A devotional is an in-depth Bible study. A typical devotional should take you anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to complete. Download and print a PDF version of this devotional for yourself, or use it with a friend to create an engaging discussion.
Opening Questions
- Difficulties reveal who you really are. What are you like when you are not close to God?
- How do you tend to respond when something difficult happens?
Bible Study
If you take care of others – God will take care of you
If you make sure that the hungry and oppressed have all that they need, then your light will shine in the darkness, And even your bleakest moments will be bright as a clear day. The Eternal One will never leave you; He will lead you in the way that you should go. When you feel dried up and worthless, God will nourish you and give you strength. And you will grow like a garden lovingly tended; you will be like a spring whose water never runs out. ..Then you will discover joy such as only the Eternal can give.
Isaiah 58:10-11, 14 Voice
- When we go through difficult times, it’s easy to get more selfish, less involved, and lose our heart for others
- But God says the opposite. If we take care of others, he will take care of us.
If you stop listening to God, he will stop talking to you
For everyone who listens with an open heart will receive progressively more revelation until he has more than enough. But those who don’t listen with an open, teachable heart, even the understanding that they think they have will be taken from them.
Matthew 13:12 TPT
- When hardships come, we can stop listening to God because we are focused on ourselves. We can become fearful and mistrustful.
- But the truth is we can become stuck in our situation BECAUSE we stop listening.
- God always has an answer for us and new perspective to share If we keep listening to him!
- Reading the Bible, praying, and getting help from friends are all ways we can listen to God!
If you stop acting religious God will give you power to do what he’s asking you to do.
They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!
2 Timothy 3:5 NLT
- Stop “acting” like you have it together. Be honest with your sin, your struggles, and your weaknesses.
- This is how God can change you – from the inside out.
- When you’re open and honest, your prayers become more powerful.
- God is consistently trying to change you through your difficulties, but you reject him when you just try to act religious. (Isaiah 48:10, James 1:2-4)
For I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.
Philippians 4:13 -TLB
God will never put you through something without giving you power to get through it!
So the question is – GOT GOD?