Mid-week Devotional:

Week of March 8, 2026

Scripture chosen for this week’s devotional comes from the Old Testament, the book of Deuteronomy.

Hear the Word of God as written in Deuteronomy 31:6.

“6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

This is God’s word for God’s people. Thanks be to God. AMEN.

My younger brother and his wife are visiting my husband and I here in Texas this month. We all enjoy taking long walks along country roads and trails within parks. We seek places we have never walked before for we never know what we will see. This week we walked along a path that circled around a small lake. All along the path were tall pine trees with many of them at least 100 feet tall. As we rounded a curve in the trail I saw before me one 100 ft pine tree leaning to its left far enough that all of its weight rested upon the tree next to it. If the tree to its left had not been there the tree would have fallen over, breaking its branches, and exposing its roots to the world around it.

As I looked upon the tree leaning on another tree I was reminded of all the times in my life when I have leaned upon God’s presence beside me; when my older brother died in a one car accident, when my sister with Down’s syndrome died, and when my father and mother died. I leaned upon God’s presence beside me when I moved through divorce. I leaned upon God’s presence when I answered God’s call into ministry 15 years ago.

I began leaning upon God’s presence beside me when I was 14 at Bible camp. It was there that I came to the realization that God is always present beside me no matter what is going on in the world around me.

In the days ahead may you take time to think upon the times in your life when your worries and concerns felt overwhelming. In each of those times God was there beside you as God continues to remain beside you:

-holding you in God’s loving arms

-filling you with God’s presence

In the days ahead may you remember that God is there beside you … even as you hear these words again from Deuteronomy 31; “6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Peace be with you.

AMEN.