Promise for Today - Powerful Weakness

Guest author - Christopher Glotzbach 

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

You need help.

Those are words I have a hard time believing… and an even harder time receiving.

But something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is this:
When I receive help, I’m not just allowing someone to help me — I’m giving them an opportunity to bless. And when I refuse help, sometimes I unintentionally hinder someone else from living out the way God created them. 

The other day during a workout, I was on the ground (yes, on purpose ) trying to get a weight onto my lap so I could do some glute bridges. I was struggling. Like… really struggling. Before I knew it, a woman from the gym came over and offered to help me lift the plate into position.

Now, I’m pretty hardheaded… I mean, determined … so I was still fighting to get it myself.
She offered again and I looked at her and said: “No, I’m okay.”  She walked away, and I could tell she looked a little confused. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but I wondered if my refusal didn’t only communicate, “I don’t need help,” but maybe even, “I don’t need you.” And that bothered me.

After my workout, I found her and apologized. But honestly, the whole thing felt awkward.
And the reality is… it didn’t have to be.
How much harder would it have been to simply say, “Yes, thank you”?
I could have humbled myself, accepted help and given someone else the opportunity to serve...

But

The reason I said no wasn’t because I didn’t need help. It was because of pride. 

And that moment has had me thinking: 

How often do I refuse help from people who genuinely want to help me? 

Over the last week, I’ve challenged myself to say yes more often. And you know what I’ve discovered? Something really beautiful happens when we allow people to lean in. We give people the opportunity to live out the way God created them. Because we weren’t created to live independently from one another. We were created to serve, encourage, carry burdens, to give ourselves away, practice hospitality.  It’s the mission of Christ through us. 

That’s part of what it means to die to ourselves.
And sometimes my refusal to receive isn’t humility — it’s actually pride. Because when I refuse help, I’m not only trying to prove I can do it on my own… I may be keeping someone else from experiencing the joy of serving.

And I wonder how often we do the same thing with God. How often is the Lord offering us help — giving us peace, wisdom, strength, or direction — and we respond: “No, I’m okay.” How often do we rely on our own strength instead of receiving His?

The apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Then Paul says: “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Maybe weakness isn’t something we need to hide.
Maybe weakness is an invitation to experience God’s power — and the blessing of others.
Because when people are generous with their time, talent and treasure, it makes us want to be generous in the same way. Right?!

 
So today my prayer is this:
Lord, 

       Help me stay humble and open to receive help. Remind me that when I accept help, I’m not just receiving a blessing — I’m allowing someone else to be a blessing. Help me stop trying to prove I can do everything on my own. Help me boast in my weakness, knowing that Your power is made perfect in my need. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Banquet On the Battlefield

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 

Psalm 23:5 (NIV)

King David knew what it meant to be attacked emotionally, verbally, and physically. As a young man, he was anointed by the prophet Samuel to be the next king of Israel, but Saul was still king and decided to kill him. David had to hide from Saul in caves while lies were being told about him across the kingdom. Yet David never retaliated, because God was preparing him to be a king who followed God’s heart.

David said of God, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:5 NIV). Does it sound like David was stressed out? No! He didn’t have to use up all his energy defending himself, because he trusted God to be his defender.

It takes a lot of faith and humility to trust God and rest when you’re under attack, when you’re misunderstood, and when rumors are spreading about you. When that happens, everything in you wants to rise up and do something about it. 

How do you handle people who attack you? You don’t. You let God handle them. Trust God to be your defender.

Not only does God want to defend you, but he also wants to fellowship with you. The Message paraphrases Psalm 5:11 this way: “You’ll welcome us with open arms when we run for cover to you. Let the party last all night! Stand guard over our celebration.”

Both Psalm 23 and Psalm 5 paint the picture of a banquet, or a party, at an unlikely time—not just when good times are happening but when you’re under attack.

If you’re in the heat of the battle right now, God knows about it. Maybe you’re fighting for your job, your health, your sanity, or your dignity. While the battle is going on, God wants to throw a banquet for you to offer just a little encouragement.

God wants to host a banquet on a battlefield. That kind of encouragement is available to you today when you surrender your worry, pain, and control to Jesus and rest in his promises to you.

If you’re a child of God, your heavenly Father is proud of you. Critics may spite you, slander you, ignore you, ridicule you, or libel you, but they can’t stop God’s blessing on your life.

As the Bible says, “He brought me to his banquet hall and raised the banner of love over me” 

Song of Solomon 2:4 GNT.

Talk It Over

What battle are you in right now? What opposition is staring you down?

What will you have to let go of in order to surrender your defense to God?

How does resting during a battle help you fight better?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father, 

         Arise, O Lord, and defend Your people. Lead us swiftly through the valley of the shadow of death. Come as a pillar of fire and illuminate our path to make it away from hostility and lead us into Your land of promise. Shield us from the plots of the wicked who would cut us off from Your life-giving grace. Instead, let us dwell in Your courts and grow in our holiness through Christ. 
     Keep our souls pure and washed clean by the blood of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Guard the doors of our hearts that nothing unclean can enter into us or have any influence over us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Where Are You?

The Lord is nearer to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)

What if you’re exactly where you need to be?

In 2026, it feels like we’re constantly being told what will make us happy. A bigger house. A nicer car. A better job. More influence. More success. That promotion. That relationship. Better neighbors. While there’s pressure from all sides, the message is always the same: “The grass is always greener...”

Monday night, a storm rolled through our house, and it hit our little garden pretty hard. Especially our jalapeños. (My favorite thing we grow.)  The wind snapped branches, flattened the plants, and, sadly, we had to remove a large section. Months of growth…Gone in one night. 
Disappointing.

It wasn’t all bad. In the next bed over, we had recently planted green beans. They hadn’t even broken through the soil yet. While the jalapeños were taking the full force of the storm, the beans rested safely beneath the surface—hidden, protected and completely out of harm's way from the wind.

As I stood there looking at both beds, I couldn’t help but wonder…

What if we spent less time wishing we were somewhere else and more time trusting God with where we are? Content.

 
Sometimes life feels like the jalapeños. The winds come. Things break. Dreams fall apart. We feel crushed by life: Devastated. When that happens, I cling to these words:
"The Lord is nearer to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
(Psalm 34:18)

The reality?
God draws nearer to us in our brokenness. Regardless of how we feel, He’s not absent in the storm. He’s especially present there.

But, man, there are other times that life feels more like the green beans. Hidden. Unseen. Waiting. Expecting. Wondering when it’s finally going to be our turn. Questions like: “Does God care about me!?” “Does God see me!?”

Maybe—just maybe—that hidden season isn’t God holding us back.
Maybe it’s His loving kindness.
Maybe He knows we’re still developing roots.
Maybe He’s protecting us from pressures we’re not ready to carry yet.

Praise God in the moments I so desperately wanted to get out of the developing season, He was kind enough to say “not yet.”

The truth is, neither season is wasted. Both are good. And maybe you’re exactly where you need to be.

 
Whether you’re weathering the storm or waiting beneath the surface — God is still at work in you. Not every season looks like it’s producing fruit. But what if the fruit it’s producing is not seen, but felt?
Like: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Written by Christopher Glotzbach, Muncie, Indiana

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,
                          Whether I’m waiting for breakthrough, enjoying seasons of peace, standing in the middle of a storm, or picking up the pieces afterward, help me remain in You. Teach me to be content where You’ve planted me. Exactly where I am. Exactly how I am. Knowing I won’t be here forever.
Increase my trust that Your timing is better than mine. Keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, because You are worthy of it all. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Promise for Today - Compassion: Anything It Takes

I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.

John 10:10-11 (GW)

What's in our hearts often determines what we feel when we look at people. When we see a crowd, we can easily get irritated or impatient. But when Jesus saw a crowd, “he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36 ESV).

That's the same way God looks at you: with compassion. Remember: He doesn’t put you down. He lifts you up! No matter how angry, hurt, or betrayed you feel, Jesus will always respond with compassion. He knows how helpless we are without him, “like sheep without a shepherd.”

Without a shepherd, sheep are defenseless. They don't have any claws, they don't run fast, and their teeth are not very sharp. They need the protection of a shepherd.

Throughout the Bible, sheep are a symbol of God's people. John 10:10-11 says, “I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep” (GW).

That kind of compassion comes only from Jesus, our Good Shepherd. And it’s different from sympathy and empathy.

Sympathy says, “I'm sorry you're hurt,” and it stops there. Empathy is a deeper commitment that says, “I hurt with you." But compassion says, “I will do anything it takes to stop your hurt."

And that is, in essence, what Jesus did through his life, death, and resurrection. He did anything it took to stop your hurt, even if it meant dying on the cross, even if it meant having nails pounded through his hands and feet. Compassion does whatever it takes.

Jesus said the reason he came was “not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45 NLT). Notice the two words “serve” and “give.” They define what it means to follow Jesus.

Do you look at people who are hurting and helpless the way Jesus does? Are you full of love and compassion, willing to do whatever you can to stop their pain?

The Bible repeatedly tells us that when Jesus looked at people in pain, he was moved with compassion. God wants you to be like him, which means looking at others the same way.

Talk It Over

Describe a time you were moved with compassion for someone. How did your response reflect your compassion?

Do you struggle seeing God as compassionate? Why or why not?

In what areas of your life do you think God wants to build more compassion for others?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father, 

          Open our hearts to see others with kindness, to listen without judgment, and to give without expecting. Let our words bring comfort and our actions reflect Your love. In Jesus' Name we pray.
Amen.

Promise for Today - Guide, Guard, Save

When he has led out all of his sheep, he walks in front of them, and they follow, because they know his voice.
John 10:4 (CEV)

God guides you. 

When you get confused or wander away, Jesus will find you and bring you back. Much like sheep, we tend to wander—and we get lost. So God sent Jesus on a search and rescue mission to save us, “to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10 NLT).

Why? Because every single one of us matters to him.

When God brings you back from wandering away from him, he will not punish you, but he may discipline you. Like a shepherd who wraps the legs of a sheep that is prone to wander, God may give you a “limp” to keep you from wandering.

God guards you. 

If you fail or fall, Jesus rescues you and sets you on the road to recovery. We not only wander, but, just like sheep, we also stumble and fall. The good news is that you can run to Jesus every time you mess up and expect him to rescue and restore you.

Jesus said, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep!” (Matthew 12:11-12 NIV). If it’s common sense to rescue an animal that stumbles, won’t God act the same way toward you when you stumble?

God saves you. 

If you trust him to save you, Jesus will keep his promise to do just that. It’s not your job to save yourself. Your job is simply to put your hand in God’s and say, “I’m all yours—the good, the bad, and the ugly.” God loves you too much to ever let you go. Jesus said it like this: “My Father gave my sheep to me. He is greater than all, and no person can steal my sheep out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:29 NCV).

When you trust in Jesus as your Savior, you’re no longer on your own. When you feel lost, confused, or like you’ve fallen into a pit, you can trust that the Good Shepherd is always there for you. He will guide you, guard you, and save you.

Talk It Over

Have you experienced God’s discipline to keep you from wandering away from him again? How would you describe his discipline?

When did God rescue you from a bad situation? In what ways did your faith change through that experience?

What does God’s promise to always come after you when you surrender to him tell you about his character?

-by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

           Guide our steps with Your wisdom and guard our hearts with Your peace. Keep us safe in Your care and lead us where we should go. Help us to always follow Your voice. In Jesus'' Name we pray. Amen.

Promise for Today - Direct and Protect

My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.

John 10:10-11 (NLT)

Sheep are essentially defenseless animals, so a shepherd carries a few tools to care for and protect his sheep. He has a rod for guarding and protecting, and he uses a staff with a little crook in it to rescue the sheep.

We are like lost sheep in need of protection and direction, so Jesus came to earth to be our Good Shepherd. He said, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep” (John 10:10-11 NLT).

Just as a shepherd uses the physical tools of the rod and the staff for direction and protection, God wants to direct and protect you. Here are two ways he does that:

If you follow him, Jesus leads you in the right direction.
You need a guide—a shepherd—to go before you in life. You need Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who leads from the front and calls you forward. This is different from a cowboy, who drives cattle from the back. Jesus is not going to push you through life. He gets in front of you and essentially says, “Watch how I do it. Look where I go.”

John 10:4 says, “When he has led out all of his sheep, he walks in front of them, and they follow, because they know his voice” (CEV).

If you bring your hurts to him, Jesus is compassionate.
Jesus has compassion on us because he knows that we are helpless without him. Matthew 9:36 says, “When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (NIV). The sense in the original Greek text is that Jesus hurt deeply for the people in the crowd and wanted to help them.

In the same way, when you bring your pain to Jesus, he doesn’t put you down; he lifts you up. He doesn’t hassle you; he heals you. Because of God’s goodness, Jesus directs and protects you. Jesus is our Good Shepherd, who “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28 ESV).

Talk It Over

When have you sensed God going in front of you to lead you? In what ways did that experience grow your faith?

How have you seen Jesus’ compassion bring healing in your own life or someone else’s?

In what direction is Jesus leading you right now? In your work? Your family? Your community? Your church? Your relationships?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

          We come before You with open hearts. Guide our steps so they align with Your will, and light the path when the way ahead feels uncertain. Grant us wisdom to make choices that honor You, and courage to walk in faith even when we cannot see the whole road. Cover us with Your protection - shield us from harm, guard our minds from fear, and keep our spirits anchored in Your peace.
          Surround our loved ones with Your care, and let Your presence be the constant compass that leads us safely through each day. We trust that You go before us, and walk beside us. Watch over us always. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Fear Not

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Psalm 23:4 (NLT)

What are you worried about today? The economy? Your health? Your bills? Your kids? Are you worried about the future? The fact is there are a lot of reasons to be afraid in today’s world. More than ever, we feel the stress of even everyday tasks that seem infinitely more difficult because of the state of the world. Life is just hard.

But God promises that, even in your darkest valleys, he is walking beside you.

It’s interesting to note that there are 365 verses in the Bible that say, “Fear not.” God provided us with one “Fear not” message for every day of the year! He wants us to hear the message: Don’t be afraid!

Why does God have to repeat himself so often when it comes to our worries and fears? It’s because our hurts and hang-ups can often cause us to think that God is out to get us, that all he wants to do is condemn us and punish us. But that simply isn’t true. Jesus is the proof of that.

When you understand God’s grace and mercy, then you have no need to fear the future. God isn’t trying to get even with you. Jesus has taken the penalty for everything you’ve ever done wrong or will do wrong. He paid for it on the cross. So, when a bad thing happens, you don’t have to think, “God’s getting even with me.” Instead, remember and pray this verse:“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me” (Psalm 23:4 NLT).

But you can’t just say this Scripture and then expect all your fears to go away once and for all. These are verses you will have to pray over and over again as your human nature slips back into worry. But keep praying. Keep reminding yourself of God’s promises.

They never fail!

Talk It Over

What promises from God’s Word can you claim when you’re tempted to worry about something in your life?

In what ways does God protect you?

Why should understanding Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross keep you from fearing the future?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father, 

          When our hearts are overwhelmed, overwhelm us with Your peace. Lead us to You, our Rock. Guide us to Your word, which gives us strength and refuge. Help us not to run from our pain but to trust fully in Your goodness and power to carry us through. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.