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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Praise in Every Storm

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“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Romans 8:18

Ten-year-old Erin Browning danced with joy. Her small frame moved gracefully to the steps she choreographed to the Casting Crown’s song. The band’s lead singer, Mark, met Erin and her mother, Laurie, in the middle of the girl’s fight with cancer.

The mom’s faith was unlike anything he had seen before. She wept openly, asked hard questions, and even wrestled with anger. Yet, through her raw emotions, she chose to trust God.

After Erin passed, Mark sat alone with his guitar. He let the weight of it all wash over him. He could still hear Laurie’s words. She confessed no matter how dark life got, she knew God was still good, and His love still held the world together.

As Mark strummed his guitar, lyrics began to flow as a song took shape.

“And I’ll praise You in this storm, and I will lift my hands.

For You are who You are, no matter where I am,

And every tear I’ve cried, You hold in Your hand.

You never left my side, and though my heart is torn,

I will praise You in this storm.”

The song became an anthem that reminds us that worship is not confined to perfect moments. It is choosing to trust when the world feels like it is falling apart.

What would it look like for you to trust God in the hardest moments of your life? Could your faith tell a story of praise, even when it hurts?

 

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Find New Life in Jesus

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“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me,though he die, yet shall he live.”

John 11:25

THE HEART ❤️ OF THE ARTIST:

Have you ever thought about the fact that the primary way that God chose to reveal Himself to us is through story? I think God chose to do this because He knows us best.

One of my favorite stories comes from the dramatic scene in John where Jesus finds Himself at the tomb of His best friend, Lazarus. By the time Jesus got there, Lazarus had been dead for four days.

In Jewish tradition, the soul would hover over the body for three days, but on the fourth, there would be no more hope for any reversal of the loss. This little cultural detail sets up the story to show Jesus faced with an impossible situation.

Surrounded by weeping family and friends, Jesus calls out…'”Lazarus, come out! Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

This is our story! Apart from Jesus, you and I are without hope, without life, and without promise. No matter how far gone we think we are, we can all still hear the powerful and authoritative voice of Jesus calling out to us.

“(insert your name here), come out! Take off the grave clothes and be free!”

Because, just like Lazarus, He has called us back to life!

– Phil Wickham – 

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A Walk in the Park with God

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“The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.”

Psalm 145:18

THE HEART ❤️ OF THE ARTIST:

Phil Wickham tugged his jacket tighter as the cool breeze swept through the park. His wife Mallory laughed softly at something he said, her hand brushing his as their dogs trotted ahead on their leashes.

This was their time—a sacred pause in the chaos of the day.

As they talked, Phil’s thoughts wandered to another walk—a far older one. He imagined God in the Garden of Eden, walking with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. No agenda, no rush, just perfect relationship.

That picture stayed with him. Wasn’t that what God wanted all along? A relationship built not on rituals but on the sharing of life through unhurried conversations.

Prayer, he thought, was supposed to feel like this. It was not about perfection or formality. It was about showing up and being real, even about the messy parts of life.

The God who shaped the stars and painted the sky longed to hear from him. Some days, his prayers were as simple as, “That was hard, God,” or “Can You believe today?” And every time, he felt God’s presence, as if He had been waiting for that moment all along.

As they turned back toward home, Phil resolved to stay intentional, not just with Mallory but with God. Because the same God who walked with Adam and Eve is still waiting—for him, and for all of us—to take that first step.

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