Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. – Psalm 37:7 (NLT)

It’s easy to get worked up about little things. I remember a time when I felt like some other youth in my youth group were being treated unfairly and it really bothered me. I wanted to take action and see results.

Often, it’s easy to want to do, do, do. We want to do something to make the results we want. And it feels better and easier to do something rather than wait for God to take care of it for you.

However, there is wisdom in practicing rest. Instead of getting worked up about things, rest. Relax. Trust God that He is always working for you. He wants good things for you.

Today’s Truth: Rest. God is working on your behalf.

Today’s Bible verse is a great reminder of this. We should be at rest, seeking God’s presence and waiting patiently.

So if you’ve been guilty of getting worked up or upset, choose today to rest. Know that God loves you, He’s always fighting for you, and you can simply rest and enjoy His presence in your life today.

They said, ‘Whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war, plague, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.’ – 2 Chronicles 20:9 (NLT)

In today’s Bible verse, we see Jehoshaphat praying and reminding himself of God’s great desire to rescue His people.

It’s good to know that in times when it feels like everything is against you, you can cry out to God. You can let God know how you feel. God wants to hear from you.

The good news is that not only does God want to hear from you, but He also wants to save you too. He wants to provide you help in trouble.

There are so many things you might be facing right now. Maybe you’re faced with lockdowns and virtual schooling. Perhaps things aren’t good at home. Any number of things like these can make you weary.

However, the good news is that in the middle of all of this, you can cry out to God. God wants to hear you and help you. So even if you’re facing something big, know this: God cares. He wants to help you, all you have to do is ask Him.

Feeling discouraged and want more devotions like these? Here is a list of all of our devotions from this week.

• Day 1 – I’m scared, but I’m Not Alone
• Day 2 – Fear Doesn’t Control My Life
• Day 3 – Say No To Fear and Yes to Seeking God
• Day 4 – Defeat Discouragement By Remind Yourself of What God Has Done
• Day 5 – God Wants to Help – Don’t Forget to Call On Him In Trouble

O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? – 2 Chronicles 20:7

In today’s Bible verse, we see Jehoshaphat praying and reminding himself of what God had done for him.

Often when we get discouraged, we forget what God has done. We forget how he had helped us in the past. In those times when we feel really discouraged, it’s good to remind ourselves of all the ways God has been there.

Today’s Truth: Defeat discouragement by reminding yourself of what God has done.

There’s power in remembering what God has done for us. It helps us stay encouraged when we’re up against something big and overwhelming. So today, if you’ve allowed yourself to get discouraged, choose to remind yourself of what God has done.

Time and time again, God has come through for His people, and He will come through for you.

Feeling discouraged and want more devotions like these? Here is a list of all of this week’s devotions.

• Day 1 – I’m scared, but I’m Not Alone
• Day 2 – Fear Doesn’t Control My Life
• Day 3 – Say No To Fear and Yes to Seeking God
• Day 4 – Defeat Discouragement By Remind Yourself of What God Has Done
• Day 5 – God Wants to Help – Don’t Forget to Call On Him In Trouble

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Do you run to a friend and complain about how hard things are? Maybe you distract yourself with social media?

Today we’re going to look at what the people of Judah and Jerusalem did when they faced a huge army coming to kill them.

So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the LORD’s help. – 2 Chronicles 20:4 (NLT)

These people could have given into fear. We would have understood if they all packed up their stuff and moved away in the night. It would have been understandable if they all freaked out, panicked and ran around in fear.

Instead, these people did something amazing. They went to seek the Lord’s help.

Often, we forget that when we face something scary and overwhelming we can go to God for His help. We can ask for wisdom when we need it. God wants to give us everything we need to win the battle we’re up against in our lives.

Our job is simply to go to God. We have to seek His help. The answers we look for aren’t found on social media or by Googling. Rather, we find them as we get into the word.

So today, choose to say no to fear and to seek God. As you do, you’ll find that the help you need to face your enemy is there, given by God.

Feeling discouraged and want more devotions like these? Here is a list of all of our devotions from this week.

• Day 1 – I’m scared, but I’m Not Alone
• Day 2 – Fear Doesn’t Control My Life
• Day 3 – Say No To Fear and Yes to Seeking God
• Day 4 – Defeat Discouragement By Remind Yourself of What God Has Done
• Day 5 – God Wants to Help – Don’t Forget to Call On Him In Trouble

Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the LORD for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. – 2 Chronicles 20:3 (NLT)

When I first heard about COVID, I have to be honest. I was scared. There were so many reports of how bad it could be, and it brought a lot of fear into my life. At night, I would lay awake and wonder if I had gotten it from my trip to the store or from hanging out with friends.

I really felt a lot like Jehoshaphat did. I was terrified by the news. However, as I spent more time reading the Bible and praying, I felt like God encouraged me that I didn’t have to be afraid.

Just like Jehoshaphat when we face trying and difficult times, we can go to God for His help and guidance. And just like God did for Jehoshaphat, God will help lead you out of the trouble that you face.

Today’s Truth: Fear Doesn’t Control My Life

Most likely, you’re probably facing something right now that makes you afraid. The good news is that God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear. God gives us power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

So if fear has been controlling your life lately, choose to do what Jehoshaphat did. Look to God. Seek Him. Get the peace of God, and know that God will see you through the thing that you fear.

If fear is tormenting you, and you need some extra help, check out our e-book: 5 Devotions to Defeat Fear.

Want more devotions like these? Here is a list of all of our devotions from this week.

• Day 1 – I’m scared, but I’m Not Alone
• Day 2 – Fear Doesn’t Control My Life
• Day 3 – Say No To Fear and Yes to Seeking God
• Day 4 – Defeat Discouragement By Remind Yourself of What God Has Done
• Day 5 – God Wants to Help – Don’t Forget to Call On Him In Trouble

Have you ever faced something that seemed really scary? Has there been a time when you ever felt like everyone in your life was against you? In those times, it can be difficult to know what to do or where to turn.

In today’s Bible verse, we see that Jehoshaphat faced a vast army. Facing something like that would feel really scary. Let’s read about what happened.

Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at Hazazon-tamar.” (This was another name for En-gedi.) – 2 Chronicles 20:2

I can only imagine how scary that must have felt. A huge army was coming against them. They probably felt outnumbered and overwhelmed.

Read: Help! I’m Afraid.

And maybe you feel the same way. Perhaps you feel like you’re overwhelmed by the things you’re facing right now. The good news is that God doesn’t leave us helpless or alone in those times.

Today’s Truth: I might be scared, but I’m not alone!

Instead, God is there to guide us in what to do and how to come through difficulty.

Today, don’t give into feelings of fear. Just like Jehoshaphat, God will help deliver you and give you the wisdom you need to face the scary and big things in your life.

Pray: God, I thank you that you’re helping me. I thank you for your help in what I’m facing today. I ask you for wisdom today, in Jesus name, Amen.

The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. – Proverbs 11:24 (MSG)

There’s a lie in our society today that tells us that if we get more we will be happier. If we had more friends we would be happier. If we had a better car we’d be happier. If we got those new shoes we’d be happier. We see it all around us. So many people are wearing themselves out pursuing things in an effort to make themselves happier.

God gives us a different perspective here in this verse. Basically, He’s saying that if we are primarily focused on ourselves and keeping us happy and getting more things for ourselves that our world will be small.

When your focus is on yourself, your world will be small. And the reality is, the more you focus on yourself the unhappier you’ll be. God wants to use you. He wants to do big things through you and use you to bless the people around you.

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However, if your main focus is on yourself, your world will be small. Instead, if you choose to focus on others and meeting the needs of those around you, you’ll not only be happier, but you’ll be more fulfilled. You’ll know that you’re being used by God to help those around you in a big way.