Author: GraceUMClaremore

Wednesday July 29, 2026

When the Message Won’t Go Down Easy

Wed. July 29, 2026

Scripture: Jeremiah 29

Reflection: Most of us pray for quick solutions. When life falls apart, we ask God to remove the problem, fix the relationship, heal the illness, open the door, or change the circumstances. We want an immediate answer and a fast way back to the way things were. That is exactly what the people of Judah wanted. They had been taken into exile in Babylon. False prophets were telling them, “Don’t worry. This won’t last long. God will have you home in no time.” But then Jeremiah delivered a message no one wanted to hear. God said in Jeremiah 29:5–7, “Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and raise families. Seek the peace and prosperity of the city where I have sent you, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”  Basically, God was telling them that they were going to be there for a while. That wasn’t the message they were hoping for. They wanted escape and God called them to faithfulness. Sometimes God’s hardest word isn’t No, it’s Stay. Stay faithful, stay obedient. Keep serving, keep praying and keep trusting Me, even when nothing changes overnight. How often have you thought that God was only at work when He is changing our circumstances. Jeremiah reminds us that God is just as active in the waiting as He is in the miracle. He shapes our character while we long for His deliverance. Then comes one of the Bible’s most familiar promises in 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  So many times, we read that verse by itself without knowing that it comes after seventy years of exile. God’s promise of hope was real, but it wasn’t immediate. His timing was different, but His faithfulness never failed. That is good news for us.

Friends, if you’re in a season that feels like exile and you’re waiting for healing, searching for direction, grieving a loss, or wondering when life will finally change, remember that God has not forgotten you. He is present in the waiting, and He is still working while you wait.

The message may not go down easy, but it is filled with hope. God’s delays are never abandonment. His plans are still unfolding, even when we cannot yet see the destination.

Consider This:

1. Am I asking God to remove a situation when He may be asking me to remain faithful in it?
2. What does it look like to seek the peace of where God has placed me today?
3. How can I trust God’s timing instead of demanding my own?

Prayer: Faithful God, I confess that I often want quick answers and immediate solutions. Teach me to trust You even when the road is longer than I expected. Help me to be faithful where You have planted me, to serve You with joy in every season, and to believe that Your plans are always good, even when I cannot yet understand them. Give me hope for the future and strength for today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Wednesday Word

Which Voice Is Leading You?

Wednesday July 22, 2026

Scripture: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” — James 1:5 (NIV)

Reflection: One of the big lessons from 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 Kings is that leadership matters. Israel wanted a king. Saul looked the part but was far from obedient. David loved God but still stumbled. Solomon asked for wisdom but eventually drifted. Then came king after king who led the nation farther from God. Originally, 1 and 2 Kings were a single book in the Hebrew Bible. They were later divided into two books when the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek because the scroll became too long.

Together, 1 and 2 Kings cover about 400 years of Israel’s history. From the death of David, through Solomon’s reign, all the way to the fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile. And page after page the story teaches us something we still need today. Every human leader will eventually disappoint us.

That’s not cynicism, it’s reality. Pastors are human. Politicians are human. Business leaders are human. Parents are human. Friends are human. And so are we. That’s why our ultimate hope can’t rest in any person. Our hope rests in Jesus, the only King who never failed. But here’s the encouraging part: God doesn’t ask us to navigate life alone. He offers us His wisdom.  Wisdom isn’t just having a high IQ or years of experience. Wisdom is seeing life from God’s perspective. Every day we’re bombarded with voices telling us what success looks like, how to spend our money, how to raise our families, what should make us happy, and what deserves our attention. The loudest voice isn’t always the wisest voice. So friends before making that decision, before sending that text, before posting that comment, before reacting in anger, before saying yes or no. Pause. Pray. Ask God. In jmaes1: 5 James doesn’t say, “Figure it out yourself.” He says, “Ask God.” Imagine how different our week would look if our first response wasn’t Google, social media, or our own emotions, but prayer. God loves giving wisdom to those who seek Him.

Consider this:

• Before making one important decision this week, stop, pray, then listen.
  • Trust that God is more interested in shaping your heart than simply solving your problem.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for being the perfect King who never fails. When I am surrounded by opinions, emotions, and distractions, help me hear Your voice above all others. Give me wisdom to make decisions that honor You, courage to follow where You lead, and humility to ask for help when I need it. May my heart be led by Christ and not by fear, pride, or the loudest voices around me. Shape my life by Your wisdom, one decision at a time.In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Midweek Devotional

Faith in the Middle

Joshua • Judges • Ruth

Scripture: Joshua 24:15

Reflection: Have you ever felt ordinary? Let’s be honest most of life isn’t made up of mountaintop moments. It’s alarms that go off too early. Meetings that could have been emails.

Laundry that somehow multiplies overnight. And if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably stood in front of the refrigerator wondering why you opened it in the first place. So yes most of life does feel pretty ordinary. That’s exactly where we are this week. After the miracles of the Exodus and after forty years in the wilderness, Israel finally enters the Promised Land. You would think the exciting part is over. But Joshua, Judges, and Ruth remind us that following God isn’t about living for the extraordinary moments. It’s about being faithful in the ordinary ones. Joshua challenged Israel in Joshua 24:15, “Choose this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Friends, Joshua doesn’t say choose when it’s convenient or when life is easy. He just said, “Choose.” Then comes the book of Judges, where people slowly drift away from God and not because they woke up one morning determined to rebel, but because they stopped choosing Him one ordinary day at a time. That’s a good reminder for us. Most people don’t drift from Jesus overnight. They drift one missed prayer at a time, one missed Sunday or one busy season. Until one day they wonder how they got so far away. But then comes Ruth. An ordinary widow, an ordinary field and an ordinary act of faithfulness. And God uses her ordinary life to change history and that’s encouraging because chances are you won’t part a Red Sea this week. But you can encourage someone, you can forgive someone. Pray for, serve or love someone. And you never know who is watching. Naomi had no idea that her faithful witness would lead Ruth to the God of Israel. Friends, your kindness, your patience, your faith, our story may become someone else’s evidence that Jesus is real. So don’t underestimate an ordinary Wednesday because God has been doing extraordinary things through ordinary people for a very long time.

Consider This:

Where have you seen God’s fingerprints in you life lately?

God doesn’t need extraordinary people. He just needs faithful people to say yes.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for reminding me that You don’t just work on mountaintops, you work in kitchens, offices, classrooms, neighborhoods, and ordinary moments. Help me to recognize Your fingerprints on my own story and to trust You with the small decisions that shape my life. Keep me from drifting when life gets busy and make my faith something others can see, not because I’m perfect, but because You are faithful. Use my ordinary life to point someone toward Your extraordinary grace. Today I choose You. Amen

Route 66: God’s Story, Our Journey

Wednesday Word

The Long Way Isn’t the Wrong Way

Scripture: Exodus 13:17–18

Reflection: Have you ever noticed how impatient we have become?We don’t like waiting in line.We get irritated when the microwave has 30 seconds left.We complain if the internet takes longer than five seconds to load.And heaven help us if our GPS says we’ve added three extra minutes to the trip.We’re a people who love shortcuts.But God doesn’t seem to be in as much of a hurry as we are.When God led Israel out of Egypt the Bible tells us that God intentionally didn’t take them the shorter way. Why? Because He knew they weren’t ready.

The shortest road would have led them into battle before they had learned to trust Him.

So God took them on a forty-year field trip. But God wasn’t lost. He was leading. Sometimes we assume that if life is hard then we’ve taken a wrong turn. Sometimes we wonder if God has forgotten us because the road seems longer than we expected. Maybe, just maybe, God isn’t delaying your destination. Maybe He’s preparing you for it. God is far more interested in preparation than we are. And when I look back over my own life, the seasons that felt like detours often became the seasons that shaped me the most. The same may be true for you.

That difficult coworker may be teaching you patience. That unanswered prayer may be teaching you trust. That closed door may be protecting you from something you cannot yet see. So before you ask, “Lord, when will this be over? Try asking,” Lord, what are You teaching me while I’m here?” Because the wilderness isn’t where God quits working, it’s where He does His best work.

Consider This:

• Read Exodus 13:17–18. Ask yourself, “Where has God taken me the long way?”
• Read Deuteronomy 8:2–3. What is one lesson God has taught you through a difficult season.
• Read Matthew 11:28–30. Spend time giving one burden to Jesus that you’ve been trying to carry on your own

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You never waste a mile. Forgive me for wanting shortcuts when You are shaping my character. Help me to trust You when the road is long, the answers are delayed, and the destination seems far away. Teach me to walk by faith instead of by sight. Give me the courage to let go of the burdens I was never meant to carry and to follow Jesus one step at a time. Thank You for walking beside me through every wilderness and for promising that You will finish the good work You began in me. In the name of Jesus, who is both our guide and our destination, Amen.

Wednesday Word

Route 66: God’s Story, Our Journey

Crossing Over to Freedom

Scripture: Exodus 14:13-14

Reflection: This week America celebrates another Independence Day. Flags will wave. Fireworks will fill the sky. Families will gather around picnic tables. We’ll sing patriotic songs, and the freedoms we have today. And it’s ok to give thanks for those blessings. Freedom has never been free. But this week we should also be thankful for freedom that isn’t protected by armies or written into a constitution. One that no government can give or take away. The freedom that comes through Jesus Christ. In our Rte. 66 series this week we traveled to St. Louis and the Gateway Arch, a monument that celebrates America’s westward expansion. For generations it represented opportunity, adventure, and the chance to begin again. People crossed the Mississippi River believing a better future lay ahead. The Israelites stood at another gateway. Not beneath a stainless-steel arch, but at the edge of the Red Sea. Behind them was Pharaoh’s army nowhere to run, they were trapped. Or so they thought. Sometimes life feels exactly like that. Maybe you’ve received a difficult diagnosis, maybe your marriage feels strained. Maybe your finances have become overwhelming or you’re missing someone you love. Maybe even the battle is one that no one else can see like fear, anxiety, depression, shame or addiction. You smile when people ask how you’re doing. You come to church, go to work, even laugh with friends but inside you feel stuck. Well friends the greatest prison isn’t always made of steel bars. Sometimes it’s made of fear or lies. Sometimes it’s made of years of believing you’ll never change. Israel knew that feeling. For four hundred years slavery had become more than their circumstance. It had become their identity. Generation after generation was born into bondage. They didn’t just wear chains. They thought like slaves. When God finally delivered them, something interesting happened. The chains came off. But fear, doubt and complaining stayed. Their location changed but not their thinking. Isn’t that true for us? How often has God declared that we are His beloved children, while we continue believing we’re failures? We often carry chains that Jesus has already broken. The enemy loves to remind us of our past but Jesus reminds us of our future. Freedom begins when we stop believing the lies and start trusting the promises of God.

Consider this:

What story am I believing that’s keeping me stuck?

What old way of thinking are you still carrying?

What step of faith is God asking you to take this week?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for setting me free. Forgive me for the times I keep carrying chains You have already broken. Help me recognize the lies that have shaped my thinking and replace them with Your truth. Teach me to live as Your beloved child instead of as a prisoner of my past. May my life reflect the joy, peace, hope, and courage of someone who has been redeemed by Your grace. Lead me this week to trust You more deeply, love others more freely, and walk confidently in the new identity You have given me. In the name of Jesus, who still parts seas, still breaks chains, and still makes a way where there is no way. Amen.

Promise on the Horizon

Springfield, Illinois – Genesis 12-15

Scripture: “The Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.’” Genesis 12:1

Reflection: This week we make our second stop on our Route 66 journey through Scripture. We travel about 200 miles south to Springfield, Illinois, the home of Abraham Lincoln but this week we meet another Abraham. One Abraham lived in Springfield and helped preserve a nation. The other Abraham lived four thousand years ago and became the father of a nation. One believed a divided nation could be healed. The other believed a broken world could be redeemed through God’s promise. Both men walked toward futures they could not fully see. That is where our story begins. Genesis 12 seems like just a conversation between God and one man, but it is one of the most important moments in the entire Bible. Nine chapters and nearly two thousand years have passed since Adam and Eve left the Garden. Humanity has continued to drift from God. We have seen Cain and Abel, Noah and the flood, and the Tower of Babel. Again and again people have chosen their own way instead of God’s way. Then God does something unexpected. Instead of abandoning humanity, God calls Abraham. But God doesn’t hand Abraham a map. He doesn’t give him a timeline or an itinerary. He just says, “Go.” Leave everything and trust Me. Most of us would like more information than that. We want details or at least a destination. We want God to tell us exactly where the road leads before we start. Abraham receives nothing but a promise. But Abraham goes. Years pass by the time we reach Genesis 15, probably close to ten years has gone by. Abraham is still waiting for the child God promised. The destination still seems far away. The promise appears delayed. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever trusted God and taken the step He asked you to take but nothing seems to change. The scenery looks the same. The road feels long. That’s when God reminds Abraham to look up at the stars and everything you can count will be the number of your descendants Abraham has no idea how it will happen, but he chooses to trust anyway and that is faith. Faith is not having all the answers. Faith is trusting God when you don’t. The beautiful part of Abraham’s story is that it ultimately points us to Jesus. God wasn’t just creating a family or building a nation. He was beginning a rescue plan. Through Abraham would come Isaac, Jacob, Israel, David, and eventually Jesus. What looked like a promise to one man became God’s blessing for the entire world. Abraham walked by faith toward a promise he could barely see. We walk by faith knowing that promise has a face and a name. Jesus Christ.

Consider This:

• Where is God asking you to trust Him without having all the details?
• What promise, prayer, or hope are you currently waiting on?
• How does knowing that God’s promise ultimately led to Jesus strengthen your faith today?
• Carry a penny with you this week. When you see Abraham Lincoln’s image, remember the other Abraham who trusted God’s promises. What seems small today may be the beginning of something far greater than you can imagine

Prayer: Faithful God, thank You for the example of Abraham, who trusted You even when he could not see the destination. Help me to remember that faith is not about having all the answers but about trusting the One who does.Give me courage to take the next step and confidence that You are leading me where I need to go.Thank You for Your faithfulness throughout history and for the promise fulfilled in Jesus. May I trust You more deeply and follow You more faithfully this week.In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Different on Purpose: The Character of a Methodist

Wednesday June 3, 2026

Scripture: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” — John 13:35

Reflection:

One of the questions early Methodists regularly asked each other as they gathered for small group was, “How is it with your soul?” Not, How busy are you? How successful are you? How much have you accomplished this week? But, How is your soul?

John Wesley believed the Christian life was not about appearances. It was about transformation. He wasn’t primarily interested in what label someone wore or what group they belonged to. He wanted to know whether the grace of God was changing their heart.

That may be one of the hardest questions for us to answer today. We live in a culture that teaches us to measure ourselves by achievement, productivity, and appearance. We know how to tell people we’re busy. We know how to tell people we’re fine. We know how to tell people what we’ve accomplished. But how often do we stop long enough to ask what is happening in our soul? Wesley believed that a transformed heart would eventually produce a transformed life. The evidence wasn’t perfection it was growth. The evidence was becoming more like Jesus. So maybe instead of focusing on everything you need to accomplish, take a few moments to pay attention to your soul. Ask yourself, Am I growing closer to God? Am I becoming more loving? Am I showing grace to others?

Is Christ shaping my character? What kind of person is God’s grace producing in me?

Again friends the goal is not perfection it’s transformation.

Consider This:

1. Ask someone you trust, “How is it with your soul?” Then take the time to truly listen.
2. You may discover that one of the greatest gifts we can offer another person is simply being present, listening well, and reminding them that they are not alone.

Prayer: Lord Jesus,Thank You for loving me exactly where I am and too much to leave me there. Help me to slow down and pay attention to my soul. Reveal the places where I need Your grace, Your healing, and Your guidance.Shape my heart so that my life reflects Your love. Help me to grow in kindness, humility, compassion, and faithfulness. Make me less concerned with appearances and more concerned with becoming the person You created me to be.Continue Your transforming work in me.In Jesus’ name,Amen.

Wednesday June 17, 2026

The Journey Begins

Scripture: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

Reflection: Every journey has a starting point. Rte. 66 in Chicago was that starting point for millions of people. Some were looking for opportunity. Some were looking for a fresh start. Some were just trying to find a better future, but they all shared the fact that they had no idea what lay ahead. Friends, we spend most of our lives wondering what comes next. We wonder about our families, our health, our careers, our relationships, and our future. We want to know where the road is leading and what waits around the next bend. But Genesis takes us back to the One who was there before any road existed at all. The Bible begins with God. Before there was anything, there was God. The opening words of Scripture remind us that God is not reacting or improvising to anything already here. God stands before all things and over all things. That matters because many of us live as though our circumstances are bigger than God. We focus on the diagnosis, the financial struggle, the broken relationship, the unanswered prayer, or the uncertain future. Those things are real and important, but before our problem, there is God. Before our fear, there is God. Before our failure, there is God. Before our doubt, there is God. Genesis also reminds us that creation was intentional. The universe is not an accident. You are not an accident. Scripture tells us that we were created in God’s image. That means every person has dignity, value, and worth. That is important to know because many people define themselves by their mistakes, regrets, labels or by things that were done to them. But Genesis says you are created known and loved by God. Throughout our lives we have failed, doubted, and even walked away from God but again and again God comes looking for us. God came looking for Abraham, Moses, David, the disciples and God comes looking for us. The entire story of the Bible is the story of a God who refuses to stop pursuing the people He loves. The same God who stood at the beginning of creation walks beside you today. The same God who guided His people through deserts, storms, victories, and failures continues to guide us now. Friends, you may not know everything that lies ahead but you can know who travels with you. And when the One who created the road is walking beside you, that is more than enough.

Consider this:

1. Are you defining yourself by God’s love or by your failures?
2. How have you seen God pursuing you throughout your life?

Prayer: Creator God, Thank You for being present and faithful through every chapter of life. When I become overwhelmed by my circumstances, remind me that You are greater than anything I face. Help me remember that I am created in Your image, loved by Your grace, and held in Your care. Thank You for never abandoning me and for constantly calling me home. Guide my steps this week and keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, the destination of every faithful journey. Amen.

Different on Purpose: The Character of a Methodist

Wednesday June 3, 2026

Scripture: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” — John 13:35

Reflection:

One of the questions early Methodists regularly asked each other as they gathered for small group was, “How is it with your soul?” Not, How busy are you? How successful are you? How much have you accomplished this week? But, How is your soul?

John Wesley believed the Christian life was not about appearances. It was about transformation. He wasn’t primarily interested in what label someone wore or what group they belonged to. He wanted to know whether the grace of God was changing their heart.

That may be one of the hardest questions for us to answer today. We live in a culture that teaches us to measure ourselves by achievement, productivity, and appearance. We know how to tell people we’re busy. We know how to tell people we’re fine. We know how to tell people what we’ve accomplished. But how often do we stop long enough to ask what is happening in our soul? Wesley believed that a transformed heart would eventually produce a transformed life. The evidence wasn’t perfection it was growth. The evidence was becoming more like Jesus. So maybe instead of focusing on everything you need to accomplish, take a few moments to pay attention to your soul. Ask yourself, Am I growing closer to God? Am I becoming more loving? Am I showing grace to others?

Is Christ shaping my character? What kind of person is God’s grace producing in me?

Again friends the goal is not perfection it’s transformation.

Consider This:

1. Ask someone you trust, “How is it with your soul?” Then take the time to truly listen.
2. You may discover that one of the greatest gifts we can offer another person is simply being present, listening well, and reminding them that they are not alone.

Prayer: Lord Jesus,Thank You for loving me exactly where I am and too much to leave me there. Help me to slow down and pay attention to my soul. Reveal the places where I need Your grace, Your healing, and Your guidance.Shape my heart so that my life reflects Your love. Help me to grow in kindness, humility, compassion, and faithfulness. Make me less concerned with appearances and more concerned with becoming the person You created me to be.Continue Your transforming work in me.In Jesus’ name,Amen.

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10–11

Reflection: This week our nation pauses for Memorial Day. We remember men and women who gave their lives for something bigger than themselves. Their sacrifice reminds us that freedom is never free. Courage, service, sacrifice, and commitment shape the culture of a nation. And as Christians Pentecost reminds us that the Church was also born through sacrifice, surrender, courage, and ordinary people willing to give themselves fully to the work of God. Before Pentecost, the disciples were hiding behind closed doors in fear. After Pentecost, they became bold witnesses who opened doors so others could meet Jesus. The Holy Spirit changed not only their hearts, but the culture they created together. I think for me that same question still matters today and guides many of my decisions. What kind of culture am I creating? Culture is formed by what we repeatedly value, practice, celebrate, and live out together. A culture of criticism grows when people constantly tear others down. A culture of fear grows when people stay disconnected and silent. A culture of selfishness grows when people only ask, “What do I get out of this?” But Spirit-filled culture looks different. It is built when ordinary people choose kindness over negativity, service over comfort, encouragement over criticism, generosity over selfishness and testimony over silence That is stewardship.

Stewardship is so much more than just money. It is about how we manage, our time, our gifts

our testimony, our influence, our opportunities and our everyday lives. Every act of faithfulness shapes culture. A simple conversation can shape culture. Showing up for somebody can shape culture. Welcoming somebody who feels unseen can shape culture.

The early church changed the world because ordinary people, filled with the Holy Spirit, used ordinary lives in extraordinary ways. And God still works that way today.

Consider This:

• What kind of culture am I helping create through my words, actions, attitude, and stewardship?

Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me faithfully steward everything You have placed in my hands. Teach me to use my time, gifts, words, and testimony in ways that reflect Jesus. Let my life help create a culture of grace, encouragement, courage, sacrifice, and love. Amen.