DAILY BIBLE READING: GENESIS 25-26 MATTHEW 8:1-17 THE DEATH OF ABRAHAM ISHMAEL'S DESCENDANTS THE BIRTHS OF ESAU AND JACOB ESAU SELLS HIS BIRTHRIGHT ISAAC DECEIVED ABIMELECH CONFLICT OVER WATER RIGHTS Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave the country. “Go somewhere else,” he said, “for you have become too powerful for us.” he said, “At last the Lord has created enough space for us to prosper in this land.” From there Isaac moved to Beersheba, 24where the Lord appeared to him on the night of his arrival. “I am the God of your father, Abraham,” he said. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of my promise to Abraham, my servant.” 25Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord. He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug another well. 28They replied, “We can plainly see that the Lord is with you. So we want to enter into a sworn treaty with you. Let’s make a covenant. 29Swear that you will not harm us, just as we have never troubled you. We have always treated you well, and we sent you away from us in peace. And now look how the Lord has blessed you!” Early the next morning, they each took a solemn oath not to interfere with each other. Then Isaac sent them home again, and they left him in peace. JESUS HEALS A MAN WITH LEPROSY THE FAITH OF A ROMAN OFFICER “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! 11And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour. JESUS HEALS MANY PEOPLE

JAMES 4:13-17 WARNING ABOUT SELF-CONFIDENCE you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. 17Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. INSIGHT James has a strong warning. “Now listen,” he says (James 4:13), before cautioning us against trusting in the reliability of our plans. It’s not wrong to make plans; in fact, it’s foolish not to do so. But it’s arrogant to make those plans without consulting the wisdom of the Bible and looking to our heavenly Father to instruct us by His Spirit. No one “plans” to have trials, nor do we want them, but some of God’s greatest gifts are surprises that grow out of immense difficulties. In the opening lines of this letter, James says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (1:2-3). As we entrust our lives and future to God, we can hold our plans loosely. And even in the midst of trials, we can treasure each day as a gift.

By: Tim Gustafson

TODAY IS PRECIOUS Vietnamese collector Pham has salvaged twenty church clocks from around Europe, many of which had been replaced with electronic versions. One clock, made in Italy, dates back to 1750 and, remarkably, still keeps time accurately. Pham enjoys restoring and preserving the timepieces, saying they remind him of how precious time is and to savor each moment.

In James 4, the writer encouraged his readers to recognize the preciousness of time by reminding them that their lives are like “a mist that appears for a little while” before vanishing (James 4:14). James warned against making plans to “go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money” (v. 13) without consulting God. Instead of presuming on God for the timing and success of their ventures, he reminded them that they “do not even know what will happen tomorrow” (v. 14). Designing our own successes is actually boastful and arrogant if it leaves God out of the picture.

When we recognize the brevity of our lives, we’re able to hold our plans for the future more loosely and better embrace the present moment. We live and work according to God’s design and purpose, which means we can humbly entrust our future to Him and savor each day as the gift from Him it truly is—no matter what it may hold.

By: Kirsten Holmberg

REFLECT AND PRAY When have you left God out of your plans? How can you embrace today for the gift it is?

Thank You, God, for the gift of today. I trust my future to You. in Jesus' name, Amen.

RESTORED: WHEN WHO YOU ARE STARTS TO SLIP AWAY. WHEN FRIENDSHIP FADES AND COMMUNITY SHIFTS There’s a particular kind of ache that comes not from death, but from distance.

It’s the slow unraveling of friendships that once felt like home. The texts stop. The inside jokes fade. The presence that used to be comforting now feels like a memory that happened to someone else.

It didn’t end in a blowout. It didn’t implode. But it ended nonetheless. Or at least, it shifted so much, it’s no longer what it once was.

That ache? That’s grief, too.

So many women are carrying the weight of relational disconnection and doing it in silence. We feel guilty for missing people we technically still have access to. Ashamed for desiring depth in a season where everyone feels “too busy.” Embarrassed by how much it hurts when nothing officially ended.

But here’s the truth: your grief is valid. And it matters to God.

Let’s name it:

Unspoken Breakups: when your hearts just stopped showing up for each other. Outgrowing Relationships: not in arrogance, but in truth—you’ve changed. Being the Strong Friend: always giving, never receiving. Friendship Scarcity in Adulthood: where “Let’s catch up” replaces real connection. Spiritual Isolation: when the people who once prayed with you no longer feel aligned with your faith journey. This is a hard place. But it is not a hopeless one.

God sees your desire for connection. He knows the pain of being misunderstood, unreciprocated, and unseen. Jesus Himself was betrayed, abandoned, and denied by the ones He loved most, so He gets it.

But God also restores. He redeems. He prunes and then He replants.

Some friendships were for a season. That doesn’t make them worthless. That makes them seasonal.

Some doors closed not as punishment, but as preservation. Some connections faded because your healing demanded different soil.

So today, I want to bless the space you’re in:

Bless the endings. Even the quiet, unsatisfying ones. Bless the growth that made some relationships harder to hold. Bless your bravery to say, “This friendship no longer fits.” Bless your ache for deeper, Spirit-led connection. It’s okay to want more. It’s okay to admit you miss what once was. It’s okay to grieve without guilt.

Sacred Step:

Here are three gentle ways to process your grief and make space for restoration:

Do a Relational Inventory Ask yourself: Who currently has access to my heart and is that access helping or harming me? Is it mutual? Is it safe?

Write a Goodbye or Gratitude Letter (Just for You) Honor what that person gave you. Bless the beauty of what was. Release the rest.

Initiate One Small Act of Connection Not with everyone, just someone. Respond to the text. Rejoin the muted group chat. Extend the coffee invite. Make one step toward meaningful connection.

And then pray this aloud:

God, You created me for community. You hardwired my soul for connection. Right now, I feel the quiet ache of absence. Some friendships have faded. Some spaces no longer fit. Help me name this pain, not numb it. Help me release what needs releasing, and bless what was without bitterness. Thank You for those who once held space for me even if they no longer do. And thank You, God, for never leaving me. Open my heart to safe, mutual, Spirit-filled relationships. And meet me in this space where I feel alone. Amen.

ECCLESIASTES 4:9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

PROVERBS 17:17 A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.