Do you remember being scared of the dark? Maaaaaan, I still sleep with the door open. I know there's not REALLY a monster hiding in my closet, but sometimes those clothes look so weird in the dark, you know?!?

But this isn't a devotion about monsters. Instead, it's about light. See when it's dark and the lights go on, it's great! Suddenly you can see what you couldn't before. Things that once seemed weird and scary now come into focus.

That's what Jesus came to the world to be in our lives. He came to be light. Jesus brings light to scary situations. He shows us what they really are and illuminates them in ways that make them seem less scary. 

It's no wonder that the Bible describes Jesus as light. He's there to help us when the world seems dark and scary. He gives us joy, hope and all that we need. Jesus really is the light of the world!

This year Christmas probably feels weird. Maybe you won't be getting together with family for the first time in years, and maybe the thought of that is making you sad. It just won't feel like Christmas at all. 

It's hard in times like these to stay encouraged. That's where Jesus comes in. Jesus came to this dark world to bring hope. The message of Christmas is HOPE!

TODAY'S TRUTH: JESUS BRINGS US HOPE!

Even in tough times like what we've experienced this year, Jesus came to bring hope. We have hope that we're loved. Jesus shows us that we're forgiven and made right with God. 

Jesus brought us hope that we weren't stuck in our sin, apart from God. We can rejoice and have hope in Jesus that we have been reconciled to God. 

Even if Christmas doesn't seem right this year, remember that you have hope. Jesus came to bring hope to our dark world. Today you can be encouraged that Jesus came to make you right with God!

When’s the last time you really got a good night of sleep? How did that feel? Did you love that you were able to wake up the next day and feel refreshed and ready to go?

That feeling is how God wants our lives to be in Him. He wants us to be rested. He doesn’t want the concerns and cares of this world keeping us up at night.

Today’s Truth: Rest, God Didn’t Leave Me Without Hope

It’s true, you might not have the answers or even know how your situation will be resolved, but God never leaves you without help or hope. God wants to be where you run when things get tough.

If you get to know God, you’ll realize that you can trust Him. He will be your shelter when things get hard. He will lead and guide you through difficulty. You don’t have to do anything but trust Him and rest in His presence.
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God always is looking out for you!

Do you sometimes have a hard time going to sleep at night? Maybe the stress of the day keeps you awake. Worry about that huge History test racks your brain with fear.


The truth is, God doesn’t want you troubled about tomorrow or fearful for today. God’s best for you is to be at rest.
So how do you do that? How do you rest when so many things are concerning in our world right now?


One of the best ways to rest is to realize that it’s not all on you. God doesn’t expect you to do it all in your own strength, worried about what you’re going to eat or how you’re going to handle something. Instead, He wants to provide you peace and rest. He wants to help you through the things that upset you.


Today’s Truth: I can Rest, my situation isn’t bigger than God.

​God’s best for your life and His desire is that you live in a place of rest. You can rest knowing that God has provided you with everything you need. You rest knowing that the situations you face aren’t bigger than God.

Right now, it’s easy to feel weary. 2020 has been a really hard year for most of us. So many strange things have happened, and with a worldwide pandemic, it’s been really hard to stay encouraged.
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Do you feel burdened and weary from this year? If so, go to Jesus. Tell Him how you feel. Ask Him for help and encouragement.

Today’s Truth: Rest Jesus is There to Lift the Heavy Stuff

So many times we try to lift the heavy stuff of life on our own. We try to make it without God’s help or guidance. Jesus is saying come to Him. Let Him help carry those things that feel heavy in your life.

If you’ll let Jesus lift those heavy things in your life, you’ll really be able to enjoy the rest that’s found in Jesus. You can go through a pandemic with a smile on your face. Why? Because you are at rest. You know that no matter what happens, Jesus will help you through it and you’ll come out on the other side better than you were before.

It’s easy to get worked up about little things. I remember a time when I felt like some other youth in my youth group were being treated unfairly and it really bothered me. I wanted to take action and see results.

Often, it’s easy to want to do, do, do. We want to do something to make the results we want. And it feels better and easier to do something rather than wait for God to take care of it for you.

However, there is wisdom in practicing rest. Instead of getting worked up about things, rest. Relax. Trust God that He is always working for you. He wants good things for you.

Today’s Truth: Rest. God is working on your behalf. 

Today’s Bible verse is a great reminder of this. We should be at rest, seeking God’s presence and waiting patiently.
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So if you’ve been guilty of getting worked up or upset, choose today to rest. Know that God loves you, He’s always fighting for you, and you can simply rest and enjoy His presence in your life today.

​In today’s Bible verse, we see Jehoshaphat praying and reminding himself of God’s great desire to rescue His people.

It’s good to know that in times when it feels like everything is against you, you can cry out to God. You can let God know how you feel. God wants to hear from you.

The good news is that not only does God want to hear from you, but He also wants to save you too. He wants to provide you help in trouble.

There are so many things you might be facing right now. Maybe you’re faced with lockdowns and virtual schooling. Perhaps things aren’t good at home. Any number of things like these can make you weary.
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However, the good news is that in the middle of all of this, you can cry out to God. God wants to hear you and help you. So even if you’re facing something big, know this: God cares. He wants to help you, all you have to do is ask Him.

In today’s Bible verse, we see Jehoshaphat praying and reminding himself of what God had done for him.

Often when we get discouraged, we forget what God has done. We forget how he had helped us in the past. In those times when we feel really discouraged, it’s good to remind ourselves of all the ways God has been there.

Today’s Truth: Defeat discouragement by reminding yourself of what God has done.

There’s power in remembering what God has done for us. It helps us stay encouraged when we’re up against something big and overwhelming. So today, if you’ve allowed yourself to get discouraged, choose to remind yourself of what God has done.
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Time and time again, God has come through for His people, and He will come through for you.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? DO you run to a friend and complain about how hard things are? Maybe you distract yourself with social media?

Today we're going to look at what the people of Judah and Jerusalem did when they faced a huge army coming to kill them.

So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the LORD's help. - 2 Chronicles 20:4

These people could have given into fear. We would have understood if they all packed up their stuff and moved away in the night. It would have been understandable if they all freaked out, panicked and ran around in fear. 

Instead, these people did something amazing. They went to seek the Lord's help.

Often, we forget that when we face something scary and overwhelming we can go to God for His help. We can ask for wisdom when we need it. God wants to give us everything we need to win the battle we're up against in our lives. 

Our job is simply to go to God. We have to seek His help. The answers we look for aren't found on social media or by Googling. Rather, we find them as we get into the world. 

So today, choose to say not o fear and to seek God. As you do, you'll find that the help you need to face your enemy is there, given by God. 

When I first hear about COVID, I have to be honest. I was scared. There were so many reports of how bad it could be, and it brought a lot of fear into my life. At night I would lay awake and wonder if I had gotten it from my trip to the store or from hanging out with friends. 

I really felt a lot like Jehoshaphat did. I was terrified by the news. However, as I spent more time reading the Bible and praying, I felt like God encouraged me that I didn't have to be afraid. 

Just like Jehoshaphat when we face trying and difficult times, we can go to God for His help and guidance. And just like God did for Jehoshaphat, God will help lead you out of the trouble that you face. 

TODAY'S TRUTH: FEAR DOESN'T CONTROL MY LIFE

Most likely, you're probably facing something right now that makes you afraid. The good news is that God doesn't give us a spirit of fear. God gives us power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

So if fear has been controlling your life lately, choose to do what Jehoshaphat did. Look to God. Seek Him. Get the peace of God, and know that God will see you through the thing that you fear.