FEBRUARY 25, 2026

  "Don't put in average effort and claim you want exceptional results." - James Clear

NUMBERS 14-15

1That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

5Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. 6Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”(14:1-9)

MARK 6:1-32

30The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

32So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.

JOURNAL 

The Israelites frustrate me. God has brought them out of Egypt, performed miracle after miracle, and led them right to the edge of promise. Yet the moment things become difficult, fear takes over. They panic, complain, and even long to return to slavery because the wilderness feels too hard. God has called them to something extraordinary, but they are unwilling to endure the effort, sacrifice, and courage required to step into it.

If I am honest, I see myself in them. One of the hardest moments in life is recognizing when I have fallen short. It is easy to blame circumstances, other people, or bad timing. It is much harder to admit that I did not truly give my best. I often claim wholehearted effort while quietly holding something back. At the same time, I still hope for exceptional outcomes. I want extraordinary results without always embracing extraordinary discipline.

God is gracious and does perform miracles, but He also calls His people to faithful action. Joshua and Caleb believed not because the task was easy but because God was faithful. Their confidence required courage, obedience, and forward movement. Faith was not passive belief. It demanded participation.

God also understands human limits. He knows exhaustion, discouragement, and fatigue will come. That is why Jesus called His disciples away to rest. Rest is not retreat or failure. Rest is restoration so that we can return strengthened, focused, and ready to live faithfully again. In Him we are renewed with power, love, and self discipline.

Today I am reminded that following God means both surrender and effort. I rejoice because the Lord is near. I release anxiety through prayer and gratitude. When I bring my weakness honestly before Him, His peace guards my heart and mind and equips me to pursue excellence with humility and trust.

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7

FEBRUARY 24, 2026

 “Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.” 

― Maya Angelou

NUMBERS 11-13

26They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.”

30Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

31But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”(13:26-33)

MARK 5:21-43

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

31“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

JOURNAL 

Sitting here in our modern world, it is easy for me to judge the Israelites for their lack of faith and their ungratefulness. In chapter 10 they complain about the manna and long for Egypt, believing slavery was somehow better than freedom. Now they stand at the edge of the promised land and doubt that God can deliver what He has already promised. They see abundance yet focus on obstacles. They want victory without struggle, blessing without dependence, and provision without trust. They desire rich food in the desert and an easy conquest without adversity.

Yet when I look honestly at my own heart, I recognize the same spirit within me. I also crave the easy path. I become dissatisfied with today’s blessings and quietly believe life should offer more comfort, more certainty, or fewer challenges. The rebellion that lived in Israel still lives in me whenever gratitude fades and fear grows louder than faith.

God’s discipline suddenly feels less harsh and more loving. He is not punishing weakness but shaping trust. He is teaching His people, and me, that faith is not proven when life is easy but when obedience moves forward despite uncertainty.

I want the spirit of Caleb, who saw the same giants yet believed in God’s promise more than in human limitation. I want the faith of the bleeding woman who pressed through the crowd believing that even the smallest touch of Christ was enough. Both chose trust over fear. Both moved toward God instead of retreating from difficulty.

Father, form that spirit in me. Teach me to meet every circumstance you allow with gratitude and courage. Nothing placed before me is greater than your power. Whatever season I walk through is an invitation to trust, to persevere, and to rejoice. Let gratitude shape my vision so that I see promise instead of giants and opportunity instead of complaint. May I conquer each day not through strength alone but through faith, joy, and thanksgiving, knowing that your will for me in Christ Jesus is to rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances.

12Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

16Rejoice always, 17pray continually, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:12-18

FEBRUARY 23, 2026

  “May you live every day of your life.” 

― Jonathan Swift

NUMBERS 8-10

29Now Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place about which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”

30He answered, “No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people.”

31But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. 32If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the Lord gives us.”

33So they set out from the mountain of the Lord and traveled for three days. The ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them during those three days to find them a place to rest. 34The cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp.

35Whenever the ark set out, Moses said,

“Rise up, Lord!

May your enemies be scattered;

may your foes flee before you.”

36Whenever it came to rest, he said,

“Return, Lord,

to the countless thousands of Israel.”(10:29-36)

MARK 5:1-20

18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis^b how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

JOURNAL 

I really  loved reading this morning. For all the times I've read through the Bible I never remember this section in Numbers where Moses asks his Brother-in-law to stay with them and then to go into the promised land. Apparently he agrees because the Kenites eventually settled in Canaan (Judges 1:16). Also in this section is the detailed explanations of how the Israelites followed God through the desert...using the cloud that settled above the tabernacle tent as the barometer of when they should stay or go. 

Lastly this story in Mark is really amazing and strange (Jesus sending demons out of a man and into pigs who kill themselves, but then refusing to allow the man to go with them)...why is that? I think ultimately its because God's plan is for us to go into the world...into the dark places and be a light. 

Juxtaposed these two verses seem to communicate the opposite...Hobab is asked to stay and the demon-possessed man is told to go. But I think that's because we all play different roles in growing God's kingdom. But it is also why we are to seek God daily for direction. At times he may have us go and at times he may have us stay, but we will never know unless we seek him. 

11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

JEREMIAH 29:11

FEBRUARY 22, 2026

   Before you were born, 

And were still too tiny for

The human eye to see,

You won the race for life

From among 250 million competitors.

And yet,

How fast you have forgotten

Your strength,

When your very existence

Is proof of your greatness.

You were born a winner,

A warrior,

One who defied the odds

By surviving the most gruesome

Battle of them all.

And now that you are a giant,

Why do you even doubt victory

Against smaller numbers,

And wider margins?

The only walls that exist,

Are those you have placed in your mind.

And whatever obstacles you conceive,

Exist only because you have forgotten

What you have already

Achieved.

― Suzy Kassem

NUMBERS 7

89When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law. In this way the Lord spoke to him.(7:89)

MARK 4:21-41

30Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

33With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. 34He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

JOURNAL 

Years ago in Gatlinburg, our family was walking the strip when my brother-in-law handed me a pretzel stick with a tiny red drop on the tip. It looked harmless, almost laughable. Within seconds my eyes watered and I was wandering the streets like a madman searching for relief from the fire raging in my mouth. Only after pressing a soft serve ice cream cone onto my tongue did the heat finally surrender. It was funny, but unforgettable. Something almost invisible had completely overtaken me.

That moment comes back to me when I think about viruses, DNA, and the kingdom of God. A virus is microscopic, unseen by the naked eye, yet it can reshape nations, halt economies, or change the course of a life. DNA itself is invisible, yet it holds identity, heritage, and the blueprint of who we are. The smallest structures often carry the greatest power. Creation itself runs on this principle.

When I read Scripture slowly instead of skimming, I notice Jesus constantly describing the kingdom of God through small things: seeds, yeast, lamps, soil. He is teaching that God’s work rarely announces itself with spectacle at the beginning. It begins quietly, almost unnoticed. The mustard seed looks insignificant, easy to dismiss, but once planted it becomes shelter, life, and provision for others.

God works the same way in us. He moves through small acts of obedience, brief prayers, moments of surrender, tiny decisions toward truth. What looks weak or ordinary becomes transformative once touched by His presence. The rejected, overlooked, or doubting parts of our lives are often the very places where God plants His greatest work. Like that drop of heat in Gatlinburg or the invisible code within our DNA, the power was always present even when unseen.

The same power that formed galaxies and breathed life into humanity now dwells within those who belong to Him. Faith may begin as something microscopic, almost fragile, yet once rooted it grows into courage, endurance, love, and hope strong enough to shelter others. I forget this sometimes. I forget that my identity is already written, that my life carries divine intention, and that God specializes in multiplying what seems small.

The kingdom of God does not arrive through overwhelming force but through faithful beginnings. A seed. A word. A surrender. A life transformed from the inside out.

11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

JEREMIAH 29:11

FEBRUARY 21, 2026

  “Timidity is the silent acceptance of bondage” 

― Constance Friday

NUMBERS 5-6

22The Lord said to Moses, 23“Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

24“ ‘ “The Lord bless you

and keep you;

25the Lord make his face shine on you

and be gracious to you;

26the Lord turn his face toward you

and give you peace.” ’

27“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”(6:22-27)

MARK 4:1-20

13Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

JOURNAL 

Numbers 5–6 reminds me that God’s blessing is not simply protection but presence. The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace. Peace comes from knowing that God is with me in every moment, not just the victorious ones but also the ordinary days and the painful endings. I am beginning to see that peace requires learning how to release yesterday properly.

In Mark 4, Jesus teaches that the Word is like seed scattered into soil, and the outcome depends on the condition of the heart that receives it. I am realizing that my heart becomes hardened not only by failure but also by attachment. I carry regret over missed opportunities, words I wish I had said, risks I did not take, and moments when fear held me back. At the same time, I cling to the good parts of yesterday, wanting to relive success, comfort, or joy that has already passed. Both losses shape me. When I refuse to grieve either one, I become stuck between nostalgia and regret. That is where timidity grows.

When I intentionally grieve the lost opportunity and also grieve the goodness of yesterday, something shifts inside me. Grieving what I missed allows me to release shame. Grieving what was good allows me to release attachment. Instead of trying to recreate yesterday or correct it, I become centered in the present moment. I stop living cautiously, trying to protect myself from disappointment or trying to preserve what cannot be kept. Grief becomes an act of surrender that frees me to live boldly and confidently today.

Paul writes in 2 Timothy 1:7 that God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. Timidity shows up when I am afraid of repeating failure or losing something good again. It makes me hesitant, guarded, and passive. Yet I see now that much of my timidity comes from ungrieved moments. When yesterday remains unresolved, I shrink back from today. But when I bring both loss and gratitude before God and allow myself to mourn honestly, I experience freedom. I no longer need to control outcomes or protect myself from life. I can step forward with courage because my identity is not tied to success or failure but to God’s presence with me.

Self-discipline becomes less about forcing behavior and more about remaining rooted. It is choosing to receive God’s Word deeply enough that it takes hold beyond circumstances. Like good soil, I must clear away the weeds of worry, comparison, and distraction. Grief helps clear that ground. It softens my heart, keeps me humble, and reminds me that every day is both gift and responsibility.

Jesus reminds us that no one can serve two masters. I cannot serve yesterday and follow God fully today. When I release both the disappointments and the blessings of the previous day into God’s hands, I am no longer bound by them. I am free to act, to love, to risk, and to engage life without hesitation. Grieving yesterday centers me. It reminds me that today is the only place obedience exists.

God has not given me a timid spirit. He has given me power to step forward, love to remain open, and discipline to stay faithful. When I grieve honestly, I am no longer trapped by what was or what might have been. I am grounded, present, and free to live boldly and confidently in the life God has placed before me today.

24“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. 

MATTHEW 6:24