Do you worry? I know I do. Way more than I should. And about things that aren’t really important. Yet sometimes, it’s hard to really trust that God will indeed take care of everything we need.

I worry most when my friends don’t treat me right. I wonder if things will work out, and wish sometimes I could change things I said or did. However, I know that worry isn’t right. When I worry, it means that I don’t really trust God.

If I trusted that God would bring me the friends I needed, then I wouldn’t worry if someone got upset at something I said. That’s not to say that I say mean things, or be unkind. But the truth is, if I trusted God fully, then I wouldn’t be concerned about what others thought of the things I said, the things I wear, or the things I do. Instead, I’d be looking to God only for approval.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. – 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

Today’s Bible verse says to give all our worries to God. That means worry about friends, family, food, or any other area in our lives. When we realize that we can go to God, pray and get the answers we need, then we don’t need to be concerned about anything. God is willing and able to supply any need that comes up in our lives. We just have to be bold enough to believe Him and take Him at His word.

So today, challenge yourself to give your worries to God. Know that He cares for you, and is ready to bring you the solutions to everything you face.

Pray: God, I thank you that you have the solution to every problem that I face. I choose today to look to you. I give my cares to you and know that you will see me through in every area of my life. Amen.

Have you ever had someone give you a lot of trouble because you believed in God? Maybe a friend at school makes fun of you because of your belief. Or perhaps a co-worker at your job is always poking fun at your faith. What do you do when it feels like the people around you don’t take God seriously, and give you trouble because you do?

Let’s look at what Moses had to deal with in Exodus 5:2.

Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.” – Exodus 5:2 (NIV)

Moses asked Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go. And Pharaoh was like, who is God? Why should I obey what He says? Because Pharaoh didn’t believe in God, it made it hard for him to believe what Moses said about God.

The same is true for the people in our lives. Many of them don’t believe in God, or know God, so they have difficulty believing and obeying what He says. So what happened next? Well things actually got a lot worse for the Israelites. Pharaoh made their lives more difficult and gave them harder work to do.

And that happens to us too, doesn’t it? When someone knows we believe in God, they often try to target us. They seem to make more fun of us or give us a rougher time. But here’s the truth, like Moses, we have to trust that the end will turn out okay.

Eventually, the nation of Israel was able to leave slavery in Egypt. And you can expect the same too. Usually, if you give people enough time, and enough grace, they will respect you for your stand of faith. And even if they don’t, know that God sees your stand and will reward you in the end.

So today, take some time to pray for those who give you difficulty for your faith. Know that in the end, you will be rewarded for your stand, and stand firm in the midst of it all.

Pray: God help me to love those that give me trouble for my faith. Help me to stand firm in the midst of it all and be a witness for you! Amen.

God said moreover to Moses, “You shall tell the children of Israel this, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations. – Exodus 3:15 (WEB)

Do you ever wonder what you’ll say to people when you talk to them about Jesus? Do you ever struggle with sharing your God-given dreams with others or your faith with others because you wonder what they will think of you?

If so, you’re not alone. Moses had a lot of questions for God too. He doubted himself. Moses asked many questions of God to find out what God was going to call him to do.

Questions are natural. When God calls you or asks you to do something, it’s only natural to have questions. But where do you take those questions? Do you go to God? Or do you begin to ask others?

In this account, Moses took his questions to God. He asked God what he should say, he questioned his ability to speak, all sorts of things. But in spite of his questions, he obeyed God. He went to Pharoah and spoke to him. That had to take some guts. Here he was, a man who had run away, and was now facing Pharoah and asking for something that was seemingly impossible. Wow!

So, if God has called you to do something bigger than you, that’s ok. It’s okay to have questions too. Just go to God to find the answers, and obey regardless of your limitations. It’s in doing that, that you’ll find you have the empowerment to do what God has called you to do.

Pray: God help me to do what you’ve called me to do. I know I can’t do it myself, but I know you’ll tell me what to say and tell me what to do each step of the way, if I’ll trust you. I choose to do that. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”- Exodus 3:12 (NIV)

Have you ever felt alone in facing something big? It’s easy to feel that way when you’re facing a situation that seems really tough, or when facing something that seems just too hard. But here’s the truth. Just like Moses, you’re not alone.

God has not left you alone or helpless. You have everything you need to do what He is calling you to do. What’s more, you have God himself with you. That’s good news.

You’re not alone. You’ve got God himself there ready to help you each step of the way. Just trust Him. Expect Him to move in miraculous ways. Trust God and put your faith in Him, and you’ll see God help you do the impossible, just like He did with Moses.

Today’s Truth: You’re not alone. With God you can do the impossible!

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” – Exodus 3:11 (NIV)

Do you ever question yourself? Maybe God has put a dream in your heart, and it feels too big. You doubt that you could do it. You wonder, who am I to do what I feel God is calling me to do?

That feeling is natural. Moses did the same thing. He questioned God. He wondered who am I to do the thing God is telling me to do?

We all feel this way from time to time. We face something and begin to doubt ourselves. That’s natural. However, don’t stop at your doubts and fears. Instead, trust God. Know that if God has called you to something, He’s equipped you to do it.

Even if you have limitations, God doesn’t. So trust Him. Look beyond what you can do, and trust God. Know that He’s the one who will see you through.

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. – Matthew 6:6 (NIV)

I don’t know if you’re anything like me, but prayer doesn’t come all that naturally to me. It often feels like a lot of work. At the end of the day, I’d rather go to bed or watch TV than to spend time praying. In the morning, it’s easy to just want to sleep in until the last minute possible. It’s really easy to put praying off.

But there is power in prayer. And as Christians, prayer should be a part of our lives each day. Why? Because prayer gets God involved in every detail and moment of our lives.

If you’re in your first class of the day, and you don’t understand the math problem being taught, you can pray and ask God for an idea to help you understand it better. If you struggle with making friends, you can ask God for help in that area. Whatever you face each and everyday, it’s better when you get God involved in it through prayer.

“Heaven is full of answers to prayer for which no one ever bothered to ask” – Billy Graham.

God is willing to help us out. It’s just up to us to go and ask. When we pray, we’re opening up the door for God to get involved in every area of our lives. So today, don’t be afraid to pray. Don’t worry if you’re saying the right words or doing the right thing. Instead, just talk to God. Have a heart that is willing to talk, share, and listen to Him. That’s all that God asks.

Begin to make prayer a part of your life, and you can experience the power that God will make available to you, if you simply dare to ask.

For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. – 2 Cor 10:12 (KJV)

Have you noticed how few people seem to have true happiness these days? It seems like we are busier than ever, more stressed out than we’ve ever been, and have far less joy than we’ve ever seen.

Why does finding happiness seem so hard?

Often, it’s because we fall into the trap of comparison. It’s so easy to spend hours a day scrolling through pictures of friends and family doing amazing things. And more than likely your life doesn’t even compare to the fun they’re having so you feel upset and like you’re missing out.

The more you compare, the more you’ll feel like your life comes up short. In fact, the Bible tells us that doing this is unwise. So instead of spending hours comparing how many followers you have or how good you play a video game, consider turning those things off and just enjoy spending some time with family or friends.

If you’ve been guilty of being happy based on how you measure up to others, take some time to think. Ask God to show you all the amazing things about you and how you can be thankful for what you have rather than wish you had something different.

I remember watching many of my friends fall to sexual sin as a teenager. I recall watching them tell stories of all the fun they had at the latest party, or the best thing they had done. I recall at times really feeling like I was missing out on a lot because I had chosen not to go to the parties, and not participate in sexual sin.

It can sometimes be discouraging choosing to follow Jesus. There can be times when it feels like everyone is against you, or perhaps that they’re all having fun while you’re not. Let’s look at today’s Bible verse.

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. – John 8:34 (NIV)

Even though sin can sometimes seem like fun, in the end, it leads to slavery. That means that often your sin will entangle you and not produce lasting fun or freedom in your life. Yes, sin can at times seem like fun, or even be fun in the moment. But the truth is, that fun isn’t lasting.

Sin leads to bad fruit in your life. It’s only by following Jesus and living our lives the way the Bible tells us to that brings true freedom. Sin brings bad things into your life.

That’s why Jesus came to set us free from the power that sin held over our lives. So today, make the decision to try to the best of your ability to walk free from sin. Sin never leads to anything good. Turn from sin, and make the determination that with the help of Jesus, you can live a life that is free from the effects of sin!

Today’s Truth: Sin doesn’t lead to freedom.