Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Ecclesiastes 1:1–3:22, 2 Corinthians 6:1–13, Psalm 46:1–11, Proverbs 22:15

Seek First His Kingdom

Have you ever gotten something you really wanted, only to discover it didn’t satisfy you for very long?

Maybe it was something you bought, a goal you finally reached, a change you thought would make life better, or even the approval of someone you wanted. For a little while, it felt good. Then eventually, you found yourself wanting something else.

We live in a world constantly telling us we need more to be happy.

More money. More success. A nicer house. A better car. More recognition. More followers. More experiences. More comfort.

But God offers us something completely different.

Today He said to me in this Gem of Knowledge,

“Be content with Me. Shift your desires to Kingdom things instead of worldly things and your life will begin to change in miraculous ways.”

That immediately brought to my mind the words of Jesus:

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” — Matthew 6:33

There is an order to that verse that I think we sometimes overlook.

Seek Him first.

Then let Him take care of everything else.

Today’s reading in Ecclesiastes couldn’t fit this message any better. Solomon had access to almost everything a person could possibly want. He had wealth, possessions, pleasure, accomplishments, wisdom, influence, servants, homes, gardens, entertainment—if something on earth could satisfy him, he had the ability to pursue it.

And he did.

Yet after chasing everything this world had to offer, he repeatedly came to the same conclusion:

“Everything is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2 NLT)

That doesn’t mean life itself is meaningless. Solomon was discovering that nothing created can fill the place meant for God.

That’s still true today.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the blessings God gives us. We can enjoy our homes, vacations, accomplishments, hobbies, good food, beautiful things, and the people God has placed in our lives. Yesterday, we even talked about slowing down enough to enjoy the beauty God created.

The problem comes when we begin expecting those things to give us what only God can.

That’s where contentment with Him changes everything.

When God becomes enough, our desires begin to shift.

Instead of constantly asking, What else can I get? we begin asking, Lord, what can I do for Your Kingdom?

Instead of needing people to notice us, we become more interested in whether God is pleased with us.

Instead of measuring our lives by what we own, accomplish, or experience, we begin measuring them by things that have eternal value—loving people, serving others, obeying God, growing closer to Him, sharing Jesus, using what He’s given us for His purposes.

And something interesting happens when our priorities begin to change – Our lives begin to change too.

Jesus didn’t say, “Seek My Kingdom first and you’ll never have anything else.” He was saying to seek His Kingdom first and trust your Father with the rest.

That doesn’t mean Matthew 6:33 is a promise that God will give us every worldly thing we want. In context, Jesus was talking about our needs and telling us not to live consumed by worry about them. Our Father already knows what we need.

Our job is to seek Him and trust Him – His job is to take care of us.

Psalm 46 gives us another beautiful reminder in today’s reading:

“Be still, and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10 NLT)

Sometimes we need to become still long enough to ask ourselves what we’ve really been chasing. What occupies our thoughts? What are we constantly wishing we had? What do we believe would finally make us happy?

There may be nothing wrong with those desires. But perhaps God is inviting us to loosen our grip on some of them and discover something better.

Him.

Because when our greatest desire becomes God, we don’t have to spend our lives desperately chasing everything else.

We can enjoy what He gives us without depending on it to fulfill us. We can trust Him with what we don’t have. We can stop comparing our lives with everyone else’s. And we can begin investing ourselves in things that will matter long after everything else is gone.

Maybe that’s where the “miraculous ways” begin.

Not simply with God changing everything around us, but with God changing what we desire, what we value, what we pursue, and how we see our lives.

Seek first His Kingdom.

Be content with Him.

And trust Him with everything else. 💎

Action (5 Minutes with God)

Take time to be with the Lord today, even if its only 5 minutes. Ask Him:

• “Lord, what do You want me to know about this personally?”
  • Journal what He gives you through His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “What do You want me to do?”
  • Journal what He reveals – then do it!

Let God show you what to hold on to and what to let go. Let Him change you for good – your heart, your mind, your perspective, your desires.

Prayer

My beloved Lord, I want to be content with You. Help me recognize the things of this world that I have been looking to for fulfillment and teach me to desire the things of Your Kingdom more. Change my priorities, my thoughts, and my desires until what matters to You matters deeply to me. Help me seek You first and trust You with everything else. I believe You know what I need, and I trust You to take care of me as I follow You. In Your mighty name I pray, Jesus, amen.

To read more 5 Minutes with God devotionals click here.

If Gems of Knowledge has blessed your walk with Christ, please subscribe or consider partnering with us today. Your gift helps keep these devotionals free for everyone and carries God’s Word to more hearts. Every seed matters—thank you for sowing into this work! 💛

Test everything by the Word and the Spirit (John 16:13)

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A successful man sitting discouraged among money, luxury possessions, awards, electronics, and expensive belongings while Jesus stands in a bright doorway inviting him toward something greater.

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Job 40:1–42:17, 2 Corinthians 5:11–21, Psalm 45:1–17, Proverbs 22:14

You Just Gotta Look

Have you ever been so busy that you drove somewhere and barely remembered the drive?

We can do that with life too.

We get focused on where we’re going, what needs to be done, what’s wrong, or what we wish would change. Meanwhile, we pass right by a beautiful sunset, flowers blooming along the road, birds singing outside the window, or someone we love laughing in the next room.

The beauty was there.

We just didn’t notice it.

Today the Holy Spirit reminded me in this Gem of Knowledge,

“There is beauty all around you. I created the earth and sky to be beautiful for you to enjoy. Take time to see the beauty in your life. It’s everywhere. You just gotta look. Amen.”

I love how simple that is: You just gotta look.

God didn’t have to make this world beautiful.

Think about that for a minute. A tree could have served its purpose without changing colors in the fall. The sky didn’t have to turn brilliant shades of pink, orange, and purple when the sun goes down. Flowers didn’t need thousands of different colors and shapes. Mountains didn’t need to take our breath away. Birds didn’t need beautiful songs.

God could have made everything purely functional.

But He didn’t.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God “has made everything beautiful for its own time” (NLT). Beauty wasn’t an accident. It was part of His creation. He created a beautiful world, and then He gave us the ability to recognize and enjoy it.

In today’s reading from Job, God continues pointing to the incredible details of His creation—the mighty Behemoth, the mountains where wild animals play, lotus plants growing beside the river, and the strength and beauty found throughout the natural world. God draws Job’s attention to things that were already around him, reminding him of just how much there was to see beyond his own circumstances.

Job had spent chapter after chapter looking at everything that had gone wrong in his life. And understandably so. He had experienced tremendous loss and suffering.

But then God began showing him something bigger.

There was still a whole world beyond Job’s pain.

That doesn’t mean Job’s suffering didn’t matter. God wasn’t telling him to pretend everything was wonderful. In fact, by the end of today’s reading, God restores Job and brings beauty back into his life.

Maybe there’s something for us in that.

We can acknowledge what is hard and still notice what is beautiful.

Sometimes we think we need a perfect life before we can really enjoy it. Once this problem is solved, once we have more money, once the schedule calms down, once the relationship gets better, then we’ll be happy.

But while we’re waiting for everything to be perfect, we’re missing pieces of beauty God has placed right in the middle of today.

It might be your morning coffee while the house is still quiet. A breeze through an open window. Your grandchild reaching for your hand. A favorite song coming on at exactly the right moment. Clouds rolling across the sky. Someone making you laugh when you needed it.

Those things may seem small, but small doesn’t mean insignificant.

Sometimes they’re little reminders:

God is here. Life is still beautiful. There is still good to be found.

Paul says in today’s reading that when we belong to Christ, we become a new person: “The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT).

Maybe part of living that new life is learning to see differently—to stop rushing past everything God has given us and actually enjoy some of it.

You don’t have to travel somewhere beautiful to find beauty.

You don’t need a perfect day.

You don’t even need everything in your life to be going well.

Just slow down long enough to notice what’s already there.

Because God says it’s everywhere.

You just gotta look. 💎

Action (5 Minutes with God)

Take time to be with the Lord today, even if its only 5 minutes. Ask Him:

• “Lord, what do You want me to know about this personally?”
  • Journal what He gives you through His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “What do You want me to do?”
  • Journal what He reveals – then do it!

Today, intentionally look for the beauty in your life and be grateful.

Prayer

Dear Father, thank You for filling this world and my life with beauty. Thank You for Your beautiful Son and all the beautiful gifts He brings me. Forgive me for the times I’ve been so focused on what’s wrong or what needs to be done that I’ve missed what You’ve placed right in front of me. Help me slow down and notice Your goodness in the big things and the little things. Open my eyes today, Lord. I don’t want to miss the beauty You’ve given me to enjoy. In Jesus’ beautiful name I pray, amen.

To read more 5 Minutes with God devotionals click here.

If Gems of Knowledge has blessed your walk with Christ, please subscribe or consider partnering with us today. Your gift helps keep these devotionals free for everyone and carries God’s Word to more hearts. Every seed matters—thank you for sowing into this work! 💛

Test everything by the Word and the Spirit (John 16:13)

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A man and woman hiking through a beautiful mountain landscape filled with colorful wildflowers, birds, butterflies, a lake, and golden sunlight as the man points out the scenery around them.

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Job 37:1–39:30, 2 Corinthians 4:13–5:10, Psalm 44:9–26, Proverbs 22:13

Deeper Intimacy With God

We hear the phrase “walk in the Spirit”, but has anyone ever actually taught you how to do that?

For many of us, the answer is probably no.

We know how to pray. We know how to read our Bible. We know how to go to church and worship God. But the Bible tells us there is also a spiritual way of living—learning to recognize God’s presence, hear His leading, and become aware of things beyond what our natural senses can perceive.

And maybe we don’t experience more of that simply because we’ve never learned how.

Today the Lord says,

“Put off your fleshly ways to find Me in the Spirit. Learn to walk more fully in the Spirit to find a deeper intimacy with Me. That is where you will find Me. Amen.”

Notice He says learn.

That means we aren’t necessarily expected to already know how.

God can teach us.

But learning requires spending time with the Teacher.

We live most of our lives paying attention to the physical world. We respond to what we see, hear, touch, and feel. Our phones are buzzing, people need us, work needs to be done, and our minds are constantly processing what’s happening around us.

Then we sit down with God for five minutes and wonder why it’s difficult to become spiritually aware of Him.

It takes time to become still.

It takes time to learn to listen.

That’s why worship, prayer, meditation on God and His Word, and simply sitting quietly in His presence are so important. We’re not performing religious activities to earn something from Him. We’re intentionally turning down the noise of the physical world so we can give our attention to God.

Paul says in today’s reading that we don’t focus only on what can be seen, because what we see around us is temporary. There are also eternal realities that we cannot see with our natural eyes (2 Corinthians 4:18).

There is more happening than what we can physically see.

But we have to allow God to teach us how to recognize it.

Maybe that begins very simply.

Put on worship music and focus completely on Him. Sit quietly afterward instead of immediately moving on. Pray, but don’t do all the talking. Meditate on a Scripture and allow the Holy Spirit to bring understanding. Ask Him questions and give Him time to answer. When you sense His peace, a gentle correction, a thought that draws you toward Him, or His prompting to do something, pay attention.

And then keep practicing.

Over time, we begin recognizing Him more easily because we’re becoming familiar with Him.

It’s really no different than any close relationship. The more time you spend with someone, the more easily you recognize their voice, their ways, and even the little things others might miss.

God wants that kind of intimacy with us.

Walking in the Spirit isn’t reserved for pastors, prophets, or a handful of unusually spiritual people. God gave His Spirit to His children.

We just have to be willing to learn how to walk with Him there.

And the beautiful thing is, we don’t have to figure it out by ourselves.

The One we’re trying to find is also the One who will teach us how to find Him. 💎

Action (5 Minutes with God)

Set aside some uninterrupted time with God today, even if its only 5 minutes. Ask Him:

• “Lord, what do You want me to know about this personally?”
  • Journal what He gives you through His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “What do You want me to do?”
  • Journal what He reveals – then do it!

Let today be a day of learning from Him. Worship. Pray. Meditate on His Word. Then become still and watch how He moves.

Prayer

Dear Lord, I want to know You beyond simply knowing things about You. Teach me how to walk in the Spirit and become more aware of Your presence. Help me quiet the distractions of my flesh and the world around me so I can recognize You more clearly. As I worship, pray, meditate, and spend time quietly with You, teach me how to listen, recognize Your leading, and follow You. I want deeper intimacy with You. Holy Spirit, teach me how to walk with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

To read more 5 Minutes with God devotionals click here.

If Gems of Knowledge has blessed your walk with Christ, please subscribe or consider partnering with us today. Your gift helps keep these devotionals free for everyone and carries God’s Word to more hearts. Every seed matters—thank you for sowing into this work! 💛

Test everything by the Word and the Spirit (John 16:13)

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A woman spending quiet time with Jesus as her ordinary living room opens into a beautiful heavenly spiritual realm.

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Job 34:1–36:33, 2 Corinthians 4:1–12, Psalm 44:1–8, Proverbs 22:10–12

No Weapon Formed Against You Will Prosper

Sometimes we need to hear the same truth over and over again before we can really start believing it for ourselves.

Not because we didn’t believe God the first time, but because life has a way of making us doubt or forget. A new problem comes. Someone comes against us. Something we thought was settled suddenly isn’t. Fear creeps in, and before long, what God told us yesterday can feel a lot less certain today.

That’s why I love today’s Gem”

“No weapon formed against you will prosper. No enemy will prevail. Believe Me. Believe these words. Remind yourself daily if necessary. Walk boldly with Me. I am with you till the end of time and beyond.”

Notice He doesn’t say a weapon will never form.

Sometimes it will.

People may hurt us. Plans may fall apart. We may get bad news, face opposition, lose something we wanted, or suddenly find ourselves dealing with a situation we never saw coming.

But something coming against us doesn’t mean it’s going to defeat us.

Paul understood that. In today’s reading from 2 Corinthians 4, he talks about experiencing trouble from every direction. There were times when he didn’t know what to do. He was opposed, mistreated, and knocked down.

Yet through all of it, God kept him.

That’s the difference.

We often see the problem forming and immediately start worrying about where it’s going to lead. One difficult conversation happens and we’re already imagining the relationship falling apart. Something changes at work and we’re wondering if we’re going to lose our job. A door closes and suddenly we’re afraid everything we’ve been working toward is over.

Our minds can take one problem and run ten miles down the road with it.

But God is saying, Believe Me instead.

Psalm 44 also reminds us that God’s people didn’t win their battles simply because they were strong enough. They looked back and recognized that God was the One who had brought them through before.

We can do the same thing.

Think about the things you were once afraid wouldn’t work out. Think about situations you didn’t know how you were going to get through.

Yet here you are.

God was with you then, and He’s with you now.

Walking boldly doesn’t mean you’ll never feel afraid. It means fear doesn’t get to decide how you live and walk with God.

Sometimes that means waking up and reminding yourself, God is with me.

And then reminding yourself again at lunch.

And maybe once more before bed. 😂

That’s not a lack of faith. Sometimes that’s exactly how we use our faith. We keep bringing our thoughts back to what God has said instead of letting fear tell us how the story is going to end.

I especially love the final words of today’s Gem:

“I am with you till the end of time and beyond.”

Whatever happens today, tomorrow, or years from now, there will never be a moment when you have to face it without Him.

So don’t spend all your time staring at what has formed against you.

Take God’s hand.

Believe what He told you.

And walk boldly with Him. 💎

“But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken!” -Isaiah 54:17 NLT

Action (5 Minutes with God)

Take at least 5 minutes to be with the Lord today. Ask Him:

• “Lord, what do You want me to know about this personally?”
  • Journal what He gives you through His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “What do You want me to do?”
  • Journal what He reveals – then do it!

What situation have you been worrying about? Every time your thoughts start running ahead into fear, bring them back and remind yourself: God is with me. I don’t know how this will turn out, but I know I won’t face it without Him.

Prayer

Father, help me believe You more than I believe my fears. When my mind starts imagining everything that could go wrong, bring me back to what You have said. You are with me, and I don’t have to be afraid of what comes against me. Help me take Your hand and walk boldly with You today. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray, amen.

To read more 5 Minutes with God devotionals click here.

If Gems of Knowledge has blessed your walk with Christ, please subscribe or consider partnering with us today. Your gift helps keep these devotionals free for everyone and carries God’s Word to more hearts. Every seed matters—thank you for sowing into this work! 💛

Test everything by the Word and the Spirit (John 16:13)

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Jesus and a modern woman walking boldly together through a battlefield scattered with broken weapons as light shines around them.

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Job 31:1–33:33, 2 Corinthians 3:1–18, Psalm 43:1–5, Proverbs 22:8–9

You Are Precious to God

Have you ever felt small?

Maybe someone overlooked you, rejected you, criticized you, or made you feel like you didn’t matter very much. Maybe you’ve looked around at other people’s lives and wondered what they have that you don’t. Or maybe no one had to say anything at all—you’ve simply struggled to see much value in yourself.

The world has a funny way of making us feel like we have to prove our worth.

Be successful enough. Pretty enough. Smart enough. Talented enough. Accomplish something important. Have enough money. Get enough attention. Make people like you.

And if we aren’t careful, we start believing our value rises and falls depending on how well we’re doing at all of those things.

But God doesn’t see us that way.

Today He whispered this tender Gem of Knowledge to me,

“You are precious to Me. Even if the world makes you feel like you are small or worthless, to Me your worth exceeds that of rubies. No treasures on earth can compare to you. You are more precious than silver or gold. You make Me rich. You make My sacrifice worthwhile. You are My reward and I am yours. I will give you all that I have. I will withhold nothing from you. All that I am and all that I have is yours if you will be Mine. Amen.”

I love the thought of God saying, “You are My reward.”

We usually think about what we get because of Jesus. We get forgiveness. We get eternal life. We get His Spirit and His presence. We get to belong to Him forever.

But have you ever stopped to think about what Jesus gets?

He gets us.

Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus endured the cross because of the joy that was waiting for Him on the other side. He knew exactly what He was doing when He went to that cross. He knew what it would cost Him, and He did it anyway.

Because He wanted us back…He wanted you.

That doesn’t mean we’ve somehow earned His love or that we’re perfect enough to deserve what He did. We aren’t. That’s what makes His love so incredible.

He knew everything about us and still chose us.

He knew our weaknesses. He knew the mistakes we’d make. He knew the messes we’d get ourselves into. He knew the times we’d doubt Him, ignore Him, run from Him, and need His forgiveness all over again.

And still, He said we were worth coming for.

Today’s reading in 2 Corinthians says something I think many of us need to remember:

“It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:5, NLT)

In other words, you don’t have to be enough all by yourself.

God is enough.

When we constantly look at ourselves, we can always find something we wish were different. Someone else will always seem better at something. Someone will have more money, more followers, more talent, more education, more confidence, or a life that looks a whole lot more put together from the outside.

But God isn’t comparing you to them.

He’s looking at you.

And when you belong to Him, He doesn’t leave you where He found you either. A few verses later, Paul says that as we spend time with the Lord, He changes us little by little to become more like Him (2 Corinthians 3:18).

That’s something we’ve been talking about a lot lately: time with Him changes us.

We don’t become valuable because we’ve finally gotten everything right. We are loved by God right where we are, and because He loves us, He keeps shaping us into who He created us to be.

So maybe today you need to stop looking at yourself through everyone else’s eyes.

Maybe somebody didn’t recognize your worth.

Maybe somebody didn’t choose you.

Maybe you haven’t accomplished what you thought you would by now.

Maybe you look in the mirror and mostly notice your flaws.

None of those things change what God sees.

Gold cannot love Him.

Silver cannot worship Him.

Rubies cannot know Him.

But you can.

And I think that’s what makes the last part of today’s Gem so beautiful:

“You are My reward and I am yours… All that I am and all that I have is yours if you will be Mine.”

He’s not asking you to impress Him.

He’s asking you to be His.

And maybe that’s what we need to remember today. Our greatest treasure isn’t something God can give us.

It’s God Himself.

And somehow, amazingly, the God who owns everything looks back at us and says:

“You are precious to Me.” 💎

Action (5 Minutes with God)

Take time to be with the Lord today, even if its only 5 minutes. Ask Him:

• “Lord, what do You want me to know about this personally?”
  • Journal what He gives you through His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “What do You want me to do?”
  • Journal what He reveals – then do it!

If you’ve been feeling small, overlooked, inadequate, or not enough, take those thoughts to God today. Instead of measuring yourself by the world, ponder on what you mean to God. Let it penetrate and permeate your heart, mind, and spirit. Let His love change the way you see yourself.

Prayer

Father, thank You for reminding me that my worth isn’t determined by the world around me. When I feel small or overlooked, help me remember how precious I am to You. Thank You for knowing everything about me and loving me still. I don’t want to spend my life trying to prove that I’m enough. I want to belong to You and allow You to keep changing me into who You created me to be. You are my treasure, Lord. I am Yours, and You are mine. In Jesus’ name, amen.

To read more 5 Minutes with God devotionals click here.

If Gems of Knowledge has blessed your walk with Christ, please subscribe or consider partnering with us today. Your gift helps keep these devotionals free for everyone and carries God’s Word to more hearts. Every seed matters—thank you for sowing into this work! 💛

Test everything by the Word and the Spirit (John 16:13)

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A woman standing on one side of a heavenly balance scale opposite gold, silver, jewels, crowns, and earthly treasures as Jesus stands beside her.

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Job 28:1–30:31, 2 Corinthians 2:12–17, Psalm 42:1–11, Proverbs 22:7

Take Time In The Spirit

We can spend a lot of time doing things for God without spending time simply being with Him.

We serve, work, pray over, study Scripture, help people, fulfill responsibilities, and try to live faithfully. All of those things can honor Him. But if we’re not careful, our relationship with God can slowly become centered around what we’re doing rather than the One we’re doing it for.

I have felt a sense of distance lately, even in my duties. I faithfully show us to serve Him every day, but do I faithfully show up to just love Him and spend time getting to know Him better?

Today the Lord reminded me,

“Do all things unto the Lord. Take time to be with Me in the Spirit and you will know Me more. Amen.”

There are really two invitations here, and they belong together.

The first is to do all things unto the Lord. Scripture tells us, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” (Colossians 3:23, NLT).

That means our ordinary lives can become worship. We don’t have to separate our time into “God things” and “everything else.” Cooking dinner, going to work, caring for our families, running errands, serving someone, writing, cleaning, creating—whatever is before us can be offered to Him when our heart says, Lord, I’m doing this with You and for You.

But there is another part of relationship that cannot be replaced by service.

We need time with Him.

Psalm 42 gives us one of the most beautiful pictures of this longing:

“As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God.” (Psalm 42:1–2, NLT)

Notice what the psalmist thirsts for. He doesn’t say, I thirst for answers. I thirst for blessing. I thirst for direction.

“I thirst for God.”

There is a difference between seeking God because we need something from Him and seeking Him because we want Him.

Of course, He invites us to bring Him our needs. He wants us to ask for wisdom, direction, provision, healing, and help. But imagine a relationship where someone only came to you when they needed something. You might love them deeply, but they would never really get to know you.

Knowing someone requires time together.

And that may be why the Lord specifically says, “Take time to be with Me in the Spirit and you will know Me more.”

Job wrestles with the question of knowing God in today’s reading as well. Job 28 describes mankind’s extraordinary ability to search out hidden treasures. People dig deep into the earth for silver and gold, uncovering things concealed in darkness. Yet Job asks, “But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding?” (Job 28:12, NLT).

His conclusion is that true wisdom belongs to God.

We can search the world for understanding, but there are things about God that can only be discovered by drawing near to God Himself.

And the more time we spend with Him, the more familiar His presence becomes. We begin recognizing His character, His ways, His correction, His peace, and His leading—not because we’ve mastered some spiritual formula, but because we’ve developed relationship.

Think about someone you have loved for many years. Sometimes they don’t have to explain what they’re thinking. You recognize their expressions, their tone, their habits, and what matters to them because you’ve spent enough time together to know them.

Relationship with God develops through time too.

So yes, do everything unto the Lord. Invite Him into your work, responsibilities, conversations, creativity, and ordinary moments today.

But don’t let doing things for God replace simply being with God.

Set aside some time when you aren’t asking Him to fix anything, explain anything, or give you anything. Worship Him. Sit quietly before Him. Turn your attention toward Him and simply enjoy His presence.

The psalmist said it best:

“I thirst for God, the living God.”

May that become the desire of our hearts—not merely to know more about Him, but to know Him more. 💎

Action (5 Minutes with God)

Take time to be with the Lord today, even if its only 5 minutes. Ask Him:

• “Lord, what do You want me to know about this personally?”
  • Journal what He gives you through His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “What do You want me to do?”
  • Journal what He reveals – then do it!

Put away distractions, worship Him, quiet your thoughts, and turn your attention toward Him. Don’t make the time about getting anything. Simply be with Him and taste of His goodness.

Prayer

Dear Lord, I don’t want to become so busy doing things for You that I neglect simply being with You. I thirst for Your presence and I want to make time for You. Help me to do that each day. Help me grow so close with You that You seamlessly become part of the ordinary parts of my day. I want to be with You and do everything as unto You. As I spend time with You in the Spirit, let me know Your heart, See You more clearly, understand Your ways, and grow closer to You. I want You, Lord, more than what You can give me. I draw near unto You Lord. Please draw near unto me. In Jesus’ beautiful name I pray, amen.

To read more 5 Minutes with God devotionals click here.

If Gems of Knowledge has blessed your walk with Christ, please subscribe or consider partnering with us today. Your gift helps keep these devotionals free for everyone and carries God’s Word to more hearts. Every seed matters—thank you for sowing into this work! 💛

Test everything by the Word and the Spirit (John 16:13)

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Jesus and a woman sitting together beside a beautiful heavenly stream while a deer drinks from the water nearby.

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Job 23:1–27:23, 2 Corinthians 1:12–2:11, Psalm 41:1–13, Proverbs 22:5–6

Wait Upon The Lord

Waiting can be one of the hardest expressions of faith. It makes me think of pregnancy.

Once a woman knows she is pregnant, she knows something is coming. She may not be able to see her baby yet, hold it, or know exactly what life will look like once it arrives, but something very real is developing within her. And no matter how excited—or uncomfortable—she becomes, she cannot simply decide she’s tired of waiting and make the baby come before it is ready. There is a process that must take place.

Today the Lord whispered this Gem of Knowledge to me,

“All good things come to those who wait. Wait upon the Lord. Stay faithful and diligent. Stay consistent and hopeful. You can’t force anything. Instead, you create or persuade with your faithfulness.”

Waiting doesn’t mean nothing is happening. Something may be developing that simply isn’t ready to be delivered yet.

A pregnant woman doesn’t spend those months doing nothing. She takes care of what she’s carrying. She nourishes and protects it, prepares her home, learns what she needs to learn, and begins making decisions today based upon what she knows is coming tomorrow. She cannot control the development taking place within her, but she can faithfully participate in it.

There are seasons with God that work much the same way.

Maybe God has given you a promise, a calling, a dream, or someone you’ve been faithfully praying for. You believe God is working, but you cannot yet see the finished result. The longer you wait, the easier it becomes to wonder whether you should do something to move things along.

That’s where we have to be careful. Faithfulness and force are not the same thing.

We can pray, prepare, obey, work, love, and remain consistent with what God has asked us to do. But there are things only He can bring forth, and trying to force them before their proper time won’t make them mature any faster.

Job understood the frustration of being in the middle of something he couldn’t see or understand. In today’s reading, he searches for God everywhere:

“I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed.” (Job 23:8–9, NLT)

Yet Job follows those words with an incredible declaration of faith:

“But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.” (Job 23:10, NLT)

Job couldn’t see God, but God could see Job. Job didn’t understand the process he was going through, but he trusted that something was being produced through it.

The same can be true during our seasons of waiting. We can become so focused on the thing we are waiting for God to bring forth that we miss what He is developing within us along the way. Our patience grows. Our faith is exercised. Our character is strengthened. We learn to depend upon God rather than constantly trying to control our circumstances.

Perhaps that is part of what the Lord means when He says, “Instead, you create or persuade with your faithfulness.” We cannot force another person’s heart to change, but faithful love can influence them. We cannot manufacture God’s promise, but our continued obedience can prepare us to receive it. We cannot dictate the outcome, but we can create an environment where what God is doing has room to grow.

Paul touches on this in today’s reading when he explains that he wasn’t trying to dominate the Corinthians’ faith but wanted to work together with them (2 Corinthians 1:24). He could teach, encourage, correct, and love them, but he couldn’t force spiritual maturity upon them. That work ultimately belonged to God.

So if you’re waiting today, don’t assume nothing is happening simply because you cannot see it.

Think again about pregnancy. Much of the most important development happens completely hidden from view. The mother’s responsibility isn’t to rush the baby into existence. It’s to faithfully care for what she’s carrying while allowing the process to reach maturity.

Maybe that’s what God is asking of you right now.

Care for what He’s given you. Stay faithful. Stay diligent. Remain hopeful. Prepare for what you believe He’s doing—but don’t try to force the delivery.

God knows what He’s developing, and He knows when it will be ready.

Wait upon the Lord. 💎

Action (5 Minutes with God)

Take time to be with the Lord today, even if its only 5 minutes. Ask Him:

• “Lord, what do You want me to know about this personally?”
  • Journal what He gives you through His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “What do You want me to do?”
  • Journal what He reveals – then do it!

Consider what you’ve been waiting on God for. Have you been faithfully tending it, or have you begun trying to make the outcome happen yourself? Ponder with the Lord what faithfulness in waiting looks like when waiting. Then focus on what He gives you to do today and leave the timing with Him.

Prayer

Dear Father, teach me to wait well. When I cannot see what You are doing, remind me that unseen does not mean inactive. Help me remain faithful, diligent, consistent, and hopeful without trying to force what belongs in Your hands. Show me how to care for what You have entrusted to me and allow this season to develop me as well. I trust Your process, Your timing, and what You are bringing forth. I give you all the praise and glory in Jesus’ mighty name, amen.

To read more 5 Minutes with God devotionals click here.

If Gems of Knowledge has blessed your walk with Christ, please subscribe or consider partnering with us today. Your gift helps keep these devotionals free for everyone and carries God’s Word to more hearts. Every seed matters—thank you for sowing into this work! 💛

Test everything by the Word and the Spirit (John 16:13)

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Expectant husband and pregnant wife standing together in a prepared nursery at sunrise as they faithfully wait for their baby.

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Job 20:1–22:30, 2 Corinthians 1:1–11, Psalm 40:11–17, Proverbs 22:2–4

Today’s devotional is a little different. Last night during my time with the Lord, He gave me an analogy about faith that I want to share with you just as He gave it to me by His Holy Spirit.

“Faith is like riding a bike.

First, you have to want to learn how to ride.

Then you ask the Father for it.

Then you ask Him to teach you how.

He will supply the bike—the gift—and then, in His time and love, He will teach you.

At first, He will hold you up. Then, once you begin to get the hang of it, He gets you up to a speed that will help you stay up, and then He will let go so you can try on your own.

But He is still watching, never far away.

He shouts words of encouragement, and when you crash, He is there to help you up, clean you off, bandage your wounds, and encourage you to try again.

Until one day, you are riding on your own.

You will be able to ride as fast as you want, wherever the bike can take you. You will get better and better at riding until you are able to jump curbs and perform other stunts—until you are so skilled that nothing seems impossible.

The Father never leaves you, even if He can’t be seen or doesn’t feel near. Just like a good, loving father, He is always there when you need Him and will bring you home to His loving care.

The bike is the tool to do what you desire and go where you want to go.

This is faith—the gift God gives you to do what you desire and go where you want to go within His Kingdom, until nothing seems impossible to you.

So tell Me…

Do you want to learn how to ride?“

Faith is a gift:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”— Ephesians 2:8 NIV

Ask:
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” —  Mark 11:24 NIV

Faith is tested and strengthened:
“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold…” — 1 Peter 1:7 NLT

He holds us up:
“For I hold you by your right hand—I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.’” — Isaiah 41:13 NLT

He encourages us & stays close:
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”— Joshua 1:9 NIV

He trains us:
“Instead, train yourself to be godly. “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”— 1 Timothy 4:7-8 NLT

He is always watching:
“The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.” — Proverbs 15:3 NLT

He never leaves us:
“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” — Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT

Everything is possible:
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” —  Mark 9:23 NIV

Live by faith:
“For we live by believing and not by seeing.” — 2 Corinthians 5:7 NLT

One Final Gem

“Faith is line by line, little by little. It takes practice to use it because you need to believe in you having it for yourself through Me, instead of doubting yourself and thinking those things are only for Me or the elect. I offer it to everyone freely. Amen.” -Holy Spirit

Faith isn’t reserved for a special few. God offers it freely, but like learning to ride that bike, we have to begin using what He has given us. Little by little, experience by experience, we learn to trust Him. Job was in the middle of a journey he didn’t yet understand, while 2 Corinthians 1:9 reminds us that even our hardships teach us to rely on God rather than ourselves.

Like learning to ride a bike, faith grows as we trust our Father. We may wobble. We may fall. We may even have moments when we wonder if we’re capable of riding at all. But He is there—teaching, encouraging, helping us back up, and showing us what becomes possible when we believe.

So tell me…

Do you want to learn how to ride? 💎

Action (5 Minutes with God)

Where are you in learning to use your faith? Maybe you’re still asking God for the bike. Maybe you’re wobbling while He holds you steady. Maybe you’ve fallen and need to get back up. Or maybe He’s encouraging you to try something you never thought you could do. Take at least 5 minutes to be with the Father today. Ask Him:

• “Father, what do You want me to know about this personally?”
  • Journal what He gives you through His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “What do You want me to do?”
  • Journal what He reveals – then do it!

Let today be a day of seeking faith and allowing the Father to lead you —line by line, little by little.

Prayer

Dear Father, thank You for the gift of faith. Forgive me for the times I have doubted what You can do through me or believed that greater faith was only for someone else. Teach me how to use what You have freely given me. Hold me steady while I learn, encourage me when I stumble, and help me get back up when I fall. I want to grow in faith until the things that once seemed impossible become possible because I have learned to believe and trust in You. Father, teach me how to ride. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray, amen. ❤️

To read more 5 Minutes with God devotionals click here.

If Gems of Knowledge has blessed your walk with Christ, please subscribe or consider partnering with us today. Your gift helps keep these devotionals free for everyone and carries God’s Word to more hearts. Every seed matters—thank you for sowing into this work! 💛

Test everything by the Word and the Spirit (John 16:13)

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Jesus lovingly steadies a young boy learning to ride a bicycle along a peaceful country path in warm golden sunlight.

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Job 16:1–19:29, 1 Corinthians 16:10–24, Psalm 40:1–10, Proverbs 22:1

Just Trust God

Yesterday’s Gem left me with questions.

The Lord warned, “Something is coming like you’ve never seen before, and you must be anchored in Me to stay strong.”Naturally, I wanted to know: What is coming? What does this mean?

So I took those questions back to Him in prayer, and today’s Gem was His response:

“Why worry about things that you don’t understand? All things will become clear over time. Truth is always revealed and understanding given when you are faithful. Amen.”

Well…there was my answer.

Not an explanation of what is coming, but a reminder that I don’t need one yet.

Yesterday, God told us what we need to do: stay anchored in Him, remain close, and trust that whatever comes, He is more powerful. Today, He reminds us not to become consumed trying to understand what He hasn’t revealed.

There is freedom in realizing that we don’t have to know everything in order to trust God.

Job certainly understood what it was like to desperately want answers. His life had been devastated, his body was suffering, and now his friends were offering explanations that Job knew didn’t accurately represent what was happening.

But Job didn’t know what was happening.

We do.

As readers, we have been allowed to see the conversation in heaven recorded at the beginning of Job. We know there is an entire reality surrounding Job’s circumstances that Job himself couldn’t see.

Job is trying to understand his life using only the information available to him, while something much bigger is happening beyond his awareness.

How often might that be true for us?

We see what is right in front of us but still try to understand everything. We wonder why something happened, what God is doing, what comes next, or why He hasn’t answered a particular question. But we are trying to assemble the story while holding only a few of the pieces.

God sees the whole picture.

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask Him questions. In fact, bringing our questions to Him is exactly what we should do. But there is a difference between seeking God for understanding and allowing our need for understanding to steal our peace.

Sometimes His answer may simply be, You don’t need to know that yet. Trust Me.

And Job gives us one of the most beautiful examples of that kind of faith. In the middle of circumstances he cannot explain, he declares:

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last” (Job 19:25, NLT).

Job didn’t know why, but he knew Who.

He didn’t have the explanation, but he still had his Redeemer.

Psalm 40 carries that same message of trusting God while we wait. David writes, “I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1, NLT). God eventually lifted David from the mud and mire and placed his feet on solid ground, but there was a period when David simply had to wait.

Sometimes understanding comes afterward.

We may look back and suddenly recognize what God was doing, why He led us a certain way, what He was protecting us from, or how circumstances we couldn’t understand became part of something much larger.

And sometimes we may never receive every answer we want on this side of eternity.

Either way, our responsibility remains the same: be faithful with what God has already revealed and trust Him with what He hasn’t.

We don’t have to figure everything out. We don’t have to speculate ourselves into fear or try to fill in the blanks God has intentionally left empty.

We can simply keep seeking Him, listening to Him, obeying what He tells us, and trusting that if there is something we need to know, He will make it clear when the time is right.

Until then, we know enough.

Our Redeemer lives. ❤️

Action (5 Minutes with God)

Take time to be with the Lord today, even if its only 5 minutes. Ask Him:

• “Lord, what do You want me to know about this personally?”
  • Journal what He gives you through His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “What do You want me to do?”
  • Journal what He reveals – then do it!

Is there something you’ve been trying desperately to figure out? Bring it to God today and ask Him for understanding. Then give yourself permission to leave the question with Him. Focus instead on what He has already made clear and be faithful with that today.

Prayer

Lord, I don’t understand everything happening in my life, and sometimes not knowing makes me anxious. Help me trust that You see the parts of the story I cannot. Give me understanding when I need it and patience when I need to wait. Keep me faithful with what You have already shown me, and don’t let unanswered questions steal my peace. Like Job, may I know that my Redeemer lives even when I don’t know why things are happening. I trust You with what I cannot yet understand. In Jesus’ name, amen.

To read more 5 Minutes with God devotionals click here.

If Gems of Knowledge has blessed your walk with Christ, please subscribe or consider partnering with us today. Your gift helps keep these devotionals free for everyone and carries God’s Word to more hearts. Every seed matters—thank you for sowing into this work! 💛

Test everything by the Word and the Spirit (John 16:13)

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A modern woman walking beside Jesus along a mountain path that disappears into thick golden fog ahead.

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Job 12:1–15:35, 1 Corinthians 15:29–58, Psalm 39:1–13, Proverbs 21:30–31

Stay Close To God

There are times when God warns us without telling us exactly what is coming.

Perhaps there is wisdom in that. If we knew every detail, we might immediately begin preparing in the ways we think are best—making plans, gathering resources, and relying on our own understanding. Before long, our confidence could shift from God to our own preparation.

Today’s Gem of Knowledge carries that kind of warning:

“Something is coming like you’ve never seen before, and you must be anchored in me to stay strong. It is powerful, but I am more powerful. I will take care of my people, but they must choose me and stay close or they will be deceived. Amen.”

What could this possibly be?

I don’t know.

And I don’t want to put words in God’s mouth by trying to name something He didn’t name. But I do know what He told us to do about it: be anchored in Him.

That makes today’s words from Paul especially powerful: “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable” (1 Corinthians 15:58, NLT).

Strong and immovable.

An anchor doesn’t prevent the storm from coming. It keeps the vessel from being carried away by it. In the same way, being anchored in Christ doesn’t mean we will never encounter frightening circumstances, cultural upheaval, confusion, pressure, or things we have never experienced before. It means those things do not have to determine where we end up.

Our security is not found in knowing what’s coming. Our security is found in knowing the One who will still be God when it gets here.

Job understood what it was like to face suffering unlike anything he had ever seen or experienced before. His life had changed almost overnight, and he had no explanation for what was happening. Yet in the middle of his questions, he still recognized where true wisdom and power were found: “But true wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are his” (Job 12:13, NLT).

Job didn’t understand what was happening behind the scenes, but he knew God possessed the wisdom, power, and understanding he lacked. When we face what we have never faced before, we need to remain anchored to the One who already understands and knows what to do.

That matters when deception is involved.

Deception rarely announces itself as deception. If it did, nobody would fall for it. It often sounds reasonable, looks convincing, appeals to our emotions, or contains enough truth to make the lie difficult to recognize. That is why simply being intelligent, informed, or even familiar with Scripture isn’t enough if we are not remaining close to the Holy Spirit.

We need to know God’s voice.

We need to know His Word.

And we need to remain close enough to Him that when something doesn’t sound like our Shepherd, we recognize it.

Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27, NLT). Staying close to Him isn’t something we should wait to do when trouble arrives. We build that relationship now—in prayer, worship, Scripture, obedience, and the ordinary daily habit of seeking His counsel.

Today’s Proverbs gives us another important perspective: “No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord” (Proverbs 21:30, NLT).

Whatever this Gem ultimately refers to, God is not intimidated by it.

Something may be powerful, but it is not more powerful than Him. Something may deceive many, but it cannot deceive God. Something may shake the world around us, but it cannot shake His throne.

And the next verse says, “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord” (Proverbs 21:31, NLT).

There is wisdom in preparation, but our confidence must never shift from God to our preparation. He will prepare us in the ways that will be best for us. We don’t need to become consumed with figuring out every possible scenario or afraid of what might happen. Fear itself can pull our attention away from Him.

So perhaps the most important question isn’t, “What is coming?”

It is, “Am I anchored?”

If the answer is yes, keep drawing closer. Keep learning His voice. Keep seeking His counsel. Keep choosing Him.

And if the answer makes you uncomfortable, that’s not a reason to panic. It’s an invitation to come closer now.

Whatever comes, He is more powerful.

Stay anchored. 💎

Action (5 Minutes with God)

Take 5 minutes to draw closer to the Lord today. Ask Him:

• “Lord, what do You want me to know about this personally?”
  • Journal what He gives you through His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “What do You want me to do?”
  • Journal what He reveals – then do it!

Spend time in His Word and ask the Holy Spirit to help you recognize His voice and truth more clearly. Don’t prepare through fear—prepare through closeness.

Prayer

Dear Lord, I don’t know what lies ahead, but I know You. Anchor me so deeply in You that I will not be moved by fear, confusion, pressure, or deception. Help me know Your Word, recognize Your voice, and seek Your counsel in everything. Give me discernment to recognize what is false and courage to stand firmly in what is true. Whatever comes, remind me that You are greater, You are more powerful, and victory belongs to You. Keep me close to You, Lord. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray, amen.

To read more 5 Minutes with God devotionals click here.

If Gems of Knowledge has blessed your walk with Christ, please subscribe or consider partnering with us today. Your gift helps keep these devotionals free for everyone and carries God’s Word to more hearts. Every seed matters—thank you for sowing into this work! 💛

Test everything by the Word and the Spirit (John 16:13)

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A small boat tossed by enormous waves during a violent storm while its anchor remains firmly secured to a massive rock beneath the water.

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Job 8:1–11:20, 1 Corinthians 15:1–28, Psalm 38:1–22, Proverbs 21:28–29

Rest in Him

Sometimes trusting God with ourselves is easier than trusting Him with the people we love. We may be able to surrender our own lives and say, “Lord, Your will be done,” but when it comes to our children, spouses, family, or friends—especially when they are struggling—we can find ourselves reaching back for what we already placed in His hands.

I know I’m guilty.

We worry about what might happen. We wonder whether they will make the right choices or whether God will intervene the way we hope He will. Yet today’s Gem of Knowledge reminds us:

“Believe in the One who loves perfectly, Me. Believe I will do all I can for all My children. Believe I will take care of you and them. Amen.”

What a beautiful continuation of yesterday’s reminder to stop trying to fix or save the people we love and instead love them, pray for them, and give them to God. Because surrender requires trust. If we are going to place someone into God’s hands, we have to believe His hands are a safe place to leave them.

And who could possibly love them better than the One who is love?

Our love, no matter how sincere, is still imperfect. It can become tangled with fear, worry, expectations, and our own ideas about what someone’s life should look like. We see what is happening right now and desperately want to protect the people we love from pain. But God sees what we cannot.

That truth becomes especially important as we continue through Job. Job’s friends looked at his terrible circumstances and tried to explain what God must be doing. Bildad and Zophar were convinced there had to be a simple explanation for Job’s suffering and began telling him what they believed was wrong.

The problem was, they didn’t know what was happening behind the scenes.

Neither did Job—and neither do we.

There will be times when we look at someone we love and wonder, God, where are You in this? Why aren’t You doing something? Yet our inability to see God working does not mean He isn’t working. We are seeing one small piece of a much larger story.

That is why our faith cannot rest solely on what we can see.

Today’s reading in 1 Corinthians 15 brings us back to the very foundation of our faith: the death and resurrection of Jesus. Paul writes, “But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died” (1 Corinthians 15:20, NLT).

The resurrection reminds us that God can bring life where we see death, hope where we see hopelessness, and possibilities where we see none. If God has power over death itself, surely He is capable of caring for the people and circumstances we cannot control.

That doesn’t mean everything will happen exactly the way we want it to. Trusting God isn’t believing He will always do what we think is best. It is believing that His love is perfect, His wisdom exceeds ours, and He sees things we simply cannot see.

David models this kind of trust in Psalm 38. He is hurting and overwhelmed, yet he says, “For I am waiting for you, O Lord. You must answer for me, O Lord my God” (Psalm 38:15, NLT).

There are times when that is exactly what faith looks like. We have prayed, surrendered, and done what God has asked us to do, and now we wait. We continue loving, praying, and listening for His direction without constantly reaching back into His hands to take control again.

God loves you perfectly, and He loves the people you are concerned about perfectly too. You may not understand what He is doing right now, but you can trust the heart of the One who does.

Believe in the One who loves perfectly and find rest. ❤️

Action (5 Minutes with God)

Take 5 minutes to be with God today. Ask Him:

• “Lord, what do You want me to know about this personally?”
  • Journal what He gives you through His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “What do You want me to do?”
  • Journal what He reveals – then do it!

Think about someone or something you have surrendered to God but keep finding yourself worrying about. Give it back to Him today and trust Him to do what no-one else can – love perfectly.

Prayer

Dear Lord, You love perfectly, and I choose to trust You. When I become afraid for the people I love, remind me that You see what I cannot and that Your wisdom is greater than mine. Help me stop reaching back for what I have already placed in Your hands. Give me faith to trust that You are working even when I cannot see it, and help me rest in Your perfect love. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray, amen.

To read more 5 Minutes with God devotionals click here.

If Gems of Knowledge has blessed your walk with Christ, please subscribe or consider partnering with us today. Your gift helps keep these devotionals free for everyone and carries God’s Word to more hearts. Every seed matters—thank you for sowing into this work! 💛

Test everything by the Word and the Spirit (John 16:13)

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Jesus sits on His throne holding an adult woman safely in His arms while another woman bows before Him in worship and gratitude.

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Job 4:1–7:21, 1 Corinthians 14:18–40, Psalm 37:30–40, Proverbs 21:27

Give Them To God

When someone we love is struggling, our natural instinct is often to help. We want to solve the problem, change their thinking, convince them to make better choices, or somehow rescue them from whatever they are facing.

And when someone we love is making choices that hurt us, the temptation can be even stronger. We may think, If I could just get them to understand… If they would only listen… If I could somehow change this…

But some burdens were never ours to carry.

The Lord reminds us in today’s Gem of Knowledge:

“Don’t worry about others. Just give them to Me. Do not try and fix or save them. Just love them and pray for them. If they hurt you, give that to Me too. I will take it and comfort you. Amen.”

There is freedom in recognizing the difference between loving someone and taking responsibility for them.

We can encourage. We can speak truth when God directs us. We can help when help is appropriate. But ultimately, we cannot change another person’s heart. We cannot make their decisions for them, heal every wound they carry, or become their savior.

They already have One.

Today’s reading in Job gives us an interesting picture of what can happen when we try too hard to explain or fix someone else’s pain. Job is devastated and crying out in anguish when his friend Eliphaz begins offering his assessment of the situation. He reminds Job, “Your words have supported those who were falling; you encouraged those with shaky knees”(Job 4:4, NLT).

That part was true. Job had helped others.

But Eliphaz didn’t stop there. He began trying to explain Job’s suffering, assuming there must be a reason for it that he understood. Instead of simply sitting beside his hurting friend, he began diagnosing him.

Sometimes love needs fewer answers and more compassion.

We don’t always know what God is doing in someone else’s life. We don’t know every conversation He is having with them, every lesson He is teaching them, or how He may be working in circumstances we desperately want to change.

That’s where surrender comes in.

Psalm 37 says, “The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong. They have made God’s law their own, so they will never slip from his path” (Psalm 37:30–31, NLT). There is absolutely a place for godly counsel. But counsel is different from control. We can lovingly offer truth while still leaving the outcome in God’s hands.

And sometimes the person we’re worried about isn’t simply struggling—they’ve hurt us.

That’s when surrender becomes even more personal.

We can spend enormous amounts of emotional energy replaying conversations, trying to understand motives, imagining what we should have said, or hoping the other person will finally recognize what they’ve done. But God doesn’t ask us to carry the wound indefinitely either.

He says, Give that to Me too.

Giving the hurt to God doesn’t mean pretending it didn’t happen or allowing someone to continue harming us. Forgiveness and healthy boundaries can exist together. It simply means we stop allowing the wound to become something we continually carry, nurture, and relive.

We give God the person.

We give Him the situation.

And we give Him what it did to our heart.

Then we let Him do what only He can do.

First Corinthians 14 reminds us that what we do should strengthen others. Paul says, “Everything that is done must strengthen all of you” (1 Corinthians 14:26, NLT). Sometimes the most loving thing we can do is pray, encourage when God gives us something to say, and then step back enough to let Him work.

You don’t have to save everyone you love.

You don’t have to fix every problem.

And you don’t have to carry every hurt.

Love them. Pray for them. Give them to Jesus.

Then let Him comfort and carry you, too. 💎

Action (5 Minutes with God)

Give God at least 5 minutes of your time today. Ask Him:

• “Lord, what do You want me to know about this personally?”
  • Journal what He gives you through His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “What do You want me to do?”
  • Journal what He reveals – then do it!

Let today be a day of release with the Lord. If you are worrying about someone or they have hurt you, give it to God and trust Him to take care of them and you.

Prayer

Dear Lord, help me love people without trying to take Your place in their lives. Show me when to speak, when to help, when to pray, and when to simply step back and trust You. I give You the people I worry about and the situations I cannot fix. And Lord, I also give You the hurts I have carried because of them. Heal and comfort my heart as I release them into Your hands. I trust You to do what I cannot. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray, amen.

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A woman carrying another adult woman in her arms and offering her to Jesus seated on His throne in brilliant heavenly light.