As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us. – Hebrews 12:1

Have you ever wanted to do big things for God but were always held back? Sometimes, we let sin, fear, or wounds stop us from doing the things God has called us to do. In today’s Bible verse, we are encouraged to let go of the wounds and sin and to run the race God has set before us.

Many of the heroes in the Bible had to do this. They had to lay aside their fears, sins, and wounds to do the things God had called them to do. This doesn’t mean that they were perfect, but rather that they believed what God said about them.

Today’s Truth: What Do I Need to Let Go Of to Trust God?

In the areas where they felt weak and like they fell short, those Bible heroes trusted God. They knew God was the one to make up the difference. If you’re going to do big things for God, you’re going to have to lay some things aside. Once you stop looking at things other people have said or done to you, it frees you up to run your race for God.

A patient person shows great understanding, but a quick-tempered one promotes foolishness. – Proverbs 14:29 (HCSB)

Maybe you’re counting down the days until your summer vacation from school. Or perhaps you’re looking forward to going to college and leaving all the drama of high school behind. Many times, we’re really excited about the future, so much so that we forget to enjoy the present.

Being present and enjoying the present can be a really difficult skill to master. It’s easy to become impatient when things get boring and take longer than you expected. The secret to true happiness is learning to be content regardless of whether you’re having fun or where you’d like to be in life. Being patient can be difficult.

The good news is that you don’t have to be patient alone. Patience is a fruit of the spirit. That means that if you’ve accepted Jesus into your heart, you’ve got patience in you. You’ve just got to choose to let patience work in your life.

Developing patience isn’t fun or easy. However, the rewards of developing patience are good. You’ll find that you’re much happier. Choose today to enjoy where you are right now, even if it’s not where you want to be. Choose to be happy regardless of what is going on around you.

Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” – Ecclesiastes 12:1 (NLT)

The day I turned 16 and got my driver’s license was a great day! I was so excited to finally be driving. I remember sitting alone behind the steering wheel of my vehicle feeling both a little scared and also really excited. Learning how to drive, like many experiences you have as a teenager can be really exciting.

However, today’s Bible verse tells us in the middle of those exciting experiences to not forget God. That means we’re to draw close to God at all times, in the good, bad, and even normal times of your life.

It’s easy to forget about God as you’re going about your daily life. Remembering God takes work. However, putting God first in your decisions and experiences will pay off in the end. When you put God first, you will avoid a lot of heartbreak and failure. So even though it takes some effort, including God in your daily life is worth it in the long run.

Today choose to put God first in your decisions, relationships, and experiences. Choose to step out of what is easy and do what is right. Determine to pursue God in all you do.

and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’”  – Joshua 4:3 (ESV)

Throughout the Bible, God would have people do certain things to help them remember something He did for them. In today’s verse, we see God encouraging Israel to set up stones to help them remember how God helped them cross the river. God did this so they wouldn’t easily forget what He had done in their lives.

For us, it’s easy to forget the goodness of God too. We face a new problem, and it makes us forget the good things God has done for us in the past. In the Old Testament, they often would build a memorial. Today, your mom might not be too happy with you building a huge tower in your backyard. However, there are things we can do to remember without building something.

One easy thing to do is to put it on your phone. Maybe you got saved and know the date you made that decision. Put it in your phone and set your phone to alert you every year on that date. When the reminder goes off on your phone, you get a chance to remember what God did for you.

If you don’t have a phone, start a journal. Write down the things God is speaking to you. Then take some time every once in a while to go back and read what you wrote previously. You’ll be amazed at all the things you can see that God has done in your life up to this point.

Whatever you do, make sure that you’re marking the things God has done for you. It’s so easy to get busy and forget that God has been moving in your life. Make a habit of marking down what God has done in your life and then spending time thanking Him for His goodness to you.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

Have you ever put your confidence in the wrong thing? I remember a time when there was a guy attending youth group, and I was certain he was going to be the person I married. I dreamed of what our kids might look like. Every night, I’d write in my journal about all the great qualities this guy had.

The thing was, I was actually putting my confidence in the wrong thing. I was so certain that he was perfect for me, that I never asked God what He thought about the relationship.

Come to find out, he asked one of my friends from youth group to be his girlfriend. So there I was, completely upset, all because I had put my confidence in the wrong thing. I had made this guy to be so great in my mind, but hadn’t asked God what He thought about my future with Him. If I had, I’m sure He would have shown me that we weren’t right for each other and that we didn’t have a future together.

Today’s Truth: Don’t Put Your Confidence in the Wrong Thing

There are many things we can put our confidence in. However, if we want to avoid major heartbreak and disappointment, we’d be wise to put our confidence in God. He’s the one who can’t lie, make mistakes or disappoint.

So if you’ve been guilty of not building your life on God and His word, determine to make the adjustments needed. God wants you to walk in joy and freedom and that comes by following Him first and putting your confidence in Him.

So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! – Hebrews 10:35 (NLT)

There have been a few times in my life when my confidence has been really shaken. One time in my first year of college, I moved in with my roommate. I was so excited because the two of us were best friends. I knew we were going to have a great time and make so many memories.

We had fun running to the store to get things for our apartment. With our hard work, the apartment was looking good and we were having a blast getting it ready.

Then, a few months after I moved in, my roommate suddenly, without warning decided to tell me she wanted me to move out immediately. She wanted me to find a new place to live and gave me two weeks to do it. My confidence was shaken. I didn’t know what to do. There were no open apartments near me, and I was out of ideas as to what I should do.

It can be hard to know what to do when your confidence gets shaken. What do you do when a trusted friend lets you down in a big way like mine had done?

I chose at that moment to fully trust God. I didn’t know how He would do it, but I knew that He would make a way. So I kept being positive and trusting God when inside I felt like crying. The good news was, about a week later, God came through for me.

Another apartment suddenly became available in the complex where I currently lived. I was able to move into that place, just in time.

Today’s Truth: Place Your Confidence In God

You might have times when you felt like I did in college when one of my best friends let me down. Yet in the middle of that, God was there for me. He provided a way for me to have a good place to live. And God wants to do the same for you.

If a friend has let you down, realize that God is there for you to get through it. Friends won’t always do the right thing, but God will never let you down. He is always faithful, and always wants to provide a way for you and your needs.

Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart. – Ephesians 6:6

Working a job can be really hard sometimes. It’s easy to get tired of your job, or feel like you don’t want to work very hard at times. Staying motivated at work can be pretty difficult.

Today’s verse is talking about work. It challenges us to not just do a good job when our boss is watching us or when there’s profit for us, but rather to be doing a good job all the time. We should be working hard and doing a good job because we want to do the right thing for God.

Working hard and doing the right thing when no one else is watching is hard. It’s easier to slack off when no one watches or just take it easy. It takes character to work hard and do the right thing when no one is watching and there is no profit for you by doing it. Challenge yourself today to work hard and do the right thing, regardless of who sees. Choose to live your life to please God.