Month: January 2026

Jesus is our sure and steady hope—we can cling to Him through any trial.

Hebrews 6:13-20

An anchor was a popular image in the ancient Mediterranean world. Because that economy depended on shipping, the anchor symbolized safety and steadiness. The writer of Hebrews used the word to remind believers that God has given a hope that holds firm in any storm (6:19).
Hope is a healthy attitude. Anticipating good brings comfort to the mind and heart. In contrast, hopelessness is painful. It’s overwhelming and depressing to think that what you’re facing cannot improve. For the person who has lost all hope, life feels like an endless, dark tunnel.
Included in Proverbs is a verse that describes the result of this oppressive feeling: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12). But with our eternal and all-powerful God, no situation is hopeless. In Him, we have the promise of the second half of that proverb: “Desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Believers have a hope that anchors their soul. Our relationship with Jesus brings us close to the throne of heaven, where we can cast all our burdens before the Lord. Moreover, we can cling to Him through any trial that comes our way. He lights that darkened tunnel and tenderly guides us through trying situations.

The Lord’s definition of success may not be what you expect.

Joshua 1:7

To most people, the word success means “wealth” or “power.” If you stopped the average person on the street and asked whether he is successful, there’s a good chance he might mention his career or investments. Many people simply have no other frame of reference for the concept. But material wealth has nothing to do with spiritual success.
The Lord calls His children to live triumphantly. If the pursuit of success were sinful, how could the Lord have made the promise found in Joshua 1:7? Was He promising money or fame? No. The Lord was promising success as He defined it for His servant.
For Joshua, this meant military victory, steadfast faith, and the fulfillment of God’s promise to Moses (Exodus 6:7-8). Joshua wasn’t concerned with money or fame; rather, he was intensely focused on accomplishing the Lord’s goals for him. Armed with the power of the Word, Joshua followed God’s marching orders, which is why he is seen as a success.
Don’t be confused. Wealth, fame, security, and power have nothing to do with succeeding spiritually. Family, relationships, integrity, faithfulness—these are the things that matter. They are the ways our heavenly Father wants us to succeed.

The leading of the Holy Spirit always aligns with God’s Word.

John 16:12-15

All of God’s children are on a journey.  And as we travel through life toward our eternal home, we will face many choices. Forks in the road will challenge and frustrate us. In such circumstances, how can we know which way to go?
Jesus promised to give us an internal and ever-present Guide (John 14:16). Starting at the moment of salvation, everyone who trusts in the Savior is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who promises to lead believers into all the truth (16:13). We’ve no reason to fear, because He will direct us. However, while the Spirit’s leadership is always right, at times our reception isn’t clear. If that happens and we’re tempted to tolerate sin in one area, we shouldn’t expect to receive His guidance in another.
Sin does to our understanding of the Lord’s clear direction what a magnet does to the needle of a compass. It misleads us, pulling us away from the clear path God has planned, just as the magnetic field draws the needle away from true north.
When a decision is unclear, ask yourself questions like, Will Christ be glorified in this? or Will this draw me closer to the Lord? If the answer is no, then don’t follow that path, because the Holy Spirit is not guiding you there. His leading always aligns with Scripture and accomplishes God’s perfect plan.

The Power of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit transforms the believer from the inside out.

Galatians 5:22-26

The Holy Spirit is vital to the Christian life. Read today’s passage, which details the fruit of the Spirit. It is impossible to achieve this level of Christlikeness on our own. We need divine intervention to live as God expects. That’s why He sent believers the Helper, whose job is to produce Christlike character in us.
The heavenly Father knows that His children need support. That’s why Jesus, before returning to heaven, ordered the disciples to put their missionary work on hold until the Holy Spirit arrived (Luke 24:49).
The Spirit enters a believer’s life at the moment of salvation and immediately sets about the work of producing spiritual fruit. This is the outward expression of a transformed heart. When we yield to God’s nurturing hand, our actions and attitudes become more loving, more joyful, more kind, more gentle, and so forth. He reaps a harvest of service from our life—good works that grow our faith and expand His kingdom.
For the Holy Spirit to bring forth Christlike character, we can’t be passive bystanders. Our part is to meditate on God’s Word so we can learn about His character and apply His principles. Then, we must make wise decisions each day that allow the Spirit to develop godliness in our life.

Through the cross of Christ, God invited us into relationship with Him.

Genesis 5:21-24

Enoch had such a close walk with the Lord that Scripture says, “God took him” (Gen. 5:24). This means that Enoch did not die but was taken directly into the presence of the Lord. As we seek to follow God with passion like Enoch’s, here are some steps that will help us grow: 
•Reconciliation. This term essentially means “God moving toward us.”  Through the cross of Christ, God has already made His move in our direction. (See 2 Corinthians 5:18.) When we place our faith in the Savior, we immediately take part in that reconciliation.
•Trusting God. Our heavenly Father wants us to know He is concerned with our spiritual growth and, through Jesus, has provided the way for us to walk closely with Him.
•Agreement. To appreciate the relationship God wants to have with us, we must agree with what His Word teaches.
•Fellowship. Just as our human relationships fall apart without regular contact, our intimacy with the Father is harder to experience if we do not spend time with Him.
Walking with God requires careful attention to the details of our Christian life. When we set our course for God, He will always be there to direct our path (Proverbs 16:9).

Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but Yours be done”—and we should too.

Mark 11:20-26

Facing obstacles is a given in this life.  Jesus said we would have trouble; it’s simply unavoidable. However, there is hope because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).
Jesus tells us that when problems seem overwhelming, we’re to have faith in God and pray. A lot of people love Mark 11:24 because it seems like a blanket promise for whatever we want. However, the verse can’t stand alone and shouldn’t be taken out of context. Let’s consider two qualifications for the promise in it. 
1God is committed to removing only those obstacles that are hindrances to His will. Jesus is our primary example for this truth. When He faced the prospect of dying on a cross as the sin-bearer for mankind, it must have seemed like a daunting challenge that needed to be removed. But His prayers were governed by these words: “Yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
2We must make sure that we are not the obstacle.For instance, Jesus points out in Mark 11:25-26 that an unforgiving spirit breaks our fellowship with God and hinders our prayers.
Our first reaction to obstacles should be self-examination. Ask God, “Is there something I need to address? Do my requests align with Your will?” Only then can we confidently ask Him to move in our life as only He can.