Tag: Daily Refresh

Remain Faithful

On By vickleaIn ScriptureLeave a comment

Remembered by God (Daily Refresh, 10-20-26)

People may forget your good deeds, but God never will.

Maybe they never said thank you. 
Maybe they never publicly honored your service. 
Maybe they never remember what you did… 

People may forget our good deeds, but God never will.

Sometimes, we may wonder if our good deeds matter or will ever be acknowledged. Hebrews 6:10 reassures us that the God who blesses a faithful life will never forget our acts of kindness and service.

Think of it this way: God has a perfect memory, and He sees, knows, and remembers every act of obedience done in His name—even if the world labels it a failure or considers you a fool. Your just and faithful God is taking note, and He will reward you. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”
Hebrews 6:10 NIV

So, when you’re tempted to think your efforts go unnoticed or unappreciated. When you feel forgotten or overlooked. When you’re tempted to think that what you contribute doesn’t matter, remember and hold on to the promise of Hebrews 6:10. Because God won’t forget your kindness, your faithfulness, and your service. 

People may forget your good deeds, but God—He never will.

My Thoughts

I am remembering the ten lepers who were healed and only one came back to thank the Lord Jesus. Did Jesus throw in the towel and say that He was done healing and ministering to people? No, of course not! He set the example for us to continue to be faithful. We may never get recognition on this side of heaven, but we can rest assured that God is watching and remembers all that we do, even the most insignificant acts of kindness or love. Whatever we do as Jesus’s faithful followers, God will recall and there will be a reward one day. But, you know what? Even if there were no future reward, crowns or otherwise, we should continue to be faithful. God always is and we should always pursue excellence in our walk with Him. He doesn’t turn away from us, nor should we turn away from others who need an act of kindness just to keep going. Sometimes the kindness we show may be the only kind act that they will ever see. You just never know. In our faithfulness, we are showing that we notice, we see, we care and we want to help others just as Jesus helps us through each day. Sometimes being faithful requires a bigger sacrifice than at other times. Sometimes, the sacrifice is financial, other times it is your time or your energy. Whatever is required, just keep in mind that Jesus gave all that we might give some to others. How much is a soul worth? One leper returned and received eternal life from the Savior who healed Him. Don’t wait for thanks here on earth; just listen for the approving voice and never-ending smile of the Father who is always watching.

The Sabbath Is A Day Set Apart

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Set Apart (Daily Refresh, 10-03-26)

In modern language, “holy” often means something religious or spiritual. But in the Bible, “holy” simply means “set apart.” It means something (or someone) different and distinct from everything else. 

God is unlike any other gods the nations knew. The Lord is holy, and called His people to be distinct—or holy—too.

Some of the distinctions that set the Israelite practices apart were religious and spiritual. They offered sacrifices in a certain way and had specific instructions for how priests, worship, and the temple operated. Other practices that set Israel apart involved everyday things like food, clothing, and their weekly calendars. These habits and customs were meant to reflect and reinforce that they were truly different—or holy—because they belonged to God.

The fourth commandment given to Israel is to “remember the Sabbath day” and keep it holy—a reminder to Israel of the blessed pattern God laid out in Creation. Just as our Holy Creator worked for six days and rested on a seventh, He calls His holy people to do the same.

What’s holy about the Sabbath? It’s a day set apart to be different from all the other days of the week. God intends for one day a week to look and feel different. As people who belong to Him, we can delight in His designation of some days as productive days for work and then other days set apart for reflection and refreshment.

Remember, God created special times for rest—keep those times set apart.

My Thoughts

When my husband and I got married, it was a small ceremony without a lot of fanfare or registry or anything like that. My aunt blessed us with a used/like new set of china that serves eight. She had purchased new china and knew we didn’t have any. For many years as we moved from military base to military base, that china was kept in boxes or sometimes, if the base housing had one, a built in china hutch. When we got our own home in Pennsylvania, we got a dining room set that includes a china hutch and therein has resided our china for over three decades. We take it out and wash it and use it for holidays when family comes over, like Christmas. That china is “set apart” and used for special occasions, a time when I remember when we received it and the generous and loving heart that gave it to us.

That’s what Sabbath is for. It is set apart for us to spend time resting and being with God. It is a day when I don’t do my usual things like book reviews. For my daughter’s family, that is the “no electronic devices” day, giving each family member time with God and with each other.

God knew when He created us that we would need a special day set apart to rest and restore our weary bodies and minds. We get input daily from so many different directions. I thought that when I retired from teaching I wouldn’t need a day of rest. So untrue! As I have aged, I need that day more, to recover from the week of appointments, phone calls and just regular life challenges. It is the day to ponder all God has done for me that week and to look forward to what He will do in the week to come. It’s a day of going to church, coming home to an already prepared dinner and then napping. Sometimes, I call one of the children and talk to the grandchildren about their week. It’s just a good time to focus on our blessings and to restore our souls.

God made everything and saw it was good. He finished creation in six days and could have just stopped and said it was all done and all gone. Instead, He added a Sabbath Day to remind us to rest just as He did. Everything God did and does has a purpose, even resting.

Benefits of Wisdom

On By vickleaIn ScriptureLeave a comment

The Place to Start (Daily Refresh, 9-05-26)

There are many places we can go to learn about something new, or to grow in wisdom and knowledge. Books are full of access to insightful information. The internet is overloaded with both helpful and unhelpful content about any subject imaginable.

While those are great places to start, Scripture tells us that the foundation of all knowledge is a healthy fear of the Lord. This means that while we can learn things from anyone, the beginning of true wisdom always begins with God.

The fear of the Lord doesn’t necessarily mean that you should be afraid of God. It means that we should live our lives in awe of Him. We do this by recognizing who He is—the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is all-powerful and all-knowledgeable. God’s Word says He holds the power of life and death in His hands. These attributes should cause us to live in awe of God.

Scripture also tells us that God is loving, gracious, and merciful. Even though we—His own creation—previously rebelled against Him, God graciously gave us access back to Himself through His Son, Jesus. The God who created the universe loves each and every one of us. He loves you.

Living in awe of who God is and what He has done is the beginning of all wisdom and knowledge. We would be foolish to turn away from such a powerful and gracious God.

While we can learn a lot about many different things through books, people, and the internet, the most essential and important piece of knowledge about God comes from His Word.

Today, spend some time with God in His Word and in prayer—thanking Him for who He is and what He has done for you. Begin a habit of reading Scripture regularly so that you can know, respect, and trust Him in a deeper way.

My Thoughts

As I read this devotional, I had a visual in my mind of the little chick that ran around telling anyone who would listen, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” Sometimes we are all guilty of being that little chicken, thinking we know just what is happening and really not knowing anything because we didn’t pass our so-called knowledge or revelation through God’s filter. Using God’s Word as the first and final say in all matters helps us to think more clearly and to get things right before we share them with others. Spending time with God and in His Word is not a suggestion; it is a vital and important part of daily living for Christians. It is our source of the living water that runs from us to others. And it is where we get the wisdom that God wants to share with us each day. The benefits of wisdom are too many to enumerate; the lack of wisdom is apparent in today’s world. So showing God’s wisdom to a world bent on foolishness becomes our testimony and our duty to our loving God.

Cultivating Gratitude

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

Creating a Heart of Gratitude (Daily Refresh, 8-25-26)

One of the most powerful emotions is gratitude. If we can find ways to be thankful and grateful throughout our life, we will find the power and emotional strength to walk through some of life’s hardest seasons.

It’s not always easy to find ways to be thankful and grateful. But, one of the things Scripture teaches us throughout the Psalms is that there is always something to be grateful for.

The Psalms teach us various songs and poems for every season of our life. But more than that, they also teach us how to cultivate a heart of gratitude and worship towards God.

We belong to a God who loves us and cares deeply for us. God’s love and goodness will never end. Psalm 100:5 praises God for these things:

“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Through Psalms like this, we can begin to build a habit of gratitude towards God and all that He has done. We can thank God for what He has done in our lives, what He is currently doing, and what He will do in the future as we follow after Him.

Because God is always good, loving, and faithful, there is always something we can be grateful for—even in the midst of difficult seasons of life.

Take a few moments today to strengthen the habit of gratitude in your life.

– First, begin by thanking God for who He is: that He is good, faithful, and loving towards you.
– Next, thank God for all that He has done. Thank Him for the good things in your life, and that He has walked with you through the hard times.
– Lastly, thank God for all He will continue to do in the days and years to come. He is trustworthy!

My Thoughts

To be honest, when I first got my diagnosis of CHF, it was hard to be grateful. I was discouraged and grumpy with God. I couldn’t fathom how He could love me and allow me to have a lung problem with asthma, a single kidney that is failing and now a heart issue too. But, God’s Spirit got hold of me one day when I was spending time praying and reading my Bible and reminded me that God isn’t a God of sunshine and happiness all the time. Sometimes, we face a wilderness like Jesus and sometimes we have to face a powerful river with the enemy quickly approaching like Moses. But we don’t quit on God because He never quits on us.

I prayed to be able to travel to our granddaughter’s wedding. When I asked my doctor about it, I expected a firm “no” but instead he understood my deep desire to go, gave me a list of cautions and precautions and warnings about when to head to a hospital and told me to go ahead and travel. We had a wonderful trip! The wedding was memorably beautiful, with an invitation to salvation included in the ceremony. The dancing at the reception was great fun to watch even though I couldn’t participate. Our youngest grandson at one time was surrounded by a circle of bridesmaids and other young ladies as he did a break dance, gleefully entertaining an entire crowd and totally unaware of how everyone was watching him. (He is five.) Getting to know the groom’s family was a bonus since they are Christians too. So many delightful and memorable moments!

We stayed about five days with our daughter afterwards, enjoyed church service with them on Sunday after the Saturday wedding and just generally enjoyed family times. I played games with the granddaughters and relaxed with family. Then we traveled to Maryland and had five days with our son and his family there. We went out for a delicious lunch at a favorite restaurant for my birthday (number 75!) and then our daughter came down the following day to stay with us one night and celebrate my birthday again. God is good. I asked to be able to travel and God gave me answers to prayers that I didn’t even pray.

So in this season of learning to live with more restrictions, I am cultivating an attitude of gratitude. I like to start each day thanking God for His faithfulness in allowing me another day to praise Him and then I thank Him for all He has done and is doing. Life is hard; the weeds are attacking all the time. So cultivate gratitude with me. Together we can have a big supply to share with others. I think that gratitude is contagious, don’t you?

Praying for those Who Hurt Us

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

Pray for Who? (Daily Refresh, 6-30-26)

All throughout Jesus’ ministry, He constantly turned things upside down for those listening. The religious leaders at the time had grown distant from following the laws of God. Jesus’ teaching helped bring them back to the heart of the law, but He often did so through surprising ways.

Most of us probably think we do a great job at loving other people. But if we’re being honest, most of us probably spend our time loving those who also love us back. It’s a lot easier to love the people who we’re friends with. When there’s trust built over time and common ground, it’s easy to love.

Jesus says that loving those who love you is not enough. In Luke 6:28, He challenges us even further. He says we’re to bless those who speak negatively about us, and we are to pray for those who mistreat us.

If you’ve ever been mistreated by someone, or had someone speak negatively about you, then you know how hard it can be to love that person. It is hard to love unloving people. And yet, Jesus did exactly that. When we were at our worst, He still loved us.

If you find it hard to bless those who mistreat you, begin with prayer. Between you and God in prayer, ask Him to help soften your heart. Ask Him for justice in a specific situation, but also for there to be restoration.

Every person who exists is a person Jesus wants to love. And when we make steps to love those who are unloving, we’re showing the love of Jesus to someone who needs it. As we take steps to pray for those who mistreat us, we become more like Jesus.

Take a few minutes right now to pray. Ask God to help you grow in love towards those around you. If there’s someone who has hurt you, ask God to begin healing your heart. Say a prayer for that person as well. Ask God to be with them, to help them, and to make a way for their heart to be softened as well. Thank Jesus that He loved us even when we were unloving.

My Thoughts

Many years ago when our oldest son was just a young boy, probably about ten or so, we had a habit of sharing prayers before we ate dinner together. One night, Scott asked to pray and his prayer stunned us. He asked God to “heap burning coals of fire on the heads of his enemies.” I think he also prayed for dinner, but there was stunned silence after his prayer for his enemies. I remember we ate and talked together about how we should pray for others, and his method wasn’t it. He showed us the verses in the Bible and we talked through it, telling him that it’s always better to let God handle the bullies in his life and let God decide what is best for them and for him.

Fast forward to today. How many times have I wanted to pray the same prayer my young son prayed? Too many to count! But God stopped me every time, reminded me of our conversation with Scott and whispered gently to me to see people the way He sees them, not the way I see them. Everyone, even those who seem totally undeserving, are created by God to have a relationship with Him. And if I just discard them, I am disdaining part of God’s good creation.

The point of the prayer is to eventually bring restoration to a relationship. But a big part of praying for others is changing my heart, not the heart of the person for whom I am praying. Changing their heart is up to them and to God, but I am the only one who can adjust my attitude and ask God to help me to be His hands and voice to the unlovable.

The Peace of God

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

The Peace of God for Anxious Hearts (YouVersion, Daily Refresh, June 29, 2026)

There is a lot of anxiety and worry in the world around us. Many people are worried about the quality of their future, the security of their investments, or the threat of sickness or war.

Anxiety and worry aren’t just things that happens around us, but something that can also happen within us. A lot of people struggle with anxiety over their future, their family, their finances, their career, or their personal health.

Scripture tells us that while there are some things that are within our control, most things in life are outside of our control. So more often than not, we spend time worrying about things we have no control over.

Scripture tells us that trust in God should fill the gap between reality and what we desire. We should not be anxious about the things we cannot control, but rather we should submit everything to God in prayer. He alone has control over the unknown.

That is why the writer of Psalm 4 says that he will lay down at night in peace, free from anxiety and worry. Even though the writer is surrounded by danger, he places his trust in God. That leads him to sleep peacefully in safely.

The quality of our sleep is often a symptom of our trust in God. If we are anxious and restless at night, it could mean that there are things we’re not trusting God with.

Spend some time considering your own heart. Are you anxious or filled with worry? Meditate on God’s power and sovereignty. Ask Him to fill you with His peace and assurance that He is in control of your future. Continually remind yourself of the promises that God has given you in Scripture.

My Thoughts

This devotional spoke to me this morning, particularly since I got another medical report yesterday. Apparently, all of this coughing, lightheadedness and swelling of my feet and ankles is being caused by something called pericardial effusion. That means I have some fluid around the sac of my heart, perhaps caused by a previous infection or one still present. As you can imagine, when I first read the report, I was in a little bit of a tizzy. My lungs are already a mess, my kidney is okay but not great, my bones are giving up on holding me up and now my heart is in rebellion, too. But you know what God had to say? “Be still and rest.” So, I did. I went to bed and slept soundly all night. When God’s peace is present, nothing can disturb it because it in His presence that we find the trust we need to face the next battle.

I see my PCP on Wednesday and will talk to him about all the stuff going on with my body. But I have already and continue to talk to God about it. He made me and I am not leaving this earth until He calls me home. So, today, tomorrow, next month, next year or years from now, I will be ready because I am ready now. Meanwhile, I will rest in His loving arms and just know that He has command of my ship and He will never steer me wrong.

Compelling Love

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

Love Compelled Him (Daily Refresh 6-17)

Jesus said a lot of powerful, enlightening, and important things. But there’s one command that sums it all up…

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It sounds simple, right? But when we look at Jesus’ life, how did He love? And how can we strive to love like He did?

Love compelled Jesus to give up His privileges. As Creator and Lord, Jesus can do whatever He pleases. But instead, the Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14)—temporarily relinquishing His rights so that we could be right with God.

Love compelled Jesus to prioritize people. The woman at the well. The man with leprosy. A Roman officer. A blind beggar. Peter’s mother-in-law. The widow’s son. A despised tax collector. Even the thief hanging next to Him on the cross. Jesus didn’t see problems—He saw and loved people.

Love compelled Jesus to serve others. He washed His disciples’ feet, pursued the marginalized, had compassion on the sick, weary, and broken. In the end, He gave His own life for us.

Love compelled Jesus to value truth and grace. In a world where many elevate grace while others only magnify truth, Jesus valued both. He was passionate about God’s ways and God’s Word while also showing great compassion to those who needed it most.

If we’re ever unsure about how to love others, let’s look to Jesus as the ultimate example. He lived selflessly, prioritized other people, served to the point of death, and valued both truth and grace.

And as we love like Jesus, we will become more like Him.

My Thoughts

Loving like Jesus is not just good advice or an empty platitude. It’s an expectation that God placed on us once we decided to follow His Son. How do we love like Jesus? The video that goes with this devotional makes a good point. We aren’t supposed to be a ☕️ to hold the love that the Savior gives us. We are supposed to be a funnel. Love in…love out, all the time. Not when we feel like it or have some extra time on our hands so we might as well use it to show love to someone. We are a funnel of God’s love all the time. We are supposed to love on people, not our electronics that are a pseudo-representation of the people with whom we communicate. Each person whose life crosses ours today deserves to know that God loves them and we do, too. Loving selflessly is hard, but Jesus showed us the example to follow. We are COMPELLED to love just as Jesus was and still does. Each time we make a choice to love, we are becoming more like Jesus. And the Father smiles.

Waiting for God to Act

On By vickleaIn Scripture4 Comments

Waiting Well (Daily Refresh, 6-10-26)

Waiting can be hard. 

Most of us would prefer quick, efficient, and—when possible—instant results and answers. 

But waiting is a part of life. 

We must wait for seeds to grow into food, for one season to fade into the next, for babies to mature into adults, and for trees to stand tall enough to finally offer shade.

Like it or not, waiting takes patience.

We can wait days, months, years, or even decades for a prayer to be answered, for an overdue apology, for the timing to be right, or for a dream to finally come to pass.

Waiting requires courage.

King David lived nearly 3,000 years ago, but he knew what it meant to wait for God’s timing, to wait to be king, to wait to be rescued from his enemies. He wrote:

“Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27:14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

If David thought waiting on God was important enough to write it twice in one verse, we should probably pay attention. But waiting patiently for the Lord isn’t an excuse to do nothing. 

We can proactively wait on God by staying in communication with Him, by looking for His fingerprints in ordinary moments, by reading about His story and His plans in His Word, by worshiping Him no matter what’s happening across the globe, by serving the people both inside and outside of our circles, and by thanking Him for the gifts He’s already given us.

Just because a specific door isn’t opening, or a particular opportunity isn’t available at this moment doesn’t mean that God isn’t moving.

Even when we are waiting—God is working. 

Noah spent decades building an ark as he waited for God to do what He’d said. Ruth journeyed with her mother-in-law and worked in the grain fields while trusting in God’s provision after her husband’s death. Joseph stayed faithful in prison for several years before his promotion to second-in-command of Egypt. John trusted God’s ultimate will for his life, and wrote several books of the New Testament while sentenced to exile on the island of Patmos. 

So, no matter what you’re facing today, you can ask God for patience and trust that He is in control of your future. No matter what uncertainty lies before you, when you rely on the Lord, you can be someone who waits well.

My Thoughts

I will be honest and confess here that I don’t wait well. I don’t necessarily expect instant answers from God, but I don’t like saying the same prayers over and over and not really seeing any change. Two examples come to mind immediately: my health issues and a job for our grandson Isaac.

I pray for my health. Others join me in prayer. Yet, I don’t improve. Or not yet, anyway. I saw my pulmonologist yesterday and she said that the steroids I am taking should have kicked in and I should be breathing better, but I’m not. So, what to do? More steroids at a higher dose. Back to waiting with the added prayer that the meds will work or God will just take over and release my breath.

I pray for Isaac daily, sometimes several times a day. He graduated last year with a degree in computer science and mathematics. The economy has been in a mess because of the government delays on passing a budget, so that caused waiting. Now, it seems that AI is interfering with Isaac’s ability to get a job since AI can do a lot of what he is trained to do. Isaac is discouraged but still plugging away with applications and an interview occasionally. I try to encourage him about waiting for the job that God wants Him to have, but inside, I am having difficulty waiting myself. I am frustrated that this sweet grandson who has had surgery for cancer, has to have scans every few months because it’s so aggressive, and now he has problems finding a job. God keeps whispering to me, “In my time.” Yet I continue to ask, “When, God?”

So, waiting is hard, but it is necessary. I love the paragraph in this devotional about being proactive while you wait. I put that part in bold, so go back and read again what we should be doing while we wait. Most important to me is communication with God, continuing to worship and being thankful.

God is good all the time… and He is not on my timetable. So, I wait and pray.

Are you waiting on something from God? How can I pray for you today?

Connect Hopelessness to Hope

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

Songs in the Dark (Daily Refresh, 6-01-26)

Even in life’s hardest and most depressing seasons, God is with us and is listening to us. 

One purpose of a song of lament, or lament psalm, is to be honest with God. It’s about expressing vulnerability by telling God exactly how we feel. We should never be afraid of God or how we speak to Him, because He is able to handle our deepest emotions and complaints. And lament psalms are our model in Scripture on how we can be honest with Him.

Psalm 42 is a lament psalm. It is a song about the hopelessness of the writer’s current condition. It speaks to deep sorrow and grief that is experienced in life. The writer of Psalm 42 does not know why he is depressed. He’s not sure why certain things are happening to him. And so he goes to God in prayer and song, expressing the deepest parts of his soul.

Another purpose of lament is to connect the hopelessness of life with the hope that God gives. Laments act as a bridge between our present situation and the promises we’re waiting on. 

The writer of this Psalm speaks to his own soul and encourages himself to continue to hope in God. He knows that no season lasts forever, and there will come a time when joy returns to him.

We will all go through seasons of sadness and grief. And we will have Psalms as a guide. The first step is to come before God and honestly express yourself to Him. Tell Him exactly how you feel.

Next, remember the promises that He has given you in His Word. Recount how much He loves you and cares for you.

And lastly, encourage yourself to put your hope in God. Move towards songs of praise in spite of your current circumstances.

My Thoughts

Today’s devotional was perfect for me, and I pray that it will speak to your heart, too. You see, I have been awake since 2:30 a.m. I wish I could say I was earnestly praying or praising or anything besides what I was doing. I spent four hours coughing, using my inhaler, pacing and trying to get my breath as I spoke to God about how awful it felt to have difficulty breathing. I finally got up at 6, fed our cat, used my morning meds which included my inhaler again as well as other asthma meds, and called my pulmonologist at seven, when the office opens. I now have a Telemed appointment this afternoon since my meds are not kicking in as they should.

Am I discouraged? A little, but mostly, this devotional spoke to me because I am hopeful that God’s answer is on the way. After all, torn rotator cuff, spinal issues and now asthma flare, too. Instead of complaining to God, I am choosing to praise Him and know that He is helping me through this time of my life. In the middle of the night, when the coughing was so bad that it rattled my already unstable bones, I knew that God was hearing me even when I could not take a breath to speak a prayer.

God is not just the God of the mountaintop experiences, although we would all like to stay there and just look down into the valley. He is there with us in the valleys, too. I think that He is especially close in the valley times because it is quiet and there are no interruptions to distract us from our time with God there. We may choose to let things distract us, but I think that is a wrong choice. We need the quiet so we can hear His voice gently whispering His peace and loving words to our troubled body and spirit.

God may seem distant, but He isn’t. Even as I struggled to catch my breath, I knew that He is the One who gave me the breath of life and He will be the One with me when I take my last breath. If He wants me to continue to live, He will provide the strength, healing and hope that I need to face each new day.

I hope that you find peace in the Lord today and that He gives you a reason to praise Him. My being alive is enough reason for me. What’s leading you to praise the King of Glory today?

Not An Exclusive Club

On By vickleaIn Scripture4 Comments

Calling Out for Rescue (Daily Refresh, 5-07-26)

Do you remember a moment—maybe dramatic, maybe quiet—when you realized you needed help? Not just a little assistance, but rescue?

Romans 10:13 gives us this promise: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

These words were written by the apostle Paul to the people in Rome, explaining how anyone can begin a relationship with God. Just before this verse, Paul describes trusting in Jesus—believing in Him and calling out to Him. There are no prerequisites, no religious background, no good behavior, nothing else required. It is about turning to God and asking Him to save.

At its heart, this verse is about calling out for help—admitting a deep need, a need you cannot solve yourself. And it’s about trusting that God hears and responds.

This promise is for every person.

In God’s eyes, there are no insiders or outsiders, and no one is too far gone. There is a Rescuer available to all—and His name is Jesus.

Maybe you can look back and see a time in your life when you called out to God, and He answered. But so often, there is more to the story. God loves to use people to accomplish His will. Did someone share God’s hope with you, or encourage you? Did someone show you kindness or point the way forward?

There are so many who don’t yet know about this wonderful promise of God. They don’t know that there is a Rescuer, offering salvation and new life.

This message of hope is meant to be shared. You can be the one to share it. And it can be as simple as saying: There is someone who cares and is able to save you. This promise is real. And it is for you.

Who in your life might be one step away from calling out for help? Will you take a step of faith today and share the hope you’ve found in Jesus?

My Thoughts

I used to think that being a Christian was an exclusive club for those who were “good enough” to be accepted by God. Then, my neighbor shared with me the truth of the gospel message, gave me a NLT Bible to read and shortly after reading the book of John, I prayed and gave my life to the Lord. I remember being on the floor in the bedroom of my small apartment. I didn’t know what to say or how to talk to God, but I just told Him that I needed Him in my life and wanted to accept His free gift of salvation. The next morning when I saw Verna (my neighbor), I shared with her what had happened. She hugged me, prayed with me and invited me to church. Thus began a lifetime of praying and talking to my Heavenly Father.

But life with God is a journey and a commitment. When I accepted His mercy and grace, I also committed to be a soldier on the battlefield of life, to help others to recognize the truth that I had found. I try every day to share a word from God on my social media pages. I give encouragement and tell others that God is in control. I don’t think I am doing enough, but I am doing something.

I would love for you to share your testimony with me, the person or people who introduced you to Jesus as your Savior, whatever you want to share. In addition, please think of several people with whom you can share that testimony personally and make a difference in how they see God. Someone cared enough about you to sow a seed in your life. May you go forth in joy sowing seeds in the lives of others. Being a Christian isn’t an exclusive club…it’s for everyone!