Page 355 – Guideposts Articles

Daily Devotion: Building Self-Esteem

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Tricia Goyer

The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV)

Growing up I never felt beautiful. We didn’t have much money and all my clothes—except one new outfit every year—came from yard sales. A few times my mom tried to cut my hair herself and my long locks ended up at my ears, and after my baby teeth came in, my adult teeth came in crooked.

The worst year was sixth grade. I weighed more than my stick-thin friends and it was determined I needed glasses. I picked out Jordache frames—a popular brand at the time—but I still got made fun of when I showed up wearing them at school.

“Hey, four eyes,” I was greeted by Keith, the cutest boy in my class. I was horrified. After that the glasses stayed home. I’d have to walk to the front of the room to see the chalkboard, but at least I wouldn’t have to face the trauma of being completely homely.

It’s funny how we carry the feelings of low self-worth with us into adulthood. Even after I grew out of my ugly-duckling stage I still felt inadequate, unpopular. I carried this into my relationship with Jesus. I thought He loved me—because that’s what Jesus is supposed to do—but I never felt truly beautiful in His eyes. Or at least I didn’t feel that way until I stumbled upon Zephaniah 3:17.

I can still remember the rush of joy in my heart as I read those words. I imagined Jesus looking at me with complete infatuation. Like a groom singing a love song to His bride, I pictured complete love in His gaze. That type of love overwhelmed me. I’m completely beautiful in His eyes. He doesn’t just put up with me; He gave everything so I would be His.

Faith Step: Read a few popular love poems, like “She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron, and try to grasp Jesus’ immense love for you.

Daily Devotion: Are You a People Pleaser?

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Susanna Foth Aughtmon

On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NIV)

I have realized a few things about myself: (1) I have a huge desire to please people; (2) people are changeable; (3) trying to please everyone all the time is impossible; (4) I still want to do it; and lastly, (5) this is a one-way ticket on the crazy train.

I have been known to make up scenarios and conversations in my head about what I believe people are thinking about me when I think I have disappointed them. I also like to reimagine conversations that I think have gone poorly. Conversation do-overs. Sadly, I am much more brilliant in my do-over conversations than I am in real-life conversations.

I am convinced that this is not the way that Jesus meant for me to live. Because that is not how He lived. Jesus only cared about what One “person” thought about Him. His Dad. Everything Jesus did revolved around what His Dad wanted, what He liked, what He valued, what He had asked Jesus to do.

READ MORE: SAY YES TO JESUS

I am trying to follow His lead. I’m stepping out of the “what ifs” and “I wonders” that swirl around in my brain and onto the firm truth of the Father’s love. If I really want to spend my days worried about pleasing someone, shouldn’t it be Him?

If I am pleasing Him, if I am living for Him, if I am following His direction, then I don’t have to worry about whether people like me or what I do or what I say. Because I am living out my life the way that it was meant to be lived. And that is an invitation to get off of the crazy train.

Faith Step: Tell Jesus, “You are the One I want to please with my life.” Each time a people-pleasing thought enters your mind, remind yourself that you are pleasing an audience of One.

Create a Prayer Space

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Marion Bond West

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet…. —Matthew 6:6

My prayer life needed help. I’d been searching for a way to help me pray more consistently. The one I discovered is so simple, I almost hesitate to share it.

While I was cleaning out my walk-in closet one day, a photograph of my twin sons fell from a top shelf. Jon and Jeremy were four in the picture, wearing navy sailor suits with short pants and white, starched collars and new, red-buckle shoes. I smiled at the picture I had thought was lost and started to replace it on the shelf, when an idea came to me.

I taped the picture to the wall, eye-level, in a spot where no clothes hung. Then I bowed my head and prayed for each son. Later, I added pictures of my other children and grandchildren. My husband’s picture is there, too—I know some special dreams and visions he has.

I’ve included a picture of a friend who needs a big miracle, as well as pictures of other friends, and things to remind me of some of my dreams. It’s become my prayer wall.

My intercession over my collage of prayer requests is sometimes lengthy. Then I sit or kneel amid my shoes. Other times I’m grabbing something in a hurry, and a glance at my prayer wall reminds me to pray on the go. But whether my prayer time is long or brief, I sense that in my closet I’m in a snug, secure cocoon of prayer, with no outside interferences.

Lord, help me to create prayer reminders in my heart and in my home. Amen.

Camping with God

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Carol Knapp

But Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. Genesis 25:27

There is a wonderful scene in Genesis 32 where Jacob, having left his father-in-law and striking out on his own with his family, servants, and livestock, encounters the “angels of God.” He overnights there and names the place Mahanaim, saying, “This is God’s camp” (Genesis 32:2).

One interpretation of this name is that Jacob saw two angels. Another is that it denotes two camps: Jacob’s and God’s. For someone who has tented in campgrounds from childhood, God’s tent pitched alongside mine makes a powerful image.

I don’t camp much anymore, but I do have my tent set up all summer on our acreage. It’s an outdoor sanctuary where I go to think and pray and read my Bible. I find it uncommon that my close friend Cheryl also has a tent hideaway. Not many women get excited over having their own private tents!

This year Cheryl is moving from her secluded property and wonders where she’ll pitch her tent. I’ve invited her to stake it beside mine. We grinned at the idea of being side by side, quietly companionable in our “forts.” There’s something immensely reassuring about two camps. Jacob had eyes to see the angels making camp with him.

I wonder how often God’s tent has been right next to mine and I didn’t know it. Maybe a summer of tenting with my friend beside me is just the visual I need.

Two tents, my Friend—Yours and mine—that’s all I ask.

READ MORE: ANGEL TO THE RESCUE

Back-to-School Devotion

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Julia Attaway

It’s the first week of school here in New York. Maggie started sixth grade at her new middle school yesterday, and Mary begins high school today. It’s exciting but also a bit scary—and not just for them! In the midst of thinking about Maggie’s terrific curriculum I find myself wondering, What if those tween girls are mean? As I smile about Mary’s small classes I worry, How will she balance academics with all her dancing? Then I stop myself and say:

There will always be unknowns.
There will always be things outside my control.
There will always be bumps in the road.
Whatever comes, I will deal with it with God’s help.

The what-ifs in life only have power over me when I forget what-is: God is with us. For what lies ahead is no mystery to him. He knows the crosses he will ask me to bear, and he knows how he will help me carry them. I don’t need to wonder what will happen—I know: whatever comes, I will deal with it with God’s help.

A Servant in Jesus’ Everyday Reality Show

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Barbranda Lumpkins Walls

Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be. 1 Peter 5:2–3 (NIV)

I love watching TV. Many of my favorite shows had servants, especially those shows from back in the day. Among them was the ever-present Lurch from The Addams Family, sassy Florence from The Jeffersons, and the quick-witted Alice from The Brady Bunch.

All of these fictional servants had different personalities and ways to approach the situations that were presented to them by the hodgepodge group of people they served—some kooky, some sweet, some self-absorbed. I have similar types of folks—and more—among my family, friends, church members, and colleagues. They are my people, the ones whom the Lord has put within my reach to serve.

Peter says to be shepherds of God’s flock, and not only willing shepherds but those who are eager to serve and be examples to the flock. That can sometimes be a pretty tall order for me. But with Jesus’s help, I can willingly serve those who come with last-minute requests for help. I can eagerly assist people with personal challenges who on the surface may not be so lovable or easy to work with. And with Jesus’s help, I can be an example of a true servant who walks humbly with Him.

This is part of the work that the Lord has given me to do. While I am watching over my flock, He is watching me as I represent Him. I like to think of myself as a servant in Jesus’s everyday reality show.

Faith Step: Reach out to serve a member of your flock in some way today.

A Recipe to Cure the Blues

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Rick Hamlin

Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. Romans 15:2

Maybe it was the long, cold season upon me, or maybe it was an especially hard period at work. But one day, many years ago, when I was feeling blue, I asked my friend Katie for advice.

“Try this recipe,” she said to me. “Take two large cans of white beans, one large can of peeled tomatoes, one onion, several garlic cloves, one leek, a few carrots, some cabbage, a bit of spinach (washed). Sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil. Add the carrots and leek, one cup of soup stock, and then the rest. Simmer the vegetables over a slow fire for an hour or two. Stir frequently. Salt and pepper to taste. Then invite your friends over to eat a big bowl of ribollita soup. You’ll feel much better.”

I did just as Katie said. The aroma of the sautéing vegetables was intoxicating. Chopping and cutting and stirring made me concentrate on something other than myself. And by the time three hungry friends arrived to eat, the apartment smelled of tomatoes, onions, garlic and good cheer.

But it was not until I heard the appreciative comments of my guests that I understood the real wisdom of Katie’s recipe. In fact, at the top of a splattered card, I’ve written the words “Bye-Bye Blues Soup.” The secret? It’s not in the ingredients, it’s in the directions: Do something for others. Write a letter, make a telephone call, cook a hearty meal for friends. It’ll chase the blues away. Every time.

Lord, help me be creative, rising to the challenge of a difficult time—through prayer and a hearty act for another.

A Nudge from the Holy Spirit

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Isabella Yosuico

After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19:12 (NIV)

Our friends had just gotten a new fishing boat and invited us on an outing. The forecast was sketchy: storms would be skirting our fishing grounds throughout the day. We delayed our departure, hoping it would clear but ended up heading out in the overcast weather. Our native Floridian hosts weren’t concerned, even as we passed boats heading into shore. Florida’s weather is notoriously erratic, but life goes on.

I’m not a nervous Nellie, but I prayed before we left and kept a close eye on the storm radar app, a common practice down here. We soon dropped anchor, and the guys cast their lines while we ladies chatted. Not getting any bites, we paused for lunch, then moved farther out to a nearby islet where another boat bobbed in the mildly choppy waves.

My phone’s weather alert pinged overly cautious warnings that I mentally ran by Jesus. But the sky didn’t change, so we stayed put, relaxed. This went on for a while. Then I sensed a little quickening. Nothing had changed, but I just knew it was time to go. I told the captain and indulging me, he promptly made for port.

Just as we set foot on land, there was a crash of thunder. We scurried to the marina hut and crossed the threshold just as the skies opened. I never once felt afraid. I thanked Jesus for keeping us safe.

I’m learning to discern and obey these subtle prompts that have awesome results.

Faith Step: Next time you feel a little nudge from the Holy Spirit, act on it and note the results.

A Mother’s Day Devotion

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Karen Barber

As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you. Isaiah 66:13

When Leah, our daughter-in-law-to-be, told me of plans for the wedding reception, she mentioned there would be a special time when, as the mother of the groom, I would dance with our son Jeff.

At first I thought, Oh, no, me out there on the dance floor with everyone watching! But, as the time approached, I began to look forward to the dance. How special to have a few minutes with Jeff at the reception, perhaps the last few moments I’d get to spend with him before they left on their honeymoon and settled into their home in Colorado.

I imagined the profound and wonderful things I might say to Jeff during those moments.

The wedding festivities went by in a blur, and finally the time came for our dance. As I reached up to my son’s tall shoulder and he grasped my right hand, all of the things I’d planned to say to him evaporated.

Instead, I found myself asking with concern, “I noticed you’ve been so busy you haven’t eaten. Aren’t you hungry?”

“I haven’t eaten all day,” he admitted, “but it’s okay. They’re putting together a basket of food from the reception for us to take in the car with us.”

Looking down at his shoes I asked, “Do your feet hurt?”

“No, they’re fine,” he answered.

Soon the dance was over, and my friend Charlene was eager to know what Jeff and I had said. When I repeated the conversation, I laughed. Out there on the dance floor, I had asked my twenty-three-year-old son, who was an Air Force officer and a brand-new husband, if he was hungry or if his feet hurt!

I sat down and took off my own too-tight shoes, then reconsidered my seemingly wasted opportunity. Perhaps it had been just right after all. During that dance, I had unconsciously performed my last act of mothering by revisiting my first.

When our children are newborns, our questions are always, “Are they hungry? Are they hurt?” And as they grow, these questions grow into prayers that fit each new stage of their lives: “God, fill them and comfort them.”

I put my shoes back on and made sure the basket of food was tucked into the backseat of Jeff and Leah’s car before Jeff’s college buddies started “decorating” it with plastic wrap. I was the one who borrowed the scissors from the receptionist so Jeff and Leah could cut the wrap to open the car door. After all, the need for parenting never really ends, not even with a final dance.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the generous hearts of mothers. And give me also a heart of love for all who are hungry and hurt.

A Merry Christmas Devotion

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Erin Keeley Marshall

Christmas at last! The majesty of it has finally arrived. Celebrate with a Christmas devotion.

It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. John 16:7 (ESV)

It’s a beautiful holy day, and I love it. But sometimes as the hours of Christmas tick by, they begin to feel anticlimactic, as if I’m searching for What now? I don’t want to let go of this day for another year. It comes and goes too quickly, a reminder of how Jesus came to earth, died, rose, and returned to heaven. And what then?

He promised to come back someday, and now humanity is in waiting mode again. However, that first Christmas changed all of our future days of “What now?” After Jesus returned to His heavenly Father, He sent His Spirit to abide throughout the earth, and even better, directly within His believers.

How much difference does His spirit’s presence in us make for life, for all the days that are not December 25? It’s all the difference.

Before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, His spirit didn’t abide within believers. Now that He does live in us, every day of this fallible, messy life holds the glory of Christmas because He is still here.

Jesus, in the midst of any old everyday day, fills each one with His glory, like Christmas. Even if a day holds sorrow or disappointment or health scares or relationship troubles, it is still full of the Christmas miracle. We can look forward to tomorrow, knowing it’ll be as glorious as the one when Jesus came to us all those generations ago.

FAITH STEP: Put a daily alert on your phone or a note on your kitchen windowsill to remind yourself to revel in the truth of Christmas every day.

A Magical Christmas Moment

Posted on March 10, 2026April 23, 2026 by Sabra Ciancanelli

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.—2 Corinthians 9:7

We sat in the auditorium. Elementary school children filled the stage with instruments under their arms. They scanned the audience, smiling nervously. The music started. A little girl in the back row holding a trumpet swayed back and forth, and a flute player fidgeted, but it was the boy in the front row who captured our attention.

Adorably, he balanced himself on the edge of a tall stool. His oversize glasses hung low on his nose. He wiggled toward the huge instrument: a bass clarinet that was as big as he was. As the students played “Away in a Manger,” my eyes darted between the beaming little girl with the trumpet who waved her free hand as if she were at a rock concert and the boy in the front with the enormous clarinet. The music teacher cued a solo and the band went silent except for the boy on the stool. He leaned toward his instrument with eyes wide, cheeks full, face red. He leaned and blew and blew and blew his heart out.

The notes weren’t important. I have no memory of what the instrument sounded like. It was the intention, his effort, his giving it his all that came like a beam of light right out of him and into us. He finished and took a bow. I got to my feet to join the crowd bursting with applause. This is it, I thought. This is Christmas.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the moments when we realize what Christmas is all about.

A King-Size Treat on Halloween

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Sabra Ciancanelli

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer… —Proverbs 11:24 (ESV)

“Can we go there first?” Henry points down the road with his black-gloved finger. The feathers of his big black wings stretch over his older brother, Solomon, who is dressed as his favorite Star Wars character. “Can we, Mom? Can we just go there first?” Henry asks again.

“I don’t know,” I say. This year there are fewer porch lights lit, fewer people giving out candy.

“It must be the economy,” my husband says. “People can’t afford to give out candy.” We pass other trick-or-treaters along the way.

“I can hear the music,” Henry says.

“Me too!” Solomon shouts.

“Listen, that house might not be giving out big candy bars this year,” I say, preparing them. “Maybe they’re giving out regular ones. Okay? I don’t want you to be disappointed.” We follow the sound of the organ to the doorstep. A woman dressed as a queen, complete with a crown, plays spooky music on a keyboard on her front porch.

The boys climb the steps. They marvel at the table covered with rows and rows of king-size candy bars. “Help yourself,” the woman says sweetly.

“Just one,” I remind them.

Henry’s and Solomon’s eyes grow wide as they make their selection. Their smiles are huge. The woman keeps playing the organ, but I see her looking at the boys, watching their expressions. She smiles.

“Thanks,” I say. “It means a lot to them.”

“Pleasure’s all mine,” she answers.

As we walk to the next house, Solomon looks down at his huge candy bar. “I know why they call them king-size,” he says. “’Cause when you get one, you feel like a king, right?”

Dear Lord, thank You for the generosity of others that makes us feel special, that makes us feel loved.

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