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.

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. – 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NLT)

I remember a time when I jumped off a cliff. Before you freak out, yes it was a real literal cliff. However, below it was a lake full of deep clear water, and I could swim well, so there was no real danger in doing it. I remember climbing up the rocks to get to the top.

The cliff hadn’t looked very high from the water, but when I was standing at the top of it looking down, the distance to the water seemed farther than I thought. That’s when the fear kicked in.

I stood at the top. I wanted to jump, yet it looked too far down. I saw the people who had jumped before me, down in the water below me and they were laughing and having a good time. I knew that jumping wouldn’t hurt me, yet it looked too far.

Have you ever felt like that when it comes to the things of God? Maybe the dream in your heart feels too far away. Perhaps the things that God is speaking to you to do seem too big and too scary. What do you do when you feel that way?

Today’s Truth: Jump Even When Things Seem Scary

When I was standing on the edge of that cliff, I decided to jump. Yes, I was afraid. However, I knew that once I jumped off, I would be having fun like the people below me. So I shut my eyes and jumped off the rock into the lake. I felt my legs kicking all the way down, and then my body hit the water. I kicked toward the surface, and when my head came out of the water, I was smiling and laughing. I had so much fun!

Often, the same is true with the things of God. If you’ll just jump out into what you feel like He’s calling you to do, you’ll find yourself having fun. Jumping out into the things of God can be scary and beyond your comfort zone. However, God knows you. The things that He speaks to you to do are good. So don’t be afraid to do what He’s calling you to do. Jump out and have fun, then watch as God brings good things to pass in your life!

Instead, desire first and foremost God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33 (CEB)

Have you noticed that often you have many things pulling you in different directions? You might want to do well in school so that you can get a good job. Maybe you desire to get married. But you also want to make our life count and live for God at the same time. So how do you balance all these things pulling you in different directions?

Jesus answers this question with today’s Bible verse. Instead of trying to find the balance of which things to put our focus on, He makes it simple by saying to first focus on God’s kingdom and His righteousness. When you do that all these other things you might want will be given to you.

Today’s Truth: Focus on God First

What does it mean to focus on God’s kingdom and His righteousness first? This means you spend time with God and learn about His ways of doing things. The main way you do this is by reading the Bible. As you do that, it will help you know God’s heart and what He is all about.

The promise of this verse is that when you put your focus on God’s Word and His way of doing things first, all the other concerns of your life will begin to fall into place. You can then have the peace of knowing that you do not have to keep it all in order, God will. God supernaturally takes care of all your life’s concerns when you put His concerns first.

Today, choose to put God’s Word and His Kingdom first. It might take some time before all your other things in your life all get aligned by God, but know that in time He will make sure that all the things you were concerned about are taken care of.