Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – 1 Corinthians 13:4

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud – 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NLT)

There’s nothing harder sometimes than having to wait for something. Maybe you have a friend that takes forever to do her homework. And it drives you crazy working with her because she takes forever to get it done. Or perhaps you’ve got stuck behind a bunch of people walking slowly in the halls of your school. You want more than anything to shove them out of your way so that you don’t show up late to class.

Have you ever been so frustrated with someone going slow that you said or did something that was unkind out of frustration? Being patient with others can be extremely challenging at times.

So what are some ways you can be patient with the people who drive you crazy? First of all, begin to speak life-giving words over yourself. If you struggle with being impatient, and you’d like to change that, begin speaking daily to yourself that you’re patient. Changing your talk can greatly help you on your path to becoming a person of patience.

Today’s Truth: To change your habits, change what you speak. There’s power in positive words.

Also, take an honest look at your life. Some of the moments I’m the most impatient are those that I’ve overscheduled myself or overcommitted. If you’ve overscheduled your day, and are stressed, you’re more likely to be impatient.

Choose today to practice patience in your dealings with others. Choose to show others the love of God by being a person who is patient with others.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Proverbs 17:17

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time. – Proverbs 17:17 (HCSB)

Have you ever needed a friend when you were going through a difficult time? Maybe your grandparent passed away, or you’re dealing with low self-esteem, or maybe you’ve just got a bad case of the Mondays. Whatever the case may be, there are times when we just need a good friend.

Good friends are sometimes hard to come by. Many people don’t really stick by you when things get tough. At the first sign of difficulty, friends often leave. However, when you find a true friend, you know you’ve found a special thing.

Even if you feel like you don’t have a good friend, you can practice being a good friend to others. Go out of your way to do something nice for someone that might be having a bad day. Buy some candy for the student who failed his algebra test. Practice kindness and be a true friend to the people God has placed in your life.

Today’s Truth: Practice kindness and be a true friend to the people God has placed in your life.

As you give to others, you’ll be blessed as well. So choose today to be a good friend to the people in your life. Choose to be there for them when they’re going through difficult situations. Pray for them when they don’t know what to do. Ask God how you can make a difference to them. He’ll show you lots of great ways you can help those around you if you’re open to it.

Daily Devotion and Bible Verse – John 14:3

If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. – John 14:3 (HCSB)

What’s going on in your life right now that is tough? Maybe your sister isn’t kind to you. Perhaps you are facing a big math test where you’re unsure if you’ll pass it or not. Often in life it’s easy to let the difficulties steal our joy.

However, when life gets tough, it’s beneficial if you can keep things in perspective. The fact is that because of Jesus, we are able to spend eternity in heaven with Him. Knowing this allows us to have peace in Him no matter what our circumstances are or what things look like around us.

The truth is difficult situations and circumstances will happen to you in life. The good news is that we have someone who cares about us and who has gone ahead of us. So as we live each day, we can realize that we’re not just living for today and today’s difficulties and circumstances. Rather, we’re living for eternity. One day we will see Jesus face to face. If we accept Jesus our eternity is secure!

Today, instead of thinking about the troubles you’re facing, think about the fact that Jesus said that He is going to come back for you and take you to be with Him in heaven some day. When you have this perspective, it makes all your problems seem small.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – October 31

Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, – Psalm 91:9

Where do you go when you’re upset? Do you have a place you like? When I was a little kid, I loved going into my closet where it was dark to hide when I was upset. It helped me calm down and it was nice to just have a place where I felt no one could find me.

In this Bible verse, we are encouraged to think of God as a refuge. We are to think of Him as a safe place, where we can get away from our problems and find peace. Its interesting though how often we forget about God’s ability to be our shelter in tough times. We often turn to friends, our room, a TV show, or even over eat when we’re upset. The best place we can turn in tough times is to God.

God is willing to be your refuge from the troubles of life. Will you make Him your safe place? The next time you experience trouble, take a moment to think about God. Give Him a chance to be your safe place, your refuge from your trouble.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Psalm 103:12

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. – Psalm 103:12 (NIV)

Thank God that he has taken our transgressions from us. He’s removed them so far from us, it can’t be measured. God has a love for us that is greater than any human love we may face. This love caused God to act on our behalf. He sent His son Jesus to pay the price that our sin deserved.

Because of what Jesus did we can now come boldly to God with nothing left against us. We don’t have to be concerned that God is mad at us or holding our sin against us. We know that we now have access to God. We’re able to have a real relationship with God.

Pray: I thank you, Father, for taking my sins and transgressions from me. I’m so glad that I can come to you at any time and in any place. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Psalm 46:1

Teen Devotion on Help of God

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. – Psalm 46:1 (NLT)

What are you struggling with right now? Are the subjects at school difficult and you’re finding it’s hard to keep up without being distracted? What is it that you struggle with?

God wants to be the answer to every struggle you face. He wants to be your refuge when things are hard. Life is hard, but God wants to help you stay encouraged through life’s challenges.

So today, determine to spend some time in God’s word. Stop scrolling through endless videos and start spending some time in prayer. Talk to God about what you struggle with. Dare to ask Him to help when things are tough. He desires to be your help and refuge in every situation you face.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Psalm 1:1

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. – Psalm 1:1 (KJV)

I remember a time when it felt like all the students in my youth group were not serving God. That fact made me so mad. I had such a sense of injustice that they weren’t following after God and it felt like I was the only one who really wanted to serve God with my whole heart. And yet, it seemed like those students got all the recognition. The youth leaders kept talking about how great they were and the good things they did. All I could see was all the ways they were failing.

But here’s the truth. In today’s verse, we see that we are blessed when we follow after God. It doesn’t mean that our youth group leaders will notice us, and make us student of the month. What that word does mean is that we will be satisfied, that we will be at peace and content in every area of our lives.

The truth is when we follow after God, we are truly blessed. We are able to be happy in our relationship with God, and don’t need external things to keep us happy and satisfied. When we can come to that place, where we let our relationship with God become what we’re living for, we find that we are truly content.

So today, don’t be like me. Don’t look to getting recognition from others to find your contentment. Instead, look to God. Realize that when you seek Him, you find contentment in Him. The contentment you find in God isn’t something that fades out or goes away either. It’s long lasting and good. So seek to know God more today and every day, and find that you are truly blessed.

Daily Devotion and Daily Bible Verse – October 27

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:34 (NIV)

It is so easy to begin to worry. I can recall countless nights I stayed awake worried about the next day at school. I was concerned that I would forget the paper I wrote for English at home or my math book. I’d wake up, find my backpack, and rummage through my folders until I found the paper or book I was looking for. Once I was sure they were in my bag, I’d try to go back to sleep. I lost a lot of sleep worried about forgetting something the next day.

Worry is a bad thing. It keeps you from sometimes sleeping, eating, or even just enjoying life. That’s why the Bible tells us not to worry about tomorrow. Because if we’re using up all our energy worrying about the next day, we’re not enjoying today. God doesn’t want us going through life bogged down with worry and cares. Instead, He wants us to trust Him, that He will take care of things.

Today’s Truth: God doesn’t want us going through life burdened with worry and cares.

So today, if you have a bad habit of worrying about things, decide to make a change for good. Decide to stop worrying about things that may or may not happen and enjoy the things God has provided for you today. As you break the habit of worry, you’ll find that you’ll begin enjoying life more each day!

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Galatians 5:6

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love.  – Galatians 5:6

Do you have someone in your life who really loves you? They’re the person you know will always be there for you. They’re the kind of person that you know no matter what happens, they have your best interests at heart. When someone really loves you, it’s easy to put your confidence and trust in them.

Trusting God is the same way. It is easy to have faith and confidence in God when you begin to focus on how much He loves you. The more you realize that God loves you, the easier it is to believe He will take care of you.

The sin underneath all our sins is to trust the lie of the serpent that we cannot trust the love and grace of Christ and must take matters into our own hands – Martin Luther

With all the distractions that life brings, it’s so easy to forget how much God loves us. So let today’s Bible verse be a reminder of how important it is to remind yourself of God’s love. As you grow in love, you’ll grow in faith. Take some time today to think about how much God loves you!

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Romans 5:8

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. – Romans 5:8 (NLT)

I was unnoticed in school. I was insecure and rather than saying the wrong thing and getting made fun of, I chose not to talk. Day after day, I hoped that someone would talk to me and want to be my friend. Day after day, I stressed out because again and again I’d have to sit at a lunch table with no one that wanted me to be there.

After awhile, I began to believe there was something wrong with me. No one talked to me. No one even acted like I existed. I began to think my life didn’t really matter.

And then one day, I began to realize my value to God. I realized that what others thought of me wasn’t the opinion that really mattered. What mattered was my value to God.

I was worth so much to God. He loved me and knew everything about me. I began to develop a deep relationship with God. I realized that my worth was found in Him, not in what others thought about me.

The same is true for you. You matter. Your life has purpose and value. Don’t be lied to that because of how your friends treat you, you’re not important. Friends can be fickle, but God is always faithful.

Reach out to God and spend time letting Him show you your true value and worth.