Category: YouVersion App

The True Reality

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

Look Up (YouVersion Daily Refresh, 9-10-25)

It’s normal—and even understandable—to spend our time, energy, and attention focusing on the here and now. We’re busy, after all. We’re preoccupied. And when we stop to really think about it, it’s difficult to perceive something that’s beyond our five senses.

But in his letter to the Colossians, Paul encourages his fellow believers to look up:

“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

So, as you think about Paul’s words and the realities of heaven, here are four things to consider:

– First, heaven isn’t some vague, dream-like state. It’s a real place, with real people, where God is the true King.

– Second, there will come a day when we will all meet God face to face. We will no longer need faith or hope, because that which we’ve hoped for will finally be revealed.

– Third, our troubles and our heartbreaks (and even death itself) are temporary! Scripture tells us that, eventually, God will do away with pain and death and sickness and suffering—forever.

– Lastly (and most importantly), God is still on His throne, with Jesus beside Him in the place of honor. No matter how crazy, senseless, or heartbreaking the world can seem, we can have confidence knowing that nothing is outside of God’s sovereign plan.

So when you’re tempted to look around at others or look inward at yourself, look up instead. Heaven is wherever God is, and that’s the truest reality of all.

My Thoughts

It’s hard to keep our focus on heaven and God, and sometimes are harder than others. I have found, however, that the more I focus on the things of God, the less the reality of earth and all of its problems bother me. Yes, I may have a broken foot. I will find out next week when I go to the specialist. Yes, it hurts, but when my focus is on God, I think instead of all of the others in the world who are hurting so much more than I am. I don’t have all that I want in life, but I do have all that I need. And for that I am thankful. I am counting my blessings even when it’s somewhat easier and more apparent to count my troubles. God is the King of heaven and one day I will be with Him forever. All of these health issues and financial strain will no longer matter. They are all temporary, but life with God is forever. So, as I struggle with challenges in my daily life, I choose to look up and know that this is not my real home. It’s my temporary abode until God calls me home. Won’t you look up with me today?

A Pilgrimage

On By vickleaIn God’s blessings, promises, Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

A Journey with God

Following God is a journey.

It’s not just a one-time decision. It’s a lifelong pilgrimage, a day-by-day walk of trust, transformation, and faithfulness. Psalm 84 paints a beautiful picture of travelers whose hearts are set on reaching God’s dwelling place. They’re blessed, not because the road is easy, but because their strength comes from Him.

If our strength came from ourselves, we wouldn’t make it very far. Life brings challenges: dry seasons, steep climbs, unexpected detours. If we’re depending only on our own energy, it’s easy to get weary and discouraged.

But when our strength is in God, the journey changes. We’re not walking alone. We’re empowered by His Spirit. We’re supported by His promises. We have a clear destination, and the blessing is not just at the end, but along the way.

A heart set on pilgrimage is a heart that knows this world is not our home. We’re pressing on toward something greater, and toward Someone greater.

If today finds you tired or uncertain, remember this: the strength you need isn’t something you have to muster up. It’s something God freely gives. Lean into Him. Set your heart on the journey. He’ll be faithful every step of the way.

My Thoughts

The first thing that came to my mind as I read this devotional from today’s YouVersion was John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress.” I taught about that book for several years when I taught in a Christian school. And every year, the students offered new insight that they had gotten from this wondrous novel. When I read it for about the fifth time, I really understood for the first time that life on earth is a pilgrimage for all of us. There are hard times, high mountains to climb, dry places to go across and roaring rivers to ford as we face obstacles to our goal of reaching our eternal destination victoriously. But the verse for today in Psalm 84:5 encourages each of us that we don’t have to struggle in this journey on our own. We can depend on the strength that can only come from God and know that He is with us, encouraging us and bolstering us up for each day’s new challenges. A poem I memorized in high school has the same kind of theme. “And miles to go before I sleep.” (Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening) May you, my faithful readers, experience the closeness of God as you make your daily journey closer and closer to the time when you can rest.

Do You Hold the Door Open?

On By vickleaIn Admonition, Scripture, YouVersion App6 Comments

Holding the Door Open

In 2 Peter 3:9, Peter writes to encourage his friends…

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

Peter is reminding them that the world in its present state won’t last forever. We look forward to the day when the new heavens and new earth will arrive and all evil, suffering, and death will pass away.

But our time holds a special characteristic: it’s a chance for people to repent and find salvation.

Jesus, in His kindness, is holding the door open—giving time for more people to turn away from destructive living and come to Him.

This is our golden opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus. Through His followers, He is actively extending His offer of new, eternal life to the world.

And those who respond to that invitation will find the peace of God’s presence. They’ll have access to joy that can’t be taken away by circumstances. They can develop a relationship with the living God, who loves them without reservation.

He wants EVERYONE—all of humanity—invited to the party. Invited to turn away from their old life of destruction. To come to Him and know Him, experiencing His life-changing love. To be with Him, and follow Him today and into eternal life.

What an amazing chance we have been given! And you get to participate! You can help spread the word, making God’s offer of life known:

Jesus came to offer redemption to all who would come. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is Good News for ALL PEOPLE, and the time to share it is now. Will you do it?

My Thoughts

Since I am elderly, I cannot do a lot for other people when I am out and about. They may start walking behind me towards the store, but most people get there before I do. And holding the door takes no effort at all since most doors are electronic. But think about the imagery of going ahead of someone and then going into a regular door and just shutting it once you are inside. That’s what a lot of Christians are doing to non-Christians. We don’t give them a chance to come into the kingdom because we just shut the door. I think sometimes my opinion about their lifestyle weighs too heavily, so I just assume that they don’t want to listen before I have even tried to share. Seriously, is there anyone to whom Jesus did not even offer a chance for eternal life? He gave everyone the opportunity to listen and believe, even though He knew the Pharisees and Sadducees probably wouldn’t hear the truth, He still presented it to them.

It is not up to us to decide who gets to hear. We should be telling everyone. Jesus’s gift of eternal life isn’t a secret that we hold close behind closed doors. The door is open to all who want to listen and come in. I want to be a door holder, not a door closer.

Restoration from God

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

God Will Restore You (You Version Daily Refresh, 7-21-25)

Have you ever walked through a desert or been in a desolate area? If you’ve spent much time there, then you know how it feels to begin to grow weary or thirsty in an empty, overwhelming land.

The people of Israel often found themselves in the desert. They found themselves within seasons of desolation and abandonment. Over many years of being in the desert, they became exhausted and tired.

In the midst of one of those seasons, God began to speak promises to them through the prophets. God spoke prophecies about the future. He promised them that He would refresh them and satisfy them in the midst of dry and difficult seasons.

While we may not be Israelites walking through the wilderness, we still follow and walk with the same God who walked with them. And if we’re being honest, our spiritual lives can sometimes feel like walking through a dry desert. Some seasons of life are exhausting and difficult to persevere through.

But in the midst of those seasons, God continues to refresh and satisfy His people. He continues to uphold us when we are tired. He does these things for us because His character never changes. He is the same God who continually refreshes His people.

So if you currently feel tired and exhausted, take a moment today to sit with God in prayer. Tell Him exactly how you feel and what is going on in your life. Ask Him to refresh your soul and satisfy you if you feel weary and weak. Allow Him to refresh you and give you rest, and continue to build a habit of talking with God each and every day.

My Thoughts

When I first read the devotional today and the accompanying verse, Jeremiah 31:25, I pictured in my mind a very old table that my mother paid to have restored. Its original state was dinged, dented, scratched and scarred. It was not a table that my mom would ever have anyone sit down around because of its appearance. I saw the way it left the house and the way it returned was remarkable. The mahogany wood gleamed and the table looked brand new, not just restored. That, I feel, is what God does for me when I spend time with Him being refreshed. He takes all of my dings, dents, scratches and scars and smoothes them over with His love and tender care. Never have I gone before the Lord and honestly told him about my latest ding that He didn’t immediately comfort and give me wisdom about how to keep moving forward. He is restoring me daily with His Word and He will do the same for all who come to Him.

The God Who Sees

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture, Song, YouVersion App2 Comments

Part of my blog today is from my devotional, “The Bible in One Year, 2025 by Nicky and Pippa Gumbel” from the You Version:

All this is by grace (vv.15,17,20–21). Allow these truths to sink deep into your heart. See yourself as God sees you – as righteous in his sight – and believe that, because of what Jesus has done for you, when God looks at you he is pleased with you.

Lord, thank you so much for the death of Jesus on my behalf. Thank you that although I deserve judgment and condemnation, you have made it possible for me to be justified and to receive the righteousness from God by grace as a gift.

God sees us as righteous, forgiven, loved by Him beyond anything we can comprehend.

Hagar was ready to just admit defeat for herself and her small son Ishmael. But God was right there and saw her and had a different plan.

How often are we ready to just give up, to admit that we cannot face the challenges of life any longer? I had a week like that. I don’t talk about it, but my husband is a hoarder which almost drives me crazy since I am an organizer bunny. I was getting ready this week for family to visit, and I do try very hard not to go into the back bedroom, the site of my husband’s “treasures” but I had to dust. I was so dismayed to find that he had decided to “clean out the closet” and other spaces by stacking things under the mattress of the bed. The bed now sits about three feet higher than the frame and I think it looks ridiculous, not to mention, slightly unsafe since it’s uneven. We had an argument about it and neither of us is happy with each other. I want the family members coming to be safe but also to not be overwhelmed by the sheer outrageousness of my husband’s collections. Newspapers, boxes, video tapes, plastic containers, etc. There is no reason for all of it…it just is. The whole hoarding thing has gotten worse since retirement and I have no solution. I cannot face it, but God can. He sees my frustration and discouragement. And he also sees my husband’s mental problems that cause the problem to begin with. So, what to do? I choose to submit to God, knowing that He sees me just the way I am and will help me once again get through this situation that seems to have no answer. I generally end up backing off and my husband has his way about everything, but I am so tired of that posture. I really want God to intervene, but His intervention may be that I change and not my husband. In the meantime, I feel somewhat like Hagar, in the wrong place at the wrong time and with no one to help me. But then, there is Jehovah Roi, the God who sees. I am blessed beyond measure by God who sees all and continues to love me.

The God Who Sees by Kathie Lee Gifford and Nicole C. Mullen

The Burdens We Carry

On By vickleaIn Admonition, Quotation and Citations, Scripture, YouVersion App2 Comments

We all carry life’s burdens every day. My big burden lately has been family health issues and car problems. Daily, I take those burdens to God and receive the reassurance that He is handling things. But there are some things, I confess, that are difficult to hand over to God, even though I know that is exactly what I need to do. The big one that comes to mind is my own mortality and the fact that my aging is not something I can deny. I face it in the mirror daily, every morning as I get up and struggle to get to the bathroom because of mobility issues. God has given me a verse that I recite frequently to remind myself of His care for me.

I love this promise and the fact that He is carrying me, all the way until I get into His arms. I have to admit that some days, I feel that need more than others, but I can rest in His love and His promise.

We often get so wrapped up in our own world and our own problems that we don’t look around us at what others may be facing.

We are a very self-centered people and God knew that about us. It’s part of our sin nature and we have to work at focusing outward towards others instead of only inward towards ourselves.

We are told to carry each other’s burdens. Rather, we are instructed repeatedly to give our burdens to the Lord. I think that one way of doing that is to focus on others, so that we are not so aware of our own burdens. Oftentimes, in fact, our burdens dim when we get a glimpse of the burdens others are lifting. The recent example that immediately comes to my mind is the flooding in Texas that resulted in numerous deaths, including children from a Christian camp. My first instinct was to ask “Why, God?” But I quickly shut that down and instead started praying for the missing children, the parents of those whose bodies were already discovered, the camp counselors and the rescuers. My mind was so occupied praying for strangers that I was not totally absorbed in my own world and its problems. I think that is the way we should be daily, not just during a crisis. Look out…not in because in so doing, that is how we can do the most good for the Kingdom of God.

The real secret to our being free of our burdens in that we help others and God helps us. The promise is that He daily bears our burdens. So, if we know, really know, that Jesus is bearing our burdens, that gives us the freedom and opportunity to look for others that need our help. The neighbor who needs a ride to the doctor. The friend who needs groceries but who won’t ask for help. The young mom who needs a break just to refresh her soul. You get the idea. Helping others isn’t so much time consuming as it is forcing us to look at others instead of ourselves and our own needs so much.

I got this prayer from the YouVersion Daily Refresh today. I prayed it several times before the words became truly meaningful to me. My prayer is that this post today will inspire you to help someone today, in a small way or big way. Just be a helper. Mr. Rogers (TV show from my children’s youth) would like that, and more importantly, I think that so would God!

How Do You Perceive Yourself

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App3 Comments

Think About What You Think About (You Version, 7-06-25)

What you tell yourself every day matters. If you believe something about your identity that isn’t true, then you will struggle to believe what God says about you. 

But, when you root your identity in God and allow His Spirit to shape your life, you will begin to see yourself the way He sees you—and this will influence the way you treat people, situations, opportunities, and events around you.

So here are three ways you can guard your thoughts and declare God’s truth over your life:

1. Identify the lies you tell yourself.

Your words and actions reveal the narratives you tell yourself. To figure out if a narrative is false, ask yourself: Is this thought marked by fear, insecurity, pride, bitterness, or a lack of confidence? Is this thought leading me to cynical or self-serving behavior? If you can answer “yes” to either of those questions, then the narrative you’re telling yourself probably needs to be addressed and adjusted. 

When you can identify where and when you began believing a lie, it’ll be easier to change the way you think.

2. Shift your perspective.

For every lie, there is a truth that can replace it—and those truths can be found in the Bible. Look over your list of lies, and ask God to show you in His Word what His truth is. Create mental space for the Holy Spirit to clearly show you how He sees you.

3. Declare what’s true.

Turn the truths from Scripture into specific, intentional statements you can declare over your life each day. 

Here are some declarations to get you started:

– I am enough because I am a child of God.
– I rejoice in suffering because Christ suffered for me.
– I am not ashamed of Jesus because His sacrifice changes lives.
– I am greatly loved, and so I love others like I have been loved.
– Nothing can separate me from God’s love.

As you practice these steps, keep in mind that if God—whose Word is truth—says something about you, then it must be true. So allow His Holy Spirit to transform the way you think. Let His thoughts about you become your thoughts about you.

My Thoughts

For most of my life, I believed the lies that I am not enough. God, however, has spoken the words to me again and again that not only am I enough, He loves me just the way I am. My lack of self-confidence and my reluctance to believe that I am loved stems from a difficult childhood, but my belief in a good and merciful God who loves me more than I ever thought possible has helped me to overcome my doubts. How I perceive myself is changing still. I continually have to remind myself that God loves me and made me the way I am. No fear, no shame, no ridicule…just love.

Letting Your Light Shine

On By vickleaIn Admonition, Scripture, YouVersion App3 Comments

I am participating in a group Bible study online with some ladies from my church. It’s called “Loving God Greatly-Abiding in Jesus: Bearing Fruit that Lasts.” We are only on Day 4 of fourteen days, but this devotional is really speaking to me and in some ways calling me out. Today was one that did the latter. Here is the text from the YouVersion Bible App:

The Light that we are called to shine through our lives is not for others to better see us, but to better see Christ. When we abide in Jesus, our lives begin to reflect His Light, shining in a world that desperately needs to see Him. This Light is the evidence of God’s Love within us, transforming our lives and radiating out to bless those around us. 

As we learn to abide in Jesus, something beautiful happens: gratitude begins to overflow in our hearts. We start to see God’s Goodness in every moment. Praise becomes part of our daily rhythm. It’s not just a quick “thank you” here and there but a deep and constant awareness of and gratitude for His Presence. 

Our lives become a testimony of God’s Faithfulness, a Light that points others to His Love. It’s shown in acts of kindness, forgiving those who’ve wronged us, speaking comfort into someone’s pain, and choosing humility over pride. When we abide in Christ, we find that our good deeds are simply the natural overflow of His Love in us. 

Sweet friend, your Light may seem small at times, but Jesus assures us that God uses every act of faithfulness and obedience to bring Him Glory. The impact of your abiding life goes far beyond what you can see or even imagine. When we choose to live as a Light for Him, we’re part of something Eternal, pointing others to the source of all Light—Jesus Himself, the Light of the World.

This devotional made me see how far I have come, but more importantly how much further I need to go. I have a little, tiny light that I hope is bringing hope to a lost world, but I don’t always see the effects of anything that I do, so I am not sure that I am having any kind of effect at all. I just want people to see Jesus in me and to show gratitude to God for who He is and what He is doing in their lives. Some days I feel pretty good about how I have represented Christ that day and other days I just feel beaten down, like a dry corn stalk in the summer heat. I don’t feel successful but I keep trying. After all, I am representing the King, and anything I do on His behalf is a way that I hope is bringing glory to Him. How about you? Is your light shining?

God’s Provision

On By vickleaIn promises, Quotation and Citations, Scripture, YouVersion App2 Comments

We can trust God to always provide even when we don’t know how it can possibly happen. God is always there, always desiring the best for His children.

Times can get hard because life is hard. But no matter what, before the hard times come, we need to purpose in our hearts that we will trust God’s provision and continue to rejoice. He has given us a Savior, the gift of eternal life and a relationship with our Creator. Everything else is just extra, as they say, the cherry on top.

Do we look at all we have and have confidence that we will continue to have it tomorrow and all of the tomorrows to come? Do we recognize that all we have comes from the God who is blessing us. Thus we learn to depend on God and not on things. The things we have may vanish, but God remains steadfastly beside us.

On a Mission for God

On By vickleaIn Admonition, Book Review, Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

The Mission of God

All of our lives are spent on something. Most people spend their days focused on growing a family, building their career, or amassing possessions.

While none of those things are necessarily wrong, they can become distractions from our ultimate goal in life.

In the book of Acts, we see Paul’s transformation in Christ. As a result of meeting Jesus and being changed by His grace, Paul spends the rest of his life preaching the good news of Jesus.

For Paul, God’s grace and salvation are so great that nothing on this earth is as important as God’s work.

Paul says that nothing in His life matters as much as telling others about God’s grace. His goal in life was to finish his own race well by faithfully accomplishing as much of the mission of God as possible:

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”
Acts 20:24 NIV

The mission of God is not opposed to growing families or building careers. In fact, God desires for us to use those opportunities to faithfully accomplish the mission of God. We can raise families in the way of God, and we can tell our coworkers about God’s grace. Any place we find ourselves can be an opportunity to accomplish the mission of God.

Take a moment to consider your own life and where you spend your time. Are you using every opportunity you have to spread the good news of Jesus? Does your life, like Paul’s, point toward God?

Consider a few ways that you can begin to change your perspective and live your life on mission for God.

My Thoughts

My first thought when I read this Daily Refresh today from the YouVersion Bible App was twofold. One, I am too old and tired to even think about being on a mission for God. And two, how can He use me when I can barely stand for longer than a few minutes and seldom see people socially?

Of course, the Holy Spirit spoke clearly to my heart and told me without hesitation that God uses everyone who is available. I just have to make myself available. After all, He has already called each of us to fulfill the Great Commission. I have received my “orders” so now I have to make a plan.

So, I thought to myself. Who needs to hear about Jesus that is someone in my circle of influence? So many names and faces came to my mind! After all, I have been praying for them for a long time. The Holy Spirit is prodding me into action, using the knowledge I have from God’s Word and the testimony that I live daily, to encourage people like my sister, our son and his family and my brother to establish a relationship with God. I don’t know how it will happen, but I know that I am on a mission for God and He will help me speak the right words at the right time.

I’m excited to know deep in my heart and soul that God isn’t finished with me yet and that I have a job to do. I hope that you have discovered this truth, also, and look forward to your testimonies of how God is using you to reach others for Christ.

I don’t know how long I have on this earth, but I do know that God has left me here to do His work, so I plan to do it to the best of my ability. I’m no Paul, but I’m a Vickie with a purpose and a mission!