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This is an excerpt from “The Bible in a Year: A 52-Week Journey Through God’s Word,” written by the Spiral Bible team.

Trust in God is the practical response to His proven character and faithful promises. It grows through experiencing His faithfulness and leads to peace even in life’s storms…This trust isn’t blind faith but confident reliance on God’s character and wisdom, even when our understanding falls short…Trust becomes the pathway to tranquility, not because our circumstances change, but because or focus shifts from our problems to God’s presence and power…Biblical trust isn’t passive waiting but active obedience, continuing to do what we know is right while waiting for God to work. We demonstrate our trust through our choices and actions.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. [Proverbs 3:5-6]

Written by Emily Rose Massey, a contemporary writer.

When we face rejection from others, we must remember that Jesus understands rejection better than anyone, as He has experienced it firsthand. Many people rejected Jesus (and continue to do so) while He was here on earth; even one of His very own disciples (Judas), rejected Him and betrayed Him. And just a couple of hours later, another one of His closest disciples (Peter) rejected knowing Him. Three times to be exact. Aren’t you so thankful for Jesus’ forgiveness when we turn our backs on Him! He gives us so many opportunities to repent and make things right in our relationship with Him! His mercies towards us are new every single morning… oh, what love! Has the pain of rejection made it difficult for you to trust others? Lay that pain at the foot of the cross, friend. God can bring healing to the wounds of those who have hurt you and empower you to choose to forgive. Instead of allowing bitterness to take root in your heart, perhaps you should ask the Lord to bless those who have hurt you, even if they don’t want you in their life anymore. Jesus was rejected, yet He took the punishment of our sin out of love for those who would put their trust in Him. No matter how much man rejects us, we must remember that Jesus is the friend who sticks by us no matter what. He will never leave you nor turn His back on you. The Lord understands our pain regarding rejection, and His arms are open wide, so let us be quick to draw near to Him. Lo, He is always with you…even to the end of the age!

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” [Hebrews 13:5b-6]

Written by J. I. Packer (1926-2020), a Canadian evangelical theologian, cleric, ad writer. This is an excerpt from his book “Knowing God.”

If the decisive factor was notional correctness, then obviously the most learned biblical scholars would know God better than anyone else. But it is not; you can have all the right notions in your head without ever tasting in your heart the realities to which they refer; and a simple Bible reader and sermon hearer who is full of the Holy Spirit will develop a far deeper acquaintance with his God and Savior than a more learned scholar who is content with being theologically correct.

For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. [2 Peter 1:21]

Written by John Ortberg, a contemporary pastor, speaker, and writer. This is an excerpt from his book “Steps.”

Fear seems to get into everything. We have a yellow lab named Baxter who is a wonderful dog except that he sheds recreationally…Fear is that way. It sheds. That little word somehow touches about every aspect of our lives. It is an evil and corroding thread; the fabric of our existence is shot through it. The first temptation in the Bible was based on FOMO (the fear of missing out): “Your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God.”  And then sin produced fear. “I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” FOMO – sin – guilt—fear—hide—repeat…Our fears have a way of hiding behind our actions…Don’t allow fear to exist as a vague, unnamed cloud of anxiety… As long as we are alive we will never live a fear-free life. Part of surrender involves the willingness to experience fear while we continue to seek to do God’s will…Fear rightly used, is a gift. It is the anticipation of harm. It’s designed to help us organize our response to threat and energize us to escape from danger. Without fear we wouldn’t survive…But as a general rule, fear paralyzes us…In the Bible “Do not fear” is the single most common command. But it pretty much never means “try really hard to not feel fear.” And it pretty much never means “God is now permitting you to avoid a fear-inducing situation so that you can be spared unpleasant fear.” It almost always means “Do the very thing you were afraid to do”: Don’t be afraid…The promise in not that we will be spared discomfort of fear. Quite the opposite. It’s that precisely in the midst of that discomfort we will discover that God is with us. When we turn our live over to Him, fear-avoidance no longer governs…Honestly facing up to your shortcomings is the most humbling and courageous thing you’ll ever do.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  [Isaiah 41:10]

Written by Laura Johnson, a contemporary writer.

We see evidence all throughout Scripture that Jesus was deeply concerned with matters of the heart. When we take a look at the life and ministry of Christ, we discover a man who saw people in their circumstances — stepping not only into their physical realities, but also their spiritual ones. But as we seek to learn from Jesus, we see Him offering us a new way to live and minister. Not only does He invite us to lean into His strength in our personal heart struggles, He also gives us the gift of stepping into others’ lives and inviting them to do the same. As we follow Christ and make Him known, we have the privilege of bringing people before Christ and watching how He cares for both our hearts and the hearts of those around us. Discipleship is not simply about giving tools for people to become better Christians; it is about being faithful to bring the people before you into the presence of Christ, walking with them while Christ changes their hearts and transforms their lives.

Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. [Galatians 6:2]

Written by Joseph Hellerman, a contemporary author and pastor.

Spiritual formation occurs primarily in the context of community. Persons who remain contented with their brothers and sisters in the local church almost invariably grow in self-understanding. And they mature in their ability to relate in healthy ways to God and to their fellow human beings. This is especially the case for those courageous Christians who stick it out through the often messy process of interpersonal discord and conflict resolution. Long-term interpersonal relationships are the crucible of genuine progress in the Christian life. People who stay grow. People who leave do not grow.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up… A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. [Ecclesiastes 4:9-12]

Written by Paul David Tripp, a contemporary pastor, author, and speaker.

Here’s what every sufferer needs to understand: you never just suffer the thing that you’re suffering, but you also suffer the way that you’re suffering that thing. We never come to our suffering empty-handed. We drag a bag full of experiences, expectations, assumptions, perspectives, desires, intentions, and decisions into our suffering. So, our lives are shaped not just by what we suffer but by what we bring to our suffering. What you think about yourself, life, God, and others will profoundly affect the way you think about, interact with, and respond to the difficulty that comes your way.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. [James 1:2-4]

Written by Francois Fenelon (1651-1715), a French archbishop, theologian, poet, and writer.

Peace. Just sit in it. It’s not your job to work up passion and fiery devotion for God. It doesn’t depend on you. All you can do, all you are responsible to do, is to choose the one you will obey. Hand your will, your obedience, over to God. Don’t hold anything back. Frankly, it’s irrelevant how much intense feeling you have in your spiritual life right now. The more important question to ask is this: “Do I want what God wants?” Humbly confess your faults. Don’t hold onto your world. Abandon yourself to God. Choose to love God more than you love yourself. Desire God’s name to be great. Desire God to have God’s way—want that more than you want your own life. If you don’t feel these things, then just want to feel it, hoping you will someday. In the meantime, ask God to give you this kind of love for him. He will. God will love you, and he will pour peace into your heart.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. [Colossians 3:15]

Written by William Boekestein, a contemporary pastor and author. This is an excerpt from his work “Stubborn Prophet, Faithful God.”

Instead of using Scripture the way my kids use the “selected answers” section in the back of their math books, we should use it as an exercise regimen that fortifies us to make good decisions. Scripture informs our minds, shapes our hearts, and gives us the experience necessary to make good choices. The normal way of discerning God’s will is by transforming our minds …  Scripture isn’t like a horoscope for finding easy answers. It is nourishing food that strengthens us to walk the hard path God has prepared for us.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. [Romans 12:1-2]

Written by the Lead Like Jesus team, an organization founded by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges that promotes a transformational leadership model based on following Jesus.

Jesus, how good it is to be Your companion as I journey through life. Show me the path of life today, fill me with joy in Your presence, and lead me into the future You have planned. Help me to live, love, and lead like You as we walk together today. I pray in Your name, Amen.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. [John 14:6]