A Heart for Christ: June 2025

Monday, June 16, 2025

Recognizing Toxic Friends

You’ve probably heard people say, “Stay away from toxic friends.” But did you know that this matters spiritually too?

Sometimes, a friend might seem fun or cool at first—but if they’re always jealous, never happy for you, lie a lot, or make you feel bad about yourself, that’s a problem. Friends like that can pull you down instead of helping you grow. It could even be a sign that something deeper—like a wrong spirit—is trying to get close to you through them.

Proverbs 13:20 (NLT) says, “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.” In other words, who you hang out with matters. God wants us to have real friends, the kind that will help us to grow in Christ, make good choices, and stay close to Him.

So here’s the wisdom that God wants us to use: Be careful who you let close to you. Pay attention to how your friends treat you, as well as how they treat others. And always pray. Ask our Heavenly Father to help you see who should stay in your life and who you might need to step back from. He’ll guide you, because He cares about your heart and your future.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Monday, June 9, 2025

Don’t Give up During Troubled Times

When life gets hard, sometimes we wonder, “Why is this happening to me?” We all go through situations that feels unfair or just plain tough. Things don’t go the way we want, people let us down, or we just feel like there’s way too much on our plates. And honestly, it can make our faith feel shaky. We might even start to feel like God is far away. It may not feel like it when we’re going through it, but those tough times can actually help us grow stronger and closer to God.

Jesus never said life would be easy. In fact, in John 16:33 (NLT), He said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” So we shouldn’t be surprised when life gets rough—Jesus told us it would. But He also promised that we’re not alone, and He’s already overcome all the hard situations that we face.

The Bible also says that these challenges can help us grow. James 1:2–4 (NLT) says, “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy… when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” That means every hard moment is actually a chance for our faith to get stronger. Like muscles growing during a workout, our trust in God grows when we go through hard things with Him.And here’s something really comforting: even though it might feel like the hard times will last forever, they won’t. Psalm 30:5 (NLT) says, “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” God sees our pain, and He promises that it won’t last forever. There’s always hope on the other side.

So if you’re going through something right now—or the next time you are—remember this: it’s okay to feel confused or sad. But don’t give up. God is with you in it. Talk to Him, even if all you can say is, “God, I need help.” He’s listening. And He’s working, even when we don’t see it yet.

Monday, June 2, 2025

Trust in God’s Promises

In the Bible, God has given us promises that show how much He loves us. They guarantee His protection, provision, and many other great blessings. One powerful promise is in John 10:10 (NLT), where Jesus says, “The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” This verse means that God wants us to have a joyful and full life, and the way that we have this kind of life is to spend it with Him. The problem is that we don’t believe these great promises right away. Even when we do, it takes a while for us to trust them in our hearts.

2 Corinthians 1:20 (NLT) says “For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.” We should always remember that God is faithful. He keeps His promises no matter what, and we should always have faith in this, because God cannot fail—not ever.

Even when things in life feel hard or when answers seem to take a long time, we need to keep trusting God. Our job is to pray, believe, and keep the faith. Psalm 37:7 (NLT), says,“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.”

This verse reminds us that we need to be patient. God is perfect. He’s not on our timetable and knows exactly when and how to bless us. This verse also reminds us not to focus on what others have, but to keep our focus on God and His goodness. We shouldn’t be jealous when we see other people who seem to be prospering in life. Instead, we should be thankful and excited about what God is doing in our lives. What He has in store for you is much greater than anything you can imagine.

So, in the end, we should trust in God’s promises and not get impatient. Numbers 23:19 (NLT) tells us that “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” God is trustworthy. He always keeps His Word. We can trust Him with our whole hearts because He always does what He says. All we have to do is believe and keep holding on to His promises.