Today’s Always Uplifting Verse and Devotional to start your day off right!

Full Circle Encouragement

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Proverbs 11:25 — A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Some days, advice comes out of my mouth a whole lot easier than it is to hear it.

Yeah, recently I was encouraging someone. We were having a long conversation over coffee, and I meant every word I said.

“God’s got you. Don’t settle. Don’t rush it. Wait for His best.”

Then I went home, sat down at my computer to get some work done. The internet was slow so I was left staring straight into that spinning blue circle of death.

You know the one. That little wheel that just goes round and round making no progress like it’s got all the time in the world. And wouldn’t you know, that’s exactly what my life felt like in that moment. Waiting on a breakthrough. Waiting on God’s timing. Waiting on something—anything—to move forward.

That’s when the temptation creeps in.

“Maybe I’ll just settle.

“Maybe this is close enough.

“Maybe waiting is overrated.”

Which is funny, considering what I just told my friend.

Then, out of nowhere, my phone buzzed.

A message popped up from another friend, and I had to laugh—out loud—because there it was. Nearly word for word.

“Don’t settle. God’s got you. Hold out for His best.”

And then it hit me: sometimes God brings encouragement full circle. We all get discouraged at times, and the very seeds of encouragement we sow into other’s lives, God uses them to comfort us.

Scripture puts it plain as day. Proverbs 11:25 says, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” And sometimes that generosity isn’t money — it’s encouragement. It’s truth spoken at the right time. It’s hope offered when someone else is tired. And God promises that what we pour out, He pours back in.

The blue circle on my screen was still spinning. The situation hadn’t magically resolved. But something in me had settled—not into compromise, but into trust. I took a deep breath. I remembered what I already knew. God wastes nothing. Not words. Not waiting. Not even the sermons we preach to ourselves and forget five minutes later.

So if today feels like you’re stuck in that waiting place—watching life buffer while everyone else seems to move on—hear this gently. The kindness you’ve shown. The prayers you’ve prayed. The hope you’ve spoken out loud when you didn’t feel it yourself… none of it is lost.

It may come back to you in a text. Or a conversation. Or a quiet reminder right when you need it most.

And when it does, maybe you’ll smile too—realizing you didn’t need a new sermon after all.

You just needed to take your own good advice to heart.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • When was the last time you encouraged someone with words you needed to hear yourself?
  • Where in your life are you tempted to “settle” instead of trusting God’s timing?
  • Proverbs 11:25 promises that those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. How have you experienced that truth personally?
  • What seeds of encouragement have you planted recently — and how might God be using them in ways you cannot yet see?
  • If you took your own best advice to heart today, what would change?
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The God Who Never Gets Tired of You

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Ephesians 1:16-17 — I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

Do you remember how afternoons felt when you were a kid? They felt endless.

I’d skid into the driveway, ditch my backpack, and grab my bike. Sneakers half-tied. Sun still high. I’d pedal up and down the street, knocking on doors, gathering friends until the gang was assembled. Once we were together, we knew exactly where we were headed.

Mrs. Glenda’s house.

She lived right next door, which makes it feel more like visiting than trespassing. Her front door was always open. We’d knock on the screen door and wait.

“Mrs. Glenda, do you have any candy?” I’d say.

Of course she did. She always did. She’d smile like she had been hoping someone would ask, then reach for a bucket of candy like it was Halloween on a random Tuesday.

With suckers in hand, we’d ride off into the sunset, disappearing into whatever adventures our imaginations cooked up. And there she’d be, standing in the doorway, smiling and waving like she hadn’t just given away candy for the fifth time that week.

I remember being appreciative for the candy, but never really knowing just how special that was. Because the miracle wasn’t the candy—it was the consistency. We kept showing up, and she kept answering. I think about it now, and think “At what point do you become a nuisance.” Did she ever get tired of us kids stopping by?

I don’t think she did.

You don’t run into many people like that. And replaying those afternoons now, and that’s where those memories connect with me spiritually.

We’re told to pray. To ask. To knock. But if we’re honest, we sometimes hesitate. We wonder if God gets tired of us or if our prayers are too repetitive.

We worry we’re wearing God out, but really, He’s inviting us in.

God isn’t rationing His goodness or guarding the door. But I’m learning that His greatest answers to prayer aren’t always quick fixes. The sweetest gift is Him.

That’s why Paul’s prayer in Ephesians lands differently now. He writes: “I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.”

Paul doesn’t ask for fewer problems or easier circumstances. He asks for deeper knowing. He asks that their hearts would grow in wisdom and insight—not just to receive from God, but to truly know Him.

And notice the rhythm of his prayer. He doesn’t stop thanking. He’s constantly asking. Over and over. He’s not worried about bothering God—confident that God welcomes the asking.

So don’t worry, God isn’t annoyed by repeated prayers. Often, it’s through persistent prayer that He reveals more of Himself to us.

Keep showing up. Keep knocking. Keep riding right up to the door with whatever your carrying that day. Ask boldly for more wisdom and nearness. Ask for more of Him.

The door is already open, and you were never a bother.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Do you ever hesitate to bring the same prayer to God more than once? Why?
  • Are you praying mainly for circumstances to change, or for deeper wisdom and closeness with Him?
  • What would it look like to approach God with childlike confidence instead of quiet reluctance?
  • Where in your life is God inviting you to keep knocking instead of walking away?
  • How might your faith grow if you believed you were never a burden to your Heavenly Father?
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Your Way is Better

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Psalm 84:10 — A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.

He’s sitting in a coffee shop with his laptop open, but nothing is getting done.

Forrest Frank stares at a glowing screen while his mind runs ahead of him—unfinished assignments, rising expectations, a low-grade anxiety humming in the background. The music is off now. It isn’t helping. What he can’t ignore is the truth settling in his chest: he’s exhausted from trying to hold everything together.

Forrest grew up around church. Faith was familiar—songs, language, the rhythm of it all—but it never moved from his head to his life. By the time he reached Baylor University, confusion about belief followed him everywhere. College has a way of magnifying old insecurities. Comparison gets louder. Pressure builds. Everyone else looks like they know where they’re going, and Forrest feels stuck, spinning his wheels.

He tries to outrun the unease by staying busy, productive, impressive. But peace never comes. Sitting there with his coffee going cold, he realizes how tired he is of carrying the weight alone. The harder he tries to make life work on his terms, the heavier it feels.

That’s when the thought comes—quiet, inconvenient, easy to dismiss.

Go to church.

It’s a Wednesday night. This isn’t part of his plan. Still, he listens. He closes the laptop, leaves the coffee shop, and walks into a service without expecting anything to change.

People are singing. Hands are raised. Voices are imperfect but sincere. Forrest stands there unsure what he’s even hoping for.

But God meets him there.

The weight on his shoulders begins to lift. The tightness in his chest loosens. It feels like coming up for air after holding your breath too long. For the first time, insecurity doesn’t get the final word. He stops trying to manage everything himself and starts trusting God instead.

After the service, a woman he’s never met approaches him. She tells him she had a dream—one where Forrest is making music that points people back to God.

At the time, it doesn’t make sense. Forrest hasn’t written a single faith-centered song. Still, her words stay with him. That night becomes a turning point.

He keeps making music, but something has shifted. He obsesses over melody and structure, layering sound carefully, studying culture, blending hip-hop, pop, and gospel because he wants the music to be honest—not boxed in, not forced.

Success comes. Platforms grow. Opportunities open. But they’re no longer the goal. Surrender is. Letting God use what he creates becomes the point.

You can hear it in his song Your Way Is Better.

Forrest understood that all the options he chased—the good life, the right image, the next win—were never enough to quiet his soul. Just like the Psalmist who said “Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere.”

Most people have their own coffee shop moment—the place where the noise gets loud enough that surrender becomes an option. What happens next matters. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is listen, take one small, unplanned step toward God, and let Him reshape everything.

Because when you’re overwhelmed by the weight of trying to manage your own life, you discover that one moment in God’s presence is better than a thousand spent chasing everything else.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Where are you currently trying to hold everything together on your own?
  • What “thousand elsewhere” are you chasing that still hasn’t brought peace?
  • When was the last time you intentionally stepped into God’s presence without an agenda?
  • Is there a quiet nudge from God you’ve been dismissing because it wasn’t part of your plan?
  • What might change if you truly believed that one day with Him is better than any success without Him?

LYRICS:

[Verse 1]
When I’m overwhelmed within
From the weight of all my sin
I need a friend to call my own
I need a house to call my home
When I’m broken down inside
And there’s nowhere else to hide
I need a place where I feel known
Can someone help me?
Then I hear your reply
Bringing teardrops to my eyes
Saying I’m not alone

[Chorus]
Oh Lord, I need you now more than ever
Would you put my heart back together
I searched the world till my hеad hurt
Just to find out your way’s better
Oh-oh, your ways bettеr
Oh-oh, your ways better
Oh, Lord, your ways better
Jesus, your ways better

[Verse 2]
Lord, I am so thankful for the ways that you blessed me
Everything you say making waves like a jetski
You love every part of me, even when I was messy
Now I see the heart in your beauty
So, I can finally sing Jehovah-Jireh provider
Your way always gets me higher
Even on my darkest days, you’re a lighter
My Messiah

[Chorus: Forrest Frank & Choir]
Oh Lord, I need you now more than ever
Would you put my heart back together
I searched the world till my head hurt
Just to find out your way’s better
Oh-oh, your ways better
Oh-oh, your ways better
Oh, Lord, your ways better
Jesus (Mmm)
Lord, I need you now more than ever
Would you put my heart back together
I searched the world till my head hurt
Just to find out your way’s better
Oh-oh, your ways better
Oh-oh, your ways better
Oh, Lord, your ways better
Jesus, your ways better

[Outro]
Ohh-ohh, your ways better
Ohh-ohh, your ways better
Ohh-ohh, your ways better
Jesus, your ways better
It’s better, better, better
It’s better, better, better
It’s better, better, better
It’s better than the rest

LYRICS:

Better Is One Day
Verse 1
How lovely is Your dwelling place
O Lord almighty
For my soul longs and even faints for You
For here my heart is satisfied
Within Your presence
I sing beneath the shadow of Your wings

Chorus
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
(Than thousands elsewhere)

Verse 2
One thing I ask and I would seek
To see Your beauty
To find You in the place
Your glory dwells
(REPEAT)

Bridge
My heart and flesh cry out
For You the living God
Your Spirit’s water to my soul
I’ve tasted and I’ve seen
Come once again to me
I will draw near to You
I will draw near to You to You

Bridge
Better is one day better is one day
Better is one day than thousands elsewhere
Better is one day better is one day
Better is one day than thousands elsewhere

Facedown
Chorus
And I’ll fall facedown
As Your glory shines around
Yes I’ll fall facedown
As Your glory shines around

Bridge
So let Your glory shine around
Let Your glory shine around
King of glory here be found
King of glory

Written by Matt Redman

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Beauty from the Broken Places

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Psalm 145:14 — The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.

So, there is this story that I just love. It’s about an old a woman who carried two pots of water every day.

The first pot was solid and smooth, absolutely perfect. The other had a thin crack running down its side, and by the time she reached home, it would only be half full.

One day the cracked pot apologized.

“I am just so sorry for leaking.”

It can’t do what it was made to do. It expects correction. Maybe replacement. But instead, the woman smiles and points behind them.

“Don’t you see?” she exclaimed, “I planted seeds along your side of the path, and every day you watered them. Look at all these flowers.”

The pot then saw what she meant. Along the cracked pot’s side, flowers burst in vibrant colors everywhere, stretching toward the morning light. Life was spilling all over the dirt.

You know, God does the same thing with each and every one of us. He uses our cracks to water the world in ways we can’t even see. We can’t live in defeat when we make mistakes or when we can’t hold everything together.

That’s what Psalm 145:14 promises—that the Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. He doesn’t throw away what feels cracked; He carries it. Not after we fix ourselves. Not once the bent or cracked places in our lives disappear.

He is the One lifting you each and helping you every day along your path, and somehow He is even using the broken parts of your story to bring life to others.

So don’t be ashamed of your scars. Don’t be ashamed of your brokenness. Use how God healed you to share those with people who need the glory of God and who need healing, empowerment, encouragement, and hope.

Keep walking and trusting that even now, life is growing along the path behind you.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Where in your life do you feel “cracked” or not enough right now?
  • Could it be possible that God is using that very weakness to bring life to someone else?
  • Are you living in quiet shame over something God has already redeemed?
  • What would it look like to trust that God lifts you even before you feel fully healed?
  • How might your story—especially the broken parts—become encouragement for someone walking behind you?
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Red Bird Redemption

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2 Corinthians 3:17 — Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

It was a Sunday afternoon, and I found myself outside soaking up the sun. It was a beautiful, sunny day. The sun was shining brightly, but on the inside, gloomy was an understatement for how I felt.

You see, alcohol had a stronghold on me for nearly twelve years. The good news is our Savior is still in the business of saving, and His love is still reaching.

On that particular day, I found myself sitting outside with my head between my knees when something made me look up. Right in front of me was a red bird. It shocked me because cardinals weren’t common in my neighborhood. But there it was.

The world around me felt dull, but its bright red coloring was so vibrant—impossible to ignore. As a mom, it reminded me of a picture book I used to read my girls that reads, “Red bird, red bird, what do you see?” When I asked myself that question, the only answer I had was this.

It was something alive. The cardinal was something bright and bold and stunning, and it stood out so much against the heaviness I was carrying inside.

My youngest daughter, who was two years old at the time, walked up to me and asked, “Mommy, why are you so sad?” I thought to myself, “How did she know?” In that moment, I broke, and tears began flowing down my face.

After that day, I started noticing red birds everywhere. One on a fence post. Another at my grandma’s house. One more perched just long enough for me to really see it before flying away. At first, I brushed it off. But after a while, it became hard to ignore.

It began to dawn on me that the Holy Spirit was trying to get my attention, gently reminding me of what had already been set in motion that Sunday afternoon.

Looking back, I know the red bird wasn’t a coincidence, and its color wasn’t just a color. Curious, I looked up what red birds symbolize, and I learned that in Christian literature, the cardinal often represents the blood of Jesus, hope, and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

That truth settled deep in my soul. It was a reminder of Christ’s blood, poured out for me, covering every failure, every mistake, and every sin. It was as if God was showing me, in a way I could see and understand, that I wasn’t beyond redemption. His blood poured out for me on the cross secured my freedom—He didn’t want a sacrifice. He was the sacrifice. He wanted me to trust Him with all my heart and surrender to His will.

Scripture puts words to what my heart was learning to believe: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Outside of that powerful truth, I don’t know how else to explain it. Freedom didn’t just mean the absence of alcohol—it meant the presence of the Spirit reshaping my life. That Sunday that was the last day alcohol would have a stronghold on my life. What I thought had me bound no longer had the final say.

Now, every time I see a red bird, I remember the moment I looked up and saw proof that God was with me—and that He still is. If you’ve ever struggled with addiction, or anything that makes you feel trapped with no way out, you understand the weight of guilt, shame, and regret. But here is the truth: God’s grace is bigger than our past, and His love is stronger than any of our failures. The enemy thought he had me, but Jesus said, “Nope—she’s mine!”

If you are reading this and feel like you are bound, with no way out, maybe today is an invitation to look up. You never know what God might be using to get your attention. You might just find hope—unexpected, unmistakable hope—in a way you least expect it.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What in my life feels like a stronghold right now?
  • Have I believed the lie that I am too far gone?
  • Where might God already be trying to get my attention?
  • Do I truly believe that freedom is possible for me?
  • What would it look like to surrender this struggle to the Holy Spirit?
  • When I think about my past, do I see shame—or the covering grace of Jesus?
  • What small reminder has God placed in my life that points me back to hope?
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Worry Isn’t Working Overtime

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Matthew 6:34 — Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

It’s 11:23 pm, the house is finally quiet, the lights are off, my phone is face-down on the nightstand. The day was good. Productive. Even joyful. Which somehow makes what happens next more annoying.

I’m lying there, grateful, tired in the good way, when my brain decides this is the perfect moment to host a meeting about everything sad, unpaid, and unresolved in my life.

It starts small.

Did I remember to pay that bill? Wait—am I behind on that? Did I actually schedule that appointment, or just mean to? Oh. And while we’re at it, what about all the other things?

One harmless question turns into my whole future crashing around me. And what’s crazy is how responsible my anxiety feels. Like if I just think hard enough and worry more, I might get ahead.

But here’s the thing I’m learning: worry is not the same as productivity. It pretends to be helping, but it isn’t. None of my worries are as urgent as they feel, and absolutely none of them are solvable at this time of night.

And right then, I remember words I’ve read a hundred times but suddenly need again:

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)

Again, tomorrow has enough trouble of its own. Those worries just steal time that wasn’t given to them. And peace, I’m realizing, is actually found by setting boundaries that block anxiety.

So instead of wrestling my thoughts, I start handing them over to God. The bills. The unanswered emails. The unfinished tasks. I just set them down and fall asleep. This isn’t denial—it’s trust in a Father who already knows what we need. Because at just the right time, I know God will take care of me.

And none of that is happening at 11:23 at night.

So if you’re lying awake right now with your mind running laps, let this be your permission slip to stop. Name what’s stealing your rest, then gently place it back in God’s hands.

Because those problems will still be there tomorrow.

And so will the Lord—already waiting to help you face them.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What worries tend to show up when everything gets quiet?
  • Do I confuse anxiety with responsibility?
  • What specific concern do I need to hand back to God tonight?
  • Am I trying to solve tomorrow’s problems with today’s strength?
  • What would it look like to trust God with what I cannot control?
  • Where is Jesus inviting me to rest instead of rehearse my fears?
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A Snow Day for the Soul

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Titus 2:11-13 — For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

I don’t remember much from 2010—except snow, applesauce, and the way waiting felt like electricity in my bones.

North Louisiana Februarys are built for crawfish boils and short sleeves, not winter weather. A single icicle can shut the place down. So when classes didn’t just pause but stopped, we knew this wasn’t normal. Teachers rushed to grade papers. Parents got early pickup calls. The Weather Channel flickered on the classroom TV.

This time it was the real thing. Snow.

I knew something else too. Tomorrow was my birthday.

My almost-eight-year-old brain filled with questions the way only a kid’s can when something good feels close. What does snow taste like? What does it smell like? Does it taste as good as it smells?

That night, sleep never stood a chance. Everything felt charged—like the world was holding its breath.

Before bed, Mom called me to the front door. We slipped outside quietly, leaving my brother asleep. The cold didn’t matter. Standing there, watching flakes drift down under the porch light, I realized I was seeing something I’d only heard about until then.

It was real, and it was incredible.

Mom wrapped me in a tight hug and leaned in close, her voice barely louder than the falling snow. “Happy Birthday.”

Years later, I think about that night often—not just because of the snow, but because of the waiting. The joy that showed up before the gift fully arrived.

Scripture names that longing. Titus 2:11–13 says that “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people… training us to wait for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Grace doesn’t just rescue us; it teaches us how to wait.

Isn’t it amazing that God builds anticipation into our faith on purpose. Right now, we only catch hints. We taste and touch and smell traces—like snow the night before your birthday. But one day, we won’t be reaching for shadows of His goodness anymore. We’ll live inside it.

God gives us small joys to prepare us for greater ones. The preview is not the prize—but it keeps us leaning forward. And those moments aren’t random. They are reminders.

Grace doesn’t just save us; it sustains us while we wait. It trains our hearts to live faithfully in the present while keeping our eyes on what’s still ahead.

God gives us glimpses—not to tease us, but to prepare us. So maybe today isn’t about chasing the next big thing. Maybe it’s about noticing the quiet ways God is teaching you to hope.

Because the best really is coming, so let anticipation do its work.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Where in my life am I tired of waiting?
  • Do I see waiting as wasted time — or as training?
  • What small glimpses of God’s goodness has He already given me?
  • Am I living only for what’s next, or faithfully in what’s now?
  • How is grace shaping the way I live today?
  • What would it look like to let anticipation deepen my hope instead of frustrate it?
  • Do I truly believe that the best is still ahead?
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Better Than Yesterday

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Colossians 2:6-7 – And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

The locker room smells like sweat and disappointment.

A few boys stare at the floor, as if it might explain what just happened. The scoreboard still glowing in their minds, even though they’ve walked away from it. This is that painful place after a loss where nobody’s sure yet what this game says about them.

Their coach stands in front of them. They brace for correction. Maybe frustration. A breakdown of everything that went wrong. Instead, he pauses and reframes the moment.

He doesn’t deny the loss. He doesn’t soften it either. They didn’t play well. Mistakes were made. But he refuses to let the loss be the final word.

“You didn’t win today, but you didn’t walk away emptyhanded.” He says, “You’re better today than you were yesterday.”

Not because they won. They didn’t. Not because it feels good—it doesn’t. But because today gave them something yesterday couldn’t. Experience. Exposure. Clarity. They saw how another team exploited their weaknesses and their lack of miscommunication. They saw what pressure does to their focus.

Later—after the noise fades and the bus ride home goes quiet—that same truth shows up again. This time in an email from their coach. Near the bottom, it reads, “You are better today than you were yesterday.”

Even on a bad day. Especially on a bad day.

Because this is a Christian school, he goes one layer deeper. He reminds them that how they process the loss matters. God is shaping their hearts in real time—using disappointment and perseverance as tools. They now have more to work with than they did yesterday.

More roots. More depth. More formation.

That’s the hope of the Gospel—that it meets people who are unfinished and failing and still becoming. Before Jesus, failure only meant shame or finality. But now, even our missteps can be redeemed and repurposed.

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6–7).

Real life faith feels a lot like that locker room. We are all learning to move forward. No one graduates from growth. Layer by layer, root by root, God is working on us and helping us to become more like Him.

So today doesn’t have to feel like a win to be a step forward. Stay planted. Keep walking. Take the next faithful step of obedience that you can see.

Because growth counts—even when the scoreboard says otherwise.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Where in my life does the scoreboard feel discouraging right now?
  • Have I been measuring growth only by visible wins?
  • What might God be forming in me through disappointment?
  • Am I rooted in Christ — or in outcomes?
  • How do I typically respond to failure: with shame, frustration, or growth?
  • Where is God inviting me to stay planted instead of walking away?
  • What would it look like to choose gratitude, even in a season that doesn’t feel like a victory?
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Persuasively Persistent

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Matthew 7:7 — Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

As a mom of two young children, I would be rich if I got a dollar every time I heard the phrase, “Mom, can I have ______?” Even after saying the dreadful, life-altering, meltdown provoking word, “NO,” my children relentlessly approach me- asking the same question. They simply won’t take no for an answer.

While they’re learning to respect boundaries, I’ll admit that sometimes I give in—not because thea answer changed, but because they didn’t give up. Watching them has taught me something about faith. They ask boldly and don’t assume “no” means never.

God used my children to gently remind me of his fatherly character, and I began reflecting on the way I have approached God. More times than I’d like to admit-I asked once, hear no—or silence—and quietly retreat. Maybe you can relate?

Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:7 began to challenge that pattern: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

That’s not a one-time request. It’s not a hesitant whisper. No, it’s a continual posture of asking, seeking, and knocking. It is trusting the heart of the God who wants to answer us.

There is no coincidence that Luke chapter 18 consecutively tells of the parable of the persistent widow and the story of the little children coming to Jesus. God encourages us to always pray and not give up; the same way the widow approached the judge with her plea.

She persisted instead of retreating, until she got justice. Our Heavenly father tells us to approach him the same way the little children approached Jesus; with childlike faith instead of hindrance.

The next time you pray, I challenge you to approach God more like little children approach their parents and the widow approached the judge. Bold. Persistent. Willing to ask again. And to approach our Heavenly father with the childlike faith the little children approached Jesus with; confident that even when the answer isn’t what we hoped for, He is still listening—and still good.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Where have I stopped asking God because I didn’t like the first answer — or the silence?
  • Is there a prayer I quietly gave up on that I need to bring back to Him?
  • Do I approach God with hesitation… or with childlike trust?
  • Have I mistaken “wait” for “no”?
  • What would it look like for me to keep knocking instead of walking away?
  • Do I truly believe my Heavenly Father is good — even when His answer isn’t what I hoped for?
  • Where is God inviting me to be bold and persistent in prayer right now?
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The Shepherd and the Black Sheep

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Matthew 18:12 — If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?

Ben Fuller is standing in a church aisle in Nashville. From the outside, he looks fine. But inside, he’s still that little kid from Virginia waiting to hear his father say, I’m proud of you.

He always claimed he didn’t need help. But that wasn’t true. He was just learning how to numb the pain.

A knee injury opened the door to pain pills. Pills became escape. Escape turned into addiction.

Ben learned to hide it well—just enough work, charm, and money to keep things afloat. He convinced himself—and everyone else—that he was fine.

But eventually, “fine” fell apart.

Bills slipped. Relationships crumbled. Rehab didn’t stick. Not even losing his best friend to fentanyl stopped the spiral. By the time he moved to Nashville in 2018 to chase music, the deeper battle wasn’t just addiction.

It was the belief that he was too far gone.

Then God showed up.

At a dinner table.

A family from Vermont, already living in Nashville, invited Ben over. No agenda. Just food and kindness. They invited him to church, and he said yes—mostly out of courtesy. Raised on a dairy farm, he figured when someone does something kind, you return it.

That’s how he ended up in that church aisle.

By Easter Sunday, he was exhausted. Tired of drinking. Tired of broken relationships. Tired of pretending he could fix himself.

At the altar, he stopped running.

“I can’t do this anymore.”

What met him there wasn’t condemnation.

It was relief.

Jesus once told a story:

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away… won’t he leave the ninety-nine… and go out to search for the one that is lost?” — Matthew 18:12

Ben realized something life-changing that day: he had never been invisible. His wandering had been noticed. The Shepherd hadn’t given up on him. God didn’t wait for him to clean himself up or find his way back.

God came after him.

His song “Black Sheep” was born from that rescue—a reminder for anyone who feels out of place or beyond saving. Now, five years sober, Ben sings it in prisons and broken places as living proof that there is no saint without a past and no sinner without a future.

Because God doesn’t run away from runaways.

The Shepherd still searches. Still calls names. Still leaves the ninety-nine for the one.

And maybe today, that one is you.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Have you ever believed you were too far gone for God to reach? What fueled that belief?
  • How does Matthew 18:12 change the way you see God’s pursuit of you?
  • Who in your life might feel like the “one” right now—and how can you reflect the Shepherd’s heart toward them?
  • What would it look like for you to stop running and receive God’s grace today?

 

Lyrics:

Oooooh
Oooooh
Oooooh

You broke through a thousand fences
Been rescued from a thousand ditches
You still swear you don’t fit in
So you kick and scream and you’re gone again
Wandering off into the devil’s wind

But how’s it going out there
Acting like you ain’t scared
How’s that heart of stone
Ain’t so hard when you’re alone
Crying tears you hope nobody sees
Guess the Good News is He’ll never leave you be
Jesus loves you black sheep

You hate everything about you
You think we’re better off without you
You wear your pain out on your sleeve
And you paint it on in rebel ink
But the alcohol and pills ain’t fixed a thing

How’s it going out there
Acting like you ain’t scared
How’s that heart of stone
It ain’t so hard when you’re alone
Crying tears you hope nobody sees
Guess the Good News is He’ll never leave you be
Jesus loves you black sheep

Oooooh
Oooooh
Oooooh

Jesus loves you black sheep

Oooooh
Oooooh
Oooooh

Can’t tell you when, I ain’t no prophet
But there’ll come a point in time when you can’t stop it
The Good Shepherd’s love smells like smoke
There ain’t no hell so low
Where He won’t let the hounds of Heaven go
Sic ‘em, let the hounds of Heaven go

So how’s it going out there
Acting like you ain’t scared
How’s that heart of stone
Ain’t so hard when you’re alone
Crying tears you hope nobody sees
Guess the Good News is He’ll never leave you be

And amazing grace is a pesky pesky thing
But the Good News is He’ll never leave you be
Jesus loves you black sheep

Oooooh
Oooooh
Oooooh

Jesus loves you black sheep

Oooooh
Oooooh
Oooooh

Oooooh
Oooooh
Oooooh
Oooooh

Writers: Ben Fuller, Tony Wood, and Michael Farren

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