Posts with the category “surrender-and-trust”

07/28/2025“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” — Psalm 55:22 (NIV)There’s something beautiful about the word “cast.” It’s not a gentle laying down or a cautious placing, it’s a throwing, a hurling, a letting go with force. And that’s exactly the picture David paints in today’s verse. He doesn’t tell us to carry our burdens delicately int...  Read More

07/26/2025“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”—Colossians 3:13 (NIV)Forgiveness can be one of the hardest commands to obey, especially when we’ve been deeply wounded. Yet here in Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we’re not just told to forgive, we’re called to forgive as the Lord forgave us. That’s a high bar....  Read More

07/25/2025“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”– Matthew 20:28 (NIV)In a world obsessed with status, power, and being first, Jesus’ words in today’s verse turn everything upside down. The disciples had just been arguing about who would be the greatest in the Kingdom. James and John even had their mother ask Jesus to give them t...  Read More

07/20/2025“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”—Romans 8:18 (NIV)Paul’s words to the church in Rome are like a lighthouse in a storm, steady, piercing the fog of our current trials with the hope of what’s coming. These are not light or dismissive words. Paul knew suffering. He had been shipwrecked, beaten, imprisoned, betrayed,...  Read More

07/19/2025“You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.”— Psalm 119:114 (NIV)When the world becomes overwhelming and chaos threatens to steal our peace, where do we run? Today’s verse gives us a profound answer in just a few words: “You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.”David, the likely author of this passage, knew what it meant to be hunted, betra...  Read More

07/17/2025“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”—Matthew 11:28 (NIV)Life has a way of weighing us down. Whether it’s the pressure to perform at work, the strain of financial stress, the ache of relational wounds, or the exhaustion of trying to live up to others’ expectations, it all adds up. Many of us have become experts at carrying burdens we were never meant...  Read More

07/16/2025“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.’”— Luke 9:23–24 (NIV)Following Jesus isn’t a casual commitment, it’s a call to die daily.When Jesus spoke these words, His listeners would have known exactly what ...  Read More

07/15/2025“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’”- John 20:21 (NIV)The room was thick with fear. Doors were locked. Whispers of what the religious leaders might do next ran wild. The disciples, who were once bold and brave, were now sitting in confusion and deep sorrow. But then, Jesus appears. Not as a ghost, not as a memory, but risen, real, and full...  Read More

07/14/2025“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”-Romans 10:13 (NIV)This is one of the most beautiful and inclusive promises in all of Scripture. Everyone. Not just the righteous. Not just the religious. Not just the ones who have their lives together. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.This verse is a direct quote from Joel 2:32, and Paul uses it in Roman...  Read More

07/09/2025“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”— Mark 11:24 (NIV)Imagine a child asking her father for something she earnestly wants, a bike, a puppy, or maybe a trip to the zoo. She doesn’t hesitate or weigh the odds. She simply trusts her dad. She believes not because of what she sees, but because she knows his heart. Thi...  Read More

07/05/2025“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:34 (NIV)In the world we live in, worry has become a common companion. We worry about deadlines, health, relationships, finances, and a future we can’t see. Jesus, in this passage from the Sermon on the Mount, gently but firmly tells us to stop. Not because th...  Read More

07/03/2025Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”- John 20:29 (NIV)In this brief but powerful statement, Jesus speaks directly to a core struggle of faith: believing without seeing. These words were spoken to Thomas, one of His twelve disciples. After the resurrection, Thomas had famously declared that unless he...  Read More

07/02/2025“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”— Psalm 34:8 (NIV)David wrote these words not from a palace of peace but from a cave of hiding. He had fled from Saul, pretended to be insane before Abimelek, and was now hiding in the cave of Adullam. Yet in the middle of fear and uncertainty, David calls us to do something deeply personal and life-changin...  Read More

06/28/2025“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”– Matthew 5:8 (NIV)There’s something beautiful about watching a child gaze in wonder at the world, eyes wide, heart unburdened. They see beauty in mud puddles, treasure in dandelions, and adventure in every backyard. That kind of purity that is unfiltered, undistracted, and unguarded, that is what Jesus is talking about here. It’s no...  Read More

06/26/2025“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”—Matthew 5:6 (NIV)What are you hungry for today?We all wake up with cravings. Some of them are physical like coffee, breakfast, exercise. While others are deeper and more enduring, the longing for meaning, peace, justice, or connection. Jesus, in this fourth Beatitude, speaks directly to those deeper cra...  Read More

06/25/2025“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”- Matthew 5:5 (NIV)When we hear the word meek, our minds may jump to images of weakness, passivity, or someone who lets others walk all over them. But Jesus wasn’t praising doormats, He was redefining power. In the Kingdom of God, meekness is not weakness. It’s strength under control.In the Greco-Roman world, to inherit the earth me...  Read More

06/23/2025“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”— Matthew 5:3 (NIV)Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with a paradox: “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” At first glance, this sounds backwards. We don’t normally associate poverty, especially spiritual poverty, with blessing. But Jesus is teaching us something profoundly upside down by the world’s standards and beaut...  Read More

06/22/2025“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”- 1 Peter 5:6 (NIV)There’s something powerful about the quiet strength of humility. In a world that often shouts for attention, rewards pride, and praises self-promotion, Peter offers a countercultural command: Humble yourselves. And not just before anyone, but under God’s mighty hand.This verse ...  Read More

06/21/2025“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”— Psalms 77:11–12 (NIV)There are moments in life when our hearts feel heavy, our prayers seem unanswered, and our faith feels fragile. Today’s verse is one of those raw, transparent cries from a weary soul. The psalmist, likely Asap...  Read More

06/19/2025“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”—1 Corinthians 15:57 (NIV)Life can often feel like a series of battles, some small, some seemingly insurmountable. Whether it’s battling fear, temptation, grief, guilt, or even death itself, the struggle is real and at times overwhelming. But today’s verse reminds us of one central truth that changes everything...  Read More

06/18/2025“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”- Hebrews 5:7 (NIV)When we think of Jesus, we often envision the miracles, the authority, the resurrection. But in today’s verse, We are invited into a quieter, more intimate place: the mo...  Read More

06/15/2025“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”- Romans 8:28 (NIV)This is one of the most quoted and beloved verses in all of Scripture, and for good reason. Today’s verse from Romans is a promise we often reach for when life doesn’t make sense. When tragedy strikes, when doors slam shut, or when prayers seem u...  Read More

06/11/2025“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”—2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)The battlefield of the Christian life is often not fought on distant shores or in crowded arenas, but within the quiet chambers of the mind. Paul’s words in today’s verse pull back the curtain on this unsee...  Read More

06/10/2025“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”- Revelation 21:4 (NIV)Imagine standing at the end of a long, hard journey, bruised, weary, and worn. The road has been uphill, the nights dark, and the pain real. And then suddenly, you hear these words: “There will be no more death, or mour...  Read More

06/09/2025“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” - Luke 18:14 (NIV)In this verse, Jesus finishes telling a parable about two men who went to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood confidently, listing his reli...  Read More

06/08/2025“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”— Acts 4:31 (NIV)The early church was under pressure. Peter and John had just been threatened by the religious leaders for preaching in the name of Jesus. Instead of retreating in fear, the believers gathered to pray. They didn’t ask God to mak...  Read More

06/07/2025“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” — 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NIV)In his final instructions to the Corinthian church, Paul doesn’t mince words. He fires off a series of bold commands, almost like a spiritual coach rallying his team before they take the field. These aren’t casual suggestions, they’re a call to spiritual vigilance, stability, and courage in ...  Read More

06/06/2025“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.”- Mark 8:35 (NIV)At first glance, Jesus’ words here seem completely upside down. In a world that screams, “Look out for number one,” “Build your brand,” and “Protect your peace,” Jesus dares to flip the script. He presents a paradox: to truly live, we must surrender; t...  Read More

06/05/2025“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” —1 Chronicles 16:11 (NIV)Life has a way of draining our strength. The pressures of family, the weight of responsibility, the never-ending to-do lists—all can wear us down. But what if the strength we truly need doesn’t come from within us? What if it’s found in Someone far greater?David’s song in 1 Chronicles 16 is a call to wors...  Read More

06/02/2025And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”- Matthew 18:3–5 (NIV)When Jesus pulled a child into the center of the conversation, it must have stunn...  Read More

05/31/2025“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”- Psalm 100:5 (NIV)Have you ever had a moment when life felt unpredictable, when the world shifted beneath your feet, and the people or plans you trusted suddenly failed you? In times like that, we long for something, someone, unchanging. Psalm 100:5 gives us that anchor: “For the Lord...  Read More

05/30/2025“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)There’s something beautiful about a gift that’s given with joy. Whether it’s a child offering a crayon drawing to their parent, or a friend surprising you with coffee just because, it’s not the cost of the gift that touches th...  Read More

05/29/2025“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”—Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV)When I was a kid, my family took a long road trip before GPS was even a thought. We had a folded paper map and my dad behind the wheel. Somewhere in the panhandle of Texas, we got lost. I remember watching my dad pull ov...  Read More

05/27/2025“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”— 1 Timothy 4:8 (NIV)We live in a world that worships six-pack abs, step counts, and wellness challenges, it’s easy to get caught up in the pursuit of physical fitness. There’s nothing wrong with taking care of our bodies, in fact, Scripture aff...  Read More

05/24/2025“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”- Matthew 25:35-36 (NIV)Jesus paints a vivid picture of what true discipleship looks like, not in theory, but in action. These verses...  Read More

05/21/2025“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”— Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)There are few verses in Scripture that proclaim the depth and certainty of God’s love as powerfu...  Read More

05/20/2025“Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;’”— Mark 12:10 (NIV)Jesus spoke these words in the midst of a confrontation with the religious leaders. He had just told the parable of the tenants, an allegory that exposed how the leaders had consistently rejected God’s messengers and would ultimately reject God’s Son. But tucked in...  Read More

05/17/2025“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”- John 16:13 (NIV)In this moment with His disciples, Jesus was preparing them for life without His physical presence. He was speaking of the Holy Spirit, the One who would come after His ascension to guid...  Read More

05/15/2025Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”— Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)Our words are not just sounds, they are seeds. Every conversation we have plants something: encouragement or discouragement, peace or tension, truth or confusion. That’s why Paul urges the believers ...  Read More

05/13/2025“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”- Philippians 4:6–7 (NIV)Life has a way of throwing us into whirlwinds, unexpected news, financial pressure, strained relationships, or the slow ...  Read More