Living By Grace

17/10/2025

Faith means believing even when we don’t understand the ‘why’. God’s love never fails.
— Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

16/10/2025

16/10/2025

When doors close, it’s not the end — it’s God’s way of steering you to where you truly belong.
— Proverbs 16:9 (NKJV)
“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

15/10/2025

Sometimes what feels like delay is actually God’s preparation. He’s shaping your heart for the promise ahead.
— James 1:4 (NIV)
“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

15/10/2025

Who Cares Enough to Tell You the Truth?

“Stupid people always think they are right. Wise people listen to advice.” Proverbs 12:15 (GNT)

We all have blind spots. There are things in our lives that need correcting, but we can’t always see them. Why? Because we don’t always see ourselves clearly—and sometimes we just don’t want to. We don’t want to acknowledge the habits we’ve settled into that feel comfortable but keep us from growing.

That’s why God puts people around you to tell you the truth. Everybody needs somebody in their life who loves them enough to tell them the truth.

Do you have anyone like that in your life? Do you have any godly friends who don’t just tell you what you want to hear but love you enough to level with you?

If you don’t have people who speak the hard truths to you, that means you’re probably making a lot of avoidable mistakes. You need to identify the people in your life who encourage you to live like Jesus.

You also need to be that kind of person for others. Are you comfortable pointing out blind spots with grace and love to the people who matter most to you? In God’s family, that’s what we do for each other so we can grow into the people who God wants us to be.

This is why God hates pride so much. Pride makes us defensive and unteachable. When we are prideful, we build up walls and keep people at a distance. Then we can’t hear God’s voice speaking to us through others.

Proverbs 12:15 says, “Stupid people always think they are right. Wise people listen to advice” (GNT). God wants to use you to help others grow. He will speak through you—but it takes courage. And he will speak through other people to you—and that takes humility.

Maybe you’re thinking of someone right now. You’ve got a friend or sibling or coworker who is headed down the wrong path, and you see it clear as day—but you’ve said nothing. You’ve kept silent, telling yourself it’s none of your business.

But love cares. And when you care, you’re aware and you dare to share. When you care, you’re aware of each other’s blind spots, and you dare to share the truth with the other person. In those moments, God can use your words to bring life and encouragement.

14/10/2025

14/10/2025

The Key to Happiness in a Broken World

“The LORD is kind to everyone who trusts and obeys him.” Lamentations 3:25 (CEV)

We live on a broken planet, with natural disasters, physical decay, and death. There’s emotional distress and disappointment, distance and discord in relationships, and spiritual discontent and darkness. It’s no wonder why there is an epidemic of hopelessness in our world. I would feel hopeless too if I thought this broken place was the end of the story—but it’s not. There’s good news!

How can you be happy in a world full of pain and suffering and sorrow? How can you be happy when you deeply and personally feel the effects of broken bodies, broken relationships, and broken hope?

You do what Jeremiah did. Jeremiah was a prophet who experienced plenty of suffering and disappointment. He wrote the book of Lamentations, where he gives his testimony:

“I cannot find peace or remember happiness. . . . Thinking of my troubles and my lonely wandering makes me miserable. That’s all I ever think about, and I am depressed. Then I remember something that fills me with hope. The LORD’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. The LORD can always be trusted to show mercy each morning. Deep in my heart I say, ‘The LORD is all I need; I can depend on him!’ The LORD is kind to everyone who trusts and obeys him” (Lamentations 3:17, 19-25 CEV).

The key to happiness in a broken, messed up, damaged world is ultimately this: The Lord is all you need.

Don’t put your trust in people, because they can let you down. Don’t put your trust in circumstances, because they can disappoint you. Don’t put your trust in the things of this world, because they won’t last.

Put your trust in God. Remember his promises to you in his Word and his faithfulness to you in the past. Then you’ll be able to trust in his unfailing kindness for your future. You’ll be able to obey him with joy and say with confidence, “The Lord is all I need. I can depend on him!”

Talk It Over
What does Jeremiah’s testimony teach you about how you can pray to the Lord when you are suffering?

Why is it important to learn to trust that God is all you need, even when you’re not going through a hard time?

How has God been faithful to you in the past?

13/10/2025

God Can Meet Your Unmet Needs

“My people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me—the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!” Jeremiah 2:13 (NLT)

The sad reality is this: We live in a broken, fallen world—a world where sin and evil exist. And as a result, we all live with unmet needs.

This is not a perfect place, so all your needs will not be met while you live on earth. You have unmet relational, physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual needs. You have a need to be known and understood and loved.

It’s understandable to want your needs met, but the last thing you should do is try to meet them your own way instead of trusting God. When you think you can meet your needs better than God can, it leads to broken hearts, broken dreams, broken bodies, and broken promises.

God said, “My people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me—the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!” (Jeremiah 2:13 NLT).

A cistern is a hole dug into the ground to store water. In a well, you have water that’s coming up from the ground. But a cistern is not connected to a water source, so you have to constantly fill it with water. Over time the water leaks into the ground, and the cistern goes dry. It eventually runs out of water. It’s temporary. Also, because there’s no new water coming into the cistern, the water can become murky and polluted.

God is saying that when you try to meet your needs in your own way, it’s like trying to keep fresh water in a cracked cistern. You will always run out of water in a cracked cistern—and you will always run out of power when you’re trying to meet your needs on your own.

In the book of John, Jesus refers to himself as Living Water. He said, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:38 NIV). God’s love and care for you and the power he gives you to live the Christian life are like a well that never runs dry. When you trust in him, he’ll take care of your needs in the best way and at the right time. You will have everything you need.

Don’t dig your own cistern that will always go dry. Trust in the Living Water that never runs out!

Talk It Over
In what ways you have been trying to meet your own needs instead of trusting God?

If you’re waiting on God to meet a need in your life, what do you think he wants you to do while you wait?

What do you need to ask the Holy Spirit to give you power to do today?

12/10/2025

Blessed Sunday, everyone! ⛅️ May today remind you that God is still writing your story. Rest in His promises and step into the new week with hope. 💫