Month: July 2025

The Gift Hidden in Heartbreak

Pressing Through the Pain

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” — James 4:8 (NKJV)

Does it ever feel like the heartbreak in your life is trying to break you? I understand. I really, really do. I’ve been in that place where the pain of heartbreak hits with such sudden and sharp force that it feels like it cuts through skin and bone. It’s the kind of pain that leaves us wondering if we’ll ever be able to function like a normal person again.

But God has been tenderly reminding me that pain itself is not the enemy. Pain is the indicator that brokenness exists.

Pain is the reminder that the real Enemy is trying to take us out and bring us down by keeping us stuck in broken places. Pain is the gift that motivates us to fight with brave tenacity and fierce determination, knowing there’s healing on the other side.

And in the in-between? In that desperate place where we aren’t quite on the other side of it all yet, and our heart still feels quite raw?

Pain is the invitation for God to move in and replace our faltering strength with His. I’m not writing that to throw out spiritual platitudes that sound good; I write it from the depth of a heart that knows it’s the only way.

We must invite God into our pain to help us survive the desperate in-between.

If We Avoid the Hurt, the Hurt Creates a Void

The only other choice is to run from the pain by using some method of numbing. But numbing—the pain—never goes to the source of the real issue to make us healthier. It only silences our screaming need for help.

We think we are freeing ourselves from the pain when, in reality, what numbs us imprisons us. If we avoid the hurt, the hurt creates a void in us. It slowly kills the potential for our hearts to fully feel, fully connect, fully love again. It even steals the best in our relationship with God.

Pain is the sensation that indicates a transformation is needed. There is a weakness where new strength needs to enter in. And we must choose to pursue long-term strength rather than temporary relief.

So how do we get this new strength? How do we stop ourselves from chasing what will numb us when the deepest parts of us scream for some relief? How do we stop the piercing pain of this minute, this hour?

We invite God’s closeness.

For me, this means praying: No matter how vast our pit, prayer is big enough to fill us with the realization of His presence like nothing else. Our key verse (James 4:8) reminds us that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. When we invite Him close, He always accepts our invitation.

And on the days when my heart feels hurt and my words feel quite flat, I let Scripture guide my prayers—recording His Word in my journal, and then adding my own personal thoughts.

One of my favorites to turn to is Psalm 91. I would love to share this verse with you today, as an example for when you prayerfully invite God into your own pain.

A Prayer from Psalm 91

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1).

Prayer:

Lord, draw me close.
Your Word promises when I draw close to You, You are there. I want my drawing close to be a permanent dwelling place. At any moment when I feel weak and empty and alone, I pray that I won’t let those feelings drag me down into a pit of insecurity. But rather, I want those feelings to be triggers for me to immediately lift those burdensome feelings to You and trade them for the assurance of Your security.
I am not alone, because You are with me. I am not weak, because Your strength is infused in me. I am not empty, because I’m drinking daily from Your fullness. You are my dwelling place. And in You I have shelter from every stormy circumstance and harsh reality. I’m not pretending the hard things don’t exist, but I am rejoicing in the fact that Your covering protects me and prevents those hard things from affecting me like they used to.
You, the Most High, have the final say over me. You know me and love me intimately. And today I declare that I will trust You in the midst of my pain. You are my everyday dwelling place, my saving grace.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

And with that I close my prayer journal, feeling a lot less desperate and a lot more whole. I breathe the atmosphere of life His words bring.

I picture Him standing at the door of my future, knocking. If I will let Him enter into the darkness of my hurt today, He will open wide the door to a much brighter tomorrow.

Dear Lord, in this moment I draw near to You and I invite Your closeness. Help me to experience Your presence today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Attribution: Excerpt from Embraced: 100 Devotions to Know God Is Holding You Close by Lysa TerKeurst

July 25, 2025 – Bible Recap Journal

Isaiah 37–39; Psalm 76

Common Theme
God defends His people when they trust in Him, humbling the proud and exalting His name through deliverance. Even kings and nations are subject to His will, and He acts for the sake of His glory.

Questions

  • What does it look like to respond to threats or fears with prayer and trust like Hezekiah did?
  • How do we handle pride after victory or healing, as seen in Hezekiah’s later actions?

God Shot
God is the Defender of His name and His people, silencing arrogant enemies and rescuing the humble who cry out to Him. He is mighty and sovereign, doing whatever He pleases, yet tender toward those who seek Him in weakness.

July 24, 2025 – Bible Recap Journal

Isaiah 35–36

Common Theme
God promises restoration and joy to His people, followed by a test of trust when a powerful enemy threatens them. These chapters contrast divine assurance with worldly intimidation, calling God’s people to rely on Him.

Questions

  • Where do you turn when fear threatens to overshadow God’s promises?
  • What does it look like to trust God when the voices around you are shouting doubt?

God Shot
God is the One who brings life to barren places and gives strength to the weak. He is also the covenant-keeping Deliverer who defends His people when they trust in Him rather than earthly power.

July 23, 2025 – Bible Recap Journal

Isaiah 31–34

Common Theme

God contrasts the futility of trusting in earthly powers with the hope found in His righteous rule. He promises judgment for the nations and deliverance for His people through His justice and reign.

Questions

  • Where do I place my trust when I feel threatened or uncertain?
  • How does God’s promise of justice shape the way I view present injustices?

God Shot

God is a righteous King who rises in power to judge evil and protect His people. He is majestic in justice, fierce in holiness, and unwavering in His commitment to establish peace through His reign.

July 22, 2025 – Bible Recap Journal

Isaiah 28–30

Common Theme
God confronts the pride and false security of His people, exposing their trust in lies and alliances rather than in Him. Yet, despite their rebellion, He offers grace, waiting to be gracious and longing to show compassion.

Questions

  • Where are you tempted to find security apart from God’s Word and presence?
  • What does it reveal about God that He patiently speaks again and again, even to a stubborn people?

God Shot
God is a just and patient teacher who speaks truth with clarity and purpose. He longs to be gracious and rises to show mercy, revealing a heart that delights in compassion even while judging sin.

Stop Shrinking: You Were Made to Shine

Blessing Blockers

Shrinking

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
— Romans 12:3 NIV

Our trust in God is not somehow separate from our belief in ourselves. For far too long we’ve been taught that believing unapologetically in ourselves is considered unspiritual or prideful.

To the contrary, divine trust and self-belief are linked together by the umbilical cord of purpose. We cannot fulfill our destiny with just one or the other; we need both. The Bible says not to think more highly of yourself than you should, but it doesn’t say not to think highly of yourself. The reason God wants you to have a strong, all-things-are-possible self-image is for the very purpose of being able to fulfill your purpose. You need a healthy and hearty self-image to even have the audacity to pursue all God has in store for you.

Notice that it doesn’t say you need a strong self-image to believe in God. It’s not enough to love God but not really like yourself. That’s not God’s will. But truth be told, many of us spend an inordinate amount of time trying to fix our faults or find a way to simply “live with” ourselves. If you don’t learn to celebrate yourself, you’ll settle for a life where you merely tolerate who you are. You’ll shrink. You’ll settle. You’ll take the leftovers and never go after what God has for you.

What if you really believed in your potential and power, not only your imperfections? There is nothing God-glorifying about hiding your anointing, gifts, and voice. The very nature of your existence is a supernatural permission slip! When God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3), He was giving you permission to shine.

Excerpted from Blessing Blockers: Shrinking by Sarah Jakes Roberts.

July 21, 2025 – Bible Recap Journal

Hosea 8–14

Common Theme
Israel’s unfaithfulness brings judgment, yet God’s heart aches with longing to restore His people. Despite their rebellion, He promises healing, love, and fruitfulness if they return to Him.

Questions

  • What false sources of security have you trusted instead of the Lord?
  • How does God’s longing for His people shape your understanding of His discipline?

God Shot
God grieves over His people’s betrayal but refuses to give them up, saying, “My heart recoils within me; My compassion grows warm and tender” (Hos. 11:8). He is a God whose justice burns, but whose mercy runs deeper still, always ready to heal and restore.

July 20, 2025 – Bible Recap Journal

Hosea 1–7

Common Theme
Israel’s unfaithfulness is portrayed through Hosea’s marriage to Gomer, revealing the nation’s spiritual adultery against God. Despite their repeated rebellion, God pleads with His people to return, offering mercy and healing if they repent.

Questions

  • What does it reveal about God’s heart that He continues to pursue a people who repeatedly reject Him?
  • In what ways do people today try to cover sin instead of confessing it, like Israel did?

God Shot
God is a faithful husband who refuses to stop loving His unfaithful bride. He is both just and deeply compassionate, longing to heal and restore those who betray Him.

July 19, 2025 – Bible Recap Journal

2 Kings 18; 2 Chronicles 29–31; Psalm 48

Common Theme
God honors wholehearted trust and covenant faithfulness. He brings deliverance, restoration, and joy to those who return to Him with sincerity and purity.

Questions

  • What does it look like to trust the Lord wholeheartedly in the face of surrounding threats or past unfaithfulness?
  • How does genuine worship shape both personal and national restoration?

God Shot
God is a restorer who delights in repentance and responds with mercy and strength. He defends His people, purifies His dwelling, and establishes joy in Zion because His steadfast love endures.

Hebrews Chapter 11 Summary

Faith Defined

Hebrews 11 opens by defining faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” This sets the tone for the entire chapter, emphasizing trust in God’s promises even when they are not immediately visible or fulfilled.

Faith in the Ancients

The chapter recounts the stories of key figures from the Old Testament; Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, and many others—who lived by faith. Each one believed God’s word and acted on it, often at great personal cost and without seeing the final outcome in their lifetime.

Strangers and Exiles

These faithful men and women acknowledged that they were “strangers and exiles on the earth,” looking ahead to a better homeland, a heavenly one. This eternal perspective fueled their obedience and gave them courage to endure trials, suffering, and uncertainty.

Commended but Waiting

Though they were commended for their faith, they did not receive the fullness of what was promised. God had a greater plan that included future generations. Their faith points forward to Christ and calls us to live with the same hope and perseverance.

Living by Faith Today

Hebrews 11 invites believers today to trust in the unseen, to endure in hope, and to live with eyes fixed on the eternal. Just like those who came before us, we are called to walk by faith, not by sight, knowing that God is preparing something far better than what this world offers.