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

Choosing Love Over Comfort

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“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.” 

1 Corinthians 13:4-5

The second the car starts, the blast of cold air hits me like a wave. I fold my arms, pressing them tightly against my chest, trying to hold in the warmth. 

David does not seem to notice. He sits comfortably, one hand on the wheel, humming absently to the song on the radio. I could not take it anymore, so I reached for the air dial and turned up the heat. 

A few moments later, David casually turns it back down. 

I say nothing. He says nothing. But my jaw tightens just slightly.  

Why does he always do that? Why can’t he be the one to adjust? 

I cross my arms, staring out the window, watching the world blur past in streaks of green and gray. I could argue. I want to argue. It is not about the air. Not really. It is about the principle. 

But then, a thought sneaks in—Do you really have to win this? 

Yes, I want to be comfortable. I want to be considered. I want my way! But after I thought about it, I realized that love—real love—doesn’t demand its way. It does not keep score or measure degrees of fairness. So, I reach into the back seat, pull a blanket over my legs, and let the cold air stay. 

Jesus laid down everything for us. He did not demand His way. He gave everything. His life. His comfort. His rights. 

And here I am, learning that love means choosing someone else’s well-being over my own. It is not easy. But in the moments I choose to give instead of receive, I reflect a love so much greater than my own. 

So, today—maybe right now—there’s a moment where you can take the road of love too. Not because you have to, but because you can. Because love, at its core, is a choice. 

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A Love That Runs Toward You

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“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

Isaiah 55:7 

The father spotted the boy before anyone else did. 

A speck on the horizon. A figure too thin, too tired, and walking with the weight of the world on his shoulders. 

His son. 

He jumped to his feet before his mind caught up. Then he was running—running like a fool or like a man who had never been wronged or his heart shattered. 

And when he reached the boy, he did not stop. He embraced him with arms wide open and buried his face in his son’s filthy hair, drinking in the moment he prayed for a thousand times. 

The boy started talking, voice shaking, eyes on the ground. “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you—” 

But the father did not let him finish. 

“Bring a robe!” He said, “The best one! And a ring for his hand, and for Heaven’s sake, fire up the grill. We’re celebrating tonight!” 

Because his son was home. 

No speeches. No groveling. No earning his way back. Just love, poured out without measure. 

And that is exactly how God loves you. 

Maybe you feel like you have gone too far. Like you have messed up too much and need to earn your way back. But God is not waiting for you to clean yourself up first. 

He just wants you home. 

So, if you have been running from Him, and if you have been carrying shame too heavy to bear, hear this: 

You don’t have to prove a thing. 

Just turn toward Him—He’s already on His way to you. 

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The Miracle of Letting Go

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“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 

1 Peter 5:6-7

Adrian had always believed in one simple truth: hard work could fix anything. You push through, you keep going, and when life gets tough, you push harder. It made sense to him for a long time. 

But then it stopped working. 

The job offers dried up. His marriage ended, and suddenly, he was left alone in a house that used to feel like home. No matter how much effort he poured into it, things stayed broken. 

One evening, feeling completely worn out, Adrian did something he had not done in ages—he prayed. 

“God, I don’t know what to do anymore. I can’t carry this alone. Please, take it from me. Put me where You want me to be.” 

And for the first time in a long while, Adrian stopped trying to control everything. He let go. 

Less than a month later, the phone rang. 

He found out he got the job! And not just any job, it was the one he had been praying for. The hours worked, it was close to home, and most importantly, it allowed him to be there when his kids got off the bus. It was the perfect fit and a clear reminder that God had been working all along. 

When Adrian called in to Always Uplifting 88.7 The Cross to tell us his story, his voice cracked with emotion from relief. For the first time in a long time, he was not carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. 

Maybe you’re there right now, too. Exhausted. Stressed. Wondering why things aren’t falling into place. What if God has been waiting for you to surrender? 

It might be time to stop fighting. To lay it all down. Because sometimes, the freedom we are looking for does not come from trying harder, but from surrendering. 

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God Never Lets Go

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“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Romans 8:38-39

Some roads feel endless. No matter how far you have come, it feels like you are just as far from where you are going. 

I know that kind of road well. 

I glance over at my husband, one hand steady on the wheel, the other resting within reach. I slip my fingers into his, and without looking, he gives them a squeeze. It is a small thing, but it anchors me by reminding me of where I have been and who never let me go. 

Because my road has not been straight.  

I was sixteen when I knew, without a doubt, that I was called to music and ministry. But Hurt has a way of shaking what you thought was solid. And when the hurt came from the place I thought was safest—the church—I started questioning everything. 

I kept going, though. I pressed into music even when the pain echoed through the notes I sang. For years, I ran toward success, touring, performing, and standing in front of thousands, but the bigger the stage, the heavier my heart felt. 

And then, finally, I had to stop. 

I thought stepping back from the spotlight was the end of my story, but it turned out to be the beginning of healing. And then there was him. 

My husband never pushed me, but he never let me disappear completely. He just held on and reminded me both who I was and who God was. 

I squeeze his hand again, and this time, I smile.  

Because that’s the thing about love—the real kind. It doesn’t let go. 

And neither does God. 

Maybe you have walked away, too. Maybe the weight of past wounds has convinced you to stop believing. But let me tell you this—God hasn’t given up on you. 

His hand is still there, waiting for you to take hold. 

– Tasha Layton

 

Lyrics “Worship Through It”

This looks impossible
But You’re the God of impossible
And I’ve seen your faithfulness all over my life
I need a miracle
And You’re the God of miracles
Some way, somehow You come through every time

Chorus
I know my God can do it
So, I’m gonna worship through it
Before I see my breakthrough
I’m gonna choose to praise You

I will sing hallelujah to the one
Who can do what the world says can’t be done
I know my God can do it
So, I’m gonna worship through it

In the middle of my no way out
In the middle of my don’t know how
I hear You whisper to me “peace be still”
This is why I believe
You will deliver me
You always have and you always will
You always have and you always will

I won’t wait ‘til the rocks cry out
I’m gonna praise You
I won’t wait till the walls come down
I’m gonna praise You
(Gonna) Lift my hands right here, right now
I’m gonna praise You
Oh God I praise You!

Written by Tasha Layton, Keith Everette Smith, Matthew West, AJ Pruis

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Reject Lies, Embrace Truth

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“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

2 Corinthians 10:5

It is hard to put into words how the lies in my mind can sometimes take over. For years, they had come uninvited. “You’re not loved. You’re irrelevant. Nobody cares about you.”

They were just thoughts—small, passing ones.  But over time, they started to sound like truth. I had never thought much about it until one day when I was talking to my friend Brenda.

We were sitting at her kitchen table, the scent of fresh coffee curling in the air, when I finally admitted it.

“I know God calls me loved, chosen, and worthy,” I said, “but… I don’t always feel like it.”

Brenda set her mug down and leaned in. “Lisa, have you ever left honey on the table?”

I frowned.

“Honey,” she repeated. “What happens if you leave it sitting out?”

I shrugged. “Flies come.”

She nodded. “That is what agreeing with the enemy does. When you believe the lies—even just a little—it is like putting honey on the table. It invites the swarm. But you do not have to feed them.”

Tears stung my eyes. I had been trying to fight off the lies for so long, but I had never considered that I was the one allowing them to stay.

Brenda smiled, her voice gentle but firm. “You need to stop agreeing with the wrong things. And start agreeing with the right ones.”

That night, as I lay in bed, the lies tried again. But instead of letting them sit, I whispered truth into the dark.

I am seen. I am enough. I am held by God.

And I will keep saying it—because agreement matters.

What have you been agreeing with? And what might change if you started speaking God’s truth instead?

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Hope and Victory in Jesus

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“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

The doctor’s words cut deep. “You will never fully recover.”

The stroke had left Eugene Bartlett weak, unable to travel, and unable to play as he once had. Music had been his life’s work—his way of sharing the gospel—so this news was devastating.

What was a man supposed to do when the thing he loved most was taken away?

At first, the grief threatened to crush him. But slowly, something else rose up—something stronger. Hadn’t he always believed that Jesus was enough? That victory wasn’t in having a perfect life but in knowing a perfect Savior?

He had watched war-torn families cling to that truth. He had seen broken men find hope when nothing around them changed. And now, it was his turn to live what he had preached.

If he could no longer stand before a congregation, he would find another way to share the truth. If he couldn’t sing, he would write.

And so, with unsteady hands, he put pen to paper. The lyrics flowed from his heart like a battle cry. It was a song of triumph in the face of suffering. He had victory in Jesus, and that was the truth.

Maybe you feel like you’re fighting a battle you can’t win. Maybe everything you counted on has changed. But the victory Eugene wrote about is not just for the strong. It is for the weary, the broken, the ones who are barely holding on. It is for you. Right now.

O victory in Jesus
My Savior, forever
He sought me and He bought me
With His redeeming blood

He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood

 

LYRICS:
Chorus
Oh victory in Jesus
My Savior forever
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood

Verse 1
I heard an old, old story
How a Savior came from glory
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me
I heard about His groaning
Of His precious blood’s atoning
Then I repented of my sin,
Christ won the victory!

Verse 2
I heard about His healing
All His miracles revealing
That He alone can save a soul
And set the captive free
I’m happy in His promise
How soon He’s coming for us
And home with Him I’ll sing again:
Christ won the victory!

Verse 3
I’ll tell the old, old story
Till my Savior comes from glory
I’ll tell of all the Lord has done
To set this sinner free
That all who will believe Him
By Faith can still receive Him
And share in that redemption song:
Christ won the victory!

Victory in Jesus (Christ Won the Victory)
Words and Music by E.M. Bartlett, Matt Boswell, Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty

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Create in Me a Clean Heart

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“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

Psalm 51:10

I stood in the garage, hands on my hips, staring down the mess.

Inside were towers of boxes, old furniture, and bins overflowing with things I had meant to deal with “later.” Later had turned into never, and now the clutter had taken over.

I reached for a random box and pried it open. Inside, a tangle of old cords, a pair of faded curtain panels, and a sweatshirt I thought I had lost. I held them up, remembering the season of life they came from. So much had changed.

None of this stuff was serving its intended purpose at all. Instead of being a space for something useful, like parking our cars, our garage had turned into a storage unit for things we didn’t need. So, we got to work—sorting, tossing, and making hard decisions about what to keep.

At first, it felt overwhelming, but as we worked together, we could see the transformation taking place. The more we cleared out, the more space we created, and the more we realized how much we had been holding onto things that weren’t serving us. By the time we finished, it was like we had a whole new space.

That is when it hit me: this is exactly what God wants to do in my heart. Over time, I let things build up like worries, grudges, and distractions. These are things that crowd out what He wants for me.

But just like clearing that garage, letting God work in my life takes effort. I have to choose to let go, to make space, and to trust that He is replacing the clutter with something better.

So, what about you? What’s taking up space in your heart that doesn’t belong? What could happen if you let God in to do the deep cleaning? The process might not be easy, but the freedom that follows is worth every bit of the work.

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God’s Lavish Love

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“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”

1 John 3:1

Jon David was my early bird, and I was very much not.

Every morning, without fail, he would burst into my room with rapid-fire requests: “Mom, I’m hungry! Mom, I’m thirsty! Mom, read me a book!”

Most mornings, I barely cracked my eyes open before mumbling something like, “Give me five more minutes, buddy.”

But one morning, he woke me up in a way I will never forget. Instead of his usual boisterous entrance, he stood quietly by my bed. He brushed my arm, and in the softest voice, he said, “I love you, sweet angel. You are a gift from heaven.”

Then he kissed my cheek and whispered it again!

I opened my eyes to see his face beaming at me, and my heart melted on the spot. I barely had time to gather my thoughts before he skipped off, leaving me lying there, stunned by the purity of that moment.

Later that day, as I drove home after dropping him off at kindergarten, I could not stop thinking about it. Then it hit me—he had repeated my words. The ones I had whispered to him night after night. The ones I had spoken over him when he was scared, when he was sleepy, and when I just wanted him to know how deeply he was loved.

Somehow, those words had settled into his heart. And now, without being asked, he had given them back to me.

And that is exactly how God loves us. He does not just hand it to us in small, measured doses. He pours it over us—like an unstoppable waterfall with waves that never stop crashing onto the shore. He delights in us, treasures us, whispers over us, “I love you, sweet angel. You are a gift from heaven.”

I don’t know what your morning looked like today, friend. Maybe it was chaos. Maybe it was loneliness. But I do know this: you are deeply and lavishly loved. And do you know what the most beautiful thing you can do with that kind of love is?

Let it pour back out.

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Unburden Your Heart Today

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“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Psalm 55:22

I walked through the front door and immediately regretted it.

Our house wasn’t just messy—no, it was chaos. There were baby items everywhere. My normal “clutter” was nothing compared to this, and I was not sure how to handle it.

I took a deep breath and retreated to my bedroom. I should have known better. Half of the room was filled with newborn gear; the other half was a mess of my own making. And my closet? I was almost afraid to open it.

But I did anyway.

Clothes were packed so tightly I could barely move a hanger. Shoes stacked on top of shoes. Things I had not worn in years, just sitting there, taking up space. I stood there, frozen, staring at the mess. Why had I let it get like this again?

And then, I had a thought. Do I even need all of this?

So, I started with my closet. I reached for a dress I had forgotten about, a sweater that never quite fit, and some shoes that were two sizes too small. One by one, I started a “donate” pile.

Then another thought came. Why am I holding on to so much?

And I was not just talking about clothes.

How much have I been carrying that no longer fits where God is taking me? Worries I do not need, expectations that only weigh me down, or frustrations that serve no purpose other than keeping me stuck.

Jesus did not want me to live overwhelmed. He was inviting me to release the things that do not belong—so why was I still clinging to them?

While I worked, I prayed through those thoughts. As the mess faded, so did the heaviness I did not even realize I was carrying.

I do not know what you are carrying today, but I know this—if it is weighing you down, it is not from Him. It is okay to let go. In fact, it may be the only way forward.

What could God do in your life if you made space for Him today?

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God Believes in You

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“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Romans 8:31

The idea that we are supposed to believe in God is a pretty common one. But what about the idea that God believes in you?

Some years ago, I was walking through a season of discouragement and doubt. One evening, I went to church searching for a touch from God. The service consisted of great worship and solid teaching, but I didn’t get anything out of it and left feeling even more defeated.

I questioned God’s love for me. Why had He not shown up in the way I needed? Deepening darkness crept in and I cried out from the depths of my heart with a simple, desperate prayer.

“Lord, please help me! If you don’t help me now, I’m not sure I’ll recover.”

The response I heard in my spirit shocked me. “I believe in you.”

Did God really believe in me? And if so, what did that mean?

I searched the scriptures and began to realize that in the same way a parent believes in a child, God believes in His children. He created us in His image and likeness, entrusting the Earth to our care.

You don’t entrust something to someone you don’t believe in. While we failed in the garden, and have failed time and time again throughout history, He still chose to give His only Son so we could partner with Him in the fulfillment of His will.

The reality is God could have done all of this by Himself, but instead, He calls us higher, uniquely gifting each of us to represent Him. The good news is, we don’t have to do this in our own strength.

No matter how difficult things might seem, God is still for you. God believes in you. God is counting on you. Will you let that truth sink into your heart so deeply that it not only changes your own life but also compels you to carry that message of hope to others who need to hear it?

—Danny Gokey

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