January

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.”

— Galatians 3:26

Maybe you’re going through a crazy season right now, your emotions all upside-down and backwards, feeling like you’re running in circles with no sense of purpose. Maybe your feet are slipping or your arms are pulled in two opposite directions at once, stretching you to no end. Though your head feels dizzy and frustrated, take comfort in these words: You are a child of God. This means that no matter what obstacles you face or battles you fight, God has not forgotten you.

Remember that He sent His Son to die for you, for all of us. That was the ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate hope for us to start new in strength and peace. Whatever you’re facing right now, however big or small, close your eyes and remember that God is with you. Always. You don’t have to feel so lost; He has you in the palm of His hand. You don’t have to feel so lonely; He’s watching over you, loving and protecting you. Let go of your fear.

February

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

— Psalm 46:1

You may be having a bad day, bad month, maybe even a bad year. For whatever reason, you’ve been keeping to yourself, hiding your pain from the world for fear of looking weak or helpless or maybe out of fear. You haven’t been willing to let others in because you don’t want them to deal with what you’re going through, to see you like this, broken and defeated. But the thing is, God sees you.

God sees your pain and struggle, He sees your heartache and loneliness, your good and bad days. And He wants to give you strength when it feels like you have none, hope when you’ve run out of steam. Read these words and repeat them back to yourself. “God is my refuge and strength.” For whatever reason, you’ve forgotten this. You’ve forgotten that to the Father, you will never be a burden. Your weight will never be too heavy to bear.

So stop trying to carry everything on your shoulders. Stop worrying that you look weak or that things will never turn around. Close your eyes and trust in Him. He is present in trouble and will always be near when you cry out to Him.

March

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

— Isaiah 41:10

Maybe there’s something big you’re facing this month, or in the months to come—a big decision, a huge choice, a change that will shift the world as you know it. Maybe you’re worried about the outcome, about the impact, about how this new ‘thing’ will challenge you in ways you may not be ready for. These are the words you need to hear—the Lord is with you.

Read that verse. Read it again. God says, do. not. fear. That means no matter what happens, no matter how your life shifts or changes, no matter the good or bad to come in the future, He will be standing beside you. He will be fighting for, and with you. He will not abandon you.

April

“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

— Psalm 9:9-10

How easily you forget that God does not leave His children when they need Him. It might feel like God has left you right now. Maybe something catastrophic has rocked your world, or maybe you’re just dealing with this weight you can’t seem to shake off your shoulders. Maybe it feels like you’ve prayed a thousand times and He’s just not listening. He is.

Perhaps He’s answering your prayers in a different way. Perhaps the thing(s) you want aren’t what He knows you needs. Perhaps He’s bringing you through this tough season because on the other side is greatness like you’ve never imagined. Perhaps there’s a reason for what you’re going through, or perhaps not, and He just wants you to trust Him anyways. That’s faith.

So read this verse and be comforted. Though it feels like He’s left you alone, He hasn’t. He won’t. He is with you and will never forsake you.

May

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

— Philippians 4:6

It’s so easy to get caught up in your own head, to let your worries or doubts take control instead of your prayers. To allow negative voices to overshadow the truth. To listen to the world rather than your God. Don’t. Open your heart to the Lord and heed His word. You don’t need to be, and you shouldn’t be filled with fear and anxiety. You shouldn’t feel so nervous about where you are or where you’re going.

There are so many unknowns in this world; we simply cannot plan the future. But what we can do is trust in our Father, our protector, our Lord. And instead of agonizing over what you simply can’t know or control, rely on Him to lead you to exactly where you’re meant to be.

June

“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”

— Psalm 32:7

When the world gets to be too much, when you’ve lost your sense of self, when you just need a reminder of who you are or a place to rest your head, remember your Father. Remember His loving arms and open heart. Remember the ways He has blessed you, cared for you, strengthened you when you were too weak to stand.

Sometimes you’re so quick to rush from one event to the next, never stopping to take a breath. In the craziness of this life, in the busyness of your schedule, know that He is always there. You can take refuge in Him and His word. He’s not going anywhere.

July

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”

— Psalm 27:1

The obstacles in your path, the negative words spoken about you, the meanness and bitterness pushed in your direction—those things cannot stand against your God. The Lord is my light and stronghold of my life. Repeat this. Let it strengthen you.

This means that regardless of what you face, regardless of the slander against you, regardless of the people who try to bring you down, God will lift you up. He is stronger than any fear or evil.

August

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

— Deuteronomy 31:8

Maybe you feel discouraged. Maybe it seems like the entire world has it all figured out—happy, in love, future-focused, secure in their careers—and then there’s you, still getting it together. The world we live in today has such a funny way of making us feel inferior, doesn’t it? But here’s what you need to remember: The earthly standards are not God’s standards. He isn’t worried about what car you drive or how much money you make. He cares about your heart. He cares about your faith.

When it feels like you just don’t measure up, like you’re alone in a sea of people and still haven’t found someone to share your heart with or are struggling in your current relationship, remind yourself of this verse. God goes before you and will be with you. No matter how lonely or ‘off’ you feel, He doesn’t see you as less.

He isn’t concerned about where you fit in the world because in His eyes, you are His creation. And He loves you. You’re doing just fine. Trust Him, and let Him lead you to the right career, right person, right path.

September

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?”

— Luke 12:25-26

Stop overthinking. Stop stressing over the unknowns. Stop letting your fears take over to the point that you’re just stuck in place, immobile and terrified of what’s to come. The thing is, God’s got your back. Sure, you might face troubling times and pain, but in all of this, He’s with you. He’s not running away. He doesn’t have something better, or more important to do.

Worrying does nothing. It only holds you back from true faith, true freedom in Christ. So stop. Ask Him to calm your heart and reassure your soul. Ask Him to be with you in troubling times and give you strength to really step forward, rather than back. Ask Him to guide you, and believe that He will.

And when you start to doubt, ask yourself this: Why are you so worried, do you not serve an incredible, all-powerful God?

October

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

— 1 Peter 5:7

When we go through a tough time we don’t want to be a burden. We get so caught up in how we might look weak, or be too much for the people who care for us. But the truth is, for the people who love us, they want to be there for us. They want to support us in our time of need. And this is how God is, times infinity.

God longs to be there for us. He longs for our faith in times of trouble. He longs for our hearts to see and hear His word, rather than get caught up in the devil. Whatever you’re going through right now, no matter how big or small, know that God wants you to give it to Him—your fears, your anxieties, your worries, your stress, your insecurity, your weakness, your doubt.

Give Him those things because He cares for you. Give Him those things because He wants to take them away and replace them with security and strength in His name.

November

“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.”

— Psalm 145:18-19

Sometimes God feels so far away. When you close your eyes and pray to an invisible force in the sky it feels so pointless, so strange. But that is where your faith comes in—trusting in the unknown, trusting in the God who is more powerful than anything on this earth.

When you feel weak, confused, defeated, lost, angry, buried, sad—remember that the Lord is near. He hears your cry, your prayer. He sees your diligence and trust, even when your world is falling apart. He knows the pain you’re going through and doesn’t want you to have to face it alone.

Trust that no matter this difficult time, He is with you. He is, and will reveal Himself to you, sometimes in the way you expect and sometimes in strange and mysterious and wonderful ways you never thought possible. Don’t lose faith.

December

“Have I not commanded you? 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

Stand bold in your faith. You serve an incredible God. You serve a God who heals the sick, who has walked on water, who has made the blind see and rescued the persecuted from harm. You serve a God who gave His son for your sins, to lead you into a life of happiness and love, rather than shame and fear. You serve a God who is continually strengthening you as you build His kingdom here on earth. Be excited about that. Be bold.

This world is filled with fear, but as a child of God you don’t have to live like that. You don’t have to walk around nervous for what could happen next, hesitant in every step. Your God is with you. He is walking with you. He is guiding you, loving you, and fighting for and with you. With Him in your life, who or what do you have to fear?
 

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Marisa Donnelly is a poet and author of the book, Somewhere on a Highway, available here.