READ: DEUTERONOMY 31:6-8; LUKE 15:1-7; 19:10; 1 PETER 1:3-9

When I was eleven, I marched with a school group in our town’s Christmas parade. We started near the football stadium and then marched through town. After two miles or so, we finished at the end of Main Street. As my friend Meredith watched the thinning crowd, her face drooped as much as her pom poms, and she began to cry. Feeling alone and scared, she wondered, Where’s my mom? How can she find me? What if I can’t find her?

As Meredith’s friends, we tried to reassure her. We told her that her mom knew where the parade ended and would come for her. We reminded her that her mom would look for her until she found her. We assured her that her mom would never, ever leave without her. And we were right. Meredith couldn’t see her mom when she needed comfort most, but her mother searched for her until she was reunited with her daughter. Then they went home together.

Meredith’s anxiety arose from not being able to see her mother. She didn’t stop believing her mom cared for her. But not being able to lay eyes upon her mother left Meredith feeling abandoned. Each of us can experience that same fear in our relationship with Jesus. When we put our trust in Him, believing in His death and resurrection, we are united with God. He becomes our Father, and we gain a new identity as His children. God loves us, and as a good Father, He promises never to leave us (John 10:28-29; Hebrews 13:5; 1 John 3:1).

Sometimes it seems like our worries would calm down if we could just see God, right? Though we can’t see Him with physical eyes, we can trust what the Bible teaches about Him: that He is with us. He loves us, He pursues us, and He will never let us go. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Can you think of a time you felt like God was far away? We all go through times like these, but God is eager to remind us of His love and nearness. Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about how He has seemed distant and how that’s made you feel. In addition to talking to God, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to—people who can remind you of His presence with you? Are there any Bible verses that help you feel closer to God?

• After Jesus rose from the dead, He promised to be with us always (Matthew 28:20). He ascended into heaven and sent His Spirit to live in all believers (John 14:15-18, 26-27). How could it be encouraging to remember Jesus is always with us through His Holy Spirit dwelling in us?

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. 1 Peter 1:8 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 119:105; ROMANS 8:33-39; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17; 1 PETER 5:8-9

As an old story goes, in the Old West, thieves trying to escape law enforcement would sometimes turn their horses’ shoes backwards. These “bank robber horseshoes” supposedly tricked investigators into assuming the criminals traveled on horseback in the opposite direction. With tracks from the horseshoes pointing one way—but the thieves traveling in the other—they hoped to evade capture. This deception allegedly sent officers of the law away from the robbers they tracked.

In my relationship with God, I notice Satan practices a similar kind of deceit. With his lies about who we are and who God is, Satan disguises untruth as truth and points us away from God.

When we trust in Christ, believing His death and resurrection provide forgiveness and eternal life, we become new creations. Our enemy, the devil, will remind us of past sins, accusing us and saying we’re not blameless in God’s sight. But in His Word, God says, “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:17). In Jesus, we don’t carry the burden of guilt any longer.

The Bible assures us nothing can separate us from God’s love once we are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). Yet our enemy wants to convince us that our mistakes and sins will leave God shaking His head at us in disgust. The enemy may highlight rejection we’ve experienced and nudge us to ask, “Who could ever love me?” Yet God’s Word reminds us we are His much-loved children (1 John 3:1). And Jesus always comes to seek and save us when we’re lost (Luke 19:10).

Scripture labels Satan as the “father of lies,” but Jesus is the Truth (John 8:44; 14:6). How will we know when our beliefs have followed the enemy’s deception down the wrong path? When our thinking doesn’t match up with what Scripture teaches about the character of God and about who we are in Christ. God’s Word directs us on the right path to keep us walking in truth, and the Holy Spirit lovingly guides us back to this truth again and again. • Allison Wilson Lee

• When have you been tempted to believe Satan’s lies about who you are or who God is? What past hurts or sin does the enemy remind you of as he attempts to derail you from the truth?

• Which Bible verses or passages can help you remember the truth? Who is a trusted Christian in your life who could help you find Scriptures like these? Remember, God has designed us to fight Satan’s lies in community, so we can always remind each other of what’s really true.

[Jesus said,] “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 (NIV)

READ: PROVERBS 15:31-33; HEBREWS 12:5-13

When we’ve done something wrong, and someone calls us out on it, what’s our response? Shrug it off? Refute their claims? Sink into shame or self-hatred? Or do we remind ourselves of our identity in Christ—as beloved, forgiven children of God—then take the time to think about what they’ve said and consider how to do better next time?

Friends, we are—by nature—not very good at accepting correction. We can get so wrapped up in our anger, defensiveness, and hurt that we miss out on what loving correction is supposed to be—a nudge onto a better path. As I put it to my youth group a few weeks ago, “Humility is in short supply.”

God puts people in our lives to encourage and support us, and also to call us out when we’re missing the mark or wandering down the wrong path.

There are plenty of examples in the Bible. Apollos didn’t have the full picture of the gospel, so Priscilla and Aquila explained God’s ways to him more fully in Acts 18:24-28. In 2 Samuel 12, the prophet Nathan rebuked David for sinning when he used his power as king to have sex with Bathsheba and arrange for her husband’s death. In Exodus 18, Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, worried that Moses was overworking himself while he was settling disputes between the people of Israel, and Jethro proposed a new system.

All three of these leaders took the correction and went on to continue to follow God and see Him do amazing things! What about me and you? It’s so hard to accept correction with humility and grace, but as we lean on the Holy Spirit, with time and practice, we can get better at it. We can ask God to soften our hearts and open our eyes to see the whole truth—not just what we want to see. Correction isn’t supposed to tear us down—it’s supposed to build us up! It makes us wiser, stronger, and better equipped for what God has in store for us.

The next time you find yourself standing corrected, slow down, breathe, and take the time to think before you respond. Is the heart behind their advice or rebuke to hurt you, or to help you? Lean on Jesus, lay aside your pride, and learn to listen. That’s how we grow! • Hannah Ruth Johnson

• Can you think of a time when someone’s advice or correction has been helpful for you? Consider taking a moment to thank Jesus for that person and the advice they gave!

If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding. Proverbs 15:32 (NLT)

READ: EPHESIANS 6:10-20; JAMES 1:2-18

I have been riding horses for a while, and at first, I thought I would never fall. It was so simple in the beginning—just walking around with an adult guiding me the whole time.

Eventually, I decided I wanted to become a real rider. So my mom found some lessons for me to do once a week. I was so excited to canter, jump, and learn all sorts of things that I could be proud of. Even though I couldn’t do any of this at first, I developed skills over years of hard work. But one day, my confidence was derailed.

I was mounting a horse when it got spooked and bucked. I was flung into the dirt, and I had nothing left to do but watch the horse gallop away.

Now, I still fall off sometimes and lose confidence. However, I know the only way to keep pursuing my dream is to trust the horse and get back on. In the same way, we can be deceived and fall into sin (James 1:14-15). The enemy’s goal is for us to be thrown into the dirt and stay there—to give up at the first sign of trouble or difficulty.

The truth is that life isn’t easy. We’re going to be tripped up sometimes, especially as we grow in our relationship with Christ. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The good news is, once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that even when we walk through trials and temptations, God will hold on to us. His love won’t let go (John 10:28-30; Romans 8:38-39). He will help us resist sin. And, when we do fall, He will be right there to offer forgiveness, compassion, and help. Because Jesus is our foundation, we can remain strong and get up even when we fall. • Carys James

• The Bible has many, many examples of people who followed the Lord and then fell flat on their faces in sin. And God didn’t give up on them! He forgave them, picked them up, dusted them off, and continued to walk with them. We see this in the lives of Abraham, David, and Peter—not to mention the entire nation of Israel in the Old Testament walking away from God over and over. Falling down never has to be the end—because Jesus will never stop pursuing us. Can you think of any times in your life when you’ve fallen down and Jesus has helped you get back up?

• Sin, confession, repentance, and forgiveness is the normal rhythm of the Christian life. Consider spending some time in prayer, confessing any sins the Lord brings to mind and resting in His sure forgiveness.

[Jesus said,] “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 13; MARK 14:32-36

Have you ever read a psalm and thought, Wow, they’re really mad at God. Are you even allowed to say that to Him? The short answer is, yes, and it’s called lament.

In fact, about a third of the psalms in the Bible are lament psalms or complaint psalms. A lament is when you bring your honest, unfiltered frustrations, angers, griefs, and disappointments to God in prayer. It says, “God, I’m not okay. This stinks. I hate it. I feel like You’ve forgotten me. Why did You let this happen?!” That doesn’t sound encouraging, does it? But lament is so important that, throughout the Bible, the prophets, the leaders of Israel, and even Jesus Himself lamented. And yet, as Christians, we often avoid lament for two reasons.

First, sometimes we mistakenly think that lament shows a lack of trust in God. But, in lament, we actually entrust God with our deepest, most uncomfortable feelings. And we are trusting Him to do something about our hurts—whether it be now, later, or when He returns (2 Peter 3:1-13; Revelation 21:1-5). So lament is a faithful response to the pain and brokenness sin causes in the world. The lament psalms show us what this looks like. Almost all of these psalms end by praising God for how good He is—after the psalmists have expressed their hurts to Him.

Second, we might avoid lament because, when something bad happens, we want to skip all the terrible feelings and rush to the healing. My friends, that isn’t healthy. True healing happens only by walking through the pain and hurt, relying on Jesus as He walks through it with us. Jesus loves us unconditionally. He lived among us on earth, He died for us, and He rose again—He knows our pain. He even laments on our behalf (Hebrews 7:25). As we bring our pain to Him, we can know, by the power of His resurrection, suffering’s days are numbered.

Today, let’s lay our laments at His feet, as loudly as we need to. God is big. He can handle it. • Taylor Eising

• What do you need to lament right now? Something in your past or present? Something happening to a loved one? Injustice in the world? Bring these to God. If you’re not sure where to start, try using a lament psalm as a blueprint for your prayer, such as Psalm 44, 55, 77, 79, 90, or 142.

• Do you have a tendency to rush through processing your pain with God? Why do you think that might be? Who is a trusted Christian in your life you could talk with about lament?

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (CSB)

READ: 2 SAMUEL 6:12-23

Did you know God commands His people to party? Just skim through Leviticus 23 and count how many times God tells His people to celebrate. In fact, Jesus’s first miracle took place at a wedding celebration (John 2:1-12). And, as we can see in today’s Bible passage, sometimes holy festivities can look pretty wild.

Celebration is vital to the Christian life. A birthday, a holiday, a graduation, or just a long weekend can be a reminder to look backward at all the good things God has done for us. Many of the festivals in the Bible commemorated times God saved His people, so festivals acted as regular reminders of God’s faithfulness. When we celebrate, we also look around at the good things God is doing in this moment, and we pause from normal life to acknowledge His great works. Then, we look forward to the good things He will do in the future, including our ultimate celebration with Jesus at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9).

We also celebrate because we follow a God who celebrates. Zephaniah 3:17 says God rejoices and even sings over His people. When we rejoice, we are joining in with God’s perpetual celebration over us. Heaven echoes with the songs of God, and we can take every opportunity to sing along. As Christians, we always have a truth worth celebrating: we get to live in relationship with the God of the Universe because of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection.

That’s why King David danced in the street until his clothes fell off—because the ark of the covenant, where the very presence of God dwelt, was among them. David realized this incredible truth, and his joy was so great, he couldn’t hold it in. Celebration bubbled up from within him when he was in God’s presence. Today, everyone who has put their trust in Jesus has the joy of having the presence of God with them. Jesus’s love for us is wild, so let us celebrate with abandon! • Taylor Eising

• What is your favorite celebration? What about it do you find fun and/or meaningful?

• How do celebration, joy, remembrance, and merrymaking help us draw near to God?

• Celebration is an act of faith that acknowledges life doesn’t depend on us. In Leviticus 23, how many times does God tell His people not to work? By resting, the Israelites remembered they depended on God to provide for them. What are some ways you can practice rest in your life?

[Jesus said,] “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 7:24-27; EPHESIANS 4:11-32; COLOSSIANS 2:6-10

The space weather alarm buzzed on my cruiser, Nova. I was halfway back to Earth after gathering medical supplies on Triton. Sensors indicated a dense solar wind heading my way—usually bringing a geomagnetic storm.

I routed extra power to shields, retracted stabilizers to prevent shearing, and strapped myself to the chair. One minute to impact.

I slid sweaty hands down my legs and took a deep breath. “Flight tracker, this is Nova. I am 2.3 billion kilometers from Earth, returning from one of Neptune’s moons, Triton. A strong solar storm approaches. May need assistance.”

Before I could transmit the message, the storm hit. The sudden radiation overwhelmed my systems, and red lights started flashing all over my controls. As I whirled, I tried to track my orientation, but sensors refused to lock. The navigation screen blanked—probably fried from the magnetic pulse.

The Nova spiraled relentlessly. Nausea surged through my insides. I closed my eyes and wished the dizziness away. Which way was Earth? Could I stabilize the ship?

I tapped the side thrusters. The engines hissed. My rotation slowed, but the sun’s brightness still whipped around several times per second. I burned the thrusters again. Sensors showed that Nova had stabilized, but my head was still reeling. In space, fluid in the inner ears continued to spin, causing vertigo. Should I trust my disoriented brain to navigate, or rely on the sensors, possibly damaged by the magnetic pulse?

Thud! Something collided with Nova’s lower deck, followed by a high-pitched grating of titanium. I reversed the thrusters and saw my communications antenna drifting away amid a cloud of space debris.

I ran a systems diagnostic. Along with my ability to communicate, navigation was also down. I scanned for a homing beacon signal, but found none.

I closed my eyes and prayed. Father, lead me through the storm.

I breathed deeply and opened my eyes. I could see the sun through a window. At this distance, it appeared more like a very bright star, but its shining was unmistakable. That’s what I needed—something steady, something outside myself. I turned the ship toward that brightest spot and engaged the main thruster. • Michelle Cochran

• Today’s story is an allegory. So many things can leave us feeling disoriented. When the storms of life throw us off balance, we may not know how to find steadiness, or how to move forward. Thankfully, Jesus is always constant. He never changes, no matter how unsteady our lives may get (Hebrews 13:8). He always wants to help us and lead us safely home. What kinds of storms have you experienced lately?

• Can you think of a time when a circumstance you went through or an idea you heard left you feeling disoriented, but then something helped you find stability and clarity again? Maybe it was a Bible passage, a conversation with another Christian, a time of prayer, a hymn or worship song, or something in nature that reminded you of its Creator. Consider taking a moment to thank God for this.

• God sees everything you’re going through, and He has so much compassion on you. What might it look like for you to rely on Jesus to lead you through the storms you’re currently facing?

That we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ. Ephesians 4:14-15 (WEB)

READ: PSALM 71:3; GALATIANS 6:1-10; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:8-11

Have you ever considered who you can count on when times get tough? For thirty years, I had an undetected brain tumor. While it wasn’t cancerous, it took over every part of my life and affected how I behaved and thought. Many people got scared of me and left me. However, my family and close friends did not…because they knew me the best. They knew how I was prior to the tumor.

When the tumor was found, I had a twenty-hour surgery to remove it. My health was restored. After my surgery, I looked back and realized all the support I had received from both earthly family members and my broader Christian family—who stayed with me, encouraged me, and prayed for me. I now call those people my “Centurion Guard.” That name fits because, like the centurions of ancient Rome, they are strong warriors. My guards are my prayer warriors, and they provide encouragement.

It’s been amazing to see how Jesus has used these people in my life. They helped guide and support me before and after my surgery. And, because of the prayers of my Centurion Guards, Jesus Christ, the Great Physician, answered those prayers for healing. In fact, my doctor said I had the fastest recovery he’d ever seen, especially after a twenty-hour brain surgery. What a gift to see Jesus working in this way through my doctor and through His church!

When times get tough, we’re meant to share our struggles with Christian friends and pray together. As we bring our troubles to the foot of the cross, we can rest in Jesus’s love for us, trusting Him to work on our behalf—in His way and in His good timing. • Robert Keur

• Who is your Centurion Guard—faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who God has brought into your life? How can you serve and pray for each other? (If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify people in the future.)

• Illness and injury are terrible results of the fall (when sin and death entered the world in Genesis 3). Therefore, God wants us to pray for the healing of others, both for people who know Him and people who don’t. Sometimes God heals instantly or gradually, and sometimes He waits to heal someone until they see Jesus face to face (James 5:13-16; Revelation 21:1-5). No matter how God answers, we can know that He hears our prayers and He is always working for our good—and at Jesus’s return, those who belong to Him will be healed in full. (Matthew 14:14; John 5:17; 9:1-9; Romans 8:28-29, 38-39)

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 (NIV)