Show Notes
READ: JOSHUA 23:3; PSALM 61:2-4; ISAIAH 54:17
I clutched the blankets over my face to muffle my sobs. I didn’t want my family to hear me crying. We had a good day together, and right now everyone was healthy in our family. But when the lights were out and I lay in bed, my heart was aching, burdened. So I let the tears flow until my body trembled with each breath.
Flashes of the past few years played in my mind. Scenes of hospital rooms, moments of utter fear, and the long road we had traveled in the recovery, only for the whole process to repeat itself all over again. In the course of the last four years, my dad had battled Covid, pneumonia, blood clots, cancer, four strokes, and more. The revolving door of “He’s getting better” and “We might lose him” had taken a toll. I thought I’d already broken and wept over these things. Yet here in the darkness, after a good day when all was well, I lay here, my heart crumbling all over again.
The devil wanted to use the pain in my past to make me anxious and fearful. But the more I thought about it, I realized those painful moments were not memories of defeat. In each terrifying time throughout my dad’s long health battle, God had carried us through. He had performed miracles. He had brought healing and answers. He had never left us. He had been our Rock, our Comfort, our Strength.
In that moment, the tightness in my heart loosened, and a feeling of peace came over me—my crippling anxiety lost its grip. The very memories that the devil wanted to use as a weapon against me were now reminders of God’s faithfulness. I don’t have to live in this fear. I have a refuge in the Living God who will never leave me, never forsake me. • Madison Mae
• As humans, we often struggle with fears about the future, especially when we remember painful experiences we’ve had in the past. How can remembering God’s faithfulness help us feel less afraid?
• Can you think of a time you experienced God’s love and help in your life? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this!
• Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), and He has promised never to leave us. He died and rose again so that He could always be with us! And while He lived among us on earth, He experienced all the brokenness of human life, so He can truly empathize with whatever we’re going through. When thoughts of the past feel overwhelming, we can ask Jesus to help us see how He has faithfully been with us through the hard things we’ve experienced. Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about any fears or painful memories that come to mind, and imagine Him sitting beside you and weeping over the things that have hurt you.
• Sometimes we need help bringing our fears and painful memories to God, and this is perfectly normal. Who are trusted Christians in your life you could share your thoughts and feelings with—people who will listen with compassion, pray with you, and show you God’s love?
• Sometimes our bodies learn patterns of fear and anxiety, especially when we go through seasons of grief and turmoil. It can be a long process for our bodies to relearn healthy patterns of rest, but Jesus is ever gentle and patient with us. He stays with us on the journey and never lets us go, even in moments when anxiety seems overwhelming. And He wants to help us feel better in lots of ways, not just through prayer and Scripture, but also through the care and expertise of other people. When you’re struggling, who is a trusted adult you could talk to?...
More from Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens
READ: MATTHEW 6:19-21; JOHN 3:16-17; 14:1-4; REVELATION 19:6-9; 21:1-5
READ: PSALM 139:1-4; ROMANS 5:6-8; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 We curate the caption and crop the distraction, Chasing the applause of a virtual reaction. We polish the exterior to hide the interior, Afraid that our true selves are somehow inferior. But in the quiet, when the screen goes black, We feel the heavy weight of the perfection we lack. See, Jesus didn’t come for your highlight reel, He came for the brokenness you try to conceal. No filter could cover the crimson cost of sin, So He opened His arms to let the rebels in. On the cross, He was exposed, stripped, and bruised, So the real you would never have to be refused. He was buried in the dark so you could walk in the light, Tearing the veil to make your future bright. The grave couldn’t hold Him, the stone rolled away, Giving you mercy that is new every day. You are not a brand, a post, or a trend, You are chosen, beloved, and called His friend. So drop the performance, let the pretense cease, And rest in the rhythm of His perfect peace. • Ty Scott King • Why do you think it’s sometimes easier to show people a curated version of ourselves rather than who we really are? What parts of yourself do you try to curate, edit, and hide away? • Jesus sees the unedited version of you, and He loves you so much that He died and rose again for you. How could this truth affect the way yo view your mistakes, flaws, or things you just don’t like about yourself? • Are there any areas of your life where you feel like you’re putting on a performance instead of trusting God’s grace? Consider spending some time in prayer, laying these things down at Jesus’s feet and asking Him to help you see yourself the way He sees you. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)