Scriptures: Psalms 34:9, Psalms 23:1, Isaiah 58:11, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Philippians 4:19

Taking Time, Making Time 

Honor the Lord! You are his special people. No one who honors the Lord will ever be in need 

Psalm 34:9 (CEV) 

Once again you are smacked with it: life’s not fair. Or at least, your life isn’t fair. Maybe you have to move right when your team qualified for regionals. Or that year of quarantining messed up your track to college. 

Consider the unfair life of Amanda Berry Smith: born a slave in 1837, God helped her father earn enough to buy his family’s freedom. Still desperately poor, God helped Amanda find work. She married an Army soldier and had a baby, only for him to be killed in the Civil War. 

Still, Amanda kept her faith in God and offered him her life. She began teaching the Bible and ended up traveling across America as a preacher. When opportunities opened for her to speak overseas, she trusted God for the finances. She preached in England, India, and Africa for years. When she finally returned home, she continued to serve by building an orphanage. 

So, what’s your move? Are you going to be bitter about your seemingly unfair situation? Or will you trust God and move forward in faith? Are you going to feel sorry for yourself, or serve others? Are you going to believe you are on your own, or that a mighty God is leading you? 

Have faith through it all. God is with you and will help you through. 

SPIRITUAL FITNESS TRAINING

What’s a recent unfair event in your life? What was your reaction? Could it have been better? What action do you think God wants you to take? Ask God to help you trust him in every circumstance. 

INSPIRATION 

“I belong to royalty. I am well acquainted with the King of Kings. I am better known and better understood among the great family above than I am on earth.” 

—Amanda Berry Smith, freed slave, Army widow, Bible teacher, and missionary 

Scriptures: Philippians 1:6, Psalms 40:5, Isaiah 55:10-11, 1 Corinthians 1:7-8, Philippians 1:9-10

From Fugitive to Faithful 

God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won’t stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns. 

Philippians 1:6 (CEV) 

Trapped. Zhang Boli had ducked bullets and dodged tanks, while shocked that the Chinese government killed their own people for demanding freedom. He escaped Tiananmen Square and the city of Beijing, landing on their government’s most wanted list in 1989. Fleeing to a remote part of the country, he left his wife and daughter. There, he was stuck, dependent on an old farming woman to hide him. 

But she had a secret, too. Even though she couldn’t read, she had a hand-written copy of the book of John from the Bible, which was strictly forbidden by the Chinese government. She asked Zhang to read it aloud, and the words changed his life. 

His attempt at escaping got him lost in a blizzard, where he nearly died. He prayed to God, promising to always serve him if he could just make it through the night. He collapsed in the snow, where the Russian border guards found him unconscious and put him in jail. They forced him to go right back where he started. 

Despite the circumstances, God was working for Zhang. He continued to trust God through the hardships. And he finally made it to America, where he became a pastor and continued to help Chinese people around the world know Jesus. 

Do you feel stuck? Are you not seeing any way forward for God to work in your life—or the life of someone you are praying for? Stay faithful. The God who started you on this journey will keep working on your spiritual growth. He will not fail you! 

SPIRITUAL FITNESS TRAINING

Map your spiritual journey. Write out some of the key experiences in your life. Haven’t made it to a step yet? Consider making a plan now! 

INSPIRATION 

“I feel like God used what happened in 1989 to help us recognize what’s going on in China. If the Tiananmen massacre had not occurred, for the Chinese people, the Communist Party would have been their god.” 

—Zhang Boli, Chinese American pastor 

Scriptures: Isaiah 58:6, Psalms 147:11, Proverbs 14:31, Matthew 25:40, 1 John 3:17

Standing with the Weak 

I’ll tell you what it really means to worship the Lord. Remove the chains of prisoners who are bound unjustly. Free those who are abused! 

Isaiah 58:6 (CEV) 

Think speech class is terrifying? How about having an angry mob outside throwing rocks through the windows while you’re talking? 

That’s what Angelina Grimké faced when she spoke. But the daughter of a South Carolina slave owner was used to people getting angry at her words. When she spoke against slavery in the early 1800s, she lost her friends, her family, and eventually her home. Her letters, books, and speeches sparked riots, book burnings, and the mob throwing rocks. Her writings about the slaves’ struggles led to the writing of the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which, it can be argued, led to the Civil War. 

“We are commanded to love God with all our minds, as well as with all our hearts,” she wrote, “and we commit a great sin if we forbid or prevent that cultivation of the mind in others which would enable them to perform their duty.” 

Angelina believed that when we worship God, we must stand with him against the oppression of the weak. When she did, it cost her everything. But still, she saw the Lord keep her safe. Shortly before she died, slavery was outlawed in America! 

But oppression did not end. Everywhere in this world, we find people who are outcasts and hurting, physically or emotionally. Like Angelina, if we worship the Lord, we must stand up for them. Ask God to help you stand strong today! 

SPIRITUAL FITNESS TRAINING

So many evils exist in the world today—sex trafficking, pornography, bullying, terrorism, and so on. What issue upsets you? How might the Lord be calling you to be involved? Pray for an opportunity to stand up for the weak. Then spend a few moments in silence, meditating on God’s words and listening for his answer. 

INSPIRATION 

“There are some needs only you can see. There are some hands only you can hold. There are some people only you can reach.” 

—Timothy Keller, American pastor and author in New York City 

Scriptures: Psalms 103:3-5, Psalms 103:9-10, Isaiah 58:11, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Ephesians 3:20-21

Common Thief to Uncommon Hero 

The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, and protects us from death. His kindness and love are a crown on our heads. Each day that we live, he provides for our needs and gives us the strength of a young eagle. 

Psalm 103:3-5 (CEV) 

Being an orphan in England in the 1800s left very little hope. If the government found you, you’d be sent to workhouses with terrible conditions. Out on the street, you had to fight and steal to survive. And while some felt pity on these children, few people did anything to make things better for them. 

That is, until an immigrant preacher came to Bristol. George Müller had grown up in Prussia (Germany) and was mostly known for being a thief. But in college he met Jesus, and his life was changed. When he took a job at a church, he saw the troubles of the orphans and he felt compassion. 

The boy who once chose to steal to get what he wanted became a man who asked God for everything. He refused to ask people directly for money; instead, he prayed about each need. In this way, Müller and his wife cared for and taught thousands of orphans and gave away the equivalent of over 100 million dollars. 

Müller’s life was a living example of how the Lord forgives and changes people, and how he provides for their needs, as Psalm 103 declares. Because Müller was faithful and willing to do things God’s way and not force his own agenda, God used him to change the path of thousands. 

How can God use you? Are you open to his plan and purpose? Whatever he’s got in store for you, it’s bound to me amazing! 

SPIRITUAL FITNESS TRAINING

People in our world continue to suffer many wrongs, like poverty, homelessness, drug abuse, alcohol addiction, pornography, child labor, sex trafficking . . . and the list, sadly, goes on. Which one especially bothers you? Pray for those who are suffering in that way and ask God to use you to help others. 

INSPIRATION 

“Leave the broken, irreversible past in God’s hands, and step out into the invincible future with him.” 

—Oswald Chambers, American pastor in the early 1900s and author of the book My Utmost for His Highest 

Scriptures: Psalms 51:10, Psalms 51:1-2, Ezekiel 18:31-32, Matthew 16:24-25, Colossians 2:13-14

No Way Out 

Create pure thoughts in me and make me faithful again 

Psalm 51:10 (CEV) 

Hatred. Anger. Violence. Nicky Cruz knew nothing else in his life. During his childhood in Puerto Rico, his parents practiced witchcraft and beat him. When he moved to New York City, he started a life on the streets as a teenager and soon became the leader of a vicious gang called the Mau Maus. 

Fear and darkness surrounded his life and heart. It seemed there was no hope for him to leave gang life, to change what he had become. 

Then a pastor started coming around, telling Nicky he could find forgiveness and a new life in Jesus. Nicky’s initial reaction was to beat up the man. But the pastor was relentless in his pursuit, telling him Jesus loved him. Finally, Nicky stopped running. He repented—he turned away from his sins. And Jesus changed him! 

Since then, Nicky has dedicated his life to ministry to inner-city people, telling them about Jesus, who can change the way they think and transform their hearts and minds. Through Cruz’s speaking and a movie about his life called “The Cross and the Switchblade,” he has reached millions of people with the Gospel of Christ. 

Jesus can change your heart, too. He can help you overcome sin to live a life more like him. Ask him to forgive you today. He is ready and willing to do it! 

SPIRITUAL FITNESS TRAINING

Do you know anyone who needs a real heart change—new thoughts, desires, and actions? Commit to praying for them. Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to pray at a certain time each day this week. 

INSPIRATION 

“God has given us power over darkness, power to overcome our sinful nature, power to move mountains . . . in the name of Jesus.” 

—Nicky Cruz 

Scriptures: Psalms 40:3, Psalms 103:10, Isaiah 43:25, Matthew 16:25-26, John 12:24-25

Stop the Broken Record 

…and you gave me a new song, a song of praise to you. Many will see this, and they will honor and trust you, the Lord God 

Psalm 40:3 (CEV) 

Got a stubborn streak? Hot temper? Some other undesired trait that you just can’t quit? 

That was Betty Olsen’s problem for much of her youth. Life had thrown her some challenges including her mother dying, leaving her angry and resentful. She needed a total change to stop the broken record of lashing out; she needed to find a new song to sing. 

A pastor helped her begin to work through her issues. Through hours of prayer and Bible reading, Betty began to unpack that hurt and let go of what she felt was her right to be angry. She gave the Lord control, and he changed her! 

Betty was sent to work at a Vietnamese hospital during the war. Sadly, she was captured by the enemy’s army. While suffering brutal treatment, she was still kind to her captors. Other missionaries credited her courage and strength as the sole reason they were kept alive. 

Like Betty, when you give God control of your life, he can change the ugly, angry, sinful part of you. In this week’s verse, David sang a literal song to God. We’re not sure if Betty sang out loud to God, but her new song shone through her Christ-like attitude. God can give you a new song, too. Just ask him! 

SPIRITUAL FITNESS TRAINING

What old song are you stuck on? What attitude keeps tripping you up? Pray about it while you copy today’s verse onto a journal or some paper.

INSPIRATION 

“Most of the people I have told about going to Vietnam are greatly concerned, and I appreciate this; however, I am not concerned, and I am very much at peace. I know that I may never come back, but I know that I am in the center of the Lord’s will and Vietnam is the place for me.” 

—Betty Olsen, missionary to Vietnam during the Vietnam War 

Scriptures: Psalms 34:6, Psalms 28:8, Psalms 33:17-18, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Philippians 4:19

The Greatest Help

I was a nobody, but I prayed, and the Lord saved me from all my troubles.

Psalm 34:6 (CEV)

In a world of billions of people, who cares about one little girl?

Preena’s mother had rejected her, giving her to people who would physically and sexually abuse her. She ran away, slogging through a large body of water at night, and by morning found herself in a church. It was 1901 in India. Preena begged the woman working there for help.

The lady was Amy Carmichael, a missionary from Ireland. She had little money, and even less authority or defensive strength. But she had a God who held great might and power and who cared for nobodies like her and this little, helpless girl. 

Amy saved Preena and then hundreds more vulnerable children. This female foreigner even disguised herself and went into dangerous situations to find and rescue children in desperate need. 

When Amy bravely offered the Lord control of her life, he used her and blessed her in ways she could never have imagined. The woman with no husband or children of her own opened a refugee school for many, many children who called her “Mother.” The woman with no resources raised hundreds of children because God never failed them. 

Against all odds, God provides the greatest help. He is always there when we need him. Just imagine what he can do through you when you give your life for his use? Pray today, asking God how he would like to work through a nobody like you!

SPIRITUAL FITNESS TRAINING

In what ways do you feel powerless, vulnerable, forgotten? Bring it to the Lord. Then pray about how God can use you to be a miracle in someone’s life today.

INSPIRATION

“It is great to be faced with the impossible, for nothing is impossible if one is meant to do it. Wisdom will be given, and strength. When the Lord leads, he always strengthens.” 

—Amy Carmichael, Irish missionary to India in the early 1900s

Scriptures: Psalms 42:8, Psalms 37:4, Psalms 145:19, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 3:20-21

Enjoying Your Work 

Every day, you are kind, and at night you give me a song as my prayer to you, the God of my life 

Psalm 42:8 (CEV) 

Elizabeth Greene found true happiness—heart-bursting, soul-touching, life-fulfilling joy. This was what she was made to do. On her first time to fly an airplane solo at night, God’s song filled her heart. Surrounded by the stars, as she breathed prayers of thanks, her mind repeated over and over the words of today’s verse: “his song is with me” (from the ESV Bible translation). 

Ever since she was little, Elizabeth had loved Jesus and wanted to tell people about him. And she loved flying. By age 16, she had saved enough for lessons. A few years later, World War II broke out and she enlisted in the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) unit. 

Still, she hoped her two passions would align more. She wanted to tell people about Jesus around the world … and fly. But how could that happen? 

When the war ended, God answered. Elizabeth met a man who shared her desire. Together, they founded Mission Aviation Fellowship and began flying missionaries and their supplies to the most remote ends of the earth. Elizabeth crisscrossed the globe, telling many about Jesus. 

There’s no joy like the satisfaction of being used by God while doing what you love. He gives us desires and talents that he can use to spread the good news about Jesus. No matter what you love to do, offer it up to the Lord. 

SPIRITUAL FITNESS TRAINING

Daydream a little: What do you love to do? How could God use your unique interests and talents to tell people about Jesus? Talk to God about it and listen to what he has to say. (Some people hear God speak in their thoughts while they are quiet and focused on him. Others hear God speak to them through the Bible.) Jot down your thoughts. 

INSPIRATION 

“I find myself longing and praying that God will use the airplane not only in spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth but to help strengthen the whole Body of Christ by promoting a closer relationship and thus, more intelligent and effectual prayer.” 

—Elizabeth Greene, first pilot for Mission Aviation Fellowship