Days 2-5 are below
Day 1
Several years ago, I found myself working in a job where I was underpaid, overworked, and underappreciated. To add to my unhappiness, I was driving an hour each way to work five days a week. I was down, and I knew something had to change. Then, I received what a friend of mine refers to as a “God wink.” I heard radio ads about turning your degree into a teaching license. I had already begun coursework in Elementary Education, and God revealed the path to finally becoming a teacher and fulfilling His will for my life in that moment. So I put in my notice, went back to school to earn my license, and now I’m at the start of my seventh year as a fifth grade teacher.
In Jesus’ famous message, the Sermon on the Mount, he began with a series of blessings (Matthew 5:3-12). The first of them speaks to those of us in situations like I found myself in back then: God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs (Matthew 5:3, New Living Translation).
Other translations use the phrase “poor in spirit.” The idea is that when you are beaten down spiritually, at the end of your rope, and you feel like you’ve run out of faith, God is still on your side. When we are down to our last thread of hope, our last dollar in the bank, our last prayer, God is still fighting for us.
Have you ever been there? Was there a time when you were down on your luck? When you felt like the world was against you? A moment when all you needed was God to reach down and put you back on your feet? In those moments, God prepares great blessings. They might come to us in subtle ways, like when the bills all seem to get paid, even when money is tight. You could get an unexpected phone call from an old friend who wants to catch up with you. Or someone might reach out with a gift of food, clothing, or money because God placed you on his/her heart.
Even when you are poor in spirit, don’t despair. God is preparing a blessing for you, whether big or small, if you are open to what His will for you.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
Think back to a time when you were “poor in spirit.” How did that situation get resolved? What kind of connections can you make between the problem and its solution that you may have missed at the time? What kind of blessing did God bring you? If you are currently in the midst of a “poor in spirit” situation, keep your head up, your heart open, and your eyes peeled for God’s work in your circumstance.
Heavenly Father, thank you for your many blessings, both large and small. Help me to have eyes that can see your hand in my life, so that I might feel your presence and catch a glimpse of the Kingdom of God here on earth. Give me an open heart to hear your promptings so that I might be a blessing for someone else in their time of need.
In Jesus’ famous message, the Sermon on the Mount, he began with a series of blessings (Matthew 5:3-12). The first of them speaks to those of us in situations like I found myself in back then: God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs (Matthew 5:3, New Living Translation).
Other translations use the phrase “poor in spirit.” The idea is that when you are beaten down spiritually, at the end of your rope, and you feel like you’ve run out of faith, God is still on your side. When we are down to our last thread of hope, our last dollar in the bank, our last prayer, God is still fighting for us.
Have you ever been there? Was there a time when you were down on your luck? When you felt like the world was against you? A moment when all you needed was God to reach down and put you back on your feet? In those moments, God prepares great blessings. They might come to us in subtle ways, like when the bills all seem to get paid, even when money is tight. You could get an unexpected phone call from an old friend who wants to catch up with you. Or someone might reach out with a gift of food, clothing, or money because God placed you on his/her heart.
Even when you are poor in spirit, don’t despair. God is preparing a blessing for you, whether big or small, if you are open to what His will for you.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
Think back to a time when you were “poor in spirit.” How did that situation get resolved? What kind of connections can you make between the problem and its solution that you may have missed at the time? What kind of blessing did God bring you? If you are currently in the midst of a “poor in spirit” situation, keep your head up, your heart open, and your eyes peeled for God’s work in your circumstance.
Heavenly Father, thank you for your many blessings, both large and small. Help me to have eyes that can see your hand in my life, so that I might feel your presence and catch a glimpse of the Kingdom of God here on earth. Give me an open heart to hear your promptings so that I might be a blessing for someone else in their time of need.
Day 2
My Grandma Betty is the reason I’m a Christ follower today. When I was a kid, she would take me and my sister to church when our parents went out late on an occasional Saturday night. She invited us to Easter every spring. It wasn’t until the end of middle school that I started attending church on my own volition, and I didn’t truly connect to God until the end of high school. But Grandma Betty planted the seeds that lead to my faith today as a husband and a father.
When she passed away, I was devastated. She was the matriarch of my family, and I knew that no holiday celebrations or family birthday parties would be the same without her. At her viewing and funeral, we cried many tears, but we also smiled and laughed and remembered the woman she was: a mother, a sister, an aunt, a grandmother, and a friend. Yes, we were sad. A vital piece of our family was gone. But we also got to reflect on our time with Betty. Stories of no mercy Phase 10 games, her wearing two different plaid patterns because “plaid and plaid match,” the moments we got one-on-one time with her. Each of us, from my mom and her sisters to me and my cousins to extended family, mourned. We experienced the depths of grief and sadness, but we found comfort in one another, joy through reflection, and peace from God. The final blessing for me was learning that my wife was pregnant at the funeral and didn’t know it. We like to think that our daughter got to meet her Great-Grandma Betty in Heaven as their paths crossed.
Jesus said, “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4 New Living Translation).” That comfort can come from close family and friends. It can come from positive memories of the one(s) you’ve lost. It can come directly from God.
We’ve all been there, whether a friend or loved one has passed away or we’ve lost a close bond when someone moved far away or a relationship dissolved. In those times of grief and sorrow, remember that God is ready and willing to comfort you, whether through a gentle hand or kind word from someone or a sense of peace flooding your spirit.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
If you are willing, recall a period in your life where you were in mourning. Who was there to comfort you? Were there any moments when you felt the weight of your grief lift, even for a moment? How did God bring you peace despite your sorrow? If you are in mourning now, how has He offered you comfort? Are you open to what He can do for you?
Heavenly Father, thank you for the people you’ve place in my life, both the ones who have helped shape who I am today and those who have helped me through tough times. Your comfort in my mourning has been a great relief. Open my eyes to the ways in which I can offer comfort to those around me who are in a season of mourning themselves.
When she passed away, I was devastated. She was the matriarch of my family, and I knew that no holiday celebrations or family birthday parties would be the same without her. At her viewing and funeral, we cried many tears, but we also smiled and laughed and remembered the woman she was: a mother, a sister, an aunt, a grandmother, and a friend. Yes, we were sad. A vital piece of our family was gone. But we also got to reflect on our time with Betty. Stories of no mercy Phase 10 games, her wearing two different plaid patterns because “plaid and plaid match,” the moments we got one-on-one time with her. Each of us, from my mom and her sisters to me and my cousins to extended family, mourned. We experienced the depths of grief and sadness, but we found comfort in one another, joy through reflection, and peace from God. The final blessing for me was learning that my wife was pregnant at the funeral and didn’t know it. We like to think that our daughter got to meet her Great-Grandma Betty in Heaven as their paths crossed.
Jesus said, “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4 New Living Translation).” That comfort can come from close family and friends. It can come from positive memories of the one(s) you’ve lost. It can come directly from God.
We’ve all been there, whether a friend or loved one has passed away or we’ve lost a close bond when someone moved far away or a relationship dissolved. In those times of grief and sorrow, remember that God is ready and willing to comfort you, whether through a gentle hand or kind word from someone or a sense of peace flooding your spirit.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
If you are willing, recall a period in your life where you were in mourning. Who was there to comfort you? Were there any moments when you felt the weight of your grief lift, even for a moment? How did God bring you peace despite your sorrow? If you are in mourning now, how has He offered you comfort? Are you open to what He can do for you?
Heavenly Father, thank you for the people you’ve place in my life, both the ones who have helped shape who I am today and those who have helped me through tough times. Your comfort in my mourning has been a great relief. Open my eyes to the ways in which I can offer comfort to those around me who are in a season of mourning themselves.
Day 3
I’m a helper. I love to reach out and lend a hand. If my wife, a friend, or a coworker needs some assistance, I’m there. Sometimes I do things without being asked because I know the other person will appreciate it. It’s nice to hear a “Thank you,” but it’s usually little to no extra effort on my part to make things easier for someone else. For example, if I’m coming through the front office at school, I pass by the faculty mailboxes. If I see a package addressed to a friend, and I’m going to pass their room anyway, I’ll likely take it down with me to save him/her a trip. Maybe it’s a highly anticipated resource for the classroom. The sooner it gets where it’s supposed to go, the better. With that in mind, when things get difficult or I’m faced with a task I’ve never done before, I’ll ask for advice or help. Sometimes all it takes to get the job done is a second set of hands. Or a YouTube tutorial explaining how to replace a headlight bulb in my car or the battery in my key fob. There’s a lot I don’t know, but I can learn if someone is willing to pass along those missing skills. It takes some humility to admit that, but I’m surrounded by an incredibly generous circle of friends who are willing to help me when I’m humble enough to ask.
Now that you know that about me, there’s another side to the coin. I’m also incredibly stubborn and prideful. If I fix my mind on completing a project myself, I’m likely to avoid asking for help because I can absolutely do that thing on my own. It can be something as complex as building a shelving unit for my garage, a job which would have been made 1,000 times easier with someone to hold the corner supports while I screwed each shelf in place. Or it could be a simple as carrying a bookshelf to a coworker’s classroom by myself. Three steps in, I knew I would be better off if I had some help. But it was just an empty bookshelf, and I said I’d get it myself. A passing custodian asked if I needed a two-wheeled dolly. Did I take that suggestion? Of course not! It would be quicker to suffer through the short journey down the hall, potentially pulling a muscle in my back, than to admit defeat, put the shelf down, and get the dolly.
Jesus said, “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth (Matthew 5:4 New Living Translation).” Humility doesn’t always come easily. But God doesn’t want us to overextend ourselves or to go through life alone just to save face or keep up appearances. Remember that Jesus called us to be humble. Admit when you need help, and give someone the chance to show you love and kindness.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
Do you struggle with humility? Do you battle stubbornness in the face of looking foolish or weak? Think back to a time when you ignored a chance to be humble. How would you and anyone else involved have been blessed by your humility? What is one area in your life where you feel God calling you to be humble?
Heavenly Father, show me how to be humble. Remind me that no one can make it through life alone. Sometimes I need my brothers and sisters to lend a hand, and other times I need to call on you for help. Dissolve my stubborn and prideful heart, and let me admit when I’m not strong enough, wise enough, or patient enough on my own. Thank you for the help you bring me in those times of need.
Now that you know that about me, there’s another side to the coin. I’m also incredibly stubborn and prideful. If I fix my mind on completing a project myself, I’m likely to avoid asking for help because I can absolutely do that thing on my own. It can be something as complex as building a shelving unit for my garage, a job which would have been made 1,000 times easier with someone to hold the corner supports while I screwed each shelf in place. Or it could be a simple as carrying a bookshelf to a coworker’s classroom by myself. Three steps in, I knew I would be better off if I had some help. But it was just an empty bookshelf, and I said I’d get it myself. A passing custodian asked if I needed a two-wheeled dolly. Did I take that suggestion? Of course not! It would be quicker to suffer through the short journey down the hall, potentially pulling a muscle in my back, than to admit defeat, put the shelf down, and get the dolly.
Jesus said, “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth (Matthew 5:4 New Living Translation).” Humility doesn’t always come easily. But God doesn’t want us to overextend ourselves or to go through life alone just to save face or keep up appearances. Remember that Jesus called us to be humble. Admit when you need help, and give someone the chance to show you love and kindness.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
Do you struggle with humility? Do you battle stubbornness in the face of looking foolish or weak? Think back to a time when you ignored a chance to be humble. How would you and anyone else involved have been blessed by your humility? What is one area in your life where you feel God calling you to be humble?
Heavenly Father, show me how to be humble. Remind me that no one can make it through life alone. Sometimes I need my brothers and sisters to lend a hand, and other times I need to call on you for help. Dissolve my stubborn and prideful heart, and let me admit when I’m not strong enough, wise enough, or patient enough on my own. Thank you for the help you bring me in those times of need.
Day 4
Everyone has a grumpy coworker. That person who always seems to look at the negative side of things or can’t see the silver linings in their cloudy sky. Maybe it’s someone who has seen more than their fair share of heartache or challenges, and those experiences have left them hardened. Or they view life through a cynical lens. Or maybe they just find joy in picking at others. These people tend to have a reputation. Either you hear stories about them when you start at a new job or you learn early on through firsthand experience.
While others keep their distance from them, I dive right in. It seems silly to me to walk on eggshells around someone when you have to work directly with them to get your job done. If I have time, I stop and make conversation. I commiserate with them about our shared frustrations, be it a schedule change that throws the entire staff off its groove for an entire day or waiting for building construction to wrap up and return us to a sense of normalcy. I share a smile or a joke or even wave and say “Hello,” as I pass in the hall. Building those connections has come to my benefit. I can go to those people with odd or inconvenient requests and know that I might get a “yes” when others would get a “no.” In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he told them, “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone (Romans 12:18, New Living Translation).” By living at peace with my coworkers, I can shine a light into my workplace. I can make a small difference in their lives and in mine.
Jesus said, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God (Matthew 5:9 New Living Translation).” He doesn’t expect us to get along with everyone or to live without conflict. But think of the good that can come from reaching out to others in your life to bring them peace. Maybe you could do with a little peace yourself. Sometimes blessing others blesses us right along with them.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
Where can you sow seeds of peace in your life? Your workplace? Your neighborhood? Your house? Take a mental walk through your day or your week. When are you or others angry, discontent, or worried? What would it mean to you and the people in your life if you did all you could to live at peace with everyone?
Heavenly Father, help me to be a peacemaker today. Reveal a person or a situation I can speak peace into this week. Speak into my heart and help me find peace to combat any frustration and worry inside me. Bring me peace so that I can spread it to others. Thank you for the peacemakers you have placed in my life. Remind me to turn to them when I find my own sense of peace running low.
While others keep their distance from them, I dive right in. It seems silly to me to walk on eggshells around someone when you have to work directly with them to get your job done. If I have time, I stop and make conversation. I commiserate with them about our shared frustrations, be it a schedule change that throws the entire staff off its groove for an entire day or waiting for building construction to wrap up and return us to a sense of normalcy. I share a smile or a joke or even wave and say “Hello,” as I pass in the hall. Building those connections has come to my benefit. I can go to those people with odd or inconvenient requests and know that I might get a “yes” when others would get a “no.” In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he told them, “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone (Romans 12:18, New Living Translation).” By living at peace with my coworkers, I can shine a light into my workplace. I can make a small difference in their lives and in mine.
Jesus said, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God (Matthew 5:9 New Living Translation).” He doesn’t expect us to get along with everyone or to live without conflict. But think of the good that can come from reaching out to others in your life to bring them peace. Maybe you could do with a little peace yourself. Sometimes blessing others blesses us right along with them.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
Where can you sow seeds of peace in your life? Your workplace? Your neighborhood? Your house? Take a mental walk through your day or your week. When are you or others angry, discontent, or worried? What would it mean to you and the people in your life if you did all you could to live at peace with everyone?
Heavenly Father, help me to be a peacemaker today. Reveal a person or a situation I can speak peace into this week. Speak into my heart and help me find peace to combat any frustration and worry inside me. Bring me peace so that I can spread it to others. Thank you for the peacemakers you have placed in my life. Remind me to turn to them when I find my own sense of peace running low.
Day 5
There are a lot of LEGO bricks in my living room. I loved building with LEGO as a kid, and I’ve passed that love onto my daughter. One of the first rules we taught Zoey, and I’m sure my mother taught me, when building with LEGOs is not to play with them on the couch. This keeps you from losing tiny plastic pieces between the couch cushions and risking someone sitting on a sharp corner. It also ensures you build on a firm foundation. Imagine my bright-eyed seven-year-old constructing a castle for one of her princess minifigures or a pink and green striped cat on our comfy couch. She gets down to grab more bricks, but climbing back up disrupts the build. The castle teeters. The cat tumbles. Plastic crashes to the floor and shatters, sending pieces in a dozen different directions. Picture the heartbreak that would ensue. Sometimes my daughter can shrug off a setback like that and move on. Other times, it’s the end of the world. My wife or I have to calm her down and help her see that she can rebuild what’s broken or start over with a new idea. All because she didn’t build on a solid base.
It’s similar for us. Say you make a new friend or begin dating someone new. Maybe you tell a little white lie about where you work or where you grew up. Something to save yourself from an uncomfortable or unpleasant conversation. But as that relationship progresses, it takes more lies to maintain the first one. Once the truth is revealed, you’re likely left with broken trust, loads of questions, and the potential end of that relationship. If you build a new relationship on a shaky foundation, it’s bound to fail. Instead, picture that same new relationship on steady ground. You admit your flaws, don’t skirt around the uncomfortable bits of yourself and your past when they come up, and speak honestly. It’s not guaranteed that things will end happily. But you know that there are no surprises to come along and blindside you. No shaky foundation to risk making things tumble to the ground. At least from your end of the relationship.
In the Sermon on the Mount (from way back on Day 1), Jesus said,
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
Just like a house without a firm foundation will shift and sink, or a LEGO creation with tip and break on a comfy couch, so will go our lives without a solid rock to stand upon. We need Jesus and his teachings to build upon.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
Are you building your life on a firm foundation? Is Jesus the solid rock under your feet? Where do you need to strengthen the supports in your life? What relationships could use the sureness that Christ offers?
Heavenly Father, show me the sandy places in the foundation of my life. Give me eyes to see where I need to strengthen relationships and fill them with you. Above all else, help me turn to you for guidance. Lead me to the people who can help build me up and will draw me closer to you.
It’s similar for us. Say you make a new friend or begin dating someone new. Maybe you tell a little white lie about where you work or where you grew up. Something to save yourself from an uncomfortable or unpleasant conversation. But as that relationship progresses, it takes more lies to maintain the first one. Once the truth is revealed, you’re likely left with broken trust, loads of questions, and the potential end of that relationship. If you build a new relationship on a shaky foundation, it’s bound to fail. Instead, picture that same new relationship on steady ground. You admit your flaws, don’t skirt around the uncomfortable bits of yourself and your past when they come up, and speak honestly. It’s not guaranteed that things will end happily. But you know that there are no surprises to come along and blindside you. No shaky foundation to risk making things tumble to the ground. At least from your end of the relationship.
In the Sermon on the Mount (from way back on Day 1), Jesus said,
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
Just like a house without a firm foundation will shift and sink, or a LEGO creation with tip and break on a comfy couch, so will go our lives without a solid rock to stand upon. We need Jesus and his teachings to build upon.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
Are you building your life on a firm foundation? Is Jesus the solid rock under your feet? Where do you need to strengthen the supports in your life? What relationships could use the sureness that Christ offers?
Heavenly Father, show me the sandy places in the foundation of my life. Give me eyes to see where I need to strengthen relationships and fill them with you. Above all else, help me turn to you for guidance. Lead me to the people who can help build me up and will draw me closer to you.