He will always take care of my needs. When I give, I am boldly acting on my faith. Of course, we shouldn’t give expecting to receive more money in return, but we can certainly expect the blessing of increased trust in our loving Father. • Hannah Chung

• God loves you, and He knows about all your needs. Just as He takes care of every living creature, He provides for you (Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:10-20). Have you ever experienced God providing for your needs through the generosity of others? What was that like?

• Generosity is an act of praise to God for what He’s already given us: Jesus. By sending Jesus to die for our sins and rise again, the Father gave us everything we need to spend eternity with Him. Consider taking some time to remember Jesus’s sacrifice and thank Him. You can also ask Him how He might be inviting you to be generous to others this week.

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 100:1-5; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:18

We’re called to give thanks to God at all times. But how? When I was thirteen, I had to wrestle with that question.

Things weren’t going well for me, and I was depressed. My parents were divorced. My mom got remarried to a man I had trouble getting along with. Then, when my mom lost her job, we lost our house and car. We ended up having to move to a cheap apartment in another town, so I had to leave my hometown and all my friends behind. And, with no car, we had to walk everywhere we went. All I could think about was how bad my life was.

One Sunday, a member from our former church came and picked us up for church so we could visit the people we had to leave behind when we moved. It was a treat to see my church friends!

During the worship service, we sang a song about giving thanks. I remember grumbling in my head, I don’t have anything to give thanks about. Then I looked down at the floor. When I did, I saw my shoes.

That got me thinking: I could be thankful because God had provided the shoes on my feet. So I began by thanking God for them, and then I began thinking of more and more things I could thank Him for. That moment, my focus changed from thinking about how bad my life was to how much I had to be thankful for. My life situation didn’t immediately improve, but my perspective did.

Even when we suffer, we can always remember the promises of God in Jesus Christ. Jesus came here, experienced our suffering, died for our sins, and beat death’s power by rising again. We can go to Him with our hurts, and He will remind us of all we have in Him. • Melissa Yeagle

• What are some hard situations in your life right now?

• What can you thank God for, even now?

• Consider taking a moment to pray, telling God about the hard things you’ve been going through and also thanking Him for the ways He has been providing for you.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 6:8; 28:20; HEBREWS 4:14-16; 1 PETER 5:7

What number do you call in an emergency? In the United States, people call 911. In Hong Kong and Kenya, the number is 999. In Denmark, it’s 112. In many countries, there are different emergency numbers depending on whether you need an ambulance, the police, or a team of fire fighters.

When you call an emergency number, you are immediately in contact with a trained person who can get you the help you need, and they usually stay on the line with you until the professionals arrive.

Do you ever wonder why they stay on the line? They do it for a couple of reasons. First, they want you to know you’re not alone. This will help you stay calm so you can face your situation with as clear of a mind as possible. Second, they want to make sure help arrives. If first responders don’t arrive, they find out why and ensure you get the help you need.

As Christians, we are never alone. God is always with us. While He never promised us we would live a problem-free life, He did promise we would not face our problems alone (John 16:33). Through prayer, we can talk to Him any time we want. Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us that, because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave, we can “approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.”

No matter what problems we face, we don’t have to be afraid because we know that our trustworthy God will be with us. • Melissa Yeagle

• How is talking to God through prayer similar to calling an emergency number like 911? How is it different?

• Are any problems too small for God to care about? We often think so, but the truth is God wants us to talk to Him about everything. Even the small things are important to Him—because He loves us! And even though He already knows all our needs before we ask Him, He will never “hang up” on us. Consider taking some time to talk to Him about whatever is on your mind.

In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. Psalm 120:1 (CSB)

READ: ROMANS 13:13-14; COLOSSIANS 2:1-14

The early church went through many periods of persecution after Jesus’s ascension into heaven (Acts 1:9). Yet, the church grew quickly. By the 300s AD, large portions of the Roman Empire had converted to Christianity, including a man named Augustine of Hippo.

Born in the year 354 in present-day Algeria, Augustine was one of the greatest thinkers in Christian history. But, like all of us, he wasn’t always a Christian. In his book Confessions, he shares that, early in his life, he really had no interest in Christianity whatsoever. He searched through all the other world religions and philosophies of the time, but none of them cured the restlessness in him.

During his time of searching, his mother prayed fervently that her son’s eyes would be opened to the gospel. Despite his resistance and sinful lifestyle, Augustine eventually came to know Jesus. Augustine says that one day he was weeping under a fig tree, deeply torn about whether or not he should leave his life of sin, but he heard a child from a neighboring house saying in a sing-song voice, “take up and read.” The child wasn’t talking to him, but Augustine thought God was using this child’s words to prompt him to read the Bible. He read Romans 13:13-14, and was instantly convicted of his sin and gave his life to Christ.

From there, he went on to write some very influential books. He also became a bishop and teacher of the Christian faith. His impact on Christianity is still felt to this day, as many who came after him have benefited from his contributions. His books can be tough to read—he did write them 1600 years ago, after all—but I encourage you to try reading Confessions someday! One of the most famous lines reads, “Our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”

Augustine’s life is a great reminder that the grace of God extends to all people, no matter how much we may resist. God is patient with us. Even when we stubbornly go our own way against God, and end up experiencing the fruitlessness of life apart from Him, He still loves us. And He is always working to draw us near to Himself, and give us rest. • Steven Wierenga

• Consider taking some time to reread Colossians 2:1-14. What are some of the “empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense” you see in the world today? We all fall into believing these at one time or another, often without even realizing it. Consider spending some time in prayer, asking God to show you any false teachings that have taken root in your heart, and to replace those lies with the truth of the gospel. That truth is so much better than any lie.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 28:16-20; ACTS 1:1-11; 10:34-48; 1 PETER 3:15-18

I have a confession. For a long time, I was scared to witness to others about Jesus. I knew Jesus told His disciples that, through the Holy Spirit’s power, they would witness about Him “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Yet I was afraid to witness to people because I didn’t think I had a very good argument. I thought it was up to me to be the judge of my friends. I was so, so wrong.

You see, in a courtroom setting a witness is not the judge or jury. The witness doesn’t get to make the decisions or judgments regarding the one on trial. And the witness isn’t there to argue for or against whoever is on trial either. A witness’s job is to tell their story. It’s as simple as that.

When I realized this, my perspective on witnessing completely changed. I wasn’t scared anymore, because I realized all I had to do was tell my story— the story of how God loved me before I was even born, and how He sent His Son to die on the cross and be raised from the dead, freeing me from sin, shame, and condemnation. The story of how I have struggled with self-worth, but when I met Jesus I realized I was wonderfully created by God (Psalm 139:13-14). The story of how I have struggled with anxiety, but I have hope knowing that God did not give me “a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).

You and I are not called to cast judgment. We are called to witness “to the ends of the earth,” telling our story of the goodness of God. • Daevis McMurphy

• Can you think of a time someone shared their own story of God’s goodness with you? How did it impact you?

• Can you think of a time you experienced God’s goodness? What was that like? Consider taking some time to thank God for this, and ask Him if this story is one He’s inviting you to share.

• What questions do you have about witnessing to others about Jesus? Who is a trusted Christian in your life you could talk to about what it means to be a witness of God’s love?

[Jesus said,] “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NLT)