2 Corinthians 1:8 says, “…we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength… It’s a feeling most of us have felt at some point in our lives, if not several times. That time may even be now. It can be something that’s hard to explain. Something that can be all-consuming that nothing will alleviate it and suffocating to the point of complete despair. As we are enveloped in our pain, we are unable to see past it. But God sees the other side of it. But he isn’t just waiting on the other side. He crosses into our pain and holds us. He patiently carries us as we cry and then gently reminds us that he is God. If we focus on our burden and count on our strength, we will always be in despair, to the point of despairing of life itself (as it continues to say in the verse of 2 Corinthians, 1). But if we drag our eyes away from the darkness and instead look into the ever-constant and ever-loving eyes of God, our hearts will flicker with life. We will know that holding on to him and listening to his plan for what’s going on in our lives will help us see past the darkness. And relying on him, that pain will pale in comparison with who he is and what he can do. Because he has already done it!

Psalm 25:4 says, “Teach me your paths.” It’s a bold statement, yet a simply honest one. The paths of God aren’t always easy and sometimes they’re hard for us to understand. But that’s from our very limited perspective. God sees it all beautifully, everything for what it is. He knows that his paths lead to him, to everything we’ll ever need, in this life and after. If only he had sent some kind of instruction over the centuries, sent his word through various people he trusted, or even come down himself. Hopefully you caught that—he did! He has given us his trustworthy words over the centuries, he sent his word through many prophets, and he even came down as a man, Jesus, to teach us everything. This declaration “teach me your paths” isn’t an order—it’s a humble and personal request, that we are waiting and wiling to be taught by God, to know his paths so we can come Home to him, our Teacher.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 says, “We belong to the day.” It sounds so victorious and mighty. That we belong to the day. Belonging is something so many people yearn for. From the worldly perspective, it doesn’t matter what we belong to. Sometimes any cause or community will do, because it gives them purpose and a sense of belonging. Importance and value. But as we know, it does matter what—and Who—we belong to. Because we were created to belong to Someone very specific—our Creator. The God of the universe, who made Day and Night. And the One who came to destroy darkness, that we might live forever in his light, the light of the Day. That is where we belong.

Isaiah 26:3 says: “You keep him in perfect peace who mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” We all hunger for peace. To be rid of stress or trouble or struggle. While we are in this world, spiritually, we are always fighting. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12) We fight to be with God, to break away from Satan and the grief of sin he brings. But in God, our fighting comes with inward peace. Not only that, but perfect peace. Because as we battle daily against sin, we know God has won the war. Nothing can stop us from being with him because he has done everything to let it be so. So, amidst everything, we have perfect peace because…. our mind is stayed on him, on our God who we trust more than anything.

This is eternal life… It’s so clear! There’s no confusion, we know that the words that follow that statement is going to be the definition of eternal life. It’s kind of like what we look for in textbooks to find the definition. But Jesus doesn’t say “eternal life is being in heaven with God after we die.” Although most would agree that’s what we’d all expect. Instead, Jesus says something mind-blowing: “This is eternal life, that they may know God.” To know God—that is eternal life! Not only that but he makes sure we understand who it is that we know: the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent. It’s not about knowing who God is. Eternal life is actually knowing him.

I love you, O Lord, my strength. It’s so simple, yet it’s a statement of conviction and longing for what we know we need. To tell the God of the universe, I love you. And knowing that he is God, the Lord. But not only that our strength.

Establishing our hearts. It sounds so beautiful! To establish ourselves like an unmovable element of nature or any grand architecture that has withstood weather and time over centuries. And our hearts, which are talked about often in the Bible as the deepest part of who we are, where we ultimately decide to go chase evil or choose good. But how do we actually establish our hearts?

for women and teen girls who want an evergreen relationship with God by seeking his Truth