5 Day Devotional
Day 1: Do You Still Believe?
Devotional
Remember when you first discovered something amazing - maybe a hidden restaurant with incredible food, or a shortcut that saved you hours of traffic? Your first instinct was probably to tell everyone about it. You couldn't contain your excitement because you knew others needed to experience what you had found.
In 2 Kings 6, we meet four men with leprosy living as outcasts during a devastating siege. They faced an impossible situation - stay and starve, or surrender to enemies who might kill them. But when they took that terrifying step of faith, they discovered something miraculous: God had caused the entire enemy army to flee, leaving behind abundant provisions.
Here's the beautiful part - after they filled themselves and hid treasures, conviction struck their hearts. They realized they couldn't keep this life-saving discovery to themselves while people in the city were dying of starvation.
As believers, we've discovered something infinitely more valuable than food or treasure. We've found forgiveness, acceptance, and peace that surpasses understanding. We've experienced God's miraculous power to rescue us from whatever had us feeling surrounded and hopeless.
Yet somewhere along the way, many of us have lost that initial excitement. We've settled into comfortable routines, forgetting the desperation we once felt and the joy we experienced when we first encountered God's grace. The question isn't whether God still has miraculous power - He absolutely does. The question is whether we still believe it with the same passion that compels us to share it with others who are spiritually starving around us.
Bible Verse
'As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, "Help me, my lord the king!" The king replied, "If the Lord does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?" Then he asked her, "What's the matter?" She answered, "This woman said to me, 'Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we'll eat my son.' So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, 'Give up your son so we may eat him,' but she had hidden him."' - 2 Kings 6:26-30
Reflection Question
When you think about your own spiritual journey, what specific moment or season reminded you most powerfully of God's miraculous ability to rescue you from a seemingly impossible situation?
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Do you still believe that God has miraculous power? Do you still believe that he has power to rescue you from whatever that has you feeling surrounded? Do you still get up in the morning and just go, man, God can do amazing things.
Prayer
Lord, rekindle in my heart the wonder and excitement I felt when I first experienced Your miraculous power in my life. Help me remember not just what You've done, but who You are - a God who still performs miracles and rescues those who feel surrounded. Give me fresh eyes to see Your power at work today. Amen.
Day 2: Today Will Be Different
Devotional
Have you ever had one of those mornings where you woke up with unusual determination? Maybe you decided today was the day you'd finally start that exercise routine, have that difficult conversation, or take a step toward a dream you'd been putting off. There's something powerful about declaring "today will be different."
Those four men with leprosy faced such a moment. They could have stayed in their familiar misery, complaining about their circumstances while slowly starving. Instead, they made a bold declaration: "Why sit here until we die?" They chose to step out of their comfort zone, even though it meant facing potential death.
Their courage was rewarded beyond their wildest dreams. Not only did they find safety, but they discovered abundance that could save their entire city. But here's what's remarkable - they didn't just think about themselves. After securing their own needs, they felt compelled to share the good news with others who were still suffering.
As followers of Christ, we have access to that same miraculous power that rescued those men. Every morning, we have the opportunity to wake up and declare, "Today will be different." Different because we remember who God is and what He's capable of doing. Different because we choose to step out of our comfortable routines and share the hope we've found.
Maybe you've been sitting in spiritual complacency, watching others struggle while keeping God's goodness to yourself. Maybe you've been paralyzed by fear of rejection or failure. Today can be the day you step out and discover that God's power to rescue isn't just for you - it's meant to flow through you to reach others who desperately need hope.
Bible Verse
'For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.' - 2 Timothy 1:6-8
Reflection Question
What specific fear or comfort zone has been keeping you from stepping out and sharing God's goodness with someone who needs to hear it?
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Today is going to be different. Today is going to be one of those days that we're going to step out and we're going to go. Today is that day where we had this miraculous power to be able to go. God can rescue me from whatever feeling that I have, whatever's going on, whatever I have going on that I can step into it and go, today will be different.
Prayer
God, give me the courage to make today different. Help me step out of my comfort zone and trust in Your miraculous power to work through me. Remove any timidity or fear that holds me back from sharing the hope I've found in You. Let today be a day of bold faith and compassionate action. Amen.
Day 3: The Burden We've Lost
Devotional
Think about the last time someone shared something incredible with you - maybe a friend told you about an amazing opportunity, or a family member shared news that changed everything. Now imagine if they had kept that information to themselves, knowing it could have helped you tremendously. How would that make you feel?
This is exactly what happened with those four men with leprosy. After discovering the abandoned enemy camp filled with food and treasures, they initially focused on themselves. They ate, they gathered wealth, they secured their own future. But then something beautiful happened - conviction struck their hearts. They realized they were being selfish while people in their city were literally dying of starvation.
"We're not doing right," they said to each other. "This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves." They understood that keeping life-saving information to themselves wasn't just wrong - it was cruel.
As believers, we've been given the ultimate good news. We've experienced God's forgiveness, perfect acceptance, and peace that surpasses understanding. We know the answer to humanity's deepest struggles - anxiety, identity confusion, purposelessness, and hopelessness. Yet somehow, many of us have lost that sense of urgency and burden to share these riches.
We've become comfortable in our salvation, attending church services and Bible studies while the world around us spiritually starves. We've forgotten that every person we encounter is someone for whom Christ died, someone who desperately needs what we've freely received.
The question isn't whether we have good news to share - we absolutely do. The question is whether we still feel the weight of responsibility that comes with possessing life-changing truth while others remain in darkness.
Bible Verse
'For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.' - Romans 1:16
Reflection Question
When you interact with people who don't know Jesus, do you feel a sense of urgency about their spiritual condition, or have you become comfortable keeping your faith to yourself?
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How about you as a Christ follower now that you're enjoying the riches of God's forgiveness, perfect acceptance, peace that passes all understanding, do you still feel that same duty and burden to share those riches? Do you still feel that same burden? Or are you keeping what God has done and still doing in your life all to yourself?
Prayer
Father, restore in me the burden I once felt for those who don't know You. Help me see people through Your eyes - not as interruptions or inconveniences, but as precious souls who need the hope I've found. Give me a heart that breaks for what breaks Yours, and the courage to act on that burden. Amen.
Day 4: Distracted by Lesser Gods
Devotional
Walk through any modern city and you'll see our temples everywhere - sports bars with giant screens, shopping centers that promise fulfillment, social media platforms that offer validation, and entertainment venues that provide escape. We may not bow down to golden statues, but we've certainly created our own collection of gods that demand our time, attention, and devotion.
Just like ancient Athens with its 30,000 statues to various deities, we've surrounded ourselves with lowercase-g gods that have subtly taken priority over the one true God. We obsess over sports teams, political figures, celebrities, and social media influencers. We chase after money, success, and fame with religious fervor.
Meanwhile, the most important message in human history - the gospel of Jesus Christ - gets pushed to the sidelines. We've become so distracted by peripheral things that we've forgotten our primary calling. We know more about our favorite team's statistics than we do about our neighbors' spiritual condition. We spend more time scrolling through social media than we do in meaningful conversations about faith.
The tragic irony is that while we're chasing after these temporary, powerless idols, we possess the answer to every human longing. The gospel offers what everyone is desperately seeking - peace from anxiety, identity for the confused, purpose for the lost, hope for the hopeless. Politicians can't provide this. Sports teams can't deliver it. Money can't buy it. Only Jesus can.
It's time to recognize how our modern idolatry has distracted us from our mission. When we're more passionate about defending our favorite team than we are about sharing our faith, we've lost our way. When we know more about celebrities than we do about the people God has placed in our lives, we need to realign our priorities.
Bible Verse
'Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you."' - Acts 17:22-23
Reflection Question
What "lowercase-g gods" in your life - whether sports, politics, social media, or success - have been competing for the time and passion you could be investing in sharing the gospel?
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We're so worried about all these other peripheral things. We're so worried about what's happening with sports. We're so worried about what the Dodgers are doing or what's this doing, or what's that happening, or what's this going on here, what's happening there, what's happening with this team or that team or that thing or this thing. And that we've forgotten what our first priority is, the good news of Jesus.
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for allowing lesser things to capture my heart and attention. Help me identify the idols in my life that have distracted me from Your purposes. Give me the wisdom to prioritize what truly matters and the strength to say no to things that pull me away from sharing Your love with others. Amen.
Day 5: Your Daily Calling
Devotional
Every morning when you wake up, you make countless decisions - what to wear, what to eat, which route to take to work. But there's one decision that often goes unnoticed yet carries eternal significance: will you accept God's calling to be a witness today?
Those four men with leprosy didn't just stumble upon good news and accidentally share it. They made a conscious choice to act on their conviction. They could have rationalized keeping the discovery to themselves - after all, they were outcasts who had been rejected by society. Why should they care about people who had shown them no kindness? But they chose compassion over bitterness, action over apathy.
Every day, we encounter people who are spiritually hungry, even if they don't realize it. The coworker struggling with anxiety, the neighbor dealing with depression, the friend searching for purpose, the family member wrestling with identity issues. Each interaction is an opportunity to be a witness - not by throwing Jesus in their face, but by simply sharing who we were and who we are now.
Being a witness doesn't require a seminary degree or perfect theology. It just requires authenticity and availability. When someone asks how you handle stress, you can share about the peace you've found in prayer. When a friend wonders about life's meaning, you can talk about the purpose you've discovered in following Christ. When someone admires your joy despite difficult circumstances, you can point to the source of your hope.
The beautiful truth is that you have more time and opportunities than you think. If you examined your screen time, you'd probably discover hours each day that could be redirected toward meaningful relationships. The question isn't whether you have time to be a witness - it's whether you'll choose to prioritize eternal things over temporary distractions.
Remember, you're not responsible for converting everyone you meet. You're simply called to share what you've experienced and let God do the rest.
Bible Verse
'When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent word to the king: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel."' - 2 Kings 5:8
Reflection Question
Looking at your daily routine and relationships, where is God specifically calling you to be a witness this week, and what's one practical step you can take to respond to that calling?
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Every day, Every day, we have to accept God's calling to be a witness. And in your devotion time, in your prayer time, you have to accept that God has called you to be a witness to each and every person that you encounter.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I accept Your calling to be a witness today and every day. Open my eyes to see the opportunities You place before me. Give me wisdom to know when to speak and when to listen, when to share my story and when to simply show Your love through my actions. Help me be faithful in the small moments that can have eternal impact. Amen.