Page 356 – Guideposts Articles

A Devotion to Refresh Your Spirit

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

Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin. Matthew 6:28

I hadn’t had a very good workout at the YMCA that morning. Everyone looked younger than I am–and more athletic. I dreaded going home. I’d just drop into a chair, exhausted.

My body was weary, but so was my soul. God seemed so far away. The sun was Georgia hot, even at eleven in the morning, as I exited the building. Discouragement tagged along with me.

A woman passed me, walking briskly to the parking area. She stopped a few steps in front of me and took out a bottle of water. I slowed down. It didn’t appear she was going to drink it.

I pretended to rummage through my gym bag in order to observe her. She leaned way over, after removing the cap to the water bottle, and singled out one red zinnia in the garden that grew beside the iron fence. Carefully, even lovingly, she allowed the flower to drink.

An amazing thing happened. It felt as though someone had poured joy directly into my soul. One flower in all the hundreds had been tended to with such deliberate care. The woman straightened up and walked to her car.

I lingered by the red zinnia. Somehow, I felt refreshed, as though God had reached down to Earth and touched me. “I see you, Marion. I love you.”

Father, You find such tender ways to show me Yourself when I need You most.

A Devotion to Help You Overcome Your Fears

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

“Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:29–31 (NIV)

I’m routinely amazed at how Jesus reveals Himself through real-life experiences, particularly when I include Him in the process.

My son, Isaac, has Down syndrome, and loving him has blessed and grown me in unexpected ways. Isaac has inspired me to be a better person and face many fears. One recent example was advocating for Isaac in making changes to his IEP (Individualized Educational Program).

My husband and I had a vision for Isaac, but even after doing extensive research, praying, and seeking expert counsel, I was full of doubt and fear. Was this plan best for Isaac? Could I make my case? What if I was wrong? Eventually I had to step out of the boat. I had to take the risk of trusting my gut, of pushing hard, of making a mistake, and then leave the outcome to Jesus.

Now, a year after the major changes I demanded on Isaac’s behalf, I marvel at the fruits of that arduous process. Pressing on produced incredible results, far exceeding what I imagined.

Since then I’ve faced other challenges that trigger the same fear and uncertainty—there have been many situations wrapped in that familiar invitation to answer Jesus’s call to come. Will I follow, entrusting the results to Him who loves me? My Savior is a trustworthy counselor and advocate (John 16:7).

FAITH STEP: Are you struggling with a dilemma fraught with fear? Recall a time when you struggled with a difficult decision and could later see Jesus’s hand.

A Devotion to Help You Notice Every Blessing

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Heidi Gaul

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20–21 (NIV)

“Days pass, years vanish, and we walk sightless among miracles.” Hearing those words from a Jewish friend’s Sabbath prayer were a wake-up call. For weeks, I’d lived life as if in a trance, with each day starting and ending the same. It was time to actively live, to open my eyes and ears—and soul—to the miracles taking place around me. How many blessings had I let slip by unnoticed?

Making myself fully aware of God’s blessings and miracles wouldn’t be easy. I’m a creature of habit. I started with breakfast, switching out my usual meal for a slice of toast slathered with raspberry jam. My mouth watered. Bypassing the kitchen table, I stepped outside on the porch, where the rocker called to me. Soon, I heard the steady buzz of a hummingbird at the feeder, and an instant later it floated in front of me. Its beak inches from my face, it gazed at me intently. That tiny, perfectly formed creature hooked me. Jesus’s creation includes all things, seen and unseen (Col. 1:16, John 1:3). When I have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to perceive (Deut. 29:3–4, NKJV), I can acknowledge the miracles and blessings surrounding me, and live life to the fullest (John 10:10). Praise be to Jesus.

Faith Step: Start a blessings journal, and make note of every blessing, miracle, and wonder that Jesus gifts you with.

5 Short Marriage Devotions

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Ashley Wiersma

Whether you are looking for marriage advice or powerful stories of love, may these five marriage devotions bring you joy and comfort.

1. A Devotion to Help Strengthen Your Marriage

By Ashley Wiersma

“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” Hebrews 13:15 (ESV)

Staring back at me from the bathroom floor is a pile of dirty clothes. Specifically, size-large gym shorts, one sweaty workout shirt, an undershirt, well-worn briefs and haphazardly balled-up socks. As usual, the mass of neglected garments sits not inside but beside the hamper, clear evidence that my husband has been on the scene.

Today, as I stare back at the messy mound, I fold my arms across my chest and smile. Laugh, even. I catch myself elbowing past annoyance and choosing gratitude instead.

I once heard a radio talk-show host doling out advice to a sourpuss bride who had called to tattle on her clutter-hound husband. “It sounds to me like you’ve got two options,” the host said. “You can live in happiness with a sometimes-frustrating husband or you can live in sparkling cleanliness alone.” The comment went deep, both for the caller and for me.

Besides the relationship between humankind and God, marriage is the only covenantal bond noted in Scripture. Which I assume means it’s a connection prized by God. I want my attitudes and my actions to show that I prize it as well, and I’m realizing more and more that part of how that gets worked out in my life is by knowing what things to focus on and what things can stand to be overlooked.

And so despite occasional golf clubs in the kitchen, spare sunflower seeds dotting the floorboard of the car, unwashed dishes left stacked in the home office and derelict duds strewn about the bathroom floor, I thank my heavenly Father for giving me a man to know and be known by, to love and be loved by, to serve and to be served by each day. My darling husband may be prone to untidiness, but untidy companionship carries a certain appeal when it involves such a magnificent human being.

Thank You, Lord, for eyes to see an abundance of blessings all around.

2. A Devotion About the True Meaning of Love

By Pablo Diaz

One of the most important relationships in my life is with my wife, Elba. We have been through a great deal together. We have raised two wonderful children and discovered the power of human love in its own unique way. And this week we celebrate 35 years of marriage. Of course just like all couples, we have had our ups and downs. Learn Pablo’s secrets to a long-lasting marriage in this touching devotion about marriage.

3. Daily Devotion: Planning the Perfect Wedding

By Ashley Kappel

“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied, “My time has not yet come.” John 2:4 (NIV)

Mom and I were hard at work planning the finer details of my upcoming wedding. As we hurried around town orchestrating transportation for guests, finalizing the reception menu and making sure someone was at the church early to turn on the air-conditioning (the wedding was in May in Alabama, after all), I began to feel overwhelmed. Read this touching marriage devotion and see how Ashley found peace during the stress of planning her wedding.

4. A Marriage Prayer

By Julia Attaway

Today Andrew and I celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. I’m happy, though we happen to be in the midst of one of those bumpy patches that plague almost every marriage.

I woke up, made coffee and sat down to pray. I pried out the words I’ve used almost daily for two decades. I pray this prayer when things are going well, and when they are rough. Learn more in this marriage devotion and read the prayer that Julia says to strengthen her marriage.

5. Finding a Pause in Marriage

By Shawnelle Eliasen

The children are in bed and Lonny and I are in the schoolroom. He’s at one end of the boys’ school table, working on his computer. I’m on the other end, working on mine. I look up and see him there, work-face pulling his brows. The clickity-clack of his keyboard is the only sound. “Hey,” I say. “Can you stop? For just a sec?” See how a single moment taught Shawnelle an important lesson in this unique marriage devotion.

READ MORE ABOUT MARRIAGE:

A Devotion for When You Are Grieving

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Elizabeth Berne DeGear

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Genesis 2:2–3 (NIV)

Yesterday, at the funeral of a member of our church, I heard these verses from our Bible in an entirely new way. Kathy—whose funeral it was—was known to all of us because every Easter she would read the story of the seven days of creation. Kathy was blind, and for close to two decades she would proclaim this story on Holy Saturday. She read it in braille, as the congregation sat listening in semidarkness from the pews.

At her funeral, we had a bit of a shock: as we settled in to hear the first reading, we were greeted by Kathy’s voice, clear as day, proclaiming to us, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth . . .” (Genesis 1:1, NIV). Apparently the pastor had recorded Kathy last Easter, so we got to hear this story in her voice one last, beautiful, memorable time.

As we listened, teary-eyed, the end of the story opened up a new understanding in my heart. God’s “resting from all the work of creating” was death—in this case Kathy’s death. She had come to the end of her days, and now she could rest in God. This rest was something blessed, something holy. I experienced Kathy’s death as a space in which all the holy creativity of her life could come to fruition and be celebrated. I felt Jesus embrace Kathy in the arms of His resurrection, once again changing my perception of death into holy victory.

Faith Step: Is there a loss you are mourning? Ask Jesus to show you the ways in which this loss is a necessary rest from the work of creation. Ask Jesus to bless you in your loss.

A Devotion for Those in Recovery from Addiction

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Edward Grinnan

Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. —I John 4:4

The e-mail had been forwarded to me from the prayer service of Guideposts’s Outreach Division. It was from a woman urgently requesting prayer. A heroin addict, she’d been through rehab twice and had relapsed again. Now she had to pull herself back up out of the pit of her addiction and face her family with the truth, and she wasn’t sure she could go through with it.

“I keep thinking I’m hopeless,” she wrote, “that I will never get better. I can’t pray anymore by myself. I need help.” She didn’t give her name, only her e-mail address.

Of all the seemingly intractable problems the world faces—war, hunger, environmental calamities, terrorism—addiction is one of the greatest scourges, a kind of terrorism of the soul. It affects rich and poor alike, advanced nations and developing ones, men and women, and people of all ages and races and religions. The toll addiction takes on the world’s economies is in the trillions. The personal suffering is incalculable.

Yet as someone who has not picked up a drink in many years, I know there is a solution, one that begins with the individual. By the grace of a Higher Power, any addict or alcoholic can take back his or her life from the grip of addiction.

Millions have succeeded, one day at a time, by being willing to put their lives completely in the hands of a loving God, the only power greater than their addiction.

I don’t know what happened to the woman who e-mailed us, but I do know that by asking for prayer and by turning her addiction over to God, she had taken the first step and given herself more hope than she knew. For where God goes, hope grows.

God, one day at a time, You are my Higher Power, the one force greater than any difficulty I may have.

A Devotion for the Fourth of July

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Cynthia Ruchti

[Jesus,] who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:14 (NLT)

The annual fireworks display was rained out. So much for Independence Day. All that money the Firefighters Auxiliary paid for the planned fireworks—wasted. Now, there was nothing to see but storm clouds, and sheets of rain.

Families packed up picnic baskets and lawn chairs and high-tailed it for their vehicles, scanning weather channels to see if the storm and winds would pass so they could resume celebrating America’s freedom. Is it possible that the thunder and lightning, the rain and misery, the spoiled plans and disappointments were a more fitting tribute? Our country’s independence came at a high price. Lives were upended. Courage was tested. Battles were won and lost.

We’ve made Independence Day a celebration of excess with lavish displays in the sky and fun. It’s so easy to forget the price paid when a party is on our minds.

What about our soul’s freedom? We say we’re conscious of the price Jesus paid to set us free. But do we celebrate only with flashy experiences and fun stories about how Jesus freed a parking space for us just when we needed it? Or do we give the honor and reverence He deserves for what it cost Jesus emotionally, physically, and spiritually to win our freedom? Do we pause to imagine the moment when midday turned to the blackest night, when the air chilled as if all warmth had been sucked from earth’s atmosphere, when tremors unlike any a human has known coursed through Christ’s dying form? Do we ponder the torment of both body and soul that the King of glory endured so we could live free? Fireworks? Or sober silence?

Jesus, our hearts explode with gratitude.

Faith Step: Sit in silence today and consider the high price tag of your freedom.

A Devotion for Good Health

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Grace Fo

They [our bodies] were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:13 (NLT)

Wrong thinking about my physical health landed me in dire straits. For too long, I allowed my schedule to override my body’s need for exercise. I don’t have time to take a walk now, I reasoned as I worked at my computer desk. I’ll walk later. But later never came. At the same time, I justified eating chocolate bars—big ones.

My brain’s tired from thinking so hard, so I’ll give it a little boost, I thought. One bite led to another and then another. Before long, I’d eaten the entire bar. Oh well, that’s no big deal. I’ll walk off the calories later. But later never came.

Wrong thinking said I could eat whatever I wanted whenever I wished and exercise was only for athletes. The ever-increasing number on my bathroom scale, chronic pain, and the loss of mobility for three months convinced me to make a change. I learned the hard way. But I learned a new way of thinking that transformed my life and restored my health.

Correct thinking about our physical health comes from understanding that we don’t own our bodies. God does. He bought them with Jesus’s bloodshed on the cross (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). Now we are Jesus’s temple, His dwelling place, and we’re responsible to be wise stewards of its care.

Since Jesus willingly paid for our bodies with His life, they must be worth a lot. Let’s value them with proper nutrition and exercise. Don’t learn the hard way like I did.

Faith Step: Identify one wrong thought about your physical health and ponder its influence on your behavior. Now identify one step you can take to improve your health beginning today.

A Beautiful Sign That God Can Be Trusted

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

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. Psalm 94:19 (NIV)

Moving is never easy, and moving to Florida two years ago was extra hard. Apart from the usual stress, it all happened so quickly, leaving little time to process, pack, and plan. I found and made an offer on a house over a weekend, uncertain I was making the best choice. My carefully researched school selection for the two boys fell apart. By the time I got in the car to drive south, my hopeful anticipation had morphed into weary worry. My husband stayed behind to work.

Adding exhaustion to anxiety when we arrived, I discovered the long-term hotel room I’d reserved was gross, so I scrambled to find a rental. Thankfully, I did, but we had to wait to check in. I took my boys and Bichon rescue Katie to a dog beach, fighting the flood of tears and angst I feared would level me. I walked along the beach while Katie and boys played in the shallow water. I started to question God. Why did we face all these challenges? Was it an omen? Had we made a terrible mistake? Please, comfort me, Lord.

My painful pondering was interrupted by my son Pierce, “Mommy, Mommy, look what I found!” In his hand was a very beautiful, perfectly formed, large whelk seashell, something you’d buy in a store. I love seashells and felt a sudden sense of joyous relief and deep peace that God was answering my heart’s prayer with this beautiful shell.

The Airbnb was charming, cheap, and convenient. The house we bought turned out to be perfect. The boys’ new schools were great. Moving to Florida has proven to be one of the best decisions ever. The whelk sits on my dresser, a reminder that God can be trusted.

Faith Step: If you’re in the midst of an overwhelming challenge? Look expectantly for creative answers from Jesus.

Wisdom from God

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Eric Fellman

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God.”—James 1:5

When my wife Joy took a part-time job, the house began to look like a disaster area. One day it got to be too much for overworked Joy. What could we do? I’d tried reasoning with our adolescent sons, and it wasn’t working. With a sigh and a “prayer” asking for wisdom, I faced the three culprits. “All right, no more living like slobs. From now on, no one will pick up anything for you. Things left out after bedtime will disappear!”

That first night three dollars and two favorite toys disappeared off bedroom floors. More disappeared the next day. But after five days, my sons had the neatest bedrooms in town—and a dad who’d learned a little more about parenting from his Heavenly Father.

Do you need wisdom right now? Stop and pray. The Bible says “He gives generously to all.”All we have to do is ask!

What Really Matters…In the Light of Eternity

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Brian Doyle

The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both.—Proverbs 20:12 (RSV)

“Quid hoc ad aeternitatem?” as St. Bernard of Clairvaux used to mumble when faced with the usual parade of tumult and travail. “What does it matter in the light of eternity?”

And yet, with total respect for eternity, don’t we love our problems, considering the alternative? The blizzards of bills I can never pay in toto, the surly son, the dismissive daughter, the moist shabby house held together by duct tape and blackberry vines, the battered moaning car, the shivering pains in my back, the grim brooding debts, the dark thread of fear that I might not have been the best dad, the feeling sometimes in the dark reaches of the night that maybe there was a better husband for my wife if only she had stayed in the game a little longer, and the most pressing problems, the ones that haunt me every minute of the blessed week: the health and joy of our kids and the fragility of their future…

But there are sweet, glorious moments when I realize that the things that keep us awake at night could be the greatest gifts we can ever get. Soon enough, as real time is accounted, we’ll be with old St. Bernard, and what we will want more than anything, even there, in the incomprehensible Light, on the Ocean of Love, is to be in a chair late at night, worried, rocking a sick child, knowing that that child needs and wants you more than any other person in the history or future of the world. All the way to heaven is heaven, as another mumbling saint said—despite the muddy potholes along the road.

Lord, I ask politely for the kind of eyesight that sees the glory of the muddy road.

READ MORE: A WORLD OF MIRACLES

Editor’s Note: Sadly, beloved Daily Guideposts contributor Brian Doyle passed away on May 27, 2017. We are forever grateful for the many gifts he shared with us.

Thomas Edison’s Glimpse of Heaven

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Norman Vincent Peale

In my Father’s house are many mansions. John 14:2

Some years ago a famous industrialist asked me to come and see him. His wife had died, leaving him with a terrible sense of grief and loss. He wanted assurance that he would be reunited with her someday. “Do you truly believe,” he asked me, “that after we die another life is waiting for us?”

I told him that I was absolutely convinced. I said we had the promises of the Bible, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the deepest instincts of countless people throughout history. I said I had no doubts about it whatsoever.

“But what about scientific proof?” he wanted to know. I said, “Let me tell you something about the greatest scientist our nation ever produced: Thomas A. Edison. I knew his widow, and one day when I was in her home I said to her, ‘Tell me about your husband. What sort of mind did he really have?’

“She said, ‘Exactitude was the mark of my husband’s mind. He was not sentimental. He had to know something for sure before he would say it or record it. It had to be proven.’ Then she told me that when her husband was dying, he could barely speak. His doctor, who was also a family friend, noticed that the great inventor was trying to say something. He leaned close and heard Edison whisper, ‘It’s very beautiful over there.’ Those were his last words.”

I said to the industrialist, “Edison would not lie. He would not fabricate anything. He would report only what he saw. Is that scientific proof enough for you?”

“Yes,” he said. “I think he glimpsed the land where my wife is waiting for me.”

I think so, too.

Dear Jesus, thank You for Your promise that someday we will be with You in “the Land that is fairer than day.”

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