Sweet Mercy and Painful Conviction

By: Lauren Thomas 

We often think of conviction as part of the work of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus described in the New Testament. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit - who would come after he left - would convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgement (John 16:7-11). Yet all the way back in Genesis 4, we can find something that fits this description of conviction. Cain was upset after offering a sacrifice that God did not regard. But God spoke to Cain about it. 

“The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, and you must rule over it.””

Genesis 4:6-7 ESV

We can easily get wrapped up in the story, in the murder that immediately follows, and miss this right here. God was offering Cain an opportunity, an opportunity to be accepted by Him, an opportunity to conquer the sin that was eager to overtake him. We think of Cain as the bad guy, the villain in the story. But what if, instead, we focused on God, the hero, who in love and mercy intervened. God offered Cain the sweet mercy of painful conviction. 

There are two ways of looking at conviction: painful and precious. 

Painful, because it never feels good to be called out on your sin. Precious, because conviction shows God’s sweet mercy that lovingly draws us closer to him. 

Hebrews 12 teaches us that discipline comes from a loving Father in Heaven. Discipline from God is a sign of love and acceptance, not a sign of his disappointment or our sinfulness. So while it never feels pleasant to receive conviction (or discipline), it is actually a sign of God’s sweet and precious love for us.

“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

Hebrews 12:11 ESV

Cain did not regard God’s discipline. Will you  accept the conviction of the Holy Spirit or ignore it? The choice is yours.

Reflection:

How does it feel when someone points out your shortcomings? Proverbs 27:6 says “faithful are the wounds of a friend.” Is it easier to accept correction from someone who loves you or someone who dislikes you? How do you generally respond when the Holy Spirit convicts you?

God is With Us

By: Jenifer Metzger

But the Lord was with Joseph and

extended kindness to him. He granted

him favor with the prison warden.

Genesis 39:21 CSB

If you are following along with our 2026 Bible reading plan, this week we are in Genesis and reading about Joseph. Joseph is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. But when I read his story, I think, mercy, he sure went through a lot.

Joseph begins his life being loved and cherished by his parents, he even received his famous coat of many colors. But the extra attention he gets from his parents doesn't earn him any brownie points with his brothers. In fact, once Joseph begins to have dreams -visions from the Lord- his brothers downright hate him. They torture him and end up selling him. Once sold, he finds himself as a slave.

While serving Pharoah, life seems to be settling in and although still a slave, he is trusted and respected by Pharoah. That is, until Pharoah's wife gets involved. She had a thing for Joseph, but he knew better. He knew that falling for her would be disrespecting Pharoah and disobeying God. But Pharoah's wife finds a way to get back at him by lying about him and getting Joseph thrown into prison.

It seems like Joseph cannot catch a break! His brothers' evil rips him from his family and the woman's evil lands him in jail. Yet, when we read Genesis 39:21 we see that God was still with Joseph.

Joseph could have been killed when his brothers tortured him, in fact, that was their original plan. But God was with him. He could have been killed by an animal while waiting in the pit. But God was with him. He could have been sold as a slave to a harsh owner. But God was with him. He could have been mistreated in prison by a harsh warden. But God was with him. He could have died in prison. But God was with him.

God was with Joseph every step of the way. As we continue to read in Genesis, Joseph gets released from prison where he interprets Pharoah's dream. This earns him a place as second in command to the Pharoah and later on he is reconnected with his family.

You planned evil against me; God

planned it for good to bring about the

present result—the survival of many people.

Genesis 50:20 CSB

Joseph recognized that God was with him throughout all that happened to him. He knew that everything that happened to him was used by God for His plan and His glory. He wasn't angry or bitter. He didn't hold a grudge against his brothers or Pharoah's wife. He gave glory to God.

God can use our situations too. God doesn't cause the evil against us. He doesn't cause the chaos and trials. But He can use them for His plan and His glory. We simply need to continue to live for Him through our hardships. We need to stay in the Word, pray, and be faithful to God, then everything we are facing, God can use. When we get to the other side of our trial, we can look and see how God was with us just as He was with Joseph. 

So friend, whatever trial you are facing, no matter how hard life seems right now, stay the course. Keep your eyes and heart firmly fixed on God and trust that whatever you are going through can be used for God's purpose and glory.

Discussion:
1. Think of a trial you've faced in the past. Now that you are on the other side, do you see how God used it for His plan or glory?
2. Think of a trial you are facing now. Go to the Bible and find Scriptures that will help you walk through your situation. Write the Scriptures out and read them every day.

Names of God Series: Quenched by the Living Water

 By: Rebekah Hargraves

Photo Courtesy of: Ahmed

"Jesus answered, 'If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.' 'Sir,' said the woman, 'you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this ‘living water’? You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.'Jesus said, 'Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.'”

~John 4:10-14

In our series on the names of God, we looked last week at how Jesus refers to Himself as being the Bread of Life. This week, we will be taking a look at how He refers to Himself also as Living Water, pointing to the fact that He is our eternal satisfaction, quenching our spiritual thirst.

If you know anything about the context of this passage, you know the woman at the well had been looking for someone and something to sustain her, to satisfy her, to meet her needs. Jesus became all of that and more for her in this touching encounter at the well of Shechem. 

Just as we saw last week when looking at the implications of Jesus being our Bread of Life, so, today, we will think about the implications of Him being our Living Water, as well.

As we all have borne witness to many times before, water quenches our thirst. When the sun is beating down, we are sweating profusely, and we are parched as can be, water rushes in as a hero relieving our misery and quenching our thirst. So, too, Jesus can and does satisfy our every spiritual need and quench our deepest thirsts. He brings relief and satisfaction like nothing else can - no relationship, no Netflix binge, no shopping spree, no social media popularity, no prestige, and no applause can ever satisfy our deepest needs and longings like our Living Water, Jesus, can.

Not only that, but water also plays a very crucial role in our health and wellbeing. Our bodies are made up of about 70% water and dehydration is a very serious condition that can become dangerous very quickly. We cannot be healthy physically apart from getting adequate water intake. The same is true for us spiritually - we will not be spiritually healthy and full of vitality and wellbeing if we are not being filled by our Living Water, Jesus. Abiding in Him is the key to being spiritually healthy and fruitful. Being filled with the Living Water is a nonnegotiable if we want to be strong and healthy.

Do yourself a favor, and prioritize being filled by Jesus, the Living Water!

Reflection Questions:

1) Is Jesus your Living Water? Is He quenching your thirst?

2) If not, what is keeping Him from being that for you? What needs to be done about it?

3) How has Jesus satisfied you and met your needs in the past? Can you trust Him to do the same thing for you again?

Be Courageous

 By: Joanne Viola

 

Courage, as it is seen in the lives of people, is an admired quality. It is the mental and/or moral strength which will get a person through a challenging time or situation.

After Moses’ death, God spoke to Joshua telling him the manner he was to take the people into the land which God was giving to them.

God knew it would take courage for Joshua to do so. God addressed the need for courage three times as He spoke with Joshua:

• “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.” (Joshua 1:6, NASB)
• “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7, NASB)
• “ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, NASB) 

Joshua is going to step into shoes which would be big and difficult to fill. God knows Joshua is the one to lead His people into the land, but is fully aware Joshua has hesitations.

And so we read the command to “Be courageous.” Why?

Then I began to wonder – Is there a difference between being courageous and being brave? Why didn’t God tell Joshua to be brave?

Much to my surprise, I found there is a difference between these two words.

Being brave, or bravery, is a quick act, usually in the moment. Courage is a conscious choice, a deeper choice, it is purpose driven and often requires perseverance.

Life will demand that we be courageous at times. We will need to be courageous and find our strength in the Lord in order to navigate the challenges.

We will need to know and obey God’s Word, being confident in what He has spoken.

Tucked in between the above three verses, we find one more command which God gave to Joshua:

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, 
but you shall meditate on it day and night, 
so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; 
for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”
 (verse 8, NASB) 

God commanded Joshua to think on, speak out, and live by God’s Word. Meditation means repeating the precepts of Scripture, talking about them while we ponder how to best apply those very precepts effectively to our lives.

It will take courage to live out our purposes.
We will need to meditate on and obey His Word,
“Be courageous.”

 

Reflection:
What are your thoughts on courage? How do you find courage when facing the challenges of life?

 

Photo by Micah & Sammie Chaffin on Unsplash

 

 

 

Mindset Shifts for 2026

 By: Lauren Thomas 

How are your New Year’s resolutions coming? Personally, I love goal setting for a new year, but despise resolutions. Resolutions necessitate abundant will power… And usually end in disappointment. Goals work better than resolutions. But creating successful goals requires that we think differently about what we have done in the past – or even how we are in the present – so that we can change our behaviors moving forward.

Transformation comes by two things working together – the Spirit of God working in us and the renewing of our minds (see Romans 12:2). We have to change our thinking to change our behaviors. Here are some mindset shifts I’m taking into the new year. I hope they inspire renewed thinking for you!

 

Burden to Blessing

 

It can be easy to view responsibilities, obligations, and even the people around us as burdens. Let’s shift from seeing these things as inconveniences and instead, see them as opportunities. Instead of thinking I have-to, think I GET to. That demanding job? Blessing. The messy home? Blessing. The kids asking for a snack for the 30^th time that day? Blessing.

 

Even Proverbs highlights the flaw in our thinking when responsibilities feel like burdens instead of blessings:

 

Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,

but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.

Proverbs 14:4 ESV

 

Scarcity to Abundance

 

In the last few years, I got into a bad habit of saying, “I just don’t have margin for that.” And while that was sometimes true, it became an excuse. This year, instead of thinking there’s not enough time, energy, or resources, I want to think about what I do have capacity for, choose it intentionally, and go all in. Instead of thinking about what I don’t have, I’m thinking about what I do have. What I do have, I want to steward well. This is a shift from scarcity to abundance, from margin to capacity.

 

After all, Jesus gives us abundant life (John 10:10), and God has more than enough to supply for what I need.

 

And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19 ESV

 

Consuming to Creating

 

God made us to create, to bring order, to have dominion over his creation. That can look like organizing a closet, cooking a meal, and leading a family. It can look like crafting and decorating and creating art. It can look like managing a team. If I spend more time consuming content (social media, podcasts, books, music, etc.), than creating order and beauty around me, that’s a problem. God has created me for good works. He has prepared those works for me to do. If I am too distracted with other people’s works that I don’t have time for God’s works, that’s a problem.

 

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

 

Reflection:

What mindset shifts will you take into this new year?

How do the above mindset shifts relate to your life? Could they be helpful for you?