11 Feb 2026
May the Lord reassure us even in our most difficult times. May His presence continue to minister to us and give us hope. May we not be anxious. May His peace fill our hearts and may we be reminded that He is faithful. Matthew 6:25-34.
Down from the Mountain
Note from Jesus Dear Child of God, I know that you love mountain-top experiences. Unfortunately, sooner or later you have to come down from the mountain and face the realities of life on earth. As you read the verses below from Luke, the physician, remember that I had to face very similar realities when I came down from My mountain-top experience with the Father and with My disciples (Luke 9:28-36). When I came down from the Mount of Transfiguration, I faced several very frustrating realities: The crowds that swarmed around Me everywhere I went were waiting for Me at the bottom of the mountain. I loved the people, but the crowds were not really interested in Who I AM or in coming to faith. They were mostly interested in what they could get from Me. Dealing with the crowds in My ministry was hard on Me. There was a man who had a very difficult situation with his son. I hate for Satan to hold anyone in his evil grip or torment any family. This situation needed a remedy, but the man and his son had not received one. My disciples, who had been given authoritative power and had recently been personally involved in several miraculous experiences, found themselves “incapable” of helping the man and his son. Their lack of faith was frustrating and disappointing to Me. However, I want you to notice what I did in this situation: Rather than getting knocked off track by the crowds and the lack of faithful and decisive action by My disciples, I did what needed to be done for this loving father and his demon-afflicted son. I made the boy whole and freed him from the demonic spirit that troubled him. God was praised by the crowd and a family was restored — full shalom was given in the face of demonic attack! Verses to Live So here are several things I hope that you will take away from Luke’s telling of this event in My life. First, because of deep disappointment with people I knew well and loved, I experienced great frustration in being brought back down to earth after having mountain-top experiences. Please remember you are not alone when you face these kinds of frustrations. I know your hurt, and I will never leave you or forsake you. Second, good and godly people don’t always do the right thing or even realize the power available to them. It is frustrating, and they sometimes need to be sternly reminded to expect more. But don’t give up on them. Third, remember the point in ministering to people: Don’t minister to get glory for yourself, but minister to bless those who hurt, to bring praise to the Father, and to bless the Father’s children with joy. Before the events in the accompanying scripture, Peter, James, and John had just witnessed My transfiguration — they experienced Me in My glory with Moses and Elijah. The Father told them to listen to Me! After this glorious experience, this glimpse of kingdom power, they were soon brought back to earth by what awaited them. They came down the mountain, and the next day yet another huge crowd gathered around Jesus. There was a man in the crowd who shouted out. Man in Crowd: Teacher! Please come and look at my son here, my only child. From time to time, a demonic spirit seizes him. It makes him scream and go into convulsions. He foams at the mouth. It nearly destroys him and only leaves after causing him great distress. While You were up on the mountain, I begged Your disciples to liberate him from this spirit, but they were incapable of helping us. Jesus: O generation faithless, twisted, and crooked, how long can I be with you? How much can I bear? Bring your boy here. The boy had taken a few steps toward Jesus when suddenly the demon seemed to rip into the boy, throwing him into convulsions. Jesus spoke sternly to the demonic spirit, and the boy was healed. Jesus presented the boy to his father. The crowd began cheering and discussing this amazing healing and the power of God…. (Luke 9:37-43) Response in Prayer O Father in heaven, I confess that I get frustrated with Your people who can’t seem to get it. I am even more frustrated with myself because I often don’t trust that You can use me to do Your great work of blessing others. So today, dear Father, I ask for a holy balance of patience and passion. I pray for personal faith to trust that You, O Father, are the great “Enabler” — that You can make my insufficiencies into effective capabilities! I pray for patience with the spiritual development of others and myself, yet ask for an urgent passion to believe that Jesus can do great things through our efforts to bless others and bring You glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2026, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Stuck at the Tracks
Is your life stuck at the light? On the way to work the other morning I was running a little behind, but that really didn’t bother me. I drive through one small town on the way. Unfortunately as I started through town, a school bus turned onto the road in front of me. It immediately stopped to pick up some children. I thought, “OK, it’s no big deal, I’ll be through here in short order.” But, the bus continued to make more stops for more children. Time was passing more quickly than I liked. Just before we got to the train tracks, the flashing lights came on and we were all stopped as a freight train made its way through town. This completely dashed any hopes I had of being early to work. As I sat there, I had to chuckle to myself about the situation – beats fussing and fuming. It seems that no matter how hard we try to control time, it never works out. No matter how well we try to plan our lives, something comes along to mess up our plans. Our son, daughter-in-law, grandson and my wife all went to the doctor’s office this past week to have a look at the new grandchild our daughter-in-law is carrying. Although everything looked fine and the baby was extremely active, they were not able to tell what gender the baby is. They were all disappointed. They wanted to start decorating the nursery and buying baby things. They had all looked forward to this for the past couple of months with great excitement and anticipation; but, instead, they found themselves sitting at the train tracts, stopped cold. What about you? What has unexpectedly stopped you? What has derailed your plans or kept things from working like you wanted them to work? What kind of disappointments have you faced? We all have choices to make, don’t we? You can sit there and fuss and fume, or you can shrug your shoulders, chuckle about the ironies of life, and get on with living. Wouldn’t it really be better to focus on what is really important in life! Remember the story of “the rich fool” found in Luke 12. He was the guy that made big plans that didn’t take place. He was going to build bigger barns and store up lots of stuff so that he could retire to the good life. Notice Luke 12:20: “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’” (NIV). Do you know what the message is? Focus on the important things? Whatever plans you have, whatever goals you have in mind, if they don’t come to fruition, are they really worth fussing and fuming about? Count your blessings and focus on the really important things in life! Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God’s right hand in the place of honor and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. (Colossians 3:1-4 NLT) About the author: Russ Lawson is a former missionary to Africa and minister in Ohio. He now works with World Christian Literature Outreach and writes a weekly email devotional, Messages from the Heart. For more information about Russ, click here.
How Do You Know?
How can we know the answer to life’s questions? The question is always blunt, direct, personal, and demanding. Once asked, it must be answered. The challenge, once made, requires a response validating your position. The question is not politically correct and the answer offers no public relations subtleties. “How do you know?” How do you know God is real? How do you know there is a heaven or hell? And maybe the most important question of all, how do you know you’re going to heaven? To answer those “How do you know?” questions, scripture says: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed (1 Peter 3:15-16 NKJV). This is one of those interesting human dilemmas that we feel trapped by. When we try to explain how we know, there is a fear that others will interrogate us as to why we made such a dreadfully poor decision. Yet look at the words. It says we are to give a reason for our faith. It’s not a debate to prove whose reasons are best; it’s not a dictate that everyone believes exactly the same on every subject; and it’s not collective wisdom. It’s why you, personally and individually, believe. How did you come to those conclusions? When we stand before God Almighty at the final judgment, it will only be you and Jesus who have to answer for you. The opinions, beliefs and choices of others will not be admissible. So, how DO YOU know? Tell me at bbrant@heraldoftruth.org or join our blog dialogue at hopeforlife.org. (Expressed written consent must be obtained prior to republishing, retransmitting or otherwise reusing the content of this article. Contact us at info@hopeforlife.org) About the author: Bill Brant is the President and CEO of Herald of Truth Ministries based in Abilene, Texas.
Today’s Verse – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. —1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Love! In the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, let’s remember the real meaning of true love (1 John 4:8-12) and not dilute it with the many sappy expressions of limited human love, oftentimes based in lust rather than genuine love. I am certainly not against expressing our love to others on Valentine’s Day, but it can get so sappy, sentimental, and manipulative. Without our motivations centered on why we are expressing love, all “Christian” activities are more motion and commotion than true love. True love is the expression of Christ’s sacrificial character through deeds of love offered to others without expecting anything in return (1 John 3:16-18). Let’s refuse to get lost in the annual trip down sentimentality lane. Too many of us forget the needed daily dose of love that so often gets lost in the grit of day-to-day relationships. Let’s be loving all year-round, showing ourselves to be Jesus’ true disciples (John 13:34-35). My Prayer… Loving Heavenly Father, thank you for demonstrating your love for us in Jesus. Help us to love as Jesus did – selflessly, sacrificially, and consistently – so others may know of your love through our actions and not just our words. In Jesus name, and to love as he has loved us, we pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
‘Listen to Him!’
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, To whom are you listening? Let Me put that in plainer language, but poorer English: Who are you listening to most in your life? The one you choose to hear and what you believe from what you hear impacts your life choices. You can listen to many voices. You can listen to your “inner me” voice to tell yourself what you think of yourself. You can listen to the voice of your past hurts, failures, disappointments, and disasters. You can choose to listen to the voice of an enemy, critic, coach, teacher, or professor. You can choose to believe the words of your favorite songwriter, favorite movie star, or favorite sports hero. You can live in the shadow of the words of a family member, boss, friend, or even an enemy. The choices seem endless. So I’m going to ask My question to you again: To whom are you listening most in your life? Peter, James, and John — My very closest disciples — were with Me during an amazing and bewildering experience. In fact, something happened to them in this experience that they believed at the time was the greatest thing they had ever witnessed: they saw Moses and Elijah. For every faithful Jew up until that time, Moses was the greatest leader of God’s people. He was the one through whom they received the Torah. For every believing Israelite up until this time, Elijah was the greatest prophet of all the prophets. He spoke the very words of God with courage, accompanied by miraculous power when necessary. Here I was with these two heroes. That meant I was something truly special, and they were My friends. Peter couldn’t imagine anything better than building a shrine to each of us. At this moment, Peter suddenly realized that his friend Jesus was as great as Moses and Elijah. Poor Peter, he just didn’t know what he was saying and what he would learn through his life of following Me! The Father, however, wanted them all to know the truth: Someone far greater than Moses and Elijah had come and was among them. That greater One is Me — Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God! The Father wanted My disciples to know that I wasn’t just another good religious teacher with great things to say. The Father wanted them to realize that I AM the ONE to Whom they must listen above all others, that I AM greater than the greatest of all other religious heroes they could imagine! The Father said: This is My Son! This is the One I have chosen! Listen to Him! So I’m going to ask My question to you again: To whom are you listening most in your life? Verses to Live The introduction to this story about My time with Peter, James, and John sounds eerily like a story on the night of My arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-53): I am praying. My closest disciples are sleeping. They can’t grasp any threat of My being killed in relation to My identity. They are confused by what happens. Their loyalty to Me is challenged. And, they see My glory, but revealed in shockingly different ways. Each of the two events — My transfiguration described in the verses below and My passion — demands that they look to Me and listen to Me. In the events in the following account, the Father demands that the disciples who were with Me, and you dear friend, listen to Me as your truth. The later event, the passion (betrayal, trials, crucifixion, and resurrection), demands that you listen to Me out of love for what I did for you. So I ask you one last time: To whom are you listening most in your life? … Jesus went away to pray. This time He took along only Peter, John, and James. They climbed a mountainside and came to a place of solitude. Jesus began to pray and the disciples tried to stay awake, but their eyes grew heavier and heavier and finally they all fell asleep. When they awakened, they looked over at Jesus and saw something inexplicable happening. Jesus was changing before their eyes, beginning with His face. It seemed to glow. The glow spread, and even His clothing took on a blinding whiteness. Then, two figures appeared in the glorious radiance emanating from Jesus. The three disciples somehow knew that these figures were Moses and Elijah. Peter, James, and John overheard the conversation that took place among Jesus, Moses, and Elijah — a conversation that centered on Jesus’ “departure” and how He would accomplish this departure from the capital city, Jerusalem. The glow began to fade, and it was clear that Moses and Elijah were about to disappear. Peter (to Jesus): Please, Master, it is good for us to be here and see this. Can we make three structures — one to honor You, one to honor Moses, and one to honor Elijah, to try to capture what’s happening here? Peter had no idea what he was saying. While he spoke a cloud descended, and they were enveloped in it, and fear fell on them. Then a voice came out of everywhere and nowhere at once. Voice from Heaven: This is My Son! This is the One I have chosen! Listen to Him! Then the voice was silent, the cloud disappeared, and Moses and Elijah were gone. Peter, James, and John were left speechless, stunned, staring at Jesus Who now stood before them alone. For a long time, they did not say a word about this whole experience. (Luke 9:28-36) Response in Prayer O Father, help me keep my heart, mind, and ears focused on Jesus. I want to hear His voice, obey His words, and follow His example. Dear Father, like Jesus, I want to fulfill Your will for my life, so I choose to listen to Jesus as my Lord — to let His words and
10 Feb 1016
At this point in time the devil is allowed to cause trouble in the world. So we ought to be aware and therefore follow the advice that the Bible gives concerning how to live. We are not unique concerning the suffering we experience. Jehovah is there to help us overcome. Jesus overcame the devil and so can we with His help. 1 Peter 5:8-11.
The Long, Hard Chill of Winter
Are you ready for the long hard chill of winter? Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything (James 1:2-4 NLT). Are you a winter person? Over the years, I’ve learned that there are winter people and that there are summer people – some folks who prefer the cold and others that prefer the heat. I guess I’m one of those summer folks. I’m not big on cold weather. So as much of the U.S. has come has endured a long stretch of cold and ice, I’ve had the opportunity to reflect on the long, hard winter for a bit. I was surprised that there are some interesting similarities between handling a long, hard, cold spell, and dealing with periods of trial, temptation, and trouble. Prepare for It: One of the keys to enduring a hard freeze and a period of really cold weather is to prepare for it appropriately. Make sure the outside spigots are covered and insulated. Check out the heating system, so you know it is ready to handle the load. Provide cover and warmth for pets and tender plants. Locate the proper tires or tire chains if the roads are impassable. Fill up the pantry with food and the cars with fuel to make sure you aren’t caught unprepared and left stranded. While we usually can know in advance when very cold weather is approaching, our spiritual times of trial are a little more unpredictable. However, even though we don’t know exactly when these tough times are going to come, we can be sure they will come. Spiritual preparation is crucial. Having a regular time to be with the Lord – a familiarity with prayer and Scripture – is essential. Jesus used his knowledge of both the heart of God and the will of God to help him through his time of testing. In addition, having supportive relationships with fellow believers is crucial to help us weather these times which are much harder to endure alone. Dress Appropriately: As the winter chill sets in, appropriate dress helps deal with the wind’s bitter bite and the chill that infiltrates all the corners of our routine. Dressing in layers, having an appropriate coat, and wearing the right kinds of clothing close to our skin all make the winter chill bearable. Having the right shoes and gloves helps immensely. A good hat, cap, or hood helps the body retain much of its warmth that is lost if the head is uncovered. The cold isn’t so cold when we dress appropriately. Spiritual dress is equally important if we are to endure the bitter times of testing, trials, and troubles. The apostle Paul twice refers to this as spiritual armor – the dress we need to withstand, defend, and win our battles with the evil one. This spiritual dress is even more important for us than winter clothing if we are to survive Satan’s chilling attacks. Realize that this Time Will Pass: Winter isn’t forever. The season of bitter chill will pass. Good things lie beyond the cold weather and the bleak landscapes. Spring awaits us. Life with all its beautiful colors will burst forth, bringing with it warmer temperatures, longer days, and different times. Our spiritual times of chill also are not forever. As children of God, we’re destined for better things – more glorious things. For most of us, a season of trials is over sooner than we feared and the joy returns to life leaving us with renewed vigor and joy. Even when our physical circumstances don’t change quickly, we know we have an eternal home with God that is without the bitterness of temptations, trials and troubles. The great reassurance we have in Christ is that good things and joyous times await us in our future. Learn to Value the Good Tough Times Bring: As much as the winter chill can be hard to endure, it does bring good results. The hard cold of winter helps rid our world of pests and weeds. It forces us into periods of rest and retreat. It offers some of our trees and outdoor plants a time to grow in ways that are not readily seen, but desperately needed. While we don’t ever volunteer for spiritual times of temptation, trial, and trouble, these too, offer us the opportunity to grow in necessary ways. These times slow us down, make us depend more upon God, and strengthen us in ways the easy times and good days can’t. When we realize that our task on earth is not to find ease and comfort, but instead to develop an enduring faith and a holy character, then we can welcome these times knowing that God is at work in us to make us more like him. Even if you are a winter person, I hope that you can see the importance of these observations. Troubles will come. Satan will make sure temptations assault us at our most vulnerable times. Trials are a part of human living. However, if our heart is set on our Savior and our desire is to please him and become more like him, then even the chill of this unwanted time can be a time of blessing. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us-they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love (Romans 5:3-5). About the author: Phil Ware has authored 11 years of daily devotionals, including VerseoftheDay.com, read by 500,000 people
Not Left as Orphans
What can we expect the Spirit to do for us? Years ago, we were going to a new church. When it came time to head home one evening, we could not find our 22 month old son. He had been with us just a few moments earlier, but as they were turning off the lights and closing up the building, Zach was nowhere to be found. This was new turf for him. He didn’t know his way around. We didn’t know his favorite places in the building. All the lights, except a few in the foyer, were off. Donna and I were frantic! What if he made it to the street with it already dark outside? Where could he be? How had he gotten away so quickly? Why wasn’t he crying if the lights had been turned off on him? I went out and began a search of the parking lot and the street. Donna began a search through all the classrooms in the children’s wing. She found him in a classroom with the lights off but with a window that let the light from the parking lot outside filter in through the window. Zach was perfectly happy playing with a few toys in near total darkness as he talked and sang unaware of his crazed parents looking for him. Most of us know the terror of a child being momentarily lost or of our being lost and left alone as a child with our parents desperate to find us. Adults left behind can be even more painful – being left at the altar, being left alone in ER after a loved one has passed, being left to pay the bills after a business partner has stolen funds, being left by a rebellious child who has run away from home determined to leave behind all the values we hold dear, or being left alone after having been served divorce papers by an officer of the court. Jesus’ disciples were about to be left behind by their Lord. So Jesus shared with them some of the most beautiful and comforting words ever recorded: [Jesus said,] “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am (John 14:1-3). As beautiful as these words can be in times of death, the question remains: “What do we do when we feel alone today?” Jesus’ words of comfort didn’t stop with the promise that he is preparing a place for us with the Father and coming back to take us home with him. Jesus makes the following promises based upon the Holy Spirit’s coming to us and living in us: “I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you” (John 14:18). “I too will love [you] and show myself to [you]” (John 14:21). “My Father will love [you], and we will come to [you] and make our home with [you]” (John 14:23). “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26). Because of the Holy Spirit within us, Jesus reminds us that we will never be alone. The Spirit will live in us and make our heart the home for “all the fullness of God” living within us (Ephesians 3:16-19). We are never abandoned, forgotten, or on our own. God is not only near, he is also present within us. Until the Father is ready for us to come home to him, He chooses to make his home in each of us! We are never left behind. The Spirit is always there with us, within us, to do God’s work and bring God’s blessings to us! (For a list of some of the things the Spirit does for us, with us, and through us, see the list at the end of this article.) Several months ago, I walked out into a field from my truck on a cold, dark, crisp morning two hours before the sun came up. There were no clouds in the sky. It was a new moon so there was no moonlight. The first two hundred yards of my half-mile hike was a bit treacherous, so I used a green light to walk carefully yet not scare the wildlife. Once on an old ranch trail, I turned off the green light and my eyes began to adjust, After four hundred yards, my eyes had adjusted to the darkness and I looked up into the inky black darkness of the moonless sky and was amazed. The sky was not dark at all. In fact, the deepest “darkness” was still a dull faint glow as billions and billions of stars merged into the night background. When my eyes focused on a few clusters of stars, the background became dark and the stars were everywhere – all sorts of brightness, but everywhere in their dazzling array like diamonds under a light scattered across black velvet. I had to stop. The Holy Spirit immediately called up the words of Psalm 8:1-5 and I uttered them instinctively out loud – not once or twice, but three or four times, rhythmically repeating them without regard to scaring off the wildlife. As we look at all the Holy Spirit does for us while indwelling us, we cannot help but be awestruck. Like the shimmering stars in the darkest night sky, there are layers upon layers and grace upon grace to the Spirit’s work in us, for us, and through us. What follows is a bit of a visual reminder of SOME of the things the Spirit does for us followed by
Today’s Verse – 2 Thessalonians 1:3
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. —2 Thessalonians 1:3 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… “Please increase my faith, O, LORD.” “Please increase my strength, dear God.” “Please increase my wisdom, Father.” We often pray for these kinds of things, but when was the last time you prayed asking God to increase your capacity to love, and your congregation’s capacity to love others? Can you think of anything more exciting to say about your friends and fellowship than to say, “The love everyone has for each other is increasing, and that love for those around them who don’t know Jesus is growing!” Let’s pray and act to make this dimension of our love real and noticeable to the broken world that is fractured all around us! My Prayer… Holy God, may your love fill me as I seek to share it with those I meet each day. May this love grow and increase so that others may readily see its benefits and recognize that it is a direct response to the lavish love you have shared with me. I trust that as I seek to grow in love, the Holy Spirit will empower me to love in greater ways (Romans 5:5), ways that are beyond my capacity, so that others recognize it is your love working through me. Through the power of your Spirit, please empower my love to increase! In Jesus name I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.