He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. – Romans 4:21 (NLT)

I’m horrible at volleyball. Like really bad. I recall one time in P.E. class, I had a volleyball coming at me, and I couldn’t get my hands together to hit it, so instead, I reacted and ended up kicking the ball instead of hitting it with my hands. The ball flew up high in the gym and went across several of the other volleyball courts. I felt really silly for kicking the ball instead of hitting it.

I might be bad at volleyball, but it reminds me of the fact that we as people are often limited. There are things we can’t do. There are things we’re just bad at. However, that’s not how God is. God is able to do whatever He promises. When we’re limited by time, ability and other constraints, God isn’t.

When God promises something, He’s able to do it. So we’ve just got to determine to take God at His word. We’ve got to trust His word more than we trust what we see around us.

We might see all the reasons why we can’t, but if God has called you to do something, then you can. You might see limitation, but God sees possibility. So trust God, let His promises be real to you, and see God do something amazing in your life!

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, – Romans 4:20 (NIV)

When you’re believing God for something, it can be easy to want to give up. Maybe you haven’t got what you are believing God for and so you just figure it’s useless. In those seasons where it’s taking so long, why not just give up on those promises of God?

And no one would blame you for feeling that way. However, when it comes to the things of God, it’s important to stay steady when you’re trusting God for something. Even if you don’t see the promise yet, God is always faithful. He has already provided you with what you need. All you have to do is stay steady and keep believing.

Today’s Truth: Faith Is Steady

Abraham probably had times when he wanted to give up. He probably had thoughts coming to him that said it was taking too long and that His faith wasn’t making a difference. Yet, the Bible tells us that He didn’t waiver in His faith. He kept believing God even when it seemed impossible. And God came through for him.

So even if it feels like it’s been a long time, stay encouraged. God is always faithful. You’ll not be left helpless. God has what you need. It’s already been provided for you by the work of Jesus. You’ve just got to believe it over what you see around you. It’s got to be more real than your circumstances. So today, don’t give up on God. Stay steady and you’ll see God come through for you!

And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. – Romans 4:19 (NKJV)

When you’re facing something truly difficult, it can be hard to see anything but your circumstances. Maybe you see a lack of money to go on a missions trip, or you see a lack of friends and feel like it will always be this way and nothing will ever change.

Sometimes we see our circumstances and they become more real to you than what God’s Word says. And that’s only natural. We’re used to using our senses to tell us reality. Sometimes, however, you need to turn your senses off so to speak.

Instead of looking at your lack of money to go on a mission trip, you need to look to God as your source. Instead of seeing not enough friends, you need to choose to see God as more than enough.

Today’s Truth: Faith Over What You See

If you’ll determine to not consider your circumstances greater than your God, you like Abraham in today’s verse will see God’s provision in your life. You’ve got to say no to what you see and yes to what God says. You’ve got to believe by faith over what you can see. As you do that, you’ll see God come through for you. He’ll provide you everything that you need to be victorious in life!

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10

Have you ever been doing a group project at school? Maybe there is a lot of work to be done, so your group decides to divide up the assignment into parts.  Some of the parts don’t seem that bad, but then there are other parts that no one wants. If you’re like most students, when you’re working on school projects, you’d rather get the good parts to work on.

In the same way, God has an assignment for your life. The good news about this assignment is that it’s good work. That doesn’t mean that it’s going to be easy, but it does mean that the assignment God has for you to do is good.

You have been created to do something for God. And that something is good. So today, be encouraged. God has something for you to do to change your world. Get close to God. Spend time in His word and get to know His voice. As you do, He will begin to show you the things He has in store for you to do.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us – Hebrews 12:1

Have you ever watched a little kid at a birthday party? Often, a very small kid will not really get the point of the presents. I’ve seen lots of little kids open presents and play more with the boxes and wrapping paper than the toys they got for their birthday.

By now, as a teenager, you’ve learned to throw the wrapping paper away and go straight for the birthday presents. Part of the process of growing up is learning that good things are deep inside the boxes and packages. With a little work, you’re able to separate the box from the present and throw away the things you don’t need.

When it comes to your life with Christ, you have to do the same thing. You have to learn what things are important and hold onto and treasure those things, and then lay aside (or throw away) the things that distract you from your life of faith in Christ.

I know there have been times when God has led me to stop watching a TV show because it was causing fear to build in my heart. There have been times when a friend was leading me to sin and I needed to limit the time I spent with that person. Sometimes, there are times when we need to lay aside things that are distracting us from the good things that God has for us.

So today, spend some time asking God if there are things in your life that you need to lay aside. They might not even be bad things, but rather things that distract you from reading your Bible or praying. As you put those things aside, you’ll realize the good things God has for you and walk in the joy of your relationship with God.

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God—all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God. – Romans 5:11 (NLT)

One of the great things about what Jesus did for us is that He gave us the ability to have a relationship with God. If God just wanted someone to worship Him, He already had that with the angels in heaven. Instead, He chooses to have a relationship with imperfect humans.

What an amazing thing to think about. God choose you out of all beings to be in a relationship with Him. That should show you your value to God. You’re not worthless or a nobody. God did everything in His power to deal with sin because He wanted to know you.

Today’s Truth: God did everything in His power to deal with sin because He wanted to know you.

So on those days when you feel like you’ve messed up too bad. When you feel like you’re not worth anything. Realize that to God, you’re priceless. He chooses you and desires to know you.

God paid the ultimate price to know you. He sent Jesus to destroy the power of sin in your life. There is now nothing that is stopping you from knowing God. So today be encouraged. God loves you. He sees value in a relationship with you. To Him, you’re worth everything!

Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

One of the hardest things to do in life is to forgive. When people don’t treat you the right way, when they make fun of you, bully you, or give you a hard time for what you believe it can be really hard to forgive and be kind like this verse challenges us to do.

The good news is that God is a just God. He wouldn’t ask us to do something we couldn’t do. It wouldn’t be fair for God to expect us to do something that was beyond our ability.

Thankfully, that’s not what God did. God gave us the love we need to love others. He tells us that His love has been placed in our hearts (Romans 5:5). So God has given us what we need to love others. We can be kind, tenderhearted, and forgive others because God has given us what we need to do it.