Morning, Charles Spurgeon devotional

"On mine arm shall they trust."
Isaiah 51:5

In seasons of severe trial, the Christian has nothing on earth that he can trust to, and is therefore compelled to cast himself on his God alone. When his vessel is on its beam-ends, and no human deliverance can avail, he must simply and entirely trust himself to the providence and care of God. Happy storm that wrecks a man on such a rock as this! O blessed hurricane that drives the soul to God and God alone! There is no getting at our God sometimes because of the multitude of our friends; but when a man is so poor, so friendless, so helpless that he has nowhere else to turn, he flies into his Father's arms, and is blessedly clasped therein! When he is burdened with troubles so pressing and so peculiar, that he cannot tell them to any but his God, he may be thankful for them; for he will learn more of his Lord then than at any other time. Oh, tempest-tossed believer, it is a happy trouble that drives thee to thy Father! Now that thou hast only thy God to trust to, see that thou puttest thy full confidence in him. Dishonor not thy Lord and Master by unworthy doubts and fears; but be strong in faith, giving glory to God. Show the world that thy God is worth ten thousand worlds to thee. Show rich men how rich thou art in thy poverty when the Lord God is thy helper. Show the strong man how strong thou art in thy weakness when underneath thee are the everlasting arms. Now is the time for feats of faith and valiant exploits. Be strong and very courageous, and the Lord thy God shall certainly, as surely as he built the heavens and the earth, glorify himself in thy weakness, and magnify his might in the midst of thy distress. The grandeur of the arch of heaven would be spoiled if the sky were supported by a single visible column, and your faith would lose its glory if it rested on anything discernible by the carnal eye. May the Holy Spirit give you to rest in Jesus this closing day of the month

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 (NIV)
⁹ You who are young, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
¹⁰ So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless.

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I think one of the biggest misconceptions people have about this verse is that God is against fun.
But when I read it, I see the opposite.

This verse acknowledges something beautiful: youth is a gift. It's a season filled with energy, dreams, curiosity, friendships, first experiences, and countless opportunities. It's the season where we create memories we'll laugh about years from now and mistakes we'll hopefully learn from too.

God isn't telling us to sit in a corner and wait for life to happen. He tells us to rejoice. To enjoy the season we're in. To appreciate the people around us. To embrace the opportunities in front of us.

But He also gives a reminder that hits differently:
"Know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment."
In other words, enjoy life, but don't forget that your choices matter.

Not every opportunity is a good opportunity.
Not every trend is worth following.
Not every desire deserves to be chased.

In a world that constantly says, "Do whatever makes you happy," this verse reminds me to ask a different question:
"Will this make me proud of the person I'm becoming?"

Because youth isn't just about having fun. It's about building a life.
The habits we form today become our character tomorrow.
The decisions we make today shape the future version of ourselves.

That's why Ecclesiastes 12:1 continues with this reminder:
"Remember your Creator in the days of your youth."

I think the wisdom still applies to everybody:

Enjoy your life.
Take the trip.
Make the memories.
Laugh until your stomach hurts.
Love the people around you.

But don't lose yourself trying to fit in.
Don't trade your values for temporary approval.
Don't sacrifice your future for a moment of pleasure.

God doesn't want us to waste our youth chasing things that won't last. He wants us to enjoy life while walking closely with Him.

So yes, have fun. Make memories. Laugh a lot.
But don't forget the One who gave you those moments

One day, our youth will become a memory.
And when that day comes, I hope we can look back and say:
"I didn't spend my youth perfectly, but I spent it meaningfully."

Because years from now, I don't just want to remember that I enjoyed my youth.
I want to remember that I spent it with Jesus.

Ephesians 4:17 NLT
With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.

Good morning and praise God. I hope you are having a good day.

Welcome to another devotion message from me, a servant of the Most High God. I would start with problems I've been going through but today's message reminds me I have a higher calling than all my troubles in this life. I am forever grateful to God and He has taught me through good times and also through times of trouble to trust in Him and Him only. I no longer trust what I feel or I know for all that might be a lie. God is always my near help all times and I rejoice in knowing this. Hallelujah.

In today's message, that Paul signs with Jesus Christ, we are reminded that we should no longer live as gentiles do, they are hopelessly confused. It is one thing to experience what every person born of a woman experience in life but it is different to live as a chosen one. The chosen one must live differently though he/she goes through same challenges as other human beings.

Our life solutions as born again Christians are to be drawn from what God has provided us rather than what our carnality may try to dictate. We are not to treat any matter of our lives separate from our faith. We are not our own but rather a God's project in this world. We are a chosen generation for the Lord's work. Our hope is not in what we have or what we don't have but rather in Christ alone. We pray and revere God not because of what's happening around us but because we hunger to be in a more closer relationship with Him just as children runs to be in the arms of their Father.

Take a moment today and put down all that which has been pressing you down at Jesus' feet. Offload that burden and look up to where God is and find your solace, comfort, peace, joy in your Father in Heaven.If God be for you, what can a mere man do to you? Indeed child of God you got a reason to wake-up and rejoice in the LORD.Worship Him always. God loves you, have a blessed day. Shalom. Shalom.

Daily Devotion: 1 John:5-22
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1m
“The testimony is this: God has given us eternal life, and this life has its source in his Son. Whoever has the Son has this life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” GNB
Being born again in Spirit means that your entire life will change. Perhaps you once lived a life of greed, or you were filled with bitterness and hatred. Perhaps your troubles were so bad that it weighed you down, perhaps you lived a life of sin and frivolity, indulging your desires and urges. Perhaps you just felt lost and alone. While all those troubles and temptations will not go away in a flash, you will find that you are less inclined to feel anxious or depressed. Those worldly temptations would not seem so attractive anymore, in fact,, compared to the peace and joy the Holy Spirit gives, those heady parties would seem decidedly dull.

Faith in Christ Jesus lifts the burden
Whether you carry a burden of sin, shame, guilt or are just troubled by cares and worries, accepting Jesus as your Saviour will lighten the load.
Psalms 55:22: “Leave your troubles with the LORD, and he will defend you; he never lets honest people be defeated.” GNB
Matthew 11:28-29: “Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest.” GNB

Spiritual rebirth makes you a new creature
You are no longer a slave of your sinful life, for Christ has set you free. You are renewed in spirit, washed in the blood of the Saviour, you are forgiven. Your old life must be left behind; its sins and shame forgotten, and you must live a new life in Jesus. The Holy Spirit lives in you now and you will be guarded and guided by Him. This is the beauty of salvation, you can start fresh, have a clean slate and build a new way of living, seeing the world with Spirit-filled eyes and bearing fruit to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 5:17: “Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come.” GNB
1 Peter 1:23: “For through the living and eternal word of God you have been born again as the children of a parent who is immortal, not mortal.” GNB

You’ve received eternal salvation
Your salvation cannot be taken from you. Your redemption is permanent, even if you should falter as a child of God. God understands that we are human beings, and that we are weak. That is why He sent the Holy Spirit to reside in us, so that we can stand firm and not wander off  the path of righteousness.
Psalms 37:23-24: “The LORD guides people in the way they should go and protects those who please him. If they fall, they will not stay down, because the LORD will help them up.” GNB
Romans 9:38-39: “For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above or the world below –  there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.” GNB

You’ll have a need to become a disciple
Once the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in your heart, you will feel the need to share the Good News with those who still live according to the rules of the world. If you are afraid to talk in public for fear that others may mock you, do not worry, for God will give you the words to speak.
Ezekiel 2:7: “You will tell them whatever I tell you to say, whether they listen or not. Remember what rebels they are.” GNB
Luke 12:11-12: “When they bring you to be tried in the synagogues or before governors or rulers, do not be worried about how you will defend yourself or what you will say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” GNB

You can be sure of eternal life
Forgiveness and a clean slate are not the only prizes we receive through faith in Jesus Christ. The ultimate prize is eternal life. As Jesus promised before He ascended to the Father, He will prepare a place for us and then, when the time is right, He will return in the same way He went. He will come on the clouds to collect His children so that they can join Him in victory, forever praising God in the New Jerusalem.
Romans 6:23: “For sin pays its wage – death; but God’s free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.” GNB
1 Peter 1:3-5: “Because of his great mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with living hope, and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for his people. He keeps them for you in heaven, where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away. They are for you, who through faith are kept safe by God

Lifeline Today
Saturday August 29
Troubles Never Last!
"For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!" 2Corinthians 4:17 (NLT)

Problems are the prices of progress; to make progress, you must face problems. The obstacles of life are intended to make us better not bitter; stronger not strugglers, smarter not smaller. Adversities have advantages. Challenges carry changes within them.

Obstacles are merely a call to strengthen, and not to quit. Between you and anything significant will be giants in your path; be ready to face them! Any path you find with no resistance is a trap in disguise. If you like things easy, you will have difficulties. If you like problems, you will succeed. The biggest successes are the ones who solve the biggest problems. Joseph solved the problem of Egypt and became a governor. David killed the giant tormenting Israel and became the king. Every problem you face is simply an opportunity for you to be your best. This is your day.

Wisdom Fountain: "Victory comes from finding opportunities in problems."
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that You are the God of divine turnarounds, able to take every obstacle, delay, and trial and convert it into a stepping stone for progress. I receive wisdom to see the hidden lesson in every struggle. I ask for strength to rise above every delay and the courage to push past every limit. I see every stumbling block in my way turn into stepping stones and whatever the enemy meant for my harm flipped over for my breakthrough and growth in Jesus’ name.

Brenda Walsh Ministries
Stay Faithful - Stay Focused.

God never promised that if you would follow Him, your life will be perfect. He never promised the sun would always shine or that you would never experience pain. The truth is, this journey here on earth is difficult and challenging. There are so many twists and turns to life, and through it all, it is critically important to stay focused on Jesus. The devil would like nothing better than to separate you from the only One who can save you, and he will stop at nothing to get your attention. He loves to plant seeds of doubt - especially when you are going through a crisis and are the most vulnerable. Satan loves to whisper his lies, encouraging you to blame God for your troubles. But Satan is the creator of sin, and he gets all the credit for pain and heartache, not God! Stay focused on your heavenly Father, who loves you more than anyone else ever could! When you are in trouble, call upon Him for help. The Bible says in Psalm 34:17-19, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” You don’t have to be afraid of life’s challenges, heartache, and pain, because you are never alone! Stay faithful. Stay focused on the only one who can save you from all your trials, misery, and suffering - Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior. Text: Deuteronomy 31:6, Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 147:3, Psalm 55:22, Isaiah 42:16

2 Samuel 14:1-28

1 Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart longed for Absalom.
2 So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.
3 Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words in her mouth.
4 When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell facedown in homage and said, “Help me, O king!”
5 “What troubles you?” the king asked her. “Indeed,” she said, “I am a widow, for my husband is dead.
6 And your maidservant had two sons who were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.
7 Now the whole clan has risen up against your maidservant and said, ‘Hand over the one who struck down his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of...

Three Angels Broadcasting Network Devotional.
A Word Fitly Spoken

By Shelley Quinn

August 27th, 2026

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Proverbs 25:11

God has given me a consistently positive attitude—a heart that overflows with thanksgiving. He taught me the power of life and death is in the tongue. I confess His Word over my life and speak it into the lives of others. I know His Word is living and powerful and will not return to Him void but will accomplish the purpose for which He sent it. I’m telling you this to establish that faith is an essential aspect of my being.

A false teaching on faith caused me to walk away from God for a time in my twenties. My non-denominational church taught me to have faith “in faith.” In other words, if I could ratchet up enough faith, God was obliged to act. Hoping my mother would be healed of her bi-polar condition, I was convinced my faith would bring her healing. It didn’t. Disillusioned, I turned my back on God until He chased me down with His love.

God must be the object of our faith. Trusting His unfailing love and His faithfulness is true biblical faith. Faith is not a denial of facts—it’s reliance upon God in the midst of troubling circumstances.

Which brings me to my point. A “positivity” wave has rolled over some Christian circles. Their insistent demand on avoiding all negativity deeply troubles me because it is a toxic additive to biblical faith. Authentic expression of emotion is rejected, labeled as lack of faith, and met with positive platitudes. Personal feelings are invalidated with quick responses like, “It could be worse” or “Count your blessings,” bringing shame on those who are gripped by pain.

Are we guilty of using God’s Word to silence others? Rather than intentional listening, do we gush out positivity with the pressure of a firehose? Like the calloused “comforters” of the patriarch Job, do our words hurt—rather than heal? Emotional distress is our shared human experience. It will not be denied! Try suppressing it, and it will rear its ugly head in sleeplessness, crying jags, anxiety, panic attacks, prolonged stress, and spiritual paralysis.

Oh, may we be authentic communicators like Jesus! He wept with Martha over Lazarus’ death. He wept over Jerusalem. He told of His impending death and warned His followers of tribulations. May we freely express our laments as the saints of old recorded in Scripture. Granting ourselves permission to speak our discomfort can provide release and open the way for God’s healing. Just read the Psalms to see how honest laments led to an acknowledgment of our all-loving God and hope in His rescue.

Scripture advises we “weep with those who weep” and be “swift to hear, slow to speak.” We owe it to others to listen with the intention of understanding their pain and offering compassion. Only then can we speak a word in due season—the right word at the right time. A word fitly spoken can shine God’s light into the darkness of the soul and restore hope.